Combat Safety

Destria is a light to medium contact LARP. The safety of each player is a paramount concern at all times especially during combat. Below is a description of acceptable combat tactics and maneuvers players must avoid. No weapon or packet contact should be powerful enough to bruise a player; the goal is simply to ensure that an opponent can feel when he/she gets hit.

Illegal Targets
No attacks may target a player's head, groin or hands. Occasionally, players may be hit in these locations accidentally but no player should aim for these locations when performing an attack of any kind.

Melee Weapon Attacks
Melee weapon attacks should be delivered without the force of a player's shoulder but instead the weapon should be controlled by the attacker's wrist. A melee weapon must be withdrawn forty-five degrees between each attack.

A player cannot swing a weapon faster than he/she can clearly call his/her damage or effect tagline. Attacking in this manner is called "Machine-gunning."

Ranged Weapon Attacks
Ranged Weapons can only be used on players who are at least an arms length away.

Packet Attacks
Packets should be thrown with reasonable force depending on the distance between a player and his/her target.

Charging/Crowding
When a player is in pursuit of a target, the player cannot overrun the target. If the target stops, slows down or is walking backwards, the player must still remain an arms length away from the target. Also, if the player charges and the target does not run, the player must be able to stop or redirect him/herself before colliding with the target.

Pushing
A player may not force his/her way through a line of clustered players to get past or to reach another target.

Pinning
A player may not pin a target's weapon or shield in a position where the target cannot move the weapon or shield.

Turtling
A player cannot huddle behind a shield in order to avoid attacks. If a player wishes to block an attack the player can move the shield up or down with his/her arm but cannot simply kneel or bend his/her knee to protect him/herself.

Non-Combat Players
There are players who have a medical situation that prohibits their involvement in combat. These players are responsible for trying to remove themselves from combat as quickly and safely as possible. However, other players must also avoid striking them with a weapon or packet on the occasion they get caught in combat. If there is a situation where it is necessary to kill a non-combat player, the aggressor, may approach the player and without touching him/her can perform the count for a killing blow. The non-player character can make no reprisal. Non-combat players are identified by an orange headband.