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

  • Melee Weapons

  • Ranged Weapons

• Armor

• Shields

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 latex weapons are subject to a “case by case” approval, so please Contact Us before investing in latex weaponry.

*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.

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.

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.

All melee weapons should be primarily colored gray, brown, or black. Decorations in other colors are acceptable, but the majority of the weapon should be one of those three colors.

Unique Weapons also have additional rules, which you can peruse below.

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.

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.

Here are some samples of recommended weapons and ammo types:

• Waffle-tipped darts

• Foam bullet balls

• Examples of good phys reps:

  • Nerf Rival Kronos

  • Nerf Rival Knockout

  • Nerf Mandolorian Rifle

  • B3 Imagination Studio Musket

  • B3 Imagination Studio Flintlock

  • Foam Dart Crossbow

• Examples of bad phys reps:

  • Nerf Mastodon

  • Nerf-like Assault Rifle

  • Nerf pistol with extended magazine

  • Nerf-like whatever-this-is

  • Nerf Rival with super extended magazine

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.

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

All crossbows are considered to be two-handed weapons. They may be fired with one hand, but must be loaded with two hands. This means that you may not hold any other In-Play item in your hands besides the crossbow and ammunition while you load or wield it (see buckler exception above).

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.

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.

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.

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 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 surface area, in other words along a curve.

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 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.