Table of Contents
Weapons and Armor
Armor
Armor Locations
Each of the following Armor Locations receives a value of one Armor Point multiplied by the material value and coverage. No location can be assigned a value lower than zero.
- Hands/Forearms: This includes the area from the tip of the fingers to elbow. Covering only one hand/forearm lowers the number of points awarded by one, as described below.
- Upper Arms/Shoulders: This includes the area from the elbow to neck. Covering only one upper arm/shoulder lowers the number of points awarded by one, as described below.
- Feet/Lower Legs: This includes the area from the toes to the knee. Covering only one foot/lower leg lowers the number of points awarded by one, as described below.
- Upper Legs/Groin: This includes the area from the knee to the waist. Covering only one upper leg lowers the number of points awarded by one, as described below.
Each of the following Armor Locations receives a value of two Armor Points multiplied by the material value and coverage. No location can be assigned a value lower than zero.
- Belly: This includes the area from the waist to the bottom of the sternum.
- Upper Chest: This includes the area from the bottom of the sternum to the neck.
- Back: This includes the entire back from the waist to the neck.
- Head: This includes the area from the back of the neck to the forehead.
Armor Materials
The following defines what is assigned to each Armor Location. For all types, if at least half the designated location is not covered, the Marshal will deduct at least half the points for that location and may penalize the location down to counting as no coverage.
Different types of armor may be layered to gain additional points, but in no case may any location go over the maximum of 4 points. Bonus points are only given for a location if all materials used meet the requirements for a bonus. For example, a character could layer thick leather armor (2 points) with an additional layer of quilted cloth (1 point) for a total of 3 points in a location, but any Bonus Points (see below) would not stack.
Armor values are based on appearance of armor type. For example, chainmail made of plastic rings which has the appearance of real metal chain will count for 3 points of value on a location, though it will not get the bonus for authentic materials. Please keep in mind that we expect all participants to put effort into maintaining the appearance of their armor; to be awarded value based on appearance of a specific armor type, the armor physrep should give a quality, consistent appearance of that type.
- 0 points: Costume. Costume is any sort of period costume made from cloth or any other material that does not at all resemble armor.
- 1 point: Light Non-Metallic Armor. This level is awarded for simple materials which give a modicum of protection, such as leather, leather scale, padded cloth, Naugahyde, suede, doeskin, heavy canvas, and rope.
- 2 points: Heavy Non-Metallic Armor. This level is awarded for simpler materials which have been specifically thickened or upgraded to provide real protection, such as studded leather or the equivalent of 10 oz or heavier thick leather. It can also be given for harder materials such as wood and bone depending on how the armor is made. To meet this level of award, studded leather (or a similar material) must have a minimum of ¼” wide metal studs 1“ apart or less (or the equivalent level of upgraded protection).
- 3 points: Chain/Scale/Brigandine. The material must appear to be one of the following: chain mail tight enough to provide protection, metallic scale of at least 1/16” thick, or brigandine with plates of at least 1/16“ woven within. At a marshal’s judgement, similar/alternative armor construction may meet this threshold, but please be aware that the armor must appear to be solidly built and upgraded to qualify for this level of protection and the default is to assign the lower 1- or 2-point values if the protective value is not obvious.
- 4 points: Plate Armor. This level is awarded only for solid plate protection on an area. The material must appear to be plate mail of sufficient thickness to absorb blows (excessively thin or light plate may be downgraded by a Marshal to 3 point per location or lower armor value). Please keep in mind that this armor level is intended to help balance the weight and restriction associated with plate armor.
Bonus Points
The following bonuses are awarded if the costume or suit of armor meets the specified criteria. Some bonuses can confer more than one additional Armor Point.
In Genre: No jeans, sneakers, watches, or other obvious anachronisms. Modern footwear (such as hiking boots) and glasses may be used for safety reasons without being penalized. This gives up to two bonus points.
Master Crafted: Exquisitely crafted costumes, real armor, or armor that is visually impressive. This gives up to four bonus points.
Authentic Material: This bonus of 1 point per location may be given for use of authentic material. For example, steel plate (as opposed to alternative material such as plastic, latex, or the like) would garner this bonus, as would metal chain mail (instead of plastic or vinyl) and real leather (instead of latex or plastic). The material does not necessarily need to be historically accurate—for example, stainless steel is acceptable instead of a more historically accurate alloy—but it does need to be a material which is true to the armor type it is representing. Note that this bonus does not double for vital locations as bonus points are calculated after a suit has been otherwise evaluated, and this bonus will only apply to a location with layered armor if all layers comply.
Safety
Armor cannot be taped together. It must have integral fastenings. Any metal plates must have round-filed edges or the edges must be covered to avoid injury. Jutting edges on sheet metal armor should be avoided. Any armor that is deemed unsafe cannot be used. Head protection may need to be padded to prevent injury while being worn. Failure to follow these safety guidelines can result in you being banned from combat until the offending piece of armor is removed.
Armor Points
Once a marshal has assigned your Armor Rating, you may use an armor tag with up to as many Armor Points as you have Armor Rating. If you remove a piece of armor at any time during the game, your Armor Rating is reduced by the appropriate amount. You can never have more Armor Points on your tag than the actual armor you are wearing, and your maximum Armor Points may be limited by your class and Skills (see the “Classes” section for details). If needed, you may remove extra points from an Armor Tag by marking it down in order to use the tag - but this change is permanent and the lost points may not be “regained” without purchasing an entirely new armor tag.
You cannot carry multiple Armor tags and “switch” between them in battle, nor may you switch between different sources of armor (such as the Arcane Armor ritual and a physical Armor tag) without having the new suit of armor refit.
When struck for damage in battle, your Armor Points will be deducted before your Body Points. You must have the Blacksmith Skill to be able to refit armor and repair its damage. There are some magical effects like Mend Armor that may restore damaged Armor Points.
Refitting
“Refitting” a suit of armor takes a complete uninterrupted minute of Focus during which you can perform no Game Abilities. The player must kneel or crouch and adjust their armor to represent the act of refitting. If you are refitting someone else’s armor, the target must kneel while the other character role-plays fixing the armor. This might involve pulling out a small bag of tools and accessories, or at least by pounding on the armor or otherwise taking actions to make it clear that you are repairing armor and not just kneeling.
Refitting armor can be done any number of times LP by a character with the Skill Blacksmith, whether they have Production Points available.
Characters with Arcane Armor rituals may Refit their Arcane Armor on themselves only. Similarly, a creature with Natural Armor may Refit their Natural Armor on themselves.
Shields
A physical delivery attack (like a sword swing, Thrown Weapon, or Arrow Packet) that lands on a Shield will not count, but a Packet delivery attack generally will. Shields do not protect the owner from any kind of trap.
Shields are strictly for defense. They are not considered Weapons in any way and cannot be used offensively.
You cannot use a Shield for any Weapon-based Skill such as Parry, nor will your Shield be affected by a targeted effect which specifies a “Weapon.” A Shatter effect cast as “With Eldritch Force I Shatter your Weapon” would have no effect on a Shield; however, “With Eldritch Force I Shatter your Shield” would work.
Shields cannot be used with Two-Handed Weapons. You may not wield a Weapon with the hand or arm holding the Shield.
A “buckler” Shield (a small Shield that is strapped onto the arm) must still follow all Shield rules - in other words, you cannot have a buckler on your left arm and still hold anything in your left hand.
Shields can be made of almost any strong material such as plastic, wood, and aluminum, or can be made from light rigid materials such as foam insulation. Safety is the prime consideration when constructing a Shield. All edges of the Shield must be padded for safety. Bolts or protrusions are not allowed.
Weapons
REFUGE LARP allows combat with safely padded prop Weapons. Combat is strictly not allowed without appropriate Weapons that have been safety checked; a monster with “Claws” does not allow the player to reach over and physically claw at the target with their bare hands. Safety is the main concern here; we are using our Weapons to represent battles, not to cause damage.
Every Weapon must be inspected and approved by a Marshal before every event. It is your responsibility to make sure your Weapon has been approved before you start playing. If anyone is hurt from your unsafe Weapon and you did not get it checked and approved beforehand, you will be held responsible.
Cast Weapons
Most Cast Weapons are useless as treasure. In general, monsters can be thought of as using particularly crude and low-quality Weapons that an Adventurer would break with constant use.
There are occasions when you can find Cast Weapons that can be taken as treasure. You should take the tag and leave the physical representation with the Cast and then provide your own physrep for the Weapon if you wish to use it.
If you Disarm a Weapon or Shield from Cast during a battle, you can pick up that Weapon or Shield and use it for the duration of that battle even if there is no Weapon tag attached (assuming that you have the Skill in that particular Weapon to use it.) Once the battle is completed, you must return the physrep to Cast.
Be fair about this = don’t go taking all of the Cast Weapons in order to prevent the Cast from coming back into the battle as other monsters. If you are not using the Weapon, you must give it back to any Cast who is OOG and needs a Weapon to come back into game as another monster.
Weapon Construction
All Weapon construction is viewed with the idea of safety foremost. The Weapon design specifications are intended to represent the bare minimum necessary for a Weapon to pass safety inspection. Be aware that even the safest Weapon could cause injury if improperly used. Therefore, in addition to Weapon construction, practice in the use of the Weapon is needed.
Every Weapon must be checked for safety by a Marshal at every event it is brought to. Weapons break down over time, and a Weapon which is safe at one event may not be safe at the next. Local Marshals may, at their discretion, require additional measures be taken to ensure a Weapon is safe for REFUGE LARP use. It is always best to consult your local Marshals to determine their expectations when you are designing or looking to purchase a new Weapon. Since specifics on Weapon safety might vary chapter to chapter, only a Marshal from a specific chapter can verify that any Weapon will or will not pass in their chapter.
If your Weapon physrep breaks during an event, then IG, your Weapon has broken as well. You cannot call a Pause Game to go get another physrep, and you must turn over the Weapon to a Marshal. If the Weapon was unshatterable IG, then a short Pause Game can be called to replace the physrep if another is immediately available.
All exposed cores must be rendered safe with tape and padding. In a melee, it is possible to accidentally hit someone with the pommel or crossguard, so even these parts must be protected. The only exception to this is the grip, which may be left unpadded if desired though you may use tape, leather, or other materials to provide a more comfortable and secure grip. A Weapon’s unpadded grip should only extend to parts of the Weapon which are never expected to come in contact with opponents. In general, a good rule of thumb is to leave no more than one-quarter of the length of the Weapon unpadded for a grip, though this depends on the specific type of Weapon. For example, Polearms will often have a longer length of core left unpadded, but keep in mind that padding should exist on significant portions of the core below the head as those parts of the Weapon will often come in contact with others. You must always wield cored Weapons by their designated grip. Remember that safety is our main concern here.
All Weapons which are intended to allow thrusting must have a thrusting tip. A thrusting tip consists of at least two inches of open cell foam padding beyond the end of the pipe insulation. If the foam tip is too small, opponents could get hurt with a stiff thrust. If the tip is too large, it could easily break off or fold over, making it useless. A thrusting tip should not be significantly longer than its diameter and should collapse about half of its length when pressure is applied.
All crossguards must be below the blade or shaft of the Weapon.
The crossguard may be made with open or closed cell foam, but the crossguard should be made with no core regardless of material used. As always, safety is paramount and protuberances which are found to be unsafe will be rejected.
All striking surfaces of the Weapon must be protected with at least 5/8“ thick closed cell foam. If 5/8” foam is not available two layers of thinner foam may be used if the combined thickness is greater than 5/ 8“. In addition, all non-striking surfaces which may come into contact with another player (such as the shaft of a Blunt Weapon or Polearm, crossguards, and the flats of Sword blades) must be protected with sufficient closed cell foam to ensure safety should accidental strikes happen with those areas of the Weapon. Weapons which do not have sufficient padding on non-striking surfaces will absolutely be disallowed from play. If you are unsure what qualifies, it’s always best to stick with a minimum of 5/8” thick foam on all sections of the Weapon above the grip.
Take this point very seriously! If you do not have your Weapon checked and you hit someone and your Weapon breaks and hurts them, it will be your responsibility. The legal release you sign does not cover you if you do not follow our safety rules.
Weapons are generally made with a fiberglass, graphite, or carbon fiber core. Light aluminum can be used for Two-Handed Weapons (except Staffs) but never for One-Handed Weapons. Aluminum is not flexible enough for shorter Weapons. Heavy aluminum pipe, wood and metal wire are never acceptable Weapon making materials.
All Weapons must be fairly rigid so as not to act as a whip when swung quickly. Under most circumstances, a Weapon tip should not bend more than 6 inches from true when a moderate weight is applied to the tip and the grip is held level.
All Weapons must also have some give to them when contact is made. The core should flex somewhat. If the core does not flex, then you may be required either to use a smaller diameter pipe or add more padding to ensure that the Weapon is safe. This is often the case with metal pipes or when the pipe diameter is too large for the Weapon type. If the pipe insulation on the shaft is too compressed, the Weapon will hit harder than desired and will fail a Weapons check.
One common mistake is to use foam of a smaller diameter than the pipe being used, forcing the foam over the pipe. This makes the Weapon too hard. Another common mistake is to wrap the duct tape around the foam too tightly, or even in a spiral pattern up the blade. This tends to make the insulation too stiff and gives unwanted weight. The insulation should slide easily over the pipe but fit snugly so that the Weapon will not rattle if the pipe is shaken.
The foam should be taped lengthwise, using 2-inch-wide duct tape and overlapping about ¼ inch. This will use the least amount of tape, keeping the Weapon light and safe. Vinyl electrical tape has less give than duct tape; however, it is acceptable for use in noncontact areas of the Weapon as decoration or grips.
In addition, you may want to cover your Weapon with cloth after it is completed to give it a suitable appearance. The cloth should be sewn very tightly and not be a loose covering.
Note that if a sword is to have a weighted pommel, that pommel must be thickly padded since it could potentially do more damage than a normal Weapon blade.
Weapon Guidelines
Thrown Weapons can be of many different shapes and sizes. They must be constructed with no core and may not be internally weighted with hard materials. These Weapons can never be used as a melee Weapon in a fight; they must be thrown. Because they can be odd sizes and shapes, they must be approved on a case-by-case basis. At a minimum, they should be at least 2 inches long in one dimension.
Thrown Weapons with any single measurement over 24 in. / 61 cm. should be tagged as a “Heavy Thrown Weapon” and will have a base damage of 3 instead of 2.
Chapters may rule that some specific Thrown Weapons, called Boulders, may only be lifted by creatures with Superhuman Strength and the Skill Thrown Weapon. Boulders are usually represented by garbage bags full of wrinkled paper or open cell foam and will be tagged appropriately.
Claws must be primarily red. While small decorations of other colors are allowed, all Claws must be easily recognizable as red from a distance without asking whether the Weapon is a claw. Other Weapons may not use red as their predominant color and should leave no question that they are not Claws when seen from any range.
Claws usable by the PC Skill Claw must be of Short Weapon length. Some monsters may have Long Claws or even Two-Handed Claws but must follow the standard rules for fighting with two Weapons (including length restrictions) or a Two-Handed Weapon. Monsters might also use red Shields, to indicate particularly large Claws meant only for blocking.
Blunt Weapons, Axes, One-Handed Spears and Polearms must have a padded head that is shaped appropriate to the Weapon type. This padded head must be made from foam and it must be placed over the 5/8“ pipe insulation that covers the core. The head must be noticeably thicker than the pipe insulation and should squash easily. Everything above the grip area must be padded—like all Weapons, any part that might come into contact with your opponents should have foam padding. Note that Blunt Weapons may never be used to thrust.
One-Handed Spear can only be used to perform thrusting attacks, and can never be thrown. A character hit by any part other than the thrusting tip takes no damage.
Staffs may only be handled in the middle 3 feet. This distance should be marked off so it is easily identifiable. You must have both hands on the Staff to attack, but you may block with only one hand on the Staff, or in conjunction with a Short Weapon for the purposes of the Two Weapons Skill. Note that for safety reasons, padding may be required on the grip section of the Staff depending on how it is designed.
Two-Handed Weapons must always be used with both hands. If you lose the use of one arm (such as from a Stun Limb spell), then you cannot wield the Weapon at all and will take any called damage if you accidentally block a blow while the Weapon is only held in one hand.
| Weapon | Minimum Length | Maximum Length | Base Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranged | |||
| Short Bow | 25“ or 63.5 cm | 33” or 83.8 cm | 2 |
| Long Bow | 33“ or 83.8 cm | 58” or 147.3 cm | 3 |
| Light Crossbow | 14“ or 35.6 cm | 25” or 63.5 cm | 3 |
| Heavy Crossbow | 25“ or 63.5 cm | 32” or 81.3 cm | 4 |
| Thrown Weapon | 2“ or 5.1 cm | 40” or 101.6 cm | 2 or 3 |
| One-Handed | |||
| Small Weapon | 20“ or 50.8 cm | 28” or 71.1 cm | 1 |
| Short Weapon or Claw | 28“ or 71.1 cm | 36” or 91.4 cm | 2 |
| Long Weapon | 36“ or 91.4 cm | 48” or 121.9 cm | 2 |
| Spear | 48“ or 121.9 cm | 58” or 147.3 cm | 2 |
| Two-Handed | |||
| Polearm | 62“ or 157.5 cm | 75” or 190.5 cm | 3 |
| Staff | 60“ or 152.4 cm | 75” or 190.5 cm | 2 |
| Two-Handed Blunt or Edged | 48“ or 121.9 cm | 62” or 157.5 cm | 3 |
Archery
Archery is represented with a Packet delivered attack. Each Packet must be blue.
Arrows are used exclusively by Bows. Bolts are used exclusively by Crossbows. Arrows and Bolts are treated the same as far as the rules are concerned, except that they may only be used with their respective Weapon. Arrows and Bolts are on tags similar in design to armor tags, and when used, you must rip off the number of Arrows or Bolts used in the battle.
Arrows and Bolts are consumable. Once the verbal is stated, the Arrow or Bolt is lost even if it is not thrown, and the appropriate number of Arrow or Bolt tags must be given up after each battle. Like spell Packets, you can retrieve Arrow or Bolt Packets in a Pause Game but you cannot call a Pause Game in order to retrieve them.
An archer may not have more Arrow or Bolt tags on them than they have room for in their quivers. One quiver may hold up to 20 Arrows or Bolts. A quiver is defined as any pouch or container whose dimensions are a minimum volume of 64 cubic inches with no dimension smaller than 1“. A foam physrep of a quiver may also be used. For each multiple of the maximum quiver volume, a quiver can hold an additional 20 Arrows or Bolts. You may carry as many quivers as you are physically able.
When using a Bow, the arm holding the Bow must be held straight out and aimed at the target. A Crossbow may be held with the arm bent but must still be aimed at the target. The Arrow or Bolt Packet must be touched to the Bow/Crossbow and then brought up to the chin/shoulder area before being thrown. The Packet may be held at the chin/shoulder area for as long as desired and then thrown. If the Packet leaves the chin/shoulder area, it must be touched to the Bow/Crossbow again.
The archer must finish the damage verbal before throwing the Packet. If the Packet is not thrown, it is still consumed. Shields and Weapons will block an Archery attack.
Head shots from Archery Packets do not count. Hand shots do not count if a usable Weapon is in that hand, as the hand is considered part of the blocking Weapon. Shots to a hand without a Weapon in it, or a Weapon that the target cannot use, or one hand on a Two-Handed Weapon, are considered hits.
Bows are made of a curved physrep, padded like a regular Weapon. No string is attached. It is considered a Two-Handed Weapon for attacking purposes; in other words, both hands and both arms must be free to utilize a Bow.
The grip of the Bow must be in the Bow’s center and the Bow may only ever be utilized while holding the grip. A Bow physrep is not required to have thrusting tips on its ends. However, as with all Weapons, sufficient padding must be in place that the core of the Weapon may not be felt, and a marshal judges the Weapon to be safe in combat.
The Bow physrep can be used for blocking defense with one hand. If the archer has the Two Weapon Skill and is using a Short Bow, then they may use it with a Long Weapon or with a One-Handed Spear. A Bow may not be used for melee attacks.
When measuring a Bow’s length, it is measured along the outside of the Bow’s curve.
Crossbows are made of closed cell foam only—no core is allowed. No string is attached. A Crossbow cannot be used for blocking. It is considered a Two-Handed Weapon for attacking purposes; in other words, both hands and both arms must be free to utilize a Crossbow. In our game, the Crossbow is meant to be a lighter, more portable counterpart to the Bow.