• What is Amtgard?
• What is the Shire of Feanga?
• Who can play?
• How much does it cost?
• When and where do you meet?
• Is combat the only way I can participate?
• How can I contact you?

• Combat Rules
• Battle Game Rules
• Inappropriate Behavior Rules
• Local Rules

Amtgard is an international non-profit organization that runs medieval battle games and role-play events with foam swords. Started in Texas in 1981, it has spread all over the United States, and even into a few chapters overseas. Following the idea that it's better and safer to pad the weapons then the participants, Amtgard distinguished itself from the SCA as the less hard core and dangerous, and more open playing field. Amtgard also distinguishes itself from most other medieval battle game organizations with the introduction of fantasy elements, with classes, special abilities and powers, magic and monsters. See www.amtgard.com for more information. However, note that we have many house rules which do not match the standard ones printed there exactly. See the "rules" section for details.

Feanga (pronounced fey-ahn-gah) is a local Santa Barbara chapter of Amtgard. Amtgard chapters come in four sizes: shires, duchies, baronies and kingdoms, in order of ascending size. As we are relatively new, we are still a shire. Feanga is a word derived from the Sindarin roots for spirit (fea) and iron (anga), referring therefore to iron spirit. For the uninitiated, Sindarin is one of the elven languages invented by J.R.R. Tolkein for the world in which The Lord of the Rings is set.

Anybody basically physically able who is at least 14 years of age is allowed to play Amtgard. No special training or certification is required to enter the field, due to the fact that it is actually quite difficult to actually hurt somebody with our weapons without trying. However, if you actually try to hurt anybody, or infract any of our other rules in a serious enough manner, you may find yourself kicked out of our games.

Amtgard is a non-profit organization, and the game is essentially free. However, we do incur costs, so to cover these there are optional dues. You never have to pay your dues to play, but being paid up gives you a say in running the chapter, in the form of a vote on the monthly Althings council. In addition, you gain the right to run for the various offices in the Amtgard government, when they come up for election. Holding most offices also has the benefit of not being charged dues for the duration of one's service. The dues themselves are relatively mild, merely $1 per meeting, and only for meetings with 8 or more people. Plus, your first three meetings are free, and other donations to the chapter, such as raw materials, weapons or refreshments, may count for dues credits. Note, though, that you can not vote on the Althings, or run for office, until after your first three meetings. You don't get a "free" voice in the government if an opportunity comes along before you even owe any dues.

We currently meet once a week, on Sundays at Oak Park at 1 PM. We also used to meet Mondays at UCSB, but due to scheduling conflicts that is currently not happening. We're discussing a new time for the UCSB meetings. If you have any suggestions, drop me a line at mpowell@sphidia.com.

If you are north of the Las Positas exit (which means Goleta, Isla Vista, and the far northern side of Santa Barbara), follow the 101 south to the Las Positas exit, then turn left on Las Positas. Turn right onto Tallant Rd., and keep going till it seemingly dead-ends on Clinton Terrace. Turn left on Clinton, and almost immediately turn right again back onto Tallant. Tallant will soon appear to dead-end again, but it actually continues to the right. Turn right there, and then turn right on Alamar, and Oak Park is on your right. Look for us just north of the kiddie pool on the south side of the park, next to the star on the map.

If you are south of the Las Positas exit (which includes most of Santa Barbara, along with Montecito, Summerland, Carpenteria, and anything in Ventura County), follow the 101 north to the Pueblo exit, turn right on W. Junipero St., and then left on Alamar, and we should be right there. Look for us just north of the kiddie pool, on the south side of the park, where you see the star on the map.

No. You can always join a role-play event in a non-combat role. Also, we are always happy to have people who will join us as "color", merely adding to the medieval fantasy atmosphere of the game, or who will help us run the events or construct the needed equipment, and of course spectators are always welcome. Non-combat participants are still welcome to participate in the Amtgard government as well, so long as they remain paid-up on their dues.

The Shire of Feanga is run by Sheriff Celedraug (kele-drawg), known as Michael Powell in real life, and by Regent Pan. In addition, once a month we hold a meeting of the Althings, which is a council in which all paying members get the chance to vote on any issues they bring up, with tied votes being broken by the Sheriff.

Sheriff Celedraug (kele-drawg) can be contacted at mpowell@sphidia.com. Regent Pan can be contacted at prometheuspan@hotmail.com. In addition, you can find our mailing list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/feanga/.

For a complete copy of the official Amtgard rules, visit www.amtgard.com. What's printed here is some important rule summaries and local rules.

The object of combat is, of course, to kill your opponent. In order to simulate this in the best, and safest, manner, Amtgard includes a set of rules for what sort of hits count for what. Note that any light touch is considered a hit, and you are encouraged to hit no harder then is absolutely necessary for your opponent to feel it. While we strive to make our weapons as safe as possible, there is no reason to put that safety to the test with every exchange of blows. The types of hits are as follow:

Torso - Torso hits result in death. This includes, chest, back, stomach, pelvis, and butt.

Head, Neck and Groin - Head, neck and groin shots do not count. This may seem unrealistic, but these areas are not safe to hit so we try to discourage them. If you are noticed repeatedly and/or intentionally hitting people in the head, neck or groin, we will have to talk to you, and you may be temporarily removed from the battlefield. If you get hit in the head, neck or groin you may call stun. See below for stun rules.

Arms - Arm hits mean you can't use that arm anymore. Arm distinguishes itself from torso along the line drawn strait up from the armpit. You usually want to put the arm behind your back to signify this. If the same arm gets hit again, it counts as a torso hit. It is presumed the arm isn't there anymore, and therefore can not block a strike. However, a second hit to the arm must be carried out as an entirely distinct strike in order to count as such. A quick double-tap does not count.

Hands - A hand grasping a weapon is protected by the "virtual hand guard", so in such a case hand hits don't count. However, if the hand is not on a weapon, it counts as an arm hit.

Legs - Leg hits mean you can't use that leg anymore. You can then either hop on one leg, or go down on your knees. If you hop, of course, it's the good leg you must hop on. When kneeling, the good knee must be forward. If you're hopping, a second hit to the bad leg counts as a hit to the good leg. If you're kneeling, a second hit on a bad leg doesn't count. While not actively in combat, you may walk around on both legs, while saying the word "Hobble," but you may not run, and you must either hop or kneel again when re-entering combat.

Feet - A hit on a foot on the ground doesn't count. However, if the foot is off the ground when it's hit, it counts as a leg hit.

Second Limb - When you lose two limbs, be it two legs, two arms, or an arm and a leg, you are dead.

Stunning - Any time a player is struck with an illegal hit, falls over and is in pain, loses their glasses, or is otherwise momentarily incapacitated in an out of character manner, they may considered themselves "stunned", until they declare themselves ready to continue combat. Any stikes between the moment of stunning and them re-entering combat do not count. When a play calls stun, they are considered to have been stunned from the initial stunning event, and any hits between whatever stunned them and them declaring stun also do not count. They must, however, re-enter combat at the same location where they left it, and all other players must give them room to re-enter the game fairly.

If both participants in a battle kill each other at almost the same moment then it's considered a simultaneous kill, or a "simul" for short, and both combatants are considered dead. Feanga uses the "swing in progress" rule for determining simuls, which means that if your swing is in progress when you die, and it connects, then it counts. If you die before you start a swing, it does not count. However, if you lose the arm executing the swing before it connects, then the hit does not count.

There are a number of simple battle games that often take place at Amtgard meetings. The heart an essence of Amtgard is the class battle, which is a more advanced level of battle game involving character classes. However, the following simple games are often used as warm-ups, and it's good to be familiar with them.

Ditch Battle

At the start of a ditch battle, all players break into two teams, and move to opposite sides of the field. When the game starts, the two teams move in and fight. When only one team is left alive, they figure out who died first on their side. That person goes to the losing side, and the battle resets.

If nobody died on the winning side, the battle resets with no change. Likewise of the last people from each side simul, then the battle is considered a tie and resets with no change.

The ditch battle continues until one single combatant is stuck on a team by themselves, and wins. As you can imagine, ditch battles usually just go until everybody gets tired of it of and moves on to something else.

Kill Your Killer

Kill Your Killer starts as a free for all game. All combatants spread out into a circle, and the game starts. Every time you die, leave the game, but keep an eye on the person who killed you. When they die, you get to come back in.

In the case of a simul, you both die, and both immediately come back, because your killer also died. However, be sure to declare simul, because anybody either of you killed also comes back to life.

The game ends when only one person remains on the field. This happens more often then you might imagine.

Warlords

Warlords starts as a free for all game. All combatants spread out into a circle, and the game starts. Every time you die, note the person who killed you, and sit out for a count of 30 seconds. Count the last 10 seconds out loud so people know you are about to return. Then, check on the person who killed you. If they are still alive, declare their name, and you are now their minion. Otherwise, declare free agent, and come back free.

A minion must follow the orders of their warlord on the battlefield to the best of their abilities. Anybody a minion kills also becomes a minion of their warlord. If a warlord dies, all their minions become free agents. A warlord can, at any point, kill one of their own minions to regrow a lost limb. That minion returns as a free agent.

The game ends when one warlord controls the entire field.

In a game centered on violence, it's possible to lose perspective on what actually matters, take the game too seriously, and do things which would in any other context seem rude or totally inappropriate. Remember we're out there to have fun. We don't want to prove anything, and don't welcome people who do. The game may be centered on violence, and could be called a rather barbaric sport, but let's not let that subvert the fact that we are still civilized people capable of interacting a civilized level. Most of these rules seem obvious, but every single one of them has at some point been broken on our field, though most before we instituted them.

1. Violence is to be kept in the context of the game. Violence outside the context of the game is unacceptable. Amtgard endorses a role playing experience which includes violent combat. However, this to be understood as existing only in the role playing universe, not in the real world.

2. Intimidation outside the context of the game is not allowed. It is reasonable to include intimidation as part of the role playing experience. It is not acceptable for any participant to intimidate any other participant by threat of anything other than foam weapons, and even then, only when in the context of the role playing experience.

3. The intentional building of an exclusive clique or personality cult aimed at exclusion and domination of others will not be tollerated. This is not a mandate against forming groups such as guilds, households or companies, as this is a normal part of the game. Nor is it a ban on tending to stick with one group of Amtgarders on the field over another group, as that's part of normal social interaction. It is when a group begins to subvert the atmosphere of the chapter away from just having fun, and into the sort of unhealthy social competition most of left behind when we graduated high school, that a problem arrises, and this rule is invoked.

4. True insults are to be avoided. While nobody cares about a joking jab from time to time, and sometimes it is necessary to bring up a person's faults in order to work through a problem, a statement intended for the sole purpose of offending somebody is unacceptable at our chapter. In general, swearing or cussing in an offensive fashion is discouraged as well, though we aren't going to worry about the occasional innocent curse.

5. If you have a non-role-play problem in our chapter, you are encouraged to take that problem to one of the leaders, or to the Althings, and communicate it verbally. If you don't agree with or like the leadership, and think it's leading the chapter in the wrong direction, organize an impeachment. Basically, if there is a problem, work within the system to solve it. Do not conspire against or attempt to subvert the system. It's there for your benefit.

This section is for the benefit of those who have played Amtgard elsewhere, and just want a rundown of where our rules differ from the rest of Amtgard. Listed here are all measures that have passed our local Althings that effect the Rulebook or Corpora of Bylaws. The changes to the Rulebook are listed first, as they are the most relivent to casual players. Those that effect the Corpora are listed second.

Refine Leg Hit Rules

In the occasion of a leg hit, one is allowed to do one of two things. Firstly, one can hop on one's intact leg, making sure one's dead foot does not touch the ground at any point. Secondly, one can kneel, placing the good knee forward. If one chooses to hop, a hit to the dead leg will be considered a hit to the good leg, as the dead leg is generally blocking the other leg. If one chooses to kneel, a hit to the dead leg does not count. While not actively in combat, one may walk slowly, on both legs, from place to place while repeating the word "hobble" to make it clear one is actually legged, in order to avoid having to hop or crawl long distances. One may not run, or even walk quickly, while "hobbling", and it is encouraged to drag one's bad leg somewhat to make one's state even more clear. Upon re-entering combat, one must either hop or kneel as described above.

Virtual Hand Guard on All Melee Weapons

The virtual hand guard applies to all melee weapons, rather then just swords and daggers, so that as long as a hand is grasping any melee weapons, hand hits do not count.

Crotch Shots are Illegal

Crotch shots are treated the same as head and neck shots. They do not count as an actual hit. This only applies if the target actually shows that they are in pain, in which case they shall be considered stunned, as per the stun rules below.

Stun Rules

Any time a player is struck with an illegal hit, falls over and is in pain, loses their glasses, or is otherwise momentarily incapacitated in an out of character manner, they may considered themselves "stunned", until they declare themselves ready to continue combat. Any stikes between the moment of stunning and them re-entering combat do not count. When a play calls stun, they are considered to have been stunned from the initial stunning event, and any hits between whatever stunned them and them declaring stun also do not count. They must, however, re-enter combat at the same location where they left it, and all other players must give them room to re-enter the game fairly.

Monk's Vibrating Palm Breaks Weapons

As put forward by the Monk's Guild, the Monk vibrating palm ability is now granted the ability to break weapons. Vibrating palm can still kill, but it must strike the person directly to do so. If it hits a weapon, that weapon is broken. Vibrating Palm does not, however, effect shields. This is to counter the effect that Vibrating Palm is nearly useless in most circumstances, as it requires one to get a hand inside an opponent's guard without having it struck, and the monks, unlike the assassins with their touch of death, are not generally stealthy.

This rule can be considered to be on a trial basis. It has yet to be stringently tested on the field, and if it is found to be seriously unbalancing, it will be revoked.

Travel Credits

When one travels over 100 miles to attend a Feanga meeting, they shall receive two class credits for the meeting, rather then one, to reflect the greater effort they have expended to join our meeting.

Role-play Credits

If the Monarch and Prime Minister agree, an individual may be awarded more then one class credit for a meeting during which they especially exemplify their class, or perform exceptional feats of role-play.

Monthly Credit Limit

One shall never gain more then 8 class credits in a month in the Shire of Feanga.

Minimum 2 articles of clothing

To participate in Feanga's battlegames, one must be wearing at least two articles of clothing, counting underwear, but not counting foot gear (socks, shoes, boots, etc.) or thong underwear. However, both articles of clothing can not be underwear. This is in response to complaints of certain members being under-clad during battlegames.

Exclusive Voting Policy

Only members of Feanga who are not actively members of any other chapter of Amtgard may be permitted a vote on the Feanga Althings. A member of another chapter may forgo their membership to that chapter and immediately gain the right to vote in Feanga, so long as they meet all other voting requirements. However, if this right is abused by switching their membership repeatedly, their voting rights in Feanga may be permanently revoked in a vote by the Feanga Althings, in which they personally can not vote.

Feanga Dues Structure

For every Feanga meeting that a player participates in with 8 or more people, after their first three meetings, they shall owe $1 in optional dues, up to a maximum of $10 owed, which when paid will grant the player the right to vote on the Althings and hold office within the chapter. One may participate in all parts of the chapter without paying dues, besides voting in the Althings or running for office. One may not vote in the Althings or run for office until after one's third meeting, and they must be paid up to and including the meeting in which they choose to vote or run. The Sheriff and Prime Minister, when in agreement, can grant dues credits for any donation or service to the chapter, as they see fit. Each dues credit will count as $1 of pre-paid dues for that member. Members can also directly pre-pay a quantity of dues with a donation to the chapter, if they wish.

Inactive Member Voting Restriction

In order to vote on the Feanga Althings, one must have attended at least three meeting, besides the meeting during which the Althings takes place, within eight weeks of the Althings. Otherwise, one is considered an inactive member, out of touch with the issues currently affecting the chapter.

Removal of Term Limits

The limit of two terms on the offices of Monarch and Prime Minister is no longer in effect. Officers are able to be voted into these offices as many times as the membership chooses to vote them in.

Extension of Terms

Terms for the Sheriff and Prime Minister have been extended from six months to one year. The Crown Qualifications, Crown Tournament and Midreign are now annual events.

No veto power of Monarch and Prime Minister for Impeachment

The Monarch and Prime Minister no longer have the power to veto an impeachment process, as justified by the fact that the positions most likely to be worth an impeachment process are the Monarch and Prime Minister, and it would not make sense for them to veto their own impeachment.