Roleplaying Guide: part 2, Over Powering

How to fight a person above you in abilities without:
a) Getting your ass thoroughly kicked
b) Looking like an over powering bastard

No one likes to look like they're getting their ass handed to them. This is why a lot of you over power, even though if we were realistic you would be getting your ass kicked by a veteran you either want to seem powerful and impress them or are too stubborn to take a hit you OP'ing bastards. Hehe.

Please note. When you try to keep up with us by miraculously evading everything we throw it pisses us off. They tend to be much better then you in combat and you should be taking hits left right and centre. Are you ever going to do that? Hell no. Maybe when hell freezes over. So the point of this issue is taking hits and knowing your place without allowing your pride to suffer as a consequence.

You're much more likely to gain the respect of those higher then you in the food chain by accepting you're not quite the dogs bollocks and taking hits from someone higher in skill level then overpowering and dodging all of them to make you look better. Correction: You look like a noob.

Right so how do you manage this?

Simple.

By taking a hit it doesn't necessarily mean that their punch hits you dead on the nose, shattering the cartilage in a spray of blood as you go flying into a wall before sliding down it pitifully. So maybe you might want a serious hit as the battle wears on but for simple attacks we're not out to smash your faces in...much. Instead you can take a lot smaller repercussions of that assault.

Heres an example:

Spoiler:

Here we can:

a)
Over Power - Somehow a much faster opponent's strike has been defended against with even more speed. Very wrong move.

Clang. Some how his small little dagger had made its way out of it's sheathe in time to block both attacks one after the other despite the fact it was only four inches long. Speedy flicks of the wrist of the agile male had got him to push both blows out of harms way in less then a second of each other.

b)
Minimal damage – A strike but limited

Bob stumbled backward just in time to earn himself a nick across the chest of his tunic. Cloth hewn open by the razor sharp blades. The both lengthy sword strikes he had narrowly avoided more by reflex then anything else but they had skimmed him leaving a long scratch across his chest and none the less had made contact even if he had just managed to avoid a deep gash across his front, possibly even into his heart had he been too shocked to attack and tipped his head back to avoid feeling cold steel through his jugular.

c)
Deflection strike – Damage elsewhere therefore no longer lethal

With only his four inch long dagger there was little Bob could do. He had to make a decision. Be it his life or a hefty gash in his arm. It was two against one. Two long blades against his stumpy little one. The most immediate threat was the assault aiming to run up his sternum and undoubtedly slice into his neck. That was where good old stumpy would defend. The higher risk area. With a clang and a small amount of sparks as metal came upon metal the blow was met and forced away but it was too late to reposition the short dagger. There was nothing else to do to protect his heart.

Bob refused to cry out, even as the blade cut through the flesh of his arm like butter. The gash ran from his wrist to his elbow and would heal leaving a nasty scar but an awesome story if he ever survived. Maybe he could even pick up chicks with this proof of his bravery. Never the less it hurt despite the forunate fact it had not ended up bone deep and the newly appointed guard winced as crimson liquid began to swiftly ooze out of the wound.

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Both B and C are good ways of avoiding, defending against an attack or taking a hit. Without appearing to have your ass kicked. Where b says: “ I acknowledge that you are better then me but It doesn't mean i'm not going down without a fight.” c says “ I'm letting you hit me on my terms.” Whatever the way your pride swings they are both effective methods. A is just annoying and a definite no, no.

But what if your on the same level? Use either B or C. Just remember as a principle of RP if your partner allows a hit you should show them the courtesy of taking a hit in return. One for one. If your roughly the same level the severity of the hit should be the same whereas if there is a huge difference in level a direct hit can be balanced with a nick of clothing or some kind of disadvantage to your character, your opponents fault or not.

Remember a good RP'er has a good sense of ability, judging correctly their own level compared to those around them. Length of time here is a factor in that ability and not by magic standards Chances are if you've been here less time then the person you're fighting you are weaker so you must take that into account even if you think you're a good Rp'er if you can't abide by that you're still a noob. Of course many variables apply like activity but the concept is basically the same.

Part 1