"After you, old chap." "No, no, after YOU."

It's funny, when you think about it. Dueling is all about trying to defeat your opponent's character. In any realistic situation, this would mean an all-out brawl, everyone for themselves, no holds barred. Not so in the RP world, where there are rules to follow and etiquette to observe. All this formality may be counter-intuitive, but it's there for a reason: to keep things as civil between the duelists out of character, even though they may be at each other's throats in character. While there are several good sites which explain the rules of dueling, the finer points of etiquette may not be as obvious to everyone. While there's technically nothing written in stone, I thought I'd take some time to share some of what I've learned about courtesy in a duel.

In every duel, there are at least two participants, of course. With the notable exception of tournament dueling, every duel has one party that makes the request and another that accepts. If you're the one asking for a duel, try to be as polite as you can. Don't be brash, cocky or downright impertinent unless you want to duel with an imaginary friend: no one likes a braggart for an opponent, no matter how good you are (or think you are). If you'd rather your opponent make the duel topic and the intro post, state it in the first post of your request whenever possible: not everyone likes writing intros and some may not even accept to duel you if they have to start it off. If you have any preference for settings, duel types, experience and the like, don't forget to mention those, as well. The more information you give potential opponents and the more courteous you are in your request, the more likely you'll find someone willing to battle you on your own terms. And once the duel has started, one way or another, try to be as prompt with your posts as possible: you're the one who asked for it, so part of your job is to make sure you can actually keep up with your own request. An acceptable pace is at least one post every 24 to 48 hours. If you are unable to post for a certain amount of time (hey, it happens to all of us), mention it in the duel in OOC, state whether you want the fight to continue or not, and, above all, be gracious to your opponent for his or her patience.

If you're accepting a duel, there are also some rules of etiquette for you to follow. Again, be polite when accepting a request. Don't act as if you're doing the other person a huge favour: remember, most people don't like to duel assholes. If you've been asked to post the intro, try to be as prompt as possible and respect any other requests and preferences your opponent may have stated beforehand. As the one accepting the duel, it's your responsibility to go along with the request and its conditions. And again, try to be as quick as possible in coming up with posts. At least a post every 48 hours is fine. If you can't post for some reason, you should also warn your opponent and be polite.

If you're relatively new to dueling (or even entirely new) and are asking for a duel, then you really need to be courteous. I'm not telling you to glue your lips to a veteran RPer's rear end; however, I am suggesting that you respect the experience they have. Make an effort to learn from the veteran, take and ask for constructive criticism on your performance during and after the duel, and just generally be gracious. If you're new to dueling and are accepting a duel, mention it in the topic where the request was made. Some duelists prefer to battle experienced RPers sometimes, so if your offer to take up a duel is turned down -- politely, of course -- don't be discouraged and try asking for one yourself. Conversely, if you're a veteran and asking for a duel, you may want to mention your relative level of experience if you're looking for a specific challenge. Don't let your own experience get to your head, and remember to be courteous in your request. If you're a veteran accepting a duel from a newbie, be extra polite. Offer some friendly advice during and after the fight, gently point out errors in OOC if you must, and don't act condescending under any circumstance whatsoever. You are the one with experience, but you should also remember that you are teaching, not proving superiority.

Duels of all kinds, whether they've been requested or predetermined as part of a tournament, more or less follow the same basic rules. Be polite and be prompt, and your duel will be pleasant. I think this quotation from Sir Winston Churchill describes forum dueling etiquette quite nicely: "When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite."

 

- Lachesis