Rules, Policies, and Playtests

A lot of what you will read in the upcoming pages may be confusing; there seem to be a lot of rules, and some rules rely on other rules to a degree that understanding one is not possible until you understand the other—but how can you do both at the same time? Do not be discouraged. It is really a lot easier than it seems.

Before we get into details let's talk about the most basic rules of play.

0. Sportsmanship

Rule 0 is the guiding principle, being a good sport. We are all here to have fun and part of that is making things fun (even if sometimes challenging) for everyone else.

The 4 Most Important Rules

The rules listed below are required for this to continue to be a safe game, and there are no exceptions to these rules—they apply to all players and NPCs. Breaking these rules may require your removal from the game.

1. THE BODY CONTACT RULE

We prohibits all body contact during combat. All combat must take place with approved safe weapons, and certain parts of the body (head, groin, hands) are not allowed to be hit, even with these aproved safe weapons. This rule does not apply to packet delivered attacks, which may hit any part of the body.

2. THE ALCOHOL RULE

We absolutely forbids alcohol and illegal drugs at its events, and you are not permitted to use these off site and then come to the game drunk or high.

3. THE HOLD RULE

If you hear someone yell "Hold!" stop everything you are doing and drop to one knee. Holds should only be called if there is a real need, and usually only for safety reasons. You cannot call a hold to check on a rule, or ask if someone knows that you hit them with a spell or ability, unless that rule or effect is so integral to the situation that it would affect every person involved in that situation.

4. THE SNEAKING RULE

If you wish to sneak into a building or tent (regardless of whether you are sleeping in that building or tent for the event), you must have a marshal present. This rule helps ensure that out-of-game items (the personal property of other players) are not accidentally taken if your character chooses to steal items from a building or tent used by another player.

A Basic Rules Overview:

You, the player, will portray a character for the duration of the event. Your character has certain skills. Some of these are usable whenever you’d like (such as your skill in a specific weapon) and some are usable a limited number of times per day (like the ability to cast a spell). In order to learn more skills, or to be able to cast a large number of spells per day, you will have to gain experience and levels.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

There are two types of characters - a Player Character (PC) which is a paying player attending the event as a character they control, and a Non-Player Character (NPC) which is a player helping out the staff by pretending to be a monster or another plot-controlled character.

EXPERIENCE POINTS

Regardless of if you PC or NPC you will be awarded Experience Points (XP) for your character. These XP are then translated into Build Points (BP) and you will use these Build Points to buy new skills for your character. Every 10 BP you earn increases your character to the next level. The amount of XP needed to earn a new Build Point increase each time your character gains another level, so the higher level you become, the slower you gain new skills.

CHARACTER RACE

Your character must be one of the currently allowed races, such as Human, Elf, Dwarf, or Sarr. For a complete list of races and their advantages and disadvantages, see the section on playable races or take a look in the rule book.

CHARACTER CLASS

Your character also has a specific class which determines the number of BP that a skill will cost, the total number of Armor Points you can wear by default, and the number of body points that you gain per level.

COMBAT

Sometimes you will get into battles. When swinging a weapon, you will call out the amount of damage your weapon will do. A standard long sword does 2 points of damage. When you get hit, you will subtract from your Armor Points and your Body Points until you are at zero or below. Your opponent will do the same.

Spells may be cast during battles and they can affect the battle in many ways. You need to know the spells in order to get the most out of your experience. Spells are represented by small cloth packets filled with birdseed that you can make yourself. You must say the specific words (incantation) associated with the spell (such as “With mystic force I web you!”) and hit your target with the spell packet for the spell to work.

You have a character skill sheet which you use to keep track of your current Body Points, Armor Points, skills and spells. After each battle, you and your opponents must adjust the sheet to keep track of your new status.

Here is a link to the full set of rules, errata, policies, and play tests for the game.

A lot of what you will read in the upcoming pages may be confusing; there seem to be a lot of rules, and some rules rely on other rules to a degree that understanding one is not possible until you understand the other—but how can you do both at the same time? Don’t be discouraged. It’s really a lot easier than it seems.

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