How does one do a Fighting RP?

[Rawrasaur]

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Title says it all. I will update this post with info on how to do it as more advice comes along. I have guesses as how it works, but I want to hear from experts. TLR Type Varies: Point system, Health System, Logic System. Points are Points. Health is Health. Logic uses common sense. You COULD make your own, but at least give these other systems a shot. Use Dice/RNG's or a outside referee to solve disputes. Don't go OP. This is similar to an RPG. Both friend and foe with have good hits and bad hits. Leave things open-ended for dodges unless constricted. Don't have to take every dodge in the world. Don't forget to give time limits if you want to keep things short if there's an overarching story. A Quote from Grey: <a href="<___base_url___>/threads/how-does-one-do-a-fighting-rp.249594/#post-6451016" rel="">Advice/Help - How does one do a Fighting RP?</a> A Quote from Dark Half: <a href="<___base_url___>/threads/how-does-one-do-a-fighting-rp.249594/#post-6453545" rel="">Advice/Help - How does one do a Fighting RP?</a>


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[sakigamis]

There's a lot of ways to do it. A lot of people (around here, at least) seem to be fond of dice and points systems to determine whether hits land or miss; personally, I'm a bit more trusting of my partners, so I just write it like any other interaction, do my part and see what the other person does. I pretty much stick to a few simple rules:


-Don't do something drastic, long-lasting, and/or permanent (ie break a major bone, remove a limb, kill the opponent, etc) without permission from the other writer. If their character can come back from it quickly it's a bit of an exception; I don't mind you tearing off one character's arm because he can reattach it after the fight easily, but a lot of my characters don't have that luxury, so ask first.


-Not every attack of yours will hit. Pay attention to the scenario--if circumstances are already so they can't dodge, it's probably alright to autohit, but in most situations you'll want to leave it open-ended so they have the opportunity to dodge.


-Similarly, you can't dodge every attack. If it's unreasonable, just admit defeat and take the hit. Unless there's a massive difference in power, neither character should come out unscathed.

 

[Dusky]

And there's not necessarily any reason to develop your own system, if you do go that route. There are a lot of systems that already exist that work just fine.

 

[Rawrasaur]

And there's not necessarily any reason to develop your own system, if you do go that route. There are a lot of systems that already exist that work just fine.

I assumed as such. "Don't fix what isn't broke." Right? ^^

 

[Dusky]

Right! Not that there's anything wrong with developing your own system; it's just not advisable to do so unless you're extremely familiar with several other systems.

 

[DerUbermensch]

Two ways I deem as appropriate are possible. Either a neutral 3rd party as a referee or use of dice/chance based algorithms.

 

[call me rae]

It depends on the roleplay and people involved.


If it's a one x one and you and the person are communicating well / the fight is not important to the overall plot.


Just write it out as you normally would.


If it's is a group scenario or your partner is the sort to be overly worried about winning.


I do a RNG based system with three options. Succeed, Draw, Fail.


Draw being when you succeed at an option but also face consequence.


You hit your opponent but they retaliate before you can move or something.


Now a thing to remember for this that few people remember to bring up is this - put a time limit/post limit on the fight.


So a fight doesn't last for a month in real life of just exchanging blows - or a day in character.


Instead say in the beginning okay you get xxx number of posts or between today and xxxday to finish this fight.


this keeps the story moving along and doesn't bog you down with a fight.

 

[Grey]

I use a system of some kind, usually with dice. Which system depends on the tone of the game, but I prefer high-lethality. I prefer death and permanent mutilation to be very probable risks in combat, to keep the stakes high and to encourage players to either come up with non-violent solutions or be utterly merciless.


Anything other than pure description is a light system, so I always think you might as well embrace that when you edge in that direction.


Descriptive fighting feels like it would have a lot of problems, outside of specific contexts. Consider:


1. Neither combatant is informed of actual efficacious combat techniques. Both cite 'common sense' when arguing their ignorant position, which leads to a stalemate and possible acrimony.


1a. One player has actual expertise (MMA, HEMA, re-enactment, background in the study of warfare historically or contemporary) and abuse the implied authority of this knowledge to bully the less-informed player into submission OR becomes frustrated with the less informed player's refusal to heed suggestions OR the less informed player becomes frustrated by frequent corrections from the other.


2. The rules by which the setting abides are unclear. Both combatants argue about use of magic, secret ninja techniques, etc.


2a. The specific venue for the fight is ill-defined and players repeatedly pull environmental contrivances out of their hats to stay on top.


3. If there are no permanent consequences because the image of your character's health and wholeness is sacrosanct, combat basically becomes an exhibition irrelevant to the narrative, devoid of stakes or drama.


None of these are guaranteed, of course, but they seem like significant possibilities.


Without an arbitrator, whether a third party (who could be biased) or rules, it seems like the best way to handle a fight is to discuss the result ahead of time and agree on the most narratively satisfying conclusion. Then just play out the combat toward that result - as NFG says, it's a product of good communication.


You may consider yourself rational and detached enough to approach the scene logically and fairly, but we are all victim to a host of cognitive biases which both make that very difficult and make it equally difficult to realize as much.

 

[zanarkand]

i like to use dice because it gets rid of the whole "He tries to punch him" "She tries to smack him" type of thing where it goes back and forth with them trying to do something and it only working out when the other person decides that it works.

 

[Dark Half]

"Logic uses common sense", but then you state "Breaking a limb is OP"? I don't agree with that considering there are realistic ways in breaking a limb effectively without the need to auto-hit or godmod. That's a silly thing to say.


I personally do not like dice based RP since I dislike RNG/Probability in general. Some people like the surprise of a random number deciding the fate of another character, and good for them if they do.


When you get into detailed roleplay combat system without a dice system, things like "Point systems" and "Health Systems" and "Logic Systems" are placed in realistic categories based on the character's anatomy and their capabilities (These are reviewed before a battle can start in order to avoid a potential large argument concerning one's character).


To make an easy example, if let's say you are roleplaying as a human and fighting against another human. This is simple to understand that if both humans are average in health and combat efficiency, the amount of damage they take comes with common sense. For example, if the attempt of Character 1 succeeds to cutting off Character 2's right arm, Character 2 has now lost a limb and is at risk of shock and bleed out. To get an exact estimate of how many posts it will take for Character 2 to die from a bleed out can never be exact without the actual mathematics of the character's mass, blood pressure, the degree of the cut, how mobile he or she is being while bleeding, etc. Generally speaking, the two combatants usually agree on a number of posts left for the character that is bleeding out that will be seen as reasonable (Example, 5 posts without much mobility. 3 with extreme mobility). The risk of shock from the pain would likely set in immediately or a post after, since Character 2 is average in combat efficiency (Think of an amateur boxer...).


Some people also question as to how is a hit able to land without Character 2 dodging everything Character 1 does. Simple, reaction and time. If a gun firing a bullet moving at 1,126 feet per second is heading towards Character 2 who has now been caught off guard and is standing at a five foot distance from Character 1 firing the gun, the likely chances of Character 2 moving at a faster rate of speed as a human is next to impossible and will likely be hit with a reasonable amount of damage.


Damage can also be calculated through the use of mass and speed. But that goes into the complications of mathematics to find the accurate measurement of the pounds of force a punch might deliver.


These are simply examples of how detail roleplay goes down when dice and systems are not present. It's not advisable to perform combat roleplay with a stranger without setting boundaries for rules first and agreements on certain injuries (i.e torn off limb of a human, permanent damage.) Always ask if the opposition is okay with receiving permanent injuries.


Another argument is how the rules are made unclear in this setting. We like to use categories that separate characters from each other so we won't have a Goku vs Human situation.


RM - Realistic Melee. The name speaks for itself. You fight in a realistic setting where physics and human boundaries are applied, just like real life. So no magic or anything like that. Although the name says "Melee", ranged weapons such as guns and bows and sometimes explosives may be used if agreed upon by both parties.


UM - Unrealistic Melee. Just as the name says, you now have characters that transcend beyond human boundaries and can now perform abilities at a physical level that are superhuman, such as lifting cars and throwing them across the street. The boundary however is that you will be in the limitations of physical capacity, so magic or energy users will not be allowed here. The other set of boundaries is that the physical capacity is usually determined by the character's specie (Example, a lycan has no issue with tearing humans and machines apart with brute strength. But still susceptible to silver and stronger entities). So if you try to be a Krypton or a Saiyen, you will only have access to physical abilities as the use of Chi and Energy utilized in their capabilities are banned from here. As for weapons, they can be modified but usually do not go into futuristic capabilities (Example, a laser that disintegrates molecules would not be allowed here.)


MP - Moderate Power. Now we have magic and energy utilization become accessible here in the rights of the character's capabilities. However, note the word "Moderate". The amount of magic, energy, and utilization of such along with physical capabilities that synchronize with it are capped. The cap is usually that you cannot go and destroy entire landscapes with a massive fireball, or flood cities with a snap of a finger. Rather, think of the early seasons of Naruto or Magi where the abilities being used are kept moderately powerful and synchronize with the character's physical capabilities (Example, going in with a punch but enveloping your arm in flames in order to deliver a burning impact type of damage.) This of course means that such characters like Krypton and Saiyens are still banned from this category considering they can destroy planets, which are not allowed. It should also be noted that it isn't just the damage base of power that is being capped, but defensive and utility too. Defensive wise? You cannot say you're an angel that is immune to all black magic and vice versa in this category, as that breaks the cap of moderation. Utility wise? You cannot have an illusion that stays within a character's entire being until their sword is touched (Aizen from Bleach). Physical wise, an example of what would be banned at the borderline of cap is a punch on the ground that decimates an entire city, diamond-like skin without an unstable atomic structure, instant cellular regeneration, and having all visions known to man. It's best to keep note that here, your character's specie and class do play a role...it'd be hard and out of character to play an ogre from a culture of savagery but be wise in the ways of white magic without a proper in-depth history.


PC - Powered Character. This one is tricky and for newcomers it is best to avoid. These characters are borderline Godmod in a sense that they are at the pinnacle of sheer destructive forces (i.e blowing up a planet), tank throughout (able to survive a nuclear bomb, i.e superman), enraging utility (Aizen's zanpaktou), and absurd healing (instant cellular regeneration). These characters, however, are still within the boundaries of their capacity based on their species, class, and especially history. Example, you can't just say your character is a Super Saiyen and then blow up Mars with one finger like Beerus, a God of Destruction. Your character needs to have been trained like Goku, that includes the extent of history and how that character of yours didn't flat out die to obstacles like Buu, and how he was even brought up to be this destructive force of cataclysmic nature. If you plan to use items for these characters for an easy access to other worldly abilities, you have better add into your history how your character obtain or even deserved a weapon that can cast a whole world into an illusive state (In other words, don't just say you picked it up from the ground or that God himself gave you it. That is not an accepted explanation.) Believe it or not, there is also a cap in this category. Absolutely no Omni based abilities. You can be an alternate version of Poseidon if you can pull it off and explain it well, but under no circumstances are you allowed to have any Omni abilities like a certain someone that pretty much ran a manga to the ground.


https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UcNBtzfwhy8/hqdefault.jpg


Juha here is a good example of what you don't want a PC character to be. Pretty much a Mary Sue who was born special right off the bat and then got the power to not only see into the future but change it without any reasonable explanation besides saying "I'm God now." Not to mention this is a classic example of how Mary Sue characters like this one make a story run straight into the ground...for anyone that has been reading Bleach as long as I have.


Point is, you don't want to make a PC character like that. Although an overuse of example, a PC character like Superman can still be stopped due to his weak affinity to magic and kryptonite, likewise with a PC character like Goku who was still susceptible to diseases (i.e Heart disease that could have killed him without medical intervention, despite having the ability to blow up a planet), and these two also still have a risk of losing stamina too, so if you decide to make a PC Mage that throws Texas sized meteors at Earth, don't assume it's going to last you too long as mana is not an infinite source to fuel your abilities, let alone Chi if you decide to be a Saiyen or something that also relies on life force.


The same also goes for weapons and items in general in terms of the cap. Is it possible to accelerate molecules to deconstruction with a specially made sci-fi gun? Yes, but if it just fires at light speed with no preparations or any sort of flaw in its design (all designs have flaws) then it's banned. At least with Aizen's sword, touching it will cease the illusions (good luck).


This is just a rough explanation of how an RP combat system without dices or inserted systems like a game would have goes. Do I recommend it? No, it's a pain in the ass and if you bring it into detail RP you're gonna have to put some dedication into your work and prepare for disappointment sometimes. Besides that, I hope I brought some knowledge to the table.

 

[Rawrasaur]

@Grey @Dark Half @ItsCursorBby


Thanks for your posts, especially the mentions above. The mentions went into (at times over)detailed tips and nuances that come with RP combat, and for that I thank you.


@Anomaly


Thanks for giving mod coverage into this question, I feel honored :3