V9: Keywords

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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Keywords

Many abilities describe exactly what they do in their effect text. Some effects though are very common or would require too much space to define under each ability. In these cases, the effect lists only the name of the effect as a "keyword". The details of each keyword can be found below.

KEYS TO SUCCESS
While there are many abilities in the game, their results are often quite similar; using the same keywords in different combinations and configurations. If you read through and familiarize yourself with these keywords, you will have a much easier time understanding the vast majority of abilities that may be used on you.

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States

The following keywords are typically used in Status Effects.

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Afraid

A player who is Afraid of something cannot aggress against that thing and is forced to stay 20ft away unless they are unable to move or forced by some other effect. If an Afraid player is aggressed on by an enemy they are Afraid of, they may act as though they were not Afraid of them for the duration of the effect.

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Cursed

A Cursed player and their carried equipment cannot be affected by non-offensive effects that restore them unless the effect specifically removes Cursed.

Reminder: Restoration includes Heal, Mend, Release, Renew, Innate, Rest, and all other similar effects.

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Flying

Flying players and their carried equipment:

• Cannot be affected by abilities and strikes that originate within 20ft.
• Cannot aggress.
• May move about the battlefield freely as long as they stay 20ft away from enemy bases and avoid obstructing combat or interactions between other players.
• May pick up equipment but cannot carry Game Items or interact with Game Objectives.
• Are not obstructed or affected by 'low' terrain such as water, lava, pit traps, etc. unless otherwise indicated by the Game Organizer. Real-life terrain, such as actual walls and pits, cannot be bypassed this way unless it is able to be done safely and approved by the organizer or associated rules authority.
• May not delay the game excessively, as judged by the Game Organizer or associated rules authority. For instance, a player may not use Flying to avoid being killed if they are the last player alive in a Mutual Annihilation battlegame.

V8 Transition Note: Becoming Stopped does not remove Flying from a player. They may continue Flying while unable to move.

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Fragile

A Fragile player dies the next time they are Wounded.

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Frozen

Frozen players and their carried equipment:

• Cannot be affected by anything except effects that remove status effects or those that can specifically affect Frozen players.


• May not act in game.


• May not carry Game Items or interact with Game Objectives.


• Must do their best to inform potential aggressors by declaring their Frozen state to avoid confusion on the battlefield.

Other players cannot intentionally use Frozen players to obstruct combat or interactions between them and other players.

Reminder: Players may always move and speak to make declarations, avoid real life hazardous situations, and call for real-life help or assistance. Actions taken this way should be done in good faith and not used to generate a gameplay advantage.

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Insubstantial

Insubstantial players and their carried equipment:

• Cannot be affected by anything except effects that remove status effects or can specifically affect Insubstantial players.


• Cannot affect other players or their equipment; however they may pick up their own equipment if they are able to get close enough.


• May not carry Game Items or interact with Game Objectives.


• Cannot use any abilities other than Rest and Innate.


• May continue Chants already in progress.


• Can only move as indicated by the effect that made them Insubstantial.


• Are not obstructed or affected by terrain such as walls, lava, pit traps, etc. unless otherwise indicated by the Game Organizer. Real-life terrain, such as actual walls and pits, cannot be bypassed this way unless it is able to be done safely and approved by the organizer or associated rules authority.


• Must do their best to inform potential aggressors by declaring their Insubstantial state to avoid confusion on the battlefield.


• Must avoid obstructing combat or interactions between other players. Likewise, other players cannot intentionally use Insubstantial players to obstruct combat or interactions between them and other players.


• May not delay the game excessively, as judged by the Game Organizer or associated rules authority. For instance, a player may not use Insubstantial to avoid being killed if they are the last player alive in a Mutual Annihilation battlegame.

Reminder: Players may always move and speak to make declarations, avoid real life hazardous situations, and call for real-life help or assistance. Actions taken this way should be done in good faith and not used to generate a gameplay advantage.

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Invulnerable

Invulnerable players and their carried equipment:

• Cannot be affected by anything other than the effect that made them Invulnerable.


• May speak freely but can otherwise only act as indicated by the effect that made them Invulnerable.


• May not carry Game Items or interact with Game Objectives.


• Are not obstructed or affected by terrain such as walls, lava, pit traps, etc. unless otherwise indicated by the Game Organizer. Real-life terrain, such as actual walls and pits, cannot be bypassed this way unless it is able to be done safely and approved by the organizer or associated rules authority.


• Must avoid obstructing combat or interactions between other players. Likewise, other players cannot intentionally use Invulnerable players to obstruct combat or interactions between them and other players.


• Must do their best to inform potential aggressors by declaring their Invulnerable state to avoid confusion on the battlefield.


• May not delay the game excessively, as judged by the Game Organizer or associated rules authority. For instance, a player may not use Invulnerable to avoid being killed if they are the last player alive in a Mutual Annihilation battlegame.

Reminder: Players may always move and speak to make declarations, avoid real life hazardous situations, and call for real-life help or assistance. Actions taken this way should be done in good faith and not used to generate a gameplay advantage.

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Severed

A Severed player cannot be revived.

Status effects that grant Severed are not removed by death and cannot be removed except by respawning or effects that specifically remove Severed.

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Shoved

Shoved players are forced to move a certain distance in a specified direction.

• The distance and direction they are required to move is indicated by the effect itself.
• The effect ends when the target has moved the required distance away from their initial location.
• The effect will also end if the target becomes forced again by some other effect or reaches impassable and/or real life hazardous terrain that cannot be reasonably or safely bypassed while still moving away from the caster.

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Stopped

A Stopped player cannot move from their current location. They may rotate in place and otherwise act freely but their center of gravity must remain roughly over the point where they became Stopped.

Forced Movement VS Stopped

• If a Stopped player is affected by a forced movement effect that would send them directly to a specified destination (such as with Shove or Teleport) the player must move to complete the forced movement and then the player continue being Stopped in their new location.

• If a Stopped player is affected by an effect that would force or limit their movement without a specific destination (such as Blink, Fear, Reload, etc.) then the player will remain unable to move until the Stopped effect ends.

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Suppressed

A Suppressed player is unable to cast abilities. They may continue Chants already in progress.

If a player becomes suppressed while casting, the casting is immediately interrupted.

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Taunted

Taunted players cannot aggress or cast abilities on anything other than what they are taunted by.

If a taunted player is aggressed on by an enemy, they become taunted by that enemy as well for the remainder of the effect.

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Strike Enhancements

The following keywords are used for Enhanced Strikes.

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Armor Breaking

When an Armor Breaking strike deals damage to armor in a location with 3 or fewer armor points remaining, that location loses all armor points instead of 1.

This enhancement can be declared as 'Armor Breaking' or just ‘Breaking’.

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Armor Destroying

When an Armor Destroying strike deals damage to armor in a location with any armor points remaining, that location loses all armor points instead of 1.

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Ignores Armor

Strikes that ignore armor will affect the target as though they were not wearing armor. Any armor on the target is completely bypassed and unaffected by this strike.

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Ignores Immunities & Resistances

Strikes and effects that ignore immunities and resistances will affect the target and their equipment as though they did not have any immunities or resistances. Any immunities and resistances on the target are completely bypassed and unaffected by this strike.

Reminder: This will not bypass Insubstantial, Frozen, Flying, Invulnerable, or under any other type of effect that says 'cannot be affected'. It only ignores protections specifically listed as "immune" or "resistant".

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Shield Crushing

When a shield is struck by a Shield Crushing attack three times, that Shield is destroyed.

• These strikes do not need to originate from the same source, nor do they need to occur in rapid succession.
• Restoring a shield or preventing the destruction from this effect will also reset the amount of shield-crushing strikes required to destroy shield.
• Melee weapons can only apply Shield Crushing with slashes.
• This effect can be declared as 'Shield Crushing' or simply just ‘Crushing’.

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Shield Destroying

When a Shield is struck by a Shield Destroying attack, that shield is destroyed.

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Siege

Siege strikes will instantly kill a player if it strikes them or their carried equipment, regardless of any immunities or resistances. In addition, all of the player's carried equipment is destroyed and all their armor points are reduced to zero.

• Unless otherwise designated by the Game Organizer, Siege attacks will affect the target and their equipment as though they did not have any immunities or resistances. Any immunities and resistances on the target are completely bypassed and unaffected by this attack.
  • This will not bypass Insubstantial, Frozen, Flying, Invulnerable, or under any other type of effect that says 'cannot be affected'. It only ignores protections specifically listed as "immune" or "resistant".
    
    
• There are no standard rulebook abilities that include the Siege keyword. Siege attacks will only be seen when they are implemented as a custom rule for special battles or roleplay activities; typically for Siege Weapons and powerful boss Monsters.

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Weapon Destroying

When a Weapon is struck by a Weapon Destroying attack, that weapon is destroyed.

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Wounds Kill

If a player is wounded by a Wounds Kill strike, they die.

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Other Keywords

The following keywords are commonly used but do not fit into either of the above categories.

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Engulfing

Strike-based effects with the Engulfing keyword will impart their effects even if attack strikes carried equipment such as a weapon or shield. This includes arrows stored in quivers, and other similarly carried projectiles.

V8 Transition Notes:

• Garb and other non-equipment objects count as invalid obstructions. Engulfing strikes will only affect the target if the attack would have continued to strike carried equipment or a hit location.
• The V8 ‘Shield Drop Trick’ does not exist in V9. A shield in mid-air is an invalid obstruction and will not block attacks.

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Forced Movement (Forced)

A player that is forced to move must move as indicated by the effect.

• Minimum Speed
  
  • Players are not required to move any faster than they are comfortable but they must maintain at least a walking pace while completing this movement.
  • Timing-wise, being forced to move will immediately interrupt and prevent any further casting that requires the caster to not move their feet.
  
  
• Forced Movement VS Terrain
  
  • Players cannot be forced to move into or through real-life terrain that could be actually hazardous such as thick brush, rocky slopes, deep snow/mud, water, etc. In these instances, the player must move around the feature in good faith and in a way that makes the most sense when considering the spirit of the effect that is forcing them. If this is impossible, such as with a corner of the field boundary, the player should move as far as they can and they remain stationary. When in doubt, consult a Reeve to make an assessment on a case-by-case basis.
  • Whether or not players can be forced into in-game terrain (lava, pits, etc.) is up to the Game Organizer. When disallowed, players should follow the rules outlined above.
  
  
• Forced Movement VS Stopped
  
  • If a Stopped player is affected by a forced movement effect that would send them directly to a specific destination, such as Shove or Teleport, the player must move to complete the forced movement and then continue being Stopped in their new location.
  • If a Stopped player is affected by an effect that would force or limit their movement without sending them to a specific destination, such as Blink, Fear, Reload, etc. the player will be unable to move as long as they are Stopped.
  
  

Reminder: Forced Movement is not a State. It cannot be chosen by Adaptive Blessing.

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Immunity

Immunity allows the bearer to protect themselves from the thing the player is immune to.

• When a player would be affected by something they are immune to, they may immediately declare "Immune!" or the name of the effect making them immune (i.e. "Missile Block!"). If they do, they are unaffected. If they do not, or choose not to, they will be affected as normal.
  • Players may not use immunity against their own abilities or strikes.
  • Immunity to a specific ability will protect against all effects from that ability.
  • Immunity to an immediate effect, such as Armor Destroying, will only protect against that singular effect.
  • Immunity to a State will protect against all text in an effect that includes that state.
    • Example 1: A player that is immune to Insubstantial protects themselves from Banish. They would ignore both the Insubstantial state and the forced movement, since they are both part of the status effect that includes Insubstantial.
    • Example 2: A player who is immune to Stopped protects themselves from Pinning Arrow. They would only ignore the status effect that includes Stopped, but not the immediate effects that include damage, weapon destroying, and armor breaking.
    
    
• DECLARATION TIMING
  • The exact timing window for an immunity declaration should be judged in good faith on a case-by-case basis depending on the chaos of battle and the awareness of the would-be immune player. For example, if a player is focused on a melee exchange and they do not notice they have been struck by an attack from a 3rd party that they are immune to, they should be given the chance to declare their immunity once they have been made aware of it.
  • If a player would be affected by multiple things faster than they can mentally register and react to, they only need to declare the immunity once to cover all the relevant effects. For example, if a player that is Immune to Stopped is struck by four Entangles back-to-back, they can just declare "Immune to Stopped" once and it will cover all the Entangles. They do not need to declare four times.
  • In all cases, attackers should give their opponents a fair grace period to declare their immunities. Likewise, players with immunities themselves should do their best to make their declarations in a timely manner. All parties should avoid exploiting this moment for gameplay advantage.
  
  

V8 Transition Note: Immunities are now optional. You are no longer forced to be immune to friendly effects!

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Resistance

Resistance offers a renewable one-time protection from the thing the player is resistant to.

• When a player would be affected by something they are resistant to, they may immediately declare "Resistant!" or the name of the effect making them resistant (i.e. "Aegis!"). If they do, they are unaffected and the resistance is expended. If they do not or choose not to, they will be affected as normal but retain the resistance to use at a later time.
  • Players may not use resistances against their own abilities or strikes.
  • Resistance to a specific ability will protect against all effect text from that ability.
  • Resistance to an immediate effect, such as wounds, will only protect against that singular effect.
  • Resistance to a State will protect against all text in an effect that includes that state.
    • Example 1: A player that is resistant to Insubstantial protects themselves from Banish. They would ignore both the Insubstantial state and the forced movement, since they are both part of the status effect that includes Insubstantial.
    • Example 2: A player who is resistant to Stopped protects themselves from Pinning Arrow. They would only ignore the status effect that includes Stopped, but not the immediate effects that include damage, weapon destroying, and armor breaking.
    
    
• Expending a resistance against a projectile will protect the player and their carried equipment from the relevant effects of that projectile until it stops moving.


• Expending a resistance does not remove the enchantment or effect that granted it. Expended resistances can be restored with effects like Renew and Rest. The rest time required to restore an expended resistance will be listed in the effect that granted it.


• DECLARATION TIMING
  • The exact timing window for a resistance declaration should be judged in good faith on a case-by-case basis depending on the chaos of battle and the awareness of the would-be resistant player. For example, if a player is focused on a melee exchange and they do not notice they have been struck by an attack from a 3rd party that they are resistant to, they should be given the chance to declare their resistance once they have been made aware of it.
  • In all cases, attackers should give their opponents a fair grace period to declare their resistances. Likewise, players with resistances themselves should do their best to make their declarations in a timely manner. All parties should avoid exploiting this moment for gameplay advantage.
  
  

V8 Transition Note: Resistances are now optional. They can be saved for your preferred moment and are no longer required to be used against the first relevant effect.

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Restore

In Amtgard, restoration happens whenever something is brought closer to its original condition. Many such effects specifically say restore in their effect text however restoration occurs whether or not it is explicitly mentioned, especially in regards to custom rules.

EXAMPLES THAT USE THE WORD 'RESTORE'

• Restore a wound - means the wound is removed.
• Restore a destroyed item - means that the item is no longer destroyed.
• Restore a point of armor - means refill player's armor points by 1, up to their maximum value.
• Restore an ability - means recovering the expended uses of an ability, up to the maximum available.

EXAMPLES THAT DO NOT USE THE WORD 'RESTORE'

• Remove status effects - is a form of restoration.
• Reviving dead players - is a form of restoration.
• Beneficially modifying timers - is a form of restoration. This includes effects that modify status effect durations, rest timers, death counts, etc.

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Revive

Effects that revive will restore a player to life without respawning.

When revived, a player is returned to life with their wounds restored, but their equipment, enchantments, and abilities remain in the same state they were before they died.

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