V9: Change Log

This page is part of the Official Amtgard V9 Alpha-Playtest Rulebook.

• The Amtwiki is the official home and primary source for Amtgard V9 Rules as of February 25, 2023.
• These rules are currently in Open Alpha Playtest. See the Playtest Disclaimer for more details.
• To learn more about Amtgard V9 Development, please visit Amtgard.com.
• To view the current Amtgard V8 ruleset, please see the Amtgard V8 Rulebook.

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December 2023 (9A.4.231211) - 🔥 Hotfix: Typos and Error Corrections Post-Server Outtage (Work in Progress)

LEGEND
🔴 = Important and Significant changes.
🟡 = Functional-but-minor changes.
🟢 = Changes that alter text with no functional impact on the rules.

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DOCUMENT-WIDE

• 🟢 Miscellaneous typos, grammar, and bug fixes.
• 🟢 Clean up a lot of text that referenced incorrect or outdated information.

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EQUIPMENT

• 🟢 FLAILS
  • Clarified that the strike-legal padding on flail handles must extend on all sides of the core (i.e. it must be omni).
  • Clarified that chains less than 0.5" do not need foam rings. Condensed and cleaned up the wording for the line.

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CLASSES

• 🟢 Fixed a number of errors in the point buy classes that were caused by copy/pasting during the google doc transfer.
• 🟢 Updated pre-constructed builds where necessary to fit the altered classes.
• 🟢 Anti-Paladin archetype wording now matches other classes, clarifying that they can still use SLE for the normal effect if they choose an archetype.
• 🟡 Healer's Blessing Against Harm was listed as Self instead of 5ft (Any). This has been fixed.
• 🔴 Monk abilities have been reorganized in light of the update to Transfer Life.

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ABILITY GENERAL RULES

• 🟢 Spellballs clarified that they stopped being primed if you die.

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ABILITIES

• 🔴 Berserk has had the 20ft restriction reworked to be more playable.
• 🟢 Gift of Light wording has been clarified to better convey that the Swift can only be used on the Heal granted by Gift of Light.
• 🟡 Insight has been clarified so that only enemy attacks can trigger the defensive side of Insight.
• 🟡 Missile Block has been corrected to properly protect equipment as well as the user. It was always intended to protect equipment just like V8 and we're quite impressed that it took us all several months to realize this one was written wrong.
• 🟡 Song of Power has had some errors corrected. In addition, it has been added that the caster can use Innate while chanting SoP without breaking the chant.
• 🔴 Transfer Life has been slightly reworked.
  • The 'cost' is always a wound, regardless of what option is picked.
  • The caster can choose to Release as well as Heal or Resurrect.
  • If the caster resurrects, they become Severed instead of dying.

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December 2023 (9A.4.231206) - Class Rules Transfer and Large Scale Update

LEGEND
🔴 = Important and Significant changes.
🟡 = Functional-but-minor changes.
🟢 = Changes that alter text with no functional impact on the rules.

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DOCUMENT-WIDE

• 🟢 Miscellaneous typos, grammar, and bug fixes.
• 🔴 Created sections for the Class Rules, Ability Rules, Magic Item Rules that previously existed here
• 🟡 Added better access to the Equipment Inspection Guide and Glossary from the navigation bars.

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THEME AND SETTING

• 🟢 Clarified that historically-inspired themes and garb are allowed, however this world is distinctly not Earth so players should act accordingly.

DEATH

• 🟢 Taking a Death or moving more than 20ft from where you died will now cause the player to become Severed. This is not a functional change, just an implementation of the new term that was not present when the rules for death were originally written.

COLOR CODE

• 🟡 Swatches have been brightened for better visibility. New images have been added.
• 🟡 Playtest Notice has been added to help folks playtest with the color code in mind.
• 🟢 Indicator Strips, Sashes, and Color Code pages updated with instructions for how to add the color blind aids (along with visual examples).

EQUIPMENT

• 🔴 Magic Staff no longer requires strike legal padding.
• 🔴 Bucklers and Small Shields no longer take up a Free Hand, regardless of how they are held.
• 🟡 Thrown Weapons must be thrown one at a time PER HAND. You can throw two at once if you throw one from each hand.
• 🟡 Natural Armor section updated to match the new class rules.
• 🟡 Removed the 3D-printed guide and reworked the Arrow Blunt Construction based on expert and community feedback.
• 🟡 Fixed the flat ring thickness requirements based on expert and community feedback. Long story short, there are two methods by which flat rings are made and this caused some issues. We have implemented measurements that should be the most flexible for either option.
• 🟢 Madu
  • Clarified that Magic Staves do not contribute to the maximum weapon size of Madu.
  • Clarified that Madu's always take up a free hand, even when the shield is 'small'.
• 🟢 Shields
  • Clarified that the 'Shield Drop Trick' from V8 has been removed.
  • Clarified that no part of a shield may protrude more than 1.5" through a 2" ring (same as other incidental padded equipment).
• 🟢 Updated the Foam section with better language based on expert and community feedback.
• 🟢 Clarified that Heavy Padding does not need to be on all sides of the core.

ABILITY MECHANICS

• 🔴 Cursed no longer severs players if they die while Cursed. (Note: Cursed is still removed upon death).
• 🟡 Afraid can now only be broken by attacks from enemies. (You can no longer attack your cowardly allies to let them come near you.)
• 🟡 Clarified that players do not need to declare how many shield crushing hits their shield has already suffered.
• 🟢 The Offensive qualifier is now listed alongside the ability-type for verbals. All other types are rigidly offensive or non-offensive so it will not be listed in the entry.
• 🟢 Line of Sight has been moved into the ' Abilities and Effects' section from the Glossary.
• 🟢 Added extra explanations for using Picks and Point-Buy.
• 🟢 Clarified how choices-within-abilities work under the 'How to Cast' section.

ANTI-PALADIN

• 🔴 Incinerate Armor changed from ♻20 --> ♻10
• 🔴 Curse Strike now has 😱.
• 🔴 Dying Breath no longer has 😱.
• 🔴 The following Anti-Paladin abilities have been changed (see the abilities section below for details)
  • Curse Strike (changes to Cursed)
  • Incinerate Armor
  • Raise Dead
  • Steal Life Essence
  • Undead Minion

ASSASSIN

• 🔴 Ability spread has been reworked.
  • Sever Spirit has been removed from Assassin.
  • Poison Bolt and Suppressing Strike has been added.
• 🔴 Cutthroat has been reworked into Ninja.
  • Now grants Vorpal Blades 1/Life and Poison Bolt grants 6 balls instead of 2.
  • Limited to only Daggers and Poison Bolts.
• 🟢 Clarified the Shadowcloaks can still get the bonus ability from the low armor choice.
• 🔴 The following Assassin abilities have been changed (see the abilities section below for details)
  • Coup De Grace
  • Decoy
  • Dimensional Rift

ARCHER

• 🔴 Low Armor bonus changed. If they have no armor, they may choose an additional specialty arrow from novice or adept tier.
• 🔴 Blink has been removed from Archers.
• 🔴 Spell costs and maximums adjusted:
  • Suppression Arrow Cost 2 for 2 Arrows --> Cost 1 for 1 Arrow and is now Expert level.
  • Teleport Cost 2 --> Cost 1 and is now Adept level.
  • Shadow Step Cost 1, Max 4 --> Cost 2, Max 2
  • Mend Cost 1, Max 4 --> Cost 2, Max 2
  • Short Weapon Cost 1 --> Cost 2.
  • Pass Without Trace Max 4 --> Max 2.

BARBARIAN

• 🔴 Berserker has reworked.
  • They now gain Berserk (T), Undying Will becomes 1/Life (if picked), and they cannot receive enchantments from other players.
• 🔴 The following Barbarian abilities have been changed (see the abilities section below for details)
  • Berserk
  • Suppress Aura (fka Silence)
  • Undying Will

BARD

• 🔴 Now gain 2x Innate automatically at level 1.
• 🔴 Coryphée archetype may now purchase Cowardice
• 🔴 Swashbuckler archetype may now purchase Mend.
• 🔴 Troubadour archetype may now purchase Small Shields.
• 🔴 Spell costs and maximums adjusted:
  • Song of Freedom, Song of Determination, and Song of Battle cost 1 --> cost 2.
  • Song of Freedom, Song of Determination, and Song of Battle frequency changed to Unlimited.
  • Break Concentration max 2 --> max 4
  • Shove max 2 --> max 4
  • Taunt max 2 --> max 4
  • Taunting Strike max 2 --> max 4
  • Discordia Per-Refresh --> Per-Life
• 🔴 The following Bard abilities have been changed (see the abilities section below for details)
  • Amplify
  • Berserk
  • Choreograph
  • Discordia
  • Renew
  • Revitalize (fka Restoration)
  • Silver Tongue
  • Song of Battle
  • Song of Determination
  • Song of Freedom
  • Song of Power
  • Song of Survival
  • Suppress Aura (fka Silence)

Druid

• 🔴 Now gain 2x Innate automatically at level 1.
• 🔴 Tempest now grants unlimited use of Elemental Barrage (as opposed to 1/Life ♻10).
• 🔴 Spell costs and maximums adjusted:
  • Shove max 2 --> max 4
  • Rescue max 2 --> max 4
  • Ice Barrier max 2 --> max 4
  • Entangle max 2 --> max 4
  • Barkskin max 2 --> max 4
  • Gift of Water max 2 --> max 4
  • Incinerate Armor max 2 --> max 4
  • Pass Without Trace max 2 --> max 4
  • Reforge max 2 --> max 4
  • Firestorm Per-Refresh --> Per-Life
• 🔴 The following Druid abilities have been changed (see the abilities section below for details)
  • Berserk
  • Giant Strength (fka Bladesharp)
  • Incinerate Armor
  • Renew

HEALER

• 🔴 Now gain 2x Innate automatically at level 1.
• 🔴 Word of Mending and Revitalize removed from Healer.
• 🔴 Small Shields can now be purchased at Adept tier for 3 points.
• 🔴 Phoenix Tears added to Expert tier. Cost: 1, Max: 4, 1/Refresh ♻60.
• 🔴 Necromancer's restriction on using shields has been removed.
• 🔴 Spell costs and maximums adjusted:
  • Gift of Light moved to Expert tier. Cost reduced to 1pt.
  • Rescue max 2 --> max 4
  • Shove max 2 --> max 4
  • Raise Dead max 2 --> max 4
  • Ice Barrier max 2 --> max 4
  • Lay Curse max 2 --> max 4
  • Sever Spirit max 1 --> max 2
  • Expose Weakness cost 2 --> cost 1
  • Adaptive Blessing max 2 --> no maximum
• 🔴 The following Healer abilities have been changed (see the abilities section below for details)
  • Adaptive Blessing
  • Banish
  • Phoenix Tears
  • Raise Dead
  • Renew
  • Undead Minion

MONK

• 🔴 Essence Transfer has been replaced with Transfer Life (Unlimited).
• 🔴 Mage Hunter reworked. Now allows the player to restore Break Concentration or Shove with Inner Fire.
• 🟢 Enlightened Soul changed to just 'Immune to Verbal abilities' for consistency with other immunities.
• 🔴 The following Monk abilities have been changed (see the abilities section below for details)
  • Banish
  • Undying Will

Paladin

• 🔴 Some ability selections have been reorganized.
• 🔴 Cleric no longer receives unlimited heal. Instead Heal receives double uses.
• 🔴 Conviction interaction with archetypes changed. Conviction no longer grants both the renew and the archetype effect at the same time. Player must choose one or the other each time.
• 🔴 The following Paladin abilities have been changed (see the abilities section below for details)
  • Adaptive Blessing
  • Curse Strike (changes to Curse)
  • Rally

SCOUT

• 🔴 Prepared is now granted as Level/Life instead of 2/Life. Level/Life means you get an amount equal to your level.
  • All extra uses of prepared have been removed from the spread.
• 🔴 Insight is now granted at level 1.
• 🔴 Ranger now grants Swift (Prepared) in addition to Extension and Ambulant.
• 🔴 The following Scout abilities have been changed (see the abilities section below for details)
  • Adaptive Blessing
  • Insight

WARRIOR

• 🔴 Blademaster has been reformatted. It now grants Blade Mastery as a trait.
• 🔴 Shake It Off frequency changed from 2/Life ♻10 to 1/Life ♻10.
• 🔴 Juggernaut changed from 'restore all uses of Shake It Off' to 'restore one use of Shake It Off'
• 🔴 Scavenge interaction with archetypes changed. Scavenge no longer grants both the mend and the archetype effect at the same time. Player must choose one or the other each time.
• 🔴 The following Warrior abilities have been changed (see the abilities section below for details)
  • Curse Strike via Blademaster (changes to Curse)
  • Blade Mastery (fka Blade Master's text)
  • Undying Will

WIZARD

• 🔴 Now gain 2x Innate automatically at level 1.
• 🔴 Liches may now receive enchantments from other players.
• 🔴 Spell costs and maximums adjusted:
  • Shove max 2 --> max 4
  • Release max 2 --> max 4
  • Mend max 2 --> max 4
  • Ice Barrier max 2 --> max 4
  • Hold Person max 2 --> max 4
  • Planar Binding max 2 --> max 4
  • Ambulant max 2 --> No max (matching other casters)
  • Extension max 2 --> No max (matching other casters)
  • Swift max 2 --> No max (matching other casters)
  • Pestilence max 2 --> max 4
  • Pestilence Per-Refresh --> Per-Life
• 🔴 The following Wizard abilities have been changed (see the abilities section below for details)
  • Coup De Grace
  • Dimensional Rift
  • Dragged Below
  • Giant Strength (fka Bladesharp)
  • Incinerate Armor
  • Suppress Aura (fka Silence)
  • Undying Will

ABILITIES

• 🔴 Adaptive Blessing can no longer grant resistance to specific spells.
• 🔴 Amplify, Choreograph, and Silver Tongue now grant 2 uses of their respective meta-magics.
• 🔴 Banish
  • Incantation changed to "I banish thy spectral form" x3
  • Prerequisites removed (You can start casting before they are insubstantial but they must be insubstantial when you finish).
• 🔴 Berserk has been reworked. It now grants Armor Breaking, Shield Crushing and prevents the bearer from knowingly moving away from enemies within 20ft unless they are moving towards another enemy within 20ft.
• 🔴 Blade Mastery has been added to the game.
• 🔴 Bladesharp has been renamed to Giant Strength.
• 🟡 Confidence now always grants rest time if the target is resting. This is to bring it in light with Innate.
• 🔴 Coup De Grace
  • Incantation changed to "Succumb to thy wounds and die" x3
  • Prerequisites removed (You can start casting before they are wounded but they must be wounded when you finish).
• 🔴 Decoy's resistance was incorrectly listed as ♻10. It has been correct to the intended ♻30.
• 🔴 Discordia now grants uses of Suppress Aura instead of Break Concentration.
• 🔴 Dimensional Rift
  • Incantation changed to "Thy spectral form shall disperse and die" x3
  • Prerequisites removed (You can start casting before they are insubstantial but they must be insubstantial when you finish).
• 🔴 Dragged Below
  • Incantation changed to "Death comes for thee from below" x3
  • Prerequisites removed (You can start casting before they are stopped by they must be stopped when you finish).
• 🔴 Essence Transfer has been removed from the game.
• 🔴 Incinerate Armor incantation changed to "<Hit Location> followed by `Flames destroy thy armor` x3"
• 🔴 Insight can now trigger from expending enemy resistances as well as your own.
• 🔴 Magebane has been removed from the game.
• 🔴 Phoenix Tears has been reborn into V9.
• 🔴 Raise Dead
  • Incantation changed to "Rise and Fight Again" x5
  • Target can choose to be either Cursed and Suppressed OR Cursed and unable to aggress with melee weapons.
• 🔴 Rally now always severs the caster, regardless of who takes the respawn.
• 🔴 Renew incantation changed to "Thy boon and blessing shall be renewed" x1 and it cannot be used while living enemies are within 10ft.
• 🔴 Rest
  • Incantation changed to "Out of battle I pause to rest" x1.
  • Resting at base to repair armor now only restores 1 point to a single location for every ♻10.
• 🔴 Resurrect incantation changed to "The white light of healing hath resurrected thee" x5
• 🔴 Restoration has been renamed to Revitalize.
• 🔴 Silence has been renamed to Suppress Aura.
  • Incantation changed to "My power suppresses thine" x3.
• 🔴 Song of Power now automatically starts a Rest for the caster and allows players within 20ft to rest at double-time.
• 🔴 Song of Freedom and Song of Determination now grant immunity instead of resistance.
• 🔴 Song of Survival now makes the player Invulnerable upon triggering.
• 🔴 Steal Life Essence no longer has a default option to restore abilities. Instead it can be used to Renew the caster. In addition, it can no longer remove Cursed, only Severed.
• 🔴 Transfer Life has been added to the game.
• 🔴 Undead Minion
  • Incantation changed to "By the power of my will, arise my minion." x5
  • Will now revive the bearer if cast on a dead target.
  • Target can choose to be either Cursed and Suppressed OR Cursed and unable to aggress with melee weapons.
• 🔴 Undying Will
  • Incantation changed to "My will to live is undying" x1
  • The ability has been reworked. It now works like V8 True Grit, except it makes them insubstantial and only lasts for 10s.

September 2023 (9A.3.230928) - Collected Updates/Fixes

LEGEND
🔴 = Important and Significant changes.
🟡 = Functional-but-minor changes.
🟢 = Changes that alter text with no functional impact on the rules.

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DOCUMENT-WIDE

• 🟢 Miscellaneous typos, grammar, and bug fixes.

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CORE COMBAT RULES

• 🟢 Added notes in Invalid Obstructions about ambiguous situations like two projectiles colliding midair.
• 🟢 Clarified some Friendly Fire rules around self-hits and multi-ended weapons.

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GARB

• 🟢 Updated basic garb goals and requirements to better address regional weather and regulations.

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DEATH

• 🟢 Clarified that Taking a Death cannot be used to deny kill-based triggers from aggressors.

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WEAPONS

• 🟢 Clarified that Incidental Padding does not need to be exclusively over core, such as for ornamental hand guards.
• 🟢 Cleaned up the Heavy Padding & Super Heavy Padding presentation.
• 🟡 Catching or grabbing ANY projectile weapon in flight is now prohibited.
• 🟢 Cleaned up the wielding text for Bows and Crossbows. Crossbows are specifically not wielded while reloading.
• 🟢 Fixed some arrow safety text that was a little too eager to have people trying to stab their own eyes.

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ARMOR

• 🟡 Corrected wire gauge values in the Material Thickness Chart. Now showing both SWG and AWG to reduce confusion.
• 🟢 Clarified the limitations for metal on hand armor.

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August 2023 (9A.3.230818) - Collected Updates/Fixes

LEGEND
🔴 = Important and Significant changes.
🟡 = Functional-but-minor changes.
🟢 = Changes that alter text with no functional impact on the rules.

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DOCUMENT-WIDE

• 🟢 Miscellaneous typos, grammar, and bug fixes.

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PLAYTEST DISCLAIMER

• 🟡 Playtest is now open to all Amtgarders. No park registration required. Disclaimer has been updated to match.

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TOWER SHIELDS

• 🟡 Tower Shields max width increased to 40" to allow "Tower" Round Shields to be larger than "Large" Round Shields.

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June 2023 (9A.3.230605) - Collected Updates/Fixes

LEGEND
🔴 = Important and Significant changes.
🟡 = Functional-but-minor changes.
🟢 = Changes that alter text with no functional impact on the rules.

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DOCUMENT-WIDE

• 🟢 Miscellaneous typos, grammar, and bug fixes.

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CORE COMBAT RULES

• 🟢 This term "Illegal Obstruction" has been changed to "Invalid Obstruction" to align better with our definition of "Illegal".
• 🟢 Clarified an instance in Death where wounds were being redundantly healed at multiple different stages of the life/death cycle. Wounds are now only restored on Respawn/Revive, and being Dead simply allows players to ignore any existing wounds.

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EQUIPMENT

• 🟡 Clarified that rigid cores are for structural stability and are not required to extend into small protrusions or short weapon segments if those segments are stable without a core.
• 🟡 Madus constructed with a buckler or small shield cannot be wielded by the strap only. They must always be wielded by a handle.

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GLOSSARY

• 🟢 Improved the definition of Gameplay so that it functions as intended with the rules that reference it.

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May 2023 (9A.3.230509) - Collected Updates/Fixes

LEGEND
🔴 = Important and Significant changes.
🟡 = Functional-but-minor changes.
🟢 = Changes that alter text with no functional impact on the rules.

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DOCUMENT-WIDE

• 🟢 Miscellaneous typos, grammar, and bug fixes.

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INTRODUCTION

• 🟢 Updated the 'What is Amtgard?' description based on community feedback.

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GETTING STARTED

• 🟢 Added information about character death and progression loss (the lack thereof).

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GARB

• 🟢 Explicitly prohibited inappropriate, disrespectful, and/or distasteful use of real-life cultural garments, symbols, and/or body paint.

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CORE COMBAT RULES

• 🟢 Added a basic 'Age of Combatants' entry that will link to the full AI Policy once it is ported over.

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COLOR CODE

• 🔴 The Color Code has been updated with a new line-based system for easier crafting and retrofitting.
  • Image links for individual colors may take a few days for the server update to change.

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WEAPONS

• 🟡 Foam definitions updated. Open/Closed cell has been replaced with clearer and less restrictive amtgard-defined categories: Safety-grade and Comfort-grade.
• 🔴 Arrow construction has been updated based on feedback.
  • Blunt disc size up to 1" from 0.75"
  • Non-metal disc thickness up to 1/4" from 3/16"
  • Additional Rules for 3D-Printed Blunts
  • 2" foam depth is only required in front of the blunt.
  • Minimum arrow diameter reduced from 2.5" to 2". (Striking surface still requires 2.5" diameter)
  • Updated diagram.
  • While not arrow-specific, the new Foam grade system means that arrows can now be capped with closed-cell foam provided it meets the definition of Comfort-grade foam.

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ARMOR

• 🔴 Armor Catch-Alls replaced with an updated description for Ambiguous Armor.
• 🔴 Material Thickness updated so that armors below the minimum may be assessed as Ambiguous Armor.
• 🟢 Worn Armor has been renamed to Physical Armor for better clarity.

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COMBAT ACTIVITIES

• 🟢 Added a definition for Game Items. No changes from how they work in V8.

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EQUIPMENT INSPECTION GUIDE

• 🟢 Added extra guidance for assessing whether something looks like what it's supposed to be, as well as judging "obviously synthetic".

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GLOSSARY

• 🟡 Updated the definition of Declare

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March 2023 (9A.3.230331) - Collected Updates/Fixes

LEGEND
🔴 = Important and Significant changes.
🟡 = Functional-but-minor changes.
🟢 = Changes that alter text with no functional impact on the rules.

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DOCUMENT-WIDE

• 🟢 Added a new View Mode by popular request. Users can now toggle between Category View and All-in-One View.
• 🟢 Miscellaneous typos, grammar, and bug fixes.

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INTRODUCTION

• 🟢 Added text to 'What is Amtgard?' to explain that parks typically meet weekly, supported by larger events every 3 months. This is specifically to help folks who are used to singular weekend or quarterly LARPs with less frequency play cycles.

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HONOR SYSTEM

• 🟢 The Golden Rule has been merged into HSR#1.
• 🟢 Gray Area HSR has been moved to #2 to make it more visible. It has also been updated slightly to be more widely relevant.

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CORE COMBAT RULES

• 🟢 Reverted "Audible Impact" to "Audible Pop" under Valid Strikes since it was causing confusion.
• 🟢 Removed the redundant examples of Invalid Strikes and added 'Graze', the most commonly used term to the Glossary instead.
• 🟢 Added Dev Note about Grazes to help with V8 Transition.

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COLOR CODE

• 🟢 Clarified that Color Code symbols do not need to be permanent and can simply be affixed by any safe means. This is especially relevant right now during playtesting where the symbols themselves are still subject to change.

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WEAPONS

• 🟡 Added 90-degree rule back to Striking Tip that was lost in translation from V8. (Not a functional change for more people)
• 🟢 By request, the Bows & Crossbows page will now display the Glossary entries for Draw Length and Draw Weight under the image gallery.
• 🔴 Players may now share any Projectile Weapon, including Specialty Projectiles, as long as they have explicit permission from the owner.

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ARMOR

• 🟢 Added a clearer section about how to grade ambiguous armor pieces that don't fall under the main styles.
• 🔴 Butcher's Mail does not gain a construction bonus from being made from Steel.
• 🔴 Butted Plate gaps reduced from 1" to 0.5" (back in line with V8 standards).

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February 2023 (9A.3.230227) - 🔥 Hotfix

Important and Significant changes are identified by ➡️

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CORE COMBAT RULES

• Punching ban clarified. Punching notes removed from Unacceptable Contact section and condensed into the generic punch-weapon ban.

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WEAPONS

• Non-Striking Tip redundancy removed.
• Clarified that Javelins require an ownership label.
• Clarified the responsibilty of the owner when sharing or lending Projectile Weapons.
• ➡️ Arrow hemisphere diameter reduced from 3" to 2.75". Requires 1" of foam behind it. New diagrams added.

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ARMOR

• Butcher's Mail requirement changed from "professionally made" to "welded". Clarified that this style cannot receive thickness modifiers.
• ➡️ Corrected issue with where leather armor could lose points as it became thick enough to go from Light to Heavy leather.
  • Standard thickness for Heavy Leather is now 10oz. Anything less than standard is Light Leather.

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February 2023 (9A.3.230223) - Large Update + Wiki Launch

Important and Significant changes are identified by ➡️

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DOCUMENT-WIDE

• ➡️ All V9 documents moved to the AmtWiki. This is their permanent and primary home moving forward. The google doc version will be archived and the text at the link will point to the Amtwiki to help everyone find their way here.
• Updated wording various sections for better clarity of intent.
• Updated layout and organization across multiple pages and sections to improve browsing, referencing, and front-to-back reading.
• More placeholder artwork has been added to give a better idea of where art and diagrams will be in the final version.
• The Transition Guide has been updated to be true to this update.
• The Acknowledgements section has been created.

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INTRODUCTION

• Added Diversity and Inclusion statement.
• Added New To Larp And Boffer Combat? section.

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GETTING STARTED

• Added several new items: Pillars of Participation, The Online Record Keeper, Theme and Setting, Character Creation, What to Expect from Roleplay, and What to Bring, and Who Teaches New Players.

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GARB

• Garb is now its own main section.

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HONOR SYSTEM

• Honor System is now its own main section.
• Added 'The Golden Rule'

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SAFETY

• Safety is now its own main section.
• Safety Authorities has been rolled into Rules Authorities.
• Safety Equipment section has been added.

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CORE COMBAT RULES

• Acceptable Contact now lives here.
• Adjusted the listed focus on the Punch-Attack ban to align with player feedback.
• Extra safety language added to Valid Strikes in Striking Your Opponent.
• Invalid Obstructions are more clearly defined.

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EQUIPMENT

• Massive layout overhaul to streamline information.
• The Color Code swatches have been adjusted based on continued feedback.

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WEAPONS

• Multi-Ended Weapons has been updated.
• ' Weapon Segments' is now an official term.
• ➡️ Stab-Legal Padding has been rolled into Strike-Legal. The extra 0.5" foam requirement has been removed and replaced with a general note encouraging players to add extra foam to the tips of their weapons for extra safety and comfort depending on the size and type.
• Melee and Projectile construction terms have been collected into a single page for better reference. Duplicate terms have been merged and reworded to be consistent regardless of which type of weapon you are looking to make.

MELEE WEAPONS

• ➡️ Super Heavy Padding is now reduced to 8" instead of 12".
• 🌶️ We are introducing a new extra-spicy experimental option: Long weapons may now be Super Heavy Padded to gain Armor Breaking when wielded with two hands.
• Great weapons now have more typical construction requirements, with the option to build into Shield Crushing/ Armor Breaking.
• ➡️ Reach weapons now have the option to be Heavy Padded to gain Armor Breaking when wielded with two hands.
• ➡️ Pikes now have the option to be Heavy Padded to gain Armor Breaking when wielded with two hands.
• Flail max head size has been removed.
• Madu has received a full rewrite that takes advantage of the Weapon Segments keyword for better clarity. The only real functional change is that Madus may also benefit from special construction variants similar to Great and Reach.
• Javelins are now immediately projectiles when thrown, however they only gain Shield Crushing/ Armor Breaking after they travel their full length through the air. Players were upset that they couldn't short-throw Javelins anymore but they understood that Shield Crushing/ Armor Breaking would be really powerful if you got just bounce it. We're trying a bit of a compromise and we promise to keep our eyes on this one.

PROJECTILE WEAPONS

• ➡️ Removed rules against intentionally bouncing projectiles. Trick shot to your heart's content.
  • We did, however, keep the rules against intentionally batting or adding momentum to mid-air projectiles. So while bouncing and trick shots are allowed, a second-party is not allowed to influence those bounces other than being a passive obstruction.
• All projectiles except Arrows & Bolts must be thrown one at a time. (This won't be a change for most folks, but we have made it explicit.)
• Players may still fire multiple arrows at once, with the exception of Specialty Arrows. (Again nothing new. We just made it official for V9.)
• Projectiles are no longer required to travel their own length to inflict valid strikes. (Reverted to V8 norms).
• ➡️ Arrows & Bolts has been updated.
  • An anatomy diagram has been added.
  • Aluminum Arrow shafts are allowed again. Wood shafts are still prohibited.
  • Vane/Fletching are not required, rules instead focusing on preventing chaotic flight.
  • The required width of the blunt/cone portion of an arrow reduced to from 2" to 1.5".
  • Heads now require 2.5" cross-section throughout.
  • Domed Tips cannot be sharper than a 3" hemisphere. The dome must also be built beyond the volume a flat-faced arrow would fill and not significantly deduct from it.
  • The Draw Weight definition and relevant explanations/calculations/charts are now in the Glossary to save space.

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ARMOR

• Synthetic Chainmail has been removed. It will now be treated as any other uncategorized armor.
• ➡️ Scale has been broken into Light Scale and Heavy Scale.
• Clarified the penny-round rules in relation to scales.
• ➡️ We've returned to a standard-centric system of assessing material thickness, rather than a minimum-centric system.
  • We've created a Material Thickness chart for reference.
  • Meeting the lowest thickness values will now incur a negative penalty, discouraging folks from doing the bare minimum.
  • The standard values are mostly in line with V8 norms, with synthetic and aluminum set based on player feedback.
• Appearance and Construction mods are no longer a single +/-1. Multiple bonuses and penalties can be applies as necessary to reward the good quality and punish the negative ones. All armor is still limited to a maximum of +1 over base value, so this change only allows for more creative builds and more intuitive rating.
  • Notably, armor pieces can now receive multiple bonuses for superior appearance. Armor visuals are an important draw to our game so let's reward it!
• Supplemental Armor has had its wording tweaked for better clarity. In addition, supplemental pieces no longer count towards averaging unless they are the only item being worn in that location.
  • Gauntlets may now use any Tier 2 quality armor (not just light leather).
  • We've also clarified that the space between fingers and toes does not count towards the 50% coverage requirements.

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COMBAT ACTIVITIES

• The name for the out-of-bounds place where dead players gather is now called the Dead Zone.
• Duels & Tournaments have been added as an separate game mode from Ditch.
• The Custom Rules section now includes a sub-section about Accommodations, including updated language for the Pink Sash.
• ➡️ The 'Pink Sash Rule' has become 'Non-Melee Participants' and has more specific updated rules to reflect this.

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RULES AUTHORITIES

• Added "How are Reeves Appointed?" to the Reeve section.
• Updated descriptions for Head Reeve and Kingdom-Appointed Authorities.
• Added 'Specific-over-General' and 'Keep Calm. Be Confident.' to the Best Practices
• Reworked the text for Discussing Rules During Live Gameplay

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GLOSSARY

• ➡️ The Glossary now has a ton of content and definitions.

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November 2022 (9A.2.221122) - First Large Update

• Updated wording in various sections for better clarity of intent.
  • PPE/Medically Necessary Equipment
  • HSR#4
  • What to do when unacceptable contact occurs.
  • Shot in Motion
  • Friendly Fire
  • Free Hand
  • Half Draw
  • Custom Mechanics & Game Rules
  • Pink Sash
  • Equipment Inspection
  • Open and Closed Cell Foam
  • Core
  • Shields
  • Madus
  • Bows and Crossbows
  • Superior Construction
  • Layering and Physical Armor Visibility
  • Basic Armor Requirements
  • Hit Test Guidelines
    
    

• ‘Unacceptable Contact: Forcing Self-Inflicted Damage’ has been removed because it is redundant alongside some of our other rules.
  
  

• ‘Unacceptable Contact: Head Safety Risks’ was awkward to interpret so it has been removed. The spirit of this rule has been rolled into examples for Unsafe Equipment / Unsafe Equipment Use.
  
  

• ‘Being Dead #6’ has been adjusted. Dead players no longer have to stay 10’ away from living players. They just have a blanket rule against getting in the way. This will allow folks to get resurrected or collect the equipment so long as they are not impeding other players.
  
  

• Unwielded Equipment cannot be used to block line of sight or impede physical movement. This is mostly targeting free-standing shields.
  
  

• Mini Shields have been renamed to Bucklers.
  
  

• ‘Replenish at Base’: The time multiplier has been removed. Players can now replenish as much as they want, always at the same rate (30s or death count, whatever is longer).
  
  

• The Game Organizer Guide (GOG) has a description.
  
  

• Color Code has been adjusted with new shapes and assignments.
  • Color Code Symbol size is now at least 1” wide.
    
    

• Hit Testing is now explicitly required for all weapon checks.
  
  

• Maximum Flex is now 45 degrees for all weapons.
  
  

• Unpadded Segments: Increased the maximum unpadded to 50% of the weapon.
  
  

• Reach weapon max length is now 108” (9ft)
  
  

• Pike max length is now 144” (12ft)
  
  

• Flail overall min-max length removed because it was redundant with the handle and chain each having their own individual minimums and maximums.
  • Nov 23 Hotfix: This has been readjusted. Max Flail length is back to 36”. Handle has a minimum length of 12”. Shout out to Sej.
    
    

• Curved or Recessed Shields can now only be half as deep as they are wide.
  
  

• Head/Hand/Feet Armor is now called the “Supplemental Armor Bonus”
  • The Supplemental Armor bonus can now benefit all armor.
  • Hand Armor can now be made of light leather (anywhere) and rigid/metal materials (so long as the rigid material doesn’t go beyond the knuckles.)
    
    

• Catch All: Metal is now ‘Catch-All: Metal and Metal Augments’ and has updated wording to also cover things like Jack Chains and random metal plates.