Rules For Magestic Capture The Flag

We will run multiple games of Capture the Flag. Each game will have two teams: Red Team and Blue Team. Every player must visabily wear (on the arm and at all times) an arm-tie of his/her team's color. (We will provide arm-ties for those who don't have their own. You will need one of each color. If you have your own red and/or blue cloth, please bring it.) Teams will be determined randomly. Before each game we will shuffle the teams. If you wish, you may enter as a group of up to three players who will not be split up when teams are changed.

The playing area will be several acres of woods and lawns. Each team will begin on one side. Each side will have a number of Respawn Points and one large Flag. Only one person may hold and move a Flag at one time, and players can never touch their own team's flag. If a player is knocked out while moving a Flag, he/she must drop the Flag where he/she was knocked out. A game ends when a Flag is captured by a team and brought to one of that team's own Respawn Points. The end of the game will be signaled by an air horn blasting three times in succession.

 

Weapons

Each player is allowed to use a single boffer weapon that is between 24 and 45 inches in length. Each weapon must pass a safety inspection. No shields or dual-wielding of weapons is allowed. No armor is allowed. Ultralight and latex weapons are allowed on a case-by-case basis. (Note that most latex weapons are likely to fail our inspection.) We can provide weapons, but our supply is limited, so if you have your own, please bring them. For instructions on how to construct a boffer weapon that meets Magestry's standards, click here.

Some of the skills in the game require the use of spell packets. We will provide them.

 

Combat

Every person has 5 Hit Points. When struck with a weapon, you subtract one Hit Point from your total (unless the skill Crit 4 or Magic Spear is used, in which case, you subtract 4). Once you have zero Hit Points, you must fall to the ground and lie still. You are considered Knocked Out (see below). (Negative Hit Points are not achievable. Zero is the lowest.) In order to be knocked out, the attack that brings you to zero Hit Points must hit your torso (any of the area that a tank top would cover).

If an attack that would have brought you to zero Hit Points, instead, hits you in the arm or leg, you remain at one Hit Point, but that arm or leg is considered Injured for 15 seconds. You cannot use an Injured arm to do anything (attack, defend, throw a spell packet, or pick up a Flag), though you need not drop what it is already holding. If your leg is Injured, you must kneel down on the knee of the Injured leg and cannot move from the spot you are in.

 

Knocked Out, Dead, and Respawn

Once you have zero Hit Points, you are Knocked Out and must fall immediately to the ground and lie still. While you are Knocked Out, you are a valid target for any skill, but you may not be moved or use any skills of your own (except Stabilize). Any time after you have been Knocked Out for at least 15 seconds, you may choose to die. To play Dead, you must immediately stand up, put your arm over your head (forearm and weapon parallel to the ground), and walk or run to one of your team’s Respawn Points to respawn. You cannot attack anyone or use any skills while Dead. Once you have touched one of your team's Respawn Points, you are alive once again and have 5 Hit Points. None of your skill slots are refreshed when you respawn. (Someone with the Respawn skill may revive you before you reach the Respawn Point.)

At any time while you are Knocked Out, if you either hear an air horn blast or are subject to the Coup de Gras skill, you will immediately be Dead.

 

Safety

Remember the following command words:

“Time Out”- Yell this loudly if you notice an emergency situation that requires the attention of everyone. When a “Time Out” is called, everyone who hears it must stop what he or she is doing and take notice of (and maybe help) the emergency situation. A referee may also call a Time Out if the combat is escalating to a sloppy and unsafe level.

“Caution”- This command functions as a mini “Time Out.” Use this command if you notice a situation that is potentially dangerous to a small number of people. You need only speak this command loud enough for those persons (or person) to hear. Example: You are engaged in combat with another player and you notice that he is about to back into a fallen tree. Say “Caution” to your opponent and then move the combat to a safer location.

While fighting, always be aware of where you are stepping. Do not backpedal or jump away from an opponent without first looking to see what is in your path. Do not lunge to attack someone when he/she is looking behind his/herself for safety reasons. Damage sustained from such attacks does not count.

Even if you are Knocked Out, please keep your eyes open at all times. (Since this is not really a role-playing game, you do not have to pretend you do not know what is going on around you while you are Knocked Out or Dead.) If you are in the middle of a large combat when you are Knocked Out, please try to fall in a place where you will not be stepped on.

 

Referees and Penalties

There will be a number of referees to ensure fair play and keep the combat clean. If a referee sees someone who does not appear to be following the rules, that person will be given a Penalty. Penalty time must be served by walking alongside the ref and refraining from playing until he/she sends you back into the game.

What is clean combat, you ask? You should not be trying to land blows on your opponent's body any more than once per second. Your hits should be solid, but not too hard. They need to be firm enough to be noticed, but not so hard that it hurts. For an attack to deal damage, your weapon should have begun from a position near your own body. You can only deal one attack each time your arm is extended. If your attack was blocked, you cannot simply leave your arm extended and roll your weapon into contact with your opponent's body. Such an attack is not sufficient to deal damage. If you are not taking damage from an insufficient attack, you can say, "nope." If you abuse this by saying it in response to sufficient attacks, you will get a Penalty.

 

Skills

 

There are 10 skills to choose from.   Coup de Gras: The user strikes, on the torso, one person who is Knocked Out while saying "Coup de Gras" (KOO-day-grah). That person instantly becomes Dead. The target must immediately stand up and head toward one of his team’s Respawn Points while giving the Dead signal. Crit 4: The user, with his weapon attack, says "Crit 4," and if the attack is successful, it deals 4 Hit Points of damage rather than 1. Unlike most skills, if your Crit 4 is ineffective, your skill slot remains unused. The skill is considered ineffective if it does not deal any Hit Point damage to the target. Dodge: The user negates any one weapon or spell packet strike. Dodge can be used by a player under the Snare effect, but not by a player who is Knocked Out, Dead, or under the Statue effect. Magic Spear: A spell packet is thrown, dealing 4 Hit Points of damage to the target it hits. Unlike most skills, if your Magic Spear is ineffective, your skill slot remains unused. The skill is considered ineffective if it does not deal any Hit Point damage to the target. Regenerate: The user touches the target with his/her weapon while saying, “Regenerate.” That target has all Hit Points restored, all Injured Limbs fixed, and any 15-second effect the target is under the effect of ends immediately. The user may not use this skill on himself. Respawn: The user touches a Dead player with his/her weapon. Both the user and the target immediately fall under the Statue effect for 15 seconds (it works just like Statue - the target is considered alive during this time). Once the duration of the Statue ends (whether normally or from a Regenerate skill), the target is respawned as if he/she had gone to a Respawn Point, and the user regains any damaged Hit Points. This skill can only be used on a player who is Dead, and you may not use it on yourself. Snare: Can be delivered with a weapon or spell packet. The target’s feet are rooted in place for 15 seconds; he/she cannot move them, but the rest of the body may be moved normally. Becoming Knocked Out does not release the target from the Snare effect, but being affected by Statue does Stabilize: As long as you have been Knocked Out for at least 15 seconds, you may use Stabilize to gain 2 Hit Points. You may use Stabilize during an air horn blast whether even if you have been Knocked Out for fewer than 15 seconds, but doing so requires that you spend a skill slot from the Round after the air horn sounds. Stamina: Instantly restores up to 4 of your damaged Hit Points and fixes any Injured Limbs. Stamina can be used when at zero Hit Points as long as you have not yet hit the ground. Stamina will also not release you from a Snare effect. Statue: Throw a spell packet at a player. If he/she is hit, he/she becomes completely paralyzed for 15 seconds, but, during this time, he/she cannot be damaged or affected by any effect except Regenerate. You may use Statue on yourself. (If affected by Statue, you must stand with your weapon straight up in the air over your head, as if it were your torch and you were the Statue of Liberty.)

 

Choosing Skills

Every player will receive a Game Card that will need to be carried at all times. Each Game Card lists all 11 skills, and you may select up to 4 skills by circling them on your Game Card and having a Referee sign off on them. Pre-selected Game Cards will be available at the event. Between games, you will be able to drop skills and choose new ones, but once you have dropped a particular skill, you will be unable to choose it again. To change your skills, simply bring your Game Card to a Referee between games.

 

Using Skills

During each Round of play, you will be able to use up to 4 skill slots. For each slot, you may use any of the 4 skills that you have access to, even if you have already used that skill during the current Round. Every time the air horn sounds, the current Round ends and a new Round begins. At the beginning of each Round, you will have 4 skill slots available, no matter how many skill slots you used in the previous Round.

(Example: In the first Round, you hit four opponents with one Crit 4 each, meaning you are out of skill slots and can use no more skills. Then, the air horn sounds, beginning a new Round, and your 4 skill slots are refreshed. This Round, you decide to use a Crit 4 on one opponent, a Coup de Gras to finish him off, a Stamina to refresh your Hit Points, and a Dodge to negate the Statue spell that was attached to the spell packet that hit you. Once again, you are out of skill uses until the next Round.)

All skills are used by saying their name ("Crit 4" or "Coup de gras"). All skills that have timed durations are 15 seconds long. An effect that last for a duration should be counted out with a number and the skill name by the affected person. (Example: ("One Statue, Two Statue, Three Statue...")

 

Rounds of Play

Each game we play will consist of multiple Rounds. Each Round will be from one to five minutes. The change from one Round to the next will be signalled by an air horn sounding once. When an air horn sounds, all Injured Limbs become usable, all skill slots are refreshed, all effects with 15-second durations end, and anyone who is Knocked Out becomes Dead.

 

Stealing the Flag

The person holding a Flag cannot run, but he/she cannot be affected by ANY effect that is not simple Hit Point damage (such as a weapon strike, a Magic Spear, or a Crit 4) while he/she is holding the Flag. The Injured Limb Rule still applies to a person holding the Flag. If the person carrying the Flag is incapacitated, he/she must put down the Flag in the spot where he/she lost mobility. Members of a team are not allowed to touch their own Flag.

 

Required Waivers

Anyone wishing to participate in Magestic Capture the Flag must fill out a Waiver and Medical Form. Printing them and filling them out ahead of time will help game check-in run more smoothly.

 

 

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