Match Setup

**Previous:** Matchmaking

The pre-game to a Curio Kerfuffle is steeped in numerous traditions (that we just made up).  There are several important tasks prior to the start of a match that team Officials are responsible for ensuring.  Start by arriving early and meeting the other teams’ Officials.  While the team officials prepare for the match, other players should make their own preparations and then assist their officials.  Players should introduce themselves in person and prepare for today’s pre-game festivities. **If you're not an Official, you can just skip the rest of this page.** Your official will walk you through the pre-game and you'll get used to it in no time.

**Next:** Equipment

## Pre-game

The pre-game to a Curio Kerfuffle is steeped in numerous traditions (that we just made up).  There are several important tasks prior to the start of a match that team Officials are responsible for ensuring.  Start by arriving early and meeting the other teams’ Officials.  While the team officials prepare for the match, other players should make their own preparations and then assist their officials.  Players should introduce themselves in person and prepare for today’s pre-game festivities.

### Make Yourself at Home – Preparing the Battlefield (of combat)

Selecting a battlefield: The battlefield (of combat) must be an area between 2500 square feet and 1 square mile.  The battlefield may not contain public roads or trails that are trafficked by motorized vehicles or bicycles (however, these areas may be used by Backline players).  Private property is ideal to prevent interference from non-players. When using public property such as parks, try to choose wide open spaces for combat and include other areas only if traffic is low.  Always check with the venue to ensure that play is allowed and make reservations if necessary to ensure the space is available at the appointed time (failure to do so may result in a forfeit).  If your match is arranged in a public place, be extra considerate.  Abide by all ordinances and laws and show respect for any NPCs you encounter.

### *Setting up the Battlefield*

Make sure the boundary for play is clearly determined.  Use stake flags to mark off the battlefield, placing flags at trailheads where the battlefield begins and ends, and no less than every 50 paces around wide-open spaces (at least two flags that show the boundary should be visible from any location within the battlefield).  Additionally, place caution tape or stake flags around any hazards such as slip/trip hazards, falls, sharp objects, etc...  Altogether there should be no unmarked hazards within the play area, and if there are unavoidable hazards, players must be alerted to their presence before the match.

Diagram of battlefield, showing proper flag placement, rendezvous and bases.

 Post advisory flyers around likely entry points for NPCs.  Flyers can be found at

### *Setting up the Rendezvous*

The Rendezvous acts as a meeting place for all non-combat activities and a zone through which players may enter and exit the game.  There is no size limit to the rendezvous.  It must be a clearly marked space that is on the edge of the battlefield (there must be a way to go from the rendezvous to the battlefield as well as a way to exit the match from the rendezvous).  A space with shelter from rain and the elements is encouraged when possible.

Mark off the boundaries to the Rendezvous with stake flags, then use two 10ft. ropes (which may be from 10-20 ft. apart from one another) to create a path from the Rendezvous to the battlefield where players may enter and exit the battlefield.  In an accessible location within the Rendezvous, place the picnic blanket and bell (provided by the invading team) and each team’s Intel deckets. Set up your picnic, games, and any other entertainment you wish to have for today’s pre-game.  The Rendezvous should provide enough space for all players to comfortably enjoy their activities.

### *Setting Up Your Team’s Base*

The home team sets up their base first, then the invading team may choose a location to setup with respect to the location of the enemy base and the Rendezvous.  Choose a safe place with no hazards as your base.  Consider that in a public setting, it may be wise to choose a place that you can monitor even while everyone is in the Rendezvous.

Set up bases by staking your team’s perimeter rope (a 100 ft rope by default) flush with the ground so as not to present a tripping hazard, and then place your stake flags (4 flags, each 10 ft. apart) within the middle of the perimeter (at least 5 ft. away from the perimeter rope on all sides) to form the base.  Set up the rest of your base as desired and place your team’s curios in their designated locations (the base, battlefield, or on a player as the curio requires).  Curios must always be placed in the open such that they are visible without moving other items unless otherwise indicated.  Some skills give teams additional bonuses for having certain items in their base.  Some of these skills may allow placing curios inside hiding places or adding locks/puzzles that must be cracked.  Take photographs to prove that all your team’s curios are in their required locations. These will also be used as Intel later.

By default, a base may only have naturally-occurring or well-established structures or player equipment within it.  Other items may only be brought into the base if a person has an appropriate Base skill. Base skills are additive, meaning that if two people have a skill that allows bringing an object into the Base, then you may bring two of that object into the base.

#### *Unsafe Items*

Provided they are legal to the rules, the Rendezvous and Bases may consist of structures such as tables, tents, pavilions, etc., and other items which would not be permitted in the battlefield, such as anvils, pianos, grills, and other objects which would be hazardous to collide with or fall onto, are permitted inside the rendezvous and base, but not the space between the ropes and flags.  These spaces are strictly for transitioning between the battlefield and the non-combat areas and must be absent of hazards.

### Summoning Bell & “Before” Photo – Advisory & Attendance

At the designated start time, the invading team starts the ceremony with the ring of a bell (provided by the invaders).  This is the cue for all players to gather in the picnic area–all players must arrive in the Rendezvous within 5 minutes of the bell’s ring, or they will be ineligible to participate in combat for this match. Late players are not permitted in combat and may only play as a Sideliner. All players should wear an Outside bandana on their arm indicating them as a player.

Once the bell rings, an Officer from each team takes attendance for today’s match (when the app is available, in the Officer’s portal). At the end of the 5 minutes, a photo of all present players must be taken before the match begins (each Officer takes a photo of all teams together).

This photo will later be uploaded with the results of today’s match.  Note: Only subscribing players can participate in the match and only these players should appear in the photos.

Now, representatives from each team welcome everyone.  Advise players of the boundaries for this match and any hazards on the battlefield which they should avoid.  Advise players of any risks, even slippery terrain or expectation of NPCs in the area.  Point out the location of the picnic blanket, the nearest restrooms, share the pre-game events and food (e.g., any food allergies), remind folks to respect the space and people.

Now is a good time to meet your opponents and enjoy food, games, and entertainment.

### Compiling Intel

\*The following procedures are temporary until the Outside app is completed.  Your team will have a Google Drive folder with a variety of Slides. Update the slides with the photos and information for today’s match.  Print out a list of the URL’s which link to these files and place them in the corresponding folders.  When a player spends their Intel, they take a slip of paper with one of the URLs from the folder, then visit the link to access the information.  (In the future, Intel points will be directly exchanged for Intel in the Outside app.)

As a team leader, for the moment one of your most involved tasks is compiling this intel.  We’re working on making this easier for you with the app, but it will take some time to have that set up… in the meantime, we apologize for how much of a pain this step is and we again thank you thank you thank you thank you for being wonderful enough to arrange these matches in spite of all the work involved.

Your team will have two Intel folders (deckets) that contain a variety of valuable information about your team, such as where your curios are located and what abilities you possess.  Your team’s Officers will fill in the blanks on each Intel file and take the brief character sheets for each player in attendance, fold them as directed, then place them in the Intel deckets as outlined below.  These deckets are to be kept on the Picnic blanket in the Rendezvous.

When taking photos, the subject of the photo must be in the center of the frame, and the photographer should be between 5-10 feet from the subject of the photo.

#### Top Secret Decket (100 Intel)

* Photo of a Plot or Team curio at its location (in a box)
* Location of base traps/locks and instructions to disarm/unlock them
* Total number of curios in play

#### Bottom Secret Decket (10 Intel)

* Screenshots of player’s character sheet (taken on the 1st day of the month) Roster of a team’s characters

#### Earning Intel

Players earn Intel Points by converting excess XP into Intel outside of matches, or by using Intel skills during a match.

Players with sufficient Intel points may purchase Intel from the deckets (players may not “pool” their Intel points).  Each time a player draws from a decket, they write their name on that folder.  Only the player actually spending their Intel points can draw from the decket.

### Splitting Knocks

To keep things fair(ish), each team starts a match with the same number of total “Knock” (times a player can be knocked out before they are Defeated and must leave the battlefield).  These Knocks are represented by cards that must be placed in the Discard pile at your base immediately after you are KO’d.  Each team gets 60 knock cards to divide up equally among their team’s combatants (not counting skills which may give players additional knocks).  For example, in a team of 5 vs a team of 10, everyone on the team of 5 gets 12 knock cards and everyone on the team of 10 gets 6 knocks—both teams have the same total number of knocks.

#### Battlefielders vs. Backliners

Backliners are players who will not be entering the battlefield.  Backliners do not receive Knocks.  They may provide Support to their team in many other ways that directly and indirectly turn the tide of battle, but as noncombatants they can only be KO’d by Event cards.  Importantly, players will never really know for sure if an opponent in the Rendezvous is a battlefielder or a backliner (if only there were some way). A player can be at Rendezvous most of the game until the very end as a combatant.

When a combatant is KO’d and returns their knock to the bag, they may begin recovering hit points (HP) up to their full Moxie (maximum HP). They may reenter combat as soon as they have 1 HP, but may no longer recover HP using the Recovery Deck once they set foot outside the base.  When a player is out of knocks, they must exit the battlefield and may only participate as an accomplice from the Rendezvous.

A team can have as many players as it wishes, but only has 60 Knocks which it must divide up evenly among all combatants, with each receiving no less than 2.  That may be 20 players with 3 knocks each, or 3 players with 20 knocks each.  If your team has more than 30 combatants (wtf?) then choose some completely fair way to decide who is sitting out of combat.

*Uneven Knocks:* It is often not possible to distribute knocks perfectly evenly.  In these cases, the remaining knocks are drawn by lots.  The remaining lots are placed in a bag along with several fake knocks (tokens of another color) and players blindly draw to determine if they receive an additional knock.

### The Gauntlet - Comfort Checks

All players who will be in the battlefield (combatants) line up for strike comfort checks.  During strike checks, players who may potentially participate in strike combat (i.e., striking other players) during this match will strike one another gently at first—just a light tap—and progressively harder to learn their opponents’ comfort levels and gauge the force of their attacks appropriately. Basically, you want to make sure you have an idea of how hard is too hard for each player, which players can be struck, and which cannot.

Importantly, this is a chance to make a good first impression on any players you haven’t had a chance to meet yet.  Introduce yourself and exchange a friendly greeting!  This is the last step before the match officially begins, so if you’ll be portraying a character, it’s a good chance to let people know (especially if your character is a jerk, it’s a good time to warn people and show them that you’re not *actually* a jerk.)

This is also an opportunity to check over your weapon for any damage or safety issues.  Any player in the Gauntlet may ask to inspect your weapon and you must allow them the opportunity to do that. It’s better for you to catch any concerns now than before an injury occurs.

### *How to Run the Gauntlet*

All combatants line up single file with one line for each team.  Players should bring any strike weapons they will be bringing to the battlefield, including blasters and magic weapons.  The strikers at the front of each line start by gently striking each other, slowly progressing up to the hardest strike they are willing to use (note that this doesn’t mean swinging as hard as they can—the hardest strike you are willing to use should not cause pain to the average player).  Once you have reached your strongest strike or the other player has said Too Much, stop striking them and take note of the level of force you can use against this player.  Now it is their turn to strike you.  The line then shifts one person so that each striker has a new partner.  This process repeats until the last player reaches the end of the line and every player has had a chance to meet every other.

#### *Equipment Inspection:*

Any player can ask any other player to inspect their weapon.  Please only do so if you have legitimate concerns about the safety of the weapon.  If after inspecting a weapon you find a safety concern, ask the player to use an alternate and tell their team Officer (as well as neighborhoodwatch@outside.games) if they continue to use the weapon.

#### *Non-strike Players*

Backliners who will not be entering the battlefield, and players who will wear Strike Sentinels at all times are not required to participate in the Gauntlet but it is strongly recommended that you take this chance to meet the other team members and let them know that you are a non-strike players (you can shake hands, high five, or show empty hands instead). Skipping the Gauntlet or representing yourself as a non-striking player during this check requires that you will not use any striking skills for the entire match.

#### *Ruffians*

Of course this is a little different for Ruffians.  Here is where you get to learn if any of your opponents are fellow Ruffians, and then you all can swing on each other up to your full strength (but still working up to that slowly and still stopping at Too Much).

Ruffian photo

### Picnic Bell & The Hubbub/Brouhaha – food, games, activities!

All the preparations for combat are complete, and now it’s time to get the festivities underway!  The invading team’s Officer once again rings the bell to signal that it’s time for the picnic to begin. Officially, this is the start of the match, although entering the battlefield is not yet allowed.  All players are now “in character”, so those lovely folks you just met?  They’re not here anymore.  Players are now playing as their character.  And now it’s time to eat and participate in other activities such as games and entertainment.

Just because combat hasn’t begun doesn’t mean that you can’t affect the outcome of the match. Base and Intel skills that strengthen your team and have other effects may be used now!  You may even manage to KO an opponent with a well-placed Trap card. You’ll likely spend most of your time having fun in other ways, but don’t squander this opportunity to get a leg up on your opponents… and whatever you do, don’t let your guard down.

In the game, the picnic phase is a time when your characters meet to exchange information, attempt to develop camaraderie, and discuss how best to keep your curios out of enemy hands… a possible alliance?  Pfft, as if. Usually there is an attempt to negotiate with the opposing team to get them to relinquish their curios willingly.  It never works, but it’s fun to try!

Where pretend diplomacy inevitably fails, pretend arguing prevails.  Each Officer selects a player from their team to initiate the Hubbub.  This member from the invading team—called the *sponge*—asks the question which kicks off a pretend argument.  When the sponge asks this question to the player from the home team, the *cupholder*, this signals that their team is ready for combat to begin.  The player from the home team, the *cupholder*, will answer the question, and the sponge will disagree with their answer (no matter what it is). Both teams will then pretend to argue about the question they pose, whether it’s about who should have the curio, or who is stronger, or that the chicken is overcooked, or any ridiculous thing at all really.

#### Example arguments:

* Is cereal soup? (no, but gazpacho is vegetable cereal)
* Is water wet? (obviously—each individual water molecule is drenched in other water molecules)
* Cake vs. pie (depending on the type, the answer is always cake) What is the best color? (teal)
* What is the best flavor of Poptarts?
* Is Glenda a Princess?

*Please please please record and share your hubbubs.*

Argue about the subject for as long as it’s funny to do so, and then when the team is ready to begin combat, the cupholder will end the hubbub by throwing water in the sponge’s face.

At the height of this hubbub, the designated *cupholder* will throw water from their team’s cup in the face of the designated *sponge* (*Try not to get other people or their belongings wet!*       )

This exchange of liquid—the Dampening—must occur between 30-60 minutes after the ringing of the bell. Once the water spills from the cup, the gloves are off!  It’s time to relieve those stupid dummies of their dumb belongings, because revenge is why.

## Combat Phase!

Once the water is spilled from the invading team’s cup, the match begins (if the sponge happened to dodge the water, that’s okay – it’s still on like non-infringing Ponky Pong). Battlefielders may now exit the Rendezvous at the designated entrance/exit (marked by ropes) and engage in combat.  From here, a match looks very similar to a basic battle in Outside.  This section goes over the key differences.

Note that strike attacks, special techniques and strike techniques can never be used inside the rendezvous or base.  Players in these spaces are always treated as if they are wearing Sentinels.  Actual sentinels (red/blue lights) only need to be worn in the battlefield.

#### Battlefielders

Inside the battlefield, players may use any strike attacks, special techniques, or strike techniques, as well as any support skills, trap cards, or charm cards.  If you have the skill, you can use it.  Besides that, abide by the rules in the How to Play Outside manual, don’t attack players in the safe zones, and have a great time!

#### Tracking Knocks

In most games, tracking Knocks is unofficial and the coordinator of the game can determine if it is required.  In a Curio Kerfuffle, tracking your Knocks is a strict requirement.  You will be given cards that represent the number of times you may be KO’d before you are out of the match.  Whenever you are KO’d, you call “Ouch”, freeze in place and place your hand on your head, then return to your base and place a card in the designated Discard pile.  You must then recover at least 1 HP (up to your full Moxie) before leaving the base and re-entering the battlefield.  When you are out of Knocks, you become a Backliner.

#### Backliners

Although battlefielders may use any support skills that a Backline player could use (provided they meet the skill’s requirements), dedicated Backline Players are particularly active and important during a Curio Kerfuffle because they don’t use any of your team’s Knocks—everything they do for your team is a bonus, so they can have a great impact on the outcome of the battle.

Backline players are never permitted to enter the battlefield and can never be targeted by strikes or specials, so don’t need to wear a Sentinel.  Backline players **can** be KO’d by Trap cards/events, and like battlefielders, they may not use skills or take other action (like acquiring/spending Intel) while KO’d. However, a Backline player does not have Knocks and never runs out of Knocks.  They simply recover their HP like a normal player to continue playing.

#### Interlopers

It’s bound to happen that a rogue NPC will wander into the match and give everyone a Reality check.     You only need to call an NPC Pause if the interloper is at risk of danger or if they interfere with the match.  Don’t interrupt a match over folks who are just passing by or making harmless conversation where it’s safe for them to do so.

#### *What if somebody gives us trouble?*

If someone gives you guff despite having posted notices and marked the play area.  Do your best to defuse the situation.  If someone gives you the old “who’s in charge here?”, the answer is that each player is in charge of themselves.  Neither the Outside staff nor the team Officials are responsible for the actions of any other players as far as non-players are concerned… we’re all just individuals meeting up and having a good time.  Your only responsibility as a player is to follow our conduct expectations and report conduct concerns to us.

### Recovery Deck

Recovering from a KO/TKO requires treatment.  The simplest treatment option is a Recovery Deck, a collection of special Charm cards which may be left in the base for KO’d players to draw from to speed up their healing process.  Any player from your team who has been KO’d can recover HP by drawing a card from the Recovery deck and completing the card’s instructions (like doing pushups), then discard it face up.  A player may draw as many cards as they like (one after another) until they leave the base or use a skill.  Once they leave the base or use a skill, they are no longer KO’d and may not use the Recovery Deck.

\*If you are physically unable to complete a task due to a disability or other medical reason, instead of discarding the card, you may place it at the bottom of the deck (without showing anyone) and draw the next card.

Recovery decks (collections of Charm cards) may be placed in the base.

Aw, did you get Knocked TF Out?     Players go to the Rendezvous when they are out of Knocks (out of the battle). From there they can still use Support skills and collect Intel.

### Spending Intel

Each team will have two manilla envelopes (called *Deckets*) at the Rendezvous labeled as Top Secrets and Bottom Secrets along with the team name.  To purchase a piece of Intel from one of these deckets, neatly print your name on the envelope you are drawing from, then remove a single piece of paper without looking.  *(You’ll write your name for each time you take a piece of paper out of an intel decket.)*  The piece of paper will have a web URL—go to the link on your computer or smartphone to access the enemy information.

### Invading a Base

The goal of invading a base is to steal the opposing team’s curios, but sometimes a card from their Recovery Deck is a nice consolation prize (requires a skill that allows you to steal cards).  Like the Rendezvous, no combat, running, or blocking is permitted inside the perimeter to a base (marked by the rope).  If a player has any part of their foot on the ground within the perimeter, they are considered within the base and may not use or be affected by any strike attack or special technique.

If you successfully infiltrate an enemy base, you may begin searching for curios.  Curios must be placed in a location where they are visible from at least one angle within the base without needing to move an object; however, they may still be fairly well-hidden, and teams are encouraged to make their bases messy in order to make finding the curio more challenging.

While inside an enemy base, no one within the base may interfere with your search for the curio; however, you may be expelled from the base with certain Trap Cards, so watch out!  There may even be Trap Cards directly on the Curio!  Of course, if you encounter these Trap Cards, you must pick them up and follow the instructions before you can hightail it out of there with the curio!

### Stealing Curios

Once a curio is found, grab that sucker, walk out of the base, and then stop walking and run like heck because holy crap this is your time to shine don’t screw this up your team is counting on you!!!  Your goal is to get to your base with the curio lickety splickety, place the curio inside your base, then get to the Rendezvous and RING THAT BELL   . Important: Only the player who placed the Curio inside the base can ring the bell.

Well, it’d be nice if that works out, but it’s not always so simple.  What if someone takes it back before you can ring the bell?  What if your team wants to try for more Curios? There’s a lot to consider in a Kerfuffle.

Once you have a Curio, you may take it anywhere you like within the battlefield, base or Rendezvous.  BUT, if you are defeated while holding a curio, you must place that curio at your feet before returning to your base.  It’s now fair game for any other player to pick up.

Run with a curio at your own risk. Were you to comically trip and fall on the curio, making a noise like WARGLEBURGLEAHHH!, puncturing the container and impaling a vital organ on a curio’s edge, it would not be funny, no matter how much we laugh.

### Well Excuuuuse Me! – Leaving the Kerfuffle

AFK BRB – Where can players “go” during a match? During a match, a battlefielder may go to any base, the Rendezvous, or to the next town over for a nice steak dinner. As long as they are present for the Before Photo and After Photo, players may go and do whatever during the match provided they observe all rules.  If a player shows up to the match then spends the rest of their time in Rendezvous or wanders off to complete a Quest, they must return for the After photo to be counted as present.  This meets the requirements for “attendance” in terms of gaining XP, completing Quests, etc.

The only rule is that players must enter and exit through the Rendezvous.  If a player intentionally exits the battlefield in any other way, they are out of the match permanently.

## Ending a Match

The overall goal is for your team to have as many Curio points as possible at the end of the season (Sept. 30).  A Curio Kerfuffle doesn’t necessarily end with a winner or loser (you’re all losers to me hehe) – the result of a Curio Kerfuffle is that the ownership of curios—and their points—are transferred from one team to another.  While it’s possible that one team will leave with all the curios, it’s also possible that only some or even no curios will change hands.  The ownership of every single curio is tracked in a database called the Curiodex – at the end of a match, each team’s Officer updates the Curiodex to report the current holder of each curio.

A match ends when only one team’s players remain on the battlefield (note that it is possible for three or more teams to participate in a match), and all other players are in the Rendezvous. This could happen three ways:

 Annihilation: All invading (away) players are defeated without obtaining any Curios.

 

### Endgame

We did it, gang.  We brouhaha’d and kerfuffle’d and there was probably some solid shimmying in there as well.  Very solid. Now let’s wrap this shindig up and grab a slice of za.

### Cleanup

Hey you aren’t just going to leave the area like this, are you?  Nah, you wouldn’t do that. Because you, you’re respectful, and respectable folks like you leave the site in better condition than you found it. You don’t even need to be warned that regularly neglecting to assist with cleanup is reportable as a conduct violation. Because you were going to do it anyway. Right? Right.

### Claim Possession

If things went well, you have some presents to unwrap!         So, what are you waiting for?  Figure out way to determine who gets to do the honors.  There will be some instructions to secure your bond with the curio and obtains its Charm—so pick a player to perform this commingling ritual and be sure to take plenty of ~~embarrassing~~ fun photos.  Mostly these are dumb.  Really dumb. But you know what?  You don’t take yourself too seriously, because you’re cool, so you do them anyway.  You’re a good sport.    That’s what we like about you.

### After Photo

Same as before, but after.  Teams take a photo of your members for attendance, and don’t forget a few group photos with the opposing team for the memories.  If you won, look like you won   , and if you lost, look like you lost   .  Say your goodbyes, and don’t forget to exchange contact info (if you want). That’s part of the whole deal, remember? Making new friends?                  Remember how you can join multiple teams and all that?  Are you getting it?  So, like… go ahead.

### Reporting

The team officer will report the results of the match, XP gained, Intel spent, conduct issues and injuries.  If you have anything your officer should report, be sure to let them know.

**Next:** Equipment