If you read nothing else in this entire wiki, read this: If any person, player or otherwise, makes you feel unsafe at an event, immediately notify a member of Staff. If that person is a member of Staff, please contact the Game Owner, Valkyrie, directly.
Do:
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Do get an Authorization ! Authorizations are mandatory for participation in Valhalla, whether or not you intend to participate in combat. This is our way of making sure everyone is on the same page regarding various rules and safe practices.
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Do call “CAUTION” if someone is about to walk backwards over a hazard they can’t see or collide with an obstacle; basically, anything that looks unsafe but doesn’t rise to a hold.
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Do call “HOLD” if someone drops their glasses, twists an ankle, or etc. Use a HOLD if something unsafe is happening that requires everyone to stop what they’re doing.
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Do call “MEDIC” if you need urgent first aid.
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Do call out behavior that is unsafe, regardless of who is doing it.
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Do ask Staff if you’re unsure as to whether something is safe or not.
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Do ask for accommodation if you need it to play the game safely.
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Do treat anything called out over the bullhorn as important out of game information. Staff might make important safety calls!
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Do sign out with staff or otherwise let staff know if you need to leave site for any reason.
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Do make absolutely sure your target is not Non-Combat before attacking them, especially at night.
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Do ask players “Do you wanna take this outside?” when things get heated in the Great Hall
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Do check in with yourself and your fellow players, particularly after intense moments of roleplay and follow the guidelines in the Roleplaying Guide
Don’t:
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Don’t be in someone’s personal space without their explicit consent.
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Don’t initiate romantic or sexual roleplaying without explicit prior consent.
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Don’t play while intoxicated or otherwise impaired.
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Don’t discharge foam dart blasters, throw packets, or swing boffers in the Great Hall, ever.
Safety & Consent Symbols
Safety Marshal
A badge that includes the Safety Marshal symbol identifies a Safety Marshal. A Safety Marshal can perform combat authorizations, temporarily or permanently remove a combat authorization, and make safety-related rules calls during play.
Do Not Touch
This is an OOC symbol indicating that players should not touch or handle whatever the symbol is attached to. This could be because the item is fragile, dangerous, or is necessary for game operations.
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Player Use
Players can wear the Do Not Touch symbol on a badge or on clothing to indicate they do not wish to be touched by other players without explicit permission. This symbol does not apply to boffers/packets/darts or other combat physreps and does not require a player to be a non-combatant.
Players may not ****put the Do Not Touch symbol on physreps used for tagged items.
A sash worn diagonally across the torso with NON-COMBAT written on the front and back. The words must be clearly readable from at least 20ft away. At nighttime, Non-Combat characters should carry lanterns or other illumination to ensure that the sash remains readable from a distance.
Wearing a NON-COMBAT sash indicates that you, the player, must not be struck by boffer weapons or blaster darts under any circumstances.
Combat Involving Non-Combatants
- Non-Combatants should do their best to avoid areas where players are fighting to reduce the likelihood of accidentally being struck. If they find themselves in the middle of a combat or at the site of an imminent combat, they should do their best to leave the area as quickly and as safely as possible. 50ft and/or out of sight is a good rule of thumb for “leaving the area,” but otherwise use your best judgement.
- Non-combatant characters may not directly participate or support combat in any way (e.g., through Aim or Kaboom deliveries at the edge of a fight).
- Players can simulate attacking Non-Combatants by approaching within melee range (approximately arms’ reach) and calling a loud, slow “Attacking!” ten-count followed by “I drop you”. At the end of ten seconds, if the call is uninterrupted, the Target is immediately placed in the Downed state. A Non-Combatant player should stop moving if their character is being targeted by an “Attacking!” ten-count, though their character may beg and plead or otherwise vocalize.
- Players should not chase Non-Combatants who are making an effort to exit the combat area, and should not even attempt to simulate attacking a Non-Combatant unless there are no more threats in the vicinity.
- For the purposes of rules and visual identifiers, there is only one kind of Non-Combatant status. There is no differentiation between voluntary status and Non-Combatant status enforced by Staff or the Safety Team due to unsafe fighting practices.
Combat Safety
In general, the following principles apply for boffer and foam dart combat:
- Valid strike areas are anywhere on the body except for hands, head, and groin. If a boffer, dart, packet, or other delivery hits you in one of these locations, then you should react appropriately.
- Expect to hit and get hit! You’ll probably feel it, and you might get a small mark or two. This is normal and expected, However, if you swing at someone and they still feel the hit more than three seconds later, your strike was probably too hard.
- Nerf blasters and other ranged weapons will be chronographed before they are allowed on the field. Darts sometimes sting and may sometimes leave small marks. This is normal and expected.
- There is absolutely no combat permitted in the Great Hall whatsoever at any time for any reason. This includes mock weapon swings or dry fire discharges of a blaster. If your character story necessitates a fight, employ the phrase “let’s take this outside” and move outside the Great Hall.
- More details can be found in Combat Safety
Grievance Procedure
Problems and disagreements happen. In the event that you have an issue with the behavior of another player, member of the Safety Team, or even a member of Staff, please use the following procedure:
- Step 1: Discuss the problem with the other player as soon as is practical unless you feel physically unsafe doing so. Try to approach the situation constructively and politely.
- Step 2: If Step 1 doesn’t achieve a satisfying result, reach out to a member of Staff.
- Step 3: If Step 3 doesn’t achieve a satisfying result, contact the Game Owner, Valkyrie, directly.
“As soon as is practical” varies based on the situation. For example, if someone is hitting you too hard in combat, you should immediately inform them that they are hitting too hard and ask them to stop. In another example, if someone is flirting with you in-character in a way that makes you uncomfortable, it is best to immediately ask them to stop but reasonable to take a bit of time to collect yourself and address it with them later in the day or between sessions. Your grievance is still valid if it takes you some time to report it, but Staff will be able to support you better if you report things sooner rather than later.
If the dispute involves combat, the ideal is to bring it to the nearest Safety Marshal in the moment. Safety Marshals can be identified by a Safety Marshal badge as indicated above. If you cannot locate a Safety Marshal in the moment and need to escalate a combat-related dispute, bring it to the Head Safety Marshal (Cat, who typically plays Ray) or another member of Staff. If the matter is urgent, feel free to use the walkie talkie located in Logistics.
Emergencies
Sometimes emergencies happen. In the event of a major emergency, gather at the emergency assembly point (EAP) and follow the directions of safety Staff. The location of the EAP will be indicated with an EAP marker and also announced at opening announcements.
Next: Roleplaying Guide