Combat, Weapons, and Equipment

Equipment

Ribbons and Strips

Each color ribbon has a different meaning to allow quick identification.

Class ribbons for enchantments and magical effects.

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Weapons

Besides a few magical weapons, Amtgard only allows non-explosive, non-chemical weapons that might have been in existence before 1650 AD. All weapons can be broken into three parts:

• Strike-Legal: This refers to a portion of the weapon that is at least 2.5 inches in diameter (flat blades require 1.5 inches of foam on a striking surface) and will not leave marks, bruises, or broken bones when used to hit your opponent. This is the only area of a weapon that counts as a legal blow. Stab-only weapons are still required to have six inches of strike-legal surface on any stabbing end for safety.
• Padding: This refers to the portion of the weapon that has at least half an inch of foam over the weapon core and is designed to limit the injuries done from accidental contact with that part of the weapon.
• Handle: Refers to the unpadded part of the weapon were it is held.

WEAPON TYPES

Below is a list of weapon categories and their construction requirements.

• Projectile weapons: Except for javelins, these may not be used in melee.  There is no limit to the number of projectiles you can carry.  Only javelins may be used as melee weapons.  Weapons not listed here and that do not fall into these categories, may not be thrown.  i.e. you may not throw your sword.  All these weapons do one point of damage to armor, can be blocked by weapons without penalty, and may not be used to block.

  Rocks hurled two-handed will do two points of damage to armor, but otherwise behave the same. Non-javelin projectiles and arrows that are not bearing enchantments or class abilities are indestructible.  Projectiles and arrows that are affected by enchantments or class abilities (not to be confused with class Traits) may only be destroyed by spells or magic balls. Strikes to non-javelin projectile weapons and arrows count as hits to garb. 

• Throwing weapons � throwing knives and axes, shurikens, darts, etc.
• Rocks � must be at least 1 foot in diameter.
• Javelins � may be used as a thrusting weapon in melee.
• Dagger: A slashing or piercing weapon up to 18 inches long.  At least twelve inches of its total length must be strike-legal.
• Short: slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning weapons more than 18 inches up to 36 inches in total length.  The pommel and handle of the weapon can be no longer than 1/3 of the weapon�s total length.  At least 2/3 of its length must be strike legal.
• Long: slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning weapons more than 36 inches up to a maximum of 48 inches.  The pommel and handle of the weapon can be no longer than 1/3 of the weapon�s total length.  If used to slash or bludgeon, at least 2/3 of its length must be strike legal.
• Reach: slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning weapons more than 48 inches up to a maximum of 60 inches.  The pommel and handle of the weapon can be no longer than 1/3 of the weapon�s total length.  If used to slash or bludgeon, at least 2/3 of its length must be strike legal.
• Hinged: Weapons with a single articulating (chain-like) head.  The chain of a hinged weapon is not a legal striking edge.  Chains on these weapons must be wrapped in foam with less than half an inch of the rope exposed at any point.  The combined rope and striking edge of a flail may not exceed 18 inches in length and the total length of the weapon may not exceed 36 inches.
• Madu: A shield joined to a spear. The spear portion of the madu may be shorter than the normal five feet. Only usable if a class can use both a spear and a shield.  If any portion of the weapon is broken, heated, or otherwise rendered unusable, all of it is disabled. Considered wooden for purposes of being targeted by spells or affecting monsters. Magic and abilities that affect any part of the madu, such as Imbue Shield, affect its entirety.
• Spear: Stabbing-only weapons at least five feet in length and should not be confused with the javelin, which may be thrown (must have padding on upper 1/3 of length).  Considered wooden for purposes of being targeted by spells or affecting monsters.
• Staff: bludgeoning weapon (ends may be used to thrust, but it is a bludgeon attack) of 5 ft to 8 ft that must have legal striking surfaces of at least 1 foot in length on both ends.  Must have padding on upper 1/3 of each end.  Considered wooden for purposes of being targeted by spells or affecting monsters.
• Pole arm: At least five feet in length.  Includes spears but may also have slashing edges (minimum 1 foot in length for a striking edge, must have padding on upper 1/3 of length). Considered wooden for purposes of being targeted by spells or affecting monsters.
• Bow: A longbow does a base of four points of damage.  A short bow does a base of two points of damage.  Hand crossbows are considered short bows while two-handed crossbows are considered longbows.  See the Archery section for more complete descriptions Bows, crossbows, and arrows are considered wooden for purposes of being targeted by spells or affecting monsters.

Weapon Effects

A �Weapon Effect� is a descriptor applied to a weapon that explains what it does.  It is possible for a weapon to have multiple effects.

• Red: A Red weapon, when used to slash or bludgeon, does two points of damage and can be used to destroy a shield in three hits.  Great weapons (see below) are automatically red weapons.  Magical enchantments and the berserk ability of barbarians can also make a weapon red.  In all cases where a one-handed weapon is red, the weapon or the user must have a red strip to indicate the effect.
• Great: If a weapon is five feet or more in length, has a minimum of four feet of contiguous striking surface, and a minimum diameter of five inches over the entire striking surface, then it is considered Great and becomes Red when wielded two-handed in a slashing or bludgeoning manner.
• Magic: Relics and weapons bearing an enchantment other than Stun Weapon.

Archery

The maximum limit for a bow�s pull is 35 pounds with a maximum 28-inch draw length.  Crossbows are limited to no more than 450 inch-pounds.  No compound bows are allowed.  Broken or mended arrows are not to be used.  All wooden arrows must be taped on the entire shaft.  Arrows may never be used as a hand or melee weapon.  The �point� of all arrows must have a diameter of at least 2.5 inches. An arrow scores hits like any other weapon. At close range (20 feet or less) bows must be no more than half drawn and two-handed crossbows may not be used. Arrows from short bows and single-hand crossbows do two points of damage to armor. Arrows from two-handed crossbows (over 20 inches in length) and longbows (any bow that is 5 ft. or more in height when strung) do four points of damage to armor.  A weapon in hand that is hit by an arrow is destroyed.  If a bow is hit by a weapon, it is destroyed.

Siege Weapons

Siege weapons are extremely powerful engines of destruction that were historically used for every- thing from anti-personnel to tearing down walls from a great distance.  The abilities and limitations of siege weapons are as follows:

1. A melee siege weapon will kill any person or destroy any object it strikes regardless of armor.  Is considered engulfing.  Counts as one hit against invulnerability.  Will stop Fight After Death.
2. A projectile siege weapon that fires a single projectile at a time, such as a single boulder or bolt, strikes exactly like a melee siege weapon except that it is also stopped by the enchantment Protection from Projectiles.  A monk may not block this type of siege weapon projectile.  Will stop Fight After Death.
3. A projectile siege weapon that fires multiple projectiles at a time, such as a grapeshot catapult, counts as firing Red projectiles.  A monk may block these projectiles as normal.  Protection from Projectiles stops these. Will not stop Fight After Death.
4. A siege weapon that fires projectiles may not be used within 20 feet unless its operators have the ability to �half-draw� the weapon.
5. A siege weapon is a large, tough object that is hardened from casual attack. They are considered to have ten points of armor and are destroyed when all armor is lost (i.e. ten hits from a one point weapon, five hits from a two point weapon, etc).  Arrows have no effect on siege weapons with the exception of a Flame Arrow, which will do five points of damage to the siege weapon.  Melee siege weapons and single shot projectile siege weapons will destroy another siege weapon on a single hit.  Multiple projectile siege weapons deal damage to siege weapons as per normal. A siege weapon operates as long as it has at least one point of armor remaining. A Mend will repair one point of armor over all (siege weapons do not have sectional armor). Destroyed siege weapons may not be retrieved from base.
6. Siege weapons require at least three people to operate.  Those people may be involved in any operation of the engine but may not be fighting, be Berserk, casting magic, using activated class abilities, or move more than ten feet away. A siege weapon with less than three people crewing it may not be used.  Some monsters are exempt from this rule. Members of the siege crew may leave at any time and continue playing as normal.
7. You may only have one siege engine per twenty people on a team.
8. Siege weapons should have a historical or fantasy counterpart that they mimic in form and function.  Siege engines may only be direct impact weapons such as catapults, ballistae, etc. You may not use siege engines that mimic area of effect attacks such as firebombs or Greek Fire.  You may not use siege weapons that mimic gunpowder effects such as cannons.

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Shields

1. Shields are considered wooden for purposes of being targeted by spells or monster abilities. All shield measurements are the exterior surface area on a flat plane.
2. Bucklers are a type of small shield that is strapped to a forearm instead of wielded in a hand.  Anyone allowed to use a small shield may use a single buckler. Note: This does not allow use of both a shield and a buckler.
3. Shields struck by effects that break shields (such as Red weapons) retain this damage until repaired, therefore receiving two such strikes from one player and one such strike from another player ten minutes later is sufficient to destroy the shield.
4. All shields must either be strapped to an arm or gripped in a hand.  A blow that strikes a non-wielded shield strapped to a player, such as a shield slung across a back, is considered to strike the player as if the shield had not been there. A player may only wield one shield at a time.

A large shield is no larger than eight square feet.
A medium shield is no larger than five square feet.
A small shield is no larger than three square feet.
Non-round shields may not be wider than two feet.
Round shields may not be wider than three feet.

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Equipment Construction

WEAPON CONSTRUCTION NOTES

What is a safe weapon? A safe weapon is one that will not leave marks, bruises, or broken bones or teeth when it strikes a person.  If your weapon hurts you when you are struck, it is not safe. The entire surface of a weapon must be padded as per the weapon descriptions in Weapon Types above. Cross-guards must be padded. For a base the best things to use are carbon/graphite rods (such as from non-metallic golf clubs), kite spar, bamboo, PVC tubing or fiberglass.  Other materials will be checked for safety on a case-by-case basis.  Metal and wooden cores are not acceptable and will never be considered legal.

Use good, stiff foam to pad your weapon. Ensolite�, a type of closed cell foam, is good to pad the base.  Funnoodle�, a preformed pool flotation device, is a quick and easy alternative to Ensolite�, however it wears out much faster. Foam is best cut with a razor or sharp scissors. Stick the foam to the shaft with adhesive glue or tape.  Weapons must be covered in a durable, opaque cloth.

Weapon tips (points, guards, pommels, etc.) and striking surfaces must be at least 2.5 inches in diameter (flat blade weapons must not be able to pass their tip through a 2.5 inch diameter ring) in diameter.  The ends of all weapon cores must be blunted by capping them with a layer of foam and tape.  Stabbing weapons should include extra padding on the tip to ensure safety.  Magic components used in combat (magical balls, etc) must also be padded and be at least2.5 inches in diameter.

SWORD CONSTRUCTION TUTORIAL

(with Funnoodle� or Camp-pad foam):

1. Use a length of Fiberglass, Kite spar, PVC, or a golf shaft for the core.  Remove all sharp edges and points from both ends of the core.
2. Cap both ends of the core with alternating layers of tape and foam until the cap is secure and decidedly dull.  Cover the pommel with enough closed cell foam to ensure that it is at least 2.5 inches in diameter.  Note that all pommels must meet this minimum size requirement regardless of your specific fighting style.

3. a.

   To make a flat blade, sandwich the core between several layers of camp-pad foam.

   b.

   To make a round blade, you can use a piece of Funnoodle� that has a factory hole in the center, and cut it to be the length of the blade.  If your core moves back and forth within the hole, you can tape a long strip of camp pad foam to the shaft to reduce the noise and prolong the life of the blade.  Tape the base of the Funnoodle� to the shaft very well. Fiberglass strapping tape is recommended for strength and weight.

4. Tape several pieces of closed cell foam over the top of the sword with fiberglass strapping tape. You should have at least 3 layers of closed cell foam (1.5 inches) on your stabbing tip (and even more for a two handed stabbing weapon, such as a spear).
5. For the cover, choose a light, durable fabric. Cut it to length plus three inches, and outside diameter plus one inch.
6. Fold the fabric across and sew the side and top.
7. Roll the cover like a stocking, and then roll it down the sword.
8. Secure the cover to the hilt with tape.

SHIELD CONSTRUCTION

Shields should be made from light, firm materials, should be well padded, and require a cloth cover. Hard edges may not be exposed.  Good materials to use include substances with some give, such as plywood and high impact plastics.  An interesting alternative is to use a plastic snow toboggan, which will produce a light shield that requires less padding.  Another popular shield design uses only a thick foam disc, thus negating the need for additional padding (just a cloth cover).  Be careful with these however, as not all foam materials are the same.  Plank foam is a particularly durable and safe variety that makes for an excellent shield; while foam such as what �boogie boards� are made of is effectively a rigid material and requires padding.  Thick strips of leather make good arm straps.  When using a non-foam shield, bolts should be attached with the head affixed to the exterior of the shield with washers, and then heavily padded with foam. All rigid-core shields must either have foam folded over the edges or have the shield edges recessed into the foam.  All rigid-core shields must be covered with a layer of foam that is at least 1 inch thick on the face, and 1.5 inches on the edge. Shields must be at least as safe as the weapons we use.

Arrow Construction

Arrows are generally fragile and are often broken under the constant rigors of fighting.  Arrow shafts made from graphite offer a flexibility and resilience not found in their aluminum or wooden  counterparts.  Wooden arrows must be taped along their entire length.  All arrowheads must be removed from the arrow, and the base of the arrow at the tip must be built up with a sufficiently strong material to at least the diameter of a penny, which is used to cap the arrow.  Arrows may not be drawn beyond 28 inches, and must have a stopper in place if they are longer.  Arrows must have a minimum of 2 inches of closed cell foam on the tip, and it must be at least 2.5 inches in diameter.  It is suggested that you also incorporate a layer of open cell foam to reduce the recoil of the arrow when it strikes a solid surface.  Arrow fletching and nocks must be in good repair, and arrowheads should be checked regularly for degrading foam.  All arrows must be clearly labeled with their owner�s name on the shaft.  Properly colored head covers may be used in lieu of ribbons.

Projectiles A blow by any part of a throwing weapon, boulder or rock counts as a hit; so all parts of these weapons need to be strike-legal.  Javelins must strike point first to count as a hit, but must have courtesy padding along their entire length.  All projectiles must be at least 2.5� in diameter.  Projectiles, with the exception of javelins, may not have solid cores.  Materials you may use for projectile cores include foam, sweatshirt material, and other soft, non-granular materials.  Pennies, batteries, sand, and the like may never be used as cores.

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ARMOR CONSTRUCTION

The Monarch, Champion and Guildmaster of Reeves rate armor.  Damage to armor only applies to the hit location that was struck, and armor only protects the area it physically covers.  Damage that exceeds the armor value (i.e. arrows, berserk barbarian weapons, great weapons, etc.) wounds or kills the target.  Armor that is mixed (multiple types of armor covering the same body area) will be averaged.  Armor may not be stacked or layered to increase or add value unless explicitly stated in these rules.  Armor worn under tabards or garb must be partially visible, and must be announced if asked.  Armor should weigh close to actual historical standards to receive full value.  Armor only protects the area it physically covers.  Straps and other such material that hold your armor on do not count as part of the armor, for either coverage or averaging purposes, unless they are specifically built as such.  Example: the leather strap across your back holding on your steel breastplate does not protect you from blows.

Standard criteria are 16-gauge steel for metals and 1/16 inch for leather.  All armor must be safe, with no protruding edges that could injure someone.  Armor values may never be greater than 6 points unless you are a 6th level warrior or certain monster classes.  Armor is rated as the material that it most resembles, thus plastic and other non-metallic armors can never be disguised nor passed off as plate or chain mail.

Armor Descriptions:

No armor list can be completely exhaustive, and armors not mentioned should be ranked according to their composition (metallic vs. non-metallic) and their protective value relative to other armors in the table.

Armor Definitions:

• Plates are made of at least 16-gauge steel and must be attached to each other or a backing in such a way that all four edges or corners are held into continuous rigid contact with each other or the backing.  Plates may alternately be made of 3/16� hardened leather and receive a �1 to the total armor value.
• Cuir bouilli is the process by which leather is hardened using wax or other treatments to produce significantly harder leather.
• Studs are composed of metal, and must be no more than 1.5 inches apart to receive the bonus. Studs may not be added to metal armor.
• Rings are composed of metal (not to be confused with chain mail), and must be at least 1/8 inch thick, have an internal diameter of at least. 1 inch and no greater than two inches, and be placed no further than 1.5 inches apart to receive the bonus.  Rings may not be added to metal armor.
• Scales are composed of metal (+2) or 3/16� hardened leather (+1), and must be overlapping.  Scales may not be added to metal armor.  Scales need only be attached to the armor along one edge.
• Gambeson (sometimes referred to as an arming coat) resembles a quilted, close fitting tunic that minimally extends from the thighs of an individual to their elbows, excluding their head and neck.  If worn under any type of chain mail, the wearer will receive a +1 bonus to the area that the chain mail covers.  The gambeson may not be modified to increase this value.  A gambeson must be the equivalent of at least quilted cloth with cotton batting padding in between the layers, and must cover the entire area of the hit location under the chain in order to grant a bonus.

Armor Modifiers:

• Non-authentic materials refer to materials that were not in use to create armor at the time, such as plastic.  For comparison of metals, 16-gauge steel is the standard weight and toughness, so lighter or softer metals, such as aluminum, will incur this penalty, while stainless steel will not. Subtractions for inauthentic material may never exceed �2, though completely inappropriate materials may receive no points (i.e. aluminum foil, cardboard, etc).
• Poor workmanship refers to an inexperienced or incomplete assembly by the creator � the use of non-period items such as hot glue, tape, or shoestrings to hold the armor together.  Subtractions for poor workmanship may never exceed �4.
• Artificial appearance refers to the overall appeal of the armor and its ability to accurately resemble historical armors. Subtractions for appearance may never exceed �2.
• Heavy gauge material is material that exceeds the 16 gauge standard for rings or plates.
• Exceptional craftsmanship is reflected in the overall construction and function of the armor as compared to other armors of its type, and is awarded on a case-by-case basis.  Bonuses for construction may never exceed +2.

Armor in action:

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