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Heroic Central events are moving to beautiful Camp Butcher!

The camp is a converted farm, with 160 acres of old-growth forest, a beautiful pond, and two streams adjacent to Linn County Park and Lake La Cygne.

We are just beginning development, but we have a mod barn, one (very) primitive cabin, a permanent NPC camp, and limited access to the house which includes a kitchen and barracks-style sleeping for about 30 in the basement. If you plan to sleep inside, you'll want to consider an air mattress or a cot.

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Camp Butcher is located at 4335 W 403rd St. La Cygne KS. Be aware that most mapping sites on the internet, including Google Maps, get the location wrong. Please use these directions and the map posted below.

To get to Camp Butcher, follow US 69 South from Kansas City

About 35 miles south of KC, take the Hwy 152 exit

Turn Left onto Hwy 152

In 3.4 miles, past the power plant, turn left onto Young Road

In 2.8 miles, turn left onto 403rd Street

After .7 miles, the Camp is on the left at the end of the road behind a wagon wheel gate

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Event Fee Schedule

Per Event Day

	General	Student	New Player
At the Door	$20	$15	$0
Pre-registered	$10	$5	$0

Players are expected to help clean up. Players who do not consistently do their part for cleanup may be asked for a $10 cleaning deposit at the beginning of the event, refundable on satisfactory completion of cleanup duties at the end of the event. Occasionally missing cleanup for other conflicts is acceptable. Unclaimed cleaning deposits will go toward community appetizers at lunch.

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(Written by David Flannery with additions by Larisa Hines. Edited by Joe Bearden)

At a Central two-day (regular weekend) event, you can expect the following:

-Staff arrives on-site somewhere between 5PM and 7PM.

-Players arrive on-site somewhere between 6PM and 9PM

-When players arrive on site, there is a certain amount of "catching-up," people set up their campsites or cabins, get into costume, check in with logistics and get their character sheet, and some players will do some "Set Marshaling" where they help the Staff set up specific areas of the game environment.

(This is also when new players will get any needed help making characters and with new-player information, safety speeches, weapons training, etc... find a member of staff as soon as you arrive and we'll be happy to assist you.)

-There will be some brief announcements and an official call of "Lay-on" somewhere between 9PM and 10:30. (Our goal at every game is to have it *at* 9PM, but we don't hit that very often. If we started hitting that regularly, we'd probably try to make it 8PM. Really, I want to get people into game as fast as possible, but the limiting factor is when people can get off work, get to site, get in costume and checked in and ready to play.

-The game will run continuously from that point on. We try to encourage (enforce) everyone to stay in-game at all times, or to clearly mark themselves out of game if they must be out of game and are in the game environment.

To mark yourself as out of game, you will need a white headband (which is great if you are going to be out of game for more than a few moments) or you can keep your hand or weapon on your head.

The exception to this is the large marked area of "lame-town," which is out of game in its entirety. This is the area within the orange-banded trees, surrounding the house, and is used for some mod-spaces, for NPC camp, and for those people who are sleeping Out of Game in or near the house. Players within this area may not be in character, and may not use anything they see or hear as a reason to go in character, and thus may miss out on important plot or happenings.

-The game officially ends around noon Sunday. There are occasionally Sunday morning mods or plots running, and every now and then there is a movement towards players and plot doing more things on Sunday morning. In practice what usually winds up happening is the players play late into Saturday Night/Sunday morning, until 3 or 4 AM (sometimes 6, 7, or 8), and so by late Sunday morning, everyone is asleep.

-Some time Sunday afternoon, everyone begins cleaning up (with some few people doing some clean-up and leaving if they need to be off site before that.)
So in practice the games are a bit over 36 hours, but not really 48. As we get interest in Sunday plot, that may expand, but the limiting factor is usually player fatigue.

Starting games on Friday at 6PM would be great, and Staff would support the idea if we could get people into game that fast, but in practice, between people getting out of work/school, travel time, and dinner, players just can't get out to the site that early. Getting PCs into game faster is always one of my projects though.

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(Written by Larisa Hines and Edited by Joe Bearden)
*Note: These “rules” here are summaries of the official rules. Members can check out the link for the official rules.

The 5 Big Rules of Heroic:


1. Physical Contact:
Physical contact is allowed with marshal-approved weapons and packets. Other physical contact is not allowed without the expressed consent of all parties involved. The legal targets are everything but the: groin, head or hands. You should use the minimum amount of force with your weapon so that the hit can be counted by your opponent. Be courteous and safe.

2. Drugs & Alcohol:
The summary of this one is short and sweet and serious. “Zero tolerance.” If you have prescriptions that have mind-altering effects that you will be taking at game, please let the Chapter Director know.

3. Hold:
A “Hold” is a pause for safety or injury. If someone calls out “HOLD!” you should stop everything that you are doing, and stop talking. A hold should only because for serious reasons like injury or safety hazard (though it is wise to be aware of your surroundings at all times). A hold should NOT be called for rules or situational clarification (just ask the NPC or your neighbor about the effect, what you should do, etc. because they know you are new!)

4. Theft:
No out of game theft, for in game theft you need a Rogue Marshal. The Rogue Marshals at Central are David Flannery, Joe Bearden and Dan Bost. This is for your protection as well as the other player’s protection. If you are rouging someone's cabin and you have a witness, then no one can accuse you of taking out-of-game items, etc. If the item(s) that you rogue are not tagged, you should take the prop to Logistics or give it to the Rogue Marshal ASAP and they will act as the intermediary in order to get the tag to go with the prop.

5. Respect:
(This rule is replicated in its entirety) No Player or Marshal should ever treat another with disrespect or discourtesy. In order to maintain the Heroic game environment, all issues or disagreements between Members should be handled politely, and after a cooling-off period if necessary.

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What to bring to game:
Some of these are an absolute must and others are suggestions for your comfort and ease of play.

Your character sheet:
Once you get your character sheet at check in--keep it with you at all times!

Your Costume:
Bring your basic costume that you will need for your character. (If you are new, we have some items you can borrow from NPC camp. We have a lot of tops, but bottoms are still being stocked. But sweat pants, cargo shorts and jammie pants are a good place to start.)

Bring extra! Heroic is messy work and you want to be able to have something non-wet, non-muddy, or non-full of burrs to wear the rest of the event. Bring something “else” to sleep in, you’ll be a lot more comfortable. Bring twice as many pairs of socks as you think you’ll need.

Cotton is a good summer fabric, but it tends to be heavy and cold when it is wet. Wear it with something underneath. Light layers in the summer is a good idea as well. Muslin is a good lightweight form of cotton for the summer, though brightly colored muslin clothing tends to fade when washed repeatedly. Think of fabrics that breathe and remember the joy of Under-Armor (or off brand versions) is always a good option, anything that wicks sweat.

In winter, you will want to layer your clothing, and make sure that you have thick water resistant boots or shoes. Do NOT wear cotton with the intent of being warm! Silks and polar fleece will also make an good insulating layer. Wool is great for keeping damp feet warm, even when it is wet. Tights and long underwear are good for a bottom layer in the winter months. Make sure you have a hat and gloves during the winter.

Your Makeup:
If you are playing a race that requires makeup, you need to have it (horns, elf ears, face paint…) as well as spounges, brushes, spirit gum, etc. to put it on with. If you do not have the makeup requirement for your race, you will not get the benefits of that race. If you need help with finding or applying makeup, just ask!

Your White Headband:
White headband: Just take a scrap piece of white cloth you have at home and cut out a strip to tie around your head. Whenever you go Out-of-Game you'll need to put this on.

Your Weapons:
If you are new, you can borrow weapons from NPC camp. This is a lot easier and less stressful for your first events. After your first event, you can see what they are made of, how they are made, and talk to other players and staff members about what you'd like to make. You will need to get your weapons checked by a marshal at check in.

Your Spell Packets, Alchemy Packets, Arrow Packets...
You will need to make this often because they get lost in the woods, etc. If you don’t have ‘em, you can’t throw ‘em.

Your props:
This would be any item that has a tag associated with it (like your spell book, armor, etc.) Also, bring any other props (these would be your personal props and accessories that you have for your character.)

Your Tags:
If you are returning to game, be sure to have all of your tags with you. If you have the phys-rep of the really cool amulet with the red stone that is a 20x a day Flame Bolt, but you don’t have the tag—then you don’t have the amulet. Check your tags often for expiration dates!

Decorations:
If you want to decorate your In-Game area, it gives some extra atmosphere to the game.


http://www.heroicit.net/content/expeditionary-costume-hunting-kc

FOR OUT OF GAME:

Bedding:
You will need pillows, sheets and blankets, sleeping bag--whatever you plan to use as bedding. In the winter, you will want to bring way more than you think you will need, because it’s COLD, because it is winter. :)

Toiletries:
Heroic is some hard work! Be kind to yourself and fellow players and bring the personal items that you will need to be clean and pleasant to be near.

-Towels, shampoo, soap, washcloth, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, deodorant, baby-wipes.

Personal Things:
Be sure to bring any medications that you are taking. Also, a personal “first aid kit” is advisable. (We have first aid kits on site, but I use my own “first aid kit” as a preventative kit). Include: sunscreen, bug spray, hand sanitizer, Advil/Tylenol, Tums/Pepto. Chapstick or something like that that has SPF in it. Your lips are going to need it. Cornstarch powder (available in the baby section) is good for prickly heat or duct tape incidences (you know who you are and what you did) or my personal favorite—Gold Bond Medicated Powder. It’s a good burn. If you have prescriptions that have mind altering effects, please let the Chapter Director know about this. If you have a bad knee/ankle/wrist/back/whatever, bring things that you will need to have a good weekend like a brace, a bag for ice, etc.

Money:
If you have not pre-regged, you will need to pay for the event. You will also need to pay for tavern service if you are planning on eating and if tavern service is avalable.

Glow sticks:
Someone, somewhere, will be able to cast an Illuminate spell. It can get very dark at night out in the woods and glow sticks are good to see by, and also to help your comrades see you. I like to get my glow sticks online or at The Dollar Store.

Clothes:
Yes, this is different than “costume”. Bring a change of clothes that you can wear after the event for when you are heading home, going out to eat, etc.

Snacks/Food:
Sometimes there is tavern service, and sometimes not. Check the announcements! If you have specific food needs and want to bring some of your own food instead of or to supplement the tavern (if it exists), feel free. But there is no kitchen facility available. So please bring whatever you will need to protect/prepare your food. (There are fire pits in places that are available for cooking.) Also bring good In-Game props to cook with and eat with, or you might have to cook and eat in lame-town!

Water Backpack:
This is something that I definitely recommend for the summer but it’s nice to have all year round. These are also known as camel packs, and run about $20 at Walmart. This is not a must, but it has greatly improved my LARPing experience. If you do not bring a water backpack, be sure to at least bring a bottle that you can fill up in the sink!

Bug spray, sunscreen, and more bug spray!

Things that will make your adventuring life easier, are in no way a requirement, are merely a suggestion from experience:

Rubber bands and/or String
Great for a variety of things such as spell packets, keeping sleeves in place, rubber band your pant legs tight to your legs and tuck into boots to keep out creepie crawlies!

Chalk
I like to use this as a prop when dungeon crawling. Put a tick mark, arrow or symbol on the wall to help you keep track of where you’ve been, and cut down getting lost time. You can also use it to create circles of power, draw out battle plans, etc!

Matches (and a candle)
Good for lighting candles and fires, also great for trolls!

Rope
Good thing to have in general, but also used for Circles of Power in Heroic.

Scissors
Good for fixing weapons, etc. Scissors are better than a knife, as real weapons are not allowed at Heroic. Can be used for dealing with traps and a variety of things.

Duct Tape
Excellent for fixing weapons, holding things together and fixing anything that needs an impromptu fix.

Extra Weapon Foam
Just in case your weapons or shield are damaged (Out of Game).

Safety Pins
Just in case of emergency. Wardrobe malfunctions are no fun!

In-Game (IG) Notebook
If you have the ability to Read and Write IG, you may want a notebook to jot down notes so you can remember information when it becomes important. Even if your character cannot read, you may want a notebook for OOG contacts. A regular pocket notebook with fabric or leather wrapped around it will look very nice and help you keep organized.


Other suggestions: (From Phill Layman)

clear packing tape (for affixing tags to boffers)

pens (everyone forgets this one)

potion bottle props (I recommend the 1 ounce shampoo bottles you get at hotels)

an IG looking cup (for the obvious reason)

a wallet/envelope/small box/pouch for organizing your tags so you don't lose them between events

extra rain ponchos and blankets

an IG looking hat, to give you shade during the day and warm you at night

gloves to keep your hands warm

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What about combat and weapons?

You will be given a rules and safety speech before you start to play. You will have a chance to practice with the weapon you will be using. Safety is of high concern!

This page of the Heroic site talks about combat and weapons. http://www.heroicit.net/introductioncombat

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Other frequently asked questions...

1. How do I win?
Since this is an ongoing interactive theatre game, you don't really ever "win". Through the course of the event or your time playing, you will have many "wins" and "losses", sucesses and failures. It's not like a board game where there is a clear beginning and an ending, a winner and a loser. It's really about the experience and telling a story.

2. What Can I do?
What do you want to do? This is a game of creativity. Anything from high adventure to playing cards in the tavern. Really, you can "try" to do whatever you want. Whether you accomplish it or not, is another thing. There are many NPCs in game that can hook you up with adventures or missions. There are other PCs that need help with things that they are doing. And then, there is always adventure in the woods by the way of "Mod Cards" which are Module Cards.

3. I have Really bad Hand eye Coordination what can I be? Well, maybe not a long range caster. But, you could! The best way to increase your skill at something is to do it, and practice. If you want to be a caster but can't hit the broad side of a barn--make some packets and go out in your backyard and practice. Also, you don't have to be the best shot to be a caster--some of the greatest spells have been a slow underhand toss from a foot away that no one ever expected. Also, you could be a healer and touch-cast all of your spells so you don't have to throw them. So really, you can still be whatever you want to be!

4. Is it ALL Combat?
There are some games in the Heroic Interactive Theatre world that are designed to be more combat than others. But at Central--It's pretty much as much combat as you want it to be. If you're the kind of person that wants to hang out and roleplay, you can certainly do that. There are enough PCs and NPCs that you can chat all day. If you want to get out there and "swing some stick" there are usually some "crunchies" roaming around, and there are always mod cards. Some events, because of in game actions, are more combat intense than others, but there are still ways to avoid this if you really do not want to get into combat.

5. Why do you do This?
Why do we play Heroic Interactive Theatre? Because it's fun! You get a chance to live the adventure. Instead of sitting around a table rolling dice or just clicking a mouse (two forms of gaming that I, personally, still do enjoy) you're out there! I personally like to play Heroic because I have a background in theatre and renaissance faires as well as table top and video games. So not only do I get to be creative and make my own costumes and props, I get to act, fight, wear makeup, travel, get outside, game, do some creative writing, and above all--hang out with friends!

6. Can I be a huge BAD GUY?
Sure! The easiest way to do that is to NPC because most of the time you will be the thing that the PC's kill! But if you want to bad a "bad guy" PC...go for it. There are not "alignments" in Heroic like there are in Dungeons and Dragons or other games. You're a real person with real ideas, motivations, short comings, memories and goals. Sometimes you will make good decisions, sometimes you will make bad decisions. If you want to be a "bad guy" coming out of the gate---decide what made you bad. Something in your childhood? Get betrayed by your best friend? Extreme hatred of goblins? If you have a fleshed out character history and are more rounded out than just "a bad guy", your character has more of a chance of survival. If you come into game and are just a total jerk to everyone in game all the time and are stabbing everyone in the back and in the front---the life of your PC will probably be short. But sometimes, those characters can be fun too!

7. What Can I be?
There are /many/ races, classes and cultures in the rules that you should look into!

8. I dont want to look dumb my first time out so I Want to buy a nice Expensive costume.
If you want to buy a "nice, expensive, costume"...really, then go for it. You can find a lot of things on e-bay, online stores and renaissance faires. I will warn you though, that especially for the first event, to go less expensive and more practical. You will be running around the woods, wearing it for long hours, eating and possibly sleeping in it. Heroic is very hard on costumes--so do your research when you get your costume, and don't be sad when your $120 velvet cloak is full of sticker burs and slashes from tree branches. I have ruined a lot of costuming by wearing something for a new character and then deciding that I was going to be more active in the woods than I had planned and it gets trashed. Or I made something special for a character, put a lot of time and money into it and then once I wore it it turned out to be uncomfortable and impracticle! Start slow and build build buid!

9. What Weapons can I use?
You can use Heroic safe and approved weapons. As far as in game, you will have to spend experience points when making your character on the type of weapons you want to be able to use. Also, if you are new to Heroic, you may borrow weapons from NPC camp by talking to the Monster Marshal.

10. There Are spells?
Various campaigns will have varying levels of magic. But At Central we use all three school of magic: Spirit, Elemental and Nature.

11. I dont Want to die all the time.
Well, this isn't really a question, but a pretty important statement. First, the reality check. Your PC is going to die. Some day, your PC is probably going to perm, or permanetly die and you will have to make a new PC. Now, until then---you can minimize the dying. If you are already playing and dying a lot--look at the circumstances surrounding your deaths.

If you haven't played before, here's some advice on how not to die "all the time":
--Don't worry about deaths your first weekend. Your deaths are free this first weekend so that you can get used to playing without the stress!

--Wear armor. You're only going to get so many body points at each level so you need to wear some armor because that armor could buy you 5 more seconds in a fight, which could be life or death. Buy the skill "dex armor", because it will add to your armor and remind you to stretch out IG and OOG between fights!

--Roll with a crew. Don't go off alone. If you go off alone, you will die alone. If not a crew, then at least have a buddy to travel with.

--Become friends with your neighborhood Spirit caster for spells and potions.

--Become friends with your neighborhood alchemist for ingested healing.

--Refit your armor early and often.

--Don't die quietly. Roleplay it! Go "Arrrrraaaagggggghhhhh!" and then lay down on the ground.

--Don't fall into the shadows. Have someone cast an illuminate spell or give you an alchemical liquid light (glow stick!) and wear that around your neck. It's a lot easier to see a fallen comrade when they're lighting up the bushes than a dark form that looks like a bush, in the bush.

--Shore up on your tactics. If you and your buddies are going out on an adventure--make a plan! Decide ahead of time when you're breaking point is and when you're going to have to retreat, no questions asked. Have a retreat call or be prepared to call the retreat when the time comes. Make sure you're got all the gear you're going to need for the mod. Assign or decide upon roles like, "Ok, you're the front line fighter, I'll watch our back," etc. Communicate and stick to the roles. Be ready to change tactics or plans at a moment's notice when you actually "get in there".

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HEROIC INTERACTIVE THEATRE: NEW PLAYER GUIDE
*Note: These “rules” here are summaries of the official rules that are posted on the website. Check out the links for the official rules.

The 5 Big Rules of Heroic:


1. Physical Contact:
Physical contact is allowed with Marshall approved weapons and packets. Other physical contact is not allowed without the expressed consent of all parties involved. The legal targets are everything but the: groin, head or hands. You should use the minimum amount of force with your weapon so that the hit can be counted by your opponent. Be courteous and safe.

2. Drugs & Alcohol:
The summary of this one is short and sweet and serious. “Zero tolerance.” If you have prescriptions that have mind-altering effects that you will be taking at game, please let the Chapter Director know.

3. Hold:
A “Hold” is a pause for safety or injury. If someone calls out “HOLD!” you should stop everything that you are doing, stop talking, take a knee if you can or look at the ground. A hold should only because for serious reasons like injury or safety hazard (though it is wise to be aware of your surroundings at all times). A hold should NOT be called for rules or situational clarification (just ask the NPC or your neighbor about the effect, what you should do, etc. because they know you are new!)

4. Theft:
No out of game theft, for in game theft you need a Rogue Marshal. The Rogue Marshals at Central are David Flannery, Joe Bearden and Dan Bost. This is for your protection as well as the other player’s protection. If you are rouging someone's cabin and you have a witness (which you must, The Rogue Marshal), then no one can accuse you of taking OOG items, etc. If the item(s) that you rogue are not tagged, you should take the prop to Logistics or give it to the Rogue Marshal ASAP and they will act as the intermediary in order to get the tag to go with the prop.

5. Respect: (This rule is replicated in its entirety) No Player or Marshal should ever treat another with disrespect or discourtesy. In order to maintain the Heroic game environment, all issues or disagreements between Members should be handled politely, and after a cooling-off period if necessary.

Combat:


Crowding—At no time should you be close enough to touch another player’s torso, if this happens, both players need to take a step back to a safe distance.

Pinning Weapons—Pinning weapons is not allowed for safety.

Swinging Force—You should use the minimum effective force in order to make contact with the target. A swing should never be powerful enough to power through an opponent’s block.

Calling Damage—You should call your damage number and damage type before your swing (ex: 2 Normal). (If your weapon has a damage aura on it, you would call Eldritch, if you had magical Ice on your weapon then the call would be “Ice”. (For example “5 Eldritch” or “5 Ice”.) –No more than 2 swings a second.

Packets:
Packets representing Arrows must be yellow.
Packets representing Alchemy must be orange.
Packets representing Engineering must be red.
Packets representing spells must not be yellow or orange or red.
You can block a “packet attack” if a damage number precedes the effect. (Example "5 Physical Acid" coming in an orange packet or "7 normal" coming in a yellow packet)

Acknowledging Damage:
Players are encouraged to role-play taking damage, but an out of game “got it” is appropriate if the target does not feel the pain or is too large to be moved.

Miscellaneous Rules:

--Anachronisms should be avoided, but are in some cases understandable.

--Counted Actions: Some actions cannot be fully role-played or should not be role-played because of safety (such as a killing blow) or climbing a tall cliff if the cliff is not physically represented. For these actions you would use a “counted action” by counting DOWN (for example, to administer a killing blow you say “Killing Blow 3, Killing Blow 2, Killing Blow 1) Refitting armor is more of a timed action than a counted action, because while you are counting you should role-play refitting your armor, the same is for First Aid, while you are counting (and you should count in your head or very quietly) you should role-play, while observing the physical contact rule, checking their vitals, wrapping up their injuries, etc.

--Disguises:
You cannot disguise your character with makeup, as makeup is how we tell what race, etc. your character is. You may “disguise” your character through speech, mannerisms, dress, etc.

--Multiple Characters: You are not allowed to play more than one character per game day, your own characters should not interact with one another.

--Out of Game: Players are encouraged to stay in character and “In-Game”. If you need to go Out of Game (or OOG) to ask a question you should put your hand or weapon over your head. If you intend to be OOG for a while (going to take a shower, NPCing, etc.) you should put on a white headband to denote that you are OOG.

Life, Death and Dying:


Healing Arts:
This is a skill used to diagnose the problem with a PC. With healing arts you can ask the following questions, and the PC will answer you (representing you discovering the answer with your skill) “yes” or “no”. The most common questions are first and in bold: How much body are you down? Are you Down? Are you Dying? Are you Dead? Were you damaged by claws? Were you damaged by edged weapons? Were you damaged by blunt weapons? Were you Waylaid? Are you Asleep? Are you Dazed? Are you Decaying? Are you Drained? Are you Paralyzed? Are you Regenerating? Are you Wasting? Are you Poisoned?

First Aid:
If you have the skill first aid, you may administer this skill for a full 60 seconds to stop the Dying of a character. You should count to 60 in your head while role-playing (and being mindful of the physical contact rule) checking their vitals, bandaging them, etc. Once first aid begins, the Dying character pauses their count. If you, the first-aider, is struck or otherwise stops the first aid before the full 60 seconds is complete, the Dying character will resume their count.

Refitting your armor:
This is a preventative measure that will help you to not be dying or dead as often. If you have dexterity armor, stretch between each encounter, as often as you can (stretch for 60 seconds). If you have physical armor, refit as often as possible (role-play fixing straps, smoothing parts out, adjusting pieces, for 60 seconds.)

Alive/Animate:
If you have body points, you are either Alive or Animate. Remember that your dexterity armor, if you have it, will usually go first when you are getting attacked, then your physical armor points, then your body points. If your total body points is 5 and you are hit for “1 Normal” three times and I ask you, “Healing Arts, how much body are you down?” you would say “3”. If your total body points is 5 and you have only lost armor points and I say, “Healing Arts, how much body are you down?” your answer would be “0”.

Down:
When you are at 0 Body Points. If you get beat down to 0 body points, you are unconscious and will wake up in 5 minutes if nothing happens to you (you don’t get hit again, no healing takes place, etc.)

You can choose to call “Down” at any time by placing your weapons on your head and saying “Down”. The character should then take a knee or fall to the ground as appropriate. If you have said “Down”, then you are at 0 body points. (*Note, if you have called “Down” and then re-worked your math and figured out that you were actually Dying—then you should move yourself to -1 or Dying at that time.*)

You can play opossum all you want, but do NOT say “Down”, as that is an OOG statement. Saying “Down” will automatically move you to 0 Body Points. Playing opossum is a good option when you need to pause to recalculate your armor and body points.

Dying:
If the character is at 0 or is “Down” and takes more damage, they are at -1 and begin dying. A character that is Alive can be reduced below zero Body Points to -1. This character is now Dying. First aid for one minute or healing will help the character. Doing first aid will bring the character to 0 and they will wake up in 5 minutes at 1 Body. A Dying character who completes their one-minute Death Count becomes Dead. The player of a Dying character should not make any noise, communicate any in-game information, or do anything to draw attention to the character.

Dead:
A Dead character is one who has suffered a Killing Blow or a Slay Effect, or who has completed a one-minute Death Count from the state of Dying. When the character is Dead they will begin a basic 10 minute count. During the first 5 minutes you can be brought back to life by the basic 9th level spell. After the first 5 minutes, you will need to be brought back to life by the Mastery spell, which is a bit more difficult. After the first 5 minutes you can choose to dissipate. When you dissipate, you announce, "Body Dissipates", you put a white headband on, take off all of your tagged items (armor, props, weapons, etc.) and put them in a pile as if your body had just vaporized in the spot---and go to Logistics. They will guide you through the process from there.

Dissipated:
At the point at which a character Dissipates, the player declares "Body Dissipates," removes all gear and tags and leaves them in place, puts on a white headband, or otherwise indicates themselves to be out-of-game, and proceeds to a Plot member or Marshal authorized to mark deaths on character sheets and do Bead Draw for the Chapter.

Animated:
If you are dead and created as undead you are now “Animated”. (Ask the NPC that is creating you as an undead what that exactly means! They will be able to tell you your stats and help you to role-play it.)

General Order of Damage/Dying:
(Magic armor or other protective’s)
Dexterity Armor
Physical Armor
Body Points
Down
Dying
Dead
Dissipated

Time for each stage:
Down: (5 minutes)
If nothing happens you will wake up in 5 minutes at 1 body. (To help you remember, at the end of 5 minutes you’ll be able to get up and give someone a /1/ (one body point) handed high /5/.)

Dying: (60 seconds)
Someone can do First Aid on you (for 60 seconds) which will bring you to 0 body points making you “Down”, or if you are left alone, you will be Dead in 60 seconds. (To help you remember, think that it is fast count with blood spurting out quickly! 60 seconds)

Dead: (the longest count, 10 minutes+)
After the first 5 minutes you can choose to dissipate. Think of this 10 minute count as the big one. (Remember it like you’re clasping both of your hands together and begging someone to come along and bring you back to life!)

Spirit Renew:
At Central you have a choice to be one with The Land (the Elements, the Nature, the Ancestors) and accept the provision of The Land in the way of "Spirit Renew" and Spirit Effects. If you are born of a tribe, you will automatically be on this type of renewal vs. the 6am and 6pm tides. (Your items, however, will still refresh on the tides.) If you are a character that is not born of The Land--you can choose to be on Spirit Renew or to refresh with The Tides. There are in game implications that go along with this choice.

If you are on Spirit Renew, you are also susceptible to other spirt effects, such as "Spirit Cure Mortal Wounds" or "Spirit Illuminate" or "Spirit Death".

Finding Adventure:
One surefire way to find adventure at Central is via the Mod Cards. Mod Cards are written descriptions of events that are occurring, for example: "You hear a shriek off in the distance, to investigate, take this card and see plot." or "The ground breaks beneath you. Take this card and see plot." Some are mandatory, others are your choice. At Central, if you can see the Mod Card (a big white piece of paper generally attached to a tree) you must go read it. Then if it is optional, you may choose to persue or not at that time. Mod Cards represent a variety of encounters from finding crafting materials, to roleplaying with NPC's, to finding a cave full of monsters.

Once you tag the card, you will go OOG (put your white headbands on!) as you travel back to see plot. You can continue in a "travel hold" with your group, roleplaying while you're waiting, but you should be off to the side (at Central, the concrete slab outside of NPC camp is the most acknowledged "Mod Land" space)) to make it clear to other players that you are not really there.

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In order to be ready to play your new character you are going to need a concept, and a character sheet. The concept is by far the more important part of this duo. Your concept is going to affect how your character acts, thinks, dresses, fights, interacts with other characters, etc. Your character sheet is going to be the game mechanics breakdown that categorizes what your skills are based on your concept and how your skills increase over time. If you can show up with both a concept and a character sheet at your first game, that is great. Our LM will look over it with you and make sure it will work for you. If that is daunting, just start with the concept and we can help you with the character sheet when you get to the game.

The People are a very insular culture. It is strongly encouraged that new players create characters that are part of this culture. It is so strongly encouraged, that the rest of this article is going to be devoted to how to create a character who is a member of the People. There are several different things that you will need to pick that define part of your character concept. They are listed below in the order that we suggest thinking about them. However, you may have to come back and change a previous choice to fit with a later one. Don’t get frustrated and try to enjoy the process. There are hundreds of interesting combinations. You are just trying to find the pieces that you think will be the most fun for you.

Step 1 : Tribe – The People are made up of 14 different Tribes. Every member of the People in born into one of these Tribes, but upon reaching adulthood they can choose to join a different Tribe. Check out the Lore Section of the Land resources to read about the different Tribes from an outside perspective. Remember when you are looking at them that you are just picking a starting point – not a destination. How do you picture your character having spent their childhood? If you spent a lot of time growing plants and learning about their properties perhaps Fangborn is the way to go. Or maybe you grew up in the mountains and your parents mined ore – Coldaxeborn.
While you are looking over tribes, be thinking about other aspects of your character. Do you want to be shy, outgoing, happy, fierce? Do you want to fight, use magic, creep around in the dark? Think about the things that you as a player will enjoy and what makes sense for your player abilities. Different things are fun for different people. If you hate running, don’t make a character that is known for running long distances to carry messages, etc. Do you want to fight? Cast magic? What kind of magic? There are lots and lots of different options, and your character can change in play. Remember that right now you are just picking a starting point.

Step 2 : Culture – Along with your Tribe, your culture represents your life experiences and where you came from. You get a primary and a secondary culture (they do have to be different.) Cultural options are: Aristocrat, Citizen, Nomad, Outlaw, Primal, Rustic, Scholar, Seafarer, Soldier, Wanderer. Full explanations of each of those can be found here. Each cultural background has skills associated with it, skills that will be cheaper to buy because your character is intimately familiar with them from having grown up in this specific culture.
Among the People, Aristocrat and Citizen only work well for a sub-section of very specific tribes, particularly Deathcrafter, Earth and Fang. All of the rest are workable, but they will intersect with your Tribe choice. For example, if you wish to play a Seafarer you really need to be playing someone born to the Fish Tribe. There are some other restrictions, which are too numerous to go into here. Once you enter play you cannot change the Tribe that you were born to. So if you fall in love with a particular cultural choice, we can help you find the right Tribe to be born from before you enter play.

Step 3 : Race – The dominant race among the People is human, but there are also elves, orcs, ogres, animal folk, satyrkin… A complete list of races can be seen here. There are advantages and disadvantages to each race. Each race also has a unique racial ability. Please note: at this time Elves of the Darkness, Dark Dwarves, and Elves of the Fading are NOT viable People character choices. As with your culture, your race will intersect with your tribe, for example the Broken Claw are mostly orcs, and the Thunder are mostly ogres. However, there is more flexibility with your race than there is with your culture. Except for the exceptions listed above, the People are not a very racially-conscious society.

Step 4: Class – Your class represents a character's ability to learn different skill types and affects the way a character develops as it gains experience and levels. Classes available are: Fighter, Rouge, Academic, Ranger, Battlemage and Trickster. Descriptions of each of the classes can be seen here. Your class is where your character’s past becomes the present. Your class is going to define how you are right now. It is also going to affect how your character advances into the future. Your class will not limit the skills that you may buy, but it will define the cost. Each class is predisposed to certain types of skills and receives these skills for less Experience than other classes.

Step 5: Attitude/Motivation – this ties back in to where you started thinking about personality. Our game takes place in an area called the Spider Woods, which is not the tribal camp that you grew up in. So why are you here? Do you want to learn about other Tribes? Could you not stand being around your kid brother for one more minute? Maybe you are interested in learning a different fighting style? A mentor to teach you new magics? What is it that makes your character want to interact with other characters/the world? While you are pondering this, it is time for a disclaimer: The Land is a Discovery game. There is a deep culture that we barely scratch the surface of in the Lore section. However, it is fully fleshed out. Playing in The Land is about learning to interact in a culture that is very different from the American culture that most of us grew up in. The rules are different and the expectations are different. Your character is starting play effectively as a teenager. Age does not matter, and there are no cultural issues with 35 year old teenagers. You are starting down the path of learning about the world from a grown-up perspective. Take some time and talk to the Plot team about your ideas for your character motivations.

So hopefully now you have thought about how your character grew up (Tribe/Culture/Race) and how that impacted them and lead them to the point at which they are now (Class/Motivation.) Which means that you are actually have a good start on building your character sheet.

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