New Player Guide
What You’ll Need For Your First Day…
Comfortable clothes you can move in
A water bottle
Closed toe shoes (recommended)
A good attitude and a sense of fun!
That’s it!
Learning the Game
Amtgard has a rulebook called the Rule of Play that explains classes, spells, and safety. You can read it online or ask a veteran to teach you the basics.
What to Expect
Parks usually meet once a week for a few hours. You might see people fighting, others sewing garb, teaching, cooking, or practicing magic for roleplay. Someone will greet you and help you sign a simple waiver before joining the fun.
You can choose to:
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Jump into a battle with a loaner weapon
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Watch and learn how the game works
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Talk to people about classes, crafting, or quests
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Ask questions about how to get involved
There is no pressure to do everything right away. Go at your own pace!
Finding Your Park
The Kingdom of Blackspire has many parks across Oregon and even Washington. Each park has its own community, but all share the same welcoming spirit.
Visit the Find a Park website to locate one near you and check when they meet.
Tips for New Players!
Ask questions. Everyone started as a new player once.
Hydrate and take breaks. Combat days can get hot and busy.
Respect others’ boundaries and safety at all times.
Be kind to yourself and others. It is a game, and fun comes first.
Keep showing up. Every visit teaches you something new.
Common Questions
Character Creation
In Amtgard, you typically declare a single “persona.” This persona is your character throughout the game. However, Amtgard is traditionally low-roleplay in nature, outside of RP events, the character is typically just you and how you wish to be identified in the community!
You are not locked to any single class or playstyle as a player.
The World of Amtgard
Amtgard is described as “Swords & Sorcery” fantasy. It spans across multiple subgenres and does not require historical accuracy for garb/personas/equipment. As long as it falls under the umbrella of something you may traditionally see within games like Pathfinder and Dungeons & Dragons or IPs such as Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and so on, you are likely in-genre.
Each holding & Kingdom may have specific lore/aesthetics to their area, but the entire game is not beholden to those stylistic choices!
Politics
The Kingdom of Blackspire functions as a nonprofit, and it and its holdings have elected individuals that represent and steward the responsibilities of the position. This is presented in game as various positions such as Monarch, Champion, Duke, and so on.
There is an established hierarchy of responsibility within these positions throughout the kingdom. Further, the kingdom may award an outstanding individual with nobility, honoring them for their work or accomplishments on the field or in the community.
Historical Reenaction?
The Kingdom of Blackspire and Amtgard as a whole generally do not use historical accuracy or historical reconstruction in the game – we are largely our own setting, that borrows from fiction and historical events when it suits the narrative/game.
Guilds, Communities, Etc.
Amtgard has additional systems for clubs, groups, and guilds within it: Households and Fighting Companies.
Households are collectives of individuals with a similar goal – this ranges from battlegame knowledge to community service to the arts. A person can be in as many households as they like.
Fighting Companies are groups of folks that fight under the same banner, functionally operating as a team. Many fighting companies have existed since the game was just starting in the 80’s. Traditionally, you can only be in one fighting company at a time.
More information can be found in the Rules of Play.
Awards
There are many ways to earn recognition and awards in the game of Amtgard: Arts, Civic Engagement, Combat, Tournaments, Serving in Office, and many more. These awards are split into various awards ladders, which one can eventually earn masterhood in, and potentially even knighthood.
More information can be found in the Rules of Play.