Rules

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31.08.11

This is a quick and preliminary translation into English from Estonian.

The rules are accurate but grammatical and typing errors are more than likely.

Table of contents

General rules

STOPP rule

Valhalla

Combat rules

Hit Points

Weapon strike

Death

Combat safety

Bashing with a shield

Knocking Out

Weapons

Big stone

Siege engines

Spoils of war

Responsibility

Additional rules

Tending and binding wounds

Appendix 1: Safety requirements for weapon imitations

Requirements on materials

Inside the weapon i.e. the former

Arrow shaft

Padding

Covering material

The filling for big stones

Requirements on padding

Requirements on weight

Requirements on ranged weapons

Requirements on shields

Appendix 2: Awarding armor points for costume

Helmets

Leather armor

Chain armor

Plate armor

Appendix 3: Character Classes

Warrior

Healer

Appendix 4: Terminology

General rules

• All activities during the event are directed by game masters and/or organizers. If a participant doesn’t comply with their orders he will be expelled from the event and in extreme cases might lose the right to participate in future events.
• A game master has the right to make decisions that differ from current rules. At that moment the participant has no right to argue those decisions. All appellations can be reached in after the event.
• The game masters have the right to appoint rules-referees, who’s task it is to ensure that rules are being followed. The rule-referee has NO RIGHT to make decisions that differ from current rules. Otherwise his orders must be followed.
• Everything that a participant experiences during the event is a part of the game and should be taken as such. All characters are fictional and resemblances to actual persons or events are purely coincidental. All actions performed towards a participant are performed towards the character he is playing.
• Every participant must understand that he takes part in an active form of entertainment, where everyone is responsible for their own actions. The organizers take no responsibility for physical, material or moral damage, done to participants or third parties.
• The organizers kindly ask the participants to be considerate of their surroundings and treat the cultural landscape of the game area with due respect.
• Every item that bears an out of game mark (see. Appendix 3 – Terminology: „Out-of-Game”) is invisible, inaudible and generally “not there” for participants.
• If current rules use the male personal pronoun “he”, to describe both male and female players, it is done purely for convenience of the writers/readers – for Estonian language has no sex specific pronouns. The organizers feel strongly that both male and female participants are more than capable of playing any and all roles and participating in every activity with the same proficiency.

STOPP rule

• If anyone calls out „STOPP”, everybody present must stop what they are doing immediately, be quiet and drop on one knee.
• This signals that something is wrong and/or potentially dangerous and the game has been stopped.
• DROPPING TO ONE KNEE AND BEING SILENT IS NECESSARY, to avoid movement and interaction during the game stop.
• If anyone moves in an area where the game has been stopped, he is immediately bound with the stop and must also drop on one knee and be silent.

· The game continues when the person who called out “STOPP” and/or the game masters have confirmed that all parties present are ready and give a signal to continue the game.

· If a player has pressing reasons why to move during a game stop (for example to give aid), he must drop his weapon(s) and shield(s). He must be back on his place before the game is started anew. If he fails to do this, he will be considered as having left the game for good.

· A participant can never use „STOPP” rule for trivial matters. If a player uses stop, during combat he will be considered unconscious (HP=0) after that.

• While stop means general stopping order, this word is currently reserved for game purposes and should not be used in speech in-, or out of game. To stop some-ones movement pleas use alternatives like: “stand, halt, wait up, hold!”

A player can use the „STOPP” rule only if:

1. He wishes to stop a situation that is unpleasant for him out of game. At any time a player feels that the situation is unbearable for him as a person, he can stop it immediately, by yelling clearly and audibly “STOPP”.

2. He has injured himself out of game or suddenly other medical problems occur.

3. A possibly dangerous out of game situation occurs.

A player CAN NOT use „STOPP” rule, if:

1. The situation is difficult/unpleasant/dangerous in game and for his character.

2. Someone else has seemingly injured himself. It is up to the other player to decide if a stop is necessary.

3. The no-physical-contact rule is broken with someone else or the situation appears to be unpleasant for someone else. It is again up to the other player to decide if a stop is needed.

Valhalla

• Valhalla is a specially marked out of game area, which location will be shown to all participants, before the game starts.
• If a character dies permanently, during a scenario the player has to go to Valhalla. In Valhalla, the players name, side and number of deaths is recorded.

Combat rules

Combat is defined as: A situation when one side or both sides hold a weapon imitation, with the intent to attack the other or defend himself. According to this a combat cannot be started between two weaponless participants or participants armed with only shields.

Hit Points

• Every character has 2 hit points to start with – if the game masters have not told him otherwise.
• Every correct weapon strike (see. below) removes one hit point. If hit points have been reduced to zero a character loses consciousness.
• Unconscious character cannot move or interact with others in any way.
• If a character has armor points (the system of awarding armor points for costume is given in the Appendix 2) then by a strike in the armor, the armor points are lost before hit points.
• A strike from the Big Stone removes two hit points, regardless of armor.
• A shield will defend against weapon strikes and strikes from a big stone. (In the latter case, the character struck will lose consciousness for 5 minutes.)
• A character can regain hit points at a speed of one hit point per 20 minutes, if his wounds have been tended and bound.
• Unconscious character (no hit point) who is not yet dead (see. below), can be brought back to consciousness by tending and binding his wounds.

Weapon strike

A weapon strike is considered to be valid if it has at least one of those three characteristics:

· there has been a one meter swing before the strike;

· the strike lands audibly on the target;

· the strike has been executed with sufficient force for the target to feel it;

A weapon strike is considered invalid if it has at least one of those two characteristics:

· has been performed ignoring one or several combat safety rule(s);

· has struck glancingly or scratchingly;

Whether the weapon strike was valid or not is ALWAYS AND ONLY decided by the one who was hit – it’s a gentleman’s game.

Death

• A character dies if:
  • He has lain unconscious (HP=0) for 10 minutes.
  • He is permanently killed (see. below)
• A participant, who’s character has died must move to Valhalla in the first opportunity.
• When moving the player has to hold his hand on his head. It is not permitted to communicate with other participants in any way.
• To permanently kill a character, a player has to imitate hacking the body of his enemy to pieces with his weapon. It has to be done for at least 10 seconds, counting the seconds loud and clear: “one-one thousand, two-two thousand, three-three thousand… etc.”

Combat safety

• Invalid targets are the neck, head and crotch – strikes to those body parts are forbidden and do not remove hit points or armor points. (Except the big stone with which there are no invalid targets).
• Excessively brutal strikes and/or strikes made deliberately to injure another player (in real life) are forbidden.
• Heavy physical contact (like punches, kicks, twists, locks, bashing without a shield, throws, etc.) with any body part, are forbidden.
• It is forbidden to grab the weapon or shield of the opponent even with the use of your weapon or shield. NO GRABBING WEAPONS!
  

Bashing with a shield

• A shield can be used for bashing and blocking a bash.
• All such activities must be conducted with the full front of the shield.
• Under no circumstances can the edge of the shield be used for bashing or striking.
• All bashes have to be made from the front e.g. in the view of the target.
• Only shields with a maximum width of at least 55 cm, can be used for bashing.

Knocking Out

· To KO an opponent a player has to tap him lightly on the head from behind with one hand and hold a weapon in the other hand at the same time.

· KO doesn’t work if the target wears a helmet or sees the attacker at the moment of tapping.

· If the Knock Out succeeds, the target will lose consciousness for 5 minutes (slowly counts to 300).

Weapons

• Only specially made weapon imitations can be used as weapons. The imitations have to conform to constructional rules, described in the Appendix 1. (A weapons suitability and construction must be approved by a game master, before the weapon can be used in game.)
• The weapons are dealt to three categories, based on length:

* An exception is a short spear or a javelin where the categories are:

50-100cm one handed and 100-160cm one-and-half handed.

• Weapon length is measured as a total (handles and decorations included).
• If a weapon has moving details, they are pulled straight for the purpose of measuring.
• Two one handed weapons can be used at the same time (one in each hand) or one one-and-a-half handed weapon and one, one handed weapon (provided the combined length of those weapons is the same or lower as the height of the wielder).
• The appearance of the weapon is free, as long as it conforms with safety standards and retains general characteristics of its type.

Big stone

· As a big stone is classified every specially made, soft, round, at least 30cm thick object, with a weight of not over 300 grams

· A big stone has to be lifted, carried or used with both hands and a player cannot run while wielding a big stone

· A big stone cannot be used to block blows

· Only one big stone at a time can be handled by a player

· A big stone cannot be thrown but must be allowed to fall.

· As an exception there are no invalid targets for a big stone.

· A big stone removes 2 hit points when it hits. Armor (or even a helmet) does not protect from a big stone.

· When hit in a shield with a big stone a player does not lose hit points but loses consciousness for 5 minutes (counts slowly to 300).

· Like all other weapons a big stone has to pass a weapons test by a game master.

Siege engines

• Siege engines are devices which can shoot or hurl big stones or specially made arrows.
• Siege engines pull strength, may not exceed 40 kilograms.
• A big stone or a special arrow, shot from a siege engine works as a regular big stone when striking.
• A siege engine can only be moved from two people working together. Those people cannot do anything else at the same time.
• The arrows for a siege engine must be lifted and carried similarly to big stones.
• The arrows shot from a siege engine work even when striking sideways or with the rear end.
• Siege engine arrows have to have the following characteristics:
  • The width of the arrowhead has to be at least 30 cm
  • The padding in the tip of the arrow has to be at least 10cm over the tip of the shaft
  • There has to be some kind of stopper, between the shaft and the arrowhead, to prevent the shaft from striking through the padding
  • The shaft has to be fully padded
  • The length of the arrow cannot exceed 160 cm
  • The weight of the arrow must be under 300 grams

Spoils of war

· Gathering the spoils of war or „looting” is searching and robbing an unconscious or a dead character. Looting a character is only allowed with the express permission of the player, playing him. If the player declines, no equipment can be taken. (In-game items not belonging to the player - like scenario specific relics or group/host flags, can always be looted.)

Responsibility

· ATTENTION: When looting something, the looter immediately becomes responsible for the items he takes.

· The looter is obligated to find the looted after the game (or earlier) and return ALL items he took from him. All the items have to be in the same condition as when taken.

· When the looted equipment has been lost, ruined or destroyed, the looter must replace, repair or compensate it.

· Even when the looter himself was at a later time looted, he will ALWAYS remain responsible for the equipment he took, to the person he took it from.

· To avoid misunderstandings the Game Masters advise better not to loot.

Additional rules

Tending and binding wounds

• Everyone knows how to tend and bind wounds
• To bind a wound a representation of a bandage is required – a white strip of cloth, at least 5cm wide and 50cm long.
• One bandage is required to bind one hand or foot or the torso.
• Bandages can be removed and reused – if the wound has not yet healed, it will open up immediately if the bandage is removed.

· A character who’s wounds have been tended and bound will regain one hit point in 20 minutes, provided he doesn’t do anything strenuous (like running or fighting).

· If a character who’s wounds have been tended and bound will remains totally immobile and someone continues to role-play caring for him, he will regain one hit point in 10 minutes.

· If a character who’s wounds have been bound, does anything strenuous, his wounds will open again and his hit points won’t regenerate. If at that moment he has not regained at least one hit point, he will again lose consciousness and start dying.

Appendix 1: Safety requirements for weapon imitations

• The safety of a particular imitation is evaluated by a game master.
• If an imitation does not conform with at least one of the given (below) criteria, the imitation is not allowed in the game.
• Every weapon imitation has to have an approval from a game master before it can be used in game.
• The game master has the right to ban any imitation with no further explanations if he deems it too dangerous.
• Every imitation has to be specifically designed and manufactured for game purposes and to represent some kind of a weapon. Common items (for example clothes, sleeping bags etc.) cannot be used as weapons even if they would conform with safety standards.

Requirements on materials

All weapon imitations must be constructed, using the materials given below. Using other materials in a respective category is forbidden. (It is allowed to use other materials in constructing a handle or other part of the imitation that can in no way come in contact with opponents when used).

Inside the weapon i.e. the former:

PVC tube, maximum width of 30mm

Bamboo, maximum width of 20mm

Fiberglass, maximum width of 10mm

Cloth or leather in small weapons

Arrow shaft:

Polished round strip of wood, maximum width of 10mm

Hollow carbon-fiber or duraluminum tube, maximum width of 10mm

Padding:

Tubular insulation materials

Sleeping or gymnastic mattresses (polyethylene- or polyurethane foam)

Covering material:

Waterproof ducttape (or “gaffer” tape)

Latex

Cloth

The filling for big stones:

„Common” padding

Straw or grass

Porolon (superlon)

Cloth

Paper

Requirements on padding

• There has to be at least 10mm of padding on the striking surface of the weapon (from the former).
• There has to be at least 50mm of padding on the thrusting surface (i.e. the tip) of the weapon (from the former).
• When using hollow tubular formers (PVC, bamboo), there has to be a stopper to ensure that the former cannot penetrate the padding.
• The width of a big stone (i.e. the padding on the big stone) must be at least 300 mm (30cm).

Requirements on weight

It is not allowed to add weights to the weapons (for example for balancing purposes), even if the weapon would fit inside the allowed weight category.

Requirements on ranged weapons

• Ranged weapons must be wholly covered with padding and may not weigh more than 300 grams, even if the length of the weapon would allow more.
• Bow and crossbow arrows may be padded only in the tip but the following rules must be obeyed:
  • The length of the arrow may not exceed 100 cm and the weight 150 grams
  • The arrow has to have quill or paper stabilizers in the rear end
  • The tip of the arrow has to have a width of at least 50mm and the padding has to reach at least 50mm over the shaft.
  • The shaft may NEVER penetrate the padding. To ensure this, there has to be an adequate stopper between the shaft and the padding (usually a plastic bottle cap is used).
• A big stone cannot weigh over 300 grams.
• All personal ranged weapons may not exceed the pulling strength of 18 kg.

Requirements on shields

• The edge of the shield has to be covered with padding so it won’t damage opponent’s weapons.
• The face of the shield may have no sharp or protruding details.
• It is recommended to make the shields from as thin and light plywood as possible.
• Using metal as the base material for shields is not allowed.

Appendix 2: Awarding armor points for costume

• Armor points are awarded for wearing a real armor as a costume. First of all, the armor has to be safe for user and other players. Also it has to increase safety by providing real protection to the wearer. The armor is divided into two parts:

1. Armor worn on the body

· Body armor (hands and feet included) gives armor points only there where it actually is (i.e. only strikes in the armor are counted off from armor points and not the hit points). Body armor points are universal and not given to areas or to different armor types (when worn together) differently.

· Body armor has to be made from at least 2mm thick leather or 1mm thick metal.

2. Helmet

· A helmet gives armor points to the whole body and helmet armor points are depleted last.

· A helmet has to be made from at least 5mm thick leather or 1mm thick metal.

• A character can never have over 5 armor points (even with all armor and helmet combined).
• By mixed armor the armor points are calculated as an arithmetic average (rounded up) of all possible armor points (except the helmet – helmet gives full points).
• When the armor is made using inadequate materials or clearly offers no protection, the amount of armor points given, depends from the whim of the game master. But can never exceed 3 points.
  

• Armor points can never be restored, during scenarios. Armor points will be automatically restored in the beginning of each scenario. In scenarios with re-spawn, armor points will be restored at each re-spawn.

Helmets

Leather armor

Chain armor

* Classic European 4-1 knit is meant. The thickness of the wire must be over 1mm.

Plate armor

Appendix 3: Character Classes

All characters are from the Warrior class, if not expressly told otherwise. Every registered group can have one Healer, for every 5 members (e.g. every fifth group member can be a healer). The group leader will designate the healer(s) and let the Game Masters know, who they are, when the group arrives at the game location. A group can also have no healers and only Warriors, if the group leader so decides.

Warrior

Hit Points: 2

Special abilities: None

Special circumstances: None

Healer

Hit Points: 1

Special abilities:

• Ancalagon grants the Healers the gift of healing with touch, 5 times per scenario. Healing with touch will instantly restore all Hit Points on a single character. An unconscious character (e.g. HP=0), will regain consciousness at once. To heal with touch, the Healer must have his hands free (griping no items) and to press them with palms on the target. Skin contact is not necessary, as long as the target feels the pressure of the Healers hands.
• Can care for a wounded character, which remains lying and motionless – to do this, the Healer cannot wear any weapons or do something else. Also he cannot move farther than 1 meter from the wounded character. A character who is so tended, will regain hit points twice as fast as usual (1 HP will regenerate in 10 minutes). A Healer can care for up to two characters at a time.

Special circumstances:

• Every group can have 1 Healer for each 5 members (e.g. every fifth member of a group can be a Healer).
• Maximum healer count will be determined according to registered (and paid) player count of the group.
• Healers will have to be designated by group leaders, before the registration closes.
• Healers will have to role play their capabilities and ideally be identifiable by costume.
  

Appendix 4: Terminology

PC – short for Player Character. Is a fictional character or a person who participates in the game as a player. In the general sense, everybody who is not involved in the organizing is considered a PC.

NPC – short for Non-Player Character or Necessary Plot Character. A person who participates in the game but helps the game masters in directing the game in certain ways. In the general sense he is an actor who has been given a specific role and task before the game, by the game masters.

GM – short for Game Master. Is the person who has organized the current event or designated as a GM by the organizers. Usually the GM has an absolute power and control, over anything and everything that happens in game.

HP – short for Hit Point or Health Point. Every fictional character in the game has a certain number of hit points. When struck by weapons or otherwise getting hurt, the character starts losing hit points. When a character has lost all of his hit points, he will lose consciousness and after a short while dies permanently if he is not helped

AP – short for Armor Point. Armor points are awarded for wearing a real armor as a costume.

Out-of-game - short form OoG (or OG), designates an out of game state or activity. If something or someone is OoG, it/he doesn’t exist for characters. OoG characters, items and locations are usually designated with red-white ribbon or a special hand sign (hand on the head). Out of game areas, items and persons are usually introduced to players before the game.

In-Game – short form IG, designates an in game state or activity. Usually everything in the game are is in game. Similar to out of game areas, usually the in game areas are also introduced to the players before the game.

Boffer – short for Boffered Weapon. Specially made padded weapon imitation.

Valhalla (“Manala”) – Specially marked out of game area where those players gather, who’s characters have permanently died. To all other players it is forbidden to enter the area.

Hand signs:

Hand on the head – holding the hand on the head (palm downwards), designates an OoG state. Usually a player is not allowed to use this hand sign without the express permission of a game master. If a player sees someone who is showing this hand sign, that person is then invisible, inaudible (and generally “not there”) for the players character.