V9: Introduction

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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What is Amtgard?

Amtgard is a free-to-join, fantasy-themed, boffer-LARP community with options for both combat and non-combat participation.

Amtgard meetups are typically hosted each week by local parks, with large celebrations and Kingdom events every 3 months or so.

Amtgard's flagship activity is Class Battlegames: live-action, team-based, arena-battles that take full advantage of our fantasy class system, including bow-wielding archers, spell-flinging wizards, and armor-clad warriors. Other popular combat activities include 1-on-1 tournaments and story-based adventures.

Amtgard combat is full-speed and medium-contact. Medium contact means that players will often make physical contact with each other using approved equipment but grappling, head shots, and most other forms of non-padded contact are prohibited.

Amtgard encourages all players to dress and present themselves in line with the heroic fantasy genre, however Amtgard as a whole is not an immersive roleplay LARP. Instead we support a casual, relaxed roleplay environment that allows each member or even groups as a whole to roleplay as much or as little as they wish, akin to what you might find between different tabletop RPG groups.

Roleplay is only expected when participating in dedicated roleplay activities, such as Quests and Scenario battles. Amtgard roleplay activities are typically episodic in nature, with the settings and narratives for each one driven by local-level organizers with no oversight from Amtgard International.

Amtgard also offers a wide variety of non-combat activities to explore and participate in. Our community boasts a diverse base of crafters, cooks, writers, performers, and visual artists, as well as game designers, roleplay organizers, referees (called reeves), and a multitude of other leadership & logistics volunteers. Many of our members develop and hone lifelong skills through the support and motivation offered within the Amtgard community.

Lastly, Amtgard has a robust award system designed to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of our players across our all facets of the game, both in and out of combat.

Interested?

Find your nearest Amtgard park and join us!

Garb (Costume)

Garb Requirements and Goals

All Amtgard participants are encouraged to wear a costume (colloquially known as "garb") that fits within the Heroic Fantasy theme of Amtgard.

Garb is not required to participate in Amtgard activities; however all members are highly encouraged to wear garb when possible due to the many benefits it brings to the ever-growing Amtgard community.

1. Garb ensures our participants are easily recognized and stand out from regular passerby.
2. Garb presents an appealing and engaging image to the public. It shows that we are not just random friends in a park, but a community and organization that they can actually approach and join.
3. Garb improves the overall atmosphere of the game and enhances the Heroic Fantasy experience for other players.

As a rule of thumb, any garments, accessories, and body-costuming are fair game as long as the pieces are incorporated together in such a way that the complete outfit is visually suitable for the Heroic Fantasy theme of Amtgard. This can include prosthetics, tattoos, body paint, accessories, etc. in addition to traditional fantasy clothing and armor pieces.

Dress Accordingly

1. Players should be encouraged to garb appropriately for their local weather and climate conditions. Safety always comes first.
2. Players must always adhere to applicable, real-world clothing regulations and decency laws.

• Examples of Different Levels of Garb
• 

  Discouraged
  T-Shirt and Shorts under a Belt and Sash

• 

  Basic
  Simple Tunic and Wrap Pants

• 

  Encouraged
  Accessories, Color Scheme,
  Extra Garments and Layers as appropriate for the weather

Garments to Alter or Avoid

Amtgard seeks to limit the amount of obviously modern-looking items at any given function. We ask that players minimize their use of the following items unless they are altered or incorporated so that the complete outfit is visually suitable for the Heroic Fantasy theme of Amtgard.

• Obviously modern clothing such as blue jeans, white shoes, camouflage patterns, baseball caps, sports jerseys, etc.

• Clearly mundane logos or fabric prints.
  
  

Prohibited Garments
The following items may never be worn, even if they are incorporated into the Heroic Fantasy theme.

• Inappropriate, disrespectful, and/or distasteful use of real-life cultural garments, symbols, and/or body paint.

• Real swords, knives, or weapons of any sort (even in sheaths or cases) may never be worn or carried during combat activities.

Personal-Protective & Medically-Necessary Apparel

Modern safety apparel (such as sunglasses/goggles, sport footwear, knee pads, gloves, etc.) and anything required out of medical necessity is extremely important to ensuring the safety and comfort of our players.

Participants are encouraged to wear their safety or medical gear whenever they feel it is necessary however we highly encourage participants to minimize their modern appearance where possible by altering, covering, or incorporating those items into their garb in such a way that the complete outfit is visually suitable for the Heroic Fantasy theme of Amtgard (or at least more suitable than it would be without any action taken). Safety will always be our first priority, however we sincerely appreciate players who strive to be both safe and immersive.

More information about Safety Equipment can be found in the Safety section.

Reserved Symbols

Amtgard has a number of symbols or garments that are reserved specific purposes. Only players who meet the criteria below may incorporate these features into their garb or equipment. The reserved symbols are:

SYMBOL	RESERVED FOR
Phoenix Imagery
General	The Phoenix is the symbol of Amtgard and may only be worn in the following circumstances: As part of Kingdom Heraldry With permission from Amtgard International As one of the specific variants listed below.
White or Black	Knights
Gold	Masters. The background upon which the phoenix is placed represents the type of masterhood.
Belts
White (with or without trim)	Knights. it is common to trim the white belt in the colors of the knighthood path(s) of the wearer.
Red	Squires
Black with Silver Trim	At-Arms
Yellow	Pages
Sashes
Mono-Colored	Classes. All class identifiers are reserved in combat and roleplay for players who are actively playing those classes.
Mono-Colored with Silver Trim	Paragons of the associated Class.
Light Pink	Special Accommodation: Light Pink sashes are universally reserved as an indicator for Non-Melee Participants.
Other Symbols
Unadorned Chain	Knights
Spurs	Knights
Mono-Colored Belt Favor with Silver Trim	Apprentices of the associated Class.
Vertical black-and-white stripes (invoking modern Referees) or black-and-white checkerboard patterns.	Reeves