Pirate versus Ninja

[Katzaniel]

I'm calling this a carnival thread even though I had the idea a long time ago, and it really has nothing to do with the carnival, per se... But hey, that's what the carnivals are all about, really. You just decide to go ahead with ideas that you've been on the edge of running, and then everyone gets geld for it, and it's all fun. So, since this one's probably going to be a lot of work for each of you, I'll say 30 geld for participating. Maybe 40, depending on how long these go. Nothing extra for winning.

 

The idea here is that we get to actually test the Pirate versus Ninja fight. Pick your side, and I'll pair y'all up. I'm hoping against hope that there will be the same number of people wanting to play each type, but if not... if not... well, maybe y'all can help me figure out what to do then. Perhaps a ninja versus ninja, or maybe a two-pirates against a super-tough ninja, or some such.

 

I'm going to assume a face to face fight, here, and no running away. You start facing each other. The ninja is faster, the pirate is tougher. You get cerain bonusses, like a ninja can disappear a few rounds, and the pirate can take a swig of rum and hit for more damage for a few rounds. I haven't worked this out completely yet, but I'm sure Tamaranis will help me. Each round, you both PM me what you want to do, and I translate it into a system I've set up (which I'm sure will need kinks worked out). Only the first few seconds will matter anyway, but basically there's different chances of things happening based on how you try to move and where your opponent is. There is no "dodge" since you don't know where your opponent is attacking you, and it will work best if you either attack or shield as well as move. Movement will be translated into basically rolling (which increases hit chance), ducking (if you're hit, you get hurt less because it'll be on the legs, but you can't attack effectively), moving left or right, standing, or jumping. A jump for a pirate lasts a single round before you have to land (standing or ducking) but a ninja can stay in the air for two turns (this might be a single-use ability, I haven't decided yet). I suppose you could retreat a bit, too. Anyway, you shouldn't need to understand the system too much, especially since I'm only relying on it when common sense fails, but you each PM me what you intend to try to do for the next turn, and then I decide based on both of your movements/attacks what actually happens, and then I foist the actual writing onto one of you. You'll take turns receiving from me both descriptions and the result, and then writing it up in a paragraph or two.

 

Um.. now I'm sure I've made a bungle of describing that, since there's bits that I'm not sure about myself just yet, and it's kind of complicated. But I'm going to start sign up, and hopefully I've described it well enough that you'll at least know what sort of questions to ask.

 

 

EDIT: For your convenient reference:

Character	Title	Effect	Comments	Uses
Ninja	Appear behind	Takes one turn to use, but protects you for both that turn and the next	You disappear and reappear immediately behind your opponent. S/he takes a moment to react.	Once
Pirate	Parrot storm	Takes one turn to use, but protects you for both that turn and the next	Your parrot distracts your opponent - s/he may die for it, though.	Once
Ninja	Turn invisible	Your opponent cannot cause you damage for the next three turns.	You disappear into thin air.	Once
Pirate	Take swig	Your opponent cannot cause you damage for the next three turns.	You take a large gulp of alcohol, which enables you to ignore the wounds you incur.	Once
Ninja	Shurikens of DOOOM	Does double damage for the current attack - not guaranteed to hit	Throw a storm of shurikens along with your regular attack	Thrice
Pirate	Hook attack	Does double damage for the current attack - not guaranteed to hit	Use your hook to great advantage during a regular attack.	Thrice
Ninja	Attack sequence	Takes two turns to prepare - your opponent will therefore have warning - and a turn to recover, but does 5 times the damage.	You move around in a fancy fashion and shout words in another language, and then call lightning from the sky... or some such. Then you make your bow.	Once
Pirate	Shoot	Takes two turns to prepare - your opponent will therefore have warning - and a turn to recover, but does 5 times the damage.	You set up your great big honking gun and take a shot at your opponent, then suffer the kickback.	Once

[Mirrizin]

If I may say so, establishing the setting as a "face to face" fight is putting the ninja at a distinct disadvantage...

[Katzaniel]

I agree that the fight is certainly not as such a fight would probably go, since ninja's style of fighting would involve the pirate being dead before he knew there was a fight. But I'm going to try to make this as even as possible by doling out slight shifts in abilities that align to the pirate/ninja types... you know, give out this ability, balance it with that, et cetera... and hopefully it will be balanced and fun, if not quite true to life.

[Mynx]

Pirate!

 

(Trans: I'll play as a pirate )

[Sweetcherrie]

Hah! No way!

 

Ninja!

 

[Patrick]

Arrrrr! Ahoy me maties! One-eyed Bob shall join the fight.

[Katzaniel]

It does occur to me that a sample wouldn't go amiss. (Someone always asks me for one eventually... this time I'll pre-empt that by actually thinking of it on my own!)

 

Both sent to me via PM:

Pirate: I duck down, and a little to my right, and aim a devastating blow with my cutlass at my enemy's knees!

Ninja: I'll jump into the air and use both hands to strike downward into the pirate's head, splitting him in two..

 

My result, sent to the pirate via PM:

Since the ninja's knees aren't there at all, and the pirate's head is considerably lower than expected, neither hits right on. But the ninja's strike *does* continue downward for a glancing blow at the pirate, and since it's hitting his head it's going to hurt more.

Ninja: No change in status

Pirate: Loss of 10 hitpoints

 

The final result, posted in the thread:

One-eyed Bob is getting tired of this fight. He's bleeding from one shoulder and barely using his left knee. He readies himself for a devastating blow, ducking and lunging forward, only to discover that Sun Tzao has jumped into the air. Bob isn't ready for the two-handed strike that descends and slices off his left ear, and he curses while preparing his next attack.

 

Note that the fact there was a hit and the actual HP damage would both have been rolled, with the chance of the hit dependent on the respective positions of the ninja and the pirate, and the aimed strike, and the chance of damage dependent on the fact that it was head that was hit. But, I'm hoping that you won't have to worry much about the actual system, and that I can just figure out based on your text description how it would pan out.

Edited May 16, 2006 by Katzaniel

[Gyrfalcon]

*a brief blur of black, and then a note is pinned to the wall right by One-eyed Bob*

 

Ninjas!

[Gryphon]

A piece of shadow in the corner of the room ripples and suddenly appears to be human-shaped as another figure steps forward.

 

Gotta be a Ninja.

[Gwaihir]

Am I allowed to be a ninja too? If not I'll be a pirate.

[Katzaniel]

Let's see, we've got Mynx and Patrick as pirates, and Sweet, Gyrfalcon and Gryphon as ninjas. If you're willing to be either, Gwai, then I suppose we might take advantage of that, but you're certainly "allowed" to be a ninja, and besides, let's wait a few days and see. I'm hoping that Tam will sign on, and if he does I'm expecting it'll be as a pirate. There might be others, too. (Besides, we all know that ninjas move faster... of course the first few sign-ups favour ninjas! )

[Wyvern]

The stench of raw sea otter suddenly seemed to turn the Conservatory-field's Forest Arena into a day out at the expired pier. Several of the generic ninja sissies (that's right, you heard me, sissies) raised their masks further over their noses, while the two distinguished pirates identified the smell as that of the carniverous otters of Dead Man's Reef. A place that had more booty (and gold) than the pathetic spandex-sporting ninja could ever imagine. Arrr. At Dead Man's Reef, you risked being devoured by Sparko, the two-tentacled tyrant octopus, any day of the week. Arrr.

 

The Arena seemed to stand still as Morty "Codfish" McCernan stepped up to the stage. The stainless steel of his left foot clanged across the floor in manly steps, and his muscles rippled back and forth through the fabric of his filthy ale-stained pirate garb. His mess of hair was split in three ways, and the knife-markings of a skull and crossbones were carved over his forehead. His left eye twitched; the kind of twitch that a man gets once he's seen things that turn him to a scallywag. An instinct that ninjas playing dress up would never understand. He reached a hand down to his jagged red cutlas and pulled it out in a stroke, baring his 14-carrot gold teeth with a raucous laugh.

 

"Well Well Welllllllllll." Morty swooped his cutlas through the air and pointed it at what looked to him like a crowd of prepubescent boys with a poor dress code. "If I'da known there were some o' you ninja pansies showin', I woulda brought along two barrels o' tea. We coulda had ourselves a lil party, HARharharharHAR!"

 

Once the group of pirates stopped laughing, Morty sneered and slid his blade down his own cheek, streaking his blood over its length.

 

"That's the only blood o' mine ya tea-tricklin bags o' bones will see for this whole fight." Morty spat to the ground, his loogey kicking up a bit of dirt. He then tossed his cutlas aside, and cracked his knuckles so loud it could have been mistaken for thunder on the horizon. "I ain't wastin' no steel on you skinny twigs. Barely out yer mother's, I'll crush you with me bare hands. Teach you land-lubbers a thing're two about manhood, arrr."

 

Morty clapped his hands on the backs of his two pirate pals.

 

"Why don't you two introduce yerselves to these lil' pajama bandits." Morty stomped his steel foot down with a clang. "Maybe they'll think better o' it all and go fetch their wenches for us before running off into the sea, HARharharharHAR!"

[Tamaranis]

On one hand... Doctor McNinja but on the other hand Morty

 

Plus At least half of McNinja's awesomeness comes from also being a doctor, and some from being Irish as well...

 

Anyway... Pirate.

[Katzaniel]

Excellllent. That's 4 and 4. Expect this to begin on the weekend.

 

Your pairings:

 

Mynx & Gyrfalcon

Patrick & Gwaihir

Tam & Gryphon

Wyvern & Sweetcherrie

 

Think about how you'll introduce yourselves, and unless you want to wait for the list of special actions, you could actually send me your first action already...

[Mynx]

Taking the lead from Morty, a rather dashing, if dirty pirate stepped forward and swept his hat before him in a low bow. His lean figure stood tall, dark hair and eyes matching his black clothing, and a long scar etched the side of his left cheek.

"Y'aaarrgh, I be Swift-Blade Mckinter of the galleon of the Shadowed Ship."

Grinning toothily, the pirate rested his hand on one of the (visible) swords that rested on his hip.

"If any of ye scurvy curds need to ask me how I got me' name, ye'll soon learn the hard and painful way."

Winking at Morty, Swift-Blade stepped back and waited for the rest of the pirates to introduce themselves.

[Sweetcherrie]

Having been there all along, Tanira steps forward from the shade. The catsuit she’s wearing clings tight around her luscious body, and every soft curve can be seen. Her moves are gracious, but muscles can be seen moving under the shine of the fabric. As the wind picks up, a lock of short dark hair moves, and her green eyes flicker as she looks up at the pirates.

 

The light catches on the one thing that decorates her outfit; a shiny silver star. Pressed against her waist it could be anything from a broche to a weapon. On her back she carries a black velvet sheath that holds her sword. Two smaller pouches cling to her hips.

 

The wind gives another pull at her hair, and she grants the pirates a thin smile. When she finally speaks her voice is soft, but it is clear that this is no lady to handle without gloves.

 

“Tanira, at your service.”

Edited May 27, 2006 by Sweetcherrie

[Gwaihir]

It is a short man who steps out around a corner but his strong sense of discipline makes him hard to ignore. He is wearing the obligatory black and it shows that he is strong and not physically to be discounted despite his height.

 

"Greetings"

 

His voice is very quiet but it projects across the room.

 

You could call me 親切, but I didn't come here to talk. If you are still here to talk to me afterwards I will consider you worthy.

[Gyrfalcon]

A black blur descends unnoticed behind Swift Blade Mckinter, and a light touch places something against the back of his tunic. Disappearing into the shadows once more, the dark figure reemerges at the other end of the room and steps into the middle of the room, seeming to carry a bit of the darkness with him. Bowing slightly to the pirates, and much more deeply to the other ninjas, the figure spoke, the deep pitch of his voice revealing that the figure is a man. "Hanzoku, at your service..." he says, his soft voice carrying only as far as the listener's ears.

 

On the back of Swift Blade, where he placed it, a note in sharp, angular writing states "Arrrr! I am a scurvy dog! Arrrr!"

 

Even Ninjas can have a sense of humor.

 

 

(OOC: No offense Mynx, I've been on a humor kick all day. Good fighting to you... just not as good as my fighting, I hope. )

[Gryphon]

A sudden billow of smoke explodes in the middle of the room and as it clears another black clad shape is revealed...

 

Tian Chen bows then moves off to stand near the other ninja whilst studying his opponent for any weakness.

[Katzaniel]

Sorry for the delay.

 

I was thinking about having these in all different threads, but since the RP has clearly already begun, we can just keep it right here.

 

I'll edit this into the first post for easy reference, also, but here's the big attacks:

 

Char	Title	Effect	Comments	Uses
Ninja	Appear behind	Takes one turn to use, but protects you for both that turn and the next	You disappear and reappear immediately behind your opponent. S/he takes a moment to react.	Once
Pirate	Parrot storm	Takes one turn to use, but protects you for both that turn and the next	Your parrot distracts your opponent - s/he may die for it, though.	Once
Ninja	Turn invisible	Your opponent cannot cause you damage for the next three turns.	You disappear into thin air.	Once
Pirate	Take swig	Your opponent cannot cause you damage for the next three turns.	You take a large gulp of alcohol, which enables you to ignore the wounds you incur.	Once
Ninja	Shurikens of DOOOM	Does double damage for the current attack - not guaranteed to hit	Throw a storm of shurikens along with your regular attack	Thrice
Pirate	Hook attack	Does double damage for the current attack - not guaranteed to hit	Use your hook to great advantage during a regular attack.	Thrice
Ninja	Attack sequence	Takes two turns to prepare - your opponent will therefore have warning - and a turn to recover, but does 5 times the damage.	You move around in a fancy fashion and shout words in another language, and then call lightning from the sky... or some such. Then you make your bow.	Once
Pirate	Shoot	Takes two turns to prepare - your opponent will therefore have warning - and a turn to recover, but does 5 times the damage.	You set up your great big honking gun and take a shot at your opponent, then suffer the kickback.	Once

 

Now it's up to you to decide how best to use these. You'll notice, for example, that the 5x damage attacks give your opponent the opportunity to simply use their no-damage defense immediately after... but if you wait until after they've used that already, it may be too late. Besides, they may want to keep it for something else.

 

Also, ninjas have a greater precision in their attack (+5% chance to hit) and the pirates are generally tougher (100hp instead of 85). (EDIT: Yes, this supercedes what I said before about the ninjas moving faster... I couldn't figure out how to implement that, and this makes just as much sense)

 

Happy fighting!

Edited June 2, 2006 by Katzaniel

[Gyrfalcon]

Two questions: Are those abilities usable per fight or is it for the entire event?

 

Second... was that the go signal? *laughs*

[Katzaniel]

Er... I guess I thought you were each only doing one fight. Okay, well, the abilities are per-fight and if you want to do more after completing a first fight then cool. (I suppose since you're all in the same room, now, none of you will rest until all members of the opposite group are dead )

 

And, yeah. I need a short description of what your character intends to do in the first few seconds of the fight, (the shorter the better because otherwise I won't have time to read and respond to you all - for my sake, no RP in the PMs, please) and then I'll start PMing people the result. First to sign up of each pairing just happens to be 2 pirates and 2 ninjas, so that seems fair: Mynx, Patrick, Sweetcherrie and Gryphon, you will be writing the first bit of RP.

 

So, for example, after Mynx and Gyrfalcon have both sent me their intentions, I'll PM Mynx and she'll write up the result from her character's point of view. (Or, if she's daring, Gyr's POV ). She can immediately send me her next "move" if she has time, and then when Gyr sees it he can read & send his reaction as well. Then I send the result to Gyr, who writes it up and sends me his next move. When Mynx sees it and PMs me... you get the idea. Hopefully.

 

So: Unless you still have questions and/or aren't sure what to do, this is the go-ahead.

[Katzaniel]

Hm.. after reading my first two PMs, I think maybe I have questions.

 

I hadn't considered props, and including their possibility will make my life a lot more difficult, but if everyone wants them I'm willing to give it a try. I'm not really sure how well it would work, I mean you're all supposed to be pretty evenly matched so I don't really want any of you to have special guns or anything, not unless you can match them to one of the special abilities I've mapped out. (Like if a pirate wants to use a special peg-leg attack instead of the Hook attack, that's okay). And also I'm not sure how easily we could integrate using surrounding objects, because then we'd have to make sure everyone was visualizing the same surroundings.

 

Um... so unless there's strong opposition, I'd just as soon outlaw any props that would alter the fight. (ie, you can't hide behind something, but you could use it to explain why your attack went awry). Is the difference clear about that? Once the result is set and you're simply RPing it out, you may bring things into it, but I'd rather you didn't use objects while making your "move".

[Katzaniel]

Just a note, I *am* still waiting for each of you to send me a description. (At least, those of you who haven't sent one). Since no one has voiced concern over the proposed rule, it definitely stands.

 

Also, I'm rethinking the bit about taking turns to write out the results, in that I'll still PM one of you, but if you would rather co-write it, or if you're super busy and your partner is okay with doing it for you, or whatever, then that's okay. Just so's you know.

[Gyrfalcon]

Noticing all the smilies... I present for you a smiley fight!

 

vs.

 

FIGHT!

 

....................

 

....................

 

....................

 

 

wins!

 

FLAWLESS VICTORY!