====== Combat Rules ======
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Combat in Volaire is designed to be **immersive**, **safe**, and **theatrical**—a collaborative performance, not a contest of strength.

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===== ⚔️ Combat Overview =====

Combat is a form of **physical roleplay** using foam boffer weapons, spellpackets, and clear verbal calls.

**Key Principles:**
  * Swings must follow a 45°–90° arc.
  * Each strike must be accompanied by a **clear damage call** (e.g., “5 Normal!” or “3 Fire!”).
  * Strikes should be **controlled and intentional**—combat is theatrical, not chaotic.
  * Unsafe combat (e.g., excessive force) is grounds for disciplinary action.

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===== 🗣️ Damage Calls & Taglines =====

  * Damage is expressed as: `[Amount] [Type]`, e.g., `“4 Ice!”`
  * Some strikes include a **status effect** (tagline): e.g., “10 Paralyze!”
  * If you are struck, apply the damage and effect unless you have a defense.
  * Being hit with a "favorable" tagline **does not** confer healing to a character. This will result in "No Effect" to the target rather than an increase in health points. 

If you cannot clearly hear a damage call or believe a strike was unsafe, you may go OOP briefly to clarify.

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===== 🧱 Armor, Health & Damage Flow =====

Damage is absorbed in this order:

  1. **Cloak** – Negates specific effect types.
  2. **Spell Shield** – Blocks one spell effect.
  3. **Magical Armor** – Temporary armor granted by spells/items.
  4. **Physical Armor** – Worn armor, takes damage before HP.
  5. **Resist** – Used to ignore a specific effect.
  6. **Temporary HP** – Magical HP granted by potions or abilities.
  7. **Health Points (HP)** – When reached, status effects begin.

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===== 🛡️ Weapon & Shield Rules =====

**Legal Weapon Use:**
  * All swings must follow the 45°–90° rule.
  * **Dual wielding** is allowed if you have the skill.
  * **Thrown weapons** must be soft-tipped and safe.

**Illegal Weapon Use:**
  * No spear + shield combos.
  * No thrusting or jabbing.

**Shield Rules:**
  * Must fit from armpit to hand—no larger.
  * No **turtling** (hiding completely behind a shield).
  * No **shield bashing** or slamming.

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===== 🧙 Spell Damage vs Weapon Damage =====

**Weapon Damage**:  
Follows the flow: Armor → HP

**Spell Damage:**
  * **Elemental/Normal Spells**: Treated like weapon strikes.
  * **Direct Body Spells**: Bypass armor and strike HP directly.

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===== 🩸 Status Effects in Combat =====

Status effects only apply once damage reaches HP.

**Common Effects:**
  * **Massive** – Cannot be blocked by shield or weapon.
  * **Paralyze** – Frozen in place for 10 minutes.
  * **Sleep** – Unresponsive for 10 minutes or until shaken awake.
  * **Poison** – Crawling only, sickened for 10 minutes.
  * **Terminal/Cleave/Assassinate** – Immediate critical states; may be parried under specific conditions.


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===== ☠️ Killing Blows =====

To end an incapacitated character:

**Physical Method:**
  1. Place weapon to target’s torso.
  2. Say: “Killing blow 1… 2… 3.”  
  (Must be uninterrupted and deliberate.)

**Magical Method:**
  1. Incant full spell ending with “Killing Spell!”
  2. Hit with spellpacket to torso/back.

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===== 🧠 When Attacks Don’t Land =====

Reasons your attacks may not be working:
  * Target still has **armor** or magical protections.
  * Target has **threshold** or **resistances**.
  * The damage type is **ineffective**.

You may politely check:
“OOP—Are you taking damage?”

Do **not** assume cheating—ask or report if needed.

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===== 🧍‍♂️ Dying, Death & Aftermath =====

  * **0 HP** = Unconscious (10 min or shaken awake)
  * **<0 HP** = Bleeding to Death (60 sec)
  * **Bleed-out Ends** = Dead (5 min to body dissipation)
  * **Post-Death** = Spirit form (until resurrected at Circle)

Use appropriate gestures (lying still, fist/weapon on head) to indicate status.

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===== Related Sections =====
  * [[operations:public:interactive_rulebook:core:conditions_and_effects|Status Effects]]
  * [[operations:public:interactive_rulebook:core:magic|Magic & Spellcasting]]
  * [[operations:public:interactive_rulebook:core:death_and_recovery|Death & Recovery]]

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**Volaire LARP** – //Hit with purpose. Fall with drama. Fight for the story.//
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