NERO Rules Updates

Weapon Construction Clarification:

Ultralight weapons and weapons that do not use the standard NERO weapon construction materials are not allowed at any NERO Ohio/WV game (please see the 4/5/2006 Rules clarification below).

However, we are accepting latex weaponry on a case-by-case basis, as per the NERO International playtest. If you possess one of these latex weapons, it is the players' responsibility to have these weapons checked at check in, once during the course of the event, and at the end of the event to determine legality. All checking of weapons but be done by a certified weapons marshal or by a WAR Owner.

Weapons Clarification:

NERO Ohio and NERO West Virginia do not allow alternative weapon materials to be used.  All weapons must be created as per specifically listed in the NERO International 8^th Edition Core Rules.  In addition, weapons with reduced padding on the sides in order to create a “flat blade” look will not be permitted. 

Please keep in mind that our marshals reserve the right to cut open your weapon in order to find out what is inside, and while we will do this in the least damaging fashion, you should bring extra materials in case repairs are necessary.

Waylay Clarification

You cannot use a ball of foam to attack anyone unless you are throwing it.  Any reference to a "foam phys rep" in the description for Waylay is language left over from past editions of the rules and should be disregarded.

The skill Waylay does not require a weapon skill to use. If you have no weapon skill you can still use a bludgeon to Waylay, but for no other purpose. You can only use a bludgeon in this way, and not any other weapon type. For example, you couldn't waylay someone with a long sword without the skill One Handed Edged

The bludgeon MUST be tagged in order to use it in this way. It can be built to resemble a skillet (thanks, Megan), a candlestick, lead pipe, statuette, or any other similar item, so long as it adheres to the construction parameters outlined for bludgeon.

The Imbue Cantrip can be used to impart any spell upon the recipient, including spells such as Displacement, Ward, Wall of Force, and others that cannot target a person.

The spell Displacement can be passed to others via the formal magic system, and can validly be given through Enchant, Imbue, and Expanded Enchantment.  In addition, the effect Spell Store can be used to pass the Displacement spell to others.

• The Stonegate Guild system harvesting capabilities are governed by the Stonegate Guild Structure 2004 document.  In addition, these rules apply:
• You can only harvest in a Guild Circle.
• The harvesting is considered the beginning part of the formal magic spell, and even when harvesting, the formal spell as a whole CAN be backlashed.  After you complete your harvesting, you have 60 seconds to begin the spell.  At this point - after the harvesting and before the actual spellcasting has begun - you may move to another proper formal circle.  Once the actual formal magic spell has begun, the NERO International Formal Magic Rules govern the actions from this point.
• ONLY the primary caster in the formal magic spell can harvest components.
• You only need to harvest components once per batch formal magic spell.
• If there are any other questions or concerns, please bring it to the attention of the members of the WAR Rules Committee.

NERO® Physical Attacks Play-test
Version 1.0 092602
For NERO Rules: Matt Sims, Original Concept by NERO Neridia

 Objective:
 

Details:

Entangle <target> is now recognized as a new game effect, and is intended to replace the old uses of Physical Pin/Bind/Web/Confine.  It is outlined in the following passage.

Entangle <target>: Some monsters can shoot a substance as a means to trap victims (such as giant, sticky strands of silk).  This effect is most often delivered as a Physical attack, but can also be delivered as Magic, Elemental, or Arcane depending upon the delivery method listed on the creature card.  The effect lasts for 10 minutes and is Binding in nature. An Oil of Slipperiness applied to the target’s body less than an hour before being struck by an Entangle will protect against one such attack.  Formal protectives (i.e. Cloak, Bane) against Binding will also work.  A Release spell or an Alchemical Solvent will free the victim.  The victim can be cut out by someone using an edged weapon with a three count (“One I cut you out, two I cut you out, three I cut you out.”).  If you have an Endow or Delayed Endow spell, you may break free, expending the spell in the process. Someone else with an Endow type spell can likewise break you free. When using an Endow to break free of an Entangle, the character calls “Endow – I rip free one, I rip free two, I rip free three”, role-plays that he is ripping free of the binding, and is then free of the effect. An Endow may be used to break another character out of an Entangle, with the same call and similar role-play.  Ripping free in this way is in no way harmful to the character, and beings with Superhuman Strength can rip free of effects that Entangle them without need of an Endow of any type. There are three possible targets for an Entangle – foot, arms, body.  Each of these will prevent movement of the Entangled part such that an Entangle foot will root the target’s right foot to the ground in a way similar to Pin, an Entangle arms will bind the target’s arms to his sides in a way similar to Bind, and an Entangle body will prohibit the movements of the target in a way similar to Web.

• Claws in the NERO system are not specified as having the capability to block blows or not to block blows.  Since there are two designations of innate weaponry in the rule book (Claws and Body Weaponry) we have given these a graduated power level by saying that Claws and Bites do not stop incoming weapon blows, but that Body Weaponry does.  For role-playing purposes, creatures with small but damaging claws (lions, bears, tigers, eagles, etc.) which would not have any real ability to parry blows, will use Claws/Bite instead of Body Weaponry.  Larger creatures with significant armoring or weapon size (giant crabs, rhinoceroses, unicorns, drakes, etc.) will use natural weaponry that will fall under the category of Body Weaponry and will be listed as such. 

• When items become inactive via the Magic Item Slots Play-Test, they do not become non-magical.  The effects on the items will not be suppressed, dispelled, or otherwise affected.  A character that does not have the item active for his use simply cannot use that item until it is made active via the rules of the play-test.
• Carrying Items - Players cannot carry any tags concealed on their person without the appropriate number and type of phys reps.  Tags that are carried without reps MUST be carried out in front of the person in both hands while nothing else is in the player's hands or arms.  Un-repped tags can be stored in an immobile chest or other, similar container so long as the chest is kept in plain site and not concealed in any way.  Tags attached to an appropriate phys rep have no limitations on how they are safely carried, stored, or concealed.  Tags carried illegally can and will be confiscated on the spot by a game marshal and destroyed.
• Recognition into a circle of power requires a character to "gesture, touch or vocally recognize that person" into or out of the circle.  "Concentrating really hard," or any other similar method is not sufficient to allow an un-invested person to pass.

• When a spell has an effect other than the one listed in the core rules, it also has its standard effect as well.  Both effects resolve simultaneously, but the core effect is taken into account before any specific effect.  For example, a creature that takes damage from the spell Dispel Magic that is under the effects of a Curse spell will have the Curse effect removed before the damage is dealt.  This is never resolved as two separate effects, and a single spell is still a single attack for the purpose of prevention and/or avoidance.  Spells that have multiple core effects (such as Enflame) as part of their core design do not follow this policy, and all effects for these types of spells will be dealt simultaneously.
• A character cannot use a weapon to deliver a Killing Blow unless they have skill with that weapon.  The intent of this rule is that characters without any skill in weapon use will not be able to use a weapon in any meaningful way in combat.  This does not mean that a character cannot pick up a weapon or use it for other, non-combat related purposes, but simply that using it to affect another creature in any way (including via Killing Blow) is prohibited.

• As clearly stated under the description for the spell Circle of Power in the core rules, a circle is a cylindrical dome in shape with a bottom."  Therefore, creatures cannot use Burrow, Non-Corporeal Form, or other similar abilities to pass through the bottom of a circle.

• As a game mechanic, a counted or timed skill is neither wholly nor partially completed until the full count has been finished.  For example, a Webbed creature that uses the Escape skill is not considered out of the Web until the count for performing the escape is completed.  The creature will not gain any use of his limbs or other parts until the entire count has been completed, and a player could not use his arm before finishing the count and claim that "that was the first part that got free."  For the purposes of role-playing, wonderfully descriptive things such as "I saw his body begin to shimmer and fade out" to describe a Rift are not only legitimate and encouraged, but are not impacted in any way by this fact of game mechanics. 

There have been many interpretations of whether or not players can use pixie sticks to represent potion vials.  According to the NERO International 8th Edition Rule Book, potion phys reps must be able to hold a 1/4 oz. of liquid.  From the mathematical calculations, a pixie stick does not hold 1/4 oz of liquid.

Therefore, pixie sticks will NO LONGER BE ALLOWED to be used as phys reps for potions in WAR, unless they are 9.5" in length.

The mathematics are below:

According to Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, the conversion from fluid ounces to cubic inches is 1 fl.oz = 1.805 cu.in.  Therefore, 1/4 fl. oz. = 0.45125 cu. in.

Assuming the diameter of a pixie stick is 1/8 " (which is generous), the formula for calculating volume (cu. in.) is V = (Pi) * (radius squared) * (height).

Doing the calculation with a 6" pixie stick of 1/8" radius, and Pi = 3.14159, that gives you a volume of 0.2945 cu. in. - significantly less than what is needed.

Using this mathematical formula, the minimum length of a pixie stick of 1/8" diameter that will be allowed is:  9.5".

Thanks for your understanding.

PLEASE NOTE:  These changes do not go into effect until 1/1/2005!!!

• We will be continuing with all the playtests that we have been using in the 2004 season.  No playtests will be dropped for the 2005 season.
• In addition to the current playtests, we will be using the following playtests as is:

Critical Parry Modification, Armor Suite, Magic Skills, Smithing Playtest

• The following playtests will be accepted with a slight modification:

Magic Spells, Volume 2.  We will use all the spells in this volume EXCEPT for Mystic Lock.  Cantrips, Version 1.4.  Since WAR is now following the Cantrip playtest, all forms of harvesting of components is no longer allowed within the Guild system.  All other aspects of the Stonegate Guild System will remain the same.

• We will NOT be using the following playtests in the 2005 season:

Storage Locker, Mind Effects Modification, Pick Locks, Limited Resets and Dexterity Armor.

• If your character wishes to take advantage of any of these playtests, we are offering the ability to re-write as per a Spirit Forge to use these playtests.  However, you can only forge to use these skills - if you decide that these skills are not for you, then you must Spirit Forge back on your own.
• This offer of re-writing is good between January 1, 2005 and July 1, 2005.  Also, you must do it at the first WAR event that the player attends, weather you are there to PC or to NPC.  If there are any questions at all, please contact either Tim Saluga or Jennifer Janson.
• A huge thank you needs to go out to those who voted in the Players' Survey.  We like to hear what the players have to say, and your votes went a long way in determining what playtests we are using in 2005.  Thanks again!!!

• The Staff Policy and Goblin Point Policy have undergone some minor rewording for the purpose of clarification.
• The Craftsman Skills Addendum has been altered to allow multiple purchases of the same skill.
• The Craftsman (Type) skill Sage has been altered slightly to allow for more flexibility.

• The 2003 Transformation Packet is now up.
• Due to insurance reasons, we have been forced to alter our policy on the tying of hands in our Local Rules Addendum.
• We have decided to neither add nor remove any National Play-tests for this season.

• Battle Wine Elixir was raised in cost to 32 production points.
• Berserk Gas and Hate Elixir have been removed.
• All books (alchemy and spell) now have a standard creation/copying cost and procedure as defined in the Production Skills Addendum.
• The cost for Master Crafting has increased to a standard of 5 copper pieces per production points spent.
• Adamant and S/R 1 Components are now interchangeable, and can both be used in the same exact manner.
• The Estate System has had many aspects added to it including estate types, trade, and a new Kingdom Yield Rate. Overall the entire system has been altered significantly.  Existing Estates must be upgraded to the new system by paying the difference in start-up fees immediately.  Any existing Vassalage that does not wish to upgrade will have its full 25 gold start up cost refunded to its proprietor.  Maintenance Fees will be required starting in January, 2004.
• Workshops have been replaced by a new type of game mechanic called a Guild Hall.  For more information, see the Estate System.
• The Heal spell and effect have been removed from the game.  The spell Regeneration has been added to the Nature Battle Magic system to compensate for this loss.