One of the most rewarding RP experiences is the fight. Whether it is the culmination of an ongoing conflict or simply a show of gladiatorial excellence, there is a long and hallowed tradition in telling the tales of battle that is directly related to epic heroism and villainy. We even make drawings and paintings of the figure braving incoming arrows, spears, swords, and axes as he tears through the front lines of the enemy. LOK'TAR OGAR!
However, in the roleplaying environment, telling the tale of combat is the equivalent to two authors writing the same book at the same time, both sides desiring to tell the tale of their protagonist raising their flag triumphantly. So in a world of warcraft, how can two authors get a story out of a battle that furthers both in a positive way? Allow me to be your guide and teach you what you need to know about RP fighting!
Making Your Character Trust Fight Ready
The most important thing to remember about preparing your own character for trust fight readiness is limitation. WoW offers character classes that have tons of abilities and talents, so it can either become overwhelming, or too tempting to say your character can do it all. The question becomes, "If it says my class can do it, then shouldn't I be able to do it?" This is where things get tricky, and you have to realize that inevitably, all fighters have some kind of specialization. That's why I follow what I will call the Simple Six Rule!
What the heck is a Simple Five Rule?
The Simple Five Rule was named by peeking at the abilities of well-known NPCs on wowhead.com, and established long ago when I started RPing. Two NPCs caught my eye: Rexxar and Jaina Proudmoore. Rexxar, being an epic beastmaster, and Jaina, being a powerful mage, are perfect to examine just how many abilities your character should have a rotation of. Both have a total of five special abilities. And most NPCs don't go beyond those numbers. Lets take a look at Rexxar first, a melee fighter. His five abilities are:
As a beastmaster, an unlisted power would be having a pet that can attack, but even so this list is surprisingly...well...tame for someone considered one of the Horde's biggest champions. OOCly, most of these are things that even lower level players have access to. And that's the point. When choosing your Simple Five, you aren't just taking the low-level abilities for granted. In fact, I'd say at least 3/5 (preferably 4) of the abilities you choose should be lower-level skills (level 20 and below). ICly, you can see it as these are abilities that require little of your focus and energy, making them the attacks you would commonly use. The one or two major attacks would be for getting towards the end of the fight, and you need to put down your opponent once and for all.
Let's look at Jaina next, largely considered one of the more powerful living mages. Her five abilities are:
Again, most of it is stuff you learn very early on. Seeing this apply for both a melee fighter as well as a mage, you can see how if lore characters don't have an abilities list full of epic abilities, then neither should your own character. It makes the fights more interesting when both players aren't firing off kill shots as well, and allows you to build to an epic conclusion that you can both be proud of.
Picking Fights
Trust fights begin with the conflict. Sometimes, it can start from the desire of the hero to overcome a villain who has become a thorn in his/her side. Sometimes it originates from the gladiatorial arena, where two combatants duke it out for honor and respect, and possibly freedom. Most of the time, it starts with, "Aww snap! He done spilled ale on my fancy shirt! I'M MAD, BRO!" However it begins, it all leads to two common questions: Why are we doing this? And what are we both trying to get out of this?
The first question is the easiest. You are fighting because one or both sides have something to gain from victory, whether it's putting an end to a reign of tyranny or impressing that hot chick/dude across the room. We are all aware that starting a fight takes very little in the real world, so in RP the possibilities are just as limitless.
The second question, however, is the most important, and when it isn't asked, it leads to stubborness over the outcome, and one side trying to impose their agenda on another. It also leads to massive powergaming and ignoring the Simple Five rule, as the characters will pull out every ultimate move in their class' book (and even some invented ones) to be the victor. So right around the same time as most people would offer a character warning, this question should come up.
Before I continue, a brief word about character death. As has been mentioned many times, death should never be imposed on anyone, and while it may help further a character's story once in a while, it is still up to the player whether or not they wish to die.
So, back to the question at hand! The answer to what you are trying to get out of the fight should never be victory, because at the jump you are putting yourself in the position to overpower the other player at any cost, and it will make it harder to come to a sensible and positive end to the fight. What you are trying to take from the fight should be something that win, lose, or draw is obtainable.
Let's take the "impress the girl" scenario. Pretty girl sitting at the bar, and you want to look like a tough guy. So you pick a fight with the biggest, meanest looking guy you can find! Question: What are you both trying to get out of this? For you, it is to look tough in front of the girl. For the guy you are fighting, it is to continue to look tough in front of everyone else, and for them to decide you are not suddenly a target to be fought/robbed all the time. You both have clear goals in this, which leads to the next step: looking at your character!
Option A: It turns out my character is comically inept at fighting, compared to the guy I picked a fight with who is a multiple war veteran. Personally, I think it is pretty clear that this guy is better than me, and I offer to lose the fight, with the chance that while I may not get to hurt him, I can take a few hits like a champ, and my fortitude may gain sympathy from the lass who has my heart. We agree to either get me knocked out cold, or that the big guy feels sorry for me and just stops pummeling my nearly-toothless visage.
Option B: It turns out his character is like the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz. Whether my character is strong or weak, all it takes is one hit and he acts frail. "OH NO NOT IN THE FACE!" The big guy dislikes how he has been called out, putting him on a mission to toughen up, which my character might even help him with, as I may be seeking the same.
Option C: The fight causes chaos, my char decides that maybe this wasn't such a great idea, and escapes to fight another day in the ensuing debacle.
There are many more options, but as you can see, the story can be interesting no matter if you win or lose. The fight should always help tell a story.
A Sample!
This is the fight I consider the best I've ever had in all my 3+ years RPing. It had a buildup, and it's execution natural and flowing.
However, in the roleplaying environment, telling the tale of combat is the equivalent to two authors writing the same book at the same time, both sides desiring to tell the tale of their protagonist raising their flag triumphantly. So in a world of warcraft, how can two authors get a story out of a battle that furthers both in a positive way? Allow me to be your guide and teach you what you need to know about RP fighting!
Making Your Character Trust Fight Ready
The most important thing to remember about preparing your own character for trust fight readiness is limitation. WoW offers character classes that have tons of abilities and talents, so it can either become overwhelming, or too tempting to say your character can do it all. The question becomes, "If it says my class can do it, then shouldn't I be able to do it?" This is where things get tricky, and you have to realize that inevitably, all fighters have some kind of specialization. That's why I follow what I will call the Simple Six Rule!
What the heck is a Simple Five Rule?
The Simple Five Rule was named by peeking at the abilities of well-known NPCs on wowhead.com, and established long ago when I started RPing. Two NPCs caught my eye: Rexxar and Jaina Proudmoore. Rexxar, being an epic beastmaster, and Jaina, being a powerful mage, are perfect to examine just how many abilities your character should have a rotation of. Both have a total of five special abilities. And most NPCs don't go beyond those numbers. Lets take a look at Rexxar first, a melee fighter. His five abilities are:
- Cleave - Inflicts 110% of normal melee damage to an enemy and its nearest allies, affecting up to 3 targets.
- Knockaway - Inflicts weapon damage to an enemy and knocks it back.
- Puncture - Inflicts Physical damage to an enemy every 2 sec. for 10 sec.
- Sundering Cleave - Hacks at the armor of an enemy and its nearby allies, affecting up to 3 targets. A target's armor is reduced per Sunder Armor. Can be applied up to 5 times. Lasts 30 sec.
- Thrash - Gives the caster 2 extra attacks.
As a beastmaster, an unlisted power would be having a pet that can attack, but even so this list is surprisingly...well...tame for someone considered one of the Horde's biggest champions. OOCly, most of these are things that even lower level players have access to. And that's the point. When choosing your Simple Five, you aren't just taking the low-level abilities for granted. In fact, I'd say at least 3/5 (preferably 4) of the abilities you choose should be lower-level skills (level 20 and below). ICly, you can see it as these are abilities that require little of your focus and energy, making them the attacks you would commonly use. The one or two major attacks would be for getting towards the end of the fight, and you need to put down your opponent once and for all.
Let's look at Jaina next, largely considered one of the more powerful living mages. Her five abilities are:
- Blizzard - Calls down a blizzard that lasts 10 sec., inflicting 14250 to 15750 Frost damage every 2 sec. to all enemies in a selected area.
- Fire Blast - Inflicts 8550 to 10450 Fire damage to an enemy.
- Fireball - Inflicts 11390 to 15410 Fire damage to an enemy.
- Summon Water Elementals - Summons 3 powerful water elementals to aid the caster.
- Teleport - Teleports an enemy above Theramore Harbor.
Again, most of it is stuff you learn very early on. Seeing this apply for both a melee fighter as well as a mage, you can see how if lore characters don't have an abilities list full of epic abilities, then neither should your own character. It makes the fights more interesting when both players aren't firing off kill shots as well, and allows you to build to an epic conclusion that you can both be proud of.
Picking Fights
Trust fights begin with the conflict. Sometimes, it can start from the desire of the hero to overcome a villain who has become a thorn in his/her side. Sometimes it originates from the gladiatorial arena, where two combatants duke it out for honor and respect, and possibly freedom. Most of the time, it starts with, "Aww snap! He done spilled ale on my fancy shirt! I'M MAD, BRO!" However it begins, it all leads to two common questions: Why are we doing this? And what are we both trying to get out of this?
The first question is the easiest. You are fighting because one or both sides have something to gain from victory, whether it's putting an end to a reign of tyranny or impressing that hot chick/dude across the room. We are all aware that starting a fight takes very little in the real world, so in RP the possibilities are just as limitless.
The second question, however, is the most important, and when it isn't asked, it leads to stubborness over the outcome, and one side trying to impose their agenda on another. It also leads to massive powergaming and ignoring the Simple Five rule, as the characters will pull out every ultimate move in their class' book (and even some invented ones) to be the victor. So right around the same time as most people would offer a character warning, this question should come up.
Before I continue, a brief word about character death. As has been mentioned many times, death should never be imposed on anyone, and while it may help further a character's story once in a while, it is still up to the player whether or not they wish to die.
So, back to the question at hand! The answer to what you are trying to get out of the fight should never be victory, because at the jump you are putting yourself in the position to overpower the other player at any cost, and it will make it harder to come to a sensible and positive end to the fight. What you are trying to take from the fight should be something that win, lose, or draw is obtainable.
Let's take the "impress the girl" scenario. Pretty girl sitting at the bar, and you want to look like a tough guy. So you pick a fight with the biggest, meanest looking guy you can find! Question: What are you both trying to get out of this? For you, it is to look tough in front of the girl. For the guy you are fighting, it is to continue to look tough in front of everyone else, and for them to decide you are not suddenly a target to be fought/robbed all the time. You both have clear goals in this, which leads to the next step: looking at your character!
Option A: It turns out my character is comically inept at fighting, compared to the guy I picked a fight with who is a multiple war veteran. Personally, I think it is pretty clear that this guy is better than me, and I offer to lose the fight, with the chance that while I may not get to hurt him, I can take a few hits like a champ, and my fortitude may gain sympathy from the lass who has my heart. We agree to either get me knocked out cold, or that the big guy feels sorry for me and just stops pummeling my nearly-toothless visage.
Option B: It turns out his character is like the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz. Whether my character is strong or weak, all it takes is one hit and he acts frail. "OH NO NOT IN THE FACE!" The big guy dislikes how he has been called out, putting him on a mission to toughen up, which my character might even help him with, as I may be seeking the same.
Option C: The fight causes chaos, my char decides that maybe this wasn't such a great idea, and escapes to fight another day in the ensuing debacle.
There are many more options, but as you can see, the story can be interesting no matter if you win or lose. The fight should always help tell a story.
A Sample!
This is the fight I consider the best I've ever had in all my 3+ years RPing. It had a buildup, and it's execution natural and flowing.
Spoiler:
![[Image: lorn_signature.png]](http://www.powerwordstudio.com/avatars/lorn_signature.png)