Rules lifted extensively from existing Guilds, including Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, and KAOS in New Zealand, and adapted for use in Leeds. Rules subject to change, especially since we haven't even started up yet.
The following rules apply to all games conducted within Leeds; further, more specific rules will be applied with each game. Failure to heed to the rules may result in disqualification or placing on the Wanted List, at the Umpire's discretion.
The rules are divided into the following useful categories:
1. Players And Their Responsibilities
2. Locations
3. Playing The Game
4. Player States
5. Weapons, Both Permitted And Not So
1. Players And Their Responsibilites
1.1 Before the start of a game, all players must submit the following to the Umpire:
- The Leeds address (including room numbers where appropriate) in which they will be living.
- The university department they belong to and timetable for this semester.
- A current photograph of themselves (scanned, taken with digital camera, or just given to the Umpire by hand).
- The name they use in everyday life.
- An assassiny pseudonym, for reporting kills.
This information will be handed to the player's assassin in order to avoid people asking all umpteen thousand students at the University if they're Bob Smith. Note that by signing up to the game you agree to abide by the rules of the game and give your permission for assassination attempts to be made against yourself within said rules.
1.2 Players are (technically speaking, anyway) responsible adults and should act in such a manner. This means you obey the spirit of the rules, not the letter, don't exploit loopholes and whatnot, and don't run about shooting randoms and giving us all a bad rep. If you're in doubt about whether you should be doing something, it's probably best that you don't. Contacting the Umpire to confirm or deny this is of course encouraged.
1.3 The game relies heavily on player honesty - if you've been killed, report it.
1.4 Players are reminded that this is a game of subversion and stealth and the like, but things can be taken too far. Impersonation of authority figures such as police, University employees, the Umpire and the like is forbidden. Impersonation of other common University individuals, such as Union reps, annoying flyer peddlers and students who aren't you are all permitted.
1.5 The game is also one of paranoia, and all that entails. If you have assassins on your doorstep waiting for you to come out, deal with them yourself. Do not involve any of the authority figures mentioned in 1.4. If things are being taken too far, contact the Umpire.
1.6 The game is not one of force. Use of force in any way is utterly forbidden and will result in some kind of hefty punishment. Force includes, but is not restricted to, the following:
- Forcing open locked doors or windows. If it's locked, it's locked for a reason. Try again later or use another method.
- Physical intimidation, attacks, or threats thereof.
1.7 Players are responsible for reporting any attacks or attempts thereof made either by or against them, even if they were unsuccessful/were so incompetently useless the target didn't even notice/ the results have yet to play out (like a planted bomb).
2. Locations
2.1 Locations are classified under three headers: Free Ground, Sacred Ground, and Holy Ground.
2.1.1 Free Ground is the default for any area not defined as Sacred or Holy Ground. All weapons are permitted, assassination attempts are permitted at any time.
2.1.2 Sacred Ground is a restricted weapon area - no messy weapons (supersoakers, water bombs, and the like) are to be used on Sacred Ground. All other weapons, including small water pistols, are permitted. Currently, Sacred Ground includes:
- All University buildings, including the Union, but not Halls of Residence.
- The Rooms or Houses of all players and non-players, although communal facilities in Halls (kitchens, corridors, bathrooms) are classed as Free Ground and not Sacred Ground. Privately-owned or rented properties are entirely Sacred.
- All shops, pubs, bars, clubs, and similar.
- Buses.
2.1.3 Holy Ground is a no weapons area. Absolutely no weapons whatsoever are permitted to be used on Holy Ground. Delayed-action weapons, such as hidden bombs (see weapons, below) may perform their actions on Holy Ground and thus be classed as a kill. They may not be deployed. Holy Ground currently includes:
- Lecture theatres during or immediately prior to/after a lecture.
- Seminar/tutorial rooms during or immediately prior to/after one of these events.
- Practical rooms (ie anywhere full of expensive or delicate equipment) at all times.
- Computer clusters, libraries both public and University, and people's offices.
- Hospitals, dentists, and doctor's surgeries.
- Churches, temples, mosques, synagogues and any other official place of worship.
- Any individual in a wheeled vehicle, including cars, vans, bikes, etc, but not buses, is considered to be on Holy Ground. Which means no firing out or in.
- Any player at work in a real job is considered to be on Holy Ground while working.
- Any OFFICIAL meeting of a University society. Unofficial pissups are perfectly valid targets.
- Any OFFICIAL meeting of the Guild. Two players hanging around the Old Bar does not constitute an official meeting.
2.1.4 In addition, always consider the state of your target. If you see them walking down a road carrying a TV, huge mass of electronics, or wodge of paper labelled 'DISSERTATION', it's a good idea not to attack them and endanger their cargo. Even if you are on Free Ground.
2.2 If you are unsure as to the status of a location, contact the Umpire before making an attempt.
2.3 Diving into the nearest Holy Ground is not an acceptable defence against attack. Either fight back or run away to somewhere else.
3. Playing The Game
3.1 In general, the game proceeds in the following manner, although individual games may change certain elements. These changes will be relayed to all players in advance.
3.2 Each player, having handed their own details to the Umpire, is given a photograph, name, address, department and timetable of another player. This is their target.
3.3 The player then has one week to make an assassination attempt against the target. If the player fails to report an attempt made to the Umpire, he runs the risk of being declared Incompetent. If an attempt is not made after another week, he definately will be declared Incompetent. See Player States, below.
3.4 If an attempt is made against the player's life, successful or no, it must be reported to the Umpire, as detailed as possible.
3.5 If a player successfully assassinates his victim, he will be assigned a new one on submitting a report to the Umpire.
3.6 If the player is killed by any other player, he is out for the remainder of the game, although may be recruited into the Police. See Player States, below.
3.7 The game ends when only one player remains alive. He is the winner, and is hailed as such.
3.8 Players may only attack certain individuals. They are:
- The player's assigned target.
- The assassin to whom the player is an assigned target, if his identity is learnt by the player.
- Anyone else holding a weapon, as listed below. Such individuals can be assumed to be playing the game, and are valid targets as long as they are holding weapons. If they put them away, they are no longer valid targets.
- Any player whose name is placed on the Wanted or Incompetent Lists. See Player States, below.
- Anyone making an attempt on the player's life.
3.9 Attacking other individuals, whether through intent or mistake, is disallowed and carries the possibility of being declared Wanted or Incompetent.
4. Player States
4.1 A player may have any of the following states applied to him, at the Umpire's discretion:
- Wanted. A player may become Wanted if he kills too many bystanders, makes attacks on Holy Ground, or simply if the Umpire thinks he needs taking down a peg. Wanted players are valid targets for all other players and Police.
- Incompetent. A player will be declared Incompetent if he fails to make an attempt on his target within a set time limit, usually one week. Incompetent players are valid targets for all other players and Police. A player may attempt to redeem himself by fulfilling certain requirements set by the Umpire. If successful, the player's status is restored.
- Dead. A player is dead when killed. Quite clearly.
- Police. Dead players may, at the discretion of the Umpire, be recruited into the Police. It is the job of the Police to hunt down Wanted players, and act as the Umpire's Comedy Hired Muscle. Police are still liable to be declared Wanted if they go rogue, and cannot rejoin the Police if they're killed a second time.
4.2 Being the Umpire is the player state of player states. The Umpire's word is law, and terrible wrath shall befall all who dare oppose it. Probably.
4.3 Non-players may be used by players as accomplices, decoys, or anything else they like. However, non-players may not use weapons, and players are responsible for the welfares of non-players they cause to become involved. Which is to say, if your accomplice gets shot, it's your fault, not the guy who shot him's.
5. Weapons, Both Permitted And Not So
5.1 Weapons fall into the following categories:
- Melee
- Water Guns
- Other Guns
- Poisons And Bombs
5.2 Any weapon not listed by name in the rules must be cleared with the Umpire before its use can be authorised. Use of unauthorised weapons is grounds for punishment as decided by the Umpire.
5.3 Any hit to the body or head is classified as a kill; clothing cannot be considered a barrier to injury, no matter how thick it is.
5.4. Melee weapons consist of any weapon used to bash, stab, or club one's target. The following are permissible as melee weapons:
- Plastic swords, knives, and the like.
- Any pen, pencil, ruler, stick, rolled-up newspaper,etc clearly marked with something like 'SWORD' or 'CLUB' or whatever it is it's representing.
- Any giant rubber inflatable. Note that successfully perpetrating an assassination with one of these will earn a great deal of style points. Also note that using a giant comedy naked man or woman to kill someone in the middle of the road may well cause people to have words with you about 'public decency'.
Note that melee weapons made from metal are disallowed, and that care should be taken when stabbing people to ensure they aren't really killed.
5.5 Water guns consist of any weapon used to propel water from one place (like your gun) to another (like someone else). Remember that care should always be taken not to use these weapons in a place or situation where they're innappropriate. The following are permissible as water guns, in order of how much care you should be thinking about taking:
- Hosepipes are (just about) permissible, providing that the weather's appropriate and you're really sure your intended target won't mind being soaked to the bone and back.
- Super Soakers and other forms of pressure-powered water guns are permissible in many situations, just not all. Use yer head.
- The various other kinds of low-level water guns are often an appropriate choice. Still, be wary of doing something stupid.
- Spitting is never, ever, ever, permitted as a means of assassination. You freak.
5.6 'Other guns' covers all other means of propelling things from one'sself to other places. The following ARE permitted:
- Rubber band guns, of just about any type you can think of. An even cheaper alternative, also permissible, is the ol' flick-the-band-from-your-finger routine.
- NERF guns, and any other method of firing large comedy foam and/or rubber darts at people.
5.6.1 On that subject, recent legislation and common sense dictate that absolutely, under no circumstances whatsoever, are guns which resemble real weapons to be used. If your gun could be mistaken for a real weapon, on no account may you use it.
5.7 There are currently two poisons and one method of bombing permitted in the game. They are:
5.7.1 Toothpaste, which, if eaten in sufficient amounts, causes an instant kill. Toothpaste may be applied to any foodstuff (but not drink - no-one's poisoning my pint) as long as it wasn't minty in the first place. The rule is: if the target can taste it, they're killed by it. If they can't, you clearly didn't use enough. Common sense dicates that you can't poison a toothbrush.
5.7.2 Contact poisons may be represented by such mediums as sugar, glitter, and similar. Traditionally, though by no means in all cases, a contact poison is placed in a cunningly disguised envelope which then pours hilariously out over the victim's hands when opened. Any skin contact with such poison causes instant death. Also, note that any envelope-borne poison should have a disclaimer clearly visible within stating something along these lines:
THIS ENVELOPE CONTAINS NOTHING MORE THAN HARMLESS [insert substance name here] AND IS USED FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE LEEDS UNIVERSITY ASSASSINS GUILD. IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT THE UMPIRE AT [Umpire's email address].
Contact poison can only kill on contact with the skin; it is advisable, therefore, to handle suspected poisoned letters while wearing gloves, and to dispose of them in a similar manner.
5.7.3 Bombs are represented by large (postcard-size or bigger) pieces of card with something along the lines of KABOOM written on them. They may only be delivered envelopes. A bomb is assumed to kill anyone in the room when it is discovered, with the planter of the bomb taking full responsibility for the deaths of innocents. This, however, is not an excuse to start opening your mail in crowded places in case it's bombed. People who open their post in lectures deserve everything they get.
Suspected bombs may be disposed of by cutting the envelope, and card within, cleanly in half, while the envelope is still sealed.
