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Abridged Rules Codex Abridged Rules Codex Abridged Rules Codex Abridged Rules Codex

Rules Version 4.0










The Abridged Rules Codex is currently an unofficial document used to interpret
the Kingdom of Novitas 4.0 Edition Rules in a very high-level format. The purpose
for creating a separate document from the original rulebook is to distill the basics
of the game into a more readable display such that new players can familiarize
themselves with the game overview without all the gritty details. I hope to encourage
even the veteran players to make use of this as a quick-reference guide to the game.

Please note that since this is an abridged version of the actual rules, some details
may be left out about certain aspects of game. I strongly recommend for anyone
reading this to drill down into the 4.0 Edition rulebook once theyve found interest
in a particular skill or a direction they would like to take their character. As a disclaimer,
understand that this codex should not be utilized as a means for rules marshalling
as the official rulebook supersedes anything contained within this document.

Kingdoms of Novitas is intended for adults over the age of 18 and may contain
adult themes dealing with violence and romance, among other things. For more
details on the exceptions to this age rule, please see the KoN 4.0 Edition Rulebook.







Kingdoms of Novitas
Live Action Role Playing
www.kingdomsofnovitas.com




Kingdoms of Novitas is a Live-Action Roleplaying game,
for players ages 18 and up, where you act out the role of
a character in the town of Pinedale. Unlike tabletop
games such as Dungeons & Dragons, there is no dice-
rolling or initiative checks; you are the character. We use
safe weapons made out of latex and/or foam which
follow strict guidelines in order to act out actual combat
scenarios. Though combat is a prevalent factor, this is far
more than just a fighting game.

Characters in the world of Novitas are created based on a
skill-point system which does not limit you by class. This
means that nothing prevents a character from wearing a
full suit of armor to game other than their physical
capabilities, regardless of their skill expenditures.

Games are held on the first weekend of every month with
the exception of January, March, July, and August.
Currently, all events are held at Vanderkamp Center in
Cleveland NY. The site offers 1100 sq. acres of land which
includes a lake, several cabins, numerous trails, and
friendly staff. To attend a full weekend event, including a
bunk to sleep in, the cost is $20. Food is also available at
our in-character Inn with the use of in-game coin. It is
recommended to bring your own food and beverage
supply, should you have any food allergies, etc.




When you arrive for your first event, it is safe to expect
that the game will be very different from other types of
Live-Action games. We strongly forbid blatant
anachronisms (eg. t-shirts and sneakers) so plan on
bringing at least some basic garb with you. At a bare
minimum, we ask that you wear non-descript neutral-
colored pants and a tunic. Consider for your first game
that well be forgiving in allowing some things to slide,
but dont expect to play in cargo shorts and a t-shirt.

All new players are required to NPC their first two shifts.
The term NPC means youll get to play the role of
monsters and villagers (non-player characters) to become
accustomed to game mechanics. Events are split into four
shifts, total, and we require that at least two of these
shifts are spent performing various NPC roles, even if
youre a veteran player. This allows for a balance of
player-characters (PCs) on each shift.

At an event, you are provided with a cabin to stay in and
a bunk (first come, first served). Since game generally
starts at 9 PM on Friday night, we would hope you arrive
a few hours earlier to allow for sign-in, getting situated,
and helping with setup (we award XP for volunteers who
aid in setting up the game and cleaning up on Sunday). It
is encouraged that you introduce yourself to people out-
of-game beforehand so that you can get the orientation
speech as well as a tour of the campgrounds. Our
established players are always happy to assist newcomers
and will make sure you have a place to stay.

When planning out what to bring for the weekend, heres
a general list of things wed recommend for first-timers:

Sleeping bag & Pillow (cabins are not heated).
Basic garb for NPC (separate garb from your PC).
(Example: boots, ring-belt, tunic, pants).
Extra pairs of socks (prepare for the weather!).
Strips of Blue (for magic) and Orange cloth (OOC).
Additional food and beverage (bring water).
A leather coin pouch for our in-game currency.
Bag of out-of-game stuff (toiletries, phone, wallet,
flashlight, clothes, etc. Kept underneath bunk.)
Towel There is a bathhouse with showers.
Blue glowstick, for night-time spell effects.

Later additions may include cool props for your
characters encampment area, additional garb or armor,
Medieval utensils, a mug, a bowl for food, and for your
PC youll need to own an approved foam or latex weapon.
There are also guides on the Kingdoms of Novitas Forums
on outfitting a new character for under $100.

You have the option of playing NPC roles for the entire
weekend, if you choose. This will grant you bonus
experience towards your eventual character creation.
Players wishing to NPC for all four shifts will not need
their own LARP weaponry; it will be provided from a
communal pile in logistics (aka. NPC camp). When the
shift begins, GMs (Game Masters) will assign roles to
available NPCs. Be sure to volunteer for a role and dont
hesitate to ask questions if youre at all confused! Were
reasonable people and understand how overwhelming it
may be during your first event.

Sign-in generally takes place around 6 PM in the Logistics
building (or whenever theyre ready and have set up the
costume & prop rooms). This is where youll receive a
character sheet and someone will walk you through
character creation. You are allowed to park in the main
field for loading and unloading gear into your cabin but
you must move your vehicle to logistics or another
designated parking area before game begins.
Group Caps

All registered adventuring parties in game are capped at a
maximum of 8 players total. Nothing is stopping you from
going solo, but its probably a good idea not to travel
alone at night.

This same rule applies for groups traveling to a plot or
quest location. Unless a GM says you can break cap, or
it happens smack dab in the middle of town, do not go in
groups larger than 8. This gives GMs adequate control
over how challenging an encounter is and allows for more
efficient use of NPCs.


New Characters

When its time to build your PC, your new character starts
the game with 6 skill points. These are used to purchase
abilities marked on your character sheet and must be
approved by logistics at sign-in. As you do this, month to
month, you can archive a character sheet (and copy it to
a new one) in case you happen to lose your old copy.
Character sheets must be on you during game at all times.

If your character dies (and is not revived) your first game,
you are allowed one newbie death. Simply return to
Logistics and announce that youre using your newbie
death. This will allow you to return to game as that PC. In
ALL other circumstances, if your PC dies and is not
revived by next shift, you are permanently killed (ie.
make a new character). There are no respawns for PCs.

If you are unsatisfied with a character concept youve
created (after playing your first game, but before your
second game) you are allowed one character amnesty.
You are refunded your skill points for your character, may
rewrite their character background, and may reassign skill
points however you choose. This is allowed only one time
per new character.


Currency

Kingdoms of Novitas has various coins minted to be used
for in-character purchases. Coins (except for NPC Chits)
are able to be stolen or looted by players and monsters.
The various types of coins are as follows:

Copper Coins
Silver Coins (worth 10 Copper each)
Exotic Coins (worth 100 Copper each)
Slave Tokens (equal value to Exotic coins)
NPC Chits (used by NPCs for a meal at the Inn)

Shift Times and Schedules

Game begins at 9 PM on Friday night. We recommend
arriving at game much earlier, for various reasons. The
only restriction is that you cannot be on-site prior to 4
PM due to time reservations. Shifts are generally 5 to 6
hour timeslots as shown below:

- Friday Night : 9 PM to 2 AM
- Saturday Morning: 10 AM to 4 PM
- Saturday Afternoon: 4 PM to 9 PM
- Saturday Night: 9 PM to 2 AM

(Note: 8 AM to 10 AM Saturday morning is an
optional PC-only timeslot for trade and roleplaying.)

We ask that you stay and NPC for the full shift, though
you can certainly take plenty of breaks. People who put in
effort as an NPC are making the game enjoyable for PCs
on that same shift. Then, when its your time to PC, you
can be sure the next round of NPCs will make your
experience equally enjoyable.

Once youve become established with the game, you may
consider joining an existing group or even starting your
own. By informing staff members (usually via the Forums)
you can register your group so that it becomes
incorporated into a shift schedule.

A shift schedule is basically a way to coordinate how
many NPCs versus how many PCs we have on each shift.
This is a form of quality management so that we have
balanced numbers each game and organize which shifts
are assigned to various GMs. Generally, shift schedules
will change once in April and once more in September.

There are exceptions to this schedule during three
months of the year: February, April, and October. The
event in February, known as Feb Feast is the only event
not regularly held on the first weekend of the month. It is
a single day event, held on a Saturday, where we run one
shift from 12 PM to 4 PM. This event costs a little more
than a normal event as we all stay in a heated lodge, are
served a large buffet dinner, and have a party in the
evening. There is also an auction for rare magical items
(using real money) which takes place that night.

April and October both have a single all-PC shift during
game. This is during one of the normal four shifts where
everyone plays a PC and there are no NPCs. It is possible,
in this way, to have 3 PC shifts in a given weekend during
these special events. The October event is also called
Harvest Fest where people bring food and run various
contests which may award magic items.



In-Game and Out-of-Game

In this type of game, one must understand the simple
concept of distinguishing in-game (or in-character, IC)
actions versus out-of-game (or out-of-character, OOC)
situations. It may seem obvious, but we must strongly
emphasize that the actions of someones character while
they are role-playing does not represent the views of the
actual player in any given situation.

Out-of-game knowledge (such as what you learn while
youre NPCing) should never transfer to your character in
the game (and vice versa). Doing this is called meta-
gaming and is a form of cheating. For more examples of
cheating, see the rulebook. If a player tells you OOC that
Jim the Lumberjack was the guy who killed all the
innkeepers, you must play your character as though
he/she has no knowledge of this information. This can be
difficult and often players will request you do not tell
them any OOC information that could affect their
character even if its really awesome.

On a more serious topic, theft in-game versus OOC theft
is a very important matter. Characters are allowed only to
steal items which have a clear and distinct in-game
number (usually three digits painted or written on a prop).
The exception to this rule is in-character coin and
consumables (trap-tags, potions, poisons, scrolls, etc).

Clearly stated, items placed underneath a bunk are
treated as out-of-game items. Note: A PLAYERS REAL
WORLD PERSONAL ITEMS SHOULD NEVER BE TOUCHED!
This includes wallets, keys, money, phones, medicines,
etc. Players who violate this are committing a real crime
and will be dealt with accordingly.

Please respect a players comfort level both in and out of
game. You should never have to engage in hands-on
physical contact with another player (other than via the
contact of an approved LARP weapon during gameplay)
and doing so without consent is strongly forbidden.

When a player is out-of-game, they should wear a ribbon
of orange or some kind of obvious orange clothing to
indicate that they are not in-game. For NPCs, holding
your weapon above your head is also a universal sign of
not in game. Often, the person will announce Wind!
which is a game-call informing other players that they
should ignore their presence (abusing this is cheating!).


Safety Calls

Game Hold If there is an immediate threat, such as an
injury or serious need to halt the game, any player may
call this aloud. When you hear someone call a game hold,
please echo it so everyone hears. All gameplay actions
must cease until the situation is resolved. Gameplay will
resume once the player who initialized the hold calls out,
3, 2, 1.. Game On! This call is only to be used sparingly!

Time Stop This is a special call allowed only with
explicit information and permission from a GM. Various
creatures, such as Wraiths, may use this call to pass
through solid structures like walls and doors. GMs may
also use this for plot effect should it be necessary. This
call is treated like a Game Hold call with a minor
difference: players must close their eyes, plug their ears,
(and sometimes even hum a tune) to try to avoid seeing
or hearing whats around them until game is back on.
When play resumes, it is treated as though there was no
lapse in time; often with a surprise waiting for the PCs.

Gaining Experience

Each character starts the game at level 1. Every 5 XP
(Experience Points) earns you an additional level up until
level 10. Once you hit level 10, additional levels of
experience will cost you 10 XP per level. Each level
gained earns you 2 more Skill Points. The following chart
shows various ways you earn XP both in and out of game.



It is also possible to gain additional discretionary XP from
a certified GM should they award it for above-and-
beyond roleplaying in a particular NPC role. Note that
your character sheet should be on you at all times and
must be presented to a Game Master to be signed for XP.
GMs will generally do this at the end of each shift.


PELs and Character Backgrounds

You are granted 5 XP for submitting and having had
approved a 500 word (minimum) character background
for your PC. This must be done a few weeks prior to
either your first or second game to earn XP for it. Be sure
to include various bits of detail about your characters
past so that GMs have an understanding of what type of
character youre playing, any PC goals you may have, and
what opportunity there is in writing plot directed towards
your character concept.

PELs (Post-Event Letters) are often sent in after youve
gone to a particular event (to PEL@mvgc.net). They
highlight what occurred to your PC and any NPC roles you
played during the duration of the event. They are meant
as a tool for GMs to evaluate what went on that they
were not present to witness. A PEL is occasionally used as
a basis for your in-character journal (aka. Blog) which you
have access to upon registering to the KoN Forums.
Submitting a PEL will grant you 2 XP at Sign-In on the
following event, once it is approved.

Keep in mind that you will usually receive no notification
that your PEL or Background was received. Do not worry;
GMs will only contact you about these in the event that
something needs to be changed in order to be approved.
If you hear nothing back from a GM, and youve sent it to
the right email, then youre good to go.


Colored Flags

Strips of colored cloth are used in this game to designate
several effects and have various meaning both in and out
of game. These colors are: Blue (for magic), Green (for
poison, obsolete) and Orange (to show something is out-
of-game). These cloth strips are generally replaced with
glow sticks at night for easier visibility.

Blue and Green indicators (ie. called flags or strips) must
be attached to the affected garb, weapon, shield, etc for
the associated magical or poison effect to be active. You
need these for both PC and NPC situations. Even if your
NPC is supposed to have a certain magical spell on them,
you must have a blue strip tied to a visible location on
your body in order for it to take effect. However, for
instant spells such as Dissipate and Ley Lines which
require blue flags, you are given a reasonable amount of
time to search for a flag and present it in the air.

Orange strips must be worn whenever youre out-of-
game. You are not allowed to go out of game in the
middle of combat as your PC. Certain areas, like inside
the bathhouse, are an out-of-game area that you may
enter at your leisure. However, theres nothing stopping
an NPC from waiting outside the doorway to ambush
your PC; its entirely legitimate.

Its strongly recommended to mark any items that you
use as your PC with orange ribbon if they are in your
cabin during your NPC shift. Numbered items, coin, and
consumable items which are not clearly marked as OOG
are fair targets for thieves, even if youre not actively
playing your character. At night, an orange glowstick will
work well if youre paranoid about it.


Searching for Treasure

When it comes to adventuring, finding loot and treasure
is a key aspect to the game. When a creature is felled and
the killing blow is delivered, you are allowed to declare to
the PC or NPC that you are going to begin searching their
body. There are two types of searches: a detailed search
and a physical search.


Detailed Search The most common kind of
search. You simply announce detailed search
and begin describing an area on that persons
body which you are searching. The one being
searched will respond with a varied form of yes
or no and present you with loot if you are
successful. At any time, either person may
request a search be changed to a detailed search.

Physical Search The one being searched may
require that you physically search the body in
order to find loot. This can be declined by the one
searching by requesting a detailed search instead.
A physical search can certainly add to the
immersion of the game, but must have consent
from both parties before it can take place.


When completing the search, after having been either
successful or unsuccessful in your guessing, it is a
common trend to dispose of the body (though not
required). Usually, this is done by announcing that youre
tossing a body into the woods and roleplaying the
action of doing so. This is to signify to the NPC that they
are free to get up off the ground and return to logistics.

Boxes of treasure can also be found throughout the game.
So long as you do not damage the physical box, you are
sometimes required to physically pick a lock or actually
disarm a trap in order to open it safely. See the rulebook,
or the section on Traps & Locks, for more information.



This is a contact LARP. Players strike other players with
padded sections of foam and latex weapons to deal
artificial damage to that players character.

A player should strike their target with enough force to
be recognized as a hit, but no more and no less. When
striking with your weapon, you should call out the
damage or effect youre using (ie. Two! or Four Poison
Pierce!, etc). On a legal hit, the target mentally subtracts
your damage from their defenses (armor, body points,
etc) and keeps track of it. Head shots are not legal hits,
and groin shots are discouraged.

The math is really simple. Players are (generally) limited
at 1 to 4 damage. Defenses are equally as simple, often
maxing out at 4 physical armor, 4 magical armor, and 4
body for PCs with the exception of a point more from a
helmet. The various defenses are as follows:



Damage must first deplete your magic armor, physical
armor, and helmet defenses before it is applied against
your body points. Magical armor is always depleted first,
followed by helmet and physical armor.

This is a game that does NOT allow rubber chainmail or
plastic armor. Period. You can get away with aluminum
chainmail, but thats about the extent of it. All armor
must be as authentic as possible. Here are examples of
different types of armor and their armor value:




When a characters body points reach 0, that character
can no longer soak damage points. Any further damage
will result in a wound. Strikes to an arm will result in the
loss of that arm (can no longer be used), strikes to a leg
will force a character to kneel (no hopping!), and a strike
to the torso will mortally wound the PC.

A mortally wounded character dies in 10 minutes (called
bleeding out) if they are not healed. This time is
extended to 20 minutes if someone uses the First Aid
ability on them.

Additional abilities may affect combat, such as magical
spells, certain attributes of armor, various immunities,
and damage requirements.

Monstrous Armor This attribute is applied to Plate
Armor of adequate rigidity and certain monsters. All
damage dealt to a monstrous target is reduced to 1
(unless the Slay call was used).

Shields / Bucklers Prevents all damage from weapons
and poison. Magical darts which hit the shield still affect
the wielder. If a shield is hit with 4 Acid damage, it is
destroyed. See rulebook for size restrictions.

A more in-depth look at combat will be available to you
during your new-player orientation speech. Or, feel free
to read through the combat section of the rule book for
more information about armor dimensions, details, and
restrictions.


Killing Blows

When a foe lays before you, unable to defend him/herself
or incapacitated, you are able to perform a killing blow.
Akin to a Coup De Grace, a recipient of a killing blow is
only able to return to life via a Revive spell.

To perform a killing blow, one must land a single
deliberate strike upon a felled creature in a vital area. It
must be a controlled strike and not simply a fly-by attack
as you run past the body. Often, players will announce
killing blow or simply act it out. It should be obvious to
either party when a killing blow is being delivered.


Combat Master

A character who has maxed out all the skills in the
Combat skill group is known as a Combat Master. Twice
per game day, they may add Pierce or Slay to a melee
attack (called a Masters Strike).

Machine-Gunning

This is a term used to describe indiscernible rapid strikes
from an attacker. When a player drum-rolls a player,
calling out damage as fast as humanly possible, thats a
textbook example of machine-gunning. Players should
count an attack like this as a single blow for however
much damage the first hit dealt. The simple rule is that
melee weapons must be pulled back at least 45 degrees
before striking a target again.


Calling Light Hits

Though this game avoids full-swing combat, it is also not
a lightest-touch LARP. Sometimes an opponents blade
might catch a flap of cloth on your shirt, strike the tail of
your cloak, or barely graze the tip of their sword against
your plate armor, for example. in these situations, the
defender could call Light and is not required to take the
damage. Consider, though, that your attacker will then
try to strike you harder. Calling Light when struck with a
legal blow, however, is considered cheating. When
unsure, its better sportsmanship to just take the damage.

(Note: magical tagbags, arrows, and thrown weapons do not
fall under this category. Any part of your body, clothing, or
weapon that touches a tagbag is considered struck by that spell
or effect. In this case, head shots are considered legal targets
for tagbags.)


Illegal Actions

Tripping, grabbing, or throwing an opponent
with a weapon, shield, or body part is not legal.
Physically disarming an opponent, unless doing
so by using only your weapon, is also not allowed.
As stated before, head shots are illegal targets
unless hit with a tagbag. Try not to peg people in
the head if you can help it.
Charging (ie. running towards an opponent
causing them to move out of the way) is not a
legal action.
Cheating. Dont do it. This is an honor system.
Veteran players will know youre cheating.


Damage Calls

When striking with a weapon, firing an arrow, throwing a
tagbag, you should know what effect(s) to call and when.
Most damage calls follow the syntax of damage dealt
followed by the damage type and occasioanlly a damage
attribute. Effect calls are non-damaging calls which are
either magical or alchemy-based (ie. Poison ____ ).
Damage Types:
- Normal (No Descriptor)
- Magic
- Acid
- Poison
- Nature
- Primal
- Silver
- Elven Steel
- Smite

Damage Attributes:
- Blunt (Target unconscious if body goes below 0)
- Pierce (Skips past physical and magical armor)
- Slay (Ignores the Monstrous ability)

Effect Calls:
- <spell name> (ex. Fear, Stun, etc.)

It is important to note that damage types can never stack.
In other words, if you swing for 2 damage and carry a
magical sword made out of goblin iron, you could either
call out Two Magic, or Two Poison, but not both.

In addition, you may down-call damage types. If youre
wielding a magical sword, and a foe is immune to magic,
you may down-call your damage type to normal damage.
Magical spells, however, cannot be down-called.


Blunt Damage

If a targets body is reduced below 0 from a Blunt attack,
they fall unconscious instead of taking a torso wound.
They awaken 10 minutes later or until a player has
administered First Aid or used Smelling Salts on them.
Damage from Blunt attacks heals after 10 minutes as well.


Damage Requirements

Damage types are used to circumvent various Damage
Requirements (or DR). For example, a Troll requires
Nature damage to be harmed. Some damage types, such
as Elven Steel, Primal and Smite, can surpass multiple DRs.

Elven Steel - Treated as both Magic and Silver in addition to
the Elven Steel damage type.

Primal - Treated as both Nature and Primal damage.

Smite - Treated as all damage types simulaneously. It does not,
however, bypass the Monstrous ability.

If a damage source or effect hits you that you are
immune to, announce No Effect to ignore the attack.


Creatures of all shapes, sizes, and colors inhabit the
magical world of Novitas, though only a handful are
playable races for PCs. Though seemingly docile in
comparison to orcs and trolls, civilizations in this world
tend to have violent histories embedded in their roots.
For more detailed information on the various cultures
and history of Novitas, be sure to consult the World Book.


Nations

There are a total of 8 main regions in Novitas, as shown
by the chart below, with their common inhabitants. Also
added is a generalized stereotype of each realm. A much
more detailed map can be seen in the appendix of this
document, along with a few useful reference tables.





Colorized Map of Novitas by National Region



Languages

Many cultures in Novitas have a native language related
to their origin. Some, however, learn various bestial
languages or the language of ancient scholars. It is said
that some languages of the Fae are so complex that few
mortal beings possess the aptitude to learn them.



Note: Certain languages require approval from a GM.
(Black Speech, Diabolic, Immortal, and Thieves Cant)

It is common to see various hand gestures used to signify
speaking in a different language than common tongue
(which is not listed). When speaking a different language
in this game, one needs only to announce it aloud and
then begin speaking (in English). If others approach, or
you suspect someone is listening in on your conversation,
be sure to inform them that what theyre hearing is in
whatever language youre speaking.


Races

There are six playable races in Kingdoms of Novitas; each
one, aside from humans, needing specific costumes and
various prosthetic requirements. The chart below depicts
each race and a brief description of the requirements.
The make-up and accessories required to make your
appearance believable can be very challenging and is not
recommended for new players. (See Appendix for details).




For every coin and magic item stumbled across in the
game, one must have a place to put it. Sometimes, the
fear of carrying so many goods on your person starts to
take hold. When the time is appropriate, you might want
to consider storing your valuables in a box; one
preferably locked or trapped.

Though boxes can be magically sealed, you may not
always want to rely on the spell alone as it can be
dispelled and will not persist beyond convergence (the
point in an event at which all magical energies renew).
Thus, investing in locks may be a safe bet for added
security. Perhaps even paying a tinkerer to further
embellish this security with a spring-loaded trap would be
a good idea as well.


Lockpicking

One very immersive aspect of the game is that
surrounding the idea of lockpicking. Actual, physical, locks
(usually luggage-locks) can be used to seal boxes holding
your valuable in-game items. Those with the appropriate
skill, however, (Tinkering: Rank 1) are given the option to
bypass such a lock using actual, albeit primitive, lockpicks.

A player can never simply take a box containing
consumables, as it is usually not a numbered item. To
access the contents of a locked box, one must either
utilize an alchemical substance called an explosive
charge or take matters into their own hands by picking
the lock. Explosive charges, however, have the negative
addition of occasionally destroying the contents inside.

Theres no dice-rolling here, folks. Be prepared to actually
be proficient in multi-pin lockpicking or you may find
yourself quickly out of luck when the owner of that
locked box returns to catch you red-handed. No
professional tools are allowed, at this point, beyond a
metal pick and a tension wrench. Remember though that
locks first must be tested prior to coming into game to
prove they can be picked by these primitive means and
must be demonstrated as so to logistics.

Locks can be produced by a Tinkerer of rank 1 or greater
as per the Crafting tables and only if the lock was
inspected and passed at logistics. In addition, each lock
must have a corresponding key marked with orange such
that the lock can be opened out-of-game (in the event
that an explosive charge was used to remove it).

Traps

Like locks, traps can be crafted by skilled Tinkerers (see
the Tinkering list in the appendix). Traps can be applied to
stationary boxes and are comprised of various electronic
and mechanical bits to activate a buzzer when triggered.
A mobile version of a trap, called a Contraption, is a self-
contained device buildable by masters of Tinkering.

The three major parts of a trap are: the power source
(such as a 9V battery), the buzzer (an electric oscillating
speaker), and the trigger (pretty much anything you can
think of). This is one of the few areas of Novitas where
modern technology is required. No one expects you to
build a working trap like one might see in the movie The
Goonies, so a mess of wires and components stuffed into
a box are certainly acceptable when designing a trap.

The trap is triggered as soon as the sound of the buzzer is
audible while game is on. After the buzzer sounds, if the
trap was armed, the effects immediately occur to the
person who triggered it. Such effects cannot be dodged
or avoided by hiding behind another person or object.
The effects can, however, be resisted by the appropriate
spell or alchemy defenses if applicable.

To arm a trap, a special type of consumable called a trap
tag is required. This can be produced by a tinkerer at
sign-in as part of their normal production. This item must
be fitted to the trap during gameplay and will be
expended if the trap triggers. Even if this occurs while the
trap is being armed! After a trap tag is expended, the trap
may be rearmed with any number of times during the
game as long as a new trap tag can be supplied.

The potency of a trapped box is limited based on both the
number of mechanisms (one per trap-effect is required)
and the level of consumable allowed for the trap. Each
trap listed is considered to be for a single-mechanism
which can hold one consumable of a level no greater than
the maximum level of the trap (levels 1 through 5).


Trap-Cracking

As one is capable of creating a trap, so is one capable of
disarming it. Those with Tinkering as a skill are able to use
various mundane tools to disarm a trap (without
physically destroying the electrical components or wires).
Anyone trying to disarm a trap without this skill will
immediately suffer the effects of the trap. Once the trap
is disarmed, the power source may be removed by the
trap-disarmer. (Some triggers, such as with trip-wires,
may be cut with scissors without violating any rules on
trap-disarming). See official rulebook for details.


As with many role-playing games, the ability to create
potions, scrolls, weapons and armor is a useful feature to
have. In Kingdoms of Novitas, we have just that, though
we distinguish the art into two sub-groups: crafting items
and producing consumables.

Crafting and Production each draw from a different pool
of points (with a maximum of 20 points in each):

Production Points Used to create consumables
such as potions, scrolls, alchemy vials & trap-tags.

Craft Points Generally used to create more
permanent items such as weapons, armor, traps
and trinkets.

As a whole, the term Production is treated as universal
when referring to making any in-game item.

Under the art of crafting, there are three areas of focus:

Ornamenting (Create magical armor and items)
Weaponsmithing (Craft magical weapons)
Tinkering (Build magical trinkets and traps)

For creating consumables, the following skills apply: Brew
Potion, Scribe Scroll, Alchemy, plus a minor part of
Tinkering.

(Note: Alchemy and Brew Potion are entirely separate entities.
Alchemy deals with alchemical concoctions, while brew potion
is solely for magical potions).

Each area has an associated cost, per Craft Point or
Production Point, which must be paid at sign-in for
whichever items you are making. This is called your
production cost (See Appendix) to be paid in coin. After
each event, your production and craft points refresh to
your maximum, though unused points do NOT carry over.

In order to craft a spell within a magical item, the crafter
must either have the spell learned on their character
sheet or provide a scroll for each spell added. In most
cases, an item cannot be crafted with more than a Level 3
spell within it and cannot hold more than 6 levels of
spells total. Magical items are categorized in various
item slots and each slot has a maximum value for how
many Craft Points can be spent on an item for that slot.

To produce a scroll or potion, the crafter must have the
spell learned on their character sheet. For trap tags, the
same applies, though a scroll may be converted into a
trap tag at sign-in for no additional cost.

All items created must be presented at Logistics to be
passed by the Props and Atmosphere workgroup. In
addition, crafters must announce the creation of the item
during the month before game to Logistics. This will grant
you an item number which must be visible on all magical
item props. The prop must be blue or have a blue mark
near the item number and must be of highest quality. It is
up to the players, not Kingdoms of Novitas, to provide a
prop eligible for the magical item being created.


Master Craftsman

When a PC has obtained the maximum rank in one of the
three areas of crafting, and have acquired 20 Craft Points,
they are considered a Master of their craft. This grants
the player the ability to add +4 additional craft points (for
free) towards any one item in that field that they produce
during the month. This +4 Craft Points may exceed cap.

Effectively, the master craftsman has 24 Craft Points to
spend, 4 of which are at no cost each month, and can
break the maximum CP per item slot limitation. Players
can be Masters in multiple areas of crafting. In fact, some
master-crafted items have certain crafting masteries as a
creation requirement.


Savant

When it comes to the production of consumables, there
is only one master of the craft in its entirety. One must
obtain the maximum rank in Alchemy, acquire 20
Production Points, and also purchase all of the General
skills available on a character sheet to become a Savant.
(Note: only one additional Language skill is required).

A Savant is capable of replicating any consumable they
get their hands on as part of their normal production.
Unlike normal crafters, they do NOT need to know the
spell of the item theyre replicating! Savants also gain the
ability to work with the Savants Laboratory (a master-
crafted item) which grants them up to an additional 10
Production Points. These additional points can only be
gained through submitting items to logistics which grant
production points during sign-in.

Numbered items of varying production value include:

Alchemy Flowers (Found in the wilderness)
Potion Water (Can be made by a potion brewer)
Scroll Paper (Can be made by a scroll scriber)


In the world of consumables and effects there are
primarily two sides: magical and alchemical. The magical
side deals with potions and oils while the alchemical side
deals with elixirs and poisons. All of which can be useful,
both of which are similarly contained in conveniently
small plastic bottles, yet it is critical that you distinguish
between the two.


Potions

In practice, potions act just as their magical spell
counterparts with the difference being the method of
application. Since potions are imbibed and oil is applied
to a surface, one does not need to incant words of magic
to use such an item; merely drink or rub on the substance
to invoke the effects. This can be applied to others if they
are willing subjects to the effect.

Potions are crafted using the Brew Potion skill. As a
limitation, only certain spells (from levels 1 to 3) can be
converted into this form. Listed in the Appendix of this
codex youll find a list of potions and oils with similar
description. Any spell not on that list simply cannot be
made into potion or oil form.

As a general rule, if you can use an item then you can
identify it. To use a potion, one must only uncap the vial
and roleplay the drinking of it. Afterwards, one should
destroy the slip of paper inside the vial to signify its use. A
consumable slip cannot be re-used and is considered
cheating if used and not disposed of in a timely manner.

(Note: is it not required and not recommended to actually
contain or drink any liquid in a potion vial. KoN will never
ask a player to imbibe anything without consent. Potion
vials should instead contain the official signed piece of
paper with the consumables description written in full.)


Alchemical Substances

These are non-magical items/consumables/vials often
used with the same mechanics as a potion or oil. One of
the exceptions to this is when dealing with poison (see
below). Some items, like Smelling Salts and Ritual Ink, are
reusable or once-per-gameday items. Alchemical effects
cannot be dispelled but they can be removed with
appropriate counter-substances like Theriac, Dillution
Solution, etc.

Poisons and Acid

Poisons are different than potions and other alchemical
substances in that they fall into several use categories:

Ingested Poison (applied through food or drink)
Thrown Poison and Acid (single thrown tag-bag)
Blade Poison (applied directly to a weapon)

If any subject receives a poison-based effect or has their
body wounded by the Poison damage type, they retain a
status effect of Poisoned. When a subject is poisoned,
they cannot be healed without first or simultaneously
removing the poison status.

(Note: First Aid may still be administered to a poisoned
individual. It is not considered healing in any case.)

For Ingested poisons, one can consume the contents just
like a potion. More effectively, a person with herbalism
may instead apply the poison to a particular container of
food or drink. Any food/drink on or within that container
is considered poisoned and will administer the effects
written in the consumables description to any who
ingest the food or drink. To signify that a container is
poisoned, the applier of the poison must mark the item
with a green sticker.

Anyone with the herbalism skill is able to spot the green
sticker and identify the food or drink as poisoned. If you
do not have the herbalism skill, you must roleplay as
though the green sticker is not there, even if you notice it.

Now, Blade poisons are applied differently. One must act
out applying the poison to their blade and tie a blue flag
around the weapon. A successful strike from your
weapon will apply the effect. Poisons wear off from the
weapon after 10 minutes or until the effect is used,
however all Goblin Iron weapons double this duration
and occasionally double the doses of the applied poison.

When dealing with Thrown poisons, you simply remove
the cap of the poison and throw a single tag-bag. The
consumable is expended, even if you miss the target. If
you hit a shield using Acid, the shield is destroyed.
Otherwise, the shield will deflect any non-piercing poison.

Some new poison effects may mirror the effects of spells.
They are often announced in game using the spell name
with the word Poison preceding it (i.e. Poison Fear,
Poison Stun, and Poison Weaken). These effects may NOT
be resisted by anti-magic defenses. Only anti-poison
defenses will work against these spell-like poisons (for
example: Poison Immunity or Spirit Shield).


One of the core aspects of most fantasy role-paying
games is its magic system. In the world of Novitas, there
are few who do not tap into the powers of magic. Spells
are learned through one or more of the seven schools of
magic (attune to the seven gods of the Sept) and are
listed in detail in the appendix below.


Casting a Spell

To cast a spell, one must draw up on the energies within
by speaking an incantation, loudly and clearly. This incant
must be a minimum of 8 syllables and should include the
name of the spell cast. It can be almost anything youd
like, but cant be a phrase as part of normal conversation.

Good By the power of the gods, I cast Maelstrom!
Bad Hey, guys, nice day were having Magic Swarm!

Once the spell is cast, the player expends Power Points
(purchased on your character sheet) equal to the level of
the spell. A maximum of 20 Power Points may be used
from a players own pool of power points. A player
cannot use any means to acquire more than 20 during a
single game day. If at any time a player spends more than
20 power points during a game day, the spell fails and the
PC dies instantly.

At Convergence, magical energies are refreshed (you
regain all your Power Points) and spells with a game day
duration are dispelled. Spells with timed durations,
however, will continue on until their duration is over.
Effects that last for an event last the entire weekend.


Spells and Effects from Other Sources

Magical items which have spells within them may be cast
without expending your own Power Points. No more than
20 points of magical item spells may be cast in a game
day, however. The magic item will say in its description
how many times per game day it may cast a spell.

If the same spell is contained in two different magic items,
only one of the items may be used to cast the spell.
Multiple items with the same spell cause interference. In
addition, magical spells do not stack. For instance, +2
bonus from Toughness cannot become +4 by casting the
spell twice. If two spells affect the same attribute (such as
Magic Armor and Improved Magic Armor), the higher
level spell will supersede the other.

Bonuses from different categories, however, may stack. A
spell of Strength will grant you +1 to damage, as will a vial
of Madweed Extract. Each, however, comes from a
different source. One is magical, the other alchemical.
These would effectively grant you +2 damage for their
duration. Also, Masterwork items and Weaponstones
grant a physical +1 bonus. Thus, Strength + Madweed + a
Masterwork weapon would grant you +3 damage total!


Trumping Other Spells

In most cases, a spell of higher level will override a spell
of lower level if their purpose is conflicting. For instance,
Dispel Magic will still be reflected back at the caster by
Aura of Reflection (because Aura of Reflection is level 5,
and Dispel Magic is level 4).

When spells or effects are of equal level, the most
specific to the application or most recent spell will be
applied. Thus, Dispel Magic will override Anti-Magic Aura
as they are both level 4 spells.


Dispel Magic

If affected by a Dispel Magic spell, all active spells (with a
duration) on you will be removed. Any magical abilities
built into your items will be suppressed for 10 minutes.


Rituals

There are much more powerful spells out there which are
not listed in the normal schools of magic and are quite
rare. These may not require power points to cast and
generally call upon multiple participants (as well as
various item components and requirements).


Wands & Rods

Wands hold a certain number of charges to cast one
particular spell, level 1-3. These items can be recharged
by a crafter paying the appropriate coin cost and craft
points. Any player wielding the wand (and nothing else)
in one hand may cast the spell from it without using your
own power points and will consume a charge.

For rods, they can hold up to one level 4 spell. Anyone
holding it may cast the spell as if it were a spell on their
character sheet. The catch is that you must expend your
own power points to cast it. A rod does not use charges
and is limited only by the wielders power points.

Abridged Rule Codex : Abridged Rule Codex : Abridged Rule Codex : Abridged Rule Codex : Appendix








KINGDOMS OF NOVITAS
Abridged Rules Codex
Version 4.0 September 2010


Kingdoms of Novitas
2010 by the Mohawk Valley Gaming Club


Based on the Adventures in Mid-Land fantasy rules,
1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004. Used with permission.


All Original Artwork Kingdoms of Novitas
The Kingdoms of Novitas KN logo and the circle of
seven-pointed stars is Kingdoms of Novitas.


All characters in Kingdoms of Novitas are fictitious. Any
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.


This information is protected under the copyright laws of
the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized
use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without
the express written permission of the Mohawk Valley Gaming Club.

This book contains information and rules needed to run
live action role playing games of the variety run by
Kingdoms of Novitas and the Mohawk Valley Gaming
Club. Groups not associated with Kingdoms of Novitas
may still use these rules for their own purposes as long as
they are not a professional organization. The charging of
admission or collection of legal tender for membership for
non-sanctioned games is prohibited. The use of the name
Kingdoms of Novitas for any group or event not
sponsored by Kingdoms of Novitas or the Mohawk
Valley Gaming Club is also prohibited.

Kingdoms of Novitas and the Mohawk Valley Gaming Club,
nor its individual owners, partners, employees, or members,
assumes no responsibility nor liability for any injuries, physical,
mental or emotional, received, or allegedly received, due to the
playing of the game, Kingdoms of Novitas, or any variation thereof.




The Mohawk Valley Gaming Club partners are:
David Haldenwang, Steven Hunt, Craig Korycinski,
Felix Mendez, and James Roth


Kingdoms of Novitas was founded by:
David Haldenwang, Felix Mendez, James Roth, and Rosemary Siebold


Abridged Rules Codex designed & edited by:
Rick Servello

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