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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🚧 UPDATE IN PROGRESS - September 2023 (9A.3.230926) - 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 some of the 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 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.