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Magic fantasy world adventure.Battle larp in the Warhammer Universe in Prusy Fortress in Nysa.

Design Document2017

Translated by Dominika Cembala

http://www.5zywiolow.com/battlequest/

http://www.5zywiolow.com

RULES

#1 Play for funwe will not interfere

#2 Play for realeverything is what it looks like

#3 Play for yourselftrust the others, don’t be an ass

#4 Play for warno alliances, no peace talks

#5 Play for safetysafety is paramount, respect the property of others

#6 Play for epicnesslose, if it’s going to be spectacular

These seven rules were our guidelines in the process of designing Battle Quest. We believe they are just and complete, and adhering to them both by us and by

you will help create a really unbelievable adventure. This document explains every rule in detail and is a guide through majority of aspects of the game. If at any

moment anything seems unclear, or you have doubts during prep or the game itself remember to always go to the 7 rules first. Now have a nice read.

The Battle Quest Team

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1. Project idea1.1. Fantasy battle larp

Battle quest is a game in which you will experience an amazing adventure in a fantasy world. An adventure full to the brim with fighting, exploration, magic and camp-by-the-fire life. This is a non-stop, three day simulation taking its participants into a different reality.

The game is set around two mighty forces locked in conflict. There can be no truce or reconciliation between the two and the result will be decided upon the battlefield!

1.2. Sides of the conflictTwo armies will stand against one another in the game: The Empire and The

Nordlings. The majority of the participants will swell the ranks of either of the armies. The Empire has been formed by an alliance of civilised lands under the rule of the

biggest and most developed country of the world. Though united in the war against a common enemy, this force is divided. It is constructed of armies of various lands, with dwarven engineers who want to defend their ancient traditions, common militia gathered up in the villages by their sovereign gentry, groups of mercenaries seeing the war as a source of easy income and a spot of fun and proud and elated elves to whom joining ranks with lowbrow humans is slightly less disgusting than witnessing the world crumble to dust.

[Main inspiration - regular late medieval european army]

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The Norsca are armed nomads living in the northern parts of the Empire. They are perceived as invaders worshiping their filthy Gods of Chaos. The main arm of the army is built of tempered-in-fire warriors of the North. To resist their opponent, The Nordling tribes forged alliances in unlikely places, siding with armies heretofore considered foreign. Thus, surprisingly but not oddly, one will be able to meet representatives of very exotic cultures and races, helping the Nordlings for their own - sometimes shady - reasons.

[Main inspiration - viking culture and norse mythology]

These two armies will stand against each other on the battlefield and leave a trail of their enemies’ dead, a grisly monument to their might and prowess in battle as the struggle for power and honour rages on.

NO ALLIANCESNo force is able to make The Empire and Norsca settle the difference in a

peaceful manner!

The time for negotiation has come and gone, and there is no chance of a truce. The forgone conclusion of this conflict is the utter annihilation of the enemy.

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1.3. Creating your own adventureThe BQ Organising Team will not be preparing ready-to-play roles for the larp

participants. We will not supply you with personal plots or character relations. All we will provide is a general tactical background sketch basing it on prior reports of team actions. We will also prepare a set of missions to accomplish.

This means that you don’t have to come forward with your character, fill countless

forms regarding your favourite angle on the game and what kind of adventure would interest you the most, only to learn that in the end your opinion hasn’t been taken into consideration. You arrive and you play what you want and in the way that suits you best.

If you think that paying a certain plot will make you have fun, play it. All we ask is that

you stick to the rules and respect other players’ desire to have fun. If you find yourself in need of help in creating your story or doubt it can be done, contact a member of the team, and we will help you with your issue. For in making Battle Quest, the main rule for us is:

PLAY FOR FUNOrganising team will not interfere.

If you feel like we work contrary to this rule, please let us know. We promise to live by our rules and the players’ fun is imperative to us.

1.4. Dynamic world enhancing your adventureWe want to create a fully immersive, living and believable world to enhance the

feeling of being a part of something bigger. We want to create a world in which the encampments are vibrant and booming with life and everyone has their role and their assignments; a world in which you have to perform a task to attain your goal.

During the play time there will be plenty of time for scuffles, playing hare and hounds, planning tactical ploys and epic battles. You will also have a chance to engage in scouting, exploration of ruins, sparring in the arena or practice espionage, after which you will be able to rest in a tavern,

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have a peaceful moment in the shade while waiting to be served some military grub or just have a pint by the fire with members of your squad. Battle Quest is a non-stop game. This means you will eat, sleep and even use the latrine - all in character. More about this in chapter 4.

1.5. Beyond fightingBattle Quest is a game designed mostly with fighting in mind. However, even the

most vicious of wars had a background of non-fighting characters: nobility, advisers of all sorts, shamans, harlots, quartermasters, explorers, scholars, deserters, cooks and many more.

There are also special characters - medics, priests and wizards - available to play. These are crucial in adding to the reality of the setting. Hence not only are they available for participants to play, we will also prepare quests and plot line to help flesh them out and give them character. More about them in chapter 4.

We are also tailoring the generic characters’ mechanics. More about it in chapter 5.

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2. Location division and the toneof the game tone of the game

2.1. Everything is what it looks like

BQ is an adventure as real as can be. You won’t find invisible walls here, or gaps filling in the form of ‘imagine, that this here…’ A piece of rope draped between two sticks will not suddenly become a temple’s wall. A sum of money in a leather pouch will be a sum of money in a leather pouch, not a slip of paper larping it. A backstab will not be annulled by the game master, because it doesn’t go well with the events. No one will ever tell you to put the quest item back into storage, because it’s too soon to bring it into the game.

You will have in-game coins to use as payment in the tavern, and you will be served

beer in a tankard or bottle consistent with the game’s style, treasures and runes will be made to look game authentic – they will not be presented as handwritten on a scrap of paper.

While the in-game world is a world of old, we are subjects of modern times. You will find participants wearing glasses or taking their medication. There may be other circumstantial anachronisms like planes flying overhead. In these cases, our advice is to ignore these elements and keep yourself immersed in the fantasy world. However, this doesn’t allow for the use of lighters to start a fire or snacks eaten straight from their colourful modern day wrappers.

2.2. No elements breaking the game styleWhat we provide, and ask in return, is for the same level of preparation on your

side. Your larp gear and garb needs to be well prepared and convincing. Encampment areas will be subject to the same expectation: the tents do not have to be historically accurate, clasps and cutlery need not be forged in fire or kiln treated – they should, however, be inconspicuous within the setting of the world.

Participant-necessary present-day items can be easily dressed up, though. A tent can be covered leaves and branches, and a sleeping bag can be covered with a brown blanket. Remember - you are as responsible of making and maintaining the atmosphere of the game as the organisers are.

Battle Quest, as the name suggests, is a battle game. The section below will explain this chapter’s topic from another angle.

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EVERYTHING IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

Co za tym idzie do gry zostaną dopuszczone jedynie lateksowe repliki broni bezpiecznej.

Only latex replicas of safe weapons will be cleared for use in-game.

This means that long batons, PVC pipes wrapped in insulation or duct tape or any other kind of homemade wonders will not be allowed in the game space. No exceptions. The reason for this exclusivity is simple: player safety is our number one priority.

In the interest of safety for all players and consistent accuracy in appearance, we recommend these safe weapons producers:

• Iron Fortress, • Palnatoke, • Forgotten Dreams.

The use of safe weapons by producers listed below is prohibited.• Calimacil, • Wyvern Crafts, • Eysenwall.

The companies listed above are only a fraction of producers specialising in making larp weapons. However, every weapon brought by you to the larp can raise suspicion in terms of safety (due to an unknown brand or homemade look) and will be checked by us to make sure it won’t cause anybody harm.

2.3. Two encampmentsThe armies’ encampments are among the main locations of the game and will be

in a state of uninterrupted simulation, meaning you will remain in character for the duration of your time in there.The structure of each of the encampments, positioning of the tents, elements of scenography and other, finer details will be determined by the organisers before the game and will be made clear to the participants at the commencement of play. Due to our concern with safety and game flow, we learned to introduce a new rule concerning encampment play.

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ENCAMPMENTS ARE STRICTLY CEASEFIRE ZONESFighting in any of the camps is prohibited, regardless of time of day or night. The

ban includes sneak attacks, assassinations and resources lifting. We realise that these actions add to the game and may lead to exciting adventures and for this reason each of the sides has an outpost - a stronghold. More about those in section 2.5.

The encampments role is to centralise all activity in one place to make the game more vibrant. They are designed for a multitude of actions: from rest and sleep through to training drills, political scuffles to ritual dances around the fire - the place for them is in the encampment. As a result, pitching your tent outside of the encampment premises has to be agreed to by the organisers but we will try to limit these cases to a minimum.

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2.4. Scenography brought in by the participantsDue to the fact that we are not able to supply all the necessary items to the

encampments, we encourage you to add to the scenography to make the encampments feel more realistic. If you and your friends are playing priests of one of the gods worshipped in the Warhammer universe you will need a temple. If your group of mercenaries organizes fistfights – an arena just for that would be a good idea.

Many of these will be put together in the process of declaring your companies, but if you would like to add to the scenography, do not hesitate! If you find yourself in need of a hand, let us know; we will gladly help.

2.5. StrongholdsEach of the encampments will have its special location - a stronghold. In there, a few

elements typical of each of the encampments together with faction banners (supplied by the organisers). You are allowed to fight inside the strongholds.

Those banners are the hallmarks of prestige and should be protected by the participants. Manipulating with their location: covering, hiding and moving the banners is forbidden. This is due to the fact that the other team may steal away your banner - a feat that will bring victory in the game to one of the sides (more about it in chapters 3 and 5).

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Banner minding and troops presence in the strongholds depends only on the decision of participants and will not be moderated by the organisers at any point of the game.

The two elements (banners and strongholds) have been introduced to equalize the

ban on fighting in the encampments. We believe this will prove to be an interesting point of the game.

2.6. The Neutral Fortress of ZwergburgThere is also a neutral location in the game which observes an all-time ceasefire.

Inside the Stronghold, a number of locales can be found, including:

• a tavern serving food and drink for in-game coin, as well as allowing you to sit by the fire, listen to a bard’s song or listen to a tale from a world far far away,

• merchant and craftsmen stalls selling merchandise for in-game coin that becomes the participant’s property,

• an arena built for sparring or take part in a tournament, all under the careful eye of the Guards.

• a shooting range for the archers, both for training and tournament reasons,• a House of Pleasures, in which you will be able to unwind after your battles or

struggles,• a notice board for every participants’ use with quests, contracts and information

from the organizers.

A few times a day a trading convoy will set out of the neutral zone with wares for the fighting factions or those pursuing other quests.

THE NEUTRAL ZONE IS A STRICT CEASEFIRE ZONE

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Contrary to the forced ceasefire in the encampments, this one is a result of negotiations that took place during prior in-world events and can be broken purposefully by the participants. This can trigger various consequences, though.

The situation regarding the neutral zone emerged as a result of an arrangement between the mayor of the settlement, Hugo Grossmann, and the leaders of all the squads participating in the game. Treaties have been signed and rules introduced:

• the undersigned and their troops (wearing uniforms/markings) have the right to remain in the Fortress,

• while in the Fortress, you abide by the rules of the Fortress,• you deposit your weapons in the watch house. It will be accessible to all interested

in reclaiming their arms once they are leaving the Fortress,• the only areas in the Fortress where violence is welcomed or tolerated are the

arena and the House of Pleasures (only if the staff agrees),• in cases of disobedience to any of the above rules, the lightest punishment will

be banishment from the Fortress.

The neutral zone (as with all of the in-game locales) will be functioning at its best only if the participants abide by the rules. Apart from it being the place for fulfilling additional tasks, the neutral zone is a place in which opposing teams’ members will be able to interact with one another in a fight-free manner. This location enables the simulation of different aspects of a fighter’s life aside to wartime and encampment life.

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2.7. Treasure huntingFree exploration of the game terrain will allow you to come across some hidden

locations. These will be marked in a different way and hold special rewards for those who will give their time and effort to find them. Finding these areas will not necessarily be straightforward; you may have to delve deep into underground passageways and oubliettes to find the treasures you seek.

Finding the treasure will be in itself a hefty prize: a sword, armor or in-game money allowing you to purchase goods and services in the tavern or at a merchant’s stall. The treasure will always be items useful in the game.

The amount of treasure spots will not be made public before the game. There won’t

be many though, and each item in the treasure will be worth its while. The treasure spots can be updated during the game though, due to plot updates or other actions taken by the organisers.

We urge every explorer to remove the treasure markings of the looted place - it will

make it clear to the next explorer that said place has already been raided.

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2.8. Remaining site, the bounds, organisers hub and off-game grounds

The remaining portion of the grounds will house additional locations: monster lairs and NPC quarters etc. Battle Quest supports the idea of exploration by keeping all the places unmarked and, in doing this, pulling the participants into further exploration.

The boundaries of the game location are clearly marked by the organisers. With the

help of local authorities, the terrain will be secured by the City Watch minding that no members of the public wander in on the game. After the game zone is left - the game stops, and it restarts only after returning to the zone.

The organisers’ hub is an off-game zone and is situated in a marked location, next

to the Zwerburg Fortress. This is the go-to place in case of any questions or doubts, injury, game problems or unforeseen accidents. During the game, the organisers will be available there and in either of the factions’ encampments, and their word is final in any problem solving situation.

In close proximity to the organisers’ hub, an off-game zone will be set up. There, the

game is off, and every person who ventures there is not participating in the larp. This means they can neither be killed nor robbed nor interacted with regarding the game. This is the cool-down place, a resting space for the participants.

This place is also mobile phone friendly.

2.9. Currency and economyDuring the game you will be able to use our in-game currency to pay for goods and

services, as the made up money has a real value. There will be a few denominations in circulation, all represented with proper value. For the coin, you will be able to:

• purchase wine, beer and other beverages and food in taverns available in the game grounds (excluding water and materials provided by the organisers - look in chapter 6.1),

• purchase larp accessories (weapons and other) from vendors provided by the organisers. Items bought remain the property of the participants after payment,

• sell and buy services - boot polishing and having your food cooked for you reaching as far as paying for a whole group of mercenaries to fight in favour of one of the armies.

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The important thing to note here is, that on each side of the supply and demand domains will be manned by the participants - no organisers or NPCs will take payment for wares in in-game coin.

• use the money in any other way, according to your desire.

The in-game coin can be acquired in one of three ways:

1. By selling your merchandise to other participants.2. By remaining in the game zone: as reward for treasure hunting or participating

in other events, the organisers will award with coin to spend in any way you see fit.

3. By exchanging it for PLN. In the organisers hub you will have an opportunity to exchange your outside money for in-game coin. A member of our staff will be there to serve you.

This way we will make sure that in-game money has value. For that there are a few additional rules:

• you are allowed to STEAL the in-game coin or come into possession of it by means of brute force from or towards other participants. Exceptions from this one are listed in chapter 6.6,

• the value of game gold rewarded for adventuring and participant exchanged is the same,

• each of you starts the game with the same amount of game gold: zero. This can change either way during the game or before it starts by any of the three ways mentioned above.

Worry not - we do not mean to allow the game to transform into pay to win game:

• you will not be able to purchase special items such as potions, amulets, magic artefacts or anything else that will influence the game directly,

• you will not be able to purchase information, maps, gossip or other data influencing the game from the organisers or NPCs,

• you will not be able to bribe or influence any NPC, staff or a creature controlled by the organisers to suit your desires,

• wealth of a character will not be defined by the amount of game gold they have - there are no thick-purse-only locations,

• the organisers will not be making any additional plot dependant on the amount of money paid.

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This has been mentioned before, but this is a good place to repeat this idea: in contact with other participants, you have complete autonomy regarding the use of game gold.

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3. Story background3.1. Why the choice of Warhammer?

As you can clearly see in the previous chapters of this document, we want the surroundings for the adventures as refined as possible and for this reason we chose Warhammer, well known from miniatures battles, PRG and cRPG. It is the favourite system for many a player, including us.

The Old World, rogue agents, Chaos storm, forges of Nuln, Knights of the Grail,

Athel Loren, Uluthuan, Sylvania - all these bring back memories. The memories of a universe of war, death and destruction that you can never be sure of. This dark world, its rich history and dark secrets fits perfectly with our needs for Battle Quest reality.

3.2. Does this mean I have to know this world like the back of my hand?

No, you don’t. The universe of Warhammer is massive and any epic idea will find its place here, as long as it works with the fantasy setting. The lack of high technology explains the lack of some characters’ intrinsic knowledge about the ways of The World.

The garrisons made up for the game will take anyone into their ranks. More about

this in chapter 4.

3.3. In-game time and place of the adventureIt is the year 2304 by the Empire Calendar. The Chaos Invasion, which rolled over

the majority of the northern part of the known world had been stopped at the battle at the Kislev Gate.

The victory wouldn’t have happened if not for Magnus von Bildhofen, a young noble and Sigmar priest, whose faith and charisma facilitated the unification of the quarreling Elector Counts and lead them to face their common enemy. It came as no surprise that, after the victorious return, Magnus had been elected as the Great Emperor and thus ending the long centuries of anarchy.

At the same time, Ostland - plundered by war - needs to take care of its own problems. Elector Count Raukov’s armies have just barely vanquished the invading

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forces of Norsca and gossip can be heard of a new barbarian leader gathering a great army around himself. They are bound to be regarding the weakened country’s rich soil as their promised land.

The imperial army chooses the ruins of an old dwarven fortress as the spot to stop the army of the North - twice already has it ensured victory over the invaders. The fortress itself has already been inhabited by all refugees of all races and backgrounds trying to find a place to start over in peace. The Free Fortress of Zwergburg is declaring its neutrality and lures with attractions such as the tavern and the brothel.

Will the imperial army leave the battlefield victorious yet again, or will the Norscan horde obliterate them this time? Find out. Join us for this adventure in the world of Warhammer!

3.4. The in-game end of the adventureThe game escalates into the played-out battle, after which the game ends. It is an

all-in event, unless the lead-up to the battle has proved fatal to some. Once the battle is decided, the game will be declared officially over, we will sum up the event and call the winner of the larp (more in chapter 5).

During the battle, additional quests may be presented to change the score for each of the armies.

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3.5. After the game attractionsBattle Quest doesn’t end with the last battle. Saturday evening and Sunday morning

hold additional attractions, out of game of course. These will include:

• an off-game party in the victor’s encampment for all the participants,• various gigs and shows,• competitions, including a ‘best played Battle Quest garrison,• archery, fencing (and similar) competitions,• more combat, melees and many many more.

More details concerning the attractions will be made public as we get closer to the date of the event.

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4. How do I sign up?4.1. Whom can I portray?

Battle Quest is a battle based game, therefore any type of warrior will do the trick; infantry, archers, berserkers, militia. There will be space enough for battle mages, elvish rangers, mighty enchanters and many more. To make it believable, though, you need to remember that.

EVERYTHING IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

You can play whatever character, as long as you resemble one.

6 feet tall dwarves or goblins in camo skirts are a no-no. And we don’t mean physical attributes of the player or the garb you bring. The issue is fitting the bill. You cannot portray a member of a garrison of halberd guards without the halberd or a breton prince while being dressed in beggar’s rags. We are going for full simulation here, as was underlined a few times in the previous chapters, and it will not be attainable if the characters do not look the part.

Apart from these, you are free to play whomever you like within the Warhammer universe. All that we require is that your character affiliates with one of the sides and belongs to a faction. That, of course, doesn’t mean that you can only play within the faction - you can wander or desert if you only wish to. After all - you create your adventure.

4.2. Special rolesThere are three types of special roles you can play if your application for them is

accepted. They are specific and are among a small percentage of the roles for the larp as they give special abilities but also require the fulfillment of certain obligations dictated by the game mechanics (for more, see chapter 5).

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The three role types are:• medics, • priests, • wizards.

If you wish to play any of the characters for these groups, you must accept all the duties and responsibilities (descriptions below) and fill in a form. The number of the roles is definite meaning a definite number of participants to play these. This is forced by the Warhammer universe mechanics, as educated and literate characters are hard to come by there.

MEDICS

These can be any type of healers working in their tents. They can be found in both the encampments.

Their main responsibility is looking after casualties.

All wounded (see chapter 5) can go see a medic for help. You are required to administer help with the use of characterisation, FX and props in a believable way. The process doesn’t have to last longer than a couple of minutes but result in a need for the casualty to remain at the healer’s tent for a longer period of time (at least 30 minutes) to stabilise. Upon agreeing with the patient, the medic can swap the recovery time for a handicap of his/hers choosing. It is also up to the medic to inform the casualty how long (e.g. since removal of the bandages) will it take them to fully recover from the handicap.

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All effects should be connected to the circumstances of acquiring the injury and the part of the body that was affected. These can be:

• full recovery following suitable rest, • dressing/immobilising of the injured body part, and in case of the head covering

it for set amount of time. As soon as the time passes, the casualty returns to the medic to remove the dressing,

• general weakening of the body, and in case of a thoraxic wound - a temporary inability to wear armour. As soon as the time passes, the casualty returns to the medic to remove the dressing,

• trauma or phobia concerning the injury,• claustrophobia - fear of enclosed spaces, e.g tunnels,• fear of a specific other rase or foe, manifested in the lack of ability to fight them

and always escaping,• fear of powder weapons - you can’t shoot a gun, and when you hear gunshot you

hide or run,• hatred manifested by an urge to fight a specific foe,• addiction to a drink/food/other substance.

After spending time in the medic’s tent for a specified period of time and having your injuries attended to, all your health points are regenerated.

Attention! Only special characters like medics and priests (description below) can aid you in renewing your health points.

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PRIESTS

Priests are gifted with special favours from their deities. They are shamans calling upon the spirits of their ancestors, monks running into battle with their god’s name on their lips or theologists seeking enlightenment.

The main task of a priest is to oversee any healing rituals happening in the temple

inside each of the encampments. Should your character suffer from a mortal injury, they can be rushed into the

temple to regain their health. It is then the other participant’s job to make a believable ritual - with the use of special effects, narration and props, of course. The course of the ritual is up to the priest and as long as it isn’t crucial to the plot, it certainly adds to the believability and climate of the game.

Unlike to the medic mending, temple and priest healing don’t pose a threat of a

handicap. However, using the gods’ grace isn’t free either, and every ritual in the temple will cost you one destiny point. Once you lose all your destiny points, you can’t ask a priest for help anymore.

More about the destiny points in chapter 5.

MIRACLES

The duty of the priests is also taking care of places of cult and temples in their areas. Their most important task in that is making sure sacrifices are left to the deities

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on the altars. These will be represented by destiny points left in the temples. The priests can take these to sacrified in-game places and return them to their gods in a ritual. For that, they can be returned some of the destiny points (one for every five returned) which can later be given to a chosen character in form of the miracle. Such point becomes included into the players destiny points pool.

The amount of miracles performed by the priest is only limited by the amount of destiny points collected in the temple.

As the game progresses, more situations requiring the help of a priest may arise.

WIZARDS

They are any character capable of manipulating the Winds of Magic and venturing, where no one else dares. They are Magi, educated in the Imperial Colleges of Magic, witches and warlocks commanding wild talents, cultists forsaking their souls for a promise of greatness and any others your imagination can conjure.

Their main task is performing magic rituals.

Due to that (and more below in 5.4) they still won’t be able to go full on their ability in the battlefield. Still, we wouldn’t like their presence in the game to be completely passable. For that reason, rituals can be performed during the game for which a wizard’s presence is crucial as the results of their aid will be translatable into additional resources for the last battle or calling the victors after the end of the game. Rituals will be

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conducted with the use of special effects and pyrotechnics, and the wizards will always be in the centre of attention.

The wizards, similarly to priests, may have additional quests and items to find (check chapter 2.7) pop up as the game progresses.

4.3. Garrisons submittingIf you want to join the game and take your friends with you or you have enough gear

to equip a garrison yourself - let us know beforehand! The webpage has a special form available, in which you will need to put some information in regarding you and your garrison.

We will, if possible, offer every garrison declared to us help regarding scenography,

logistics, side quests and activities, exploration and everything else you may need to have the best fun possible.

You need to remember that the structure of the garrison depends on its members. That means that you need to agree on how you want to play with one another. It is

up to you when it comes to your characters’ relations to your superior, the relations between the rest of you, the quests you will be completing and tasks you will be picking up. We’ll say it again: you have free reign to create your character’s story.

4.4. Joining another’s garrisonYou are free to join a garrison formed by somebody else. Vacancies will be declared

well before the game, and we will update the list of created platoons on our website.

There is one thing to remember, though: to be a part of a garrison, you not only need to look the part, but also behave in accordance to the rules of the group.

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4.5. Can I play a character that doesn’t fight or belong to a platoon?

We have come up with a rule for non fighting characters and it is described in chapter 1.5. You need to remember this, though: Battle Quest is a larp with a lot of physical activity, competition and heavy scuffles. Due to this, everyone should be ready to find themselves in the midst of an armed crisis. We have prepared a few methods to diffuse a situation before it escalates, but those should be used only in an extreme situation.

There is no pressure for you to join a platoon, though. There will be enough for a

lone character to do to enjoy the game. Unfortunately, due to the high physical activity profile of the game and the highly

uneven and challenging ground, we can not recommend Battle Quest as a game for those of you with reduced mobility. If you are unsure if BQ is suitable for you - contact us and we will be happy to advise you.

4.6. Beginners optionWe would like Battle Quest to be a beginner friendly experience thus we are

preparing a special kit.

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If you are missing any piece of gear or grab can take it.

All you need to do is select the ‘beginner kit’ when purchasing a ticket. The price includes:

• an outfit: a shirt, a pair of trousers and a padded jacket,• a latex sword or other weapon of choice, to be returned after the game,• a place in the encampment of their army especially prepared by the organisers

for first-time participants,• a garrison leader - an experienced player who will help the first timers to get

their bearings in a larp environment and ensure you are kept entertained.

This means that everyone can take part in Battle Quest without worrying they will have to spend a fortune for their outfit and weapons. A newbie will also be fully introduced to the game and in the same time the experience will not be ruined by being leash-walked or playing background roles. This makes it a perfect option for those who have always wanted to try an off-road fantasy larp and never had the chance. Tell your friends!

Participants who use this option will be in no way restricted in comparison to other

others, however, the number of beginner kits is limited.

4.7. Underage participants and game t&c’sBattle Quest is available for anyone over the age of 16. Underage participants are

required to have their parents or guardians sign a form (available for download on our website) stating they allow participation in the event. Failure to produce said form at the start of the game at the latest will result in denial in participation.

All participants need to abide by the rules when in-game. These are available to view on the website. All participants are obliged to familiarise themselves with and sign the t&c’s before the game. Failure to comply with this rule will result in denial in participation.

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5. Game mechanics5.1. Fighting

For Battle Quest to be a coherent adventure, we need it to comply with our rules and assumptions. This means that everything must fit with the rest. That’s why we think, that

A SPECTACULAR DEATH IS BETTER THAN UNFAIR PLAYWhich boils down to the idea that you have to recognise sustaining

injuries and decide whether and when you lose.

You won’t see health points or special abilities in Battle Quest. There is no place for acrobatic figures resulting in grazing the opponent with the tip of your blade. You will get plenty of realistic fighting with a hefty dose of adrenaline. We will not introduce any limitations to the hit zones. Everything is ok.

You may think that this approach is too risky. That without a specific system there

can be too much space for countless breaches. What you need to remember is that the game also operates the principle:

DON’T BE AN ASSWe trust that you, the participants, will keep yourselves in check for the

good of the game.

You think we are naive? We aren’t. We trust that this type of play will work. This means, that the responsibility for following the rules sits on the shoulders of the players and is not the business of organisers, moderators, helpers and any other people. This concerns all the larp, not only the fighting part (however it may have its best use here).

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Thing is, Battle Quest isn’t about winning the larp. It’s about experiencing an amazing adventure. It will become more apparent in the latter sections of this chapter - characters do not die and that’s it. Defeat may bring new plot possibilities and twists. Once again: the wounded decides on the wounds.

You should fall after sustaining three hits.

What is a hit? There are no forbidden moves nor are there hit zones. ‘Don’t be an ass’ is the golden

rule. We are pretend-fighting, we are striving to win, we are gunning to be champions. We are not aiming to hurt our opponent. Use your common sense. Don’t go for the eyes or throat. Don’t break limbs or digits. The fighting is not real. But it is full contact. The punches need to look real. Don’t go about stroking each others’ hair at the battlefield, but don’t put too much force behind the swing.

A hit needs to be pronounced, but at the same time suitable for the cause. If your

opponent only brushed you with their blade or their weapon got entangled in your clothes - you don’t have to accept that hit. Same thing with hitting your armour: you don’t have to honour the hit, if by your judgement it was too light or unefficient. In these cases you sustain 0 wounds.

On the other hand, do recognise and honour good attacks. If your opponent dives a hit under your defences and got you in an effective and spectacular way - ignore your hit points and fall to the ground in agony.

Also remember that the hit needs to be pronounced more than it needs to be strong. We need to remember about the safety of the fellow participant even though we are using safe weapons. Treat your opponent the way you want to be treated.

Our intention:

We don’t want your adventure to end with the first accidental hit. You get three wounds, so that defeating you is clear and earned, and to avoid a situation in which you are bashing one another with the safe weapons for no effect other than growing anger. Acknowledge your defeat but don’t be too sure of your attack. Some unmarked attacks look spectacular, but turn out to be pointless in the end. Assume your opponents’ good will. Your heavy armour in this assumption is powerful - you pay a hefty price for his advantage by wearing armour on a warm and sunny day. His role will also be different to the ranger wearing light armour: he will not be able to stop a tank, and a tank will not be able to do a good recon.

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Nie oznacza to oczywiście, że nie mogą przytrafić się przypadki osób, które nie przestrzegają zasad fair play. W przypadku, gdy któryś z uczestników zauważy takie zajście powinien zgłosić ten fakt organizatorom.

NO DEBATESBattle Quest reserves no space for discussing and interpreting hits and behaviour-

based discussions - such would be the case in a real battlefield. If your opponent is behaving inappropriately, ignore them and move on for the sake of game flow and the feeling of reality of the experience. In a dire situation, you can always use the safety words (more details in chapter 6).

Agony

You’ve been hit three times and you are in agony. Play it! Scream with pain, crawl for help, beg for mercy or help! Wounded warriors aren’t quiet about their wounds and your friends can help you. They can pull you away, help you get to the encampment to be seen by a medic, or you can decide to die anytime in agony. What then, you ask? You can die and create another character. But you don’t have to. Alternatively, you can use one of your Destiny Points. More about this in chapter 5.5.

Above all, you need to remember about safety. With Battle Quest we are striving to imitate reality and create strong experiences built on physical expression, but punching somebody, hitting a body part unprotected by armour, tormenting a dead character by hitting the participant’s head over and over again will not be tolerated and will be grounds enough to deny further participation in the event and expulsion from the game area.

Safety is our main priority, as well as realism and pizzazz in the battles, hence every participant will be taking part in mandatory workshops before the game. These will explain our vision and bring it closer to everyone’s grasp.

For those playing characters not designed for fighting, we offer a chance to play a generic character.

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Any moment, when justified, you can play a generic character.

Example: Anna is palying a bored noble brought to the warside by her freshly wed husband. She gets by easily in the encampment by using and abusing her husband’s troops or playing big politics. This is a character without a chance to appear on the battlefield, though. It would be illogical and funny. However, we wouldn’t like to ban Anna from taking part in the fighting. That is why we are allowing her (and many other in a similar situation) to leave the initial character in the safety of the encampment. This doesn’t mean, though, that she’s going to be idle there. No. She can put on armour of a generic warrior and take part in the fighting. The important art is for her to have a different costume to change into by which she will detach herself from her initial character. At any given point she can return to playing her bored noblewoman.

These changes can happen as frequently as you like, but should have a good reason behind them every single time. Yet they can not be used by participants with the roles tied to the army wishing to escape their characters’ deaths. Every single time a character swap wants to be performed - an organiser needs to be informed.

This works as a way for characters that wouldn’t be able to fight due to logical reasons.

To avoid overuse of this option and to fit it to the rest of the game, the generic characters have additional restrictions:

• they aren’t included in the medic, priest and destiny points system. After the generic character’s death, the participant returns to their encampment, changes their outfit to play their original character back again,

• they can not win strategic locations or capture flags,• they can not raid treasure locations.

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5.2. ArmourHow to balance the convention of the fighting with the lack of armour skills to ‘buy?’

It is very easy and follows one of the principles we mentioned above - everything is what it looks like. Quite obviously, then, full armour will protect you better than naked skin. If according to you, the hit you received does not penetrate your armour - ignore it (but have the rules described in the previous chapter in mind). This doesn’t mean that full plate armour will make you invincible - even in a situation of an apparent defeat, a fully armoured knight should surrender.

Your armour is not only a fashionable addition to your outfit and the explanation for your character’s durability - it is, above all, defence against all hits. Even safe armour can do real damage. For this reason we advise protecting your head and hands, as they are the first to get a hit in.

Your armour should also be larp friendly: no sharp edges or bits poking out.

5.3. Shields and projectiles

During the game you can use latex replicas of white weapons. The only restricted ones will be the weapons we rule as dangerous. We are reserving the option to test your weapons and allow them in game or rule them out (more about this in chapter 2.2). Send us a message if you are not sure about your weapon’s safety.

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We are also allowing the use of bows and crossbows with the drag of no more than 30 pounds (15 kilos) and padded arrows and bolts. In case of taking any of those into the game, we suggest procuring shafts from any of the professional suppliers.

Shields that you may want to use during the game should be larp friendly as well.

However, due to the high cost of these, we allow the use of shields made with different techniques.

You can use plasterboard and plastic shields. All edges need to be rounded and

protected with padding, and there can be no sharp elements sticking out of them. If you have doubts regarding any of your gear - send us a message.

5.4. FirearmsFirearms are an important element of every Warhammer universe’s battlefield. In

trying to find a way to explain the rules for these, we decided to split the matter into two categories: short barrel and long barrel.

General rules (what all of you need to know). Every participant wanting to use firearms in-game needs to notify the organising

team of their desire and come forward to additional sign-in before the game. There, you will be made familiar with the safety rules regarding the use of your particular piece.

You are not allowed to abandon your firearm nor leave it unattended in public

areas. Should you find an unsupervised firearm, you are to report it immediately to the closest organiser or a platoon leader.

You are not allowed to steal a firearm.

Using a firearm belonging to another participant is only allowed with their consent and personal supervision.

The use of firearms under the influence of alcohol is strictly prohibited. Failure to observe this rule will result in ejection from the game.

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Short barrel - pistols. We are only allowing flintlock or percussion cap guns only. You are strictly forbidden

to load the gun with any charge (i.e. gunpowder, fireworks).

You are allowed to bring a gun dummy or a functioning replica allowing you to fire an empty shot (like the DENIX brand percussion cap replicas) or guns allowing you to fire a cap or in a flintlock situation - only to light the powder on the pan. Percussion cap or powder on the primer pan - these are the only two loading methods allowed.

We deem the shot effective, if the cap fires. The shot’s target is to play out being

shot and act like they have a serious wound. The shooter needs to point at their target, and if they have their back turned, a warning shout can be used to great effect: ‘Freeze, or I’ll shoot.

Loaded this way, the firearms may be used virtually without any limits, as long as you are not scaring off the animals (horses), or aiming at your opponent’s head. Out idea is to make them secondary weapon in close quarters.

Examples: A witch hunter has received a tip, that a Chaos spy is sitting together with the

imperial soldiers by the fire. He loads his gun with a cap and orders the suspect to get up slowly - all that to arrest and interrogate them. Holding him in his aim, he asks the soldiers for help. The suspect knows that being shot from such close range will end in his death - he allows the hunter to detain him without resisting.

A witch hunter and his companions get surrounded by a Norscan garrison. Trying to

break free of the barbarians, he shoots the warrior standing in his way. He falls to the ground allowing the hunter to escape.

A witch hunter has detained a deserter suspected for contacts with the Norsca. He is sentenced to death without trial. The deserter kneels with his back to the hunter, he takes a few steps back and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. He tries again and his weapon fails him once more. He may have to look for a good tree to hang the deserter.

Long barrel - all types of fusils, haquerbuses, and the like.

This category allows for every replica of a black powder or any other Warhammer universe firearm. It can be loaded with a small amount of powder or a firework. You

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are allowed to shoot only when ordered to and your weapon is forbidden from being taken to the battlefield but can be used in an organized rifle unit. In any other situation, it has to be unloaded and secured. You are forbidden from shooting on a closer range than 10 meters and in closed spaces. Aiming at people, threatening with the weapon and other dangerous acts are strictly forbidden.

Recognising being hit in the long barrel weapon question lies in the target’s hands. Good reactions include falling to the ground and playing stunned or wounded.

We want long weapon to be a spectacular addition to the battles and not endanger

anyone. Those of you, who end up deciding to play one of the marksmen need to consider that no great efficiency in the battle is awaiting them. There will on the other hand be plenty of fun with a dose of gunpowder.

Examples: A garrison of marksmen is positioned in a line opposite to the enemy’s horde. The

sergeant shouts commands: load, aim, fire! Shots fire and a cloud of smoke rises and obscures visibility. The enemy fell, but were still advancing. The second salve weakened the enemy’s army and allowed the imperial infantry to take position. But their opponent is close enough to put the rifles aside and reach for the swords.

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5.5. Magic We envision Battle Quest magic as reflecting the spirit of the game: a believable and

spectacular system. Our previous experiences taught us that preparing something to this great scale isn’t easy. Hence the limitation to magic in BQ 2017, also because the previous edition’s aspirations of magic operating characters.

This doesn’t mean that magic using characters will be excluded from the game. Playing one, you can still take part in the plot and events - same rules applying. We are developing additional layer of plot for magic users only.

More about magic and abilities can be found in chapter 4.3.

5.6. Injuries, healing, destiny points and character death

If, resulting from a fight, a character sustains two or more injuries (with the inclusion of armour protection) - they are deadly wounded and need to be seen by the medics or priests in their camp (see chapter 4,3).

Medics will heal you, but you have to stay in the tent for some time or play out a different effect (discretion of the medic).

Priests will pray for the healing blessing of the gods, but for that they need a sacrifice and one destiny point. This type of healing works immediately and is risk free.

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Each player gets 3 tokens symbolising their destiny points. Once all three are given away to a priest for prayers, instant healing in a chapel will

not be possible. There will be a possibility of getting more destiny points, though. Should you find yourself abandoned in the field for more than 10 minutes, the

player can play wounded and start moving towards their encampment. You can also decide to die, which means playing a new character. For that, you need to contact the organisers in the neutral fortress.

Should you be mortally wounded (according to rules above) and do not receive any

help in 30 minutes or you are finished off, you need to cover your head with a white piece of cloth symbolising a dead character.

We need you to be in constant possession of a white cloth in case you will need to mark yourself dead.

Rules when being dead:

• white cloth on your head at all times, • you can’t interact with the world: carry things, fight other players, eavesdrop on

conversations,• you can only talk to magic users,• you should really get yourself to the temple to get healed or to the organisers

hub to get a new character to play.

5.7. Battle QuestsBattle Quest is not only a name, but a specific system introduced especially for

the game - a list of group tasks for each of the sides. These are various and regard activities during the game (fighting and others).

We would like the ending to be dependant on more, than the last battle only. Your

characters are but pieces on the chess board of the conflict and their actions should have impact (direct or otherwise) on the turn of events. Our aim is to cause ripples on the fabric of the game.

The list of Battle quests will be delivered to the armies leaders at the beginning of

the game.

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6. Technical stuff and contactbetween the participants

6.1. What do we provide?

We provide game coordination, terrain, all types of activities and technicalities. Among these are:

• Prusy Fortress in Nysa, • the neutral stronghold and locations inside it, • the surrounding area of 20 ha to serve the game’s needs, • two factions with infrastructure buds serving a possibility of expansion and

development with the participants’ hands, • additional locations: treasure locations,• a team of monsters and NPCs fleshing out the world even more, • sanitary amenities outside game zone and close to the encampments side, • constant access to drinking water in the encampments, • first aid and transport to the hospital in the case more serious matters.

6.2. Side activitiesDuring the larp your time won’t be controlled in any way. There will be no mandatory

events for everyone to attend. If you decide you want to stay in the encampment through the time of the game - you can do that and no one will tell you otherwise.

There will be more than a few time fillers though, and these will not only be the ones we make for you. We would like you to encounter other participants and create game experiences with them. We’d like you to feel like you are a part of the world: not only watching things unfold, but also co-create them.

6.3. How much of a puppet show will the game be?We will want to moderate the game as little as possible. We do not plan to introduce

any Game Masters or ghosts pointing the way during the game. Yet, we reserve an exception to that rule: if safety of the participants or their property is at stake. In that case we will stop the game pending the results of investigation.

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This doesn’t mean we will leave you to your devices. There will always be a standby organiser in the organisers’ hub ready to answer questions and provide as much help as required regarding either larp logistics, technical problems or side quests you would like to play.

The organising team will enlist a few FX, props, costumes and special effects people,

as well as the NPC squad responsible for running a scheduled roster of required monster and supporting characters and also helping you create your characters’ stories.

In rare occasions we will need to have chats with army generals, garrison leaders

or individual players in order to double check on the events agreed. We will strive to make these intrusions as seamless as possible.

6.4. To what extent can I cocreate the game?Keep the rules intact and don’t endanger or interrupt the other players. Don’t be an

ass. Apart from that: go nuts.

6.5. How far can I go in terms of contact with otherplayers?

Battle Quest is a contact based game. However all has to be based on the idea of mutual respect. We trust you in hoping there will be no nasty situations happening between you. The rule to call upon in any situation is:

RESPECT THE SAFETY AND PROPERTY OF OTHERS

Also, in any situation, you can use the safety word: “RED.”

If at any moment you feel uncomfortable, something that will render the game unplayable by you happens, or you simply don’t like the way a situation is going, you can say, or shout, “RED.” Anyone who hears it and plays alongside you has to stop what they are doing (either physically or verbally) immediately and stay out of game until the situation is resolved. You do not need to explain why you used the safety word - no

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one will ask any questions regarding the reasons for your doing so. We ask you to use the safety word only in cases of discomfort. Any attempts to

change the unlucky situation into a personal win for you will not be welcome.

6.6. Private property and theftDue to high value of the grab that you will be taking with you, the larp operates a

strict policy of “forbidding in-game thefts.” This is inclusive to all elements of armour and in-game money.

This rule has two exceptions:

1. If the other participant comes forward and offers to be stolen from, we can agree to rob them only if we agree to return their property after the end of the game.

In practice:

a. The Defenders of Faith, a group of mercenaries, mount an ambush on the high road. Edward, a lone merchant, walks into their trap and offers his fat money-purse as payment for sparing his life. The mercs MAY take the gold and dispose of Edward in any way they see fit, anyway.

b. The Defenders of Faith, a group of mercenaries, mount an ambush on the high road. Edward, a lone merchant, walks into their trap and takes to run. But he can’t outrun the arrows fired by the mercenaries. They later search the body and find a fat money purse by the merchant’s belt. They cannot take the money.

2. The organisers will provide markings for items available for in-game theft. The marking will adorn majority of props provided by the organisers. You are welcome to use the markings on any items you bring with you. After the game, though, all items must return to the organisers hub or their true owners.

In practice: The Defenders of Faith, a group of mercenaries, mount an ambush on the high road. Edward, a lone merchant, walks into their trap and takes to run. But he can’t outrun the arrows fired by the mercenaries. They later search the body and find a fat money purse by the merchant’s belt. It’s marked as an object available for stealing. They can take the money.

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