Kill The Boss | Now Easier To Learn!

Woah, a forum game that isn't D&D or counting? Color you shocked!
This is a revival of an old forum game I hosted that seemed fairly well received.

Spoiler: Update Log - 7/24/19

7/24/19 - Removed rule 6 (If your "attacks" consistently do nothing to progress the battle or if I think you're just role-playing instead of actually playing the game, I will refuse to respond to your actions) and rule 8 (Any bumps or messages along the lines of "dead game" or "did you forget about the game?" will heal the Boss for 20 HP). Rule 7 is now rule 6.
-Fixed up "The Story So Far" section, adding detail and such
-Added information on cooperation to How to Play -> Advanced
-Added bonus effects to DPAT lists
-Changed the "Anti-Magic Tome" item's effect


7/5/19 - Rewrote "How to Play" section for ease of read

7/1/19 - Added a new individual achievement - "Boom, headshot!" - Kill a Miniboss in one attack!
-Reworded achievement "Dat DPS Doe" to comply with the new DPAT system

6/29/19 - The parent post is currently under renovations! The first step, a Forums section at the bottom. This separates the Boss section from all of the Forums' things. I've also added a Perks section (more to come, winkwink) and moved the Sampo from Items to there. I'm currently rewriting the "How to Play" and "Rules for Dumnies" sections as well.
-Added rule 8: Any bumps or messages along the lines of "dead game" or "did you forget about the game?" will heal the Boss for 20 HP. We don't need those.

6/22/19 - When an attack's damage is reduced due to frequent use, it will be shown in red; the darker the red is, the more the damage was reduced.

6/18/19 - Added Quests! Quests are small side missions that occasionally appear and can be completed alongside the boss battle. They will usually amount to puzzles of varying types that must be solved. Rewards will vary between Quests, but will probably usually be powerful items. Quests are entirely optional, so if you're overwhelmed by them, feel free to ignore them.
- Added "Quests" Spoiler to parent post, which also contains a "What are Quests?" subspoiler; read for more information on Quests.
- Spaced out spoilers in parent post for ease of use.
- Added lil hyphen bois to all update notes.

6/13/19 - Added Damage Per Attack Turn (DPAT) stats to Battle Logs to help keep track of status effects and allies.

6/11/19 - When a boss's Ability is used, anything it affects will now be green.

6/3/19 - Changed "Is This Even Possible?" to require 50 pages to unlock. Don't worry, with my plans, we'll get there.
- Combined rules 1, 2, and 3
- Fixed more typos

5/28/19 - Removed the "Drought" achievement
- Added rule 8: If your "attacks" consistently do nothing to progress the battle or if I think you're just role-playing instead of actually playing the game, I will refuse to respond to your actions. Meta comments are an exception.
- Fixed some formatting issues, typos, etc. in parent post; reworded some things for clarity

5/25/19 - Added achievements! There are two categories, Collaborative (earned by every player as a group) and Individual (earned by a single player). When an Individual achievement is earned, whoever earned it gets credited and the achievement cannot be earned again.
- Added info on Minibosses to the "How to Play" section
- Added "Minibosses" subsection to "Examples" section
- Changed rule 7 to sound less rude
- Updated "The Story So Far" section

5/23/19 - Added update log!
- Added rule 7: I decide what your attacks do. You can't say "I slit the boss's throat, cutting an artery and making him bleed and take 60 damage!!" Just for doing that, I'll probably make your attack fail miserably. You can aim for the artery, but you can't get that specific with the effects of your attack.
- Added Battle Log to the end of Attack Turns!

Spoiler: What is Kill the Boss?

Thank you for asking! Kill the Boss is a forum game where the whole of the Forums attempts to kill a boss that is terrorizing the land of Murfos! Anyone can participate as much or as little as they want, as long as they follow the rules! The main inspiration for Kill the Boss was lack of truly interactive forum games, as all the games right now are either RPGs with limited player counts and high levels of commitment, or just collaborativa counting. I wanted to make a game anyone can have fun with at any time!

Spoiler: How to Play

"How to Play" will go over both basic and advanced functions of the game. You're not required to read over the advanced section, but the basic functions are fairly important.

Spoiler: Basic

The goal of Kill the Boss is simple; Kill the boss. A boss of unknown type will appear in the "THE BOSS" section, and you will be allowed to attack it in any way you choose, with very few limits. Damage will be calculated based on the creativity, specificity, and, of course, power of the attack.

Pay attention to the Boss's Defenses when attacking. Each Boss has different Defenses, causing them to take less damage from certain types of attacks.

If an attack or type of attack is used frequently, it will decrease in damage. This is known as "stale moves" and will be indicated by the damage number being varying shades of red; The darker the red, the more damage was reduced. This is to encourage creativity and originality.

You also have the ability to acquire and use items. Searching for an item will provide the Forums with, you guessed it, an item. The item can then be used by any player for varying effect. You can search in any way you like, but your method of searching may affect the type of item you acquire.

Every time I respond to the players' attacks, an Attack Turn passes. Please note that you are only allowed one action per Attack Turn. For reference:
Attacking = Action
Item search = Action
Item usage = NOT action
Questing = NOT action

When the Boss dies, they're dead, and the land of Murfos will be safe until a new threat emerges! During this rest period, you may talk about the game, strategize, or attempt to complete Quests. Please note that questing during a rest period may yield delayed responses due to me being busy getting the next Boss ready.

Spoiler: Advanced

Bosses can possess Abilities. Abilities are Active or Passive skills a boss can use to turn the tide of the battle in their favor. Abilities vary in effect. When the Boss uses its Ability, anything it affects or changes will be shown in green.

Sometimes, attacks may inflict DPAT, or Damage Per Attack Turn, effects. These include Burning, Poison, Bleeding, etc., as well as summoned allies who attack every Attack Turn. DPAT effects are typically quite weak unless summoned by an item, and thus shouldn't be relied on for damage. Duplicate DPAT effects will not stack; rather, a new effect will overwrite the existing copy.

Attacks may also inflict status effects. These vary in nature, but will typically increase the damage the Boss takes from the next attack. They may also Silence or Armor Break enemies on rare occasions.

Try to pay attention to what other players are doing this Attack Turn, especially when they use items. It's a terrible shame when a good item goes to waste simply because other players don't take advantage of its effect. You can also coordinate attacks to increase each others' damage!

Occasionally, Bosses may summon Minibosses. Minibosses are allies to the Boss that provide bonuses to them. They have their own HP counts and can be targeted separately from the Boss. Killing the Miniboss is optional unless otherwise stated. If no target is specified in your attack, you will target the Boss by default, unless they cannot be targeted; in that case, you will target the oldest living Miniboss.

Spoiler: Examples

Spoiler: Bosses

An elder prophet rides into town on horseback, asking to see the village leader. The leader steps forward, and the prophet describes a dream he had the previous night. The guards dismiss him as a lunatic, but the village leader knows better. Kier'glekk, an ancient deity bent on destruction of life, roams the world once again.

KIER'GLEKK THE DESTROYER
Shape: Spherical
HP: 4800/5000 (-200)
Defenses: Immune to attacks with bladed weapons
Ability: Regenerates 10 HP every attack turn
A Lovecraftian abomination that hovers in the air. Its skin is rock-hard, but it seems breakable...

Spoiler: Minibosses

Host: Kier'glekk summons a Hellhound with 50 HP!
Person 1: I attack Kier'glekk with my fists.
Person 2: I fire a missile at the Hellhound!
Host: The fists deal 10 damage to Kier'glekk.
The missile explodes, dealing 60 damage to the Hellhound! The Hellhound is dead!
TOTAL DAMAGE: 10
MINIBOSS KILLED - HELLHOUND

Spoiler: Attacks

Person 1: I stab the boss with a knife
Host: Simple, but effective. 20 Damage!
TOTAL DAMAGE: 30

Person 2: Kame... Hame... HAAAAAAA!!!
Person 3: I seduce the President and get him to launch a nuke at the boss.
Person 1: I poison the boss's wine when he isn't looking
Host: The beam pierces through the boss! 100 Damage!
The President is swayed by your excellent seduction skills, and the nuke is launched. 120 Damage!
The boss has been poisoned! They will take 15 Damage for the next three Attack Turns!
TOTAL DAMAGE: 220
STATUS INFLICTED: POISON

Spoiler: Items

Person 1: I venture into the forest to find an item to use!
Host: You find a wooden chest in a secluded area of the forest. Inside is a Potion of Strength!
Potion of Strength - Can be used with an attack to double that attack's damage!
Person 2: I use the Potion of Strength and hurl a boulder at the boss!
Person 3: I drink the Potion of Strength and punch the boss right in his stupid face.
Host: With the Potion of Strength, your attack damage is doubled! The boulder strikes the boss and deals 120 Damage!
Sorry, the Potion of Strength was already used! Nice punch, though. 20 Damage!
TOTAL DAMAGE: 140
POTION OF STRENGTH USED

Spoiler: Rules for Dummies

1. One action per person per Attack Turn;
Attack = Action
Item search/retrieval = Action
Item usage = NOT an action
Questing = NOT an action
2. Sometimes your attacks won't go how you expect, whether because of a previous attack's effect or your own misjudgement, but that's okay! You have unlimited chances!
3. If there is no active boss, just wait a while. There's always danger in the land of Murfos, it just takes a bit to find!
4. Since this game is dependant on me checking and responding frequently, there may be pauses in the action due to personal issues. I'll make sure the thread doesn't die, though!
5. I decide the effect of your attacks. You can't say "I slit the boss's throat, cutting an artery and making him bleed and take 60 damage!!" Just for doing that, I'll probably make your attack fail miserably. Also, I might make a totally normal punch do 10 damage at one point and 5000 damage at another point. There's really no defined scale for how much damage attacks do.
6. If an attack were to destroy the world, instantly kill the Boss, or otherwise end the battle, it will be either negated or weakened, usually to humorous effect so as to not ruin your plans.

Spoiler: Achievements

Incomplete achievements are white/black, completed achievements are green.

Spoiler: Collaborative Achievements

Stayin' Alive - 10 pages!
GLaDOS - 20 pages!
Is this even possible? - 50 pages!
OVERKILL! - 500 Damage in one Attack Turn!
Shiny - Discover the mythical Orange Text
Dat DPS Doe - 5 DPAT effects active at once!

Spoiler: Individual Achievements

Please note that once an individual achievement has been earned, it cannot be earned again.
Uhhh - 250 damage with one attack!
Critical Failure - That didn't go as planned...
Wrong Team! - Accidentally heal the boss. Whoops! (Earned by @DerpyEmerald22)
Synergy - Two players combine attacks! (Earned by @Bluescreen, @Tsubaki, @The Demon Queen)
Boom, headshot! - Kill a Miniboss with one attack!

Spoiler: The Story So Far

Murfos is generally a peaceful land, living well under the reign of King Ropil. People thrive, trade flourishes in its many cities, and the neighboring lands tend to stay peaceful. A dark presence looms throughout, however. Decades ago, monsters and demons began rising up from the shady depths of the earth, terrorizing and murdering innocent people. To this day, no one knows where they came from. A band of mercenaries known only as the Forums are all that protects the land from these abominations.

Word has spread quickly of the Forums' victory over the Giant; specifically, people are very interested in the mercenaries' abilities. They seem to be able to conjure anything they desire out of thin air, and, despite using explosives and earth-shattering beams, have caused no collateral damage to others or themselves. Some journalists have been hired to observe their fighting styles. Still, the people of Murfos are grateful.

More and more are bewildered by the Forums' feats. Their abilities seem impossible; creating weapons, summoning creatures, going places with no travel necessary. Whatever magic they know is considered too powerful to exist in this world. Protests have begun against the mercenaries, saying they're evil warlocks, demonic creatures, or what have you. They continue to protect Murfos, so political leaders take no action against them, though they do keep close watch.

Word has been spreading of some sort of "guild" for quite some time. Finally, this mysterious collective has decided to reveal themselves to the authorities of Murfos through letters, referring to themselves as the Lord's Guild and claiming to be behind the influx of evil in Murfos. They are observed to be made up of some of the most intelligent and fearsome monsters of the world. Their motives remain unclear, but leaders throughout the land agree that, should negotiation attempts fail, the Forums will be called upon to eliminate them.

Spoiler: Quests

Spoiler: What are quests?

Quests are small missions that occasionally appear and can be completed alongside the boss battle. Attempting to complete a Quest does NOT count as an action, meaning you can attack and attempt to complete a Quest at the same time.
Quests will usually amount to puzzles you need to solve, and though rewards vary, they will usually give powerful items upon completion.

Spoiler: The Safe

You find a Loot Chest VIII! Inside is a safe with a 5-digit code. You wonder what the code could be; There are at least, like, 7 different combinations of numbers. You find a piece of paper taped to the back of the safe. On it is written "the code is right in front of you," followed by a drawing of two eyes. Now what could that mean? A safe kept this secure must house one tasty item. If only you could guess that code...

You punch the code in, and the safe pops open! Inside is... Another safe? This one has a password lock. There's also another note.
"Not man, nor beast, but one divine, a keeper of eternal life. Though they hold immense weight and responsibility, they stand, noble and dignified, at life's end. Only through their trial may one proceed to paradise. Their name is [the name is scratched out.]"

You enter the code, and the safe unlocks! You open it up to find... Yet another safe. How many safes are in here? This safe doesn't have a lock, but it does have a clock. Its hands don't move in time, but they can be moved. Surprise surprise, you find another piece of paper. It has a picture of a color wheel at the top.
"My journey begins in town. I travel North-northwest. I see the Sunset in the distance. Its beauty is unrivaled, like the Royal queen. I start a fire to rest, and decide to cook some vegetables that I packed with me. The wine Complements it well. When light breaks, I continue travelling. Finally, I reach my destination."

THE BOSS

Spoiler: The Graveyard

THE GIANT
Shape: Humanoid
HP: 1500
Defenses: None
Abilities: None
The newest threat in a world already plagued with evil, and the first step to cleansing it.
Trophy: Giant's Amulet

THE SLIME KING
Shape: Spherical/Gelatinous
HP: 2500
Defenses: Takes half damage from unarmed attacks
Abilities: Has a small chance to summon the Slime Swarm, a miniboss with 50-150 HP. The Slime Swarm may be targeted separately from the Slime King, and while alive, the Swarm heals the King for 50 HP every Attack Turn.
A creature made of slime. Any physical attacks just melt into its body. Some shining objects are visible within it.
Trophy: The Slime Throne

THE PALADIN, LOTHAR
Shape: Humanoid
HP: 1810/4000 (-75)
Defenses: None
Ability:
1. Takes an ally's damage for himself
2. Heals 500 HP when an ally dies (Lothar can come back from the dead through this ability)
This once-holy Paladin has been corrupted by greed and demonic power, now using his broadsword and kite shield for evil. Plays the role of tank.

THE DARK MAGE, FINLOK
Shape: Humanoid
HP: 2335/3000 (-90)
Defenses: Takes half damage from magic attacks
Ability: Halves damage of a random attack
A cloaked warlock who wields a cursed scepter. Plays the role of support.

THE SORCERESS, VICURA
Shape: Humanoid
HP: 1240/3000 (-110)
Defenses: Takes half damage from magic attacks
Ability: Heals a random ally for 100 HP
A robed witch who wields a yew wand. Plays the role of medic.

THE FIGHTER, ALIZA
Shape: Humanoid
HP: 520/2000 (-0)
Defenses: Immune to status effects
Abilities:
1. Negates damage from one "damage per Attack Turn" summon
2. Hides all damage numbers for one Attack Turn
A martial artist with immense will and extensive training. Plays the role of disruptor.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the multi-boss format of this Boss, the following rules will be changed:
-Any item that targets either the Miniboss or Boss may now target any one of the four Bosses. If no target is specified, it will chosen randomly.
-If a target is not specified in your attack, it will be chosen randomly.
-"Damage per Attack Turn" summons can now be targeted by whoever summoned them. If no target is specified, it will be chosen randomly.
You may adjust accordingly, or continue as normal.
THESE CHANGES WILL BE REVERTED AFTER THE BOSS IS KILLED.

THE FORUMS

PERKS
Concussion - Damage-boosting status effects last 1 action longer (Only one attack may be boosted by the effect)
Sampo (3/5) - Has a chance every Attack Turn to generate an item of unknown effect. Ceases production after 5 items.

ITEMS
Tarot Deck - When used, displays the exact rate at which the Boss's Abilities occur.
Jar of Slime King - When used on the Attack Turn after the Boss heals HP, deals damage equal to the amount healed, effectively negating their healing.
Anti-Magic Tome - Negates the Boss's Abilities for 5 Attack Turns at the cost of healing them for 100 HP; has an unknown effect when used against a non-Ability user.
Skull Pendant - Doubles the user's attack damage, but their next action will backfire.
Ancient Mirror (4/5) - When used, mirrors the effect of the user's attack; Damaging attacks heal the target, healing damages the target, etc. Can be used five times.
Item Refiner Kit - Can be combined with another item to create a new item. The user may attempt to create an item of a specific effect (which will be scaled to be reasonable) with a 50% chance of success, or an item of pre-determined effect with 100% success.
Shadow Mirror - Creates a clone of the user that copies their action this Attack Turn.
Clicker Click - When used on an Attack Turn where the Boss would use their Ability, negates their Ability.
Hint Coin - When flipped, provides a hint to the completion of the Quest of the user's choice.
Recursion Amulet - When used, reverses the effects of Stale Moves for the rest of the Attack Turn, making repetitive attacks deal more damage.

 

Yare yare let's hope this thread won't go inactive like mine, @H0Y0Y0Y0Y0Y0B0Y's , and @PikaLegend's thread
Proceed to crash a gunship into the giant

 

I steal a shrink ray from the aliens, and shrink the Giant to the size of a human to kill it's self esteem

 

Use Debilitate on the Giant.

Reduce damage, defense and agility for 3 turns

 

Very nice

All items are shared? :/

Be a weeb and open the gates of Babylon.

 

I would've actually used the gunship, but alright. The ship explodes on impact, dealing 110 damage!

The Giant is small! The next attack will deal 1.5x damage before the shrink ray wears off!

The Giant has been debilitated! The next attack will deal 1.5x damage!
The shrink ray wore off without any damage dealt! Whoops!

Turns out they're just regular gates and now there's a tourist in the area. He takes a picture of the Forums and says "You got this, dudes!"
The Giant has recovered from Debilitate without any damage dealt! Whoopsie!

Spoiler: BATTLE LOG

DAMAGE DEALT: 110
NOTES: The Babylon tourist thinks you should coordinate better.

 

I fee

Persona Debilitate man, also i will use persona moves

 

I challange the Giant to a shadow duel on a motorcycle and summon dark magician

 

Stab the Giant with a giant flaming dragon tooth same thing I did to kill a hamster

 

The Giant doesn't know how Yugioh works, so he plays Dancing Elf because she looks neat. The ensuing destruction causes him to take 80 damage!

The tooth pierces the Giant's skin, but the wound instantly cauterizes. Still, it deals 40 damage!

Spoiler: BATTLE LOG

TOTAL DAMAGE: 120
NOTES: Where did the Giant even get Yugioh cards?

 

Just summon my mech Radiation

 

I accivate pot of greed and ride into the sunset for an item

 

Smack him with the Knockback X Cookie you gave me. :3

 

The laws of Murfos forbid loitering vehicles. Maybe if you do something with it?

The Pot of Greed pays off and the sun bestows an amulet.
Amulet of Selflessness - The user's attack deals half damage, but the next damage-dealing attack deals 2x damage

The Giant flies into the distance, crashing into a boulder for 50 damage. The Forums have to run to catch up to him.

Spoiler: BATTLE LOG

TOTAL DAMAGE: 50

 

Pot of Greed is a very complex card. The deck is place filled with many cards and tools. You get restricted access to this resource however pot of greed allows to gain two of this resource. I am ashamed you do not know of this.

 

> run shoutbox.exe

 

I falcon punch the giant in the nuts

 

I try to channel all my offensive powers into the giant's heart?

 

I spit at the Giant.

 

no u lmao

output:
running shoutbox.exe...
ERROR: failed to run shoutbox.exe
"You need to be an admin to do that!"
shutting down program...
Well, that didn't do much.

The direct approach. I like it! 70 damage! The Giant topples to the ground in pain, but recovers quickly.

Every bit of physical and mental power you have is manifested in the form of a blue orb. It launches into the Giant's heart, dealing 100 damage!

The spit itself deals no damage, but Giant thinks that's kinda nasty and looks for something to wipe it off with. He finds a soft-looking rock and rubs it across his skin, but it turned out to be covered in spikes! They puncture his skin, dealing 10 damage, and your spit enters the wound, which doesn't seem to do anything... Yet.

Spoiler: BATTLE LOG

TOTAL DAMAGE: 180