This is effectively a parallel combat structure for 5e characters; based on your level you have a number of Brawl Features starting with a General Move and a Class Brawl feature at level 1. You get a number of moves per brawl linked to level, starting at two and rising to four by level six.
Any turn you can inflict a beating with your attack action to make an attack roll and deal a whack.
Damage is in 'whacks' with everyone able to sustain six before going down; each non-critical hit deals one whack, each whack lowers your AC by 1 so things can start going sideways quickly once you get on the wrong side of things. A crit deals two whacks. Foes will typically have 2-4 whacks for a mook, 6 for a heavy.
You can grab props, both common (bottles, pots, stools) and epic (barrels, tables, other characters), and use them to boost the number of whacks you inflict, stun opponents, increase your AC or other effects.
Moves are things like, react to an attack to impose disadvantage on the foe (Counterattack for fighters), tripping (general move), attack multiple foes (clothesline, general move) and so on.
The entire brawl is assumed to occur within a bar, alley or other tight quarters and so movement is essentially disregarded - as long as you can move at all, you can get to where you want within the brawl.
To test all this out I set up Fred the Fighter and Bob the Cleric who have a disagreement with Arnaud, Bruno and Charles in a bar. Our two knaves are wearing chainmail, having just come in off the road. Things kick off, Fred and Bob go first and second and our local mob go last.
Fred opens by hefting a bottle for his bonus action and using it for +d4 to his main action beating - succeeding and whacking Arnaud. Bob next attempts to use his Class Move, Sacrum, to try and deal a whack and knock Bruno down but misses. With his bonus action Bob seizes the stewpot from the table. Next the three locals go, each hefting a stool with their bonus action and getting stuck in. Two misses and a critical hit see only Fred catching two whacks.
Next Fred gets stuck in, trying a 'headsmasher' action to deal whacks to two foes - but fluffs his roll. With his bottle in hand he uses his bonus action to deliver a second whack to Arnaud. Bob follows up, laying about him with the stewpot, missing once then knocking Arnaud out with his bonus action using the stew-pot. Bruno and Charles attempt to fight back with their stools, laying into Fred since his AC is now reduced by two for the two whacks he has taken. Bruno lands another critical with his first strike! Fred tries to react with a 'counterattack' move but fumbles his roll. Two more whacks to Fred who is now on the ropes.
Fred flails at his opponents with his bottle and whiffs everything, Bob uses his last move to try 'Sacrum' again and this time succeeds, tripping Charles and dealing a whack. Bruno wails on reeling Fred and Charles scrambles to his feet and joins in, raining blows from their stools and knocking Fred out.
Alone against two, Bob faces off with Bruno and Charles, everyone misses. Next Bob misses and suffers two whacks, one from each foe this round and the next round.
Next round Bob lands a critical and knocks out Charles and it is an even match between untouched Bruno and half-whacked Bob. A tense couple of rounds bring it to 'next hit to win' and Bruno squeaks it, knocking out Bob and winning the brawl.
By the rules, the two PCs are going to wake up sometime later with a token trophy taken from them - a momento or a coin of whatever the largest denomination they were carrying was. The tenets for brawling after all are:
Neither for Copper nor Hunger, let the Blades hit in Anger.
As Taught by Good ole Manners, Losers Pay Damages to Shabby Taverns
Since the Time of the Coliseum's Big Game, Winners Take Trophies, Wine, Lovers, and Fame
Or - no weapons or active magical abilities (passive abilities like uncanny dodge are fine) and if you lose, expect the winners to take a trophy and the tavern owner who's establishment got smashed up to take the cost of repairs from you.
I ran this another twice - the second time Fred and Bob romped home almost unscathed, the third time Fred took a fair few hits but still won out. Remembering that props are destroyed by use is important - I forgot this in round one and it tilted things heavily in favour of the locals. Bad luck getting the Moves home also makes a big difference - many of the Moves incapacitate, inflict multiple whacks or generally make an interesting difference - in both the second and third fights Bob was able to Hammer-slam one of the locals and even the numbers in round one by incapacitating a foe.
I finally got to take it to the table and just ran it without moves as a teaching example and it went excellently - players were instantly grabbing for props - a crab-pot, a shutter, a boat (epic prop) and the boot knocked off a previously whacked guy were all deployed to great effect.
Overall I like it, as the text declares it is supposed to be an atmospheric alternative to relentless to-the-death combat of main-line 5e. The constraints of being unable to use certain abilities and having access to Moves gives a nice variation. I am looking forward to testing this out at table to see how it feels.
Other differences are that the lack of movement makes getting knocked prone less effective against foes unless others can capitalise before they get up. This makes it a much more useful Theater of the Mind system and quicker to run as there is no tactical movement to be considered, simplifying a brawl compared to a lethal fight.
I had to run through the rules a few times and I am sure some aspects will become obvious during play - I completely missed that a prop is destroyed after use - oops, that makes a lot more sense, otherwise after spending a bonus action to pick up a prop you are doubly effective for the rest of the brawl.
You can get the quickstart for free at the bottom of the Brancalonia store page.
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