Combat System Guide

Combat Overview

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.

Character Statistics

Every character in Solaris has four primary attributes that determine their combat capabilities:

• AGI (Agility): Affects dodge chance and ranged attack power
• INT (Intelligence): Affects magical resistance and relic attack power
• STR (Strength): Affects deflect chance and weapon attack power
• VIT (Vitality): Affects armor rating and health points

These base stats are determined by a combination of:

• Race/Creature Type (providing a baseline distribution)
• Class (providing specialization bonuses)
• Trade/Rarity (adding professional skills)
• Magic Affinity (magical specialization)
• Level (stats increase with level progression)

From these primary stats, combat values are calculated:

• DOD (Dodge): Your ability to avoid attacks entirely
• RES (Resist): Your ability to resist magical damage
• DEF (Deflect): Your ability to block physical attacks
• ARM (Armor): Your ability to absorb physical damage
• RAP (Ranged Attack Power): Damage potential with ranged weapons
• MAP (Magic Attack Power): Damage potential with magical attacks
• WAP (Weapon Attack Power): Damage potential with melee weapons
• HIT (Health): Your total health points

Damage Calculation

Attack damage is calculated based on your attack power values:

• Ranged Attacks: Use RAP (Agility × Ranged Equipment Quality × Power Multiplier)
• Magic Attacks: Use MAP (Intelligence × Relic Equipment Quality × Power Multiplier)
• Melee Attacks: Use WAP (Strength × Weapon Equipment Quality × Power Multiplier)

The Power Multiplier is a game constant (currently set to 15) that balances attack power values across the game.

Health (HIT) is calculated as: Vitality × Armor Equipment Quality × Health Multiplier (currently 150). Creatures have an additional modifier (0.75) applied to their health calculation.

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.

Avoidance ratings (Dodge and Deflect) have a maximum cap of 80%, meaning at least 20% of attacks will always hit, regardless of skill level.

Example: If your opponent has a Dodge rating of 65%, your attack's hit chance is reduced to 35% (100% - 65%). This means the opponent has a 65% chance to successfully dodge your attack.

Avoidance ratings are calculated using a complex formula that includes:

• Your primary attribute (Agility for Dodge, Strength for Deflect)
• Equipment quality
• Character level
• Class specialization bonuses

Certain classes receive specialization bonuses to specific avoidance types:

• Assassins and Hunters are specialized in Dodge
• Mages, Necromancers, and Druids are specialized in Resist
• Warriors are specialized in Deflect
• Knights are specialized in both Deflect and Armor
• Techknights are specialized in both Armor and Resist

Damage Mitigation

Damage mitigation statistics (Resist and Armor) help reduce the damage taken. These stats determine what percentage of incoming damage is negated.

Example: If your Armor rating is 65%, you only take 35% of the opponent's weapon attack damage. If the opponent strikes with a weapon that does 500 damage, you would only take 175 damage (500 × 0.35) to your Health.

Similarly, if your Resist rating is 50% and the opponent uses a magical attack that does 400 damage, you would take 200 damage (400 × 0.5) to your Health.

Like avoidance stats, mitigation statistics are capped at 80%, meaning you will always take at least 20% of incoming damage, regardless of how high your armor or resistance values are.

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.

Dodge (DOD): Based on Agility, enhanced by Ranged weapons and Accessories. It represents physically moving out of the way of an attack.

Deflect (DEF): Based on Strength, enhanced by Weapons and Shields. It represents actively blocking or parrying an attack.

When deciding which avoidance to use, consider:

• Dodge works against nearly all attack types but requires space to maneuver
• Deflect is most effective against physical attacks and requires having a weapon or shield ready
• Always use your highest rating when appropriate to the situation

Equipment Quality

Equipment quality significantly impacts combat effectiveness. The quality grades are:

These quality multipliers directly affect your combat stats. For example, upgrading from Common (3) to Noteworthy (6) equipment doubles the equipment's contribution to your stats.

Equipment slots include:

• Accessory: Enhances Dodge
• Ranged: Used for ranged attacks, enhances Dodge
• Weapon: Used for melee attacks, enhances Deflect
• Armor: Enhances damage mitigation and Health
• Relic: Used for magical attacks, enhances Resist
• Shield: Enhances both Deflect and Armor

Abilities in Combat

Custom abilities provide characters with unique tactical options during combat, often turning the tide of battle when used strategically. Each character earns a new custom ability for every 20,000 EXP gained, allowing for personalization and distinctive fighting styles.

Abilities fall into two primary categories:

• Standard Abilities: Unique combat techniques that can be used up to three times per battle. These range from offensive attacks and defensive maneuvers to tactical utilities and status effects.
• Signature Abilities: Exceptionally powerful techniques available only to characters who have reached level 100. These game-changing abilities can only be used once per battle due to their immense power.

When incorporating abilities into your combat strategy, consider:

• Usage limitations (3 times for standard abilities, 1 time for signature abilities)
• Synergies with your character's primary stats (AGI, INT, STR, VIT)
• Situational advantages based on the environment or opponent weaknesses
• Combining abilities with standard attacks to create effective combat sequences
• Saving powerful abilities for critical moments rather than using them immediately

For detailed information on creating and using abilities, refer to the Abilities Guide.

Concerning Death

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.

Characters who return from the Afterplane lose 20% of their total experience (EXP) level. This experience is transferred to the victor who defeated them.

For storyline bosses and creatures, the total EXP is divided among all contributing party members. For example, if a four-person party defeats a creature with 70,000 EXP, each member gains 17,500 EXP and an equal share of the creature's bounty (gold).

Combat Tips

• Keep notes during combat to track HP, damage dealt and received
• Study your opponent's stats to identify their strengths and weaknesses
• Use the environment and positioning to your advantage
• When fighting creatures, note their type-specific statistical advantages
• Different areas of Solaris contain creatures of varying difficulty levels; check recommended area levels before adventuring
• Balance fairness with narrative when determining if avoidance attempts succeed
• Remember that avoidance statistics are capped at 80%, meaning no character is completely untouchable
• Class specializations provide significant bonuses; play to your character's strengths

Quick Reference: Formulas

Attack Power

Health

Damage Calculation

Level Progress

Character levels are calculated as a percentage of maximum experience (100,000), with level 100 being the maximum.