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Do spells, runes, and potions last overnight? Do they last between events?
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If the duration is long enough, spells, runes, and potions will last overnight. For example, if you take a potion at midnight that has a duration of 12 hours, it will last until noon.
No spell, rune, or potion will last between events unless special means are used. Potions that last between events will explicitly note that they continue between events, or are permanent.
The exception are Secure spells. These last between events. |
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Healing and Bandaging questions
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BLEEDING TO DEATH AND THE DEATH COUNT
If you are dying (bleeding to death), your death count pauses as soon as someone starts bandaging you or casting a healing spell on you or using the Empathic Healing skill on you. If they are interrupted during the first minute, you start counting again where you left off. After the first minute of bandaging, if they are interrupted before they finish, you begin counting from zero - you have five more minutes. (Or, if they have Devotion, they will be finished at the one minute mark.)
If they are using Advanced Bandaging, after one minute you are no longer dying, and have 1 Vitality back and are conscious, but they can continue for 4 more minutes and restore additional Vitality.
You also will not bleed to death if a healing potion is "in progress". Specifics of how the potions work vary, read the tag. (Some of them require that you rest for one minute, etc.)
INTERRUPTION
Q: What counts as "interrupting" bandaging, so I have to start over? Can I stop and cast a spell, then get back to bandaging without interruption?
A: Bandaging is interrupted if you leave your patient, cast a spell, use another skill, or use a weapon to defend yourself.
LETTING THEM KNOW
If you are healing or bandaging someone, it should be clear to them. For a healing spell, you should begin the minute by saying "With Faith" to let them know you are casting something.
When you finish, either complete the incant for the Healing spell, or if bandaging, let them know by saying something like "Wake up, I've finished bandaging you" or "He should be coming around any time, now that I've finished bandaging him".
LOSING YOUR BANDAGE
If your bandage is falling off, feel free to re-tie or adjust it so it doesn't fall off. If you somehow find yourself entirely without it, you'll take whatever effect the bandage had been used to prevent (start Dying again, have a maimed limb, etc). Roleplay this however you'd like. If you need a rule of thumb, the effect should happen within a minute or so of the time you notice. You could start feeling woozy because you have started losing blood again, or whatever you think is appropriate.
If someone is Dying, then taking off their bandage isn't going to make them any worse. It just puts them in a state where they need to be bandaged. So you could reuse that bandage, it just needs to be taken off completely before it is redone. You can't simply adjust one that is already on them. It's also great if you want to add a new bandage. If you want your patient to look like a Mummy, that's fine.
You can't grab a bandage off a person (no touching) but if they are unresisting (unconscious, etc) you could remove their bandage. You could also get the same effect by hitting them a couple times, so it doesn't make much difference.
WHERE DOES THE BANDAGE GO
You can put the bandage around someone's limb even if they were injured in the torso. Some people may prefer not to be bandaged on their torso for personal contact reasons.
If you are uncomfortable actually bandaging someone for any reason, you can roleplay bandaging them while having them put the actual bandage on. You must spend the time roleplaying, and they must end up wearing the bandage. Likewise, if you don't want someone to actually bandage you, you can have them give you the bandage to put on yourself.
BANDAGING VS HEALING
It's often better to use Bandaging than Healing if your patient is dying, since Bandaging only costs you a bandage, while Healing costs you 1 Faith. If you want to help them more, you can cast Healing after you have finished Bandaging them. Once they are up with 1 vitality, additional Bandaging won't help them (unless they get Maimed), but Healing will restore an additional vitality.
If you have Advanced Bandaging and Bandaging, it's just a choice of how much time you want to spend. Start bandaging them normally. After 1 minute, you can either let them know you are finished, and walk away, or you can spend 4 more minutes (total of 5 minutes) to patch them up more. You can even wake them up after one minute and ask them whether they would like you to continue. For some people that would be a waste of time (maybe they only have 1 vitality anyway) but others will greatly appreciate the extra effort.
EMPATHIC HEALING
This takes one minute to use, after which it restores 1 vitality. It does not require a full incant (you just say "Empathic Healing") and therefore can be used if you are Silenced.
Empathic Healing fixes maimed limbs, just like a healing spell. If you want to repair the limbs of someone who has not lost any vitality, you can, but you still have to expend one of your own vitality to do so.
DISEASE
None of these things work if you are Diseased. Healing, Bandaging, Advanced Bandaging, Empathic Healing... all have no effect on you. You also can't use Karma.
SPECIAL BANDAGES
There are special bandages which are rolled up around paper tags that explain their effects. The tag may not be read unless you are using the bandage. Often these provide some additional benefit beyond normal bandaging. Normal rules for stacking apply (you may only have one Shield effect, one Barrier effect, one Armor effect, and one Bestow effect). You are required to have Bandaging skill to use these bandages.
FORTITUDE AND PHYSICAL RESERVES
Characters with Fortitude and Physical Reserves may gain additional benefit from healing of all types (spells, empathic healing, bandaging, potions, etc). If you have Fortitude or Physical Reserves, after you have been bandaged or healed you will always have a minimum of 2 vitality. If the healing or bandaging would have only restored you to 1 vitality, you get one extra.
If you have both Fortitude and Physical Reserves, after you have been bandaged or healed you will always have a minimum of 3 vitality. If you were unconscious and simply bandaged, you will get up with 3 vitality. If you had 1 vitality and someone casts Healing on you, you will be restored to 3 vitality instead of 2. If you had 2 vitality and someone casts Healing on you, it restores you to 3 vitality so you get no extra benefit.
In many cases, characters with Fortitude and Physical Reserves won't gain any additional benefit from Advanced Bandaging. |
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Mana / Faith / Skill Restore: How does it work at MJ?
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Normally Mana, Faith or any other Skills do NOT restore themselves. There is no reset of skills at MJ like some games have. We have balanced our system with a single use per purchase of skill.
When your character dies and goes to Fate you may get your skills restored. There may also be some other ways to get things restored but you will have to find these in game.
Although you may run out, characters with Magical Reserves or Divine Reserves can prepare a 1-2 mana/faith spell even when they have used up all their Mana or Faith. This takes 5 minutes. Once prepared, the spell can be cast at any time. If it's a beneficial spell (that grants a Shield, protects as Armor, or Bestows an ability), it can only be cast upon your self. These abilities help ensure even new characters can continue to use magic all event long. Every character has Magical Reserves, Divine Reserves, or Physical Reserves. |
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My rule question isn't answered here!
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| Your question may have already been answered on the Rules Discussion board. There are also several FAQ posts there. If it hasn't been answered, you can post your question there, or submit a Help request to get an answer. |
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Weapons - how do I make them?
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Blunt weapons and axes should be built like swords (including the thrusting tip), with a head made of open cell foam covered and taped on with duct tape. (Double-sided carpet tape can also be useful for attaching the foam pieces.) In general for any kind of weapon with a big head on it (axes, polearms, hammers, etc), avoid making the head extremely heavy (it shouldn't have so much momentum when you swing it that you can knock people over for real), and avoid using so many layers of duct tape that it gets hard (duct tape especially hardens with age). Poking pinholes in the head will let air escape so it doesn't feel as hard. It should spring quickly back to its normal shape after being squished; if it doesn't, you may have too much tape. There is no minimum or maximum size for blades and heads on weapons, but we will assess it for safety at check-in.
Staves and other two-handed weapons may have CPVC (3/4") or kite rod core, although using kite rod makes a MUCH better weapon and we recommend it. If using kite rod, it must be at least .600" OD. The ends must be capped.
One-handed weapons may be made from .505" kite rod (you can also use the larger .600" if you prefer). Again, the ends must be capped. Kite rod is more likely to cut through the foam than CPVC, so this extra step is very important. If made with CPVC, it must be 3/4". We don't use smaller or larger CPVC for anything.
Short staves are possible, you do not need to make your weapon the maximum permissible length. If the weapon is 48" or shorter, it will be considered a one-handed weapon for purposes of materials and also for the skill you need to use it. E.g. a 31-48" staff is used with Long Blunt skill, not Staff skill, and is considered a one-handed weapon. A 19-30" staff would be used with Short Blunt skill. In-game special staves can be made in these sizes, e.g. if you would like your mage to use a mystic cane instead of a mystic staff.
Thrown weapons may not have any core, only duct tape and foam. (For Javelins, see below.) They should be at least 8" long, and not so thin that they could stick in someone's eye. They shouldn't be so dense that they hurt (e.g. wrapped too tightly with tape, too many layers of tape especially when it gets old). It's okay if they're larger than 8" but they shouldn't be huge. You can also melee with these weapons, if you have the appropriate melee weapon skills.
Thrown Weapons cannot be "rocks". The round, baseball-sized throwing rock is almost necessarily made with too much tape, looks terrible, and is far too tempting to throw using all your baseball training -- which means much too hard.
Black Wargs with the Stones Throw skill can make throwing rocks for use with that skill, but they need to be larger than your head, and red-stickered with a 2, 3, 4, or 5. They should be irregular in shape, like a rock, not perfectly round like a ball.
Javelins - you can make a pretty good (and safe) javelin from a golf tube, duct tape, pipe foam, and open cell foam. Golf tubes are cheap, lightweight plastic tubes which can be found at many stores which sell golf supplies (including Walmart). They are normally used to separate golf clubs in golf bags. Instructions:
* Tape over the non-rolled end of the golf tube with 2 strips of duck tape.
* Secure a 1 inch thick disk of closed cell pipe foam on this with duct tape.
* Attach a standard 2 inch thrusting tip (just like you would use on a sword) over this with duct tape.
* Secure the tape ends to the golf tube with one layer of duck tape wrapped around the golf tube.
Punching weapons (e.g. tonfa, katar) will not be approved. There's too much risk of putting your full body mass into the strike.
Flails - We have occasionally approved flail-type weapons when the connecting cord was very short and the striking part very lightweight. In general they are really ineffective weapons but the look is fun.
Arrows - For instructions on making safety arrows (to be fired from real bows 25 lbs draw or less), see the arrow building guide. You cannot use these arrows as melee weapons.
Nerf Arrows - If using a crossbow that fires Nerf Micro Darts, they must not be tagger darts with velcro. You can use the Sonic Darts or standard suction cup darts. You can also remove the velcro from tagger darts and use them that way. The velcro is painful if it hits your target in the eye.
Blowguns - Usually it's best to buy these at toy stores. Blowguns do not need to be padded like melee weapons; they also cannot be swung like melee weapons and you cannot use them to block melee attacks.
Pommels should not have any rigid or sharp edges exposed. They do not need the same amount of padding as the thrusting tip of your weapon, but do need some padding to cover these edges.
Shields also must not have any sharp edges or points on the front or sides. If you have bolts going through the shield to hold it together, pad and tape the exposed parts.
Shield dimensions are set in the rulebook but to sum up: Shield skill specifically says it must be larger than a buckler but no larger than 24"x30" or 30" diameter. If the shield meets those criteria, you can use it with the Shield skill. You are not required to have a shield of the maximum size, it can be smaller as long as it is bigger than a buckler.
Tower Shield skill specifically says it must be larger than a buckler but no larger than 21"x38". If the shield meets those criteria, you can use it with the Tower Shield skill. Again, your Tower Shield can be smaller than the maximum size as long as it is bigger than a buckler.
This does mean that there will be some shields that are usable with both skills. E.g. a shield 21"x24". And other shields that are only usable with Shield skill, and other shields only usable with Tower Shield skill.
Bucklers can only be used with the Buckler skill, since the other two skills specifically note they can not be used with buckler-sized shields. |
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Weapons - where can I buy them?
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See our links page for links to recommended vendors.
Are Actionflex weapons allowed? In general, yes, including almost all swords, knives, and staves. Actionflex that are not allowed include: Pro-Series Escrima Sticks (described as "Harder-Hitting), Tonfas, Spears of all types, Tai Chi sword, possibly Nunchuks.
Are latex weapons from ___ allowed? No. So far, every latex weapon we've seen has been too hard, and has had an unsafe thrusting tip. If you find something that you believe is as safe as a boffer weapon, you can bring it for inspection, but based on what we've seen so far, it probably will not pass.
Are non-latex weapons from Iron Liege allowed? No, same reason as latex weapons.
Are hybrid weapon from Iron Liege allowed? We have approved their hybrid axes, maces, and hammers in the past, although they will be approved only on a case-by-case basis. Their swords and other blades are NOT allowed, they use sheets of fairly dense foam laminated together with glue, which is much too hard. Also, the swords have unsafe thrusting tips.
How about weapons from Calimacil? (Also carried by a number of other vendors.) These are closer to what we want to see, but still too hard. We have spoken to them about our concerns, perhaps someday they'll make something we can approve of.
Latex shields typically are ok, assuming they fit the size requirements.
Arrows from http://store.archerytag.com/collections/frontpage are acceptable. Their standard bow is also acceptable (even though it is marginally higher draw weight than our standard).prove of. |
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Weapons - where do I get the materials to make them?
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See our links page for links to recommended vendors (including for pipe insulation).
True Value hardware stores seem to be the best local source for 5/8" wall thickness pipe insulation, if you don't want to mail order it. Ace Hardware is also a good place to look. Home Depot and Lowes do not carry 5/8" pipe insulation. Noble Hardware in Attleboro, MA consistently carries it if you're in that area.
For open cell foam, try your local craft/fabric store, and look for mattress foam. It should be soft and, after you squeeze it, it should immediately rebound to its original shape.
Kite rod - carbon fiberglass and graphite cores are allowed, as long as they meet the minimum size requirements (.505" diameter for one-handed weapons, .600" for two-handed). Several vendors are listed on our links page.
Arrows - carbon fiber arrow shafts are preferred. Aluminum is also permitted, but once the arrow gets stepped on in melee and becomes bent, the arrow will be pretty much worthless, so we don't recommend it.
Duct tape comes in many colors and is indispensible. Metal tape (as opposed to metallic-colored duct tape) is not acceptable (it has sharp edges). Cloth kite tape is ok. It's also ok to use a cloth "sleeve" instead of tape. |
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What is the "health point" (Vitality) system and how exactly does it work?
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While getting hit with a sword will often take down a real person, we assume that some of our heroes are tough enough to survive several hits. "Vitality" (our health points) is the measure of just how much you can take. Every regular hit with a weapon causes you to lose 1 of your Vitality.
For example, a warrior with 3 Vitality can survive two solid hits to the gut, but the third hit will leave him unconscious and bleeding on the ground. But an average Joe with 1 Vitality will fall on that first hit.
However, we don't want people dying from being hit too many times in the ankle. Unless you're Achilles, that's just not heroic. So, you'll only lose your last point of Vitality if you get hit in the torso (chest or back). If you on are your last Vitality and get hit in an arm or leg, that limb is Stunned and unusable for 5 minutes or until it gets healed or bandaged.
So to consider our warrior with 3 Vitality again, suppose he gets hit in the torso. He loses 1 Vitality, and now has 2 left. He can keep fighting with no trouble. Now he gets hit in the arm. He loses 1 more Vitality, and now only has 1 left. No problem. Now he gets hit in the other arm. He can't lose his last Vitality from an arm hit, but his arm is stunned. Hopefully that wasn't his fighting arm. Now he gets hit in the chest. He loses his last Vitality and falls down, unconscious and bleeding to death. |
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What things do I have to be taught? How does that work?
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If a skill is listed in the rulebook, and your class is able to buy it, then you can learn it on your own. Often it's fun and good roleplaying to have someone teach you, and we encourage that (people especially like teaching Literacy) but it is not required.
If your class can't buy a skill, teaching won't help.
There are a few skills that need to be taught. These are the advanced craft and advanced ritual skills. Your teacher will let you know what these skills are and when you are ready to learn them. Once you have been taught, you should list them in your PEL in the "Learned" section, and note whether you want to purchase them (we will not add them to your character unless you ask us to, we're not mindreaders after all).
Spells can be learned by teaching, or by experimentation. Please see pages 101-102 (magic) or 110-111 (faith) of the rulebook for the details. |
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