Fighting in The Shadow Spinner

Today’s post goes into finer detail regarding the style of fighting based on the magic system as well as a bonus: the song I had basically on repeat while writing the final fight scene in The Shadow Spinner.

Fighting style

When planning out the magic system, I wanted it to have limitations. If you’ve ever played a fighting video game, this would be the equivalent of having a charging time and cool-down time. So the characters couldn’t just immediately summon a fireball and blast twenty of them in a row. I always felt like if this were possible, the planet would have been burned to a crisp a long time ago.

By putting limitations on the magic, it shifted the fighting back to combat with the magic as a ‘special move’ so to speak.

Finishing Move

My editor actually asked me in his edits why characters didn’t just lead out with using their Powers. I tried to address this in the book by having them explain that doing so would be a bad idea.

Imagine this scenario. You have a professional boxer vs. someone who boxes for cardio. If they sparred, the professional boxer could basically forgo any strategy, technique, or skill and just blast the other person in the face. They’d win this way easily. If the professional boxer tried to do this against another professional, though, they would be severely punished. The other professional would easily dodge/block and get free reign to counter.

This is what would happen in Hoops. If a skilled fighter fought a lesser opponent, they probably could just Launch a Fireball and immediately win. But if they were fighting another Advanced opponent, then they would be punished for this. Their opponent would likely avoid the attack. The fighter would then have wasted a key element of surprise (what Power they had) as well as the cool-down time would now potentially prevent them from using their Power at a critical time.

The Tempest vs. The Icy Yew

To illustrate this, I actually had N’Halia do exactly that in her fight against an Advanced opponent in The Shadow Spinner. Her first attack is Arcing Lightning towards her opponent and he, of course, neutralizes it easily.

It is important that this scenario is in a one-on-one fight. If there are many people vs. one, then yeah, the many could just take turns using their magic and it wouldn’t matter.

Power Differential

In the second book, the Champions continue to grow stronger and stronger. This widens the power differential between them and the fodder they fight. It is pretty apparent because each Champion is easily able to take down multiple opponents who would be considered strong in normal terms.

Bonus Song!

For no reason other than this song is awesome, here’s the song I listened to a lot when writing the final epic fight scene in The Shadow Spinner when they confront Stapes. It’s Jettison – Radio Edit by James Egbert.

Next up

Next post will be talking about Healing and especially some of the details in the chapter ‘The Well of Wellness’.