FAQ/quick-launch guide for potential new players?

[kell]

Hello!
I moved to Newfoundland last year and used to LARP back in Ontario. I found a post about your group on Reddit and was wondering what's the easiest way for a potential new player to find out some quick info on your group?

[Z]

Hey there! We recently just finished a game this weekend, so most of us are pretty tired, myself included, but I would love to give you a bit of a primer once I get a nice sleep tonight if you're up for it! I'll add more under this comment once I get a chance.

There are some pretty decent resources here on the forum, I especially recommend checking out the "Rules Realm" and taking a look at the basics section with the rulebook. We also have a Facebook page which should have some more info and is used to communicate fairly frequently, it's just called "Epoch On The Rock" if you give it a search!

If you've any specific questions feel free to post them here, or if you can find a more specific section go for that (no pressure though, especially as you're new) and otherwise I'll do a bit more of a write-up soon, hope to see you at game!

[Marr]

Hello, Sorry we couldn't catch you while you were online.
I second that Quick Info you may be looking for would mostly be this forum,

To jump to rules
https://epochnl.canadian-forum.com/t58-the-basics-rulebook-character-sheet-and-more
In sort it's based on OLD Ontario Larp rules but more additions and changes have been added by rule supplements, We are actually in the process of making a complete full Rule Book to post.

And straight link to the facebook group it is invite only but we generally get to them quickly
https://www.facebook.com/groups/163939823779112/about/
From there you can see all the old posts and Videos from our AD also a old Ontario player
And Feel free to hop into group chat and ask your questions.

Feel free to also just to email me
MarrProxy@gmail.com

Or as Z said post here and we will get back to you.

[Kell]

Hello!
Thanks for your replies! I've been scanning over the rulebook and forums a bit; there's just a few general questions I have now, and then I may have some more nitty-gritty stuff for later.

It looks like you guys have about a game a month, from ~May-October? Are these Friday-Sunday? Where do you hold them, and how much for a weekend? How many players do you have approximately?

Character creation:
I'm pretty much an elf elitist, so from the rulebook it sounds that you get 20 XP to create a new character, which would all be eaten up by choosing the elf race. I don't want to come to my first game with no abilities, so in this case I could 'purchase' a disadvantage which would give me a few extra points to use? Am I understanding that all correctly?
On that note, I'd really like to play a spellcaster. I've never played a spellcaster before, and I'm just having a bit of trouble getting my head around all the magic rules. I'd love if someone could help me out with the basics of this.

Armour phys reps: I've so far only found a small paragraph about armour in the rulebook. Are armour phys reps required? Are there specific rules about how armour phys reps should look? I.e. my old larp dictated what materials the armour was made out of to provide the full protection value - for example the thickness of the leather, spacing of studs, materials used for chainmaille/plate armour, etc.

I was really glad to find out that there was a LARP in Newfoundland, and that it's really active! I didn't look until now because I wasn't expecting to find one!

[Kell]

Oh, and weapons question similar to the one on armour - what are the regulations on this? Are latex weapons a go or no-go? My current boffer weapons are all of the PVC, foam, and duct tape variety.

[Malva]

Gah, I wish we were still doing in-person Meet 'n' Greets to introduce newbies, but covid got in the way...

It looks like you guys have about a game a month, from ~May-October? Are these Friday-Sunday? Where do you hold them, and how much for a weekend? How many players do you have approximately?

Generally yes! We also have two long-weekend games this year. They are at Camp McCarthy in Carbonear. It's generally $60 per game including meal plan, idk the math without. Though the long weekends will be a bit more. Since covid, we've been down to around 30 players a game.

the rulebook it sounds that you get 20 XP to create a new character

Yeah, I'm sorry the rulebook doesn't make it clear, but your starting character is automatically doubled out to 40XP!

I could 'purchase' a disadvantage which would give me a few extra points to use? Am I understanding that all correctly?

This part is still true!

Armour phys reps: I've so far only found a small paragraph about armour in the rulebook. Are armour phys reps required? Are there specific rules about how armour phys reps should look? I.e. my old larp dictated what materials the armour was made out of to provide the full protection value - for example the thickness of the leather, spacing of studs, materials used for chainmaille/plate armour, etc.

There are no strict rules to that specificity, no. It's as simple as real leather and metal generally get +1 presentation bonus per area, and fake materials don't. (We are generally a game that allows all levels of costuming above denim and visible zippers)
Basically, you would present your armor to the weapons officer at log and they will appraise your armor according to the guidelines on page 46. There is room for debate, and we tend to err on the generous side.

[Malva]

Oh, and weapons question similar to the one on armour - what are the regulations on this? Are latex weapons a go or no-go? My current boffer weapons are all of the PVC, foam, and duct tape variety.

We allow both! Lots of Epic Armory and Calimacil around, as well as the good ol' pool noodles

[Marr]

Yes we try and run games Generally Once a month between May-October Friday to Sunday But depending on how newfoundland holidays line up we may get a extra day so friday to monday or thursday to sunday.
Do to booking Site this year we couldn't get our normal days which is normally the 3rd week each of those months.
Here are the dates for this year.

We also run a evening potato day and yule event during off season.

New Players First Character Start with 40XP second+ characters start with 20xp but you can Crp it to 40xp
New players also get 1 free mulligan on their character using all 40xp so you don't have to worry about picking your skills and being stuck with them.
Yes you can still take a disadvantage if you like for more XP.

Magic, I can't quite give you the exact detail because I'm not really a magic user myself and I'll try and get someone else to chime in on this.
From the basics from my point of view you need to purchase awareness 1 to use and see mana,
From there you need to purchase basically school/tier of magic for the spell type you want to use,
You need to have high enough tier level of magic to cast the spell you want.
so you will need at least tier 2 earth to cast a tier 2 earth spell.

I'm Getting Called away i'll try and finish your questions in the morning

[Marr]

Cost per normal weekend Game is $40 and that is for site and insurance and Meal Plan is $20 if you want to be on it, They try hard to provide food to make everyone happy and cover dietary restrictions.

As said the site is Camp McCarthy in Carbonear If you don't have a ride but want to go feel free to post in facebook chat there is generally someone who is up to help.

Yup about 30+ players a game pre covid we peaked about ~50

Armor- Is only required if you want Armor points.
Malva covered this section pretty well but yeah we have at range of armor from duct tape to purchase metal suits as long as it covers enough of the zone it's suppose to be protecting and it looks somewhat what it is suppose to be you should get something for it.
But I can say if you put effort into making something look good with fake materials you can still get +1 presentation bonus not limited to bought items if you are feeling crafty.

Weapons Almost all weapons are fine as long as as they don't hit too hard and here is all the sizes.
https://epochnl.canadian-forum.com/t361-official-weapon-measurements-sorted-by-class
Granted there can be a some leway if it falls in close to measurements depending on the skill that is required for example you might get a 46-47" skilled sword when the max is 45" or 35" Hard sword when minimum is 37"
There is some understand if you make / purchase a weapon you would like to be able to use it with the skills you have.
Just can't have something wild like a giant Maul and call it a easy hammer.

WE ALSO HAVE A GATHERING SYSTEM
Since we have access to large site and surrounding grounds. Cast has been "seeding" the forest will collectables each came that you can gather with Appropriate Life Skill so if you have life skill-Herbalism 1-3 you can actually go out in the woods and try and find plants "yellow egg capsules or wooden color stick levels 1-3" and take that resource same goes for geology and a couple other skills like physic. Basically like a easter egg hunt.

Pulled from
https://epochnl.canadian-forum.com/t276-rules-supplements-etc

UPDATED GATHERING SYSTEM and GATHER EGGS

Previously, before last season, gathering for seeking geologists and herbalists was expressed by OOG methods with the AD. Players would inform the AD that they were going OOG to gather and they would be given materials at the end of the designated period. The materials acquired would depend on their levels of herbalism or geology and any other given skills depending on other conditions such as the time of day, how long they were out, etc.

From last season, Season 3, onward, gathering has been accomplished by IG actions involving the player literally going into the woods and nearby areas on site to explore and collect materials. These materials are now expressed by yellow capsules containing various tags. These 'gather eggs' are marked with labels denoting their required skill to interact with. Bear in mind these are separate from the 'mod eggs' which carry effects and mini events for any given character who is curious and adventurous.
These skills are Herbalism I, II and III and Geology I, II and III. The character must possess the required level of these skills to interact with any given gather egg. The egg cannot be moved by the character though they may tell someone of a higher skill level about its location.
This may be roleplayed as the character finding a flower or herb but being unable or unsure of how to uproot it without killing it. Similarily, they may happen upon ore deposits but not possess the skills necessary to extract it, and certainly not without damaging the ore.
When players find gather eggs and collect their contents they must also keep the yellow capsule itself on hand. It may be delivered back to the cast cabin's entrance in a designated container for reseeding.
Gather eggs may be found all over site in generally appropriate locations. Some eggs are hidden better than others and may require the player to be a bit more adventurous in certain situations.

For the time being we will not be placing an egg collecting limit on players. Though, much like with mod eggs, it is asked that the player be considerate and not monopolize all of the materials. That being said there should presumably be plenty of resources to go around.
We as cast still intend to address this system in detail at the beginning of each event as it is new ground for players and us as well. As we all familiarize ourselves with it and get a feeling of the balance of it all hopefully it can be polished and made better for everyone adventuring out there. Happy hunting!

Yeah Might need to start hosting MnG in a park again if the weather will cooperate.
If there is anything else or that we missed feel free to ask.

[Marr]

Just had to confirm but epoch on the rock will be at sci-fi on the rock June 24-26. Both a Booth and panel.
Friday panel "What it means to Larp" 3 to 3:50 Avalon/battery
Sunday panel "LARPing with epoch" 12 to 12:50 Plymouth
If you also want to catch some of us in person.

[Marr]

A Big Note I had to get message about.

First game for new players is FREE
besides meal plan $20 if you want to be on it.

[Theo.]

Hello!

The magic system of epoch is confusing at first, but very easy to understand once you know it. In order to cast a spell, you need an equal Tiers Of Power in that element, and in order to get Tiers of Power, you need at least 1 level of awareness. So for example, let's say you wanted to be able to cast "With Water I Untaint You". This is a level Three Water Spell, so you would need to have Tiers of Power: Water 3, so you spend:
5xp to get Awareness 1
1xp to get Tiers of Power:Water 1
2xp Tiers of Power:Water 2
4xp Tiers of power:Water 3
4xp Tier 4 Element (water) Spell "With Water I Untaint You"

Then you will be able to cast that spell in game by holding a water mana packet, chanting the incantation (With Water I Untaint You) and then either touching the target with the mana or throwing it at them and connecting.

Pure element magic (essence and void) behave the exact same EXCEPT you need to have tier 5 of any Elemental Tiers of Power (so Tier of Power 5 water for example) in order to start taking levels in them.

There is a lifeskill called Income, where at the start of game you get resources based on your level in that skill with that particular resource. Every resource has it's own prereqs and limits. For mana, you can only take an income in a particular element if you have tiers of power in that element and the maximum level of Income is equal to twice your tiers of power for that element. So if you have Tiers of Water 3 like in the example, you can have up to six levels of Water Mana Income and get six water mana per game.

Water mana is a green packet
Earth Mana is a brown packet
Air mana is a blue packet
Fire mana is a red packet
Void is a black packet
Essence is a white packet

These packets are provided by cast so you don't have to worry about making your own.

Usually in game, you have to find people to teach you the skills you want, however as an elf you can act as your own teacher for Tiers of Power and Spells so they make very very powerful wizards. They also get access to four very powerful spells called Blends which are detailed in the elf section of the rulebook. Those spells still have prereqs and still need to be bought to be used, but being able to blend with an element (Air is the most useful since despite what the rulebook says, you can actually just blend anywhere there is air (it's everywhere almost)) is a very powerful tool for survival/scouting/stealth etc.

There is also a very strong elf presence in town at the moment, so you will have ample opportunity to RP with other elves and because of the elven code you will have a gaurenteed group you can trust right off the gate which will be great for a new player.


If you have any other questions about magic I would be happy to answer, and I look forward to hopefully meeting you at game!

[Gull]

There are other types of "magic" in the game as well! Psychic and bard skills have their own systems and aren't referred to as magic, but they're similar in the sense that they create specific effects in the world. Depending on what you want out of spellcasting, you might choose to be a mage, a psychic, a bard, or any combination of these. Here's a comparison:

[Kell]

Thank you for all your responses!

I wanted to attend Sci Fi on the Rock, but unfortunately I'm gone on a work trip from the 15th-28th, so I'll just miss it! Hoping we might get back a few days early so I can catch the Sunday. Regardless, I have some weekends free when the events are running - how would I go about signing up and submitting my character sheet? (sorry if this info is somewhere and I've missed it!)

Is there any sort of combat that can be done without purchasing an ability? I.e. melee using a fist boffer
And might I ask - potato day??

Theo - Thanks for all the magic explanation! I'm going to go over the magic part of the rulebook again thoroughly when I have a bit more time than I do now, and may have further questions. Can you tell me the difference between 'prime' and 'pure' mana?

[Zero.]

Hey Kell! Welcome to the forums.

how would I go about signing up and submitting my character sheet?

Submit your sheet as an email attachment to our AD, Sharon at epochtherock@hotmail.com. We refer to this as "logging". In your log, you'd generally also let her know if you're planning to be on meal plan or not, along with any other game-specific info she requests. As an example, a more recent request was to include our regular out-of-game social contacts, to help with limiting the spread of COVID stuff. But on a regular basis, just your sheet and meal plan yes/no is fine. If sent before the cut-off (either the Monday or Wednesday before game, can't recall which), Sharon will print an extra copy of your sheet for you. When you show up for game, you'd go to see her (also referred to as "log"), pay for game/meal plan, and she'll give you your sheet along with any income you may have requested.

Is there any sort of combat that can be done without purchasing an ability? I.e. melee using a fist boffer

Using melee fists would be referred to as Unarmed Strike in the rulebook, under Easy Weapon (page 45 I think). They would do 2 damage if you purchase the skill for 2XP. Without buying weapon skills, anything you use (including fists) would call for 1 damage.

And might I ask - potato day??

Potato Day is a Dwarven holiday to celebrate potatoes. (I'm sure there's more lore that someone else may be able to elaborate on, lol). On an out of game level, we generally get together for a day "Off-season" (sometime between November-April, usually) and roleplay and have a feast! These events are one day or a partial day as opposed to a full weekend, and generally happen in the city instead of our regular site.

Hope this helped!

[Marr]

The Email you send character sheet to would be
epochtherock@hotmail.com
and mention your a new player

As for signing up that is normally done at site during log and every new season there is few forums like about
Injuries, emergency contact
Allergies and medical need to know.
Food Restrictions
and ~If mind pictures being taken or not of your person.

As for combat everyone can technically use any weapon poorly and Melee without purchasing a skill but the max damage you can do/call is 1 no matter how well crafted or magical the weapon is.
Most Melee / grapple calls are done by Boffer Fist
On kinda the same note it is a general rule to ask "permission to touch." before touching someone without Boffer Fist each time.

Potato day is in game character event generally hosted in st johns where Potato dishes are served and small event happens over a evening.

[Kell]

Some final questions: What's the site like? Do people camp in tents? Firepits for cooking and running water available on site?

Thanks all!

[Zero.]

Some final questions: What's the site like? Do people camp in tents? Firepits for cooking and running water available on site?

Thanks all!

The site is quite large, has a big main building with a dining area, kitchen (only used by meal plan usually), bathrooms and bunk rooms. There’s a huge field, a designated tenting area for those who prefer that, a forest, a gazebo and a treehouse structure. As of now we have “assigned rooms” indoors based on out of game social circles, that may change. There is a fire pit but people don’t tend to use it for cooking, camp stoves are brought occasionally and used by players on the deck. There is running water (including showers) and electricity, but the water’s on a septic system so no flushing anything :p

[Gull]

If you don't want to cook for yourself all weekend, you can pay $20 to be on meal plan and have your meals cooked and served to you on-site.

[Marr]

And here is the google maps location of the place for a overview.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Camp+McCarthy/@47.7153031,-53.2888491,269m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x2534824767d79fe4!8m2!3d47.716203!4d-53.2871893

And I believe we tend to use the woods up to and including that open patch to the north of camp.

[Rudi]

We also do have a Facebook page, which has updates about game etc etc. Epoch on the rock.
Annnd a player FB messenger chat, if you wanted to talk to folks in a less clunky way. Can add ya, if ya wants. (We also have a player discord, now that I thinking about it.)

Love to see new faces!!

[Theo.]

The difference between Prime and Pure mana is that Prime mana represents the elemental forces (fire, water, air, earth) and Pure mana represents the facets of existence (Essence and Void). Some people look at Essence and Void as Light/Dark, Life/Death, but it's more like Essence is the spirit of something existing, and Void is the spirit of emptiness. Sort of like how Cold doesn't really exist, it's just the absence of heat, or how Dark doesn't actually exist, it's just the absence of Light, Void is just the absence of Essence if that makes any sence, haha! Essence/Void spells are some of the most powerful magics around which is why the cost of the tiers/spells is so steep.

So if you see a skill that says Prime Tiers/Spell, it is referencing the elemental magics, if you see Pure Tiers/Spells, it is referencing Essence/Void.

I hope that helped!

[Marr]

Ah another important thing that I see that we all forgotten.

People normally start showing up to site 6pm but game doesn't actually start 8+pm the first day.

[Kell]

Thanks again everyone! This has been very helpful, and I've joined the FB group. I'll start thinking about my character, getting a costume together, and I hope to join the August event!

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