How to RP a Fight Scene

Dethallow wrote:

Hey, so recently I've kind-of come to the realization that not everyone really understands how an RP fight is really meant to work. Well, I knew before, but I've more realized that I should be able to help people realize how to get through a Fight Scene. So, I've decided to make this guide that should answer quite a few questions people might have about RP fighting. This thread will cover the basics of RPing a fight, at least mention character creation and abilities, touch on what types of moves I find to be and not be effective, and eventually I'll try and get into a bit of the Metagame involved in PvP combat.

Overall, it SHOULD cover everything from the bare essentials to advanced stuff. But it's always good to keep in mind that no two characters are going to fight in exactly the same way and that different players will probably be better at different types of combat. So don't expect everything to work exactly as it's intended to. Also, this guide is going to be subject to change and alterations as time goes on, especially involving different basic types of moves and the Metagame.

PART 1: The Basics of Combat!

 
So you've managed to get into a bit of a situation and your completely innocent OC has managed to find himself being attacked by a drunken guy armed with a chair. But don't worry, you have a sword! This is the example I'll use for this section. An RP fight scene isn't an exact science so there's no specific terminology to my knowledge, but terms will be made for the sake of simplicity.
 
First Post: In this situation, I doubt you're going to be too eager to fight. So let’s say the drunken chair wielding man makes the first move. He decides to pick up a bottle of scotch and throw it at you. This is what I like to refer to as the action post. The drunken man is launching an attack. So what are you going to do about it?
 
Second Post (fail): Now it's your turn! All RPing is based around actions and reactions. So in reaction to the bottle of who-knows-what flying at your head, it's time for your guy to make his move. In a moment of brilliance, he points his sword at the drunken man and says something along the lines of "Do not test me, foolish swine! I shall end this!!!" And then does nothing. This is a commonly made mistake by people not used to RPing combat scenes. Why is this a mistake? Well, as logic might let you know, your words aren't going to stop the bottle. So, having used your reaction post, guess who's going to be able to post next?
 
Third Post (fail): The drunken man's bottle is not slowed by your words. Not only that, but NOW it's up to the drunken man to decide how much damage the bottle has done. This is why I've put (fail) next to these segments, because this is the failed reaction and the bad outcome. A fairly simple task has turned into your guy unconscious on the ground from a randomly thrown bottle and has everyone wondering who was REALLY drunk in this situation. So now, I'm going to rewind this situation to show how an RP fight should have gone.
 
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Second Post: The drunken man has thrown a bottle at you and it's time for your OC to react and show off his skills! In this reaction post, instead of wasting time giving a speech, your OC steps to the side to dodge the bottle. This is the reaction part of the post. But that's not all. The bottle was unquestionably easy to dodge, so let’s say you don't feel like giving the drunken man the chance to throw another one! With the same post, you also make your character draw his sword, run forward, and swing at the drunken man. That is the action part of your post.
 
Third Post: Now your drunk adversary's in trouble! You reacted successfully to his bottle. Now your post has become another action post for the drunken man to react to. So, until he's finished and managed to successfully react to your attack, this is HIS reaction post. The drunken man stumbles backwards away from your attack and swings a chair at you. At this point, I'm going to make the assumption that you get the basic idea of how essential actions and reactions work in a fight. To keep things simple, the rest of the segments will show how this scenario plays out.
 
Fourth Post: Your OC reacts to the drunk man by blocking the chair with his arm. Because this is your post, you decide the results of the chair-swinging as long as it makes sense. So you decide the chair breaks over his arm for effect. Then you kick at the drunken man's stomach, Spartan-style!
 
Fifth Post: The drunken man reacts by taking the hit and falling over. He doesn't even really know where he is; just that he has to fight back. Then, the drunken man grabs a nearby rock and throws it at you.
 
Sixth Post: This is where you finally get your moment. Let’s face facts; most people want to make their character appear as cool as they possibly can. Reacting to the rock, you decide to make your OC knock it aside with his sword and point it at the drunken man's throat. After all, you're a good guy and you've gotten him in a position where he really can't fight back. NOTE that you are not making an attack automatically harm the drunken man. That would be 'godmodding' and 'bunnying'. The two terms typically go hand in hand. Godmodding refers to generally BSing in a fight while bunnying is an actual term used to describe controlling another person's character in one way or another. Neither are allowed. HOWEVER, just like the failed reaction post before, you could impale the drunken man if he failed to react to you trying to stab him.
 
Seventh Post: Finally, this is where the conflict ends. The drunken man finally comes to his senses and posts just kind-of passing out. And that is, generally, how an RP fight is meant to work.
 
I hope this example has helped some people get used to the basics of RPing. Next post, I'll attempt to explain more intermediate stuff such as weapon types and the basics of fighting at a distance. It'll probably take longer due to how much more detail is involved, though.

This guide is owed to a former mod by the username of Dethallow.~