Interaction and Combat

Intervention Guidelines

At any point in an RP, you may write your character performing actions that affect the world. In a casual RP (non-event or otherwise) you may write your character doing any of the following without Staff input:

• Interacting with a random normal NPC for a few lines, but please avoid paragraphs of back and forth. You may summarise the interaction with the NPC. You should not be creating superpowered or sorcerer civilians.

• Interacting with a random faction NPC if they aren't a significant member of the faction.

• Interacting with a backstory NPC where reasonable. Please keep these interactions brief!

• Performing a small crime like stealing a small item, or intimidating, threatening or attacking a random NPC (avoid grievous harm or death).

• Interacting with an animal where reasonable. Magical animals, large predators and prey animals should be avoided.

However, larger actions require planning with Staff. This can include but is not limited to:

• Major crimes like grand larceny, mass slaughter/murder, attacking a gang or group, etc. OR being a victim of said crimes, like kidnapping.

• Interacting with major NPCs like Guild Founders, Heads of the Order, political members, entities, etc.

• Interacting with magical animals, large predators and prey animals.

• Investigating anything related to news, plots and character backstories.

Always feel free to ask in #staff-questions or your ticket if you'd like to plan things! Certain plots may require more time to carry out, and may even be turned into a minor event.

Character actions in events, quests, RPs etc may have a wider effect in the world. Someone you helped may help you back in an unexpected way, or hurting someone may make them retaliate in the future. Consider your actions carefully, for you may have no idea how your action may snowball down a hill…

Even parts of character backstories may come back to bite them.

Admins may suddenly intervene in an RP to introduce a consequence. 

If prompted, you may request a private intervention channel for your character at any point! Your character may be investigating something or someone, or doing something they shouldn’t…

Please keep consequences in mind! Characters may be rendered killed or unplayable depending on their actions.

The Clockwork Dragon is the most popular global journalist and news company. The editors and journalists keep record of international happenings and events. 

You may even see your character’s actions show up here.

See #the-clockwork-dragon channel for published articles and news!

Reputation is how well (or badly) the world will treat your character in response to backstory and actions. There are three main reputation factions to watch for:

• Public Rep

• The Order

• The Guild

Public reputation is how likely members of the public are able to recognise your character and treat them accordingly. If your character is a supervillain that regularly posts anarchy online then they are likely to have significant rep (it wouldn’t be good rep lmao). Significant good rep might make NPCs ask for a photo or signature, and other public figures may treat you well. Significant bad rep will make NPCs look at you in disgust or fear, and you may be arrested by authorities or worse.

Order reputation is how likely your character may be respected among the sorcerers. Negative rep is easy to build across The Order and will net you disdain, exilement or even the wrath of sorcerers if bad enough. However good rep will have you respected. Sorcerers are very likely to give you a hand or provide magical favours. 

Guild reputation is relatively easier to build, with supervillains given second chances regularly. However due to SAPI you can’t rely on the Guild for any superpower favours but individual members may be inclined to help you or offer other services. Negative reputation will make Guild members watch you closely. 

Due to consequences and interventions, your character may receive changes in reputation at any time, whether it be in an RP, Event or Quest, and whether it be small changes or significant changes. Be wary of what you do, as it is far too easy for actions to spread like wildfire…

Look at the Reputation page to see how much rep your characters have and the recent changes!

Situations requiring DnD relevant skills like strength, con, dex, charisma, sleight of hand etc. will be rolled with a D20. Since stats are not a mechanic, Modifiers will depend on training/specialisations, powers, spell effects or reputation, etc and are added at admin discretion.

The Difficulty Class (DC) is the required number needed to pass a roll. The DC of dice rolls will be made at admin discretion but will be made visible to players (not all rolls will have concrete DCs or the DCs may be hidden for certain reasons…).

God’s Pity is an out-of-character consumable that allows your character’s next roll to be rolled with advantage, where two dice are rolled and the highest value is chosen out of the two as the outcome. God’s Pity may be used after a roll/DC is revealed but not after a roll is made.

God’s Pity can be acquired once per character per quest submission (not including bonus or special character quests), given as rewards from mini-events or events, after consecutive failed rolls (3 failed rolls in an encounter/day during events or an intervention) or through mysterious means… God’s Pity cannot be transferred between characters EXCEPT if a character is retired/killed, in which case it may be given to any existing character that belongs to the player.

God’s Pity can be used in character relevant non-combat and combat rolls, and may be used ONCE in a quest if it has a conditional outcome roll, like injury, interactions, etc. It cannot be used for the special reward roll.

Initiating Combat:

Combat will only formally initialise in events or quests under certain situations. The staff member directing the encounter will ALWAYS state when combat is/about to be initiated. Usually there is a warning beforehand if combat may be initialised.

You may have stumbled into a hostile group of enemies or pissed someone off enough to attack you. Or you may have intentionally provoked them! (Combat can still be initiated in a non-event RP between consenting players. They may choose to follow this system as well).

PvE (Player versus entities/encounters) will be the main interaction for combat encounters but PvP (Player versus Player) is allowed for consenting players or in specific situations!

Combat is turn-based and inspired from DnD dice roll mechanics. 

Initiative for all characters in an encounter is rolled from a D20, D50 or even D100, depending on the number of participants, with the highest number going first and the lowest going last in a round. Characters that roll the same numbers will be rolled again against each other, with the highest going faster etc. 

Any superpower used prior-to and in combat will accumulate Burnout!

Using your turn:

All characters taking their turn will constitute 1 round. If combat hasn’t concluded then the next round will begin with the pre-established highest initiative roll going first. Combat will keep going until all enemies have left combat, either from surrender/running away/death or otherwise. OR until all player characters are defeated.

1 turn will constitute one major action and 1 bonus action. A major action includes:

• Casting a spell

• Using a superpower

• Moving a significant amount of distance 

• Significantly using a skill, such as pushing (using str), talking (using char or charisma based skills) etc

Sorcerers casting a projection spell may attack/use the projection in the same turn. However some spells and actions may take more than one turn.

Bonus actions include:

• Drinking gold water

• Helping another character up

• Performing a non-attack action

When a character attacks another or uses a relevant power, skill or spell etc. a D50 will be rolled to calculate success or failure. Lower rolls will constitute failure or partial success. Higher rolls will constitute success and perhaps a bonus to their action.

Bonuses can accumulate from character training, their specialisations and relevant tiers, items, certain Gifts, etc.

Master sorcerers or Archsorcerers, or superpowered characters that are a Maestro, or superpowers with 11+ skill points cannot receive automatic failure. Rolling a 1 will be the same as a complete miss.

Admins will dictate when an enemy has been ‘defeated’ and removed from the initiative and turn order. Death will always result in defeat. However some characters may ‘leave’ combat by surrendering, falling unconscious, running away or falling to certain mind spells or superpowers.

PCs may leave combat by these means as well.

Stability and Skill points will be accounted for in modifiers.

Concentration:

Spells that require concentration or more than one turn to cast can be broken. This goes for active powers that need to be maintained over time.

Admins will roll a for concentration break if a character is concentrating on a spell/s if they are attacked or otherwise distracted. 

Jumping in, and the Downer spell:

Certain spells and abilities may allow characters to “jump” their turn in combat even if they are last in initiative. This allows them to counteract a potential move or spell with a specific action. This still counts as their turn for the round.

If a sorcerer has the Downer Spell on their proficient spell list, then they may jump in when another character casts a spell to counteract the cast. This also applies to the Concentration spell!

If a character has the super speed superpower, then they may “jump in” at any time to fulfil their action.

Injuries:

Characters have the opportunity to gain injuries in combat. When injured, your character will gain negative modifiers to their rolls. The more they are injured, the higher their modifier accumulates. They may also need to take time to heal from their injuries.

Concrete numbers are only available to staff and wounds are tracked.

Injuries progress as follows:

• Minor injuries (Minor wounds like cuts, light stabs, small burns)

• Major injuries (Broken bones, major cuts, major/third/second degree burns, concussions)

• Death’s door (Multiple injuries)

• Death

Explosives:

Characters are allowed to carry a limit of 3 small bombs (including gem bombs), equivalent to a standard grenade with minor structure damaging capabilities, or 1 larger bomb that may damage everything in a radius. This is to keep non-magical or non-superpower-based explosions toned down in-RP.

Explosive attacks are treated like a normal attack roll, with the Explosives specialisation providing bonuses in combat and non-combat settings.

Sneak-attacks:

Characters can attack another in secret or hidden from a vantage point for full advantage on their attack. This includes non-physical attacks like debuffing spells, mindreading, and of course, using physical weaponry to strike someone from behind. The advantage will only be given if the character/NPC is completely unaware of the attacking character's presence or position. 

An alerted character/NPC can still be sneak-attacked.