Gunslinger

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"A bullet to the front of the head demonstrates good marksmanship. A bullet to the back of the head demonstrates good judgement."

-- John Wesley Hardin

The Gunslinger system is one of two combat systems at Dream Chasers, and is used to simulate individuals or small groups fighting in pitched combat. The other, the Digger system, is used to simulate exploring a dungeon.

Characters may have multiple forms, with their own stat blocks. Please see Chargen for details.

Basics

At its core, Gunslinger is comparable to any other player-versus-player combat system you’ve seen on any other MUSH. Characters have resource pools, and the goal is to deplete the opponent's before the opponent depletes yours.

  • Hit Points (HP) measure a character’s life. Base maximum HP for all characters is 500; this can be adjusted by certain Personal Skills. At 0 HP, you are Knocked Out and no longer able to fight.
  • Force Points (FP) are used to activate higher-level attacks and special commands called Force Actions. FP begins at 0, and is accrued with every combat action.

When a character attains 125 FP, he or she achieves CONDITION GREEN, which clears debuffs and can trigger other effects determined by Personal Skills.

Additionally, HP cannot be restored in combat. Healing spells and effects fill a short-duration pool of temporary HP. This pool is capped at half of your maximum regular HP, and no one effect can fill it entirely. Overflow is lost. The entire Temporary Hit Point pool empties after 3 rounds, but the counter resets with any new supply of Temporary Hit Points. Attackers may deal with temporary HP using certain attack flags which interact with temporary HP, hitting it harder, or even turning it into a liability.

Characters can set boss HP when fighting multiple characters. In most situations, characters should use the +heal/boss <x> command to generate an amount of HP that will guarantee a challenge. In some situations, +heal/optional <x> can be used to give a boss considerably more HP. With the exception of admin-run events, an antagonist should have permission of those in the fight before using this command.

Combat Reactions and Flow

When characters start a fight, they should ensure they are healed. In one-on-one fights, the expected etiquette is for both characters to heal to full HP immediately before combat. If several characters are fighting one, that character may use +heal/boss or +heal/optional to have the appropriate number of HP.

Players may determine who attacks first in one-on-one fights. A coin flip is appropriate in the event of disagreement. A boss always has the option to attack first.

When a character attacks, they may use a Force Actions to improve that attack. When a character is attacked, they need to make a reaction. Prior to doing so, they can use a Force Actions. There is no limit to how many Force Actions a character may use beyond what their FP allows.

There are three possible reactions:

  • Charge: Charge into an attack. This takes full damage (can be partly mitigated by some Personal Skills), but generates more FP than usual.
  • Dodge: Attempt to avoid an attack. This can succeed fully (avoiding all damage), partly (avoiding some damage), or not at all (taking full damage).
  • Guard: Attempt to block an attack. This can succeed fully (blocking almost all damage), partly (blocking some damage), or not at all (taking full damage). Guard succeeds more and fails less than Dodge.

When comparing the three reactions, think of them as follows: Guard is steady, reliable damage reduction. Dodge is higher-risk, higher-reward. Charge trades HP for FP (though not on a one-to-one basis).

Characters will attack, their opponent will do their reaction, and then the opponent attacks. This continues until one character is knocked out, which is defined by having their HP reduced to 0.

Gears

Mechanically, Gears are represented with a Personal Skill, PS Gear, and an attack flag, Artillery. PS Gear increases that form's HP to 1,000 instead of 500. Artillery deals double damage to anything with PS Gear. Every Gear should have Artillery on nearly all of its attacks, which is why it has no cost. PS Gear does not cause a character to do extra damage of any kind on its own.

Additionally, some characters will have Artillery on attacks when they are not in a Gear. These can represent massive spells, large ARMs, and other attacks that could hurt a Gear.

Because a Gear against a regular person is simply unfair, a character in a Gear must have the opposing player's consent before fighting them. A player also should not switch to a Gear in the middle of a fight without permission.

Despite the lack of CP and AP costs for PS Gear and the Artillery flag, staff will evaluate whether those are appropriate when requested.

Statistics

Gunslinger employs two categories of character statistics: primary and secondary. These statistics, along with Personal Skills, are bought with Character Points (CP). Statistics are purchased with CP at a one-to-one ratio.

Primary Statistics

These statistics affect combat in simple, direct ways. They include:

  • Reflex: How capable a character is of avoiding an enemy’s attack. It influences Dodge success/fail rate, and improves the amount of damage reduced by Guard.
  • Vitality: How capable a character is of absorbing punishment. It influences Guard success/fail rate, and improves the amount of damage reduced by Dodge.
  • Power: How capable a character is of dealing damage. Power is not necessarily brute strength. For sorcerers it can be mental power, or for ARMs users keen targeting ability. It influences attack damage and nothing else.

Secondary Statistics

These statistics affect every aspect of combat, but are divided into three categories based on the type of combat style being employed.

  • ARMs: This governs combat involving weapons based on advanced technology: everything from simple revolvers to wave motion guns.
  • Technique: This governs both unarmed combat and armed combat using low-technology weaponry.
  • Sorcery: This governs combat involving the various disciplines that allow people to channel natural forces and energies into desired shapes and effects. Sorcery can include both ranged and melee combat, provided it is strictly magical in nature.

ARMs and Technique are separated according to the level of technology being employed by a weapon. Swords, bows and arrows, or telescoping rods use Technique. Photon sabers, revolvers, or stun batons use ARMs.

Also, the secondary statistic being employed in an attack/reaction is based on the attack that is chosen. If someone is attacking you with a rifle, then your ability to defend yourself is based on your familiarity with what firearms can do, not the strength of your kung fu.

Personal Skills

Personal Skills are character-specific traits that are always active on your character. Typically, they are referred to as "PS <Personal Skill Name>" in discussion. There are several different categories, including:

  • Gear Personal Skills: Characters with PS Gear have access to a Gear or other large vehicle. This category includes that PS and ones related to Gears.
  • Condition Green Personal Skills: These provide powerful bonuses that only trigger when your character is in CONDITION GREEN.
  • Critical Hit Personal Skills: These provide significant debuffs or other effects when your character gets a critical hit.
  • Attack Personal Skills: These provide bonuses to attack statistics. Notably, the bonus provided by an Attack Personal Skill scales with your current FP total, meaning players have to consider Force Actions, big attacks, or bigger stat bonuses when spending FP.
  • Reaction Personal Skills: These provide small, static bonuses to reactions.
  • Form Personal Skills: These change the total number of CP on a form with that PS.

A list of Personal Skills follows. The number in parentheses indicates the Character Points that a Personal Skill costs.

Gear Personal Skills

  • Gear: A large robot, vehicle, or especially large monster. This doubles the HP total on the form with PS Gear.
  • Tankbuster: All attacks deal additional damage to anything with PS Gear. This is superseded by attacks with the Artillery Flag. Characters with PS Gear cannot have Tankbuster. (3)

Condition Green Personal Skills

  • Healthy: Upon reaching Condition Green, the character receives 50 temporary hit points; a character with PS Gear receives 100 THP, to a maximum of 500 THP. (4)
  • Ranger: While in Condition Green, the character's critical hit chance is increased. (4)
  • Guerilla: While in Condition Green, the character's Power is increased. (6)
  • Survivor: While in Condition Green, the character's Vitality is increased. (6)
  • Acrobat: While in Condition Green, the character's Reflex is increased. (6)
  • Master: While in Condition Green, the character's Arms, Sorcery, and Technique are increased. (7)

Critical Hit Personal Skills

  • Sniper: A character gets a bonus to their Critical Hit roll, but their critical hits do less damage. (6)
  • Butcher: A character's critical hits do increased damage. A character cannot have PS Butcher and PS Sniper. (4)
  • Tough: A critical hit on the character does reduced damage. (5)
  • Gremlins!: On a critical hit, the character applies Jam to their enemy. (4)
  • Dirty Fighter: On a critical hit, the character applies Cripple to their enemy. (4)
  • Silencer: On a critical hit, the character applies Mute to their enemy. (4)
  • Venomous: On a critical hit, the character applies Poison to their enemy. (4)
  • Force Critical: When a character does a Critical Attack, they gain +5 FP. (3)

Attack Personal Skills

  • Marksmanship: Improves hit chance with ARMs attacks as FP increases. (5)
  • Quick Draw: Improves hit chance with Technique attacks as FP increases. (5)
  • Focus: Improves hit chance with Sorcery attacks as FP increases. (5)
  • Gunfighting: Improves damage with ARMs attacks as FP increases. (7)
  • Finest Arts: Improves damage with Technique attacks as FP increases. (7)
  • Sorcery: Improves damage with Sorcery attacks as FP increases. (7)
  • Creative: Increases the number of points a character can build Free Attacks with to 5 points and adds Slow, Break, Weaken, Quick, Shield, and Hyper to the attack Flags they can put on their Free Attacks. (8)

Reaction Personal Skills

  • Duck and Cover: Gives a bonus to Dodge against ARMs attacks. (5)
  • Parry: Gives a bonus to Dodge against Technique attacks. (5)
  • Barrier:Gives a bonus to Dodge against Sorcery attacks. (5)
  • Just A Scratch: Gives a bonus to Guard against ARMs attacks. (5)
  • Sentinel: Gives a bonus to Guard against Technique attacks. (5)
  • Sound Mind: Gives a bonus to Guard against Sorcery attacks. (5)
  • Reflexive Charge: A small chance to reduce damage by partially dodging an attack, when the character uses Charge to react. (3)
  • Defensive Charge: A small chance to reduce damage by guarding an attack, when the character uses Charge to react. (3)
  • Force Evade: When a character does a Critical Dodge, they gain +5 FP. (3)
  • Force Guard: When a character does a Critical Guard, they gain +5 FP. (3)
  • Force Charge: When a character uses Charge, they gain +10 FP instead of +5 FP. (3)

Form Personal Skills

  • Rival: Grants +25 CP and +13 AP to the mode with PS Rival. For most antagonists.
  • Fiend: Grants +50 CP and +25 AP to the mode with PS Fiend. For rare, especially potent antagonists. The Chapter 1 stat cap for forms with Fiend is 40. The Chapter 1 cap on attacks is a power level of 9.
  • Access: Grants +50 CP and +25 AP to the mode with PS Access. That mode also has a 5 FP surcharge on all actions. Access is meant to reflect rare, often temporary transformations that heighten a character's power for an increased energy cost. The Chapter 1 stat cap for forms with Access is 40. The Chapter 1 cap on attacks remains at a power level of 8.
  • Nemesis: Sets your CP and AP to end of Chapter maximums on that form. For very rare antagonists.

Attacks

There are three types of attacks: Free Attacks, Deathblows, and Signature Attacks.

  • Free Attacks do not have to be purchased ahead of time -- they can be built and changed on the fly. They have a limited number of effect flags and a firm limit on power level. Free Attacks, unless boosted by PS Creative, must be built on 4 CP or fewer. They can only use the following flags: Gatling, Reserve, Artillery, Pierce, Heal, Reload, and Cover. This is improved to include Slow, Break, Weaken, Quick, Shield, and Hyper if they have PS Creative.
  • Deathblows are pre-built attacks that reflect a character's special moves. These must be purchased as part of your application, or through advancement. A character must attain a certain level of Force Points in order to fire upper-tier deathblows. Deathblows have a minimum of 4 AP and a maximum of 8 AP to build the attack.
  • Signature Attacks are very powerful pre-built attacks that are unique to a character. They both require and cost Force Points to fire. Signature Attacks have a minimum of 8 AP and a maximum of 14 AP to build the attack.

Attacks are scaled according to power levels of 0 to 10, and divided like so:

  • 0: Non-damaging attacks. This is typically only used for buffs.
  • 1-4: Deathblows or Free Attacks.
  • 5: Deathblows only; needs 15+ FP to fire.
  • 6: Deathblows only; needs 30+ FP to fire.
  • 7: Deathblows or Signature Attacks; needs 60+ FP and costs 10 FP to fire.
  • 8: Signature Attacks only; needs 75+ FP and costs 25 FP to fire.
  • 9: Signature Attacks only; needs 100+ FP and costs 50 FP to fire. PL 9 attacks cannot be purchased at the start of the game, unless the character has PS: Fiend.
  • 10: Signature Attacks only; needs 125+ FP and costs 75 FP to fire. PL 10 attacks cannot be purchased at the start of the game.

Attacks also have Flags, which do neat things like provide buffs and debuffs, or other special effects. Attacks are built on Attack Points (AP). For every 2 Character Points a character has, they get 1 Attack Point. Therefore, a starting character would have 100 CP and 50 AP.

Power levels are bought on a one-to-one basis with AP.

Attack Flags

Flags are listed below. The number in parentheses is their AP cost. They can be divided into the following categories:

  • Attack Improvement Flags: These improve an attack's capabilities directly, adding bonuses to hit chance, critical hit, damage, and other effects.
  • Status Effect Flags: These inflict debilitating status effects on the target.
  • Healing Flags: These grant temporary HP to the target and mitigate status effects.
  • Buff Flags: These grant buffs to the target.
  • FP Management Flags: These reduce FP costs, in exchange for having fewer effects on an attack.
  • Boss Flags: These are meant to assist in a boss fight. Typically, these should only be purchased by characters who are antagonists.

Attack Improvement Flags

  • Gatling: The overall damage of the attack is increased. It costs an additional 5 FP to use this attack. (2)
  • Area: The attack can hit multiple targets. It costs 10 FP per target beyond one to use (so a free attack costs 30 FP to hit four people; an attack that costs 50 FP would cost 80 FP to hit four people). (4)
  • Accurate: The attack will be more effective against defensive reactions. It costs an additional 25 FP to use this attack. (5)
  • Headshot: The attack has a higher critical hit chance. It costs an additional 10 FP to use this attack. (3)
  • Artillery: The attack does double damage to anything with PS Gear on that form. (0)
  • Pierce: The attack does double damage to any target that has any number of Temporary Hit Points. It costs an additional 10 FP to use this attack. (3)
  • Drain: Converts half of the damage done into temporary HP for the attacker, up to a maximum of 100 THP. If you have PS: Gear, you receive double THP to a maximum of 200 received THP and a maximum of 500 THP total. It costs an additional 20 FP to use this attack. (5)
  • Sneak: The attack shows as having only a Reserve flag instead of its true flags. It makes the expected damage output read as a PL3-PL4 attack regardless of its true PL. The attack looks like a Free attack, instead of a Deathblow or Signature Attack. If a false name has been set via +sneak/name, the attack will display with that name during +attack, +queue and +health, but reveal its true name when reacted to. (3)

Status Effect Flags

  • Poison: If the attack hits, it does damage over time for three rounds. If combined with the Artillery flag and hitting a target with PS Gear, Poison instead inflicts Corrode, which does increased damage over time for three rounds. It costs an additional 10 FP to use this attack. (2)
  • Disease: Prevents a character from receiving any additional temporary hit points; their THP now expires when Disease expires. Disease expires in two rounds; when it does, the THP on the character directly damages them. It costs an additional 10 FP to use this attack. (2)
  • Disrupt: Weakens use of the Charge command for two rounds. Characters under Disrupt do not get extra FP when they Charge. It costs an additional 10 FP to use this attack. (2)
  • Shieldbreak: Weakens use of the Guard command for one round. Characters under Shieldbreak cannot achieve Critical Guard. It costs an additional 25 FP to use this attack. (5)
  • Entangle: Weakens use of the Evade command for one round. Characters under Entangle cannot achieve Critical Dodge. It costs an additional 25 FP to use this attack. (5)
  • Jam: Reduces ARMs for two turns. It costs an additional 20 FP to use this attack. (4)
  • Cripple: Reduces Technique for two turns. It costs an additional 20 FP to use this attack. (4)
  • Mute: Reduces Sorcery for two turns. It costs an additional 20 FP to use this attack. (4)
  • Slow: Reduces Reflex for two turns. It costs an additional 20 FP to use this attack. (4)
  • Break: Reduces Vitality for two turns. It costs an additional 20 FP to use this attack. (4)
  • Weaken: Reduces Power for two turns. It costs an additional 20 FP to use this attack. (4)

Healing Flags

  • Heal: Gives target 100 temporary hit points (maximum 250). A target with Gear receives 200 THP and has a maximum of 500. (3)
  • Hi-Heal: Gives target 200 temporary hit points (maximum 250). A target with Gear receives 400 THP and has a maximum of 500. It costs an additional 20 FP to use this attack. (5)
  • Restore: Cleanses Poison, Disease, Jam, Cripple, Mute, Slow, Break, Weaken, Disrupt, Shieldbreak, and Entangle from a target. It costs an additional 10 FP to use this attack. (2)
  • Reload: Gives target character 15 FP. Reload can never target yourself. It costs an additional 15 FP to use this attack. (3)

Buff Flags

  • Cover: Gives self 50 temporary hit points, in addition to causing damage. If you have PS: Gear, you receive 100 THP to a maximum of 500. It costs an additional 10 FP to use this attack. (3)
  • Quick: Improves Reflex for two turns. This also replaces the Slow flag. It costs an additional 20 FP to use this attack. (4)
  • Shield: Improves Vitality for two turns. This also replaces the Break flag. It costs an additional 20 FP to use this attack. (4)
  • Hyper: Improves Power for two turns. This also replaces the Weaken flag. It costs an additional 20 FP to use this attack. (4)
  • Lock State: Poison, Disease, Jam, Cripple, Mute, Slow, Break, Weaken, Disrupt, Shieldbreak, and Entangle cannot be applied to the character for two turns. It costs an additional 30 FP to use this attack. (6)

FP Management Flags

  • Refined: This attack's FP cost is reduced by 5. This only applies to the base cost of the attack; it will not provide a discount for Access form surcharges or Area attacks. (1)
  • Efficient: This attack's FP cost is reduced by 10. This only applies to the base cost of the attack; it will not provide a discount for Access form surcharges or Area attacks. (2)
  • Reserve: If Reserve is the only flag on the list, attack gains +5 bonus to FP generation. (0)

Boss Flags

  • Crush: This flag only can be used when a character has Boss HP; it should be the only flag on their attack except Area. This attack, if it hits, deals 40% of the character's remaining HP. On a successful guard, it deals 30% of their remaining HP; on a successful narrow dodge, it deals 35%; on a successful critical guard, it deals 20%. It cannot knock a character out. It costs an additional 50 FP to use this attack. (3)
  • Destroy: This flag only procs when a character has Boss HP; it should be the only flag on their attack except Area. This attack, if it hits, deals 80% of the character's remaining HP. On a successful guard, it deals 60% of their remaining HP; on a successful narrow dodge, it deals 70%; on a successful critical guard, it deals 40%; on a successful critical dodge, it deals 20%. It cannot knock a character out. It costs an additional 75 FP to use this attack. (8)
  • Ruin: This flag only procs when a character has Boss HP. This attack, if it hits, removes all buffs and Temporary HP from a character. It costs an additional 30 FP to use this attack. (6)

Force Points and Force Actions

Each character gets four Force Actions. Force Actions are one-round buffs, performed in addition to any attacks or reactions. Players can use them prior to making an attack or a reaction to an attack. They do not have to be purchased with CP or AP. However, each character may only have four Force Actions per form.

Each Force Action costs 25 FP to use. Characters may choose from the following list:

  • Lock On: The next attack has a bonus to hit against both Guard and Evade reactions.
  • Accelerate: The defender's next reaction has a bonus to Reflex.
  • Full Clip: The next attack has a bonus to Power.
  • Guard: The defender's next reaction has a bonus to Vitality.
  • Fury Shot: The next attack temporarily has the Artillery flag.
  • Snipe: The next attack has a bonus to critical hit.
  • Mystic: This ability grants 100 Temporary Hit Points and cleanses all debuffs. It cleanses Disease, but a Diseased target does not receive the THP. It can be targeted. The syntax is +force Mystic=<target>.
  • Protect: This ability transfers the attack data on the target to the character using Protect. It uses the syntax '+force Protect=<target>/<attacker>, where the target is the person being protected and the attacker is the person who threw the original attack.
  • Extend: The next attack temporarily has the Area flag.

List of Commands

  • +stats/+stats <form>: Stat viewer. +stats displays the form you are currently in; +stats <form> displays <form>.
  • +form <form>/+mode <form>: Switches your current form to <form>.
  • +health: Displays your personal +health, including form name, a banner announcing special form-defining Personal Skills, HP, FP, Force Level, Status, a banner reporting Boss status and remaining Boss actions, and a short queue.
  • +force <Force Action>(=<target>(/<attacker>)): Activates Force Actions. Most Force Actions take no arguments. Mystic requires a target. Protect requires both a target and an attacker.
  • +heal/<switch>: Full heal command. Takes /full, /boss <x> for boss health, or /optional <x> for optional boss heal. <X> is the number of opponents.
  • +freeattack <attack name>|<power level>|<type>|<Flags>|<separated>|<thusly>: Adds a Free attack to your current form.
  • +sneak/name <false name>: Sets a false attack name that any Sneak attacks will use.
  • +sneak/clear: Clears your false attack name for Sneak attacks. They will use their real names.
  • +attacks: Lists your current form's attack list.
  • +attack <target>=<attack name>: Attacks a target with an attack from your list on your current form.
  • +evade <target>: Uses the Evade reaction against an opponent in your queue.
  • +guard <target>: Uses the Guard reaction against an opponent in your queue.
  • +charge <target>: Uses the Charge reaction against an opponent in your queue.

See also...