LAW Ruleset
Category: Resources

LAW - A  turn based roleplay combat ruleset

This ruleset aims to cater to all generations, old and new; without assuming that everyone knows what is and isn’t the right thing to do. The goal is to create an environment where the matches are fair and make logical sense. This may be used by any parties, and the author of this document does not require credit. Each different rule is summarized as a law, and if you are curious as to why the word law was chosen; in eastern mythology and cultivation, law refers to the mechanics of how the world works. While I understand that the length of this may be intimidating, it is this long in order to ensure everything is explained fully and properly for any role-player wishing to participate using this style.

⁍Law of Beginning

A match must begin with each character arriving by their own means within their designated posts. The challenger starts, unless agreed otherwise. This must include visual descriptions, as well as important information such as the character’s race if applicable. It is invalid to have a seemingly human character in the beginning only to be an android later on. However one only needs to at least ensure that it is recognized to some degree of a hint at what race they are. Powers do not have to be explained, but any weapons or armor on one’s person do. The scene can be set by the poster, and cannot be changed by the second to post within their first turn. (Second turn of combat overall.) Attacking cannot be done upon the very first post, however this does not stop passive damage (A character such as a fire elemental will passively burn everything around it. This is natural, thus acceptable) or prepping. 

⁍Law of Uniformity

Once actions are stated within a post, these are treated as attempts, pending the actions of the next person’s post. The next post may begin their actions at any logical point within their opponent’s post, which is referred to as interrupting. After an interruption, all actions that would have taken place after that point, do not take place. However, the one who was interrupted cannot change their post to any time before the events they stated to play out were interrupted. In other words, one cannot backtrack to change what they did. Any actions taken by the pending person’s post must be dealt with by the next person. If any actions were not dealt with, this qualifies as a hit, and the post thereafter will be allowed to describe the consequences of these actions, and can no longer be blocked as the window of opportunity for this is gone.

⁍Law of Conflict

If two writers have abilities of similar or conflicting logic where neither can be disproven, this leads to the two attacks destroying each other. This follows the logic of causality, such as matter and antimatter touching. Basically if you can’t agree on what should happen, the easiest way to progress is mutual destruction. This does not mean to say that mirrored abilities will destroy each other, as there are already forces in play that can describe such events. Conflict exists to resolve problems where neither party nor judges (if applicable) can give a sound explanation as to what reaction would occur.

⁍Law of Explanation

Logic towards how the mechanics of abilities or attacks function must be given within the writing itself. This must detail what the effects are, how the effects happen, where they came from, what would happen if they worked. If information has to be given outside of the roleplay while referring to a biography or further elaboration of mechanics and or effects; it is not validated and counts as a fizzle. (The attack does not produce anything.) However, if an explanation is required for how something would naturally work regardless of the power mechanics (i.e. gold not being affected by a magnetic based power due to being diamagnetic), then this is perfectly acceptable and the attack works as it usually would after the opponent has understood it, as this becomes a matter of us understanding more about how the real world functions. This does not, however; apply to theoretical science that is as of yet unproven. One must also explain how they dodge or defend against attacks in the same manner as described.

⁍Law of Power

All power starts off as equal. The output cannot start off as being naturally more so than the opponent without outside help (such as a lightning blade giving a natural boost to a lightning based attack) until added to, or multiplied. Increasing power can be done through charging, or chaining. Charging, or prepping; is a way to sacrifice your turns of attacking in order to accumulate more power. You cannot attack while charging, though you can still defend yourself. You can charge both attacks and defense, and while not limited to how many turns you charge or prep your attack, once you attack you exhaust the lot and have to gather it again. If that charge is “captured” (i.e. used as a large defense or imbued into a weapon) then it stays around, but is subject to “decay”. Every subsequent turn after the post in which the charged power was used, it loses half a turn of charge that was used in order to gain more power. Chaining on the other hand, is accumulating power while fighting, in other words, you grow stronger the longer you fight. This is able to go up in power as much as one likes, but stopping the chain at any point will completely reset the stockpile of power. 

⁍Law of Control

While you are not allowed to control your opponent or any part of them, you are allowed to affect them by succeeding in attacking them. For example, a psychic cannot control you, but they can attack your mind. If successful, they can have the consequence of that action being to have your character do something. This is the same logic as being hit with a bullet, and counts as cause and effect. The same goes with blood, or liquid within the body. Even machine based characters cannot be automatically hacked, but can be done so if an opponent succeeds in an attack aimed towards hacking them. Even so, at no point can you state where your opponent is or what is happening to them, or how they are feeling; without first succeeding in an attack. 

⁍Law of the 4th Wall

This refers to information about the future, or outside the confines of the roleplay itself. This is such things as knowing what you’re dealing with due to reading the other person’s bio, or suddenly having known all along that a certain punch was going to be thrown despite there being no indication of it before the events actually unfolded. Without having studied and understood it theirselves, a character cannot know the mechanics of magic or science just because the admin does. Any information must be gained inside of the roleplay, and that information within the roleplay cannot be obscured in any way be it by cryptic metaphors or writing in other languages. Therefore, it is assumed that you have all the information you need to fairly participate in a fight without the need for foresight or outsourced help.

⁍Law of Immortality

Every character can die. All characters are allowed to die, if that is the logical conclusion to a match. Though, they are allowed to be brought back at any time after the said match. One cannot regenerate at speeds that exceed regular damage output, or heal faster for that matter. Any damage must take three turns minimum to heal, though small stuff such as a scratch may only take one. Lethal injuries though are exactly that, lethal. They cannot be healed or regenerated fairly. Also, one cannot have resistances and immunities all over the show with “A single weakness” to bring them down. Kryptonite is not a fair thing to have to use in order to win, as it relies on the luck of having it and requires no skill. A character may, however, have a body where dying is not ultimately dying. They can revive, but must be counted as doing so outside of the match (or war if applicable) itself. 

⁍Law of Resources

While not often it comes up, the energy a combatant has for their attacks is finite. While this can be supplemented with outside help, at most one’s power source can only run for 25 of their own turns of use. This will be consumed further for charging, or performing both attacks and defenses separately within the same post. You and your opponent may agree to extend the length of this, but for context if used sparingly this will mean 51 posts between both players until they both run out of resources. This applies to everything from magic, to ki, chakra and even psionics. You could also use this to describe how long until a realistic combatant runs out of stamina. 

⁍Law of Honor

This refers to any types of abilities which either one or both parties take issue with, such as Strange Matter. It must be discussed and for your match alone, that particular ability will be outlawed. However, no abilities may be ultimately banned at all times and both parties must agree with what they will “honor”. 

          ⁍Law of Interrogation 

(Asking questions; questions asked OoC regarding explanation must be answered, or else a sufficient response does not have to be given)

          ⁍Law of Damage 

(if you accept that you were hit and make an attempt to defend in some way, then you get to describe the length of control or damage done. As opposed to the typical, ‘well you miscountered so you die!’. )

           ⁍Law of Erasure 

(a character that is erased from history, or sealed away by an opposition, is the same as a character deletion match. You can get this character back through story with the opponent.) 

           ⁍Law of Conditions 

(pre-prepared responses based on contingencies. The only way to effectively attack within your starter, is basically saying ‘if you do this, I will do this’. Which locks them into an action.)

⁍Law of Ending

A fight is won in a couple of ways. One is to succeed in an attack that is deadly in nature, and is not defended against or mitigated by an opponent. This also applies if the opponent attempts to defend against an attack, but you can give logical reasoning as to why it failed. Another way is for an opponent’s attack to backfire. In this instant, you must describe the logical process of what happens. Also, one may make an opponent incapable of progressing in the fight any further, such as being sealed or having their powers stripped away. This is not every way to win a fight, but ultimately you win by either killing, or incapacitating your opponent. If they are unable to continue, then this will count as a win.