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RULES 2024

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BASICS

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Comply With Marshal Instructions

  • When attending our games and events, you must always follow the game related instructions of our officials including Marshals.  Marshals wear blue and yellow tabards and carry a black and yellow pole.

  • Marshals have the power to remove you from a game or event for safety reasons or serious breaches of game and event rules without any right of appeal. You must not argue with Marshals.

  • If a Marshal calls a safety Code Red within earshot during play, you must immediately take the knee and then follow instructions.   

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Don’t Be A Jerk and No Arguing

  • Swordcraft is about having fun together.  The spirit of the game is more important than the letter of the rules.  Swordcraft is not about winning at all costs - it is better to create a great scene together than try to be the best fighter. 

  • Arguments disrupt the game for everyone. Everyone makes mistakes – give them the benefit of the doubt and bow out with good grace.

  • At the end of the day, everyone should have had so much fun that they want to come back for more, whether they “won” or “lost” the battle or were the hero or the villain.

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Expect Minor Injuries

  • Swordcraft is an activity that involves significant physical contact between players, typically in a combat setting. We are hitting each other with padded weapons in a dynamic battlefield environment, sometimes over rough terrain.  We are also camping outdoors and dealing with nature.  

  • Mistakes happen and people misjudge their actions. Typical misadventures include: hits to places like the head and groin, miscalculated and forceful strikes, bodily contact with people and things, loss of balance (including falls),  scratches, bruises and other minor injuries. 

  • The above examples are normal and part of the risk involved in playing a game with intentional physical contact and combat.

  • If you do hurt someone, you are responsible for making sure they are okay and getting help if they need it.

  • In no circumstances will real aggression be tolerated – players intentionally trying to harm others or acting in a way that is likely to do so should be reported to a Marshal.

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Game Aesthetics

Warhammer Fantasy Old World

  • We are inspired by the Warhammer Fantasy Old World in the early 2000s of the Imperial Calendar.  Our in-game year is the same as the real world year - 2023 in the real world is 2023 in our game. This means that you need to aim to appear as if you belong to a part of the Warhammer Fantasy World, and in most cases from the Old World - a dark fantasy European renaissance themed world. Different nations have different aesthetics with your warband choosing one of those as its overall look. 

  • There is a huge amount of material online you can find for inspiration.

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Seeing Is Believing

  • Swordcraft operates on the basis of immersion.  This means that we try to minimise make-believe and create the scene with what you can actually do, see and feel.  If you are a warrior, you are only as good a swords-person as you actually are.  If you are a wizard, you need to convince your  target that they are ensorcelled.  If you are a noble you will need the trappings and retinue expected of one. A peasant’s hut is a peasant's hut, not a palace.

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No Out Of Character Explanations

  • During role-playing events (such as Quest), we are “in-character”.  This means that you should act and communicate as your character would in the mediaeval and renaissance based world we inhabit; this is an important part of immersion.

  • Using ‘moose-ears’ forces another player to step out of character, interrupts roleplay and breaks the immersion of the scene. You should always prioritise dealing with a situation in character and only break from this if absolutely necessary – e.g. for someone’s personal safety.

  • Avoid game mechanic language is another important part of maintaining immersion e.g. instead of “I have 4 Wounds”, describe “I am wearing a maille shirt”.

  • However, “No” always means “No” both in- and out- of character.  Always seek consent.

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Costumes

  • Some players will adopt very simple clothing, appropriate for the lowest social classes. Veteran players will aim to have more elaborate Warhammer Fantasy costumes and kits.  We have an aspirational culture - no one is expected to have a detailed or expensive kit when they start out - that comes with time and support from others in the community.   

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Support Each Other

  • Swordcraft is about helping each other improve our skills, costuming and props.  While you can be part of Swordcraft with fairly minimal costuming and kit, we want everyone to support each other to improve.  Criticising others' efforts is not on. The more we help each other, the better it will be for everyone.

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RULES PDFS

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