(last updated: 07/10/21)MotM's combat system is moderately complex. There are a wealth of actions you can choose from, each with their own consequences and restrictions.
There are a number of possible actions you can take in a given turn. These actions are classified into four categories:
- Actives (Active Ability Actions)
- Free Actions
- DM Actions
- Turn Ending Actions
Actives - Abilities often provide additional commands which can be used in combat, such as Rush, Brace, or Burst. Under normal circumstances, only one Active can be used in a given turn. See the individual Abilities entries for more on which Active Ability Actions are provided.
Free Actions - Many options are available for use at any time. Some may be provided by Abilities, Signature Abilities or Traits. Others, like Vary, are available to everyone.
DM Actions - Some signature abilities and traits provide additional actions (such as Clarity, or Calculated) that have the potential to radically shift the balance of a fight in much the same way that a Dramatic Moment can. Under normal circumstances, only one Dramatic Moment OR one DM Action can be used in a given turn. Use of these DM Actions does not reduce the number of Dramatic Moment charges available. More information will be found in individual Abilities or Traits pages.
Turn Ending Actions - Every turn consists of a Reaction, a Pose, and an Action -- specifically, this last is considered a Turn Ending Action. Once this Turn Ending Action is entered, it's someone else's turn. Usually the Turn Ending Action of choice is to Attack.
The 'csys/help' command can be used at any time to see which category an action falls under.
Turn Ending Actions
These are the turn-ending actions available:
Attack - The most common and obvious command. This initiates either an attack against the targeted opponent or opponents or a heal against a teammate or yourself, using the syntax 'attack < targets > = < attack > '. This puts the attack in the target's defense queue, to which they may then react.
NOTE: An attack can hit multiple people (targets), but only upon OOCly checking with each of the targets involved. If your targets do not give their consent to a multi-target "area attack", then you must target each person individually.
Focus - Because of the relationship of attack power to speed, many stronger attacks are too slow to hit reliably. Using '+focus' will forfeit your chance to attack for that turn, but in the next turn your attack will be granted a significant boost to speed, making it [16]% more likely to hit. You will retain a decaying Focus bonus through subsequent turns. So, the first turn after using '+focus' the Focus bonus will be [16]%, the second turn it will be [11]%, the third [8]%, the fourth [6]%, and then there will be no Focus bonus the fifth turn.
Each time you use '+focus' the decay will be stronger:
1st use: 16% / 11% / 8% / 6% / 0%
2nd use: 16% / 8% / 4% / 2% / 0%
3rd use: 16% / 5% / 2% / 0%
4th use: 16% / 0%
Focus can be boosted by certain abilities (ANALYSIS) and traits (TACTICAL, etc).
Rest - Using 'rest' allows you to take a short breather. Although you can't attack, you do gain some health and reserve. You get this boost immediately, but if you attempt to make any reactions to any attacks declared on you until your next pose beyond blocking, you'll lose the health you gained. If you attempt to make any reaction beyond dodging and blocking, you'll lose the reserve gained. You will be unable to use Dramatic Moments when resting. You will also receive a penalty to your defensive ability until your next pose. Also, and this is very significant: folks without the Toughness ability will take double damage when Resting; folks with the Toughness ability will take 50% more damage than normal. You also can't get a PARRY, JD, or Tough Out, nor can you use BRACE after resting.
Compose - If resting sounds like a really bad idea... yes, it is! But in exchange for super, you will receive health and reserve back, with no reaction penalties or other consequences.
The first use of Compose in a given fight will grant more health. Subsequent uses of Compose will grant reserve instead, in exchange for an increasing super cost. Here is the breakdown:
1st use: +[12]% health, +[12]% reserve, -[7] super
2nd use: +[8]% health, +[15]% reserve, -[14] super
3rd use: +[4]% health, +[18]% reserve, -[28] super
4th use: +[0]% health, +[21]% reserve, -[56] super
Charge - Although your Super meter gains normally, there may be a time when you need a Super -right now-. Using 'charge' forfeits your chance to attack, but you gain a significant bonus to your Super meter, and a little bit to your reserve, in return for a lack of defensive ability until your next pose.
See charging for more details.
NOTE: This requires the CHARGING ability--if you don't have it, you can't use it.
Mindset - If you have a separate mindset, you may switch to it during a fight. There needs to be an IC reason for the switch, you are not necessarily allowed to do it 'just because'. Using 'switchmode' to switch Mindsets takes a full action, so you must forfeit anything else you might want to do until
your next pose. See mindset for more details.
NOTE: This requires the MINDSET ability. If you don't have it, you can't use it.
Assist - Your character can pass on their action to help another character succeed in theirs. Typing 'assist <target>' will provide the target with a reaction bonus and an attack speed bonus.
At minimum, Assist grants a +[6]% teamwork boost to the target's to-hit and react chances. Certain allies - specified by the ally command, can provide a bigger teamwork boost. If your target is named as an ally, the teamwork boost increases by as much as +[10]%. Also, if the target has you listed as an ally there is an additional +[3]% boost. So Assist can provide a teamwork boost of as much as +[19]% in total.
Allies must be listed for at least 24 hours in order to be counted. The ally boost is divided by the number of allies listed:
1 ally listed: additional +[10]% boost
2 allies listed: additional +[5.0]% boost
3 allies listed: additional +[3.3]% boost
4 allies listed: additional +[2.5]% boost
5 allies listed: additional +[1.5]% boost
Pass - The Art Of Doing Nothing. If you choose to skip your action for any reason, but you wish to end penalties and bonuses that normally last until you take an action, you may simply 'pass'. Note that you -don't- have to use this if you have nothing currently affecting you, you may simply take no action.
Other options exist, such as Meditate and Trance, from the Intensity trait, and Empower, from the signature ability of Empower. Consult the appropriate ability or trait files to learn more.