I Have the High Ground | Demo | With the Game Developer (Jess)!

Let’s face it: dueling is sexy

But do you know what’s sexier than combat? The slower, higher tension duel that occurs before any damage is done—before any blow is even struck. The duel of word and wit, of casual motion and threatening maneuvers. I Have the High Ground is a short, collaborative tabletop 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. You can hear it played on Party of One, The Neon Caster, and Chicks with Dice, or watch this short video by Philippa Mort for an overview of the game!

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 an 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.

Players are also encouraged to think expansively about what constitutes a duel. It’s wonderful if you are knights, fencers, or Jedi with your blades crossed for sport or mortal combat. But what if you were hackers, trying to speedily exploit your way into control of a contested server? What if you were a murderer and the aggrieved loved one avenging their victim? What if you’re assassins and ex-girlfriends, or you’re in a boxing match, or a bar fight, or even just a school talent show?

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

Hear It Played

• https://www.partyofonepodcast.com/2022/02/15/316-i-have-the-high-ground-with-jess-levine/
• https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/i-have-the-high-ground-episode-1/id688242106?i=1000644168758

Like the game or want to leave a comment?

Contact Jess (Game Developer) – https://jessfrom.online/contact

Game Details

Features

• Two-player, GM-less game
• One-shot that can be played in less than 3 hours, including learning & character creation
• Concise 24-page rulebook
• Can be played in any genre & even use existing characters
• Can be played with just the rulebook and either a sheet of paper & pencils or a chat program over the internet
• Core mechanics based on a rock-paper-scissors triangle with simultaneous resolution
• Mechanics inspired by competitive fencing (thrust, parry, feint, etc.)
• Mechanically significant capes

How do you play?

I Have the High Ground is a GM-less, mechanically light game meant for one-shot play, with just 24 pages of rules text. It can be played in any genre and even adapted to use characters from an existing campaign—it’s a great way to zoom in on a tense, pre-battle scene from a game in another system.

Inspired by competitive fencing, 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 forced—in a shameful outburst of emotion—to use their weapon and strike the blow that begins the ensuing battle!

Character Creation

Players begin with 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 advantages—like the “the high ground”, “superior fashion” or “to be your opponent’s 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.

Philosophy

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. Additionally, I Have the High Ground is a dramatic game. The central verb is not to fight, but rather to posture. I Have the High Ground uplifts the fact that tabletop roleplaying games are at their heart a form of storytelling, and the desired outcome is a satisfying story, not a dead goblin.

I Have the High Ground also follows in the growing tradition of games like Our Swords Touch Where Our Lips Cannot and the recently Nebula-nominated Thirsty Sword Lesbians to play in the space of queer—and specifically lesbian—romance and the inherently homoerotic nature of swordplay. I Have the High Ground distinguishes itself by using swordplay as a metaphor for the dramatic tension which lies at the heart of the game, thereby enabling players to explore their romantic rivalries in any setting and genre they can think of.