The combat system can be summed up as: if you get hit, it’s going to hurt. What’s described below is a guideline; you are free to roleplay more serious injuries.
If you take a hit on an arm or leg, the limb becomes unusable until treated by a doctor.
If you take a hit on the head or torso, you become unconscious until treated by a doctor.
If the hit was from a firearm or sharp weapon like a knife or a claw, you begin bleeding.
After five minutes of bleeding, if you are not already unconscious, you become unconscious.
After ten minutes of bleeding you are beyond help.
If your arm becomes unusable you must drop (or put down safely) whatever you are holding. You cannot hold anything or move the arm. If your leg becomes unusable you must fall to the ground if it is safe for you to do so, or find something to stabilise yourself. You cannot walk without assistance from another player.
If you become unconscious, you must fall to the ground if it is safe for you to do so. If it is not, you are encouraged to stagger to a nearby chair, roleplay disorientation or whatever else is safe for you to do. You cannot move, speak, or interact in any way.
If you are beyond help, you cannot be healed in any way. You may regain consciousness for a short time, during which you can take no actions except speaking. You are then dead. If you do not wish do this, you can die at any time when you are beyond help..
The above is the minimum damage that you should take from hits. If it seems appropriate to take more damage you are free to do so. For example, after taking several hits to the arm from a blunt weapon you might decide that the arm is broken and has begun bleeding, or that extreme pain has caused you to fall unconscious.
Some injuries may confer additional effects. In these cases you will be given an info tag with guidance on how to roleplay the injury.
A character with the first aid skill can apply a bandage to a bleeding location. This will pause the bleeding so long as the patient is resting. Vigorous activity such as running or engaging in combat will cause the bleeding to resume.
A character with the surgery skill can roleplay treating injuries. This will remove the bleeding, unconscious and unusable effects. Bleeding is also paused while the surgeon is attending to the wound.
Some wounds may require additional treatment. In these cases the attending surgeon or first aider will be given instructions on how to proceed, either by a ref or an info tag.
To have and use a weapon you must have the relevant skill. No shields or armour may be used.
Blunt or bladed melee weapons are represented by LARP weapons, made of a fibreglass or carbon fibre core surrounded by LD45 Plastazote or an equivalent closed cell foam. A minimum of 12mm of foam padding is required on striking surfaces and pommels, and a minimum of 6mm of foam padding is required on non-striking surfaces (e.g. the flat of a blade.)
In general, a weapon that conforms to the Lorien Trust Weapon Check Guidelines is acceptable. If in doubt about a particular weapon, please ask the game team.
Blows with melee weapons should be pulled, and should not be aimed at sensitive areas such as the face or genitals. Stabbing is not permitted with any weapon, including so-called ‘stab safe’ weapons.
Firearms are represented by Nerf® style blasters using Elite style darts. Blasters must be single-shot (require cocking after each shot). Powered blasters are not permitted.
No modifications may be made to the firing mechanism. Only cosmetic modifications are permitted.
Only darts supplied by the Penny Dreadful game team may be used.
Blasters must not be fired at people’s faces.
Blasters must not be fired at point blank range. Instead you should aim the blaster and call ‘bang’, and indicate who you are shooting if this is not immediately obvious.