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Weapon and Prop Safety Guidelines

Any weapons supplied by attendees must be checked before they are bought into play. Please speak to a member of the Game Team who can check it or direct you to where to go should they be unable to do so. You may assume any weapon provided by the Game Team has been checked and is safe to use. If at any point you want another check please feel free to ask a member of the Game Team who will be happy to assist.

Banned Weapons

Attendees must ensure that:

  • No real knives or similar sharp objects should be carried by players whilst in play. The exception to this are cooking and kitchen knives which must be treated with care and stored away safely at the possibility of in-character combat.
  • Any weapons are appropriate to the tone of the game. Knives, swords, quarter-staffs, stun-batons and anything which could be used by a modern-day member of the military is acceptable. Novelty fish, chainswords, futuristic guns or obviously fantastical swords are not acceptable and will not be allowed to be used in play.

If you are in doubt regarding a potential weapon you would like to us, please talk to a member of the Game Team.

Melee Weapon Guidelines

All melee weapons which are designed for LRP are commonly constructed from a solid core that is surrounded in high-density foam and then covered in latex. Weapons must meet the following guidelines, as assessed by a member of The Equinox Institute Game Team:

  • The foam must protect the core, it must be rigid enough to prevent damage and not be damaged itself.
  • The layers of foam must be securely bonded to each other and not be delaminating.
  • The right kind of foam must be used. High-density foam is the basic material and low-density foam must be used appropriately in collapsible tip weapons or in large hammerheads. This stops weapons being too heavy and having too much momentum.
  • The whole length of the core must be held securely in place and must not be moving freely inside the weapon.
  • The tip reinforcement must not be protruding through the surface of the foam.
  • The core of the weapon must be made of an appropriate material such as fibreglass or carbon fibre – not of aluminium, wood or bamboo.
  • There must not be any protruding hard or sharp objects.
  • There must be sufficient padding on the tip, guard, pommel and haft.
  • The handle must be securely attached to the rest of the weapon and must not be loose.
Thrust-Safe Large Weapon Guidelines

You may only thrust with a weapon that has been designed to do so and is in accordance with the requirements below. This must have been checked by a member of the Game Team prior to use.

  • Construction of the Thrust-Safe Weapon must combine a low-density foam tip with a high-density head.
  • The weapon must otherwise adhere to other weapon guidelines set out above.
Guns

We do not allow imitation firearms (such as those used in Airsoft) at our game, all guns must be physrepped by Nerf (or similar) weaponry. As we run a call based system these guns do not require ammo or to fire.

Guns may never be used to strike people or parry weapons

Armour and Other Physreps

Anything that is not designed as a Lrp weapon should not be used to strike or parry.

Any Armour worn should be safe and checked before entering play – please bear in mind that without a lammie any physreps worn have no mechanical advantage. Anything worn should have:

  • No sharp edges.
  • No loose or damaged studs.
  • Have anything that would damage yourself, other players/physreps or the site.

Anything carried – such as medical kits/props – should also follow the same rules along with the requirements below:

  • No sharp items such as scalpels or needles.
  • Expired medical supplies such as bandages are fine to use. Please do not use anything like an alcohol wipe or eye wash.

If you ever have any questions or concerns as to the appropriability of a weapon or prop, please speak with a member of the Game Team at the event or contact us at: EquinoxInstituteLRP@gmail.com