Cloak & Dagger The Assassins' Guild: Mayweek 2012 Weaponry Rules


The following gives an outline of the various weapons which can be used against enemies. It is not an exhaustive list and players are encouraged to use their imagination; however, any weapon not on this list must be shown to the umpire and approved before its use on the field. In general, all weapons must be completely safe (for both people and property), defensible so as not to unbalance the Game and materially and tangibly do something, to indicate to the victim that he/she has been killed. All non-obvious weapons must be clearly labelled; if you were carrying a real knife, you wouldn't be able to convince an enemy that it was a pencil by holding your thumb over the label, so don't do that either.

IMPORTANT: Due to legislation introduced in 2004 it is now illegal to be seen in public carrying anything looking like a real gun.

Therefore, no toy weapons designed to look like real guns are allowed in the game. If you are not sure whether a particular weapon is allowed, ask the Umpire. If you are found to be using a realistic-looking gun you will be removed from the game immediately.

Messy weapons and water weapons should be used sensibly; where the rules state "with care", you should use care. Please be sensible. Smaller water weapons should be carefully aimed and not used to excess. Don't use messy or water weapons against people carrying something expensive or wearing formal clothes; not only will they get annoyed, but you shall be entirely responsible for any damages caused. If anyone complains about an individuals behaviour that individual may be subject to penalties up to and including removal from the game.

Weapons should be specific to the victim - killing bystanders is to be avoided even when the effect is harmless.

Except where noted below, most weapons will kill the target instantly if they strike any part of the head, torso, arms or legs, i.e. Limb Hits Kill. Strikes to the hand (beyond the wrist), foot (below the ankle) or weapon, are discounted.

A. Direct Weapons:

A.1 Guns

Wooden rubber band guns, Nerf weapons, pea-shooters, toy pig catapults (but the pigs should be individually labelled) and rubber bands fired from the fingers all count as guns and are projectile weapons. Other similar weapons may also be allowed, but you must contact the Umpire before using one so it can be approved. A direct hit is required; projectiles rebounding off walls, etc. do not count.

BB guns and pellet guns are NOT allowed so don't even bother asking. You should not use any weapon that looks at all realistic. "Firewheel" rubber band guns are not allowed. Try to avoid head shots with all projectile weapons.

Cap guns, iPhone apps or other toy guns which produce a noise without actually firing anything may be used to kill people from less than a metre with a clear shot. In the case of cap guns, the cap must go off for the shot to count.

If you are found to be using a realistic-looking gun you will be given severe warning by the Umpire or removed from the game. No matter how safe it is, the law is quite strict on this matter, and the Guild has no desire to see its members arrested.

A.1.1 Point-blank shots

If you are using any sort of gun, are pointing it at the head or torso of your target, which you can clearly see and are sufficiently close that you would be able to touch the target, you may say, "Bang!" rather than actually firing your weapon to claim the kill. You cannot do this if your gun is out of ammunition, is jammed or is otherwise unusable (although if you only discover later that the gun is not working then the kill stands). This is intended to stop you causing unnecessary harm to a target from close range and to avoid public nuisance, a waste of ammunition or the risk of a misfire. It is intended to be used on occasions when you are surprising your intended victim and not during combat. It is the duty of the attacker to ensure that they are demonstrably fulfilling the above conditions when they say the word, "Bang!". You may not make bang-kills where the weapon would not normally be able to kill the victim; you cannot bang-kill through a wall, door or window, for instance. In particular, you cannot use a water weapon to kill an adversary where it would not normally be appropriate.

A.1.2 Water Weapons

Any water pistol or water gun may be used as a weapon.

If small water pistols are used, it is a good idea to confirm the kill immediately with the victim who might not have noticed the hit if wearing thick clothing. This avoids arguments later, when the water has evaporated.

Bottles of water may be used to represent flame-throwers. These should only be used outdoors in warm weather. Shaken-up bottles of lemonade or similar should not be used as the drink becomes sticky and unpleasant as it dries.

Players should use water weapons only where appropriate. The rules for this are listed in section 3.2 of the main rules and summarised at the top of this page.

Players wearing formal or expensive clothes are considered to be no water at all times; ie no water weapons can be used on or by them. Players should not abuse this by, for instance, wearing black tie at times they are not attending or travelling to or from black tie events.

A.2 Coshes and clubs

Represented by a cardboard poster tube, french baguette or a newspaper rolled up and stuck with sellotape. Should be clearly labelled "Cosh". The effect of a cosh depends upon the location of the hit:-

Head .......... Unconscious for 5 minutes.
Body, Arm or leg .......... Immobilised but conscious for 5 minutes.

An unconscious player is in many respects similar to a dead one, except that they do not lose points for dying (since they have not), and that they return to life after five minutes rather than four hours. They may not influence, or attempt to influence, the game in any way while unconscious.

An unconscious player can be (and usually is) finished off in an entertaining manner by a live player.

A.3 Knives, swords, rabbits and other melee weapons

Knives made of foam, rubber or cardboard, plastic knives with retractable blades, pens and pencils may be used as knives. Anything which is not very obviously a knife should be labelled "KNIFE". Please be careful when attacking people with pencils or anything else vaguely pointy. Be extra-careful when throwing knives. Coreless LARP knives may be used, but ones with cores may not be.

Arbitrary objects may not be turned into weapons simply by writing "KNIFE" on them; this may only be done to vaguely knife-shaped objects. No metal objects including cutlery knives may ever be used as knives.

Plastic or cardboard swords may be used as swords; cardboard ones must be labelled "SWORD". Toy lightsabres may also be used. Rolled-up newspapers or cardboard poster tubes are coshes, not swords.

Clean non-squishy vegetables may be used as knives but may not be thrown.

Soft toy animals may be used as attack animals as long as they are labelled "KNIFE", "ATTACK ANIMAL", "KILLER RABBIT", etc. Ideally all attack animals should be presented to the Umpire first as the Umpire likes to see what embarassing fluffy animals assassins keep in their rooms. Be creative with ways to use them, but if you wish to try something unconventional, then check with the Umpire beforehand.

Stress balls and animals made of similar squidgy plastic may be used. Stress balls should be labelled "planet", and animals should be individually labelled as if they were fluffy toys.

Throwables must not be used in conjunction with bicycles.

Only one throwable may be thrown in a single throw.

Players may become their own melee weapon by dressing in either of the following costume styles. While wearing these costumes, the touch of the wearer's hand to the opponent's head/limbs/torso is sufficient a kill to count. Note however you do count as bearing while dressed-up and can be engaged on sight by other players. Attackers be advised there is a slight chance the person you see is a civilian cosplayer not attached to the assassins game. The Umpire requires you to send a photograph of yourself in full costume that he may authorise it. Costumed players are still allowed to wield ranged weapons however.

  • Death a.k.a. The Grim Reaper. Players may become the Harvester of Souls by wearing a long black robe or cloak and wearing either a white mask or applying white facepaint to impersonate Death's skeletal facial features. Wielding a scythe is optional, but encouraged.
  • Furries. Players may become their own Killer Attack Animal by dressing in a fursuit or other animal costume.
  • A.4 Grenades

    Confetti (or non-sticky glitter) in bags made from tissue paper or water bombs may be used. The bag should be labelled "toxic waste" or "fairy dust". You may also employ snowballs. Use common sense with all of these. They will kill if they strike any part of the head or body. If they hit a wall and splash your head or body appreciably (ie. if you're wettish) you are dead. If you are only slightly splashed, you survive. Being splashed on the arms or legs will disable the limbs in question as normal. Any legal use of a snowball in Mayweek may get the assassin in question a special prize.

    Note that water bombs are full water weapons, and should probably not be used indoors in any case. They should not be used on or by people on bicycles.

    A.5 Boulders and safes

    An empty (large) box, or lump of expanded polystyrene may be labelled 'safe', 'fridge', 'anvil', 'pandorica' or similar, and then dropped. It can kill if it falls at least a meter before impact. A beachball (or similar very light ball ONLY) at least the size of a football may be labelled as a boulder and then rolled, dropped or thrown as a weapon (not kicked, however - that would break your leg) - any impact with significant speed may kill, including from rebounds (most weapons do not count on the rebound). Traps in which a boulder or safe is rigged to fall on someone are allowed - see indirect weapons.

    Pancakes are also allowed (as "manhole covers") if dropped on someone (just make sure you clean up)

    B. Indirect Weapons:

    Indirect attempts to kill people may be made in the ways listed below. For an indirect attempt to kill someone, the person who set up the indirect attempt must be present when the kill occurs and must not have been dead at any point since setting up the trap. And if there is any point when a room becomes out of bounds, any traps are nullified. Likewise traps cannot be set up while out of bounds.

    B.1 Poison

    The use of contact poison, food/drink poison or mailing of poisoned letters to other players, has been removed for this May Week game.

    B.2 Traps

    Players may make traps, such as falling boulders or waterpistols set up to fire when a door is openned are allowed (with obvious provisos for the water status). You may use your imagination with these but please ask the Umpire if you think it may be dangerous.

    B.3 Other indirect weapons

    Bombs are not allowed in the Mayweek game. Using bombs will probably get you removed from the game. Any indirect weapons not mentioned here should be discussed with the Umpire.

    C. Miscellanea:

    C.1 Other weapons

    It is possible to use many other weapons not in this list, or use items other than those listed to represent a given weapon. However, you must contact the Umpire to register any other weapon first so that the Umpire can decide whether it is fair and safe. Any kills you make with an unlicensed weapon may be disallowed. .

    C.2 Shields

    There are no shields in this game, this includes any form of portable cover (excluding actual weaponry).

    Clothing, bags and weaponry not held in the hand will not block incoming shots. This means that if you are hit in the back while carrying a rucksack you are dead, even if the shot might not have otherwise killed you. Weapons however may block shots and any hits on weapons may be ignored so long as they are being held at the time.

    C.3 Tanks

    Tanks must receive individual approval from the Umpire before use. Any large tank-like construction made from, eg., cardboard may be used as a tank. Tanks are the only defence which will actually block incoming fire, and must completely surround the occupant. A tank is defence against any projectile which it physically prevents from hitting the occupant; shots which go through eyeholes, weapon slits, etc., will still kill you. Large-calibre water weaponry which actually gets through the tank or causes it to collapse into a soggy mess will also work.

    Any hand-to-hand combat weapons can be used as can openers against a tank; hitting a tank with a knife (not a thrown knife) or similar weapon will kill the occupant (or all the occupants, in the case of particularly large tanks). Hand-to-hand combat weapons may be used from inside tanks, but your arms will likely be vulnerable while doing so. A tank labelled "Fish Tank" will kill anyone inside it.

    C.4 Disallowed weapons:

    None of the following weapons will be allowed:

    This list is not exhaustive; any weapon not explicitly allowed must be personally checked by the Umpire before being used in the Game.


    Notable changes

    History

    The history of this set of rules is fairly short:

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