There are currently nine different damage types you can use to best your opponent in combat. If you are familiar with the current rules of spell casting and combat skip to the bottom to get a list of the different damage types. If your new, please read this section carefully, learn it's strengths, weaknesses and how to use it to make yourself a better, and safer,member of our game.
General Weapon and Spell Rules
When you swing a weapon, you call out the amount and type of damage that you are doing with it. So for example, if you are attacking with an iron long sword that does 2 damage, you would call out two iron each time you swing.
If your swing connects with your opponent's body on anywhere except for the hands, head, neck, and groin, the opponent subtracts the damage from their health numbers. All swings must be between 45 and 90 degrees and must be delivered with a safety approved boffer weapon.
It is considered courteous to call "hit" or "ouch" or "got it" after you are hit to let your opponent know that you registered the attack.
Any swings of less than 45 degrees, or more than three strikes against the same body part do not count. This is called "machine gunning" or "drum rolling".
You are not allowed to touch your opponent in any way shape or form except for through safety-approved boffer weapons and spell packets. Any type of body contact is called "charging" An opponent is also charging if they are close enough to you so that you can reach out and touch their torso.
All boffer weapons must be approved for saftey by Dan Comstock or or Joshua MacNeil. Weapons not deemed safe will not be allowed for use. Dan Comstock may usually be found at apartment J-5-1 in the Olde. Josh can be found in the Outback room #217.
All boffer weapons must be covered in thick pipe foam that will not injure anyone if swung at them. You must not be able to feel pipe at the thrusting tip, which must be covered in open-cell "squishy" foam. (easily found by gutting a couch) It is advisable to check your weapon for safety after intense fights. Do not lean on weapons, rest the tips on the ground, or hit them against inanimate ojbects. Please note: Any weapon over 47 inches is considered a two handed weapon. In order to attack with a weapon of this nature both hands must be present on the hilt of the sword when calling damage or attacking with it. You may still block with weapons over 47 inches with one hand.
Non-Lethal Damage
When doing cold iron, or silver damage with a weapon, you may choose to add a call "Flat", representing that you are hitting with the flat of your blade, or trying to attack in a way that will not kill your opponent. For example a 2 quicsilver weapon could do "2 flat silver" representing that the damage is "flat", or non-lethal
If you are dropped to 0 health from a flat swing, you are not dead, but knocked out for 10 minutes. You must fall down and role-play being unconscious. Any physical, non-lethal damage done to you during this period will cause you to phase out.
While knocked out, your opponents may, of course, search you and take any in-game items. You will not remember anything that happened while unconscious.
Spells
Most battle-magic spells are cast through the use of spell packets. A spell packet is a small cloth pouch of birdseed bound in a rubber band.
In-game, if someone is holding a spell packet, their hand appears to be glowing with magical aura. You can ask someone to disarm their aura (i.e. put away their spell packets), though spell packets are an out-of-game item, so you cannot steal them. Spell packets may be collected during a Cut in action, but you may not call a Cut in order to collect spell packets. Any spell packets left around can be considered "aura burn" and in game reason to explain left behind spell packets.
Before you throw a spell, you must call out an incantation which will explain to your opponent what the spell does. Two seconds later you must throw the packet. If you wait longer than 2 seconds the spell fizzles and your mana is spent. You must speak the entire incantation before throwing the spell. The incant required for spells in this game is anything in quotes. The information in the parenthesis is stuff that you should call to claify the effects of the spell after a successful hit. If the spell packet hits any part of your opponent, or anything he or she is holding, (their shirt, their chest, a sword they are holding, etc) the spell counts.
The incantation for a spell will describe what the spell does. For example, a spell's incantation (or 'incant' for short) will be "I bind your arms!" (for 1 minute). The information in quotes must be spoken before the packet is thrown. After the incant is said the packet must be thrown two seconds later. If the packet hits the target you may call the effect in the parenthesis to clarify the effects of the spell.
There are other phrases which indicate a spell's duration or delivery method:
By My Sight indicates that as long as you are within line-of-sight of the caster, the spell effects you. You may walk behind buildings or trees, but not other people. The caster may also turn his back on you so long as you can draw a line between you and the caster without it being blocked by trees, buildings or other physical obstructions, you are within line of sight. You must remain out of line-of-sight for ten seconds for the spell to be broken. For example, Jeremy, a Fae is attacking Isaac, the Lost Soul. Mark says, "Isaac, Sleep by my sight!" Isaac falls down asleep. Isaac's friend picks him up and drags him behind a building, and having broken line-of-sight, Isaac wakes up.
By My Wand indicates that as long as the caster is pointing to you, the spell effects you. The spell caster does not have to hit you with a packet, but he does have to point to you with a magic wand of some sort. He may also call to you to get your attention so you know you are being pointed at.
By My Gaze means that the spell is delivered by eye contact. For example, if you make eye contact with someone that then says "Sleep by my gaze" you will fall immediately asleep. In most cases, By My Gaze spells require eye contact to be maintained for five seconds or more. The caster must be able to see at least the whites of the target's eyes. Sunglasses dark enough to block out the whites of your eyes prevent gaze attacks, and make you look cool. As the recipiant of a gaze spell, if you are looking at the casters face you are effected by the spell, even if you are not directly staring them down in the eyes.
By My Voice means that anyone who hears the incantation is effected by it. For example, if you hear someone say "By my voice, 4 flame!" you take 4 flame damage. You may not dodge or sidestep this.
You cannot just choose to cast a spell by these methods, nor can you make up your own spells. Spells need to be bought as skills or learned in-game.
Cuts in Play
This rule is very important. If someone is hurt out-of-game, call out "Cut!" If you hear someone call "Cut!", you must immediately stop what you're doing and go down to one knee. If you see other people on one knee, they is probably a cut in effect and you should also go down to one knee. When the action is cut, the game is stopped, and everything should freeze. During a cut, you may not be communicating with friends, planning strategy, or fighting.
Cuts can be used to clarify rules or describe a special scene or effect, though this will not happen often. Since calling a Cut stops the game, do not call cuts lightly. They are usually used for emergencies, or to improve the flow of the game.
When the game resumes from a Cut, the person who called the cut will yell "everybody ready? 3-2-1, Action!"
Dragging
An unconscious, paralyzed, or otherwise immoble character may be dragged. To do this, you must have two free hands (so all in-game items you are holding must be sheathed or dropped). Put a hand on the character's shoulder and say "I drag you". Once the character stands up, you may move at a walking speed with the character. Using any in-game skills or taking damage while dragging causes the dragged character to be dropped.
When you drop a character, he must lie down where you dropped him. If you pick him up again, you have to wait for him to sit down and stand back up.
Racial Statistics
Each race has different physical characteristics which measure their fortitude. Fae, Lost Souls, and Visions have Health, representing physical damage. In addition, Visions have Essence, which measures their connection to the Dreaming. Dead Gods only have Faith which represents the divine power they have.
Fae and Lost Souls
When a Fae or Lost Soul is reduced to 0 or fewer health, he will say "I phase out" and pull off his armband. This represents that the creature disappeared from the Dreaming and is lost in the Void between plains. Fae will rematerialize in this dream country in 12 hours, and Lost Souls will return in 24 hours. After regeneration, they have one health.
Cold Iron weapons do double damage to Fae.
Essence Weapons do not effect Fae or Lost Souls.
Fae start with 8 health. Fae regenerate 2 points of health at 6pm everyday. (This may not exceed their maximum hit points.)
Lost Souls start with 10 health. Lost Souls regenerate regenerate 2 points of health at 6pm everyday. (This may not exceed their maximum hit points) Fae and Lost Souls start out with 5 mana.
Visions
When a Vision reaches 0 health, he becomes drained. A drained Vision can use no in-game skills, may not run, and may not speak above a whisper.
When a Vision reaches 0 essence, he or she will say "I phase out" and pull off his or her armband. This represents that the creature disappeared from the Dreaming and is lost in the Void between plains. He will rematerialize on this dream country 48 hours later with one essence point. In order to phase out a Vision, you must have a weapon which does does "essence" damage. Normal, silver, cold iron, flame, magic (etc) weapons or spells will not affect the essence points of a Vision, only the health points.
Visions regenerate regenerate 2 points of healthor 1 point of essence at 6pm everyday. (Cannot exceed maximum health or essence)
Visions have a starting maximum of 5 health and 6 essence. Like the other races, Visions start out with 5 mana.
Dead Gods
Dead Gods do not have health or essence, they instead have Faith. Both physical and essence damage will affect Faith. When a Dead God reaches 0 or fewer Faith, he or she will say "I phase out" and pull off his or her armband. This represents that the creature disappeared from the Dreaming and is lost in the Slumber. In 24 hours she/he will rematerialize on his Altar with one point of Faith.
Faith is only recovered through prayer. A player worshiping at a Dead God's altar for 10 minutes will give him one point of Faith. While praying, worshipers may not use any in-game skills and may not leave the vicinity of the Altar. They must be performing the Dead God's prayer, as defined by the Dead God. Dead Gods start with a max cap of 15 faith which may be raised by buying faith boost.
Dead Gods start off with 7 Faith.
If you cause damage to yourself that causes you to phase out (IE: Cutting yourself down, or spending a point of essence to grow weaver claws) Then the respawn time that it would take for you to phase back in is doubled. So a Fae would come back in 24 hours, Dead Gods and Lost Souls in 48 hours, and a Vision in 96 hours.
THE NINE DAMAGE TYPES:
here is a list of all damage types in the game and what is apropriate calls for each type. Much like spell incants the proper call must be made for damage types, else you can call "wrong call" indicating the type of damage was unclear and you choose not to accept it.
Quicksilver: Call: Silver- This damage subtracts from the health total of Fae, Lost Souls and Visions. It also subtracts from the Dead Gods current faith.
Cold Iron: Call: Iron- This damage subtracts from the health total of Lost Souls and Visions. It also subtracts from the Dead Gods current faith. Fae Take double damage from Cold Iron, and it is subtracted from thier health. For example a Fae with 8 health hit with a 3 cold iron weapon would be at 2 health (8-{3x2}=2)
Essence: Call: Essence- This type of damage only affects Dead Gods and Visions. Dead Gods take the damage away from their current faith, and visions take the damage away from their current essence.
Elemental Damage: Their are currently 4 types of elemental damage in the game. This damage subtracts from the health total of Fae, Lost Souls and Visions. It also subtracts from the Dead Gods current faith. The different types and calls are as follows:
Fire- Call: Flame
Ice- Call: Ice
Earth- Call: stone
Lightning- Call: Shock
Poison: Call: poison- This damage subtracts from the health total of Fae, Lost Souls and Visions. It also subtracts from the Dead Gods current faith. In addition whoever is hit by a poison attack cannot spend mana for ten minutes from the time affected.
Magic: Call: magic- This damage subtracts from the health total of Fae, Lost Souls and Visions. It also subtracts from the Dead Gods current faith. This is a generic magic damage type only used currently in dark arrow, and circle of destruction.
