**This is OLD information. For Up-to-Date Gank, check here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11148872/ **

Gank Combat System: The Basics

Ahoy thar!, and come pay heed to the role playin’ system that be guaranteed to swash yer’ buckles and feed yer’ greeds! Is’ be a system that have no need for all them rules and regulations and bureaucrass’ misdeeds that keep you from sailin’ free on the seven breeze!

In Gank you never be seein’ the dirty word ‘rules’ again, because here you have a guide that just meant to facilitate what you want when you want to role play, instead o’ standin’ in the way like some of d’em other systems. Sure there be a system, and there be numbers n’it, and there be a way you should go about doin’ some thin’s, but that’s all just to keep everybody followin’ the same map. How ya’ get around on it still be up to you, an’ most everything here just be a suggestion fer how you go about doin’ that. If ya’ feel you would be able to do somethin’ different in yer world then it be yer world, so you go about doin’ it. This system be fer you to use, and use anywhere! Tabletops, chatrooms, briggs, it don’t matter. There are no dice or computin’ processors needed fer any of it. The Gank Combat System is for you, by you, and dependin’ on you, so if you want to change it or think you can make it better than go ahead and do so! And let us know in the comments below these rules, so together we can all make it even better!


The Basics
Integrity: This be your character’s health. It’s not just their physical state, but the state of their will and spirit too. When you hear Natural Integrity, well that be referrin’ to your character’s full Integrity when they be completely healthy. When Integrity reaches 0, don’t fear, you ain’t dead yet. You’re just in an Exhausted state. If you ever enter any other states of being while your Integrity is 0 or lower, it will always return to Exhaustion if you leave. You can still lose points of Integrity when you be at 0, goin’ into the negatives. The negative of your Natural Integrity is called Absolution. When a character reaches Absolution they can go no farther down and they be permanently altered by whatever brought ‘em there. And death be a permanent alteration. Natural Integrity is restored with a full night’s rest.

Ability: Every character gets three Ability Scores: Mind, Body, and Soul. These numbers are what you use to compare yer capability to other characters. Anytime a character makes an action that interacts with another character they will clash their Ability Score with that character’s own score. You don’t clash every score with theirs though, instead you gotta’ choose the appropriate ones. Like many things in Gank, just which scores you choose to clash are up to your discretions, but this be what the three scores typically apply themselves to:
Mind - Mental faculties. Anything involving thought, perception, intelligence, wisdom, and will.
Body - Physical form. Anything involving the body, be it strength or sensory.
Soul - Mystical elements. Anything involving magic, spirituality, and the soul.

The Clash: This be when you compare one of your Ability Scores to the Ability Score of another character. If your Ability Score is higher then you succeeded in doing that ability. If it is lower, though, then you might as well have keel-hauled the weevil-loaf. The amount a clash succeeds is called the Clash Over and the amount a clash fails is called the Clash Under. These numbers are used for different things at different times, but unless they are mentioned specifically by the type of Clash they are completely useless. Tied clashes accomplish nothing for either party.

Earning Ability Points: Your Mind, Body, and Soul Ability Scores will determine most of what you do in Gank. So it’s important they be up to what you be doin’. Luckily there is a way to increase ‘em. You can increase yer Ability Scores by doin’ intriguin’ things. When a character does something worthy of a tale, like defeating an opponent in battle, survivin’ a magic catastrophe, or makin’ it through one of them book things, they will earn a Ability Point in the proper score fer that accomplishment. They can only earn one point in total per circumstance, though, so if they be usin’ all sorts of different abilities in a battle they must choose which one to increase. Ability Points can also be earned for every week of training a particular skill. This system fer improvement be based largely on discretion as well, so don’t be a scurvy bilgerat about manipulatin’ it.

Spending Ability Points: Ability Points can be spent to improve your character elsewhere. 5 points will buy you 1 Integrity point, 3 points will buy you 1 Skill Point, and Attributes have all sorts of different costs. Each purchase must be spent from one specific Ability score, so you can’t choose a couple from each. Ability Points can only be spent during periods of full rest, be it a night of sleep or just a day of free time to train.

Attributes: These are all them interestin’ things about your character. Natural Attributes aren’t things you can usually buy, bein’ that yer typically born with them, but this not always be bein’ the case. Common Attributes are them things almost anybody can do, but they gots to learn how to first. You’d be surprised how many things a deckhand can’n’t do at first, so look over these carefully before you go about tryin’ to do somethin’ foolish. Special Attributes are those spectacular things only a few people can do. They require some trainin’ (and that be plannin’ on yer part) to get good at, and many of ‘em got limitations so as they can only be used a few times a day with Skill Points.

Skill Points: Speakin’ of Skill Points, that’s like the currency of awesomeness. It’s a limit to the amount of amazin’ things you can do in a day, but after a full night’s rest they return to their starting amount, so you got another full day of awesome ahead of you. You need Special Attributes to use ‘em, though, so you won’t be up to much of any awesomeness without too many of those.

Actions: This be how you go about doin’ stuff! There are three types of Action you can do: Simple Actions, Move Actions, and Reactions. Simple Actions be things of little consequence, like gestures or noises or sayin’ a simple word. Move Actions are things you gotta’ put a little effort into, like walking or attacking or basically just everything else. Reactions are a special type of Move Action used in combat. Characters don’t usually start out able to make Reactions, so unless you got one you needn’t worry about them too much. Remember that Ability Scores are only used when your character wants to challenge another character in some way, which means you don’t need to use any numbers at all when you just wish to move about the place. What your character can and can not do is up to you to decide, but it is best to play fair and take the time to buy Attributes necessary to do them more special things. A list of Normal and Advanced Move Actions can be found over yonder -> [Link]

Attacks: These be a special type of clash that deal Integrity damage according to their Clash Over. If the Clash Over is between 1-10 an attack will deal 1 point of Integrity damage, if it’s 11-20 over it deal 2 points, and like that. Not all attacks deal Integrity damage, but unless another effect is mentioned it is best to assume that they do.

Combat: Now we’re getting to the good stuff! Combat is a series of turns where all characters in the fight get a chance to make an Action. The order in which characters take their turns depends on the character’s Priority, which unless determined by others means is their Mind score. The highest goes first, the second highest second, and so on until the last character gets their turn. This is called a Rotation. In the event of a tie the tie-break be a character’s Ranking Score. If Priority were to change fer anybody the order would be rearranged at the end of the current Rotation. During each character’s turn they get a chance to make a Move Action or Simple Action. Additionally a character can make one Simple Action per rotation at any time during another character’s turn. If they have a Reaction, then this can be substituted for that additional Simple Action. If a Reaction is used the character can not make a Move Action during their next turn and only one Reaction can be made per Rotation. Every turn in combat takes 1 second to complete thereabouts.

Modifiers: Modifiers be the things that add or subtract to a character’s Ability Scores. If your Ability Score ever be increased or decreased by anything other than gaining or spending Ability Points, then this be a modifier. It do not change yer score directly and is to be calculated separately. You earned dem Ability Points, do let them be confused with stray modifiers!

States: The last element of the Gank system be State effects. States are the unique circumstances your character may find themselves in. Bein’ Unconscious, Seduced, or Exhausted are all examples of states. A character can typically only be in one state at a time, since it be a distraction, but if a character could logically be in more than one then so be it. States might keep track of special state-based scores, could affect what actions a character can make, and may come with modifiers.


Makin’ Yer Character
Up there be a Character Sheet for the Gank Combat System. It looks a bit absent, doesn’t it? Well let’s go about rectifying that. Be smart about following these paces and you’ll have a character of your own commandeering this ‘ere parchment in no time, laddies.

Info Box: This be where you put all yar basic informations and what nots. Your character’s moniker, colors (best not be yellow), age/height/weight, and the state of their jammy dodgers all go here. You also must select their species, body type, and sexual orientation, but that ain’t as easy as just makin’ up stuff like the others were. Them three be Natural Attributes. There are lists to peruse for those, and you can find it in the link here -> [link]. You may also be spottin’ the Score. This is also known as the Ranking Score. Anytime yer character earns an Ability Point it is tallied here, but fer upstart bootstraps their score will be 0. Ranking score keeps tally how how advanced yer character be, but excepting for priority ties be of consequence during actual gameplay.

Stat Box (It’s actually of a Circular Configuration): That big empty spot in the middle be where your Integrity is tallied. If you choose to keep track of your active Integrity here remember to save a spot for your Natural Integrity score somewhere in this box as well, lest you forget to which health you heal when you sleep away that headache. Those other three circles be yer Ability scores. Mind be the brain, Body the sword, and Soul that star thing at the end of a stick. Wet pups start wit’ a Natural Integrity of 3, get 30 Ability Points to be distributed about their Mind, Body, and Soul as they choose, and an additional 20 that must be spent to buy Integrity, Skill Points, or Attributes.

Attribute Box: Keep tally of all your Attributes in this one. If there be room go ahead and record whatever notes you be needing here too, so you don’t go rufflin’ through pages anytime you feel the compulsion to do something neat.

State Box: Here be a convenient place to tabulate all them state-based effects. Jus’ specify the state in one of them there empty boxes, and any numbers or modifiers associated with it in the smaller one to the right. Some states have multiple numbers associated with them. If that be the case just use the next box to record the next number fer it.

Modifier Box: This be where all them complicated arithmetics lurk. Remember I told you not to change your Abilities anytime they be effected by means other than gaining or spending ability points? Well I wasn’t speaking out of my bunghole on that one. All other modifiers to ‘em are kept track of here. That includes permanent modifiers, item modifiers, and whatever other modifiers may pop up! There be a lot of boxes here, so keep all them modifiers separate. That makes them easier to added ‘em up when you make clashes that need to use some modifiers but not the others.

Swag Box: This is where you keep your booty.


The Gank Combat System is still in the earliest stages of testing, and I am counting on suggestions from all who may be interested to improve and refine it. If you have any criticisms, questions, or ideas, please type ‘em up in the comments below. I encourage collaboration from all users on these comments, so that together we may brainstorm a better Gank. My intention is not just to use this system for the Gank! webcomic, but also as a stand-alone role-playing combat system that can be used free of dice or other programs on table tops, in chatrooms, or wherever else people may want to play-fight each other as imaginary animal people. I will be making many additions and alterations to this system as time goes on, and I anticipate a great deal of these will come from comments and discussions with viewers like you, but I can’t hear your suggestions if you never make them. So please, make your opinions heard! Gank is for you, by you, and counting on you!


The Pirate’s Code:
Guide to Basics: Right 'ere!
Actions and States: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10615859/
Natural and Common Attributes: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10616207/
Special Attributes: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10616361/
Items: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10616430/
Extraneous Appendix: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10616486/