Game Mechanics

=Game Mechanics=

Physreps
The characters in FLAG have many tools at their disposal, be it the sword a knight carries, an assassin’s poison, the jaws of a wolf, or magical energy of a sorcerer. Real swords, poison and wolves are far too dangerous to be used in a game (obviously), and the magic used by the characters in the game is purely fictitious. These items therefore need a physical representation (a.k.a. physrep) as a tool for the story and role-play.

Tags
Most items in addition to a physrep require a notarized tag to be used in game. All tags give a detailed description of the item, the number of uses, and are stamped and initialed by a FLAG marshal.

Weapons
Weapons abound in a dangerous fantasy realm, what can a knight do to the dragon without his sword? The term weapon also implies many other things, like the jaws of a wolf, the branch of an animated tree, etc. Any physical strike is represented in FLAG by a soft padded stick or foam projectile (in the case of ranged weapons). Many are made to resemble the weapons that they represent (i.e. a sword would be gray, and vaguely sword shaped, an axe would be similar, with a large piece of soft foam to represent the axe blade. Natural weapons are represented by red sword-like padded sticks (often referred to as “claws”). The physreps for attacking with a vulnerable natural weapon, like the hands of a martial artist, are similar to “claws” but yellow in color. Silvered weapons are blue, and magical weapons are often white. To use one of these physreps, the weapon must be swung according to FLAG safety rules.

Ranged weapons are slightly different. They are constructed entirely of foam with regard to thrown weapons. Arrows shot from a bow or crossbow are very difficult to make and must be closely inspected by a weapons marshal. In order to use these arrows, you must pass a special FLAG safety test. If you do not take the test, then you may use spackets (see below) to represent your arrows. Arrow spackets must be brown or gray. If the arrows are silver in game, the tape on them must be blue, and if they are magical, the tape on them must be white.

Using Weapons
Combat is resolved at FLAG by actually acting out the battle, dodging, blocking etc. The physreps are swung by the players and effects are called verbally for each strike. The strength of the swing has nothing to do with the damage dealt, and so even the lightest tap causes the appropriate effect as long as it is accompanied with an appropriate damage call. For safety and balance, we try to strike at about 50-75% of full speed. If a weapon physrep strikes a player in an illegal area, then the target is unaffected by the strike.


 * A weapon swing is accompanied by a verbal damage call, consisting of 3 parts; number, type, and effect. The call must be spoken loudly for each strike. If you cannot complete your damage call before you strike again you are swinging to fast or “machine-gunning” which is against the FLAG combat rules.


 * The only exception to this rule is for those who use 2 weapons at once (2 claws or Florentine skill, etc.) As long as the player is alternating arms, the player may choose to omit either the type or effect from the damage call. However, if type is eliminated the type will be considered normal by the target, and if effect is eliminated, the effect will be considered damage. For example if the appropriate call is “3 silver paralyze” the call could instead be “3 silver” (which would be assumed as ‘3 silver damage’) or “3 paralyze” (which would be assumed as ‘3 normal paralyze’).


 * The number in the attack call is always the amount of damage the attack causes. Assuming the type of attack affects the character, the damage number would then be subtracted from the characters current armor and/or body total (exceptions: armor and body damage are subtracted from the appropriate factor [armor and body respectively] and do not reduce the other factor).


 * The type of attack determines whether or not the victim is affected by the strike. For example a werewolf is unaffected by “normal” type attacks, but would take damage from silver and magic type attacks. This ability is called a threshold. For the were wolf character, the threshold would be silver.


 * Certain other effects exist in game that can be triggered by the damage of a physical strike. The victim of the attack suffers this additional effect if they lose body points from the attack. Unless otherwise noted, all attacks from physical strikes are considered to effect characters with the blood trait.

If a swing strikes a character, the character suffers the effect, for example, “3 silver damage” would do 3 points of damage to the character, assuming they are affected by silver type attacks. These three points of damage would then be subtracted from the characters current armor and/or body total. Armor and body are summarized on the character’s info sheet(s) and armor tags, but maintaining a current total is done by memory (and the honor system!). If the damage call was instead “3 silver paralyze” the character would first take 3 points of damage from current armor and/or body, and further would be affected by a paralyze by blood effect if they took body damage from the attack.

Spacket-Casting
Spell use is also a popular and effective means of fantasy game self defense, but how can you tell if a spell works? In FLAG, we use pieces of cloth loosely filled with birdseed (often called “spackets”) to represent the magical energy of a spell, or another thrown non-weapon item (like sleep powder or a dragon’s fire breath). If the spacket hits a character, they take the effect of the spell/attack. Spells cannot be cast without a spacket.

A spell is cast in game by speaking a specific incantation, like “I channel kinetic force to hold you.” After completion of the incantation, a spacket held in the caster’s hand is active for 5 seconds. If that spacket strikes a character (touched or thrown) during those 5 seconds, the recipient takes the effect of the spell. The effect of the spell should be spoken by the caster upon release of the spacket, or upon spacket contact with another character, to inform the victim of the effect. Often it will be necessary to give a quick explanation to the target as to the nature and duration of the spells’ effects. It is the caster’s responsibility to know the effects of the spells they cast, and the durations. In order to cast spells, the incant must be spoken, and the caster must have at least one hand free. Therefore, preventing clear speech and binding hands prevent a character from casting most spells.

Other effects such as breath weapons, also represented by spackets in many cases, do not require an incantation. The user says “innate” and then speaks the effect of the item/attack as the item is released or as it contacts a character (e.g. “10 magic flame” or “paralyze by blood”). Certain other non spell effects include alchemy and are delivered slightly differently (e.g. “gas: paralyze by blood”).

Costume Courtesy
When a spacket delivered attack (typically spells) hits a flowing or superfluous portion of costuming of a target, the effect of that spell is still delivered to the target. However, the person delivering the attack (whether PC or NPC) or a marshal may grant a costume courtesy if they feel the attack was basically a miss and only nipped superfluous costuming. This will make the attack count as a miss for all intensive purposes. Any power, mana, etc used in the attack is still spent. The recipient of such an attack may not give themselves a costume courtesy, but may request such to the attacker or a marshal who saw the hit. The attacker or marshal may then grant the costume courtesy if they feel it is appropriate. A costume courtesy is just that… a courtesy. It is not a right, a guarantee, or a privilege. Hits to costuming are still hits unless the attacker or a marshal feels a costume courtesy is in order. Hits to shields and weapons are never considered for costume courtesies.

Other Physreps
Still other items require physical representations that cannot be represented by foam sticks, or by spackets. Contact toxin for example is represented by petroleum jelly, traps can be strings or squeak toys, etc.

Special Conditions
In Game: Part of the fictional happenings. Characters are in game, physreps with appropriate tags are in game, discussion of character affairs is in game.

Out of game (OOG)
Not part of the fiction. Rules behind the game are oog, players with white headbands, and marshals with marshal tabards (referee stripes) are out of game. Certain dangerous areas or unfinished buildings are out of game. Other things may be declared out of game by the marshals as the story unfolds. Non fictional items are oog, wallet, money, car keys, physreps without tags, all oog. Please mark your out of game items with OOG.

During game time, OOG topics should not be discussed. If you wish to speak OOG with another player, first ask them “may I speak frankly?” If the player says yes, then move to an area where no other players will be disturbed and continue your OOG conversation.

Time out
When “time out” is called, all players cease action and repeat the time out call. Characters cannot move during time outs, and if the player needs to move, they must return to the place where the character was when play resumes. Player’s may not discuss in game situations during a time out. Game play resumes on a “Lay on” call from a marshal. Anyone may call time out for safety reasons. Marshals may call time out to allow npcs time to set up or to describe settings that need to be defined in game. Further, some NPCs may use the term “Let me clarify” to inform characters of some important information without breaking character. (I.e. Let me clarify. This is a great chasm, it looks like a couple sticks, but it is a chasm in game… really…use your imagination)

Rules clarifications should also be resolved in game as much as possible with a “clarify?” request. When a character is struck by an effect, and does not understand how to react, they ask “clarify?” The attacker then gives a repeat of the effect or brief definition of how to react to the player. Characters engaged in a clarify may ignore damage and effects from other characters and should let surrounding characters know that they are clarifying. As soon as the resolution is made, resume normal play as soon as possible.