"Kutt" and "Brems":
"Kutt"
KUTT is a Norwegian word that means "Cut". It's used as a signal to cut all game play, and to pause the LARP. You use it if you feel an urgent need to pause the LARP. Everybody goes out of character and are themselves. You can use KUTT because you want to discuss a rule or some meta-problems, it can because you or somebody else gets injured, or it is to rectify something you find problematic in the LARP. You only involve the ones you need to involve. It's not necessary to halt the entire LARP if the problem causing the KUTT can be solved by the involved, on the spot. It is also not necessary to involve an organizer when you initiate KUTT.
"Brems", "Brems"-areas and "Brems"-time
BREMS is a Norwegian word that means "Break". It's used as a signal to lower the intensity in a situation in-game without actually going out of character. You could for instance be interrogated, or in other ways pressured in a way you personally find troublesome, but you don't want to halt the game. In that case, you can call out "Brems!", and the scene will be acted out less intensely (if you for instance were being interrogated harshly, they will ease down on the interrogation, or call it a day).
There will be "Brems"-time between 02.00 and 07.00, where no monsters or NPCs/SiS will attack. You are allowed to play, but any acting should be with low voice and little drama. During this time, people supposedly take their turns on the night-watch as per the individual squads' watch-list, but in practice, everybody is asleep. This is because we have the philosophy that it's easier to be rested and act tired, than to be tired and act rested.
There will be roads in the LARP-area that tourists and locals will use. These areas are "Brems"-areas. You can stay in character while in a "Brems"-area, but no volatile, hostile or agitated play.
Combat on CoC-69
We're testing out a new note-based system for use in firefights. It's inspired by the san-loss note system that have been used on several CoC-larps by the Organizers (see below for the Insanity rules). We will call these notes "Firefight-notes".
Firefight notes:
All players will be given about 10 firefight-notes. These notes will advise you as to how to act in a given firefight. Each character will have some individualized firefight-notes based on the characters psyche and background. We want to "control" firefight situations with these notes so that we don't loose control of the situation, with either everybody dying or nobody wanting to die. In addition, most of the firefight-notes will reflect real reactions that soldiers have experienced when in actual combat. People traditionally have different approaches to these kinds of notes. Some like to read every note beforehand, others like them to come as a surprise. Most people recommend that you are "one note ahead", so you don't have to spend time scrambling around in your pocket in a desperate search for a note, then trying to decipher the tiny letters in the darkness. Draw one note when it's peaceful, and you have access to light, and make up your mind as to how you want to interpret the note. When the shit hits the fan, you already know how to act out your note.
One of the notes will give you a severe injury. This is done so that it will feel genuinely dangerous to incite firefights. You don't have to follow the notes to the letter, you are allowed to improvise outcomes. You can also re-use a previous note if you find that reaction plausible for your character. You can even choose to ignore the note, and even die, if you feel like it. You can also draw another note, if you don't think the note suits the situation. But please don't ignore the note-system entirely and be the GI Hero in all firefights.
Here's an example of a firefight-note with medium severity:
"You freeze in a standing position as in petrified until you suddenly realize it's stupid to stand up when shot at. Once down on the ground, you start loading your weapon, but you forget to actually shoot. When the firefight is over, you're embarrassed about not shooting, and you are extra helpful towards those around you in the following hours. The following hours, you're concerned with how others perceive you, and you want to portray yourself as brave. You can for instance volunteer for dangerous stuff, like volunteering to be the point man in the fire team."
The idea is that a firefight-note shall give you some pointers as to how to behave during and after the firefight. It's also meant as an incentive to immersion, not only as a combat-technical guideline. The firefight notes are primarily thought as ways to solve big shooting situations primarily between the platoon and NPC/SiS (Vietcong) for more personal shooting-situations, see the following paragraph:
Duels/Mexican stand offs:
We don't like 'Munchkin-LARPERS'. This is not a LARP where you want to "win". Therefore you should really think twicebefore engaging in killing/shooting at fellow players.
But.
As the LARP progresses, people's sanity will probably deteriorate, and you as a player might end up in meta-dilemmas as of how to act in certain situations. Perhaps you end up in combat with other players? Either one-on-one, or in a typical Mexican stand off.
Here are some guidelines if you find yourself in such a situation:
If some of your "own" pulls a weapon on you, we'd prefer you to simply surrender rather than try to pull a weapon. At the same time, if you've pulled a weapon on somebody who have surrendered to you, you want to bring them to justice, alive. Historically it's extremely rare that American soldiers have shot any of their own (on purpose). If you have arranged the incident beforehand, and the player playing the character about to be executed is fine with it, it's OK. It's also OK to execute SiS/NPCs, captured enemies, etc.
If you have captured somebody, make sure you are a little lax on guarding them, so that they have a chance of getting away. It's not good for the LARP if 90% of the NPCs are stuck as prisoners!
It could happen that a faction of the player-base finds themselves persona non-grata by the majority of the players. Perhaps they have deserted, perhaps they're outed as "evil", etc. In that case; contact the Organizers, and we can determine whether you want to continue the game as a splinter faction, or want to join as NPCs for the remainder of the LARP.
"Kutt"
KUTT is a Norwegian word that means "Cut". It's used as a signal to cut all game play, and to pause the LARP. You use it if you feel an urgent need to pause the LARP. Everybody goes out of character and are themselves. You can use KUTT because you want to discuss a rule or some meta-problems, it can because you or somebody else gets injured, or it is to rectify something you find problematic in the LARP. You only involve the ones you need to involve. It's not necessary to halt the entire LARP if the problem causing the KUTT can be solved by the involved, on the spot. It is also not necessary to involve an organizer when you initiate KUTT.
"Brems", "Brems"-areas and "Brems"-time
BREMS is a Norwegian word that means "Break". It's used as a signal to lower the intensity in a situation in-game without actually going out of character. You could for instance be interrogated, or in other ways pressured in a way you personally find troublesome, but you don't want to halt the game. In that case, you can call out "Brems!", and the scene will be acted out less intensely (if you for instance were being interrogated harshly, they will ease down on the interrogation, or call it a day).
There will be "Brems"-time between 02.00 and 07.00, where no monsters or NPCs/SiS will attack. You are allowed to play, but any acting should be with low voice and little drama. During this time, people supposedly take their turns on the night-watch as per the individual squads' watch-list, but in practice, everybody is asleep. This is because we have the philosophy that it's easier to be rested and act tired, than to be tired and act rested.
There will be roads in the LARP-area that tourists and locals will use. These areas are "Brems"-areas. You can stay in character while in a "Brems"-area, but no volatile, hostile or agitated play.
Combat on CoC-69
We're testing out a new note-based system for use in firefights. It's inspired by the san-loss note system that have been used on several CoC-larps by the Organizers (see below for the Insanity rules). We will call these notes "Firefight-notes".
Firefight notes:
All players will be given about 10 firefight-notes. These notes will advise you as to how to act in a given firefight. Each character will have some individualized firefight-notes based on the characters psyche and background. We want to "control" firefight situations with these notes so that we don't loose control of the situation, with either everybody dying or nobody wanting to die. In addition, most of the firefight-notes will reflect real reactions that soldiers have experienced when in actual combat. People traditionally have different approaches to these kinds of notes. Some like to read every note beforehand, others like them to come as a surprise. Most people recommend that you are "one note ahead", so you don't have to spend time scrambling around in your pocket in a desperate search for a note, then trying to decipher the tiny letters in the darkness. Draw one note when it's peaceful, and you have access to light, and make up your mind as to how you want to interpret the note. When the shit hits the fan, you already know how to act out your note.
One of the notes will give you a severe injury. This is done so that it will feel genuinely dangerous to incite firefights. You don't have to follow the notes to the letter, you are allowed to improvise outcomes. You can also re-use a previous note if you find that reaction plausible for your character. You can even choose to ignore the note, and even die, if you feel like it. You can also draw another note, if you don't think the note suits the situation. But please don't ignore the note-system entirely and be the GI Hero in all firefights.
Here's an example of a firefight-note with medium severity:
"You freeze in a standing position as in petrified until you suddenly realize it's stupid to stand up when shot at. Once down on the ground, you start loading your weapon, but you forget to actually shoot. When the firefight is over, you're embarrassed about not shooting, and you are extra helpful towards those around you in the following hours. The following hours, you're concerned with how others perceive you, and you want to portray yourself as brave. You can for instance volunteer for dangerous stuff, like volunteering to be the point man in the fire team."
The idea is that a firefight-note shall give you some pointers as to how to behave during and after the firefight. It's also meant as an incentive to immersion, not only as a combat-technical guideline. The firefight notes are primarily thought as ways to solve big shooting situations primarily between the platoon and NPC/SiS (Vietcong) for more personal shooting-situations, see the following paragraph:
Duels/Mexican stand offs:
We don't like 'Munchkin-LARPERS'. This is not a LARP where you want to "win". Therefore you should really think twicebefore engaging in killing/shooting at fellow players.
But.
As the LARP progresses, people's sanity will probably deteriorate, and you as a player might end up in meta-dilemmas as of how to act in certain situations. Perhaps you end up in combat with other players? Either one-on-one, or in a typical Mexican stand off.
Here are some guidelines if you find yourself in such a situation:
If some of your "own" pulls a weapon on you, we'd prefer you to simply surrender rather than try to pull a weapon. At the same time, if you've pulled a weapon on somebody who have surrendered to you, you want to bring them to justice, alive. Historically it's extremely rare that American soldiers have shot any of their own (on purpose). If you have arranged the incident beforehand, and the player playing the character about to be executed is fine with it, it's OK. It's also OK to execute SiS/NPCs, captured enemies, etc.
If you have captured somebody, make sure you are a little lax on guarding them, so that they have a chance of getting away. It's not good for the LARP if 90% of the NPCs are stuck as prisoners!
It could happen that a faction of the player-base finds themselves persona non-grata by the majority of the players. Perhaps they have deserted, perhaps they're outed as "evil", etc. In that case; contact the Organizers, and we can determine whether you want to continue the game as a splinter faction, or want to join as NPCs for the remainder of the LARP.
(In)Sanity
Madness is an essential part of CoC-69.
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Here's an overview of how people tend to be with varying levels of sanity:
18-20 -You are a harmonic and emphatic human being. You can take pleasure in others' success and you tend to feel sorry for people who counteract you. Dumbledore from the Harry Potter universe is an example of someone around this sanity range.
15-17 -You are quite content. You sleep well at night, and you are good with other people. You can of course get annoyed and you can experience jealousy, envy or egocentricity from time to time. Hermione Granger in Harry Potter might be in this sanity-range.
11-14 -You still have feelings like compassion, empathy and love, but conflicting feelings like envy, greed, jealousy and ambitions are emerging. You might appear as kind, nice and empathetic, but it's just a smokescreen for your selfish ambitions. Harry Potter is an example of someone in this sanity-range.
7-10 -Empathetic feelings and affections for others are quickly becoming subordinate to more egocentric feelings, like ambitions, envy or political schemes. You are steadily becoming a cynical person. Also people who linger around this sanity-range can have had a run-in encounter with Mythos. Draco Malfoy is an example of someone in this sanity-range.
4-6 -It's hard to end up this low on the scale without being frequently exposed to traumatic stuff. People suffering from war trauma can end up this low, as well as stone cold corporate suits, die hard capitalists, extortionists, swindlers, etc. Also people who tamper frequently with Mythos may end up in this area of the scale. You primarily think about yourself or your cause and it's hard to pretend that you care about others. Peter Pettigrew from Harry Potter might dwell in this sanity-range.
1-3 -Now you're truly in company with utterly evil people. You might have had good intentions some while ago, but those intentions have long since been left on the sidewalk on the path you're now on. That's the path to become a pawn of Nyarlatothep, or others who want all kinds of bad stuff to happen to mankind. Deep-One-hybrids get this low, on their traumatic metamorphosis towards the sea... Bellatrix Lestrange is a character from the Harry Potter universe who is at this level. Either incapable of perceiving suffering, or incapable of caring.
0 -You're a thrall under one or more of the Mythos-universes entities. And/or you are utterly evil. Once you reach zero in sanity, you're basically reduced to an NPC. Contact an organizer for instructions. Voldemort is a person at zero sanity.
Sanloss-notes:
You can both gain and loose sanity during the LARP, but loosing is probably the most probable scenario. The method we use to manage the character's sanity loss during the LARP is by giving each player about 10 san-loss-notes. These notes are individually adapted to the character's background and psyche. Every time your character experiences something traumatic, you trigger a san-loss-note.
The san-loss-note contains three reactions, graded I, II and III.
I -is applied if the situation triggering the note is traumatic, but not supernatural in any way. This could be seeing someone dying,
seeing a mutilated corpse, being treated horribly, etc. You don't trigger SAN I-notes for firefights on this LARP, as we have our
own Firefight-notes on this larp, that might also provide SAN-loss.
II -is applied if the situation triggering the note is obviously supernatural. While being supernatural, it is not very traumatizing,
being exposed to healing, or otherwise performing lesser spells and magic typically triggers a SAN II -reaction.
III-is applied if the situation triggering the note is obviously supernatural and highly traumatic. It includes seeing mythos-monsters,
being chased by Deep Ones, Byakhees, Mi-Go, etc.
As opposed to the pen and paper role-play game, you become more thick skinned the less sanity you have. So if you see say a corpse, having little sanity left; it might not trigger a SAN I-reaction. Exposure and normality is also a factor. If you work as a pathologist or investigator, you don't have to trigger a SAN I-reaction from seeing a corpse. Likewise, if you are an experienced soldier, you wouldn't trigger a SAN I-reaction if you're seeing someone badly mutilated from a blast, etc. Also, if you are the one causing the Mythos incident, you can trigger a SAN-reaction one level lower than you otherwise would. It's therefore easier to slide down fast on the sanity-scale between 20 and 10. Dropping below 10, the descent slows down. The organizers have no goal to have as many as possible reaching zero level during the LARP.
Disclaimer:
We understand that mental health doesn't work like this in real life.
This is only meant as nonsensical silliness, and a homage to H.P. Lovecraft's fiction.
Light-codes, post-it-notes and signals:
We have the following light-codes on the LARP:
This is a game-mechanic, you only use these light-codes if you have any Mythos connected to your character that warrants such use. If you as a player see these colors, behave in the following way:
Green light:
When used by NPCs/SiS, you find the situation strange, but you are curious and positive. It's still a strange situation and nothing really adds up. (You'll have to trigger a SAN-loss-note I or II, see below for clarification).
Red light:
When used by NPCs/SiS, you find the situation acutely dangerous, and also obviously supernatural. You instantly trigger a SAN-loss-note II or III; see below for clarification.
NB:
What can be confusing on an army-larp, is that green and red light is often used on flashlights in order to make flash-codes, and to reduce the loss of night vision. A flash-code can for instance be 2 green blinks + 3 green blinks, and it means people are friendly and know the code. You just have to assess the situation and try to see the context of the situation. If a strange forest-monster approaches you on your MG-watch and flashes a red light, you are probably scared and finds it very dangerous, while if your Squad-leader uses red light on his flashlight to read on the map, it's probably not a monster...
We have the following colour-codes on post-it-notes on the larp:
Yellow/standard post-it:
Practical info from the organizers, an NPC/SiS or a fellow player. It can be trivial info like this bag contains private medication and is off-game, that a door is actually locked, that you feel sick after drinking from a certain bottle, etc.
Pink/red'ish post-it:
Game technical info from the Organizers and the content is Mythos-related and will lead to SAN-loss. The note will specify whether it's a SAN-loss II or III incident that is triggered.
A pink post-it-note could read something like:
"You feel your wounds closing, and that you recover your strength rapidly after drinking the weird tea." (SAN II)
or:
"If you read this document in it's entirety, contact an Organizer for information." (SAN II)
Some signals that might be used during the LARP:
Timeout (The hands shaped like a T):
If an Organizer wishes to give a quick message, without having to interrupt using "KUTT"/"BREMS". Timeout can also be used by the players, but use it with discretion. If it can be solved in-game, please solve it in-game. Don't make a Timeout-signal just to break immersion by saying stuff like "Wow, I loved that scene, you play really well!"
A hand on the head:
Meaning: "I am not here, ignore me." Primarily used by dead NPCs/SiS/Monsters. Can also be used by dead players. Don't go invisible just because you need to go to the toilet! If you have to go to the toilet, chances are your character might also have to go. If you are on your way to the toilet and are interrupted by events, rather use "BREMS" than the invisible-sign.
18-20 -You are a harmonic and emphatic human being. You can take pleasure in others' success and you tend to feel sorry for people who counteract you. Dumbledore from the Harry Potter universe is an example of someone around this sanity range.
15-17 -You are quite content. You sleep well at night, and you are good with other people. You can of course get annoyed and you can experience jealousy, envy or egocentricity from time to time. Hermione Granger in Harry Potter might be in this sanity-range.
11-14 -You still have feelings like compassion, empathy and love, but conflicting feelings like envy, greed, jealousy and ambitions are emerging. You might appear as kind, nice and empathetic, but it's just a smokescreen for your selfish ambitions. Harry Potter is an example of someone in this sanity-range.
7-10 -Empathetic feelings and affections for others are quickly becoming subordinate to more egocentric feelings, like ambitions, envy or political schemes. You are steadily becoming a cynical person. Also people who linger around this sanity-range can have had a run-in encounter with Mythos. Draco Malfoy is an example of someone in this sanity-range.
4-6 -It's hard to end up this low on the scale without being frequently exposed to traumatic stuff. People suffering from war trauma can end up this low, as well as stone cold corporate suits, die hard capitalists, extortionists, swindlers, etc. Also people who tamper frequently with Mythos may end up in this area of the scale. You primarily think about yourself or your cause and it's hard to pretend that you care about others. Peter Pettigrew from Harry Potter might dwell in this sanity-range.
1-3 -Now you're truly in company with utterly evil people. You might have had good intentions some while ago, but those intentions have long since been left on the sidewalk on the path you're now on. That's the path to become a pawn of Nyarlatothep, or others who want all kinds of bad stuff to happen to mankind. Deep-One-hybrids get this low, on their traumatic metamorphosis towards the sea... Bellatrix Lestrange is a character from the Harry Potter universe who is at this level. Either incapable of perceiving suffering, or incapable of caring.
0 -You're a thrall under one or more of the Mythos-universes entities. And/or you are utterly evil. Once you reach zero in sanity, you're basically reduced to an NPC. Contact an organizer for instructions. Voldemort is a person at zero sanity.
Sanloss-notes:
You can both gain and loose sanity during the LARP, but loosing is probably the most probable scenario. The method we use to manage the character's sanity loss during the LARP is by giving each player about 10 san-loss-notes. These notes are individually adapted to the character's background and psyche. Every time your character experiences something traumatic, you trigger a san-loss-note.
The san-loss-note contains three reactions, graded I, II and III.
I -is applied if the situation triggering the note is traumatic, but not supernatural in any way. This could be seeing someone dying,
seeing a mutilated corpse, being treated horribly, etc. You don't trigger SAN I-notes for firefights on this LARP, as we have our
own Firefight-notes on this larp, that might also provide SAN-loss.
II -is applied if the situation triggering the note is obviously supernatural. While being supernatural, it is not very traumatizing,
being exposed to healing, or otherwise performing lesser spells and magic typically triggers a SAN II -reaction.
III-is applied if the situation triggering the note is obviously supernatural and highly traumatic. It includes seeing mythos-monsters,
being chased by Deep Ones, Byakhees, Mi-Go, etc.
As opposed to the pen and paper role-play game, you become more thick skinned the less sanity you have. So if you see say a corpse, having little sanity left; it might not trigger a SAN I-reaction. Exposure and normality is also a factor. If you work as a pathologist or investigator, you don't have to trigger a SAN I-reaction from seeing a corpse. Likewise, if you are an experienced soldier, you wouldn't trigger a SAN I-reaction if you're seeing someone badly mutilated from a blast, etc. Also, if you are the one causing the Mythos incident, you can trigger a SAN-reaction one level lower than you otherwise would. It's therefore easier to slide down fast on the sanity-scale between 20 and 10. Dropping below 10, the descent slows down. The organizers have no goal to have as many as possible reaching zero level during the LARP.
Disclaimer:
We understand that mental health doesn't work like this in real life.
This is only meant as nonsensical silliness, and a homage to H.P. Lovecraft's fiction.
Light-codes, post-it-notes and signals:
We have the following light-codes on the LARP:
This is a game-mechanic, you only use these light-codes if you have any Mythos connected to your character that warrants such use. If you as a player see these colors, behave in the following way:
Green light:
When used by NPCs/SiS, you find the situation strange, but you are curious and positive. It's still a strange situation and nothing really adds up. (You'll have to trigger a SAN-loss-note I or II, see below for clarification).
Red light:
When used by NPCs/SiS, you find the situation acutely dangerous, and also obviously supernatural. You instantly trigger a SAN-loss-note II or III; see below for clarification.
NB:
What can be confusing on an army-larp, is that green and red light is often used on flashlights in order to make flash-codes, and to reduce the loss of night vision. A flash-code can for instance be 2 green blinks + 3 green blinks, and it means people are friendly and know the code. You just have to assess the situation and try to see the context of the situation. If a strange forest-monster approaches you on your MG-watch and flashes a red light, you are probably scared and finds it very dangerous, while if your Squad-leader uses red light on his flashlight to read on the map, it's probably not a monster...
We have the following colour-codes on post-it-notes on the larp:
Yellow/standard post-it:
Practical info from the organizers, an NPC/SiS or a fellow player. It can be trivial info like this bag contains private medication and is off-game, that a door is actually locked, that you feel sick after drinking from a certain bottle, etc.
Pink/red'ish post-it:
Game technical info from the Organizers and the content is Mythos-related and will lead to SAN-loss. The note will specify whether it's a SAN-loss II or III incident that is triggered.
A pink post-it-note could read something like:
"You feel your wounds closing, and that you recover your strength rapidly after drinking the weird tea." (SAN II)
or:
"If you read this document in it's entirety, contact an Organizer for information." (SAN II)
Some signals that might be used during the LARP:
Timeout (The hands shaped like a T):
If an Organizer wishes to give a quick message, without having to interrupt using "KUTT"/"BREMS". Timeout can also be used by the players, but use it with discretion. If it can be solved in-game, please solve it in-game. Don't make a Timeout-signal just to break immersion by saying stuff like "Wow, I loved that scene, you play really well!"
A hand on the head:
Meaning: "I am not here, ignore me." Primarily used by dead NPCs/SiS/Monsters. Can also be used by dead players. Don't go invisible just because you need to go to the toilet! If you have to go to the toilet, chances are your character might also have to go. If you are on your way to the toilet and are interrupted by events, rather use "BREMS" than the invisible-sign.