Luchador Type

01 Jul 2016

Wrestling fighting was a entertainment staple since the old ages, and pre-Event it was somewhat common. With The Event, some wrestlers undergone the breakthrough and formed in US their own league, Breakthrough WWE.

However, in Mexico, wrestling was more than entertainment: it was a cultural paradigm. La Lucha Libre was formed based on the same basis than US Wrestling, but gained their contours in drama and style. The adoption of the Masks created a roster of fighters, heroes and villains from before the Event, like El Santo, Cibernético, Psychosis, Silver King and Doctor Wagner. Splitted into Tecnicos (“good guys” whose fighting style is focused into speed and technique) and Rudos (“bad guys”, focused into strenght and, in some case, dirty moves), they were so big heroes into mexican minds that the revelation of the real identity of one was a big a deal, so much that, when El Santo died in natural cases, he was buried using his mask.

No wonder that, when some Luchadores passed throught the breakthrough, they had turned into real-life heroes (and villains).

Luchadores are very similar in style to Ajaxes, and combined with some of Dragon moves. However, they have some idiossincrasies, like the Style, and Mask. Normally, the kind of breakthrough will dictate his Style (Tecnico or Rudo) and can be based or be a important thing on the Mask (his secret identity).

The Mask is very important for Luchadores: A Luchador don’t use his powers without the Mask (some says that is a kind of key between normal/hero identity), and some of them don’t show themselves publicly without the Mask. This is so important that one of the biggest match a Luchador can undergo is the Lucha de Apuestas, a kind of “fight to the death”, where the defeated has his Mask taken off and destroyed by the winner. The psychological impact on a Luchador is so big that many of them can’t use their powers until they can create themselves a new Mask and persona. Curiously, almost all the Luchadores are known only about their Masks: it’s a kind of Clark Kent effect.

Invokes and Compels

Luchadores are dictated by some kind of ethics, parts of them neither Rudos would go against.

Luchadores can Invoke their Power Aspects by the same motives Ajaxes and Dragons, and can be compelled also by the same motive.

Also, Luchadores tends to Invoke their Aspects to gather up Kayfabe, or the suspension of belief that sometimes improve even more their feats.

However, Luchadores can be Compelled to get into their own ethics while fighting (like only fight one-by-one and without weapons), and even they can be Compelled to the biggest match a Luchador can undergo, Lucha de Apuesta, a somewhat “fight to the death” where the defeated has his Mask revealed, somewhat “killing” him as a hero (at least until he get back under a new Lucha persona and Mask)

Special Rule: Kayfabe

A staple for Luchadores, Kayfabe was the term used in the entertainment pro-wrestling for the “belief” people had on the “reality” of the wrestling, including rivalties, relationships and so, taking the staged as true. In The Event era, Kayfabe still works, and many Luchadores call it La Passion de La Lucha (The Passion for Wrestling).

Luchadores are known about being able to “gather power” from civilians next. The main ones, like Santo de lo Siglo 21 (The 21st Century Saint), are able to do things that even some Omega-Class Ajaxes are not able to, when they are “pumped up”.

By spending of 1 Fate Point, they can bring up a Kayfabe Aspect with a Free Invoke. While this Aspect is in game with a Free Invoke, each time they do an Attack that is Successful with Style, they can reduce the damage in 1 and, instead of a Boost, gather an Free Invoke into Kayfabe.

Power Stunts

As said, Luchadores can get all the Ajax and Dragon Power Stunts. And also they have their own Stunts.

• Luchador: this stunt is a staple, that shows they have a different fighting technique than the normal ones. By buying this, Luchadores can use Physique instead of Fight while fighting bare-hands;
• La Passion de La Lucha: this Luchador can do a test of Fight (or Physique if he has Luchador) to call upon Kayfabe as a Create Advantage action;
• Rudo Technique: (permission: Rudo Luchador) Rudos are known by their dirty moves and about trying to gain every edge they could to win. A Rudo with this can, once per session, bring an Dirty Move as an Aspect with a Free Invoke. It can be almost anything, like using Hidden Weapons or throwing sand to Blind up the enemies.
• Tecnico Techique: (permission: Tecnico Luchador) Tecnicos are known by their flashy moves and about sticking to the rules of La Lucha. A Tecnico can, once per session, if Successful with Style into an Attack, cough up some Extra Passion as an Aspect with Free Invokes equals half the number of shifts he reduces the attack damage (until Zero including; at least one, round up).
• Signature Move: (permission: Move/Technique Aspect ) every Luchador has a special move, a Signature one that he uses as a finishing attack. Once per session, the Luchador can use this move to do an Extra +2 on Attack or adding +4 WR (choose on the Stunt acquiring). Some Luchadores has more than one Signature Move.
• Famous Lineage: (Permission: Lineage shoud be indicated into Codename) Some Luchadores are known by being part of Luchadores lineage that can be traced back to pre-Event times, in the beginnnig of Lucha Libre. Lineages like the Santo (Tecnico) or Silver King and Doctor Wagner (Rudos) are traditions that would never fade away: as always there was a Superman, always will be a Santo. They receive +3, instead of +2, on their Power Aspect Invokes and Kayfabe Invokes.

Power Class Requirement

They are qualified as the Ajax-Type or Dragon-Type. As they are somewhat both, they can sum their levels. For example, if you qualify as a B-Class Ajax and a D-Class Dragon, he’s a A-Type Luchador. However, there’s no Omega or Ultra Luchadores.

Variants

The US Wrestlers that are breakthroughs could go into the Luchador type, if they develop enough Kayfabe.

Japanese wrestlers from puroresu can be qualified as Luchadores. There is at least one combo of Luchador and Sentai, the Great Kuma, a Sentai that was changed into a Bear-like creature and fight for justice.

In many places around the world fighters with some kind of Luchador appeared, and their flamboyant actions are known. Specially in France and England there was the surge of the Swashbucklers, heroes that are like Luchadores although they use weapons like knives, rapiers and swords instead of their bare-hands. The Parisien Mousquetaires (Paris’ Musketeers) are knows of the main Swashbucklers around the world, their flamboyant moves and panache making them powerful heroes. Each of them is codenamed under one of the Musketeers from Alexander Dumas book, or on a kind of flamboyant codename. Their most recent recruit is Lorenzo, le Citoyèn (Citizen Lorenzo), an expert rapierist that use a kind of Vernetech based cross of Musketeer rapier and Star Wars lightsaber.