I Have the High Ground RPG

Introduction

Lets face it: dueling is sexy.

But do you know whats sexier than combat? That slower, higher tension duel that occurs before any damage is donebefore any blow is even struck. The duel of word and wit, of melodramatic motion and threatening maneuvers.

I Have the High Ground is a short collaborative roleplaying and storytelling game for 2 players about that kind of duel. It’s GM-less and genre-neutral, and takes 1-2 hours to play. Using game mechanics inspired by competitive fencing, players choose moves in secret. After their choices are revealed, the winner takes the opportunity to flaunt their bravado or to perform subtle acts that leave a dramatic and imposing quiet in their wake. Your game is not an action-packed fight to the death but rather a portrayal of the slow, smoldering tension between two people about to risk their pride, their reputation, or even their lives.

I Have the High Ground also encourages players to ask: what exactly is a duel? You might be knights or fencers with your blades crossed for sport or mortal combat. But what if you were hackers vying for control of a contested server? A murderer and the aggrieved loved one avenging their victim? What if youre assassins and ex-girlfriends, or in a boxing match, or bar fight, or even just a school talent show? So, who will you be? What will you do? Theres only one way to find out.

Pick your weapons, push the limits, and whenever justifiable: flourish your capes.

The Game

I Have the High Ground is mechanically light, with a rulebook totaling to only 24 pages. It’s GM-less and intended for one-shot play. It can be played in any genre, and even adapted to use characters from an existing campaignit’s a great way to zoom in on a tense, pre-battle scene from a game in another system.

The mechanics in I Have the High Ground are inspired by competitive fencing, and each round, players choose in secret to thrust, feint, or parry. The moves are arranged in a rock-paper-scissors triangle, where thrust beats feint, feint beats parry, and parry beats thrust, scoring one point for the victor. These moves do not, however, translate to the bloody jabs of a sword. Instead, they help structure the narration that follows: thrusts resolve to vicious insults or imperious gestures, feints into provocative bait that incites opponents into emotional vulnerability, while parries resolve as cunning repartees. When one player reaches 9 points, their opponent is defeated, and the loser is forcedin a shameful outburst of emotionto use their weapon and strike the blow that begins the ensuing battle!

Storytelling

The mechanical victory provides inspiration and structure for the narration that follows, shaping the story players tell about the exchange. The rules establish who gets the narrative “last word” and how players negotiate their actions so that the loser gives the victor a satisfying chance to demonstrate their victory. In the end, I Have the High Ground is a collaborative game. Players are expected to help each other tell the stories they want to tell, treating losses as an opportunity to show their characters weaknesses and demonstrate their opponent’s strengths.

Character and Setting Creation

In its unique setting and character creation system, players proceed through a combination of open-ended prompts and pre-written options designed to ensure that each character develops into a dramatic foil of their opponent. Players establish a history between their characters, whether that be rivals, ex-lovers, or both, and select narrative advantageslike the the high ground, superior fashion or to be your opponents exact type. Which player selects first depends directly on the most important mechanic: the cape rubric. The player with the finest cape chooses the section of character creation in which they will receive first pick.