User blog:Flamefang/Dueling System Proposal

This is a short proposal I've written up discussing a possible way to run duelling in an interesting,creative, and exciting, yet self contained manner.

First we need to compile a list of spells and their effects.

Example: Expelliarmus - Disarms your opponent,

Then, each person gets a certain number of spell slots (probably between 5 and 10) and chooses a spell to fit in each slot. You can pick and choose which you want before a battle but not during. These will act as your means of attack/defense or any other roles your spells may happen to fill. From there it's pretty simple there's an agreed upon number of turns nd then each person goes in order. However, instead of posting a long paragraph in which you totally incapacitate your enemy (In other words godmod) you cast one or two spells, or make one or two moments so that your opponent has time to react and respond. Each duelist has two points available each turn which may be expended in the form of movement or spell points.

Now we get to the most important part: between each turn, instead of the user dictating the way their spells effect the opponent the mod does so instead. Thus:

Bob and Billy are having a duel.

If Billy casts expelliarmus the spell streaks toward his enemy. Then Bob has a quick opening in which he can choose to dodge or block the spell. Let's assume that Billy chose not to react. Then the moderator will go and say something like "'Billy's spell hits Bob and his wand flies from his hand, clattering to the ground to his right". The moderator could have also chosen to let the spell miss if Billy didn't choose to block it.

Billy is then forced to react to this development by either making a dive for his wand, or perhaps resorting to another means of attack. Had Billy chosen to dodge the spell he would have lost one of his two movement points for that turn or, had he chosen to block it with a spell, he would have lost one of his two spell points that turn. Let us assume that Billy choses to dive for his wand. Now he has used a movement point and while he has the wand he's used his two points for that turn. Now it would be Bob's turn.

Thus, we eliminate the problem of godmodding and produce a level playing field in one go!

I know some have expressed some concerns regarding the limitation of spells. There are several reasons I include this, the primary one being that it introduces a certain element of tactics that wouldn't be present otherwise. An experienced duelist will know to choose his spells so that they are able to work well in unison together and well against whatever he may be faced with. Thus, we have hundreds of combinations of potential spell loadouts and thus every game should be garunteed to be a little different depending upon the spells each chooses. Also, nearly every spell has a counter spell and some are far more powerful than others.

Thus, for clarification:

You have 10 blocks/slots all of equal size. Each block is a spell, charm, hex, etc. which you can use in combat. Protego and maybe some other powerful spells would be like larger longer blocks. So protego would take the place of three blocks, and thus we'd end up with 8 blocks total but with the protego block taking up 3 regular block spaces.