Safety

## Combat

* When Live Action Roleplaying you will engage in some level of combat which we would like you to do safely by following this list do’s and do nots.
* It is essential that you know how to fight as safely as possible using the practices common to most British live roleplaying events. If you are new to live roleplaying then please speak to a member of our GOD crew and they will arrange a suitable demonstration for you so that you can be confident that you are following all the rules:
* When you use a weapon in combat, you must pull the blow so that it lands with negligible force. Your opponent should feel a light touch and nothing more.
* You must not thrust with any weapon unless it is a thrust-safe polearm.
* You must avoid hitting the groin, neck, or face; you should avoid aiming at the breasts or head where there is a viable alternative target.
* You must not strike another character with the pommel or hilt of your weapon. You must not grab or trap an opponent’s weapon when they are wielding it.
* You must not attempt to parry an arrow or bolt with a weapon.
* You must only throw a weapon if you know an RoC weapon checker has approved it for throwing.
* If you are using a bow then you must follow the bow safety guidelines; you must not pull

the bow to full draw when shooting at a character who is nearby and must not aim a bow or crossbow at the head.

* If you are using a flail then you must drop the weapon immediately if it becomes entangled in your opponents weapon or costume.
* If you are not using a one-handed weapon then you must follow the appropriate weapon grip rules for the category of weapon you are using.
* You must avoid combat if you are drunk.
* These rules exist to reduce the dangers inherent in combat at a live roleplaying event to an acceptable minimum, but they do not constitute a guarantee of safety.
* Hydration: You should endeavour to bring water with you into an area that may become a battlefield and take on more water during lulls in fighting.
* Trip hazards: When fighting you have a better view of the ground behind your opponent than they do, you should under no account deliberately push opponents over obstacles in order to gain an IC advantage, OOC safety always comes first.
* Exhaustion: Battles are strenuous physical activities, you should endeavour to fight within your limits and take breaks where needed to avoid over-exerting yourself.
* Footwear: Battles at Rising of Chaos events primarily take place in woods, you should strongly consider sensible supportive footwear for taking part in battles
* Suncream: While the woods do provide cover from the sun, some battles will occur on hot days and you should therefore prepare appropriately.
* Weather Appropriate Kit:Whatever the standards of kit that we are looking for your safety is imperative – Take every measure you can to ensure that you are warm and dry or not overheating weather dependant. Wearing something to safe guard your health that is OOC is acceptable for example woollen hats in the winter or simply not as many layers in the summer.

### Weapon checking

* All your weapons must be checked at every event
* You must take all weapons, bows, crossbows, shields, and projectiles (arrows and bolts) that you have brought to an event to a weapon checker to have them checked against our weapon checking guidelines. These items must be checked at every event you attend. If a weapon checker does not approve your equipment for use then you must put the item in your vehicle or leave it at GOD for the duration of the event. If you are not satisfied with the decision then you may request a second opinion from our head weapon checker. The decision of the head weapon checker is final.
* If a weapon checker approves an item then they will attach a coloured elastic band to the item. We change the colour of the elastic bands for each event. You must not use any item for melee purposes unless you know it has been approved for that use.
* You can carry items such as a walking stick, wooden staff or banner but they must never be used in melee, so they do not need checking with the weapon checkers. We do not allow anyone to have metal weapons at events except for display or sale purposes, so you may not carry one without our prior approval for each event.

### Armour

* Metal armour must have its edges rounded off in

such a way there are no burs or snags which could damage props or players

* There must be suitable straps and attachments so

armour does not come loose

* There must not be any protruding sharp decoration such as spikes that could damage weapons or people
* Any suit of armour that you use at an event must not have sharp protruding edges. If you are in any doubt about the safety of your armour then you should have it examined by a weapon checker.

### Grappling, body contact and shields

* You must try to avoid body contact with other

players during combat. You must not grapple or trip another player.

* You may hook a shield with an axe or similar hooked weapon, to pull it out of the way. You should be aware that some LRP axes are specifically designed and built to support this, the axe head is heavily reinforced with leather to allow it to withstand the force. If your weapon is not designed for it, you will break the weapon by doing this.
* You may push with a shield, if you are moving at a slow walking pace or less but you must not shield-barge, you cannot run into another player using a shield or other similar item. You may not use a shield as a weapon to strike another player.

## Non-contact

* You must not touch or physically attack anyone with their fist on top of their head
* You can put your fist on top of your head to indicate that no one should touch you
* If you do this, your character is reduced to 0 hits and is now dying
* RoC does not guarantee that you will not be hit
* You may have health reasons that mean you wish to avoid becoming involved in a melee or that you cannot follow the normal rules for combat. If this is the case you may put your fist on top of your head to indicate that you do not wish any player to make physical contact with you. This is called being non‑contact and, while its use is uncommon at events, it is important that you understand the rules so that you can ensure the safety and well-being of other players.
* If a fight starts near you then you can put your fist on top of your head and keep it there, to indicate that you are non‑contact. If you indicate that you are non-contact, then you immediately lose all your global hits and start dying. You may move yourself out of the immediate melee before lying down or leaning against a tree or similar or may remain standing with your fist on top of your head. You may cease being non-contact at any point by putting your hand down, but you should not do this if you would become involved in the same melee.
* It is up to the individual when or if they choose to go non-contact. There is no requirement at all to go non-contact at

the start of a fight, or because a fight has happened near you. It is perfectly acceptable to move away from a melee while remaining in-character and mobile and only become non-contact if a character moves to attack you.

* If you see any player indicate that they are non-contact then you must not hit them with a melee weapon, fire a bow or crossbow at them, or touch them. The player is still IC and you may roleplay with them normally but you may not hit or touch them while they are non‑contact.
* It is important to note that nobody can guarantee that you will not be hit while you have indicated that you are non-contact. A live-roleplaying melee is a deeply confusing experience and mistakes can happen. If you have health reasons that make it critical that you are not hit with a latex weapon then you may need to avoid combat entirely and you must decide whether the event is safe for you to attend at all.

## General safety

* Health and safety is everyone’s responsibility at an event
* Be aware of any potential hazards, and if a fight begins then move away from tents, guy ropes, and other hazards such as tables, chairs, and braziers.
* It is not enough to be aware of such dangers when fighting; you must move away from such dangers to ensure that other participants in the fight are not at risk.
* If your character has fallen over in a fight then you should crawl out of the way of the combat. You must make sure that anyone who has fallen over has room to move away.
* Please ensure that you pay particular attention to safety when fighting near tents. Tents present an additional hazard for anyone fighting so you must not use them as a defensive feature.
* The nature of an event is such that trip hazards such as uneven ground, tree roots, guy ropes, and tent pegs are unavoidable.
* Given the poor lighting conditions that prevail at night, one of the most important safety precautions you can take is to ensure that you wear footwear that combines good grip with firm ankle support