Game Mechanics

In the World of Darkness the supernatural is real and in the 900’s the common men and women knew something we have forgotten, that the monsters in the darkest places of the world are real. They knew the forests held monsters and that monsters could appear as human as they. They may not know the real truth surrounding the supernatural groups that live among and alongside them, but they know they are not alone. 

Darkwood Nights explores this setting, a world where the monsters of legend are real, the World of Darkness. You, the player, create a character who lives in, or travels to, the province of Wollbach, a small and forgotten area of the Black Forest. Why they’re there and what their goals are is up to you. Your character may be a human, vampire, mage or fae. They could be from the province or traveled there. Your story is yours to tell. 

This document will go over Darkwood Night’s mechanics, the foundation that all other player’s guides are built on. This, along with the Characters Guide and Economy Guide, make up the Core Rules of Darkwood Nights. These guides are meant to describe our game rules in conversational language and showcase how they’re used. The Comprehensive Rules Document has the technical wording and is the final authority on how the rules function while this guide is to help understand them.

Darkwood Nights aims to be as close to World of Darkness cannon as possible and, by extension, recreate the feel of playing the World of Darkness in a LARP setting. Each Faction is built towards this ideal first and balance second. 

We view character interaction and conflict as supported by three major pillars; Player Skill, Tactical Decisions, and Character sheet. We strive to make each of these pillars matter equally, so in situations where two players are equally skilled in negotiating their tactical decisions (what powers to use, what outside support they’ve gathered) and their character’s abilities determine the victor.

The World of Darkness is a dangerous place for humans and supernatural creatures alike. Killing is a choice and death in our game is not mechanically difficult or complicated. Like in real life, the social consequences and risk to your character are the deterrent to solving all of a character’s problems with murder. There is no such thing as a mechanically invincible character at Darkwood Nights.

In order for the above point to work our rules and story must allow for options other than violence. Our rules strive to make diplomacy, trickery and manipulation as equally viable conflict resolutions as combat and, by extension, our Story Tellers will not be sending out stories designed with combat as the only, or even main, pathway to resolution. We also do not wish to make any powers “must haves” or “taxes”  in order to play.

Finally ALL of Darkwood’s Nights rules will be publicly available. Both Player and Story Teller rules will be posted for all to see. We believe that our stories should surprise, terrify and delight and to support that everyone needs to know how all the rules function.

Darkwood Nights is a Live Action game where you physically take on the role of your character. When your character attacks another, or is attacked, you are physically swinging your weapon, dodging, blocking and so forth. When negotiating you are having to convince another person. Your Character Sheet will have powers that allow you to influence and affect other players as well as resist what powers they use on you however, since you are embodying that character, certain things can’t be represented by your character sheet. These represent the Player Skill Pillar, how good are you at reading body language, at fighting with LARP weapons, at making friends or negotiation? Your abilities in these areas will influence the story you tell through your character. LARP can also provide an avenue to practice these skills.

A note about Non-Combatants. We have decided to not have a Non-Combat designation. If you are unable to participate in combat and still wish to play at Darkwood Nights we encourage you to avoid it or surrender when it is directed at you. Our expectation is that our players use the lightest touch necessary when engaging in combat and by extension will not hit a surrendered person with force.

Darkwood Nights aims to be, as much as possible, a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) game. As part of embodying your character everyone at Darkwood Nights needs to dress in clothing, called garb, appropriate to the setting. See our Deco Guide for specific details, but in general this means that you will want to look “generally medieval” and avoid wearing modern clothing. This also extends to weaponry, swords should be commercially purchased and look like swords or the weapons they are representing. Round boffers have specific in-game effects and should not be used to represent general weapons.

Since our Characters are not us we use the concepts of In Game Knowledge/Character Knowledge (IG) and Out of Game Knowledge (OOG). We, as players, will see and hear things that our Characters don’t and this is defined as OOG Knowledge. Examples include players who are Out of Game, power calls, documents written in languages the player understands but the character doesn’t, conversations with other players at parties, conversations happening with Telepathy and more. Players can only act on information their Character obtained In Game through IG observation, conversation, or experiences. Any knowledge the Player has that their Character doesn’t should not be used in the course of game and doing so is called Meta Gaming. Meta Gaming is considered cheating.

However there is a concept in LARP called, “Positive Meta-Gaming.” It means taking information you know about other players OOG and allowing it to direct your In Game actions to benefit the other player’s enjoyment of the game. Examples are knowing that a player is injured and so not pushing them hard in combat or that they are uncomfortable with specific types of stories and so not engaging in them with those players. We highly encourage Positive Meta-Gaming. Our game is meant to be fun and while we enjoy making our character’s lives hell, player’s lives are another matter. What is, and isn’t, Positive Meta-Gaming can vary on the individual and we encourage people to have these discussions on our Facebook, Discord and in person.

Out Of Game Indicators: To show that you are out of game you should either: wear an orange headband, hold your weapons above your head with both hands or place a closed fist on top of your head. In addition, players will often leave Story Teller Camp OOG or go OOG for other reasons. It is expected that other players will ignore them and treat their presence as OOG Knowledge

At Darkwood Nights actions are when we attack with our weapons or use powers on another character. We use 1 Second action timing, meaning players can use 1 power or make one attack per second. This doesn’t mean a single swing of your boffer but a single attempt to strike or the use of a single power. Feinting an attack then striking elsewhere is a single action, as is throwing a packet attack or using a Mental power.

Players are expected to respond to Actions in a timely and safe manner, usually within a second or two. If you are hit with Paralyze while running safely stop as quickly as you can then freeze. If you are ever unsure of what effect a power has on you cross your fingers and ask, then take the effects described.

Most powers and attacks are accompanied by a Call. The Call is what the attacker or defender uses to alert other players to what they are doing and what effects are hitting their character. All Calls must be loud enough for the target to hear and must be said before the attack, packet or touch connects with the target. Calls that alert the attacking player that their effect has been resisted must be given in a reasonable time, within roughly 2 seconds if it is a power/effect that can be immediately resisted, or when the effect is resisted by the defender.

Calls convey information to Players but may not be taken as IG Knowledge, Characters will have to infer what happened from the effects of the power and a character doesn’t know they were under the effect of a power even if they resisted it, unless a power or effect states otherwise. The exception is Elemental Damage. These have effects that are visible and everyone who sees the action and hears the call knows what element was used. For examples

• Player A swings for 4 and misses. The target doesn’t know how strong they are. Same player swings for 4 and hits their leather armor. Player B takes 3 damage and knows Player A hits hard but should not then go and say, “Yea, they hit for 4 so watch out!”.

• Player A throws a Fire 4 packet. All players that see the packet know that it is a fire effect and can see it thrown.

• Player A throws a paralyze packet at Player B and it hits their shield. All players know Player A hurled energy at Player B but they do not know that Player B is paralyzed. They have to infer that information from Player B’s actions - not moving

Attack Calls should be said in the following order: “Sunder, Corrupted, Damage #, Type, Power.” Only sections applicable should be used, so if a power doesn’t have Corrupted as part of the call that section is not used. Sunder is listed first so it alerts the target that their armor doesn’t provide Damage Reduction (DR). Damage # is the amount of damage your attack deals. Type is any special Damage Types, such as Iron or Fire, that the attack deals. Power is listed as the Call in the Power Table and indicates what power is being used. If these are reordered, still take the effects. 3 Corrupted Agg should still work as the call. Example: “Corrupted 3 Agg.” 

Power Calls should be said in the following order, “Mass, Power, Instructions/Special.” Mass alerts everyone within 10 feet of the User they are effected by the power. Power is listed as the Call in the Power Table and indicates what power is being used. Instructions / Special are part of some powers call where the User must give instructions or provide more detail on what the Target experiences. Example: “Mass Hallucinate Swarm of Bees”

Combat at Darkwood Nights is fought between players using latex/foam weapons and packets as well as the powers on their character sheet. We use the “Lightest Touch'' rule, which means that a player should only swing hard enough for their target to know they were hit and no harder. To support this, any parry prior to a strike landing negates the hit and the target takes no damage, even if the strike still connects. This is to prevent players trying to batter through defenses which leads to unsafe situations. Not just any contact counts, the parry has to interrupt the line of attack, that is be in the way of or deflect the weapon off of, the line it is swinging and must contact the attacking weapon before it lands. It is up to the defender to determine if an attack has been parried.

When attacking with weapons slashes, push cuts, pull cuts and stop cuts are all allowed. Thrusting or stabbing of any kind is not. Hands, feet, neck, head and groin are illegal targets and any strike that lands on one of them is ignored. Attacks can be delivered with weapons, boffers, touch, packets or Mass calls which are detailed in the Powers section. Packets are seen IG and a player can take who threw them as Character Knowledge. However their effects, unless another power states otherwise, must be inferred. 

Base damage is 1 and attacks do a minimum of 1 damage (you can call 0 when practicing or training IG). This is increased by a character’s Augment. Augment can be obtained from Abilities, Powers or Items and different sources (different names) stack up to a maximum of 10. For example if a Vampire has Potence 3 (3 Augment), Enhance Strength (2 Augment), Melee 3 (1 Augment) and spends 1 Blood Point to Blood Buff (1 Augment) they would swing for 8. If they somehow had Enhance Strength twice they could still only gain 2 Augment from that source.

Damage Reduction (DR) always has a number rating, for example DR 2. Damage is reduced by a Character’s DR rating to a minimum of 1. Armor only provides DR if it is hit, so attackers can avoid having their damage reduced by aiming for areas not covered in armor. Supernatural powers can provide DR over the entire body. The following examples help explain Damage and DR:

• Character is wearing a chainmail shirt (DR2) and is hit in the leg (unarmored) for 3. The Character takes 3 damage

• Character is wearing leather bracers on their forearms (DR1) and is hit for 3 on their forearm. They take 2 damage

• Character has DR 6 from a combination of powers and is hit for 4 damage. They take 1 damage.

• Character is wearing iron bracers (DR2) on their forearms and is hit there for 1 damage. They take 1 damage.

Perfect Dodge is used to negate the hit entirely. No damage or effects are applied if an attack is dodged. 

Lastly Vampires have the ability to instantly heal with Blood. This can be done immediately as the attack lands and can prevent a blow from incapacitating a character. Effectively Healing with Blood Points can negate the damage from an attack similar to Perfect Dodge.  see the Vampire section for more details. 

Damage removes Health Points, or HP, equal to the number called. Damage is broken into different types, Regular, Aggravated, Holy, Elemental and Material. These will have the effects detailed below and some Factions treat certain Elemental or Material Damage as Aggravated Damage.

Regular damage is the baseline in Darkwood Knights. It requires no special call, so if no other damage type is called the damage is Regular. It can be healed normally with skills, powers and rest. 

Aggravated damage means one thing, death. In the World of Darkness throwing around Aggravated damage means you intend to kill and so risk death yourself. Aggravated damage has the Agg call after the damage number, “3 Agg,” and it reduces HP equal to the number called. Unlike Regular damage Aggravated damage can only be healed through powers that specify they heal Agg damage or rest. 

Due to this, players must keep track of how many health points they have lost to Aggravated Damage and a character has lost all of their HP from Agg damage is dead. The Soak Agg power reduces Agg damage to a minimum of 1 Regular damage, Like DR. Unlike Regular Damage, Aggravated Damage is capped at 6, meaning no attack that has the Agg call can hit for more than 6, even if a character’s augment usually lets them hit for more. Unlike the table top game, damage doesn’t loop around so if a character lost 4 HP to Regular damage then took 10 Agg they would only have lost 6 HP to Agg damage.

Holy Damage represents divine energy and power. What makes it special is how it interacts with characters of different Factions. Holy Damage deals no damage to Humans. It deals Regular damage to Vampires, Shifters, Mages or Monsters and Aggravated Damage to Fae, Spirits and Demons. Like Regular damage it maxes out at 10. 

Elemental damage represents empowering your weapon with an element or directly throwing that element. The Elemental types are Fire, Cold, Spark, and Earth. Some of these, such as Fire for Vampires, may count as Aggravated damage for a specific faction. To use these you must have a power or item that grants Elemental damage and add the Elemental Type to the damage call. Example: “4 Cold.”

Material damage is damage dealt by a weapon made of specific materials. The Material Weapon types are silver, gold or iron. When wielding such a weapon the Material damage type you must add the type to the damage call. Example: “3 Iron.”

Characters heal at Darkwood Nights through Sleep, the Medicine skill, Powers or Faction Abilities. 

• Sleeping is the Primary healing mechanic at Darkwood Nights. When you sleep 5 continuous hours you heal all Regular Damage and 5 Aggravated Damage, as well as replenish your Willpower Pool. 

• The Medicine skill can also be used to heal characters by role-playing bandaging or providing first aid to the Target. 

• Powers, such as Healing Touch, Heal Agg, and Heal Self immediately heals damage when used. Aggravated Damage may only be healed by powers that specify they heal Agg. 

• Faction Abilities provide unique methods of healing, such as Shifter’s Regeneration or Vampire’s Blood Healing. When damage is healed, Health Points are added to your Health Pool.
  
  

Example: Lilly has taken 7 damage, and so has 3 Health Points remaining. She receives aid from Michael, who has the Medicine Skill, who heals her for 2. Lilly adds 2 Health Points to her Health Pool, bringing her up to 5. Then Lilly goes to sleep. When she wakes up she’s healed 5 damage, so adds 5 Health Points to her total, bringing her up to 10 and is now fully healed.

Darkwood Nights uses the following durations as standard: 

• 1 Minute for short term effects, such as immunities when resisting. 

• 10 Minutes for effects that should last a single combat encounter.

• 1 Hour for non-combat effects that typically last a “scene” in table top.

• 1 Day for effects that last a significant amount of time. 

  • • A power that lasts 1 Day will last until the end of that mechanical day. 

To use a power a Player must have the power of their Character’s sheet and spend its activation cost, if any. Most powers cost either energy or have a role play requirement listed in the source of the power. The source of the power is the rules mechanic that grants the power, such as Disciplines, Skills, Dominions or Pillars. All costs must be paid before the power is used and, unless stated otherwise in the rules below, target 1 character. 

The Comprehensive Rules Document has detailed information on what can be taken as IG knowledge, in general who used the power and what it does cannot be taken as IG Knowledge, even if you resisted it, have it on your sheet or are familiar with its use. Packets and physical attacks are seen in Game, as are any powers that use an Elemental damage call. This means that even if you are alone with a person and they use the Confusion power on you you cannot take that knowledge IG unless another effect specifically states that you can. Your character may question why they acted strange, and they may suspect foul play, but they do not know Confusion was used on them.

Some powers end if the target takes damage, such as Paralyze, which is specified in the power itself. If a power is ended in this way the target is immune to that power for the next minute. 

The type of power, detailed below, will state when and how it can be resisted. Powers can have more than one type. We have the following power types at Darkwood Knights

• Self: Self powers target the User and only the User. They can add effects that are then used to attack other characters, such as claws. Self power’s duration is listed in the source of, or in, the power.

• Sensory: Sensory powers provide the user with In Game Knowledge. All sensory powers require the user to spend 5 seconds staring at the target and have a range 10 feet. After spending the required time the user states the call, which always starts with, “Sense” and the target replies with the answer. Only the User can take this information IG and, unless a specific power states otherwise, Sensory powers cannot be resisted. Certain powers allow the Target to provide false information so you can never 100% rely on Sense powers to be true.

• Attack: Attack powers are added to physical attacks with Melee Weapons or Boffers. Their duration is defined in the power, but are typically 1 Minute. If the Target Resists the attack with Perfect Dodge the effects of the power are ALSO automatically Resisted.

• Mental: Powers that affect the mind of the target, Mental powers can target anyone the User can see and whose attention they can get. The Target must be able to hear the power call and know the User is targeting them. Who used the power and its effects are OOG Knowledge, even if the target resists it, unless an effect allows that knowledge to be taken IG.

  • • Power User should state the Target’s Character name whenever possible, point or otherwise call out who is being targeted. 

    • Some Mental Powers require the user to give instructions, which are delivered as part of the Power Call. 

    • If the User did not get the Target’s attention, meaning they did not clearly hear or realize they were being targeted, the User may refund the cost of using that Power.

All Mental powers last 1 minute and can be resisted after acting on the power for 5 seconds by spending 1 Willpower Point or using the Iron Will power. 

• • • If resisted with Willpower the Target is immune to that Power for 1 minute.

    • If the Mental is triggered due to a Condition it cannot be resisted until the character spends 5 seconds acting in accordance with the instructions / effects of the Mental.
      
      

Example: Player A uses Hallucinate on Player B to make them see butterflies everywhere. Player B sees butterflies for 5 seconds then decides to spend Willpower to remove the mental. Player B is immune to Hallucinate for 60 seconds so when another Player then tries to use Hallucinate: “Monsters Everywhere” Player B does not take the effect. If Player A had used any other means of removing the Hallucinate power (an item or another power)  they would then take Player the second Hallucinate.

Example: Player A is targeted with Fear but it takes them 3 seconds to comprehend the effect due to the combat going on around them. They must first run away for 5 seconds before they can resist even though the power was said 3 seconds ago.

Example: Player A has “Conditioning, When Lars says Peekaboo, Hallucinate Crowds Screaming.” Later in the Tavern Player A hears Lars say peekaboo and the Hallucinate power triggers. They hear crowds screaming for 5 seconds before Resisting the power.

• Status: Powers that affect the body, Status are delivered through Packets. The user must either throw the packet and hit the target or touch them with a packet held in their hand. The Power Call must be given as the packet is thrown and all costs must be paid prior to the packet being thrown or used. Status powers will affect the target if they strike a shield the target is holding or wearing. Status powers, like Mentals, last 1 minute and can be resisted after 5 seconds of playing their effects with the Resist Status power.

• Touch: Touch powers require the user to touch the target. The legal locations to apply Touch powers are the shoulders down the wrist and the call must be delivered before, or while, touching the target. All Touch powers can be Resisted immediately by spending 1 Willpower Point. Touch powers have an immediate effect, such as Touch Damage, last 1 minute if they apply negative effects to the target, such as Force Frenzy, or 10 minutes if they give beneficial effects, such as Give Power.

• Aura: Aura powers that affect those who can perceive the user. Each Aura power has a hand gesture associated with it, such as holding one hand above your head palm facing upwards, and may also require the user to shout or howl. Aura powers have no range and affect everyone who can perceive the user and lasts 10 minutes, until the user stops the gesture, or (in the case of Targeted Auras) is resisted. There are three types of Auras, Targeted, Immediate, and Persistent, detailed below:

  • • Targeted Aura: Targeted Auras affect only the character identified and whom the gesture is directed, example: Repel. Targeted Auras can be resisted by spending 1 Willpower Point after taking the effects of the Aura for 5 seconds. If resisted the target is Immune to that power for 1 minute.

    • Immediate Aura: Causes an effect to immediately happen and then are done, example: Force Delirium. These can be resisted by spending a 1 Willpower when the power is used. If resisted the target is Immune to that power for 1 minute.

    • Persistent Aura: Causes a continuous effect, usually requiring a Willpower Point to be spent to act certain ways or rewarding characters with Willpower or Energy Points when they act a certain way, example: Majesty. These powers cannot be resisted and affect all who can see and hear the User.

Example Persistent Aura: Majesty. Claus uses Majesty by raising one hand above their head with their palm facing up and calls, “Majesty, Spend Will to Act Against Me.” Every character who can see Claus with his arm raised is affected by his Majesty, even if they didn’t hear the call and so must spend 1 Willpower Point if they want to attack, use a power on, or challenge Claus.

• Count: Count actions are completed by touching the target following the rules for Touch powers or specific roleplay requirements and completing a count verbally. Each count must be clearly stated and take 1 second per count. All Count Actions, unless specified otherwise, have a Count Time of 3. The Count can be interrupted by the target moving away so they are no longer touched or the user being hit with an attack, even if that attack is resisted or dodged. Once the Count is finished the power is activated and is irresistible. 

• Mass: Mass Powers affect everyone within 10 feet of the User. This power  type changes Mental, Status, or Touch types to Mass and no longer has any other type besides condition and uses the Mass rules. Who used the power and its effects are OOG knowledge, even if the target resists it, unless an effect allows that knowledge to be taken IG.

  • • Mass powers can be resisted immediately by spending 1 Willpower Point. 

    • Self powers that gain the Mass call affects the User and anyone within 10 feet

• Mass Damage: Mass damage powers deal damage to everyone within 10 feet of the User. Their call is “Mass # Type.” This damage cannot be resisted but can be reduced by Damage Reduction (DR) but not armor. Characters take the user and damage type of Mass Damage powers as IG Knowledge.

  • • Note: Both Mass and Mass Damage powers will affect characters in range that are invisible using the Invisibility or Perfect Invisibility powers. However using them to target an invisible character you otherwise have no ability to know is there is Meta-gaming. 

• Condition: Conditions are effects that last until another game effect removes them. If a Character ends a game with a Condition then they start the next game with the same Condition. A power with only the Condition type cannot be resisted, however such powers will have role play requirements that must be fulfilled. If the power has the Touch type, such as Bind Tongue, resisting the power prevents the Condition from affecting the character. Who used the power and its effects are OOG Knowledge, even if the target resists it, unless an effect allows that knowledge to be taken IG

  • • Conditions are usually attached to another Power Type and share its range. If no other Type is listed the range is Touch.

    • Mental and Status: The Conditions imparted  will always affect the target even if they are later broken with a Willpower Point.

    • Attacks: These must deal 1 damage to affect the character. If the attack is dodged, parried or does no damage there is no effect.

• Poison: Poison powers are applied to weapons and added to attack calls or by touching the target with the Poison prop and giving the call. A power used from a poison always adds, “Poison” to the power call. Poisons delivered through an attack call must deal 1 damage to the target to affect them. The act of coating a weapon or touching the target with the poison prop is IG Knowledge. The Call and Effects are OOG Knowledge and must be inferred.

  • • Poison may affect any character, including the user.

    • A Poisons attack must deal 1 damage to the target to affect them

    • All Poison powers may be resisted with the Resist Poison power.

    • Perfect Dodge may also be used to resist Applied poisons.

• Transformation: Powers that allow the user to transform and gain new abilities. To use a Transformation power the user must put on a mask and then enter the Transformed State. The time it takes to put on the mask is part of the activation cost of the power and the user gains no benefits from the power until the mask is worn and any costs must be paid before the mask is put on. The mask must cover at least half of the face and represent what the user is transforming into. A wolf mask would not be appropriate for Monstrous Form as an example. See Transformed below for more details.

• Special: Powers with the Special type have unique mechanics specific to that power. Special Powers will state their requirements and effects in the power. Example: Summon Spirit.

• Persistent: This type is used in the creation of Magic Items and denotes if a power can be made persistent

• Incapacitated: When a character is reduced to 0 HP they become Incapacitated. An Incapacitated character must lay on the ground, kneel, or raise both arms in the air and state, “Incapacitated,” depending on what is safe and the player’s ability. An Incapacitated character cannot attack or use powers and can only move to a place that is safe and that they won’t be stepped on/trampled on. An Incapacitated character CAN speak quietly for 5 seconds for dramatic effect. Most characters, but not all, also enter the Dying state when they become Incapacitated.

• Dying: A Character who is reduced to 0 HP enters the Dying state. Some Factions, such as Vampires and Fae, have alternative rules and do not. While in the dying state a character takes 1 Aggravated damage per minute and any damage they receive while Dying is Aggravated. The Soak Agg power doesn’t reduce this damage.

• Dead: A character dies when they have taken their Health Pool in Aggravated damage. A Dead character must play their corpse for a minimum of 5 minutes but may play it longer if they wish. When done playing their corpse the player drops all In Game items next to them and goes to ST camp. A Dead character may no longer be played and can only be revived with the Resurrection, Reincarnation or Rewind Time powers, or potentially a Gold Oath.

• Frenzy: Frenzy is the berzerk state the more monstrous creatures of the World of Darkness may enter. Your character may voluntarily enter a Frenzy only if they have a power or ability that allows them to do so. The Force Frenzy and Terror powers can also force a character to enter Frenzy. There are three types of Frenzy, Rage Frenzy, Fear Frenzy, and Hunger Frenzy. Only Vampires may enter a Hunger Frenzy and so the rules for it are detailed in their Faction rules. 

While in a Frenzy the character Immediately ends any Mental power they are affected by, Additionally they are immune to Mental, Mass and Persistent/Immediate Aura Powers, and resists Status and Targeted Aura powers for free after 5 seconds. FInally they do not remember the events of the Frenzy. Frenzy lasts 1 minute. Depending on the type of Frenzy the character also:

• • • Rage Frenzy: Gains Augment 1 and must draw weapon/s or boffers and attack the nearest character they can see, regardless of it’s a friend or foe. Once that character is Incapacitated (or appears to be) they move on to the next.

    • Fear Frenzy: Must immediately flee from the source of the fear frenzy. Any action taken must get the character farther from the source of the fear frenzy or remove an obstacle blocking the character’s path. Attacking or removing an obstacle is the last resort. If the character can go around the obstacle they must do so before acting to remove it. If there is no option to flee, such as being in a locked room, they enter a Rage Frenzy instead.

• Corruption: Corruption is the influence of demons that slowly twists the perceptions of those under its effects. A character with Corruption begins to see everyone around them as untrustworthy and the longer a character has Corruption the worse this effect becomes. Additionally, a character with Corruption cannot resist a power with the Corrupted call. A Character enters Corruption State by the Spread Corruption power being used on them, a touch power with the call, “Give Corruption.” It may be removed with the Cleanse Corruption power.

• Disturbing Presence: Many creatures in the World of Darkness naturally give off an uncomfortable aura that makes humans know something is “off” about that person without being able to put their finger on what. We represent this with Disturbing Presence. 

  • • A character with this trait must wear a strip of red cloth 2 inches wide and 18 inches long on their belt, plainly visible which signifies to Human characters that something about this character makes them uncomfortable. The red cloth is an OOG prop.

    • Humans: You don’t know why, but the character with the red flag is off putting. You are uncomfortable when around them but do not know why or that they are supernatural.

    • Non-Human characters: Disturbing Presence has no effect and ignores the flag entirely. 

• Disguised: Unlike real life, players take on the role of multiple characters, including NPC’s  in LARP. Due to this we need some additional rules to distinguish when a player is playing someone else or disguising their character to appear as someone else. When ending disguise simply remove the face covering and go back to playing the character as usual. The following is how to use and recognize OOG that disguise is in use.

  • • At least half of the face must be covered. 

    • The disguised character may not remove any cosmetic props (scars, disfigurements, animal features or other features put on as the Player assumes the Character) unless a power allows the removal of features.

    • A disguised character may use a different name.

    • They must respond with “deception” in addition to any other emotion when Sense Aura or Sense Deception is used on them.

• Restrained: Restraining a character at Darkwood Nights requires either a rope or shackle prop. Binding a character by tying them up with rope is a 10 count action,  while shackles is a 5 count action. The person binding must count, “Binding 1, Binding 2…” etc. until the count is completed then the target is bound. The restrained character then holds the prop in both hands or loosely wrapped around their wrists.

  • • The bound character cannot run, use melee or natural weapons, or use Status or Touch powers. 

    • The bound character can still use Aura, Mental, Sensory and Self powers. 

    • The bound character remains bound until someone else removes the binding with the same counted action (10 for rope, 5 for shackles with key), they use a power or skill to remove the bonds, break the bonds with Destroy Item, or are left completely unattended for 10 minutes.

• Ghoul: Any non-Vampire who drinks or is fed Blood Points enters the Ghoul state. The Ghoul state lasts until the character spends 1 full game without gaining any Blood Points, at which point the effects of this state go Dormant and the character can no longer use any Disciplines they possess. If the character later gains Blood Points again the effects of this state become active again instead of starting over. 

  • • Ghouls  gain a Blood Pool of 10 with Blood Points equal to the number drank

      • • Blood Points may only be used to Heal, Blood Buff and activate Vampire Disciplines. 

    • Adds 1 dot in Potence, Celerity, or Fortitude. 

      • • additional Disciplines are learned at double the XP cost and require a Vampire teacher.

          • • May not learn any discipline higher than the 1st dot

    • Blood Points must be used for Vampire Disciplines even if they have other energy pools.

• Transformed: To use a Transformation power and enter the Transformed state the player must put on a mask which signifies the character has transformed into that form. While wearing the mask the character gains all the benefit of the Transformation power. The character leaves the Transformed State when they remove the mask. The types of masks and the forms they represent are:

  • • Wolf: Represents Crinos form and causes Delirium. Must have a protruding wolf snout. This is the only mask type that can have a protruding canine snout.

    • Monster / Fae - Represents the Monstrous Form power or a Fae’s Mien. Must appear obviously inhumane and, if a Fae Mask, represent at least 1 of their Mien Traits.

    • Black Mask - Represents Shadow Form. Must be completely painted black with no other colors, cover the entire face, and not be easily mistaken for Garb.

    • White Mask - Represents Mist Form. Must be completely painted white with no other colors, cover the entire face, and not be easily mistaken for Garb.

    • Demon - Represents a manifested or Corporeal Demon.

There are 2 mechanical days at Darkwood Nights. Powers that have a duration of 1 Day last until the end of the day they are used.

• Day 1: Friday from the time you enter game until Saturday at 7pm

• Day 2: Saturday at 7pm to Sunday at game end. 

Example: A power with a duration of 1 day that is used at 10am Saturday morning lasts until 7pm Saturday while the same power used at 8pm Saturday lasts until game end. 

For safety reasons Darkwood Nights limits where a player can carry and wear in Game items. These locations are: On the head, around the neck, on the arms, on the belt (in pouches, frogs, cases and so on), or in the boot. In Game items are not to be stored or hidden in other places on the body. An incapacitated character may be searched using one of the following methods:

• Ask the incapacitated Player if they accept physical role play to search them. If they answer yes you may physically search the locations listed above. If they reply no, or you do not feel comfortable physically searching them, use the next method.

• Point to a location on the incapacitated character or state the location you wish to search and say, “Searching for all items on location X.” The searched character must then give all items in that location to the searcher.

  • • Example: Diedra has been incapacitated and has a pouch with 7 Pfennig, a dagger and another pouch with 3 keys on their belt. They also have hidden a Grimoire scroll under their hat. William searches Diedra but doesn’t want to physically perform the search so points to Diedra’s belt and says, “Searching your belt pouches.” Diedra must give William the contents of their belt pouches. Satisfied William walks away, missing the Grimoire he was looking for hidden under Diedra’s hat.

There are 4 special locations at Darkwood Nights; Holy Ground, the Umbra, a Cray and the Fae Hold. Each of these will be clearly marked by a Location Card, and identified on the site map. 

Holy Ground: Is defined as the Church/Pagan temple and any location ST tags as Holy Ground. By itself this site has no additional rules, however other mechanics may refer to it, such as the Baali clan weakness.

Umbra: The Umbra represents the Spirit Realm and is a separate section of Game Space. Entrance into the Umbra requires certain powers, such as Cross Over, and without them your character cannot access this space. Other mechanics also use the Umbra, such as Mages energy regeneration. At Camp Parsons it is located at Scoutcraft behind ST Camp and is accessible from the wooden arches.

• While in Umbra space a character cannot see outside of it.

• Characters outside of the Umbra Space cannot see into it.

• Leaving the Umbra: A Character in the Umbra may leave the Umbra by using a power that allows them to do so.

  • • A character without a power that allows them to leave the Umbra may do so if they are alone in the Umbra for 30 minutes.

Cray: A Cray is a wellspring of magical energy that Mages use to restore Quinessence and other creatures use as a food source. A Cray is represented by a tagged pair of bags attached to a feature at site. Once made into a Cray the Cray doesn’t move although it can be over-used, damaged and destroyed. All Crays have a rating of 1-5 and at the beginning of Game ST or Deco counts out 10x the Cray Rating of markers and puts them with each Cray. In the two bags are ‘the Well’, where the energy in the Cray is stored, and ‘the Reserve’, where the OOG markers not inside the Cray are stored. If, at the end of game, the Cray Tag is torn or missing it loses 1 Dot, if this brings the Rating to 0 it is destroyed.

• Who can use: To be able to use the Cray a character must have a Quintessence or Gnosis Pool, or the Thaumavor Monster Trait to interact with a Cray. Crays have 2 types of markers within them. Clear and colored. A colored marker represents corruption within the Cray. If you draw a colored marker you gain the Corruption State.

• Access the Cray: Meditate, or perform ritual RP, at it for 1 minute. 

  • • Then either say, “Draw #” or “Give #” with the # being 1-5.

    • “Draw” - Reach into the Well and blindly pull that many markers and regain Energy for each marker pulled and then place them in the Reserve bag. 

      1. • If any markers are Colored, gain the Corruption State.

         • If there are not enough markers in the Well gain Energy for each marker pulled then tear the Cray Tag. 

    • “Give” - Lose Energy equal to the number called then take that many markers from the Reserve bag and move into the Well. 

      1. • If you have a Corruption State place colored markers.

         • If you have the “Resist Corruption” power, you may select Clear Markers.

         • If you  have the “Give Corruption” power without having the Corruption State they may choose which markers they move.

Fae Holde: Is a special location accessed by a Trod, which will be tagged and have instructions for the entrance ritual. Only characters with at least Kenning 1 can see this card, however any character that does the proper ritual may access the Hold. Be wary though, for the Hold can be upgraded by the ruling Fae and this includes defenses, a nasty surprise may be in store for any who enter this place uninvited. This represents a space safe for the Fae and will have additional rules on its location tag. The Fae Hold tag will have the following: Entry Ritual, Ruling Fae, Ruling Court, Invited Courts, Defenses and Effects.

• Entry Ritual: To enter a Fae Holde, you must perform the entry ritual at the Trod card. 

• Ruling Fae: This is the Character name of the Character claiming the Holde. An unclaimed Holde may be claimed by any Fae belonging to a court (this means Solstice Fae cannot claim a Holde) by performing at least 5 minutes of ritual with 5 Fae, or 3 Fae of the same Court, in which each acknowledges the Ruling Fae as Lord/Lady of the Holde.

  • • Changing the Ruling Fae: The Ruling Fae may change in one of the following ways:

      • • The Ruling Fae may surrender the Holde in a formal ceremony to the new lord. If this is done to a Fae of the same Court there is no cost. But if surrendered to a Fae of a different Court the former lord cannot use Willpower points or resist Echoes for 2 games.

        • The Ruling Fae may abandon their claim. In this situation the Fae Holde benefits reset and the former Lord cannot use Willpower Points or resist Echoes for 5 games.

        • If the Ruling Fae dies, remove them from the Trod Card. Retain all other effects.

        • If the Ruling Fae is not played for 2 Games remove them from the Trod Card. Retain all other effects.

• Ruling Court: This must be the Court of the Ruling Fae. If no Court is listed then no Court rules the Holde and no additional rules apply. The 4 courts are Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

• Invited Courts: This covers the Fae of listed Courts that may enter and bring guests without triggering the Holde Defenses. If none are listed all who enter trigger the Holde’s defenses. The Solstice Fae are always counted as Invited.

• Defenses: Effects from using the Trod if not a Fae from one of the Invited Courts.

• Effects: While within a Fae Holde the following apply:

  • • Fae are Immune to Echoes

    • Fae suffer no effect from having their Unleashing resisted.

    • Fae may change their Mien freely without cost.

    • Fae recovers 1 Mist Point per 30 minutes spent in the Holde.

    • No Power or Attack with the Holy Damage type may be used.

Improving the Fae Holde: This may only be done by the Ruling Lord and there are many things they can do to fortify, improve and solidify their power.  

• Process: On Friday night of Game the Fae Lord may spend 3 Willpower Points to make one modification (these Willpower Points do not replenish for the rest of that game) or use one of the following: 4 Magical Components or 4 Dots of Oathed Sprites (see below). 

  • • The Ruling Lord may add multiple benefits in one game

    • The same benefit can be purchased multiple times as listed in each entry, but only 1 x game.

    • The Player must contact ST prior to the game so changes can be made to the Holde Card.

    • Special: Oathed Sprites: 0-10

      • • Sprites that have sworn to protect or guard the Holde. These have no effect beyond being able to be spent to add improvements to the Holde.

        • These cannot be purchased by the ruling Lord and can only be added by NPC Sprites swearing fealty to the Lord and agreeing to be bound to the Holde.

        • Oathed Sprites may be added multiple times per game.

• Workshop: 1-4

  • • A Fae may spend 1 minute to create a Charm from any non-Ability Power they know.

    • A Fae can produce a maximum of their Gramayre Rating times Workshop rating Charms per game.

• Bounty of the Sprites: 1-4

  • • Generates Rating of Magical Component Tags at Game Start

• Disguise Trod: 1-4

  • • Change the Kenning Level required to read the Trod Card to match the Rating of this benefit.

• Invited Court: Add or remove a Court from the list

• Defenses: 1-4 each

  • • Damage: Take damage equal to the rating upon entering the Holde

    • Aggravated Damage: Take Aggravated Damage equal to the rating upon entering the Holde

    • Sprite’s Tricks: List a number of Mental or Status Powers (Lord or Oathed Sprite must possess the power) equal to the rating of Sprite’s Tricks. Take all listed powers.

Kismet is earned by players for helping Darkwood Nights run and supporting the game. It is a separate resource from XP and is tracked at the Player level.

Earning: Kismet are earned for the following:

• Donations: Variable depending on donation

• Registering and Checking in Early: 1. Check In completed at least 2 weeks before game 

• NPC Shifts: 1 per shift, Max 10

• Playing full time NPCs Or on Staff: 10 per game

• Volunteering at game (Set up, tear down, cleaning): 1-3 depending on activity.

• Checking out after game with a clean space: 1

• Providing a picture of a negative COVID test the day before game: 1

• Providing proof of current COVID Vaccination (once per year): 5

• Providing proof of yearly Flu shot (Once per year): 5

Using Kismet: Kismet can be exchanged for the following:

•  XP: 1  Experience Point - 5 Kismet 

• Unlocking Restricted Sub-factions: Variable Kismet

• Obtain Teaching for a Statistic: 15 Kismet

• Create a 3 by 5 Human prompt for the NPC Box: 10 Kismet

• Background NPC: 10 Kismet. Guarantee one of your character background NPCs are sent out in the next 2 games.

• Relic: 20 Kismet - Create a relic that will be sent out in game 1, 2

• Minor Guest Plot: 20 Kismet - Create a minor NPC and plot line 1, 3

• Major Guest Plot: 50 Kismet - Create a major NPC and plot line 1, 3

• Create Relic: 100 Kismet - Create a relic that is given to you, work with the Rules team to create the item.

• Lower Generation: 100 Kismet - Lower Generation 1 step for an existing Vampire PC to the lowest of 6th, OR lower the Generation of a new Vampire PC from 7th to 6th (spend xp to lower generation to 7th, then Kismet to lower to 6th).

• Unlock Forging Gold Oaths: 150 Kismet - for a new or existing Fae PC regardless of Gramayre specialization.

• Unlock Create Artifact: 150 Kismet - for a new or existing Mage PC. Player must work with Rules team for each Artifact they wish to create.

• Human Becoming Vampire OOG: 100 Kismet - Allows the choice of Clan

• Human Becoming Fae: 100 Kismet 

• Human Becoming Mage: 100 Kismet

1   Subject to ST approval 

2  Relics are not guaranteed or intended to be given to spender.

3  The player acts as a Guest ST and must play a NPC associated with their plot line.