Duel Combat(Vol.5-10)

Lesson Five: Time in Combat

Time in this sense of the word may be defined as: “the amount of time/speed in which a character can perform an attack/defense of a specific nature in a single Turn”. In Duel Combat, this sense of TIME can be kept rather simply. Each character only makes one turn after the opposing character has made his/her turn, and only a single character can physically accomplish so much in a single Turn. To this day, there is no concrete standard in Combat RP for how many actions any given character can perform in a single turn, although different gaming systems have such a standard. As a reference, 1-30 seconds of IRL time is a good estimate to use when judging how many actions a Character could perform in a single TURN. A character, in the heat of Duel Combat, cannot dive to the ground in Defense and get up to his feet all in one Turn with his/her opponent breathing down his/her neck. So for now, experience and Common Sense are the best standards. Other than a vampire’s use of Celerity or a mage’s spell of “haste”, which could theoretically increase the number of attacks a character can make in a single Turn, most characters are blessed with a speed and strength that is easily comparable to that of a human. This will be discussed in more detail in a later text entitled Factors of Combat. For now, remember this one guideline:

IT IS THE OPPONENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO RP OUT THE DIFFERENCE IN SPEED AND STRENGTH OF THE CHARACTERS CORRECTLY.

Lesson Six: The Goal of Duel Combat: Making a Successful Hit

From what you have seen thus far of Duel Combat, it has probably become obvious that making a Successful Hit against an opposing character is more difficult that it sounds. Attacking Characters are not allowed to declare a Successful Hit during their Attack Turn, and Defending Characters are always given the chance to Defend. So how does one make a Successful Hit against an opponent? To answer that, you must first understand the Goal of Duel Combat:

TO POSITION YOUR OPPONENT INTO A SITUATION WHERE A SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE IS LOGICALLY IMPOSSIBLE, WITH RESPECT TO THE CHARACTERS INVOLVED, AND A SUCCESSFUL HIT MUST BE ACKNOWLEDGED.

Therefore, a Successful Hit is:

A POSITION IN WHICH YOUR OPPONENT IS IN A SITUATION WHERE A SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE IS LOGICALLY IMPOSSIBLE, WITH RESPECT TO THE CHARACTERS INVOLVED.

It’s almost like playing a game of chess. Let’s see who makes the first Successful Hit in the Fang vs. Jim fight. A word of warning, this will become graphic. It’s Fang’s turn:

Fang_Warrior_of_Atlantica: looks down in befuddlement as he spies his opponent trying to crawl through his legs on all fours…finding this an odd affair for a human…spinning the battle staff between his claws, Fang turns the staff vertical and thrusts the left blade of the battle staff with tremendous force down at Jim’s back as he tries to crawl through his legs.

Jim_the_joker: bits his lip hard as he hears the sudden crunch of Fang’s battle staff hit the floor behind him…just barely slipping through Fang’s legs in time, the blade cracking the floorboards. Hurries to slip behind Fang, the long sword still in his right hand as he starts to stand behind his opponent.

Fang_Warrior_of_Atlantica: growls in fury as he realizes Jim has slipped behind him, and spins on his feet in a 180 degree turn to face Jim once again…swinging the right blade of his battle staff in a long horizontal arc as he turns…aiming for Jim’s left ribcage in anticipation of his getting up.

Jim_the_joker: only halfway to his feet, Jim turns his head to see the large gray blur spinning to attack him again. Jim dives forward to the ground once more, just in time to feel the air move over him as Fang’s battle staff misses just above its target.

Fang_Warrior_of_Atlantica: howls catching the sight of his opponent once again as Jim lays on his belly on the floor. Fang steps forward quickly to advance above Jim…and spinning the battle staff back into a vertical position, Fang thrusts the left blade of the staff down at Jim’s exposed back.

Jim_the_joker: turns over onto his back in an attempt to defend himself, readying his long sword for another swing at his opponent when suddenly…the crunch of chain mail, metal, and bone can be heard as Fang’s left battle staff blade pierces Jim’s chain mail and lodges into his stomach. Jim groans in pain as he’s pinned to the ground like a bug.

Fang_Warrior_of_Atlantica: grins wildly as he smells the sweet scent of blood through his snout and with a ferocious jerk, twists his battle staff, the blade still lodged in Jim’s stomach…causing severe internal damage.

Jim_the_joker: blood gurgles from Jim’s mouth as his insides are ripped apart by the battle staff blade…any hope of using his long sword in defense lost as his body is shocked with pain by the fatal blow. Both his hands clutching wildly, in a last futile attempt to remove the staff from his torso, but failing.

Ouch. Let us examine this gruesome display of excellent Combat RP. The only Successful Hit during the melee was performed when Fang made his second stab at Jim’s back while Jim lay upon the floor. Why was this a Successful Hit? Because Jim was caught in a situation where No Successful Defense, given the characters involved, was Logically Possible. Jim could not know that Fang was standing over him and making a thrust at his back with the battle staff, because Jim was facing the floor. Therefore, when Jim turned over to face his opponent again, the battle staff’s left blade hit him directly in the stomach. Jim did not have the TIME to ready his long sword for a Defense. Furthermore, the battle staff’s blade was strong enough to pierce Jim’s scale mail because not only was the staff +2 magically enhanced, but it was also being thrust with the force of a werewolf! Jim fairly played out the Successful Hit made against his character, acknowledging that there was no other alternative given the situation.

Lesson Seven: Ignored Successful Hits/Attacks

Sometimes, due to the confusion of a crowded room or a player’s flat denial that his/her character is being attacked, Successful Hits go unseen or are ignored. It is important to remember that in these cases Combat RP is meant to be both Fun and to be Fair. With that in mind, the following Rules have been established to account for Ignored Successful Hits/Attacks:

1. A Successful Hit always requires a DEFENSE TURN by the Defending Character. If no DEFENSE TURN is typed, NO Successful Hit occurs.
2. If a Defending Character does not type a Defense Turn because he/she did not see the Attack - Inform the Defending Character of the missed Attack OOC and allow him/her a DEFENSE TURN.
3. If a Defending Character does not type a DEFENSE TURN because he/she OOC does not want to fight – The Duel Combat is VOID.(see Special Rules, Vow of the Pacifist)

Lesson Eight: IC Conversation in Combat

It’s inevitable, when two good RP Combatants get together with some loud-mouthed characters, there are going to be some snide remarks made to psyche out the opposing character. Things like “Your Mommy was a Nymph!” or “You’re so ugly, Medusa couldn’t even stand to look at you!”. Well, maybe not the comments stated here exactly, but you know what I mean. In those cases, RP Combatants should not take the IC insults personally, it is all in the name of good fun. Furthermore, the following rule is to be understood:

IC CONVERSATION IN COMBAT DOES NOT COUNT AS A DEFENCE TURN.

Therefore, every character is still allowed a Defense Turn, even if they tend to talk a lot in Combat. However, a good RP Combatant may recognize that talking too much can be a fatal flaw in Combat, and might accept a Successful Hit based on the fact that his character was talking when he should have been Defending.

Lesson Nine: Fatal Blows and Victory

Unlike what the Fang vs. Jim Duel Combat may seem to suggest, not all Successful Hits are Fatal Blows. A Fatal Blow occurs when a Successful Hit is made against an opposing character that will result in the opposing character’s death.(giving some freedom in the definition of “death”) This may occur as soon as the first 4 Turns of Duel Combat or it may never occur. Not all Duel Combats end in the death of a character. In fact, some characters may have agreed before Duel Combat begins to only fight until the first Successful Hit is made, known as “first blood”, or until one character gives in, known as “mercy”.
In either case, every Successful Hit or Fatal Blow should be played out accordingly. Wounds characters receive during Duel Combat can have a major effect upon the outcome of a fight. It is important to remember such factors as pain, loss of blood, amputation, concussions, broken bones, and other injuries that could seriously hinder a character’s performance in battle. Such things are not to be taken lightly and should never be ignored.
Winning the battle in Duel Combat does not make a player a good RP Combatant, just like Losing the battle in Duel Combat does not make a player a bad RP Combatant. The fundamental truth that proves a player is good at RP Combat is the following:

A GOOD RP COMBATANT MAKES ANY DUEL COMBAT FAIR, ENJOYABLE, AND IMAGINATIVE AND KNOWS WHEN A SUCCESSFUL HIT OR FATAL BLOW IS MADE.

Lesson Ten: Using Your Surroundings

Every Duel Combat takes place somewhere. Characters in Duel Combat certainly don’t live in an expansive void where nothing exists but the characters, his/her opponent, and their weapons. Characters can battle in Taverns, Castles, Fields, Caves, Mountains…you name it. The possibilities are virtually endless, and so are the items Combatants may be able to use to their advantage in Duel Combat. The only thing to remember in this case is if you are going to use some part of your surroundings in Combat, make sure the item of choice could be commonly found in that environment. For example, in Taverns a character could use a table, chairs, lamps, clocks, bottles, etc. In a Castle, there might be other weapons hanging on the walls, chandeliers, banners, etc. Or on a Mountain there could be cliffs, rocks, twigs, etc. Use your imagination and have fun!

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