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A Superstar is Born

Before you can enter the arena to take on the best, you need to create a wrestler -- your alter ego within the fictional league you'll be taking part in.

The Talent Pool

For the sake of fairness, all wrestlers in RingMaster are created (theoretically) equal, which is to say their starting abilities will balance out -- if a wrestler is extremely strong and tough, he may also be slow and clumsy, or brutish and unsophisticated. Nobody character will be good at everything -- for every strength, there is a weakness.

This is accomplished by having the handler "purchase" the wrestler's Attributes from a pool of 50 "Talent" points. Merits are also purchased from this pool; in addition, wrestlers can accept Flaws to provide extra Talent points to the pool. The Height and Weight the handler chooses for his wrestler can either add or subtract from the Talent Pool.

Backgrounds

Builds

The next thing you must determine about your wrestler is his his height and weight. A wrestler's possible Attributes are determined by his these values, and his choice of Maneuvers will probably be made with these values in mind as well. Larger wrestlers tend to have less inherent talent overall, but will also need it less.

Weight

In the following charts:

• All weights are in American pounds.
• Cost refers to the Talent points subtracted from the wrestler's pool (or the number of bonus points added to the wrestler's pool).
• Lift indicates the penalty to lifting maneuvers and pin escapes due to the character's weight.
• WDB (Weight Damage Bonus) is the extra damage added to Slam and Crunch dice due to the character's weight.
• Border indicates the maximum rating you can have at normal cost in the indicated Attribute(s); beyond this amount, each additional level of the indicated Attribute costs 2 points instead of one. Attributes with no listed Border have a Border of 60.

Heights

In the table below:

• Cost is the cost in Talent points for that Height;
• HDB (Height Damage Bonus) is the extra damage added to the Slam dice of certain maneuvers due to height;
• MAX is added to the AGI Border taken from Weight;
• Rope is the modifier to attempts to reach the ropes to break pinfall predicaments and/or submission holds.

Attributes

Attributes are numbered measurements of a wrestler's ability in a certain field. Each of the 7 Attributes used in RingMaster is assigned a value between 30 and 80 (all starting attribute values are divisible by 5). In general, these values can be considered to represent the following levels:

All wrestlers begin with a rating of 25 in each Attribute before spending any Talent; each additional 5 points costs 1 Talent, until the Border (see "Build" above) is reached, when the cost becomes 2 Talent per 5 points. Thus, a 40 SAV costs 3 Talent, while a 65 SAV costs 9 Talent. Attributes are always purchased in 5 point increments (you may not start with a 63 SAV or 48 STA, for example); no more than 15 Talent may ever be spent on any Attribute.

Strength (STR)

STR is the wrestler's brute force and raw power. Strong wrestlers often have the most impressive high-impact maneuvers -- even a simple bodyslam can be a remarkably effective maneuver from a powerhouse wrestler. STR determines the POW Trait.

Technique (TEC)

TEC is the wrestler's pure grappling ability -- his skill with grabs, locks, leverage-based throws and/or takedowns, and pinfall predicaments. It also represents, to a large degree, the wrestler's skill at countering or escaping these maneuvers.

Agility (AGI)

AGI is the wrestler's quickness and talent at performing acrobatics and/or using aerial tactics (those involving flips, jumps, or leaps from the turnbuckles and ropes). It determines the wrestler's SPD Trait.

Brawling (BRA)

BRA is the wrestler's talent for punching, kicking, and similar roughhousing. Brawling includes both techniques using vicious maneuvers like hair-pulling, choking, and eye-gouging, and the sophisticated hand-to-hand maneuvers of the Oriental martial arts.

Savvy (SAV)

SAV represents the wrestler's wits, perceptiveness, and business sense. Wrestlers with high SAV are quick to think on their feet, and get caught off guard less by the unexpected.

Toughness (TOU)

TOU is the wrestler's physical toughness and intestinal fortitude. TOU determines how much a given Maneuver will hurt the wrestler in the first place. TOU determines the wrestler's RES Trait, as well as his starting Intensity.

Stamina (STA)

STA is the wrestler's resistance to pain and fatigue, a combination of physical conditioning and sheer willpower or "heart". STA determines a wrestler's Intensity Level Breaks, as well as his REC Trait.

The Weardown System

In RingMaster, as a wrestler performs maneuvers and becomes the target of his opponent's maneuvers, he will suffer from the effects of ever-increasing fatigue. This is represented by lowering his Attribute scores as the match progresses and the wrestler loses Intensity (see below).

Each Attribute has four levels: Fresh (1), Winded (2), Tired (3), and Exhausted (4). Level 1 (Fresh) is the basic Attribute, as described above. Each additional Level subtracts a cumulative 10% from the original score -- thus, a wrestler with a STR of 60 at the beginning of a match will use these scores:

     Level  1    2    3    4
     STR   60   54   48   42

Note that when dealing with odd Attribute scores, the second and fourth level scores are rounded in favor of the wrestler (up in this case) and the level 3 score is rounded against the wrestler (down for Attributes). Thus, a wrestler with a 55 STR would have this set of scores:

     Level   1    2    3    4
     STR    55   50   44   39

Traits

Traits are values automatically generated from the wrestler's Attributes and Build. Traits are not necessarily values between 25 and 80, as Attributes are; rather, each Trait has its own range, dependent on the method of derivation.

Note that many of the following formulas use integer division, indicated with a backslash ("\") instead of a standard slash ("/"). When making integer divisions, drop any remainder or decimal portion from the final result (5\2 is 2, not 2.5).

Power (POW)

POW represents the extra force a wrestler is able to put into certain maneuvers (especially slams and suplexes) due to his physical strength. POW is always current STR\10.

Speed (SPD)

SPD is the wrestler's mobility and reflexes. A wrestler who has the Advantage begins each round with Action Points equal to his SPD. SPD is always current AGI\10.

Resilience (RES)

RES represents the wrestler's ability to shake off the immediate pain of a maneuver just performed against him -- the higher a wrestler's RES, the faster he will get up after a maneuver. RES is always current TOU\10.

Recovery (REC)

REC represents the wrestler's ability to recuperate from pain and fatigue, both inside the ring and when recovering from long-term injury. REC is always current STA\10.

Lift

Lift represents the effects a wrestler's weight has on the success of power-oriented moves performed against him. A wrestler with a high Lift will be hard to pick up or knock down; conversely, a wrestler with a negative Lift can be overpowered much easier.

A wrestler's starting Lift score is determined by their weight; Lift degrades 10% per Intensity Level, the same as Attributes. Note that a wrestler with a negative Lift score subtracts 10% of the absolute value of his Lift. In other words, a wrestler with a Lift of +10 has these scores:

     Level   1    2    3    4
     Lift  +10   +9   +8   +7

while a wrestler with a -10 Lift has these scores:

     Level   1    2   3     4
     Lift  -10  -11  -12  -13

Intensity

Intensity represents the wrestler's momentum and energy during a match. Whenever a wrestler performs a maneuver, he uses a little Intensity; his opponent, if the maneuver is successful, loses a lot of Intensity. As a wrestler's Intensity passes below certain points (called Levels) determined by the wrestler's STA, he shifts to the corresponding wear-down level column's scores.

A wrestler's starting Intensity is equal to 10 x (TOU - 15). So, a wrestler with a 30 TOU starts with 150 Intensity; one with 80 TOU starts with 650 Intensity.

The Intensity Level borders are based upon a sliding percentage of your beginning Intensity, as determined by STA; see the chart below (round all fractions down):

Merits

Merits are special bonuses a wrestler can have apart from his attributes, maneuvers, and build. Examples of Merits include Ted Dibiase's seemingly endless cash reserves, or Owen Hart's family heritage.

Merits are self-contained and unique. There is no number or score connected to them -- one either possesses a given Merit or one does not. In essence, they are like special exceptions to the standard rules, tailoring the game mechanics to fit the wrestler's concept.

Every Merit has its own Talent cost (listed in parentheses after its name) and game effect. Simply pay the listed Talent cost to add a Merit to your wrestler. Wrestlers are in no way obligated to take any Merits.

Contacts (2)

The wrestler has friends in high places, or a similar bureaucratic edge. During any controversial situation requiring a die roll by an official, the wrestler can manipulate that roll by +/-20 points. While he was the Vice-President of WCW, Eric Bishoff had Contacts, and shared this benefit with all his New World Order cronies; Clarence Mason's legal experience gave him the benefits of Contacts with the WWF.

Double (1)

The wrestler looks strikingly similar to another character. The pair must each adopt this Merit. In addition, they must both be within 1" in height, and within 25 lbs. in weight (Note: these can cross weight/height ranges). A SAV roll at 1/2 the normal value must be made to tell them apart. If the pair acts as a tag team, they act as if they had the Blind Tag Trick without spending slots.

The Bodydonnas (Skip & Zip) were Doubles, as were the Texas Hangmen. Doink the Clown unveiled a non-tagteam Double during his rulebreaking days.

Fast Learner (3)

The wrestler is a quick study, who rapidly picks up techniques and improves his skills. The amount of time required to increase Attributes or purchase new Arsenal slots is reduced for this wrestler. Mikey Whipwreck and Alex Wright are Fast Learners.

Ironhead (2)

The wrestler has an incredibly hard head. He adds a Basic Die to any type of headbutt maneuver, and subtracts 1 point of damage per die from attacks to his head. Fatu has an IronHead.

Manager (variable)

The wrestler is accompanied to ringside by an advisor, coach, trainer, valet, significant other, bodyguard, director, roadie, business associate, or some other form of ringside assistance. This character is built like any other, but can be built on less than 50 Talent if desired.

A wrestler who wishes to maintain a manager must spend both Talent and earned money. The cost of this Merit is dependent on the Talent of the manager:

In addition, the wrestler has to pay the manager a commission (q.v.).

Manager's License (2)

The character is licensed by the promotion to be an advisor, coach, trainer, valet, etc. This allows the character to act at ringside with greater authority, to speak on behalf of other wrestlers both on camera and to league officials, and to be paid a commision from what his wrestler(s) earn.

Mentor (1)

The wrestler was trained by another wrestler (or manager), and benefits from the added experience. The wrestler gains an extra six slots to his Training arsenal, but may only spend the extra slots on maneuvers known to the Mentor. Bret and Owen Hart, Chris Benoit, and "Lionheart" Chris Jericho are all noted for having Stu Hart as a Mentor.

Miracle Man (2)

The wrestler recovers quicker from injuries (torn ligaments, sprained joints, broken limbs) that would keep him hospitalized and out of action. When taken out of commission due to severe injury, the wrestler will recover at double rate. Sting and Ric Flair both have this Merit.

Package (4)

The wrestler's Finisher is so well-trained, he can safely modify it at will to make it deadlier. Any variation on the Finisher acts as a Second Finish. "Diamond" Dallas Page has this Merit.

Referee Slack (2)

Certain people are blessed by referee apathy, and never seem to get disqualified despite obviously illegal tactics. When a wrestler with Ref Slack takes an illegal action, the referee must make two successful rolls to detect the action. If a wrestler performs an action that would automatically disqualify him, if one of the referee's rolls is successful, the wrestler receives a referee warning; if both are successful, he is disqualified; and if neither are successful, he gets away clean. Jerry 'The King' Lawler enjoys this Merit.

Rich (2)

The wrestler seems to have incredible financial resources of some type. Any expenses (except for Training) incurred against him or her are halved. "Diamond" Dallas Page and Ted Dibiase are both Rich.

If a Rich wrestler has to pay another character (such as when hiring a manager), he effectively doubles the value of the money he spends -- the character being paid receives the full cash value, but the wrestler only subtracts half as much from his own money.

Rout (2)

The character can take some action to cause anyone in his immediate area (such as the ring) to scatter. This action takes all of the wrestler's current Action Points to perform. (Of course, if any opponents are distracted, they must roll a SAV roll to notice the fear-causing action).

Jake "The Snake" Roberts uses this Merit when he releases his various snakes (Damien, Lucifer, and currently Revelations); the chainsaw used by the USWA's Leatherface has much the same effect. Note that if this Merit is used in the context of an actual match, it will draw a Referee Warning.

Scramble (1)

The character is quicker on his feet than his Agility would indicate. He adds 2 points to his SPD at all Levels. Vader has this Merit, as did the Ultimate Warrior.

Second Finish (2)

The wrestler has more than one Finisher which he can use. This secondary finisher only recieves a +5% to Maneuver Skill and an automatic one-count for a following pinfall; however, it still affects damage, injuries, and Turnovers as a "real" finisher. Scott "Bam-Bam" Bigelow uses a moonsault as a second finish to his usual flying headbutt drop.

Two wrestlers can divide the cost of this Merit, paying 1 Talent apiece, to create a double team finish, such as a double DDT. This is how to create the Road Warrior's flying clothesline finish, the Midnight Express's "veg-o-matic", etc.

Set-Up Move (1)

The wrestler has a maneuver which he habitually uses to lead into his Finisher. This maneuver gets a +5% to Maneuver Skill, and adds +1 point per damage die. In addition, it receives a special "chaining" bonus -- the wrestler gains a +10% to perform his finisher immediately following the Set-Up, and is always considered to have enough Action Points to position the Finisher properly, regardless of the rolled damage. Jake "The Snake" Roberts used a short-arm clothesline for a Set-Up Move.

Signature Move (1)

The wrestler has a maneuver that he's well known for other than his finisher. Signature maneuvers usually have their own special name, which sets them apart from just anybody using the move. The wrestler gets a +5% to use the maneuver, and adds +1 point per damage die. In addition, each use adds a "spot bonus" of +2 Prestige automatically.

The Stinger Splash (Jumping Avalanche) and the Steinerline (Jumping Clothesline) are Signature Maneuvers of Sting and Rick Steiner, respectively.

Special Weapon (3 or 5)

The wrestler has a weapon he can use semi-legally in the ring, such as a loaded glove, steel-toed boots, etc. This object will always pass any search made by referees (usually because the wrestler has an inarguable excuse for bringing it, like a medical pass). Referee checks continue to be made when he uses it; after the first successful check is made, subsequent checks will cause referee warnings to be issued; however, use of the weapon will not cause automatic disqualification.

Note that this differs from a normal foriegn object. For example, Owen Hart's Slammy, frequently used as a weapon, is not a Special Weapon, since he is expected to keep it outside the ring, and a referee who sees him use it would disqualify him automatically rather than just issue a Warning.

Lex Luger's steel-plated forearm is an example, as was Greg "The Hammer" Valentine's shinguard. Special Weapons cost 3 Talent points if it can be taken away from the wrestler by force in the ring, and 5 if it cannot (such as Luger's steel elbow).

Style (2)

The wrestler is considered a master of a certain type of maneuver. This is not so much a Merit as a class of Merits with very similar effects. The wrestler gains an additional +5% to any maneuver in his Style. Note that wrestlers may buy more than one style, if they wish, and of course are not required to buy any.

The available Styles are:

• Boxer: The wrestler is a master pugilist; the bonus applies to punching maneuvers of any kind. In addition to the standard bonus, Boxers also add a Basic Die to the Force of punching maneuvers; opponents are -5% to hit the character with BRA maneuvers due to the wrestler's experience at blocking and ducking. "Marvelous" Marc Mero and "Rugged" Ron Garvin were well-known Boxers.
• High Flyer: The wrestler is adept at leaping from the ropes and/or turnbuckles, achieving impressive elevation when he does so. The Style bonus applies to any Flying or Springboard maneuver. In addition, he doubles the effective Step value for the purposes of damage. Rey Misterio, Jr. and the 1-2-3 Kid are High Flyers.
• Technician: The wrestler has a strong background in amateur-style wrestling, and gains the Style bonus to skill when using maneuvers derived from this background (including but not limited to "nelson" and scissor holds, headlocks, hammerlocks, facelocks, belly-to-belly and belly-to-back suplexes, and the collar-elbow tieup). He also gains a +5% bonus to escape from holds and pincounts. Mike Rotundo and Dean Malenko are Technicians.
• Mat Wrestler: The wrestler is skilled with quick-pin tactics such as small packages and reverse rollups. The wrestler gets a bonus whenever using an "automatic pin" maneuver, and in addition opponents are at -5% to their attempts to break the pin. Bob Backlund (as a fan favorite) and Bret Hart are Mat Wrestlers.
• Martial Artist: The wrestler is adept at some form of organized martial art style, like Karate or Kung Fu. The wrestler recieves a Style skill bonus whenever utilizing a martial arts maneuver. In addition, the wrestler adds +1 to each damage die rolled. Glacier and the Great Muta are both Martial Artists. Note: Some maneuvers are unique to Martial Artists; non-Martial Artists suffer a -5% penalty to skill when using them.
• Daredevil: The wrestler is adept at jumping from in the ring to the floor (or aisle, or fan stands ... ). The character gets a bonus when executing a Suicide maneuver. In addition, he halves the damage he takes himself from these moves. Sabu is a Daredevil, as was Sean "Syxx" Waltman before his numerous injuries. Mike "Cactus Jack/Mankind" Foley is one of the few Daredevils who aren't also High Flyers.
• Submission Artist: The wrestler is adept at making opponents forfeit by placing them in painful holds. The wrestler recieves the Style bonus to skill when utilizing any submission maneuver, and opponents suffer a -5% penalty to breaking free of these holds. Dean Malenko and Ken Shamrock are Submission Artists.
• Suplex Machine: The wrestler is a master of the wide variety of Suplex maneuvers. The wrestler gets a bonus to any STR "Suplex" maneuver; in addition, the wrestler can learn two suplex maneuvers with only a single Arsenal slot. Taz and the Steiner Brothers are Suplex Machines.
• Streetfighter: The wrestler has an affinity for pure unscientific brawls. He gets a skill bonus when using any foreign object maneuver, or any BRA maneuver that does not qualify for Martial Artist or Boxer (Low Blow, Eye Rake, Choke, etc.). The Sandman and the Public Enemy are Streetfighters.
• Teamwork: The wrestler has an affinity for tag team wrestling, especially double-team maneuvers. He gets a skill bonus when performing double-team maneuvers of any kind, as well as when attempting any kind of Tag maneuver. A pair of wrestlers can "split" the cost of this Merit, paying only 1 point apiece, but then only receieve the benefits when teamed with each other. Bobby Eaton has Teamwork.

Tenacity (2)

The wrestler has reserves of will beyond his stamina, and is unusually resistant to submission holds. He makes two rolls when making submission checks, and uses the more favorable result. Ric Flair is famous for his Tenacity.

Winning Appearance (1)

The wrestler is strikingly good looking. He receives an extra +/-5 Prestige for each match or interview he participates in. Shawn Michaels has a Winning Appearance, as does Sunny.

Wrestling Heritage (2)

The wrestler is related to a famous wrestler, and thus his accomplishments have the air of legacy. He recieves extra contender points when rankings are calculated by the promoter, equivalent to one extra win by pinfall, and adds +1 Prestige to all awards for winning matches. Bret and Owen Hart both enjoy the benefits from this Merit due to their father, the legendary Stu Hart.

Flaws

Flaws are the opposite of Merits: special weaknesses or defects a wrestler possesses that make his career more challenging. Examples include Steve Austin's paranoia, Rey Misterio Jr.'s foreign background, and Shawn Michaels's concussion-prone cranium.

Flaws serve two useful purposes in Ringmaster. First, they add character, color, and interest to a wrestler, giving him something dramatic to overcome in his quest for fame, wealth, titles, or whatever. Secondly, they serve to further balance the wrestler's abilities -- wrestlers with extremely high Attributes and/or many Merits will probably need to accept a similiarly great many Flaws as well.

When you add a Flaw to a wrestler's record, take the Talent bonus listed with the Flaw -- these are extra points you can spend on Attributes and Merits.

Bad Temper (+1)

The wrestler has a tendency to lose his cool when frustrated, and forget his training. The handler must define a "trigger" for this Flaw at creation time (some common ones include falling a Intensity Level behind one's opponent, being cheated against, or being verbally taunted). The Promoter must approve the trigger.

When the flaw is triggered, the wrestler will only use BRA maneuvers for at least 5 rounds; he may not attempt pinfalls, and will follow the opponent to attack even if it means leaving the ring and being counted out. At the beginning of each round after the 5th, he may make a SAV check to resume "normal" wrestling. Marc Mero has a Bad Temper, with a trigger of "Threats on Sable".

Bond (+1)

The wrestler will not wrestle without another person at ringside, be it a tag team partner or manager. If he is forced (by presidential decision, for example) to do so, he makes all rolls at -10; if someone attempts to force his Bond away from ringside, he will risk losing the match to prevent this. The Road Warriors are bonded together.

With the Promoter's permission, a wrestler can Bond to an object instead of a person. The Undertaker was, at one time, Bonded to both Paul Bearer and the urn.

Finisherless (+2)

For one reason or another, the wrestler really doesn't have just one maneuver he can call his "finisher". The Sandman is Finisherless.

Foreign (+1)

The wrestler is obviously from a nation other than the United States of America. As wrestling fans are typically patriotic towards the home of their favorite promotion, fan favorites with this Flaw earn less Prestige from each match; rulebreakers may either use this option, or choose to allow their opponents a free Comeback (the inevitable "USA!" chant). Yokozuna and the British Bulldog are both Foreign.

Glory Hound (+1)

The wrestler needs to be the center of attention at all times. He'll waste time posing for the crowd and/or mugging for the camera. A wrestler with this Flaw reduces the number of Action Points he can use in each turn by 4, representing the cumulative effects of all this horseplay.

Injury Prone (+2)

The wrestler, whether due to frailty, carelessness, or just bad luck, draws personal injuries like a magnet draws iron. Attacks that can cause injuries will generate injury points on rolls of 5 and 6. Shawn Michaels and Sean "Syxx" Waltman are Injury Prone.

Mute (+1)

The wrestler does not speak for himself. This might be because the wrestler actually does not understand English (except for a few words like "No" and "One, Two, Three"), or perhaps the wrestler is just the strong and silent type. The wrestler is thus barred from making interviews and/or taped comments; if he had a manager, he can have the manager speak on his behalf, and earn half the usual Prestige bonus. Kensuke Sasake and the Sultan are Mute.

Nagging Injury (+2)

The wrestler has suffered a severe injury to one Target area which never healed completely. Attacks to this target add +2 point per damage die.

Non-Wrestler (+4)

The character has little to no actual wrestling experience or training. He receives no Arsenal slots for STR, TEC, AGI, or BRA. He does still receive a training Arsenal. This Flaw is most common among managers like Sunny, but a few "one trick ponies" like ECW's 911 also possessed it.

Personality Quirk (+1)

The wrestler has some psychological deficiency that hampers his performance in the ring and/or his ability to deal in league business; these must be defined at character creation. Some examples might include:

• The wrestler has an overwhelming hatred of another character, slanting all his plans towards "getting" his nemesis;
• The wrestler is gullible and/or impulsive, and can be tricked into nearly anything;
• The character is blindly patriotic, instantly getting dragged into feuds with everyone who badmouths America;
• The wrestler is so proud of/confident in his Finisher that he refuses to win a match without using it.

When a wrestler is in a situation that is affected by his Personality Quirk (such as the target of a "vendetta" showing up at ringside during a match), he must make a SAV check or react irrationally upon his Quirk (if he failed the SAV check, the wrestler might abandon the opponent in the ring to attack the newcomer, for example). This is subject to Promoter arbitration.

A wrestler may take up to two Personality quirks, provided they do not overlap in any way. The Promoter may refuse to allow certain submitted quirks, either because he does not expect they will be very limiting, or because they do not fit the tone or style of the league.

Poor (+2)

The wrestler is perpetually short on cash for some reason, be it mismanagement of funds, prior debts, etc. All earned money is halved before being added to his total. The manager's cut, if any, is taken before this division. The Samoans had this Flaw, as did "Diamond" Dallas Page when he lost his fortune.

Pure (+2)

The wrestler has a strong respect for the formal rules of wrestling, and will normally never break them. If he receives a Referee Warning for whatever reason, he puts himself "off his game" and recieves a -10% penalty to his next maneuver (this is in addition to the normal penalties, if any). The Patriot is a Pure wrestler.

Ritual (+1)

The wrestler must perform some action before every match. During this time (at least 1 round's worth), attacks on the wrestler are considered unopposed. In addition, rulebreakers with this Flaw will not be able to make a ambush prior to a match (at least not under usual circumstances); fan favorites with this Flaw can be ambushed without using one of their opponent's Cheapshots.

If the character voluntarily does not perform his Ritual, he is considered "off his game", and takes a -5% to every action throughout the match (he can forgive himself for involuntarily missing it, such as if ambushed). Bret Hart had a Ritual of giving his sunglasses to a fan at ringside.

Signal (+1)

The wrestler has a certain action that he always takes which signals his finishing maneuver is coming. As such, the opponent has more time to prepare for it.

The wrestler must spend an extra 3 Action Points setting up the Finisher move; in addition, opponents can use the signal as a trigger for the use of Cheapshots and/or Comebacks (whereas normally, the opponent would have to guess which move is going to be used from the current positioning).

Undertaker's drawing his thumb across his neck and Shawn Michaels's leg shaking are both Signals.

Slow Learner (+3)

The wrestler isn't very good at picking up new techniques. He will need to spend more time during training to improve his attributes and learn new maneuvers. He also doubles penalties for improvising maneuvers. After the Techno Team 2000 debacle, Eric Watts was proven to be a Slow Learner.

Prestige

Prestige (PRE) refers to a wrestler's popularity with the fans, and his fame, importance, and status in the sport. Prestige is rated by a number between 0 and 2000 (or more!), and can be either positive (fan favorite) or negative (rulebreaker). References to PRE and changes to it can be described as 'positive', 'negative', or 'absolute' (ie, relative to 0).

All wrestlers (except Living Legends) are assumed to begin with +/-100 Prestige, depending on what their alignment is. This is enough to make themselves known to all the fans of the league, but of course there's a difference between knowing of and caring about. A wrestler's starting Prestige may be raised prior to their first match depending on actions like teaser flashes, mystery-man run-ins, etc.

Wrestlers of both alignments (fan favorite or rulebreaker) lose absolute Prestige when they lose matches -- as they say, everyone loves (or at least respects) a winner. Wrestlers can also receive a reduction in their absolute PRE by failing to make an appearance of any kind in the promotion for more than a month. In the fans' case, absence makes the heart grow fickle. Finally, "spots" -- especially novel or impressive maneuvers or combinations in the ring -- serve to either inspire or intimidate the fans, and thus add to a wrestler's absolute Prestige.

Prestige Ranks

There are 9 "ranks" for PRE, dependent on your exact current PRE score. These ranks determine how many Cheap Shots or Comebacks a wrestler can use in a single match, as well as how many multiple attacks he can make without penalty.

MEGASTAR (2,000 or more)

Megastars are a promotion's top dogs, the wrestlers who can seemingly do anything -- Hulk Hogan c. 1985, or Sting during the early 90's. A Megastar can use six Comebacks per match, and can attack up to 4 characters in a round without penalty.

SUPERSTAR (1000 to 1,999)

The classic top-level face; Superstars are considered the cream of the crop in the league. A Superstar can use four Comebacks per match, and can attack 2 characters per round without penalty.

HERO (400 to 999)

Heroes are the minor faces, good enough to rate serious attention, but not recieving a major push; these often include "sidekicks" of Superstar level characters. Heroes can use two Comebacks per match.

FAVORITE (100 to 399)

The new, rising stars who haven't had a chance to make a serious name for themselves, or perennial veterans without any league push. Favorites recieve one Comeback to use during the match.

PRELIMINARY (-99 to 99)

Also called jobbers or scrubs, these are the people like Brooklyn Brawler and Mark West -- the wrestler who jumps on the turnbuckle before the match, and is ignored by the crowds anyways. Preliminary wrestlers don't receive ANY Comebacks or Cheapshots, and take an extra count on all pinfalls (meaning they are automatically pinned by Finishers).

ROGUE (-100 to -399)

The opposite of Favorites, the minor rulebreakers that the fans only dislike, not truly hate. Rogues only receive one Cheapshots to use during a match.

VILLAIN (-400 to -999)

A fairly established heel, but one who can't quite generate the heat the bigger names do. Villains can use two Cheapshots during a match.

HEEL (-1000 to -1,999)

The big-name baddies, the ones who would regularly have appeared on PWI's Top Ten Most Hated list (when PWI had such a list). Heels can use four Cheapshots per match.

MONSTER HEEL (-2000 or less)

The most hated of all wrestlers, the ones who make children cry and their parents afraid. It takes a truly evil persona to achieve such infamy and maintain it. Monster Heels get six Cheap Shots per match, and can attack 2 characters per round without penalty.

Maneuvers & Arsenals

Most RingMaster action is an exchange of Maneuvers -- a simple Punch, a soaring Flying Splash, an intricate Figure Four Leglock, to an earthshaking Powerbomb. While wrestlers can attempt any maneuver they wish, they mostly rely on a relatively small group of moves: their Arsenals.

All wrestlers possess the following Maneuvers automatically: Bear Hug, Bodyslam, Front Kick, Irish Whip, Open Hand/Slap, Punch, Side Headlock, Stomp. They use these maneuvers without improvising.

In addition, every wrestler recieves an Arsenal corresponding to each of the Attributes STR, TEC, AGI, and BRA. Each Arsenal has a number of "slots" equal to 1/10 the Attribute (rounded up) that can be filled with maneuvers appropriate to that attribute (i.e., STR slots are filled with STR maneuvers, etc.).

Wrestlers also recieve a special Training Arsenal; this has SAV/5 slots in it. Training slots can be used in one of three ways:

• They can be filled by Maneuvers of ANY class;
• They can be filled with Tricks, such as 'Distract Ref';
• They can be used to improve Maneuvers; using 1 slot adds 5% to the wrestler's skill with 1 maneuver.

Training to improve maneuvers has some special restrictions. First, no more than 4 extra slots can be spent on any maneuver. In addition, under no circumstances can a wrestler train his Level I skill with a maneuver above 90%. Thus, a STR 80 wrestler could spend a maximum of 3 slots on any STR maneuver -- one to initially gain it, one to raise it to 85 skill, and one more to raise it to 90.

Finally, make sure to choose a Finishing Maneuver for your wrestler. This can be any single Maneuver you like; it costs you no slots, and gains an automatic +10% skill bonus (as well as other benefits -- see "Finishing Maneuvers" in part 2). You may still Train your Finishing Maneuver further like any other Maneuver, adding up to 4 slots to a maximum skill of 90%.