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The Unofficial Guide to TBRPG Combat.


The UltimoScorp

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(I'll admit I'm still not entirely sure where to put this, but COT seemed as good a place as any for the moment.)

 

 
 
As many a new player can say, writing effective and fair combat in an TBRPG is really hard. So I've decided to come up with a neat little thing to help you learn how to be just a little bit better at it. Now I can't promise this guide will make you start winning fights, obviously, but if nothing else, you'll walk away from this a little more prepared.
 
 
First things first: BE SPECIFIC. I cannot stress this enough. Just because your action in combat may make sense in your head, doesn't mean we'll instantly understand. You gotta write it ALL out. I understand this can be a major pain at times, but in reality, if you don't spell it out, it's entirely possible that people will misunderstand your actions. On the flip side of this, if you don't quite understand another player's actions, ASK THEM. Whether through PM, IM, or Skype, if you don't understand an action, make sure to ask for clarification. Make especially sure to do this if an action taken by a character goes against what they've been described as. Most players want their characters to be competent at fighting, and while it -is- up to the player to reinforce that, it's just as much our responsibility as veteran players to help them realise when they're making mistakes and assist in correcting them. So if in doubt, ASK.
 
Second: Study the combat style you want your character to have. It's no secret that knowing what sort of manuevers are actually effective in live combat will help you in RP combat. So know your moves, and know exactly how much room and time it takes to pull off whichever move you want to do. Round house kicks take a lot of time and space to wind up, being such a flashy move. A side kick however, is faster, takes less space and generally is more effective. This isn't to say that you can't have flashy characters, just be aware that they will be more vulnerable to counterattack. On the flip side of this, if you don't know what a move that your opponent is making is, either look it up, or ASK. It will save you a lot of frustration down the road.
 
Third: When using weapons, know your weapon. I've fallen prey to this a few times myself. Every weapon is designed to damage an opponent in some way, and every one is different. For example, a scimitar is a slashing weapon, not suited to stabbing attacks due to its curved shape. Knowing the limits of your weapon and how to use it effectively will go a long way in a fight. And as always, research is key. If you don't know your weapon effectively, you can't be expected to use it effectively. If you don't know what an opponent's weapon is or how it works, look it up, or ASK THEM.
 
Fourth: Know your surroundings. Another thing I see players fall prey to far too often. This ties in with being specific, and your surroundings can influence a battle just as easily as your weapon and abilities. So set the stage early, describe your surroundings and what sort of obstacles or terrain items are close by in relation to your character. Make sure to remember where those item s go in relation to where your character moves during a fight. If in doubt, ask others what they see. Often an outsiders perspective can give you a lot of insight onto what you aren't putting across in your writing!
 
Finally: Remember to HAVE FUN. These are Games after all, and win or lose a fight, at the end of the day, it's about telling a story! So have fun with it! 
 
 If there's something you think I should add, please PM me about it.
Edited by The Other Other Alex
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Another rule to mention: You don't have to constantly take hits in the interest of being fair. If your character can avoid a move & there is nothing getting in their way, go ahead and do it.

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Another rule to mention: You don't have to constantly take hits in the interest of being fair. If your character can avoid a move & there is nothing getting in their way, go ahead and do it.

On the flip-side, you can't dodge or block every attack, so find the middle ground between the two extremes.

 

Tying into that, be aware of the physics and realism of combat. I've seen this.... incredibly strange thing happen in several RPGs where characters will somehow see an attack coming, and then manage to do these elaborate countermeasures before finally being hit, when--realistically--if there was enough time for them to do said elaborate counters, then they should have had enough time to simply get out of the way of the attack. One such instance was an extremely egregious shot where Character A was about to be hit by Character B, and in the process of Character B shooting toward them with a punch, Character A was somehow able to launch a "burst of healing energy behind them," which Character B ended up knocking them into, effectively rendering the attack void.

 

I can't even begin to picture how that set-up would ever actually work, myself, and frankly, it was as ridiculous in hindsight as it was at the time of reading it. So... don't do that.

Edited by Parugi
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Please, Everyone. While I appreciate you all trying to contribute, please refrain from simply posting willy nilly. If there's something you think I should add, please PM me about it. I would like to keep this as new player friendly as possible, and that's not going to happen with everyone debating what's fair or not.

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Please, Everyone. While I appreciate you all trying to contribute, please refrain from simply posting willy nilly. If there's something you think I should add, please PM me about it. I would like to keep this as new player friendly as possible, and that's not going to happen with everyone debating what's fair or not.

 

Not going to lie, this isn't quite the tactic I'd take. Some of the people chiming in have a lot of experience (I hate to admit it, but Pear has even more experience than me), and the first post is really the most pertinent thing for a player to read. The input given in the other posts doesn't make it any harder to find that information, any more than profiles make it hard to find the first post of a profile topic, and the input from more experienced players in their own words can be positively invaluable.

 

Just my US 2 cents.

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It's probably worth mentioning that Rule of Cool doesn't always work in a fight. I've lost count of the times attackers have thrown their swords or even less practical weapons at mine and other player's characters. 

 

Another one, which I admit I've been guilty of in the past, is playing injuries unrealistically. If a character has a leg wound, they're not going to be able to move or maneuver as effectively. Likewise, an arm injury likely means they won't be swinging their weapon with as much force. If a character's received a large or deep wound, then chances are they're going to start weakening from blood loss pretty soon. 

 

Tying in with that, and I think deserving of a special mention, is arrows. Casually yanking an arrow out of your body is a very, very bad idea. Especially if the shooter was using something like broad or barbed arrowheads instead of regular ones. 

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Always test out attacks in real life first.

 

EDIT: To clarify, I'm not saying that you need to stab a willing test subject (i.e. your dad) with a sword or anything, but find a way to model it realistically. Find some wacky alternatives (long ruler, et cetera) and just use it to see how the attack will go.

Edited by Battery
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