Gladiator's Handbook

[EbeneezerAl]

This thread will discuss the details of how things will work in The Arena. Here I will explain how combat will progress, what your characters become stronger, item effects, statuses, magic, a bestiary, and more. These explanations will be organized in a series of posts. This post will serve as a table of contents, telling you what information is in which post, and in what order.

Look through here to familiarize yourself with many of the things you will need to know to for the arena, and reference back if you ever have any questions. If something in the Guidebook is not clear, as always, ask your questions in the discussion threada and I will be more than happy to answer them.

Post 1
1. Sign-ups
2. Battle Mechanics
3. Elements
4. Status Effects
5. Battle rewards

Post 2
1. Leveling Up
2. Learning Spells and Abilities
3. Magic List

Post 3
1. Item List
2. Equipment List

Post 4
1. Bestiary

[EbeneezerAl]

Post 1

1. Sign Ups
In order to compete in the arena, you must first post in the Sign Ups and Profiles topic in this sub-forum. ollow the template provided, giving all of the neccessary information and your characters stats will be set up.

Once this is done, a spearate profile will be set up in the Combatant Register. This profile will show your characters stats, the amount of Experience they've obtained. the amount of Experience they need in order to level up, thier total Skill Points and Growth Points, thier current abilities and thier effects, thier inventory, and thier total gold. This profile will be kept updated by me whenever any of these things changes.

2. Battle Mechanics

Battle Order
Battle in the arena takes place via a turn based system. Characters and enemies will be placed into the battle order based on thier respective agility stats. Those with higher agility scores will be able to attack earlier and more often. The character or enemy whose turn it is in the battle order will have tier name in italics to show that it is thier turn.

Gladiator 1 -- Enemy 1 -- Gladiator 2 -- Gladiator 1

As you can see, it is Enemy 1's turn in the battle order. You may also see that Gladiator 1 has the highest agility, followed by Enemy 1, then Gladiator 2. Gladiator 1's Agility is also high enough that he/she is able to post a second attack.

When it is thier turn, players have 48 hours to post thier next move. If they have not posted within that time frame, they will be skipped and thier name placed in brakets to show that they are inactive.

Gladiator 1 --Enemy 1 -- (Gladiator 2) -- Gladiator 1

Since Gladiator 2 was too slow to post, they have been skipped and will continue to be skipped until the yreturn. Thus it is Gladiator 1's turn. When Gladiator 2 returns, he/she is permited to take action immediately, and will then be reinserted into the battle order as usual.

Posting your move

When it is your turn in the battle order, you must post like in a normal RP, describing your character's actions descriptively. Following that description, you should post the move you wish to make, and the intended target of that move. This action can be simply attacking, casting spells, using abilities, using items, or using a limit break.

Throughout the battle I will post the results of the sctions players have taken as well as the actions of enemies. I will also keep track of changing HP, MP, and status.

Special Abilities and Magic
Certain actions in battle, such as casting a spell or using on of your character's unique abilities carry with them a certain cost. Upon choosing this action, the required cost will be deducted. This is typically an MP cost, but it can be something else, such as an HP cost. If you post a move that you can not pay the cost for, you will be asked to choose a different action.

Limit Breaks
Limit breaks are a special ability, more potent than a character's normal abilities. As such, you are only able to use them under certain circumstances. As a player takes damage, thier limit bar fills up, equal to the damage that was dealt. When a character recieves damage equal to three times thier Max HP, they are able to use a limit break. Once the limit break has been used, the player must refill thier limit bar in order to use it again. Progress in a character's limit bar, as well as unused limit breaks, will be carried over from level to level.

Beware. Some enemies may also have limit breaks...

Elements
Certain enemies, as well as player characters, may have elemental properties that allow them to resist or absorb damage from a certain element. This strength also come with a corresponding weakness to the opposing element. Below is a list of the elemental opposites.

Fire<-->Ice
Thunder<-->Water
Dark<-->Holy
Wind<-->Earth

Status Effects
There are multiple status effects that can be recieved in battle. These can be obtained a variety of ways. Some are beneficial, some are not. Below is a list of statuses and thier effects.

* Berserk [Physical attack increases by 1/2, defence increases by +10%, and haste is also cast for 3 turns, but no control over own actions]
* Blind [Unable to attack physically. Is removed after 3 turns or when cured]
* Burned [Similar to a poison status. Removes itself after battle[
* Confusion [Attack and use abilities erratically, even on yourself. Remains until the end of battle unless cured]
* Deadly Poison [HP quickly drains (1/5th) before your turn. Remains even after battle until cured]
* Doom [A countdown to an Instant Death attack]
* EXP Null - Receive no EXPs during or after a battle. Remains until cured with a Level Restorer item]
* Frozen [Turned to ice. Unable to move or act. Removes itself at the end of battle or when cured. If attacked, Frozen status is removed]
* Haste [Doubles your Speed stat]
* Instant Death [Instantly kills an opponent]
* Pain [Poison, Blind and Silence effects combined]
* Petrify [Turned to solid stone. Unable to move or act. Remains even after battle until cured. If hit physically, automatically KO'd]
* Poison [HP slowly drains (1/10th) before your turn. Remains even after battle until cured]
* Silence [Unable to cast any spells. Is removed after 3 turns or when cured]
* Sleep [Unable to move or act. Automatically removes itself after 3 turns, or when hit physically]
* Slow [Reduces your Speed stat by half]
* Stop [Stops an opponent from moving for 3 attacks against it]
* Stun [Makes an opponent miss a turn]
* Zombie [Turns the player into the living dead. Restorative spells, items, abilities, or Holy edges are now lethal to the player]

Battle Rewards
At the end of battle, the surviving players will be rewarded. Defeating an enemy gives a player Experience Points (EXP) used to increase your level, Skill Points (SP) used to learn new abilites, Gold, and inventory items.

[EbeneezerAl]

Post 2

Leveling Up
When your character has obained a certain amount of experience from fighting, they will gain a level. Whn your level goes up, all of your characters stats will increase by a small amount. On top of that, you will gain 5 Augment Points, 2 Stat Augment Points (SAP) and 3 Ability Augment Points (AAP). SAP can be used to improve you're characters stats. You may apply them to any stat you wish.

AAP is used to improve your existing abilities. You can have your abilities deal more damage, add a new effect, or anything else. Since abilities come in different varieties, different abilities will have different things that an be done. Customizaion is up to you, within reason. If there is any question as to whether you can add an effect, just ask.

Learning Spells and Abilities
As you defeat enemies, you will gain Skill Points (SP). SP can be used to learn spells or new abilities at the Arena Training Center. At the begining, only certain spells will be available to learn. As you level up, new spells will become available. Also, some spells may require you to learn another, lower level spell before you can learn them.

Only one unique ability can be learned at a time. Your profile states the abilities you wish to learn in the order you wish to learn them. To start with, the first ability named will be available. When you have learned it, you will be able to learn the next ability in your list.

Each spell or ability will require you to spend a certain amount of SP to learn them. Stronger spells and abilities will cost more to learn.

Spell List

This is a list of spells that can be learned in alphabetical order.

Aero - A low level wind elemental magic spell
Aera - A second-level wind elemental magic spell
Aeraga - Highest level of wind elemental magic
Aura - Allows access to Limit Break mode regardless of HP
Berserk - Increases physical attack strength by 1/2, defence increases by +10%, and haste is cast for 3, but no control over own actions
Bio - A second-level poison spells. Attack with x2 Intelligence and add a poison status onto all opponents!
Blind - Less chance of enemy being able to attack. 'Blind' status is removed after 3 turns
Blizzard - A low level ice elemental magic spell
Blizzara - A second-level ice elemental magic spell
Blizzaga - Highest level of ice elemental magic
Confusion - Confuses target
Cure - A curative spell. Restores HP
Cura - A second-level curative spell. Restores HP
Curaga - Highest level curactive spell. Restores HP
Dark - Powerful advanced-level magic on single or multiple opponents
Death - Casts Instant Death onto a single opponent
Dispel - Removes all positive effects on single or multiple opponents
Double - Allows user to cast 2 magic spells in a row
Fire - A low level fire elemental magic spell
Fira - A second-level fire elemental magic spell
Firaga - Highest level of fire elemental magic
Flare - Powerful advanced-level magic
Float - Adds evasion to all physical and magical attacks
Gravity - Reduces opponent's HP by 1/4
Gravara - Reduces opponent's HP by 1/3
Gravaga - Halves opponent's HP
Haste - Doubles your agility stat. Can be stacked
Holy - Powerful advanced-level magic on single or multiple opponents
Mega Blind - Reduces an opponent's hit rate, and if their attack misses, then they will hurt themselves with a portion of the intended damage
Mega Dispel - Removes all status enhancesments on single or multiple opponents and transfers them directly to the caster
Mega Petrify - Increases the chances to petrify an opponent by a single coin toss, and also means that all 'Possible' Items are gained after a battle
Mega Poison - Inflicts Deadly Poison status
Meteor - Powerful advanced-level magic. Casts 10 Meteors on all opponents
Pain - Inflicts Poison, Dark and Silence onto a single opponent
Petrify - Turns an opponent / character into solid stone. If hit when petrified, opponent / character is instantly KO'd
Poison - Attack and deal 'poison'. Non elemental. Remains even after battle until cured
Protect - Adds +25% to a single character's defence until the end of battle
Pure Berserk - Doubles physical attack strength, and increases both defence and spirit by 20%. Player has no control over actions however
Quake - A low level earth elemental magic
Quakara - Second-level earth elemental magic
Quakaga - Highest level earth elemental magic
Reflect - Reflect magic attacks back onto an opponent with added effect
Regen - Adds +5% of maximum HP with every movement up the battle order
Scan - Brings up a detailed scan of all enemy strength and weaknesses
Silence - Stop an enemy from casting magic. Silence status is removed from 3 turns
Shell - Adds +25% to a single character's spirit until the end of battle
Sleep - Send enemies to sleep. 'Sleep' status is broken after 3 turns, or when hit by a physical attack
Stop - Completely stops a single enemy's movements. Is only broken after the enemy is attacked 3 times
Slow - Reduces your agility stat by half. Can be stacked
Thunder - A low level thunder elemental magic spell
Thundara - A second-level thunder elemental magic spell
Thundaga - Highest level of thunder elemental magic
Triple - Allows user to cast 3 magic spells in a row
Ultima - Powerful advanced-level magic on all opponents
Wall - Adds +30% to a single character's defence and spirit until the end of battle
Water - low level water elemental magic
Watara - Second level water elemental magic
Wataga - Highest level water elemental magic
Zombie - A non-elemental attack that also and adds a Zombie status onto a target