The Fated Dead (Arena IOT) PRETHREAD

[jackelgull]

I'm partial to option b

 

[inthesomeday]

C and B both look good

 

[Tyo]

I like C. I wouldn't mind b or d either tho tbh

 

[SouthernKing]

I prefer B but I wouldn't mind C or D

 

[Angst]

Alright, B and C are basically tied. I'll finish the map as the last thing so you have time to share your votes (also, I don't know what's supposed to be on the final map until the final "economy" system is a thing, so I know what people and shops are needed etc.)

Real thread launch, with either Update 0 or an Update 0 date, will probably be up in two weeks. Since I think we are somewhat good to go. So you have about two weeks to create/finalize your submissions.

 

[Angst]

NB. I have edited this post a couple of times. If you didn't see this message during your last read, you haven't read the latest version.

So, let me tell you how combat works.

First off, there is some randomness involved in combat, this simulates spontainety, opportunity, dynamic attacks and sheer luck. The randomness is however heavily influenced by preexisting factors, such as damage resistances, stances, weapons, weaknesses and so on. Certain fights may have the parties aligned in such a way that one heavily counters the other so lucky Is a very slight factor.

Each character has a body. This body is rendered in limbs – head, thorax, right arm, left arm, right leg and left leg. When fighting an enemy, the goal is to pacify the enemy by inflicting conditions upon the enemy’s limbs. When a limb has a condition, it is rendered unusable.

The conditions are the following:
● Maimed – a physical condition. Usually inflicted by ordinary weapons. The limb is either severely cut or broken, bleeding out or almost dismembered.
● Poisoned – a physical condition. Usually inflicted by poisoned weapons, gases or spells, but is also often performed outside combat. The limb is infected by toxins, vile bacteria or burned by acid.
● Disfigured – a physical condition. Usually inflicted by spells, but may also be a side effect of poor regeneration or resurrection. The limb is whole, but has been malformed to the degree of being useless.
● Burned – a magical condition. Usually inflicted by spells or enchanted weapons. The limb has been severely burned by intense heat, cold or arcane energy.
● Hexed – a magical condition. Usually inflicted by spells or cursed weapons. A curse has befallen upon the limb, infusing it with a dark spirit in such a way that it cannot act in good faith.
● Banished – a magical condition. Usually infliced by spells or enchanted weapons. The limb has been planeshifted to the shadow plane, now a hollow shell of its former stature.
● Maddened – a mental condition. Usually inflicted by spells or cursed weapons. Either the limb’s nerves have been destabilized or it has been infused with insanity, so the limb acts as if possessed by a mind of its own.
● Severed – When a limb already has a condition and is damaged again somehow (by the same condition? Or by any? I'm stilll deciding between the two), it will become severed from its owner’s body.

Champions attack limbs at random, simulating the champion’s opportunity of where to attack during that moment. As soon as a limb gains a condition, it is rendered useless for the battle. The attacker may attack the same limb additional times if unlucky, but it may end up severing the limb, allowing the attacker to ignore it while looking for places to hit. This allows defenders to make some comebacks after losing the initial exchange.

Weapons and skills factor heavily in deciding how the battle’s outcome ends up. There are a number of circumstances in the battle proceedings. Some current examples – Heavy weapons deal more damage and more easily penetrates heavy armor, but has it difficult hitting nimble fighters. Weight is overall a very real factor in deciding the outcome of battles, as stamina isn’t infinite. Same goes for mind-and-body taxing magicks. Long weapons such as spears keep the enemy at bay until parried, whereas they’re very poor in close quarters. Each weapon has a parry rating, and shields are the best items to parry with. Ranged weapons such as bows or rifles are especially great at this and especially poor in close quarters. Armor defends against a bunch of things, but certain magicks penetrate steel with ease. Expensive charms, enchantments, skin runes (basically magically carved tattoos) and jewelry protect against magical effects. Cursed gear is stronger for cheap and usually has brutal effects but come with a hefty personal cost such as blindness or constant bleeding from the mouth.

Usually a champion dies after losing its thorax or head, and it will usually faint after only having four limbs left (eg. a head, a thorax, and two arms).

Regardless of the fight’s outcome, each champion will keep the conditions it has been inflicted with after the fight. This has to be restored either by necromancy, eldritch magick or technomancy. This either costs gold, or is performed for free if you’re dead – either way has a chance of deforming your character. This is why I listed the conditions above - because you will see them on your character between games, also the limb system is central to understanding your character's current form.

This leads us to The Fated Dead’s metagame, where players are able to purchase services and gear as well as performing noncombat tasks in between the fights – limbs may gain certain features, you can know how your concrete equipment functions, you may have certain dark effects embedded in your body, and you can grow additional limbs or transmute your own to the most cruel of functions - we’ll save this for another post.

 

[Angst]

Weapons and skills factor heavily in deciding how the battle’s outcome ends up. There are a number of circumstances in the battle proceedings. Some current examples – Heavy weapons deal more damage and more easily penetrates heavy armor, but has it difficult hitting nimble fighters. Weight is overall a very real factor in deciding the outcome of battles, as stamina isn’t infinite. Same goes for mind-and-body taxing magicks. Long weapons such as spears keep the enemy at bay until parried, whereas they’re very poor in close quarters. Each weapon has a parry rating, and shields are the best items to parry with. Ranged weapons such as bows or rifles are especially great at this and especially poor in close quarters. Armor defends against a bunch of things, but certain magicks penetrate steel with ease. Expensive charms, enchantments, skin runes (basically magically carved tattoos) and jewelry protect against magical effects. Cursed gear is stronger for cheap and usually has brutal effects but come with a hefty personal cost such as blindness or constant bleeding from the mouth.

Minor clarification about this section - or, emphasis - these are examples. They don't outline all of combat, in particular heavy armory usage seems weak according to this list. I must stress that they are examples - for this particular case, it's easier for a light equipment wielder to hit anything, as well as parry, but it's much more difficult for them to penetrate armored targets. Overall the system should be somewhat evened out.

Also, later, before the metagame update, I think I'll write some details about the stats, particularly equipment descriptions and some of the limb modifiers that you can get. After that, I'll talk about the metagame. I think it makes more sense to be told about the equipment and mutations before you are told how to get them.

 

[Arrow Gamer]

Player: Arrow Gamer
Champion name: Tim
Equipment: A small bronze dagger about 8 inches in length.
Abilities: Tim is barely passable at hiding, and yet that is also his best skill. He is terrible at everything else.
Background: Tim's dad is very, very sick, and his family has languished in poverty for generations, so he joined the tournament to pay for what meager treatment exists in the slums. He is a nervous, pitiable figure, about 5'10 and 120 pounds. He once slaughtered a pig but threw up immediately afterwards.

 

[Everblack]

Player: Everblack
Champion name: Draven
Equipment:
Spiked tip Metal Gadlings and Leather Robe
Abilities:
Close Combat Expert: Draven prefer method of combat is getting up close and personal with his opponent.
Fighting style (Grappler): Draven fight prowess come from restricting his opponent movements weather temporary or permanent.
Fighting style (Dirty Fighter): Fighters who fought in pits fight know that everything goes when it come to wining and Draven no exception.
Background: Draven was born a slave and sold to pit fights to be trained to battle against both beast and men for the amusement of others entertainment. Draven gain popular in the area for his showboating and brutal execution. Due to his popular he was sent a gift to the Grim Maul to provide even greater entertainment.

 

[Amesjay]

Player: Amesjay
Champion name: Gerard
Equipment: Full plate, Kite shield and long sword
Abilities: Proficient at close quarters combat, Gerard also possesses a somewhat innate protection magic in that objects and magic don't seem to harm him as much as one would expect and occasionally in the heat of battle those around him experience the same thing.
Background: An extremely zealous fighter, Gerard's unrelenting belief in destroying things he saw as evil put him at odds with those around him. In the end he resolved to head towards the arena with the goal of ending the lives of those that he saw as unfit to exist though his overconfidence and faith leads him to believe there is no way he will lose in combat.

 

[Angst]

The signature

”So, what’s your name?”

”Uh. Tahn.”

The clerk did a small scribble in the tome, then opened a drawer, pulling a gold lined scroll from it. He looked it over, coughed, and placed it in front of him. He measured Tahn’s scrawny, short body, coughed again, then handed the scroll to Tahn. “Here,” he said, “This is where you sign your name. Now. Law compels me to reiterate the consequences of your signature. The contract is binding by law and magic. You are not allowed to leave the arena grounds unless at our discretion.” Another cough. “If you do, we are allowed to have the the magical seals and spells in you stop functioning, and you will basically be ripped apart.” The clerk held a fist towards his mouth again, but this time it was a slight pant. He continued. “Of course, winning a grand tournament – the biannual Massacre – allows you to leave the Maul.”

He pushed the scroll forward. Everything the clerk was saying was written there, a small line ready for Tahn’s signature at the bottom.

“Now, ah, khgh,” the clerk coughed, “You also agree to be resurrected at the discretion of the Maul staff. Sometimes the regeneration may be unspeakably painful. Even after the procedures, the fixes may prove cumbersome to your normal body constitution.”

“I’m not compelled to tell you this, but you have to understand the good parts too. Survive, and you will get very rich. And it’s not like you can’t enjoy your winnings.” Cough. “If you can’t get permission to leave a set day, you can send out Maul personnel to collect luxuries, hell, you can even rent the luxury cells in the Silver Wing.” The clerk smiled wryly. “We offer the best life possible for our good workers.”
He poked the line with his finger. “Sign here.”

Tahn reached out for the pen, then hesitated. He already knew about the Maul’s commitments, everyone did. He had even seen a couple of fights back when he visited the city five years ago. But looking at the scroll right now, that world felt so alien. The scroll detailed none of the slaughter he had seen, now vividly imprinted in the back of his head. But it took no more than a second, then he snorted annoyedly and signed the scroll. The stream of the ink flew through him as though some horrid force dragged his name out of his hand. But he was hellbent to make a mockery of death. That much he knew.

The clerk gestured towards a door behind the desk. ”Enter there,” he said, “Then my assistant will walk you through the motions.”

The Maul and its Architecture

The Monster
The Maul’s architecture is not confined to the arenas itself. Its buried world encompasses a complex of labyrinthian tunnels, heralding from the earliest settlements that would eventually become the city state of Sargendourne. As such, the Grim Maul has a myriad of styles of sites and dungeons, some thousands of years old.

When the silver mogul Kabal first bought the site, it accounted for a much smaller area, centered around the Maul’s namesake primary arena, but as it gained in popularity, Kabal arranged expansions towards the current area, including rooms that were built for completely different purposes, such as catacombs and abandoned sewers.

The complex at large is seldom inspected, and its many hallways and intricate rooms are often connected with improvised solutions. Wooden support beams hold up ceilings way beyond their weight. Some tunnels are closed off even if publicly associated with the Maul, probably due to caveins or sickly things hiding in the shadows. The drainage plunge directly through cells, and it’s not uncommon that the pipes break and fighters are drowned in the muck, blood and waste pouring into their cells. It’s not surprising that the complex is called the Monster by its inhabitants and personnel, and sometimes, as people disappear tracelessly, people muse that “the Monster eats its young.”

The Cells
Each champion, regardless of stature, is dealt a personal cell. They’re unevenly spread throughout the Monster, some say even unpredictably, and the way they’re distributed makes it almost impossible for its inhabitants to know exactly how many champions are living there at any point.

Most of the cells are so-called standard cells, a 25 cubic metres stone room with a barred iron door. The actual contents such as furniture is at the discretion of the champion, depending on what he buys for it. Each servant usually service about 20 rooms where they arrange furnishing and purchase of luxuries outside the Grim Maul, usualy from stores in Sargendourne, but may also be sent further for a price.

Standard cells are free to live in, but if a champion wants more luxury, he can buy any of the special cells spread throughout the Maul. These cost a fee each month to live in, depending on the individual cell. Each special cell varies greatly from the next, giving the champions great flexibility to choose one for their liking. There are thousands of these as well – and with the standard cells outnumbering the special cells tremendously, it should hint at the dimensions of the Monster.

However, the finest cells available are the so-called Cells of the Silver Wing. The whole wing is made of solid shamum, a compound developed by Kabal’s alchemists. The material can be almost freely shaped with sulfur and lead, making it possible for the champions to design large silverlike villas, and as the Wing is positioned at the top of the Grim Maul, it is even possible to have windows, allowing panoramic views of Sargendourne.

The Common Rooms
Leisure is a large part of being a champion, even with the numerous pains and dangers inherent in the pits. Spread throughout the Monster, the commons are small underground taverns with drinking, games and music. Reinforced with wood and usually having hearths, tables and soft chairs, the commons are the areas most remniscent of the surface world. This is also where champions usually meet to form bands. As champions get older, more powerful and more mutilated, they usually retreat from the commons, spending more and more time in solitude, deep in the depths of the earth.

The Administrative Quarter
The only area with paths to the surface, the administrative quarter accounts for several rooms of secretaries, merchants and bankers that arrange the Maul economy, salaries, supplies and so on. It’s also where new blood enters. “Come in, never come out” is a common phrase amongst the inhabitants of the Monster, it’s usually said to new faces walking through the administrative quarter doors. This has more to do with the fact that the combatants are disfigured beyond recognition than it has to do with people rarely leaving the Maul. Kabal himself is said to live above the administrative quarter, in a large mansion, when he isn’t out of town.

The Barracks
Not all champions are contestants each week. While the complex is very expansive, the Grim Maul only hosts four arenas in total. So champions have a decent amount of spare time. While it can be spent doing all sorts of activities throughout the Monster, many of these aren’t free. What’s free, however, is spending time in the Barracks, honing your skills. The barracks is quite expansive and consists of several floors, gear, dummies, and even a pit of live enemies to try to fight against. So if a champion isn’t fighting that week, or isn’t restricted from being reanimated or rebuilt, that champion can spend time training in the barracks. If the champion has sufficient gold, he can even rent a personal trainer for that week.

The Blacksmith
The blacksmith serves as the official armory of the Maul, serving multiple purposes, such as containing weapons between battles and repairing non-meka equipment. It’s also here champions buy new equipment. The blacksmith’s roster of gear covers basically every weapon and armor piece from the conventional to exotic, and it even boasts a few items of magical equipment each week.

The Laboratory
The home of on-site alchemists, the laboratory is the brightest of the shoprooms. It’s actually an old machine room with large steamers, boilers, barrels and gears, but it has proved perfect for the studious alchemists. The boilers serve as massive kegs where the compounds can be mixed, warmed and frozen, and a system of mirrors connect the roof of the laboratory to the starry sky above the Grim Maul, in order to implement the hard science of astrology. While dependent on many compounds and materials from the slaughterhouse, the alchemists consider their own work independent of the rest of the Grim Maul, being obsessed with achieving higher standards of nonmagick sciences. Alchemy is the path to many properties not inherent in eldritch magick, such as gas and natural transmutations. It is also in the laboratory where mekamagick is performed, the art of infusing metals with flesh through the wonder of the natural sciences. Coal engines serve as black-fuming contraptions that enhance those that can pay, this is where you buy mechanical, mekamagical enhancements and alchemic compounds.

The Library
Filled with wizened elders, the library is an expansive, 40-story archive of ancient tomes and texts, many of which priceless, many of which alien, containing cursed secrets. The rooms are built circularly around a tall pillar of yj’jalhu, a rare mineral only found in meteors. Similar to the alchemists, the librarians are also stargazers, but rather than obsessing over the numerical properties of heavenly bodies they try to interpret colored fogs over nothingness and the black void itself. Using the foundations of chaos and heavenly indifference, they invoke eldritch magick from madness, a practice immensely powerful yet contained in many ways we cannot fully understand. This is the reason for the size of the library, as they believe all knowledge, especially that unrelated to another, even the contradictionary, contributes to the art of controlled insanity. Here champions buy eldritch enhancements and acquire objects of maddening matter.

The Slaughterhouse
The slaughterhouse oversees two functions. The first function is maintaining and butchering many of the creatures eaten by the Monster’s inhabitants, in a subsection basically being underground industrial pig farms with preindustrial hygiene. The slaughterhouse’s second function is the more important one, however, and that is the reanimation of the fallen contestants. This is performed in the corpse chambers by a roster of necromancers, in a small apothecary with preserved organs and an assortment of altars and books. The reanimation process is a safekept secret of the necromancers, but visitors to the slaughterhouse often see the necromancers infuse the corpses with pigs’ blood from the butcher rooms, which may be the reason the two activities are performed in the same place. The necromancers face more issues dealing with machinery however, so mekamagical bodyparts aren't repaired at the slaughterhouse. The corpse chambers’ apothecary also serve as a shop for preservatives, as they are needed for certain parts of the reanimation process. Players may buy formaldehyde to perform their own preservative work, if they’re into that. It’s also here you can buy herbs and poisons.

The Asylum
It’s classified.

****

Also, all applications so far are accepted

I'm shrinking a few of the images to better fit the thread function. Will edit.
EDIT: I like the current sizes much more. Editing done unless prompted for more.

At some point this week I'll either post more info on the combat system (which you guys don't really need, which is why I'm thinking about not wasting time on it) or set the final deadline.

When I set the deadline, we have one last week for new players to join before Update 0.

 

[Ninja Dude]

Player: Ninja Dude
Champion name: "Long Arm"
Equipment: Light/Leather armor, equipped with several flintlock pistols (And maybe a handcannon/Blunderbuss type deal if that's allowable?)
Abilities: Long Arm is a lanky duelist with two obsessions: gun maintenance and justice. He is constantly tending to his weapons to ensure that the chance of a misfire is as low as possible, and practicing his aim whenever he can.
Background: The man known as Long Arm joined the Maul in hopes of catching the man that murdered his brother. Rumor has it that the criminal joined soon after the murder, hoping to elude justice. Long Arm intends on putting a bullet through the culprit's head as many times as it takes to put the bastard down. And while he's hunting his quarry, he can hopefully earn some revenue for his devastated family.

OOC: Lemme know if there's anything I need to change!

 

[Angst]

Application is accepted

Which reminds me. Above I noted that fighters cannot leave the Maul unless they win the biannual grand championship called the Massacre. Does anyone mind this thinking of their current character? It is a change from the initial setting (Or more like, there were no rules initially, now there is.)

 

[inthesomeday]

Actually it's a brilliant addition for story developments.

All of this is. Very excited for this one.

 

[bonefang]

Its scary. Me likey

 

[Angst]

That's wonderful to hear.

 

[Angst]

How combat works
… and on shopping

~
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Preliminary
This is the last written update to the prethread, before we announce the deadline; I thought you should be told a bit about how fights are calculated. Mind you that I won’t actually give away the respective numbers of the stats – instead I’m walking you through the different motions of combat ideally, giving you an idea of the mechanical base of the game. Ideally you should get enough of an idea to be able to prepare for your battle, arranging your stats in such a way that the battle is weighed in your favor. Also not giving away the actual numbers lessens mechanical abuse, and it allows me to patch things that don’t work without drawing attention from the story.

Also, in the end there are some details on how you will engage in the world beside the fights.

~
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The champion stats
Before I start explaining everything else, this is what a champion’s stats could look like:

Player: Angst
Champion name: The Captain
Band: The Iron Heel
Body stats
Head, viscera: Healthy – Armor: Iron Helmet (heavy armor, heavy weight)
Torso, viscera: Healthy– Armor: Iron Breastplate (heavy armor, heavy weight)
Right arm, can wield weapons: Healthy – Armor: Iron Gauntlet (heavy armor, heavy weight) – Weapon: Longsword (maims, medium weight, normal might, normal speed, normal evasion, melee range)
Left arm, can wield weapons: Healthy – Armor: Iron Gauntlet (heavy armor, heavy weight) – Weapon: Kite Shield (medium weight, great evasion)
Right leg, movement: Healthy – Armor: Iron Boot (heavy armor, heavy weight)
Left leg, movement: Healthy – Armor: Iron Boot (heavy armor, heavy weight)
Special abilities
Rally: Action. Self and allies get a minor movement bonus.
Special items
Sootroot: Consumable item as an action. Self gets an average burn armor bonus.
Prestige: 124
Gold: 110
Stash:
Weapons:
Sleighhammer (maims, heavy weight, impressive might, bad speed, bad evasion, melee-short range)
Armor:
Other:
2x Sootroot (Consumable item as an action. Self gets an average burn armor bonus.)
1x Bharyxian Toadstool (Consumable item as an action. Self gets a major speed bonus and a minor maim weakness)
Home: Standard cell with a wardrobe, bed and weapons rack, as well as a fine Parynian carpet.
Background: The Captain is a veteran from protecting the northern tundra against raiders. After retiring, he heard the voices of slain enemies that told him to keep fighting, but the army wouldn’t take him back. So he packed and moved to the Grim Maul, where he expects to crope.

I know it’s a lot of stats, but the system allows for quite some expansion and versatility when deformities start showing up.

~
~​

How to win fights
As I said before, the fundamental element of combat is each character’s limbs. In order to win a fight against an enemy, your champion has to inflict conditions upon his opponent’s limbs, effectively pacifying or killing him. There are a number of conditions you can inflict, depending on your weaponry –
● Maimed – a physical condition. Usually inflicted by ordinary weapons. The limb is either severely cut or broken, bleeding out or almost dismembered.
● Poisoned – a physical condition. Usually inflicted by poisoned weapons, gases or spells, but is also often performed outside combat. The limb is infected by toxins, vile bacteria or burned by acid.
● Disfigured – a physical condition. Usually inflicted by spells, but may also be a side effect of poor regeneration or resurrection. The limb is whole, but has been malformed to the degree of being useless.
● Burned – a magical condition. Usually inflicted by spells or enchanted weapons. The limb has been severely burned by intense heat, cold or arcane energy.
● Hexed – a magical condition. Usually inflicted by spells or cursed weapons. A curse has befallen upon the limb, infusing it with a dark spirit in such a way that it cannot act in good faith.
● Banished – a magical condition. Usually infliced by spells or enchanted weapons. The limb has been planeshifted to the shadow plane, now a hollow shell of its former stature.
● Maddened – a mental condition. Usually inflicted by spells or cursed weapons. Either the limb’s nerves have been disoriented or it has been infused with insanity, so the limb acts as if possessed by a mind of its own.
● Severed – When a limb already has a condition and is damaged again somehow, it will become severed from its owner’s body. This makes it easier for the attacker to hit functioning limbs instead.

All of the conditions cause damage to the limb in such a way that it is eventually rendered useless. When a champion has had enough of his limbs damaged, he usually faints or dies, causing his opponent to be the victor.

~
~​

How each attack is calculated
Champions attack each other cumulatively. For each attack on his opponent, the champion attacks a random limb, this simulates the spontainty of opportunities during an intense battle. An attack attempts to inflict a condition upon that limb according to his weapon or spell. However the limb still remains on the champion’s body in some way, even after rendered useless. This means that the attacking champion can be unlucky and attack the same limb several times. This allows for the damaged champion to make dramatic comebacks. However, if the attacker succesfully inflicts something on the useless limb more times than the limb can handle, it gains the special condition of severed, making it an illegal target for the random attacks, so the attacker can now focus on the rest of his victims’ limbs.

Succesfully inflicting a condition depends on a number of factors. The severety of the attack is, as well as the attack’s targeting, based on a die roll, however this roll is very heavily influenced by the champion’s stats. The game works as such that limbs attack limbs; your limbs are enhanced by equipment and/or the numerous modifications available in the different Monster shops.

Each limb can wield one piece of armor equipment. If a limb is able to wield weapons, you can use it for weapons, shields and spells. Also, a limb may be a movement limb, allowing you to move closer to your opponent; losing all movement limbs means you can’t move meaningfully anymore. Initially just your arms are equippable, and just your legs are movement limbs – this may change as your form starts degenerating.

When a limb attacks another limb, the enhancements on both utilize the below stats. The actual numbers, calculations and die rolls are secret, but the gear’s qualities should give you some idea of how they function:
● (condition type): If the equipment in question is a weapon or magical item, it has listed the kind of condition it will inflict on your opponent if managing to perform an attack.
● Armor: An equipment piece’s armor provides protection for your limb against any sort of threat. It’s basically always useful, if you can manage the weight.
● Weight: Better, stronger equipment usually have greater weight. Weight gives the champion a speed penalty which makes it more difficult for the champion to hit others, but it’s usually compensated with good stats in other areas.
Armor and Weight stats are described in these levels: trivial, light, medium, heavy, massive.
● Might: If the equipment piece is a weapon, it usually has a might stat, otherwise it’s usually a shield. Might represents the sheer magnitude of the attack, trying to penetrate the defendant’s armor in order to inflict conditions.
● Speed: The weapon’s speed determines its ability to overcome an enemy’s ability to evade, which means the weapon is more sure to hit. Speed doesn’t do much against armor however.
● Evasion: Evasion effectively nullifies a weapon hit before it can actually hit you, and is important when fighting opponents with good range, as you are otherwise easily stopped before getting close. Evasion is also an abstraction of your parrying ability, which is why you get a bonus from even the heaviest of weapons.
Might, Speed and Evasion stats are described in these levels: poor, bad, normal, great, impressive.
● Range: Ranged weapons are dangerous because of two reasons. Ranged attacks attemp to keep enemies at bay, allowing you to stop an enemy in his tracks before he gets close. However if evaded, range doesn’t defer your opponent’s movement, getting him closer and possibly within uncomfortable range. A weapon cannot attack beyond its range and has a speed penalty if attacking an opponent closer than the weapon’s range.
Range stats are described in these levels: immediate, melee, short, far, distant.
● Effects: Effects are not there by default - besides the basic stats that account for ordinary gear, there is magick and deformities that may have special effects that affect how limbs are used. Effects can also be invoked non-damaging magical effects, poisons, herbs, special abilities, all sorts of stuff. Effects may also be negative, invoking weaknesses.
Effect stats are described in these levels: miniscule, minor, average, major, significant.

So when do you kill your opponent, or die yourself? As soon as a champion has two or less non-viscera limbs left, or loses a viscera limb, that champion collapses and begins to die. (Due to non-viscera limbs causing bleeding, and viscera limbs… Well… You kinda need that liver, you know.) The champion doesn’t actually lose however until the fight’s victory conditions have been fulfilled. In a 1v1 battle, the rules are usually as simple as having a champion collapse ensures the victory of his opponent, but fights may include multiple champions or even have special rules.

~
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Providing tactics for the GM
When you are involved in a battle, you usually have a bunch of options that you may want to use, as well as certain options you don’t want to use. These are to be detailed in a PM. Now, I will of course NPC you somewhat effeciently. However, you may want to use certain tactics, bring in special gear for the occasion – or not want to do certain things, such as use rare consumables. You may also straight up act in some way I don’t know you want to, and in that case, please send orders. If I make you drink a rare potion when you didn’t send orders, it was due to the best of my abilities and I don’t want the blame.
Simply: Send orders if you want to have control over your fate.
And know, while the stats aren’t transparent, they shouldn’t be too opaque, intending for you to understand what’s going on, and what you should be doing against certain opponents. Look at the Sootroot item in the example stats above – stuff like that will show up.

~
~​

So what if you didn’t get picked to fight for an update?
In that case, there’s plenty to do.

You can leave the Grim Maul and take a walk in Sargendourne, although that requires special permission from the administration.

You can bid on the fights, earning gold if you bid correctly. You can also bid on yourself if you’re the one fighting, of course. Or on the opponent. What, you thought the administration has moral problems with that?

You can buy all sorts of stuff as well. Basically look over the shops’ offers for the update and you can buy what you want. Sometimes you may compete with other players for the same items – in that case, people with greater prestige have a greater chance buying that item. It’s probably a good idea to announce your purchases in the thread in case you don’t want competition – unless you value the secrecy.

You can use the stuff you bought to attemp crafting – this way you can be lucky enough to invent poisons, or create magical items yourself.

You can train yourself in the barracks. Or rent a personal trainer to train you even more!
(NB! I must stress that at the moment, this only gives you a bit of prestige for free – trainers give more while they cost more. There’s no XP system so this may not be incredibly exciting. I’m looking for a solution – I have made tables for the other shops, but I have no table for the barracks yet. I might end up with some slight bonuses under a special ability called “Barracks training” or something, that you have a chance to get when you train there.)

You can stab people. Don’t expect the administration to be too happy about that however. Kinda messes with their schelude.

You can explore the depths of the Monster – there are plenty of places closed off at the moment. Mind you, of course, that this is perhaps the riskiest thing you can do – it is very rare that Grim Maul personnel scouts the tunnels, so if you die, your corpse may end up stuck for a year. You have been warned.

You can just hang out in the commons, inquire people about things you want to know, bribe people, influencing the administration to do things more in your interesting, or you could join or manage a band.

Oh, right… bands! Players are allowed to join bands, basically the official teams of this world. Bands have vendettas against each other, rivalries that the Maul administration loves to carry out in the arena. The bands attract a lot of fandom, gaining you prestige bonuses and sometimes even sponsorships. You may only be in one band at a time, of course.

~
~​

The Grim Maul’s Biannual Massacre… and Updates.
So you might ask, how long is each update? And why?

Each update accounts for a month, covering four weeks of arena action. Each weeks sees a multitude of fights, but each champion may only fight once a month.

Besides the daily living in the Monster, and fighting the fights and scenarios organized every week, there is a larger thing at stake… Winning the biannual Grim Maul tournament, officially called the Massacre.

The name is no joke. Each and every champion are involved in the gruesome selection process ranging from chaotic pit fights to painful dueling marathons. Special fights will be arranged for the excitement of the crowd. Bands will be pitted against each other at large. Eventually the finals with the most succesful and popular fighters will proceed with 8 champions in elimination rounds.

The winner of the Massacre is allowed something very special… To be relieved of his covenant, allowed to return to the real world outside the Maul, with the vast wealth he has won.


****

Also sorry for the lack of pictures this time! I'll probably add them either tomorrow or in the real thread eventually. I've just been writing for hours, so I'm a bit exhausted!

EDIT, Also 12 players! That's wonderful! We're enough to begin as of now, but I'll wait a few days to announce the deadline. I also need to do a map over the architecture - But I'm thinking about not doing it. I think that keeping the Monster immensely large and incomprehensible adds quite a bit to the mood of the IOT.

 

[Angst]

Submission deadline!

Get your champion in before August 16th. Real thread, plus Update 0 will be up during that week.

 

[Tyo]

Will be posting my background within the week.

 

[Angst]

Deadline warning. I may have the thread up tonight, it may be tomorrow. I'll be starting working on it sometime today. You can still make it in if you want to be in from the start! Update 0 comes with the actual thread.