From Mizahar Lore

Revision as of 18:38, 4 November 2012

'Player vs. Player' (Sometimes called Player versus Player, or PvP) in Mizahar is the situation where one player is up against another player in combat and has the potential to kill another player. PvP is completely allowed in Mizahar, but there are guidelines to follow. Below is a Quick Guide and a more complex Guide for players to read and understand before initiating PvP.

PvP At A Glance - The Quick Guide

The following four rules constitutes Mizahar's CORE PvP rules. Further explanation can be found below in the more complete Player and Moderator Guides.

1. If all players involved are in agreement to the outcome of the fight with their characters then nothing more needs to be done other than for them to write the thread. Storytellers do not need to be involved, nor does the following guide need to come into play.
2. If all players involved are not in agreement or do not have a predetermination of the possible life or death battle, then a storyteller needs to be brought in to moderate the battle and this PvP Guide needs to be taken into consideration by all parties involved.
3. Character Sheets (CS’s) and Storyteller Secret (SS) Threads will be used to determine current skills, possessions, magic, gnosis, and all other information about each character involved. If the characters involved do not have an updated CS, which is their responsibility to maintain, this is not the Storyteller’s problem. The Storyteller can only go by what the Character Sheets say at that moment. All parties involved had better have current CS’s when they bring a Storyteller into play otherwise their current version will be the version considered when judging any and all conflict. Storyteller Secrets will be updated by Storytellers throughout a character’s history so they should be updated and pose no problem to the interaction.
4. Storytellers will follow the guidelines laid out in this PvP wiki as completely and impartially as possible. The only ‘side’ a Storyteller is on is the side of being utterly fair and impartial in helping conflicting parties tell an epic tale of life and death.

The Player Section - A Complete Guide

"The first rule of Miz fight club, is don’t talk about Miz fight club! The second rule of Miz Fight Club..."

In all seriousness, PvP (Player versus Player) confrontation is inevitable in a roleplaying game, sometimes people argue and it comes to swords, sometimes a player wants to kill off another player to take his money, girl/boy, or power, and sometimes its good clean fun hitting someone in the face. Within Mizahar, it has been traditionally very rare to have a player face a situation where their character may die due to the violent actions of other characters even though character death by other characters is allowed. It is far more common to lose a character due to accident or ignorance in a moderated quest thread. Mizahar’s pvp guidelines are as follows:

In terms of PvP, if both characters are in agreement and don’t have any issues roleplaying out a fight in which there is a potential for a character to get hurt then no moderator is needed. If there is a potential for a fight to escalate into a death scene where one or more characters are killed, then a storyteller’s presence in the thread is required. Threads don’t have to have moderation from the beginning to escalate into a death scene where suddenly a moderator’s presence is required. A player can request a moderator at any time during the scene and have one jump into the thread.

If the fight is not mutually agreed upon, for instance Player A believe some insult has occurred from Player B, or if during a mutually agreed upon fight, Player A feels Player B is God Modding, then either player can ask for Moderator Intervention. If Moderator Intervention is called upon before a PvP fight continues further, the Player will post his attack using the Rules below for the attack. He/she will then let the opposing player know what his/her intentions are for ending the fight. It can be from anything like a broken nose, or death of the character. If Moderator Intervention is called upon in a Mutually agreed upon fight, the Moderator will go in delete the last combat round and all injuries sustained up to that point will be considered fair. After the combat round has been deleted, everyone involved will be to post following the rules below and after reinstating their intentions of physical harm to their opponents.

Players that tend to seek out this confrontations will quickly get noticed by others. Characters seeking fame or glory/infamy of killing others will soon find the eyes of the Gods on them, and Champions my take arms, while fate conspires against them.

Character Sheets

Players involved in PvP get in essence their Character Sheets (CS) frozen. It is to your advantage to always have your skills updated and your equipment listed. If it is not listed on a character's CS at the time they enter into PvP, then they do not have it. "Equipped or Worn" sections of CS's are always helpful as players must declare what they have on their persons at the beginning of a PvP scenario rather than miraculously materialize a new weapon or item needed for the fight from 'thin air'. Things carried in packs also need to be noted, plus it takes time to remove them from packs and utilize them during combat. Bottom line, players, keep your CS's updated.

Skill vs. Writing

Mizahar is a writing game that allows players to earn skills by writing threads in which they use them. In combat a good writer may find him/her going against someone with little or no skill as far as writing goes, but with a master level in swords. The following are general guidelines for writing in PvP fighting:

In order to actually fight, a character needs to describe in detail how it is that they are indeed fighting including weapons, stances, strikes , etc. Thus, each player should post at least 150 words or more describing their action against their opponent. This is a writing game and it is expected that you do some research in your fighting style as to how you handle your weapon of choice. Though there is no upper limit as far as posting goes, a moderator will take in consideration the imagination and writing involved for the player. Imagination and creativity is awarded and can help you win in a battle versus your peers, but if you are out classed by more than one level (Novice vs. Master) it won’t make up the difference.

Furthermore, a player should only post his attempted attack. A player can never assume that the attack actually hits, though if they are throwing a fight they can assume that they miss an attack. Posting order is not considered an advantage, if Player B posts first in a combat round his/her actions are consider to happen at the same time as Player A who posts after them. As far as dodging, the moderator will assume that the both of you are doing your best to avoid blows, unless stated otherwise by the player. If the player decides that for dramatic effect he/she does something fancy or outlandish to dodge the previous blow please read the section below.

Reality vs. Dramatic Effect

Since Mizahar is a writing game and that players always want their characters to look cool while fighting, there is a delicate balance between posting a sword strike and posting that your character jumps through the air swinging on a rope and attacking your opponent. Though Dramatic Effect should be used, it also comes with some consequences. Since the moderator determines whether you land a blow or not, you can post that for the previous combat round you did back flips out of the way of your opponents sword strike, or that for the upcoming round you slash the rope to the chandelier and strike at your opponent as you speed upward. Based on your actions the Moderator will decide if the action is too complex to complete. Though some players might think this is unfair, the master swordsman doesn’t necessary have the advantage fighting on the ends of posts against a more surefooted foe.

Armor vs. Weapons

Armor is the most basic form of protection a PC can have against attacks. The evolution of armor has been based off of the most common weapons on the field. Leather armor was invented in ancient times to ward off clubs and rocks of their opponents. It became studded or fitted with rings to provide protection against teeth and spears. Then along came the sword that could easily slice through leather, armorers made ring mail to protect people from the slashing of bladed weapons. The ring mail could protect the user from a large slice, sadly it was poor defense against crushing and piercing blows. Finally, plate armor was made with supporting ring mail underneath. It provided the wearer protection against pretty much anything. However, because of its weight and plates of metal, the wearer lost a lot of mobility and couldn’t effectively wield a lot of weapons.

Players entering PvP combat should write what armor they are wearing and all available weapons on their person. This is to make sure a PC can’t say they had a magical dagger in there boot the entire time. Upon entering combat, the moderator will judge the advantages and disadvantages of the PC’s armor and weapon. Sadly there is no hard and fast rule, plate might be able to protect the user from casual dagger strikes, but if the PC is a dagger throwing champion its possible it might pierce one of the players joints. Furthermore, mageforged armor and Isurian steel can tip the balance in the fight. All of a sudden the edge of the dagger can pierce plate, or leather armor can now stand up against katana’s. Simply, try and state where your aiming your blow and the moderator will judge if it succeeds.

Dueling

Dueling is considered one on one fighting. Posting order is set for the two players and until the moderator tells them the fight is over, they cannot change it. Each player posts a description of the previous combat round, tell the mod how they reacted or tried to do something dramatic. In their last paragraph, the player will describe what they are attempting to do. The moderator will review the posts, go over bonuses, penalties, and based player skills. They will then post the success or failure of each player’s strikes and can give a general description of the battlefield. The moderator end the combat if both players agree to withdraw from the field of battle, if they have achieved their intentions of physical harm, or if either one is incapacitated.

Posting Order

Posting order is not considered to be an advantage. Remember, as a player you can not assume success of an hit, and the mod assumes you will be dodging. In dueling multiple opponents, it is assumed that each player will try to take advantages/openings that are caused by other players. DO NOT post that you have a sword stroke perfectly timed with your partner. Working as a team in a fight is incredibly difficult and figuring out timing of each other is even more so. You can post that as you swing at your opponent you try to get in strokes as a reaction to your partners swings or try to cause openings so that your partner can take advantage of them.

Surprise Attack

A Surprise Attack can be a devastating first blow as long as your opponent is caught unawares. When combat initiates and a player surprise his/her opponent with an attack they can cause a serious injury in their first round of combat. The moderator will determine if the opposing player was surprised, because even untrained farm hands are dangerous should they slip a knife between your ribs. However, since the moderator determines whether the opponent has been caught unaware and the player should only post what their attempted action was. For example if a player has hid from another player and performs a surprise attack aiming to cut the other players throat a guard could still get in the way, or perhaps the other player saw individual and was able to dodge. Whatever, the case the surprise attack is often the best way to inflict critical injury to your opponent. After the surprise attack occurs, the players start to follow the dueling rules.

Poison

Many say that poison is a coward’s weapon, but it makes it no less effective. Poisoning in PvP is a special Surprise Attack, since there really exists no “weapon” skill. A poisoner must have equal parts cunning and planning if he hopes to successfully kill his target. There are many different types of poisons and ways to introduce them to their victims. The following are general rules, which at the moderator’s choice can be adjusted.

The attacking player submits a pm just to the Mod that they are going to poison a player with the intent to kill. They describe the effects of the poison, how long it will take to affect the victim, and when they decide to attack the person. The mod reviews if the player has done the necessary threading to create or have the poison, and if need be sets up a thread for the player to sneak the poison to the other player The mod then determines if the player has enough knowledge and skill to poison the character. Perhaps the character is a different race and immune to it, maybe they are particularly healthy and robust and the poisoner didn’t account for that. However, they will not tell the poisoner if they succeed or fail.

After reviewing if the player has the knowledge to poison the player, the moderator will put up a standalone thread for the character to sneak the poison to the intended character. If the player so choices he/she can go into an existing thread and give them the poison. If a standalone thread is done, the opposing player is consider poisoned after the poisoner successfully completes the thread. If player choices to go after them in a thread and the character takes the poison then they are considered poisoned. Depending on the speed of the poison the poisoned player might have enough time to find an herbalist or someone else with enough knowledge of poisons to cure him/her.

Range Attack

Range Attacks occur when opponents are using bows or magic. Normally they are treated as a surprise attacks, until the players are aware of one another. Example: An assassin in a bell tower with the proper planning could have several surprise attacks on opponents until their opponent finds them. Example (2): Two fire Reimancers decide that they have had enough of each other and accept a duel to the death, firing fireballs at one another. The players would operate under dueling rules.

Longer Reach Weapons

Some players fight with daggers, while other players fight with spears. Each weapon has an effective range, as well as, a fighting arch. Though it’s not impossible to defeat longer reach weapons, players should use the terrain to the best of their ability. Slashing weapons like great swords or battle axes relied on people having room to swing their weapons and aren’t very effective in close quarters fighting. Spears have long reach and are great at attacking someone in front of the player. However, they lack the mobility to quickly reengage multiple opponents attacking from multiple sides. Each weapon has a specific design and style that leaves their fighters open to attacks. The moderator will determine the weapon advantages for players based off of terrain, skill in their chosen weapon, and reach of the weapon. Since every battlefield is different, characters should choose their weapons wisely.

Multiple Opponents

Sometimes players can gang up on higher skilled opponents. For each player more than the opposing player they can create opportunities and openings for others to strike the player. Example: if four players decide to fight another master level player, they might be able to rush him all at once. Perhaps the skill of the master player is able to kill two of the players before the other two tackle him to the floor. However, no that the master is down, they are able to take knives to his throat and heart. If two opposing player teams attack one another everyone skill levels will be added for a grand total. Though this may become adjusted if the opposing team is able to perform maneuvers or defensible positions, but as a general rule the opposing team with the more players will be able to slowly take out opposing gang members.

Conclusion

Combat involving player characters can be very interesting, rewarding, and make for an incredible read. Just remember, fighting that has the potential to result in death needs storyteller supervision. Combat that each player has no intention of resulting in death can be carried out on its own and just needs a storyteller to award XP at the end. Above all, write for the sake of the scene. Don’t write for advantage, and don’t skim the details. More clearly written and well described scenes will go so much further in terms of the spirit of Mizahar than anything else.

The Storyteller Section - A Complete Guide

Dueling

Moderators, you have been asked to mod a PVP encounter, first above all else remember that not everyone is going to agree with your ruling, nor is it your job to save every tom, dick, and harry out there. Began first, by finding out the reasons behind the combat. If this was a huge build up for a character to take out the other one, and he/she has spent numerous threads gearing up for the moment. Perhaps they should succeed- right or wrong, the player isn’t treating the death of the other as a small thing. Next, check their character sheets, once called in for a PVP fight, the players involved have their CS’s are 'frozen' in time. If the player is using some magical dagger or a higher skill that's not listed on their CS, simply tell them no, that they can’t do so because its not on their character sheet. If they haven’t took the time to update their character sheet then they it wasn’t important enough to keep track off. If in the thread, people gave them their weapons, it’s likely they blunted for practice or if they were -life- steel, they were common found weapons.

In an 'even' fight the person with a higher skill will always win. The win should only be easy if the player is 50 points above the other.

Surprise

Surprise is about the legwork before the attack. Generally if a player has spent a thread of significant size, tracking or hiding from their opponent, they should get a surprise round. Look at their skill and judge how hard would the hit be. If the player is dropping from the roof with a wire and strangling his/her opponent then they should need much. If however, they are in complete darkness stabbing someone from behind with a dagger skill of 26. Maybe they got the wrong person, or instead of the perfect kill shot they miss it in the struggling. Anything less than 40 skill means the shot has a fair chance of missing something critical the first time. At extreme ranges for the weapon, 60 should be consider a moderate chance of success, or flip a coin if they hit their spot or just somewhere close to it.

Writing

Though moderators put a lot of stock in good writing, we should try not to let it over wash the other players abilities. Therefore, if the player is a good writer and is writing his/her skill level, they get credit for that in our minds. If a player is writing above their skill level or below their skill level, a gentle reminder as to what constitutes their skill level might be in order as well as a polite request for a 'rewrite'.

Dramatic Effect

Though Errol Flinn looked cool cutting the rope of a chandler and jumping up to the second floor, it was setup to do so. Still if the movies only showed what was real, we wouldn’t go see them. First the players skill should determine if they are even doing something with flourish or just trying to stay alive. Novice level character should try to keep to as much as reality as possible. Competent level characters can talk and fight, do slight flourishes or jump about. Experts can swing from ropes and fight others, fight others standing on poles, cut just the cloth of their opponents without drawing blood. Masters can use chandler ropes instead of stairs, fight on rolling barrels, and carry on a flirting conversation with the bar maid while not looking at their opponents.

Armor

Armor is meant to stop weapons, but they aren’t perfect. Leather armor because can stop a mace from breaking bones. However, the resulting bruise will not be pretty and will likely hinder movement from the moment after the strike. A piercing weapon like dagger, arrow, or spear will pierce the armor if the point has enough force behind it and its off angle. Otherwise the leather will defect the strike leaving a large slice in it. The broad end of sword or ax will cause the leather to open and hit the person underneath. However, a battleaxe on bare flesh will cut down to the bone at full force. Leather absorbs the blow and will only allow the sword or axe to penetrate three inches under it as the leather pinches the weapon. Granted three inches is a serious wound and will likely be fatal, but will likely allow the character a few moments to take their revenge before shock settles in. Studded leather will deflect the axe and sword stroke. However, instead of a bloody opening bruises are left behind and arrows or spear can be defected but not all. Some spear, daggers, or arrows will find their way through the studs and metal plates.

Chain was made to prevent all piercing weapons from entering the target. However, since it lacks the toughness of leather, maces and flails did horrific damage to the wearer. Leather was able to at least absorb some of the damage from a blunt weapon. Mail flexes too much and a strong hit from a mace can break bones. However, the small padding underneath the shirt usually allow the wear to absorb damage from spears or arrows as almost nothing more than walking into a blunt stick. Chain does break and an opponent with an axe or sword can eventually hack away chain. It will be a long process to break enough links for an opening, but not impossible. Plate was the final evolution, for the most part plate can just about turn any weapon. Its weakness is in how heavy it is and that at the joints little armor exists. Taking down someone in plate is a long process. Perhaps the disadvantage player is trying to tire out the other, or they have a war hammer that if it hits full force the spike can go through the armor. Plate basically makes pvp a long battle, hence the reason why it’s so expensive.

'Magic' Armor vs. 'Magic' Weapons

Magic can mean different Alloys, Magecrafting, or Gnosis. When a player is awarded a weapon or armor with magic, the mod should always keep these in mind. Remember, declare all items as listed on their CS or the players 'don't have them'. It is important we stress that Character Sheets be maintained.

Longer Reach

This advantage really isn’t consider unless the player has more than a foot of difference in their weapons. Basically the player with less reach doesn’t get to attack unless they can figure out a way to close with their opponents, and with a foot or more of steel that is a dangerous move. Basically the player with the longer reach should maneuver to keep the other player out of range while they attack. The opposing player needs to figure out a way to break their defense box. Shields are good for this, or trying to use the terrain against the longer reach player. If neither is available then distraction is the only thing left.

Multiple Opponents

It is very possible for opponents of lower levels to swarm and overwhelm opponents of higher levels. Take all things into account, such as numbers, skill levels, etc. Even an expert swordsman might have an issue about 10 archers trying for him in a ranged attack. He might even have problems with twenty competent swordsman all going at him at once. Use your best judgment and weigh all the factors (weapons, armor, writing, setting, circumstances...) into your consideration before posting.

Kelvics vs Humans

Though we are not sure why, but a lot of new fighter types choose Kelvic Big Cats as their combat machines. First off, fighting skills aren’t really defined, so if they decide to go fully Wookie Kelvic, Brawling (claws and teeth) or unarmed combat is their skill. Now I am sure once they learn that they will change their skill points according to be a bad ass Kevlic. So how does a human win against a Dire Tiger first, if the human has a sword they can inflict serious damage on the claws/arms of the creature attacking it. The Kelvic might be fast, but a sword stroke can tear open their delicate paws. The problem is for the human to keep hold of the weapon against their opponent. Second armor, if the human is in studded leather or more, the Kelvic is going to have a rough time getting through. They might have enhanced strength, but nails and teeth were not meant to go through steel.

Conclusion

Do your best as a moderator to remain fair and impartial. Take everything into account as you moderate a story that involves PvP. Be ever mindful of the setting as well, factors involved, etc. And try and make sure feelings OOC don't rage too high over IC actions. It is a delicate balance being a storyteller and friend to players in online games. Do your best. It's a tough job, but many people find moderating these types of threads rewarding.