Curio Wars Quick Start Guide

**Previous:** The Curio Wars

Welcome to the Curio Wars, the main competitive sport of Outside!

### Objective

Your objective is to steal **Curios**--AKA magic presents--from other teams. Curios gives your team new powers and points that contribute to your team's rankings. The teams in your region with the most Curio Points on midnight of Oct. 1 (CST) go on to compete in the **Ultament**--the annual championship tournament, which runs from the last Friday of April through Sunday. The winner of the Ultament is invited back to star in the next **Cursanti**, a story-based event on the last Friday of October. Whether your goal is glory in the Ultament or the opportunity to shape the outcome of the Grand Game is up to you. Let's start with worrying about how to pry those presents from your opponents' warm, slightly moist hands.

### Joining a Team

Teams require at least 3 players and players may join multiple teams. You can also easily start your own team. Once you're on a team, it's as simple as arranging matches with other teams. Not every team has a Curio for you to steal, but there are other benefits to having matches.

### Selecting Skills

As you play, you'll earn **Experience Points** **(XP)**, which you may use to purchase new **Skills**. Much like only a goalie is allowed to touch the ball with their hands in soccer, a skill can only be used by someone who has purchased that skill with XP. Your secret skills will give you unique ways to defeat your opponents. Skills cover an enormous range of abilities and interests.

### Conduct Rules and Expectations

There's a lot to know about conduct expectations, but to keep it simple:

* **Be safe.** Anything you do that endangers other players is against the rules, even if it is not explicitly spelled out.
* **Be respectful.** The purpose of our game is to create positive feelings for our players. Players who bring down the experience of our game by disrespecting other players are in violation of our rules.
* **Be honest.** Don't cheat.

*And what if someone doesn't follow these rules? You know, hypothetically.*

If you witness or experience a conduct violation, report it to the **Neighborhood Watch** (community@outside.games). We compile all reports into a permanent record for each player. While we may not take immediate action without sufficient evidence, we look at a player's entire history each time an issue is reported to determine if disciplinary action is warranted. We do not hesitate to suspend or ban players that commit consistent or severe infractions. We are committed to using the best available judgment to preserve a safe, fun and fair game for our players.

Conduct reports aren't just for reporting infractions--be sure to make good reports too when players do nice things :)

### Types of Skills

There are four basic types of skills, each designed for different types of players. **Support Skills** allow you to help your team by performing specific tasks. **Event Cards** are cards hidden in the field that cause surprising events when discovered. **Strike Attacks** are physical "tag" attacks using foam weapons and dart blasters. **Special Techniques** are imaginary attacks that resemble "Simon Says" style commands. There are also skills which combine multiple of these four types.

Since there is no way to avoid them, all players must know the rules for Event Cards; however, players may opt out of Strike Attacks and Special Techniques completely by either remaining in the **Rendezvous** (the meeting area where the match begins) or wearing one or more **Sentinels** while in the battlefield. Sentinels are forcefields portrayed by clip-on lights that represent protection from either Special Techniques or Strike Attacks.

#### Support Skills

**Support Skills** can do many positive things for your team, from making them stronger or recovering lost health (collectively known as **Good Stuff**), strengthen the defenses of your **Base**, or earn **Intel Points** that can give you crucial information about your opponents. There is not a lot to memorize about Support Skills and your teammates will likely explain these skills before a match.

#### Event Cards

**Event Cards** typically appear as business cards and have a variety of effects when picked up. **Charm Cards** cause good things to happen to the player who picks them up, while **Trap Cards** cause bad things to happen. There are many more types of Charm cards than Trap cards, so if you see a card, pick it up! You never know what you're going to get.

If you see this image, you have activated a Trap Card. You must pick up this card and follow its instructions.

*What if I don't?* 😏

Then that's cheating and someone will probably notice that you ignored the trap they set and report their suspicion to The Watch. Don't play if you're not going to play fair.

#### Special Techniques

For players that want to play strategically, **Special Techniques** are psychomagickal attacks that can cause a variety of disadvantages (called **Bad Stuff**) for your opponents. Since your opponents only need to be in range, you can control the battlefield without even holding a weapon. Special Techniques may not be used in the Rendezvous or against players wearing a Sanctuary Sentinel (blue lights on the shoulders). Learn more about using Special Techniques.

#### Strike Attacks

For players that want high physical activity **Strike Attacks** are physical attacks that involve striking opponents with soft weapons, shooting foam dart blasters, or throwing soft items. Strike attacks will help you develop athletic skills. Strike Attacks may not be used in the Rendezvous or against players wearing an Aegis Sentinel (red lights on the front and back). Learn more about using Strike Attacks.

**Next:** Conduct Expectations