Rules of Combat

Combat is a pivotal aspect of gameplay within Reckoning LARP, enhancing the narrative while emphasizing safety, entertainment, and realism. This document outlines the precise rules and guidelines governing combat engagements, participant behavior, safety measures, and class-specific abilities.

Spirit of the Game

Live action roleplay (LARP) attempts to simulate real actions within a fictional context. When wondering whether a course of action would be fitting "in-game", the question is whether or not it would be realistic if this were real life, if the weapons were made of steel, if magic were real.

Rules cannot be written to cover every possible scenario or player action. If a player interprets the rules in an attempt to determine ways to take advantage of them, then they likely will only end up making the game less fun for themselves or others. Players should engage with the game in a way that maintains safety and is fun for everyone.

Players are encouraged to report any potentially inappropriate behavior to Staff.

Specific Beats General

This document contains rules that govern how combat works. That said, some class features, spells, magic items, Cursed Creature abilities, and other game elements break the general rules in some way, creating an exception to how the rest of the game works. Remember this: If a specific rule contradicts a general rule, the specific rule wins.

Safety

Safety is paramount at Reckoning and takes precedence over all other aspects of the game. If anyone sees a potential safety issue or injury, they must immediately shout “Stop Fight!” and all players nearby will immediately echo the shout and kneel. The game will resume when an Arbiter or game runner determines that it is safe to do so and shouts "Lay On!"

Grounds for stoppage include but are not limited to:

  • Injury

  • Illness

  • Hazardous Terrain

  • Broken weapons or armor

  • Staff Instruction

Combat may occur in the “play area” against any players or NPCs that are considered combatants. A player may remove themself from combat by placing their weapon or hand on top of their head and leaving the combat area. The following areas and situations are off limits for combat:

  • Under any roof (i.e. inside tents or buildings)

  • While someone is eating or carrying food during meal times

  • While traveling to or from the showers

  • While entering or exiting the restrooms

  • In the out-of-game area

  • In and around tents, tent guy wires, ropes, or other tripping hazards.

  • When told to stop by a member of staff.

Combatants may only strike opponents with the foam portion of a weapon specifically designed to be used for striking. Ranged weapon attacks may only be made against opponents greater than 10’ away. Grappling or touching an opponent with any part of the body is not permitted at any time during combat. Touching outside of combat, e.g. holding the arm of a 'prisoner', is only permitted with that player's affirmative verbal consent which they can revoke at any time.

Non-Combatants

Non-combatants are identified by purple garments placed somewhere conspicuous on their kit. They should stay out of range of combat to prevent accidental strikes. Unconscious players should be escorted by conscious combatants to Boneknitters. If a player strikes a non-combatant they must instantly fall unconscious. Non-combatants also cannot be targeted or affected by any spell or ability that would cause them harm or force them to participate in combat. Any abuse of non-combatant status is a violation of the spirit of the game rule and may result in dismissal from combat, or depending on severity, the game.

Armor and Hit Points

Armor provides protection to the region it covers as long as it is at least 50% of that region. Different armor types can stack, but one can only receive the armor point increase from each type once per region. There are five target regions: the torso, right arm, left arm, right leg, and left leg. Each target region maintains its own Armor Point (AP) pool with a maximum achievable amount of AP determined by the player’s class, and a single Hit point (HP). Wearing a metal helmet or chain coif with padding counts as an additional point of armor in all regions and increases the cap by 1. The maximum AP pools are:

  • Warrior: 5 AP per target region.

  • Sage: 3 AP per target region.

  • Artisan and Arcanist: 1 AP per target region.

Damage

Strikes should be executed with sufficient force to convey impact without causing harm. Combatants should only strike their opponent hard enough for them to feel the hit. One does not call hits on other players, only hits on oneself. Each time a combatant is struck in a target area by the lethal portion of a weapon, this counts as a hit. For each hit on a target area, that region's AP is depleted by an amount corresponding to the weapon used. Combatants can only take damage from one hit per target region, per opponent, per second, any other subsequent hits during that time frame have no effect.

Once the AP pool is depleted in a target region, the armor is "broken" and any subsequent strike to that region incapacitates that part of the body. Damage over the remaining AP total is dealt to the HP directly. Incapacitated arms cannot be used to wield a weapon or hold a shield; incapacitated legs should be role-played as being difficult to move with.

Once two limbs or the torso are incapacitated, the player falls Unconscious. Unconscious players must lie down or kneel with their hand on their head to signify being Unconscious. If necessary, they may move to a safe area before kneeling or lying down. Unconscious players do not ‘remember’ anything that happens while they are unconscious. A player that falls unconscious far from their allies should wait a reasonable amount of time and then return to their camp to be healed by a Boneknitter.

Strikes to the hands, feet, head, neck, or groin do not count. Excessive strikes to the head or groin as determined by an Arbiter may be grounds for removal from combat or the game.

Mortal Wounds

Any time a player falls unconscious they receive a mortal wound. Each player must track their mortal wounds. Once they reach their allotted mortal wound threshold, they are at death’s door and must immediately travel to the realm of Oblivion and resolve their fate.

Types of Armor

Light Armor: 

+1 AP: Simple Leather (at least 6oz) or Padded Cloth (Gambeson)

Medium Armor:

+2 AP: Riveted or Splinted Leather, Leather Lamellar, Leather Brigandines (with non-overlapping plates), Jack chains.

Heavy Armor:

+3 AP: Chainmail, Metal Scale Armor.

+4 AP: Plate Armor, or Metal Lamellar/Brigandines with overlapping plates.

Armor Examples

A Sage wears a short-sleeve, padded gambeson that extends to their knees, along with leather greaves and bracers. They are wearing light armor and would have 1 AP in all areas. The sage adds studs to their bracers changing them into medium armor, and adds splinted leather pauldrons. This gives them medium armor on their arms, but they no longer have enough light armor to receive that bonus on their arms. They would have a total of 2 AP on their arms. The sage decides to wear a helmet increasing their AP to 3 on their arms, and 2 in all other target regions.

An Arcanist wears a short-sleeve gambeson that extends to their mid-thigh, along with leather bracers. They would have 1 AP on their torso and arms, but insufficient coverage on their legs to count as armored. The Arcanist decides to change to a long-sleeve gambeson that also extends to their knees. This increases their leg armor to 1 AP but would not receive any additional armor on their arms.

A Warrior wears a long-sleeved gambeson that extends to their knees, a long-sleeved chainmail hauberk, a plate cuirass, plate greaves, and a helmet. The warrior would have 6 AP on their torso, 5 AP on their arms, and 5 AP on their legs. The majority of their heavy armor on their legs is chainmail so they would only receive the +3. If they added faulds, cuisses, or poleyns, they would receive the full +4 of plate.

Shields

Shields can be used to block damage from arrows and most melee weapons. If a shield takes 4 hits from a two-handed axe, hammer, or mace wielded with two hands, it is broken. When a shield is broken, the wielder must hold it out of the line of combat. It is highly encouraged to find a safe place outside of the battle to set down a broken shield once the wielder is able.

HP and AP Recovery

AP can be recovered by either being healed by a Boneknitters, spending 15 minutes in camp, or through the use of a Mending spell. HP can only be recovered by Boneknitters or the Mending spell. Broken shields can only be repaired through the Mending spell.

Weapons

  • One-handed weapons (total length less than or equal to 36”) deal 1 damage.

  • Two-handed weapons (total length greater than 36” and wielded with both hands) deal 2 damage. Weapons greater than 36” do 1 damage when wielded with one hand.

  • Staffs (poles with no weapon head) deal 1 damage to any target region that is unarmored.

  • Arrows from bows or crossbow bolts deal 3 damage. Only one arrow or bolt may be strung or fired at a time.

Throwing any weapons is strictly prohibited. Although LARP safe throwing weapons exist, only arrows may be used as projectiles.

Allowed Weapons

All melee weapons must be made by a professional manufacturer for insurance liability. No home-made, boffer, or modified melee weapons are allowed. Cosmetic modifications, such as handle wraps or paint are acceptable. Weapons must be of the foam-latex or foam injection-molded type. Examples of suitable manufacturers are Epic Armoury, Mytholon, Calimacil. Wyvern, Nemesis, Mitryl. 

  • Shields: Home-made shields are acceptable, but will be scrutinized for overall look and safety. They must meet the following requirements:

    • The core must be wood or plastic, they must be entirely encased in foam padding, and the foam must be entirely plasti-dipped or covered in canvas.

    • Shields should be painted, either with appropriate culture colors, insignia, or with wood grain. Alternatively, the shield may be tightly encased with a removable cloth cover painted with the appropriate culture insignia.

  • Bows and Crossbows: The max allowable draw-weight for bows is 30# at a 28” draw. Crossbows have a max allowable power of 650 inch-pounds. All bows and crossbows shall be medieval or period appropriate. Modern or compound bows cannot be used at the event.

  • Arrows: All arrows must be “low speed” or flat sponge-tipped. Arrows must be made by a professional manufacturer such as IDV or B3studios. Gorg-tech arrows are permitted but must be assembled per manufacturers instructions.

All weapons must be visually approved via email ahead of time and will be safety inspected before and throughout the event. All items can potentially be turned away at check-in so please submit all items ahead of time at contact@reckoninglarp.com