Role Playing Damage (Important)

Role Playing Damage

I want to talk to you all about something that I feel is important, and I would appreciate it if you all took the time to read this post and truly consider what you read.

All too often I think that role-playing the damage you take has been viewed simply as an optional way to display good role-playing. I think that a big aspect of role-playing damage that is largely unrealized is that it is actually an important and almost vital form of communication in the Knight Realms battle system.

Consider this: In any given combat how do you know if your opponent is taking the hits that you believe are landing on them? You don’t. You have absolutely NO idea whether your opponent thinks that they blocked that blow that you are so sure was a solid hit. The only way you could know that your opponent took that hit is if they indicated to you in some form of “role-playing damage” such as a grunt or grimace of pain of some kind. 

Furthermore, in a battle where someone is not role-playing taking their damage, not only is their opponent completely unaware of what hits are being taken, but also any marshals that are observing the fight and attempting to marshal it, also have no idea what hits are being acknowledged. The result is extremely poor oog communication between players in the battle, and an inability to properly track or marshal the fight.

I believe that if you do not RP damage in combat in anyway, you are doing a disservice to the person you are fighting and the game.

Let me be clear about one thing. My definition of role-playing damage is ANY in-game indication to your opponent that you took the hit.  You do not have to stumble back and drop your guard. You do not need to role-play your damage so intensely that you give your opponent an advantage in battle. You could simply grimace and let out a quick verbal noise of pain. Doing so should not put you at a disadvantage in battle.

Now I understand that there are circumstances to be considered, such as what about a main mod boss being hit by a dozen weapon strikes a second. The answer to that would simply be that in those situations, you do what you can, and nothing else can really be expected of you. As a main mod boss, role-play taking damage as often as you can, but we’ll understand if in the chaos you cant RP every single hit.

Another situation one might ask about is what if you have 200 BP and get hit with 1 damage. Well, I would argue that you should still RP something, even if it was an in-game sarcastic “Ow” Another way to look at it is pain is pain, regardless of how much damage is done. BP’s is simply your ability to stay conscious in combat. Having 200 BP, doesn’t necessarily mean that a dagger slicing into your arm for 1 point of damage wont hurt.

Some game systems, have rules revolving around role-playing damage. I would like very much to refrain from creating such rules, but I am calling upon and challenging you to do your part in making the system that we have in place already work. The next time you are in combat and you take a hit, remember this topic and be sure to role-play damage in ANY way that will communicate your acknowledgment of the hit to your opponent or observers.