V9: Combat Mechanics

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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Combat Mechanics

Hit Locations

Definitions and Diagram

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In Amtgard combat, a player's body is divided into five (5) ‘Hit Locations’ which may be struck to inflict damage or effects in combat: Left Arm, Right Arm, Left Leg, Right Leg, and Torso.

• Arms (left/right): From the tips of the fingers to the shoulder socket.

• Legs (left/right): From the tips of the toes to bottom of the buttocks in the back; the crease between the hip and each leg in the front; and just below the hip bone on either side.

• Torso: Everything that isn’t an arm or a leg, including the groin, up to the vertical rise of the neck.
  
• Illegal - Head and Neck: The head and neck are illegal targets for all Amtgard combat. Strikes to these areas will never count as a valid hit, nor will they be able to inflict any damage or effects. Players are not allowed to intentionally use their head or neck to block incoming attacks. If a player strikes an opponent in the head or neck and gains a gameplay advantage from it, they should stop fighting and allow their opponent to recover. If necessary, rewind to the point of the illegal strike and resume the fight if/when they are able.

Torso Priority

If a strike lands on the line between the torso and an arm or leg, the strike counts as only hitting the torso location. This supersedes Armor Priority whenever applicable.

Hand Protection (aka ‘Hand on Weapon’)

If a strike hits a hand below the wrist that is wielding a weapon or shield, the strike counts as hitting that piece of equipment instead of the hand. Equipment that cannot be used to block, such as bows and projectiles, will not protect the hand this way.

Foot on Ground

A foot touching the ground is unaffected by strikes below the ankle. All attempts to strike it are considered invalid. No effects can be imparted through this contact. A foot that is completely in the air is fair game and can be struck as normal.

Striking Your Opponent

Striking your opponent with a weapon is the primary way to interact with them in combat. Only weapons that have passed an Equipment Inspection can be used to strike in Amtgard.

Valid Strikes

Valid Strikes, also known as Legal Strikes, can only be delivered by the strike-legal portion of a weapon. A valid strike must make contact with enough forward momentum that an unaware opponent wearing basic garb could distinguish the strike as offensive rather than incidental contact. Players wearing thick or bulky armor/garments must still acknowledge a valid strike with sufficient momentum even if the blow is not felt.

Though firmer contact will occur from time to time, it is important to remember that our weapons are padded sticks, not actual swords, and we are not trying to cause any real injury. Special care should also be taken when striking with larger weapons such as greatswords, glaives, pikes, and rocks, as these weapons typically have more mass by their design and therefore require greater caution on the part of the wielder to ensure the safety of their opponents.

Valid Strikes are divided into four categories:

1. Melee Slash: A melee slash is a strike with the side of a melee weapon. It must be percussive (contact with an audible pop) and be stopped by or noticeably deflect off the victim.
2. Melee Stab: A melee stab is a strike with the tip of a melee weapon. It must strike with the tip and be stopped by or noticeably deflect off the victim.
3. Projectile Stab: A strike from a Stabbing Projectile, such as an Arrow. It must strike with the tip and be stopped by or noticeably deflect off the victim.
4. Projectile Contact: A strike from a Contact Projectile such as a Spellball. Contact Projectiles can strike with any part of their surface as long as it stops on or noticeably deflects off the victim.

Developer Note: Projectile Grazes Are No Longer Valid
Unlike Amtgard V8, strikes from all weapons, including projectiles, must stop or noticeably deflect to be valid. Grazes do not count in Amtgard V9.

Additional Rules

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Invalid Obstructions

An Invalid Obstruction occurs whenever a strike is blocked by something that is not allowed block or otherwise affect gameplay in such a manner. This includes but is not limited to: hair (ponytails, beards, etc), loose garb, bulky or protruding armor & accessories, unwielded equipment, non-equipment items such as water bottles, and so on.

A strike that is prevented from making contact due to an Invalid Obstruction counts as a valid strike against whatever would have been hit if the obstruction was not there, as well as a strike against the obstructing object itself if it is able to be affected, such as a sheathed dagger being struck by a Weapon Destroying effect.

For ambiguous incidents where identifying what 'would have been' hit is not so easy, such as two projectiles colliding mid-air, the players involved should do their best to resolve the situation quickly and in good faith. In the example presented here, this is usually done by simply disregarding both projectiles; however, this is not a rule and each case should still be considered independently.

Friendly Fire

All strikes initiated with intent to affect a player will affect whomever they hit, regardless of the intended target. The only exception is that a player can never harm themselves with their own melee weapons unless they actually wish to do so.

Any contact that was not intended to be a strike may always be ignored if both parties agree.

Examples of strikes that cannot be ignored:

• An Archer missing their target and accidentally striking an ally in the back.
• An Assassin sneaking up and backstabbing someone who they believed was an enemy but turns out to be an ally.
• A Barbarian's rock bouncing off an enemy's shield and rolling back to hit themselves.
• A Monk unknowingly striking an ally with the other end of their quarterstaff while making an attack.

Examples of strikes that can be ignored:

• A Warrior tapping an ally with their sword to get their attention.
• A Paladin resting their spear over their shoulder and accidentally hitting someone as they turn around.
• An Scout accidentally dropping their tomahawk onto their own leg.
• An Anti-Paladin with a double-ended weapon accidentally striking an ally behind them while pulling back from a big thrust.

Multiple Points of Contact

If an attack makes contact with multiple unique Hit Locations at the same time, it will inflict a strike against each Hit Location where contact met the requirements for a valid strike. Contact on the line between locations are affected as per Torso Priority. A single weapon cannot strike the same Hit Location more than once per attack, regardless of how many individual points of contact it makes.

For example, a Trident that makes valid contact with both of Phineas’ legs in a single stabbing motion will count as a strike to each leg, but an attack that hits one leg with all three points of the Trident can only incur a single valid strike.

Shot In Motion

If a player is wounded, killed, or otherwise prevented from attacking while they are in the middle of completing a striking motion, the attack is not interrupted and the motion can be completed before they suffer the negative effect. This should be a clear case of finishing an already-started attack, meaning that it requires no change of direction and the last motion required to finish the strike has already been started prior to being affected.

1. Melee strikes must land within a half-second of the user being affected.
2. Projectiles must be airborne within a half-second of the user being affected.
3. Shot in Motion only applies if the attacker is affected. It does not apply if the defender becomes immune prior to contact, such as via an ability like Shadow Step.

Battlefield Etiquette

Everyone processes the game differently so it is important to communicate early and often with your opponents. Keep the Honor System in mind as you work with your opponent to execute the game rules as best as you can.

1. If you have to think about it, take it. If you are unsure whether an opponent’s strike or ability against you was valid, give them the benefit of the doubt and take it. Only attacks which are clearly invalid should be treated as such, and in those cases it is common courtesy to announce to your opponent the reason you believe it to be so.
2. It is the responsibility of the victim of an attack to determine the location of strikes against them. If the victim is unsure or didn't realize they were struck, the attacker may clarify and call out what they believe happened. If the attacker is unavailable, such as in the case of a run-by or long-range projectile, then the victim should take whatever they believe is most likely to have occurred.
3. As long as you and your opponent(s) agree on the outcome, the exact details of any encounter are moot. It's okay to be slightly inaccurate if the alternative is wasting time in the middle of battle trying to sort out fine details.
4. Do not call the results of other engagements unless the players involved are asking for your opinion.
5. If you notice a player is repeatedly ignoring strikes or effects that you believe are connecting, ask them about it politely in the form of a question ("Did that connect?" "Where did that land?" "Was that hand or arm?"). If the behavior continues, bring the issue to the attention of a Reeve and they will seek to resolve it. Do not confront the player directly again after this point, even if you believe you have a good rapport with them. Allegations of misconduct are often better received when filtered through the proper channels and handled with care.

Wounds

Combat damage is inflicted to players in the form of Wounds. Wounds are inflicted by striking a Hit Location with the Strike-Legal portion of a Weapon. The effect of a Wound is different based on the location wounded. Hit Locations can be wounded multiple times. When asked, a player must promptly declare any wounds they have.

Lethal Wounds

A player dies if they receive any of the following:

• A wound to the Torso.
• A second wound.
• A wound to an already-wounded Limb.

Arm Wounds

A player with a Wounded Arm cannot use that Arm to wield, cast, or carry anything, and it must be kept out of combat as best as possible (typically placed behind the back). If a player is required or otherwise allowed to carry an object in their wounded arm for whatever reason (such as special rules, accommodations, or non-equipment items), they must keep that item out of combat and may not derive a gameplay advantage from it. In all cases, objects carried by wounded arms count as Invalid Obstructions.

Leg Wounds

A player with a Wounded Leg (aka 'legged') must either Kneel or Post. Regardless of their choice, the wounded Leg may not be Wounded again for two (2) seconds after being initially struck or during the initial placement on the ground if the victim chooses to kneel, whichever is longer.

• Kneeling

  If the Wounded player chooses to Kneel, they must physically kneel as soon as possible. They may move around on their knees but must keep at least one knee on the ground at all times. The wounded leg cannot receive further wounds while its knee is touching the ground.

• Posting

  If the Wounded player chooses to Post, they can remain standing but can only pivot around the foot of the wounded leg. It must remain in contact with the ground at all times. While posting, the wounded leg is still vulnerable to further wounds.

  • Hobbling: If there are no living enemies within 20ft of a posting player, or the posting player is forced to move by some effect, that player may move at a slow walking pace while pretending to drag the wounded foot on the ground behind them.

• Forced Movement Accommodation

  If a player with a Wounded Leg is forced to move or dragged by another player, they may choose to stand and move normally as though they were not wounded. If they choose to move this way, they may not aggress, cast, or take any other action aside from fulfilling the required movement at a reasonable pace. Players may still block and dodge so long as they continue to fulfill the forced movement as above. Once the movement is complete, the player must immediately return to either Kneeling or Posting.

• Leg Wound Stance Switching

  Players may freely switch between Kneeling, Posting, and the Forced Movement Accommodation (when applicable) by declaring it loudly and taking the new stance. The Wounded Leg does not receive any special protection during these switches. Switching stances cannot be done to gain an immediate gameplay advantage, such as diving towards an opponent while changing from posting to kneeling, or suddenly standing to catch an opponent by surprise.