For my Birthday, I invited friends over and we did a Wrestling RPG One Shot. The absolute saddest part is that we had a microphone set up to record this whole session….and it ended up getting deleted. So for my own records and your reading pleasure, here is a rundown of how the show went!
Held in The Bay Area, NorCal Wrestling is a middling indy fed who fell upon some good fortune.
A local access cable television company
has a Wednesday afternoon time slot open up after the reality court tv show”Judge Jerry” is removed from the air when unfortunate pictures of the Judge spring up upon the internet.
Jeffrey Manson, a 40-something divorcee and owner of NorCal Wrestling, is able to back his labor of love via his successful car dealership in the heart of Oakland. One or two incredible deals on a used Ford here and there, and the next thing you know….that Wednesday slot is now his! It may not be primetime, but it’s a start!
The only request from the TV executives was the show needed a rebrand, and wanted the show to do whatever it took to get the internet talking and abuzz.
The group was assigned with the creative tasks of everything from the new name and feel of the Federation, to choosing who and how to physically setting up the ring itself.
And that is how Pacific Rim Organized Wrestling, or P.R.O Wrestling was born!
Wrestlers are referred to as Pros, and the idea was to show that, even with limited effects and finances, the show could earn a dedicated following and be a stand up alternative to the big names, with a heavy focus on in ring work, overarching storylines and character development, and high end entertainment that was timeless yet unpredictable.
Mr. Manson needed to make a great first impression and chose the best he had to offer.
Name: Fever
Gimmick: The Anti-Hero
Alignment: Babyface
Hailing From: Chiraq
Entrance: From the Crowd
Finisher: The Clap
Dressed in all black, the female wrestler Fever is the embodiment of the Punk scene. With absolutely no respect for authority, Fever is the most unpredictable member of the roster, but Manson knows that her charisma, as well as her following is undeniable. Finding a girl that can go toe to toe with the boys is hard to come by, and Fever always seems to give the crowd their Money’s worth. Rumors of her possibly being a man backstage have not been yet debunked.
Name: Fingolfin The Younger
Gimmick: The Technician
Alignment: Babyface
Hailing From: The Eternal Forests of Middle Earth
Entrance: Epic. Including Harps, and riding a steed to the ring.
Finisher: The Lightbringer
Dressed in the traditional green and gold garments of his people and armed with a golden bow made from magical wood and unicorn hair, Fingolfin and his beautiful, shimmering golden locks have come to our realm in search of aid. With his people dying at the hands of Orcs, he must ask the world of men for help, and feels the only way to gain the respect of his fellow Elves and lead this tentative alliance is to become the Champion of both worlds. Already being the champion of his land, there have been rumors of a prestigious golden belt that gives the bearer untold power….
Name: No Name aka The New Kid
Gimmick: The Hardcore
Alignment: Babyface
Hailing From: Brooklyn New York
Entrance: Dark, Slow. Always enters last, and lights go out. When the lights return the opponent is covered in blood.
When it came to which wrestlers would make the cut for the show, No Name almost didn’t. Not for lack of talent, but simply stated, No Name is a brutal son of a bitch with no conscious or regard for human life. No name is covered in cuts and welts all over his body that are only hidden by his signature Trench Coat and blood stained wife beater. No Name is officially the first wrestler in history to wrestle solely in flip-flops.
Name: Ace High
Gimmick: The High Flyer
Alignment: Heel
Hailing From: Guadalajara, Mexico
Entrance: Drives a Pickup Truck to the Ring that plays “La Cucaracha”
Finisher: Frog Splash
A once proud Luchador, Ace High has seen better days. Injuries have caught up with Ace, and these injuries, as well as his day job as a construction worker, have led to the high-flyer weighing in at an excess of 250 pounds. Jaded and weary of the Independent scene, Ace High no longer wears the traditional luchalibre style mask, nor trunks, to the ring. Instead, he wears merely construction worker boots and jeans, and a burlap sack with two holes cut our for eyes on his head, mocking tradition. Manson prays this new TV deal will be a turning point in getting Ace High back to his glory days and out of his misguided funk.
Name: Mr. K
Gimmick: The Monster
Alignment: Heel
Hailing From: Flint Michigan
Entrance: “The Way I Am” by Eminem. Lights go out. Appears in the center of the ring.
Finisher: The 8 Mile Slam
The 7 Foot Mr. K is power personified. Dressed in a red and blue uni-leotard with tights and combat boots, skull cap, a trench coat and sporting a menacing eye-patch, he also acts as Jeffrey Manson’s personal enforcer. The gossip and rumors are that his finisher, The 8 Mile Slam, is unlike anything ever seen before in wrestling history! Backstage, Mr. K is actually Jeffrey’s most loyal and dependable worker, and has been with him since the beginning.
“The Artist” Rene Nouveau
Gimmick: The Provacateur
Alignment: Heel
Hailing From: Paris, France
Entrance: Cinematic & Dramatic, French Opera (Bryan Hymel: Heroic)
Finisher: A Work of Art (Canadian Destroyer)
Alternate: The Finishing Touches (Elevated Texas Cloverleaf)
Dressed in a black turtle neck and beret, The Connoisseur of Chaos, The King of the Canvas, The Visionary of Vibrant Violence has made a name for himself overseas and is Jeffrey Manson’s most prized acquisition. Manson’s believes The Artist’s eccentric insistence at beating his opponents mentally as well as his flair for the theatrical will make for incredible television. The Artist himself has come to remind the uncultured Americans that Wrestling is, and always has been, first an foremost…..Art.
The Artist is always accompanied by his stable, The Avant Garde, which includes his female enterpreter Rosé, and his muscle Boris and Batum.
The Card –
Mr Manson gave us a break down of how the card was going to look, and then allowed us time to meet with our opponents/teams to flesh out how we’d like our matches to go, some spots wed like to hit and that we’d be crowning inaugural World and Tag Team Champions before the night was through!
Match 0: Tootsie vs Jack Rabbit (Dark Match)
So my friend running the game decided that he and I would show the rest of the people at the table exactly how a match looks like by having a dark match to open the show, and I thought this was a really great idea.
We both had older wrestlers of ours in mind, his go-to curtain jerker being Tootsie the Unstable Ghetto Clown Heel, and mine being Jack Rabbit, a clean cut gigolo ladies man face, who just so happened to be the wrestler I used as my main last year on my birthday (so some of the returning members got a kick out of it) whose career has seen better days.
We went through all the steps of a match, showed them the dice mechanic, how momentum works, and made this a rather quick match with Tootsie getting the clean win in a squash.
Setting the scene, the show started with Mr. Manson at the top of the ramp as the 3 Babyfaces stood in the ring. After a brief promo, Manson ordered the heels to proceed with a sneak attack beat down of the faces, allowing each of us to choose who we wanted to attack. This was a great reflection of how well the Heat system and background questions about relationships works into creating back story and plotting seeds for fueds.
With the Heels outnumbering the Faces 5-3 (including The Avant Garde muscle) The faces were allowed to look very sympathetic yet heroic.
Match 1: Mr. K vs No Name (Hardcore Match)
Next up was a hardcore match between two of the more intense Pros on the roster, and generally recognized by the group as the match of the night by two players that have never done this before.
The match included No Name going to town on Mr. K with a kendo stick, before The Monster grabbed the stick and broke it in two, Cheese Graters being used in curb stomps on the steel chairs, and even a surprise appearance by New Jack himself. The Monster Mr. K was written to go over, and with everyone anticipating this incredible finisher, the lights went out! (A double botched roll caused the finished to be interrupted by Tootsie the Ghetto Clown, who caused a ruckus backstage and forced the card to be shifted a bit. Mr. K still got the win but wasn’t able to show off his finisher due to the complications.
With the botched roll, The Hardcore No Name was forced to have to cut a promo after his match to stall for time with the backstage problems, but he actually nailed the promo like a champ (both the promo itself and the dice roll) explaining he will get revenge for being jumped, and will force the rest of the P.R.O Wrestling Federation to respect him, one way or another.
Match 2: Androgienous Adrenaline (Fever and Fingolfin) vs The Avant Garde (Boris and Batum) Tag Team Championship Match
The match had The Artist come to the ring as a special guest commentator, however, he only speaks in french and refuses to speak in english. Before he and Rosé could make it from their entrance, Fever came out of the crowd and attempted to dump a bucket of paint all over the Artist! (A botched roll saw the paint land on Rosé instead, infuriating the Avant Garde)
Boris and Batum, with no Elf in sight, proceeded to beat down Fever in what seemed to become a handicap match.
When all looked bleak, sparkling light filled the arena, and the sound of the elven tongue enveloped the arena. (My friend really did begin to speak a Tolkien chant…biggest pop of the night)
Fingolfin came to the rescue! FnF used their speed and agility to counter the power and strength of BnB, cleaning house. The Artist explains how Fever is what is wrong with American Wrestling…using dispicable moves like eyerakes, finger pokes, and lowblows to get ahead and the crowd is just as guilty for cheering her on. Fever hits Boris with her finisher the Clap, and gives the Artist a stare down. He takes his headset off and is held back by Rosé.
Fever then signals to Fingolfin, and the two perform their tag team finisher. Using the top rope, The Elven Warrior takes Fever and pulls back, catapulting her like an arrow into Batum, hitting what they call “The Quiver” (huge pop) 1! 2! 3!
And the New Tag Team Champions! Fingol-Fever!
The Artist slides into the ring to get the jump on Fever, but the lights go out, when they return, she is nowhere to be found, completely dissapearing! The Artist goes to take out his dissapointment and dismay on poor Fingolfin, but with both straps in hand, Fingolfin clears out the ring in true heroic fashion, dismantling the Avant Garde and heading backstage with the belts raised high….the legends of the power possessed by the Golden strap bearers is true!
Match 3: “The Artist” Rene Nouveau vs Ace High: Ladder Match
There was supposed to be a promo in this slot before the ladder match, however the botched roll forced that promo earlier on the card, so Rene, with his clock completely rung, is caught off guard as Ace takes to the ring.
Mr. Manson’s music hits, and he interrupts to tell the crowd that the winner of this match, will go on to face Fever in the main event for the P.R.O Wrestling World Championship! A briefcase holding a slip for the number 1 contender lowers from the rafters.
With many of his family members in attendance, also with the same burlap sack masks over their faces in his honor, Ace climbs the turnbuckle, motions to the crowd. A single tear escapes and drops from one of his burlap sack eye holes. (Pop from the table)
He motions for his family members in the crowd, and they actually bring the ladder to him. This match is very high risk, and was filled with high spots, with Ace looking incredibly strong and The Artist having no business being in the same ring as him (kayfabe). Some included Ace being able to grab for the briefcase above the ring, but sees his family, and feels the fire of the lucha spirit overwhelm him, deciding to do a humongous frog splash from the top of the ladder instead!
All of a sudden, Mr. K comes out of nowhere! His mission (perhaps from Manson himself?) Is to take out both Ace and The Artist, and grab the briefcase for himself (the swerve was Mr K was going to be the champ by the end of the night), but a botched roll (!) by K see’s him and Ace go back and forth as The Artist takes advantage of the distraction to sneak up the ladder and grab the briefcase! We have our main event!
The Artist vs Fever….yet nobody has seen or heard from Fever since she won the tag straps…could she have been kidnapped? Sabatoged by Fingolfin? Nobody knows, but the Artist seems overly confident he will win the title via noshow….perhaps he knows more than he let’s on?
After a couple of backstage segments, we return to the ring. The main event is announced Fever’s music hits. Fever is nowhere to be seen, and instead out from the Entry Ramp comes The Artist and the Avant Garde!
Dangling from a rope tied around its neck, a lifelike sized dummy doll, dressed as Fever, is being dragged to the ring slowly and ominously by a very cocky Rene Nouveau.
He brings the doll into the ring and begins to mock Fever, typical American trash with no real backbone, no idea of the true nature of Art, Wrestling, or what it takes to be a champion.
The Artist then places The Dummy in his submission finisher, The Finishing Touches, as his stable laughs and cheers.
He let’s the fans know- The Fever has been broken!
The Artist hears the boos from Ace High’s family section, and walks over to give them a piece of his mind. They’re obviously salty and sour about Rene beating their Mexican hero for a shot at the title. This is why France is better than Mexi-
Out of nowhere one of them takes off the mask! IT’S FEVER!
The Crowd goes insane as Fever grabs a beer from a fan, pounds it, then sprays it in Nouveau’s face! After getting the best of him, She wails on him and then proceeds to toss him in the ring!
Highlights include The Artist making Fever look incredibly strong after a hulk up by her, and Fever motions to the crowd for her finisher, the Clap! (Which is an Double Ear slap, Head-Butt, Gut-Kick and Slam combo)
She hits the ear slap! Connects with the head butt! Nails the Gut-Kick! And Slams The Artist to the ground!
1! 2!
KICKOUT! RENE KICKS OUT!
Fever is undetered and grabs Rene by the neck, and with the ref out of position Rene hits a lowblow! Considering the uncertainty of her gender, she grimaces. It definitely hurts, but we can’t really tell how much.
The Artist goes for the Work of Art, but Fever reverses and goes for the Clap! Getting cocky, she motions to the Avant Garde, so Boris and Batum slide under the ropes and go to attack but Fever ducks and Slams them both into each other before tossing them from the ring!
Then Rosé gets on the apron to Distract the referee, and Fever has had enough of her! She grabs her by the head, gives her a smooch and then clocks her off the mat!
Just enough of a distraction for The Artist to catch Fever by surprise and hit The Work of Art!
1! 2! 3!
The Lights go out, and when they return, Fever is covered in blood. Is this the work of No Name?
Wait a minute….that isn’t blood! It’s paint! Fever has been given a paint bath, and left to sulk in the irony. She had a chance to hit her finisher, but chose to revel in the limelight and taunt….the very thing she hated about The Artist…his arrogance and narcissism, was now the very thing she had become, and the very thing that cost her the World Title!
Everyone had a blast, and it seemed rather poetic that The Artist, the very last person that deserved the belt, managed to weasel his way all through the night, through shear dumb luck and circumstance, into the Gold Strap after getting outmatched each and everytime. That makes for a great villain you want to see get their comeuppance down the road!
Stay tuned for the next episode of Pacific Rim Organized Wrestling!
