This is probably the most important word in combat. When a hold is called the ENTIRE GAME STOPS. This is only used in serious or possibly serious situations or emergencies. When HOLD is called stop what you are doing, drop to one knee so that anyone about to enter the area doesn’t because they see a HOLD is on and stay quiet! This is so staff can assess the situation with a clear line of sight and be able to communicate easily without background noise. While we naturally understand you would want to see what is going on and possibly assist, we ask that you stay where you are. Since the game is off when a HOLD is called you do not know in game anything that happens during this out of game time. The lich that was hiding in the bushes might be our EMT who is responding to a possible emergency. If it turns out to be a false alarm (it usually is) or easily rectified and the EMT goes back into lich mode in the bushes your character should not know they are there when the game resumes. To make this easier we recommend that when a hold is on you look down at the ground and consider anything learned during this time to be out of game knowledge. EVERY PLAYER AT RoA HAS THE RIGHT TO CALL A HOLD IF NECESSARY! If you see someone get truly injured, or has any serious condition occurred do not be afraid to do this! We care about everyone’s safety and it is every player and cast member’s responsibility to look out for one another. We only ask that you use HOLDs only when the situation calls for it and it is appropriate. If someone trips and says they are all right it is not necessary to call a hold. If someone falls over a rock and is screaming in pain it is. Play does not resume until a call of “PLAY ON” or “LAY ON” is heard.
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This word is not as serious as a HOLD and is used to warn others of possible danger or injury. If for example you are fighting someone and they are backing up to the point they may step on one of their comrades who is unconscious on the ground, you may call “CAUTION! You are about to step on Bob on the ground behind you.” This allows you to adjust yourselves to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. Maybe Bob will roll off to the side or you will adjust your positioning so Bob is out of the way. When a CAUTION is called it puts the person calling it, the individual they are calling it in response to, and anyone directing interacting with them in a personal form of HOLD. Everyone else in the area need not stop what they are doing, but may not attack you or interact with you until the caution is over. If someone does attack you in this time you may simply say “In a HOLD” and not take the effect of the strike. Likewise the person striking will not expend mana/piety/favor or use up the skill used in the attempt. It is as though it never happened.

This is a word used if someone needs an explanation of how a rule or spell works, or did not hear a skill call or spell incant. If someone hits you with a skill or spell and you do not know what to do, or did not hear the damage or couldn’t hear what they said underneath that latex mask, call CLARIFY. During a CLARIFY those involved with it go into a personal HOLD as described above in the CAUTION description. If a CLARIFY is called it is up to the caster of the spell or user of the skill to be able to explain what should be done.Description text goes here

This phrase is used when someone is swinging too hard in combat. Most times this is unintentional and just a result of adrenaline or excitement. If someone is striking you too hard simply call “CHECK YOUR SWINGS,” and they are required to pull back their swings so they are not hurting you. Likewise if someone calls this while you are striking them you are bound to honor their request. If RoA receives multiple complaints about an individual hitting too hard that person will be spoken to and may lose their privilege to use weapons and/or asked to leave or be suspended. Since this is a safety issue it is taken very seriously.

• Safety First

If you are going to perform an action, and there is any doubt in your mind as to whether or not it is safe, DON’T. No one is here to get hurt. Things like climbing trees and roofs should be avoided. Likewise, always remember that the person/monster/whatever it is that you are fighting against is still a person underneath the costuming. A light tap does as much damage as a hard swing, please try not to overdo it.

• Yellow Arm Bands

We want everyone who comes to RoA to experience the excitement and fun that a weekend of LARP brings; however sometimes people have extenuating circumstances that make participation in combat inconvenient or impossible (a broken limb, pregnancy, sprained ankle, etc.). These individuals have the option of becoming a noncombatant by wearing a yellow armband.

If you see anyone wearing a yellow armband, do not touch them or hit them with a spell packet or weapon. This section has recently been updated, please read carefully.

1. No cast member, be they half cast, full staff or E.M.T., may force you to be Yellow Armband. They may advise you to do so, but you are the only one that can make medical determinations for yourself. 

2. When anyone wishes to use an offensive ability (skill, spell, effect) to interact with someone wearing a yellow armband, they may simply point a weapon or spell packet at the YA player and declare what skill or ability they intend to use. (i.e. “Flame Blast, Damage 5” or “Rend 10”). If you want to deal damage without using a spell or skill, you point your weapon and call “Damage 1” to represent a regular hit. Regardless of the offensive ability used, it is always considered to have taken effect/ landed successfully. 

3. The range to interact with Yellow Armband players is considered to be “melee range” (about 3-5 feet), even if you are using a spell. The exceptions to this are Gaze and Sound of Voice effects, which retain their normal range. 

4. Going forward, while you are wearing a Yellow Armband, you may use any appropriate defensive ability you possess in response to incoming attacks (i.e. “Resist”, “Parry”, “State of Stone” etc.). While you are permitted to use any defensive ability, you cannot attack or use any offensive ability against anyone else, as we believe this may cause confusion and would increase the risk to you. 

5. You are still responsible for making it reasonably obvious that you are wearing a yellow armband so that mistakes are not made, and clearly indicating to staff if you are swapping to yellow armband mid-event. 

6. Please do not hop in and out of Yellow Armband throughout the weekend to avoid exhausting combat. This is strictly against the spirit of the game and makes things unsafe for you and everyone else.

7. Last and most importantly:No one is to touch a Yellow Armband player without their express consent under any circumstance.

You may only wear a yellow armband and be a non-combatant with approval from RoA, and should plan to bring your own band; RoA will not supply them. If you feel you need to be a non-combatant, please contact staff at updates@realmsofadventure.net

• Health Concerns

If you have any medical conditions/allergies or you are taking any medication, please let staff know via info@realmsofadventure.net so we can be aware of it. If you need to bring any medications, please make sure to keep them in an Out of Game or clearly marked bag to avoid anyone going through the bag looking for in game items. If you are on any medication that limits time you can spend in game (for example, you must go to bed at X time), please let us know so that we can schedule around this.

• Food Concerns

Cooking and eating food should be handled with care. Refrain from roasting or eating nuts indoors, tossing food scraps into fires and littering food about the campsite. Not only is this disrespectful to the other groups that use the campsite, leaving food attracts the attention of bears, coyotes, and other animals. It also can trigger severe allergic reactions for some players.

• “Clarify: Consent?”  |  “Clarify: Revoked.”

Touching shall only occur at the game by explicit consent. The only physical contact that should occur is with express prior consent of both individuals, and this consent may be revoked at any time whatsoever. The standard should be assumed that consent is NOT given, unless a specific verbal consent for a specified action or event is given.

Certain light-touch contact is permitted per the rules of in-game effects. Examples are skills such as bandaging with first aid, intercept with a light touch on the shoulder, or standard boffer combat. The one exception to the allowance of light touch is anyone wearing a yellow armband (see “Yellow Arm Bands” below)

Consent may be gained by saying “Clarify: Consent?” (With a response of “Clarify: Yes/No” and revoked by saying “Clarify: Revoked.” Nobody should be made to feel pressured to say yes in this situation, and should absolutely not be pressured to change their decision should it be no. 

Implied Consent

If you offer someone a hand/high-five, and they accept that hand, there is implied consent because they have accepted the gesture. There is no need to break the RP to Clarify something as simple as that. If they want to shake your hand, they won’t nor are they obligated to. If you offer to help them up off the ground, it is their choice to accept it or not. If they don’t, you should not take it personally.

To be clear: If someone offers you a hand to help you up from the ground, if they offer you a hand for a handshake, if they open up their arms for a hug, etc., then if you do not feel comfortable, you are under no obligation to engage in these actions nor should you feel pressured to do so. Also, it is against the spirit of these rules to give implied consent and then turn around and accuse the other person of breaking the rules. If you feel uncomfortable with the contact, then do not engage in it.

Pre-Consent

If you know someone well and have an understanding with them prior, you do not need to Clarify: Consent each and every time since the two of you have already spoken of it. However, if they tell you Clarify: Revoked, regardless of your previous arrangement, you must respect that. Any further contact past that without reestablishing consent is in violation of the contact rules.

If you see two people engaging in RP and you did not see them ask for Consent, it is not your place to call them out or break their RP unless a party seems genuinely uncomfortable with the situation. Consent is between persons A & B, and they may already have a standing agreement. The Consent rule is not in place for people to start policing casual contact between consenting individuals.

Final Consent Notes

You are NOT going to get in trouble for being friendly with your significant others and friends. This rule is intended to protect players, not interfere with existing relationships and boundaries.

• Stay in Character and Role-play

Realms of Adventure has a great reputation for its players and cast immersion, and we ask that everyone stay in character as much as possible during game hours. Always look, speak, and act the part, even when you are alone; you never know who may be watching from a hidden spot ready to engage your character. Do not discuss out of game topics during in-game hours unless they are issues of safety or clarification. You may not go “out of game” during in game hours without authorization from staff. This is generally reserved for medical emergencies/specific medical exemptions.

Game typically runs from 10:30-12pm Friday night until 3 am, but Friday times may vary. Game off occurs from 3:00 am – 9:59 am Saturday. Saturday's game runs from 10:00 – 3:00 am, and game off is again from 3:01 am – 8:59 am. On Sunday, the game runs from 9:00 am until approximately 1:00 – 2:00 pm .

• The Monster Shift

During any “game off” period you cannot be attacked, robbed etc. This is so everyone (including cast and staff) has adequate time to rest and recuperate. If you are on a cast led module past 3:00 am, game time for you may be extended. If for some reason you wish to retire from game early (if you feel ill or are simply tired), we ask that you hang a glow stick or other light clearly over your bed before you go to sleep to indicate to cast members that you are not interested in any further content that night.

During your time at Realms of adventure, Players are required to provide a portion of their time as monsters for the game (approximately two hours, but your Marshal or staff may dismiss you earlier than that or ask you to stay later IF you are willing). At check-in, we request that you sign-up for a monster shift, and the times that monsters go out will be listed there. 

We do this to provide the player base a larger variety of enemies to fight. All players are required to do this, except in the instance of health issues or special circumstances. In such a case, we will still ask you to donate your time as an npc or photographer for the weekend. To prepare for your monster shift, all you will need is a set of unmarked, dark (preferably black) clothes to wear. We recommend you wear sleeves, as you may be spending a chunk of time dead on the ground.

For all first event new players, cast shift will be optional. If a new player decides to partake in a cast shift, they will gain 500 Service Points for participating in a standard 2 hour cast shift.

• Cleanliness

This applies to your person, the area you are staying in, and the campsite in general. Please try your best to maintain good hygiene. Everyone will thank you for it! 

Leave your campsite cleaner than you found it.  Make sure your tent/cabin is clean and you leave your area in good order. Everyone must pitch in at the end of the event and help cleanup. At the end of the event you must sign up for a clean up duty on the sheets provided after the post-game meeting. If you forget to have this done, do not complete your task, or leave without helping, you will not get points for the weekend.

• Language

While some of our player races were loosely inspired by real world cultures, we ask that your character speaks English while in game. It may seem flavorful to have your Ipponese character occasionally break into Japanese, however this could detract from the experience of other Ipponese players who do not know the language out of game. While different races may have a different written language, all player races speak the same language.

• Inclusivity, Identity and Appearance

At Realms of Adventure, we strive to create a space that is inclusive. We accept any expression of gender and identity, and we do our best to foster a welcoming atmosphere. If you ever feel as though someone is not using your pronouns correctly or is mis-gendering you, please call “clarify” and identify the problem to the offending player or cast member. We welcome any conversation or suggestion for improvement in this matter and, while we are not perfect, we are in the process of improving as best we can. 

Additionally, we ask that you report any effort by any player to intimidate, shame, or exclude anyone on the basis of identity, gender, or appearance to staff. Behavior of this type has no place at Realms of Adventure and will be met with disciplinary action.

If there is a difference between your legal identifiers and proper identifiers that is necessarily distinct, please ensure that cast is notified in order to avoid confusion.

• Remember, it’s just a game!

This one is sometimes easy to forget in the heat of the moment, as a mix of adrenaline, lack of sleep, or and in-game stress can get the better of you. If you feel overwhelmed by all that’s happening around you, step back and take a deep breath. While we aim to create an immersive experience, this should not come at the expense of your well-being. If you need a moment to yourself, take it. Similarly, many of our players and staff are fantastic actors, but if someone appears genuinely upset or hurt it is OK to clarify with them if they are OK! Use your best judgment.  

While our staff strives to create the best possible experience for all, we cannot know all of what is going on at the game. Feel free to pull a staff member aside if there is something that is upsetting you and we’ll be happy to do what we can to help!

• Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages are strictly forbidden at Realms of Adventure events. This applies to ALL PLAYERS, EVEN THOSE OF LEGAL AGE. The policy is zero tolerance and will result in you being asked to leave the event at the very least. If you are found to be also breaking rules of the camp Realms of Adventure is a guest at, you will also be turned over to someone in authority to be dealt with.

• Drugs

Absolutely NO illegal drugs are permitted at any realms of Adventure functions including regular game weekends and any Realms of Adventure sponsored events. This includes the intentional or illegal misuse of prescription or nonprescription drugs. THOSE FOUND IN VIOLATION OF THIS POLICY WILL BE PERMANENTLY BANNED FROM GAME AND PUNISHED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW.

• “Live Steel”

No real weapons of any type will ever be allowed at Realms of Adventure events. This includes, but is not limited to, guns, knives, swords, axes, arrows, nunchaku, throwing stars, etc.. If it’s an actual weapon, just don’t bring it.

• Theft

You may not steal anything that is considered an out-of-game item. This includes food, drinks, clothing, real world money or valuables, and prop items. For example, while searching you may come across an amulet. If there is no tag on it, consider it a prop item and leave it alone. This rule also applies to boffer weapons in general.  There are boffer weapons that have silver or gold tape on them to denote them as magical. These are considered yellow-tagged items. We try to promote a family atmosphere at RoA, and this family has no room for real world thieves.

• Searching Out of Game Areas

You may not search areas that are designated as out of game. This includes the areas underneath someone’s bunk as well as any bags bearing a red tag clearly labeled “OUT OF GAME”, or “OOG”, or marked with red duct tape. Likewise, if you hide in-game items under your bed with the intent to safeguard them for your use later in the game, it is cheating. All items you wish to bring into game this event must be carried or hidden in game. If you left some healing potions out in the car or under your bed and by Saturday you realize you wish you had them, they cannot magically appear. The primary exception to this rule is your scheduled cast shift. During this time, you can return your in-game valuables to properly labeled out of game storage to prevent them from being stolen while you’re away.

All players are permitted to keep in their sleeping area a maximum of one bag to serve as out of game storage. It is your responsibility to procure and affix to that bag an easily visible red tag/tape with the words “OUT OF GAME” or “OOG” clearly written or printed on it. That said, if you open a bag and find it filled with OOG clothes/toiletries/medication, please use your common sense and leave the bag be.

Additionally, please keep in mind that should you choose to use in-game looking furniture (provided by either yourself or the campsite), while players may not steal your out of game props and accessories as outlined above, individual containers within the furniture itself are not exempt from being searched for in-game items unless they bear an “OUT OF GAME” tag as described above.

• Destruction

If you intentionally or negligently break anything at the camp we use, you will have to pay for it. Depending on the severity of the damage, you may be asked to leave the event or be banned permanently. Remember that we are guests at the campsites we visit, and they can revoke our privileges at any time. If you accidentally break something, PLEASE LET STAFF KNOW. It is much better than us getting an angry phone call from the camp ranger.

• Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is a crime and criminal charges can be leveled against you if you perpetrate it. If anyone at game has made you feel uncomfortable, PLEASE LET STAFF KNOW.

• General Harassment

Any sort of harassment based on out of game reasons including but not limited to race, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, appearance, or income will not be tolerated. This does not include a Dwarf making a derogatory comment about an Elf. This is regarding real world situations and attributes. If you feel someone is harassing you for an out of game reason please notify staff IMMEDIATELY.

• Disrespect and Disobedience

This includes but is not limited to lewd conduct, excessive swearing, fighting and arguing out of game, arguing with or purposely disregarding staff, and causing situations that are deemed unsafe or disruptive. This will result in disciplinary action ranging from a warning to complete expulsion from the game based on the particulars of the offense. If you feel someone is being unfair to you, notify a staff member and they should be able to resolve the situation.

• Using Skills You Don’t Have

This game is based on the honor system. If you use skills your character does not possess, or use skills you have more times than you are allowed to, you are cheating. You may get away with this once, or twice, or even more, but rest assured you will get caught. If people know you as a cheat, they will not enjoy playing with you. If staff receive complaints about you, you will be observed. If it is discovered you are cheating you will face disciplinary action ranging from a warning to complete expulsion from the game based on the particulars of the offense. 

You must carry your character sheet at all times. Your character sheet is printed and provided to you at check-in, so there should be no excuse for not having it. If a staff member believes you may be cheating, they can and will check your character sheet to ensure it matches the skills you are using. If you say “parry” nine times and only bought the skill twice, you will be called on it.

• Counterfeiting

We try to obtain a variety of coins and props representing “treasure” and other items for you to enjoy during your adventures with us. If you reproduce, create, or purchase any in game money, gems, alchemy components, scrolls or any other items for use in game you are cheating. This applies to a person obtaining items, OOG, without having the IG means to do so. For example, if you have some skill that allows you to “create” an IG item, the particulars of the skill should be followed. If it is discovered you are cheating you will face disciplinary action ranging from a warning to complete expulsion from the game based on the particulars of the offense.

• Disguises

You may not use fake beards, wigs, teeth, ears, masks, or any other disguise to conceal your in-game identity unless you have permission from staff to do so. If you want to put a cloak over your head and conceal your face, or cover your elf ears with a headband to appear human, that is acceptable. If, however, you removed your ear tips and you are an elf who wanted to appear human, or wore a fake beard while portraying a human character to appear to be a dwarf, that is not permissible. This is considered cheating. Lastly, you may not dramatically alter your costume without approval from staff. If you are wearing a different costume, people will assume you are portraying an NPC or a different character. You may add to or enhance your costume over time, but it must be made inherently obvious that you are still portraying the same character.

• IG vs. OOG

At Realms of Adventure, as with any role-playing game, there is often a fine line between in-game and out-of-game scenarios and knowledge. What is very important for all players AND cast to do is separate the two. For example, if you are on cast duty as a Goblin and one of the Goblins you are with decides to rob your cabin, you may not stop him. Additionally when your cast duty shift is over and you are back out as your character, you should act as though you do not know what has happened. If you overhear two players at the pizza place after game talking about how they robbed the mages guild you cannot run to the authorities next game based on this information. This is in poor taste and is considered metagaming. METAGAMING IS CONSIDERED CHEATING! If you are caught metagaming and do not correct your actions you will face disciplinary action.