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combat_rules

Combat Rules

Combat In Larp

Combat in Larp is resolved primarily through the use of larp-safe weapon physreps (usually constructed of latex and foam). Rather than rolling a dice to try and hit the bandit that's attacking you, you instead attempt to hit them with a weapon you are carrying (subject to the Safety Rules). Alternatively, your character might possess a special ability that allows them to assail a target with, for example a lightning bolt. In order to permit this, Larp combat uses a system of calls - words with a rules meaning you can shout out to inform a target what has just happened to them. Calls also apply to weapon effects - the mighty warrior you are playing might have the ability to strike a target thrice as hard as an untrained peasant, or to knock an incoming wolf to the ground with a cunning blow.

Hits and Damage

Memento Mundi uses a global hit system - you use the same pool of hit points for your entire body, losing a number whenever you are struck by a blow or damaging metaphysical effect that you cannot DODGE or RESIST. Hits are divided into body and armour, the former representing your physical endurance, the latter the protection afforded by your armour. You always lose armour hits first, unless you are struck by a THROUGH call.

All locations except the head, the neck and hands that are holding a weapon are legal targets for blows, though you should avoid aiming for sensitive locations if at all possible. Hits that connect with the head, neck or a hand holding a weapon may be ignored.

Armour

Light Armour gives the user 2 extra hits and can be worn by anyone. Medium Armour gives the user 4 extra hits and requires a skill to be worn. Heavy Armour gives the user 6 extra hits and requires a skill to be worn. All dodges possessed by the wearer become RESIST calls to STRIKEDOWN or REND instead.

While we encourage people to wear appropriate costume to represent their armour, there is no mechanical downsides to not doing this.

Damage Calls

The majority of blows struck will deal a single point of damage, which should be called as SINGLE. It is possible to do up to five points of damage in a single blow. The calls for damage above one are DOUBLE, TRIPLE, QUAD and QUINT. No blow may deal more than a QUINT, no matter how it is being enhanced. Unusually weak creatures may also hit for a HALF, which causes half a point of damage. Due to the reduced severity of such blows, any half hits a character is missing recover at the end of an encounter.

Dodges

Characters or monsters may be nimbler or better at blocking blows than the players who are representing them. To reconcile this difference, various abilities give characters DODGES. You MAY call a dodge to ignore any and all effects of a weapon blow that just struck you or a weapon/shield you are holding. You MAY NOT call dodges against arrows, backstab calls, spells, priestly or wayfinding abilities unless you have an ability that explicitly states otherwise.

One-Second Rule

With the exception of RESIST, IMMUNE and DODGE, you may only make a single call per second. You you are being hit more than once a second by another participant, you should only take the effect of one blow per second. This encourages combat that looks more heroic, and avoids “drumrolling” (hitting someone really fast from behind, a common cause of slightly embarrassing death for starting PCs).

Bleeding Out and Dying.

If damage your character suffers drops them to 0 hits, then they fall unconscious and are bleeding out. Count up to 60 from 0 - if you reach 60, your character has died. Any healing you receive (including a HEAL 0) while bleeding out stops your death count, and returns you to consciousness (unless the person healing you declares that they wish you to remain unconscious). If you have one or more hits after the healing, you may stand up and fight as normal. If you are still on 0 hits, you may crawl slowly, talk, or carry out simple manual tasks, such as drinking a potion. You may not cast spells or invoke miracles in this state.

You may never be reduced to fewer than 0 hits.

Calls

Mass Calls

Some characters have access to abilities that may affect more than one target at once. The mass call is used to represent this. Any call beginning with MASS affects everyone within five metres of the caster if unqualified. Some abilities may affect only the allies of the user. In this case, the call should be appended with PARTY when used by a PC or MONSTERS when used by a monster.

e.g. MASS STRIKEDOWN, MASS PARTY HEAL 4

Arced Calls

Some abilities may allow you to affect multiple targets within a restricted area or arc delimited by the caster outstretching their arms. Any call beginning with ARCED affects everyone within 5m and the area between the caster's arms. Like the MASS modifier, some calls may affect only the allies of the user. In this case, the call should be appended with PARTY when used by a PC or MONSTERS when used by a monster.

e.g. ARCED FEAR, ARCED MONSTERS STRIKEDOWN

Effect Calls

Both attacks with weapons and effects from magic, priestly powers or wayfinding abilities (henceforth grouped under metaphysical abilities) may cause effects other than (or in addition to) damage. These will be called using the name of the effect. If an attack or ability also does damage, and the blow struck you rather than a weapon/shield you are holding, then the damage call will be combined with the effect call. For example, a STRIKEDOWN call will make you fall to the ground, a DOUBLE STRIKEDOWN call will also do two points of damage if it struck your body. Unless you have an ability that explicitly states otherwise, you cannot apply more than one effect call to a single blow or casting.

If you are granted calls by a specific weapon skill, you must strike a target with that weapon in order to use the calls.

Non-Standard Effects

A limited number of metaphysical abilities will cause an effect not encapsulated in the standard Effect Calls. A player that possesses any such ability should brief the monster party on its effects at the start of a linear. When used, the name of the ability calling the effect should generally be used as the call, followed by a short description if appropriate. If needed, a TIME FREEZE will be called by a GM to adjudicate the effect.

Resist/Immune Calls

If any part of an effect does not affect the character or monster you are playing when you are targetted with it, you should call RESIST to indicate that it has had no effect. If it would NEVER affect you, call IMMUNE instead.

Call List

Strikedown

A target hit with a strikedown is knocked from their feet, and must fall to the ground to represent this. When delivered by a weapon, strikedown may be called when striking a shield or weapon carried by a target, in which case the effect still applies, but the call does not deal any damage. If the recipient of a strikedown feels that falling over is unsafe in a situation, or they are not comfortable doing so, they may instead take the effects of a REND.

Disarm

This call may only be delivered by striking a weapon or shield, or through a metaphysical ability, in which case the piece of equipment you are targeting should be specified. The targeted/struck piece of equipment has been knocked out of the hand wielding it, and should be dropped safely to the ground. It may then be picked up again.

Shatter

This call may only be delivered by striking a weapon or shield, or through a metaphysical ability, in which case the piece of equipment you are targeting should be specified. The targeted/struck piece of equipment has been shattered by the force of the assault upon it, and is unusable until repaired. It should be dropped safely, and not used until repaired.

Through

Through damage ignores any armour hits the target has, dealing damage directly to their pool of body hits.

If, for whatever reason, you only have armour hits and take THROUGH damage, you take it as normal damage.

Rend

This call represents a grievous and painful wound dealt to a target. For ten seconds, they should roleplay being in extreme pain, and are unable to call damage (but can defend themselves with one arm) or move faster than a rapid stagger.

Strengthen

The target is emboldened or strengthened such that their blows strike with greater force. For the rest of the encounter, or until hit with a WEAKEN call (which removes this, but does not take its normal effect), their attacks do +1 rank of damage (which they should call appropriately). An individual’s damage can only be increased by one instance of strengthen at once.

Weaken

The target has their will or strength sapped such that their blows become weaker. For the rest of the encounter, or until hit with a STRENGTHEN call (which removes this, but does not take its normal effect), their attacks do -1 rank of damage (which they should call appropriately). An individual’s damage can only be reduced by one instance of weaken at once. An individual that strikes for SINGLE hit by a weaken will strike for HALF.

Heal X

The target is healed by X body hits. This cannot normally take them above their maximum.

Renew X

Any armour the target is wearing is restored by X armour hits. This cannot normally take it above its maximum.

Blind X

The target is blinded for X seconds, and should roleplay being blind (though for safety reasons, not actually close their eyes). They can make no calls with a target other than themselves while in this state.

Fear

The target is overcome with fear, and for 15 seconds should either retreat continuously from the source of the call (in which case they can otherwise fight as normal) or cower in fear (in which case they can do nothing except defend themselves with a held weapon or shield).

Wound X

If a wound call strikes a limb, the victim must stop using that limb for the number of seconds specified in the call - if an arm, they should drop anything in it, if a leg, they should drop to one knee, and cannot move faster than a crawl. If you are struck on the torso with a wound call, apply the effects to the limb nearest the struck area. If you are applying WOUND through non-physical means, you should include a designated limb (i.e. WOUND RIGHT LEG).

Entangle

If an entangle call strikes a limb, the limb is bound in place and cannot be used until freed - if an arm, it should be held to the victim's body along with any contents and not moved, if a leg the victim should not move it. If a weapon, then the weapon should be aimed at the ground and not moved. An entangled weapon or limb can be freed with 5 seconds role-play of removing the bindings with a free arm. If both arms are entangled at once, the victim can escape with ten seconds struggling. A character who is currently STRENGTHENED can immediately break the bonds by role-playing pulling free. If you are applying ENTANGLE through non-physical means, you should include a designated limb (i.e. ENTANGLE RIGHT LEG).

Poison

The blow that just struck you was poisoned. Delivered through blade venom, contact poison, aerosol or magical effect. You will need to check with the GM at the end of the encounter to discover the effects of the poison. You will need to keep track of whether you had armour protecting you at the point you took the poison effect, as sometimes this will have an effect (say a blade venom) where as other times it will not (magical hex).

Backstab

Individuals skilled in the art of surprise attacks may be able to disable unwary tackers. If an attacker calls BACKSTAB X against you, and you did not see the attack coming, then for X seconds you are both subject to REND and cannot vocally create sound. If you did see it coming, you can DODGE the attack if you wish, and only take a SINGLE if you do not.

Blast single/double/triple etc.

An explosion has erupted at the point where you have been struck. When hit by a BLAST X, you should immediately call MASS X STRIKEDOWN without arcing, which affects you as well as everyone nearby. You can NEVER call a MASS BLAST.

i.e. A mage points at you and calls BLAST TRIPLE. You should immediately call MASS TRIPLE STRIKEDOWN, and take the effect yourself.

combat_rules.txt · Last modified: 2017/08/16 14:40 by dan