Combat System
On Siliren combat is not required to become great in this world. However, it is still an enormous part of real life. From hunting for your next meal, to fighting in an army for your people, combat introduces a realness to Siliren. In order to make everything as realistic as possible, as well as fair, there is a very specific and strict combat system. There are a few different options for combat, each with their own place in roleplay. It is important to be familiar with each type of combat to know what your options are as a player. Following this system is strictly required for any type of attempted combat.
There are a few different types of combat that will be listed here. The first os PVP or Player versus Player. The second is PVE or Player versus Environment, and the final is Moderated Combat. Each type of combat has its own section where it will be explained in extreme detail. Before roleplaying any combat scenario, be sure to fully familiarize yourself with the rules. If you have questions, PM a moderator, or join our Discord server and ask there.
Deciding How to Decide Combat
Players have several options when it comes to combat. The below system is one of those options. The first option a player has is to simply decide the outcome of the fight themselves without a roll or moderator. In a PvP situation, the two players must agree on the outcome. If a player is found abusing this for their own benefit a moderator will step in.
The second option is the below rolling system. Again in a PvP situation the two players must agree to use and abide by this system. If a player does not agree with an outcome of this system, a moderator will step in to decide.
The third option is the below Moderated Combat option, where a moderator is brought in from the start to help decide the outcome. In a PvP situation, the players can agree to use this option from the start, or this option will be used if they cannot agree on another option.
Player v. Environment
Player versus Environment is magnitudes simpler than Player versus Player combat. Every animal, monster and NPC has something called an attack level that is either apprentice, journeyman, expert or master OR no attack level. These are the same level names as every skill, this is because as a player you take your characters skill level in whatever attack skill they may be using, and compare it to the NPC attack level. If the PCs level is in a higher category than the NPCs level, then the PC has an automatic win. If the PCs are in a lower category than the NPC then it’s an automatic loss. If the PC and the NPC have the same level category then there is a roll system that will be used. See below. At this point in time, if there are multiple opponents at the same time, this falls under Moderated Combat.
1d100 + median skill for category = total of NPC
With the roll system, armor is not counted and there is only one roll per battle. This means there are no assigned wounds as well. Feel free through the roleplay to give wounds to your character, but know it is not required in the roll. Unlike in PVP, rolls in PVE are for win/loss rather than hit/miss. Whoever gets the higher roll wins, if there is a tie, roll again. Please note if your PC loses the roll, this does not mean the PC is dead. It can mean this if that is what you want for your character, however, in general, is just means your PC did not kill the NPC. Your PC could be mild to gravely injured, or the PC or the NPC could have simply escaped. It is up to you. In stealth situations, the same rules apply. In situations where your PC is only defending, use a defending skill in the roll rather than an attack skill. To give yourself a challenge or make it even more realistic, feel free to do the above roll for any PVE situation, rather than just ones where you are required to.
Median Levels:
Apprentice: 12
Journeyman: 38
Expert: 63
Master: 88
We give this range of freedom with the PVE combat system because we want you as a writer to focus on the roleplay. While you know straight off the bat whether your character won or not, we expect quality roleplaying. Roleplay a few rounds of attacks, maybe give your character a small wound or two. Do not just mow down opponent after opponent simply because they are lower level. We admire detail and realistic roleplay here. Those who try to abuse the system will see a Moderator step in.
Player v. Player
In this type of combat, a Player owned PC is fighting another Player owned PC in a thread. Typically how this combat goes is Player One attacks, Player Two defends and then attacks, Player One defends then attacks, and so on. Of course, there are many variations of this pattern, but all should work with this system. Again if you have questions, ask a Moderator.
Player versus Player combat works on a roll system. You may roll using your own physical dice at home, or on one of the many roll simulators on the internet. There is also a dedicated roll channel on Siliren’s Discord server that we encourage you to use. Below is the order of how attacks and results are determined.
- Determine Attack Placement
- Roll for Hit
- Determine Armor
- Determine Damage
Determine Attack Placement
In the post where an attacking player is roleplaying an attack, they must clearly state where their character is attempting to hit the opponent with their weapon and attack. For example, if Player One swings a sword at Player Two; is the swing a low swing, towards the knees? Or is it a high swing, towards the torso? Or is it a vertical swing, aiming at severing an arm? This decision MUST be clearly stated in the attacking post. Make sure your opponent in combat does this and if they do not, or you are unsure of their wording, ask them to be more clear in their writing.
Roll for Hit
In combat, there is attacking and defending. Player One will attack Player Two, who will attempt to defend against the attack. Each player will roll and their totals will determine who wins. This roll only determines if the attack of Player One hits or not. This step does not determine if or how much damage Player Two will take if the attack is successful.
To determine if an attack even hits a target a roll must be made. There are two types of action in this type of combat, attack and defense. Each uses a 1d100 to roll for the action. Each action then takes the numbered skill level of the related skill to add to the 1d100 roll. Player One who is attacking will roll 1d100 and add the skill level of the weapon they are using to attack, such as a Weapon: One Handed Sword, to the die roll. This is their total attack roll. In the next post, Player Two will defend themselves using a skill such as Weapon: Shield, Weapon: Two Handed Sword (you can block using a weapon) or attempt to dodge using the Endurance skill. Player Two will roll 1d100 and add the result to the skill level in the defensive skill they are using. That is their total defensive roll. Whoever’s number is higher wins the roll. If Player One wins, then Player Two will roleplay the successful hit and following damage. If Player Two wins then they will roleplay themselves avoiding the attack. See the example below:
Post 1: (Player 1) Attacks with a sword against player two. /Rolls 1d100 = 34/ /Weapon: One Handed Sword level of 57/ /34+57=91 total attack roll/ *Player will NOT roleplay out the result of the attack since the player does not know if the attack was successful yet*
Post 2: (Player 2) Defends against Player One with a shield. /Rolls 1d100 = 44/ /Weapon: Shield level of 39/ /44+39=83 total defense roll/ Attack is successful against Player Two. Player Two will roleplay out the successful hit against them. Player Two attempts to retaliate and attack against Player One with their One Handed Mace. /Rolls 1d100 = 65/ /Weapon: One Handed Mace level of =61/ /65+61=126 total attack roll/ *Player will NOT roleplay out the result of the attack since the player does not know if the attack was successful yet*
Post 3: (Player 1) Defends against Player Two with a shield. /Rolls 1d100 = 78/ /Weapon: Shield level of 52/ /78+52=130 total defense roll/ Player One successfully defends against Player Two. Player One roleplays Player Two’s mace coming into contact with Player One’s Shield, successfully blocking the blow.
Determine Armor
PC’s may or may not have armor on their character. Different types of armor on the Price List have different armor values assigned to them on their Wiki page. If the player is not wearing any armor, just wearing normal clothing, then their armor is zero and this step can be skipped.
However, if the player is wearing armor and an attack against them is successful, the player will add their armor value to their defensive roll. If this changes the defensive roll from the losing number to the winning number OR a tie, the attack is then just a glancing blow and while it ‘hits’ it does not damage the character.
Armor also protects different parts of the body. Some armor may protect the torso, but not the arms. Some players may only have armor for their torso and not their legs or their head. In step one of combat, as we’ve gone over, the attack player determines where on the opponent’s body they are aiming their attack. If that part of the body has armor, then add the value. But if that part is unprotected, no matter what other parts of the body are protected, then no armor value can be added. See the example below:
Post 1: (Player 1) Attacks with a sword against Player Two’s torso. /Rolls 1d100 = 34/ /Weapon: One Handed Sword level of 57/ /34+57=91 total attack roll/ *Player will NOT roleplay out the result of the attack since the player does not know if the attack was successful yet*
Post 2: (Player 2) Defends against Player One with a shield. /Rolls 1d100 = 44/ /Weapon: Shield level of 39/ /44+39=83 total defense roll/ Attack is successful against Player Two. Player Two is wearing an Iron Chestplate with an Armor value of 20 /Total defense roll of 83 + 20 armor = 103/ Player Two may roleplay Player One’s sword coming into contact with Player Two’s chest plate, but doing no physical harm to Player Two.
Determine Damage
There are two ways to determine the damage done by successful attacks. Players may do either but must agree with each other beforehand.
The first option is to determine damage and wounds via PM or other outside conversations with the opponent. Some players want to have complete control over their characters and do not like unknowns and risks when it comes around. This is fine. If both players agree on either a light or heavy wound no matter the roll, then players do not need to use the damage system below. Be sure if you choose this option, to make a note somewhere on the post where the damage occurs that this was determined beforehand. This way Moderators will know there is no cheating going on.
Option two determines damage via the rolls. Taking the rolls we rolled for attack and defense the level of damage is determined by the difference in the attack roll versus the defense roll, after armor. The chart below shows the level of damage done to a player based on how many points the difference is between the rolls.
1 </= 10 | Minor Wound
11 </= 30 | Medium Wound
31 </= 50 | Major Wound
51 </= 90 | Severe Wound
91 </= 130 | Extreme Wound
131 < ~ | Critical Wound
Example:
Post 1: (Player 1) Attacks with a One Handed Sword against Player Two. /Rolls 1d100 = 34/ /Weapon: One Handed Sword level of 57/ /34+57=91 total attack roll/ *Player will NOT roleplay out the result of the attack since the player does not know if the attack was successful yet*
Post 2: (Player 2) Defends against Player One with a shield. /Rolls 1d100 = 24/ /Weapon: Shield level of 39/ /44+39=63 total defense roll/ Attack is successful against Player Two. Player Two has an Iron Breastplate with 20 Armor Value /63 +20 armor = 83/ Player Two will roleplay out the successful hit against them. /91 attack roll – 83 defense roll = 8 damage points = Minor Wound/
Minor Wound
Small Scratches, cuts and bruises. Usually does not affect combat or preformance. While open wounds are still at risk for infection if not taken care of, these wounds usually heal on their own within a week without issues.
Medium Wound
Large, throbbing bruises that will ache after the fact or medium sized, shallow gashes that may need a few stitches or increased care. Medium wounds will make the area affected somewhat weak, but can be powered through in the heat of combat. Usually heal within the time frame of a week to a month.
Major Wound
Major wounds caused by blunt weapons can result in cracks, but not full breaks, in bones. Sharp weapons can cause deep gashes that will continue to bleed without proper care and will most certainly need stitches. Major wounds will need the care of a doctor or healer no matter what and will cause permanent scars. Affected areas will be very weak and most likely will not be able to continue to perform in battle without worsening the wound. Complete recovery can take up to a couple of months. The risk of infection is expected without professional care.
Severe Wound
Severe wounds are wounds that need to be cared for by a professional immediately. Bleeds have a risk of causing the wounded to bleed out, lose consciousness and if not cared for can cause death in extreme cases. Blunted weapons can break bones or cause internal bleeds that may be difficult for doctors and healers to fix. Permanent scars are to be expected and complete recovery can take multiple months with professional care. Risk of infection is high.
Extreme Wound
Extreme wounds have the possibility of the loss of limbs as well as death. Because of the severity of these wounds and the permanent change they will inflict on the character, an out of character discussion is required between the battling players. They are given complete freedom to come to a decision and can agree on a lesser wound if they wish. If they cannot come to a decision or prefer to go with an Extreme Wound then a Moderator must come in to assign the wound. A Spirit Moderator is required so that the player with the wound cannot change their mind at a later date.
Critical Wound
Critical wounds result in death that is instantaneous. Vital organs, such as the heart or brain, have been pierced or crushed. The head has possibly been severed from the rest of the body. All of the character’s mental functions stop instantly, leaving no time for final words or meaningful looks. An out of character discussion is to be had between the battling players and the moderator presiding over the battle. If all involved battling players agree, a lesser wound can be dealt instead and the battle is declared over with an obvious victor. Otherwise, a Spirit Moderator is required to document the character’s death and retire the deceased character’s account.
Moderated Combat
Moderated Combat can be used during PVE or PVP situations. Most of the time Moderated Combat is used when there are disagreements between PVP players or multiple opponents in a PVE situation. Moderated Combat is also used in Moderatored threads, such as personal quests or city-wide events. If there is a Moderator involved in the thread prior to combat, then any combat within the thread is Moderated Combat.
Moderated Combat is simple. Moderators simply use the rules in PVP and PVE situations and are the ones rolling for both sides of the battle. Moderators post between attack and defense posts with the results of the rolls and the players roleplay out the rolls decision. Players never need to roll for themselves or others during Moderated Combat.
When Contested Skills Tie
The statistical probability of two opposing actions resulting in a tie is low, but not impossible. When a tie occurs, the result is that none of the involved characters succeed or fail in their attempted action. If Character A is attacking and Character B is trying to block or dodge, then Character A’s attack hits but does not result in an injury. But if both characters are trying to use Physique or Unarmed Combat to win a wrestling match then they are constantly in a state where neither of them are in control. Once there has been a tie, both characters must use a different skill or spell than the one they just used to get a tie. There is no option to reroll, because both characters have given it their best effort already, and must do something else to change the situation.
Using Magic in Combat
Unless a specific spell’s lore page states otherwise, a spell cannot be formed as an instantaneous reaction. Spells require time to form. While masters have learned to cut the time it takes to form a stable spell down to a few seconds, they require those few seconds. A new spell cannot be formed as a defensive measure against attacks with no warning, such as close range punches or shanking. If there is a dispute in a PvP battle on whether a character’s spell could be formed in time, a Spirit Moderator will review the situation and making a ruling. During a PvE battle, if a grader feels that the character generated a defense with magic in an unrealistic amount of time, the grader can either assign a wound they feel would be appropriate, or request the player to make a few rolls in order to randomly determine their injury.
Cheating
It is very important every player follows the rules of the system to make sure combat is fair. Since we do not work in real-time, like video games or Dungeons and Dragons, it is easy to cheat this system. Because of this, we take the system and cheating very seriously. For the most part, combat is left up to the players to determine. Whether you as a player are fighting an NPC or fighting another PC, we, as moderators, leave it up to you to follow the rules. However, if any moderators have suspicions or if your combat PC partner has suspicions, we will investigate thoroughly. Oftentimes in these situations, a moderator will step in to roll for each player, rather than have each player roll for themselves. In serious situations, such as reoccurring suspicions of cheating, moderators might end up taking more extreme measures that can result in the ban of the player from the site. It is expected for die rolls that when you roll a die, you take the first result. You do not re-roll to a better outcome. We rely on honesty here, please respect that. If you don’t, there will be consequences.