V9: Getting Started

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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Getting Started

Getting started with Amtgard is quick and easy. Here's some essential information for any new player.

The Four Pillars of Participation

Amtgard is more than just a combat LARP. It's a vibrant community that offers a variety of ways to participate whether your weapon of choice is a sword, a needle, a pen, or even a spreadsheet!

Once you've finished with this section, follow these links to explore about the various facets of Amtgard:

• Combat
• Roleplay
• Arts & Sciences (A&S)
• Service & Leadership

Progession and the Online Record Keeper (O.R.K.)

On your first day, you will be asked to choose a name for your player account on the ORK. This account will be used to store all the progress and milestones you achieve throughout your Amtgard career. Most people will use the name of their 'Main' character, however this can be whatever you like and changed at any time without affecting your progress.

In Amtgard, progress is tied to the player, not the character. All levels and achievements listed on your ORK account are player-specific and can be immediately applied any new characters you create. You do not need to level up each character individually.

Setting Up Your ORK Account

Your ORK account will be automatically set up for you after you sign in to your first Amtgard function. After that point you can reach out to the officer responsible for ORK Updates (usually called the Prime Minister or Chancellor) and they can provide you with your login information.

Character Creation

Since progression is tied to your ORK account, not a specific character, creating a new character in Amtgard is as easy as picking a name. Unlike more immersive LARPs, having a developed character is not required to participate in most Amtgard activities. With that in mind, even though the majority of activities are out-of-character, players will still build their garb and aesthetic around a particular character concept or fantasy that excites them.

Theme and Setting

Theme

A Quest Begins...

The core theme of Amtgard is Heroic Fantasy.

Heroic fantasy is the name given to a subgenre of fantasy otherwise called "sword-and-sorcery". It is a story of action and adventure laid in a more or less imaginary world where magic works and modern science and technology have not yet been discovered. Such a story combines the color and dash of historical costume romance with the supernatural thrills of the weird, occult, or ghost story.

When done well, it provides the purest fun of fiction of any kind. It is escape fiction wherein one escapes clear out of the real world into one where all life is adventurous, all problems simple, and there's nothing that can't be solved with a good quest."

- Paraphrased excerpts from Heroic Fantasy on Wikipedia

Setting

The shared fantasy setting of Amtgard is limited to just a few details, the rest of which are left up to local communities and roleplay organizers.

1. All Kingdoms and Parks exist in the same plane, called "Amtgard" or "Amtgardia". Historically-inspired themes and garb are allowed, however this world is distinctly not Earth so players should act accordingly.
2. All Kingdoms and Parks are geographically arranged similar to how their real-life locations are arranged on planet Earth, often with similar topography, landmarks, and/or water features (rivers, coastlines, etc.)
3. There are 12 constellations that can be seen in the night sky no matter where you are in the plane. The orientation of the stars is always the same but the names, imagery, and mythology attached to them may vary from region to region.
4. Phoenixes are sacred creatures, though like the constellations the nature of this sanctity may vary from region to region.

What to Expect From Amtgard Roleplay

Amtgard roleplay is free-form, decentralized, and often episodic. It does not have a single unified story connecting all Kingdoms. Instead, local communities each craft their own stories, maps, and regional lore independent of one another, much like different tabletop RPG groups. As such, your Amtgard experience can be roleplay-heavy, combat-heavy, or somewhere in between, based on the preferences of your local Kingdom or Park.

Check with your nearest group to learn more about what types of activities they like to run so you can prepare yourself accordingly.

What to Bring On Your First Day

Amtgard parks will often have a small collection of basic equipment and sometimes even garb (costumes) that new players can borrow during the day until they are able to craft or acquire their own. It is totally acceptable to show up to your first day with nothing but the clothes on your back!

That said, if you want to come prepared, check out the Garb and Equipment sections to learn more about building or buying your own costume, weapons, shields, and armor for Amtgard combat!