Combat

General Combat
The primary rule of combat in ULTRA is that everything must be as safe as possible for everyone involved, and even those who might not be. If there is any question toward the safety of what you are about to do, then don’t do it. We realize that combat in-game is unlike a real combat situation and that is exactly how we want it. In real combat, people get hurt… that is what combat was for. Its very specific goal was to injure your opponent beyond the ability to injure you back, even if this meant death… and it usually did.

ULTRA wants to create the best role-playing environment ever created in a system of this nature. This can only happen when we have players… we won’t have players very long if they’re all being carted off the field of battle in gurneys. That is why we stress that our players ROLE-PLAY combat. We don’t want, nor will we allow, real combat at any time.

The combat rules are as follows.

The Hold Rule
This is one of the most important combat rules. Any player is capable of calling a hold. This is done by just saying the word, “HOLD”. When a hold is called It is a good idea to state the reason directly after the word, for example… “Hold Clarification”, “Hold Description”, “Hold Medical” or “Hold General”. Keep it short, but also make it clear why you have called it.

When a hold is called, everything beyond that hold until the three count is out-of-game. A three count is simply the verification that all parties are ready by stating that they are indeed “Ready” then a countdown 3… 2… 1… and finally “Play on” is called and the game resumes. Only the person who called the hold is allowed to call the play on.

We suggest, for the quality of the gaming environment, that during a hold you resist the urge to look around to see who is sneaking up on you. Also, you don’t want to use the hold to make battle plans, examine your opponent for weaknesses, gather up spell packets… anything and everything that should be done by your character and not your player should not be done while on hold.

It is also suggested that you kneel on one knee during the hold. This way, anyone who is not on hold waltzing by won’t nail you with a death spell and go on their merry way wondering why that kill was so easy. Let other players know you are on hold, kneeling is the universal sign for such. This also lets people in the immediate area know that a hold was called in case they did not hear it.

Packet Delivered Attacks
Packets delivered attacks have no illegal targets. Although we do ask that a player doesn’t specifically aim for an illegal area, that attack will still count. Flagrant targeting of illegal areas may still receive disciplinary action, so don’t think this gives you free rein to go around beaming people in the forehead with birdseed. If a marshal gets the impression that a player is trying to do out-of-game damage to another player, then disciplinary action is likely to occur.

ULTRA also has spray attack effects. These attacks allow the attacker to throw three packets at once. If the same target is hit by all three of these packets, then the target is considered to be only struck once. But these packets can also hit multiple targets and do damage to each.

Gaze Delivered Attacks
A gaze delivered attack is done by holding eye contact with the target of the spell for a ten second count. All the spells or abilities that are capable of using gaze delivered attacks have a range of Personal and are spells or abilities that a character places upon them selves to be delivered with in the next five Minutes.

Vocal Delivered Attacks
ULTRA also has what are called vocal delivered attack. These attacks are similar to the gaze delivered attacks but are delivered to the target by holding conversation with the target for a ten second count. The target must be involved in the conversation for a voice delivered attack to be effective.

Area of Effect Effects
There are also many effects that encompass an area. All creature caught in the area of effect suffer the same damages everyone else in the area if they are so effectable. In each of the description the exact area covered is directly stated.

Feats of Strength
A feat of strength is any action preformed that requires above average strength that is not capable of being physically done by the player for any reason. These feats are described in the racial skill Strength Factor.

Since most actions covered by the feat of strength rule are role playing in nature (due to safety, and role playability) the ultimate effect of any feat of strength is directly under a marshal’s discretion. This action, also requires an uninterrupted three count.

Disable Strikes
In every weapon skill, a Disable Strike can be earned. These shots allow you to call the appendage you are aiming for and if that appendage is hit, not only does it do damage but it renders the target unable until it is specifically healed or until the next game day. Missed Disable Strikes will do damage but will not have any other adverse effects.

The specific healing required is a restore limb, cure all, restore all limbs, or regenerate. M-Damage type healing skills will not cure the effect of a Disable Strike, but will cure the damage associated with the attack itself.

To use a Disable Strike simply say “Disable Strike ”. Only appendages can be named (arms, legs, tentacles, branches, etc.) Note, the head does not count as an appendage and may not be struck in any way.

The appendage for the Disable Strike MUST be called before an attack is made. If the attempt is blocked or misses then the Disable Strike is used. If a Disable Strike is called and another location is legally struck, then the damage counts but the called limb is unaffected.

Example: Bruiser attacks Sluggo with a Disable Strike by saying “Disable Strike Arm 5 Normal” Bruiser hits Sluggo in the foot. Sluggo accounts for the 5 normal damage from his armor. Had the strike hit Sluggo’s arm, then his arm would be useless until specifically healed or until the next game day.

Anyone using the skill Hand Weaponry or Claws will be able to block a Disable Strike, however if the Disable Strike was called versus the limb performing the blocking, that will still disable that limb. The damage from that Disable Strike will be successfully blocked, but not further attacks.

Death Strikes
Death Strikes are earned at more advanced levels of every weapon skill. This Strike, if successfully delivered will reduce the affected person or creature to -1 hit points and "Bleeding Out" Status.

To use a Death Strike simply say "Death Strike ". If the attempt is blocked or misses then the Death Strike is used.

Hand Weaponry and Claws will successfully block a Death Strike as long as the base damage being swung by the attacker is equal to or lower than the damage being swung with Hand Weaponry or Claws.

Fatal Strikes
Fatal Strikes are earned at more advanced levels of every weapon skill. This Strike, if successfully delivered will reduce the affected person or creature to Dead Status. They will immediately begin their Death count. This strike counts as a Killing Blow for all purposes.

To use a Fatal Strike simply say "Fatal Strike ". If the attempt is blocked or misses then the Fatal Strike is used.

Hand Weaponry and Claws will successfully block a Fatal Strike as long as the base damage being swung by the attacker is equal to or lower than the damage being swung with Hand Weaponry or Claws.

Death Fury
Death Furies are earned at the highest levels of weaponry skills. This attack will result in any target legally hit during the duration of a death fury to be reduced to –1 body points and begin to bleed out.

A Death Fury is called by saying “Death Fury (1) One… Death Fury (2)… Death Fury (3)… Death Fury 4… etc.” until the count expires.

A disarm effect will not stop a death fury and it will not cause the count for the death fury to expire either. A shatter effect or killing blow will automatically end a death fury. A death fury must be delivered by a successful standard weapon attack. Any effect that prevents a character from performing standard weapon attack will end a death fury.

Per Day / Per Encounter
As skills are earned, some of the abilities earned will be marked as "Per Day". These abilities are gone once used, but will be restored upon ony Skill Reset. This includes the daily reset of all skills and mana, as well as certain skills, abilities, items, and Plot effects that may also trigger a Skill Reset.

At more advanced levels of some skills the abilities may be earned as "Per Encounter". These are tracked separately, and may be used in the definition of "Per Major or Minor Battle" as defined by Line of Sight rules, or every 15 minutes, whichever is shorter. For extended battles the abilities may reset during the battle, but for most circumstances they are reset in the downtime between battles.

Home Run Blows
In the ULTRA system, light contact during combat is all that we allow. The combat system is designed to be pretty much like a game of tag with swords and spells. Blows are not to be swung with any power behind them, the rule of thumb is 50% acceleration and 50% deceleration. This means, pick up speed through the first half of your swing to make it look realistic, but bring that speed back down nearly to nil by the time you hit your target.

Combat speed is far more important than the power behind your blows in terms of damage and the lighter the blows, the faster you an recover and swing again. You also don’t find yourself swinging a lot of illegal blows, which would do no damage anyway. The more legal blows you swing, the more damage your target will take in a shorter period of time.

Violation of this rule is not tolerated and is dealt with harshly. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Illegal Targets
ULTRA does not allow any blows to the head, neck or groin. Although this can be a difficult thing to assure, especially with your target bouncing around like a mad elf with a hot foot, you really need to give great care as to where you are aiming.

For this reason you are also not allowed to swing at targets that you cannot see. Another good rule of thumb is, when in doubt don’t swing a blow that might result in hitting an illegal area.

Tripping
No blow is allowed that is designed to make anyone fall to the ground. These include things like, swinging at a target’s legs while they are running, low sweeping staff moves, tangling your weapon with the target’s legs, etc. Tripping is not tolerated and will probably result in a suspension if it occurs.

Charging
Charging is defined as any move that has the chief result of immediate contact. The victim calls charging. If you are moving in such a way that your target believes immediate contact is unavoidable then you are guilty of charging.

Turtling
Shields are another facet of the ULTRA combat system that is not exactly realistically portrayed in combat. Turtling is defined as completely covering oneself behind a shield so only your head is available as a target. This is called turtling and it is illegal.

Body Contact Rule
The body contact rule states, “No person is allowed to touch another person except by ULTRA safety inspected weapons or by effect packet without direct permission.”

Everyone on the field of battle must request permission for contact each time. Even if you have known each other for years permission needs to be given under each occurrence of combat. Violation of this rule is also a quick way to receive disciplinary action.

Drum rolling
The term drum rolling refers to firing off very fast blows to the same body location of a target. This is usually accompanied by a long string of the utterance, “2normal2normal2normal2normal2normal”. A good hint that you are drum rolling is that you are not able to call damage quickly enough in an understandable manner.

The first blow for machine-gunning counts, but all further shots in the stream do not. To guarantee that you won’t be found guilty of machine gunning, simply hit a different body location on each swing or withdraw the weapon at least 45 degrees between hits.

Trapping
Trapping is defined as using your weapon or body to make another weapon unable to be drawn back by an opponent. Trapping is illegal and will result in disciplinary action. Do not confuse trapping with pinning. Pinning is the act of using your weapon to trap someone else’s weapon against an object such as a tree or building.

Non Lethal Combat
In the ULTRA system there are more ways to subdue an opponent than to just employ weapons or spells against them. In the real world there is boxing, wrestling and martial arts, which is possible to be very painful, but is rarely fatal. To symbolize this in the ULTRA system we have designed the Non-Lethal Combat system to represent these facets of combat. The rules governing these situation are as follows:


 * 1) Any Non-Lethal Combat situation may be escalated to a to an ordinary combat situation but may never go from an ordinary combat to a Non-Lethal Combat situation.
 * 2) *This includes ANY weapon blows or any spell effects for defense or offense. At the point of normal combat the Non-Lethal combat roleplaying is immediately terminated.
 * 3) To use the Non-lethal Combat system a character needs to purchase a skill that specifically states that a character may use the Non-Lethal Combat system.
 * 4) All Non-Lethal Combat situation must be announced in a out of game fashion to any person that they are being used upon and follow the rules for calling as per the description of the skill that allows the usage of the Non-Lethal Combat System.
 * 5) Non-Lethal Combat is a permission based roleplay. This permission may be revoked even during the roleplay (escalating to normal combat).
 * 6) Any Non-Lethal Combat situation must be role played as if the situation had happened.
 * 7) The non contact rule is, as always, still in effect and any permission for physical role playing is strictly prohibited or governed by a marshal that is present and willing to marshal that roleplaying episode.