1. This is play-by-post, not tabletop. We’re not going to bother with standard turn order or formal initiative or anything like that.
If the bad guys get the drop on you, I’ll post their action(s) when I set up the encounter. Other than that, we’ll play out fights in turn as individual duels between two(ish) characters. You can assume that if I’ve posted a response, it’s your turn and if I haven’t replied yet, it’s the NPC’s turn. If several PCs get involved with the same NPC, the NPC may not be able to attack both PCs; if so, I may post reactions for him without performing any actions--this represents times when the NPC can't act because he's busy with the other opponent. PCs are welcome to coordinate actions on a case-by-case basis—you know the NPCs will do the same.
By handling fights in this way, we don’t have to worry about whose turn it is. One PC may get more screen time than another, but that’s okay. That’s the way it works in the movies, too. If a player misses a few beats, we’ll assume he’s handling his opponent offscreen, recovering from his last action, or setting up his next action.
There will be a couple of ramifications to this:
A. No more than one round per PC per day during combat.
That's one round, which may take several posts if there's a question or clarification.
This rule is just so people that are busy IRL don’t get left in the dust. If everybody is free and getting screen time, we can relax the rule.
B. Players that post less often get more leeway for time on the turns they do take.
For a player that posts every day, I’ll be pretty strict about how much he or she can accomplish in a single turn. For a busy player that’s getting less air time, I don't mind fudging minor actions, like moving and attacking or swapping weapons or reloading, so he can get an attack or spell in. It’s not prejudicial treatment—it’s just game flow management.
C. If you know you’ll be unavailable for a few days and don’t mind me resolving your actions for you, you can queue up actions in advance.
If a player knows he or she will be busy for a few days during a combat, it’s okay to list several turns' worth of actions in the same post ahead of time for the Seneschal to resolve by proxy.
2. To speed up combat, ALWAYS combine damage rolls.
Unless you roll an automatic failure (i.e., a 1), roll for damage in the same post you make an attack roll in case you hit. If you roll a potential critical, also make the confirmation roll in the same post.
3. If you roll doubles on your attack, don't forget to spend your Stunt Points in the same post.
It'll speed things up.
So in the scope of things, I envision an attack going thusly in post:
For PCs:
1. Attacker posts to describe the execution of the attack, uses the Dice roller, and includes attack and damage rolls and Stunt effects (as appropriate) in the post.
2. Seneschal either posts the outcome or asks the attacker to embellish his or her (usually fatal) action with dramatic prowess.
For NPCs:
1. Storyteller takes into account the attacker's modified Defese, as previously stated in posts, uses the Dice Roller, and posts the resolution of the attack.
4. Health damage doesn't usually injure your character.
Health damage only represents noticeable injury in three circumstances:
- The damage is at least half the target's current Health. This causes a wound and, in game terms, inflicts one level of fatigue on the target.
- The damage reduces the target's current Health to zero. This inflicts dying, of course. In narrative terms, it causes a serious wound. In game terms, it may also inflict lasting penalties which can require more than simple magical healing to reduce or eliminate.
- The attack deals poison damage. Poison only takes a scratch to affect the target. That's what makes it so dangerous.
At all other times, Health damage represents the target heroically avoiding getting skewered or brained or chopped in half or whatever.
5. Roll the dice when you're under pressure. Otherwise, don't.
You don't have to roll an ability check to use a skill in which you're trained unless you have to use it while people are shooting at you or while you're under serious time pressure or if you only get one chance to do it right. If you have time to work and aren't in the throes of an adrenaline rush, you don't have to roll unless the task should be too hard for you to accomplish.