The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games - Michael J. Tresca [120]
Another form of resolution is physical combat. Weapons coated in foam and made with PVC or fiberglass are used in a form of “boffer” combat. The goal is not to hurt the opponent but to score hits, which deal damage depending on the type of weapon used. Spell-casters throw a soft item, usually a bean bag, at an opponent and describe the effect.
Spell balls are between six and twelve inches in diameter, stuffed with foam or cloth, and sealed on all sides. Each spell has spell balls of different colors. The spell-caster must then throw the spell ball at the opponent. If it even grazes the opponent, the effect is visited upon the player. If it hits the ground or another object, the spell detonates with the impact point at its center. Any foes in the radius are also affected. There is a video on YouTube of this sort of spell combat in action, with a caster hurling spell balls at a troll and shouting “Lightning bolt!” over and over. What might seem peculiar to nonparticipants is in fact an important part of the game (Sexdwarf 2005).
In boffer combat, communication is important. The combatants use three phrases: “On guard,” which means to prepare for the fight, “Lay on,” which means to fight, and “Hold,” which is the equivalent of time out or a signal that the fight is over. Targets that are off limits include hands, feet, groin, neck, and head. Those who are hit are supposed to acknowledge that they’ve been hit.
Another system, known as the Live Steel Combat System, uses actual blunt weapons. Dispensing with the foam of the boffer system, carefully trained players use realistic fighting in duels and other conflicts.
If there is a hit to a limb, that limb cannot be used—fighters can therefore lose access to a weapon or shield arm, or even movement if struck in the leg. Although some systems do use hit points, Amtgard only uses the limb system or two hits in total (preventing the ridiculous scenario of an armless warrior attempting to fight on, shades of the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail). Armor can extend the player’s life by adding more hits to those limbs.
Temple of Apshai modeled its combat system after the Society for Creative Anachronism as an antidote to “systems ... which are tedious at best and, because they almost necessarily overemphasize such unusual occurrences, are statistically as inaccurate as simpler systems” (Johnson 1982:7).
True Dungeon has a different form of combat. Instead of rolling dice, weapon counters are slid on a shuffleboard. Different discs representing different weapons must come to rest within certain predefined areas of the shuffleboard to hit the monster. All attacks are made before any hits are determined, which means it’s possible to bump a teammate’s successful attack off the board or nudge a missed swing so that it connects. Damage is determined by the direction the weapon counter faces in relation to the damage indicator on the shuffleboard, randomizing damage as well. To give fighter, ranger, and paladin classes an advantage, they have the opportunity to practice prior to entering the dungeon.
Another mainstay of True Dungeon is its puzzles, which often require a team effort to solve. Each class brings certain abilities to the game that enable them to help solve these various puzzles. In addition to the puzzles, players are challenged with physical obstacles that give individual players with a knack for problem-solving an opportunity to shine. Martin explained the design philosophy of riddles:
I wanted TD to be cool in that it takes a good balanced team to do well in the adventure. So, I designed the tests to challenge various cognitive and physical abilities. This means that a group of MENSA geniuses is more likely to get slaughtered on the physical skill checks such as combat. You not only need some good puzzle solvers, but you need some players