Endurance ranks represent the physical endurance of a character and the amount of damage that they can withstand before falling unconscious. It may also be used to determine how strong a character is and how successful they are at performing acts of strength such as lifting peers (see section on safe combat) etc.
Each rank represents one hit per location.
Endurance ranks can be purchased up to a character racial hit maximum. It is rare, but possible that a character may encounter something that will drain physical strength in such a way that they may lose one or maybe more endurance ranks. All characters start out with one (or two in the case of dwarves) endurance ranks and have the opportunity to purchase more at character generation and afterwards.
All basic weapons uses are ranked 1-4, each rank representing the aptitude of a character to use a certain weapon. They do not account for accuracy, style or success in combat merely damage that can be dealt. A character may wield only one weapon at a time, unless they possess the ability to use paired weapons.
Between 18 and 42 inches
(swords, axes, maces)
Allows a character to wield a single-handed weapon to do the following damage at each rank:
Single
Double
Use a shield with either a single-handed weapon or dagger
Use a single-handed weapon in each hand or a combination of single handed weapon and a dagger, allowing you to circumvent the one-second rule by striking different locations.
Players should note that nearly all weapons can be designated as either a sword, axe or mace. Players with unusual weapons should seek advice from the ref team as to the designation of that weapon and should be aware that an unusual weapon may require their own, separate weapons skill.
Between 42 inches and 72 inches
(e.g. double-handed swords, axes and maces.)
Allows a character to wield a weapon so large that it must be wielded with both hands. These weapons cannot be successfully wielded with one hand. This does not allow a character to have an equivalent skill with a single handed weapon simply by taking one hand off it. A character may do the following damage at each rank:
single knockback
double knockback
double through knockback
Triple through knockback
As with single-handed weapons, players with unusual weapons should seek advice from the ref team as to the designation of that weapon. Players should be aware that some unusual weapons may require their own, separate, weapons skill.
Note: Any player wishing to use a double-handed weapon must see a marshall or ref for the relevant safety training before using this skill in game.
Knockback
All double-handed and polearm weapons do knockback, but only if the blow is roleplayed sufficiently to be heavy enough to cause the knockback effect. This is determined as a swing of at least a 180 degree arc. Also although Two-Handed weapons can do Knockback the damage call has to contain actual damage (you cannot do zero knockback).
Staves and Spears and any weapon over 72 inches (and any weapons that are taller than the player)
Allows a character to wield very large and ungainly weapons to do the following points of damage at each rank:
single knockback
single through knockback
double knockback
double through knockback
Note: any player wishing to use a long weapon must see a marshall or ref for the relevant safety training before using this skill in game. Long weapons are expensive and very difficult to use safely, both IC and OOC. Players may be refused this skill at Referee or Marshal discretion for safety reasons.
Knockback
All double-handed and polearm weapons do knockback, but only if the blow is roleplayed sufficiently to be heavy enough to cause the knockback effect. This is determined as a swing of at least a 180 degree arc. Also although Two-Handed weapons can do Knockback the damage call has to contain actual damage (you cannot do zero knockback).
Allows a character to perform a surprise attack on a target using a dagger. This skill allows a character to carefully target the back of a victim, to find a weakness in armour and hit vital organs in order to deal a potentially fatal blow. You can use this ability once every 15 minutes or once per combat and it must strike the target in the back.
A successfully performed attack inflicts the following damage at each rank
single through backstab
double through backstab
triple through backstab
quad through backstab
Note: In spite of the name, players are reminded that they should not actually stab with weapons. An ordinary blow or slash is suitable.
All throwing weapons must be specifically built for purpose and coreless.
A user must go through a specific thrown weapon safety briefing and training.
Weapons not built for this purpose may not be thrown under any circumstances.
Any thrown weapon that fits into an eye socket must only be thrown underarm or sidearm from a distance of no more than 15 feet.
A thrown weapon must be thrown only directly at the target, never over an intervening player.
All weapons must be checked by a Ref/Marshall prior to use, and before the first use of every academic year.
Crush
Crush destroys an item or removes all points of armour on a location. If a location has no armour left, then the crush will take it to zero. A location on zero will go to negative endurance ranks.
Impact
If the blow lands on a shield, it ignores the shield and instead deals damage to the location wielding the shield, acting as all other damage does (removing armour first and then hitting the location itself).
Allows a character to correctly and effectively wear different types of armour without detriment to physical strength or flexibility. A character may wear any rank of armour as part of their kit, but will not gain any protection from it until they obtain this skill. A character may also chose to wear and utilise a rank of armour lower than the maximum they possess, and in this case they will only receive the protection granted by the rank of armour they are wearing, not the rank they possess. Wearing metal armour will grant +1 armour to the location(s) covered, as long as a character has at least rank 1 in this skill. All armour must be convincingly phys-repped, and covers only the locations it is worn on. Any gaps or spaces in armour are assumed to be IC. Ranks 3 and 4 of this skill will each give a save.
The following armour is suitable for the following ranks:
Soft leather or furs that provide one point of armour per location covered
Studded or plated leather, layered furs, or predominantly fur/leathermix mail that provide two points of armour per location covered
Ring mail, scale mail, predominantly metal covered mix mail that provide three points of armour per location covered
Chain or plate mail that provide four points of armour per location covered
note: The armour level of each individual piece of ‘mix mail’ is at the discretion of the referees.
Armour
In order to effectively use armour, a character must have the appropriate rank in armour skills and also be wearing a phys-rep suitable to that rank of armour (see above). Armour soaks an amount of physical and magical damage equal to its level before being destroyed (see below). Players are reminded that in order for a blow to be soaked by armour, it must actually land on their armour phys-rep. Body parts that are not covered by the phys rep are not protected, regardless of how much of the rest of the location is covered. Armour only stacks with armour of a different type, for example 2 ranks of Magical Armour will stack with 2 ranks of Physical Armour, but if you gained 3 more ranks of magic it would override your 2 ranks.
Soaking Damage
Each rank of armour will soak a single damage call, with the exception of ‘crush’ and special calls. One rank of armour will protect you from a single as well as it will from a quad enchanted. Armour is locational, and therefore only the armour on the location hit by the weapon will take damage from it. For the purposes of magical damage, if a location has armour on it then it is considered that magic will hit the armoured part of that location.
Allows a character to repair physical armour. It takes 30 seconds of appropriate roleplay to fix one rank of armour on every location that has it. If the person repairing armour is interrupted by combat the timer resets on only the rank of armour they were currently repairing.
Primary class warriors and Rogues gain this skill free when they buy wear armour.