Chimera Productions makes every effort to ensure that weapons and equipment used in LARP combat are of a safe and reliable standard. Each piece of equipment is inspected and passed on an individual basis. Weapons are also categorised according to type and size for the purposes of in-game abilities.

Weapon safety

The general criteria for inspection is as detailed below. This list is intended to be indicative of safety standards and not an exact or exhaustive description. The permission to use any item of equipment at any event will be at the judgement of the nominated Armoury GM at that event.

Melee Weapons

• Must have solid core (e.g. fibreglass, carbon fibre)
• Foam padding of minimum 2.5 cm depth on striking surfaces
• Latex or similar soft cladding on striking surfaces
• Foam padding on other non-striking surfaces of weapon (i.e. no exposed core, exposed hard surfaces)
• Flexible cladding on exposed non-striking surfaces (e.g. leather, latex, cloth)
• Note: Weapon grip may have hard surface where it is reasonably covered by the wielder’s hands, and thus unlikely to be used to block weapons or to accidentally strike, (e.g. sword hilts)
• No weapon longer than 220 cm
• Weapons must not have excessive whip (flex on strike)
• No weapons designed for thrusting only, and where a thrust surface is available it is not to be used

Overall quality: Weapons should not be too hard – that is the weapon surface should compress and absorb the force of a strike such that even a hard strike is unlikely to cause harm (bruising, etc.) to an unarmoured target.

Thrown Weapons (other than spell packets)

• No core
• Size of smallest part / point of weapon larger than an eye-socket
• Foam padding or similar over entire weapon
• Latex or similar cladding on all surfaces

Overall quality: Thrown weapons should not be too hard or too small – designed so that even a hard throw is unlikely to cause harm to an unarmoured target, especially to the eye.

Armour, scabbards & similar equipment

• No sharp points or excessively rough surfaces that may damage latex weapons or skin
• Spikes on items must conform to melee weapon specs (e.g. foam & latex)
• Helmets must allow sufficient vision – forward and periphery

Note: Armour should cover at least the torso to be considered as armour within the game rules

Overall quality: Armour and other items should be designed so that they are unlikely to cause damage to foam and latex weapons striking them. Armour should not be overly restrictive to the wearer’s movement or vision.

Spell packets

• Weight less than 100 g
• No large or solid weights
• Relatively soft and/or flexible on impact, no hard surfaces
• The head must be larger than an eye-socket
• Enclosure and securing method must be biodegradable (e.g. cotton fabric & thread, rubber band, etc.)
• Contents must be biodegradable and friendly to wildlife (e.g. wild birdseed, sand)  Note: Raw rice may be harmful to wildlife and should not be used.
• Bright colours – reduce loss chance in bush setting

Overall quality: Spell packets should not be too hard or too small – designed so that even a hard throw is unlikely to cause harm to an unarmoured target, especially to the eye.

Bows & Arrows

• Overall bow strength 30 lb or less
• Wooden arrow shafts preferred, wrapped in fibreglass tape to minimise splintering
• Aluminium and carbon arrow shafts – check with Armoury GM before event
• No splinters on arrow shaft or similar hazards
• Arrowhead larger than eye-socket (i.e. 5 cm diameter or greater)
• Arrow head padded to minimum depth of 2.5 cm
• Head design sufficient to prevent accidental core penetration
• Cladding of head where applicable of flexible nature ( i.e. no hard surfaces)

Overall quality: Arrowheads should be designed not be too hard or too small – designed so that even a close range shot is unlikely to cause harm to an unarmoured target, especially to the eye. Bows do not need to be of archaic look or design, however modern compound bows (i.e. bows with pulleys) are not appropriate to the setting.

Forbidden items

• Metal blades, knives, etc., of any kind
• Weapons that require or may result in hand-to-hand contact – including nunchaku, tonfa, gloves/gauntlets
• Chain weapons – including short chain connections (e.g. nunchaku, flail)
• Nets, ropes or otherwise flexible weapons or items designed to entangle
• Weapons designed for or capable of trapping other weapons (e.g. sai, jitte)
• Shields of all kinds

Weapon size standards

For the purposes of categorising weapons for in-game use, including for skills and abilities, the following lengths are used. All measurements are in centimetres.

If a weapon has the ‘look’ of a particular type, but is longer or shorter than the specified limits, it will be categorised as one size up or down, as appropriate. The categorisation of a weapon is at the discretion of the Armoury GM for that event.

For example, a ‘club’ weapon that is longer than 80 cm will be categorised as a ‘staff’.