Incantre: Combat Rules

Introduction
Combat role play is like any other role play; these detailed rules are a supplement to, not a replacement for, the overall Rules of Incantre. They are both to clarify how combat works in role play as well as to give additional depth and realism to combat situations. If at any time you have questions about any of Incantre's rules, our Staff is available to help.

Combat as Role Play
As a free-form role play sim, Incantre does not employ nor allow the use of combat meters with in the sim. Combat meters should not be worn at any time.

If participating players agree, dice may be used to determine the outcome of role play combat situations. The function of the dice must be pre-defined by the players opting to use them. (Onlookers do not count towards combat participants making this decision.)

Weaponry
In order to role play combat using weapons, your character must have the weapon used visible on their avatar or readily available as a visible part of the setting (such as grabbing a spear from a stand in the barracks that is always there on the sim). Weapons must be of a 'realistic' size and make, and be appropriate to the setting.

No modern weaponry is permitted at any time. Matchlock guns or cannons may rarely be approved on a case by case basis with the visual inspection of weapon in question, demonstration by the player of a solid role playing ability, and a plausible and realistic reason for the use of the weapon.

Magic in Combat
In order to role play combat using magic, your character must be pre-approved for the skills they are employing. Spell HUDS are not required for spell casting as this is done via role play. Please see our full Magic Rules, Arcane & Divine for additional information on how magic is used in Incantre beyond combat scenarios.

Order & Actions
Once combat is initiated, it is critical that participants maintain a consistent turn-based posting order. Regardless of the length of each post, or the real-world time elapsed between posts, players must remember that combat happens quickly and their posts should reflect the brief amount of time passing in the role play world.

Each post should contain a realistic set of limited actions. While things like speaking (not to include the words of a spell, which counts as casting) may take place while other actions are being made by the character, the character cannot within a single combat post conduct several time-consuming activities or movements.

General Rules
Unless your character is pre-approved for exceptional abilities which allow them to move more quickly or has been somehow temporarily enhanced in a way which must be disclosed beforehand to all participants of a combat, some general rules of thumb for role play combat include:


 * You cannot move long distances during combat; you would have enough time to cover a few feet at most for the average combat post.


 * You cannot take multiple melee attacks with the same weapon.


 * You cannot fire more than one ranged attack.


 * You cannot cast more than one simple spell; complex spells take at least two posts to be cast (most that cause damage are considered complex).


 * You cannot react more than once to each incoming action against you (multiple opponents); this should be done within your RP posting on your turn at combat.

Flight
Flight is allowed if the character can fly, but as with ground movement, you can only role play moving a short distance away in a single combat post. Distance from a target should be considered whether your character is flying during combat or on the ground; remember that increased distance will reduce accuracy or put you out of range of your target.

Weapon Size
Again considering realism, consider your weapon (or your opponent's weapon) when writing your post: large weapons are moved more slowly and drain a character's stamina more quickly; small weapons are faster but do less damage. Different sized weapons have different lengths of reach.

Post Details
All combat posts should be left open ended for opponents and other participants you are intending to impact afforded the opportunity to respond to your actions. You should never dictate the actions of another player's character.

Be specific in describing your actions. Vague posts lead to confusion and messy combat situations (and by messy, we don't mean bloody).

Final Points
Although our characters are living in a fantasy world, remember to keep your actions and reactions realistic. Avoid meta-gaming or god moding to avoid attacks, damage, or other negative impacts to your character. Do not ignore the actions of others taken against your characters.

Also, remember that we are truly human behind the monitor and mistakes happen; if you feel your actions against someone were missed, politely point it out and allow them to modify the post to accommodate the action if there was a true oversight.

If you have any questions on combat within Incantre, or are engaged in a combat scenario in which a dispute has arisen, please reach out to a member of Incantre's Staff for assistance or clarifications.