|
Welcome to the Belegarth/Dagohir/Boffering bullshit thread! I noticed there wasn't really a thread for this and, since it's something I've been getting back into recently I felt like talking about it. I play Belegarth, so any information about other systems would be super welcome! Isn't this just a LARP thing? The answer to that depends on who you talk to, because some people assume LARPing is all the type of poo poo you see in Role Models or other media like that, but in my opinion the answer is yes. Just because you can pick up a foam sword and beat the poo poo out of some out-of-shape adults and college nerds doesn't mean you can get a real sword and go ham in a real fight. The techniques aren't remotely similar, and even going from foam swords to the rattan ones they use in SCA is a fantastic way to get your rear end kicked because of the differences even between those two. Basics: Boffering, whether it's for Belegarth, Dagohir, Amtgard, or whatever homebrew system you play, has pretty much the same types of rules with some variation between them for things like weapons, what armor is and isn't allowed, and so on. One specific thing worth noting is that not all boffering/larp games have classes or magic spells. Some of them, like Belegarth or Dagohir, are more strictly combat based and don't follow any kind of pre-set class system for players, meaning that if you can swing your weapon and not break any rules, you're able to do whatever you want to within reason. These are very physical games, so being able to use your weapon effectively is a big part of it. Just because you can make a 20 ft spear and stab it a couple of times doesn't mean it's useful outside of some specific circumstances. In the most general sense, the rules are fairly simple: If you get hit on the arm, you can't use that arm, if you get hit on the leg you can't use that leg, and if you get hit on the torso you're dead in one shot. If you get hit on the arm and then the leg you're also dead, just like if you get hit on both legs or both arms. Headshots from swung weapons don't count for any damage other than making you look like an rear end in a top hat, or actual damage like a concussion or broken nose. If you get hit with an arrow it's only counted as one hit unless it's to the head or torso where it's an instant kill, same with things like javelins. There are weapons called "rocks" that can only do damage to an unarmored head. Armor provides an extra hit to any protected area, but cannot be stacked, meaning you can't wear chainmail, leather, and plate armor and get 3 extra hits to an area. Weapons and equipment: This is meant to be a more general overview of the different types of weapons and equipment used in the various games, not specific guides on how to make them or granular breakdowns of the rules for construction. Swords: Big, small, two handed or one handed, swords are the most common weapon you'll see out on the field more than likely. Everyone usually has one as a backup weapon, some groups keep some in the loaner pile, and it's usually the weapon people gravitate towards the most when they start out. Nothing too special about these guys, but if you're just starting out it's hard to go wrong with a sword and a shield. Some people even prefer them to other weapons! Maces/Hammers: These are just swords but instead of having edges (in maces anyway), they just have a round tube that is the striking area. These don't have "stabbing" tips (extra layer of softer foam on the tip of the weapon) so the main strategy is to just get out there and beat the poo poo out of people as much as you can. Some people call maces Bats, and they're not entirely wrong even if I think the name sounds dumb. Hammers are more like double headed axes, but instead of narrower striking surfaces it's just a big foam hammer. Bats are also super common out on the field, hammers not as much because of the difficulty of constructing them. Axes: These are significantly less common and harder to use, but they're still pretty interesting to talk about! Axes usually only have one head for the striking surface, and most people use them to hook shields or weapons and get them out of the way for people to get hit. Double headed axes are more commonly Great Weapons, so there's less of an emphasis on hooking people's shields and weapons and more on just hitting them hard and leaving them limbed on the field. Great Weapons: You know how in fantasy media you see people carrying around swords and axes as big as they are? You can do that too. They're heavy, cumbersome, and extremely tiring to swing around, but if you can manage to use one effectively you instantly become a menace on the field. A nice thing about these though is that two swings with a great weapon can destroy a shield, meaning that they can help break up shield walls or open people up to body shots to get them off the field. Spears: The social distancing weapon. These are more useful for keeping people at a distance or getting some easy kills on people not paying attention, but if someone gets closer than your effective distance you're hosed. A subset of spears is glaives, which I personally use. Whereas spears only have a stabbing tip at the end of a pole, glaives also have a striking surface and are also classified as Great Weapons because of their length. Most often, glaives are either 6ft or 8ft, but there are longer ones out there that people use. Personally, I've seen someone wield a 10ft glaive pretty well in the past which was a bitch and a half to deal with. I also saw that same person send someone completely rear end over teakettle after taking the legs out from under them which was fun. Projectiles: Bows and arrows, crossbows, javelins, and rocks. These are the only headshot-legal weapons and as a result have some VERY strict construction and use requirements since they're more dangerous. Some realms (groups) won't even let you pick up a bow if you haven't been playing for at least a month. Rocks only cause damage with headshots, and are a one shot kill for people without helmets. If you can manage a kill with a rock, though, hearing people scream "loving really? A loving ROCK?!" is extremely satisfying. Shields: In the most general sense, a shield in this game is a boogie board that you contact-cement more foam to and strap to your arm. There are a bunch of designs and shield types I won't get into because it's all fairly complicated and boring, but most people prefer punch shields, which is basically a boogie board with a fiberglass pole in it that you can hold on to to "punch" poo poo away from yourself. You CAN shieldbash people, and that's pretty common to see, but bear in mind that doing so is a lot harder than you'd expect. Armor: Leather, plate, or chainmail, it's all the same under the rules. Plate and chainmail need to be at least 20 gauge in thickness, leather needs to be 10oz leather at least in order to qualify. Most people prefer chainmail or leather because plate is heavy and cumbersome, but seeing someone clank onto the field in full plate not only looks impressive but is EXTREMELY intimidating. Armor is by no means required like in the SCA, and most people go without it. Garb: This rule is only really enforced at bigger events unless your group is really strict on that sort of thing, but garb is pretty basic. You really just need a tabard or tunic (Most people buy non-branded polo shirts, cut off the sleeves and collar, let out the hem, and then rough it up a bit), some non-modern pants (No jeans or slacks, no basketball shorts), and then black sneakers or boots. Most groups don't give a poo poo what you wear to practice since you're gonna be running around like assholes getting sweaty anyway. Incidentals: You'll want to invest in some padded gloves, probably, since shots to the hand don't count as a kill or a limb shot if you're holding a weapon, but they can hurt like a motherfucker. Similarly, if you wear glasses consider getting a pair of athletic goggles or just not wearing them if you can manage that. Something that should also be considered is an athletic supporter. I've personally taken many a hit to the friends downstairs that has made me think "Man I need to get a loving cup". Groin shots do count as kills luckily and if you're of the bepenised population you're probably gonna need to go sit down anyway. Speaking of... Hitting people in the dick for fun and profit Fighting! It's the whole point of the game, and it's a fantastic workout. There are a couple of different techniques people use, which I'll get into the basics of in a bit. But first, here's a video of people hitting each other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVmIgyAQLbY This is a good example of what the fighting looks like, but there are way more weapons and techniques in this game than you see there. Most tournaments are going to have people using swords and shields because they're good for blocking and don't take a ton of skill to be "good" with them. Sword & Board: The perfect style for people who like dirt, water without any ice, and the new season of the Simpsons. Most people start out doing this, many people never STOP doing this. One hand has a sword, the other has a shield, and that's it. This is a more defensive style and most people tend to turtle and not make any hits even if they see a tiny opening, which makes fights between two sword and shield users take a lot longer. Some people prefer to use maces, hammers, or flails, but most of the time you're gonna see a sword and a shield being used. Florentine/Dual-Wielding: Do you like to Naruto run? Wanna get stabbed a bunch and look like a jackass? Try Florentine! This is a very aggressive playstyle and requires a lot of situational awareness and dodging ability. If you're good at it you can be a whirling cloud of death, but most people look like dumbasses and get killed pretty quick in my experience. A lot of new people try Florentine if they want to get a lot of kills since it looks the "coolest", but it has a VERY sharp learning curve. Spears and Glaives: If you like staying further away from people like an antisocial weirdo, this is the weapon for you! This style is mostly about picking people off when you have openings, and corralling people like a sheepdog to move them where you want them to go. The main drawback to this style is if your arm gets hit, or someone gets inside your range, you're really just a sitting duck. Some people, myself included, carry backup weapons, but most people just grimly accept their fate when someone gets close enough. Great Weapons: These are the people out there swinging huge weapons and just causing a ruckus. These weapons have to be swung two handed to break shields, so most people do so anyway because it's also easier to control their weapons that way. Like spears and glaives, once someone is inside your range, you can have a hard time of it, but their range is fairly close so it's not that big of an issue. The main drawback of this style is the weight, which makes it harder to effectively block with these weapons and it's easier to tire yourself out. Ranged weapons: Are spears and glaives just too personal for you? Try archery or javelins! These are very much ranged weapons, and bows cannot be fired unless the target is at least 15 feet away. Some archers carry backup weapons, but most will just call dead as soon as someone gets close enough to them. Resources Belegarth Book of War (rules) http://www.belegarth.com/getting-started/rules/ Belegarth Wiki http://geddon.org/Main_Page Come Try LARP (Useful for finding groups near you) https://cometrylarp.com/ Places to buy equipment Weapons https://www.gorgtech.com/ https://www.forgedfoam.com/product-category/full_contact/ Armor https://www.azurearmoury.com/ https://www.kultofathena.com/
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2022 19:25
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 6, 2024 08:57 |
|