Cambridge University Treasure Trap

Page Body

System Calls

The Cambridge Treasure Trap system works by means of OOC 'calls' - specific things said in a voice loud enough for the desired target to hear, accompanying an action and describing the in-game effect of that action. Although the effects of the call are visible, the words of the call themselves are not IC. Within this website system calls should be denoted by all caps.

OOC Calls

OOC calls are used to tell the players (not the characters) what is going on, and in cases of emergency.

MAN DOWN

The most important call in LARP. MAN DOWN means there has been an injury, or someone has fallen in the river, or some other kind of emergency. As soon as MAN DOWN is called, the action suspends entirely and appropriate action is taken. Once the emergency is over, if the game is to continue then people are asked to return to where they were when MAN DOWN was called and TIME IN restarts the action.

FIRE

The reason that magical damage does not name the elements is that FIRE is an OOC call, and refers to the outbreak of an OOC fire. Please react to FIRE as to MAN DOWN, but with different appropriate action.

TIME IN

The call to start roleplaying. Once TIME IN is called, the game has started. This may only be called by a Ref.

TIME OUT

The call to stop roleplaying. Once TIME OUT is called, the game is over for that evening. This may only be called by a Ref.

TIME FAFF

The call to continue roleplaying, but not move forward. On linears, occasionally additional time is needed to get a big encounter ready; in this case, TIME FAFF will be called and the party will spontaneously stop for a quick IC break. This may only be called by a Ref.

TIME FREEZE

This is close to a system call in its application. Upon hearing TIME FREEZE, all players should remain motionless, close their eyes and hum loudly so as not to hear what is going on. TIME FREEZE is typically used for dramatic effect and the entrance of powerful beings from nothing. Use of the Ultimate Faith and Overcast powers will generally evoke a TIME FREEZE as the first part of the response.

APPEARING

When something appears from being OOC it may call "APPEARING". This may be felt unnecessary if it is otherwise obvious that something has appeared.

VANISHING

When something vanishes from view and the person representing it goes OOC they may call "VANISHING" as they raise their arm in the air to indicate that they have disappeared. This may be felt unnecessary if it is otherwise obvious that something has vanished.

Combat Calls

Combat calls accompany an arrow or a weapon blow, a magic spell, or a spirit miracle. They are generally quite short; although there are a reasonably large range of calls that can be made, the most common ones are simple.

The general form of a combat call is as follows: "[WIDE / MASS / Target] [HARM (type)] [Colour / MAGIC / SPIRIT ] [SUBDUE] [Damage Call] [THROUGH] [VENOM] [Effect Calls]!" However a call is unlikely to contain more than two or three of these elements.

WIDE / MASS / Target

This is attached to ranged calls, and determines who is to 'take' (be affected by) the call.

  • A WIDE call affects everyone within 10 metres.
  • A MASS call affects everyone within 3 metres.
  • 'Target' is not a call as such; if a written call includes Target then clearly indicate one person within ten metres of you whom the call should affect. A clear indication can be an IC name or a description - OOC names are often shared and thus using them can cause confusion. You can also point or otherwise clearly indicate your target if you think that would help make things clearer. If your target doesn'notice you casting, then the spell or miracle fails. (People who deliberately 'fail to notice' people casting at them will be kindly reminded to play by the rules.)

The ranges in the system are MASS (everyone within 3 metres), 'Target' (single target within 10 metres), and WIDE (everyone within 10 metres). It is the responsibility of the caster to work out if their target is in range - take any call targeted at you, and the refs will sort out any casters who are getting their ranges wrong.

For the sake of making things easy, everyone inside the main room of the Wessex Arms (the IC location of interactives) is deemed to be within ten metres of everyone else, regardless of the OOC room being used.

Colour / MAGIC / SPIRIT

This is attached to damage calls from Magical or Spiritual sources, to represent the particular ways they cause damage. If you are playing a character or monster who takes a certain kind of damage differently, you will be briefed.

  • Coloured damage represents damage caused by pure elemental magic energy – burns from red (fire) magic, for example. The colours of damage one might hear are the colours of magic – WHITE (light), BLACK (dark), RED (fire), GREEN (water), BLUE (air) and BROWN (earth). Creatures and constructs formed aligned with one colour of magic tend to take more damage from the opposite colour and less from their own colour.
  • Damage from Grey spells or magic items is called as MAGIC damage. Elemental creatures do not have vulnerability or immunity to MAGIC damage as it contains equal amounts of each element. Magical damage tends to be capable of striking incorporeal creatures, as it disperses the forms that they manifest on this plane.
  • Damage from miracles and holy items is called as SPIRIT damage. This is damage to the soul and body of the target alike, and does not care whether its target is corporeal or incorporeal.

SUBDUE

Subdual damage is most usually done by Dark magic or punches thrown by warriors, although it is also possible to do Subdual by weapon. It is like normal damage, in that it damages armour and (if inflicted by blow, rather than as part of a ranged call) may be dodged by DAC, but it has no power to kill. If you are reduced to 0 hits on a location by subdual damage you may not use that location; if you are reduced to 0 hits on the head or chest by subdual damage you are knocked out. Once reduced to zero you do not take any further subdual damage, but any normal damage will cause you to start bleeding. Any subdual damage you have received will 'wear off' ten minutes after the last SUBDUE call to that location - unless subsequent normal damage caused it to start bleeding.

HARM 'TYPE'

Affects you only if you are whatever 'TYPE' was called, for example ELEMENTAL, EXTRAPLANAR or UNDEAD. You will know whether this is the case from your racial briefing, any any other effects on your character. If you have any doubts, please ask a ref. These effects may be fairly powerful but only target the specific type that they target.

Damage calls

If this call is accompanied by being struck with a weapon or touched, then take the relevant amount of damage to the location struck or touched. Otherwise, the damage is dealt to the torso. The full list of damage calls, for completeness:

  • NOTHING: No damage. Strike by a frail or weak, untrained person.
  • TOUCH: Breaks the skin but deals no damage. A mark inflicted by a trained duelist.
  • HALF: A solid blow without finesse. Strike by an untrained normal person.
  • SINGLE: A solid, well-aimed blow. Strike by a trained warrior or experienced thug.
  • DOUBLE: A powerful, skilled blow. Strike by a veteran warrior.
  • TRIPLE: A devastating blow. Strike by one of the most skilled of warriors.
  • QUAD: A blow that would cut a normal person down instantly.
  • QUIN: This amount of damage and up can only be reached by magic, spirit, or the mad strength of a berserker.
  • HEX: No standard (i.e. non-eighth-level) miracle does more damage than this.
  • SEPT: This level would kill an average mortal instantly and mutilate the body beyond recognition.
  • OCT: This is the most damage known to be available to magic without a ritual.

THROUGH

If you are struck by a THROUGH call, you take the damage directly to whatever location it hit (or the torso, if it was a spell or miracle) ignoring any armour you are wearing and any armour spells or miracles you might happen to have active on you. DAC does not protect from THROUGH damage. Through damage is a speciality of Air magic, but may also come from projectile weapons and from back-stabs.

VENOM

The word VENOM as part of a damage call means that the call includes two extra degrees of damage from a blade venom. Unless you are explicitly statted as resistant or immune to venom, you should just take the new damage call. Also, remember whether you lost any body hits from that call, and tell a ref afterwards if so, because you may suffer additional effects. DAC does not protect against VENOM damage.

Effect Calls

The following effect calls may be attached to a call made in combat. They are, in general, magical or spiritual effects that require a certain action from the person taking the call. They are roughly in order of rarity, with the commonest first.

HALT N

You must stop moving immediately, for N seconds. If struck by any damage call apart from NOTHING, this effect is broken. You retain the ability to keep a grasp upon any item held in your hand, which may not be removed from you without doing damage to and thus breaking the HALT. You may talk whilst under HALT; however you may not cast spells or miracles (which require a somatic component), or use any other non-language skill, with the exception of the priestly ability of "Ultimate Faith". If someone is trying to pour a potion down you, you may open your mouth and drink it if you want, but you don't have to.

REPEL N

You are forced to move as swiftly as possible, directly away from the caller until you are over ten metres away. You must remain more than ten metres away from the caster for N seconds.

STRIKEDOWN [N]

You are struck to the ground and must fall over immediately (in as safe a fashion as possible), touching at least both knees and one hand to the ground; if it is unreasonable to do this, then you must crouch down (and may not strike or parry) for at least 3 seconds. If a number N is called, then you must remain on the ground for N seconds. If affected by strikedown, you may either crawl or fight but not both simultaneously.

FREEZE [N]

You are frozen in place and must stop moving immediately, for N seconds. You may not speak, but are aware of everything that happens. This pose is rigid in the fashion of rigor mortis; it is only possible to remove a weapon from the grasp of an individual suffering from a FREEZE call if the arm holding the weapon is reduced to zero hits or lower. If your mouth was open when the FREEZE call was uttered, it stays open - opportunistic people might take this opportunity to pour potions down your gullet.

DISARM that item [N]

The item mentioned slips through your grasp and drops to the ground. You must drop (or quickly place on the floor, if dropping it is unsafe) the item in question. If a number is called, you may not pick up the item for N seconds, as it slides from your grasp again. You may pick up other items or draw another weapon. If a shield is held in the hand then it can be disarmed, but a shield strapped to the arm cannot.

FULL DISARM [N]

Everything you are holding slips through your grasp and drops to the ground. You must drop (or quickly place on the floor, if dropping them would be unsafe) everything you are holding. If a number is called, you may not pick up any items or draw any weapon for N seconds, as they slip through your hands. If a shield is held in the hand then it can be disarmed, but a shield strapped to the arm cannot.

BLIND N

This call indicates that your vision has been substantially impaired. You are unable to attack, parry, or cast targetted spells for N seconds while under this effect. You can still see well enough to move around and run. The effect of this call is modified by the Blind Fighting skill, available to Warriors.

SILENCE N

You may not speak, hum, whisper or otherwise vocally communicate. This prevents the casting of spells or miracles, including Overcasting and Ultimate Faith.

SLAY

You are now dead. Short of divine intervention, this is irrevocable.

DROP

Fall to the floor, unconscious; a ref will get back to you about what happens next. This call is generally used when either an effect that there is no system call for has been used on you or one which requires a lot of explaining.

INFLICT N: [effect]

You are now under a level N effect, which manifests itself as the effect mentioned after the number; by default the duration is until the sun next crosses the horizon - this can be extended but not reduced. The curses that may be inflicted in combat are:

  • Damage calls. This damage may not be healed (as for Venom) until the curse is lifted or expires.
  • STRIKEDOWN. The target suffers the effects of 'strikedown' until the curse is lifted. They may either fight or crawl, but must retain three points of contact with the ground.
  • REPEL. The target must try to stay 10 metres or more away from the caster for the duration of the Inflict.
  • WEAKNESS. The target is now under the effect of the 'Weakness' disadvantage they do one less degree of damage. This cannot reduce a damage call below NOTHING, and has no effect on the TOUCH call.
  • BLIND. The target is blind until the curse is lifted or expires.
  • DROP. The target remains unconscious until someone can explain the long-term effect to them.

NEGATE

This call, coming immediately after any targeted call, means that the target is immune to the effect. Note: some things may give immunity to certain Recognise / Detect calls; these do not require the call 'NEGATE', for obvious reasons. If you are immune to an effect targetted at you, you must call 'NEGATE' so that the caster knows that you heard them. NEGATE should not be called after a MASS or WIDE call, unless you are capable of negating the *entire* effect not just its effects on you - either call TAKEN, or ignore the call (or make some appropriate IC taunt, if you wish...)

TAKEN

TAKEN - this call is optional and has no mechanical effect, but you are encouraged to use it to acknowledge that you have heard a call from someone else if you didn't react as they might expect (for example in response to a BLIND 10, if you have the Blind Fighting skill).

[MASS / target] CURE N

The target or targets are cured N hits. In the case of a single-target touch-range Cure effect delivered out of immediate combat, the caster may specify where the healing is applied if they wish - otherwise, the recipient distributes the healing as they want. Sufficient may replace N, in which case all wounds are cured.

Non-Combat Calls

These are slightly more complicated effects, which can be explained OOC as they are applied.

[WIDE / target] DETECT (thing)

If you are, or are currently in possession of, 'thing', then reply "Ping!". Only one 'ping' is required, no matter how many 'thing's you have on you. No response is a negative answer. The call is either WIDE or targeted, in which case the it is the responsibility of the one calling DETECT to indicate the proper target. Examples:

  • Magic: if you are a mage, your focus will 'ping' to 'DETECT Magic'. If you are an elemental elf, you will 'ping'. If you are a pyrokin mage you still only ping once.
  • Spirit: Both living and dead mortals 'ping' to 'DETECT Spirit'. This includes elemental elves.
  • [Race]: respond if you are a member of the race named - both True and Elemental elves respond to "DETECT Elf".

[target] RECOGNISE (thing)

If you are, or are currently in possession of / affected by, 'thing', then reply with what sort of 'thing'. No response is a negative answer. If in doubt, get a ref. RECOGNISE is almost always at touch or 6" range. Here's a list of the things currently with a 'recognise' spell or skill, and what to say:

  • Wounds: reply with your current hit points remaining to each location, and your normal maximum totals; you may omit non-damaged locations. (For instance, if you have a maximum of 6 HP on the torso and head and 3HP on limbs, and have taken a single to the right leg and a double to the head, you would report "two out of three right leg; four out of six head".)
  • Poison, Disease: reply with all you know about current poisons and diseases affecting you.
  • Potion: reply with all you know about current potions affecting you.
  • Spirit: default is 'Living Mortal', unless you are a dead mortal who has not been laid to rest, in which case it's 'Dead Mortal'; elemental elves should refer to their player guide. If there is a level N Inflict effect affecting you (including one that was delivered by a spell), then you must add 'Level N effect'.
  • Magic: default is not to answer. Mages and elemental elves should refer to their player guides.
  • Undead: respond with the stats portion of your monster brief - this is typically type, hits and abilities. "RECOGNISE Undead" reflects a detailed examination by someone with the Undead Lore skill.

For those familiar with the old system (ie before Michaelmas 2006), the RECOGNISE call is not the same as the old 'REC' call, which was closer to DETECT.

INFLICT N: [effect]

You are now under a level N effect (typically a curse, blessing or alchemy) until noon or midnight (whichever is sooner) unless it says differently in the effect sentence; the effect (which may be 'DROP') is described in one sentence after the number. This call is mostly delivered at touch range.

PURGE [thing]

This call removes all 'thing' effects from the target. If the call is merely PURGE, it purges all effects (other than damage or death) from the target - though there is currently no spell or miracle that can do that. Some spells or miracles may purge multiple things. The purges available are:

  • [N] - purges all INFLICT effects of that level or lower from the target. This includes beneficial as well as unwanted effects!
  • Alchemical [N] - removes alchemical effects of level N or lower from the system.
  • Disease - cures all diseases, supernatural or otherwise.
  • [EFFECT] - purges all effects of that nature. For instance, 'Purge Freeze' would remove all freeze effects. In the case where the effect is being caused by an 'INFLICT', the INFLICT persists even though its effect is removed. For example, if the hapless Allanus had received a curse from Humact reading "INFLICT 8: FREEZE at dawn and dusk, forever", then a PURGE FREEZE would allow him to walk around and talk to people until either dawn or dusk, but would not remove the deity's curse.
  • [Specific Potion] - purges the effects of one specific alchemical potion from the target.