THE RULES OF COMBAT

The Combat System

The Realms uses a lightest touch system for its combat system. That means that no matter how lightly your opponent may touch you with his weapon, you have to take the shot. This is to keep the sport friendly, so that everyone can play. This system does not allow for "scratches" or "light blows" - you must take these shots as normal blows. In all cases, the phrase, "if you are struck," refers to any time you are struck by the padded surface of any weapon or the carrier of any spell that does damage as a weapon.

Hit Locations

Your body is separated into seven locations of which there are two kinds. Your arms and legs are "limbs," while your head and the front and back of your torso are "kill zones." If you become confused about exactly where one location stops and another begins, thinking of a Barbie doll may help.

Killing Blows

If you are struck in a kill zone your character is dead (See Character Death and Scalping for more details).

If you are hit on the top of the shoulder, your character is dead. In the case that you are wearing armor, a blow to the top of the shoulder is considered a blow to the front or back depending on whether your opponent is in front of you or behind you.

Limb Shots

If you are struck in a limb, your character loses the use of that entire limb.

If you are struck in a limb that has already been lost, and that limb blocked what could have possibly been a legal shot to another location, then that location should be considered hit. You cannot protect the side of your character's body with a disabled arm or by lifting a disabled leg up to block. Once your character's limb has been disabled, it should be put behind you. This keeps it out of the way as well as provides a visual cue that your character is hurt to other players. Once you have lost a limb, your character cannot use that limb at all. Don't limp on a damaged leg.

Hand on Weapon

If you are struck on a hand that is holding anything that is legal to block or parry with, it is considered gauntleted and immune to damage. For instance: weapons and shields, but not bows, javelins, or arrows. When this happens, call out "Hand" or "Hand-on-weapon." If you are struck on a hand that is not holding anything you can parry with, even if you have just taken it off for a second, it is considered a legal limb shot and your character has to suffer the consequences. Your hand is considered everything below the wrist bone.

How to Take Multiple Hits

Should an opponent's weapon (be it a melee weapon, a missile weapon, or magic attack carrier) hit you in more than one location with the same swing, all points of contact count as hits.

Combat Etiquette

Combat is an important part of the game. In order to make the game more fun for everyone, combat etiquette, which is out-of-character, has been developed. Using combat etiquette helps avoid confusion and promotes the same kind of behavior when someone else is fighting you.

Calling Hits: It is a good habit to call where you were hit in battle, to let the other participant know that he did hit you, and where he hit you. Calling armor, protections, and other effects is mandatory, so you may as well call your hits too.
Calling Shots: In battle, you may feel that you struck another participant. It is not acceptable to call their shots for them. If you feel that another participant is consistently miscalling their hits, rhino-hiding, or some other form of cheating, please alert a marshal. It is acceptable to ask your opponent if he was hit, calling his attention to the location.

Late Shots: Sometimes you will strike another participant, immediately after receiving a hit that injures or kills your character. For example, just before your sword makes contact with an opponent, your attacking arm is struck by another weapon. Even though you are incapable of physically halting your attack, the injury your character received renders the hit ineffective. There is no "follow through" effect that allows your attack to be successful. This is called a late shot. If you deliver a late shot, it is your responsibility to indicate so. Inform your opponent to not take the blow. Common phrasing includes "Don't take that!" or "Late, on your arm!." Like other shots, you may not declare that someone else hit you late. If you think someone is failing to call their late shots, question them after combat ends, or bring your concern to a marshal.

Illegal Hits: Sometimes you may hit someone with a part of your weapon that doesnt actually damage their character, such as the pipe of a weapon, the side of a thrust-only weapon (see Weapon Rules), or the shaft of an arrow or javelin. If you do this, be sure to call, "Don't take that!" to alert them that it wasnt a legal hit, and that they may resume play as if the hit never occurred.

"Rhino-Hiding": Sometimes, in the thick of battle, people miss shots, because of adrenaline or focus. This is generally unintentional and accidental and often stops once a fighter has more experience in calling and feeling their shots. Repeatedly missing shots, or intentionally missing shots, however, is different. This is called rhino-hiding. Rhino-hiding is cheating. If you repeatedly miss shots, you may be asked to get retrained in fighting, or may be asked to stop playing (see Cheating).

Off Target Areas

Your face and the front of your throat are off-target; players should never aim attacks there. If you are hit in either location, you should announce it. However, the hit has no game effect. Face is considered the area on your head below your eyebrows, in front of your ears. Throat is considered the forward-facing section of your neck, above the sternum. The forehead from the eyebrows up, the back and top of your head, as well as the sides and back of your neck, are legal targets.

Should an opponent's weapon hit you in more than one location with the same swing and one or more of those blows land in an off-target area (such as your face or your throat), you still have to accept those blows which did land in legal locations.

Breast shots on women and groin shots on both men and women are legal and considered killing shots, but such shots are highly discouraged. Men and women are encouraged to wear protective gear to avoid injury to sensitive areas.

You should never deliberately aim for an off-target area such as the face, nor for the groin or breasts. Accidents happen, but if you frequently hit these areas it will indicate to others that you are not a safe and controlled fighter, and you may be asked to sit out by a marshal.