Combat

Solaris RPG employs a turn-based combat system where players strategically execute actions through descriptive posts. The battle ends when one party concedes defeat or manages to escape. Without a clear victor, a Game Master evaluates the submitted posts to determine the outcome. Decisions made by a Game Master are final.

Combat unfolds as players take turns executing actions, including attacking, defending, evading, or escaping. Success in combat depends on thoroughly understanding your opponent's race, class, trade, magic type, and gear quality. Moreover, character-specific custom abilities and class traits introduce further layers of strategic complexity to the battlefield.

While turn-based combat may initially seem daunting, keeping notes simplifies the process. With multiple combatants, keeping track of your HP and your opponent's after each post is crucial. If you take a hit, adjust your HP accordingly.

Damage Avoidance

All characters have a 100% hit chance unless their opponent employs an avoidance maneuver (dodge or deflect), which reduces the hit chance by the opponent's avoidance rating. Players decide whether to accept an attack as a successful strike, balancing numerical values with common sense, fairness, and detailed descriptions.

In most situations, characters should utilize their highest avoidance stat to avoid taking damage. For instance, if an opponent's dodge rating reduces your attack's 100% hit rating, and the resulting value is only 20%, the opponent's chances of successfully dodging are significantly diminished. While they still have the option to attempt a dodge, repeated successful dodges with a meager 20% chance of success may warrant intervention from a Game Master. Such behavior is considered unfair and is strongly discouraged.

Consider the scenario of an opponent having a 20% chance. This situation means that, realistically, the combat encounter should play out so the opponent successfully avoids one out of every five attacks. The challenge lies in determining which attacks to avoid and when to decide. This decision rests entirely with the defender, who must consider all the abovementioned factors.

Damage Mitigation

On the other hand, damage mitigation statistics like resist and armor help reduce the damage taken. For example, when you take a melee strike from an opponent, their weapon damage rating is diminished by your armor rating.

If your armor rating is capped at 80%, you only take 20% of the weapon's attack score. If the opponent strikes you with a magical attack, your resist rating mitigates that damage, but if your resist rating is only 30%, you will take 70% of the relic's attack score as damage to your HP.

It's crucial to differentiate between damage mitigation and damage avoidance. Armor and resist ratings fall under damage mitigation, reducing the severity of incoming damage. On the other hand, dodge and deflect ratings belong to the damage avoidance category, allowing the chance to evade an attack entirely.

Deflect vs Dodge

While dodge can be applied against almost any attack, deflect is designed explicitly for melee and ranged attacks. In some cases, enchanted weapons or shields can deflect or block magical attacks. The ability to stop an attack with a shield is determined by deflect rating.

Concerning Death

So what happens when a character dies? Upon death, a character's soul enters the Afterplane, a shadowy reflection of the living world. Deprived of sensory experiences, characters navigate this realm's distorted time and space. They may venture towards the Great Spiraling Vortex, a gateway leading to Primordia and finalization of the character. Seeking to escape, they may choose to explore methods of returning to the living realm such as the Shadowgate.

The Afterplane presents a myriad of possibilities shaped by the imagination and determination of its inhabitants. Characters who return from the Afterplane lose 20% of their total experience (EXP) level.

What happens to the 20%? Slaying an opponent transfers a portion of their EXP to the victor, the 20%. For storyline bosses, total EXP is divided among all contributing party members. For example, if a four-person party defeats a 70,000 EXP boss, each member gains 17,500 EXP and an equal share of the creature's bounty (gold).

Summary

Turn-based combat in Solaris RPG is a strategic endeavor that demands careful consideration of each move. Players must meticulously examine each post to formulate effective responses. Combat adheres to high-quality standards, ensuring all participants have a fair and engaging experience. Players can choose whether to engage in combat, tailoring their experience to their preferences. Some characters may only participate in battle sometimes or never at all.