Just Your Average Patrol [closed]

Clovertwist yawned and shook a bit of snow from his pelt; the leaf-bare sun shone brightly overhead, and today it felt warm enough to nap. The silver tabby warrior didn't have the time, though. He was on the sun-high border patrol, and he needed to go fetch his companion. He hadn't had too much interaction with the young Ferretpaw, but he had heard plenty of talk from his Clanmates that he had energy to spare. Well, that was fine, Clovertwist suspected he'd keep up just fine. The apprentice was doing well with his training, anyways, and the young warrior was just happy to get to know him better. He spotted the ruddy pelt sticking out brightly in the snow and called, "Hey, Ferretpaw! You ready for the patrol? Raventail said you're with me."

Ferretpaw wanted to like the snow, because it would be so fun to run around and roll in, but he hated the cold. It made his limbs feel heavy and slow. Plus, he really was not meant to blend in when the ground was bright white. He stood out like a brightly colored bird, and it made hunting more difficult. It meant he had to use more technique, and if he was honest, he usually just operated on pure instinct, natural ability, and luck.

He was probably more still than any cat had seen him, then, when Clovertwist called out to him. He jumped to his paws, eyes brightening. Any chance to get out of camp and stretch his legs was a good one, snow or not.

"Ready!" He responded, trotting over to Clovertwist.

The warrior nodded with enthusiasm as his companion sprang up and approached swiftly. He nodded and flicked his scarred, kinked tail towards the entrance and meowed happily, "Perfect - off we go! We're going along ShadowClan's border because I dont want to deal with any tension at the Gorge." Clovertwist began to prance off, glancing back to the leggy tom behind him to ensure he wasn't going too quickly. He himself sometimes struggled in the snow, and he had lots of training in his muscles! The duo padded out onto the moors and into the brisk leaf-bare day.

Along the way Clovertwist made small talk, asking questions about Ferretpaw and his training and interests. Here and there he marked the borders or let Ferretpaw do it if he chose. The snow crunched underpaw as they moved. As they drew closer to the Thunderpath, Clovertwist noticed an odd set of tracks in the snow - strange, giant webbed prints, almost like bird feet. The tabby slowed and waved his tail to slow down Ferretpaw as he meowed, "We'd better be careful as we go through here. I think whatever made this might still be nearby. I don't suppose Lightfang has given you any battle training yet?" He hoped it wouldn't come to it, but, well...

It was nice to get a chance to bond with one of the warriors of the Clan. After all, it wouldn't be long before Ferretpaw received his name. It would be good to have friends in the den he would be moving to. Besides, the apprentice was just friendly by nature, and the conversation that flowed between them made him feel warm and happy.

Ferretpaw was marking another section of the border, glancing at the thunderpath and trying not to think of Petalpaw, when Clovertwist pointed out some strange tracks. The ruddy tom padded closer, sniffing at the webbed prints. His nose wrinkled.

"A bit," he answered, quickly thinking back to their sparring. He was pretty confident that he could hold his own, or at least be of assistance.

out of character info wrote:

As discussed in Discord, we're going to fight a goose! To learn more about what we can fight and what they can do, you can go to the Rules board and find the Predator List (or you can click here to make it easier). I'll be controlling the predator, so you mostly only have to worry about Ferretpaw; however, if a predator has special effect moves (like the goose does) it will help you to know what they are and how they work! I'll explain more as we go. :D

The first step of every fight is to figure out the stats (HP and SP, or Health and Stamina points) of the characters involved in the fight. The goose's stats and moves are found in the predator list: 40 HP/130 SP. All possible ranks and stats for cats can be found in the Rank System thread under the Rules board (click here). Clovertwist is a Tier 3 Warrior; you could find that out in my mini-profile, in my signature, in the WindClan Ranks thread (click here), or by asking me. His stats are 60 HP/200 SP. In hunting you already figured out that Ferretpaw's stats are 20 HP/80 SP. After every thread your HP and SP automatically refill unless you don't want them to for plots of personal development.

Clovertwist glanced around as Ferretpaw returned to his side to investigate the tracks himselves. It seemed unlikely that Ferretpaw would've run into a large bird like this yet in his training, so whatever battle training he had received would hopefully be enough should they run into something. The warrior nodded at his companion's answer and said, "Alright - I'll just hope maybe they've moved on." No sooner had the words left his mouth than did they hear a brief, muttered "honk" just under the boughs of a nearby snow-covered bush. The fur on Clovertwist's spine bristled, and he muttered, "Ah, fox-dung. Okay. They have not moved on. Stay behind me and let's try to back up and go around."

The silver tabby tom began to back up, but already the bush was shaking slightly, and a moment later a long, beaked black head patched with white emerged, snow falling easily off its swiftly extending neck. Clovertwist let out a huff that sounded more inconvenienced than anything. "Ferretpaw, this is a goose. Goose, Ferretpaw. Keep trying to back up for now." A broad brown-and-white body with dark webbed feet withdrew fully from the brush, and immediately the predator reared up to extend its wings, letting out a shrill, squawking set of honks as it flapped threateningly. "Geese are terrible. Not as bad as foxes, though; just stay on your toes. Maybe it will still let us leave without a fight." His kinked tail poofed awkwardly.

The goose's beady black eyes honed in on the silver tabby warrior - and briefly, the fleck of bright fur in the snow behind him - and it let out another honk and began to rush forward, wings flailing. It was not planning to let the cats go unchallenged. It stopped just short of Clovertwist and hissed, and so he arched his back and hissed back. The goose was unimpressed and jabbed at the silver warrior with its beak, battering his shoulder as he attempted to duck out of the way. "Rabbit-dung," he spat, staggering slightly.

The Goose used Beaked Thrust on Clovertwist, using 40 stamina and dealing 20 damage.

Goose
40/40 HP
90/130 SP (-40)

Clovertwist
40/60 HP (-20)
200/200 SP

Ferretpaw
20/20 HP
80/80 SP

out of character wrote:

Okay, the goose has made the first move! Now is the best time to review the Battle System + Rules in the Rules category (click here).

Each time one of the combatants makes a post, that counts as a turn - whether that post is to make an attack, to be stunned/pinned from another's attack, or to choose not to attack doesn't matter, they all count as taking a turn.

In this case the goose has attacked, and now it isn't allowed to move/attack again until both of its opponents - that is, Clovertwist and Ferretpaw - have had a turn. Additionally, now that the goose has attacked, its focus is on Clovertwist. It's not allowed to turn its attention to Ferretpaw until Clovertwist is no longer in battle, and similarly Clovertwist won't be allowed to change his target once he attacks the goose (there are special moves cats can use to change targets, but we won't need to use those in fight due to fighting only one goose).

To figure out what moves you're allowed to use, you'll reference the second post of the Battle System + Rules thread. Ferretpaw is an Apprentice, so he is allowed to use any move where the Ranks First Usable column says Apprentice. He can also use Kit moves because those are higher on the table and were therefore learned at a lower, earlier rank. You don't have to roleplay out the process of learning the moves in order to use them in real battle, but you're welcome to have your character struggle to execute the move if that helps to enrich your roleplay experience! When it comes to battling, we assume our attacks always hit and so we'll always adjust the stats during our character's turn. There are special effect moves which can change that, and I'll show you a couple of those later in this battle. On the Battle Moves Chart, they're this color of pink!

In addition to Battle Moves, Clan cats of Apprentice age and older have access to Clan Moves (located near the bottom of the Battle System + Rules thread). You and I have access to WindClan moves: Whirlwind Rush and Swift Strike. Each of them has its own conditions listed that have to be followed in order to use them, and they have their own effects. In addition to those effects, though, Clan Moves can't be used two turns in a row; another move (or turn without action) has to be between them.

For now, Clovertwist will take his turn, and then it will be up to Ferretpaw to attack. As explained, Clovertwist is a Tier 3 Warrior, and so he's able to do any Tier 3 or lower moves from the Battle Moves Chart.

The silver tabby warrior shook himself and then launched back at the goose lightning quick - though he felt his hind paws slip slightly in the dirt. Clovertwist slammed his forepaws into the goose's neck with claws outstretched. It squawked in a choked voice and staggered back, its wings flapping to retain its balance.

Clovertwist used Rending Front Paws on the Goose, using 25 stamina and dealing 13 damage.

Clovertwist
40/60 HP
175/200 SP (-25)

Goose
27/40 HP (-13)
90/130 SP

Ferretpaw
20/20 HP
80/80 SP

The honk from the bush was most unsettling. Ferretpaw had never heard a noise like it before, and honestly, it sounded a bit ridiculous. It also sounded like trouble, though, which was only confirmed when it extended it's weird head out of the bush. Ferretpaw felt his pelt beginning to bristle along his spine, as he attempted to take a couple of steps backwards. The goose was not planning to let them go so easily, however. He gasped as Clovertwist was struck by the beak, which although not as dangerous looking as some birds, still looked quite painful.

Clovertwist quickly retaliated, though, and Ferretpaw knew it was his chance, that he had to help. He wished he'd paid a bit more attention when going over moves, but instinct would just have to be enough to guide him once more. The ruddy apprentice darted forward, claws unsheathed, and used his speed to his advantage. As he drew nearer, he flipped himself onto his back, using his momentum to allow him to get in close enough to slash at the goose's feathery belly, and using the kick off to push himself away enough to twist around back onto his paws.

Ferretpaw used Belly Rake on the goose, using 10 stamina and dealing 7 damage
Ferretpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP (-10)

Goose
20/40 HP (-7)
90/130 SP

Clovertwist
40/60 HP
175/200 SP

out of character wrote:

Good job! That's the very basics of battle: each character has a turn, and each character has choices of what they can do in that turn. Most of the moves only take one turn, and most of them are guaranteed to hit. Some moves have special effects, though, and so it's important to know special effects rules and how they work!

There are three main types of special effects: a stun, a pin, and a dodge. A stun means that the cat who attacked can still move and act, but the cat who was stunned cannot. A pin means that the cat who attacked as well as the cat who was pinned can’t move. A dodge is the only type of move which can undo damage done in a previous turn, or prevent damage from happening in a future turn. A stun and a pin can be hard to distinguish between, but the Battle System Tutorial can help (click here)!

The gist of Special Moves is:
- Special effect moves can only be used once each against the same opponent. (Clan Moves are an exception for cats, and predators are also exempt from this.) Basically you can't use the same special effect move over and over again, you have to switch up the moves!
- Moves with special effects can't be used twice in a row. This is to prevent you from being stunned for a turn and then immediately being stunned again, or vice-versa.
- Special effects can't be used when double-teaming UNLESS 1) you're double-teaming against a predator or 2) you're a lone cat being double-teamed against. This is to keep 2v1s between characters from being unfair!

As I said earlier, Special Effect Moves are this color of pink on the Battle Moves table to help them be found more easily.

Special Effect Moves use the dice system similar to the one you used in Hunting. The option for Dices Roll is located in the full Post a reply page beneath the text box. Make sure you select "Effect Dice" to roll the right numbers! Each of the Special Effects moves says what number results in what effect, so make sure to read the tables.

The goose has a special effect move called Wing Bluff that I’ll be using this turn. To use it, I (the roleplayer of the predator) will roll the "Effect Dice" I mentioned. If I roll a 1, 2, or 3, the goose will be able to be attacked as usual by whoever has their turn next; if I roll a 4, 5, or 6, however, the next attack won’t be able to hit. The next one to attack the goose would still need to use a move and spend the stamina regardless of the outcome of the goose's roll, but if the goose can dodge then the attacker simply won't subtract the health they would have.

From the corner of his eyes as Clovertwist began to withdraw from his attack, he saw Ferretpaw dart in. The warrior couldn't help but grin at the sight despite the throbbing pain in his shoulder from the goose's initial attack. Ferretpaw seemed to fit his namesake of a "ferret" quite well as he spun rather nimbly beneath the goose and jabbed his hind legs into its downy belly. The apprentice scrambled out of harm's way just as the goose bounced into the air with squawks of fury. The brown-and-black bird flailed its wings and charged at Clovertwist again, being directly in the line of fire. Clovertwist ducked with a yowl of pain and discomfort as the creature battered at him with its wings and jabbed with a furious beak.

The Goose used Wing Bluff on Clovertwist, using 20 stamina and dealing 10 damage. The next attack will/will not miss. [rolled a 3]

Goose
20/40 HP
70/130 SP (-20)

Clovertwist
30/60 HP (-10)
175/200 SP

Ferretpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

---

Clovertwist shook his head fiercely and did his best to recover from the blows as he himself darted forward, yowling, "Get off me, and get out of here, you big dumb bird-brain!" Despite the battering of wings around him, Clovertwist could feel his claws raking through dense feathers and cutting at bird flesh underneath. The beast's honks were more angry, and it stumbled back looking furious and pained.

Clovertwist used Upright Front Paws, using 20 stamina and dealing 12 damage.

Clovertwist
30/60 HP
155/200 SP (-20)

Goose
8/40 HP (-12)
70/130 SP

Ferretpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

The member 'sumashira' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 3

Ferretpaw felt bad that Clovertwist was getting the short end of the stick in this fight, taking another blow from the angry bird. Those wings looked strong, and the apprentice was glad that he wasn't feeling them, despite his slight feeling of guilt. He backed off, which might have appeared cowardly, but he was merely moving to the side. One thing he remembered from his first training session with Lightfang was how useful it could be to attack when one's opponent wasn't paying attention.

Ferretpaw charged, throwing his whole weight (not that that was a lot) at the goose. The goose lost it's balance, and finding himself on top of the bird, Ferretpaw dug his claws in and raked them through the feathers until he found flesh.

Ferretpaw used Run-And-Tackle, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 stamina.
Ferretpaw
20/20 HP
60/80 SP (-10)

Goose
2/40 HP (-6)
70/130 SP

Clovertwist
30/60 HP
155/200 SP

out of character wrote:

Awesome, thanks for your patience in the Discord last night as we made sure we both understood Run-and-Tackle - it was a good learning experience for us both! You've definitely got the hang of the battle stuff. If you ever have any questions about any moves or how things work, you can PM me or ask any of the staff for help! :)

Again just as Clovertwist was drawing away, Ferretpaw came charging in; he bowled the goose over, and the warrior - feeling ecstatic with adrenaline and the sensation of a victory incoming - let out a yowl of approval to see the ruddy tom's bravery in action. The goose flailed and honked, sounding alarmed as it struggled and failed to right itself under Ferretpaw's weight and tearing claws. The warrior could see that the goose was getting prepared to strike, and while Clovertwist could bear the brunt of the bruising blows he knew it would do a bit more harm to Ferretpaw. How would he explain that to Lightfang? He stepped in, and as expected the goose quickly took the bait, using all the length of neck it could to peck Clovertwist hard where his shoulder and chest met.

The Goose used Beaked Thrust on Clovertwist, using 40 stamina and dealing 20 damage.

Goose
2/40 HP
30/130 SP (-40)

Clovertwist
10/60 HP (-20)
155/200 SP

Ferretpaw
20/20 HP
60/80 SP

---

Clovertwist hissed and immediately his claws lashed out, battering the goose's head and face hard with claws slashing furiously. Between his attacks and Ferretpaw's, and underneath the apprentice's weight, Clovertwist could see that the goose had finally had enough. Its wings were faltering. Clovertwist's kinked tail lashed and he thought with eagerness, This could feed the Clan for days! "Keep holding it!" he instructed, and without wasting a moment Clovertwist dove in to bite its throat. Its protesting squawk was cut short and it quickly fell still. Clovertwist sat back and looked at it with surprise and pride, and he glanced at Ferretpaw like he was shocked they'd succeeded. After a moment of catching his breath, though, he half-laughed and said, "Well, I tried to tell it to run away. I guess StarClan wanted this to be a hunting patrol instead." His pale amber eyes suddenly glimmered. "Hey - well done, Ferretpaw, that was really good for your first real battle!"

Clovertwist used Front Paw Strike on the Goose, using 10 stamina and dealing 11 damage. The goose can no longer fight.

Clovertwist
10/60 HP
145/200 SP (-10)

Goose
-9/40 HP (-11)
30/130 SP

Ferretpaw
20/20 HP
60/80 SP

The adrenaline pumping through his veins made Ferretpaw feel more alive than he could ever remember feeling. This was what being a warrior meant, he thought, as the two toms worked together to take down the goose. Although he hadn't landed the final blow, he had helped hold the bird down, and he would take it as a victory. Not only was he a good rabbit hunter, now he could say he'd helped kill a goose! What a meal for his Clan, and in the harshest of seasons.

Catching his breath, Ferretpaw laughed as well, his eyes bright. "Thank you, Clovertwist. I couldn't have asked for a better ally." They had made a pretty good team. "Are you alright? We should get back to camp...You took a few hard blows, and this monstrosity will fill a few hungry bellies."

The younger tom seemed invigorated and surprised as well, but when Clovertwist laughed the winded apprentice did the same and released the goose they had taken down together. The warrior nodded in agreement and let out a chirp of approval at Ferretpaw's compliment. When he suggested returning to camp, though, Clovertwist blinked with a moment of surprise and hesitation. It was very thoughtful, and now that the exhilaration of battle was dying he could feel his heartbeat pulsing in the places the goose had jabbed him. The silver tabby glanced down to where the goose had struck its final blow on his shoulders; he could see his own pale skin peeking through, and with a huff he looked at the goose's mouth clamped on a thick clump of his silver-and-white fur.

"This is not the season to be losing fur!" Clovertwist exclaimed with annoyance, amusement, and exasperation. He shook his head slightly and then looked back at the ruddy apprentice, at last nodding once. "I think you're right, it'd be best to get home while this is still fresh - ah, the bird and the jabs it gave me. And hey - think about how much goose down we'll get to line the queens' and elders' nests with." Clovertwist batted at the goose's beak, unceremoniously batting the tuft of fur from its grip. It scattered across the snow. His whiskers twitched and he added with a grin, "I bet this'll get you out of tick duties for a few days. I'll be sure to tell Lightfang so."

Then he stooped his grip the goose's neck in his jaws, heaving the creature up as high as he could before beginning to drag its carcass back towards WindClan's camp.