Out of Context - Game Rules

We will be using what are generally accepted Warlords club rules which are summarised as follows

1. Signals and Emergency Procedures.

Three whistle blasts signal game over

Continuous whistle blasts signify a non-game emergency, you should cease playing immediatly, move toward the sound of the whistle blasts and attempt to render any aid that seems appropriate.

There will be a first aid kit and mobile phone available for calling emergency services - NOTE the Bunker is a hardened against Electromagnetic radiation so your mobile phone WILL NOT WORK INSIDE.

2. Game Mechanic Rules

The incoming fire detectors of your Lasertag sensor must be mounted front and back of your head and must be capable of detecting incoming hits from 360 degrees.

Your sensor must be capable of recieving hits from a Standard Starlyte Pistol with it's lens removed (The so called Snubbed configuration) at 4 metres in artificial lighting and 1.5 metres in moderate (indirect) sunlight.

Due to their design problems Unmodified Star Caps are NOT PERMITTED on Warlords games - if you wish to use Star Cap Electronics on another piece of headgear you may (as long as it passes the baseline sensitivity test).

You may use any previously commercially available Lasertag weapon in an unmodified condition - modified, custom or bespoke weapons must have a bright muzzle flash (visible at 20 metres in daylight) and Loud Sound effect (audible at 20 metres in quiet conditions). Weapons with a greater than 100 metre range must have a fire limiting device fitted, either an ammo counter or timer to ensure that the weapon will not fire continuously. Weapons that do not meet these specifications must be discussed with the game organisers where a decision will be made on a game by game basis (So don't assume that because you could use a weapon on a previous game you will be allowed to again).

You will start the game with three hits on your sensor - that is you may be shot three times before you must fall to the ground and await in-context medical attention. Note - please use some sense and make sure the location you choose will not result in bodily harm to yourself or others. Players often have a small dim torch or LED to illuminate their position to avoid being walked on - NOTE this is not a signalling device it is a safety device and should be used as such not to a game advantage. Armour may be used to supplement these hits on the following basis 1 extra hit for a Helmet, one extra hit for a simulated flak jacket and two extra hits for a real piece of body armour. Please check with the Game Organiser who will have final say over what exactly constitutes a simulated or real piece of body armour. You may not armour yourself over 6 hits total.

When your sensor signals that you have been shot - usually by a siren and flashing lights, you should fall to the floor and await in context medical assistance using the SAMS3 Medical system

IF AT ANY POINT YOU REALISE YOUR SENSOR IS MALFUNCTIONING INSENSITIVE OR JUST PLAIN HAS A FLAT BATTERY YOU SHOULD FALL TO THE FLOOR AS IF HIT, FIX THE PROBLEM AND WAIT FOR A MEDIC TO GET YOU BACK UP - In roleplaying terms you've just had an allergic reaction or been bitten by a bug or something.

Standard Atkinson Medical System V3 (SAMS3)
Tim Atkinson April 2000 (Updated January 2004)

Introduction.

It’s now 9 years since I originally unleashed SAMS on the world, version 3 seems to have stuck and is available in two basic versions. As before this is mostly my own work, although I have shamelessly stolen ideas from a vast number of sources and people such as Ben Roberts, John Treadaway, David Harvey, Jasper Hedger, Shaun Danby, Simon Barker and the guys from Blackwatch to name a few. Most of these ideas have been run past various players at various times and modified according to their comments, thanks to you all and here goes...

Definitions.

In Lazertag, all rules systems are wildly variable, however this is my latest attempt to provide a set of rules, or rather a family of rules systems, to cover all game types. The other design factor is to try and balance the equation time equals money, so if a player has little money but has taken the time to construct an item, this is balanced against “Off the shelf” solutions.

The SAMS3 system has two levels of usage. The basic level 1 is for basic skirmish games lasting not more than 1 hour in length. Level 2 is intended for a longer lasting game with role-playing interaction, but still with a large quotient of combat, than the politically correct “Minimal Role-playing games”.

The SAMS3 system follows the traditional style of tag rules systems; each player is allocated a basic number of body points (In the case of Space Patrol this number is 3) I will assume two body points throughout this document. These body points may be supplemented with body armour as detailed in Appendix 1.

Basic medical notes.

As you are shot down, your armour protects you, hence when you finally go down you will have taken a considerable amount of shock damage. When you receive medical attention and you are unconscious, you will hopefully be revived. When you are, no matter how many body points are restored, you receive you full allocation of armour points again. If you are “walking wounded”, that is you have taken some hits and have fallen below the 2 hits body point level you may receive
medical attention to restore body points, however you DO NOT RECOVER YOUR ARMOUR. Sensor failure. Sensor failure is regarded as a random injury and the player should behave as if shot, you have been bitten by a snake or the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast, or you have tripped up and knocked yourself out etc. The different levels of the system are designed to cope with this situation.

How the System works.

We use the new wonder cure all drug of the next Millennium – Smarties. Smarties come in three sized containers, a small box (20 boxes for 1.89 in my local coop), The traditional Tube – 40 Smarties for about 30-40p.

I have conducted a rigid statistical study of the colour distribution on the Smarties in their respective containers and have found a slight bias that in general red Smarties are rarer than any other colour. I ate 716 Smarties during December 98. If anyone want to discuss the specific results I will be happy to do so later.
Smarties represent a random result generator, as well as giving a reducing number of drugs for the medic to use.

SAMS3 Level 2 Medical Rules.

Every player starts with a number of body points (usually 2) plus any armour bonus, when wounded, that is you have been shot enough times that you have one (1) hit left (your sensor is on the last red LED), you may be treated as walking wounded, this means you can approach a Medic player and ask for help, you cannot do this if you have 2 or more points left.

Level 2 introduces two player classes, an Orderly/Stretcher Bearer/First Aider whose job it is to remove unconscious casualties from the line of fire to a place of safety and an EMT/Medic/Paramedic who can perform emergency medical repairs.

An Orderly is equipped with a small number of Smarties and a blindfold. To move an unconscious casualty, the Orderly administers a single Smartie and blindfolds the casualty. The casualty’s sensor is then reset to one (1) hit. The Orderly may then lead the casualty away. The colour of the Smartie administered indicates the length of time the Orderly may move the casualty before needing to administer another Smartie. If the casualty is shot, they must immediately go down
and have to be further revived by the Orderly. The Orderly’s function is to keep the Medics supplied with casualties. When an Orderly delivers a casualty to a Medic, the blindfold is removed and the casualty’s sensor is shot down again to await proper attention.

Colour of Smartie Casualty may be moved for …

* The delay time is the time in minutes if you have a watch and if not you should count in your head to 100 times the delayso for example a delay of 7 is 7 x 100 = 700. A good tip is to count to 100 and count of the 100's on your fingers, you are less likely to lose count.

The Medic is equipped with more Smarties and some bandages. In order to treat a casualty in the level two system the Medic takes two Smarties in sequence, one determines the delay, the other in conjunction with the first determines the wound on the table below. If no Medics are available, an Orderly may attempt medical aid, but as they are inexperienced they should perform two (2) consecutive Medical repairs (i.e. take two Smarties, do the treatment, take two more Smarties and do the further treatment as required). A non-medically trained player should behave as an orderly in this situation, except that three- (3) consecutive medical repairs should be performed.

In order to inject an air of realism into SAMS3, we are introducing a new feature for Dropzone 2000, each player should now start the game with at least one Bandage or “First Field Dressing”. From now on the medic isn’t going to use their own bandages on you, it’s up to you to carry your own in a place where the medic will find it if you are unconscious and therefore incapable of speech. If you don’t have a bandage, you may well bleed to death.

Note: If the casualty is walking wounded “severe” wounds are reduced to their “slight” equivalent and “slight” wounds carry no delay time.

SAMS3 Appendix: Armour Locations

Armour in the real world places a weight, dexterity and temperature restriction on its user, therefore to effectively simulate it’s use in tag
games, we must also simulate these disabilities. Since many players have invested money in “real” armour, while others have constructed
their own for cosmetic reasons (investing time) which does not carry all three penalties on use as above, it seems only fair that the armour
system will discriminate between these types.

Armour location: Head

A “real” ballistic safety helmet constructed of metal, thick kevlar or the new Spectrashield(tm) material. Examples such as American M1 or
Fritz helmets or the current issue British Kevlar helmet are allowable as Head Armour and give a +1-hit bonus. Helmet liners only DO NOT
COUNT as head armour. Builders Hard-hats, cycling helmets, motorcycle crash helmets all carry the +1 bonus.
Eye protection such as goggles or safety glasses count as armour. While they do not add an additional armour point, they are proofing
against the newer “dazzle” weapons being investigated by current military researchers. As such players wearing eye protection will, in
appropriate medical situations, be subject to suitable bonuses or penalties as appropriate. During daylight, players who normally wear
glasses will not gain this bonus, unless their glasses are suitably modified using clip on sunglasses or are light reactive such as reactolight
sunglasses. At night any eye protection is valid (probably best not to wear sunglasses).

Armour location: Torso (Front or Back)

A “real” ballistic vest constructed from Kevlar such as the commonly available Vietnam style flak jackets, or modern British and American
flak vests have the above mentioned three disadvantages, they are heavy, restrict movement and make the wearer very hot. These items
are worth 1 bonus points. “Cosmetic” armour, such as that made from car matting or Flak vest liners filled with carrymat or polystyrene
may restrict movement and certainly carry the temperature problem but do not weigh as much as a “real” vest. Therefore such items are
worth one point. Hard armour systems such as motocross armour or American football armour should be cleared with the individual game
organiser, who may allow a bonus.

Armour Location: both Arms

The difference between real and simulated armour is negligible here; therefore armouring from the shoulder at least as far as the elbow
(covering the elbow joint) will add one bonus point.
Armour Location: Both Legs
The difference between real and simulated armour is negligible also; therefore armouring from the boot at least as far as the knee (covering
the kneecap) will add one bonus point.

To summarise...

Helmet +1 point, Real heavy flak vest +2 points, cosmetic vest +1 point, Both arms +1 point, Both legs +1 point.
(Other armour locations, such as Eyes, Hands, Groin and Boots do not carry any hit point advantage but in certain
medical situations may well carry an advantage (or a penalty, although this is less likely).)
It is possible in for someone to wear armour giving more than six hits of protection. This is not possible; therefore
any points over 6 are ignored.

SAMS 3 Advanced Trauma System

Part 1 – Dead Player

If a player has been declared DEAD either on a double RED, because they have bleed to death (following the SAMS 30 minute rule) or by some other means, you can declare a Code BLUE emergency and you may attempt to revive them with the defibrillator.

Using a Medical PSIcorder enter the code 50000 into the general scan code and slot it into the appropriate spot in the defibrillator

You will be asked how long in minutes since the patient died. This is the time since the double red or in the case of a “bleed to death” result the time since the 30 minutes elapsed. Enter the time in minutes and be ready to push the EXE button

If this time is greater than 10 minutes there is no chance that the patient can be revived

Be ready to apply the paddles one just right of the sternum (Breast Bone) the other on the apex (5 th intercostal space)

Push the EXE button

The medical PSIcorder in the Defibrillator will then charge and when it says “shocking” the operator should press both buttons on the paddles.

The medical PSIcorder will then indicate if the heart has restarted

This procedure may be applied twice more before permanent death occurs.

IF permanent death occurs in the game the player should remove their headgear and proceed to the top of the stairs in the main stairwell where they will be met. They must not proceed through any door the player team have not opened (but should lie there playing dead until they may do so)

Part 2 Coping with serious wounds

When a player has undergone the normal SAMS3 Smartie system they may well end up with a serious wound – bandaged arm, splinted leg and so on.

When the opportunity presents itself these may be removed by performing an operation.

This requires three people – a medical technician who will prepare the patient, a surgeon and a resuscitation technician.

The medical technician assisting should arrange for the patient to be placed on a flat surface suitable for the operation, the patient should be on as many body points as possible at the time (max of 3) armour does not count here.

The wound area should be draped with a cover sheet and the auto-operator placed over (the medical tech should ensure that all the plastic bones are in place and the unit is switched on.

The properly masked-aproned and gloved surgeon will then extract the bones using the supplied tweezers connected to the unit.

Every buzz will cost the patient one hit.

If the patient goes down to zero you can try an immediate resuscitation with the defibrillator or abandon the operation and perform a normal SAMS result.

If the defibrillator resuscitation is successful, the patient has one hit and the operation may continue, if it fails the patient is unconscious and the normal SAMS rules apply.