Boxing and Progression
Every bout tests timing, technique, composure, and endurance. When the result is uncertain, roll a d20 and add the relevant boxing ability modifier. In the ring, attacks and defenses are opposed rolls: the punch must beat the defender’s response, not a fixed target number.
Boxing abilities and modifiers
Your boxer has seven scores: Power, Speed, Footwork, Defense, Conditioning, Ring IQ, and Recovery. Use the standard D&D 5e modifier for each score:
Modifier = floor((score − 10) ÷ 2)
| Score | Modifier | Score | Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | −4 | 12–13 | +1 |
| 4–5 | −3 | 14–15 | +2 |
| 6–7 | −2 | 16–17 | +3 |
| 8–9 | −1 | 18–19 | +4 |
| 10–11 | +0 | 20 | +5 |
Assign 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8 among the six core abilities. Recovery starts at 10. Add the relevant modifier to d20 rolls. Power applies to heavy punches and forcing a guard open; Speed to quick punches, combinations, and initiative; Footwork to slipping, pivots, and controlling range; Defense to blocks and parries; Conditioning to stamina and resisting fatigue; Ring IQ to feints, tactical adjustments, and reading an opponent; Recovery to healing area health between rounds.
Training and specialties
There is no overall character level and no pool of stat points to spend. Each of the seven abilities improves independently through focused training. At the start of a gym session, name the one ability you are working on. The sheet tracks separate Training XP for each ability.
- Complete a focused training session: gain 1 XP in the chosen ability.
- Complete a coach-led drill, meet a meaningful training goal, or make a standout breakthrough: the GM may award 1 additional XP in that same ability. Award no more than 2 Training XP to one ability in one session.
- When an ability reaches 3 XP, increase its score by 1 and reset that ability’s Training XP to 0. This immediately improves the stat you trained—not a point you bank or spend elsewhere.
- Scores cannot exceed 20. A score already at 20 cannot gain more Training XP; choose a different focus.
At the start of play, choose one specialty: name a boxing focus and choose the ability it improves. Add +2 to that ability score, up to a maximum effective score of 20. The sheet records the specialty and includes its bonus when calculating the ability modifier. You gain another specialty for every 6 Career Points earned, to a maximum of five specialties. A specialty’s +2 changes the score before calculating its modifier; it does not grant a separate +2 to every roll. You may choose the same ability again if it is still below 20. Specialties are separate from Training XP and do not replace gym training.
Resolving a punch
Each sequence is one attack and one response. The attacker names a punch and chooses Head or Body as the target. Both fighters roll:
Attacker: d20 + punch ability modifier + applicable bonus
Defender: d20 + chosen defense ability modifier + applicable bonus
The defender chooses how to answer: Defense to block or parry, Footwork to slip or evade, or Ring IQ to read the punch. State the intent before rolling. If the defender ties or beats the attacker, the attack is defended. A successful block directs the blow into the Guard (Arms) health track; a successful slip or read avoids it. If the attacker wins, the punch gets through and hits the declared Head or Body target. If the attacker wins, compare totals; the difference is the margin of victory.
| Punch | Attack ability | Base Stamina damage | Base area-health damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jab | Speed | 1 | 3 |
| Cross / straight | Power | 2 | 6 |
| Hook | Power | 2 | 8 |
| Uppercut | Power | 3 | 10 |
The opposed-roll margin determines how cleanly a punch gets through:
| Attacker’s margin | Result | Stamina adjustment | Area-health adjustment | Round-scoring points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Grazing | −1 (minimum 1) | −2 (minimum 1) | 1 |
| 5–9 | Clean | No change | No change | 2 |
| 10+ | Flush | +1 | +2 | 3 |
A landed punch reduces both the defender’s Stamina and the chosen Head or Body health by the adjusted amounts. Example: a Hook that wins by 3 is grazing, dealing 1 Stamina damage and 6 area-health damage. A Hook that wins by 11 is flush, dealing 3 Stamina damage and 10 area-health damage.
A natural 1 on the attack roll loses the exchange. A natural 20 wins only if the attacker’s total still beats the defender’s; a winning natural 20 adds 1 Stamina damage and 2 area-health damage after the margin adjustment. The natural-20 bonus does not change round-scoring points. Natural rolls do not override a higher opposing total.
Area health: Guard, Body, and Head
Each boxer has three separate health tracks, each starting at 100: Guard (Arms), Body, and Head. Track the current value from 0 to 100 for each area. They are not interchangeable pools: a fighter cannot move damage from one area to another.
A successful block (the defender chose Defense and tied or beat the attack) still wears down the arms. Subtract half the punch’s base area-health damage, rounded up, from Guard. A block does not damage Head or Body, does not cause Stamina loss, and does not score round points. A successful Footwork or Ring IQ defense takes no area-health or Stamina damage. If Guard is at 0, the boxer can no longer choose Defense to block; they must use Footwork or Ring IQ to defend.
Area health affects performance as it falls:
| Area | At 50 or less | At 25 or less | At 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guard (Arms) | −1 to Defense rolls | −2 to Defense rolls total | Cannot block; use another defense |
| Body | −1 to Power and Conditioning rolls | −2 to those rolls total | Referee stops the bout: TKO |
| Head | −1 to Speed and Ring IQ rolls | −2 to those rolls total | Boxer is knocked out; bout ends |
The lower threshold replaces, rather than adds to, the higher-threshold penalty. If more than one area is compromised, apply each relevant penalty. Reaching 0 Head or Body Health ends the bout immediately; it is not postponed until the end of the sequence or round.
Between rounds, after the bell, restore 5 + your Recovery modifier Health to each area, minimum 1 per area, never exceeding 100. For example, a Recovery modifier of +2 restores 7 Guard, 7 Body, and 7 Head Health. This is separate from Stamina recovery. If Head or Body reaches 0 during a round, the bout has already ended and no between-round recovery occurs.
Knockdowns and stoppages
After a Cross, Hook, or Uppercut lands, if the defender has 2 or fewer Stamina remaining after damage, they must make a knockdown check: roll d20 + Conditioning modifier against 12 + the attacker’s Power modifier. On a failure, the boxer goes down. A landed Jab cannot cause this knockdown check, though the referee can still stop a bout for safety.
When a boxer goes down, pause the action for a count. The downed boxer rolls d20 + Conditioning modifier against 10. On a success, they rise and may continue, but lose their next action while they recover. On a failure, the referee stops the bout and the opponent wins by knockout. The referee may also stop a bout at any time if a boxer cannot intelligently defend themselves. Three knockdowns in one bout cause a technical knockout, even if the boxer passed earlier recovery checks. A boxer at 0 Stamina is winded (−2 on attacks and defenses) but is not automatically knocked out.
Rounds and judging
A round lasts up to 12 sequences, representing roughly three minutes of action; each sequence is one exchange. Take a one-minute rest between rounds. Use these bout formats unless the event sets another format:
- Gym sparring: 3 rounds.
- Amateur bout: 3 rounds.
- Professional bout: 4 rounds.
- Championship bout: 12 rounds.
During each round, total each boxer’s round-scoring points from landed Head or Body punches: 1 for a grazing hit, 2 for a clean hit, and 3 for a flush hit. Blocked punches do not score. At the bell, the boxer with more points wins the round 10–9. If a boxer scored at least 5 more points than their opponent, or scored a knockdown, the round is 10–8. With two or more knockdowns in the round, score it 10–7. If the point totals are tied and neither boxer scored a knockdown, score the round 10–10.
At the end of the scheduled rounds, add each boxer’s round scores. The higher total wins by decision. Equal totals are a draw. A knockout, technical knockout, or referee stoppage ends the bout immediately and overrides the scorecards. A boxer’s remaining Stamina or area health does not directly change the scorecard; the scorecard reflects landed punches and knockdowns.
Sequences and stamina
A boxer can attack, recover, reposition, or use a trained technique during their action in a sequence. The opponent’s response is part of that same sequence. The fighters alternate who initiates; if needed, determine the first attacker at the start of each round with d20 + Speed modifier. A reposition can establish inside, mid, or outside range, or shift ring position. Resolve it as an opposed Footwork or Ring IQ contest; a win gives +1 on your next exchange. Recovering restores 1 Stamina, up to maximum, but forfeits your action and cannot be used in consecutive sequences.
Your maximum Stamina is 6 + your Conditioning modifier (minimum 1). After each round, regain Stamina equal to 1 + the higher of 0 or your Conditioning modifier, up to maximum. At 0 Stamina, you are winded and take −2 on attacks and defenses until you recover to at least 1. Between rounds, a corner can call one tactical adjustment: choose one ability and gain +1 on the next exchange that uses it. This bonus lasts for one exchange and cannot stack with another adjustment.
Weight classes and competition
Record your official weigh-in in pounds and select the matching class. These are the 18 professional divisions used in this game; the listed numbers are each class’s upper limit. Kilogram equivalents are rounded to one decimal place.
| Division | Maximum weight |
|---|---|
| Minimumweight (also called Strawweight) | 105 lb / 47.6 kg |
| Light Flyweight | 108 lb / 49.0 kg |
| Flyweight | 112 lb / 50.8 kg |
| Super Flyweight | 115 lb / 52.2 kg |
| Bantamweight | 118 lb / 53.5 kg |
| Super Bantamweight | 122 lb / 55.3 kg |
| Featherweight | 126 lb / 57.2 kg |
| Super Featherweight | 130 lb / 59.0 kg |
| Lightweight | 135 lb / 61.2 kg |
| Super Lightweight | 140 lb / 63.5 kg |
| Welterweight | 147 lb / 66.7 kg |
| Super Welterweight | 154 lb / 69.9 kg |
| Middleweight | 160 lb / 72.6 kg |
| Super Middleweight | 168 lb / 76.2 kg |
| Light Heavyweight | 175 lb / 79.4 kg |
| Cruiserweight | 200 lb / 90.7 kg |
| Bridgerweight | 224 lb / 101.6 kg |
| Heavyweight | No upper limit |
A boxer must meet the selected division’s limit at weigh-in. For this game’s unified list, Bridgerweight covers the band above Cruiserweight through 224 lb, and Heavyweight is above 224 lb. Bridgerweight is a real professional division recognized by some sanctioning bodies (not universally); many commissions instead begin Heavyweight above 200 lb. The game’s 18-division list uses the Bridgerweight split so every boxer has one unambiguous class. Men and women compete in the same division within each class. Eligibility and matchmaking are based on weight class, ranking, and agreed bout rules—not gender. Gender can be part of a character’s identity and story, but it does not alter scores, modifiers, or eligibility.
Career rank and the climb to champion
Career rank reflects your competition history, not your training or ability scores. Earn 1 Career Point for completing a bout, 1 more for winning, and optionally 1 for a title bout or major tournament. Award no more than 3 Career Points for one bout. Career Points advance your rank; they are never spent on attributes. A World Champion rank marks the career tier, while winning and holding a recognized title remains a story and competition milestone.
| Career Points | Career rank |
|---|---|
| 0–2 | Amateur |
| 3–5 | Rising Amateur |
| 6–8 | Elite Amateur |
| 9–12 | Professional Prospect |
| 13–17 | Contender |
| 18–23 | Title Challenger |
| 24+ | World Champion |
Losing a title does not erase your career history, training, or improvements. Your scores change only through focused training or a specialty—not because your career rank increased.
Creating your boxer
Give your boxer a name, age, identity, hometown, weight class, fighting style, coach or gym, and reason to compete. Assign 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8 among Power, Speed, Footwork, Defense, Conditioning, and Ring IQ; set Recovery to 10. Start each of the seven Training XP tracks at 0, choose your starting specialty and apply its +2 (maximum effective score 20), record current Stamina, and set Guard, Body, and Head Health to 100. Choose an amateur goal, a rival, and one personal stake outside the ring. Everyone competes in the same divisions under the same weight-class rules.