How to run a bar fight


Advice


Hi folks,

after reviewing my recent list of adventures I find a dangerous shortage of that classic action/fantasy scene, the barroom brawl. Although I can think of different scenarios, I have little idea how to run them in a fun, fast, and effective manner. How do you run your bar fights? How do you prevent the players from bringing a greatsword or wand of fireballs to a fist-fight? How do you provoke a fight? how do you deal with the constable/lawmen/bouncer? etc. I am hoping to add these as both random encounters and as story-driven encounters, so advice on running both would be welcome.


The toughest one here, depending on your players, is keeping them from bringing a greatsword or wand of fireballs (as well as armor). I usually harass them with constables if they're all heavily armored/armed in a peaceful town and really crack down on them with the law if they turn to lethal weapons in a fist-fight. Actions have consequences - sometimes really dire ones.


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A while back I designed an encounter for PCs if they took one path. Sadly, they went another way so I never used it. But this was the basic setup

Bar Brawl:

To give the chaotic theme, I statted up some commoners with higher strengths and combat feats (catch off guard, power attack, etc) gave them a d10 base damage, and had 1/4 of the troop's damage done to itself. A few of these were placed around the bar, but the PCs weren't in it. I also added a 1d8+STR ranged attack targeting one random target each round (chairs being thrown around the room).

Then I made a few bouncer NPCs as Brawlers with Enforcer, Pummeling Style, shatter defenses, and had them trying to subdue the troops.

To face the party I had the villains who started it, all with IUS and Catch-Off Guard, and Throw Anything. Also gave them bluff, diplomacy, and intimidate to spur up a good brawl.

Finally, I added security measures to the bar. The owners were high-level NPCs which had previously made a fortune as adventurers. It was their night off. But security meaaures included mandatory weapon-bindings (requiring a standard action and strength/dexterity check to break or undue) for anything bigger than a dagger. The entire place was chaotic, forcing DC 20+spell level checks to cast, and a permanent abjuration gave everyone in the bar SR 24 against spells higher than 1st level which were neither abjurations nor conjuration (healing) spells, as well as the objects in the bar. I also lowered the AC by 4 points to account for nonproficiency penalties.

The idea was that the troops would be spread out (it was a large establishment) and throwing wrenches chairs into the mix as a way of helping and hurting the PCs, the Brawlers would spend time doing crowd control trying to grapple or knock out the troops, and impose time limits on the fight (once troops go down, the bouncers try to split up the PCs and Villains), and the villains would be the main threat. Lower AC I rationalized by having armor lighter than what they normally would have (low dex in magical chain shirt instead of platemail).


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I ran a fun bar fight once. It was low level, so that helped, but basically a thug picked a fight with them for sitting in his seat/table and then as soon as initiative was rolled, the barkeep pulled his heavy crossbow out and yelled, "no weapons," making it clear that their would be runners for law enforcement if that rule wasn't held to.
The group reported enjoying it.

Grand Lodge

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Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

There is a certain barfight I ran for 10th level PCs once. The enemies were Commoner2s. The party was very distraught when the sap master outright killed one with a nonlethal sneak attack. The eidolon was still doing lethal damage even on minimum nonlethal damage rolls. It's a powerful example of just how strong your characters are.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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Just make it clear to the players that it's a bar fight, not lethal combat. If they start using lethal methods, have everyone else panic, flee, and shame them.

Make it clear they just killed 3 kids standing on top of each other under a trenchcoat, and bring all 6 parents to the scene, crying their eyes out.


Random thoughts

Bars are usually in a civilized town/city. This usually means -
1) Use of weapons in city limits lands you in trouble with the law.
2) Use of magic against others in city limits land you in trouble with the law.
3) Bars are usually patrolled by the city watch or have their own 'enforcers'.

Usually as soon as a weapon get's pulled (or spell casted), I'd figure 1D4+6 rounds for the city guards to show up. +/- a couple rounds depending on the location of the bar.
Weapons also usually mean people getting the heck out of the bar as fast as possible and finger pointing once the city guards show up.

Some bars might not even let people in wearing / carrying armor and weapons. As those might be seen as trouble magnets.

Location and cliental of the bar can play a big part of what happens in a bar fight.

Parties reputation can have a big effect on the aftermath of a Bar Fight.

Most high level character shouldn't get into that many bar fights. If they do, those same characters should easily win it in a round or two but then have to deal with the aftermath.
Low and mid tier bar fights just run as normal without using weapons or magic. If weapons or magic get's used, drop the law down on them. Judges really like fining adventures ^_^.
Only thing to worry about is if the party has a monk, brawler, or someone else skilled in unarmed combat.
If you want to be mean, mix in a level 1 or 2 commoner as they can be one-shotted, dead. Lots of trouble for the party then.

Sovereign Court

buy Bar Brawls from Raging Swan Press.


Make sure there are enough improvised weapons laying around, also need lots of improvised cover that the PCs can make by flipping tables or something. Best bar fight is the one you feel like you are in the bar and can use anything in a bar. Had it for my first combat encounter, still the best combat encounter I had so far.


Most bar brawls will involve lots of grappling, not much space - everybody is squeezed. Fragile improvised weapons (chairs, bottles etc). Difficult terrain with lots of obstacles (chairs, tables, prone people).

Light weapons might be usable with stealth or sleight of hand and go unnoticed but other weapons will be obvious. As others have already said, as soon as a weapon is spotted then people are likely to flee and call the guard. The PCs could soon end up in a lot of trouble.


Hmm. Maybe a peek into Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars IV: A New Hope, Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull would be nice. Make sure all the brawls have some sort of objective.


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My Self wrote:
Hmm. Maybe a peek into Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars IV: A New Hope, Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull would be nice. Make sure all the brawls have some sort of objective.

That's just nasty....trying to trick someone to watch Star Wars II


Hugo Rune wrote:
My Self wrote:
Hmm. Maybe a peek into Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars IV: A New Hope, Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull would be nice. Make sure all the brawls have some sort of objective.
That's just nasty....trying to trick someone to watch Star Wars II

While there were a lot of reasons why not to watch Star Wars II... Ewan McGregor was pretty good in it. And Christopher Lee, Ian Diarmid, Frank Oz, and Samuel L. Jackson. And there's no good reason to not watch Samuel L. Jackson.

But no matter how good your characters are, nobody will have fun with a bad GM, bad story, and awful NPCs. I'm looking at you, Jar-Jar.


Variation on mass combat rules? With PC's having 'reduced' stats in a sense that they're probably not trying to kill everyone outright and being OP and settling the bar brawl in one round with 'efficient' ability/etc use defeats the purpose of the brawl? :)


Doing a Blazing Saddles style rolling bar brawl is tough. You could do it up as a Performance Combat kind of thing. Make it so that "winning" means impressing the crowd/the girl/the important NPC. Just knocking out the opponent isn't enough.


Bar fights are great opportunities for pick pockets! A slight of hand and a steal check may go unnoticed in a brawl.

Angry bartender with a meat cleaver and a blunderbuss warning folks not to steal from the bar.

Dirty trick combat maneuvers.

Suddenly having to save a victim. Child under a burning table or damsel that's being abused.

Fire hazards. Knocked over candles and lamps. Guy who was kicked into the fire is now running around on fire. The burning hands 15 ft cone happened to hit the thatched roof.

Unusual magic. Who the fart cast communal mount in the bar? Did I just get shoved backwards over an unseen servant?

Fun weapons. Frying pan, Pot of boiling water/oil, rolling pin, broom, brass knuckles, hook hand, spring blade, blade boot, switchknife, war razor,sword cane,b butterfly knife, thorn bracer and garrot.

Odd ball classes. Halfling barbarian with animal fury uses bite. Female half orc monk uses crotch kick drunken dwarves wizard falls to successfully cast any spells; only makes odd sparks and smoke fizzle from his fingertips as he slurs his words

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