V9: Best Practices

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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Best Practices For Rules Authorities

Guide to Gray Areas and Weird Interactions

In a free-form game like Amtgard there are bound to be interactions and situations that come up that were not imagined or considered by the developers. It is understandably impossible for them to have accounted for every potential interpretation of the rules that may arise.

With that in mind, please consider the following as you apply the rules in this book during live gameplay. This section is especially useful for our Rules Authorities and Game Organizers who will often be required to make judgment calls on these matters.

1. Amtgard requires cooperation, honor, and fair play in order to ensure the most fun for all participants. The section called ‘The Honor System: The Backbone of Amtgard’ highlights the unique responsibilities that each player has when participating in a game such as Amtgard. Referencing that section is a solid first step.
   Imperfection and honest mistakes will inevitably occur. They should be expected and should be played through in good faith to the best of everyone’s ability. Repetitive or egregious incidents should be acted upon to prevent further issues.
2. Read the rules thoroughly and consider the bigger picture. The more familiar you are with the rules, the better equipped you will be to handle situations and interactions that are not explicitly covered. Some rules may give one impression when read in a vacuum, but make sense when viewed within the larger context of the game. When possible, use the spirit of the rule to inform your interpretation of the letter of the rule.
3. If something is ambiguous, it is important to use common sense when determining the proper course of action. Follow the guide of Safety, Fairness, Flow, and Fun.
   • Safety of all members should always be the top priority.
   • Fairness means ensuring a decision stays in line with community expectations and the spirit of the rule.
   • Flow is about making sure the decision is easy to follow, intuitive, and doesn’t needlessly encumber gameplay.
   • Fun considers the ruling's effect on the overall enjoyment of all participants.
     For example, if a potential ruling is fun, but not intuitive or fair, then there is probably a better option to be considered.
4. Avoid creating confusion when possible, especially anything that could misrepresent one game mechanic for another, such as a sword that looks like a shield, a player casting a helpful spell at an enemy in an aggressive way to scare them, or pretending to be affected by a state to gain the element of surprise.
   Amtgard gameplay can often be very difficult to track even when everything is represented accurately, so deliberate deceit and misrepresentation of the mechanics of play should never be used as a means to gain an advantage.
5. Even though our game mechanics are presented with engaging and thematic names, these rules only do what they say they do, and do not have additional powers beyond what is explicitly stated within the rules. For example, the ability called Fireball cannot light up a room or set someone on fire.
   That said, when participating in Roleplay activities, this type of thematic extrapolation is often encouraged but only with permission from the Roleplay Organizer. See <reference roleplay section and/or the Game Organizer Guide>
6. If a term is not defined in this rulebook, the most commonly accepted definition of the term should be applied. If multiple definitions exist, use the one that makes the most sense.
7. When in doubt, play safe, play fair, and give the benefit of the doubt to the other player.

Discussing Rules During Live Gameplay

Participants are never immune to combat or effects while discussing or clarifying rules with other players and/or Rules Authorities during live gameplay. It is important for Reeves and players to work cooperatively to resolve mid-game issues quickly and fairly without impacting the experience of others (such as by suddenly becoming immune to interaction).

In addition, even if a Reeve witnesses the complicated encounter, they won't always be able or available to help resolve it. Players are encouraged to keep this in mind and set their expectations accordingly. Mid-game adjudication is a privilege, not a right. It is best to engage Reeves while you are dead or between game rounds to help prevent issues from repeating rather than relying on them to make moment-to-moment calls. Our player-run system simply cannot guarantee that kind of instant, play-by-play, support.

You can help your local Reeves by reviewing the Best Practices and keeping them in mind when issues arise.