Guide to RP Fighting

Why hello there! It seems you have a character in a roleplay, or at least thinking about getting one. For this instance, since this guide is not all powerful and doesn't know everything about you, let's say your character is named Smith.

Smith is just walking along, doing character things. But oh no! An enemy (let's call him Carlston) has jumped in front of him, ready to fight! Smith gets ready too.

But before Smith gets on their journey to totally annihilate their enemy, you have to learn exactly how to do this fighting thing. You see, fighting in roleplays is a lot more complicated than first meets the eye. You don't merely jump at your enemy. Odds are, your enemy isn't going to be an NPC (non player character) so you have to learn how to fight fair. That means NO POWERPLAYING.

What is powerplaying, you ask? That is when you control everything around you. I will give you an example how not to fight, and let's show you in the animal way of roleplaying, then human.

Smith lunged at Carlston, jumping at his throat. His enemy was thrown at the ground, helpless as he was defeated. Smith raised his head and let out a howl of victory.

And...

Smith smiled, mocking his enemy. He rushed forward, and punched Carlston in the jaw, knocking his enemy's head back. While he was distracted, Smith tripped him and ran away, laughing.

Don't do that. Your character is not perfect. You do not hit your enemy every single time, and you do not control how your enemy reacts. You may throw the punches, or jump at your enemy, but it is not guaranteed you will hit them. I understand it is tempting to make your character the best at fighting, and it makes you seem like a pro when they always win. But it doesn't. It makes you look like a newbie, because you're not being realistic. Let your character get beat up as well. The fight may go on for a long time, but it is up to you to decide how much your character can take. Let's get to our examples, except let's give the person who's playing Carlston a bit of a chance.

You: Smith saw his enemy, and growled. He jumped at Carlston, aiming for a swipe along the back.
Opponent: Carlston dodged, catching the claws along a more minor part of his body. He lowered himself to the ground.
You: Smith landed, turning quickly. He ran sideways, biting at Carlston.
Opponent: Carlston didn't manage to move fast enough, and fell sideways, kicking up.
You: Smith caught the kicks in the jaw. He yelped, jumping away.
And...

You: Smith circled his opponent, then without warning, twisted himself in a kick to knock Carlston off balance.
Opponent: Carlston fell to the ground with a yell of pain. While he was on the ground he kicked up at Smith bearing down on him.
You: Smith fell back, barely avoiding the kick that still grazed him in the knee.
Opponent: Taking advantage, Carlston sprang up, punching at Smith's face.
You: Smith's head jerked back, as the blow had knocked him right in the nose. Ouch.

You see that? Much better. Letting your opponent react adds more literacy to the roleplay, something people aim for, and allows more reaction and bonding. The more you respect the characters of others, the more they will be willing to fight with you, because they know you can handle it.

Hopefully this guide helped you. Have fun, and happy fighting!

Made by Alhanalem