V9: Getting Started
- 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.
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:
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.
Theme and Setting
Theme
The core theme of Amtgard is Heroic Fantasy.
"Fantasy is distinguished from the genres of science fiction and horror by the respective absence of scientific or macabre theme.
Heroic fantasy is the name given to a subgenre of fantasy, otherwise called the "sword-and-sorcery" story. It is a story of action and adventure laid in a more or less imaginary world, where magic works and where modern science and technology have not yet been discovered. Such a story combines the color and dash of historical costume romance with the atavistic supernatural thrills of the weird, occult, or ghost story.
When well done, 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 men are strong, all women beautiful, all life adventurous, and all problems simple. Adventures based in heroic fantasy are unlikely to mention any wider problems that cannot be fixed by a good quest."
- Excerpts from Fantasy and Heroic Fantasy on Wikipedia
Setting
The shared setting of Amtgard is limited to just a few details, the rest of which are left up to local communities and roleplay organizers.
- All communities generally exist in the same world, called "Amtgard" or "Amtgardia" depending on who you ask.
- The Kingdoms and [V9: Parks|]] are arranged in this world similarly to how their real-life locations are arranged on planet Earth.
- Time and space is variable (to account for real-life scheduling and travel times)
"Time and space itself seems subject to the elastic nature of reality. While all inhabitants (and indeed, even visitors if my own experience is typical!) can recite the same date without thinking, the actual flow of time itself seems inconstant. At some points many days can seem crammed into a single date, while in the next kingdom time flows with what I perceive as ‘normal’. Everything from monarch’s reigns to massive wars can be condensed here, with only a few years separating the present from ‘Ancient History.’"
- Phoenixes are sacred creatures.
- There are 12 constellations that can be seen in the sky no matter where you are.
Character Creation
Creating a new character in Amtgard is as easy as picking a name. While the majority of Amtgard activities are out-of-character, most players will still try to build their garb and aesthetic around a certain character concept or fantasy, even if they don't participate in roleplay.
Regional Lore and History
Amtgard roleplay is free-form, decentralized, and often episodic. It does not have a single unified story. 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 nearest Kingdom or Park.
Check with your local park to inquire if and how often they roleplay, as well as any useful in-character information they may have to get you primed for roleplay with their group.
Head over to the Roleplay section to learn about character-building, roleplay abilities, and more!
What to Bring On Your First Day
Amtgard parks will often have a small collection of basic equipment that new players can borrow to use during combat activities until they are able to craft or acquire their own. You can show up to your first day with nothing but the clothes on your back and get right into the game!
Head over to the Equipment section to learn more about crafting your own weapons, shields, and armor for Amtgard combat!
Getting Started The ORK · Character Creation · Theme and Setting · What to Expect From Roleplay
What to Bring on Your First Day · Who is Responsible for Helping New Players?
