Fighting is a very common thing in the land of Winsera. They may occur between two or more characters for multiple different purposes. Spars can be for almost any reason but below are a few examples of the most common types of spars and more information about how to spar. If you wish to judge, below is also a judging guide to help anyone learn how to judge a spar.

Judging
Anyone who wishes to judge a spar, be it a practice or a death match must use the guide below when judging. A free to use code for the judge can be found here. Below are some things to keep in mind when both judging and fighting. If you have any questions, feel free to contact a staff member.

  • Points for attack, damage and defenses are given out per round and added up at the end to find the winner.
  • Points for health and extra additions are given out once for the whole fight.
  • If any stats are not listed, no points are given for that stat.
  • If spars are not listed on their profile or custom profile, no points will be given for experience. A link to the custom profile must be given or linked on their profile as judges are not expected to search for it.
  • Two attacks can be used only if they are simultaneous, though points will be awarded as if it is one single attack.
  • Characters will only be rewarded one or the other for each advantage points, not both. Meaning that if a creature is 55 lbs heavier, they will get +1 point and not +1.5 points.
  • One instance of god-modding, metagaming or powerplaying will result in a warning, two instances will result in a defaulted loss.

    God-modding is when you give your character the ability to do something that is beyond the normal capabilities for that creature. For example, saying that a wolf did a back flip is god-modding. Doing two non-simultaneous attacks in one post is also considered god-modding. Brushing off damage is also god-modding, if your character got a third degree burn, they should act like it and not brush it off.

    Metagaming is when your character has knowledge that they could not have known about IC. Common instances of metagaming are knowing exactly when to turn around or dodge without a good reason, knowing the opponent's name or magic, etc.

    Powerplaying is when you take control of another person's character. For instance, saying that the attack hit instead of attempted to hit implies that the opponent didn't move or try to dodge and instead just stood there. That is powerplaying the other character. To avoid powerplaying always make sure to say that your character attempted to attack.

    Health
    +3 For having excellent health at the time of battle.
    +2 For having good health at the time of battle.
    +1 For having fair health at the time of battle.
    +0 For having poor health at the time of battle.
    Damage
    +5 For taking realistic damage throughout with overly prominent effects on movement and fighting.
    +4 For taking realistic damage throughout with decent effects on movement and fighting.
    +3 For taking semi-realistic damage throughout and with some effects on movement and fighting.
    +2 For taking semi-realistic damage throughout and with few effects on movement and fighting.
    +1 For taking slightly realistic damage throughout and with little to no effects on movement and fighting.
    +1 Extra creativity with damage taken in how it is worded throughout the whole post.
    +0.5 Partial detail with damage taken in how it is used throughout the whole post.
    +1 Full detail with damage taken in how it is used throughout the whole post.
    Attack
    +5 For using exceptionally realistic attacks and counters throughout with eminence details.
    +4 For using decent realistic attacks and counters throughout with quite a few details.
    +3 For using semi-realistic attacks and counters throughout with several details.
    +2 For using slightly realistic attacks and counters throughout with some details.
    +1 For using few realistic attacks and counters throughout with few details.
    +1 Extra creativity with attacks in how they are worded throughout the whole post.
    +0.5 Partial detail for the attacks in how they are used throughout the whole post.
    +1 Full detail for the attacks in how they are used throughout the whole post.
    Defenses
    +5 All defenses set or gave realistic reasons why all unused defenses were unable to be used.
    +4 Most defenses set or gave realistic reasons why most unused defenses were unable to be used.
    +3 Some defenses set or gave semi-realistic reasons why some unused defenses were unable to be used.
    +2 Few defenses set or gave semi-realistic reasons why few unused defenses were unable to be used.
    +1 Little to no defenses set or gave no reasons why unused defenses were unable to be used.
    +1 Extra creativity with defences in how they are worded throughout the whole post.
    +0.5 Partial detail for all defences in how they are used and why throughout the whole post.
    +1 Full detail for all defences in how they are used and why throughout the whole post.
    Extra Additions
    +1 Dodge unused
    +1 Build Advantage
    +1 Home turf advantage
    +0.5 Size advantage over 20 lbs
    +1 Size advantage over 50 lbs
    +0.5 Experience advantage with 3+ more spars
    +1 Experience advantage with 6+ more spars
    +0.5 Magic advantage with 5+ more spells
    +1 Magic advantage with 10+ more spells
    +0.5 Mana advantage with 50+ more MP
    +1 Mana advantage with 100+ more MP
    +2 Mana advantage with 300+ more MP
    +1 Incorporated weather and/or time of day in their posts



    Types of Spars
    Below are a list of spars that are most common on Winsera, though that doesn't mean these are the only reasons a spar can happen. If a character is attempting to to defend themselves they will simply add 'defence' after the type of spar they are defending against.

    Practice spars are simple friendly spars in which creatures practice their skills and aim to get better. Usually there are no serious wounds, though that is left up to the characters.

    Dominance spars are usually to see who is stronger then another and can be used against trespassers, to settle disbutes or just to show who is the most dominant. Serious injury can and will likely occur.

    Maim spars have the main purpose to harm another either for personal reasons or political reasons. Serious injuries will happen including but not limited to; blinding, breaking bones, dismemberment, etc.

    Rank matches are the aim to gain or protect a rank. This can be anything from challenging for a leader rank or a member challenging for a council rank. Leaders can also call rank matches on kingdom members to see if they are worthy of a higher rank. Serious injury can occur but killing is prohibited with these spars. If killing happens, specifically when challenging for a kingdom, the killer will be punished by the gods themselves.

    Pin spars aim to cause a creature to be pinned under them and unable to move.

    Hostage matches attempt to either force claim a creature into a kingdom or to claim someone as a personal hostage.

    Force Breed fights are when a creature attempts to rape another be it male on female, female on male, male on male, or female on female.

    Death matches main purpose is to kill another creature. Once a creature loses, either chosen by the roleplayers or judged, the winner will decide in character if they wish to kill the loser or spare their lives.

    Steal spars are for when a creature attempts to take either another creature or an item from a kingdom or individual. It is most common to steal children under the age of 2, pregnant creatures and slaves/hostages.

    Escape matches are for hostages or slaves that wish to escape their captors. When creating an escape thread, once the time limit runs out the slave or hostage automatically escapes successfully.


    Bloodrun Ruins
  • Fights can happen anywhere by anyone but deep in Winsera, Bloodrun Ruins is the official fighting ground meaning here there are rules that need to be followed.
  • To prevent a spar from defaulting due to a character unable to attend, slaves and hostages are exempt from restrictions when replying to an offical spar in this land.
  • No one may interfere with these matches and if attempted Mother Nature will instantly stop that character attempting to interfere.
  • Fights must be a one on one match within these lands unless said otherwise by the Gods themselves.


    Builds
    Each build has their own advantages and disadvantages both inside and outside of combat. In order to give each size type a little advantage over others. In doing this, Bulky body types are heavier and stronger than average types. Average types are also stronger and bulkier than slim. And, slim types are faster and more agile than bulky types. This means that Bulky gets +1 point over Average, Average gets +1 point over Slim and Slim gets +1 point over Bulky.



    Defending
    There are several different things that your characters can do in order to protect themselves. When initiating a fight, even if you aren't attacking, it is hightly recommended that you set all the needed defenses. Each defence must be retyped out in each post that occurs during the fight. Your defences will change throughout the fight as sometimes your character will not have perfect balance or be able to lower their head. Please state why your character was not able to raise that defence or it will count against you in the official judging. Below are a list of defences for different types of creatures.

  • Canines: Raising of the hackles, lowering a bit on the hind legs, widening the legs, lifting the upper lip, pinning ears back against head, narrowing eyes, opening jaws, lowering the head, tucking tail to protect the belly or raising it to show dominance or tail used for balance

  • Felines: Raising of the hackles, lowering a bit on the hind legs, widening the legs, lifting the upper lip, pinning ears back against head, narrowing eyes, opening jaws, lowering the head, claws sheathed or unsheathed, tucking tail to protect the belly or flicking tail back and forth or tail used for balance

  • Cheetahs: Raising of the hackles, lowering a bit on the hind legs, widening the legs, lifting the upper lip, pinning ears back against head, narrowing eyes, opening jaws, lowering the head, tucking tail as a sign of a threat and to protect the belly.

  • Hyena: Raising of the hackles, lowering a bit on the hind legs, widening the legs, lifting the upper lip, pinning ears back against head, narrowing eyes, opening jaws, lowering the head, tucking tail to protect the belly or raising it to show dominance

  • Bears: Raising of the hackles, lowering a bit on the hind legs, widening the legs, lifting the upper lip, pinning ears back against head, narrowing eyes, opening jaws, lowering the head

  • Horse/Deer: bending legs when rearing, planting legs for balance, pinning ears back against head, teeth showing for intimidation, head angled down to protect the throat, eyes open or narrowed depending on the situation

  • Birds: Eyes open wide when in the air or narrowing eyes, wings tucked against body or wings spread out in the air, feet tucked against body or feet stretched out to attack.

  • Reptiles: Widening the legs, showing teeth, lowering the head


    Taking Damage
    Always make sure to take realistic damage when sparring. This includes purposely making mistakes if your character is extremely inexperienced. Every character has once full dodge per spar to be able to use. If the dodge is unused by the end of the spar, one point will be rewarded. That doesn't mean that it can't be used. However, if an unrealistic dodge is made or if a dodge of any kind is made without the use of the single full dodge, this is considered god-modding.

    Poison will not kill in the thread it is injected however, the longer a creature is poisoned, the lower their health will be. Due to the power of poison, it will only be injected if the venomous creature can latch on to its victim. Without treatment from a healer, either due to magic or herbs, the character will die two threads after the thread in which they were poisoned.


    Attacking
    Each character can make one attack per post unless two attacks are realistically done simultaneously and are mentioned being used at the same time in the post itself. Keep in mind that each post is only seconds long in a spar. This also counts towards counter attacks. Counter attacks are when a character does not completely dodge the attack but at the same time as dodging, attacks as well. The only attack that is not considered a counter attack is the initial attack or when you can not defend yourself. Counters can also be if the opponent's attack hits but not in the intended area. For example, if a bite is aimed for the ear, it could, realistically, hit the cheek instead. Each counter must be realisic just as the attacks themselves. Each post should be clearly written with as many specifics as possible.

    • Escaping
    Just like in real fights, characters can run away from a fight unless the fight occurs in the Bloodrun Ruins. However, we do offer buyable passes to be able to escape offical spars. These passes can not be used for tournament fights though. Once you have written out your escape post, you must first make sure to change the type of spar to escape. Then head over to the Escape Roll Request form so staff can roll to see if your character is able to escape. A character can attempt an escape twice per fight but if both attempts end up not working, your character must either continue fighting or submit.


    Health
    Health of a character is very important both in and out of a spar. To help with this, below is a guide to help you figure out what your character's health is depending on their current state.
    Excellent Health
    Your character qualifies for excellent health if they meet all the following requirements:
  • They are currently in a Kingdom, just left a Kingdom in the previous thread or just joined Winsera, meaning this is their first thread.
  • They have no major injuries that would restrict their movement or ability to do daily tasks.
  • They have no untreated mental illness such as clinical depression, schizophrenia, etc.
  • They do not have any missing limbs or poorly healed limbs such as a broken bone that healed wrong.

    Good Health
    Your character qualifies for good health if they meet any of the following requirements:
  • They are a rogue for no more then two full seasons.
  • They are blind in a realm or have another creature as their care takers if they are a rogue.
  • They have small injuries such as cuts and bruises that are less then 4 IC days old.
  • They suffer from untreated mental illnesses that don't stop them from daily tasks such as eating, sleeping, etc.
  • They are living in a realm with missing limbs or poorly healed limbs such as a broken bone that healed wrong.

    Fair Health
    Your character qualifies for fair health if they meet any of the following requirements:
  • They are a rogue for more then two full seasons.
  • They are blind as a rogue with no care taker.
  • They have moderate injures such as lacerations, sprained ankle, etc that are less then 8 IC days old.
  • They are a rogue with missing limbs or poorly healed limbs such as a broken bone that healed wrong.

    Poor Health
    Your character qualifies for poor health if they meet any of the following requirements:
  • They have severe injuries such as broken bones, a concussion, etc. that are less then 6 IC weeks old.
  • They suffer from untreated mental illnesses that stop them from daily tasks such as eating, sleeping, etc.



    • Magic
    In spars, you are welcome to choose if you want to use magic or not. In most friendly spars, roleplayers tend to agree whether or not they want to use magic. However, in high risk spars (or any spar if the roleplayers wish to do it this way) the character who is challenged decides if magic is going to be used in the spar or not. If it is decided that magic will be used, keep in mind you can only use one attack magic per post. That doesn't mean that you can't use multiple magics as long as it doesn't overpass your character's mana in total. Each realm elemental magic has side effects that must be taken into effect no matter how experienced the user is. Please keep the side effects realistic depending on what level magic your character is using verses how much mana they have. Once a character has used their magic, both elemental or individual up to their current MP level (for example, a creature with 200 MP can use a 100 MP magic twice) they are no longer able to use magic at all during that thread. However, they can still fight but they must show the side effects of using elemental magic. Individual magic does not have side effects unless specifically stated otherwise. For more information about magic, head over to the Magic board.


    Group Spars
    Outside of the Bloodrun Ruins, group spars are very common. Please make sure to add your allies that are fighting along side you to the VS line. This will change judging and defaulting so be wise about who you side with. Also, always make sure to watch friendly fire as many magic attacks hit multiple characters. This does not mean, however, that more then two simultaneous attacks can be made.


    Defaulting
    Most spars have a time limit of 2-7 days depending on the roleplayer's preference. The one that starts the fight has final say in the move limit while the one that is attacked has final say for the time limit. If no limit is stated, then no deadline is considered to be active unless it is a death match or is in the Bloodrun Ruins. Then there will automatically be a 5 day time limit. For those that miss the time limit, they can ask the other roleplayers for what is called an extention before the time limit is up. This will give you up to an additional 48 hours to post your reply with the approval from the other roleplayers. However, if even after the extention you miss the given time limit, the spar will default, resulting in a loss for you and anyone else that was allied with you. Any attacks that were stated to happen to you, if you default without replying, will automatically hit. Defaulting death matches will result in instant death unless the victor wishes to spare your character.


    Spar Stats
    Every character in a spar must have the following stats filled out specifically for their character.
    Who vs Who
    fight type
    move limit | time limit
    current height & weight
    current health
    magic on/off
    full dodge used or unused



    Notes
    When posting a spar, remember that posting order is key. Don't take your attack out of turn unless given the okay to do so by a staff member. When sparring, most (but not all) roleplayers tend to stick with a certain way of posting. First, post where, how and if your last attack hit based on your opponent's last post. Then, post your counter to their attack if you choose to do one including where their attack landed. Finally, post your own attack with details of where it intends to land. Always remember to set all of your defences or explain why they were unable to be set.

    Always remember to carefully read your opponent's post as they described it so that you don't accidentally powerplay their character. Don't forget to take the build of your character into your posts as slender creatures will be more agile then bulky creatures.

    Finally, remember to have fun with your spars and if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact any staff member as we are always willing to help!