Shifting Sands

Reading the rulebook is a great start in learning how to play the game, but sometimes a bit of explination before diving into such a complex set of instructions can be helpful. Before you jump into the world of Amtgard, take a look at some of the information found here! I hope this will be a great resource to all new members.

 

Words you should know

 

Shot- This is typically refered to as striking with your weapon.

 

Garb- The outfit in which players in Amtgard dress. All new members are expected to wear garb as soon as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wound- A shot to a legal strike region on the body.

 

Battlegame- A battle involving all of the Amtgard classes and armor avaliable to the players.

 

Ditch battle- A battle involving only melee weapons and shields. No armor or classes.

 

Militia- A battle involving weapons, shields, armor, and archery. No classes.

 

Class- A set of abilites modeled after fantasy or historical settings. There are many classes that players can choose from.

 

Armor- Protective equipment worn by players to defend against wounds.

 

Reeve- Official of the rules while games are being played.

 

 

Combat

 

The main attraction for most new players is the fact we get to beat eachother up with foam bats. It is a very exciting part of Amtgard and will provide many epic momories as the park continues to grow. Anything from duels to large scale battlegames, combat shapes a lot of what we do. Here are a few simple guides on how combat works and how to be a safe player on the field.

 

 

 

The best way to describe how combat works is a hit location system. Based on where you strike your opponent, you either inflict wounds or death. We lack "health points" or other styles of life usually found in other LARPs or games. The picture below shows what shots are legal during battle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any two shots to the limbs results in death. Example: You are struck in the arm. The arm must then be placed behind your back and is useless. You are then struck again in any limb, including the one behind your back, and die. One shot to the torso or back is a death. When struck in the leg, the player has two options. He may either drop to his knees or declare "posting". When a player decides to drop to his knees, the dead leg is unable to be wounded further as long as the dead knee has contact with the ground. Movement is still allowed when on your knees, as long as the dead leg does not aid in standing or walking. When posting the player may stay standing, but may not move their foot from the ground whatsoever. Posting players may still be wounded on their dead leg.

 

 

 

Weapons and Armor

 

There are any options a player has concerning weapons and armor. Depending on the type of game being played and what class a player may choose, restrictions may be set on what you are allowed to use.

 

Armor is a very powerful piece of equipment that changes the rules on typical wounding. Armor is first guaged on how many "points" it will give in defense. The points awarded to the armor allow the bearer to ignore a certain amount of shots that would typically inflict a wound to the location struck. Based on the defensive properties to the armor worn, the rating will go up or down. Example: Cloth armor will award less points than chain mail. The rulebook will explain how to use armor in a much more defined way.

 

Weapons will typically be guaged on the length of the equipment rather than design. The catagories that each weapon falls under will be based on the overall size from one end to the other (flails and archery excluded). The catagories of weapons are Dagger, Short, Flail, Long, and Great. Each class will be able to wield a different set of weapons based on the role of the class. See the rulebook for further instruction.

 

 

Classes

 

While playing in battlegame scenarios, each player will pick a class. Classes grow in power, or level up, the more that you attend Amtgard weekly battledays and events. Classes bring Amtgard's fantasy aspect to life. The many different classes all play a unique part in their teams design. From video games to historical legends, classes personify the extraordinary and the supernatural. No matter what your flavor is, there is an Amtgard class for everyone. The classes in the game consist of physical, knight, and magical archtypes.

 

Physical classes: Warrior, Monk, Assassin, Barbarian, Scout, and Archer.

 

Magical: Wizard, Bard, Druid, and Healer.

 

Knight: Paladin and Anti-Paladin.

 

Physical classes are open to all players. As they grow in levels, they are awarded a very select set of abilities that rarely change. They pride themselves in knowing their job on the field and executing it with extreme prejudice.

 

Magical classes are open to all players. They are a bit more complicated than the physical classes due to their complex spell point mechanic. For each level unlocked, they get a certain amount of spell points in which they can purchase abilities off of their spell list, allowing them to fit into whatever situation they may be facing. 

 

Knight classes are only playable by Knights and act exactly like a physical class.

 

 

Spellcasting, States, and Abilities

 

Understanding how these mechanics work is often thought to be the most complex part of getting into Amtgard, but with this guide it should be quite simple to begin grasping the concepts. Spells and abilities all have a straight-forward set of rules that they must follow in order to be executed.

 

States are effects that most spells and abilities will inflict upon activation. The current states are:

 

Stopped: Player is unable to move their feet.

 

Frozen: Player is unable to move or speak. Player is immune to everything that does not specifically target frozen targets.

 

Insubstantial: Player is able to speak and move, but may not move feet. Player is immune to everything that does not                                          specifically target insubstantial targets.

 

Fragile: Player dies on next wound.

 

Supressed: Player may not activate spells or abilities.

 

Cursed: Player is immune to spirit magic.

 

While all spells and abilities have a large involvement with states, they will also all have their own school of magic in which they will be cast. The schools are Death, Fire, Sorcery, Spirit, Command, and Subdual. We will now move into how you can identify what is happening when all of this information comes together.

 

Spells and abilities come in three different forms: Verbal, Spell Ball, and Enchantment.

 

Verbal: These come in the range of Self, Touch, or 20/50 feet. A player must keep his feet completely still, declare the target of the spell (example: stating the player's name, class, piece of equipment, or garb color), and state the incantation of the spell. Player must maintain proximity to the target of the spell in conjunction with the range of the spell. All verbal spells and abilties will have the effect which they impart stated within the incantation as well as the school in which it lies.

 

Example: 

 

Hold Person

T: Verbal S: Command

R: 20ft

I: “I command thee to stop” x3

E: Target player becomes Stopped for 30 seconds.

 

Spell Balls: Typically made from packing rubber bands inside of a cloth square and tying the top to form a ball with a tail. All spellballs hold true to their own specific color and impart states or effects. The caster of the spell ball must charge the ball up prior to tossing. Once charged, the spell ball remains active until it is thrown or another spell is begun by the charger of the spell ball. The charger may run and move normally with a charged ball active.

 

Enchantments: These types of spells and abilities are lingering effects that stay active on a willing player until the effects run out or a condition is met. The caster of the enchantment may only place one on themselves if the range of the enchantment is Self. If the range is Touch, then it may only be given to a willing player. To empower another player with an enchantment, one must tie the correct colored ribbon to a visiable part of the player and begin the incant. One completed, the bearer of the ribbon is empowered with the effect given by the enchantment. A player may only wear one enchantment at a time unless stated otherwise.

 

This is the basics on how states, spells, and abilities work. All classes have them and it may be confusing at first, but practice makes perfect!

 

 

 

Monarchy

 

Each park is run by five very important positions. Without each position, parks would not have the support needed to maintain the effeciency needed by an Amtgard park. The following are a representation of each position.

 

Monarch: In charge of organizing the group for the duration of their reign in office. They are the highest authority in the park.

 

Regent: Assists the monarch in the organization of the arts and sciences during their reign in office by doing such things as holding workshops, cultural tournaments, and craft nights.

 

Prime Minister: Assists the monarch by making sure the park financial records and attendance records are in order during their reign.

 

Champion: Assists the monarch by running fighting tournaments, organizing battlegames, and checking weapons and equipment for safety during their reign.

 

Guildmaster of Reeves: The head reeve is in charge of settling any rules disputes, making sure that all reeves are qualified and doing their job well, and advising the other elected officers on any rules issues they may have.

 

 

 

Roleplay

 

While it may not be for everyone within Amtgard, roleplay is a very important part of the game. It is never forced upon anyone to roleplay, but there are a lot of opertunities to get lost into a character that you create the moment you step on field. From creating your backstory and name to choosing a personality and mission, the classes and mechanics of Amtgard make roleplaying a character you'd see in your favorite video game a reality! Read the rulebook for more information about roleplaying and read the forums to get engaged on the park's storyline!