Combat

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Introduction

Although not the primary focus of DragonRealms as some may argue, combat is for many guilds and players an integral part of experiencing DragonRealms. DragonRealms has a wonderfully intricate and diverse combat system. Given the sheer amount of information needed to truly succeed in combat, however, many players new to combat (or the game) are initially overwhelmed. The purpose of this page is to serve as a guide for combat at all skill levels.

Note that this guide will deal primarily with standard critter-hunting. For tips on Player versus Player (PvP) combat, refer to individual guild pages. A PvP guide may be forthcoming at some point.

This guide will be divided into three sections:

• The Beginner's Guide is intended for those entirely new to combat. Included information will be a break-down of weapon and armor appraisals, information on balance, position and fatigue, a break-down of defensive skills (and how they're used) and STANCE points, hiding and stalking syntax, melee weapons versus ranged weapons, among other things.

• The Intermediate Guide is intended for players familiar with the standards of combat and seeking more in-depth information. Included information will be a break-down of weapon types (strengths and weaknesses), the mechanics of defense (and how to maximize said defense), magic resistance, fighting multiple opponents, fighting stealth critters, creating macros, among other things.

• The Advanced Guide is intended for players intimate with all the functions of combat. Advanced users know the strengths and weaknesses of their weapon types, how to use their spells, weapons and abilities to maximum effect, and how to choose their opponents to learn the skills they want. The Advanced Guide deals primarily with the art of power-gaming: how to keep as many skills mind locked for as long as possible, how to maximize damage formulas for your weapon(s) or abilities of choice, etc.

Beginner's Guide

Welcome to combat! Combat in DragonRealms is fun and challenging; however, I remember as a young player how overwhelming combat could be at first. This guide is meant to help players completely new to combat, whether they be a transcendent Moon Mage or a Commoner fresh out of character generation. Let's start from the very beginning, which is...

Getting Started - Combat Skills

Offensive Skills

• Weapon skills (examples being light edged, longbow, two-handed blunt, etc.) represent skill at attacking opponents with any chosen weapon category.
• Brawling represents skill attacking an opponent while unarmed. Brawling is a very versatile weapon class, and is even useful to empaths, as brawling can be learned without damaging an opponent via the commands CIRCLE, BOB, and WEAVE.
• Offhand Weapon skill represents the ability to accurately hit and do damage with a weapon in the left hand, or via dual wielding. This only applies to melee weapons.
• Tactics skill covers the use of non-damaging unarmed attacks and brawling-like defensive maneuvers.
• Targeted Magic represents the ability to better aim direct damage spells.
• Debilitation skill covers the magic that impedes, but does not directly damage.

Combat Moves

KEY:

+: good for this

=: won't help, won't hurt

-: bad for this

Standard

move	fatigue	balance	speed	accurate	puncture	slice	impact	evasion	parry	shield
attack	=	=	=	=	=	=	=	=	=	=
bash	-	-	-	+	-	=	+	=	-	+
block*	+	=	+	x	x	x	x	-	-	+
chop	=	=	-	+	-	+	=	=	=	=
dodge	+	=	+	x	x	x	x	+	-	-
draw	=	-	+	-	-	+	-	+	-	=
feint	-	+	+	-	=	=	=	-	+	=
flee*	-	-	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
jab	-	+	+	-	=	=	=	-	+	-
kick	-	-	+	=	=	-	+	=	=	-
lunge	-	-	-	+	+	-	=	-	+	-
parry	+	=	+	x	x	x	x	-	+	-
poach*
pummel	-	=	+	-	=	-	+	=	=	-
retreat*
slam	=	=	+	=	=	=	=	=	=	=
slice	-	=	+	=	-	+	=	-	+	-
smite*
snipe*
sweep	-	-	-	-	-	+	=	+	-	-
swing*	=	+	=	=	-	=	+	+	-	+
throw*
thrust	-	=	+	=	+	-	=	-	+	=

Brawling

move	fatigue	balance	speed	accurate	puncture	slice	impact	evasion	parry	shield
bite	-	-	+	=	+	=	-	-	+	+
bob	-	-	+	=	=	=	=	+	-	-
butt	-	-	+	+	=	-	+	-	=	+
circle	-	=	+	=	=	=	=	=	=	=
claw	-	=	+	=	=	+	-	+	-	-
elbow	-	=	+	=	=	-	+	+	-	-
gouge	-	=	+	=	-	+	=	+	-	-
grab*
grapple	-	-	+	+	=	=	=	=	=	=
knee	-	-	+	=	=	-	+	-	=	+
punch	-	=	+	=	=	-	+	=	=	=
shove	-	-	+	+	=	=	=	+	-	-
slap*	-	+	+	-	-	-	+	+	-	-
tackle	+	=	+	-	=	=	=	=	=	=
weave	-	-	+	=	=	=	=	+	-	-

Combat Styles

The above listed combat maneuvers work with almost every weapon, but you may notice some are better for certain types of damage. Once you know what type of damage your weapon of choice causes, it's a good idea to have an understanding of what attacks best suit your weapon's damage type.

• For puncture type damage, use maneuvers like JAB, THRUST, and LUNGE.
• For slice type damage, use maneuvers like FEINT, SLICE, and CHOP.
• For impact type damage, use maneuvers like JAB/FEINT, SWING, SLAM, and BASH.
• For brawling, use maneuvers like GOUGE, PUNCH, KICK, and BUTT.

These are the core abilities for each style of melee combat in ascending order of balance/fatigue/accuracy. Other attacks such as SWEEP and PUMMEL can add variation to your combat style as well, allowing for many interesting combinations.

Of course, you can always just ATTACK if you don't know combat all that well, but it isn't as optimal as using your own maneuvers.

Defensive Skills

• Evasion skill represents your ability to twist out of the way of blows. Usually mandatory for anyone interested in combat, as it is weakens your foe's attack power more per rank than the other two defense.
• Shield Usage skill represents your ability to block oncoming attacks with your shield. Highly recommended for everyone, and almost mandatory for those wishing to engage in scenarios like PvP, invasions, etc.
• Parry Ability skill represents your ability to block oncoming attacks by deflecting them with your weapon. As per GM Ssra, parry is (supposedly) the most powerful defense at melee, so anyone planning to wade through a sea of foes should consider training this skill.
• Armor skills (Light Armor skill, Chain Armor skill, Brigandine Armor skill, Plate Armor skill) represent your ability to maneuver and hide in the respective armor category. Eventually your skill in an armor will also contribute to the protection your armor provides you.
• Perception skill represents your ability to spot hidden targets, particularly those trying to attack you from hiding. Mandatory for anyone interested in PvP or fighting foes that like to hide. Recommended for anyone, though, as it is a great defense against theft.
• Defending skill represents your ability to handle many foes at once, as well as any defensive measures that are not covered by evasion, parry, or shield.

Stealth Skills

• Stealth skill represents your ability to perform stealth actions, and to evade detection.
• Backstab skill (Thief only) represents ability to attack a target with a light or medium weapon from hiding. The basic backstab can be initiated via the BACKSTAB command and ignores shield and parry. Ambushes also utilize this skill.

Getting Started - Equipment You Will Need - Explanations

• A weapon: There is little substitute for a good weapon at your side. Magic is amazingly versatile but has definite limitations; a weapon in your hand will be equally deadly no matter how poor the mana in the room is. The great thing about DragonRealms is that the experience system allows one to do almost anything they want; as a result, nothing on this list is absolutely necessary. Non-combatants wishing to learn only Parry and not a weapon class itself can substitute parry sticks for weapons. A break-down of all weapon classes, with positives and negatives, will follow shortly.

• A shield: Many characters choose to train with a shield in addition to parry and evasion. Shields add to a character's hinderance, but tend to be more reliable than other defenses when the character is stunned, prone, or otherwise compromised. Shields may be held in the left hand or worn on the arm. Armworn shields offer a greater hinderance penalty and do not protect as well, but leave the character's off hand free to hold other objects. Most guilds are limited in what shields may be worn on the arm.

• Some armor: Armor hinders your stealth, evasion skill, and several other skills, but is vital for protecting a character at any level. Attacks made on body parts (specifically the hands and eyes) which are unarmored have a much higher chance of stunning a character. Armor also offers an absorptive and an ablative effect, either outright deflecting blows or cushioning some of the damage.

General Combat Information

Let's take a look at the basics of combat. Let's pretend you have, for the first time, picked up a weapon and some armor about which you are clueless (that discussion will follow shortly) and wandered into a hunting area.

Combat Ranges

All combat is divided into three different ranges: missile, pole, and melee. To demonstrate these three, let's take a look at our first opponent, who has just entered the area:

A ship rat just arrived.

We now have our target! Harmless though he may seem, he can be deceptively deadly if you go in swinging with a terrible set-up. Now, in order to engage in pole or melee combat, one of the opponents (you or the rat) must ADVANCE <target>.

The ship rat begins to advance on you!
The ship rat is still a distance away from you and is closing steadily.

In this case, it has begun advancing you. Over time, it will begin to get closer. The range a creature begins at depends on the environment. If outside, the target will begin at Ranged range, in which only bows, crossbows, slings, or thrown weapons can reach.

The ship rat closes to pole weapon range on you!

If combat is inside, such as a building or a cave, targets begin at pole range. At this range, in addition to ranged weapons, long pole range weapons such as halberds or longer spears can also be employed.

Unless the RETREAT command is used to halt advancing, any melee attack at this point will trigger a charge to melee range.

The ship rat closes to melee range on you!

The final range is melee range, in which any weapon can be used.

Range Management and Disengaging

There are four commands used to affect range. As previously mentioned, ADVANCE attempts to close the distance between yourself and a target.

The RETREAT command will either stop advancing or attempt to move back one combat range. Success depends a great deal on hindrance and encumbrance as well as the agility and reflex stats. Each time an attempt is made to retreat within a short period of time, an additional attack penalty is added. This is to prevent endless attacks on a person who is attempting to close to melee. Eventually the penalties will become so severe that landing a hit is impossible.

HANGBACK is an automated command that will attempt to counter any advance with a retreat, preventing change in distance.

Lastly, FLEE attempts to completely disengage from combat, and if a direction is specified, leave that direction. Be warned, it is not an instantaneous command, and during the period between activating and actually fleeing, defenses are reduced. Flee is automatic, unless a stun is received during the attempt.

Weapon and Armor Appraisals

Choosing the right equipment for your character is one of the most important decisions a new combatant faces. Before making an informed decision, however, those wishing to enter combat should first be familiar with the basic terminology of combat. First, let us APPRAISE some weapons and armor to understand how to differentiate the value of one piece of equipment from another. Take, for example, this fictional weapon appraisal:

A broadsword is a heavy edged melee-ranged weapon.
A broadsword trains the large edged skill.

You are certain that it could do:
  poor puncture damage
  severe slice damage
  moderate impact damage
  no fire damage
  no cold damage
  no electric damage

The broadsword is inadequately designed for improving the force of your attacks.

You are certain that the broadsword is fairly balanced and is soundly suited to gaining extra attack power from your strength.

You are certain that the broadsword is unusually resilient to damage, and is practically in mint condition.

The broadsword is made with metal.
You are certain that the broadsword weighs exactly 52 stones.
You are certain that the broadsword is worth exactly 445398 kronars.

Lets look at it line by line:

A broadsword is a heavy edged melee-ranged weapon.

The first line indicates two things: the weapon class of the weapon being appraised and the range of the weapon.

A broadsword trains the large edged skill.

The second line indicates which skill the weapon will train. The class is not the same as the skill. For example, both light edge, and medium edge teach the small edge skill. For the vast majority of cases, only the skill trained is important.

You are certain that it could do:
  poor puncture damage
  severe slice damage
  moderate impact damage
  no fire damage
  no cold damage
  no electric damage

This section lists the type of damage it does. Based on this, you will want to tailor your attacks to utilize the highest damage.

The broadsword is inadequately designed for improving the force of your attacks.

This is known as the Force of Impact (or FoI) stat. The higher this is, the higher the likelyhood of it causing a stun, unbalancing, or disarming an opponent.

You are certain that the broadsword is fairly balanced and is soundly suited to gaining extra attack power from your strength.

Balance is a stat that determines two things. The first is how well it utilizes agility to bonus accuracy. It also determines how good a weapon is at parrying.

Suitability determines how well it uses strength to grant extra damage.

You are certain that the broadsword is unusually resilient to damage, and is practically in mint condition.

This is a readout of how resistant to damage your weapon is, as well as it's current condition.

The broadsword is made with metal.

For the most part, whether a weapon is metal or not only determines which repair shop it goes to, though occasionally it may matter for other reasons.

You are certain that the broadsword weighs exactly 52 stones.

The heavier a weapon is, the slower it will swing, and the more fatigue it will sap on use.

You are certain that the broadsword is worth exactly 445398 kronars.

This is the hard-coded value of the weapon. It's only major use is to determine the cost of having a shop repair an item, which will be a percent of the appraised cost. It should be noted this has nothing to do with what players value the weapon, which can fluxtuate wildly and is completely unrelated.

Combat Messaging

You'll notice information in brackets below each attack you or an opponent makes. This information is a summary of how the attack affected your character. We'll go over each message in detail.

Vitality >100% invigorated 100% none 99%-90% bruised 89%-80% hurt 79%-70% battered 69%-60% beat up 59%-50% very beat up 49%-40% badly hurt 39%-30% very badly hurt 29%-20% smashed up 10%-9% terribly wounded 9%-1% near death <1% in death's grasp

Spirit mighty no message shaky very shaky weak very weak drained very drained cold very cold empty desolate nonexistant

Fatigue >100% energetic 100%-90% no message 89%-80% winded 79%-60% tired 59%-40% fatigued 39%-30% worn-out 29%-20% beat 19%-10% exhausted 9%-~<1% bone-tired

Vitality

Vitality is a verbal representation of your hit points. Each attack that damages you reduces the number of hit points you have by a certain percentage. The levels are:

Spirit

When you are brought back to life (either via departing or Resurrection) it takes a little while to regain your full spirit health. Spirit health affects the time before you depart. Some Cleric spells cause the caster to lose (Aesrela Everild) or gain spirit (Vigil). There are also plans for Spell vs. Spirit contested spells. The levels of spirit, with none being default, are:

Fatigue

You lose some fatigue with each attack you make. If you are using a weapon that is suited for your character's stats the loss will be regained before you even notice it, but you can lose noticeable amounts of fatigue from either using a weapon too heavy for your character or swinging a light one too often.

Fatigue cost is determined base on weapon weight, maneuver used, and the user's strength and stamina.

Balance and Position

Balance incredibly balanced nimbly balanced solidly balanced slightly off balance off balance somewhat off balance badly balanced very badly balanced extremely imbalanced hopelessly unbalanced completely imbalanced

Position overwhelming in dominating position in excellent position in superior position in very strong position in strong position in good position in better position have slight advantage no advantage opponent has slight advantage opponent in better position opponent in good position opponent in strong position opponent in very strong position opponent in superior position opponent in excellent position opponent dominating opponent overwhelming you

There are several levels of balance and position. The base is <solidly balanced> with <no advantage>. You can either gain or lose balance depending on the types of attack you choose; some are balance positive, some are balance negative, and some are balance neutral. Stuns cause balance loss, which in turn reduces your effective defense. A stun will automatically drop your balance to very badly, with more severe stuns dropping your balance further down the scale as the stun continues. From best to least they are:

Position is the relation between your opponent's balance and your own.

The higher the balance and the position, the larger bonus there is to both offense and defense.

Intermediate Guide

Damaging blows:

Light hit,
Good hit,
Good strike,
Solid hit,
Hard hit,
Heavy strike,
Very Heavy hit,
Extremely Heavy hit,
Strong hit,
Powerful strike,
Vicious strike,
Massive strike,
Awesome strike,
Demolishing hit,
Spine-Rattling,
Earth-Shaking,
Devastating hit (That'll leave a mark!),
Overwhelming strike (Oooh, the next generation of {critter} are going to feel that!),
Obliterating hit (Hodierna winces!),
Cataclysmic strike (Shock waves ripple outward!)
Cataclysmic strike (Did the Greater Fist just erupt again?),
Apocalyptic strike (So that's what it felt like when Grazhir shattered!),
Annihilating strike (Urrem'tier would be proud!)

Some say Strike, some say Hit. These are essentially the same. These are "roughly" in the right order. There may be more.

Advanced Guide

The following is a theoretical process for how attacks calculated.

To hit:

• Based on skill and a random number, an Offensive Force/Factor (OF) is generated.
• This number is bonused by the user's Agility as modified by the weapon's balance.
• The number is compared to the effective score of the defender's combined Evasion, Parry, and Shield. From this a chance of hitting is determined. At exactly equal OF and defense, the chance to hit is 66%.
  • There is always a chance to both hit or miss, regardless of the numbers.

Damage:

• If a hit is achieved, then damage is calculated. It begins with the base physical damage from the weapon, modified by the type of attack used.
  • Each type of attack will use a different percentage of the weapons piercing, slicing and impact damage.
• Damage is added based on the user's strength, modified by the weapon's suitability.
• The damage is then reduced by the target's armor modified by the skill of the user in that armor.
• Damage is modified by the degree to which the amount that to hit exceeded the minimal number, increasing it up to double the base damage.
• Lastly, the specific body part damage is capped based on the target's remaining vitality left.

Notes

Weapon balance determines parry suitability.

Protection grows with ranks, absorption doesn't.

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