Call to Arms and Adventure

[[sage]]

Sorry, got kind of distracted. Meant to post this much earlier. I'm up to updating regularly if you all want to post regularly.

This game is basically a hybrid battleclub/adventuring game. The battleclub is called the World Fighter's League. Home to many Adventurers, rogues and young adults who are unsure of their places in the world, the WFL offers a chance to earn fame and fortune by competing in battle and adventure against others.

The WFL is housed in many different Arenas, located all over the world. Fighters travel to different arenas to test their abilities and gain rank and experience against many different opponents in different kinds of battles.

You start off as a new arrival in Crossroads, a river/sea port city that is one of the largest centers of trade in the world, as well as the home to one of the most popular starting arenas for new WFL members.

The world itself is a large world, much of which is still unexplored or civilized. Magic, as well as monsters and spirits exist throughout the world. Technology varies from region to region. The world has expansive oceans and water-ways, making for common sea-travel. Guns and explosive technology is there, but still in its infancy.

Character Creation
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Name:
Age:
Sex:
Bio: Whatever info you feel like including about your character. Generally, I'm assuming characters are poor or were in unfortunate situations and they came to crossroads to improve their situation.

Stats
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You have 70 points to split between HP and MP. I hope you know what these do by now...

You have 50 points to split between your 5 stats.
Body governs physical strength and endurance.
Mind governs intelligence, knowledge and perception.
Reflex governs accuracy, evasion and speed.
Will Power governs magic power and resistance.
Presence governs charisma and social skills.

Advantages
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You have 100AP to purchase advantages with. Advantages are split into Background Traits, Combat Abilities, Adventuring Skills, and Magic Powers. The number of AP invested into an advantage represents its effectiveness. Advantages will be tied to one of the five stats. I'll assign them to stats, you don't need to worry about it. It basically acts like another stat and is added to the its linked stat to determine how skilled you are.

Background Traits provide advantages defined by your character's bio and backstory. Generally, these will be social or economic in nature. Wealth, membership in an organization or noble family, a relationship or connection to powerful npcs, access to expensive equipment or tools (such as armor or guns). You generally don't need to spend more than a handful of points on any particular advantage for it to be effective, since most people at your level won't have these advantages at all.

Combat Abilities are seperated into Fighting Styles and manuevers.

Fighting Styles represent training in specific forms of combat and make battle easier when your well-equipped. You can give your style a name, and the weapons you use for it.
Manuevers are actions you can take in combat. While anyone can attempt a manuever they aren't trained at, fighters who are trained and good at manuevers will be more likely to succeed and with a higher grade of success.

Adventuring Skills are non-combat skills that are useful for the average adventurer. Many skills can be attempted without formal training or lots of practice, but the chance of success is lower.

Magic Powers represent any magic you've learned, inherited or acquired. This includes any sort of magical equipment, or the ability to create or enchant magical gear.

Equipment and Tools
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You don't start off with much in terms of equipment or wealth. You'll have weapons based on your fighting style, and any relevant equipment you need based on your adventuring skills. You can basically pick any sort of basic equipment you wish to start with. Limited to what you can carry, if you have no advantages based around equipment.

Combat
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Combat is based around the idea of Position, Attack, Defend, Counter. At the beginning of the combat round, I tell you the situation. I'll tell you

1. Who has Initative (if anyone),
2. Your position relative to your opponent(s), and any nearby environmental landmarks or obstacles that can affect the combat,
3. Any indicators you have of what your opponent is doing.

You need to decide on your tactics for the round based on the info you have, keeping in mind the four phases of combat. Tactics don't need to be overly complicated, but you can't just say attack or pick a move and use it. You need to describe what you're doing.

Initative is important, since it determines who is currently the aggressive character. The character with Initative is basically controlling the flow of combat for the moment. While its usually the faster character, having a reach weapon, good positioning or good offensive rolls can gain the initative for awhile. Initative is determined by speed and positioning as well as your opening strategy, or strategy on the turn after a pause in the combat flow.

Positioning is moving to seek an advantage or to change the flow of combat. Basically, circling your opponent, moving towards or away, or strafing. Its also moving carefully through a battlefield to minimize facing your back towards an opponent. The idea of positioning is to get in-position to make a critical strike. Different weapons have ideal spots.

Attacking: When you attack, you can decide how you want to attack. You can freely try and disarm, trip, make headshots, rapid attacks, power attacks or whatever. Possessing combat abilities improves the chances of succeeding on special attacks like that. Scoring critical damage is based on positioning, rather than random chance.

Defending: When you have to defend, you can defend however you please, by re-positioning, parrying, dodging, using defensive combat manuevers, or trying to hit your opponent or keep them away. Basically anything you might do to try and not die. A successful defense negates the critical damage taken by a successful hit and reduces HP damage, possibly negating all damage. If you fail to defend against an opponent who is in-position, you'll take critical damage. You can also defend by attacking, attempting to hit them before they hit you. This is very dangerous if you fail though, since you forfeited your defense to do so.

Keep in mind, a successful defense negates critical damage, but it doesn't mean you aren't taking any HP damage, it reduces the damage you take, but some may still get through.

Counter: And finally, turning the combat around to go on the offensive. The results of the attack vs defense determines who gets Initative next, and you want to be prepared to do so. A good defense will usually let the defender counter, while a failed defense may give the opportunity for the attacker to keep going, even bypassing the enemy's turn!

Using magic in combat
Magic usually requires a little bit of time to use, making you vulnerable for a moment. You need to be careful when getting ready to cast a spell. Taking a hit while casting a spell counts as critical damage against you, so beware.

Magic still works on the same principle as physical combat. Position, Attack, Defend, Counter. Powers can be used to affect any phase of combat.

Spells can affect the environment, as well as any target on the field. They can be used to make attacks (either damage, status or affecting positioning), or they can be defensive in nature. Buffing you, making positioning either, healing or providing defense. They can even be used to react to enemy magic or attacks, if the power allows it. If your enemy throws a fireball, and you have ice magic, you can try tossing up an ice-wall to block it. You don't need to cast it in advance.

Tactics in play

Ok, so I'm probably making it more complicated than it sounds. Take two opponents. Syrios, a spear-wielder with fire magic, and Tiran, a sword and shield wielder with air magic.

A quick example of how combat flows, with just the tactics and situations described. With an actual combat, it'd pretty much look the same, except I'd describe it when an opponent takes any kind of damage and keep track of your HP/MP as well.

Round 1
Situation: Syrios and Tiran face off in a grassy field. Neither character has Initative. There's a hut ten feet behind Syrios and some small trees scattered behind Tiran.

Syrios holds his ground waiting for Tiran (position) to get in range for a spear thrust (attack)
Tiran charges in (position), shield ready to block (defense) and makes a swift stroke at Syrios' head (counter).

Round 2
Situation: Tiran blocked Syrios attacked, but was stopped from getting into attack range. Syrios has Initative.

Syrios steps back and makes several thrust attacks, trying to slip one past Tiran's shield.
Tiran steps in trying to knock Syrios's spear aside to close and slash at Syrios's head.

Round 3
Situation: Tiran manuevers past Syrios's spear, too close for an effective thrust from Syrios's spear. Syrios barely dodges Tiran's head slash. Tiran has Initative, and is in position for a critical!

Tiran tries to slam his shield in Syrios's face to stun him and then slash across his torso.
Syrios skips backwords to avoid it while casting a spell to encircle the ground around Tiran with flame.

Round 4
Situation: Syrios barely avoided the blows, negating the critical hit, but takes a cut across his cheek. He casts the spell successfully. Tiran is now encircled in a ring of fire. Neither opponent has Initative.

Now with some room to breathe, Syrios works his magic to tighten the ring, trying to set Tiran ablaze with his ring of fire.
Tiran quickly summons his air magic, letting out a huge blast of air around him to disperse the flames.

And so on until one beats the other.

[[sage]]

Just wondering, is anyone planning on joining?

[SephirothKirby]

Can an ability be supernatural but not necessarily magical? I have a character, just thought I'd check.

[[sage]]

Yeah. Magic Powers is just the term I was using for anything magical/supernatural.

[KirbyBoy2000]

Name: Kaden Virias
Age: 23
Sex: Male
Bio: A capable fighter and inheritor of the magic of the Virias family; who were once known as feared warriors but are now mostly forgotten. Since he was young he has been trained in combat and in magic, and now that he is old enough he has been sent off to conquer the World Fighter's League and reclaim the honor of the Virias family.

Stats
HP: 35
MP: 35
Body: 14
Mind: 7
Reflex: 12
Will Power: 14
Presence: 3

Background Traits (10) - Anyone with a good grasp of history or something might know his family, but even then it probably wouldn't be a good thing. He brought several weapons from his family with him to Crossroads.

Combat abilities (40)
Ambidextrous / Dual Wield (10) - Can battle with a weapon in either hand or both at once with little problems.
Unarmed (10) - Some skill in attacking and defending without a weapon. Can help somewhat when one or both hands are free.
Sidestep (10) - A quick movement to the side. Used to better position himself in battle and get around to an enemy's side or back to deliver a harder to avoid attack. Can be used whenever making an attack or defense.
Rush (10) - A sudden charge and attack to an opponent. Has a better than average chance of breaking someone's defense and if they're unable to defend it at all they will take even more damage. Kaden's defenses are weaker after this is used, so if its successfully defended against he'll be in trouble. Can make him trip and fall if used with Sidestep; as a lot of things generally do when attempting sharp turns at max speed.

Adventuring Skills (0) - Eh.

Magic Powers (50) (...Even if they're made weaker because of it I'd like for most of these to be fast actions. Surge Rune should be instant, Guardian Rune I don't really care about, and Destructive Surge is basically a magic-fueled attack.)

Surge Rune (20)- A rune that pushes Kaden's mind and body toward their limits. When used, it gives Kaden enhanced movement, reflexes and attacking ability for a very short time.The rune can cause Kaden to become injured or paralyzed if overused.

Guardian Rune (20)- A protective rune that causes Kaden's body to heal at a much faster rate and helps him ignore pain; but shortens his remaining lifespan in the process to fuel it (outside of the magic to activate it to begin with). Heals some of Kaden's HP each turn while he's injured, and if he would be hit by a fatal attack he can survive it and keep fighting.

Enchantment: Destructive Surge (10) - An enchantment Kaden can place on a weapon or himself. When the enchantment is activated it breaks the weapon (or whatever limb Kaden is currently using) and unleashes a powerful wave that damages anyone caught in it. Its basically a normal attack, then the weapon(s) break and unleash a magic wave that inflicts moderate damage. Wave has medium distance and should be somewhat hard to avoid. Can activate multiple enchantments at once to strengthen the power and size of the wave.

Equipment and Tools
A couple of weapons. Maybe armor. ...I don't care too much on what I get.

[[sage]]

Your topic will most likely be up sometime Wednesday after midnight.

[SephirothKirby]

Name: Rhasa Jang
Age: 26
Sex: M
Bio: A lethal assassin, payed top dollar to murder without prejudice. It pays well and he is very skilled at it, but doing so has made him have to live in the shadows. He enjoyed it, even thought of it as a game early in the career, but he has made far too much of a name and shed too much tainted blood to continue. He has abandoned his birth name, preferring to go by this alias, hoping to achieve a new life registered in the League, and make enough money to retire early.

Stats:
HP: 50
MP: 20
Body: 11
Mind: 7
Reflex: 16
Will: 10
Presence: 6

Combat Abilities:

(10 AP) Ambidextrous [Fighting Style]
Can weild a weapon in both hands.

(10 AP) Afterimage [Manuever]
Moves at an incredible speed, so that he appears as if he is teleporting, however it can only allow him to move very short distances.

(10 AP) Disarm [Manuever]
Takes away something from the opponent while engaged in melee combat.

(5 AP) Assassinate [Manuever]
Assuming he can properly study a target for a while without being discovered, he can attempt to dispose of them instantaneously.

Adventuring Skills:

(5 AP) Track
Represents an above average ability to pick up on someone's trail, or stalk someone.

(5 AP) Shadow Veil
Rhasa can hide himself incredibly well within the shadows, possibly even in plain sight if no one was focused on him.

(10 AP) Stealth
Ability to move silently, hide, and overall apply rogue abilities.

Magic Powers:

(20 AP) Ghost Step
Veils himself in a shadow which allows him to become perfectly invisible.

(20 AP) Enter Nirvana
Time bends itself around Rhasa to slow itself in his perception. If used quickly, it can help him see an action being preformed immediately in front of him, as to better dodge/prepare himself. If cast in a more ritualistic fashion, it may allow him liberties such as multiple actions in a row.

Weapon of Choice:

2 Shortswords
Cloth Armor

NOTE: Can I see how much MP my abilities cost before I commit to my HP/MP total?

[[sage]]

Originally Posted by SephirothKirby

NOTE: Can I see how much MP my abilities cost before I commit to my HP/MP total?

Yeah. I'll have your topic up sometime tommorow night. After I post it, I'll ask you if you want to change your total.