Lord of War Information and Schedule

[Brennon EH]

What: First Annual Lord of War Cross-Game Event (a TBAMSTCT production)
When: Labor Day Weekend, September 3rd (Thursday) - 7th (Monday) 2009
Where: Stonehouse Park: 3719 Suydam Road, Earlville, IL 60518
Amenities: Hot showers, flush toilets, food tavern, on-site bunks, airport shuttles
Cost: $25 per person.
Children under 14 are free, and must be under adult supervision at all times.
Children under 16 may not fight.


Schedule
Note: Locations given are for where to assemble for something. Actual areas used may be much larger.

Thursday
Noon: Site opens
Noon - Dark: General Melee (South Field)
Dark: Ditching (Arena)
Dark: Main Fire lit

Friday
9am: Unit/Company/Group sign-up begins. (Tavern)
10am: Team sign-up for Jugging (South Field)
10:30am: Jugging starts
12:30pm: Jugging ends
1pm: Break for lunch (Tavern)
2:30pm: Teams drawn for second battlegame (South Field)
3pm: Capture The Flag starts
4:30pm: Capture The Flag ends
4:30pm - Dark: General Melee (South Field)
Dark: Ditching (Arena)
Dark: Main Fire lit

Saturday
10am: Teams drawn for third battlegame (North Field)
10:30am: Five Way Strategic Point Control starts
12pm: Five Way Strategic Point Control ends
12pm: Break for lunch (Tavern)
1pm: Teams drawn for fourth battlegame (South Field)
1:30pm: Fortress Defense Survival starts
3:30pm: Fortress Defense Survival ends
3:45pm: Teams drawn for fifth battlegame (North Field)
4:15pm: King of the Hill starts
5pm: King of the Hill ends
5pm - Dark: General Melee (South Field)
Dark: Ditching (Arena)
Dark: Main Fire lit

Sunday
10am: Teams drawn for sixth battlegame (South Field)
10:30am: Caravan Battle starts
12:30pm: Caravan Battle ends
1pm: Break for lunch (Tavern)
2:30pm: Teams drawn for seventh and final battlegame (North Field)
3pm: Grand War starts
4pm: Grand War ends
4pm - Dark: General Melee (South Field)
Dark: Feast and Award Ceremony (Main Hall)
After Feast: Ditching (Arena)
After Feast: Main Fire lit

Monday
Go home, already. Give me a break.


Term & Game Explanations

Weapon Check: All weapons and equipment must be checked by a referee each day before being brought onto the field. Further, a referee may at any time check a weapon and remove it from the field for any reason. Taking a weapon that has not been checked onto the field will be considered poor sportsmanship and may result in immediate suspension from the field.

CRS: Combined Rule Set. The basic combat rules the event runs off of. These are 99% done and waiting on a little feedback before being published. Will be up soon.

Jugging: Hockey with swords. Jugging has lots of rules (Rules!). It's less complicated (and way more fun) than it seems. Played without armor or projectiles. Run in a random round-robin style, with every team having three matches. One Victory Point is awarded for every win.

General Melee: Two teams line up and whack the crap out of each other. When a winner is determined, the winning team sends the first dead (more or less) to the losing team. Rinse, repeat.
Follows CRS. You may not re-use shot ammunitation during the same round of a General Melee game.

Ditching: Exactly like General Melee, except that armor is not used and no projectiles are used.

Battlegames: Victory Points are awarded based on different conditions for each battlegame. During battlegames you may not re-use shot ammunition while you are alive, but may collect ammunition while you are dead and re-use it when you come back to life.

Victory Points: Units accrue Victory Points by completing objectives in battlegames. Victory Points are awarded to all the units in a team evenly, so if the team as a whole achieves five Victory Points in a battle, then each Unit in the team gets five VP added to it's unit total as a result. It is therefore in your best interests to work together as a team to achieve mutual success. Bonus Victory Points may be awarded for good sportsmanship of individuals and the unit as a whole. Victory Points may be removed for displays of poor sportsmanship of individuals or the unit as a whole. The unit with the most accrued Victory Points at the end of the event will be declared this years Lords of War. Any tie will be resolved by demonstrations of good sportsmanship as determined by the event organizers.

Unit: May be a Belegarth/Dag unit, an Amtgard company or household, an unaffiliated group of friends, or anything in between. Units may be no smaller than five people, and no larger than 30. There is no inherent advantage to the size of a unit as all teams will be evenly matched numerically in all battles. A person may only belong to a single unit for the weekend.

Battlegame Team Drawing: All teams will be comprised of randomly assigned units. Team composition will change from battle to battle.

Life Pool: The total amount of lives available to a team. Any individual death detracts from the total number of available lives for the team. Since every life counts, it is in your best interests to work together strategically to conserve strength and apply force with as many multipliers as possible. Reckless rushing in will quickly eliminate your team from play.

Spawn Point: The location at which a team comes back to life. May be mobile, a fixed location, or a general area. Returning to life may have scenario specific requirements such as 'must have at least five teammates present to respawn'.

Capture The Flag:
Victory Points: Captures divided by three, two bonus points awarded to the winning team.
Run Time: 90 minutes.
Team Life Pool: Infinite.
Spawn Point: Your teams base every 90 seconds.
Teams: Two
Goal: You have a flag, so do they. Get both flags back to your scoring area at the same time, get a Capture. The flags are about fifty pounds, by the way. Plan accordingly.

Five Way Strategic Point Control:
Victory Points: Minutes-In-Possession divided by five, plus one point for every five spawns remaining in the teams pool.
Run Time: 90 minutes.
Team Life Pool: 45 group spawns.
Spawn Point: Central Location. Respawn as soon as ten members of the same team are at the spawn point.
Teams: Five
Goal: Three static points are distributed equidistantly in a large play area. Holding any of the points grants you Time-On-Possession which is cumulative across all points for the entire battle.

Fortress Defense Survival:
Victory Points: Victory Points awarded for every five minutes of survival, plus two points awarded to the team with the longest survival.
Run Time: 120 minutes.
Team Life Pool: Defending team has 140 spawns.
Spawn Point: Attackers respawn in the tree-line in five man waves. Defenders respawn in the Fortress as quickly as they die.
Teams: Three
Goal: Hold the Fortress as long as possible. A flag in the middle of the Fortress indicates possession. Once the flag is down, the defending team has 120 seconds to get the flag back up or they lose. Two teams work together as aggressors while the third team is inside defending. Once a team has lost, it rotates into the attacking forces and one of the attacking teams rotates to defending. Each team will get two chances to assault and one chance to defend. Features a very angry one-ton gate.
Common Fortress Assault Questions:
1. How do we break open the gate? Answer: I don't care. I recommend a battering ram. Probably at least 150lbs. A big fallen tree or something. And a few big guys. And a running start. A few running starts.
2. Can we brace the gate from the inside? Answer: Sure, as long as you are only bracing it with people. It hurts a bit.
3. Can we climb the walls of the fortress? Answer: How the hell should I know? What kind of shape are you in? You're allowed to try, though.
4. Can we shield bash people off the walls as they climb over? Answer: Definitely!
5. Can we bring siege ladders or towers? Answer: Sure.
6. Can we tear down or otherwise damage the fortress? Answer: That's the only thing you cannot do. Hurt each other, not my fortress. It has a steel frame, so it can take a lot of abuse, though.

King of the Hill:
Victory Points: One point for each Minute-In-Possession.
Run Time: 45 minutes.
Team Life Pool: Infinite.
Spawn Point: Equidistant team spawn points. Respawn as soon as five members of the same team are at the spawn point.
Teams: Six
Goal: A defensible position is located in center field. Inside the defensible position is a pedestal. For every minute of combined time your team keeps it's marker on the pedestal, you are awarded a Victory Point.

Caravan:
Victory Points: Five victory points are awarded to the first place team and three points to the second place team.
Run Time: 120 minutes.
Team Life Pool: Defending team has 120 spawns.
Spawn Point: Attackers respawn in the tree-line in five man waves. Defenders respawn from a static point fifty feet behind the wagon as quickly as they die.
Teams: Three
Goal: Advance the caravan wagon as far as possible towards the goal in 30 minutes. If your lives run out, your team is done.Two teams work together as aggressors while the third team is defending the caravan. Once a team has lost, it rotates into the attacking forces and one of the attacking teams rotates to defending. Each team will get two chances to assault and one chance to defend the caravan.
Common Caravan Questions:
1. How do we move the wagon? Answer: There are ropes attached to the front. Maybe you could pull on those. Or push from the back.
2. Can we ride in the wagon? Answer: Sure. Use it as a firing platform or something. If you fall off, I'm laughing. Doubly so if you get run over by the wagon and injured.
3. Can we tip over or otherwise abuse the wagon? Answer: I wish you could, but I really don't want it to break half-way through the game. So, no.
4. How much does the wagon weigh? Answer: About 500 pounds.

Grand War:
Victory Points: Five Victory Points are awarded to the winning team.
Run Time: 60 minutes.
Team Life Pool: 400.
Spawn Point: Your teams spawn point.
Teams: Two
Goal: Three flags are spaced between the two teams. One is close to each team, and one is equidistant in the middle of both teams. A team wins when their flag flies above all three points. If no team accomplishes this by the time the game is up, the team with the most flags flying wins, if that results in a tie, the team with the highest remaining life pool wins.

Site Map



What I need:
1. People willing to reeve/marshal/herald
2. People willing to help with construction and game setup
3. People willing to help with preparing simple lunch every day (think sandwiches)
4. People willing to drive shuttles to and from the airport.
5. People willing to coordinate their parks attendance at the event.

If you are interested in helping in any of those ways, please post in this thread. Those of you who have already volunteered, I appreciate that and will be contacting you next week to start making arrangements.

[Lokin]

*Dances*

[Michael]

If you only go to one event this summer...

Well, at least thats how I see it.

Fighting people from many organizations, cool and outstanding games, a simple and clean ruleset?

Its all good.

[Derian]

Amazing.

I'm about 90% sure I can make it. I'll help reeve/marshal/herald whatever you want to call it, or anything else you need as well.

Also, feel free to post this in the Upcoming Events section of the board.

[Solusar]

I have to admit I'm bummed it's in IL, but I'm still going to try to make it out as I'd really like to attend this event. If I do go, I can help with food prep.

[Brennon EH]

I have to admit I'm bummed it's in IL, but I'm still going to try to make it out as I'd really like to attend this event. If I do go, I can help with food prep.

You've got no idea how hard we looked for sites that fit all the criteria near STL. We may move it there next year, if some of the sites get their act together.

[Mekoot Gorlock]

I will try to come with derian and am willing to help in any way I can with heralding ect..

[p_quick]

yea i'll probably be there and i'm up for whatever help you need helping with B

[Loptr]

This is on my travel calendar.

L

[Sir Killian]

i live an hour away im so there...

[Gambit Redband]

This sounds amazingly epic. It's an hour and a half away, it's during my 21st birthday, and there's FIGHTING. I'm so there.

[Brennon EH]

Link to the real-time ruleset: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgtvspq8_20hmz8cpfb

For the lazy, the text is below.

Code: Select all

MCR
Modified Combined Ruleset (Modified (Plagiarized) from Belegarth rules)

Preface
You really need to read all of the rules. They are pretty straight-forward, but not knowing them is no excuse for violating them. These rules are subject to change if I find something I screwed up or new perspectives become available. These rules are definitely a compromise, and I tried to default to the simplest possible common denominator between any conflicting rules. Also, note that most of the scenarios being run will affect some aspect of these rules. Scenario rules trump these rules.

If you're from Amtgard, you need to know the following at a minimum:
1. Shield bashing, checking, rimming, etc is allowed to all normal hit locations except for the back.
2. You can grapple for equipment such as shields and weapons. You cannot grapple people. Incidental body-to-body contact is fine.
3. There is a sufficient force rule for strikes and stabs.
4. There is a weight minimum for weapons over three feet in length.
5. Weapon checking, safety adjudication, and any other rules below are going to be taken seriously. Plan ahead.
6. Good sportsmanship will be required. Poor attitudes will get you booted from the field to cool off. Doing it again will get you shown the door.
7. Scenarios run very similar to Militia-Style battlegames.

If you're from Bel/Dag, you need to know the following at a minimum:
1. The 'no weight minimum' requirement has been moved up from 24 inches to 36 inches. Otherwise, they are the same.
2. You cannot grapple people, just shields and weapons. Incidental body-to-body contact is fine and expected.
3. There is still sufficient force. It will be calibrated via an objective standard of measure using a device.
4. No rocks. Javelins and arrows are fine.
5. No head shots from projectiles. Trust me, you do not want an Amtgard arrow to the face.
6. No backboarding; if you whack somebody in the noggin, it invalidates the rest of the swing.
7. No worn shields.
8. All injuries are the same. Being stabbed is the same as being slashed is the same as being hit by an arrow.
9. Amtgardians talk a lot of trash. It is colloquially called 'smack' or 'smak'. It is meant in good fun, try not to take it seriously.


1. Adjudication
1.1. Referee - Person responsible for rules enforcement and weapons inspection.
1.1.1. A Referee has the authority to remove anyone from the field of battle.
1.1.2. A Referee determines Equipment classifications according to the guidelines outlined in Appendix A.
1.1.3. A Referee is responsible for safe conduct of battles, and therefore has the power to stop battles whenever a safety concern occurs.
1.1.4. A Referees decision may be appealed to the Head Referee
1.1.5. A Referee with inappropriate behavior must be reported to the Head Referee
1.2. Head Referee - Person responsible for adjudicating disagreements between players and Referees
      1.2.1. May be a Referee
      1.2.2. inappropriate behavior by a Head Referee may be dealt with by a panel of three other Referees
1.3. The target of an attack makes combat strike determinations.
       1.3.1 Always strive to have unquestionable honor when making strike determinations. If you are unsure of whether or not you should take a strike, take it.
1.4. Creative interpretation of the rules to gain any advantage is discouraged. These rules are intentionally sparse to allow for ease of use. The Referee, according to these rules, and medieval foam combat precedent, settles all disputes.
1.5. Good sportsmanship is required at all times. Cheating, displaying real violence, striking with intent to injure another player, or any other behavior violating the concept of good sportsmanship will result in immediate action by a referee, up to and including expulsion from the event.

2. Equipment Classifications and Definitions
2.1. Offensive Equipment is any item that can score a combat strike. There are five classifications of Offensive Equipment, hereafter called Weapons. All Offensive Equipment must meet the requirements outlined in Appendix A.
2.1.1. (Class 1) Melee Weapon.
2.1.2. (Class 2) Great melee Weapon.
2.1.4. (Class 3) Missile Weapon.
2.2. Defensive Equipment is any item that gives combat advantage to its wielder by preventing Injury, and is unable to inflict damage on opponents. There are two types of Defensive Equipment - Shields and Armor. All Defensive Equipment must meet the requirements outlined in Appendix A.
2.2.1. Shields are rigid objects that are padded on the front and sides, and are equipped with handles or straps. A Shield may not be constructed in a manner that would confer the advantage of unbreakable armor.
2.2.2. Armor is protective body covering, consisting of period (pre-1650 AD) materials.
2.3. Miscellaneous Equipment includes, but is not limited to, items such as: belts, pouches, boots, and non-Armor clothing and headwear. While conferring no special rules advantage, miscellaneous equipment may be checked for combat safety and period appearance at the Referees discretion. The minimum non-armor clothing requirements are outlined in Appendix B.
2.4. All Equipment must be inspected and properly marked if appropriate, according to the guidelines outlined in Appendix A, before it is used in combat.

3. Combat
3.1. Target Area Definitions:
3.1.1. Body - Area bounded by the base of neck (inclusive), shoulder-arm joint (inclusive), hip-leg socket (inclusive), groin, and buttocks (inclusive).
3.1.2. Arm(s) - Area bounded by the wrist (inclusive) and the shoulder-arm joint (exclusive).
3.1.3. Leg(s) - Area bounded by the ankle (inclusive) and hip-leg socket (exclusive).
3.1.4. Head - Area above the base of neck (exclusive).
         3.1.4.1. The Head is an illegal Target Area.
         3.1.4.2. Striking the Head causes the rest of the strike to be invalid. If a strike connects with the Head followed by the Torso, the Torso strike is invalid. If the strike connects with the Torso followed by the Head, the Torso is valid.
         3.1.4.3. If a strike to the Head results in an advantage for the striker, the striker must immediately stop until the struck party indicates they are uninjured.
         3.1.4.4. Intentionally putting the Head in the path of a Weapon in order to block (Head blocking) is illegal and shall be considered poor Sportsmanship.
3.1.5. Hand(s) - Area below the wrist (exclusive). An empty Hand is a legal Target Area. Any Injury to the Hand is considered Injury to the Arm. A Hand on a Weapon or Shield is considered part of that Weapon or Shield.
3.1.6. Feet - Area below the ankle (exclusive). A Foot is a legal Target Area if it is off the ground. Any Injury to the Foot is considered Injury to the Leg.
3.2. Weapons
3.2.1. Weapons which strike with sufficient force can cause damage to the Target Area.
         3.2.1.1. Sufficient force is a percussive strike or stab which will be measured objectively via mechanical means on-site.
3.2.2. Weapons yield various amounts of damage according to the classification of the Weapon and the armor status of the target.
3.2.2.1. Class 1 (Melee) Weapons cause one point of damage to a Target Area. Any Weapon wielded one handed, no matter the size, is a Class 1 Weapon, including equipment that qualifies as Class 2 Weaponry.
3.2.2.2. Class 2 (Great Melee) Weapons cause two points of damage to the Target Area when wielded two handed.
3.2.2.3. Class 3 (Missile) Weapons cause two points of damage to a Target Area.
3.3. Armor
3.3.1. Armor will prevent one point of damage to one Target Area one time. Additional pieces of Armor on the same Target Area will not provide any additional benefit. A single piece of Armor covering multiple areas confers protection on each Target Area covered.
3.3.2. Armor only protects areas covered.
3.3.3. Armor must be of a size to cover a significant portion (approximately one-third) of a Target Area. Armor extending continuously from another Target Area is not required to significantly cover neighboring Target Areas to count as Armor.
3.3.4. Weapons that strike both Armored and unarmored Target Areas are considered to have struck the unarmored Target Area.
3.3.5. The presence of Armor must be easily discernible or it does not count.
3.4. Damage
3.4.1. Effects of Damage:
3.4.1.1. Damage to a Target Area injures that Target Area.
3.4.1.2. An injured Body causes Death.
3.4.1.3. Two injured limb Target Areas (Arms and/or Legs) cause Death.
3.4.2. All damage effects must be accurately portrayed and reported.
3.4.2.1. Death - Immediately lay down or sit down with your weapon on top of your head. Do not move unless instructed by a Referee or to avoid mundane injury.
3.4.2.2. Injured Arm - A injured Arm may not hold anything and must be placed behind the back.
3.4.2.3. Injured Leg - The knee of the injured Leg must be kept on the ground.
3.4.3. Strikes to a damaged limb:
3.4.3.1. Subsequent strikes to a damaged Arm cause Death.
3.4.3.2. Subsequent strikes to a damaged Leg are ignored.
3.4.4. A single strike can only damage multiple Target Areas if it hits each one with sufficient force.
3.5. Shields
3.5.1. Shields can be destroyed by two solid strikes from a Class 2 Weapon. Subsequent strikes to a destroyed Shield continue into the Arm on which the Shield is worn.
3.5.2. Shields may be used in any reasonable manner and still be considered a Shield.
3.5.3. Only one Shield may be used by a person at a time.
3.5.4. Shield Bashing, Checking, and Kicking is allowed.
3.5.4.1. A Shield Bash is defined as using a Shield to hit an opponent starting from a distance further than two steps away.
3.5.4.2. A Shield Check is defined as using a Shield to hit an opponent starting from a distance less than two steps away.
3.5.4.3. A person may not Bash or Check an opponent's rear quadrant. Shield pushing or incidental contact in an opponent's rear quadrant is allowed.
3.5.4.4. Shield Kicking of small Shields is discouraged.
3.5.4.5. Shield contact to the Head or Neck is illegal.
3.5.4.6. The burden is on the aggressor to ensure the safety of any Bash, Check, or Kick.
3.6. Grappling for equipment is allowed.
3.6.1. Combatants may initiate Grapples with opponents equipment according to the following rules:
3.6.1.1. A Combatant wearing no Armor may Grapple all opponents.
3.6.1.2. A Combatant wearing Leather Armor may Grapple any Armored opponent, but not unarmored opponents.
3.6.1.3. A Combatant wearing Chain Armor may Grapple opponents wearing Chain or Plate Armor.
3.6.1.4. A Combatant wearing Plate Armor may not initiate a Grapple.
3.6.2. A Combatant wearing plastic safety equipment is treated as leather Armor for grappling purposes only.
3.6.3. No throws, grabs, take downs, unarmed strikes, or joint/nerve holds may be applied directly to another player. Incidental body-to-body contact (such as hip checking) is acceptable within the bounds of good sportsmanship.
3.6.4. Combatants with bows may not initiate Grapples or be Grappled.
3.6.5. The onus is on the aggressor to ensure the safety of any grapple.
3.7. Melee Conventions
3.7.1. If during a battle an unsafe situation occurs, it is the responsibility of all Combatants (and Referees) who see the situation to call 'HOLD' and stop the battle. A HOLD stops the battle while the Referee assesses the situation. The battle resumes only at the Referee's discretion.
3.7.2. Combatants attacking an opponent from behind with a two-handed strike from a Class 2 Weapon MUST shout 'TWO'. This informs the opponent that the attack was a two-handed strike, and caused two points of Damage. If 'TWO' is not called, the opponent should consider a successful strike to cause a single point of Damage.
3.7.3. Blocking a Weapon strike by laying a Weapon against a Target Area and/or Shield is illegal.
         3.7.3.1. This rule pertains predominantly to the following situations.
                     3.7.3.1.1. Laying a Weapon across a Target Area so that it behaves like indestructible armor.
                     3.7.3.1.2. Laying a Weapon across a Shield so that it is protected from Class 2 Weapon strikes.
3.7.4. Sheathed or otherwise worn Weapons cannot block attacks.
3.7.5. Gripping the striking surface of an opponents Weapon results in the disabling of that limb.
3.7.6. A Combatant who has their Leg injured  must either crawl on his/her knees or be realistically supported.
3.8. Missile Weapon Conventions
3.8.1. If a bow is struck by a Weapon, it is considered broken and cannot be used.
3.8.2. A half draw for bows under a range of 20 feet is required.
3.8.3. A missile Weapon must travel its entire length to score a valid strike.
3.8.4. A missile Weapon is considered a valid strike if there is significant deflection of the missile head (>30 degrees) or if the missile strikes and stops. Once the missile head has significantly deflected, the missile is rendered harmless.
3.8.5. Blocking Missiles
3.8.5.1. Javelins may be blocked by any means that keeps the missile away from a Target Area.
3.8.5.2. An arrow may only be blocked by a Shield. An arrow blocked by a Weapon is considered to have continued to travel in the same direction and strike the Target Area behind the Weapon.
3.8.5.3. Intentional blocking of an arrow with a Weapon causes Death to the blocker.


Appendix A

1. Weapon Checking
1.1. Definitions
1.1.1. Striking Surface - Padded surface of a Weapon designed to make contact with an opponent during combat. Only the Striking Surface of a Weapon may score a strike.
1.1.2. Non-striking Surface . Any padded surface of the Weapon that is not a striking surface.
1.1.3. Handle - Non-padded portion of the Weapon designed as a handhold.
1.1.4. Pommel - Non-striking Surface that covers the end of the Handle.
1.1.5. Sword - Any Weapon approximating a medieval sword, constructed using either an edge/flat or cylindrical design.
1.1.6. Flail - Any hinged Weapon.
1.1.7. Double-ended Weapon . A Weapon approximating a medieval staff.
1.1.8. Javelin - Melee Weapon that may be thrown.
1.1.9. Archery - Class 3 Weapons including bows, crossbows, arrows, and bolts. All Ammunition must be clearly labeled with the name of the player using it.
1.1.10. Spear - Any Weapon approximating a medieval spear, constructed using either an edge/flat or cylindrical design. Spears are thrust-only weapons.
1.1.11. Polearm - Any Weapon approximating a medieval glaive, poleaxe, etc, constructed using either an edge/flat or cylindrical design. Polearms may thrust and slash.
1.1.12. Ammunition - Arrows and bolts used in bows or crossbows.
1.2. Marking - Weapons must be marked with the appropriate color(s) of tape to denote their classifications. This marking tape must be placed in a manner so that Combatants and Referees may easily see it.
1.2.1. Class 1 Weapons are marked with blue tape on either the pommel or handle.
1.2.2. Class 2 Weapons are marked with red tape on either the pommel or handle.
1.2.3. Class 3 Weapons are marked in a manner to indicate a Referee has inspected them.
1.3. General Weapon Checking Conventions - All Weapons must conform to all of the following, as applicable:
1.3.1. All striking surfaces of Weapons must be padded adequately to prevent personal injury when striking an opponent with full force on that surface.
1.3.2. All non-striking surfaces must be padded adequately to prevent personal injury from incidental contact.
1.3.3. Two and one-half inch rule - No surface on a striking edge (sword tip, arrow head, spear head, javelin head, etc.), may pass more than 0.5 inch through a 2.5 inch hole; swords with a semicircular tip, with a minimum 1.5 inch radius are exempt from this rule. See Appendix A, 1.4.4.2.
1.3.4. The Weapon pommel must not readily pass through a 2. diameter hole.
1.3.5. The maximum allowed flex of any Weapon except Javelins is 30 degrees. See Appendix A, 1.4.7.6.
1.3.6. All striking surfaces must have an opaque cloth covering.
1.3.7. A Weapon may not have a wooden core. Bamboo and rattan are not considered wood for this purpose, but must have their entire handle taped.
1.3.8. A Weapon may not have a metal core, but may use metal counterweights.
        1.3.8.1. Metal counterweights may not rattle.
        1.3.8.1. Metal counterweights inside of a hollow core must have a head larger than the aperture of end of the core into which they are inserted.
1.4. All weapons must be built to the following specifications.
1.4.1. Class 1 - All Class 1 Weapons must conform to the following, as applicable:
1.4.1.1. A Class 1 Weapon under thirty-six (36) inches in length has no weight minimum.
1.4.1.2. A Class 1 Weapon thirty-six (36) inches in length or longer must weigh a minimum of twelve (12) ounces.
1.4.1.3. With the exception of double-ended weapons, a Class 1 Weapon must be shorter than forty-eight (48) inches.
1.4.1.4. The maximum handle length for a Class 1 Weapon is twelve (12) inches or one-third (1/3) of the overall length, whichever is greater. This cannot exceed one-half (1/2) of the overall length.
1.4.1.5. The Striking-Surface on a Class 1 weapon must be a minimum of twelve (12) inches or one-half (1/2) of the overall length, whichever is smaller.
1.4.2. Class 2 - All Class 2 Weapons must conform to the following:
1.4.2.1. The minimum length is forty-eight (48) inches.
1.4.2.2. The minimum weight is twenty-four (24) ounces.
1.4.2.3. The maximum handle length for Class 2 Weapons is eighteen (18) inches or one-third (1/3) of the overall length, whichever is greater. This cannot exceed one-half (1/2) of the overall length.
1.4.2.3. The minimum amount of Striking-Surface allowed is six (6) inches.
1.4.2.4. Weapons without a minimum of twelve (12) inches of Striking-Surface may only be used to thrust.
1.4.4. Swords must conform to the following:
1.4.4.1. If the Weapon has a semicircular tip with a minimum 1.5 inch radius, it is exempt from rule Appendix A, 1.3.3.
1.4.4.2. Single-edge Weapons must have their non-striking edge clearly marked with at least a 12-inch piece of contrasting tape.
1.4.5. Flails must conform to the following:
1.4.5.1. The striking surface must haves a minimum circumference of fifteen (15) inches measured on separate axes.
1.4.5.2. The maximum chain/hinge length is six (6) inches.
1.4.5.3. The maximum overall length is forty (40) inches.
1.4.5.4. The hinged part of the flail must be padded with foam to keep the chain from easily entangling a Weapon or body part. No more than 1 ½ inches of chain may be exposed.
1.4.5.5. Only one hinge per flail is allowed.
1.4.5.6. Only the head of a flail is a striking surface.
1.4.6. Double-ended Weapons must conform to all of the following:
1.4.6.1. Double-ended Weapons must not be more than 7 feet long.
1.4.6.2. Double-ended Weapons must have a minimum of 18 inches in length of padding covering each end in a cylindrical fashion. Both striking surfaces of this weapon must follow Class 2 Weapon standards for a Double-ended Weapon to be legal.
1.4.6.3. Regardless of length, a Double-ended Weapon is a Class 1 Weapon.
1.4.7. Javelins must conform to all of the following:
1.4.7.2. The maximum weight is twenty-four (24) ounces.
1.4.7.3. The minimum length is four (4) feet.
1.4.7.4. The maximum length is seven (7) feet.
1.4.7.5. Padded along the entire length.
1.4.7.6. Must flex less than 90°. This is an exception to Appendix A, 1.3.5.
1.4.7.7. Must have a yellow cover.
1.4.8. Archery Restrictions:
1.4.8.1. No compound bows or compound-crossbows.
1.4.8.2. The maximum poundage allowed on a bow is 35 lbs pull at 28 inches of draw.
1.4.8.3. The maximum poundage allowed on a crossbow is 15 lbs at its loaded draw.
1.4.8.4. A draw stop is required to prevent an arrow from being drawn more than 28 inches.
1.4.8.5. Arrow striking surfaces may not easily pass more than 0.5 inches through a 2.5 inch diameter hole. No part of the arrow.s striking surface may be less than 2.5 inches in any direction.
1.4.8.6. All arrows must contain a perpendicular penny (or similar device) secured at the end of the shaft.
1.4.8.7. All arrows must have at least two full fletching.
1.4.8.8. The arrowhead should not have excess axial or lateral movement.
1.5. Prohibited Weapons:
1.5.1. Entangling Weapons (nets, lassos).
1.5.2. Unmanned Weapons (traps).
1.5.3. Non-compliant double ended Weapons (nunchaku, double ended daggers).
1.5.4. Punching Weapons (punching daggers, tonfas).
1.5.5. Any Weapon that, when used as intended, violates the rules stipulated herein.


2. Shields
2.1. Shield must be padded on the edges and face so as not to cause injury when struck with a forceful blow of an arm/hand.
2.2. The maximum width of a shield is 3 feet.
2.3. The maximum height of a shield is 18 inches less than the height of the wielder.
2.4. The minimum dimension on the face of a shield is 12 inches.
2.5. Shield spikes are allowed for decoration.
2.6. Shields may never cause Damage to a Target Area.
2.7. Shields may not be affixed to weapons in any manner.


3. Armor Checking
3.1. Definitions
3.1.1. Leather - Armor constructed of tanned animal hide.
3.1.2. Metal - Armor constructed of metal. Includes chain and plate.
3.1.3. Rigid Metal - Armor constructed of discrete or continuous metal plate.
3.1.4. Chain - Metal Armor constructed of interlocking metal rings.
3.1.5. Cops - Rigid metal knee and elbow Armor.
3.1.6. Composite - Armor constructed of both metal and leather.
3.1.7. Penny Round - Armor checking standard where the edge of rigid metal Armor is compared to that of a penny:
3.1.7.1. The edge of rigid metal Armor shall have the smoothness of the edge of a penny.
3.1.7.2. The edge of rigid metal Armor shall have less cutting ability than the edge of a penny.
3.1.7.3. The radius of any rigid metal corner must be greater than the radius of a penny.
3.2. Armor must be passed by Referees.
3.3. Armor must not catch appendages. Fingers should not catch in Armor. This includes articulated plates and large diameter chain.
3.4. Armor may not have protrusions that rise more than 1/2 inch from the surface.
3.5. The minimum thickness for leather Armor is 3/16 inch. The minimum thickness requirement can be achieved by layering up to two pieces of thinner leather.
3.6. Metal Armor
3.6.1. Metal Armor must be made from period metals and alloys such as iron, bronze, brass, or copper. Modern steel alloys are also allowed.
3.6.2. Metal Armor must conform to both of the following:
3.6.2.1. Must not be easily deformable by hand or by weapon strikes.
3.6.2.2. Using a material with a thickness of at least 18 gauge.
3.6.3. Rigid Metal must conform to the Penny Round standard.
3.7. Composite Armor
3.7.1. Studded, scaled, or brigandine Armor can only be counted as Armor if 2/3 of the target area is covered by metal or leather, or the studs/rings/plates can not be no more than 1/2 inch apart.
3.7.2. Composite Armor must be identifiable as Armor by appearance.
3.8. Prohibited Armor:
3.8.1. Rigid Metal full helmet. Partial Rigid Metal helmet as well as full helmet made of any other Armor materials are allowed.


Appendix B

1. Garb
1.1 Garb is defined as the clothing to be worn by all participants.
1.2 Minimum garb is the basic requirements for all participants. Minimum garb is defined as.
1.2.1 A tunic or tabard covering the torso.
1.2.1.1 Neutral colored t-shirts, with no visible printing, neutral colored Under Armor (or similar equipment), or sports bras may be worn underneath a tunic or tabard.
1.2.1.2 Wearing nothing on the torso is acceptable for men.
1.2.2 Baggy pants, baggy shorts, or trousers covering the legs.
1.2.3 Skirts, Kilts, and Dresses are acceptable substitutes.
1.2.4 Footwear should be muted colors, boots are preferred. Athletic shoes should be of a dark color and not unnatural. Barefoot or Sandals are acceptable.
1.2.5 Any piece of modern equipment or clothing required out of medical necessity overrules the minimum garb requirements.
1.3 Forbidden items:
1.3.1 T-shirts that are brightly colored, white, with visible logos, with visible collars, and or visible pockets.
1.3.2 Modern jeans of any color.
1.3.3 Modern hats.
1.3.4 Any fabrics with modern or camouflage prints.


[Tails]

yes

[Big King Jimmy]

Things people in Bel need to know:

9. Amtgardians talk a lot of trash. It is colloquially called 'smack' or 'smak'. It is meant in good fun, try not to take it seriously.

Oh, it's **** ON.

[MagnusofDregoth]

Looks good, I was able to absorb it pretty quickly on one read-through.

It looks to me like rigid joint armor is allowed; is this correct?

[Brennon EH]

Looks good, I was able to absorb it pretty quickly on one read-through.

It looks to me like rigid joint armor is allowed; is this correct?

Correct. Since there is no body-to-body grappling, the odds of losing a finger to articulations or getting a toe crushed by a cop are greatly reduced.

Not gone, just reduced to "Brennon doesn't care about you" standards

[Solusar]

Well that and the waivers everyone will sign.

[debuenzo]

there's no distinction between swung or stabbed?

so if a spear is a wielded w/ two hands and is 48"+, does it break a shield with two solid strikes?

[Brennon EH]

there's no distinction between swung or stabbed?

so if a spear is a wielded w/ two hands and is 48"+, does it break a shield with two solid strikes?

That's the way it is currently written, and the only reason for that is simplicity; a strike from a big weapon is a strike from a big weapon etc etc.

What do you think the pros and cons are to not distinguishing between swings and stabs for destroying shields?

[Derian]

I think that allowing spears to destroy shields will unbalance them quite a bit.

[Brennon EH]

I think that allowing spears to destroy shields will unbalance them quite a bit.

That's my initial reaction. I frankly thought it still said 'swings' rather than 'strikes'. I'm a victim of find and replace. It's worth discussing, though.

[Big King Jimmy]

Oh, please please please. I'll pick up a spear all day.

Does that include arrows? I see a lot of 3 man archer teams aiming at shields.

[Brennon EH]

Oh, please please please. I'll pick up a spear all day.

Does that include arrows? I see a lot of 3 man archer teams aiming at shields.

Haha, no. The way it's currently worded would still not allow arrows. Class 2 weapons. Projectiles are Class 3.

I'm pretty sure I'll be changing it to swings rather than strikes.

[Loptr]

Things people in Bel need to know:

9. Amtgardians talk a lot of trash. It is colloquially called 'smack' or 'smak'. It is meant in good fun, try not to take it seriously.

Oh, it's **** ON.

Huggs

B,
Amtgarders should be advised that ground scoring equipment to fight with is a kosher thing in Bel.

L

[Brennon EH]

Amtgarders should be advised that ground scoring equipment to fight with is a kosher thing in Bel.

Good point. I think I'll use a term other than 'ground score', though. If I tell Amtgardians that 'ground scoring is kosher' it's going to be an all-you-can-steal buffet.


Maybe something more like 'picking up discarded equipment for immediate battlefield use is acceptable so long as it is promptly returned when the next round begins.'

[Derian]

You might also add something like 'if you don't want your equipment used, die on top of it' or something like that.

[Wisp]

Greens breaking shields is too much.

I also hate the classification of weapons. For some weird reason, I can never keep Class 1 -whatever straight. Color system is much easier to my warped mind.

Will

[Derian]

I agree about colors.

[Brennon EH]

I could add the color scheme back in, but my concern is with people confusing them with what they already know about blue and red weapons.

Ideas?

[Tails]

both?

Class 1 - blue
Class 2 - red
Class 3 - green
Class 4 - yellow
Class 5 - white

I just think that you guys wrote that whole ting, how hard would it be to do both?

[Arrakis]

Nobody refers to weapons by category any * way.

That ruleset looks off the chizzle and I really really want to come to this awesome instance of cross-sport pimpin'.

Also, this thread is full of lolz.

And please don't let spears break shields. That's just silly.

[Qorin]

That defend the fortress battle sounds insane. I'll try my best to get there.

[Wisp]

Calling all melee weapons Blue wouldn't be hard for Bel or Dag to wrap their head around at all. Your just removing the Bel/Dag Green restriction of not being able to effect armor which is a good thing anyway.

Calling Great Weapons Red is the same same as Bel / Dag

Missile Weapons Green is the same same too.

Yeah, scrap Class 1,2,3 for Blue Red Green.

Will

[Brennon EH]

Calling all melee weapons Blue wouldn't be hard for Bel or Dag to wrap their head around at all. Your just removing the Bel/Dag Green restriction of not being able to effect armor which is a good thing anyway.

Calling Great Weapons Red is the same same as Bel / Dag

Missile Weapons Green is the same same too.

Yeah, scrap Class 1,2,3 for Blue Red Green.

Will

Well, that doesn't entirely cover it though.

The categories are really more as follows:
1. Under 36, slashing and stabbing, no weight requirements cannot break shields
2. Over 36 but under 48, slashing and stabbing, weight requirements cannot break shields
3. Over 48, slashing and stabbing, weight requirements, can break shields when used to slash
4. Over 48, stab only, weight requirements, cannot break shields
5. Between four and seven feet, fully padded, stab only, cannot break shields, can be thrown
6. Arrows. Cannot break shields

So... hmmmm... Lots of colors?

[Wisp]

Well, that doesn't entirely cover it though.

The categories are really more as follows:
1. Under 36, slashing and stabbing, no weight requirements cannot break shields
2. Over 36 but under 48, slashing and stabbing, weight requirements cannot break shields
3. Over 48, slashing and stabbing, weight requirements, can break shields when used to slash
4. Over 48, stab only, weight requirements, cannot break shields
5. Between four and seven feet, fully padded, stab only, cannot break shields, can be thrown
6. Arrows. Cannot break shields

So... hmmmm... Lots of colors?

How about...

Short Blue - 1 pt, cannot break shields, can stab / slash no weight min.

Long Blue - 1 pt, cannot break shields, can stab / slash. 12 oz. min

Red - When used 2 handed it breaks shields in 2 hits (slash only) and ignores armor, counts as blue when used 1 handed, can stab / slash, 24 oz weight requirement.

Thrown Green - Ignores armor when thrown. Acts as blue when weilded 1 handed melee. I don't really see a reason to have a weight requirement for these. I don't wanna get hit in the head with a thrown great weapon.

Green - arrows, ignores armor.


Still keeps it three colors, and it's pretty close to the current accepted norm of whats out there now.

Also, I did want to suggest to you that Amtgard Warpoles not count as bladed unless they have a striking surface that is clear. I find them to be unbalanced after more cross-gaming.

Will

[Derian]

If we're basing it off of Dag/Belegarth colors, missile weapons should be yellow.

Blue: Weapons under 48" in length.
Red: Weapons over 48" in length. Two handed swings break shields in two solid hits. One handed swings count as blue.
Yellow: Missile weapons.

Stabs: Count as blue hits.

That seems about as simple as can be to me. There doesn't need to be a differentiation between short and long blue, because they deal the same damage. It's not an issue of making colors so that people on the field know whether or not they're fighting a long or a short blue, because it doesn't matter - the hit will be the same regardless. It'll be up to the weapons checkers to measure the weapon and ensure that it meets weight requirements if it's over 36" inches.

[Brennon EH]

I'll see what I can do. If you want to actually post a re-write of the section, that could be helpful.

I'll leave the round poles as is for the moment. I need more personal experience with that to judge... And the weight requirements might fix the issue anyway.

[Derian]

Here we go, how's this?

2.1.1. (Class 1 - Blue) Melee Weapon.
2.1.2. (Class 2 - Red) Great melee Weapon.
2.1.4. (Class 3 - Yellow) Missile Weapon.

3.2.2.1. Class 1 (Melee) Weapons cause one point of damage to a Target Area. Any Weapon wielded one handed, no matter the size, is a Class 1 Weapon, including equipment that qualifies as Class 2 Weaponry. Thrusts cause one point of damage.
3.2.2.2. Class 2 (Great Melee) Weapons cause two points of damage to the Target Area when wielded two handed. Thrusts cause one point of damage, even when wielded two handed.
3.2.2.3. Class 3 (Missile) Weapons cause two points of damage to a Target Area.

3.7.2. Combatants attacking an opponent from behind with a two-handed strike from a Class 2 Weapon MUST shout 'RED'. This informs the opponent that the attack was a two-handed strike, and caused two points of Damage. If 'RED' is not called, the opponent should consider a successful strike to cause a single point of Damage.

As I see it, there's not really a good argument for not referring to them as class [I-III] in the context of the rules, however, on the field, it just seems significantly easier to use them as blue/red/yellow.

I modified 3.7.2 to fit in, because I think it's easier to remember 'red' versus 'two', and also doesn't cause confusion for shield users calling out the number of shots they've got on their shield.

[arthon]

How do you declare dead?

Amtgarders just put their weapon over their head. Belegrim take a knee (at least that was how it was explained to me at SKBC) and Dagorhirim fall down (as evinced by my experience at Rag many years ago as well as that Discovery Channel special). I have no idea how the kids at Darkon or NERO do it.

I would kind of like dead people to just curl into a fetal positions and scream "Mommy!" seven times in a row but that may be a little much to expect.

-arthon

[Derian]

Belegrim take a knee? I've never heard or seen that one.

Generally people fall down (though rarely with as much... enthusiasm as Dag folks) or, more often, just put a weapon over their hand. A lot of times people will say "dead, dead" or something like that to verbally let the person know they are indeed dead if for whatever reason they can't immediately make it clear.

Often times we say "Dead look dead", which pretty much means if you're dead and lying on the field, you shouldn't be standing/walking around or sitting on your *. Three points of contact is what's usually done, i.e. at least sitting with an elbow on the ground.

[arthon]

Whoops ... my mistake ... I didn't mean, "How does each group declare dead?" I meant, "How shall we all do it uniformly at this particular event to avoid confusion?"

Also, didn't notice a specific weight on flail heads. I'm kind of a big fan of that. Any thoughts on that?

[Derian]

Oh. Yeah, I guess that makes more sense.

I'm a big fan of weapon over the head to indicate you're dead, then either leave the field or lay down.

[Sir Killian]

as long as people dont get in the way of a fight when they are dead i am happy...

when i fought in seattle... i had a dude that would just stand like a statue in the middle of a fight and it always bothered me... i always laced him at least 2X after he was dead...

but yeah... lay down or weapon over head works well

[bangor]

Keep the idea that all damage is the same, but just state specifically that shields can't be damaged by a stab.

Also, I can't wait to axe Solusar in the back. Maybe Oisin too if he makes it.

[Brennon EH]

www.StickJock.Net

Thanks to Gabriel-13 for hosting and web-work.

RSVP should be up soon, and an updated version of the MCR should be out by the end of next week.

Make your plans now, and I'll see you there.

[Gambit Redband]

About the spear discussion from before about no distinction between swinging and thrusting, doesn't the last clause clear this up?

1.1.10. Spear - Any Weapon approximating a medieval spear, constructed using either an edge/flat or cylindrical design. Spears are thrust-only weapons.

[Kord]

The feedback from both the Belegarth forums and the Electric Samurai (Amtgard forums) has been incorporated; here is the updated version of the rules. Please post your feedback, concerns, edits, etc. here so we can continue perfecting the rules.

The Document can be found here: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgtvspq8_20hmz8cpfb

For those of you who can't access Google Docs at work, here is the full text (my apologies for the lack of formatting in the pasted version):

Modified Combined Ruleset (Modified (Plagiarized) from Belegarth rules)


Preface

You really need to read all of the rules. They are pretty straight-forward, but not knowing them is no excuse for violating them. These rules are subject to change if I find something I screwed up or new perspectives become available. These rules are definitely a compromise, and I tried to default to the simplest possible common denominator between any conflicting rules. Also, note that most of the scenarios being run will affect some aspect of these rules. Scenario rules trump these rules.


If you're from Amtgard, you need to know the following at a minimum:
1. Shield bashing, checking, "rimming" or "edging", etc are allowed to all normal hit locations except for the back.

2. You can grapple for equipment such as shields and weapons. You cannot grapple people. Incidental body-to-body contact is fine.
3. There is a sufficient force rule for strikes and stabs.

4. There is a weight minimum for weapons over three feet in length.

5. Weapon checking, safety adjudication, and any other rules below are going to be taken seriously. Plan ahead.

6. Good sportsmanship will be required. Poor attitudes will get you booted from the field to cool off. Doing it again will get you shown the door.
7. Scenarios run very similar to Militia-Style battlegames.
8. Picking up discarded equipment for immediate battlefield use is acceptable so long as it is promptly returned when the next round begins.
9. If legged, you must keep your live knee off the ground. Placing your live knee on the ground will result in both legs being considered legal targets.


If you're from Bel/Dag, you need to know the following at a minimum:

1. The 'no weight minimum' requirement has been moved up from 24 inches to 36 inches. Otherwise, they are the same.

2. You cannot grapple people, just shields and weapons. Incidental body-to-body contact is fine and expected.

3. There is still sufficient force. It will be calibrated via an objective standard of measure using a device.

4. No rocks. Javelins and arrows are fine.

5. No head shots from projectiles. Trust me, you do not want an Amtgard arrow to the face.

6. No continuing a shot once it strikes the head; if you whack somebody in the noggin, it invalidates the rest of the swing.

7. No worn shields.

8. All injuries are the same. Being stabbed is the same as being slashed is the same as being hit by an arrow.
9. Amtgardians talk a lot of trash. It is colloquially called 'smack' or 'smak'. It is meant in good fun, try not to take it seriously.
10. All shot calling is on the honor of the target of an attack. This includes arrow strikes. Players are encouraged to ask the referees to watch players who may be missing shots, including arrows."
11. Amtgarders will typically hide their live legs behind them when they have an injured leg. This is acceptable, provided that they do not rest the knee of their live leg on the ground.



1. Adjudication

1.1. Referee - Person responsible for rules enforcement and weapons inspection.

1.1.1. A Referee has the authority to remove anyone from the field of battle.
1.1.2. A Referee determines Equipment classifications according to the guidelines outlined in Appendix A.
1.1.3. A Referee is responsible for safe conduct of battles, and therefore has the power to stop battles whenever a safety concern occurs.

1.1.4. A referee may make any decisions on the field that s/he feels are necessary to maintain the flow of the game. This includes the ability to call shots on combatants. If a combatant disagrees with a referee's call, the combatant may follow the procedures for appealing as per 1.1.5.

1.1.5. A Referees decision may be appealed to the Head Referee.

1.1.6. A Referee with inappropriate behavior must be reported to the Head Referee

1.2. Head Referee - Person responsible for adjudicating disagreements between players and Referees

1.2.1. May be a Referee

1.2.2. inappropriate behavior by a Head Referee may be dealt with by a panel of three other Referees

1.3. The target of an attack makes combat strike determinations.

1.3.1 Always strive to have unquestionable honor when making strike determinations. If you are unsure of whether or not you should take a strike, take it.

1.4. Creative interpretation of the rules to gain any advantage is discouraged. These rules are intentionally sparse to allow for ease of use. The Referee, according to these rules, and medieval foam combat precedent, settles all disputes.

1.5. Good sportsmanship is required at all times. Cheating, displaying real violence, striking with intent to injure another player, or any other behavior violating the concept of good sportsmanship will result in immediate action by a referee, up to and including expulsion from the event.


2. Equipment Classifications and Definitions

2.1. Offensive Equipment is any item that can score a combat strike. There are three classifications of Offensive Equipment, hereafter called Weapons. All Offensive Equipment must meet the requirements outlined in Appendix A.

2.1.1. (Class 1) Melee Weapon.
2.1.2. (Class 2) Great melee Weapon.
2.1.3. (Class 3) Missile Weapon.

2.2. Defensive Equipment is any item that gives combat advantage to its wielder by preventing Injury, and is unable to inflict damage on opponents. There are two types of Defensive Equipment - Shields and Armor. All Defensive Equipment must meet the requirements outlined in Appendix A.

2.2.1. Shields are rigid objects that are padded on the front and sides, and are equipped with handles or straps. A Shield may not be constructed in a manner that would confer the advantage of unbreakable armor.
2.2.2. Armor is protective body covering, consisting of period (pre-1650 AD) materials.
2.3. Miscellaneous Equipment includes, but is not limited to, items such as: belts, pouches, boots, and non-Armor clothing and headwear. While conferring no special rules advantage, miscellaneous equipment may be checked for combat safety and period appearance at the Referees discretion. The minimum non-armor clothing requirements are outlined in Appendix B.

2.4. All Equipment must be inspected and properly marked if appropriate, according to the guidelines outlined in Appendix A, before it is used in combat.

3. Combat

3.1. Target Area Definitions:

3.1.1. Body - Area bounded by the base of neck (inclusive), shoulder-arm joint (inclusive), hip-leg socket (inclusive), groin, and buttocks (inclusive).
3.1.2. Arm(s) - Area bounded by the wrist (inclusive) and the shoulder-arm joint (exclusive).
3.1.3. Leg(s) - Area bounded by the ankle (inclusive) and hip-leg socket (exclusive).
3.1.4. Head - Area above the base of neck (exclusive).

3.1.4.1. The Head is an illegal Target Area.

3.1.4.2. Striking the Head causes the rest of the strike to be invalid. If a strike connects with the Head followed by the Torso, the Torso strike is invalid. If the strike connects with the Torso followed by the Head, the Torso is valid.

3.1.4.3. If a strike to the Head results in an advantage for the striker, the striker must immediately stop until the struck party indicates they are uninjured.

3.1.4.4. Intentionally putting the Head in the path of a Weapon in order to block (Head blocking) is illegal and shall be considered poor Sportsmanship.
3.1.5. Hand(s) - Area below the wrist (exclusive). An empty Hand is a legal Target Area. Any Injury to the Hand is considered Injury to the Arm. A Hand on a Weapon or Shield is considered part of that Weapon or Shield.
3.1.6. Feet - Area below the ankle (exclusive). A Foot is a legal Target Area if it is off the ground. Any Injury to the Foot is considered Injury to the Leg.

3.2. Weapons

3.2.1. Weapons which strike with sufficient force can cause damage to the Target Area.

3.2.1.1. Sufficient force is a percussive strike or stab which will be measured objectively via mechanical means on-site.

3.2.2. Weapons yield various amounts of damage according to the classification of the Weapon and the armor status of the target.

3.2.2.1. Class 1 (Melee) Weapons cause one point of damage to a Target Area. Any Weapon wielded one handed, no matter the size, is a Class 1 Weapon, including equipment that qualifies as Class 2 Weaponry.
3.2.2.2. Class 2 (Great Melee) Weapons cause two points of damage to the Target Area when wielded two handed in a slashing or swinging manner. Thrusts from a Class 2 Weapon only deal one point of damage.
3.2.2.3. Class 3 (Missile) Weapons cause two points of damage to a Target Area.

3.3. Armor

3.3.1. Armor will prevent one point of damage to one Target Area one time. Additional pieces of Armor on the same Target Area will not provide any additional benefit. A single piece of Armor covering multiple areas confers protection on each Target Area covered.
3.3.2. Armor only protects areas covered.
3.3.3. Armor must be of a size to cover a significant portion (approximately one-third) of a Target Area. Armor extending continuously from another Target Area is not required to significantly cover neighboring Target Areas to count as Armor.
3.3.4. Weapons that strike both Armored and unarmored Target Areas are considered to have struck the unarmored Target Area.
3.3.5. The presence of Armor must be easily discernible or it does not count.
3.3.6. A hit to a wounded section, regardless of any remaining armor, will result in a death; i.e. armor does not count on injured areas.


3.4. Damage

3.4.1. Effects of Damage:

3.4.1.1. Damage to a Target Area injures that Target Area.
3.4.1.2. An injured Body causes Death.
3.4.1.3. Two injured limb Target Areas (Arms and/or Legs) cause Death.

3.4.2. All damage effects must be accurately portrayed and reported.

3.4.2.1. Death - Immediately lay down or sit down with your weapon on top of your head. Do not move unless instructed by a Referee or to avoid mundane injury.
3.4.2.2. Injured Arm - A injured Arm may not hold anything and must be placed behind the back.
3.4.2.3. Injured Leg - The knee of the injured Leg must be kept on the ground. The knee of the non-injured leg must not be in contact with the ground, or else both the injured and non-injured legs are considered to still be legal targets.

3.4.3. Strikes to a damaged limb:

3.4.3.1. Subsequent strikes to a damaged Arm cause Death.
3.4.3.2. Subsequent strikes to a damaged Leg are ignored, unless the non-injured leg is also on the ground as per 3.4.2.3.

3.4.4. A single strike can only damage multiple Target Areas if it hits each one with sufficient force.

3.5. Shields

3.5.1. Shields can be destroyed by two solid swings (not thrusts) from a Class 2 Weapon. Subsequent strikes to a destroyed Shield continue into the Arm on which the Shield is worn.
3.5.2. Shields may be used in any reasonable manner and still be considered a Shield.
3.5.3. Only one Shield may be used by a person at a time.
3.5.4. Shield Bashing, Checking, and Kicking is allowed.

3.5.4.1. A Shield Bash is defined as using a Shield to hit an opponent starting from a distance further than two steps away.
3.5.4.2. A Shield Check is defined as using a Shield to hit an opponent starting from a distance less than two steps away.
3.5.4.3. A person may not Bash or Check an opponent's rear quadrant. Shield pushing or incidental contact in an opponent's rear quadrant is allowed.
3.5.4.4. One foot must be planted on the ground in any attempt to kick a shield.

3.5.4.5 Shield Kicking of small Shields is discouraged.

3.5.4.6. Wearing of cleats prohibits Shield Kicking.

3.5.4.7. Shield contact to the Head or Neck is illegal.

3.5.4.8. The burden is on the aggressor to ensure the safety of any Bash, Check, or Kick. Any injuries that occur that are judged to be due to failure to properly ensure the safety of a Bash, Check, or Kick will be dealt with by the referees, and may have consequences up to and including expulsion from the event.

3.6. Grappling for equipment is allowed.

3.6.1. Combatants may initiate Grapples with opponents equipment according to the following rules:

3.6.1.1. A Combatant wearing no Armor may Grapple all opponents.
3.6.1.2. A Combatant wearing Leather Armor may Grapple any Armored opponent, but not unarmored opponents.
3.6.1.3. A Combatant wearing Chain Armor may Grapple opponents wearing Chain or Plate Armor.
3.6.1.4. A Combatant wearing Plate Armor may not initiate a Grapple.

3.6.2. A Combatant wearing plastic safety equipment is treated as leather Armor for grappling purposes only.
3.6.3. No throws, grabs, take downs, unarmed strikes, or joint/nerve holds may be applied directly to another player. Incidental body-to-body contact (such as hip checking) is acceptable within the bounds of good sportsmanship.

3.6.4. Combatants with bows may not initiate Grapples or be Grappled.

3.6.5. The onus is on the aggressor to ensure the safety of any grapple.

3.7. Melee Conventions

3.7.1. If during a battle an unsafe situation occurs, it is the responsibility of all Combatants (and Referees) who see the situation to call 'HOLD' and stop the battle. A HOLD stops the battle while the Referee assesses the situation. The battle resumes only at the Referee's discretion.
3.7.2. Combatants attacking an opponent from behind with a two-handed strike from a Class 2 Weapon MUST shout 'TWO'. This informs the opponent that the attack was a two-handed strike, and caused two points of Damage. If 'TWO' is not called, the opponent should consider a successful strike to cause a single point of Damage.
3.7.3. Blocking a Weapon strike by laying a Weapon against a Target Area and/or Shield is illegal.

3.7.3.1. This rule pertains predominantly to the following situations.

3.7.3.1.1. Laying a Weapon across a Target Area so that it behaves like indestructible armor.

3.7.3.1.2. Laying a Weapon across a Shield so that it is protected from Class 2 Weapon strikes.
3.7.4. Sheathed or otherwise worn Weapons cannot block attacks.
3.7.5. Gripping the striking surface of an opponents Weapon results in the disabling of that limb.
3.7.6. A Combatant who has their Leg injured must either crawl on his/her knees or be realistically supported.

3.8. Missile Weapon Conventions

3.8.1. If a bow is struck by a Weapon, it is considered broken and cannot be used.
3.8.2. A half draw for bows under a range of 20 feet is required.
3.8.3. A missile Weapon must travel its entire length to score a valid strike.
3.8.4. A missile Weapon is considered a valid strike if there is significant deflection of the missile head (>30 degrees) or if the missile strikes and stops. Once the missile head has significantly deflected, the missile is rendered harmless.

3.8.5. Blocking Missiles

3.8.5.1. Javelins may be blocked by any means that keeps the missile away from a Target Area.
3.8.5.2. An arrow may only be blocked by a Shield. An arrow blocked by a Weapon is considered to have continued to travel in the same direction and strike the Target Area behind the Weapon.
3.8.5.3. Intentional blocking of an arrow with a Weapon causes Death to the blocker.
3.9. Miscellaneous Combat Conventions
3.9.1. Miscellaneous equipment (see 2.3) cannot be used to block strikes. Equipment that stops a shot that would otherwise have landed is considered to have continued through to the intended Target Area.



Appendix A

1. Weapon Checking

1.1. Definitions

1.1.1. Striking Surface - Padded surface of a Weapon designed to make contact with an opponent during combat. Only the Striking Surface of a Weapon may score a strike.
1.1.2. Non-striking Surface . Any padded surface of the Weapon that is not a striking surface.
1.1.3. Handle - Non-padded portion of the Weapon designed as a handhold.
1.1.4. Pommel - Non-striking Surface that covers the end of the Handle.
1.1.5. Sword - Any Weapon approximating a medieval sword, constructed using either an edge/flat or cylindrical design.
1.1.6. Flail - Any hinged Weapon.
1.1.7. Double-ended Weapon . A Weapon approximating a medieval staff.
1.1.8. Javelin - Melee Weapon that may be thrown.
1.1.9. Archery - Class 3 Weapons including bows, crossbows, arrows, and bolts. All Ammunition must be clearly labeled with the name of the player using it.
1.1.10. Spear - Any Weapon approximating a medieval spear, constructed using either an edge/flat or cylindrical design. Spears are thrust-only weapons.

1.1.11. Polearm - Any Weapon approximating a medieval glaive, poleaxe, etc, constructed using either an edge/flat or cylindrical design. Polearms may thrust and slash.

1.1.12. Ammunition - Arrows and bolts used in bows or crossbows.

1.2. Marking - Weapons must be marked with the appropriate color(s) of tape to denote their classifications. This marking tape must be placed in a manner so that Combatants and Referees may easily see it.

1.2.1. Class 1 Weapons are marked with blue tape on either the pommel or handle.
1.2.2. Class 2 Weapons are marked with red tape on either the pommel or handle.
1.2.3. Class 3 Weapons are marked in a manner to indicate a Referee has inspected them.

1.3. General Weapon Checking Conventions - All Weapons must conform to all of the following, as applicable:
1.3.1. All striking surfaces of Weapons must be padded adequately to prevent personal injury when striking an opponent with full force on that surface.
1.3.2. All non-striking surfaces must be padded adequately to prevent personal injury from incidental contact.
1.3.3. Two and one-half inch rule - No surface on a striking edge (sword tip, arrow head, spear head, javelin head, etc.), may pass more than 0.5 inch through a 2.5 inch hole; swords with a semicircular tip, with a minimum 1.5 inch radius are exempt from this rule. See Appendix A, 1.4.4.2.
1.3.4. The Weapon pommel must not readily pass through a 2.0" diameter hole.
1.3.5. The maximum allowed flex of any Weapon except Javelins is 30 degrees. See Appendix A, 1.4.7.6.
1.3.6. All striking surfaces must have an opaque cloth covering.
1.3.7. A Weapon may not have a wooden core. Bamboo and rattan are not considered wood for this purpose, but must have their entire handle taped.
1.3.8. A Weapon may not have a metal core, but may use metal counterweights.

1.3.8.1. Metal counterweights may not rattle.

1.3.8.2. Metal counterweights inside of a hollow core must have a head larger than the aperture of end of the core into which they are inserted.

1.4. All weapons must be built to the following specifications.

1.4.1. Class 1 - All Class 1 Weapons must conform to the following, as applicable:

1.4.1.1. A Class 1 Weapon under thirty-six (36) inches in length has no weight minimum.
1.4.1.2. A Class 1 Weapon thirty-six (36) inches in length or longer must weigh a minimum of twelve (12) ounces.
1.4.1.3. With the exception of double-ended weapons, a Class 1 Weapon must be shorter than forty-eight (48) inches.
1.4.1.4. The maximum handle length for a Class 1 Weapon is twelve (12) inches or one-third (1/3) of the overall length, whichever is greater. This cannot exceed one-half (1/2) of the overall length.
1.4.1.5. The Striking-Surface on a Class 1 weapon must be a minimum of twelve (12) inches or one-half (1/2) of the overall length, whichever is smaller.

1.4.2. Class 2 - All Class 2 Weapons must conform to the following:

1.4.2.1. The minimum length is forty-eight (48) inches.
1.4.2.2. The minimum weight is twenty-four (24) ounces.
1.4.2.3. The maximum handle length for Class 2 Weapons is eighteen (18) inches or one-third (1/3) of the overall length, whichever is greater.

1.4.2.3. The minimum amount of Striking-Surface allowed is six (6) inches.

1.4.2.4. Weapons without a minimum of twelve (12) inches of Striking-Surface may only be used to thrust.

1.4.4. Swords must conform to the following:

1.4.4.1. If the Weapon has a semicircular tip with a minimum 1.5 inch radius, it is exempt from rule Appendix A, 1.3.3.
1.4.4.2. Single-edge Weapons must have their non-striking edge clearly marked with at least a 12-inch piece of contrasting tape.

1.4.5. Flails must conform to the following:

1.4.5.1. The striking surface must haves a minimum circumference of fifteen (15) inches measured on separate axes.
1.4.5.2. The maximum chain/hinge length is six (6) inches.
1.4.5.3. The maximum overall length is forty (40) inches.
1.4.5.4. The hinged part of the flail must be padded with foam to keep the chain from easily entangling a Weapon or body part. No more than 1 ½ inches of chain may be exposed.
1.4.5.5. Only one hinge per flail is allowed.
1.4.5.6. Only the head of a flail is a striking surface.

1.4.6. Double-ended Weapons must conform to all of the following:

1.4.6.1. Double-ended Weapons must not be more than 7 feet long.
1.4.6.2. Double-ended Weapons must have a minimum of 18 inches in length of Strike-Legal padding covering each end in a cylindrical fashion. Both striking surfaces of this weapon must follow Class 2 Weapon standards for a Double-ended Weapon to be legal.
1.4.6.3. Regardless of length, a Double-ended Weapon is a Class 1 Weapon.

1.4.7. Javelins must conform to all of the following:

1.4.7.1. The maximum weight is twenty-four (24) ounces.
1.4.7.2. The minimum length is four (4) feet.
1.4.7.3. The maximum length is seven (7) feet.
1.4.7.4. Padded along the entire length.
1.4.7.5. Must flex less than 90°. This is an exception to Appendix A, 1.3.5.
1.4.7.6. Must have a yellow cover.

1.4.8. Archery Restrictions:

1.4.8.1. No compound bows or compound-crossbows.
1.4.8.2. The maximum poundage allowed on a bow is 35 lbs pull at 28 inches of draw.
1.4.8.3. The maximum poundage allowed on a crossbow is 15 lbs at its loaded draw.
1.4.8.4. A draw stop is required to prevent an arrow from being drawn more than 28 inches.
1.4.8.5. Arrow striking surfaces may not easily pass more than 0.5 inches through a 2.5 inch diameter hole. No part of the arrow's striking surface may be less than 2.5 inches in any direction.
1.4.8.6. All arrows must contain a perpendicular penny (or similar device) secured at the end of the shaft.
1.4.8.7. All arrows must have at least two full fletching.
1.4.8.8. The arrowhead should not have excess axial or lateral movement.

1.5. Prohibited Weapons:

1.5.1. Entangling Weapons (nets, lassos).
1.5.2. Unmanned Weapons (traps).
1.5.3. Non-compliant double ended Weapons (nunchaku, double ended daggers).
1.5.4. Punching Weapons (punching daggers, tonfas).
1.5.5. Any Weapon that, when used as intended, violates the rules stipulated herein.


2. Shields

2.1. Shield must be padded on the edges and face so as not to cause injury when struck with a forceful blow of an arm/hand.
2.2. The maximum width of a shield is 3 feet.
2.3. The maximum height of a shield is 18 inches less than the height of the wielder.
2.4. The minimum dimension on the face of a shield is 12 inches.
2.5. Shield spikes are allowed for decoration.

2.6. Shields may never cause Damage to a Target Area.

2.7. Shields may not be affixed to weapons in any manner.


3. Armor Checking

3.1. Definitions

3.1.1. Leather - Armor constructed of tanned animal hide.
3.1.2. Metal - Armor constructed of metal. Includes chain and plate.
3.1.3. Rigid Metal - Armor constructed of discrete or continuous metal plate.
3.1.4. Chain - Metal Armor constructed of interlocking metal rings.
3.1.5. Cops - Rigid metal knee and elbow Armor.
3.1.6. Composite - Armor constructed of both metal and leather.
3.1.7. Penny Round - Armor checking standard where the edge of rigid metal Armor is compared to that of a penny:

3.1.7.1. The edge of rigid metal Armor shall have the smoothness of the edge of a penny.
3.1.7.2. The edge of rigid metal Armor shall have less cutting ability than the edge of a penny.
3.1.7.3. The radius of any rigid metal corner must be greater than the radius of a penny.

3.2. Armor must be passed by Referees.
3.3. Armor must not catch appendages. Fingers should not catch in Armor. This includes articulated plates and large diameter chain.
3.4. Armor may not have protrusions that rise more than 1/2 inch from the surface.
3.5. The minimum thickness for leather Armor is 3/16 inch. The minimum thickness requirement can be achieved by layering up to two pieces of thinner leather.
3.6. Metal Armor

3.6.1. Metal Armor must be made from period metals and alloys such as iron, bronze, brass, or copper. Modern steel alloys are also allowed.
3.6.2. Metal Armor must conform to both of the following:

3.6.2.1. Must not be easily deformable by hand or by weapon strikes.
3.6.2.2. Using a material with a thickness of at least 18 gauge.

3.6.3. Rigid Metal must conform to the Penny Round standard.

3.7. Composite Armor

3.7.1. Studded, scaled, or brigandine Armor can only be counted as Armor if 2/3 of the target area is covered by metal or leather, or the studs/rings/plates can be no more than 1/2 inch apart.
3.7.2. Composite Armor must be identifiable as Armor by appearance.

3.8. Prohibited Armor:

3.8.1. Rigid Metal full helmet. Partial Rigid Metal helmet as well as full helmet made of any other Armor materials are allowed.


Appendix B

1. Garb

1.1 Garb is defined as the clothing to be worn by all participants.
1.2 Minimum garb is the basic requirements for all participants. Minimum garb is defined as.

1.2.1 A tunic or tabard covering the torso.

1.2.1.1 Neutral colored t-shirts, with no visible printing, neutral colored Under Armor (or similar equipment), or sports bras may be worn underneath a tunic or tabard.
1.2.1.2 Wearing nothing on the torso is acceptable for men.

1.2.2 Baggy pants, baggy shorts, or trousers covering the legs.
1.2.3 Skirts, Kilts, and Dresses are acceptable substitutes.
1.2.4 Footwear should be muted colors, boots are preferred. Athletic shoes should be of a dark color and not unnatural. Barefoot or Sandals are acceptable. Cleats are acceptable, provided they are not metal. Wearing cleats prohibits shield kicking.
1.2.5 Any piece of modern equipment or clothing required out of medical necessity overrules the minimum garb requirements.

1.3 Forbidden items:

1.3.1 T-shirts that are brightly colored, white, with visible logos, with visible collars, and or visible pockets.
1.3.2 Modern jeans of any color.
1.3.3 Modern hats.
1.3.4 Any fabrics with modern or camouflage prints.

[Arrakis]

The thirty degree flex rule is interesting. I think I approve, as long as it's not adhered to *. Much easier to judge 45 than 30. I'd put the thirty degree thing in the "Stuff for Belegrim" at the top.

How heavily do you expect shields to be padded? If it's too Bel standards, you might want to put that in the "Stuff for Amtgarders to Know" bit at the top.

[Brennon EH]

Remember this is coming up September 3rd-7th.

We just updated the rules, so make sure to check out the rules section of the website: http://www.stickjock.net/

Buy your airline tickets now and you can get them for around $100 per person round trip.
Cheap tickets are available to Chicago from these carriers:
Spirit - www.SpiritAir.com
Jet Blue - www.JetBlueAirways.com
Southwest - www.Southwest.com

The RSVP area will go live on the website on the 1st of July. The first 100 people to RSVP get free bunk space.

If you're looking for excellent, no-nonsense, fun fighting... This is where to be.

[Sorcia]

I'm looking forward to hanging out with Amtgardians again.

Kyrian and I will most definitely be there.