INDIRECT FIGHTERS

Introduction

As the previous text, entitled PREPs in Duel Combat implied, most INDIRECT FIGHTERS have little chance of defeating a true DIRECT FIGHTER in Direct Duel Combat. For this reason, INDIRECT FIGHTERS tend to acquire their target from a distance and hope to Attack with tremendous force without their opponent even knowing IC that he/she is an opponent. All INDIRECT FIGHTERS rely on PREPs and follow the Rules below:

1. The First and Last PREP of any Attack must describe WHO the PREP is aimed at.
2. All PREPs must be LONGER THAN 8 WORDS and must show a Relation to the Result or Attack that is desired.
3. If an INDIRECT FIGHTER losses his/her CONCENTRATION BEFORE the PREP Attack has been made, the Attack will be defeated.

Lesson One: Concentration

Concentration for a character can be many things. For a Mage Concentration is the focusing of magical energy into a usable form. For a Psionist, Concentration is the focusing of psychic energy into a usable form. For an Archer, or other Missile Weapon user, Concentration is keeping a steady aim of the arrow on the target. For an Assassin, Concentration is the Silence and Secrecy important to the element of Surprise. But for all INDIRECT FIGHTERS, Concentration is the RP period between the first PREP beginning the attack to the last PREP ending the attack. At anytime between the first and the last PREP, the Concentration of an INDIRECT FIGHTER can be broken and the Attack will be defeated. Simply put, the following events force any INDIRECT CHARACTER to break Concentration:

1. ANY SUCCESSFUL HIT MADE AGAINST THE INDIRECT FIGHTER
2. ANY OPPOSING ACTION THAT REQUIRES AN INDIRECT FIGHTER TO ACCELERATE FROM HIS/HER ORIGINAL POSITION FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF A WALKING HUMAN

Therefore, if an opposing player character performs an action that forces an INDIRECT FIGHTER to move from his/her position faster than the speed it takes a human to walk(such as a dodge), the opposing player has effectively forced the INDIRECT FIGHTER to break Concentration and the Attack fails. Furthermore, any Successful Hit made against an INDIRECT FIGHTER causes the break of Concentration and the Attack fails. How the Attack actually fails is left up to the INDIRECT FIGHTER to decide because not every Attack fails in the same way. For example, a Mage's spell may fizzle, simply miss the target, or even harm the Mage who originally cast the spell! But remember, for the Concentration of an INDIRECT FIGHTER to be broken, the opposing action MUST take place prior to the last PREP. For an example of the Concentration of an INDIRECT FIGHTER being broken, see the text entitled Duel Combat with Multiple Combatants.

Magic

Magic users such as Wizards, Mages, and some Monsters could arguably be considered the most powerful characters in Combat RP. The Spells and Magical Powers with which Magic-users are able to learn and wield can range from as weak as a minor “Cantrip” for entertainment to as large as raining Meteors down upon whole armies! Though, a drawback to this is that magic-users feel the effects of the spell’s energy drain on their physical body. Casting a large spell or a series of smaller spells can quickly weaken the magic-using character and one should RP this out accordingly. The Power of, and the Time it would take to cast a spell, is closely related to the number of PREPs required to cast it. For example:

1. A “Cantrip”, in AD&D terms(used only for comparison), a level one spell that is incapable of causing harm and takes only a moment to cast, may legally be cast with only a single PREP.
2. A “Fireball” spell of level three, which takes three times longer to prepare than the "Cantrip", is capable of producing a ball of fire 20-feet in radius at any spot the caster indicates, and would require no less than THREE PREPs.
3. A “Meteor Swarm” spell of level nine is capable of raining 4 meteoric spheres of 2-feet diameter with a blast radius of 30 feet EACH down upon an opponent(or opponents), and would require approximately NINE PREPs to cast.

DEATH STANDARD
All in all, the rule to follow when deciding how many PREPs will be needed in order to cast a given spell with a specific power, and within a specific time, relies heavily upon the DEATH STANDARD:

1.A Spell whose purpose is for anything other than entertainment requires no less than THREE PREPs.
2.A Spell that will cause sudden DEATH to one normal human character requires no less than FIVE PREPs.(Death Standard)

Every spell contaning a number of PREPs below the DEATH STANDARD will be of lesser power, and take less time to cast, which will cause damage to a normal human in varying degrees. Every spell containing a number of PREPs above the DEATH STANDARD will be of greater power, and will take more time to cast, which will utterly annihilate a normal human in varying degrees. For an example of spells being used in RP Combat, look to the texts entitled Duel Combat with Multiple Combatants and PREPs in Duel Combat.

Magi Duel
It would seem that Magic users are completely confined to the realm of Duel Combat with PREPs, but that is not necessarily the case. When two opposing magic-using characters begin a Direct Duel Combat, the PREPs will act as Turns. The PREPs are performed one after the other, alternating player characters for every Turn. You would think this gives the character that begins with the first PREP a clear advantage, but that’s not necessarily the case when you realize to perform higher level magic, one must perform more PREPs. All in all, it becomes an interesting magical strategy game as Wizards and Mages are pitted against each other in Direct Duel Combat.

Psionics

Psionists, or psi-users, follow the very same Duel Combat rules that magic users follow, for the same reasons. The main difference between Psionics and Magic is the form of energy being used to make an Attack. Psionists use psychic energy to cause harm to an opponent’s psyche, indirectly causing the opposing character physical harm at the same time. Just like magic-users, a drawback to the use of Psionic powers causes an energy drain upon the Psionist’s physical body. Using a large amount of Psionic energy to perform a powerful Psionic Attack, or using a series of smaller Psionic Attacks can quickly weaken the Psionist, and one should RP this out during Combat.
The rules to follow when deciding how many PREPs will be needed in order to cast a given Psionic Attack relies upon the same DEATH STANDARD:

1. A Psionic Attack whose purpose is for anything other than entertainment requires no less than THREE PREPs.
2. A Psionic Attack that will cause sudden DEATH to one normal human character requires no less than FIVE PREPs.(Death Standard)

Every Psionic Attack containing a number of PREPs below the DEATH STANDARD will be of lesser power and cause damage to a normal human in varying degrees. Every Psionic Attack containing a number of PREPs above the DEATH STANDARD will be of greater power and utterly annihilate a normal human in varying degrees. For a more detailed description of Psionics and the methods in which Psionic powers can be used, see Psionics.

Missile Weapons

Missile Weapons include any offensive weapon that can be used to attack an opponent from a distance farther than 4 feet(not that some Missile Weapons cannot be used closer than 4 feet). Missile Weapons require the use of Missiles, or objects that are thrown or projected in order to strike something at a distance. Loss of CONCENTRATION for characters using Missile Weapons may result in a miss, a miss-fire, or a non-fire. For this reason, Missile Weapon users that are fighting in a Multiple Combat situation, or are in an area with friendly characters, should take special care so that a stray Missile does not hit a friendly target!
Examples of Missile Weapons, and their Missiles noted in parenthesis, include: Bows(Arrows), Crossbows(Bolts), Guns(Bullets), Javelins, Darts, Dirks, Daggers, Slins, Rocks, etc. The following are the PREP rules for Missile Weapon users:

1. The legal minimum number of PREPs that are required to use a Missile Weapon that is neither “charged” nor “loaded” is TWO PREPs.
2. The legal minimum number of PREPs that are required to use a Missile Weapon that must be “charged” or “loaded” is THREE PREPs.
3. Only Missile Weapons that must be “charged” may require more than THREE PREPs, in which case, the DEATH STANDARD described in the text entitled Magic should be followed.

Here’s an example of a Missile Weapon being used properly in Duel Combat with PREPs:

Note: the PREP counts shown in parenthesis (PREP ONE, etc.) are editor’s marks for teaching purposes only and is not part of the actual Combat Transcript.

You are in: A Tavern in Atlantica(RPG)(www.oocities.org/Area51/Shire/5554/)
You see here: Dan_the_DeathKnight

John_the_Archer enters

Dan_the_DeathKnight: sits alone at a table in the empty Tavern. His eyes two red dots like the eyes of death in his skull.

John_the_Archer: sneaks around the outside of the Tavern and looks through an open window. His mouth drops when he sees a DeathKnight sitting at a table in the Tavern.

Dan_the_DeathKnight: grumbles that he scared everyone out of the Tavern and now no one’s left for him to kill.

John_the_Archer: watches Dan carefully as he moves his crossbow off of his back and reaches into a pouch on his belt drawing forth a bolt.(PREP ONE)

Dan_the_DeathKnight:oO(Hey, John, You gonna attack Dan?)

John_the_Archer:oO(Yep. Duel Combat with PREPs. John’s a human crossbow shooter)

Dan_the_DeathKnight:oO(ok. Dan’s a DeathKnight and he’s wearing some battle armor.)

John_the_Archer:oO(OK. Back to the fight)

John_the_Archer: loads the crossbow bolt into the crossbow and takes aim at Dan’s body across the room.(PREP TWO)

Dan_the_DeathKnight: glances up at the window and sees a shadowy figure looking through it. He growls in anger.

John_the_Archer: pulls on the crossbow’s trigger and the bolt flies towards Dan’s upper torso.(PREP THREE/FIRE)

Dan_the_DeathKnight: stands suddenly at the table as he prepares to move towards the shadowy figure when a crossbow bolt bangs off of his breast plate, sending Dan stumbling back a few steps.(DEFENSE TURN)

In this example, John performed the necessary THREE PREPs to make the Missile Weapon attack against Dan due to the fact that his crossbow had to be “loaded”. That is perfectly legal and wonderful Combat RP. Notice how John used the PREPs to ready his Missile Weapon, load it, aim it, and then fire at Dan. This pattern of READY, AIM, and FIRE is similar with most Missile Weapons that must be “loaded”.
Missile Weapons such as daggers, dirks, darts, and slins do not need to be “charged” or “loaded” and are therefore only required to have TWO PREPs: DRAW/AIM and FIRE. Only Tech Missile Weapons need to be “charged” and are therefore required to have THREE or MORE PREPs following the DEATH STANDARD rules stated in the text entitled Magic.

Assassins

Assassins fall under the category of INDIRECT FIGHTER because Assassins make it a mission to attack an opponent without allowing the opponent to have IC knowledge that he/she is about to be attacked. Secrecy, Surprise, Speed, and Success are the key characteristics of an Assassination.
Loss of CONCENTRATION for an Assassin means that an Assassin has failed the initial Successful Hit required to kill his/her opponent, in effect, losing the element of Surprise, and is now open to Direct Duel Combat if an opponent is in RANGE. However, this may not be as severe a penalty for an Assassin as it would be for a Mage due to the fact that many Assassins are skilled fighters.
Keeping that in mind, the minimum number of PREPs required to make a Successful Assassination Attack can be no less than FIVE PREPs - the equivalent to Magic Spells that follow the DEATH STANDARD. PREPs must describe the Assassin’s actions leading up to the result of the Assassination Attack and, as always, the “target” is allowed a Defense Turn. Here’s an example of an Assassination attempt between the characters Jim_the_joker and John_the_Archer:

Note: the PREP counts shown in parenthesis (PREP ONE, etc.) are editor’s marks for teaching purposes only and is not part of the actual Combat Transcript.

You are in: A Tavern in Atlantica(RPG)(www.oocities.org/Area51/Shire/5554/)
You see here: John_the_Archer

Jim_the_joker enters

John_the_Archer: sits comfortably at a table in the middle of the tavern drinking a bottle of ale.

Jim_the_joker:oO(Hey, John. Jim’s an assassin hired to kill you.)

John_the_Archer:oO(What? Why?)

Jim_the_joker:oO(Cause you pissed of Dan_the_DeathKnight by trying to kill him so he hired Jim to knock you off. That’s ok with you right?)

John_the_Archer:oO(Yeah, ok. Let’s RP it out. I’m curious to see what happens.)

Jim_the_joker:oO(K)

Jim_the_joker: enters through the front door of the tavern concealed in a dark brown cloak and hood. Beads of rain run off his cloak and form a puddle on the floor where he stands just inside the doorway.

John_the_Archer: drinks his bottle of ale content at this day’s events.

Jim_the_joker: produces a picture given to him by Dan, the image slightly stained from mud and water, but there’s no question as to who is in the picture. Silently puts it back in his pouch.

John_the_Archer: glances around the tavern bored. Wondering where all the women went.

Jim_the_joker: slowly makes his way towards John, not moving directly towards him, but more in a circling motion around the walls of the tavern at a distance…so as not to perk John’s notice.(PREP ONE)

Jim_the_joker: circles far enough around the Tavern so as to position himself some 20 yards behind where John sits.(PREP TWO)

John_the_Archer: yawns.

Jim_the_joker: begins to step forward, silently, towards the back of John, closing the distance as he wraps his right hand over the hilt of a dagger stuck in a sheath on his belt, unnoticeable to prying eyes.(PREP THREE)

Jim_the_joker: gets in range of John, now standing practically behind the seated man. Draws forth the dagger from his belt…the blade still concealed underneath his brown cloak.(PREP FOUR)

John_the_Archer: sensing a presence behind him, he turns in his seat and looks up at the person standing behind him.

Jim_the_joker: slips the dagger out from underneath his brown cloak with a flick of the wrist, and makes a sudden stab at the front of John’s exposed neck at point blank range.(PREP FIVE/ATTACK)

John_the_Archer: only sees the flash of a blade as he looks up into Jim’s cold eyes…the dagger puncturing his jugular vain and John’s blood spilling across the floor as the Fatal Blow opens his flesh.(DEFENSE TURN)

Jim_the_joker: jerks the dagger quickly to the right, slashing John’s neck open with the dagger’s blade still embedded within. His clothing covered in blood, Jim steps back to allow John’s dying body to collapse onto the floor.

Gruesome, but excellently performed. Jim fulfilled the minimum requirement of FIVE PREPs for an Assassination and he executed the Duel Combat with PREPs of an INDIRECT FIGHTER perfectly. Though the example above showed Jim directly informing John OOC through "think bubbles" that his character was making an Assassination Attack, it doesn't always have to work that way. Informing your opponent OOC that an attack is underway can be made through more subtle methods, such as a character's thoughts or actions displayed upon the screen. Many disagreements can be avoided by allowing players to know OOC that an Assassination Attempt is underway prior to the actual attack.

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