Version 2.01 dated 04-JUN-2025
Safety
Health and safety is everyone’s responsibility at an event. Be aware of any potential hazards, particularly if a combat begins in an awkward area such as near tent guy ropes, glass bottles, candles and other hazards such as steep drops, awkward terrain, tables, chairs, and braziers. If you think the situation is dangerous then don’t be afraid to call a time freeze and move out of the area.
Weapons & Armor
Our insurance requires that all weapons & armour that may be used in melee combat should be checked by a ref. We will sign your weapons off against your name in a document brought to site at each event. Until signed off your weapons are considered unsafe and should not be used.
Weapons checks will take place before the event player brief, in the 10 minutes or so after the player brief or each morning between 9.30am and 10am. Once signed off for the event please continue to regularly check your weapons yourself after each combat. We check for breaks in foam or fatigue where the hard core could come through, splits or cuts and look for loose items that might fly off into someone’s eye.
Armour must have either filed round edges or rolled edges, even leather armour may have rivets that could catch people. You must be able to fall in your armour. If falling would cause you to hurt yourself then the armour is not safe.
If you are not sure about a piece of kit in any way then please don’t use it. Please be aware that responsibility for the safety of your kit ultimately lies with you.
Users of Bows and Crossbows have to be certified as competent by a ref before they can use them. Again, this is an insurance requirement. Simply read the Ranged Weapon Safety information and ask any ref to assess you. Once assessed as safe you will not need to be reassessed.
Non-LARP-safe items such as Black Powder Guns and other physreps should not be used in melee combat, even to defend yourself.
Crew weapons should not be picked up and used, they are best left with the crew member even if IC you have disarmed them. Not all crew kit is larp safe, sometimes we use items in an encounter to provide a visual rather than a fight.
Combat Safety
No thrusting with weapons, this is a general rule we use for everyone with every weapon, even if you have a ‘stabsafe’ weapon. Total coreless weapons such as throwing weapons may be an exception, please talk to a ref.
Pull your blows (if you don’t know what this means, ask a ref who will demonstrate). All players should have had some sort of practice at fighting with either a ref or an experienced player before their first event starts.
Head, neck and groin hits don’t count, so never ever aim for these areas. This is a full contact system so you should expect to get hit and even get the odd bruise. If you are not confident about being hit or using a larp weapon, please ask and we will give you some basic instruction, however this is full contact larp system, we don’t pick and choose who gets hit.
Grappling is only by mutual consent, so no diving on crew and vice versa, particularly if you are heavy or wearing armour as you can easily injure others.
If your character has fallen over, or even died IC in a fight then you should crawl out of the way of the combat to avoid being trampled.
If combat is moving into an area that is unsafe then a ref will stop the action and move the entire fight to a safe location. This having been said, any player can call “Time Freeze!” if you see something that could cause harm to a player. A ref will take any action required and restart the game.
Ranged Weapon safety
Bow & Crossbow safety information
- Ensure that your bow is correctly and securely strung
- Take the distance to your target into account before firing. DO NOT full draw at a target 10ft or less away
- Do not parry or strike with your bow! It is NOT a melee weapon
- Do not use a bow when light levels mean that you cannot clearly see a target
An incorrectly strung bow is a danger to you and other players as well as demonstrating a lack of experience with a bow. You must know how to string a bow correctly. Modern LRP bows and crossbows are capable of firing a LRP arrow much further than most of the older equipment in use by the hobby a decade ago, even though their poundage at full draw has not changed. It is not safe to fire an arrow at high speed at a close target. If you have a bow you must reduce your draw when firing at nearby targets. You must not use a bow full draw at a target that is 10ft or closer to you; as you cannot reduce the pull for a crossbow you must not fire it at all at a target closer than 10ft.
- You must check every arrow you use before firing them
- If your bow is of a higher poundage or wooden ensure that limbs are warmed before a large fight
Arrows must be checked every time they are used. It is particularly important to check every arrow before you reuse as an arrow recovered from a battlefield has a high chance of being unsafe. The guidelines for all archers checking their arrows are below; if you are unsure then ask a ref.
- Check the head is secure and free from debris
- Check the shaft is not cracked or split
- Check the arrows does not have missing or loose flights
- Check if the nock is loose or split
Terrain
Don’t run headlong through the trees (especially at night) as there are lots of overhanging branches that can poke your eye, or stumps that can trip you, please try to be aware of your surroundings and be careful. Good boots might not always look in character but will help protect your ankles from sprains.
Candles
At some sites, candles are used to illuminate areas, any candles should be placed in suitable holders to minimise the risk of them being knocked over or coming in to contact flammable materials. Most indoor sites do not allow candles, if you wish to set up candles inside please check with a ref. We urge you to use LED replacement candles. Candles should never be used inside tents and should never be left unattended.
Open fires
Not all outdoor sites allow open fires. Please check with a ref if there are any site specific rules, unless you have been notified in the pre-event brief. Open fires should not be left unattended as even a small fire can release a spark that could cause a fire in a nearby bush or tent, please use common sense particularly in long spells of dry weather. Fires must never be left unattended and must be extinguished before sleep. Ensure you maintain sufficient safe distance from a fire and children are supervised at all times. If there is any doubt, find someone experienced in fire lighting or do not light a fire.
Open water
Some of our outdoor events have water features such as rivers or lakes. Where these are present you will be given specific safety briefings if applicable. General principles though are that no water should be considered safe for drinking/swimming unless explicitly told so and no combat should occur within 2m of the waters edge.
Dehydration
Many a larper forgets to keep hydrated in hot weather (and even the not so hot weather!), please keep your fluid level up and if we are going to be away from the main camp (we will warn you if we plan to do this) ensure you have access to water just in case. Some sites we use have regular stand pipes for use.
Public
With most sites we use we should not have issues with members of the public walking through the site, however some locations are open to or next to areas that are open to the public, so please be polite and courteous to other people – we will call Time Freeze on encounters to allow people to travel past and then continue encounters when it is safe to do so. If you do see members of the public on site that they should not be on, please let the ref team know so we can direct them immediately off the site.
Leaving site
If you leave the site, let the ref team know where you have gone and when you are likely to be back. Do not drive through the IC area during a game in progress without express permission. As well as the usual safety reasons it is also awkward if the crew have been set up for a personal/group encounter and find that they are no longer around. When you return to the site do your best to minimise any disruption of ongoing IC activity.
Use of Vehicles on site
While it is desirable to be able to drive to the point of unloading, drivers must be aware of the fact that all event sites are considered predominantly pedestrianised. A maximum speed limit of 5mph is in effect. Stick to clear vehicle routes, do not go off road. Only drive into the in character area once the game is in progress with the express permission of the ref team. We do not have parking marshals, parking areas are clearly marked. Do not obstruct entrance or exit to the site as emergency vehicles must have clear routes.
First Aiders
1st aiders will be pointed out in the pre-event brief.
Injuries
Anyone with any injuries or conditions they wish others players/crew to be aware of will be asked in the pre-event brief to let us know.
Medical conditions
If you have any special medical conditions we should be aware of that you don’t wish others to know of, please let the main First Aider know, they will keep the information confidential. If you have things like Inhalers or Tablets you may need at short notice, ensure at least one other person knows where to find them for you. Interventionist medication like inhalers is best kept in an IC pouch or pocket as we may move significant distances from tents.
Alcohol
If you have consumed alcohol at least above what would be considered the legal limit for driving then you are not fit to fight. Please try and avoid consuming so much alcohol that you make yourself ill, or forget to stay In Character.
Problems
If you have any problems with anything that was done to you, think behaviour was inappropriate or dangerous, please don’t take matters into your own hands, please talk to a ref and we will take any appropriate action.
“Man Down” call
Shout this only if somebody has received a real injury, do not use in play. When this is called immediately stop play so that we can identify and treat the injury.
Cooking, Toilets and Personal Tents and Beds
Please don’t attack people while they are using the toilets, cooking or in their own tents or beds (for residential sites) etc., for such moments they are considered automatically Out of Character. We try to organise times in the plot for people to eat at the same time, so we should not be having combat encounters while people are cooking or eating.
Personal Tents, unless brought specifically to be used as part of an IC camp, are out of bounds for IC activity.
Likewise anyone who is in bed is classed as Out of Character, many people have to drive long distances to get to and from events and we want them to be able to sleep enough to do so safely.
Code of Conduct
Most of what we are saying below is common sense however we have found a few people don’t have this.
In-character
Ascendancy LRP is a live roleplay system aimed at adults so expect adult themes such as mind-influencing magic, drugs and addiction, slavery, human sacrifice, racism and prejudice, prostitution, violence, robbery, torture, and murder. They do not include non-consensual sex or sex with minors and such subjects should not be included in any form. It is not possible to know what real life experiences others have suffered, so please never feel obliged to roleplay anything you are uncomfortable with, if you find yourself in such a situation please withdraw either IC or OOC.
Try to stay In Character as much as possible. Even chilling around a camp fire with some booze is an excellent opportunity for IC interaction and allows refs and crew to interact and potentially bring useful information or contacts into the conversation.
Children
Ascendancy LRP does allow children to participate, however anyone under the age of 16 should only come along with a parent who is also participating in the game. This system is aimed at an adult audience, as such we will not normally provide encounters specifically for anyone under the age of 16.
Not all sites or events will be suitable for under 16’s, generally we only allow them at the larger camping events. Contact us in advance if you want to bring along anyone under 16 so we can advise you accordingly for the event you want to attend.
All Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and they assume total responsibility and supervision for the child in assessing the dangers and what parts of the event they may take part in. As general guidance children under 16 should not be in the midst of combat.
Indoor events are strictly 16+, and minors must be accompanied by a full-paying adult.
Respect
Show respect toward all property and possessions. If you bring expensive possessions to an event, Ascendancy LRP are not liable for any loss or damages, so it is up to you if you want to risk them.
Do not litter the site, make sure you keep an eye out for any small pieces of litter around your camp area, indeed if you spot litter around any of the sites we use, pick it up if you can and bring it back to a rubbish bag for disposal.
Please do your best to keep the site tidy at all times, in particular clear away bottles, cans, packets to rubbish bags (even rubbish not yours) and if possible keep out-of-character stuff hidden.
Please try to keep the pot wash sinks clear of your pots. Wash your pots after use, don’t leave them in the sink for crew or other players wash up for you. If camping put them away back at your camp once they have been washed.
Try not to leave/store your IC kit in the wash rooms, small things all help to keep the facilities free for everyone to easily use.
Bad behaviour
Out of Character physical abuse, discrimination, sexual harassment and verbal abuse is not tolerated and should be reported at the earliest opportunity to a ref. If you think behaviour inappropriate please don’t take matters into your own hands, please talk to a ref and we will take any appropriate action.
Late nights and noise
We run core plot from approximately 10am to 12 midnight, sometimes later. We can also run non-core plot encounters after this time to 1 or 2am or even later in the morning so if you go to bed early there will be noise (combat, shouting, laughing, crying, singing, blood curdling screams etc). All we can say is – those that go to bed early, please be patient with those that go to bed late, they want their fun as much as you want your sleep and vice-versa; earplugs can help. Those that stay up late, try to be quieter or have encounters out the way, to help those who like sleep or need sleep perhaps because they have a long drive the following day.
Smoking
Smoking is allowed (unless a Site’s rules specify otherwise), though we expect all smokers to dispose of cigarette litter into waste areas so that the countryside that we LRP in is not damaged by our presence.
Smoking is not permitted in any buildings, so outside only please. Smoking in in-game areas is counted as in character and you will remain in play. You should remain in character and are subject to the usual in-game risks of the world.
Cigarette butts are litter, dispose of them properly
Photography
Photos taken at Ascendancy events are the property of the photographer, but unless agreed otherwise Ascendancy LRP have the right to use them for promotional purposes.
Before photographs are tagged with a person’s name on Facebook or other social media, please check with the person/people concerned.
Anyone not wishing to be photographed during a event should let us know.
Anyone taking photographs should do so in a manner which does not affect in-character immersion; please try to use zoom functions and stand well back from the players, as out of sight as possible.
While holding a camera the person is considered OOC even if in costume. Players should not use this as a defence against attack, we will notice.