Rules Of Combat

[Here follows a short guide concerning combat in the Castle Of Shadows. These rules are not provided as the unbreakable laws of FFRP combat, just those which apply to combat in the Castle. As stated in Rule 10, other rules of combat may be used, as long as all concerned parties (i.e. all combatants) agree, and have a working knowledge of the proposed ruleset.]

Rules of Combat
By the player of Tor, the player of Alessandro Grudgebringer & the player of Hellscream Warsong.

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1 - Any weapon used in combat, must be drawn before active usage.

Examples:

Alex: (Draws a long sword)

Jack: (Pulls a dagger from his belt) - The IRC /me or /act commands are also perfectly acceptable.

2 - A character has to be within range (arm's reach) of their opponent, if they wish to strike a blow against them.

Examples:

Alex: (Walks over to Jack)

Jack: (Leaps at Sarah)

3 - Only one action (offensive or defensive) may be posted per line.

Examples:

Alex: (Slashes at Jack's arm, and then upwards, at his neck) - this would not be allowed. The following would be:

Alex: (Slashes at Jack's arm)
Alex: (And then upwards, at his neck)

4 - Defensive and offensive actions must be specified.

Examples:

Alex: (Slashes at Jack's arm)
Jack: (Jumps backwards, away from Alex)

Single word actions are illegal, just as posting more than one action per line.

Alex: (Slashes)
Jack: (Dodges)
Jack: (Parries)

These are all illegal actions.

5 - The success of an attack, and the damage caused by it are the defending party's decisions. The attacker may never, ever post the result of his/her actions (that is, the damage inflicted). The offensive (and defensive) action can be detailed as the player(s) wish(es), but its result is wholly dependant on the defender.

Examples:

Alex: (Slashes at Jack's arm)
Jack: (Jumps backwards, away from Alex)
or
Jack: (Throws himself to the ground)
or
Jack: (Brings his dagger upwards)
Jack: (To parry Alex's blow) - These are two seperate actions, and cannot be posted in the same line (Rule 3.)

If Jack wished to accept the damage, then he could type:

Alex: (Slashes at Jack's arm)
Jack: (Grunts as the blade slices through his shirt)
or
Jack: (Curses as the pain burns in his arm)

However, damage may not be indefinently ignored, and non-acceptance of damage always must be accompanied by a defensive action. If there is no counter-action to an offensive action, then the defender is obliged to take damage. Think of it as something along the lines of Isaac Newton's Third Law, which states: "To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" ... if you wish to stay healthy.

Examples:

Jack: (Draws a longsword)
Jack: (Walks over to Alex)
Jack: (Slashes at Alex's arm)
Alex: (Slices at Jack's knee)

Here, Alex did not react to Jack's action, and so would be obliged to take damage. Of course, if Jack posted another offensive action (or any action other than a response to the slice) after Alex, then he too would have to take damage.

This rule benefits fast typers, who are able to type two or more actions quickly, therefore giving their opponent no time to counter, and forcing them to take damage. For the purposes of sportsmanship, it is suggested that faster typers use more descriptive actions, to put them on a more level playing field with the slower ones.

But ... To stop those fast typers who don't wish to be creative from dominating combats, the following sub-rule is enforced: The maximum number of hits (and damage from those hits) that the attacker can force the defender to take, is one.

Example:

Fast Typer: (Draws a longsword)
Fast Typer: (Walks over to the Defender)
Fast Typer: (Slashes at Defender's arm) - First attack
Fast Typer: (Then downwards, at his knees) - Second attack
Fast Typer: (Then upwards, at his chest) - Third attack

Here, the Defender is only obliged to take damage in his arm, which is the first attack. He may counter the attack to his knees, and completely ignore the attack on his chest. Of course, if the Defender manages to counter the first attack (and therefore isn't that much of a slow typer), before the second attack was posted then the remaining actions count as seperate offensives (the knee attack counts as the first, and so only if no response is made before the chest attack was posted, does damage have to be taken, and so on).

6 - When using a missile weapon, the weapon must be drawn, loaded and aimed, prior to firing. This does not, however, necessarily have to be done in four singular actions - but aiming, and firing, must be separate actions.

Example:

Jack: (Draws a crossbow, carefully slipping an arrow down the string of it)
Jack: (Aims for Alex' forehead)
Jack: (Fires the arrow)

Projectile spells should also be aimed, before being fired (or cast). See below.

7 - Casting Magic. All spells require power (while in practice, this may be energy, concentration, a prayer to the gods, or whatever - all is classed as power, to avoid confusion and dispute), to be cast. This must be done before the spell is cast.

Mage: (Calls on the power of light)
Paladin: (Whispers a heart-felt prayer to the Gods of Battle)
Shaman: (Screams the feral incantations of his tribal deities)

Again, no single word actions can be used, for example '(Summons)' or '(Energises)'. Actions such as '(Summons power)' or '(Draws energy)' are also illegal, because of rule 4. Specify the type of power or energy, if you wish to use such terminology.

When summoning power for a spell, common sense should be applied as to how many rounds (each line of text posted to describe the summoning is called a 'round') the summoning will take. Summoning should range from one to ten rounds, with the strength of the spell proportional to the summoning time. That is to say, a spell which was summoned in a single line would be relatively weak, while a spell of eight or more lines would be extremely powerful, perhaps even fatal (for offensive spells). Such a monstrous spell might also have side-effect damage inflicted on the caster.

Spells must be cast before the magic user completes any other action (that is, the following round), though he may speak before casting. It would be quite fitting to threaten (or warn) everyone else, before actually casting the spell.

Example spell:
Mage: (Calls on the power of light) - Summoning round.
Mage: (Takes aim at Alex's forehead) - Projectile spell aiming.
Mage: (Throws an arrow of light energy at Alex's forehead) - Projectile spell firing.

Summoned in but a single round, this spell should be powerful enough only to cause Alex to flinch. Had the Mage used five or six rounds to describe the summoning such as:

Mage: (Calls on the power of light) - First summoning round.
Mage: (Feels the energies building within) - Second summoning round.
Mage: (Floods his body with light energy) - Third summoning round.
Mage: (Courses the light energy into his hands) - Fourth summmoning round.
Mage: (Focuses the energy into a ball of power in his hand) - Last of a five-round summoning.
Mage: (Takes aim at Alex's forehead) - Projectile spell aiming.
Mage: (Throws an arrow of light energy at Alex's forehead) - Projectile spell firing.

Then Alex might need some medical help!

8 - Countering Magic: Magic is potentially dangerous in the hands of those who use it, but is by no means unstoppable. There are several ways of countering magic.

a) By disrupting the casting. If the caster is interrupted whilst summoning the power required for the spell, then his concentration is deemed broken, his wording muddled, his thoughts shattered, or whatever. Suffice to say, the spell is not cast, and must be re-summoned. To interrupt the caster, you may attack him, throw something at him, or something suitably disruptive. For example:

Mage: (Calls on the power of light) - Summoning round.
Alex: (Taking up a throwing dagger)
Alex: (Takes aim at the Mage's arm) - Projectile weapon aiming.
Alex: (Hurls the dagger) - Projectile weapon firing.

The Mage of course, is allowed to defend against the damage in the normal way, or by casting another spell (if he's a quick enough typer!), or however he likes. If he doesn't, he takes damage in the normal way. The original spell is lost, regardless of whatever ensues.

b) By defending against damage in the normal way. Most offensive spells are projectile spells, involving the throwing of fireballs, lightning bolts, ice shards, raw energy, and such like. These may be countered just as if they were normal arrows or sword thrusts.

Example:

Mage: (Calls on the power of light) - Summoning round.
Mage: (Takes aim at Alex's forehead) - Projectile spell aiming.
Mage: (Throws an arrow of light energy at Alex's forehead) - Projectile spell firing.
Alex: (Throws himself flat on his face, just as the energy arrow sails over him)

c) By dispelling the magic. Magic users may defend against magic with counter-spells, just as fighters defend against attacks with counter-blows and parries. To do this, they must cast a defensive magic spell of equal or greater power than the offensive spell i.e. at least as many lines. This counter-spell may be a simple dispel, dissipating the offensive magic's energies, or it may be a defensive spell to summon a magical force field, a shield, teleporting out of the way, etc.

Examples:

Mage: (Calls on the power of light) - Summoning round.
Witch: (Calls on the power of darkness) - Summoning round
Mage: (Takes aim at Witch's forehead) - Projectile spell aiming.
Witch: (Takes aim at the Mage's hand) - Projectile spell aiming
Mage: (Throws an arrow of light energy at Witch's forehead) - Projectile spell firing.
Witch: (Throws a ball of dark energy at the arrow) - Projectile spell firing

Both spells were of a single line of summoning power, and therefore would negate each other. Mage or Witch might like to post a further line detailing that the spells cancelled each other out, but this is not necessary - it is assumed that they did. Perhaps Mage would like to say something like 'Curses! Foiled!'

Mage: (Calls on the power of light)
Witch: (Calls on the power of darkness)
Mage: (Floods his body with light energy) - Summoning round.
Witch: (Focuses the dark power against the light) - Summoning round.

Here, Witch called on darkness to dispel Mage's spell. Both the spell and the dispel took two lines of summoning, and therefore the dispel is successful.

d) Natural magic resistance. Some creatures have a natural resistance to some or all types of magic, while others may carry artefacts which give them such a resistance. Examples are trolls, dwarfs and golems, who are all partially resistant to magic. These creatures would be affected by magic, but spells' effects would be lessened by their resistances. Think of this as reducing the spell's power - a large golem, for instance, would reduce a spell of four summoning lines, down to a spell of two.

Some artefacts, such as magical rings or amulets defend against hostile magic, just as a natural magic resistance would. Just how effective these resistances are, depends on the creature/artefact, i.e. on the character. Characters can be wholly resistant to magic if you wish, but this must be balanced by other disadvantages, for example the character might be doubly susceptible to other forms of attack, such as normal weapons, fire (trolls and mummies are a good example of this - resistant to magic, but extremely vulnerable to fire and flaming weapons), water, acid, low temperatures, etc.

Characters who are wholly or partially resistant to magic are discouraged, but not illegal. Just be sure that the character's other (dis)abilities counter-balance this huge advantage.

9 - Roleplaying is all about characters, and so Roleplay combat is all about the nature of the combatting characters. No character is invulnerable, no character is immortal, and no character is quick enough to dodge everything thrown at him, but this doesn't mean that some characters would be more powerful in combat (or in different areas of combat) than others. For instance, an orc is much stronger than a man, and so the man would take more damage from the orc's successful blows. However, the man is more nimble than than the orc, and so would be able to avoid more blows than his greenskin counterpart. Elves have excellent eyesight, and so would be a lot more accurate with missile weapons, than, say, dwarfs. However, dwarfs are tougher than elves, and would take less damage from attacks.

Remember, immensely powerful characters are frowned upon. If your character is so 'hard' that others don't stand a chance against him/her/it, then why is such a super-being bothering with trivialities and trifles such as those at the Castle Of Shadows? Such legendary beings wouldn't appear at the Castle, and if they did, they wouldn't stay around long, would they? Time to re-think your character.

In thise sense, unrealistic characters are also disallowed. Ogres so agile they could dance on the head of a pin, or gnomes with strength enough to strangle dragons may be duly ignored!

10 - Other types of RolePlay combat exist, such as Turn-Based style, On-line dice rolling, and such. These are acceptable in the Castle Of Shadows, so long as all combatants have a working knowledge of such rules, and consent to their use before any combat starts.

Note that you can't force an opponent to use different rules. If no alternative combat system can be agreed upon, then no fight should take place, and if it does take place, then these rules apply.

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Combat In Roleplaying requires common sense, a fair mind, and above all, sportsmanship. Treat others in the way you'd like to be treated. Take damage now and again, miss with your weapons occasionally, be willing to be badly injured or even die. You'll be a better fighter for it, and much better liked and respected than you would, if you massacred everyone in sight.

During combat, arguments and queries may arise, and if these rules don't cover the situation, ask a moderator. Or better still, dismiss the action. If it causes argument, then it's not worth doing.

Any questions concerning the rules of combat should be submitted here.

Back to the Rules & Guidelines page.

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