Props & Gear Guidelines
This section details the Out-of-Play guidelines for weapons, armor, and shields, as well as the additional rules surrounding specific weapons and armor.
Props & Gear Index:
Weapon Guidelines
All weapons must be approved and pass safety inspection by a Safety Marshal. Each player is responsible for the safety of their own equipment. Damaged or otherwise unsafe equipment should be removed from play immediately. Use of an unsafe weapon (even one previously passed by the Safety Marshal) may be grounds for receiving a Formal Safety Warning.
All weapons are subject to initial safety checks and subsequent inspection. ALL WEAPONS are subject to a “case by case” approval. Please feel free to Contact Us before purchasing weapons from a vendor. We are happy to advise which weapons are likeliest to pass inspection, but please understand that weapons from vendors can vary individually even if using the same design and so we cannot guarantee that a weapon will pass inspection.
The intent for the following section is to give both overarching requirements and also provide numerous specific examples so that participants have a better understanding of expectations for weapon Phys Rep use and construction. It is not the intent to arbitrarily fail weapons or otherwise create unnecessary barriers.
Definitions
Handle. This is the contiguous section of the weapon where padding is optional. You may pad part or all of the handle of a weapon. You may not have more than one handle.
Length. Distance measured along the surface.
Padded Surface. This is the contiguous section of the weapon where padding is required and may be used to attack an opponent. You must pad all parts of the Padded Surface.
Phys Rep. Shorthand for “Physical Representation,” which is used to refer to a single identifiable object used to represent an item tag. In other words, the physical boffer weapon used to represent the tagged weapon your character is using.
Pommel. This is the area between the Handle and the end of the weapon on the opposite side of the Padded Surface. All Pommels must be padded with at least 1/2 inch of closed cell foam similar to the requirement for the Padded Surface.
*See the unique rules requirements for those weapons (below)
Melee Weapons
Melee Weapons come in a variety of sizes (Short, Long, Hand-and-a-half, and Two-handed) and include four overarching categories: Bladed, Blunt, Hafted, and Unique. Weapons must be rigid and cannot include chains, strings, or ropes such as a flail, nunchuku, chain-blade, or similar.
Types. Bladed Weapons include all types of swords. Blunt weapons include weapons such as clubs, hammers, and maces. Hafted weapons include weapons such as axes, cleavers, and halberds. Unique weapons include claws, spears, and staffs.
Allowed. A Phys Rep that could visually represent either a hammer (blunt) or an axe (hafted) as long as it is only used as one of those types.
Prohibited. Using a single Phys Rep to represent more than one type of weapon at a time. In other words, you cannot carry a Phys Rep that has an axe head on one side and a hammer on the other and use that Phys Rep as both a blunt weapon and hafted weapon for the purposes of using weapon maneuvers or gathering skills.
Sizes. Weapons from every category (except Unique) can be crafted for any size. For example, a short axe, a long hammer, a hand-and-a-half sword, and a two-handed halberd would all be admissible weapons as long as the length specifications are all met.
Allowed. If you have a Phys Rep that meets the length requirements of two different size categories, you may use that Phys Rep as either size.
Prohibited. If you have a Phys Rep that meets the length requirements of two different size categories, you may not use that Phys Rep as both sizes for the purposes of using weapon maneuvers or gathering skills.
Padded Surface, Handle, and Pommel. Other than staff/staves, all weapons have at least three parts:
a single contiguous Padded Surface;
a single contiguous Handle; and
a single Pommel.
The Pommel and Padded Surface must be on opposite ends of the Phys Rep. The Pommel should be no longer than 6 inches. The Pommel must be padded with at least 1/2 inches of foam. No part of the core should be felt through the foam of the Pommel when using an index finger or thumb to apply approximately 4 pounds of force. The Handle must be positioned next to the Pommel. In other words, visually the Handle must be entirely or almost entirely on one half of the weapon. Padding on a Handle is optional. Padding on Padded Surface is mandatory.
A Hafted or Blunt weapon may have long and wide protrusion(s) (axe head, hammer head, etc), and/or short and narrow protrusion(s)s--spike(s), stud(s), band(s), etc.--within the area of the Padded Surface.
Allowed. You may have a Short Sword with a 2-inch padded Pommel, 4-inch Handle, and 12-inch Padded Surface (blade).
Allowed. You may have a Long Hafted axe with 4-inch padded Pommel, 16-inch Handle, 25-inch Padded Surface, and have a 5-inch-long axe head attached to the padded area.
Allowed. If your handle is partially padded, you may mark the ends of the Handle so that it does not appear like you are wielding the Phys Rep from the Padded Surface.
Prohibited. You may not use a weapon (other than staff) that has a Handle in the middle of the weapon and attack with more than one end of the weapon. This would be a weapon with two non-contiguous Padded Surfaces. Example: double-ended sword and “dire” weapons from some tabletop role-playing games.
Prohibited. You may not use a weapon that has two or more separate Handles. This would be a weapon with two non-contiguous Handles. Example: Bat’Leth
Staff Handles and Padding. A staff must have a single contiguous Handle that is centered on the length of the weapon. Unlike other weapons, a staff has two Padded Surfaces that must be roughly equal in length on each end of the staff. Staves are the only weapon that can strike with both ends, and the only weapon that can (and must) have the Handle in the middle of the full length of the weapon.
Thrusting Tips. Thrusting tips are optional. However, Phys Reps may not be used to thrust with the tip of the Padded Surface unless the Padded Surface has a Thrusting Tip approved in advance by the Safety Marshal. For more details, see the Weapon Construction guidance below.
Variations of Padded Areas By Weapon Type. Padded Surfaces may vary based on the type of weapon being used. Padded Surfaces cannot include any non-padded material other than the single core which is covered by at least 1/2 an inch of foam. Glow weapons may be allowed on a case-by-case basis after detailed inspection. Padded Surface must be reasonable in size and shape.
Allowed. A sword may be a single straight padded surface (long sword) or have a curve and a slightly changing shape (scimitar).
Allowed. A hafted weapon may have a bladed head that can be single-sided, double-sided, and be one of many different shapes (axe).
Allowed. A blunt weapon may have head(s) (hammer), stud(s), spike(s) (morningstar), band(s), flange(s) (mace), or be of varying sizes across the length.
Prohibited. A sword may not be more than 8 inches wide (perpendicular to length) at any point on the Padded Surace. Examples of unacceptable weapons include the Buster Sword from Final Fantasy.
Prohibited. A blunt or hafted weapon may not have any protrusion that is both long and narrow. More specifically, the protrusions may not be longer than 2 inches and narrower than 2 inches in diameter or 3 square inches. Examples of possibly unacceptable weapons include kama, scythe, and warpick. A short and narrow protrusion may be acceptable (spike on a spiked club), and a long and wide protrusion may be acceptable (hammer head).
Prohibited. No weapon may have a hook-shaped protrusion. The perfect example of a prohibited hook-shaped protrusion is a bearded axe. The “beard” of the axe will catch or snag on weapons, shields, or armor when pulled back, creating an unsafe contest of strength. Instead, use a head shape for axes and hammers with a flatter or “beardless” bottom like a modern fireman’s axe. Another option is to connect the bottom of the beard to the padded area to close the hook-shaped protrusion.
Prohibited. No weapon should be unreasonably large. You may not use a weapon that obviously provides more square inches of physical protection than the maximum size allowed for a large shield. Please don’t make us do that math.
Beyond the restrictions of the above, there are no minimum or maximum sizes or requirements related to weapon shapes, within reason. If you have a question about a specific weapon design. please feel free to Contact Us.
Weapon Use
Only the Padded Surface may be used to attack. Attacking an opponent with the Handle or the Pommel is extremely unsafe, completely prohibited, and may result in an immediate and permanent ban from Citadel or participation in combat at the discretion of the Safety Marshall. Consider this your first and only warning.
Prohibited. Attacking with a weapon while holding the Phys Rep anywhere other than the Handle.
Prohibited. Swinging the Handle or the Pommel at any target, regardless of whether the Handle and/or Pommel has padding. This is also known as “haft-striking” or “pommel-striking” at other games. Other games have allowed uses for this; Citadel does not.
Prohibited. Attacking with a weapon in a way that is likely to cause the Handle or Pommel to hit anyone else. In other words, you should not grip a two-handed weapon from the very bottom of the Handle with both hands and swing at someone with 2+ feet of exposed Handle. Also, you should not grip a two-handed weapon from the very top of the Handle with both hands and swing at someone with 2+ feet of exposed Pommel and Handle going toward yourself or people beside you.
Prohibited. You may not fight with a weapon by holding it anywhere other than the Handle. If your weapon has uniform padding across the entire length, just use one half as the Handle.
Prohibited. Striking with any part of any weapon that is between your hands. In hockey, this is called cross-checking.
If a core breaks, cracks, or becomes bent, that Phys Rep is completely unusable unless and until the Safety Marshal inspects and re-approves the Phys Rep for use.
If any part of a Padded Surface tears, separates, stays compressed after a strike, or otherwise shows obvious signs of foam degradation, that Phys Rep is completely unusable unless and until the Safety Marshal inspects and re-approves the Phys Rep for use.
Weapon Construction
If you are new to LARPing, we strongly advise against making your own weapons before attending your first event. Please reach out to us and we will do everything we can to ensure that we have appropriate Phys Rep(s) you can borrow.
Cores. Cores MUST meet all of the three following criteria:
Rigid. Phys Reps for weapons must be rigid and not “whippy.” Cores that may be acceptable for a shorter weapon may not be acceptable for a longer weapon. If a Phys Rep is more flexible than a max length two-handed weapon made of 3/4 inch PVC, it will not be approved.
Light. Phys Reps for weapons must be light enough that they can be swung with minimal force.
Single Unified Core. Phys Reps may only contain one unified Core with no branching, forking, cross pieces, etc. If the Core consists of a composite of multiple different materials or pieces, they must be joined securely with enough overlap to prevent bending, breaking, and accidental separation. All the joints must be in the Handle and Pommel section of the weapon. At the time of weapon inspection, you must disclose any Phys Rep made with a composite core to the Safety Marshal and be able to describe how they were composited.
Examples of Rigid, Light, and Single Unified Core:
Allowed. You may use a 1/2-inch pvc core for a short weapon (25 inches) that is heat-treated to create a slight curve that does not “whip” when used.
Allowed. You may use .505 kitespar (filament wound epoxy tubing or FWET) for weapons under 50 inches long.
Allowed. You may use .602 or .745 kitespar (filament wound epoxy tubing or FWET) for weapons of any length.
Prohibited. You must not use a 1/2-inch pvc core for a two-handed weapon (75 inches).
Prohibited. You must not use cores for cross-guards.
Prohibited. You must not use tonfa-style grips for weapons (a tonfa grip is a perpendicular grip such as a police nightstick).
Prohibited. You must not use a heavy core, such as a pipe made of black iron or galvanized steel.
Prohibited. You must not use a core that can splinter such as bamboo or wood.
Prohibited. You must not use a core than gets bent with use, such as copper pipe.
Possible. It may be permissible to safely use a solid fiberglass core like a driveway marker for shorter weapons. However, because of splintering, you would need to tape around the entire length of the core and cease using the Phys Rep at the first indication it is cracking or breaking.
Possible. It may be permissible to safely use a hollow fiberglass core like a bandshoppe pole.
Possible. It may be permissible to use a composite core made of multiple materials or pieces joined securely with enough overlap to prevent bending, breaking, and accidental separation. See the Single Unified Core criteria above.
Padded Surface. For the Padded Surface, the foam padding and covering together MUST meet all of the four following criteria:
Dense. Phys Reps for weapons must be sufficiently compression resistant so that a defender can never feel the core even when used to strike slightly too hard. Also, no part of the core should be felt through the foam when using an index finger or thumb to apply approximately 4 pounds of force (close to but not enough force to crack an egg). Traditionally, this requires closed cell foam;
Soft. Phys Reps must provide enough cushion or dampening of force so that the foam itself does not cause injury or discomfort even when used to strike slightly too hard;
Light. As above, Phys Reps must be light enough to not create too much momentum; and
Resilient. Phys Reps must show minimal signs of wear or degradation even with repeated strikes.
Examples of Dense, Soft, Light, and Resilient for Foam Padding:
Allowed. You may use 1/2-inch polyethylene pipe foam (closed cell).
Allowed. You may use extra-tough super-cushioning polyethylene foam sheets with a density of 2 lbs per cubic foot and pressure to compress 25% is 7 pounds per square inch (closed cell).
Prohibited. You must not use 1/2-inch rubber pipe insulation. This is usually both heavy and is not dense enough cushion to prevent the defender from feeling the core.
Prohibited. You must not use extra-tough super-cushioning polyethylene foam sheets with density higher than 2 lbs per cubic foot and pressure to compress 25% higher than 7 pounds per square inch (closed cell). This is usually not soft enough to provide enough cushion or dampening of force.
Prohibited. You must not leave the tip of the Core exposed or insufficiently padded. Many game systems recommend extending the Foam Padding beyond the core at least 1 inch, not counting any Thrusting Tip. Also, the area around the tip of the core will break down the fastest and will likely be the area that causes a Phys Rep to fail safety inspection after use.
Prohibited. You must not use any type of styrofoam. Stryofoam is not resilient and will show significant wear and degradation with repeated strikes.
Possible. It may be permissible to use soft cross-linked polyolefin foam (“blue camp foam”) (closed cell). Your results may vary, as some weapons made using camp foam are too hard and do not provide enough cushion.
Possible. It may be permissible to use certain types of two-part expanding foam. We cannot provide specifics about which kinds would be approved or prohibited because we as staff do not have that kind of expertise.
Covering. All Phys Reps for weapons should have some type of covering that obscures the construction materials. Coverings must meet all of the following five criteria:
Soft. The covering must not be stiff or have ridges, hard bits, or otherwise reduce the Softness or Lightness of a Phys Rep.
Smooth. The covering must not have any sharp or rough bits, like corners of tape, cracks in a surface treatment, or casting seams.
Secure. The covering must be tightly fitted and resistant to peeling, falling off, or drooping.
Clean. The covering must not crumble, flake, feel greasy, be adhesive or tacky, or leave any residue on any opponent.
Resilient. The covering must show minimal signs of wear or degradation even with repeated strikes.
Examples of Soft, Secure, Clean, and Resilient for Coverings:
Allowed. You may use duct tape, gaffers tape, or dacron/insignia tape with the adhesive side facing inward toward the core.
Allowed. You may use well-fitting sewn covers made out of reasonable fabric (usually rip-stop nylon).
Allowed. You may use latex coatings such as found on store-bought latex weapons or DIY coatings with similar results.
Allowed. You may use a thin layer of protective coating over latex or similar covers such as latex weapon maintenance spray (silicon-based), noting that this may leave a slight oily residue. Please follow your weapon manufacturer’s guidelines for protective coatings.
Prohibited. You must not use masking tape as it is too stiff and will not reliably stick to the weapon.
Prohibited. You must not use electrical tape as the adhesive will melt out and cause the outside of the weapon to become tacky.
Prohibited. You must not use insulating, exhaust, or heat-wrap tape, as this usually contains metal and will add significant weight to the weapon.
Prohibited. You must not use old duct tape that is hard, stale, crunchy, and scratchy.
Possible. It may be permissible to use types of coverings for Handles that would not be allowed for Padded Surfaces. Examples of possibly approved materials include tightly wound paracord, wrapped leather, non-residue wraps or grip tapes like tennis tape, or well-maintained electrical tape. On the other hand, you should not use Handle coverings that leave significant residue such as hockey stick tape, pine tar, or electrical tape that has melted and coated the Handle in adhesive.
Possible. It may be permissible to use certain paints to cover certain kinds of material, but we cannot provide specifics about which kinds would be approved or prohibited because we as staff do not have that kind of expertise.
Thrusting Tips (optional). A Thrusting Tip is a section of soft open cell foam that covers the entire top of the Padded Surface least 2 inches deep. Thrusting Tips MUST be:
Soft. Thrusting Tips must provide enough cushion or dampening of force so that the Phys Rep does not cause injury or discomfort even when used to thrust slightly too hard.
Large. Thrusting Tips must have a tip large enough to significantly distribute the impact and reduce the likelihood of the Phys Rep penetrating the eye socket or other sensitive areas of another participant.
Self Recovering. Thrusting tips must recover from compression quickly.
Examples of Soft and Large for Thrusting Tips:
Allowed. You may use a 2 inch thick cylinder of soft open cell foam that covers the entire tip of a round pipe-foam weapon with no or minimal tapering.
Prohibited. You must not use a 2 inch thick piece of soft open cell foam tapered to a sharp point.
Possible. It may be permissible to use a 2 inch thick layer cut to cover the tip of a flat-bladed weapon with a reasonable amount of tapering that does not cause discomfort or injury when used with slightly too much force, and of sufficient dimensions as to limit the likelihood that the tip can penetrate an eye socket or other sensitive area.
Possible. You may use more than 2” of foam for a thrusting tip, but be aware that longer tips can fold over, reducing their protection.
Embellishments (optional). Phys Reps may have embellishments or hidden features so long as they do not inhibit or reduce the safety of the weapon from the requirements stated above.
Allowed. You may use a reasonably or realistically sized basket hilt made entirely from approved Foam Padding and completely encased with an approved Covering.
Allowed. You may use a crossguard made entirely from approved Foam Padding and completely encased with an approved Covering that is 12 inches wide or less.
Possible. It may be permissible to use a handguard such as a basket hilt that is made of soft, flexible material and is of reasonable size and shape. Repeated strikes to the hand guard must leave no marks or cause damage to the Phys Rep used to strike. Accidental contact with an opponent with a handguard must cause no more injury or discomfort than contact with a gloved hand.
Possible. It may be permissible to use internally lit weapons such as glow weapons so long as the lighting material is laid flat and embedded within the foam so that attacking with the Phys Rep will not cause a defender to be struck with an unpadded edge of a lighting strip. Also, any batteries and battery casings must be secured within the Handle or Pommel per the rules of a Handle made of composite materials.
Prohibited. You must not use handguards that are so large as to approximate the size of bucklers or armored fists.
Prohibited. You must not use handguards or crossguards that protrude unreasonably far from the Core of the Phys Rep.
Colors. Generally, all melee weapons should be primarily colored gray, brown, or black. Decorations in other colors excluding red are acceptable, but the majority of the weapon should be one of those three colors. Claws are indicated by either solid red color or with an obvious red stripe at least 3/4 of an inch wide along the full length of the Padded Surface on at least two opposite sides of the weapon..
Unique Weapon Rules
Claws
Some creatures or characters have the ability in-game to fight with their claws or other natural weaponry. These are represented by Short, bladed phys-reps that are considered Out-of-Play unless they are in hand. Natural weapons such as Claws should be red or at minimum should have red stripes. Claws are considered Weapons for the purposes of Maneuvers and Wards, etc., but cannot utilize blade poisons, and are immune to Disarm, Drop, Break, and Shatter effects. A character with Claws is considered Proficient with them and may use them with any Weapon Maneuvers they have purchased.
Spear
Spears may be wielded with either one (1) or two (2) hands, but the method of permissible attack varies depending on how it is wielded. A player using only one hand may only use the spear as a thrusting weapon. However, if a player wields a spear with two hands, they may thrust or slash with the head of the weapon. A spear may never be thrown.
Staff
When wielding a staff, the player must hold it in the middle three feet. A staff may be covered in foam for its entire length, or it may have a grip in the middle.. A staff held in one hand may be used to block, but may not be used to attack. It is permissible to thrust or slash with a staff as long as it is wielded with two hands.
Wielding Multiple Melee Weapons
Length Limit. When using weapon Phys Reps (including claws) in both hands, neither weapon can be longer than 48”. You cannot use a weapon longer than 48” even if you are just using it to defend and it might otherwise be usable in a single hand (such as a staff, spear, or hand-and-a-half weapon longer than 48”).
Claws. If you have claws, you may use claws in both hands or a claw in one hand and a weapon in another hand without having to purchase Two Weapons or Twin Weapons. You cannot simultaneously wield a claw and a weapon longer than 48".
Allowed Weapons
Citadel allows the use of coreless foam throwing weapons (rocks, throwing stars, knives, axes, hammers) and projectile launchers (foam darts, foam balls).
Prohibited Weapons
Citadel does not allow the use of bows or the use of cored projectiles (such as boffer arrows, boffer crossbow bolts, archery tag arrows, etc.).
Ranged Weapon Phys-Reps
Nerf-style guns, including darts and foam balls, are allowed. We ask you to please visually modify the weapons at least with spray paint to reduce disruption to immersion, and to avoid using weapons that appear too modern or are obviously drum-fed, belt-fed, or clip-fed. The FPS cap for all ranged weapons is 120 FPS.
Here are some samples of recommended weapons and ammo types:
Examples of good phys reps:
Examples of bad phys reps:
Full vinyl jacket (“FVJ”) darts are STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Any use will result in a temporary or permanent ban from participation in ranged combat. If you do not know what these are or how to identify them, please talk to the safety marshal.
Ranged Weapons
Ranged Weapons and Combat
Crossbows and guns may never be intentionally struck by a melee weapon, nor may they be used to intentionally block a melee strike. A player doing either of those things will receive a Safety Warning and possibly be removed from combat. If a ranged weapon is accidentally struck by a melee weapon, the blow should be applied to the arm holding the weapon. If both arms are holding the weapon, the blow applies to the limb closest to where the blow landed.
Ranged Weapons and Shields
Thrown weapons may be used with a single hand and can be thrown while holding a shield or weapon in the other hand. You may not use thrown weapons with a hand that is holding a weapon or other props, as this may result in accidentally throwing unsafe projectiles.
Ranged Weapons and Bucklers
A crossbow or sparktech weapon may be operated while wearing a buckler, but you must never use your buckler defensively while holding the crossbow or sparktech weapon in the same hand.
Thrown Weapon
Thrown weapons must be made of boffer-safe foam at least two (2) inches in any diameter and no diameter over twelve (12) inches. Shapes include rocks, axes, hammers, and stars. Thrown weapons must not include an interior core but may include some light weights securely attached in the center of the weapon, such as a few pennies, taped BBs/pellets, etc. Weights must be embedded well enough that they cannot be felt from the outside even with bending and finger-pressing, and attached securely so that repeated impact will not result in the weight moving around inside the weapon. All thrown weapons must be checked individually for safety by the Safety Marshal.
Crossbows and Sparktech Weapons
Citadel uses ranged weapons that launch projectiles such as foam darts and foam balls. All ranged weapons must be single-shot or modified to be only single-shot. Citadel does not use packets to represent arrows, crossbow bolts, or sparktech weapons. The FPS cap for all ranged weapons is 120 FPS.
Ammunition used for crossbows and sparktech weapons is an In-Play item until it is fired. Used darts or foam balls on the ground are Out-of-Play, just like a spell packet would be. Players may pick up their spent ammunition from the ground at any time (as long as it is safe Out-of-Play to do so), but may not intentionally pick up another character’s spent ammunition in order to block them from reloading. You may also pick up your spent ammunition whenever a Hold is called.
Crossbows
Crossbows may be one-handed or two-handed weapons, but all must be loaded with two hands. This means that you may not hold any other In-Play items in your hands besides the crossbow and ammunition while you load it (see buckler exception above). You may fire a crossbow with one hand if you can do so safely.
Phys-reps for crossbows must resemble a crossbow and must shoot cylindrical foam darts (not foam balls). You may perform spellstrikes through crossbows.
Sparktechs
Sparktech weapons are a rare and fairly recent technology within the world of Citadel. These strange, Artificed devices received the nickname “hand-held dragons” due to their astonishing ability to wound opponents from a distance and the loud “roar” they make when firing. Over the years, this got shortened to “dragon” or just “gon” (i.e “gun”). The sparktech weapons come in two main varieties: short (pistol) and long (muskets).
Muskets require two hands to be fired, but pistols may be fired while held in only one hand. However, both pistols and muskets require two hands to load. This means that you may not hold any other In-Play item in your hands besides the sparktech weapon and ammunition while you are loading it (see buckler exception above). Loading a sparktech weapon requires a 3-count (“Loading 3, Loading 2, Loading 1”). The 3-count does not need to be spoken out loud. All sparktech weapons may only fire a single shot before they must be reloaded.
The wielder of a two-handed sparktech is responsible for ensuring the safety of everyone around them as the extended, non-padded length may pose a safety risk during combat. If someone with melee weapons quickly approaches, the ranged weapon wielder must ensure that they point the weapon barrel up or down to avoid collision. Unsafe behavior, such as quickly swinging the weapon around or failing to move the weapon when a melee attacker closes in will warrant a Safety Warning and the player may be removed from combat for either a specified duration or permanently.
Phys-reps for sparktech weapons may shoot foam darts or foam balls. They should also, at the very least, be spray painted to avoid breaks in immersion. Since all sparktech weapons are single shot, "magic flintlocks", phys-reps should avoid looking too modern. Players are encouraged (but not required) to add additional aesthetics, such as gears, cogs, crystals, and lights. Due to the enchantments used for their creation, you may not perform spellstrikes through a sparktech weapon.
Armor
Armor Coverage
A location is considered to be protected by armor if it is at least 50% covered by the armor phys-rep. Additionally, the inner arms and inner legs do not factor into that total surface area.
For example, if you are wearing a shoulder pauldron that reaches about halfway to your elbow and a bracer that covers the majority of the back of your forearm from wrist to elbow, then that limb would count as being armored and part of your suit of Armor. In that example, if you were to take a hit somewhere that was technically not on your armor (such as your inner arm or your elbow), it would still count.
Light Armor
Any material that could conceivably help cushion a blow. Examples: anything made of padded/quilted cloth (like a gambeson or arming coat), anything made of leather, hide, or faux leather.
Medium Armor
As above, but with small rigid elements, incorporating metal bits, or thicker/heavier materials. Examples: micromail, thick but still flexible leather, supple leather with plates or studs added, thick wicker/basket armor.
Heavy Armor
Armor that incorporates a significant amount of rigid material, or even thicker/heavier materials. Examples: heavy chain mail, metal plate armor (or foam/plastic armor that is a good facsimile of metal), boiled/rigid leather armor, lamelar, metal scale armor, setting-appropriate motocross armor.
You may never wield more than one (1) shield (including bucklers/armored fists) at a time. The Vonor Heritage ability (Hand of Stone) counts as wielding one (1) armored fist, and, therefore, you cannot wield another type of shield on the other hand.
Shields can be made with or without a core. Acceptable cores include corrugated plastic, metal, and wood. Brittle material should not be used as the core of a shield. If a shield has a core, all edges must be padded with at least ½ inch of closed cell foam, and the Safety Marshal must not be able to feel core material with finger when pressed. Shields made of rigid foam may require similar padding on the edges that a shield with a core has.
All hardware on the front of the shield must be snag-free and as flush with the shield surface as possible. This may be accomplished through recessing the hardware, covering the hardware, or filing or cutting away any ridges, edges, or protrusions.
Shields
Shield Size Limits. Shield sizes are limited both in total coverage areas and longest maximum dimension as shown above. In the examples provided for rectangular shields, the maximum dimension would be from corner to corner of the rectangle (the hypotenuse). Curved shields are measured along the outside surface area, in other words along the outside curve, up to 180 degrees in the case of Armored fists. We do not count the backside of flat shields against the limit, so we also do not use the back half or inside half of an armored fist against the total coverage area.
Hands are Invalid Targets. As a reminder: hands holding a weapon or shield are considered invalid targets. Strikes against an invalid target are considered to have struck the held weapon or shield instead. Packet hits are considered legal if they strike the hands, or any portion of a character’s gear or costuming.
Armored Fists. Armored fists are allowed to represent bucklers. Typically these are made using hockey or lacrosse gloves and attaching foam, leather, or similar to provide forearm protection. Armored fists are subject to the same size limitations as bucklers and dimensions include any area used to defend. For example, if you consider the back of your hand to be defended against Dart effects, the area on the back of your hand counts towards the dimensions.
Packets
Spells and thrown potions are represented by objects, called packets, constructed with bird seed and fabric. The bird seed must be of a small round variety, with no peanuts, sunflower seeds, or other pieces that are large or have pointed edges. If you have questions about whether a type of seed can be used, please reach out to staff. Recommended packet construction is a cotton fabric square roughly 5” to 7” per side, with 1 to 2 tablespoons of bird seed as fill. To make a packet, place the seed in the center of your fabric square, then gather the fabric together around the bird seed and bind it closed with a rubber or elastic band. Packets should be relatively squishy and around 1”-1.5” in diameter. There are no required packet colors, so you may personalize packets by using distinctive cloth or writing on the packets as long as the pattern/drawing fits within the game aesthetic (ex: don’t use spiderman fabric).