Rama Defeats The Machete Gang in 10,000 SWORDS AGAINST HEAVEN
We're using this as basis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8j5IA0L_MI
Let's do some conversion. Let's see how one of the best fight scenes in cinema holds up in 10kSwords.
We start at 1:35.
Assuming Rama has Armor 2 (Kevlar Vest, Tactical Boots), 12 Adamance, and at least 14 Violence. Let's say he has the Trait [Mountain Shearing Attitude] and the Technicks [Raging River Fist] and [Gentle Tiger Reversal]
Assume all the Machete Gang members have 9 Health.
Rama sizes up the machete gang. Across the hallway, there are at least 4 of them. Each one with a Machete (Saber, 4dmg). The hallway is not that wide—around 2 meters?
The machete gang shouts out a war cry as they charge over the intervening space. Rama, no doubt rattled but with a heart of steel, charges as well. Hesitation is death. There is only one alternative to fighting.
He runs up to the first one with the machete, attempting to parry the attack and immediately disarm the target by punching his side. He rolls a Violence Check for this with a -2 (Parrying and then Disarming by Committing Violence!) but he rolls a 9. He successfully catches the arm, elbows his side to loosen his grip, and then kicks the machete away as it clatters onto the floor. Brought down to just his hands, the Intercessor says that he's down to dealing 2 phys dmg with empty hands.
After being disarmed, Rama finishes the maneuver by striking the Machete Thug A to the side, dealing his 3 empty hand dmg to him. [Thug A 7 Health]
Next telegraph: Machete Thug B immediately thrusts, and Rama is forced to focus on dodging. He rolls a 12 on his Parry Check and lets Machete Thug B sprawl onto the ground behind him.
Next telegraph: Machete Thug C swings in but Rama is ready. He serpent locks Thug C's sword hand, strikes his chest, and slams him against the nearby wall. Another Commit Violence: he rolls a 10 Violence Check and deals his dmg to the Thug as he reels in pain. [Thug C 7 Health]
Next telegraph: A backhand swing from Thug D. Easy enough: but he's still locking Thug C. Intercessor rules an innate -2 to the Check. But he sets his heart ablaze: Rama wants to catch the swing and unleash kicks on the attacker. Imposes another -1. But one roll all the same: Against a Violence of 11, Rama rolls a 7! He deals his dmg [Thug A 7 Health].
Next telegraph: thug D is getting ready to swing again and Thug C is about to break free. Rama knows that keeping Thug C pinned will limit his options: he chooses to knee him and then throw him to the side. Another commit violence: a 12 on the Violence Check! Another 2 dmg to Thug C and he is sent sprawling to the side, and the success lets him react to Thug D's swing! [Thug C 5 Health]
Next Telegraph: Thug D pushes himself off of the wall and swings. Rama ducks down under to avoid it, but rolls a 13 on a 11 Lightness! A failure. His consequence: he manages to move across the hallway to the other side, but the Thug's onslaught continues. Rama desperately tries to reduce the damage but the Thug manages to get a good kick in.
Next Telegraph: Thug D is going to continue to stab Rama. Rama tries to move to the side to avoid the strike and strike back with an elbow. Bouncing off of the door he moves to the side to avoid the stab. He makes a Violence Check and succeeds, his description respects the telegraph so he avoids the damage, catches the swordhand, elbows Thug D, and sends a thundering axe kick, dealing dmg to the Thug [Thug D 5 Health].
Next telegraph: Thug B runs up and leaps up at Rama. Rama wants to avoid it and then attack back by throwing him away, but rolls a 16! Thug B manages to get on top of Rama.
Next telegraph: Thug B raises his sword! Rama counters by inching to the side, catching his hand, and then striking hard with his fist. Lots of movements, the Intercessor rules this at -3. He rolls a 12—he fails! But the Intercessor decides that the Consequence is Rama being moved away. Rama still deals dmg to Thug B [Thug B 7 Health].
Next telegraph: Thug A grabs Rama's leg and hauls him across the hallway. "Take the leg!" He shouts at Thug C. Thug C takes his machete and readies to swing down. Rama counters by spinning, kicking in a rapid flurrying motion, at both Thug A and Thug C. Since he has [Mountain Shearing Attitude], he does this with no penalty! And succeeds! He kicks at both of them to parry them away.
Next telegraph: Thug A is about to strike. Rama counters by picking up the machete that Thug C drops and swinging it at Thug A, pushing him back. His fatigue is catching up with him, and he fails his Violence Check. As a Consequence, Thug B is able to stand up and run in.
Next telegraph: Thug B swings, but Rama focuses on parrying it away to minimize any damaging Consequences. He succeeds his Parry Check! He kicks Thug B away to try and daze him and he succeeds a -2 Attack Check! [Thug B 5 Health].
Next telegraph: Thug A behind him stands again and unleashes sword swings. Rama parries each one again in a kinetic exchange, succeeding his Parry Check.
Next telegraph: Thug D thrusts with his sword. This time, Rama parries with a vertical block, into a backhand pierce, into a wide slash into a closing cut. Rama wants to finish this by stabbing down, but rolls makes an Attack Check and rolls a 17! As a Consequence, Thug C beside him manages to grapple, bring him to the ground, and send the machete sprawling from his fingers.
Next telegraph: Thug C looks like he's going to reach over and grab the machete to stab Rama. Rama breaks free from the Thug C's grappling by grabbing his head and slamming him against the floor. Then he turns around and parries Thug C's attempt to strike down at him. A rapid kicking parry, he makes a check with a -2 adjustment and still manages to get a 8! He kicks the Thug away. He then turns around and reaches for the machete...
Next telegraph: golden opportunity, Thug D swings his machete, forcing Rama to dodge to avoid getting his hand cut off! He succeeds and manages to roll onto his feet.
Next telegraph: Thug A is about to strike. Rama parries by kicking his side out of the way. He succeeds!
Next telegraph: Thug C and B flank Rama, getting on both sides of him. Rama unleashes wild strikes on both sides, fighting like the expert martial artist that he is. He gets a -3 adjustment to this. He's respecting the telegraph by intercepting attacks with strikes. He succeeds! He deals 2 dmg to both Thug C and Thug B. [Thug B at Health 3, Thug C at Health 5]
Next telegraph: Thug B attempts a wild swing of his machete. Rama intercepts it, but he kick the man through the door. He does this with a -4. He rolls a 15—he fails. The Intercessor states that he still knocks Thug B through the door, but Thug C manages to cut him from behind! This gets him and he suffers 2 damage (4 - 2 from his Armor). [Rama Health 10].
Next telegraph: Thug C is still going to attack. Rama turns around to intercept the strike. He rolls a 4—a Critical Hit! He strikes multiple times, slams Thug C against the door behind him (1 collision damage) and then finishes Thug C by sending his throat straight through the jagged bottom of the broken door.
Next telegraph: Stumbling into the room now, Thug B is not yet dead. He screams a war scream and swings his machete. Rama parries and counters with Gentle Lion Fist, sending Thug C through the table! Thug C is now at 1 Health]
Next telegraph: Thug A and D run into the room, screaming bloody murder. Rama focuses all his attention Parrying. He parries the attacks of Thug D first, then Thug A.
Next telegraph: Thug A is about to strike. Rama tries to catch the attack but his Violence Check fails. He still gets to deal damage, but he suffers a front kick first (2 dmg again, 8 Health now) first, before he catches Thug D's next strike, converting the momentum into a slam into the stove (2 dmg). [Thug D is at 5 Health].
Next telegraph: Thug A rushes in, machete swinging. Rama succeeds a Parry Check, and then performs Gentle Lion Reversal to spin Thug A around, and then finish him off with his own machete (4 dmg) in a flurry of liquid steel ultraviolence.
Next telegraph: The damned Thug B is still alive! He attacks an unsuspecting Rama, who has a -4 to this since he's focused on bringing down Thug A. He rolls a 11 to Parry the attack, and Thug A manages to unleash a flurry of attacks! Thankfully the damage is brought down to just 1 [Rama Health 7]. He is sent stumbling back and across the couch. Intercessor mediates and says that rolling over the couch did no damage but it did stun Rama for a bit.
Next telegraph: Thug B runs over the couch and unleashes kicks, punches, elbows, a flurry of battle trance rage. Rama is stunned so he can't parry! He suffers another 1 dmg [Rama Health 6].
Next telegraph: Thug B mounts Rama to try and attack past his armor. Rama can move now, so he decides to grab the Thug as he mounts, and spin around to slam him into the wall behind him. This is an attack check and he succeeds! Any dmg would've incapacitated Thug B, so he's out now.
Next telegraph: Thug D runs in now, fists and fury. They both try to attack. A fierce exchange of blows! Rama rolls too high: a 15. The Intercessor says that Rama both deals and suffers dmg [Thug D is now at 3 Health]. [Rama Health 5]. Don't be afraid to stretch a single consequence over a fierce and kinetic exchange of blows to accentuate our fiction! This exchange probably spans 3:28 - 3:51!
Next telegraph: The Intercessor telegraphs that the Thug D manages to flip Rama over and send him sprawling to the floor (Intercessor, don't be afraid to put the Wanderers in interesting positions!) and runs over to choke him out. Rama does a hard counter, using Raging River Fist! First, he flips the Thug over and slams his own head against him. Rama succeeds and brings Thug D to Health 1! Rama tries to end things now, choking him out with his second attack, but fails with a 14! The Intercessor declares that the Thug breaks free and slams Rama into the wall behind them. And then tosses Rama into the center of the room. Dealing dmg + collission [3dmg, so Rama is now at Health 4].
Next telegraph: Thug D picks up the machete to try and end Rama, and Rama makes a Parry Check (and succeeds!) to block it, then Commits Violence (and succeeds!) to finally finish off Thug D, sending him into a groggy incapacitated state.
There's some more warriors coming in, and the Intercessor asks Rama how he plans to escape. Rama asks if he can have Thug D stand up groggily in front of the window. The Intercessor acquiesces, eager to see what he does.
Rama then rams into the Thug, and through the window behind him to escape the room.
Lessons From This Breakdown
Don't be afraid to stretch out a single roll and its consequences if it's interesting.
Allow Wanderers to "intercept" and describe themselves defending and attacking at once, but this is a perfect situation to apply -2 or more Adjustments.
Use the environment! There's couches, walls, balustrades, windows everywhere. Use them to enhance your action's effect!
Keep the action flowing. Every consequence flows naturally into a new telegraph.
Don't be afraid to take advantage of numbers. It's all right to penalize a defense check if the Wanderer couldn't feasibly be aware of an incoming attack!
Remind the players that Technicks that let them do multiple Actions are powerful, but they're also more vectors for consequences!