Combat Rules

Combat RulesCombat Posting
The stance post will be first. Each warrior will then post three to eight combat posts in alternating fashion. An “ending post” of two defensive actions only will be the final post. ALL posts, including the stance and final defense post will be scored. An individual post will consist of NO MORE than five actions. Actions include any combinations of movement, changing weapons, attacks, and defense. Each post will be worth five points. Deductions from each post will be based on mistakes, unrealistic actions, confusing posts, non-flowing posts, and time limit violations (over the eight minutes). One point per round will be awarded to the warrior who posts the most “effective aggression.” Remember that a post should represent no more than two to three seconds maximum of R/T.

Types of Combat
Four types of combat are recognized:

Sport Spars:
These spars are for practice and tournament competition. These spars are light contact. No serious wounding and no death blows are allowed. These spars may be entirely hand-to-hand combat if both combatants agree. These spars shall be three to five posts in length, although extra rounds may be added to break a draw, if agreed to by both combatants.
Honor Duels (Canjellne or Honor Spars):
These duels are for settling disputes and lesser matters of honor. Typically, the combatants will set stakes and the winner is awarded all. These duels are more serious and critical wounds may be inflicted. Death blows and permanent injury are not permitted. These duels may be entirely hand-to-hand combat, if both combatants agree. These duels shall be five posts in length, although extra rounds may be added to break a draw.

Death Duels (Death Spars):
These duels are for grave matters of honor. The combatants are risking their lives. The loser of a death duel dies. Both may die if the duel is ruled a draw. Permanent injury, even to the winner, may occur. The combatants risk everything they own in addition to their lives, including, but not limited to, gold, free companions, and slaves. These duels are fought with weapons, although hand-to-hand combat may be used. These duels shall be eight posts in length, although extra rounds may be added to break a draw.

Open Combat
: Sometimes combat will spontaneously begin between two or more warriors, or possibly due to an assassin's attack.
Rules for Combatants

Each duel/spar will be alternating posts each by each combatant. A “beginning post” shall state the stance, where weapons are (hands or sheathed), and if any subtle motion, e.g. “circling.” All times and time violations will begin after the beginning post is made. The first post of sport spars will be determined by a random method agreed to by the combatants and judges. The first post of either honor duels or death duels shall be the option of the challenged warrior. The challenged warrior may post first or second as he chooses.

Each combatant may use up to seven Gorean weapons including quiva. This also includes shields, bucklers or helmet. A pair of fighting slave’s gloves shall count as two weapons. A bow is a weapon and each arrow is an additional weapon. Non-Gorean weapons will not be permitted and, of course, no armor, chain mail, or similar protection.

Combatants will be judged on realism and skill. All strikes must be accepted, evaded or blocked. Each combatant chooses how to respond and the duel/spar must flow reasonably from one move to the next. Connection to the prior post is the responsibility of combatants.

An individual post will consist of NO MORE than five actions. Actions include any combinations of movement, attacks, and defense. Accepting a strike, blow or wound does not count against the five allowed actions.
Movement Actions

Closing to engage a combatant. Even on the opening post.
Moving back out of combat and getting reading to defend.
Changing weapons.
Changing Your position during or after attacking.
Getting out of the way of an attack (ducking, rolling out of the way, etc.).
Feints.
Attacking Actions

Hitting or attempting to hit with a weapon.
Hitting or attempting to hit with a shield.
Hand-to-hand attacks such as kicks, punches, leg sweeps, head butts, throws, etc.
Using blood, sand, or another foreign substance to blind.
Defensive Actions

Parries with a weapon.
Blocks with a shield.
Ducking, dodging or otherwise evading an attack.
Combatants will have an eight-minute period from the previous post to respond. After eight minutes, a penalty shall be imposed.
To assist the judges, combatants shall use some method of separating actions, such a numbered sequence (1, 2, 3...), series of periods (......), stars (****), or some other method.
Example: “Parrying your sword with mine...punching you in the stomach with my right fist...leaping back three paces...knees bent and crouching in defense.”

A combination move incorporates two actions that fit well with each other into one, more complex, action. Combination moves that flow well are encouraged and considered as one action in the total of five allowed actions. Combination moves must flow well and must be believable.
Example: “Dropping low and sweeping your legs” is an acceptable combination and does not have to be separated into “dropping low....sweeping your legs.”

Example: “Parrying your blade with mine then quickly striking your shoulder with the blade” is unacceptable as a combination move. Clearly, parrying a weapon, then striking are two different actions.

Combatants may NOT post the actions of their opponents (force posting) or the damage that their attack does.
Example: “Stabbing you in the chest with my quiva” is an acceptable attack. “Stabbing you in the chest with my quiva....puncturing your lung” is an unacceptable attack because it declares the damage received by the opponent.

Example: “Circling to your left” is an acceptable move. “Circling to your left, forcing you to turn” is an unacceptable move because it declares a movement by the opponent.

Example:"Swinging My sword to meet Yours, parrying Your strike" is an acceptable parry. "Swinging My sword to meet Yours, parrying Your strike...shoving Your blade wide to the left" is an unacceptable parry because it declares the motion of the opponent's hand/arm and the opponent's weapon.

Note: Posts that include striking the intended target, such as “stabbing you in the chest with my quiva,” do not describe the actions of their opponents or the damage that their attack does. Instead it is considered a “guide” to the intent and thinking of the combatant.

Combatants are urged to be as descriptive and accurate as possible. Use of “right and left” with regard to the opponent (be sure to post if its your right or your opponent’s right) is highly encouraged and could result in points rewards.
An “ending post” may be posted after the final strikes have been posted. The ending post will consist of no more than two actions and WILL NOT contain any offensive actions.
Rules for Judges


Judges and the number of them for a duel/spar shall be set and agreed on by the combatants. An odd number of judges is preferred to minimize the chance of a draw. In the case of a death duel, the judges must first decide if a death duel is warranted for the dispute between the combatants. If the judges decide a death duel is not warranted, then the duel shall be reduced to an honor duel. In the case of open combat, the ubar/jarl/chief of the room where the combat occurs shall judge the combat. If the ubar/jarl/chief is involved in the combat or if the ubar/jarl/chief cannot FAIRLY judge the combat, the ubar/jarl/chief shall appoint a single neutral judge agreeable to all combatants to determine if any deaths, serious wounds, or captures occurred.
Judges shall read all posts carefully and objectively assess the merit of the posts. If a judge cannot do this, the judge should REFUSE to judge the duel/spar. It's the only honorable action.
For booted/crashed/frozen/tech impaired/RTI'd combatants (this IS on line and WILL happen), allowances of extra time over the eight-minute limit should be given. Where a combatant cannot return to the duel/spar, the judges shall decide whether to restart the entire duel/spar at a later time or pick up the duel/spar where it ended at a later time. The judges may render decision on the duel/spar at the point the duel/spar ended, IF and ONLY IF, both combatants agree.
Each post for each round of a duel/spar shall be worth a base of five points. Points shall be added or subtracted from the base.
Duels/spars will be judged on the basis of realism, following the rules of combat, and effectiveness of offense and defense.
Violations of the eight-minute time limit shall have a one-point deduction from the base of five. The eight minutes are calculated from the time of the opponent's last post. A one-second violation of the eight minutes IS a violation.
Example: Fighter 1 posts at 15:21:45. Fighter 2 has until 15:29:45 to respond. If Fighter 2's post arrives at 15:29:46, then one point is deducted.

Unrealistic/confusing/non-flowing posts shall have one point deducted from the base of five points. Combatants are not supermen and posts should reflect humanly possible actions. The posts of each combatant should be clear, easy to read and easy to visualize. The posts should flow easily from one post to the next.
Violations of the rules of combat shall have a one-point deduction from the base of five per violation. For example, if a combatant posts six actions in a post, the combatant loses one point. If a combatant posts six actions AND directs the opponent's next move, the combatant loses two points. If a combatant posts six actions, directs the opponent's next move, AND violates the eight-minute time limit for response, the combatant loses three points.
Posts that are flawless, that is, completely realistic and without violation of the rules of combat including, but not limited to, time violation, may be rewarded with an additional point to the base of five IF AND ONLY IF there is evidence of extra realistic, descriptive, accurate, superior strategy, or extra effective offense or defense.
Judges shall evaluate each round of the duel/spar for effective offense. The combatant that posts the most effective offense, that is, realistic within the other confines of the rules; and either acknowledged as a strike, unrealistically blocked, or ignored by the other combatant, shall receive an extra point added to their base score for the round. The only time such a point will not be awarded is in the event of a time violation. A post that contains the most effective offense, but is not posted within the eight-minute time limit, shall not receive an extra point.
The end of the duel/spar will occur when the ending post is posted. At the end of the duel/spar, each judge will all add his scores from all five posts for each combatant to determine who won the duel/spar. The name of the winner shall then be given to the head judge. The winner of the duel/spar shall be the combatant who has the most judges deciding in his favor at the end of the duel/spar.
Possible Outcomes


Judge 1 scores for Fighter 1: 21 – 19, Judge 2 scores for Fighter 2: 22 – 17, and Judge 3 scores for Fighter 1: 20 - 19. Fighter 1 is the winner of the duel/spar because 2 of the 3 judges have decided for Fighter 1. Fighter 1 wins the duel/spar even though total points totals are 58 (Fighter 1) to 60 (Fighter 2). This prevents a single judge (like Judge 2) from effectively overruling the other two judges.
Judge 1 scores for Fighter 1: 20 – 19, Judge 2 scores a draw: 19 – 19, and Judge 3 scores for Fighter 2: 19 - 17. The duel/spar is a draw even though Fighter 2 has a one- point edge in the totaled score.
Judge 1 scores for Fighter 1: 20 – 18, Judge 2 scores a draw: 19 – 19 and Judge 3 scores a draw: 17 - 17. The duel/spar is a draw because 2 of 3 judges ruled it a draw. To allow Fighter 1 to win would allow Judge 1 to overrule the other two judges. This duel/spar is a draw, even though Fighter 1 has a two-point edge in the totaled score.

Judges shall give their scoring and the reasons for the scoring to either combatant or in public, if requested by either combatant.

It is hoped that any duel/spar would have a winner and loser but both duels and the sport spar may end in a draw. Extra rounds may be added to a sport spar or either duel (honor or death), if both combatants agree. When there is a draw in a sport spar, there are no consequences to a draw. With a draw in an honor duel, both combatants keep their stakes. When there is a draw in a death duel, the judges must decide whether both combatants live or die. If both combatants are deemed to die due to severe injuries, then their property is returned to their next of kin.

If the results of the combat are a draw, and both combatants agree to break the draw, then an extra round will be added to the duel/spar. The extra round shall be judged independently of the preceding regular rounds. The scores of the regular rounds of the duel/spar are no longer valid. After completion of the extra round, the judges will confer to see if one combatant has won or lost the extra round. If a winner of the extra round is found, then the duel/spar is over and the winner of the extra round is declared the winner of the duel/spar. If no winner has been determined in the extra round (i.e. the extra round was judged a draw too), then a second extra round is added to the duel/spar. This process continues until a winner is declared.


Tips and Hints

Visualize the duel/spar as completely as you can. Try to :see” your actions and your opponents. State your position and actions as clearly as you can and visualize your opponent's position as well. Remember and post orientation information such as right and left (yours or your opponent), and up and down. Know the position of weapons for you and your opponent, hands, and feet.

Be clear and concise in what you post.

A duel/spar is something like two artists painting a single picture. The artists are competing to see who is best on the same canvas. Warriors should continue “painting the picture” from the prior post, but only your part of the picture.

Accepting all blows is an easy way to proceed with a duel/spar, but shows little skill or imagination. Conversely, blocking or evading all blows is unrealistic. Both combatants are supposedly trained warriors and some attacks will land.

Make sure your pictures and java are off. Clear your cache.

For an honor or death duel, or serious tournament spar running

ScanDisk and Defrag prior to combat is a good idea.