Combat
Within an individual story line combat is easy (this means individual creative writing submissions) - keep your character within their ability limits (reasonably) and you will get experience fine. Note: you will not gain bonus experience for winning from individual story lines. It's when players start fighting each other that the Gm gets a headache - Hopefully this will resolve not only Combat questions but additional questions about the game.
Simple Combat: T1 style.
When role playing with another in T1 style you may use any and all of your abilities without limit. The rules are quite simple: You take turns, one player going then another - just like the other styles.
Attacks:
Attacks may be of any length you wish (and the length of the attack, meaning the number of words used, matters) and involve any number of powers.
Defending:
Blocking: Blocking an attack requires a post of length just as long as the Attack. Not necessarily word for word as long, but within 2 lines.
Dodging: Dodges must be half as long as the attack, line for line.
Other Options:
If you wish to mix a block\dodge and an attack, the same rules apply, you just add the two lengths together. The Dodge\Block portion must be long enough to remedy the attack and the attack portion is the part the opponent must deal with on his\her turn.
Note: Taking a blow in the role play for a well played attack but still typing the appropriate length of a block\dodge is not "taking a point," it is merely acknowledging the other's skill and is considered polite if the other's attack was particularly skillful. You do not loose by noting that your character took small scratches, indeed you may get bonus experience points.
Winning:
Before combat begins both combatants must agree if it is to the Death or unconsciousness. Death is final. Then, they decide how many "points" must be made to define a "Win." A point is gained when a defender cannot supply enough of a block\dodge to remedy an attack. There is no time limit on T1 - if a person posts and they note that there block or dodge was not long enough they are given 1 chance, per battle, to add to that post. Or, if both players are agreeable, they may allow more than 1 chance. (For instance of chat-software causes one player to post less than another or reduces the way they see the posts.)
Other types of Combat
Note: We vote in favor of dodges\defends\blocks in the following 3 Methods. If two skills\abilities are equal, in method 1 that round is considered a draw, in method 2...well, it's not applicable, in method 3 blocks\defenses cancel out other offensive abilities of equal value. Also, recall to read the nasty parts of combat listed below.
Method 1: First Determine how many rounds of combat you wish to use then - You take turns: A person gets an attack, the other gets a response to that attack, always a dodge\block of some sort and then they get there attack. You may forefit a turn at any time, effectively loosing that turn. You use your Skill or Ability ratings within the context of the combat to determine each combat round's victor.
Whoever has the most round wins at the end has won the combat. The other player is either unconscious (If the winner is in a giving mood) or Dead. Automatic abilities such as regeneration, physical toughness etc may be used limitless times per combat. If a combat is tied both may agree to add any number of rounds they wish.
Dodges in this style are given - if you have no way to evade an attack, such as flying out of the way or blocking with a shield use skill, you are assumed to have a Dodge rank 1.
Responses must be legitimate - you must have an ability that would allow you to evade the attack, otherwise you automatically loose that round.
For Instance: Donny and Sarah set their combat to last 1 round.
Donny: :Attacks you viciously with my punch: (Ranked 2)
Sarah: Dodges (Rank 1)
Donny wins that round.
Future rounds continue like that - Bonus experience for the combat is given...well, just like always - based on the depth of writing, character development and, just for the winner, use of abilities.
Additional Option: Players may opt to only allow any given attack to be used every other round, or even only once a combat.
Method 2. Still going from turn to turn, you determine a number of "Hit points" that you must loose before you die. You have a number of hit points equal to the Total rating of ALL of your Skills and Abilities. Each "Hit" reduces the number of hit points - Abilities that are Always on, such as Fast Healing and Toughness and Regeneration, add Double the number of hit points that they would regularly add. Hit points are deducted from each person's hit point pool at the end of a combat - even if that person heals quickly. An ability does its Rating in damage.
Additional Option: The Combatants may agree - if they want a way to dodge or avoid an attack to admix some of T1's tenants - such as, if they respond to an attack with a long enough block\dodge (as long as all combatants wish to agree upon) they avoid taking the damage. In this scenario they may use their always-on or healing abilities to "pad" their response, though it gives it no additional "point" value.
Method 3. Or you may determine which abilities you will be using, follow the rules that you are about to read about how to count each and add the numbers up. The person with the highest number wins. Fun, eh? I personally do NOT recommend this method, but if you must write a list of the abilities and skills you will use and compare it to the other participant (s), see which abilities cancel which out based on how applicable they are (if one person uses only psychic attacks and the other is immune to them for instance, they would not be applicable)...and then tally the total number for each side. Basically this method is - whoever has more experience spent into their character wins.
Another example of applicability is this: If a character has a dodge rank 2 as their only defensive maneuver, it would cancel out all attacks rank 2 and less but not rank 3.
Combat: the nasty stuff. Combat works only when Applicable abilities are used; if your opponent is using psychic forces from 3 miles away and you attempt to attack him with your Awe-inspiring sword skill sorry - that skill does not count, and if the person Role plays in the combat using them (if you decide to go with method one or two) If a person attempts an ability that is totally inapplicable, such as using the Voice Ability against someone who has role played being deaf, or who has the ability of Immunity to Voice automatic ability, then that person looses the round and takes whatever damage the other person chooses to deal out.
Combat functions like this in method 1 and 2. First you become aware of the threat (Which is why some abilities oriented around senses can be used in combat) Then you Engage (You use your skills against each other, round by round or go by method 3)
For instance: Azrof: I will use my Awe-Inspiring Strength (rated 3) to punch you - ::flicks my wrist up in challenge and strikes out, impacting with your midsection with profound power:: - Katrina: I will use martial arts, rated 5! ::ducks away from your blow, taking only the side of your fist to my gut as I sweep your feet from beneath you.:: (Katrina wins that round. Or, Katrina looses 3 health and Azrof looses 5 if using method 2.)
Then you decide, in the last round, to kill or knock out your enemy. If you win the combat, reduce their "hit points" to zero or see you would win naturally, you may "pull" your last blow. This leaves your enemy at 0 hit points, or unconscious until you end the Scene and have time to walk or run away.
Running Away: If, at any time during method 1 or 2 you decide to run you may put all of your dice in one bag and run away. Use your rating in any two dodge or run abilities and add them together ( if you don't have either assume two 1s). If you win that Round you escape. Unless they can teleport to where you are or have other abilities that function at a great distance you escape in 1 round after your attempt. Distance attacks have 1 round to work while the other character is running away - If you determine that the "Runner" has 3 hit points left then you have a free round to fireball her or him or throw a rock, if you have an Awe-Inspiring skill in rock throwing then they loose.
For method 2, If the opponent succeeds in a "Run" it is considered a turn success in their favor. The following round you have one more chance to make a distance type attack verses their dodge\parry attempt. If you manage to win that last, or "running" round and find that the total rounds agreed upon have been completed, with that round, you still tally up the wins\losses. If the runner looses then the last attack knocked them out or killed them. If the runner wins then they escaped and the match is considered a draw.
Ties: If Both parties have the same score during a combat then treat the round as a "draw" neither having one.
If, at the end of the combat, you see you have a tie then:
Method 1: add another round or two. Method 2. You're both unconscious. Method 3. You're both unconscious.
Multi-player Combat: If you want to do this your going to drive me batty! Hehe, but okay, here are some rules.
In Multi-Player Combat each person takes a turn, as per regular however: Effects or Abilities that work on Multiple targets may be used once in a round per target. (If Adam and Jason are ganging up on Mel then she can use her Fire-Wall Ability against them both.) Remember: Each person gets 1 Skill or Ability use per round however, so if Mel just wants to use her Awe-inspiring Demon Possession then she can target Jason or Adam and then face the punishment from them both - One would get a "free" round and Mel would get an automatic loss. For method 3: Just add up the two antagonists points based on the Abilities and skills they would be using verses Mel's. Icky, eh?
Miscellaneous: To act in a round - taking a huge bucket of water and throwing it on a fire elemental, talking with someone and reloading a gun all requires the entire round. No Abilities, except automatics, or Skills may be used.
Effects that Speed a person's actions are treated as Automatics.
Effects that Stun a person, blind them or deafen them are treated as reducing their opponents Next ability or skill by 1.
Bringing in Guns and other Items: Weapons do an amount of damage equal to the Character's skill rank with them. Holy water against a Vampire who has Not stated in previous role-play and story line action that they are immune, is treated as an Awe-Inspiring weapon.
Be realistic with each other when it comes to weapons - Why would you have a rocket launcher? You may Create new, special, items, if they are within your abilities and Skills but they MUST be approved by the GM. The Gm will give them a rating and you MUST spend experience to get them. Items may be quested for, eventually - special items that have unique powers, but those will come in time.
Psychic and Magical Combat: This combat can often effect the mind rather than the body - in these situations treat ALL healing as being ineffectual for that combat round. Abilities such as Psychic Wall and Mental Barriers are the only effective blocks against many Psychic and Magical attacks (Magical attacks that can't regularly be defended against) - use discretion. You Can't block bad luck unless you purchase a good luck charm of the same caliber.
Items: to purchase an item with an ability or special combat abilities talk with the Gm. Items with abilities follow the same rules as Characters and are made by spending experience - and role playing out obtaining them, unless you begin with them.
Experience: The Fat and Funny little man who rules your world.
Combats are treated like regular role play except: The Winner gets an additional 1-10 experience based on how well he or she won; this is purely subjective based on the Guild Master present at the time.
For the loser: Sometimes death is not a bad thing - when you make a new character you get to use 25% of your previous character's total experience worth.
Questions? Ask the web-master
