6. Combat Systems

Discussion in 'Core Game Rules' started by Nindomonogatari, Apr 16, 2018.

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  1. Nindomonogatari

    Nindomonogatari Administrator

    Points:
    105

    Nindomo Combat Systems


    Combat is the most robust way that players put their character's mechanics into motion. Events will often utilize parts of your character to varying degree, but combat is really where they all culminate into a system. Nindomo's combat system can be thought of as an interlaced turn-based system; combat is separated into rounds like other systems, but combatants do not have initiative or turn order, instead their actions have different speeds based on the power of the actions used.

    Combat Overview


    The Combat Overview section goes over the core of the combat systems, and how the foundation of combat works and runs.

    Actions in Combat


    This section details many of the possible combat actions. Although these aren't all of them, these are the most common and most detailed.

    Status Effects


    The Status effects section highlights the possible statuses that many attacks and effects in the game can bestow on characters.

    Flow of Combat


    This section describes how to participate in combat; the actual process for how the flow works and what happens.

    Misc Rules of Combat


    This section hosts various other rules and information that supports the combat flow and combat systems.
     
  2. Nindomonogatari

    Nindomonogatari Administrator

    Points:
    105

    Combat Overview


    Combat is the most robust way that players put their character's mechanics into motion. Events will often utilize parts of your character to varying degree, but combat is really where they all culminate into a system. Nindomo's combat system can be thought of as an interlaced turn-based system; combat is separated into rounds like other systems, but combatants do not have initiative or turn order, instead their actions have different speeds based on the power of the actions used.

    Phases of Combat


    A single round of combat is broken into three phases; upkeep, movement, and action.

    Upkeep phase


    The upkeep phase is the initial start of a round. This is where things happen that relate to the 'beginning of the round'. Maintained jutsu costs are charged here, and genjutsu is cast at this stage. Everything in this phase happens at the same time with the exception of genjutsu, it is technically cast 'last'. This is to catch instances of running out of CP, or allowing penalties/bonuses from other effects to affect the genjutsu.

    Movement Phase


    The second phase is the time that everyone moves. All characters have a set amount that they can move during a round. All combatants move at the same time during this phase. All movement during a round, except movement cause by the effect of an action, is done during this phase; there is no opportunity to for combatants to move themselves around during the action phase.

    Design Insight - READ
    The reason that movement is restricted to a single phase during combat is because of a concept called 'kiting'. If you've played a computer MMORPG you are probably familiar with the term and the action; where one player consistently moves to stay out of range of their opponent, while still hitting them with their own ranged attacks. In a real-time video game, players can react instantly to this kind of tactic, taking appropriate actions to respond. On a forum-based setting, with a turn-based game, we do not have the ability to account for such treatment. Nindomo's movement system is designed to get around this fault in the same kind of way that other tabletop games have, by assigning movement to a single 'action' that is done independently and with different timing than a player's other actions.

    Action Phase


    The action phase is the last piece of a round, and is where the majority of the interest in combat is. The action phase is when all actions are executing, using the AP system described below.

    Movement and Ranges


    Movement is the first core system of combat. Movement encompasses how fighters move around the battlefield, see and target each other, and other various positioning-based things. Movement seems like it would be complicated, but in actuality it is not. Most of the time it does not play a gigantic role in combat, but often times players or moderators can use it to an advantage or disadvantage to add more spice and strategy to a fight.

    Movement Range


    Your movement range is based on the class bonuses you have selected; melee-oriented classes have higher, while range-oriented have less.

    If one or both of your HIGH class bonuses have ranged in the accuracy, you have low movement.

    If one or both of your HIGH class bonuses have melee in the accuracy, you have high movement.

    If your HIGH class bonus is Genjutsu Potency, or you have one ranged accuracy and one melee accuracy as your HIGH class bonuses, you have average movement.
    • High movement range: 35ft
    • Average movement range: 30ft
    • Low movement range: 25ft
    You can move up to your maximum range during the movement phase.

    Vertical and non-solid Movement


    Ninja have the ability to mold chakra in order to cling to walls, or walk across non-solid surfaces like water.

    For every 5ft you move across a vertical or non-solid surface, you will expend 100 CP in order not to fall or sink. You will never fail to move the total distance, but remember that if your CP falls to 0, you lose HP equal to double the CP you would normally spend.

    Ranges


    Every attack, many effects, and a lot of other things have a range listed on it. There are basically two types of ranges.

    Melee range will be listed just with a range of 'melee'. The default for this is 5ft. There are some effects that can modify your melee range and give it a new value, but 'melee' range is still 'melee', even if done at more than 5ft.

    Anything else is 'ranged', and will always have a set amount of feet (in multiples of 5) listed as its range. There are some standards that you will see repeated, but for simplicity's sake the range will always be detailed when it's needed.

    Attacks/effects can be targeted anywhere within its range. Once out of its range it cannot be targeted.

    Genjutsu does have a standard range of 50ft. No matter the means of casting the genjutsu, the target must be within 50ft.

    Senses


    These are not mechanical limitations, these are simply best-judgement guesses and something to give you context during your battles.
    • Normal sight extends to about two miles. Much beyond that and it becomes impossible to distinguish things from each other. This also assumes a flat plane with no obstructions.
    • Powerful smells have a 50ft range, noticeable smells have a 30ft range, normal smells have a 15ft range.
    • Loud sounds have a 100ft range, normal sounds have a 50ft range, soft sounds have a 25ft range. Also once again these are not mechanical limitations. This is the range to understand and comprehend the sound, double those values for simply hearing that there is a sound.

    Actions


    The actions of all combatants are technically chosen simultaneously. This is 'technically' because the nature of the forum means that there is some manner of turns and posting order, but as far as combat is concerned there is no order or initiative. Instead, all actions that can be taken in combat are given a point value that represents their speed.

    Action Points (AP)


    Action Points is the point value that all combat actions have, and reflects the general speed and power of an action. The same action will always have the same AP cost, but characters gain more AP as they grow through the system, effectively increasing their own speed and letting them take more actions.

    Your AP is based on your character level, plus a constant

    AP = (CL / 2) + 2

    All AP values are a multiple of .5, and some actions will cost 0 AP.

    Design Insight - READ
    The AP system is designed to simulate speed in a turn-based system. Action points represent the time it takes for an action to happen, which is why AP is always consistent based on the actions; jutsu of the same rank always cost the same AP, etc. The thing that grows is instead how much AP your character has, which in turn determines how many actions you can take, as well as how fast you perform those actions. This is explained more below with the AP stack system.

    In addition, since AP is the primary determining factor in how many actions get used, the numerical balance in the system is based on something's AP cost. The power of actions is based on its AP cost; actions that cost more AP will deal more damage/have stronger effects to compensate. This is a different design theory than say, Magic: The Gathering, where cost is in itself a determination of power and balance.

    Lastly, why is there a +2 added to AP at all times? This was almost entirely a numbers decision; we wanted the max standard AP a character could have in a round be 15 (taking into account the +1 rollover). When we thought about it more though, the idea that lower level characters got to perform more actions was a side-effect of the decision that we came to like, and so we kept it.

    How AP Works / The AP Stack


    AP translates to how much your character can do in a turn and how fast they do it. Every combat round lasts the same amount of time, we'll say 10 seconds, and your AP determines how many things you can do in those 10 seconds. Think of AP as breaking the 10 second round into parts; if you have more parts (a higher AP) than you opponent, you will take actions faster than your opponents because your 'parts' represent faster time in that 10 seconds.

    By default, all effects happen at the 'end' of its AP; we call this the action's resolution. If a jutsu you cast costs 2 AP, the effects of that jutsu will take effect when the jutsu resolves at the end of that 2 AP.

    The exception to this rule is any action that [Resolve First]. Actions that resolve first instead have their effects happen at the beginning of their AP cost. It's assumed that the remaining part of the AP is spend on a wind-down of sorts from the action.

    There are two ways that actions interact. The first way is just flat actions; that is all of the actions of all combatants are executed without any sort of timing, simply firing off based off how much AP they cost. This is the way that almost every type of PvE combat will be modded, as the complications that come from adding timing rarely bring enough value to PvE type situations.

    The second way these actions interact is called the AP stack; how the parts of the round are broken down, where the actions go based on their AP cost, and when the effects actually happen. When the AP stack is built, the highest AP value among all the combatants becomes the stack's maximum value. Then the actions of all characters are put into this stack to see the relationship of when and where the effects happen; you'll see that the actions of the character with the most AP will happen faster.

    Let's look at an example situation, and how both of these action modding types are handled to highlight their differences.
    We have two combatants:
    • Jane Ninja has 55000 HP and 6 AP.
    • Steve Shinobi has 25000 HP and 3.5 AP.
    Jane Ninja takes the following actions:
    • Super Ninjutsu 13 -- 1.5 AP, 10000 damage)
    • Super Ninjutsu 13 -- 1.5 AP, 10000 damage)
    • Super Ninjutsu 13 -- 1.5 AP, 10000 damage)
    Steve Shinobi takes the following actions:
    • Super Duper Taijutsu 27 -- 1.5 AP, 40000 damage)
    • Super Ninjutsu 13 -- 1.5 AP, 10000 damage)
    • Super Duper Taijutsu 83 -- .5 AP, 10000 damage)
    Using the flat actions type system, without the AP stack, Steve would be the winner of this fight because his final attack resolves before Jane's final attack, thus rendering her unconscious before her attack does anything.

    However, if we build the AP stack based on Jane's AP (since she has the highest), then we place the actions in that table:
    [​IMG]
    You can see the visualization of the relationship between the two players' actions. Because Jane has the most AP, her AP value is used as the AP stack, thus her actions take less time in the round, even though they have the same AP value that Steve's do. By following the AP stack logic, we see that Jane's third attack will resolve before Steve's second attack even finishes, meaning that the Super Ninjutsu 13 will never resolve and he will be rendered unconscious instead.
    Something very important to note; not every battle uses the AP stack. In fact, a majority of players will never have to have a round modded using the AP stack. The primary use of the AP stack is to allow granularity in situations where very fine timing can cost a player their character. As a general rule of thumb, the AP stack is not used in PvE combat; they are almost always modded as a flat stack of actions, ideally in the player's favor. PvP combat can get more critical though, especially towards the end-game where players have a lot of strategic, timing-based options while their characters are on the line.

    It is up to the battle mod to utilize the AP stack, and to use it properly.

    AP Rollover


    Up to 1 unused AP will rollover into the next round, basically adding up to 1 AP to your full AP for that round.

    Max AP vs Full AP


    For many purposes in the system, a differention needs to be made between what is your 'max AP', and what is your 'full AP'.

    Max AP -- Max AP is defined as the AP value given to you by the AP calculation (CL/2 + 2). Your max AP cannot change during combat.

    Full AP -- Full AP is defined as the actual amount of AP you have access to in the round. This is derived from your max AP, plus or minus any augmentation; loss due to suppression, jutsu maintenance costs, AP rollover, other effects, etc.

    There are some things in the system that will refer specifically to your max AP. Anything that does not state it is referring to your max AP is always then referring to your full AP.

    AP Loss


    There are some effects in the system that say something along the lines of "lose X AP". What these effects mean is that they reduce your effective AP in a round by somehow making you slower, so that you can take less actions. AP loss when it takes effect during a round is always taken off of the end of your AP; so it's possible that the last action you send for a round will get canceled because you have lost the AP that would have been used to take that action.

    Responsive Actions


    Although a majority of actions are done at the time that you assign them, responsive actions are the opposite. They are done somehow to defend yourself, or to interrupt your opponent's train of actions in some way. Responsive actions are not done as normal as part of the round, they're instead readied; you set aside the AP and provide the mod with a condition for using the action. If the condition is met, the action is done in response to that condition.

    In order to take a responsive action, you must set aside the AP in your actions list during a round, and make sure you have all of the other costs associated with that action. Your condition should also be clear and simple, and should relate somehow to the action you're readying. You should also specify what to do with the AP if your condition was never met, which would happen as the very last item in your actions list. Often times it's best to just let that AP rollover for use next round.

    Almost every action can be done responsively; casting jutsu, attacking, other actions. There are some jutsu and actions that can -only- be done responsively, and some that cannot ever be done responsively. See the Combat Flow section for more information about how to set up a responsive action.

    Die Rolls


    Just as almost every other pen and paper game; NM's system has a random modifier attached to almost every actionable attempt in the form of a die roll. We make use of the d20; a 20 sided die as the core mechanic die. Almost every attempt in the game system utilizes some manner of d20 roll in addition to other modifiers.

    Attack rolls, stat check, and opposed rolls are the primary sources of die rolls on Nindomonogatari. Although they all have different contexts, all three follow the same basic steps.

    1. Find out the kind of roll you are making, as this will determine what stats and modifiers are used.

    Stat Check -- Stat checks are used when you are attempting to do something against a static number. Stat checks will always say the stat (primary or secondary) that they use, and what value that you are trying to beat. A stat check is the stat's BSB, plus any applicable modifiers, plus a d20 roll. If your total value is equal to or higher than the target value, you have passed the roll, otherwise you fail.

    Opposed Roll -- Opposed rolls involve multiple characters making some manner of roll against each other. These are always presented as STAT vs STAT. These are sometimes the same stat (NIN vs NIN), but sometimes are different stats based on the situation (Stealth vs Awareness). If the stats are different, the initiator of the roll (the one taking the action that involves the roll) will use the first stat, while the target(s) will use the second stat. An opposed roll takes the stat's BSB (below), plus any applicable modifiers, plus a d20 roll; all for each character involved in the roll. The highest value among all the rollers wins the roll, while all others lose. Opposed rolls always have some manner of effects that are based on 'winning' or 'losing' the roll. Ties for the highest value all count as wins.

    Attack roll -- Used when taking any attack action. Attack rolls work similar to stat checks, but are special enough that they are treated differently. See the Combat Actions section for more information about attack rolls.

    Base Stat Bonus


    Stats are not used on a one to one basis; that is a 426 Ninjutsu does not add 426 to something. Instead, that stat value is filtered into a modifier, called the base state bonus (BSB). The BSB is the value that is actually added to applicable rolls made in NM's game system. Although there are non-combat mechanical uses for base stat bonuses, for the most part the primary focus is in the combat system.

    A roll will tell you what stat or stats that it uses for the BSB. This may be as simple as a single stat or an average of two stats. There are a few circumstances however that use an equation between two stats to then get the number that will be your base stat bonus; Awareness being the primary example of this..

























    Stat ValueBase Stat Bonus
    0 - 101
    11 - 202
    21 - 353
    36 - 504
    51 - 705
    71 - 906
    91 - 1157
    116 - 1408
    141 - 1709
    170 - 20010
    201 - 23511
    236 - 27012
    271 - 31013
    311 - 35014
    351 - 39515
    396 - 44016
    441 - 49017
    491 - 54018
    541 - 59519
    596 - 65020
    651 - 71021
    711 - 77022
    771 - 83523
    836 - 90024

    Damage


    Damage on Nindomo works similarly to any other game; damage takes away from HP (or CP) in an effort to get your target below 0.

    Damage Types


    A damage's type is indicative of the type of attack that dealt the damage. Bonuses, penalties, resistances, and effectiveness need to know what kind of damage is being dealt and what kind of damage they affect.

    Damage can have multiple types. Damage dealt from a fire ninjutsu counts as ninjutsu damage, fire damage, and elemental damage, and would be affected by things that affect those three damage types.
    • Ninjutsu: All damage done by ninjutsu counts as ninjutsu damage.
    • Taijutsu: All damage done by taijutsu counts as taijutsu damage.
    • Physical: BASE damage done by taijutsu and basic attacks count as physical damage. Additional damage can also be physical, but it can also not be. All extra effect damage will have its damage type listed, and unless it says physical, it does not count as physical.
    • Elemental: Any damage that has an element attached to it counts as elemental damage of that type. Some things refer to specific elemental damage, other things just refer to 'elemental damage' as a whole.
    • Sharp: Sharp damage causes bleeding. There is no blanket for sharp damage; any damage source can deal sharp damage, and will specifically state that it does if so.
    • Blunt: Blunt damage causes suppression. There is no blanket for blunt damage; any damage source can deal blunt damage, and will specifically state that it does if so.
    • Melee: Damage done at Melee range. Melee range is most often 5ft, but some things may augment this. A damage source counts as melee damage if the range value of that source (jutsu, attack, etc) says melee.
    • Ranged: Damage done at range. A damage source counts as ranged damage if the range value of that source (jutsu, attack, etc) does not say melee.
    • AoE: Any damage done from a source that deals that damage with an area of effect counts as AoE damage. Note that multiple targets is not the same as AoE; an AoE attack will specifically state a certain area of effect.
    • Chakra: Any damage that deals damage to your CP instead of your HP is chakra damage.

    Damage Modifiers


    Base damage is the amount of damage that a source says it deals. This is the number listed in the jutsu, the value assigned to your basic attack, etc. There are many ways to increase and decrease damage, however. For balance and mathematical purposes, it's important to note that there are two basic types of damage modifiers.

    Addition bonuses/penalties -- Addition bonuses/penalties are those where the number is just added straight to the base. These are rare, as adding or subtracting directly to base damage is pretty powerful, but they exist. An addition bonus/penalty will always just be a flat number (+10, -100, etc).

    Percentage bonuses/penalties -- Percentage bonuses/penalties are the most common modifications, and increase or decrease the base damage based on a percentage. A percentage bonuses/penalty will always have a percentage sign (%) following the number (+100%, -20%, etc)

    Addition bonuses/penalties are always added to the base damage first, before percentage bonuses/penalties are calculated.

    Percentage bonuses/penalties are all added together before they are applied to base damage. Say you have lots of effects giving you the following damage modifiers: +10%, +15%, -25%, -5%. These would add together to form your final percentage: -5% (10 + 15 + -25 + -5).

    In order to apply the percentage bonus, you take the base damage and multiply it by (1+percentage). Math states that percentages, when used in an equation, are pushed back two decimal places; the -5% would then equate to -.05, which when added to the 1 would be .95. We then multiply our base damage by .95, and we see that we now deal five percent less damage. The same theory applies if our modifier is positive, we would end up multiplying by 1.something, which would make our base damage bigger.

    Unless otherwise stated, all percentage bonuses/penalties are added together and applied at the same time; whether they are granted from an ability, from the jutsu itself, or any other source. If a percentage bonus/penalty breaks this rule, it will say so; either explicitly stating when it takes effect, or something along the lines of "deals 30% of final damage", which would mean that after all other bonuses/penalties are calculated, you deal 30% of that damage.

    Critical Hits


    A critical hit is when an attack hits a particularly vital point on the body, making the blow more lethal. An attack will critical when the d20 roll comes up as a 20. This number can be modified by various things across the board. When something increases the critical range, it will say something like "Increases critical range by x", or "doubles critical range". By default the critical range is 1 (since it only works on one number).

    Critical attacks receive +100% damage, which is added alongside all the other percentage bonuses/penalties. Some effects also happen only on critical attacks.

    Anything with an AoE cannot critically hit.

    Falling Unconscious and Dying


    In combat you have 3 stages of life:
    • Conscious: More than 0 HP
    • Unconscious: 0 or less HP, down to negative your max HP
    • Dead: Less than negative your max HP
    Conscious characters are the standard in-combat state, as long as you have more than 0 HP you are conscious.

    Unconscious characters are characters who have had their HP reduced to 0 or below. While unconscious you can't move or take any action, you are completely incapacitated.

    Dead characters have had their HP reduced below negative their max HP. A character with 15000 HP will die when their HP has been reduced to -15000.

    Unconscious characters will be revived if their HP is raised above 0. Dead characters cannot be revived in combat. Unconscious characters do not regain HP during combat.

    After combat has ended, an unconscious character can be killed in the subsequent roleplay; there is no need for an attacker to use actions and the combat system to deal enough damage to kill them. If they are not killed they will awaken again with 1 HP after their Travel Time has passed; starting from the post that combat ended.
     
  3. Nindomonogatari

    Nindomonogatari Administrator

    Points:
    105

    Actions in Combat


    The majority of combat is about making actions in order to get the opponent down to 0 or less HP. Although there are other actions that can be taken; all actions are based around the AP system; every action has an AP associated with it (sometimes 0). There are many actions that can be taken in combat; the below list is not comprehensive, but it is the list of the most common ones; with more information in this section where appropriate.
    • Make an attack
    • Cast a non-attacking jutsu
    • Take a special action
    • Ready a reactionary action
    • Activate a style
    • Equip a weapon

    Attacking


    The primary action in combat is going to be making an attack. An attack is defined as one of the 'attacking' actions that targets another character, friend or foe. They correspond to the different types of jutsu you can cast, a simple basic attack, and the ranges of each. Genjutsu, for all intents and purposes, counts as an 'attack'.
    • Casting a ranged ninjutsu
    • Casting a melee ninjutsu
    • Casting a ranged taijutsu
    • Casting a melee taijutsu
    • Throwing a basic ranged attack
    • Throwing a basic melee attack
    • Casting a genjutsu
    Each one of these attacks corresponds to TWO stats, one to attack with, and one to defend with. It should be pretty obvious by the names of the attacks which attacking stat they correspond with, basic attacks corresponding with the Taijutsu stat.

    Every attack corresponds with Agility to defend with except casting a genjutsu, which corresponds to Stat Average.

    In addition to the stats, each one of these attack types corresponds to one of the accuracy secondary stats; noting that Genjutsu Potency is technically an 'accuracy' stat.
    • Melee taijutsu or melee basic attack: Melee Physical Accuracy
    • Ranged taijutsu or ranged basic attack: Ranged Physical Accuracy
    • Melee ninjutsu: Melee Ninjutsu Accuracy
    • Ranged ninjutsu: Ranged Ninjutsu Accuracy
    • Genjutsu -- Genjutsu Potency

    Basic Attacks


    A basic attack is a simple strike with your weapon; a basic slash, a thrown punch, etc. You can flavor your basic attack however you want, but remember that it's just a single strike.

    Basic attacks cost .5 AP, and the base damage depends on your OOC rank:
    • E-Rank: 50
    • D-Rank: 100
    • C-Rank: 200
    • B-Rank: 300
    • A-Rank: 400
    • S-Rank: 500
    Basic attacks do not count as casting jutsu, even if they're done as the result of a jutsu.

    Jutsu Attacks


    The meat of attacks will be jutsu based; BL/CA/Kin, generic, etc. All of a jutsu's costs and effects are listed in the specific jutsu.

    Class Bonuses


    As begun in the Character Classes section, your class bonus is added to your different attack types to give your character a combat focus. The class bonus is a number added to your attacks when you make an attack using the relevant accuracy. This value is based on your character level..

























    Character LevelHigh BonusAverage BonusLow Bonus
    1000
    2111
    3221
    4332
    5432
    6543
    7653
    8764
    9864
    10975
    111085
    121196
    131296
    1413107
    1514117
    1615128
    1716128
    1817139
    1918149
    20191510
    21201510
    22211611
    23221711
    24231812

    Attack Rolls


    Irrelevant of the attack type, the core calculation remains the same, only changing which stats and accuracy gets added. The attack roll equation is as follows:

    Attacker's Corresponding Stat BSB + Attacker's Corresponding Accuracy CB + d20 vs Defender's Corresponding Stat BSB + Defender's High CB + 10

    Bonuses and Penalties


    Many things can give you bonuses to your combat calculation. In addition, many things can give you penalties to your combat calculation.

    Abilities, BL/CA/Kin, buffs and debuffs often give you bonuses and penalties to your combat. Some jutsu will will say that they get accuracy bonuses or penalties as well; those only last for that one casting of that jutsu.

    If a bonus just says something generic like +1 accuracy or +1 dodge, it applies to all accuracy and dodge types, but not including Genjutsu Potency or Genjutsu Resistance. Some bonuses and penalties will specifically state the kind of action or attack they affect.

    Jutsu with multiple hits get a separate roll for each hit, and the same accuracy bonuses or penalties apply for every hit unless otherwise stated.

    Full Hits


    An attack hits the total attack is equal to or higher than the defender's total dodge. Although there are some effects that only happen on what's called a full hit. Most status effects require a full hit in order to happen, as well as some other misc jutsu and system effects.

    If the attacker's total attack is 2 or more higher than the defender's total dodge, the attack is considered a full hit.

    Non-Attacking Jutsu


    If a jutsu targets another character, it is technically an 'attack', and thus follows the rules above. There are some jutsu however that do not target another character, and are thus not defined as attacks. These jutsu are cast as all other jutsu are, but they do not have attack rolls associated with them. Often times these will be utility jutsu that simply affect everyone, or effects that are applied and then triggered at a later time. These jutsu will often use checks or opposed rolls instead of attack rolls to still have a contest between the combatants.

    Special Actions


    There are other actions to take in combat beyond just attacking and casting jutsu. CA, abilities, and certain combat systems like stealth have actions you can take that do not count as 'jutsu'. There are many types of actions like this explained in the system, plus many more that you could possibly do depending on your creativity. Any action that you can take in combat will always have an AP cost associated with it, even if that cost is 0.

    Equipping Weapons


    As explained in the Equipment and Items section, weapons need to be equipped and wielded in order to gain their effects. By default when you enter combat you can choose to already have your weapon drawn.

    To un-equip a weapon costs .5 AP, and requires that you have an empty weapon-compatible item slot to put it into. Drawing an equipped weapon also costs .5 AP.

    You can also choose to drop an equipped weapon. This costs 0 AP, but you completely lose contact with it, dropping it at your current location. Picking up a dropped weapon costs 1 AP, and can only be done if that weapon is within 5 ft of you.

    The above rules apply to puppets too with the following exceptions:
    • Up to 3 puppets can be equipped at a time.
    • Dropping a puppet drops it at whatever location it's currently at.
    • Picking up a dropped puppet can be done at up to 35ft.

    Activating Styles


    Certain abilities grant you the use of a style that you can activate during combat. Styles make subtle alterations to your character's combat prowess, often bestowing both bonuses and penalties as you focus on a certain way of fighting.

    You may choose to start a round with a style active or not, changing every round if you wish. If you start a round with a style active, that style takes effect from the beginning of the movement sub-round. Activating a style during a round costs 0 AP; it activates instantly and the effects start right away.

    Styles cost CP, to emulate the exhaustion it takes in order to maintain the new way of fighting. This cost is charged when the style is activated, or at the beginning of the movement sub-round if the round was started with the style active.

    One one style may be active at a time.

    Deactivating a style also costs 0 AP, but a deactivated style cannot be activated again in the same round.

    Certain abilities will be of the "Style" type. In addition, some skills grant you the use of a "Stance". Effectively they are the same thing, they're just different names. A Stance is a Style and a Style is a Stance, but we use both names frequently. Here are their rules.

    Defensive Style


    All characters have access to the defensive style; a simple style in which you forgo your offense and take a defensive stance.

    You get -4 Accuracy and +2 Dodge while the defensive style is active. It has no costs.

    Many jutsu and effects can only be used when the defensive style is active, or they say that they can only be used 'while defending', which means the same thing.

    Stealth


    Stealth is the primary miscellaneous system present in the game. Stealth is important in many instances, both in combat, and especially before combat.

    Stealth is represented as a secondary stat: (.6 x Stat Average) + (.4 x AGI).

    Stealth in Combat


    Stealth in combat is represented as some manner of hiding; burrowing into the ground, hiding in the trees, etc. Through some manner of distraction you mange to get away from your opponent and hide yourself like a ninja.

    The primary source of entering stealth is as an effect after a jutsu/ability, although an attempt can be made at any time (see below). Any time you attempt to enter stealth you make an opposed Stealth vs Awareness roll with everyone that can see you. You are considered in stealth mode against anyone who loses this roll. Most of the things that give you this chance to enter stealth will give you a bonus or a penalty based on the effect.

    Stealth mode will last until you make or are hit by an attack, after the resolution. Each time you exit stealth mode against someone, the next attempt against that person will have -1 Stealth for each time you've come out of stealth mode.

    Stealth mode is a per-person basis. You can be in stealth mode against one character but not against another. Anything that requires you to be in stealth mode requires you to be in stealth mode against your only target, but some things will state 'full stealth', in which case you need to be in stealth mode against everyone in the thread.

    Sneak Attacks


    Any attack made while in stealth mode is considered a sneak attack. Responsive actions cannot be triggered off sneak attacks. In addition, sneak attacks gain +2 Accuracy, +2 Genjutsu Potency, +5% damage, and a +1 increased critical range.

    Incoming Attacks


    You cannot be targeted by those you are in stealth mode against.

    Stealth Attempt Action


    Anyone may take an action to attempt to just suddenly enter stealth against any number of participants in combat. Doing so costs 1 AP, and receives -1 Stealth. This can be attempted once per target per round, but any number of targets on any single attempt. The attempt works just like other attempts as explained above.

    Awareness Action


    Anyone may take an action to attempt to identify anyone that is in stealth mode against them. Doing so costs .5 AP, and they make an opposed Awareness vs Stealth check against all that are in stealth mode against them. Anyone who loses this roll is detected and comes out of stealth mode against them.

    Non-Combat Stealth


    Stealth can be used to enter threads, whether they are in combat or not. If they are not in combat, that thread will become a moderated thread as explained in the Moderated Roleplaying section. You may enter a thread with a stealth attempt against any/all of the participants in that thread; this works just like the stealth attempt action explained above, but does not receive the -1 Stealth penalty.

    You may also make stealth attempts any time during a thread. Doing so does not enter combat, but it does make the thread become a moderated thread. This works just like the stealth attempt action explained above, and does receive the -1 Stealth penalty. Also doing this may anger those in the thread, so it very well might become a combat thread!

    Roleplaying Stealth


    Stealth can be a very tricky thing to roleplay because it's very easy to metagame when it is involved. If someone enters a thread in stealth, do not RP your character sensing their presence in any way unless you passed the opposed roll. If someone makes an in-thread stealth attempt that succeeds, your character doesn't just magically forget that they were ever there, but they have successfully hidden from you, and now you cannot detect where they went without an attempt to find them. Just remember these things while you're RPing involving stealth.
     
  4. Nindomonogatari

    Nindomonogatari Administrator

    Points:
    105

    Status Effects


    Beyond the normal damage, there are a number of secondary effects that skills across the game can cause. These are called status effects; they inhibit (or boost) the status of a character in some way. These status effects work differently depending on the effect, but follow two core rules.

    A status effect can only be applied or have its level raised on full hits.

    A character is considered under the status effect as long as they have at least one level of that effect. (Bleeding, called shot, etc).

    Bleeding


    Bleeding is the most prominent effect on the board; it has the most skills that can cause it, and it is the one that will be most frequently applied. It is exactly as it sounds, breaking the skin of the opponent in order to draw blood, making them lose it at a constant, sometimes very serious rate. Bleeding exclusively causes damage, although it can be quite effective at it.

    Applying Bleeding


    Any damage dealt by the sharp damage type has a chance to cause bleeding. Which level it will apply depends on the target's current bleeding level, or if they are already bleeding.The percentages to cause each level of bleeding is listed below, but in order to apply a higher level of bleeding, the target must already be at the previous level.
    • Level 1 -- 25% chance to cause bleeding
    • Level 2 -- 20% chance to cause bleeding
    • Level 3 -- 15% chance to cause bleeding
    • Level 4 -- 10% chance to cause bleeding
    • Level 5 -- 5% chance to cause bleeding
    A critical hit will add +10% to the bleeding chance.

    Bleeding damage is taken during the upkeep sub-round.

    Bleeding Effects


    Bleeding effects are solely damage based; you will take 2% of your max HP in damage for every level of bleeding you have applied.

    Curing Bleeding Effects


    In order to cure bleeding effects, you must take an action to bandage yourself up, or cast certain jutsu. How much AP this action cost is dependent on the level of bleeding you're currently at.
    • Level 1: 1 AP
    • Level 2: 1.5 AP
    • Level 3: 2 AP
    • Level 4: 2.5 AP
    • Level 5: 3 AP, and you also need to know at least 1 iryoujutsu (does not matter which one)
    Taking this action will fully cure you of your bleeding status. In addition to the above, many medical jutsu and some items will cure bleeding.

    Binding


    Being bound is the act of having ones body hindered in some way. Whether being tied, debilitated, or paralized through genjutsu; there are many different ways to bind, but all of them follow the same rules.

    Anything that evokes the binding status effect has a bind type associated with it.
    • Bind(Upper) - This type of bind affects the target's upper body. Under an upper bind, the target cannot cast jutsu that require hand seals, and cannot take any action that involves their weapon.
    • Bind(Lower) - This type of bind affects the target's lower body. Under a lower bind, the target cannot move during the movement sub-round, and they receive a -3 Dodge penalty.
    • Bind(Full) - This type of bind affects the target's entire body. Under a full bind the target receives a -5 Dodge penalty, and cannot take any action that requires movement. This includes, but is not limited to casting jutsu that require hand seals, taking actions with their weapon, or moving during the movement sub-round. If a target begins a round in a full bind, they cannot maintain jutsu for that round. Lastly, any attack that hits a fully bound target will always count as a full hit.

    Breaking Binds


    At the end of the round, if you are in any type of bind, you have an automatic chance to break out of it.
    • E-Rank: 5%
    • D-Rank: 10%
    • C-Rank: 15%
    • B-Rank: 20%
    • A-Rank or S-Rank: 25%
    This percentage can be modified by the effect that puts you under the bind; many of them will.

    In addition, you can take an action to attempt to break the bind. This action costs 1 AP, and can be performed up to 4 times. This action always [Resolves First]. The percentage chance to break the bind during this action is based also on your OOC Rank.
    • E-Rank: 15%
    • D-Rank: 20%
    • C-Rank: 35%
    • B-Rank: 40%
    • A-Rank or S-Rank: 45%
    Again, this can be modified by the specific binding effect you're attempting to break out of.

    Called Shots


    A called shot is when a character aims their attack at a specific part of their target's body in order to not only deal damage, but to give them a penalty based on the area hit. Called shots can add up to give you the edge in a fight as long as you're willing to make the attempts.

    Called shots can only be made with basic attacks. All called shots have -4 Accuracy. When making a called shot, declare one of the following body parts to make the attack against.
    • Arms
    • Legs
    • Hands
    • Feet
    • Head
    • Chest
    On a full hit, the target is gets a called shot penalty based on the target hit.
    • Arms: -1 Accuracy. Can stack up to -2.
    • Legs: -1 Dodge. Can stack up to -2.
    • Hands: 5% jutsu failure chance. Can stack up to -10%.
    • Feet: -5ft movement. Can stack up to -10ft.
    • Head: -2 Accuracy, -1 Dodge, +5% CP costs. Does not stack.
    • Chest: -2 Dodge, -1 Accuracy, +5% damage taken. Does not stack.
    There is no limit to the amount of different called shot penalties one can be affected by. Called shot penalties last the entire combat.

    Called Shot Actions


    In addition to attempting to harm a character to give them penalties, you can utilize the called shot system to make attempts to bring about an action upon a target.

    These work under the same basic rules as above (only basic attacks, -4 Accuracy, only work on a full hit). Instead of aiming at a body part, you attempt an action to perform once the attack hits.
    • Trip Attempt: Has a 15% chance to trip the target. See the Tripping part of the Status Effects section.
    • Disarm Attempt: Has a 15% chance to disarm the target. See the Disarming part of the Status Effects section.
    • Break Small Objects Attempt: Has a 50% chance to break a single held small item. Headset, exploding note, bell, etc.

    Tripping


    Tripping is when a character fumbles on their feet, falling to the ground suddenly. The most common way to be tripped is by a called shot action.

    Being Tripped


    If you are successfully tripped, you end up collapsing to the ground. This causes your current action to fail, unless it has already resolved. Instead of using the AP on doing the action you were attempting to do, your character will instead spend it getting to their feet. Being tripped is a minor status effect, but can be very powerful if timed correctly.

    Disarming


    Being disarmed is when ones weapon is wrenched from their hands, causing it to fall to the ground. The most common way to be disarmed is by a called shot action.

    Being Disarmed


    If you are successfully disarmed, your weapon leaves your hands, becoming un-equipped and falling within 5ft of you. Any action that you were currently doing with that weapon will fail unless it has already resolved, and any farther actions will also fail until you pick your weapon up. Picking up a disarmed weapon functions exactly like picking up a dropped weapon as explained in the combat actions section.

    Unarmed-type weapons cannot be disarmed. Puppets cannot be disarmed except by special called shot actions that state that they can disarm puppets.

    Poisons


    Poisons are a subset of items that grant penalties to those they effect. Poisons are unique in that their effects add onto attacks and will linger for a period of time.

    Poisons come in three types:
    • Injury: Injury poisons are the basic kind of poison; a liquid that is applied to some manner of sharp object in order to enter the body through a wound. Injury poisons are more common and have the potential to be more powerful. Injury poisons must be either applied to a weapon or utilized in an attack jutsu in order to affect a target.
    • Airborne: Airborne poisons are powders which are breathed in when they are released into the air. Airborne poisons may not be as strong, but they do not require an attack in order for them to take effect. They also tend to be slightly easier to resist.
    • Unique: Poison release ninjutsu will sometimes produce unique type poisons. These are very special in that they can be applied alongside the other two. These are pretty powerful, utilizing chakra to help them be stronger and more effective.
    Poisons also come in three strengths:
    • Weak: These types of poisons are easiest to resist, they don't have much potency, but can still be a thorn in the side. You must be at least D-Rank to use non-jutsu weak poisons.
    • Strong: Medium potency poisons, those of this variety are the most common, and can be a problem for anyone. You must be at least C-Rank to use non-jutsu weak poisons.
    • Virulent: The strongest of strong, these types of poisons are almost sure to bring even the most hearty of ninja to their knees. You must be at least B-Rank to use non-jutsu weak poisons.
    All non-illusion clones can be affected by poisons.

    Poison Effects


    When a target is hit by an injury poison, or if they are in the radius of an airborne poison, they automatically attempt to resist the poison. This is done as a Poison Resistance check against the poison's potency. Every poison has a potency value associated with it. If the target's Poison Resistance check is equal to or higher than the poison's potency, the target has resisted the poison. For the most part this means that nothing extra happens, but some have effects that happen specifically when it is resisted. If the resistance fails, the poison is considered applied, and the effects of that poison begin.

    Poison effects do not stack by default, but some specific poisons will say that they stack with themselves. Any time the same poison is applied or a new stack of a stackable poison is applied the round counter is refreshed.

    A target can have be affected by one injury and one airborne poison at a time. If a second of either type is applied and not resisted, the stronger poison will take effect or continue to be in effect. If they both have the same strength then the newer one overrides the old one. There is no limit to unique poisons that can be applied.

    Applying Injury Poisons


    An injury poison must be attached to some manner of attack in order to be applied. This can either be any attack with a poison-coated sharp weapon, or a jutsu that says that it applies a poison.

    A weapon can only be coated in a single poison at a time. You may enter combat with any/all your weapons coated in poison. Poison-coats last for up to five attacks. Removing poison from your weapon costs 0 AP. Applying a new coat of poison to a weapon costs .5 AP.

    Injury poisons only have a chance to be applied on full hits.

    Applying Airborne Poisons


    Airborne poisons do not require an attack of any sort, and instead are released into the air. All airborne poisons affect everyone within its 20ft cloud the moment it is deployed. An airborne poison that is resisted is resisted for the entire round, but if a target re-enters or the cloud or is still in the cloud at the beginning of the action sub-round, they will need to make another resistance attempt.

    The round after an airborne poison is applied, the cloud disperses slightly; all attempts to resist the poison now gain +2 Poison Resistance. The following round the poison disperses entirely. These dispersal happen at the beginning of the round.

    Any C-Rank or greater wind ninjutsu targeted at someone within a poison cloud will disperse it automatically, irrelevant if the attack hits or not. In addition, a C-Rank or greater wind ninjutsu can be targeted at an empty poison cloud to disperse it, and does not require an attack roll.
     
  5. Nindomonogatari

    Nindomonogatari Administrator

    Points:
    105

    Flow of Combat


    Combat is a decidedly different roleplaying beast than any others, this is because combat has the round and AP structure on top of it beyond just the normal forum-based restrictions of everyone posting in an order.

    At its core, combat is a series of rounds where all the combatants send their action to the mod, the moderator synthesizes them with each other and presents the result, and then the combatants react to that result, and send in a new set of actions for the next round.

    1. Beginning Combat


    Combat is always a moderated roleplay; there's always a mod to oversee the flow and to process all the actions. Before the first round of combat starts, you must send the mod your information. PM them the following information:
    • Stats
    • Custom Class
    • Bloodline or Core Ability Table
    • Kinjutsu
    • Equipment Lists
    • Ability Lists
    • Jutsu
    • Inventory Link
    This will be the information that is used for the entire combat; if you gain new jutsu or train your stats, they will not apply to this combat situation.

    This also applies to coming into a battle already in progress; you must PM the mod your information before you can make your actions.

    2. Sending Actions


    Each round, you PM the mod the actions you want to perform. The way and order you send these mirrors the three phases of combat. You don't need to call out each phase, but list your actions in this order:
    • Upkeep Phase: If you're maintaining any effects, or if you want to start the round with anything you're allowed to start with (weapons, styles, etc), you state those here. Here is also where you state if you want to cast a genjutsu.
    • Movement Phase: If you want to move, you would state your total movement, how much you want to move, and where to.
    • Action Phase: This will be the meat of your list; what you're actually doing with your AP. You would have one entry per action you're taking; each one stating the AP cost of the action, the action itself, and any other information about that action (targets, etc).
    Let's go through an example to explain it the best:
    You don't have to use this exact layout, but this is the most clear. As long as the way you tell your mod your actions is clear and concise, that's fine.

    Readied Actions


    As described above, actions don't always have to be cast right away in your action list; you can ready them instead.

    To ready an action, list the AP and the action that you are readying as the first item in your list of actions. Remember to also include your condition for firing off the readied actions. These are not cast first, but it lets your mod know that you're setting aside that AP for a responsive action of some kind. If you have a lot of AP set aside for readied actions, it's also probably a good idea to give the mod an action or two last in your list for what to do with that AP (as you can see in the example above).

    You may ready up to 3 actions per round. Although there's no limit on the conditions for triggering your responsive actions, getting too detailed and granular will probably cause your mod confusion, which could slow down the modding process.

    3. Mod Post


    Once all combatants have sent their actions, the mod will process them. This involves gathering everyone's stats, and having all the actions take effect in their orders. This can take a while, so please be patient. Once the mod has processed the round, they will post the actions as a timeline of events. These will be the play-by-play of each combatants actions and their effects, in the order that they happened. There is no roleplaying here, it's simply a list of all the actions and effects.

    4. Reaction Roleplaying


    The next step is for each combatant to give their roleplaying response to the actions. Essentially you RP the round after the mod shows you what happens; you are giving your character's actions they performed and the reactions to the actions and effects that happened. Keep the timeline, the actions and the effects in mind when you make this roleplay; have fun and let it be a fun read for others!

    5. Send Next Round Actions


    After you've made your response roleplay, you repeat the process of PMing your actions to the mod, now using the new state of combat. From here on out it's just a repeat of steps 2, 3, and 4 until the battle is over.
     
  6. Nindomonogatari

    Nindomonogatari Administrator

    Points:
    105

    Misc Combat Rules


    Combat is the most intricate type of roleplaying on the board, so it has some special rules associated with it; starting, running, moderating, all of it.

    Once a Mod is Called


    • All characters inside the thread are immediately treated as involved in the battle and all must send their details to the battle mod. This is the information used for the entire battle, nothing outside (training, new purchases) will change this information.
    • If a character doesn't want to partake in the battle, they may attempt escaping as per the normal rules, but before that they must determine who is their 'enemy' and who is their 'ally' among the characters in the thread.
    • Nobody new may join the thread until the first round has been posted by the mod.

    Denying a Battle Mod


    • A moderator may be denied from being the battle mod if there is a legitimate cause for concern from any combatant involved. Legitimate reasons include an IC or OOC investment in the outcome of the fight, or evidence-based past bias against a combatant. Non-legitimate reasons are personal dislike for the mod, or baseless claims of bias.
    • If you have a concern about the moderator, post in the thread that you have a concern, and PM a member of the admin team with your reasoning and/or evidence.
    • On a a review, the admin team will either validate the concern and find you a new mod, or they will veto your denial request and the mod will continue as normal.

    After Each Mod Post


    • Players have 48 hours to post their round response and send in their actions after the mod has posted. If you don't make this 2 day limit, your character will start the round in a defensive stance, take no movement and take no actions. Any maintained effects will continue to be maintained.
    • Moderators have the right to wait up to 5 days for posts/actions if they wish, assuming they're waiting on a player that has not made any other posts on the site. This is a grace period for those who have busy lives. If a player has posted on the site within the 48 hours, they will not be allowed to wait longer. If a mod is waiting on a player in this way, they will post in the thread saying so.
    • If all other combatants agree, this waiting time may be extended. If you know you're going to be inactive for more than 2 days, please let everyone in the thread know, and work with them to come to a good resolution for everyone.

    Issues with Mod Posts


    • If you notice an issue with the mod's post; an action got forgotten or something, report your concerns to the battle mod via PM. You must make a post within the 2 day limit. This doesn't need to be an RP reply post, but it does need to highlight the fact that you found an issue and have sent that issue to the mod.
    • The above 2 day posting limit does not apply at this time while the issue is being resolved.
    • Once the issue has been resolved, the moderator will edit their problem post with the correct result/information.
    • They will then make a post in the thread highlighting the changes and corrections that were made. The 2 day posting limit starts again from this post.
    • If you believe that there was an issue after the battle has concluded, you may still report it. The mod will be reviewed, but no changes will be made unless the issue swayed the outcome of the battle. In this case that post would be re-modded and the battle might continue.

    Entering In-Progress Combat


    • Entering an in-progress battle may only be done if a combatant in the thread has somehow notified a character that the battle has happened. (Messenger NPC, Headset item, etc).
    • A character may only enter a combat thread if they were in the same country (as per the travel rules) when the thread initially started, irrelevant when combat itself started.
    • A character will enter combat at the beginning of the third round following the action that notified them of the battle. They are treated as in combat from the beginning of this round, and can do all things normally.
      • If Joe Ninja fires a Signal Flare on round 2 of combat, then a character who noticed the flare may enter on round 5.

    Exiting Combat


    • If a character wishes to exit a thread, they may take a special action to begin fleeing. This action costs 0 AP.
    • A character will flee combat at the beginning of the third round following the begin fleeing action.
      • If Joe Ninja takes the begin fleeing action on round 7 of combat, he will exit the thread at the beginning of round 10.
    • A character is considered 'fleeing' during these rounds. This is a special 'status' that affects what they can do.
    • While fleeing, a character may not take attack actions. Making an attack will remove them from the fleeing state.
    • If a fleeing character takes more than 35% of their max HP while fleeing, they are removed from the fleeing state.
    • If a character is removed from the fleeing state, they must start over again from the first step.
    • If a character is in stealth against all their enemies in combat for the entire time they're fleeing, they will instead leave the thread at the beginning of the second round following the fleeing action.

    Ending Combat


    • Combat is ended if all characters agree to peacefully end the fight.
    • Combat is also ended when only one 'side' remains conscious still in the thread.
    • If a character is waiting to enter combat because of the three round rule explained above, they have the option of not entering if their 'side' is KO'd or flees the thread. They may also optionally enter at their normal time. If they chose to do that, the standing combatants in the thread get the remaining rounds to heal/prepare themselves.

    Combat Results


    • Once combat is over, the conscious characters may immediately leave the thread by making a post with the [Leaving] tag. If a character is waiting to enter and the rounds are still modded, a leaving character does not have to take the fleeing action or wait the 3 rounds.
    • Characters that are KO'd may be killed by conscious characters. This is an RP action normally, but can be stopped by other conscious characters in the thread, even if that player has already decided to have their character leave the thread. If the rounds are still modded because of entering characters, this action will take a full round, regardless of AP.
    • If a character does not choose to kill an unconscious character, they have granted them mercy. As per the death and rebirth rules, the KO'd character may now choose life or death.
    • KO'd characters may be permanently scarred by conscious characters if they remain in the thread, but only if all the players involved have agreed to the act.
     
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