The Combat System

***For a list of all the spells in the model, go here.***

***For information on the spell casting and learning system, go here.***

***For information on the Stat System, go here.***

In many occasions one may find themselves having to defend themselves in a duel, formal or otherwise. When such situations arise, the following rules must be adhered to.

## Combat System Overview

To start off, the combat system requires understanding Spell Casting & Learning and The Stat System. Without understanding those two, one will not be able to understand the following guide.

Combat in Model Hogwarts can be summarized as a turn-based game, where each player will be allowed a **turn** or a **round** where they can perform one action and one reaction, until there is only one player left in the game. That player wins the duel.

### Health Points

Health Points (HP) is used in duels to figure out the the winner of the fight. The HP bar represents several things, such as magical resistance, physical resistance, motivation, irritation, to name a few. Each participant starts the fight with an amount of HP equal to their dice size: First Years have 4 HP, Second Years have 6 HP, and so on. Once a player has HP zero or below, they will **lose** the duel.

1. Before the duel starts, the players set their HP to the appropriate amount. This happens by typing `!hp set (number)`.
2. Once you have taken damage, you remove the appropriate HP points by typing `!hp remove (number)`.
3. If you, for some reason, need to add more health points (maybe you removed a wrong amount of health points), you can do it by typing `!hp add (number)`.

### Initiative and Taking Turns

Once all players have set their HP, all players roll for initiative. This is done by typing `!roll 1d20`, and determines the order in which turns are taken throughout the duel. The highest roll goes first, followed by the second highest and so on. If there is a tie, those who have the tied rolls roll again to determine the order between them.

In the simplest case of a 1 vs. 1 duel, the player (1) with the highest initial roll begins the duel by executing an **action.** An action is usually intended to damage the other player's HP. The opponent (Player 2) then reacts to the action with a **reaction,** which is usually intended to defend against an action. This is player 1's turn.

Following this, Player 2 executes an action, and then Player 1 uses their reaction. This is player 2's turn.

Player 1 then has another turn, and the two continue to alternate until either of the participants have 0 or below HP.

### Casting Spells in Combat

Most possible actions and reactions are spells. Spells that can be used as an **action** have the "Targetable" attribute. Most Targetable spells are simple, being cast directly to reduce an opponent's HP. However, some have special other effects, which may be expressed by their other attributes (such as "Animation" or "Area of Effect"), or described in their spell description.

Spells that can be used as a **reaction** have either the "Shield" attribute or the "Evasion" attribute. Both of these may be cast to defend directly against an action. The difference is that a Shield can defend you against multiple enemies attacking you, while an Evasion protects you against only one.

**All spells cast in combat, whether action or reaction, must be cast with the C modifier.** The only exception is people who are capable of non-verbal magic, as outlined below.

To check whether a spell can be used in combat as an action or reaction, and whether it has any unique mechanics, type `!info <spell name>` and check the spell's description and attributes, or search for it on the spell sheet.

### Dodge and Willpower

Every Targetable spell has either the "Dodgeable" or "Willpower" attribute. In general, these split offensive spells that cause physical damage/effect to the opponent that needs to be dodged, from spells that cause mental damage/effect to the opponent that needs to be resisted with willpower. Very rarely, a Targetable spell will have both attributes. The spell description will explain whether there are circumstances dictating whether it should be dodged or resisted, or if both are possible.

Instead of casting a Shield or Evasion spell, a player may choose to use the `s!dodge` command as a reaction to a Dodgeable spell, or `s!willpower` against a Willpower spell. This counts as a player's reaction, so they cannot attempt both, or one of them and a Shield or Evasion spell.

Dodging is formed of a player's Finesse and Vitality stats, while willpower is formed of the Wisdom and Social stats. For more information on `s!dodge` and `s!willpower`, see this page.

**Note: Dodge and Willpower only works against a single spell. If another is cast at you in the same turn, you will be defenceless.**

### Losing HP

To prevent HP loss, your reaction roll has to be equal to or higher than your opponent's action roll. If the reaction is lower than the action, you lose HP points equal to the difference between the rolls. For example, your opponent rolls 8 for their action, and you roll 6 for your reaction, you lose 2 HP.

**Note: If you have no reaction, such as if you fail in an attempt to cast a spell, or if you have used Dodge against one opponent and then another attacks you in the same turn, your reaction is treated as zero.**

In the examples to the right, Player 2's reaction roll was higher than Player 1's action roll, meaning Player 2 does not lose HP. However, Player 1's reaction roll was lower than Player 2's action's roll by 5. Player 1 now needs to remove 5 HP by doing the `!hp remove 5` command.

If they previously had 5 or less HP, then losing 5 HP means they have now lost they duel. If they still have HP left, on the other hand, they may now continue with another action.

**It is assumed that only a spell that reduces a target to 0 HP actually hits the target in such a way that it takes full effect upon them.** A spell that reduces a player's HP, but does not reduce it to zero, the player is assumed to have avoided, repelled or resisted successfully, but they expended energy in doing so, hence the HP loss.

### Ending the Fight

Fights can end only in the following ways:

* All participants except one (or multiple participants fighting alongside one another) have been reduced to 0 HP or below.
* All participants except one (or multiple participants fighting alongside one another) have escaped the scene somehow, for example, using Apparition.
* All participants with HP remaining have agreed not to fight anymore.

Once a fight is complete, any lingering effects of spells (such as *Petrificus Totalus*) remain on the victim(s) for the rest of the scene until and unless they are dispelled by a professor or other character. In other scenes in which a victim is or begins participating, it is assumed that they have received aid and so there is no need to roleplay continuing effects.

## Advanced

### Planned Duels

While any spontaneous combat must follow the above procedure, there is scope to alter these rules **if and only if all participants in the scene agree to the changes**. This includes any characters who are present in the scene but not participating in combat.

Any combat with modified rules is known as a Planned Duel. These **must** be discussed extensively by all the participants beforehand, to ensure everyone is in agreement and comfortable with the rules. If anyone involved objects at any stage, whether before, during or after combat, the entire scene must be retconned (in other words, it never happened).

Examples of changes that can be made for a Planned Duel include:

* One can have more than one action or a reaction per turn.
* One can lose more or less HP after getting hit by a spell than they normally would.
* The whole duel is executed without bots. However, each combatant must not cast any spells that their character would not be able to with bots.

### Healing

Healing spells can be used in combat to revive downed players. Healing spells cannot be used to improve the HP of people still in the fight - only to revive players who have been reduced to 0 HP. You can only be revived by a healing spell once per fight.

To use a healing spell in combat, one must cast the healing spell on a downed target **as their action**, maintaining **concentration** on the spell until their next turn. In other words, they may not cast any spells as a reaction while the healing spell is active, although they may dodge or use willpower. If the caster successfully maintains concentration until their next turn, they must cast the healing spell **again** as their action. If the cast is successful, the target is revived with the amount of HP indicated below. This is a complex process and maintaining concentration should be roleplayed as difficult, particularly whilst also dodging or using willpower to overcome an enemy attack.

The healing spells that may be used to revive a player depends on which spell was used to reduce them to 0 HP or below. There are four classes of healing spells, corresponding to four different attributes that most Targetable spells are classified into:

**Physical healing spells:** Revives players downed by spells with the **Healable** attribute.

* Episkey: Restores 2 HP
* Salutem Restituo: Restores 5 HP

**Mental healing spells:** Revives players downed by spells with the **Mental** attribute.

* Expedio: Restores 2 HP
* Surgito: Restores 5 HP

**Charms healing spells:** Revives players downed by spells with the **Counterable** attribute.

* Abluo: Restores 2 HP
* Abluo Maledictum: Restores 5 HP

**Transfiguration healing spells:** Revives players downed by spells with the **Untransfigurable** attribute.

* Ostendem: Restores 2 HP
* Homorphus: Restores 5 HP

Targetable spells that do not have the Healable, Mental, Counterable or Untransfigurable attributes are generally either irreversible or require a form of healing that cannot be done in the heat of combat to a sufficient extent to bring them back into the fight. Examples include Dark spells, and Disarming spells. Anyone reduced to 0 HP by such a spell is out of the current fight permanently. Healing spells also cannot be used if the downed target wishes to have the injuries sustained from the downing attack be too severe for combat healing to be applicable.

### Non-Verbal Combat

**Beginning from GradA,** you are assumed to be proficient enough with non-verbal magic to be able to cast it in combat, gaining a significant advantage against foes incapable of the same. When casting a spell with the V modifier in combat, you no longer need to use the C modifier.

If you successfully applied for early non-verbal casting, **this benefit instead unlocks at the start of seventh year.**

## Special Spells and Abilities

Full details on special abilities can be found in the Token Master List. Below is the basic knowledge required for using these abilities in combat.

### Dark Magic

* Certain spells will be tagged as "Dark". These spells can inflict cursed wounds that may never heal, or may even be fatal. Because of this, all Dark spells require OOC consent to be used on another player.
* Dark spells require special permission to learn; check out the wiki entry for more information.

### Dual-Wanding

* When initiating combat you can adopt the dual-wanding stance, giving you an additional action on your turn.
	+ This action can be used to target a second enemy combatant at the cost of placing you at the end of the initiative order.
	+ You may start off in a normal duelling stance and swap to your dual-wanding stance, however this will take up a reaction.
* You can also use your wands to concentrate on two concentration spells at once, as long as neither extends a DC of 10.

### Elemental Magic

* Several spells, such as the examples listed in the wiki entry may be aesthetically changed to match the element, however, they will not gain additional mechanical effects.
* Light Elementals may cast Lumos spells of DC5 or lower without using the **W** modifier, even if disarmed.

### Physical Empowerment Magic

* In combat, you may do `s!roll vitality` and take half the roll as an attack. This counts as a action and can be used in place of a spell.

### Trace Projection

* Trace Projection has no mechanical impact on combat, however does have several cosmetic implications.
	+ Whilst Trace Projection allows the visuals of a spell to be changed to match the casters trace, they will always remain recognisable to those who know the spell, thus not making any difference to character's ability to distinguish what it does.

### Wand Affinity

* Players with Wand Affinity can trust their bonds with their Wand to shield them from certain disaster. **Once per combat**, when the damage from an attack attack would reduce your HP to zero, you may choose to have your wand come to your defense, negating the damage dealt by the attack.