Combat Rules

Combat at Anomalous may occur both during Incursions and Excursions, and outside of the safe zone of the Base Camp. Within the Base Camp Safe Zone, combat should not be started and all blows fail to injure their targets.

In general, everyone has a base set of “Real World” abilities, but under the influence of certain XX-Category Anomalies those abilities may be temporarily changed. Anyone with altered abilities will be made aware of their new capabilities when the Incursion/Excursion occurs.

Anyone fighting should familiarise themselves with the LARP Safety rules.

• Every character has a number of hits.
• Every character is capable of striking with an unribboned LARP safe weapon.
• Every character is capable of firing an unribboned firearm once per 10 seconds to call YOU: FATAL at a target.

• You may only strike with a weapon or make a call once per second.
• When struck with a weapon, you lose a hit and should roleplay accordingly.
• Head hits do not count, and hits on the hand count as hits on the weapon.

• Every character is capable of blocking blows with an unribboned LARP safe weapon, including unribboned shields.

• When you reach 0 hits, you should fall over on the floor and begin your Bleed Count (90 seconds at base).
• Every character can slow down the bleeding of a Character on their death count to half speed by roleplaying staunching your wound.
• With 10 seconds of appropriate roleplay you may call EXECUTE on a bleeding character, immediately killing them.
• There is no automatic healing.

• With 30 seconds of appropriate roleplay you may inform an unresisting character “OC: You are tied up”.
• Tied up characters should (if able) have their hands behind their back or crossed on front of them, and cannot move without being directed by another character.
• Any tied up character may, with 30 seconds of appropriate roleplay uninterrupted, escape their bonds.

• Some Characters may have the ability to manifest without being physically or visibly present. Such abilities are represented by putting two fingers in the air (the “out-of-character” signal) to indicate the person playing that Character isn't physically there but may still be interacting with the world (e.g. talking, manipulating objects).

• In the “Real World”, Characters have 1 hit and a 90 second bleed count.
• Every Character in the “Real World” can staunch a bleeding Character with appropriate roleplay (do not touch someone without their express OC consent) to slow their bleeding to half speed.

• As an example, an Incursion by Red Circle may provide the following changes during the Incursion:
  • All Characters have 3 hits by default
  • Body armour provides 2 additional hits
  • All Characters with the “Line Manager” ability are able to call YOU: KNOCKDOWN once per 10 minutes.
  • All Characters in the “Security” department are able to call RESIST to WOUND.
  • All Technicians are able to use ribboned weapons.
  • Firearms cannot be used.

Many anomalies have supernatural abilities, and some things may give you similar abilities. These are represented by making “Calls” during combat. When you make a call you should make it loudly and clearly so that it is understood.

There are three ways you may make a call: in melee, at range, or reactively:

• Melee calls should be made upon making a successful hit to body, weapon, or shield, and always reduce the target's hits by 1 if the hit was against a character's body.
• Ranged calls can be made at range by either specifying a target with the prefix “YOU” (with a descriptor of the target if necessary, “YOU KNOCKBACK”, “YOU, RED ARMOUR, KNOCKBACK”), or with “YOU LOT”, holding your arms out in an arc for the next few seconds so it is clear whom the call affects, or with “MASS”, which affects everyone within 10m. A Ranged call will specify if it should be called with YOU or YOU LOT. Ranged calls never reduce the target's hits.
• Reactive calls can be made when struck by a weapon or upon receiving a call. Reactive calls never reduce the target's hits.

Some calls apply over a duration – by default this is 10 seconds. Sometimes these calls may be followed by a duration (e.g. AGONY 10) which indicates that the call should be suffered over a duration. The number specified is the number of seconds, so AGONY 10 would apply the effect of AGONY to the victim for 10 seconds. If you can apply a duration to a call this will be explicitly specified by the ability granting you access to that call.

The duration of “INDEFINITE” may in very rare situations be used to indicate that an effect will be ongoing until it receives specific treatment (e.g. WOUND PERMANENT breaks a Character's limb until they receive specific medical attention, rather than the normal effect of expiring after a set amount of time).

There are 15 calls in Anomalous which are designed to cover the range of paranormal, supernatural, and mundane threats that Characters may encounter. While it is helpful to know what they all do it is always perfectly fine to drop out of character to ask someone what a call they just made did.

The AGONY call represents a particularly painful wound being inflicted. This could be acid or fire, or equally could represent a sudden cluster headache from having a massive psychic power attempting to subdue you.

If you are subject to AGONY then for the duration you are unable to land blows in combat or make any calls, you may only fight defensively with one hand, and should roleplay being in serious pain.

The DETECT call is made at range and represents an ability to sense things of a particular type. It could be a supernatural ability or some sort of scanner, but it always requires a type – for example, “DETECT HUMANS” or “DETECT ANOMALIES”.

Anyone who hears a DETECT call and qualifies as the specified type should loudly call back PING. This knowledge is only immediately available to the person who called DETECT, unless they choose to share it.

The EXECUTE call represents a killing blow being made to a character who is bleeding and immediately kills them, ending their bleed count fatally.

Anyone can call EXECUTE on a bleeding character after 10 seconds of appropriate roleplay.

EXECUTE has no effect on characters who are not bleeding out.

The FATAL call represents a massive amount of damage being dealt by a firearm, a powerful being or some other effect.

When you receive a FATAL you immediately are reduced to 0 body hits and start bleeding out.

The FLEE call represents an overwhelming flight response to witnessing something. Your Character's primal instincts kick in and attempt to get you away from the source of the terror.

If you are subject to FLEE you must quickly move directly away from the source of the FLEE until you no longer have a line of sight to it.

The HEAL call represents a Character receiving medical attention or some sort of supernatural healing. The HEAL call must always be followed by a number of hits to be restored, or “FULL” indicating all of a Character's hits are restored.

The HOLD call represents a character being frozen in place by some sort of supernatural force. If you are subject to the HOLD call then you must stop moving and may not move for the duration.

You may still talk, and any blow that strikes you is still taken. You are aware of everything that transpires during this time. After the duration you may continue moving as normal.

Some things in the world are simply impervious to certain effects which will never be able to affect them. In such cases, the IMMUNE call is used as a reaction to a call to indicate that a call will never have any effect on the target.

Calls that are reacted to with IMMUNE are still used up.

The KNOCKBACK call represents being hit with force enough to knock you off your feet.

When you receive a KNOCKBACK you should do one of:

• fall to the floor with either your back or your torso touching it
• immediately stagger backwards by 5 large paces
• drop to one knee for 5 seconds.

It is always your choice which of these to do. You may then get back up and move as normal.

The PUSH and PULL calls are opposites of each other and represent something flinging you away or drawing you close. It could be physical (such as an overwhelming force or a grappling hook), or it could be metaphysical.

When subject to the PUSH or PULL call you must move in a direct line away from / toward the source (depending on the call) until you would hit an obstacle or another Character.

The REVIVE call represents a brief burst of adrenaline being given to someone on their Bleed Count. It is capable of giving someone a last gasp of consciousness that could help get them to safety.

If you are bleeding out and subject to the REVIVE call is restored to 1 hit for 60 seconds, after which point you will lose that hit.

If you are healed properly during the duration of a REVIVE then you are stabilised and do not lose the hit at the end.

The SHATTER call represents damage being dealt to an item to render it useless. In melee it is applied to the item that receives the blow, and in the rare cases of SHATTER at range a target item must be specified (e.g. SHATTER THAT GUN).

An item that has been subject to SHATTER cannot be used for any purpose until it is repaired by someone with an appropriate ability (such as a Technician).

SHATTER has no effect if it strikes a body (unless that body is wearing Body Armour, in which case the Armour is considered used).

The STUN call represents a Character becoming confused, bewildered, or otherwise dazed and unable to rely on their senses.

For the duration of the call, you are unable to meaningfully defend yourself or make rational decisions.

The WOUND call represents targeted and debilitating damage being done to a specific body part. It could be a shot to the kneecap, or could represent some supernatural effect preventing you from using your arms.

For the duration of a WOUND call, the targeted body part cannot be used and you should roleplay accordingly.

In melee the WOUND affects the body part that was struck when the WOUND is called. At range, a body part must be specified (e.g. WOUND LEFT LEG).

When you reach 0 hits, you should fall over on the floor and begin counting. This is your Bleed Count. When you reach the end of your Bleed Count, you will die.

You are not necessarily unconscious while bleeding out. You may make noises and call for help, you may drag yourself to safer locations along the ground or move slowly supported by someone else (who should only be making physical contact with your permission). You may not use any of your skills during this time, but may be affected by effect calls, including YOU LOT or MASS calls.

While bleeding out you may be “carried” by another character moving slowly and with appropriate roleplay with both hands but do not touch another person without their permission - telling them you are dragging them is sufficient. A “carried” character is not affected by effects that only target the person carrying them (i.e. calling PUSH on someone carrying someone else is a valid way to get them to drop them)

It is possible to slow down a bleeding character's Bleed Count by staunching their wound. This should be represented with appropriate roleplay using both hands but do not touch another person without their permission - hovering your hands over them to represent this is sufficient. While you are being staunched, you only advance your Bleed Count at half speed (advancing your count once every two seconds, not every second).

If you receive a HEAL call while bleeding out, you receive the point of healing and your Death Count stops (it will be restarted from 0 the next time you reach 0 hits).

If you receive a REVIVE call while bleeding out, you receive a point of healing that lasts for 60 seconds. If you do not receive proper healing within that duration you will lose the hit at the end and begin bleeding out again.

If you are subject to the EXECUTE call while bleeding out, your Bleed Count immediately finishes and you die.