NERO Ohio/West Virginia Local Rules Addendum

2006 Edition

 

Following is a list of the local rules and policies that you will encounter at a NERO Ohio and/or NERO West Virginia event.  This list includes all clarifications compiled from the previous calendar year.  This is a complete list and there will be no "hidden" or "secret" rules honored.  It is the responsibility of the local staff to inform incoming players of these rules clarifications and play-tests, and a player will not be held responsible for following rules that he does not know exist.  The NERO International Office has approved the following clarifications.

 

Auto-Memory – a resurrecting character will retain all memories up to and including the time of death.  Characters will not have any memory of events that happened while they were unconscious for any reason.

 

Conversational Combat – At NERO Ohio and NERO West Virginia, silent combat can only be used on a closed module with the approval of all involved players and the marshal.  This will be the exception not the rule, and players should not expect this to occur often, if at all.  At any time, any player taking part in the module can disagree with silent combat and demand that damage be called.  If any player disagrees, no one on the mod will be able to use silent combat.

 

Formal Magic Effects – All formal magic effects at NERO Ohio and NERO West Virginia will follow the guidelines expressed in the latest edition of the official NERO International Formal Magic Rules Compendium and its officially recognized errata.

 

Gasses - If the caster of an alchemical gas globe receives body damage while performing the verbal, the gas will be destroyed.  The verbal for throwing a gas is an out-of-game statement and the caster need not be able to speak in order to perform it.  The throwing of gasses will otherwise follow all of the rules for spell casting.  As per the rules of touch casting, alchemical gasses may never be touch-cast.

 

Holds – Due to the fact that some members have bad knees, we do not require that players drop to their knees during a hold.  Instead we ask that all players lower their heads and close their eyes.

 

Monster Abilities – The following monster abilities have been added:

 

Burrow – A creature with this ability can burrow into the ground as a three-counted action.  While burrowing, the player will cross his arms in front of him in an “X” with his hands pointing to the ground.  It is the responsibility of the burrowing player to alert others that he is burrowing, and it should be stated to any new player that comes on the scene.  Burrowing is not a Game Skill, and is instead a form of movement.  A burrowing character will not be able to use any game skills due to the confines of his situation, and he cannot move faster than a walk.  In addition, any onlooker will see the burrowing creature as a lump in the ground.  The burrowing character is considered to be directly beneath the player playing his part.  All creatures with this ability will have some way to sense and know what is on the surface, thus allowing the player to use his eyes freely while “underground.”  While burrowing, the character cannot communicate with others on the surface, and no game effect except Release can target a burrowing creature.  A creature that is burrowing who is hit with a Release will be forced to immediately surface on a three-count.  Any creature that is burrowing by means of this skill can flee the encounter while “underground” by performing an additional three-counted action to do so.  Creatures that flee as such will lose their current reset as if they had been destroyed.  This form of movement can only be used in open areas of ground, and it will be impossible for a creature to burrow through wooded areas, under buildings, under bodies of water, etc.  A Burrowing creature can never drag or carry another being with it while burrowing.

Fly – A creature with this ability can fly as a three-counted action.  While flying, the player will wave one of his arms above his head in a circular motion, pointing to the sky.  It is the responsibility of the flying player to alert others that he is flying, and it should be stated to any new player that comes on the scene.  Flying is not a Game Skill, and is instead a form of movement.  As such, the flying character can use game skills that allow movement while he is airborne.  The flying being cannot affect anyone on the ground while flying however, and only other flying creatures can be targeted.  Any onlooker will see the flying creature directly above the player playing his part.  Beings on the ground can target a flying creature with ranged weapons and/or packet attacks if they have use of an Endow or Superhuman Strength of some kind.  The attacking player must stand ten feet or farther away from the target while making such an attack, and any spell and/or other ranged attack will affect the target accordingly.  An Endow will allow a single such attack each, while a creature with Superhuman Strength will be able to launch such attacks at will.  Any creature that is flying by means of this skill can flee the encounter while “airborne” by performing an additional three-counted action to do so.  Creatures that flee as such will lose their current reset as if they had been destroyed.  Larger creatures take longer to get off of the ground and land than their smaller counterparts, and as such the counts to take-off, land, and flee for creatures is equal to two plus one for each NPC repping the creature.  For example, if a winged frost drake has five NPCs as part of its phys rep, it will take the creature a seven count to take-off, land, and/or flee.  Flying creatures cannot carry another being unless there are at least twice as many players repping the character as the one carried.  For example, a creature that has four NPCs repping it could carry two PCs or a single creature that is repped by two players.  Flying beings repped by a single player cannot carry another player as a result.

Water Ability – This skill allows a creature to breathe and move freely while under water.  All penalties and restrictions with regards to Drowning, Movement, and Speech in the Under Water Rules outlined below are nullified by this ability.  This is not a game skill, but is instead a form of movement.

 

Monster Poison Attacks – Monster poison attacks at NERO Ohio and NERO West Virginia will not be delivered with orange packets as listed in the 8th Edition Rule Book.  Orange packets are physical representations for alchemical gas globes and cannot be used for any other purpose.

 

National Playtests – We are play-testing the following nationally approved packages during the 2006 calendar year:

 

Additional Spells (Volume 1)

Additional Spells (Volume 2) – except for the spell Mystic Lock

Archery Aura

Armor Suite

Base 5 Alchemy/Harmonics

Base 5 Damage/Healing

Blade Fury

Cantrips Version 4.1

Critical Parry Modification

Critical Slay/Assassinate Modification

Damage Types

Formal Magic Logistics

Harmonics Version 1.4

Magic Item Slots

Magic Skills

Master Craftsmen

Meditate*

Modified Detect Magic Spell

New Character Rebuild

New Player Deaths

One-Handed Block

Physical Attacks

Racial Skills

Resurrection Modification**

Return <type>

Spell Crossover

Staff Thrust

Stop Thrust

 

*In addition to spells that miss their target, spells that are Phased and Dodged can be regained via this skill.  Miscanted spells and spells successfully defended by Cloak, Bane, Shield Magic, Reflect Magic, Resist, or that do not affect the target are lost and cannot be regained.

**All resurrecting characters will be issued a new battle board.

 

Resurrection Logistics - All resurrecting characters will now return to the NPC Shack before going back into game.  While at the shack the character will have the death recorded on his sheet, and will draw from the bag of chance if necessary.  Only after reporting to the shack and having successfully drawn will a character be allowed to go into town to resurrect, at which time the character will be required to role-play the resurrection as per the rules.  Characters that do not need to draw still need to report to the shack in order to have the death recorded by a staff and/or plot person.  In the case of a field resurrection, the draw must be marshaled in the field, and the character is still required to report the resurrection to the NPC Shack at his earliest convenience.

 

Returning Players – Please see the WAR Returning Player Policy 2006.

 

Scribing Spells/Recipes – We do not allow the scribing of individual spells/recipes, and all spell books and alchemy books at NERO Ohio and NERO West Virginia are now full.  Copying a spell book or a recipe book will cost the copier 1 gold piece.  Creating a new book from scratch requires access to a Laboratory as well as the correct amount of skill.  In order to copy or create a recipe book, the character must have at least some skill in Alchemy, while the copying and/or creation of a spell book requires the character to have at least some ability with spells in the school to be copied.  A single character can make multiple copies from the same book during logistics, but only one character can ever use the same book for copying, memorization, and/or item creation in the same game day.  Anyone can tell the nature of a book at a glance, but characters without the required skills will be unable to use the books for their intended purpose.

 

Starting Equipment – New characters will start the game with 3 silver pieces or enough copper to make all of their production for the entire event, whichever total is higher.  In addition, they will start with tags for all weapons and armor that they can use, and that they have approved phys reps for.  This will be limited to two of each type of weapon, except in the case of ranged weapons.  Up to four tags for ranged weapons will be given out, but the player must have proper reps for each.  A starting archer with a proper quiver phys rep will begin the game with two Quiver tags.  Only one armor tag shall be given out in this way per character, regardless of the phys reps provided.  All weapons and armor received by a starting character will be normal in nature, and Unrestricted in transferability.

 

Tying of Hands - Due to insurance limitations, the actual tying of hands and/or legs in order to immobilize another player is no longer acceptable.  All tying will now be done as phys rep tying.  When phys rep tying, the player doing the tying must provide material that is long and strong enough to hold the individual, but no actual tying is required. While phys rep tying a person the player performing the tying should perform an uninterrupted 60-second count.

 

Under Water Rules – The following restrictions will apply when under water.  Creatures with Water Ability will have no restrictions with regards to Drowning, Movement, and Speech, and can function normally under water with respect to these areas.

 

Damage – All melee weapon damage is halved except for that delivered by a spear.  Thrown Weapons are useless, and they deal no damage.  Damage from a bow is halved, while that from a crossbow is unaffected.  This does not include the natural weaponry of under water creatures, such as bite, sting, or horn attacks.

Drowning – Air breathing creatures cannot breathe under water.  As such, each can only hold their breath for a maximum of 60-seconds.  At the end of this 60-seconds, the target will lose consciousness and will immediately begin Dying (at -1 body point).  Similarly, any air-breathing character that loses consciousness for any other reason while under water (i.e. has been waylaid, falls to 0 body points, etc.) will immediately begin Dying.  No healing will work on an air-breathing character that has lost consciousness under water, and the target must be removed from the water first.

Gasses – Alchemical gas globes are absolutely useless in an under water setting.

Movement – Characters wearing a suit of physical armor of value 4 or less can swim, while those wearing a suit of 5 points or higher can only walk through the water.  Swimming is a skill that is considered known to all adventurers, unless the player chooses to have his character unable to do so.  Swimming can only be of assistance to you in a marshaled situation, and in all cases it involves moving vertically within the game environment.  Whether swimming or moving along the bottom, a character in mid-thigh or deeper water can never move faster than a walk.

Speech – Air-breathing beings cannot speak intelligibly while under water.  This factor will inhibit all forms of speech, including spell casting.  It is for this reason that characters can make noise while in an underwater setting, but they cannot speak words of any kind.

 

Workshops – Workshops cannot be purchased by individuals, and access to extra production is offered through the guild structure and Estate System.