We LARP at public parks, so other members of the public may also be using the park during our LARP.
When encountering non-LARPers at the park (including parents and non-LARPing siblings and friends) — whether on a field of battle, on a trail, or anywhere else in the park — go out of your way to be both polite and friendly.
Slow down (if you are moving fast). Move to the side (if you are on a trail). Say “Hi!” Smile and wave. Especially, stop any mock combat!
If you spot a non-LARPer entering or coming near an ongoing mock battle, shout “Hold!” Wait until the non-LARPer is well out of the way before shouting “On Guard! … …Lay On!” and resuming mock combat.
While disagreements seem to arise most often during mock combat, anyone can request a Mediator at any time.
If tensions start to run high and you can’t resolve your disagreement on your own, using your scrying bowl to locate the nearest neutral party and ask for help talking things through.
A mediator can be any other member of the LARP.
A mediator should listen to all sides.
A mediator should not take sides.
A mediator’s goal is to help find or forge a mutually acceptable agreement.
Both mediators and those involved in the disagreement should allow each other to speak uninterrupted and to listen to what the other people are saying. The mediator may use anything handy as a “talking stick” or “speakers staff” if necessary. (The mediator may also impose a time limit on uninterrupted speech if needed.)
Questions that a mediator can ask:
What happened? Invite those involved to share their perspectives on the nature of the disagreement.
What happened before that? Encourage those involved to consider possible causes of the disagreement.
How did you feel when that happened? Guide those involved to consider the emotional impact of events.
How do you think the other person(s) felt when that happened? Invite those involved to consider how others feel about the events.
Do you know why that happened? Encourage those involved to appreciate the point of view of others.
Can you find out why it happened? Guide those involved to seek facts and discover underlying problems.
What could you do or say to prevent this from happening again? Invite those involved to think of solutions.
What might happen if you do that? Encourage those involved to consider the possible consequences of proposed solutions.
Can you think of something different to do? Guide those involved to think of alternative solutions.
It may happen that in the midst of mock combat, you will find yourself losing control. With the noise, the excitement, and the chaos or with an unexpectedly painful blow or a dishonorable surprise attack from behind, what began as a game between friends may begin to transform into something that feels very real. You start swinging faster and harder. You are going berserk, blind with battle rage. You have become a danger to your cohorts.
If you feel yourself going berserk, shout “Berserker!,” stick your weapon straight up in the air like a proud warrior, and walk away to a safe spot to relax and get a sense of yourself again. This is the honorable and valiant thing to do. You can jump back into mock combat as soon as you have your wits about you again.
Someone who has gone berserk may be too overwhelmed to shout “Berserker!” but holding your weapon over your head is the universal symbol for “I’m out!”
If you are engaged in mock combat with someone who appears to be going berserk, shout “Berserker!” and withdraw as calmly and quickly as you can. If you need help disengaging, you may shout “Hold!” for going berserk is a potentially dangerous situation.
Be aware that going berserk is highly contagious! If someone abruptly withdraws from battle, do not follow! Allow them to walk away and cool down. Maybe you need to go cool down yourself?
Do not abuse the “Berserker!” warning. If you are merely losing the battle, the honorable thing to do is to lose as dramatically as you can manage.
Mock combat is a demanding sport full of passion and aggression. Because emotions can run wild in the middle of a mock battle, observing boffer etiquette at all times demonstrates your honor and integrity.
Never attack an unarmed person.
If you want to attack an unarmed person, first give them a weapon of equal strength to your own, then mock kill them.
Never attack a person from behind.
Only cowards and rogues attack from the shadows. Make sure that the person is fully aware of your intentions before you begin mock combat.
Allow a disarmed person to pick up their weapon.
If a person fumbles with their weapon and drops it, they have been disarmed. Give them the chance to pick it back up before mock killing them. (Unless the goal is to disarm your opponent, in which you’ve won and the mock battle is over.)
Salute your opponent before a duel.
In a formal duel, it is considered proper to salute your opponent before starting the duel. Each person learns to salute in a different way. Some raise their weapon to their face, some make a small bow, some shake hands, etc. This is done to show that you have respect for your opponent and that you will fight fair.
Shake hands after a duel.
It’s good practice to show that there are no hard feelings by shaking hands or saluting your opponent after combat.
Point out exploitable weaknesses.
During the battle with your opponent, you might notice a mistake they make that you can exploit. If this is the case, you should point out their error after the match so that they can correct it. Continuing to exploit a weakness is dishonorable.
Three phrases to remember: ON GUARD, LAY ON, and HOLD.
ON GUARD means “get on your guard” because the battle is about to commence.
LAY ON means “start fighting!”
HOLD is the universal word for “timeout” — when you hear this shouted:
• stop fighting
• drop to one knee
• hold your weapon over your head
• join the shout of “HOLD” until everyone has ceased combat.
HOLD is reserved for when something dangerous or potentially dangerous has happened (for example, a weapon becomes damaged, someone gets hurt, etc.)
Most boffering groups have harsh punishments for people who continue fighting after a HOLD! is shouted. We won’t punish anyone for making a mistake, but we will talk to you about the importance of honoring the HOLD! next time.
Do not abuse the HOLD! command. It’s reserved for dangerous and potentially dangerous situations. If you are merely losing the battle, the honorable thing to do is to lose as dramatically as you can manage.
These lightweight contact weapons are designed to prevent injury during mock combat. The classic boffer is made using closed cell foam for the blade with a PVC pipe or fiberglass rod core and open-cell foam cushion for the tips, plus washers, contact cement and duct tape (although a fitted cloth covering is much preferable to duct tape).
Make sure there are no spots on your weapon that could cause actual injury.
All warriors must check their weapons for rough spots before engaging in mock combat, paying particular attention to the edges of the duct tape which can accumulate dirt and become sandpaper like.
Do not use a weapon if it is unsafe.
Unsafe weapons include (but are not limited to) those that have core showing, weak or broken padding, ripped tape, or sandpaper-like dirt accumulation in the adhesive along the edges of the duct tape (this is one reason why a fitted cloth covering is preferable to duct tape).
Prior to engaging in mock combat, remove any potentially dangerous objects from your person such as jewelry, watches, etc.
This is a simple safety issue for both you and the friends you are fighting.
Glasses are optional, but they have a nasty habit of being knocked off and stepped on during combat.
You may also want to empty your pockets of keys, mobile phones, or anything else bulky.
All parties must give consent to a duel prior to any combat.
Strike only hard enough for your opponent to know they have been hit.
To test the strength of your blow and the hardness of your weapon, strike yourself in the leg with your boffer.
If your weapon goes behind your body to swing, you’re swinging too hard.
When you receive a hit in a valid area, you must acknowledge that you were hit, even if the person who hit you doesn’t notice.
If two players hit each other at the same time, they are both dead.
Do not stab or thrust at your opponent’s abdomen.
Do not strike your opponent in the head, neck, breasts, groin, hands or feet.
These are not valid targets because they are very sensitive areas and because you may cause serious injuries if you hit someone in these areas.
You may want to wear a bicycle helmet and athletic supporter just in case.
However, if you purposely use an invalid target area as a shield (for example, use your hand to stop an attack), you are dead.
No “Drum Rolling” or “Machine Gunning” — do not strike rapidly in succession and do not strike the same spot repeatedly.
Never grab, catch, or hold an opponent’s weapon.
Boffering is a contact sport whose injury risk is equivalent to that of a friendly pillow fight when following safety rules and using properly padded boffers, but bruises and welts are possible if play gets too rough — so don’t let it get too rough.
Every boffering group has their own unique rules. It’s your responsibility to ensure that you know what they are and that you follow them.
“HOLD!” means everybody freeze and drop to one knee and raise your weapon over your head.
“HOLD!” is reserved for when something dangerous or potentially dangerous has happened (for example, someone gets hurt, a weapon becomes damaged and thus dangerous, a toddler runs into the field of battle, etc.)
“Weeping Angel!” means “Everyone look at me!” — because you stop a weeping angel by looking at it.
Use “Weeping Angel!” when you need everyone’s attention but the situation doesn’t warrant a “HOLD!” (for example, when the storyteller needs to move the story forward by providing additional information or directing the group to move to another area of the park)
Do not abuse the safety words!
When you hear a safety word called, you should obey it AND repeat it until everyone has heard it!
Always be with at least 1 and preferably 2 other LARPers.
If you need to go anywhere at any time for any reason, insist that at least 1 other LARPer go with you. Shout “Weeping Angel” if no one is listening to you.
Make sure at least 1 other LARPer, who is not going with you, knows that you are leaving, where you are going, and when you will be back. Make sure this other LARPer heard you and will remember what you said. Shout “Weeping Angel” if no one is listening to you.
This is a cooperative LARP. We all work with each other to create our ongoing story within our immersive fictional world.
That means that we should all aim to give full consideration to other people’s ideas. Remember that we strive to always be nice, and there are few things nicer than having someone listen to your ideas and appreciate your creativity. If you want to be heard yourself, be sure to take the time to listen to others.
Whenever possible, avoid rejecting someone else’s suggestion unless agreeing would be unkind or unsafe.
If your suggestion is rejected, respect the group’s decision and allow the LARP to continue. Take the time to reflect on why your suggestion may not have fit the group’s goals at the time. It may simply have not been the right moment for your suggestion or you may be able to modify your idea to better fit within the overarching storyline, the multidimensional Realm of Dragonwood, or the other players’ interests and abilities. You can always ask for feedback after the LARP — either while the group is hanging out at the local tavern or on the Discord server.
