So you’ve decided to create a boss battle, great! The guidelines for creating a boss battle submission are presented below, along with examples. Please follow the basic format provided and be advised that all bosses are subject to review and alteration by the boss battle staff.
While it is fun to make up incredibly powerful super-bosses that will easily defeat all challengers, low level bosses have a far better chance of being selected for a battle.
Boss Battle Submission Form
Level: Boss battles are rated on a scale of 1 – 10, each level roughly corresponding to 1.5x to 2x the level of an Althanas character. Thus a level 1 boss should be a match for a level 1 or 2 character, while a level 10 would be the equivalent of an Althanas character with the full level break limit of 20 maxed out.
Name: Put the boss’s name here, along with any other nicknames or titles.
Appearance: What does your boss look like? How does he dress? This is where you give challengers a boss’s description so that they can write him as you see him. You can put as much or as little description in as you’d like.
Background: This is the section where you setup the history of the boss battle and how it will happen. Note that not all battles are literally battles against the boss however, though that’s certainly the easiest option. Even so, why are people supposed to be fighting this boss? The better the setup and reason, the more interesting the thread will be.
Abilities/Skills/Equipment: Anything (powers, weapons, armor, etc.) that the boss can call upon or use in the battle should be written here. Remember that a boss is roughly 1.5x – 2x stronger than an Althanas character of the same level, so a level 1 boss should have somewhere around 2 – 4 abilities (depending on their relative strength) plus skills and equipment.
Tactics: Essentially how the boss conducts itself during the battle. How does it move, how does it fight, how does it talk? This category will weigh in on the judgment for how true you portray the boss in relation to its actual nature.
Score to Defeat*: The judged score that is required for the thread to “defeat” the boss. Generally lower level bosses have a lower score while higher bosses have a higher. There can be exceptions, but there should probably be a good justification for why it is so.
Spoils*: Whatever spoils that those participating in the thread should receive if the score to defeat is met and the boss is “defeated.”
* While the moderator has the right to alter any item of the boss submission in particular before the boss is posed, these areas will generally receive the most scrutiny.
Here is a sample of how to create a Boss Battle submission for those of you who are interested.
Level: While higher level bosses are fun to write, lower level bosses are more likely to be challenged and I want my boss to be challenged, so I’ll make it level 2, which should be equivalent to Althanas characters level 3 – 4.
Level - 2
Name: All bosses start with an idea, and the idea that I have for this boss is to be an enigmatic, heavily armored knight who guards a river crossing. To keep in synch with the mystique of the boss, I’m simply going to call him The River Knight.
Name: The River Knight
Appearance: In keeping with the idea that I have for the River Knight, he has to be wearing heavy armor (as a knight would be expected to do) and it must be fully enclosed (to keep up the mystique). To add a bit of flair, I’ll give the armor a bit of fluff while keeping it down to earth. Finally, the River Knight needs weapons. Swords are flashy, but don’t really fit with the solid, stoic feel that I’m going for. Instead, I’ll give the River Knight a hammer. As he is a defensive type boss, I’ll make the hammer one-handed and give him a shield, to further enhance his dug-in nature.
Appearance:
The River Knight is tall and broad shouldered, though all of his impressive bulk is completely hidden beneath the suit of interlocking plated mail. So well hidden is The River Knight that the only thing that identifies The River Knight as a male is the deep, rumbling voice that emanates from inside the fully enclosed helmet that he wears. The armor itself is well-maintained but plain, adorned only by the matte blue color that covers it. Though he is by no means lithe in all that armor, The River Knight still manages to move fluidly enough to defy expectations. With his heavy hammer in one hand, and half body kite shield in the other, The River Knight is the very picture of a formidable opponent.
Background: Here is where all the ideas that I’ve had as to who the River Knight really is come together as well as getting to set the scene. The River Knight is a mysterious figure that showed up at the only bridge that spans a swift running river one day to challenge everyone who would pass to combat. While killing the knight is certainly one way for challengers to handle this fight, leaving other options open gives a wider variety to challengers who want to face my Boss.
Background:
The Blackbriar River is a notoriously swift and treacherous body of water; wide enough that only a master bowman could put an arrow from one side to the other and deep enough to cover an entire merchant caravan. It is fortunate then that Thole Bridge exists. Thole Bridge is a simple stone pathway, wide enough to fit two standard wagons side-by-side and is sturdy enough to bear the weight of a herd of cattle. It is also the only crossing for Blackbriar River in a day and a half’s travel no matter which way one travels. Thus it was a sad day for travelers when the River Knight first appeared.
No one knows who the River Knight is, where he comes from, or why he chooses to guard Thole Bridge, if it is even his choice to do so. All that the shattered remnants of those attempting to cross Thole Bridge know is that the River Knight refuses to allow anyone to pass the bridge without defeating him. That’s not to say that there are those who haven’t made it across Thole Bridge, but doing so these days is a less than guaranteed proposition.
Abilities/Skills/Equipment: And now I get to take all the information that I’ve written out for the River Knight and put a description on it so that it can be used in a thread. Obviously I’ll need to put the River Knight’s weapons and armor here, as well as the skills to use them. Once those are finished, the River Knight will need another couple of powers to bring him up to the proper level.
Abilities/Skills/Equipment:
Armor of the River’s Guard – This blue matte suit of interlocking steel plates completely encloses the wearer, allowing no clue as to the wearer’s identity and no hint of weakness. Though this is a full suit of heavy armor, it is so masterfully crafted that it doesn’t hinder the wearer’s movement. The armor includes a half body kite shield.
Heavy Warhammer – The River Knight wields a large steel warhammer.
Hammer Proficiency – The River Knight is an expert at fighting with his heavy warhammer.
Enhanced Strength – The River Knight is three times as strong as a normal warrior, able to put massive force behind each strike of his weapon and more than capable of tossing lesser enemies around.
Stoic Defense – The River Knight guards Thole Bridge with a determination that borders on the supernatural. The River Knight can keep fighting long after the wounds he has received would have floored another opponent. Additionally, it is extremely difficult to disarm or trip the River Knight.
Bring Them Down – While flying over Thole Bridge may seem like the easiest option for those who are capable of it, those who make the attempt quickly find out that their assumptions are wrong. Anyone attempting to fly over Thole Bridge or the Blackbriar River near the River Knight becomes incredibly disoriented and finds that they are unable to make the journey.
Second Wind – No matter how much punishment that the River Knight has taken, he always seems to be able to redouble his efforts whenever anyone becomes close to crossing Thole Bridge. Those who have witnessed this claim that the River Knight fights like a man possessed, forced almost beyond the limit of human capabilities to ensure that no one gets past him. This includes moving faster, hitting harder, and being tougher than normal.
Tactics: Finally, the tactics section is where I will give challengers directions on how to write my Boss’s conduct in battle. This is important for both types of Boss Battle challenges, as it gives the challengers an idea of how to correctly write the Boss’s actions and the judges a baseline for scoring.
Tactics:
The River Knight waits quietly for anyone to come to Thole Bridge. Rain or shine, day or night, the steel clad warrior waits patiently. It is only when travelers come to the bridge that he shows any sign of life, moving to block the bridge and issuing a combat challenge to any who wish to cross. In combat, he is a stoic defensive fighter; calmly taking strikes that he knows cannot get through his armor and deflecting heavier ones with his shield.
Score to Defeat: This score is based on the Boss’s level and expected spoils. It is a subjective category but lower level boss’s generally have a lower score.
Score to Defeat: 60
Spoils: Choose one or two items, generally gold or something linked to the boss and give successful challengers a choice. Items that are earned have one of two options, they cannot be sold or traded, or they cannot be sold until the person who earns it gains a level.
Spoils (choose one of the following, plus lesser spoil):
Heavy Warhammer – A quality steel heavy warhammer. It is so large that it deals more damage than normal and is yet feels lighter than it should be. The Heavy Warhammer cannot be sold until the owner gains a level.
-or-
Caravan Reward – 100 gp reward from local caravan companies for clearing the River Knight from the bridge.
Lesser Spoil: This is a smaller reward earned by getting a score that is close to, but not sufficient to defeat the Boss.
Lesser Spoil (if the thread score is 5 or less under the Score to Defeat): +25 gp
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