R U L E S
C o m b a t
Combat in the Backwoods involves improv and roleplay. Your health is tracked through Wounds inflicted by Hits.
The more Wounds you suffer, the heavier you'll have to roleplay the damage received.
A Hit is a successful contact of your weapon or dart on your opponent and always inflict 1 Wound.
Note: Your Hit will not count if the following rules are not respected:
• Striking the feet, hands, head or crotch with a melee weapon is not allowed.
• Thrusting with your melee weapon is not allowed.
• Shooting the head with a gun is not allowed.
• You must keep a safety distance of at least 1 arm from your opponent.
If your Hit is a Surge (See "Background", below), you also heal 1 Wound upon inflicting that Hit.
Guns are simulated through NERF dart weapons.
Note: Players should stay aware of incoming darts to suffer the appropriate Wounds.
In the event that a dart Hit isn't noticed, no Wound is suffered.
After suffering a Wound, you can't suffer any more Wounds nor inflict a Hit for a grace period of 1 second.
Suffering Wounds has an impact on your roleplay, based on how many Wounds you receive.
State Name
Wounds
Roleplay Effect
Unharmed
0 Wounds
None.
Injured
1 Wound
You must hold your injury with 1 hand.
Immobilized
2 Wounds
You must hold your injury and keep 1 knee to the ground.
Agonizing
3 Wounds
Dying
4 Wounds
You must keep most limbs to the ground.
You must Roleplay near-death. You can't swing a weapon anymore.
You must keep all limbs and head to the ground.
After 5 minutes, you automatically Heal 1 Wound.
Dead
5 Wounds
Your character dies (See "Death", below).
Note: You may temporarily ignore roleplay effects to perform small actions such as reloading a gun, use an item, etc. You may not ignore them to perform strikes.
While outside of combat, Wounds can be roleplayed as seen fit. There is no need to roleplay Wounds when alone.
A r m o r
An Armor is any set of gear that is knife-resistant and covers at least 50% of your body.
While wearing Armor, you ignore the next Hit you receive. When you do, you cannot ignore another Hit until the Armor is repaired.
Note: Repairing an Armor requires the Hammer Toolkit and consumes 3 Scrap (See "Tool Kits", below).
D e a t h
If you suffer 5 Wounds, your character dies:
• Go to the Animation Bunker to inform the animation team of your death.
• Create a new character, then go back into play.
Note: You may change factions if desired.
• If you had 2 Injected Augments, you will receive 1 random Augment for your new character.
During your first Backwoods event, you are under the First-Timer Protection;
The first time you would unintentionally die, you don't.
Note: You must still go to the Animation Bunker to inform the animation team.
P v P
Engaging in combat against other players is allowed.
However, if you intend to kill another player, you must respect the following rules:
• The execution must be cinematic and add to the story.
Example: A public execution, an elaborate speech, or a personal revenge story are good ways to add story to an execution.
• You must give the other player the opportunity to roleplay the scene as well.
• The execution cannot be final; There must be a way for the player to have survived in one way or another.
Example: Cutting the player's head off is not allowed, since it would be impossible for the story to explain any potential survival.
The animation team can refute an execution if they judge it was metagame, unfair or uncalled for.
Note: If they do, the executed player will have survived the execution and will come back to play.
T o o l K i t s
You may perform certain actions if you have the corresponding Tool Kit.
Note: You may also perform a Tool Kit's action by using a thematically appropriate alternative to the options presented below.
Tool Kit
Action
Hammer
Bandage
You may spend 3 Scrap to repair an Armor.
You may spend 1 Chemical to heal a Wound.
Ammo Kit
Example: Black powder
and plyers.
Blade
You may spend 1 Scrap to craft an Ammunition.
Note: The crafted Ammunition must be taken from the Depot (See "Camp Amenities", below). If there are none, it can't be crafted.
You may amputate a consenting player.
Note: The amputated limb cannot be used again.
Using the action of a Tool Kit requires roleplaying the action over an adequate amount of time.
Note: There is no limit to how many times a Tool Kit can be used.
Whenever you spend materials, place those materials in the Depot (See "Camp Amenities", below).
I n f e c t i o n
If you receive a watch set to a timer of 20 minutes, you are Infected.
To remove the Infection, you may either:
• Consume a cure taken directly from a Fridge (See "Camp Amenities", below).
• Amputate any of your limbs (See "Tool Kits", above). If you do, you suffer a grievous Wound, which cannot be healed.
If the Infection is not removed when the timer reaches 0, you quickly turn:
• While roleplaying your transformation, you may ignore any Hit.
• After turning, you may ignore roleplay effects from any Wounds you suffer.
• Your character dies upon reaching 5 Wounds.
Note: You may choose to let yourself go and die before reaching 5 Wounds.
B a c k g r o u n d
When preparing your character for their first Backwoods event, you must choose their Background.
The Background of your character determines how they survived through the events that took place before the Backwoods, and grants you special Traits.
You must pick 2 Backgrounds from the list below; You gain access to both of their Traits.
You may pick the same Background twice. If you do, you gain access to its Trait as well as its Endured Trait.
S a v i o r
I sacrificed everything for their survival.
T R A I T
Dragging a Dying survivor out of combat heals 1 of their Wounds.
E N D U R E D T R A I T
As long as an ally is Agonizing or Dying, your Hits are Surges.
R e n e g a d e
I lost my humanity and carry the shame.
T R A I T
After inflicting 2 consecutive Hits on a survivor without suffering a Wound, your next Hit is a Surge.
E N D U R E D T R A I T
Heal a Wound whenever you kill an Infected.
G h o s t
I covered my tracks and trusted only myself.
T R A I T
As long as you're not Dying, you ignore your Wounds' roleplay effects to flee from a combat. If you do, you may not re-engage that combat for as long as it remains ongoing.
E N D U R E D T R A I T
You start each event with some supplies from your hideout.
Note: These supplies are given by the animation team during your registration.
B l e e d e r
I kept walking through the suffering.
T R A I T
You ignore the first Wound you would suffer each combat.
Note: If you wear Armor, this effect applies after your Armor's protection.
E N D U R E D T R A I T
You may withstand up to 3 Injected Augments instead of 2 (See "Augments", below).
F r e e d
I found my purpose in the end of it all.
T R A I T
Each event, choose a Village Project. If completed, you gain access to its benefits.
E N D U R E D T R A I T
As long as you're Immobilized or Agonizing, your Hits are Surges.
A u g m e n t s
Augments are biochemical alterations that can be injected in a character to grant them unnatural skills.
You can withstand a maximum of 2 Injected Augments, any more would cause death.
Note: If you would gain a 3rd Augment, you must choose one of your Injected Augments to replace.
To inject an Augment, you must use an Injector (See "Camp amenities" below) and consume that Augment by placing it in the Depot. Your character then has access to the skill written inside the Augment.
Note: You are not allowed to read an Augment's effect before injecting it, but you may read the thematic description on the outside of the container.
C a m p A m e n i t i e s
Each camp has features referred to as Camp Amenities, which ensure the event runs smoothly.
Anyone can interact with Amenities, but you are not allowed to move them out of the camp they are in.
Amenity
Usage
Depot
Fridge
Injector
Survival Binder
Injecting an Augment requires the use of an Injector.
A thematic binder containing the rules of the event.
T h e V i l l a g e
The Village is a group of traders, mercenaries, doctors, couriers and vagabonds situated right outside the Backwoods and providing various services to the Carrions. Completed Village Projects offer extra services owned by the players who built them (See "Freed", above).
It opens its gates at noon, and closes them at 6:00 pm.
Note: You are not allowed to choose the Village as your main camp.
S a f e t y
No matter the situation or your investment in the roleplay, safety comes first.
If you hear the words "Code Rouge" at any point during the event, it signifies an emergency.
You are allowed to loot or steal any in-game materials, but not personal belongings.
Note: When looting a player or animator, privately ask for their loot and wait for them to give it to you, unless given explicit consent.
You must aim your light sources at the ground and never directly in the eyes of another player or animator.
Note: Light sources must pass the inspection before being allowed in-game. If they are judged too strong, you will be asked to keep them for personal use only.
You must remain within the play area at all times, and cannot climb trees.
Note: Whenever a trail leads out of the play area, a yellow tape will block the way.
You cannot use physical force while roleplaying, and your Hits cannot cause physical harm.
Note: If you do not adjust your use of force after a warning, the animation team may choose to remove you from the event.
Your in-game gear, including weapons and armor, must pass a safety inspection during your registration.
Sharp metal edges, spikes, fragile glass or metal objects, and unpadded weapon cores will fail the safety inspection.
Note: If your gear is judged unsafe, the animation team may choose to forbid its use during the event.
Harassment and bullying of any kind will not be tolerated, and engaging in such acts will lead to your removal from the event.
At any point during the event, if you present a safety risk to other participants and animators and refuse to cooperate, the animation team may choose to remove you from the event.
R o l e p l a y & D e c o r u m
A good roleplay is at the heart of the most memorable Backwoods moments, and we encourage you to put effort into playing your character and creating its look.
People with either a risen red glowstick or arms crossed on their chest are out of the game, and should be ignored.
Note: You may cross your arms on your chest if you wish to be out of game for a personal reason.
When creating your character's personality, these guidelines should be followed:
• Your character must be a first-timer in the Backwoods.
• Your character can't be in the military, since the army is no longer.
• Your character must retain their humanity and be multi-faceted.
• Your character must be original, and cannot come from pop-culture.
The aesthetic of the Backwoods is inspired by classic post-apocalyptic references like Metro 2033 and Mad Max, with a touch of esoterism and the unexplainable.
Note: To consult inspirational references, visit this Pinterest board.
When creating your character's costume, these guidelines should be followed:
• Your costume and gear must be decorum. This includes NERF weapons, clothing, items like vapes and alcohol, etc.
• Your costume should be properly distressed.
• Medieval weaponry will not be accepted unless modified to fit the post-apocalyptic aesthetic.
• Sci-fi elements should be limited as much as possible.
T H E
B A C K W O O D S
Storage for Cures. Drinking a Cure taken from anywhere else than a Fridge has no effect.
Note: The Fridge is a non-functional roleplay prop.
Shot darts, injected Augments, and consumed materials must be placed in the Depot.
Note: You are not allowed to take materials from the Depot unless specified.