Why Freeform and Not Dice

I am very well aware that there are other tournaments onBalmung.  I am aware that some peopleprefer a dice method of combat to determine winners and losers, hits and misses.  If that is the style you preferI encourage you to make your own tournament but this is a roleplay event with a focus on creating an interactive story between fighter-types for the amusement of others.  It is not about who wins orloses, but our ability as roleplayers. 

This aspect of the event is not up for debate.

Freeform Combat (Explination and Expectations)
Preface: This guide is not complete.  Feedback and input is greatly appreciated.

RP Combat is not about winning, it is about cooperative story writing.  If you only have winning in mind, Freeform combat is not for you.  Freeform aka T1 or 'Honor System' is a challenging system that requires good roleplayers whom can offer one another respect.  In the event of a dispute between players that cannot be resolved, consider using a moderator to settle the differences.

Combat Characters

Balance.  
If you give your character a distinct advantage, consider giving them a countering disadvantage.  You simply cannot have an impossibly strong character who is also incredibly limber and agile, trained in weapons, tons of experience and brilliant.  A balanced character must have flaws.  An example would be perhaps if you have a very experienced and strong fighter he may be overly cocky against less experienced opponents or perhaps your very swift and agile fighter doesn't pack much of a wallop in their attacks.

Roleplay Fight Attributes
To keep an idea of good balance in mind it is a very good idea to have a “fighting profile” and while there are many more attributes than what’s listed here this will provide you with a good starting point to consider your character’s balance.

Fighting Style  
There are so many ways for your character to fight! Consider giving a paragraph or two on their fighting style on their detailed profile. Does your character go insane and fight berserker style? Does your character leap in and out of the other character’s range a lot? Does your character stay close and pushy, overpowering the other character? Does your character stay back and use their longer limbs (or even kicks!) to deliver devastating blows? There are a vast number of different combinations of attacks and styles that you can make your character use — some are particularly effective against others.

Racial Attributes  

Consider the strengths and weaknesses of your given race and how they may stack up compared to other races.  For example a Roegadyn has a powerful size that might make them have greater stamina than other races however when fighting a Lalafell the size difference may put them at a disadvantage.  Certain racial elements may also have their own innate benefits and drawbacks.  A Duskwight sense of hearing may make it impossible for them to be caught unaware however a loud, unexpected noise may disorient them.

Static Attributes  

Physical Strength and Size
Advantages	Disadvantages
- Physically large or very muscular - Does a lot of damage when they connect an attack	- Not agile, slow-moving - Lacking endurance due to size; tires quickly
Agility and Speed
Advantages	Disadvantages
- Dodges, dances — avoids many attacks - Especially strong against slow-moving opponents	- Not very physically strong — may not absorb damage very well and incur injury after only a few connects - Generally of smaller size — agility and large physical size is rare
Weapons
Advantages	Disadvantages
- May be an extremely strong advantage in an RPG where characters are generally unarmed - Without training or experience, some weapons may be more dangerous to the wielder than beneficial	- May be rendered far less able to engage combat without the weapon (e.g., very poor melee performance) - Weapon malfunctions a possibility with all weapons: whether breakage or repairable mechanical malfunction
Experience
Advantages	Disadvantages
- Strong advantage, especially over the inexperienced - Unlikely to suffer reactions to gore, warfare horrors, etc.	- Usually accompanied by some other disadvantage such as age, prior injury, or something similar which dulls the experience - May expect opponents to act a certain way - “New moves” by an old opponent may be particularly effective as a surprise tactic
Training
Advantages	Disadvantages
- Strong advantage — but remember that training is very different from real experience - Generally very good advantage once paired with experience	- May be methodical and unable to think outside of training - Consider lessening physical strength to compensate for extreme training
Pain Tolerance
Advantages	Disadvantages
- Previously injured character will deal with injuries and pain better than the character who has never bled before	- Pain tolerance generally means prior wounds exist, which may be exploited for the benefit of the opponent (e.g., the opposing wolf takes a chunk out of an area that is already scarred, causing damage to an already-damaged area)
Stamina
Advantages	Disadvantages
- May simply outlast another in battle, causing their opponent to make mistakes	- Consider lessening physical strength or agility to compensate for high endurance
Defensive Ability and Blocking
Advantages	Disadvantages
- May have physical attribute (thick fur, fast reaction time, etc.) allowing extreme defense - May be especially effective when paired with a defensive fighting style	- May have some disadvantage paired with advantage — reaction time and agility means a small, weak character)Make certain you’re not blocking every attack in the name of fairness

Fluctuating Attributes  
These attributes are more likely to change from one combat situation to the next. A character will usually remain well-muscled, tall, or pain tolerant throughout his or her life.

Recent Injury

Did your roleplay character get into a fight last week? Are they severely injured? Writing a new fight thread dated for a week after means your character will still have that black eye, gash, or giant bruise. They will be hurting, too! It can be tough to track your roleplay character’s injuries — consider noting in your character’s signature whether they are currently injured and how long it will be before they are expected to heal.

Energy Levels, Last Meal, Illness

If your character just ran for a day (whether metaphorically, in the case of catching a plane halfway around the world, or literally, in actually running for a day as a primitive neanderthal hunter) or otherwise totally exhausted themselves before the fight, they are less likely to win. Similarly, if it’s been a long time since they ate, they’ll be weak and tired. If they’re feeling out-of-sorts, they may not fight as well as they would normally.

Aggressiveness, Violence Capability, and Emotional State

A character who is enraged beyond rational thought will likely fight less smoothly than one who is pissed off but still able to calculate. A character who is extremely violent is likely to use “dirty tactics” like throwing sand, clawing eyes out, or other extreme things, while a character who is more honorable is less likely to do these things. Emotional state is important to consider; if one character has far more invested in battle than the other (e.g. his or her very life) s/he may be fighting far harder than the character who is merely fighting for glory.

Heat, Temperature, and Surroundings

Maybe your character is Ishgardian, more accustom to the cold weather and is challenging an Ul'dah gladiator in the Thanalan desert.  The gladiator would have the advantage being more accustom to the climate and may not suffer as much from the heat.  Perhaps it is raining heavily and the ground is saturated and muddy, this terrain may have an impact on both fighters making it easier for them to lose their footing if they are not cautious.  This can come into play even with people — different people have different cold tolerances, and there are even diseases which make your character more (or less) tolerant of temperature.


Fighter Profile Example  
Maki Rui

	Strength	Weakness
Physical Ability	- Very swift and agile, able to climb easily - Has a lot of stamina to stalk her prey - Very light on her feet, able to move very quietly - Very keen sense of hearing (Duskwight)	- Her stamina deteriorates quickly when injured - Average strength - Very sensitive to loud, unexpected noises
Mental Ability	- Very calm and calculating, strategic - Observant, able to anticipate opponent when concentrating - Less likely to fall for feints, very defensive	- Unable to think quickly when bombarded with information - May over-think combat against another sentient opponent - Does not recover quickly from strategic mistakes
Weapons	- Expert with Longbow - Undisciplined with hand-to-hand combat - Undisciplined with daggers	- Far more experienced with long-range or up-close combat. - Lacks experience with mid-range combat; e.g. swords, lances - Weapon experience with hand-to-hand and daggers is not formal training, lacks finese
Defensive Ability	- Observant and anticipatory of her opponent - Very agile and swift, relies upon speed to avoid blows	- Cannot withstand many direct blows - Does not wear heavy armor to absorb impact
Experience	- Very experienced with long-range combat, very good shot with a longbow with training from a very young age. - Moderate experience in an informal capacity with hand-to-hand, wrestling, and daggers.	- Has never sustained a substantial injury, has low pain tolerance when actually hurt - Has no formal combat training against other people aside from the occasional undisciplined bar-fight, weaker against more disciplined opponents

Basic Combat Rules

Freeform Combat (Explination and Expectations)

Combat Example:  

Angry Swordsman suddenly pulls his sword from its scabbard and swings it violently from left to right, aiming its deadly arc in an attempt to connect with Stealthy Ninja's neck.  He hopes, of course, to remove the subject of his angers head . . .

Stealthy Ninja is quick to react to the not-so-surprising attack from Angry Swordsman and drops to one knee as the sword goes whistling past overhead.  She spins as she drops, quickly extending a single leg in hopes of knocking the swordsman from his feet . . .

Angry Swordsman wonders if he will ever learn to stop attacking Ninjas as his feet are knocked out from under him.  He falls squarely onto his back amid a clattering of armor, the wind leaving his lungs in a whoosh.