Post by Trippy Hare on Sept 25, 2006 9:43:40 GMT -5
Welcome back, Private. This week, we are going to learn the Order of Operations for IC Colosseum posts. So far, we have learned all the in's and out's of the combat, damage, and experience systems: in other words, all the mathematical bits. Now, we're going to go over how to post, and what a post ought to look like. This is an RPG after all, and posting is the most critical aspect of the whole system.
Posts need to be written in third person-past tense, just like everywhere else on the board. Third person is "he she it" as opposed to "I me" (first person) or "you" (second person). Past tense is "did went fought" as opposed to "is fighting, is going, is doing" (present tense) or "will do, will go, will fight" (future tense). The Colosseum is supposed to be a test of your writing skills, so please try to avoid things like spelling errors.
In the Colosseum, there are more intricate guidelines for posts, which serve to tie all your character's unique stats together. The most important thing to remember when posting in the Colosseum is:
Don't make a post in which your character is stronger, more agile, wiser, saner, etc., than their attributes would reflect.
That one is very simple. If your char has a Strength of 4, they aren't going to be tossing horses around or swinging enormous, 8-foot long steel broadswords. There is no specific limit to an IC post based on attributes, but just use common sense. Same thing goes for other attributes: a low-dex char won't be able to perform any wild acrobatics, a low-stam char won't be able to soak a broadsword to the face, a low-san char won't be able to dodge hundreds of arrows, etc. Post in a way that, without looking at your character's bio, a reader will have some idea of your char's attributes.
Bonuses from equipment and skills also alter your character's stats. Be sure to keep that in mind when posting. Do not post your character as having/using a skill/bonus if they do not, in fact, have that skill or bonus. Simply put, if your char doesn't have the skill Robust, don't make a post in which they do. If you have purchased a skill, be sure to add it to your bio. Also, do not add a skill to your bio that you have not purchased. Though I will, for the most part, take a player's word for what skills they have, if a discrepancy is discovered, the skill(s) in question will be deleted.
Although briefly mentioned in other BOOT CAMP threads, Actions and Days are a critical component of the turn-based combat here in the Colosseum. An Action is roughly one paragraph, NOT one swing of a sword. You have an enormous amount of leeway here, which can allow even a low-Wisdom character to string together a series of moves and attacks within the confines of a single paragraph. This is, of course, limited to common sense. I don't want to see a 16-sentence paragraph spanning several pages. To simplify, think of one Action as an attack against a single opponent. You have a whole paragraph to orchestrate this one attack, and as we covered earlier, fancier moves and better writing earns you more Glory.
Days are, to be as simple as possible, any single post. Many skill effects, spells, and equipment bonuses have a duration of days in which they take place. For example, Poison effects last over a period of days. For any system that specifies a duration in days, only count your own posts. If you are Poisoned for three days, three of your own posts later is when the poison will wear off.
Please note that every IC post you make has a 1-Action (one paragraph) buffer zone for dialogue, inner thoughts, etc. In other words, you have one paragraph per post that can be totally free of any sort of fighting. If you add pieces of dialogue or interior thoughts into every Action post, such as calling out a taunt after swinging, that is acceptable. But making a 4-paragraph post in which 3 of those are simply talking is not.
Well, that covers the general principles of posting. Again, none of these is all that drastic a change from the main SoE game. We are, however, about to get into the more intricate operations of posting. It's about to get a little more complex, so pay attention.
Post Contents
Each post is allowed to contain one filler paragraph, as mentioned above, for dialogue, establishing the scene, describing weather, inner thoughts, etc. After that, each post must contain at least one Action paragraph. As mentioned above, each Action paragraph is directed toward a single target. You have plenty of room to fancy-up your moves, but keep in mind, common sense still applies. If your char has a Wisdom of 1, I am not going to allow three pages of a single attack. If you read your post and it seems to cluttered or busy, then it probably is.
Every Action paragraph must contain the word [Action] at the beginning, or at the end, of the paragraph. This is to alert the mod overseeing the battle that an Action has just taken place. Remember though, Wisdom determines who goes first in a fight, so your first Action paragraph may very well be avoiding/blocking the enemy's attacks. Please specify how you are attacking the enemy, don't just say:
In addition to being so lame as to earn no Honor or Glory, that post doesn't specify if Billy used a spell, a ranged weapon, a melee weapon, or his own fists. It doesn't specify how Billy attacked, or even whom. In the regular game, that post would be deleted. Here, it'll earn you a righteous pummeling from whatever your char is fighting.
After you have made a post using at least one Action, and have labeled each with the word Action, your post is complete, and the mod/admin in charge will make the requisite rolls, and in the case of a Pit Fight or Hunter-Killer, or any other scenario in which you are fighting an NPC, the mod will make a Roll Response post with an IC post. A Roll Response post is a post in which the mod/admin in charge of the fight specifies what Actions happened and what the roll results were. Roll Responses must follow this pattern:
Players: Bob, NPC (or the name of any other player involved)
Characters: Billy (Bob) vs. Squirrel (NPC)[/i]
Action 1: Billy attacks Squirrel.
Billy's Attack roll: 15 (or whatever the number was).
Skills/bonuses used: none (If a skill/bonus/potion/prize was used to increase the result of this roll [attack roll], that will be shown here.)
Squirrel's Defense Roll: 12
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy's attack is successful. +2 Honor awarded. +3 Glory awarded for style.
Billy's Damage roll: 32 Skills/bonuses used: none
Squirrel's Soak roll: 15 Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: NPC takes 17 damage.
Damage result: Squirrel has 3 HP remaining, Squirrel is Stunned.
Battle Result: +2 Honor, +3 Glory awarded to Billy
At this point in a Roll Response post, if the admin/mod is controlling a creature/legend or Hunter-Killer Boss, then said admin/mod would then make their post. After any RR post, please include the outcome in your own posts.
[/quote]
We see here that Billy, played by Bob, has successfully hit his target, Squirrel (played by NPC...an admin or mod). In Billy's next post, he should include something about hitting his enemy in his Dialogue paragraph. This is another opportunity to earn some Renown, so be fancy.
Here's an example of how a post-RR-post-end battle thread would look like. In this example, Billy is attempting to Dodge the Squirrel's attack (defense roll), and the Squirrel attempts to dodge Billy's as well:
POST 1
The Squirrel eyed Billy suspiciously. He knew why the odd-looking, hairless biped was here. The same reason everyone always came here...to steal his nuts! "Eek ork ook rikki rikki irk irk!" the Squirrel chittered angrily. Surely, no one in their right mind would ignore such a threat!
But this 'Billy' creature did just that. The Squirrel, with no other choice readily available, had to fight back. [Action 1]. He ran to wards Billy, foam dripping from his bloodthirsty, if miniature, jaws. His tiny claws found purchase in Billy's leg, and he quickly scampered up it as if it were the limb of a mighty tree, and slashed everything within reach with his tiny, ferocious claws.
The creature was large...much larger than Squirrel anticipated. [Action 2]He called upon the ancestral septic mouths of all his fallen Squirrel brethren, and feeling the poison coat his fangs, dove at Billy's soft, exposed skin.
RR
Players: NPC, Bob
Characters: Squirrel (NPC), Billy (Bob)
Action 1a: Squirrel attacks Billy, dual-wield claws. Left claw.
Squirrel's Attack Roll: 34
Skills/bonuses used: Squirrelly Wrath, +2 to Attack roll
Billy's Defense roll: 25
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Squirrel's attack is successful.
Squirrel's Damage roll: 2
Skills/bonuses used: none
Billy's Soak roll: 0
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy takes 2 damage.
Action 1b: Squirrel attacks Billy, dual wield claws. Right claw.
Squirrel's Attack roll: 16
Skills/Bonuses used: Squirrelly Wrath, +2 to Attack
Billy's Defense Roll: 21
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Squirrel's attack misses.
Action 2: Squirrel attempts to Poison Billy using Poison Fangs skill. We look up the skill in the Skillbook. It says that if Squirrel rolls its Sanityd4 higher than Billy's Staminad6, billy is poisoned for 5 days.
Squirrel's Sanity roll: 37
Billy's Stamina roll: 43
Result: Billy is not poisoned.
POST 2
Billy peered at the tiny ball of fur and rage, unsure what his next move would be. Surely, they weren't sending him against a squirrel! As if by reading his mind, the Squirrel dove at him, scaling his leg as if it were a tree and biting and scratching everywhere it went. Luckily, Billy's armor protected him for the most part, though he felt a sharp stabbing pain near his calf. The Squirrel had bitten into soft flesh, but it was too small to do much damage. He saw the foul creature raise itself up, as if preparing to strike, and saw something glinting in its jaw. Billy cried out in disgust, and knocked the savage little creature away.
[Action]Now, it was his turn to make the tiny demon bleed. Billy knew that his poleaxe would be of little use against such a tiny foe, so he returned it to its scabbard and withdrew a short Bone knife from his boot. He charged the foul creature, slashing at it with all his might.
In the dust and din of his assault, Billy had lost track of the foul little beastie. He sat on the blood-soaked sand of the Colosseum floor, and waited until he saw any glimpse of movement. Luckily, the creature was not the brightest, and soon came skittering into view. Billy grinned sadistically, and thrust his dagger at the tiny creature.
RR 2
Players: Bob, NPC
Characters: Billy (Bob), Squirrel (NPC)
Action 1: Billy slashes at Squirrel with MR 4 knife.
Billy's Attack Roll: 28
Skills/Bonuses used: none
Squirrel's Defense roll: 25
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy hits Squirrel. +2 Glory.
Billy's Damage roll: 19
Skills/bonuses used: none
Squirrel's Soak roll: 0
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy deals 19 damage to Squirrel. Billy is awarded +5 Honor, +4 Glory.
Damage result: Squirrel's HP is -9. Squirrel dies. Billy is awarded +5 Honor, +1 Glory.
Action 2: Billy thrusts at Squirrel with MR 4 knife.
Billy's Attack roll: 33
kills/bonuses used: none
Squirrel's Defense roll: 0 It's dead
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy hits Squirrel. +1 Glory.
Billy's Damage roll: 26
Skills/bonuses used: none
Squirrel's soak roll: 0
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy deals 26 damage to squirrel.
Damage result: Squirrel's HP drops to -35. Squirrel is still dead. +5 Honor, +3 Glory awarded to Billy.
Billy is victorious! Billy has been awarded a total of +15 Honor, +11 Glory for this victory. Prize of +2 Wealth is awarded.
POST 3
Billy cried in triumph when he saw the squirrel's body impaled on his knife. It twitched...once, twice, thrice. And then all was still. Billy chuckled to himself, scraped the creature off his knife, and returned it to its sheath within his boot. Looking down, he saw a pair of gold coins shining in the sand below the squirrel's meager pile of nuts and leaves. He brushed aside the debris and pocketed his prize. "Let that be a lesson to all the squirrels!" he called out into the dead, quiet air of the empty Colosseum. "Billy the Squirrelbane has arrived, and he fears not your evil nuts!"
In this example, the Squirrel had no armor on and always attempted to dodge Billy's attack. Billy likewise attempted to dodge the Squirrel's attack. Had either of them attempted to block, the rolls would have been slightly different.
In the case of duels/Tag-Team duels, a RR post will be posted by an admin or mod only after all characters involved have posted (2 in a normal duel, 4 in a tag-team). This allows a character to announce, in their IC post, whether they will dodge or block an attack. All other systems follow the example outlined above.
Free-for-Alls are much more complicated, and will require every player to PM their dodge/block response to an attack to the admin/mod in charge. Hunter-Killer matches are very simple, in that after every player-char has posted, a RR post for their attacks will be made. Then the H-K Boss posts, and a RR post is made for its actions.
All IC posts must contain at least one action. Why come to the Colosseum except to fight, right?
Order of Operations
Whenever rolling for attack/defense, or damage, or any other relevant rolls, there is an order in which to apply any data that influences these rolls.
1: Attribute score. This is the primary influence on rolls, and applies first.
2: Skill bonus/Bad skill bonus. After Attributes, any skill, good or bad, that affects a roll is added in.
3: Equipment bonus. Once the base roll and the affect of a skill have been added, any bonus on a weapon, shield, armor, ranged weapon, or specialty ammo is added. Of course, ranged weapon/ammo bonuses only work on ranged attacks, melee weapon bonuses only work on melee attacks, and shield/armor bonuses only work when being hit/attacked.
4: Potions. Remember the Apothecary? Well, any effects caused by a potion are added after all the equipment and skill bonuses. Since rolls are calculated after a post, and potions must be used in a post, it may turn out that the potion was not needed.
5: Prizes. The very last bonus applied is that of prizes, trophies, and other passive gifts. This does not mean that if a prize awarded was a weapon, you get the weapon's bonus again. It means that if your prize was a +5 to Attack rolls trophy, that +5 is added in after everything else.
6: Karma. Remember kids, Karma allow for any reroll per point. If you have 10 Karma, you can reroll 10 times. If Karma is used to do so, its effects are used LAST. Also, use of Karma has to be stated beforehand, via PM'ing the admin/mod. Choose very carefully! Since Karma takes effect last, you can feasibly roll very good rolls...and then have to reroll them at the very end, only to roll poorly.
This is the heart of the Colosseum, and its very reason for existence. In the context of a free-forum RPG, every character has an enormous amount of leeway in everything they do, and the security of knowing they cannot be killed without consent. Though that ensures a game's stability, it also causes many players to lapse into a false sense of security. The Colosseum is here to change all that. NOBODY is safe inside, not even the Legends I have worked so hard on elsewhere in the game. The security of knowing you would have to agree to your char dying is gone: now, it all comes down to the roll of the dice. Your skill as a writer is no longer the only factor: though this will ease some of the burden off of you, it will also give you far less to work with. I'd wish you luck, Private, but I know that sooner or later you're gonna die. That's the way it goes in the Colosseum. Semper Fi, carry on.
Posts need to be written in third person-past tense, just like everywhere else on the board. Third person is "he she it" as opposed to "I me" (first person) or "you" (second person). Past tense is "did went fought" as opposed to "is fighting, is going, is doing" (present tense) or "will do, will go, will fight" (future tense). The Colosseum is supposed to be a test of your writing skills, so please try to avoid things like spelling errors.
In the Colosseum, there are more intricate guidelines for posts, which serve to tie all your character's unique stats together. The most important thing to remember when posting in the Colosseum is:
Don't make a post in which your character is stronger, more agile, wiser, saner, etc., than their attributes would reflect.
That one is very simple. If your char has a Strength of 4, they aren't going to be tossing horses around or swinging enormous, 8-foot long steel broadswords. There is no specific limit to an IC post based on attributes, but just use common sense. Same thing goes for other attributes: a low-dex char won't be able to perform any wild acrobatics, a low-stam char won't be able to soak a broadsword to the face, a low-san char won't be able to dodge hundreds of arrows, etc. Post in a way that, without looking at your character's bio, a reader will have some idea of your char's attributes.
Bonuses from equipment and skills also alter your character's stats. Be sure to keep that in mind when posting. Do not post your character as having/using a skill/bonus if they do not, in fact, have that skill or bonus. Simply put, if your char doesn't have the skill Robust, don't make a post in which they do. If you have purchased a skill, be sure to add it to your bio. Also, do not add a skill to your bio that you have not purchased. Though I will, for the most part, take a player's word for what skills they have, if a discrepancy is discovered, the skill(s) in question will be deleted.
Although briefly mentioned in other BOOT CAMP threads, Actions and Days are a critical component of the turn-based combat here in the Colosseum. An Action is roughly one paragraph, NOT one swing of a sword. You have an enormous amount of leeway here, which can allow even a low-Wisdom character to string together a series of moves and attacks within the confines of a single paragraph. This is, of course, limited to common sense. I don't want to see a 16-sentence paragraph spanning several pages. To simplify, think of one Action as an attack against a single opponent. You have a whole paragraph to orchestrate this one attack, and as we covered earlier, fancier moves and better writing earns you more Glory.
Days are, to be as simple as possible, any single post. Many skill effects, spells, and equipment bonuses have a duration of days in which they take place. For example, Poison effects last over a period of days. For any system that specifies a duration in days, only count your own posts. If you are Poisoned for three days, three of your own posts later is when the poison will wear off.
Please note that every IC post you make has a 1-Action (one paragraph) buffer zone for dialogue, inner thoughts, etc. In other words, you have one paragraph per post that can be totally free of any sort of fighting. If you add pieces of dialogue or interior thoughts into every Action post, such as calling out a taunt after swinging, that is acceptable. But making a 4-paragraph post in which 3 of those are simply talking is not.
Well, that covers the general principles of posting. Again, none of these is all that drastic a change from the main SoE game. We are, however, about to get into the more intricate operations of posting. It's about to get a little more complex, so pay attention.
Post Contents
Each post is allowed to contain one filler paragraph, as mentioned above, for dialogue, establishing the scene, describing weather, inner thoughts, etc. After that, each post must contain at least one Action paragraph. As mentioned above, each Action paragraph is directed toward a single target. You have plenty of room to fancy-up your moves, but keep in mind, common sense still applies. If your char has a Wisdom of 1, I am not going to allow three pages of a single attack. If you read your post and it seems to cluttered or busy, then it probably is.
Every Action paragraph must contain the word [Action] at the beginning, or at the end, of the paragraph. This is to alert the mod overseeing the battle that an Action has just taken place. Remember though, Wisdom determines who goes first in a fight, so your first Action paragraph may very well be avoiding/blocking the enemy's attacks. Please specify how you are attacking the enemy, don't just say:
[Action]Billy attacks his enemy.
In addition to being so lame as to earn no Honor or Glory, that post doesn't specify if Billy used a spell, a ranged weapon, a melee weapon, or his own fists. It doesn't specify how Billy attacked, or even whom. In the regular game, that post would be deleted. Here, it'll earn you a righteous pummeling from whatever your char is fighting.
After you have made a post using at least one Action, and have labeled each with the word Action, your post is complete, and the mod/admin in charge will make the requisite rolls, and in the case of a Pit Fight or Hunter-Killer, or any other scenario in which you are fighting an NPC, the mod will make a Roll Response post with an IC post. A Roll Response post is a post in which the mod/admin in charge of the fight specifies what Actions happened and what the roll results were. Roll Responses must follow this pattern:
Players: Bob, NPC (or the name of any other player involved)
Characters: Billy (Bob) vs. Squirrel (NPC)
Action 1: Billy attacks Squirrel.
Billy's Attack roll: 15 (or whatever the number was).
Skills/bonuses used: none (If a skill/bonus/potion/prize was used to increase the result of this roll [attack roll], that will be shown here.)
Squirrel's Defense Roll: 12
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy's attack is successful. +2 Honor awarded. +3 Glory awarded for style.
Billy's Damage roll: 32 Skills/bonuses used: none
Squirrel's Soak roll: 15 Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: NPC takes 17 damage.
Damage result: Squirrel has 3 HP remaining, Squirrel is Stunned.
Battle Result: +2 Honor, +3 Glory awarded to Billy
At this point in a Roll Response post, if the admin/mod is controlling a creature/legend or Hunter-Killer Boss, then said admin/mod would then make their post. After any RR post, please include the outcome in your own posts.
[/quote]
We see here that Billy, played by Bob, has successfully hit his target, Squirrel (played by NPC...an admin or mod). In Billy's next post, he should include something about hitting his enemy in his Dialogue paragraph. This is another opportunity to earn some Renown, so be fancy.
Here's an example of how a post-RR-post-end battle thread would look like. In this example, Billy is attempting to Dodge the Squirrel's attack (defense roll), and the Squirrel attempts to dodge Billy's as well:
POST 1
The Squirrel eyed Billy suspiciously. He knew why the odd-looking, hairless biped was here. The same reason everyone always came here...to steal his nuts! "Eek ork ook rikki rikki irk irk!" the Squirrel chittered angrily. Surely, no one in their right mind would ignore such a threat!
But this 'Billy' creature did just that. The Squirrel, with no other choice readily available, had to fight back. [Action 1]. He ran to wards Billy, foam dripping from his bloodthirsty, if miniature, jaws. His tiny claws found purchase in Billy's leg, and he quickly scampered up it as if it were the limb of a mighty tree, and slashed everything within reach with his tiny, ferocious claws.
The creature was large...much larger than Squirrel anticipated. [Action 2]He called upon the ancestral septic mouths of all his fallen Squirrel brethren, and feeling the poison coat his fangs, dove at Billy's soft, exposed skin.
RR
Players: NPC, Bob
Characters: Squirrel (NPC), Billy (Bob)
Action 1a: Squirrel attacks Billy, dual-wield claws. Left claw.
Squirrel's Attack Roll: 34
Skills/bonuses used: Squirrelly Wrath, +2 to Attack roll
Billy's Defense roll: 25
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Squirrel's attack is successful.
Squirrel's Damage roll: 2
Skills/bonuses used: none
Billy's Soak roll: 0
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy takes 2 damage.
Action 1b: Squirrel attacks Billy, dual wield claws. Right claw.
Squirrel's Attack roll: 16
Skills/Bonuses used: Squirrelly Wrath, +2 to Attack
Billy's Defense Roll: 21
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Squirrel's attack misses.
Action 2: Squirrel attempts to Poison Billy using Poison Fangs skill. We look up the skill in the Skillbook. It says that if Squirrel rolls its Sanityd4 higher than Billy's Staminad6, billy is poisoned for 5 days.
Squirrel's Sanity roll: 37
Billy's Stamina roll: 43
Result: Billy is not poisoned.
POST 2
Billy peered at the tiny ball of fur and rage, unsure what his next move would be. Surely, they weren't sending him against a squirrel! As if by reading his mind, the Squirrel dove at him, scaling his leg as if it were a tree and biting and scratching everywhere it went. Luckily, Billy's armor protected him for the most part, though he felt a sharp stabbing pain near his calf. The Squirrel had bitten into soft flesh, but it was too small to do much damage. He saw the foul creature raise itself up, as if preparing to strike, and saw something glinting in its jaw. Billy cried out in disgust, and knocked the savage little creature away.
[Action]Now, it was his turn to make the tiny demon bleed. Billy knew that his poleaxe would be of little use against such a tiny foe, so he returned it to its scabbard and withdrew a short Bone knife from his boot. He charged the foul creature, slashing at it with all his might.
In the dust and din of his assault, Billy had lost track of the foul little beastie. He sat on the blood-soaked sand of the Colosseum floor, and waited until he saw any glimpse of movement. Luckily, the creature was not the brightest, and soon came skittering into view. Billy grinned sadistically, and thrust his dagger at the tiny creature.
RR 2
Players: Bob, NPC
Characters: Billy (Bob), Squirrel (NPC)
Action 1: Billy slashes at Squirrel with MR 4 knife.
Billy's Attack Roll: 28
Skills/Bonuses used: none
Squirrel's Defense roll: 25
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy hits Squirrel. +2 Glory.
Billy's Damage roll: 19
Skills/bonuses used: none
Squirrel's Soak roll: 0
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy deals 19 damage to Squirrel. Billy is awarded +5 Honor, +4 Glory.
Damage result: Squirrel's HP is -9. Squirrel dies. Billy is awarded +5 Honor, +1 Glory.
Action 2: Billy thrusts at Squirrel with MR 4 knife.
Billy's Attack roll: 33
kills/bonuses used: none
Squirrel's Defense roll: 0 It's dead
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy hits Squirrel. +1 Glory.
Billy's Damage roll: 26
Skills/bonuses used: none
Squirrel's soak roll: 0
Skills/bonuses used: none
Result: Billy deals 26 damage to squirrel.
Damage result: Squirrel's HP drops to -35. Squirrel is still dead. +5 Honor, +3 Glory awarded to Billy.
Billy is victorious! Billy has been awarded a total of +15 Honor, +11 Glory for this victory. Prize of +2 Wealth is awarded.
POST 3
Billy cried in triumph when he saw the squirrel's body impaled on his knife. It twitched...once, twice, thrice. And then all was still. Billy chuckled to himself, scraped the creature off his knife, and returned it to its sheath within his boot. Looking down, he saw a pair of gold coins shining in the sand below the squirrel's meager pile of nuts and leaves. He brushed aside the debris and pocketed his prize. "Let that be a lesson to all the squirrels!" he called out into the dead, quiet air of the empty Colosseum. "Billy the Squirrelbane has arrived, and he fears not your evil nuts!"
In this example, the Squirrel had no armor on and always attempted to dodge Billy's attack. Billy likewise attempted to dodge the Squirrel's attack. Had either of them attempted to block, the rolls would have been slightly different.
In the case of duels/Tag-Team duels, a RR post will be posted by an admin or mod only after all characters involved have posted (2 in a normal duel, 4 in a tag-team). This allows a character to announce, in their IC post, whether they will dodge or block an attack. All other systems follow the example outlined above.
Free-for-Alls are much more complicated, and will require every player to PM their dodge/block response to an attack to the admin/mod in charge. Hunter-Killer matches are very simple, in that after every player-char has posted, a RR post for their attacks will be made. Then the H-K Boss posts, and a RR post is made for its actions.
All IC posts must contain at least one action. Why come to the Colosseum except to fight, right?
Order of Operations
Whenever rolling for attack/defense, or damage, or any other relevant rolls, there is an order in which to apply any data that influences these rolls.
1: Attribute score. This is the primary influence on rolls, and applies first.
2: Skill bonus/Bad skill bonus. After Attributes, any skill, good or bad, that affects a roll is added in.
3: Equipment bonus. Once the base roll and the affect of a skill have been added, any bonus on a weapon, shield, armor, ranged weapon, or specialty ammo is added. Of course, ranged weapon/ammo bonuses only work on ranged attacks, melee weapon bonuses only work on melee attacks, and shield/armor bonuses only work when being hit/attacked.
4: Potions. Remember the Apothecary? Well, any effects caused by a potion are added after all the equipment and skill bonuses. Since rolls are calculated after a post, and potions must be used in a post, it may turn out that the potion was not needed.
5: Prizes. The very last bonus applied is that of prizes, trophies, and other passive gifts. This does not mean that if a prize awarded was a weapon, you get the weapon's bonus again. It means that if your prize was a +5 to Attack rolls trophy, that +5 is added in after everything else.
6: Karma. Remember kids, Karma allow for any reroll per point. If you have 10 Karma, you can reroll 10 times. If Karma is used to do so, its effects are used LAST. Also, use of Karma has to be stated beforehand, via PM'ing the admin/mod. Choose very carefully! Since Karma takes effect last, you can feasibly roll very good rolls...and then have to reroll them at the very end, only to roll poorly.
This is the heart of the Colosseum, and its very reason for existence. In the context of a free-forum RPG, every character has an enormous amount of leeway in everything they do, and the security of knowing they cannot be killed without consent. Though that ensures a game's stability, it also causes many players to lapse into a false sense of security. The Colosseum is here to change all that. NOBODY is safe inside, not even the Legends I have worked so hard on elsewhere in the game. The security of knowing you would have to agree to your char dying is gone: now, it all comes down to the roll of the dice. Your skill as a writer is no longer the only factor: though this will ease some of the burden off of you, it will also give you far less to work with. I'd wish you luck, Private, but I know that sooner or later you're gonna die. That's the way it goes in the Colosseum. Semper Fi, carry on.