We only have 3 players for now (Linkman172, the Onee-One, and Kajak), but that is enough. perhaps we have some late entries as well, eh? ^_^ I'll set up the game thread just after this one, but first read this. Those aren't rules, but they are guidelines that everyone should follow for a better game.
First of all, <a href="http://www.rpgmmag.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5015">read this.</a> That'll be our
most important guideline! ^^ And now, for the basics of the game.
This is a game without numbered rules, but no means it's a chaotic game. Following those guidelines will increase the enjoyment of the game for everyone!
Non-combat actions
Anything that's not combat will be resolved
solely through role-playing. Which basically means, if you role-play your character poorly, you won't do well, but if you role-play him well, you'll have a much easier time with things. ^^
So, nothing like 'I talk to the man.' I wanna know what you're saying and how you're saying it! Otherwise I'll just assume you got to the man and said "Hi."
Combat
Combat will work like this:
1. I post saying that you have entered combat. Now, you can either act first of the opponents can act first.
If you act first:
2. You post with your actions.
3. I post the outcome of the actions, the actions of the opponents, their outcome, and the overall combat status. In this order. END OF ROUND.
4. You post your next actions.
5. Rinse and repeat from 3!
If the opponents acts first:
2. In my first post, I'll also include the actions of the opponents, their outcome, and the overall combat status. In this order.
3. You post with your actions.
4. I post the outcome of your actions. END OF ROUND. Then, I describe the actions of the opponents, their outcome, and the overall combat status. In this order.
5. You post your next actions.
6. Rinse and repeat from 4!
Your post
You can only do one action in a combat round.
A 'combat round' is the time between one 'END OF ROUND' and the other in the combat sequence, explained up there.
In your action, what can you do?
Move - I won't keep much track of combat distance in this game. Which means, moving is 100% role-play-based. If you want your character to cross a river to strike an opponent, you can do it  just amuse me about
how you do it.
Attack - You can only attack
one opponent
once per round. I don't care the exact
form of the attack... but the more amusing, the more dramatic, the more powerful your attack is!
Which basically means that:
My character slashes at the orc is a pretty lame attack.
My character swirls and jumps around, trying to approach the orc. He feints a kick to the orc's tight, while aiming his dagger at a vital spot on the orc's body! is much more exciting and will be
more effective than the above one!
Which means that the damage and skill of your character is connected
directly to role-play, and
not to stats or weapons.
In short, in your combat post, you can do pretty much anything. The only guideline is,
you can only attack one opponent once. But there are maneuvers that can change that.
Oh, didn't I mention it before? Now we come to the
best part!
Maneuvers
Maneuvers are what make Martial Adepts different from your regular mercenary or your regular monk. They are the epitome of the Adept's training; his skills pushed to the limits. Feats of almost supernatural power.
In short, they're like 'special powers' your character has. ^^
Your character started with only a few maneuvers of his Discipline, but fear not, because as your character progresses, he
will learn more maneuvers.
I've kept the descriptions of the maneuvers fairly general  so you still have a lot of freedom to add
your own 'flavor' to the maneuvers. As with normal attacks, maneuvers
will be more effective when role-played in a more exciting way!
Now, using maneuvers isn't free. They are the most 'ruled' aspect of this game... but also the most fun! The basic rules of maneuvers is:
You can only use a Strike, Boost, or Counter maneuver ONCE in combat.
Once you've used a maneuver in a combat, you
can't use it again until I announce the battle is over. Which means that if you know 3 maneuvers, you can use each one once in a battle, for a total of 3 maneuvers in that battle.
Maneuvers belong to four different categories: Boost, Counter, Stance and Strike. How each one is used is described below:
Boost - a Boost is a Boost. ^^ It will enhance your character's powers in some way. A simple example of a boost is one that simply makes your character stronger. Boosts are free to use: you can use
how many Boosts you want to in one round, and still perform your attack action.
Counter - Counter maneuvers are triggered when something special happens. A simple example of a counter maneuver is a maneuver that allows you to hit your opponent if he tries to hit you. Counters are used during the opponent's turn, so they do
not affect your turn. After using a Counter, your next turn will happen normally, without any changes (only one attack action). Don't worry too much about them  counters are the rarest type of maneuver. =]
Stance - Stances are the only type of maneuver that
don't follow the once-per-combat rule. You can activate (or disactivate)
any stance you know, any time. Including out of combat. The only restriction is that you can't use two stances at the same time.
Strike - The most common type of maneuver. A strike is a
replacement for a regular attack. Which means that you can use a Strike in your turn, but you
won't be able to attack that turn. A simple example of a Strike is a maneuver that allows you to throw a hadouken at an opponent.
That's pretty much it. I hope everything's clear.
Any questions about the game or out-of-character talk, post them here.
Any questions about specific maneuvers, PM me.
Now, you can proceed to the game thread and start!