In Chapter 12, “Character Design,” we dealt with how to create a character and looked at character traits and, to some degree, the behavioral side of characters. This chapter is all about the abilities that characters can have. Included in this chapter are:
Every person has abilities. Some are natural, such as our five senses and abilities granted to us by our skeletal and muscular systems. Some may be learned or developed during the course of our lifetime. At any rate, we have a lot of natural abilities. But games often deal with larger-than-life characters, and these characters may have a range of abilities that far exceeds what we consider normal.
In this chapter, we’ll look at what we might consider “normal” human abilities, followed by a look at the kinds of abilities superheroes (and other fantasy characters) might have.
Also, because games are created with computer programs and mathematical formulae, I included some of the abilities that are often used in determining how a computer character performs in its world, including how the outcomes of attacks and defenses are figured. I call these statistical abilities because they are often used as the visible or behind-the-scenes statistics that help define a character.
Also in this chapter is a section on fighting abilities, with a focus on hand-to-hand fighting and nifty ways to disable or kill an opponent. Following that is a section on magic spells, and, as an added bonus, a list of every superhero I could come up with.
This section deals with basic human abilities—not superpowers, but those abilities that are inherent in the human experience. Some of the examples may extend past the provable, but can still be arguably “normal” capabilities. In all cases, these abilities occur in a range from one individual to the next, such that some people are blessed with (or develop through training) much more heightened abilities, while others may have very minimal abilities. For instance, someone may have very poor eyesight but excellent intelligence, hearing, or even strength. Some people may, for clinical reasons, lack some of these abilities, but they are exceptions to the general rule.
Hearing (range)
Taste (range)
Smell (range)
Touch (sensitivity of; range)
Physical strength
Speed (movement)
Speed/quickness (actions)
Reflexes/reaction time
Agility
Flexibility
Power
Coordination
Balance
Jumping
Mechanical aptitude
Physical manipulation of objects
Eye-hand coordination
Reach
Perception of details
Adaptability
Lung capacity (and breath control)
Ingestion (ability to ingest food and liquid and convert it into energy and tissue)
Rest and sleep (ability to recover energy and clarity from resting and/or sleeping)
Mental focus
Deductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning
Recognizing patterns and shapes
Reproducing patterns and shapes (in its ultimate evolution—art)
Mathematical abilities
Spatial/geometrical abilities
Imagination (ability to visualize something that does not physically exist or is not physically present)
Psychic senses (possibly including precognition, seeing auras and other so-called invisible energies, healing others through energy, telekinesis, mind control, clairvoyance)
Facial expressions (using them in different ways to communicate)
Body language (using the body to communicate)
Pantomime
Short-, medium-, and long-term memory
Common sense
Wisdom
Morals and ethics (or lack thereof)
Intelligence (various forms)
Empathy
Sympathy
Emotional control
Charisma
Sex appeal
Language aptitude
Communication abilities (not only the ability to communicate basic meaning, but also the ability to calm people, to hypnotize them, to manipulate or convince them, etc.)
Rapport with people or animals (or aliens)
Logic
Developed skills (the ability to take a learned skill and get very good at it)
Sense of humor
Being funny
Musical ability
Voice/singing
Voice control (communication and manipulation)
Reading
Writing
Superheroes, being super, either have normal abilities at superhuman levels or they have abilities that are simply not available to normal people. In any case, these types of abilities often occur in games, and you may want to provide one or more of your game characters with some of these abilities.
Technology
Intensive training (possibly under the guidance of a master)
Freak accident
Animal attack
Magic
Mutation
Medicine/science
Heredity
Being an alien (which is one case of heredity)
Super strength
Invincibility
Super speed
Super agility
Flying
Hovering/levitating
Body armor
Direct links with computers
Super jumping
Super digging
Super throwing
X-ray vision
Rays
Heat
Cold
Electricity
Poison
Antimatter
Energy
X-ray
Plasma
Mystery
Stealth/invisibility/cloaking
Super willpower
Telepathy
Telekinesis
Telepathic attacks/mental control
Levitation
Magic pathways (the hero can create special paths that nobody else can use)
Trouble-seeker (always is forced to go where there is trouble, whether willingly or not)
Super swimming
Underwater breathing
No need to breathe
Heightened senses
Animal origin
Technology origin
Freak accident
Magical
Mutation
Control of elements
Fire
Water
Ice
Air/wind
Metal
Earth
Electricity
Gravity
Radioactivity
Nature (plants, insects, birds, etc.)
Magnetism
Sound
Light
Control of sound
Control of time
Control of animals
Control of plants
Control of people
Chemical attacks
Poison
Hallucinogenic
Paralyzing
Light
Bioluminescence
Burning
Disintegrating
Walk on water
Hand size
Body splitting
Astral projection
Being in more than one place at the same time
Possession (ability to possess the bodies of other characters)
Flight
Teleportation/tele-reformation
Dimensional travel
Astral travel
Time travel
Chameleon/shape-shifter/mimic (ability to mimic other creatures and/or objects)
Life support
Rate of aging slowed
Whirlwind
Lung adaptability
Pheromones
Self-regeneration
Self-sustaining (doesn’t need food or water)
Stealth
Suspended animation
Vocal mimicry
Physical mimicry
Steal someone’s abilities
Remove someone’s abilities
Cancel out any powers
Death touch
Mind control
Jekyll and Hyde character
Laser cut across room with finger
Man/machine/cyborg/android
Martial arts mastery
Genius
Technological
Mechanical
Robotics
Tactical/strategic
Information
Deductive
Marksman
Languages
Acrobatics
Climbing
Master of disguise
Escape artist
Digestive adaptation
Astral form
Carrier wave (can become pure energy and travel through energy waves)
Super climbing
Mental or energy blast
Ensnarement
Telekinesis
Ionic containment beam
Force field
Electromagnetic attractor
Freeze
Hypnosis/sleep
Burn/fire
Earth imprisonment
Blinding/stunning
Controlling
Slow movements
Slip and fall
Confuse
Master thief
Danger sense
Super hearing
Super sense of smell
Super sensitivity of skin
Super vision
Infrared
Ultraviolet
360-degree vision
Telescopic
X-ray
Microscopic
Thermal
Truth sight (see through any disguise)
Danger (sees danger ahead)
Clairvoyance (sees the future)
Remote viewing (sees events in other places)
Criminology
Scientist
Law enforcement
Archeology
Statistics (quotes odds)
Local knowledge guru
Linguistics
Mythology
Climbing
Asian martial arts and culture
Acrobatics
Marksmanship
Biochemistry
Biology
Observation
Tracking
Survival
Sleight of hand
Escape artistry
The occult
Mental control
Computers
Electronics
Mechanics
Performing (singing, dancing, playing instruments)
Equestrian skills
Gambling
Piloting
Medicine
Art
Driving
Regardless of whether they are visible to the player, certain types of abilities are often tracked statistically for various characters and used in algorithms that determine the character’s effectiveness in a number of situations. There are certainly hundreds of systems for assigning statistical abilities to characters in games. Some use very specific modifiers to achieve very specific character responses in very specific situations. Most, however, use simple statistical values to affect the character’s general effectiveness in a variety of situations.
In many games, the statistics operate like simple sliders. Push it to one end, and the character will be impossible to defeat. The other extreme results in a worthless pushover. One common use of these sliders has to do with the range of the character’s senses, particularly sight and hearing. By adjusting such aspects as the distance the character can see or the width of his cone of vision, you can affect how soon he might become aware of the player. If his vision is highly limited compared to that of the player character, then the player will always have some advantage—not the least of which is the choice of whether or not to approach.
Hearing, too, can be part of the basic statistical model. Here, the character might be able to detect approaching danger based on a hearing acuity slider. And, suppose one character does become aware of an enemy. In some games, all the nearby allies also become aware at the same time. This isn’t realistic. But suppose the first character yells something. Then, based on the other characters’ hearing, and accounting for distance and the ambient noise, you might have a realistic detection system. So, if you sneak up on an enemy standing near a noisy machine, even if he detects you and yells out, chances are the noise will, at least partly, cancel out his alert and few, if any, friends will come to help him. Strategy...
Other games make the stats visible, and they are part of the player’s direct experience. This is never more obvious than in traditional Role-Playing Games, where basic statistics are used to determine the character’s class or type as well as how effective the character is at various tasks within the game. This is true of both the player’s character and many of the NPCs.
The following sections contain some examples of common abilities that are statistically tracked in Role-Playing Games and a few ways they might be used.
How much damage characters can cause with a blow or weapon.
How much they can carry (based on weight).
What weapons they can carry (based on a statistical level requirement).
What armor they can wear (based on a statistical level requirement).
The ability to move or lift heavy objects.
Sometimes STR can be used in calculations involving stamina or endurance. STR could also be used to help determine how much damage characters will sustain and how much they can endure, but it isn’t generally used that way.
Used in calculations to determine a character’s defensive abilities—particularly the ability to dodge blows or take less damage.
Used in calculations that affect the overall agility of the character, which can affect defense, but also the likelihood that the character will connect when he or she attacks.
Can be used to help determine whether a character can effectively use certain weapons and/or armor, and can be used to scale the effectiveness of the character or as an absolute requirement level.
May also be used as part of a calculation of the overall speed of a character’s movements.
In some systems, dexterity is used to determine the likelihood of delivering a critical blow.
Can be used to determine non-combat skill levels of any kind.
How much endurance characters have—which affects how active they can be over extended periods.
Sometimes used in the calculation of a character’s overall health or “hit points.”
Often used in calculations of the energy it takes to perform certain actions, particularly attacks and defenses, but sometimes also running and/or jumping.
Most often used to determine a character’s ability to use magic effectively, particularly martial magic (though some systems use it for any kind of magic ability, such as healing magic). May be used as an absolute cap on skills (only cast Greater Fire when Intelligence is above 15, for instance) or as a modifier for the relative effectiveness of a spell.
In some systems, Intelligence can also affect a character’s defense.
Resistance to enemy magic.
The ability to use certain objects or as a modifier to the object’s effectiveness. Though I haven’t seen it used this way, Intelligence could be used to determine whether a character receives certain clues in a game, or perhaps whether he can read or decipher a message, and so on.
Slightly less common, speed can be used to determine how fast a character moves—both in the travel sense and in the speed of the character’s actions. Quickness is also sometimes used in similar ways.
May determine who gets his attack off first or the frequency of his attacks.
May be used as a defensive modifier, so that a faster or quicker character has greater ability to avoid attack.
Wisdom is usually used to determine ability with healing and natural styles of magic.
Piety is sometimes used in a similar way, especially with clerical characters.
Charisma is often used as a statistic to determine how a character affects another character, such as the price he gets when shopping or whether people will follow him or help him in need.
Charisma and Personality statistics may also be used to determine a character’s ability to persuade another or to influence, fool, hypnotize, or manipulate him.
Luck is one of those statistics you can use as a way to give a character subtle, even mysterious advantages. It is used to determine intangible elements in characters, such as:
Modifying their chances to avoid blows or to avoid critical blows.
Modifying their chances of success when attacking or their chances to strike a critical blow.
How often they will successfully open a locked chest.
How well they will avoid damage from a trap, etc.
The quality or quantity of rewards, loot; the likelihood of finding something exceptional, etc.
How they will resist enemy spells.
Mana is one of the common terms to describe the kind of energy needed to cast magic spells. Often, Mana is increased by increasing the Intelligence statistic, just as Health (or hit points) is increased by the Constitution (and sometimes Strength) stats.
Experience is generally used to determine the “level” of a character based on certain milestones or plateau values. Attaining another level generally results in an increase in some or all of the character’s base statistical abilities. Although experience is almost always visible to the player in Role-Playing Games, it can be accumulated and interpreted invisibly as well. Players gain experience (and sometimes, though rarely, they lose it) as a consequence of the actions they take in a game, such as defeating enemies, completing quests, discovering clues and significant milestones in the game, and so on. In general, the greater the accomplishment, the greater the experience points gained.
The statistical qualities in the previous list are pretty common, and for the most part, they serve the role-playing gamer quite well. However, there are other abilities that could be used, though they tend to be less common. In fact, the possible abilities that could be tracked are practically infinite. For instance, you could track throwing ability, or perhaps with an electronic entity you could track battery power, charge capacity, or something. A plant entity might have a chlorophyll statistic, which would be the basis of its energy and power.
The following sections discuss a few statistical abilities that can be used easily in games. For the others, simply base them on the type of characters you’re creating and what you need to track or use to determine their success rate at specific actions and tasks in the game.
This could be used to determine characters’ range of vision—the distance they can see, the width of their vision cone, and/or their ability to see in the dark. This can affect the player’s character in very direct ways, but it could also alter the effectiveness of an NPC.
This statistical ability could be used to determine how well a player character can hear distant sounds and how soon he gets a sound cue. It also could be used to help determine the effectiveness of an NPC character in reacting to upcoming events and could affect the transmission of oral information and warnings from one character to another.
This could be used to help determine the effectiveness of rogue-type characters in spotting and disarming traps of various kinds.
It could also be used for player characters to determine how visible subtle features of an area might be. For instance, high detection might allow a player to spot hidden walls or other hidden features more easily than if detection was low.
It can be used to determine how well a character (player or otherwise) is able to detect nearby enemies and the effective range of detection.
It can also be used to determine how much of a map a player character can perceive from a given location.
This might be used to determine the availability of specific mental energies or the effectiveness of certain mental attacks or skills.
It might be used as a modifier of the effectiveness of other skills or abilities.
It also might be used as a meter that is expended as the player uses certain abilities and recharged as the player uses other abilities.
This is used more specifically in getting other characters to respond to your orders. Higher Leadership might allow you to command more characters, or it might make the ones you command more effective.
It might provide special skills associated with Leadership.
If Leadership is high, it also might provide extra experience for tasks created.
This can be used to move around in a game unseen and undetected.
Different levels of a Stealth statistic might determine the effectiveness of skills based on this statistic.
Likewise, different levels of the Stealth statistic might confer other stealth-based skills.
This can be used as a modifier on certain types of attacks that are carried out while undetected by the enemy. These attacks typically result in higher damage, although the character becomes visible when attacking.
In the majority of games, characters have some ability to fight, whether it is hand to hand (mano a mano) or with various types of weapons and/or magic. See Chapter 33, “Historical and Cultural Weapons,” and Chapter 34, “Standard Modern Weaponry and Armor,” for lots of historical, ethnic, and/or modern weapon choices. For magic, see the following section in this chapter, “Magic Abilities.”
Besides direct physical or magical confrontation, there are other more subtle forms of fighting abilities, such as getting others to fight for you (leadership, manipulation, and so on) or psychological warfare (making your enemies fear you or confusing or misleading them).
This section is about direct mano-a-mano fighting. Fists, feet, elbows, skulls—it’s the sweet art (or science) of hand-to-hand combat. The goal is to give you a glimpse of some of the elements of fighting to help you develop better and, in some cases, more realistic fighting styles and methods in games.
Note
A Personal Note: This is one of my pet peeves, and since it’s my book, I decided to include it. It has to do with how characters react to damage and lethal attacks. I’ve noticed a trend lately to use the “rag doll” mode of whatever physics engine to control when a body collapses. The trouble is that these rag-doll effects aren’t at all realistic. The bones are tied together with virtual strings, and there’s no friction in the joints when the body collapses. I’d like to see more attention paid to the way people take damage and die in games. After all, if you’re going to kill a thousand enemies in a game—not an unrealistic number for many of today’s games—they shouldn’t all react to damage in exactly the same way. I’d like to see more attention paid to the reactions of different people to attacks that stun, disorient, do severe damage, or kill. I’ve seen interesting approaches in movies, too, such as the super slow-mo of The Matrix: Revolutions, where you saw every drop of water on Neo’s fist and the ripples of flesh as it hit Smith’s face, or a sort of “bone-cam” view in Jet Li’s Romeo Must Die, where you got to see a sort of X-ray of the body as it received the punch, complete with the bone fracturing. These are just ideas, but perhaps they suggest different ways to approach how we depict the severity and impact of damage and how characters react. Thank you...
When you are considering how to depict fighting in games, it’s important not only to be aware of the various kinds of fighting techniques available to your characters, but also to consider the variables involved. For instance, how strong is the attack? Attacks may vary between lighter, faster kicks and punches and harder, slower techniques. Here’s a list of variables to take into consideration:
Speed. How fast are the attacks (on both sides)? Are faster attacks also weaker ones?
Strength/Power. Do you vary the strength of attacks, providing lighter blows and stronger ones? Is there a correlation between speed and power?
Target. Do you specifically target parts of an opponent’s body, or do you simply target the opponent in general?
Angles. Do you take into account the angles of attack and the relative vulnerabilities of your fighters? Do they move to improve their chances by using angles?
Movement. How much does foot movement play into your characters’ fights? What about upperbody movement or even mid-body flexibility?
Timing. Do you manage the timing of attacks and counterattacks, or do you use a modified turnbased system in which each character gets an attack or block each turn (perhaps with speed of attack variations based on character statistics)?
Grappling. Does your combat system allow for grappling, or is it all ranged melee (kicks, punches, blocks, throws)? If so, how far do you go in modeling grappling techniques?
Multiple Enemies. Is there any modification of a character’s effectiveness when fighting against multiple enemies? In some systems, certain magical abilities might actually increase a character’s abilities when surrounded, but in most real-world situations, a fighter must have even more than usual special abilities to fight multiple attackers or subdue multiple opponents. Of course, this also varies with the relative skills of the opponents. A highly trained martial artist can take out a roomful of barroom brawlers in very short order, but with equal skills, the results aren’t as certain.
Weapons. Do your characters use weapons or have access to them? Do they have methods of fighting empty-handed against opponents with weapons?
Intention. This is not just the intention of the character—does he want to kill, maim, incapacitate, subdue—but also the intention you have as a designer. Do you want a flashy fight or a quick finish? What kind of battle do you want? How long? How complex or challenging? What’s the purpose of this combat in the larger scheme of the game?
Using the Vision. Do you use tunnel vision or wide angle?
Note
According to the Apache fighting strategy, an enemy killed in battle takes out one enemy, but an enemy maimed in battle takes one or possibly two enemies out of the battle because he needs someone to care for him or take him back to his camp. Therefore, it is often more effective to maim than to kill. Could you use this in a battle game?
Elements. Take weather into consideration. What is the position of the sun? Is it in the enemy’s eyes? Which way is the wind blowing? Could you toss dust or blinding powder in the enemy’s eyes? Or would it be blown back in your own face? Is it raining? If so, which way is it being blown? At night, is it cloudy or clear? Is the moon full?
Terrain. Can you take terrain into account? Most natural places are uneven. In a forest, there are branches, foxholes, roots, and uneven ground. Even in cities there are sidewalks and curbs. Tripping over a curb or hitting your head on one when falling can be fatal. And what is the footing like? Is there sand, gravel, or dirt? Are you on slippery metal, wet river rocks, or an icy frozen surface? Are you up to your knees in water? Your waist? Underwater? How much can you use terrain to affect battle strategies and outcomes?
Some of the systems of martial arts worldwide include:
Kung Fu (many styles)
Karate—many styles, including:
Kyokushinkai
Shotokan
Goju-Ryu
Shorin-Ryu
Kenpo
Jujitsu
Japanese
Brazilian
Gracie system
Kendo
Sumo
Tae Kwon Do
Muay Thai (Thai boxing)
Judo
Escrima
Tai Chi Chuan (different forms)
Ninjutsu (Ninja training)
Jeet Kune Do
Lan Shou
Bagua
Hsing Yi
Wing Chun
Boxing (Western style)
Hapkido
Pencak Silat (Indonesian style)
Street fighting
Kuk Sool Won (modern Korean fighting style)
Capoeira
Aikido
Russian Sambo
Arnis
Fencing
Wrestling (Greco-Roman or others)
Savate
Haganah
Krav Maga
Taebo
Testa (African “big knuckle” head fighting)
Kapu Kuialua (Hawaiian “bone-breaking” style)
Modern pragmatic hybrid martial arts, such as those inspired by the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC):
Ruas Vale Tudo
Shootfighting
Moo Yea Do
Pitfighting
Trapfighting
Tung Kung Kalan
Jo Son Do
ASAX
SAFTA
Besides simple fists and simple kicks, fighters often use:
The edge of the hand in a knifelike attack.
Extended fingers in a flicking or penetrating attack.
Fingers folded at the second knuckle.
The fist with knuckles extended (various styles).
The second knuckle of the second finger protruding from the fist.
The thumbs in a gouging motion—particularly into the eyes and soft spots between the ribs or behind the ears. If the opponent is wearing armor, it would do no good to punch the armor, but if you could get a thumb strike in between the armor pieces, you could deliver a deadly or disabling blow.
The palm or heel of the hand.
The forearm.
The elbow.
The shoulder.
The head (particularly used in African “big knuckle” fighting).
The ball of the foot.
The side of the foot.
The heel of the foot.
The top of the foot.
The knees.
The teeth.
The whole body.
The voice. Kai—spirit yelling—can easily startle someone enough to cause them to freeze or even fall over.
At its most basic, fighting is simply a means of stopping your opponent from doing you harm and/or doing harm to your opponent. Preventative fighting involves simply doing whatever is necessary to stop an opponent and prevent them from harming you or someone else. But some fighting is meant to incapacitate or destroy the opponent.
Although anything goes in unstructured fights, there are some common basic techniques used the world over, including:
Punching
Chopping
Flicking
Kicking
Blocking
Dodging and ducking
Feinting
Tripping
Throwing
Holding
Joint locking
Breaking
Shocking
Crushing
Slapping/smacking
Hammering
Grappling
Head butting
Gouging
Biting
Spitting
Yelling
Body blocking and checking
Clearly, many of these basic techniques have numerous variations. For instance, punching alone can include jabs, straight punches, roundhouse punches or hooks, body punches, groin punches, and even punches to the tops of the feet. Punches can be done with a closed fist, with the palm heel, with different knuckles extended, and so on. Kicks, also, have many variations. In fact, almost every basic technique can be executed in a variety of ways, and perhaps it is far oversimplified to include a list as basic as this. However, a complete study of every type of technique is certainly beyond the scope of this book, since each martial art in the world has many different ways to approach the art of fighting.
Among the primary weapons of any fighter are the hands, wrists, and fingers. Hands are used to punch, poke, grab, slap, and chop, among other things. They affect their target by impact, compression, opening wounds, harming sensitive areas, bending joints, tearing muscle and ligament, and even attacking pressure points and damaging internal organs. The following lists describe some of the techniques of the hands, wrists, and fingers.
Hand positions
Pronating
Palm heel
Claw
Fist with knuckles protruding
Straight fist
Open hand with folded middle knuckles (kikaken)
Open hand
Knife edge/ridge hand
Cupping hands
Finger variations
Thumb strikes
Thumb knuckle (koppoken)
Flicking
Poking
Pinching
Grabbing
Pressure-point attacks (see also the “Fatality Systems” section later in this chapter)
Wrist (ox-bow)
Wrists can be used to attack when the hand is folded down and the wrist bone is used to strike or block.
Grabs
Hair/clothing
Weapons
Limbs and joints
Fingers
Groin and other delicate parts
Muscle
Ears
The shoulder is used in many styles and circumstances, such as:
Strike
Leverage (arm bars and throws, etc.)
Destroy enemy balance
Elbows can be used to strike at the head, ribs, abdomen, back, or any other exposed part of the body. They can be used as part of a series of attacks—for instance, following a body check or following the block of an incoming punch. Elbows can often be used when the opponent is expecting an attack from the fist instead or as a counter to an attempted hold or poorly executed joint lock. Elbow attacks can be directed upward or downward, sideways or straight in, using the elbow in almost any possible position. One popular elbow attack is the pile driver, bringing the elbow down hard on someone’s head, neck, or back.
Any part of the feet can be used to attack, including the shin (see below).
Top of foot
Bottom of foot
Heel
Toes
Sides of foot
Shin bone
Short range
Inverted heel stomp (take out the leg low)
Stomp kick
Sweep
Groin kick (top of foot)
Low hook kick
Check kick with top of foot at ankle joint
Medium range
Heel kick
Toe kick (medium)
Front kick (ball of foot)
Low roundhouse
Crescent kick (inside or outside)
Axe kick
Ridge kick (knife edge side of foot)
Sweep (medium, including spinning sweep)
Butterfly kick (alternating sides)
Brush kick (knocks opponent off balance)
Long range
Toe kick (toes folded or straight)
Side kick
Roundhouse (top of foot or ball of foot)
Jumping kick
Flying side kick
Flying roundhouse
Spinning kick
Jumping/spinning kick
Jumping/spinning/flying kick
Traps
Stepping on foot to pin it down
Hooking the foot or leg
Grappling holds and leg locks
Controlling the line of attack
Stepping in or out (closing or making distance)
Running up an opponent’s body
Stepping into an attack (punch or body attack)
Stepping to hook or trip an opponent
Cartwheels and tumbling
Knees are good for striking and for leverage, and they are vulnerable places to attack.
Pin
Attack leg
Attack feet
Attack head/face
Attack knee
Attack back
Hook ankle with ankle and compress with knee
The shin is a hard bone often used to block, but also as the striking surface for kicks.
Low kicks using shins
Blocking low kicks
Like shoulders, hips are often used to move an opponent or put him off balance, or as a leverage point for throws.
Leverage for throws and positioning advantage
Blocks to throw off enemy balance
Blows from the hip
The whole body is not only a weapon, but in many forms of martial arts, the central point from which all attacks emerge. Of course, there are many uses for the human body. Here are just a few.
Full charge
Use dead body as a weapon or shield
Roll into someone to take out their legs (back, front, side, etc.)
Spinning for position and to facilitate spinning attacks
Round-off attack
The head is hard but vulnerable. However, properly used, it can be both a devastating weapon and a prime target.
Head butts (different types)
Leverage for arm bars, etc.
Head whips
Teeth (biting)
Thinking (using your head)
Hair (whipping a braid)
Bald heads wiping sweat and throwing it at your opponent’s eyes
Blowing (using breath to startle or attack eyes)
Yelling, using the voice, calling for help, etc.
Spirit yelling (trained martial technique)
There are many ways to block an attack. Blocks can be static, sweeping, moving sharply, attacking or even giving ground, or avoiding contact all together. Some blocks involve subtle shifts of position, and other blocks can be used to cause significant damage or even death to the opponent. Some blocking techniques are used to divert or control the opponent’s incoming weapons. Other techniques are designed to stop an incoming attack dead. Commonly, blocking techniques involve:
Hand
Grabbing
Smacking
Twisting and locking
Attacking with a punch (simultaneous block and attack)
Pressure points
One hand/foot blocks, while the other attacks at the same time
The attack also blocks at the same time, with one hand or foot.
Simultaneous step and attack, avoids opponent’s attack and repositions and attacks, all at the same time.
Wrists (front or back)
Arm
Warding
Sweeping
Redirecting
Locking
Attacking
Elbows
Legs
Knees
Shins
Shoulders
Hips
Body check
Head
Blocking with kia (using voice to stop attacker)
Movement
Moving inside
Shifting center
Ducking
Weaving
Moving outside
Jumping over a leg sweep
Dropping below an attack
Rolling
Spinning
Jumping (in eight directions)
Misdirecting (changing their focus), then attacking or running
In addition to punches and kicks, there are many ways to control and incapacitate an enemy, such as using joint locks and breaking bones. Joint locks involve manipulating a person’s joints in such a way as to cause them extreme pain, forcing them to submit to whatever pressure you put on them. A simple joint lock on the wrist, for instance, can bring an opponent to the floor in microseconds. Taken to extremes, joint locks can be used to tear and permanently damage ligaments or even break bones.
There are certainly dozens of specific joint locks and bone-breaking techniques, and it is beyond the scope of this book to present even a moderately complete list of them. In any case, a simple list would do very little good, since these are complex techniques that require timing, sensitivity, and specific sequences of subtle whole-body movements. Also, every joint lock has some kind of counter. In an interesting fight, a master martial artist can easily reverse a joint lock on the unwary opponent, who then becomes the victim of a lock or hold.
Joint locks can be deceptively simple and effective. Some of the areas particularly vulnerable are:
Fingers
Wrists
Elbows
Shoulders
Neck
Ankles and knees (in grappling on the floor)
Holds are used to subdue an opponent, but they can be intended for different results. For instance, some holds are simply ways to restrain someone without really doing much damage. Other holds are intended to cut off the blood supply to a particular area, resulting in loss of function in that area (a limb, for instance) or unconsciousness and/or death if the area deprived of blood supply is the brain. The sort of hold used to prevent a victim from breathing is known as a choke hold.
With the growing popularity of mixed martial arts as a sport, many different holds have become popular, often deriving from judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Names of the holds are often interesting and colorful, such as the kimora, the guillotine choke, or the rear naked choke.
There are dozens of ways to throw an opponent, and like locks and holds, they involve various complex approaches. Some are simple trips and hooks, while others involve sophisticated body positioning and various hand and foot motions. Each particular throw is best used in specific circumstances. Several throws use the hip for leverage, while others, such as the popular tomoe nage, pull the opponent down and over by going all the way to the floor.
A full list of throws would involve specific details in order to be useful and is not really necessary. If you want to use throws in your games, some research, particularly into judo, jujitsu, and Aikido techniques can be highly rewarding.
Many martial arts techniques include yells and loud noises to intimidate would-be opponents. These, along with very martial-looking stances, can be used to bluff opponents, causing them to hesitate while you run like hell. Another kind of bluff is to call out to imaginary friends nearby. If the attacker believes you have allies, he or she may hesitate or back off. Anything that gains you a few split seconds of advantage is worthwhile in a fight, and whether you follow the bluff or intimidation tactic with an attack or you cut out of the scene, this can be useful.
Real fighting isn’t clean and orderly. It’s dog eat dog, kill or be killed. So in real fights, there are no rules—there’s only survival, taking out the enemy, and avoiding damage. Therefore, there’s really no such thing as cheating in fights, unless there are rules, such as in an organized match. Where there are rules, there are always ways to break them. But where there are no rules, then anything you can do can spell the difference between victory and defeat. This is especially true when you are confronted with a stronger or more skilled enemy, but it’s safe to say that in the real world you should never underestimate anyone.
Some ways to gain advantage that are not necessarily on the approved list are:
Throwing or kicking dirt or powder into the eyes.
Spitting.
Biting.
Gouging.
Scraping.
Pinching.
Sucker punching (hit opponents when they still think the talking phase is in effect).
Blowing (breath attack).
Blowing with weapons (needles, stones, steel balls, etc.).
Head butting.
Stomping on the tops of feet hard.
Using anything you can as a weapon.
Using hair and clothing.
Attacking particularly painful areas.
Running and leading the opponent into a trap.
Humiliating opponents (by giving noogies or wedgies, spitting, blowing raspberries, slapping, or pantsing them).
If you have some busted teeth in your mouth, spitting them at the enemy.
Tickling, possibly breaking their focus and stance and giving openings, such as fewer flexed muscles.
Saying something really funny. This sounds strange, but it’s really hard to fight when you’re laughing.
Perhaps my favorite dirty trick is when some martial artist is all revved up and ready to attack, showing all sorts of postures and moves as intimidation, and someone calmly pulls out a gun and shoots him. I’ve also heard stories of people about to test each other in sophisticated martial arts contests, when one of them simply runs over and decks the other, punching as hard as he can. This works because the opponent expected some kind of preliminary squaring-off or feeling-out process. There are no rules. Survival is the only option....
In designing any fighting situation, of course there are different ways for the characters to approach the battle.
They can sneak up and surprise the victim.
They can set a trap, perhaps lying in wait, or initiate an attack, then retreat to lure the enemy into the trap.
They can run in screaming and take the enemy by surprise that way.
They can attack with ranged weapons, staying at a safe distance.
They can issue a formal challenge—especially for one-on-one battles.
They can enter the battle deliberately, sizing up the opponent and then engaging.
They can be in disguise as a passerby (the little old lady) and pull a knife out of the flowers they are carrying in their hand or use a blade concealed in a cane or umbrella, and so on.
They might pretend to be dead or wounded and execute a sneak attack on an unwary enemy.
They might be hiding somewhere above the enemy and attack from above or jump down and execute an attack from the air.
They might be on a horse or other creature.
They might be in a vehicle—anything from a chariot to a tank.
They might find an enemy already engaged in battle with an ally and simply attack that enemy when he isn’t looking.
They might convince someone else to attack for them.
Although warriors and highly disciplined fighters can harden their bodies to resist damage and to deliver fantastic amounts of power, there are some areas where the human body is more vulnerable than others. In untrained people, these areas are more numerous and more vulnerable. However, even the most highly trained martial artist cannot protect his or her eyes from damage (other than by wearing some kind of protective gear or using superior blocking or avoidance techniques).
Unless a character has a weapon or can use an object from the environment, attacks will occur with the body. The most common attack will be a simple punch or kick. However, in hand-to-hand combat, there are many types of attacks, including various punches and kicks, locks, throws, and holds. Some attacks are very effective, but not very dramatic looking. For instance, if someone has you in a headlock, a sharp poke with the thumb in the floating rib area will very likely get the person to back off in response to an unconscious withdrawal reflex (similar to when you unconsciously remove a hand that has been placed on a hot stove). A quick flick of the fingers to the eyes—nothing very hard—can do incredible damage and possibly stop a fight right there, if properly delivered.
The easiest types of hand-to-hand combat to model in games involve definitive punches and kicks, with some simple holds and throws. The complexities of grappling, joint locking, and more sophisticated techniques and counters are difficult at best.
This section deals with various aspects of hand-to-hand fighting, including the main weapons of the body, the main types of attacks, and the main vulnerabilities in the human body, including those areas said to be vulnerable to so-called fatality or death blows—the knowledge of which is contained in the Chinese art of Dim Mak and the Japanese Atemi system. See also the “Fatality Systems” section later in this chapter.
This list contains many of the most vulnerable areas of the body, and how they might be attacked. Caveats:
Improperly executed attacks can sometimes result in more damage to the attacker than to the intended victim.
For maximum effectiveness, many attacks should hit the intended target at a 90-degree angle, particularly if the intention is to break a bone.
Any blow to the head is dangerous and can cause brain damage, unconsciousness, or death. However, the results of blows to the head are not reliable. In some cases, it will just make the victim angrier. However, focused and specific blows to parts of the head, such as the eyes, ears, septum, and base of the skull, can be more effective.
Eyes are particularly vulnerable to scrapes, flicking motions, and gouges. Attacks of these kinds can cause temporary disorientation and blindness or permanent blindness. There is a saying, “A grain of sand in the enemy’s eye can hide a mountain.” So eyes are also vulnerable to foreign matter thrown or blown into them.
The neck is a very vulnerable area with several preferred points of attack:
The third vertebra at the back—midway between the shoulders and the base of the skull—a forceful, focused blow can cause pain, numbness, and possibly paralysis.
The side of the neck just above the collarbone is especially vulnerable because of the presence of the jugular vein and the carotid artery. Severe blows to this area can cause the victim to be stunned temporarily or even die.
Hitting the muscles at the base of the neck with sufficient force and focus can result in pain, muscle spasms, loss of mobility of the arm on that side, numbness, and injury to the neck muscles.
The throat is very vulnerable, particularly in the hollow at the base, just above the chest bone. A forceful attack to this area can cause serious injury to the trachea and, some say, even death. Some people also target the Adam’s apple/larynx, which can cause the airway to collapse and the victim to die unless treated immediately.
Striking the bridge of the nose can cause tearing in the eyes, pain, disorientation, and broken bones. There are some people who claim that an upward strike to the nose can drive the nose bone into the brain. This is probably not easily accomplished for a number of reasons, but, given that it is technically feasible, it remains a favorite fantasy move.
A well-focused blow to the septum can cause an extreme amount of pain due to the cluster of nerves there, as well as bleeding and disorientation.
Solid slaps or claps to the ears can damage or break the eardrum, resulting in pain, bleeding, loss of balance, and possible permanent loss of hearing. A well-aimed blow to the vulnerable area under the ear can result in unconsciousness. Also, it only takes 10 pounds of pressure to pull someone’s ear off.
Striking the temple can cause a helluva headache, but also disorientation and even unconsciousness. Some sources claim that a well-directed blow to the temple can damage arteries that are vulnerable in that area, and even cause instant death.
Every school kid knows that getting bashed in the teeth hurts, but losing a few teeth generally won’t stop a determined attacker.
A well-placed blow to the side of the jaw can cause painful dislocation or fractures of the jawbones.
All joints are necessarily vulnerable to twisting, tearing, compression, hyperextension, and focused blows, especially those that hit the joint against its normal motion—such as a hard kick to the front or especially to the side of the knee. A damaged joint can result in total loss of the effective limb, so if a shoulder or elbow is severely damaged, that arm is no longer a threat. Likewise, taking out a knee makes the opponent one-legged.
The collarbone is relatively delicate and can be hit hard enough to cause a fracture, resulting in severely impaired use of the arms, though this is less likely to be effective when the opponent is much larger than the attacker.
Blows to the chest have to be very powerful to do much damage, but they can cause broken bones and other types of damage. There is one effect, however, that can kill instantly. It is called commotio cordis, and it occurs when the chest is struck at a particular moment in the heart’s cycle. This results in wild spasms of the heart and nearly instant death. There are many documented instances of this, and the blow does not have to be particularly hard. This may be the basis for certain historical and mythical “death blow” techniques; however, there is no way to determine the heart rhythm, so this is not a particularly useful effect to include in a game. The player would not understand the result or why it worked at all. For more, see the upcoming “Fatality Systems” section.
A sharp blow to the upper back—midway between the shoulder blades—can cause pain, loss of balance, and even injury to the spinal column. A blow to the third lumbar vertebra, located approximately opposite the solar plexus, can cause paralysis.
Blows and kicks to the kidneys can be extremely damaging, and even relatively light blows can cause extreme pain. Severe blows can cause permanent injury to the kidneys and possibly death.
Blows to the floating ribs can be painful. In addition, it is theoretically possible to dislocate the floating ribs and cause them to puncture a kidney or lung, depending on the force and direction of the blow. Some systems also claim that proper attacks to the floating ribs can result in a death blow.
The solar plexus is highly vulnerable, particularly in untrained individuals. Strong blows to that area can cause temporary incapacitation—having the wind knocked out of you, and even unconsciousness. Some systems claim that a proper blow to the abdomen can cause instant death.
It may also be possible to break the zyphoid process—the little bone at the bottom of the chest—by hitting the solar plexus hard. In addition to being very painful, breaking this bone could cause damage to other internal organs.
Solid attacks to the area above the pubic bone but below the bellybutton can cause pain and possible injury to the bladder or other organs.
Solid blows to the groin area can cause extreme pain in both men and women. In particular, a strike to the unguarded testicles can be a devastating attack. Some sources, however, state that a solid blow, which can cause shock in the victim, may also leave the victim capable of attacking back long enough to do severe damage to the attacker. An alternative attack would consist of a quick, flicking attack, causing extreme pain but not the associated delayed reaction of shock. It also should be noted that some highly trained martial artists, such as some of the Shaolin monks, can condition their groin area to be invulnerable to normal attacks. Among other things, this involves training to be able to draw the testicles up into the body, thus protecting them from direct attack.
Highly focused, accurate, and powerful blows to the tailbone can result in a variety of nasty effects, ranging from extreme pain to the severing of the bone itself, which will likely result in spinal cord damage. In any case, a well-placed blow to that area is likely to cause some severe consequences.
Hard strikes to the inner thigh can cause the muscles to cramp or the lower leg to go numb. If you are held in a headlock or similar position, a hard pinch to the flesh of the inner thigh can be surprising and painful and may cause an attacker to loosen his hold or lose focus.
Well-aimed strikes to the knee can cause dislocation, pain, and incapacitation of the leg. Strikes can occur to the front, sides, or back of the knee, each of which can cause severe damage, depending on conditions. It is particularly easy to dislocate the kneecap (patella), which will incapacitate just about anyone, and it is also possible to break the kneecap, which will result in permanent injury.
Hitting the shins—or, even better, scraping the edge of a shoe or boot down someone’s shins—causes extreme pain, though no permanent injury.
Feet have a lot of small bones, and a good stomp on the top of the feet is guaranteed to be painful to most people. A strong blow to the instep is possibly even more effective, though more difficult to deliver effectively.
The Achilles tendon is also vulnerable to proper strikes, but ordinary attacks may not have much effect.
Wrists. Vulnerable to jamming, twisting, dislocation, and breakage.
Elbows. Elbows are strong, but can be broken if the right force is applied in the right direction.
Hamstrings. Although they are quite strong, very powerful blows to the hamstrings can cause damage and at least temporary weakness in the legs. This is probably best accomplished with a weapon or at least a strong and well-directed kick, however.
Muscles. Some martial arts systems actually strengthen the hands so much that they can literally grab muscles and rip them loose. This is a little-known technique, and some martial arts moves, which seem to make little sense to the uninformed, are actually designed to do that.
Balance Points. There are places on the body where you can instantly cause someone to lose their balance. One particular point is at the top-front of the head, to either side. A gentle shove will force a person to fall over.
Ankles. Ankles tend to be strong, but under some circumstances, they can be sprained or dislocated.
Hair. Hair can be used to control a victim.
Clothing. As with hair, grabbing loose clothing can allow you to control someone or even strangle or temporarily blind them.
Accumulation Effects. Repeated blows, even to less vulnerable areas, can cause a gradual sapping of strength or other weakening or cumulative damage. Professional boxers often are content to keep hitting their opponent’s arms, and of course the abdomen, in the theory that it will weaken the opponent and ultimately cause his guard to fall, leaving him open to more devastating blows. So there is an accumulation effect that is really not modeled in games so far.
In addition, certain “fatality” attacks rely on sequential stimulation of specific points on the body, causing an accumulation overload to the system, which can result in unconsciousness or death. (See also the following “Fatality Systems” section.)
Martial arts lore is full of stories of seemingly supernatural methods of attack that can result in instant or delayed death. The Chinese system of Dim Mak and the Japanese Atemi system use the acupuncture points as targets and claim to be able to incapacitate an opponent with attacks to certain points.
Although these systems base their knowledge and descriptions on the concept of energy systems (chi or ki) and various energy attacks, there is also a Western scientific explanation for much of it, and it turns out that some of these attacks are quite real.
To understand fully how these attacks function, it is necessary to understand a good deal about human neurology and the neurological concepts of convergence, summation, facilitation, and aberrant reference, in addition to having a working knowledge of various major nerves and how they connect to the spinal cord.
In very simple terms:
Convergence refers to a neurological connection between the external nerves of the body and the sympathetic nerves that connect to the internal organs, which occurs at the dorsal nerve roots along the spine. Pain occurring in one of the external nerve points can be perceived by the brain as coming from the internal organ itself. This, in part, explains how working with specific points on the outside of the body can stimulate or suppress internal organ functions—the principles used in death-blow systems as well as various healing arts.
Summation occurs as a result of simultaneous attacks on convergent nerves. In other words, attacking more than one nerve point, where each enters the spinal cord at the same location, can increase the effect on the targeted organ.
Facilitation occurs when sequential attacks are performed on convergent nerve points. Again, in simple terms, each attack further “potentiates” or stimulates the pain response associated with the targeted organ, so that it is more sensitive. In some cases, using facilitation through sequential attacks can result in an organ point becoming so sensitive that a light touch could result in unconsciousness or worse.
Aberrant reference refers to a quality of the nervous system to find the middle point where pain is being experienced simultaneously in points on opposite sides of the body. This is more easily understood if you understand the way the nervous system and, in particular, the spinal entry zones work, but the idea is that the body finds the middle point between two simultaneous sources of pain. In sophisticated Dim Mak attacks, two seemingly unrelated attacks can cause stimulation of a specific organ because it is associated in the spine with the middle point between the sources of attack. This is used to further sensitize and weaken the opponent and in some cases can have a devastating effect immediately.
Again, these explanations are excessively simplified, and this is fairly complex material. There are other important concepts as well, but even oversimplified as it is, this information can help to explain how and why the Dim Mak attacks can and do work. Furthermore, it turns out that the acupuncture points also correspond to specific nerves that, due to their connections to the spinal cord, can directly or indirectly affect various internal organs. This is the key to the system—the target points, if you will.
Some death-blow attacks can damage an organ directly. Most, however, cause a stimulation of pain that ultimately affects the operation of one or more specific organs, such as the heart, lungs, or digestive system. As such, properly applied techniques can cause unconsciousness, cardiac arrest, and ultimately death.
The practical application of these death blows is far from simple and requires not only a lot of knowledge, but intense training. But conceptually, from a game design standpoint, they can be understood and possibly applied in a simplistic combat system. It should be noted, however, that an accurate application of these techniques would be difficult, because most require either simultaneous attacks to more than one point or sequential attacks to “setup” points with subsequent attacks to relevant “follow-up” points.
One interesting possibility here is to create preset moves and combos with reasonably accurate graphics to make the attacks look authentic. These could be modeled as either specific “moves” or specific combos that have devastating effects. In the real world, these are quite advanced techniques and not easy to implement effectively. In games, they might also be used as highly advanced abilities given as a reward for an advanced character, or even given to specific types of enemies who can incapacitate or kill opponents with precision, skill, and minimal effort. Stealth classes might especially benefit from these sorts of techniques.
Although there are charts that contain “formulas” for Dim Mak and Atemi attacks, these are beyond the scope of this book. Anyone who would like to conduct a more thorough investigation of this subject should look for books on Dim Mak and Atemi. For the scientific viewpoint, try Death Touch: The Science Behind the Legend of Dim-Mak (Paladin Press, 2001) by Michael Kelly, D.O.
The real world has its share of magic, and martial artists can do amazing feats, many of which seem like magic. However, in games, we can have anything we want, and magic has become a staple of the game designer. Of course, this means that many conventions have evolved. The lists in this section can help you both by suggesting some ideas, but also by challenging you to go beyond the simple form of these examples and to expand, extend, or reformulate the concepts into modes and methods of your own. Create your own magic. That’s what it’s all about.
How is magic actually directed to its target? How does it achieve its effect? Here are some ways to deliver magic. Can you think of more?
Bolt
Wave
Spin
Aura/field
Internal attack
External effect (such as an explosion)
Cloud
Weather/storm
Emotion-based
Psychic (mind direct)
Proxy (such as voodoo doll—also known as puppeting objects or creatures)
Curse (through object or directly)
Through items carried or worn
Through projectiles, magically enhanced or created through magic (magic arrows, magically enchanted items)
Enchantment
Incantation
Magic has both traditional and fanciful artifacts—items that are often associated with its practice. Here are some of the tools you might find among magicians.
Words (incantation)
Gestures
Wands
Staves
Daggers, swords, and other ritual weapons
Scrolls
Jewelry (rings, amulets, etc.)
Runes, dice, coins, etc.
Crystal ball
Dancing and movement
Herbs, potions, tinctures, etc.
Blood
Animals (dead or alive)
Bones and innards
Noisemakers (rattles, drums, etc.)
Music and song
Purification practices (sleep deprivation, fasting, meditation, solitude, etc.)
Rites and rituals
Fire and smoke/incense
Sacred objects
Offerings and sacrifices
Masks and costumes
Familiars
Drugs
Magical spaces, such as the pentagram
Visualization and imagination
Tarot
Minerals (iron, mercury, salt, etc.)
Candles and wax in general
Cauldrons
There are some conventions often used for magic. This isn’t to say you can’t change them, but it’s good to have them for reference. Note that there are some variations, and some colors can be commonly found associated with more than one type of element.
Element | Color |
|---|---|
Fire | Red, Orange, Gold |
Earth | Brown or Green |
Air/Wind | White, Gray, Violet, Sky Blue, or Yellow |
Water/Ice | Blue |
Electrical | Yellow or White |
Crushing/Gravity | Gray/Brown, Black |
Black/Dark | Black |
Healing | Green |
Psychic | Purple |
Mental | Blue |
Nature | Green |
This list contains examples of magic that attacks a target directly.
Elemental
Fire
Earth
Crushing/gravity
Earthquake
Air
Water/ice
Electrical
Psychic
Emotional base (hate, love)
Physical manipulation
Mental manipulation or control
Music and/or song
Projectiles
Magnetic (against metal enemies or using metal objects to attack)
Drains
Abrasion
Choking
Sonic
Shrinking
Explosive
Death touch/black magic
Hate magic
Damage over time (DOT) spells
Pain
Poison
Curse
Fire (burning)
Ice (freezing)
Music and/or song
Choking
Bleeding
Acid
Note that some area of effect (AOE) spells can be beneficial, such as many spells found in the upcoming “Buffs and Debuffs” section. Other AOEs can be control-type spells, such as those found in the “Controlling: Taking the Enemy Temporarily Out of Action” section. And, of course, many AOE spells are direct damage spells:
Nuke
Other explosive
Fire/heat
Ice/cold
Earthquake
Electrical
Psychic
Gravity
Clouds
Storms
Light
Projectiles
Sonic
Music and/or song
These are basic spells that leave a trap for unwary enemies. These traps often do damage to the enemy, either as damage over time (DOT) or instant damage, although they may also do no damage, but affect enemies through various types of immobilization and/or reduction of abilities (such as speed). They are the equivalent of landmines, but they can take many magical forms and can deliver any kind of damage (see the “Direct Magical Attacks” section) or other effects (see, for instance, the next section, “Controlling: Taking the Enemy Temporarily Out of Action”).
There are many ways to incapacitate or temporarily render an opponent ineffective or harmless. These types of magic can be used in a variety of game settings, and in MMOGs, they are often used by characters who specialize in crowd control.
Sleep/unconsciousness
Immobilize
Blind
Stun
Slow
Silence
Mesmerize
Mind control/charm (turning an enemy against its own side)
Fear (tries to run away)
Panic (like fear or confusion, may continue to attack randomly or run)
Disorient and confuse
Remove magic abilities or enhancements to the character (buffs)
Barrier
Wind (whirlwinds or blocking winds)
Ice (slippery or freezing in place)
Burn (immobilizes while doing damage)
Shock (electrical immobilization)
Telekinesis (lift them from the ground and hold them there)
Physical traps (various kinds)
Interrupt (spell or attack)
Music and/or song
Transform (into something harmless—generally temporary)
Shrink
Reveal (reveals stealth or invisible enemies)
Turn undead
Some magic is effective in changing the form of the caster, an ally, or an enemy. Other types of magic summon creatures or items to help win the battle or achieve specific ends. This list is necessarily short. Can you extend it with more examples?
Turn an enemy into something else (a pig, a rat, a piece of limburger cheese, etc.).
Cause an enemy to fight for you.
Resurrect a dead character as a zombie.
Transform yourself or another ally (taking another form).
Transform items.
Shape-shift.
Summon a creature to help you fight. This can be an animal, a godlike creature, elemental, and so on.
Summon an item, such as a magic sword.
Change the battlefield itself in some way.
Control or change the weather.
Some spells simply increase the abilities of allies (buffs) or decrease the abilities and stats of enemies (debuffs). In some cases, a spell may do damage and also cause some debuff to an enemy at the same time—for instance, doing some cold damage while also slowing the enemy’s movements. Various buffs and debuffs can include:
Strength
Health (hit points)—enhance or drain from enemies
Endurance—enhance or drain from enemies
Spell points (mana)—enhance or drain from enemies
Invisibility/visibility
Defense
Accuracy
Speed (movement or attack)
Sight
Invisibility/stealth
Flight
Resistances (to specific types of attacks, such as cold or fire, etc.)
Cause/resist disease
Size (make bigger or smaller)
Berserk (high damage for a short time with some negative side effects)
Meditate (enhance energy for spells or fighting)
Damage shield (a magical shield that returns damage to the attacker)
Energy shield (causes some positive effect on the character when it is hit, such as transferring health or energy to the user of the shield)
Nullification shield (can block or nullify a certain amount of damage or certain types of attacks)
Protection (can apply to characters or things)
Enhancement (as in making crops grow better)
Charms for self-protection, success in love, good fortune, etc.
Curses (may affect specific enemy abilities or just their overall fortunes/luck)
Protect property or crops
Damage/weaken property or crops
There are many types of magic that benefit the character by healing, restoration, or resurrection.
Basic health healing for self, an individual, a group, or within a defined area
Resurrection
Regeneration of health and/or stamina or mana, etc.
Love magic
Create potions
Use potions
Music and/or song
Still other magic abilities may include:
Divination (remote viewing or seeing the future)
Clairvoyance
Telekinesis
Astral travel
Travel in games is covered in Chapter 18, “Travel,” but this section is specifically devoted to magical means of travel.
Teleportation (self, other, or group)
Speed burst or enhancement
Flight
Jump enhancement
Magical vehicle
Mount (animal, monster, mythical creature)
Swim (on top of the water or underwater)
You can expect game companies to license many of these characters over time, unless you do it first. That’s why we are offering this list. You can research them, too, and use them for inspiration.
Ant Man
Aquaman
The Atom
Batgirl
Batman (and Robin)
Batwoman
The Bionic Woman
Black Adam
Black Canary
The Black Knight
Black Panther
Black Widow
Blade
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Captain America
Captain Atom
Captain Marvel
Changeling
Colossal Boy
Crusader Rabbit
Cyclops
Daredevil
The Demon
Dick Tracy
Doctor Fate
Doctor Mid-Nite
Doctor Who
Fantastic Four
Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards)
Human Torch (Johnny Storm)
Invisible Woman (Susan Storm)
The Thing (Ben Grimm)
The Flash
Ghost Rider
Green Arrow
Green Hornet
Green Lantern
Hank Pym
Hawkeye
Hawkgirl
Hawkman
Hawkwoman
Hellblazer (John Constantine)
Hercules
Hourman
The (Incredible) Hulk
The Human Torch
The Huntress
Invisible Woman (Susan Storm)
Iron Fist
Iron Man
Jakeem “J.J.” Thunder
Jean Grey
Johnny Thunder
Justice League of America
The Flash
Green Lantern
Hawkman
Sandman
Doctor Fate
Hourman
The Atom
Johnny Thunder
The Red Tornado
Superman
Batman
Doctor Mid-Nite
Starman
Wonder Woman
Mister Terrific
Wildcat
Black Canary
Robin
The Star-Spangled Kid
Power Girl
The Huntress
Sand
Nuklon (Atom Smasher)
Jakeem “J.J.” Thunder
Black Adam
The Spectre
Marvel Girl
Mary Marvel (Captain Marvel)
Mighty Mouse
Mister Fantastic
Mister Terrific
Ms. Marvel
Nuklon (Atom Smasher)
Plastic Man
Power Girl
Power Man (Luke Cage)
Professor X
The Punisher
Quicksilver
The Red Tornado
Robin
Samson
Sandman
Sandy the Golden Boy (Sand)
Scarlet Witch
Silver Surfer
Spider-Girl
Spider-Man
Starman
Storm
Streaky the Super Cat
Superboy
Supergirl
Superman
Superwoman
The Avengers
Iron Man
The (Incredible) Hulk
Ant Man
The Wasp
Scarlet Witch
Quicksilver
Hawkeye
Hercules
The Black Knight
Black Widow
The Star-Spangled Kid
The Thing
The Tick
TMNT
The Wasp
Wildcat
Wolverine
Wonder Woman
X-Men (various versions)