Greetings,
We received a lot of feedback about allowing players under 18 to play at AGB. Most of the responses were very positive, but there were several excellent points made that argued against this change. As a result, Matt Colosimo and I have decided to implement a Page Policy on an interim basis for the first two events of the 2019 season. We already have new ownership, new rules and a new plot team so we figured this would be the opportune time to try a major policy change as well. After the 2nd event, we will solicit additional feedback, in addition to our own observations, as to whether or not we make this a permanent policy. The policy detailed below was heavily borrowed from the Oregon/Seattle chapters and the SoMI chapter.
Page (Young Player) Policy
Alliance Gettysburg welcomes minors aged 14 and up at our game. Before deciding to bring an underage participant to an Alliance game, please keep in mind that while we aim for a PG-13 environment, we run a game primarily populated by adults in intense situations, violently combating monsters in the dark. There are no overt sexual themes to the game that we run, but strong language and violent encounters are common. Not only will different people have different levels of tolerance for the dramatic situations they find themselves in, but not all younger players will have the level of maturity necessary to participate in a complex game among adults. Should you feel that a young player is mature and capable enough to participate at our events, we welcome them to give our game a try. However, due to safety concerns, there are a few restrictions regarding their ability to participate.
- For everybody under 18 years old, we need a parent or legal guardian’s signature on a consent form, which should include emergency contact info and medical/allergy information in case of an emergency.
- Any player under the age of 18 is under mandatory Page status. A parent or legal guardian must be on-site as a PC or NPC and is responsible for the player’s actions, and must remove the player from the site if asked. The parent or guardian must keep track of the player and be able to know where the player is at all times. Children under the age of 14 are not allowed to participate in any fashion, even as Pages.
- Any Page who is disruptive, does not obey these rules, or in any other way is deemed to be harmful to the game will be asked to leave.
Gaining Page Status
- Any player may participate as a Page by his or her own choice. Players with medical issues that may affect their safety in combat may be required to take Page status to play the game.
- Pages must wear a colored headband to denote their Page status, as defined below.
- A marshal may recommend that the chapter staff place a player under Page status due to any condition that the marshal deems necessary to provide for the safety of Alliance Gettysburg’s participants, such as health conditions or a player having multiple safety violations marked against them.
Page Conduct:
- Any Page (whether they are a Page by choice, age, medical, or disciplinary reason) that is disruptive, acts in an immature fashion, does not obey the rules, or in any other way is deemed to be harmful to the game may be asked to leave.
- Pages may not enter combat in any way, including pouring healing potions in unconscious bodies in the middle of battle (though others may drag these bodies to the Pages for healing outside the combat zone). They must stay safely outside any combat zone. This means being sufficiently far that the combat will not sweep into their position before they can safely remove themselves, and is always a minimum of ten feet but may require further distance based on the situation.
- There are effects that might prevent a Page from leaving a combat area when they would otherwise need to do so. These include but are not limited to unconsciousness, Prison, etc. If such a situation occurs, the Page should call a Hold and move themselves out of the way, keeping the effect once the Lay On occurs. Other players are expected to resolve the situation in a safe and appropriate manner – for example, a horde of players should not continue following an unconciouss page which would cause multiple Holds to be called.
- Pages may never carry in-game weapons or weapon tags.
- Pages may carry in-game items, and can be searched as per the search rules.
- A Page may be affected by a normal combatant if the combatant’s weapon is within five feet, by having the combatant announce “Page, I >affect< you.” Legal affects are any that can be applied within the Alliance rules.
- In response to any of the above, a Page may call any legal defenses they have at their disposal.
- Pages earn XP for each event just like any other player. If they were a Page due to their age, then upon reaching the age of 18 they may create a new character with the same amount of BP and deaths or rearrange their current character with the BP they have earned.
Basic and Advanced Pages:
There are two distinct levels of Page status:
- Basic – All Pages begin at this level or participation. Basic Pages may not purchase any weapon skill or carry a weapon in game. They may purchase spells and alchemy, but are only allowed to touch cast spells, and may not throw gas globes. Basic level Pages must wear a yellow headband clearly displaying the word ‘PAGE’ to denote this status (Please provide your own headband).
- Advanced – Once a Page has demonstrated good knowledge of the rules and an ability to interact with the game in a positive manner, they may be granted Advanced Page status as defined below. Advanced level Pages must wear an orange headband to denote this status (Please provide your own headband).
To become an Advanced Page, a player must take the Advanced Page test. They must have played at least one full Alliance LARP event or gameday to be allowed to take the test, and must have displayed both roleplaying competency and understanding of the rules as determined by at least two staff members or marshals present at that Alliance event or gameday.
Any player wishing to play as an Advanced Page must take the Advanced Page test to do so. Players who are temporarily Pages due to medical or disciplinary issues may be required to take the test to use the Advanced Page rules at the discretion of the Marshal administering the test.
Advanced Pages must follow all rules for Pages except for the following changes.
Advanced Pages may not be affected by “Page, I >affect< you” calls which would normally be packet-delivered. These effects must actually be thrown at the Page as they would a normal player, and the Page may use any means at their disposal (physically dodging the packet, running away, etc.) that a normal player would have.
Advanced Pages may interact with combat so long as the combat is individual. This means that the Advanced Page, and one other participant, are the only ones involved in combat in the immediate area. In this situation and this situation only, the Advanced Page is not required to leave the combat area and may in fact initiate combat. As soon as other participants become involved in the combat, however, the Advanced Page must attempt to leave the combat area and stay a safe distance away from other participants just like a Basic Page must. This means that an Advanced Page might initiate a combat which they must immediately run from if their target gains immediate assistance from others in the area.
If an Advanced Page is forced to leave a combat area, they may actively defend themselves via use of packets as they leave the combat area. Advanced Pages who are seen abusing this rule to stay in a combat area longer than necessary may be stripped of Advanced Page status immediately by any Marshal if necessary.
Advanced Pages may purchase the Archery skill. They may use Crossbows only with this skill and may pick up, carry, and utilize Crossbow physreps and tags.
Advanced Pages may purchase the Thrown Weapon skill. They may use any Alliance-legal thrown weapon.
