Combat System

Weapon Construction

The world of Wyvern Rising can be a dangerous and violent place. Almost everyone is armed and able to defend him/herself. Some carry steel, some carry knowledge of magic or faith. None will hesitate to use the full strength of their power. Combat is simulated through the use of boffer weapons and spell packets. Both offer safe, but exciting action when used properly. The rules governing the construction and use of weapons are vigorously enforced. Improper use of any weapon at any time will get you expelled from the game. Since safety is our primary concern, don't count on a second chance.

Weapon Combat

Only properly constructed and inspected weapons may be used. Assuming that you have a qualified weapon, following these three basic rules is all it takes for weapon combat.

• NEVER STRIKE THE HEAD OR GROIN
• NEVER STRIKE SO HARD THAT YOU CAUSE PAIN
• NEVER STRIKE DURING A HOLD

Hitting someone in the head or groin will cause injury. Aim for the torso, arms, and legs. If you or your opponent is accidentally hit in the head or groin, stop the combat immediately. The strike has no game effect and the skill is expended. Intentional or excessive "accidental" striking to the head or groin is cause for ejection from the game.

You only need to hit hard enough for your opponent to feel it, no so much that it stings or bruises. Do not swing your weapon like a baseball bat. A weapon swing should commonly cover an arc of 60 to 90 degrees. Also, you should learn to "pull" your blows. Pulling a strike means easing the force of impact just before contact. This is a good way to avoid hitting too hard.

Remember, the HOLD rule overrides everything. All action stops immediately, and remains so, until the HOLD is resolved. Players do not expect to be struck during a HOLD and are therefore unprepared for it. This opportunity for injury should be avoided. Also, if you walk into a situation and see a group of people who are all kneeling, with no other actions occurring, they are probably in a HOLD. Call out to them to make sure. If they are in a HOLD, then you are too.

Damage is inflicted when a weapon strikes a legal target. Most attacks are valid anywhere on the body (except head and groin). Some attacks must hit a particular part of the body, or perhaps a weapon or shield. An example would be Break Limb, which must hit an arm or leg to be effective. Upon hitting the target, call out the effect of the attack loud enough for your opponent to hear. For normal attacks, you would say the amount of damage caused, plus the word "damage." For example, hitting with a 1 Hand Blade, say "TWO DAMAGE." Include any bonuses for weapon proficiencies and strength skills or enchantments in the amount of damage. If you have purchased Prof +2 for your 1 Hand Blade, you would call "FOUR DAMAGE." Damage should be called simultaneously with the weapon impact.

Any attack that is not for normal damage is usually called by the skill name. The Break Limb skill is an example of this. Upon successfully connecting with an arm or leg, say "BREAK LIMB." Thus, your opponent knows that you have not inflicted damage, but that his/her arm or leg is now broken, painful, and useless. This is true of any skill of this type including Disarm, Trip, Stun, etc. There are a few skills that cause damage but are called in a special way. Critical Attack and Cleave are both special skills, yet both cause damage. These are called by stating the amount of damage followed by the skill name. With these you would say "THREE CRIT" or "SEVEN CLEAVE." This indicates to your opponent that you are causing additional damage by performing a special maneuver.

In order to cause damage or initiate the effect of an attack, you must strike a valid target. If you miss, the attack has no effect. If you hit an invalid target area or if your opponent blocks the strike with his/her weapon or shield the attack has no effect. Often a strike will be deflected off a weapon or shield and still hit it's target. This is a blocked attack. If an attack is intercepted in any way, it has no effect. Additionally, there are some defensive skills that will nullify the effects of an otherwise successful attack. For example, Parry called immediately after a valid strike will prevent the effects of that strike from occurring.

Once an attack is called, you must expend the appropriate ability points whether the attack is successful or not. This represents the fact that you have expended the energy to perform the maneuver. Even if you miss, or are blocked or parried, you must give up the necessary points.

If you are the recipient of an attack, you must react according to the damage inflicted. Getting hit with a sword, axe or arrow hurts. Role-play the pain when you are hit. Flinch, stumble or limp; cry out in shock and agony. Such actions are a great asset to the atmosphere of the game. They are also likely to get you noticed by a game director for role-playing points (or even a physician for medical help.) Damage is applied first to any armour you are wearing. The location of the hit does not have to be the same as the location of the armour for the armour to be effective. Damage affects Body points only after all armour has been destroyed. During a battle, you must keep a mental tally of your remaining armour and Body points. Upon reaching zero Body, you must immediately collapse from your injuries and begin your Death Count. Any normal damage received after you are at zero Body does not accumulate. You can never reach a negative Body value.

Spell Packet Combat

Delivery of Mage Spells and Cleric Prayers is conducted with spell packets. These small beanbags are a safe and efficient way to represent the arcane energies leaping from a mage's fingertips to strike against an opponent. Spell packets are simply thrown at an intended target. The range is as far as you can throw. As with weapon combat, never aim for the head or groin. Though spell packets are quite safe, we try to avoid any chance for injury. Hits on these locations are likely to get you ejected from the game. Also, do not throw excessively hard or when a HOLD has been called.

Unlike weapons, spell packet attacks are considered successful even if the hit a weapon, shield, or clothing instead of a person's body. These arcane attacks have full effect if they strike the person or anything he/she is carrying or wearing. Spells and prayers cannot be Parried or blocked by normal means.

When you throw a spell packet, call the name of the spell or prayer you are casting, in addition to the effect. For example, a Mage using the spell named Cause Wounds would throw his/her spell packet and call "CAUSE WOUNDS, FOUR DAMAGE." Spells and Prayers come in a vast variety, so be sure to call the name and effect loudly and clearly enough for your target to understand. Like weapon skills, prayers and spells are expended when used, even if they miss.

There are three Delivery methods for Prayers and Spells: Ranged (for use with a spell packet), Touch, or Personal (affects caster only or does not require a spell packet). Ranged Spells and Prayers MUST be cast with a spell packet, and MAY NOT be cast via Touch. All Prayers and Spells require a vocal component, for which saying the Prayer/Spell name and a short description of the effect are a phys-rep. It is not possible to cast a Prayer or Spell if your mouth is not free. All Ranged Prayers and Spells have a visual ingame manifestation, meaning anyone can see the Prayer or Spell being cast. Touch Prayers and Spells do not have a visual ingame manifestation, meaning no one can see the Prayer or Spell being cast.

Tracking Points

All skills require ability points to perform. Spells and Prayers require slots of the appropriate level. You may never use more skills than you have points for, nor may you cast spells or prayers that you do not have memorized in a spell slot. While points are technically expended as soon as a skill is called, it is very inconvenient to pause after each swing to tear off the appropriate point tags. It's much easier to keep a mental tally of your remaining points and wait until the end of a battle to tear off the tags. This is called a "tag exchange." Keeping track of these points is perhaps the most difficult part of combat. You must know your abilities and their costs well in order to perform efficiently. Every time you use a skill, you must mentally deduct the cost from the appropriate ability point total. Never call more skills than you have points for. If you do this you are overextending yourself and must pay the consequences. It is also cheating. If you, or someone else, ever realize that you have used more skills, prayers, or spells than you have points for, you must immediately fall in to the third phase of your Death Count. You are terminally exhausted and about to die.

In addition to keeping track of your spells, prayers, or ability points, you must remember to subtract armour or Body points every time you take damage. Wearing armour will undoubtedly prolong or save your life. Any attack that causes damage is first deducted from your armour total. When armour reaches zero (0), damage is deducted from Body points. When your Body points reach zero (0) you are dying and must begin your Death Count. Any damage inflicted when you are already at zero Body points is superfluous. You can never go below zero Body, because you are dying anyway.

Special Damage

There is only one attack that has an additional effect on a person who is in the process of a Death Count. It is the Deathblow. The Deathblow forces a dying person to the third phase of his/her Death Count. This effectively shortens the bleeding out process to two minutes, during which only the highest level healing and prayers are effective. The target of a Deathblow must be at zero (0) Body. To perform a Deathblow, place your weapon on the target's chest or back and say "DEATHBLOW (X DAMAGE)". Anyone may perform a Deathblow. It does not require any special skill or ability points.

Some attacks do not cause normal damage, but are so powerful or precisely placed that armour provides no defense. Attacks of this type do direct Body damage. Instead of calling "Damage" these are called as "TWO BODY." This indicates that the stated amount is deducted directly from Body points and not armour. Additionally, weapons constructed of unusual materials like silver or mythril have special properties. Damage from these weapons is called as "TWO SILVER" or "FOUR MYTHRIL" to indicate these properties. The following chart is a summary of some types of damage you may hear. This is by no means the limit of possibilities, but anything else would be extremely rare. If you are unsure of the effect of any skill or type of damage, ask a game director or the person using the skill.

Strength Effects

In the game there are three types of Strength augmentation: Incredible Strength, Strength Rush, and Brute Strength. All three of these allow a character to swing +1 Damage with melee attacks, as well as let a character push or throw items of Human size 10' feet and carry the weight of up to two people. All spells, prayers, alchemical potions, or other means grant one of these three. Only these three may stack with one another. Two things that grant the same type of Strength augmentation may NOT stack. The effects of Strength augmentation stack additionally. For example, using Incredible Strength and Strength Rush will grant +2 Damage, the ability to carry the weight of 4 people, and the ability to throw for 20 feet. Using all three grants +3 Damage, the ability to carry the weight of 6 people, and the ability to throw 30 feet.