Striking in Combat

The Jade Throne operates a hero-fighting combat system, and both players and monsters are asked to actively support this more cinematic style. To aid this, characters do not take damage from a strike from a single source more than once per second. This includes being struck by ranged missile and projectile weapons.

All blows should be delivered with appropriately LARP-safe weapons, and should be pulled to avoid injury. Note that whilst collapsible weapons (sometimes referred to as ‘stab-safe’ weapons) are allowed for use in the system, stabbing is not. Players should take care not to strike with any stabbing motion, as this can cause injury. The game team requires all weapons brought to events to be checked by weapons checkers to ensure they are safe to fight with.

As standard most characters can use small, medium, and thrown weapons, with certain schools granting access to additional weapon proficiencies, including ranged weapons such as bows. To use the other types of weaponry, characters require the relevant proficiency. These can be purchased during character advancement as a skill, provided they can find an instructor IC to teach them. 

Certain creatures in the game may be resistant to certain types of weapon (such as bladed or blunt weapons), so it is worth changing tactics if an enemy does not seem to be going down in a fight.

• • Small: Max length is 18” (47 cm)

  • Medium: Min length is 19” (48 cm) - max length is 42” (108 cm)

  • Large: Min length is 43” (109 cm) - max length is 78” (198 cm)

  • Bow: Max poundage is 30 lbs (13.6 kg)

Non-Combatants

It is recommended that anyone who does not wish to be struck by a weapon let the game team know, and they will be able to help them avoid combat. It is also recommended that they do not enter the woods or wander past the Tori Gate unless accompanied by a referee who is aware of their situation. 

Players should talk to the game team if there are areas of the game they would like to be involved with but are unable due to accessibility, and the game team will try to make accommodations.  

If players are ever in combat as a non-combatant, they may use the call “NOM-COM”. This call may be used by anyone to indicate that they should not be struck with a weapon. Non-Combatants can still take damage safely, such as through spells, or roleplayed blows which do not make contact with the target.

Hit Points and Healing

All characters have a number of global hit points (HP). Characters who choose to wear armour will also have a number of global armour points (AP).

HP and AP can be removed through blows in combat, or by a character being subject to spells or other effects. If a character has an AP value above 0, blows and effects will target their AP first unless specified by a game call, spell, or other effect. If a character has an AP of 0 (either because their armour has become damaged or because they are not wearing armour), then blows and effects will target their HP. 

Characters begin with 3 HP unless modified by advantages or flaws. Unless otherwise stated, a character cannot have more than 10 total body hits (TBH), which is HP and AP combined. Some Kani clan members have this limit increased to 12 TBH.

Characters with the correct skills can choose to wear armour, granting them AP as follows:

• • +2 AP from light, flexible armour

  • +4 AP from heavy, rigid armour

HP is regained at set times over the event, provided a character is not in their grace period. Otherwise HP must be regained via other means, such as alchemy or magic.

• • Overnight a character will restore all HP.

  • Each respite, a character will regain half their HP rounded down, unless modified by a skill or advantage.

  • Every 60 minutes characters will regenerate 1 HP, unless modified by a skill or advantage.

Every respite, any armour worn regains half its AP rounded down. Otherwise it must be repaired with skills like Smithing.

Damage and Death

Being struck will deal a minimum of 1 point of damage (until reduced to 0 HP) unless the character is immune to the damage source. If a character is reduced to 0 HP, they are dying. 

All characters have a 5 minute grace period after which their injury is too great for standard healing to be of any use, and the character will die. During their grace period, a character may weakly call for help, or slowly crawl in the direction of aid, but may not use any abilities. 

A character may be reduced to 0 HP and not enter their grace period due to a Subdue effect. They are instead debilitated, dazed and unable to use any abilities, but can walk and talk. They enter their grace period if they take a point of non-subdual damage.