THE SAFETY RULES

The safety rules are out-of-character (OOC). They must be followed at all times. They are for our safety, and provide the guidelines that we should all be playing by.

The Rules We Play By

1. We should all be doing this to have fun. If you get mad or uncontrolled, it is up to you to remove yourself from the game. A marshal may remove you from the game if you do not.
2. This is a sport of personal honor; treat it as such. You are responsible for keeping track of many aspects of this game, such as weapon blows and known spells. Failure to report or accurately respond to any of these aspects is cheating, and a stain on your personal honor. If you are caught cheating, a marshal may remove you from the game or any combat.
3. You must listen to the marshals at all times, they are the referees.
4. If something looks unsafe, it most likely is unsafe. Report safety concerns to a marshal immediately. If you have any questions, it is up to you to ask.
5. HOLD: If you see a harmful or unsafe situation, yell the word "Hold" (e.g. someone is about to run into a tree, gets their glasses knocked off, has had their weapon really broken in combat, someone is about to fall off a cliff, etc.). If someone is injured, it is the primary responsibility of the person who is hurt to call a hold. Before calling a hold for someone else in an otherwise safe situation, you must first ask if they are all right. Holds should only be called in the event of a dangerous situation, and should never be used to discuss the rules. If you hear the word "Hold" stop immediately, then say "Hold" until everyone else has stopped moving. Once the emergency has been dealt with, a Lay-On (continue play) will be called either by a qualified marshal, or the person who originally called the Hold. Do not resume play until a Lay-On has been called.
6. Only weapons and shields that have been made following the construction guidelines (see the section on Weapon Construction) are to be used. A qualified marshal may be requested to check the safety of any weapons or shields at any time. Any new designs or materials must be inspected and approved by the EH or a designated marshal before use.
7. There is to be NO real steel in any combat situation, or in any potential combat situation, at any time. Real steel is defined as metal knives, swords, axes, darts, spikes, spurs, etc. - anything that could really hurt a participant. Real steel that is sheathed is still a potential hazard.
8. Acts considered unlawful in the real world, such as theft of non-game items or assault, are also unlawful in the Realms. For the safety of all participants, any form of unwanted physical contact is strictly forbidden.
9. Any spell props, weapon props, or materials not specifically allowed within the Omnibus must be inspected and approved by the EH or a designated marshal before they are used.

The Rules We Fight By

10. This is a lightest touch sport. ANY contact with a weapon to a body is to be taken as a hit. Ignoring a "light" blow is cheating and a marshal may remove you from the fight. There are to be NO full-strength swings. A marshal may remove you for excessive blow strength.
11. The face (eyebrows to chin) and throat area are "off-target". Do not aim for these areas. If you are hit in these areas you may choose not to accept the blow, but you must call the location hit (e.g. if you are hit in the face, call "Face" and keep fighting if you wish to). This alerts both the other combatant and the referee that you have taken an illegal blow.
12. In combat, there is to be contact with weapons only (i.e. weapons hitting weapons, weapons hitting bodies, and weapons hitting shields only). There is to be NO body contact of any kind (i.e. no shoving, punching, kicking, biting, grabbing, etc.) Do NOT grab an opponent's weapons and/or shield.
13. Do NOT charge. Charging is defined as running at someone so that they have to get out of your way to avoid illegal contact.
14. Shields are for blocking ONLY. Your shield should never be used as a weapon. Punch-blocking, shield-bashing, or contact with another person is unsafe.
15. Pommels, no matter how padded, are not legal striking surfaces. Do not punch or thrust with the pommel of a weapon.
16. Do NOT ever throw a weapon at a participant, unless that weapon is of a type (magic missile, javelin, or lightning bolt) sanctioned by the rules for throwing. No thrown weapon or missile weapon should strike a participant above the shoulders.
17. Arrows should be drawn with minimal pull necessary to score a successful hit. Bows should NEVER be used to parry an attack. As with thrown weapons, arrows should not strike a participant above the shoulders.