What Is?[]
COMBAT RP IS NOT SIMPLE NOR IS IT HARD. IT IS THE COMBINATION OF BOTH.
The Science and Math of Combat RP is not explained in the form of this simple equation;
(X Hits Y with a Stick= X wins since he has stick and beat Y with said Stick)
The Science and Math Of Combat RP is explained through the logic of this equation;
(X Wields Stick + Y Notices that X has Stick + X Smacks Y over the head with Stick= That Y had enough time to notice that they were going to get their ass handed to them by X and resigned to their ass-whooping)
Notice that X gives Y enough time to react before initiating a righteous smack down with a stick. It should be noticeable that X gave Y time to write a reaction to his action, thus showing that X is not a shitty motherfucker that ends most enjoyable fights in a single sentence.
How to Proper (Rules and Ground Rules)[]
There are many ways to properly do Combat RP. But here are some of the ground rules.
1) NO ONE SENTENCE KILL MOVES
2) STICK TO YOUR CHARACTER
3) COMBAT IS A DICE ROLL, HOW THE RP WORKS WILL RESULT IN VICTORY OR DEFEAT
And Finally
4) THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS GOD-MODE, EVERYTHING HAS A ACHILLES'S HEEL
Now on to the meatier more logical explanation of how to properly Combat RP;
Combat RP relies heavily on the writer, the characters in question, and the laws of the Universe in which they are fighting in.
Now here are the known laws of the RWBY Universe, Please remember to stick to them as these may change in the future.
I. Everything that has a Soul has a Aura, however, this Aura must be activated by another. And Aura must be used Consciously in order for it to be used at all.
II. Everything that has a Aura has the possibility of creating a Semblance, how this is done is through a variety of ways with the Aura-User being in danger being the most obvious and well-known way.
III. A Semblance is created by Aura, there are many possibilities to it. But the main point is that if it controls ice, it should motherfucking control Ice.
IV. Aura must be used Consciously, meaning as that there is no passive shield that protects you from all harm. Thus Aura is not a fall-back plan to you not noticing that there was a machine-gun nest right next to your head.
V. Gravity Exists, Just because you can fly doesn't mean you can fly forever. Your Gravity is reliant on a many factor, such as Weight (And yes this is also counting the weight in your chest and ass) and momentum.
VI. Guns Work, So do Many Sharp-Pointy Objects. Anything that goes "Bang Bang" or "Pew Pew" or even "Stabby Stabby" can be used to inflict great bodily harm to non-Aura Users. Such as those squishy meat-bags that are known as Grimm. Not so much on Aura-Protected Humans and Faunus
VII. If it is pointy, it can hurt. So wearing Armor can also prevent this, but due to the oh-so-many benefits of Aura, Armor is neglected and flashy and sometimes skimpy clothing is worn but when that Aura is broken through your squishy bits are also pricked, slashed, and bludgeoned by those not so squishy metal things your Opponents will often call weapons.
VIII. Unless you are a bonafide Blacksmith, Armor-smith, or Weapons/Gunsmith then you Cannot upgrade or fully repair your weapons/Armor in combat nor tell what kind of gear your opponent is using from the first glance. You also cannot reforge a weapon from scratch just because you can bend metal or create and control fire. There is a lot of technique, skill, and experience that goes into every little piece of technology that a Hunter/Huntress uses to blow the ever-living shit out of the Grimm with. This Law can only be ignored if your Character is a Weapons/Armor Enthusiast, knows a lot of military history (Both Ancient and Modern), is a Black/Weapon/Armor/Gunsmith of some degree, or is a Weapons Master and even then your knowledge would only cover the very basics of some of the more dangerous and explodey laser-in-yo-face weapons.
That is all for the currently known RWBY laws, if more lore shows up expect the laws to be changed or added to in the future.
Oh! And if you want to know MY Personal rules for how I go about doing combat RP... WELL... YA GOTTA KEEP READING!
How To Proper Two (Intro to Basic Combat/Let's talk about those ears)[]
In the words of a Great man "Every Action has an Equal and Opposite reaction".
There are many ways to convey action, even aggressive actions. But you cannot anticpate what your opponent may have in store. So consider the possibly that you will be countered, there is no way to avoid that. Accept that fact and you will be a amazing Rper, in any and all situations.
Now take what I just said earlier and hold it close. Because these next few may or may not contradict those words.
Combat RP is just words, words that empower a fictional character to do great things, but these things can only be done in the sense of limits. Even with the inclusion of Faunus in the World of RWBY, but even these amazing beings have limits. Limits that are restricted to the Human Body in which these animalistic features take hold of.
Now here is what a Faunus can do in a Combat RP role;
1) As stated in the main show, all Faunus have Nightvision unlike Humans
2) Improved Sight, Smell, Touch, Strength, or Heat-Senstivity Depending on the type of Animal the Faunus is
3) Improved Flexibility than a human, but not by much
4) Improved Stealth Abilities, again Depending on the Animal the Faunus Is
5) Animalistic Traits such as claws, fangs, talons, hooves, or paws, once again DEPENDING ON THE ANIMAL THE FAUNUS IS
How to Proper Three (Now onto the Real Shit)[]
Now, onto the shit this guide is supposed to talk about. Combat RP!
Combat RP Basics[]
If you want the simplified version please refer to the equations at the top of page.
Combat RP can be seperated into Five parts in a basic sense.
1st Part; The Topic[]
The Topic is the basis of the Combat RP, it is the whole reason for your entire fight in the first place. Many topics can be simple or complex things. Such things could be who got the last pancake or making a final stand against a horde of Grimm. Keep to the topic, remember it, because Oum save you if you forget what the shit you were writing about in the fucking first place.
2nd Part; Characters[]
I will not stress this anymore than what is needed.
"I'M TIRED OF THE MOTHER FUCKING CASUALS NOT MOTHER FUCKING STAYING IN THEIR MOTHER FUCKING CHARACTERS"
That is all.
3rd Part; Weapons[]
Weapons are a unique part of RWBY. Simply due to the fact that they are very unique to their users, some being custom made, and while there may be a small chance that some weapons may have the same properties, the chances of that being a 20-35% chance of that happening.
Another thing, If its a sword then it does sword things. This applies to all weapon types. If it is a certain weapon then it does the things that that weapon type can do. Having prior knowledge of Martial Arts pertaining to that weapon will boost your chances enormously.
4th Part; Armor[]
Now armor is a rather fun thing to write about. Since the only people who actually wear it are among the asshole variety or Jaune in the canon. Armor was developed to help stop the pointy sharp thing from entering our very soft pliable fleshy outer-layer. Armor protects and here is a basic class system to help you understand what Armor can do for you and how to RP with it.
Light Armor = Clothing with Some added protection, Weighs close to nothing and easy to move around in.
Medium Armor = Basic Metal Armor covering only Vital Areas, not too much to weigh you down while still protecting you and offering the same movement range as light armor albeit a little more difficult due to the metal being not too movement happy.
Heavy Armor = Full Encasement in a Metal Suit, Weighs a lot, Offers good movement range though it'll be difficult to do some actions when compared to Medium and Light Armor types. Makes you slightly slower than others due to weight.
5th Part; Combat[]
This is where Character A hits Character B with a stick. Here is a example of a decent Combat RP.
A: Ruby Rose places a hand on Crescent Rose when she hears noises in the Forest
B: The Grimm Horde slowly approach their victim from all angles. Hoping to catch her off guard. But one grimm accidentally snapped a Twig, causing their intended Victim to be ready. All the Grimm rush the Girl in a attempt to overwhelm her.
A: Ruby spots one dark beast running at her on all fours. She pulls out Crescent Rose and activates it into Scythe Form and prepares for combat.
B: The Horde sees the shiny stick the Victim has but continues anyway. Outstretching their claws and widening their fangs in order to strike down and inhale the small flesh-bag in red.
And so on and so forth. Its basically a kind of Retelling of the "Red" Trailer. Take Notice that A and B work around what each other writes, basing their responses on both the actions their characters can take in those kinds of situations. Note that they also stay in character throughout this rather short combat RP. I understand that it could be hard sometimes but please know that staying in character is one of the more fun parts of any RP.