For the safety of all, YOU MUST REPORT unacceptable behavior, someone playing too rough, or a safety hazard to Mertag or another adult
SAFETY
As this event will be held in the great outdoors, there will be many potential safety hazards you could encounter. For example:
• Poison Ivy
• Thorns
• Uneven or muddy ground
• Foam weapons that have become unsafe with use
• Barbed wire fences
• The Crocobearamoose
Use your head, be aware of your surroundings, and if you see a safety hazard, report it to Mertag or another adult.
ROLE PLAYING
BE WARNED, this LARP is going to put a very high importance on role playing and realism. If you feel that you are not prepared to invest in some serious immersion and roleplaying, this may not be the LARP for you.
Imagine passing through a magic portal, leaving the mundane behind, and being transported into a fantasy medieval world of warriors, wizards, and fools. At Ravenwood LARP, this will become a reality!
In the narrow path leading into the forest of Ravenwood, you will encounter an ornately painted gate. Whether you decide to enter this gate is your decision and yours alone. By choosing to pass through this gate, you will be making a commitment to leave Waynesville 2018 behind and become fully immersed in the ancient forest of Ravenwood. If for any reason you must break character for anything other than addressing a safety hazard, you are required to pass back out through the gate and only return when you are ready to reenter the game.
CLASSES
At the beginning of the event, once you pass through the gates of Ravenwood and enter the town, you will find a class registration table. Here you will choose your class and receive a colored pendant on a necklace that will correspond with your chosen class.
Which class you choose will determine what abilities your character will and will not have. These abilities are primarily related to what weapons you are and are not allowed to use and or what healing abilities you possess. If you would like to build your character around your class you are welcomed to. If however, you are playing the part of a hobbit beekeeper but would like to be able to use a bow, you can be a ranger class without playing a traditional ranger character.
To avoid any confusion or disputes, keep your class pendant on your person at all times.
LEVELING UP
At the beginning of every third Ravenwood LARP you attend, you will level up. The max level you can reach is level 4. Each time you level up, you will gain the ability to advance to the second level of your current class, or to gain the abilities of one additional class. A character can only have the abilities of a max of two classes. For instance, a level 4 player could have all the abilities of two classes at the second level in each class. The Magic User class is the ONLY class in which you can level up within class past level 2. For example, a level 4 magic user would have many more abilities and spells than a level 1 magic user.
COMBAT
Combat will be fully controlled contact with minimal force. All that is required for a “hit” is for your weapon to make contact with the body of your opponent. Note, it has to be the body, not just a light brush against another player’s cloak. Each limb will have 1 Hit Point (HP) while the torso will have 2 HP. Meaning, a single hit is all it takes for you to completely lose the use of a limb, but it will take two strikes to the torso to render you “unconscious.” Note, if you have lost the use of a limb and are hit again in that same limb, it will count as a hit to your torso.
Unless specified, all weapons will only deal one HP per hit. There are only two important exceptions to this rule. Arrows shot from a bow or cross bow will deal 2 HP of damage and a strike from behind (to the back only) using a sidearm weapon (dagger, hatchet, etc.) will be a one hit kill.
Remember to use common sense when fighting. Anyone judged to be fighting too rough will lose the privilege to engage in combat.
ARMOR
Certain classes possess the ability to wear armor. In order for armor to take effect, the weapon must directly strike the armor. When this occurs, the armor absorbs the damage of that strike. All padded and leather armor has 1 HP meaning after the armor is hit once during a battle, if hit again in that same spot you will take the normal damage of that strike to your body. Metal plate armor and chainmail have 2 HP. NOTE: Armor of any kind does not protect against magic projectiles (spell pouches).
HEALING
At any point during a fight, a player can drink a health potion to regain full health and use of all limbs. The health potion could be theirs or could be given to them by another player. (Remember, these potions are actually consumable so use them wisely!) After receiving two hits to the chest/back, you will immediately fall to the ground with an epic cry and then become “unconscious.” You will then proceed to lay on the ground quietly and count in your head to 2 minutes. During these 2 minutes there are only three things that can happen.
1) Another player can kneel down and give you one of their health potions and you regain full health.
2) Another player can kneel down and force you to drink a poison potion and you immediately die.
3) No one approaches you and you finish counting to the required 2 minutes
If you do finish counting to the 2 minutes, one of two things will happen.
1) You have a health potion on your person. You drink it, regain full health, and jump back in the fight.
2) You do not have a health potion on your person so you walk back to the nearest respawn point and then get back in the game.
WEAPONS
Standard Weapon: Any weapon between 18” and 36” in length. Anyone can wield a standard weapon no matter what class they are.
Sidearm Weapon: Any weapon under the length of 18”. You can use this weapon along with a standard weapon without it being considered “duel wielding.” This weapon can deal a one hit kill if used to stab someone in the back.
Throwing Weapon: Must be under 14” in length. Must weigh ½ pound or less. If it has a PVC core, it must have at least 3/4” of foam on all sides.
Magic User Staff: Must be between 4’ and 5’6” in length. Cannot have any blades attached. If used to stab, there must be a minimum of 3” of foam at the stabbing point. Can only be used by the Magic User class.
Magic Spell Pouches: A 5” by 5” square of fabric filled with 2 Tbsps. of rice, folded up on all edges and pinched just above the rice and then secured with a rubber band. Should somewhat resemble a badminton shuttlecock. Can only be used by the magic user class. When a magic user casts (throws) a spell pouch, they must first shout the name of the spell followed by “Casting 1, 2, 3!” For example, “Magic Missile casting 1, 2, 3!” You may say this as quickly as you can but it must be recited aloud between each throw.
Polearm: Any weapon between 5’6” and 6’6” in length. May have a blade of any kind. The handle must make up at least half of the overall length of the weapon. Can only be used by the Poleman class.
Large Weapon: Any weapon between the length of 3’ and 5’. Can only be used by the Warrior class.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Chests: Chests filled with shillings and other valuables will be scattered across all of Ravenwood. All of these chests will have a small lock on them. The only way to unlock the chests is with a key only possessed by Rogue class players. Rogues will each be given one of these keys at the beginning of the day when they receive their class banner.
Shillings: Shillings are the currency of Ravenwood. They can be used to buy things like food and drink, weapons, jewelry, health potions, and much more. Shillings also stick with you between different LARPs and or characters you play as.
Looting: During the 2 minutes a player is “unconscious” while lying on the ground after being defeated in combat, they are susceptible to being looted. Anyone can loot an “unconscious” body. You are only permitted to take up to 2 shillings from the player you are looting. An “unconscious” player MUST give up the 2 shillings (if they have them) to the player looting them. An “unconscious” player can only be looted one time before respawning. NOTE: A level 2 Rogue can loot up to 4 shillings.
Festivals: At various times throughout the day there will be festivals held in town. They will be signaled by the ringing of the town bell. When you hear the bell ring, all players should return to town.
Quests: Quests may be things like finding specific items, delivering a message to someone, killing a certain person, etc. There will always be a nice reward for completing a quest.
Health Potions: Health potions will be small glass vials filled with RED Gatorade. These vials, as well as the liquid to refill them after use, will be available for purchase in town. Unless you are playing as the Healer class, you may only carry 2 health potions on your person at a given time.
Poison Potions: Poison potions will be small vials filled with GREEN Gatorade. These vials, as well as the liquid to refill them after use, will be available for purchase in town. Only players playing as the Rogue class are able to carry and use poison potions. A rogue may carry up to 4 poison potions at a time.