Fighting System

The Fighting System

Table of Contents

• How to Fight
• Breakdown of Dice Rolls
• Meet the Stats
• Change Log

Introduction

Before we delve into the mechanics or how to use the fighting system, there are some important questions that should be dealt with. Most sites and even our own Library Articles usually save the FAQ until the end, but it is actually quite vital that we answer them now.

Why do we have a fighting system, can’t we just have someone else judge the fight?

In order to ensure objective outcomes to fights, a probability-based system was created that relies both on dice rolls and in character development. Using a judge could leave open the possibility for subjective rulings if, say, a judge likes another player better.

Do I have to use the fighting system?

Sometimes. If you and the other roleplayer can come to a decision about the winner Out of Character, feel free to forego the fighting system. But in situations like rank challenges, where both players want their characters to win, you are obligated to use the fighting system.

How do I win a fight?

To win, you need to get your opponent’s health to 0 –like you would in a video game. There are some cases where this is different: see How to End a Fight.

Where do my character’s stats come from?

They come from your character’s Life Points (hereafter LP). As your character completes threads in Relic Lore, they will grow stronger. Certain points affect the system more, but we won’t get into this until much later. In fact, unless you are super curious as to how the system works, it is not super important to know all of the numbers and how they are implemented exactly –just like in a video game you don’t actually know all of the math that contributes to your levelling up.

Where can I see my character’s stats?

If you go to your character’s profile, in the Vital Information section, on the bottom of the right column there is a number labeled Fight Stats in bold. Following it is your HP, CON, DEX, STR stats. But please know that understanding how all the numbers go together and the math is not necessary to participate in the fighting system.

How do I make my characters stronger?

In order for your characters to be stronger, they need more LP. In short: you need to finish threads. By gaining more LP you will eventually "level up" so that you can get a new skill point to add to on of your stats. Some threads contribute even more however because of their LP value.

I don’t like x thing I read. Who can I talk to?

We are always willing to hear out criticisms or suggestions about the fighting system. Its creation was in every sense of the word a team effort, and we have taken in suggestions from the community on a number of aspects. The fighting system has undergone many changes since its inception at the end of 2012 and it will definitely continue to be improved upon. Feel free to post your thoughts in the Suggestion Box! Though, keep in mind that all changes to the system must be made by Ghost, the current site owner. These things are complicated and time consuming, and simple suggestions over complex ones are the best.

And with that, I think it’s time we started diving in!  

(This post was last modified: Sep 10, 2023, 06:38 PM by Khalon.)

How to Fight

Well, no one really needs to tell your character how to fight. They can do that part on their own. However, there are some rules that must be closely adhered to in order to ensure that everyone gets out of this alive more or less happy.
 

Before any fight has started:

1. Never spring a fight on your opponent. Talk things out beforehand. This is the most important rule. We ask that all fight participants respond to the fight request thread acknowledging that they are consenting to participate in the system. Each participant will have 7 days to confirm they want to pursue the fight before the fight defaults to the challenger.
2. Copy down your character’s current stats as well as your opponents.
3. Post them in the Colosseum subforum within Wolf Central, requesting for a dice to be rolled.
4. Always wait for a roll before you post.
   

If you are the instigator:

1. No dice will be rolled before your opponent posts their consent to using this system (as opposed to the traditional written only system).
2. Wait for the dice to be rolled before making the first attack
3. Base your post off of whether the attack was a hit or miss. All attacks only do 1 damage to the opponent's HP. So be reasonable.
4. While you do control how the attack hits or misses, you do not control any aspect of your opponent. Powerplaying is not allowed.
5. If you intend to maim the other player’s character in a specific and lasting way, be a nice person and ask your opponent if they are alright with that. Really, just be a nice person.
6. On all subsequent attacks, you have 3 days to make your post.
   

If you are the opponent:

1. You must acknowledge the fight request and choose whether or not you consent to the system.
2. You have 3 days to request your own roll and make your post after all fight participants have confirmed they are using the fight system.
3. If your character wants to continue the fight, ask for another roll. If they would like to submit you do not need a roll.
4. Once you have a roll, post with your character’s reaction to the damage, as well as their attack.
   

And, basically, just rinse and repeat! You do also have the option of listing in your fight request and subsequent consent to have the fight rolled to competition all in one go by staff. When doing so please ensure to state when you would like the fight to conclude. Ie. "Can you please do all the rolls at once? We would like to roll to 0." or -1 (Serious injury) or -2 (death). Both members must indicate they agree on the number in order for all rolls to be done at once.
 

How to End a Fight (Sometimes Permanently)

In the interest of keeping this game a game, please always make sure you are in communication with your fighting partner. This is key in the sense that you may not kill another person’s character without permission. At any time, a player may concede or wish for their character to escape, but the fight is over when the opponent is either unconscious or dead. This is where it gets tricky, so please bear with us. A character becomes “unconscious” at 0 health, but they are not dead until –2 health. At -1 health they are considered seriously wounded. Unconscious appears in quotes there because, if a player is willing to forfeit their character’s life in order to continue the fight with a chance of winning, they may continue to fight past 0 health. If a character passes 0 health the fight becomes a “death match.” Again, though, please seek permission from the other player if you are on the cusp of delivering a death blow. 

Alternatively: How to Escape a fight Escaping is a difficult concept at times, because certainly we don't want our characters killed on accident, but on the other hand it's unfair to other players if your character magically escapes a choke-hold. Also, realistically, if your wolf is one that likes to trespass for fun you should be prepared for some amount of consequences. That being said, your character can escape: they just need to roll for it! The roll will look like a normal attack roll, but instead you always have the opportunity to do damage (if it was a hit) or escape as long as the roll was successful. For unsuccessful rolls your character cannot escape.
 

Defaulting a Fight

A small caveat, however, comes in to play when very important fights (i.e. rank challenges) drag out forever and your character’s future is at stake. In these cases, each participant has a maximum of 3 days to ask for their roll and make a post. If 3 days pass in a fight without an opponent posting, please post in the roll thread letting the mods know. If you wish the fight to continue in spite of the time limit passing, the fight can go on. Not posting about the time limit is considered consent for the continuation of the fight. In other words: it is your duty to post about the fight defaulting. The moderators may not always be watching.

(This post was last modified: Sep 10, 2023, 06:43 PM by Khalon.)

What’s in a Turn?

Alright, great, so you know how to fight. The next important step is learning how to interpret the rolls posted by the moderators. This is more or less intuitive, so we won’t dwell long on this, but it is important to understanding how to make your post (i.e. if it is a hit or miss) There are two parts of every turn: the attack roll and the defense roll.
 

The Attack Roll:

• Here the moderator will roll a 20 sided die (hereafter d20) and give you the outcome. 
• This number will be added to your character’s Strength STR to be compared to the Defense Roll.
  

The Defense Roll:

• Here the moderator will roll a d20.
• The result of the dice will be added to the defending character's DEX stat.
  

Comparison

If the Attack Roll + STR > Defense Roll + DEX, the attack will be a successful hit. 1 point will be subtracted from the defender's HP. (In the event of a tie it will be considered a MISS as the attack total must be MORE than the defense total to be a hit.)

And really and truly, this is all you need to understand in order to participate in moderated fights on the site. All the math and the numbers is, otherwise, unnecessary. However, if you are interested in knowing where exactly the numbers come from and how the math works you may read on. Knowing how the numbers work may help you develop your character into a better fighter or help you with making a new character, but these benefits are not so important that continuing in the guide is at all vital.

(This post was last modified: Sep 10, 2023, 06:48 PM by Khalon.)

Meet The Stats

Every adult wolf gets 3HP to start with (read below to understand how ages come into play). There are 3 stats that modify various things: CONSTITUTION (CON) the ability to withstand fights, DEXTERITY (DEX) your characters ability to defend and dodge, and STRENGTH (STR) your characters ability to land a successful hit.

CON: This stat modifies your character's Health Points. Example: 3 base HP + 1CON = 4HP
DEX: This stat modifies the Defense Dice. Example: you roll a d20 and get 5 + 1DEX = 6
STR: This stat modifies the Attack Dice. Example: you roll a d20 and get 5 + 1STR = 6

Where do I start?

There are 6 possible starting points with some fun names.

Starting Builds
Build	CON	DEX	STR
Power House	+1	-1	0
Tank	+1	0	-1
Ghost	0	+1	-1
Rogue	-1	+1	0
Sharpshooter	0	-1	+1
Glass Canon	-1	0	+1

What's the difference between ages?

Adults will get 3 HP to start, Yearlings will get 2 HP, and Puppies will get 1 HP. When a character ages from puppy to yearling and from yearling to adult they will get +1 hp. Wolves over 8 years of age will get -1 HP from their overall stat. Pups will also have different starting stats! They will choose one stat to assign a +1 to, and the other two stats will remain at 0. Once the pup ages into a yearling, they will have to select a -1 stat to assign.

How else does my character grow?

A character will "level up" every 500LP, which will give them 1 point to add to any stat they want to. They will be able to add 5 points over the course of leveling up, meaning at 2,500LP your character's stats are "maxed out" and they cannot gain any more new points. However, every 500lp above 2,500LP you may move a point from one stat to another if you do not like how your stats are spread out. You cannot move points around before reaching 2,500LP.

Are there Limits?

Yes! They are based on the size of your character.

Limits
Wolf Size	CON	DEX	STR
Small	+4	+5	+4
Medium	+5	+4	+4
Large	+4	+4	+5

(This post was last modified: Sep 10, 2023, 06:49 PM by Khalon.)

Change Log

May 10, 2016

• Release of new fight stats article
• Changed d10 to d15
• Removed Pack & Age modifiers, adjusted Size modifier
  

July 29th, 2016

• Clarification on how to escape a fight
• Clarification on fight-etiquette and how to request a fight

March 28th, 2017

• Clarification on what happens when the opponent does not respond to the challenge

January 18th, 2021

• Updated for new fighting system.

April 12th, 2021

• Clarified outcome in the event of a tie.

May 18th, 2021

• Update to pup stats.

September 10th, 2023

• Minor updates as part of staff cleaning.

(This post was last modified: Sep 10, 2023, 06:51 PM by Khalon.)