================================================================= RingMaster Quick Kit [v2.2] ================================================================= This document copyright (c) 1998 by Bryant & Bryce Berggren; permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document for personal use, so long as it is unaltered, complete, and distributed without charge or profit. ================================================================= The RingMaster rules were designed to be flexible, allowing one to create almost any ringside concept imaginable. Thus, be forewarned: =RingMaster= has a *lot* of detail available to the player, so read these rules carefully. A. THE TALENT POOL Wrestlers in =RingMaster= are created (theoretically) equal, such that their starting abilities will balance out -- if one is extremely strong and tough, he may also be slow and clumsy, or brutish and unsophisticated. Nobody is 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, Weight, and Background the handler chooses for his wrestler can either add or subtract from the Talent Pool. B. BACKGROUNDS Start by selecting one or more Backgrounds for the wrestler. Backgrounds represent "in-roads" to a wrestling career; different Backgrounds have slightly different effects on the wrestler, mostly in his dealings with the fans and league management. Some Backgrounds may modify his Talent. With the Promoter's permission, it is possible to combine two backgrounds, within reason, or to switch backgrounds later in one's career (for example, shifting from "Academy Graduate" to "Stalwart" as one shakes the freshman status). ACADEMY GRADUATE (+0 Talent): The wrestler has been trained by a formal wrestling school, usually run by the league itself. The wrestler receives a gradually diminishing bonus to contendership rankings, representing the inflated view the league has of his talents due to his prestigious credentials. On the other hand, he suffers the same overreaction to Turnovers as a Rookie (some things they just can't teach in school). Joe Gomez, High Voltage, and Chris Chetti were Academy Graduates. ATHLETIC PICK (+0 Talent): The wrestler is either an "all-american" (or equivalent) collegiate athlete or a professional athlete of some note in a non-combat sport. He gains Prestige faster than other characters until he becomes established, but also loses Prestige for inactivity faster. Mark Henry, Rocky Maiva, Steve McMichael, and Brian Pillman were all athletic picks. HARD KNOCKS (+0 Talent): The wrestler comes from a long experience in mundane violence, such as a gang member, bouncer, prison guard, bounty hunter, etc. The wrestler *may not* take the "Injury Prone" Flaw, and must have a minimum TOU of 50. The wrestler's opponents receive a penalty to use BRA attacks against the wrestler, and a bonus to TEC attacks. Bam Bam Bigelow, Big Bubba Rogers, the Gangstaz, and the Disciples of Apocalypse all got their start in the school of Hard Knocks. IMPORT (-1 Talent): The wrestler is a recent acquisition from a competing federation. The wrestler receives extra contendership consideration after his debut, which slowly fades away over time; he also earns Prestige faster until he "gets settled". Virtually every member of the New World Order entered the WCW as an Import. LIVING LEGEND (-4 Talent): The wrestler has a career so long and so fruitful that his name is etched in stone on the minds and hearts of wrestling audiences everywhere. The wrestler gains extra contendership consideration during each cycle; in addition, the wrestler begins play with 400 Prestige instead of 100, and only loses Prestige half as quickly for inactivity. PRIZEFIGHTER (+0 Talent): The wrestler comes from a different combat sport, such as an organized martial arts circle, Greco-Roman wrestling, "ultimate fighting" and/or "shootfighting" leagues, etc. The wrestler's opponents receive a penalty to attack him with techniques that coincide with his previous experience, and a bonus to attack him with other techniques. The wrestler also receives a small measure of extra contendership consideration. Ken Shamrock, Marc Mero, and Ken Patera were Prizefighters. ROOKIE (+1 Talent): The wrestler is a brand new talent without the credentials of formal training, possibly an "import" from a very small regional promotion or a student of a singlular mentor. Rookies are caught off guard more by Turnovers used against them. Marc Bagwell and Bob Holly were Rookies. SCRUB (+2 Talent): The wrestler is a promising talent who for some reason or another still has been wallowing in the preliminary division, and is just breaking out. The wrestler begins play with 50 PRE instead of 100. Scrubs don't adapt well to fighting bigger name talent, and suffer penalties when fighting a wrestler more than one (absolute) PRE rank higher than their own. Barry Horowitz was a Scrub. STALWART (+0 Talent): This is the "default" background, having no effects; it represents a typical "company man", someone who has been perpetually within the league or closely related federations. Most wrestlers will eventually shift to the Stalwart background when the wrestler has "settled in". C. BUILDS The next thing you must determine about your wrestler is his height and weight. A wrestler's possible Attributes are determined by his these values; larger wrestlers tend to have less inherent talent overall, but will also need it less. 1. Weight Weight affects the damage the wrestler does with maneuvers (such as splashes) that utilize his weight; the damage he /takes/ when knocked or thrown to the mat; and the chances of an opponent lifting him or breaking from a pinfall under him. Weights in =RingMaster= are always expressed in American pounds, though wrestlers are free to translate this to kilograms, stones, or whatever for color outside of the game mechanics. 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). The number to the right of the slash is the cost for managers and/or female wrestlers. * 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. Cost Range Borders +5/+1 Below 130 STR/TOU 30 +4/+0 130 - 164 STR/TOU 35 +3/-1 165 - 194 STR/TOU 40 +2/-2 195 - 219 STR/TOU 45 +1/-3 220 - 239 STR/TOU 50 -0/-4 240 - 259 STR/AGI/TOU/STA 55 -1/-5 260 - 284 AGI/STA 50 -2/-6 285 - 314 AGI/STA 45 -3/-7 315 - 349 AGI/STA 40 -4/-8 350 - 389 AGI/STA 35 -5/-9 390 - 434 AGI/STA 30 -6/-10 435 plus AGI/STA 25 2. Heights Height primarily affects the damage of "elevation" maneuvers like most slams, bombs, and suplexes; it also affects the character's Borders to a small degree, and his chances of reaching the ropes when in a hold or pinfall predicament. * "Cost" is the cost in Talent points for that Height; the number to the right of the slash is for managers and/or female wrestlers. * "Borders" is added to the existing Borders taken from Weight. Cost Range Borders +3/+0 Up to 5'4" +5 AGI, -5 STR +1/-1 5'5" -- 6'0" -- +0/-2 6'1" -- 6'6" -- -2/-3 6'7" -- 6'11" +5 STR, -5 AGI -4/-4 7'0" and up +5 STR/TOU, -10 AGI D. Attributes Attributes are numberic measures of a wrestler's ability in a given 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: 30 Noticeably below the average person. 40 Average Joe: what the "man off the street" can do. 50 The average /wrestler/ (above average for most people). 60 Naturally talented, /significantly/ above average 70 Fame-generating skill, competes with the best. 80 Awe-inspiring/legendary aptitude -- cream of the crop. 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. {All right, for those who insist on a chart for this sort of thing, here's how the costs break down:} Border 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 25 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 -- -- -- -- 30 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 -- -- -- 35 0 1 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 -- -- -- 40 0 1 2 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 -- -- 45 0 1 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 -- -- 50 0 1 2 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15 -- 55 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 12 14 -- 60 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 11 13 15 65 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 14 Strength (STR)is the wrestler's brute force and raw power. STR affects the damage of many maneuvers, from punches to powerbombs. Technique (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) 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 speed in the ring as well. Brawling (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) represents the wrestler's wits, perceptiveness, and business sense. SAV affects the amount of initial training in wrestling maneuvers he will have received. Toughness (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, and how much damage is required to put him down for the count. Stamina (STA) is the wrestler's resistance to pain and fatigue, a combination of physical conditioning and sheer willpower or "heart". STA determines how quickly the damage a wrestler takes impedes his performance. E. 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 Talent): The wrestler has friends in high places, or a similar bureaucratic edge, allowing him to "lean" decisions by administration his direction. While he was the Vice-President of WCW, Eric Bishoff had Contacts, and shared this benefit with all his New World Order cronies. DOUBLE (-1 Talent): The wrestler looks strikingly similar to another character, making it easy for others to confuse the two. The pair must each adopt this Merit, if possible. In addition, they must both be within 1" in height, and within 25 lbs. in weight. The Bodydonnas (Skip & Zip) were Doubles, as were the Harris brothers. Doink the Clown unveiled a non-tagteam Double during his rulebreaking days. FAST LEARNER (-3 Talent): 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 Talent): 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 and the Missing Link had Ironheads. MANAGER'S LICENSE (-2 Talent): 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 commission (taken from his wrestler(s) earnings). A league may require managers pay money in addition to Talent for this privilege. MENTOR (-1 Talent): 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 Talent): The wrestler recovers quicker from injuries (torn ligaments, sprained joints, broken limbs) that would keep him hospitalized and out of action. Sting and Ric Flair both have this Merit. REFEREE SLACK (-2 Talent): The wrestler seems to inspire apathy from the referees, whether from intimidation value, an "in" with the officials, a desire to see the wrestler take his lumps rather than get an "easy out" DQ, etc. The wrestler stands less of a chance of receiving referee warnings and/or disqualifications from illegal tactics. Jerry 'The King' Lawler enjoys this Merit. RICH (-2 Talent): The wrestler seems to have incredible financial resources of some type, lessening the impact of expenses. "Diamond" Dallas Page and Ted Dibiase are both Rich. ROUT (-2 Talent): The character can take some action to cause anyone in his immediate area (such as the ring) to scatter. 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 Talent): 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 Talent): 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 Talent): The wrestler has a maneuver which he habitually uses to lead into his Finisher; using the maneuver improves his chances of successfully using the Finisher. Jake "The Snake" Roberts used a short-arm clothesline for a Set-Up Move. SIGNATURE MOVE (-1 Talent): The wrestler has a maneuver that he's famous for other than his finisher. Signature maneuvers usually have their own special name, which sets them apart from just anybody using the move. The maneuver's accuracy and damage are increased, and the wrestler receives a small "spot" bonus to Prestige for using it. The Stinger Splash (Jumping Avalanche) and the Steinerline (Jumping Clothesline) are Signature Maneuvers of Sting and Rick Steiner, respectively. SPECIAL WEAPON (-3 or -5 Talent): 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). He will draw a warning if caught using it, but will not be disqualified out of hand. Note that this differs from a normal foriegn object. For example, Owen Hart's Slammy, frequently used as a weapon, was not a Special Weapon, since he was 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 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). STYLES (2): The wrestler is a master of certain maneuvers. This is actually a class of Merits with very similar effects. Note that wrestlers may buy more than one style, if they wish, and are not required to buy any. The available Styles are: * BOXER: The wrestler is a master pugilist, skilled at throwing, blocking, and ducking punches. 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. Rey Misterio, Jr. and Sabu are High Flyers. * TECHNICIAN: The wrestler has a strong background in amateur-style wrestling (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). Dean Malenko and Gary Albright are Technicians. * MAT WRESTLER: The wrestler is skilled with quick-pin tactics such as small packages and reverse rollups. 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. Glacier and the Great Muta are both Martial Artists. Note: Some maneuvers are unique to Martial Artists; non-Martial Artists suffer a penalty when using them. * DAREDEVIL: The wrestler is adept at jumping from in the ring to the floor (or aisle, or fan stands ... ). Sabu is a Daredevil; Mick "Cactus Jack" 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. Dean Malenko and Ken Shamrock are Submission Artists. * SUPLEX MACHINE: The wrestler is a master of the wide variety of Suplex maneuvers. 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, including foreign object use and dirty tactcs like groinshots and eye rakes. The Sandman and the Public Enemy are Streetfighters. * TEAMWORK: The wrestler has an affinity for double-team maneuvers (such as in tag team wrestling). 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 Talent): The wrestler has reserves of will beyond his stamina, and is unusually resistant to submission holds. Ric Flair is famous for his Tenacity. WINNING APPEARANCE (-1 Talent): The wrestler is strikingly good looking. He receives extra Prestige for each appearance he makes. Shawn Michaels has a Winning Appearance, as does Sunny. WRESTLING HERITAGE (-2 Talent): The wrestler is related to a famous wrestler, and thus his accomplishments have the air of legacy. He recieves extra consideration when title rankings are compiled, and extra Prestige for victories. Bret and Owen Hart both enjoy the benefits from this Merit due to their father, the legendary Stu Hart. F. FLAWS Flaws are the opposite of Merits: special weaknesses or defects a wrestler possesses that make his career more challenging. Examples include Goldust's constant posing, Rey Misterio Jr.'s foreign background, and Shawn Michaels's concussion-prone cranium. Wrestlers receive extra Talent in compensation for accepting Flaws; a wrestler may only take a total of four Flaws, and is not obligated to take any. BAD TEMPER (+1 Talent): The wrestler has a tendency to lose his cool when frustrated, and forget his training, resorting to simple brawling and brute force maneuvers in lieu of any strategy. The handler must define a "trigger" for this Flaw at creation time (some common ones include being cheated against, being verbally taunted, or being attacked in the face); the GM must approve this trigger. Marc Mero has a Bad Temper, with a trigger of "Threats on Sable". BOND (+1 Talent): 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 wrestles less effectively (from distraction); if someone attempts to force his Bond away from ringside, he will risk losing the match to prevent this. The Legion of Doom 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 his ceremonial urn. FINISHERLESS (+2 Talent): 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 Talent): 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 can either use this penalty, or alternatively allow their opponents a free Comeback (the inevitable "USA!" chant) -- but this choice must be set during character design. Yokozuna and the British Bulldog are both Foreign. GLORY HOUND (+1 Talent): 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. Disco Inferno and Goldust are Glory Hounds. INJURY PRONE (+2 Talent): The wrestler, whether due to frailty, carelessness, or just bad luck, draws personal injuries like a magnet draws iron. Scott Steiner and Sean "Syxx" Waltman are Injury Prone. MUTE (+1 Talent): 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 (usually) barred from making interviews and/or taped comments. The Great Muta, the Sultan, and Kane are all Mute. NAGGING INJURY (+2 Talent): The wrestler has suffered a severe injury to one Target area which never healed completely; attacks to this target do more damage die. You must select between Arms, Back, Body, Head, Legs, and Neck; further breakdowns (such as "left elbow" or "chipped lower vertebrae") are merely "color", and will be fitted into one of the broad categories. Note that, if you take this Flaw, the announcers will probably mention it frequently, if only to further dramatize your matches. Perry Saturn has a Nagging Injury: Legs (knee). UNTRAINED (+4 Talent): The character has little to no actual wrestling experience or training (or equivalent). 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 Talent): 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 (but certainly are not limited to): * "Vendetta": the wrestler has an overwhelming hatred of another character, slanting all his plans towards "getting" his nemesis; * "Whoops!": The wrestler is gullible and/or impulsive, and can be tricked into nearly anything; * "Flagwaver": The character is blindly patriotic, instantly getting dragged into feuds with everyone who badmouths his native country; * "Compulsion": The wrestler is so proud of/confident in his Finisher that he refuses to win a match without using it. 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 Talent): 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 Talent): The wrestler has a strong respect for the formal rules of wrestling -- or at least wants you to believe so. He will overreact to referee warnings, taking a greater penalty than normal. The Patriot (Del Wilkes) is a Pure wrestler. RITUAL (+1 Talent): The wrestler must perform some action before every match. During this time, the character is essentially off-guard. Rulebreakers with this Flaw will not be able to make an 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 wrestles less effectively. Bret Hart had a Ritual of giving his sunglasses to a fan at ringside. SIGNAL (+1 Talent): 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. Undertaker's drawing his thumb across his neck and Shawn Michaels's leg stomp are both Signals. SLOW LEARNER (+3 Talent): 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. G. ARSENALS & MANEUVERS Most of the action in RingMaster is an exchange of Maneuvers: "Punch", "Flying Splash", "Figure Four Leglock", "Powerbomb", etc. Wrestlers can (usually) *attempt* any maneuver they wish, but they rely on a relatively small group of well-practiced moves: their Arsenals. All wrestlers possess the following Maneuvers automatically: Bear Hug, Bodyslam, Front Kick, Irish Whip, Open Hand/Slap, Punch, Side Headlock, Stomp. 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 Attribute; * 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 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. You may still Train your Finishing Maneuver further like any other Maneuver, adding up to 4 slots to a maximum skill of 90%.