The Kingdom of the Emerald Hills

So I have been reading abit about your groups and had a few questions.
Hopefully you can enlighten me so if I am asked by SCA people I will have answers of reasonable intelligence.
1. Why levels, magic weapons and armor instead of relying on real skills?
2. If a person who is an experienced sca fighter joins must they start at the bottom or can they "test out" to higher levels? ie In my case I have been fighting for 28 years in the sca and am authorized in every weapon available including all melee, archery, thrown, rapier.
3. Why Amtgard instead of SCA?
Guess those are the major questions that come up when Amtgard is mentioned. I realize that most can be answered because it is fantasy setting but I am hoping for something more descriptive.
Thanks

The one thing that a lot of people overlook is that SCA is a recreation society, and Amtgard is a fantasy LARP.

That is why Amtgard has levels, and magic. but real skill is very crucial. there is no magic ability or such to make you a better fighter or to make you throw a spell ball better. Your ability to survive does come down to your natural abilities and reflexes.

As for "starting over". Yes you would be a 1st level (insert class here) but that has nothing to do with your fighting ability, but with experience in that class using it's abilities. So while you may start as a 1st level Warrior, your previous fighting experience will probably make you a much more feeared 1st level warrior than someone who has never played any live fighting style games.

Why Amtgard? Honestly, I say play both if you can. But many people play Amtgard because they are more interested in the fantasy elements. (Monsters, Magic, Classes, etc.) Others play Amtgard because it is very cheap compared to SCA, NERO, and other games. Lastly, in comparison to SCA (heavy fighting), Amtgard is less painful

But the truth is they are two completely different games. only the fact that both involve mock combat in a pre 1600 setting make people try to equate or compare them.

I hope you and your friends give it a try.

Best wishes.

_________________
Forest Evergreen

Puppet Master of the EH

"Of course you are Forest. You're like the Mr. Burns of EH." - Finn

(insert titles and awards here)

I think these questions operate from false assumptions (well, one and 2 do; three can be said not to have assumptions).

From the combat sport point of view, magic, levels and armor are a rule set within which one must operate. The "real skills" here are using the magic and other skill sets to optimize your battlefield success. One of the first quotes I ever encountered about Amtgard still sticks with me. "Cal Ripken would make a better wizard than Merlin."

From the fantasy role play point of view, how could you possibly do it without magic?

As for question two, why should playing professional baseball buy you anything when you show up to your local flag football league? (I use that analogy rather than the opposite because I figure your average professional football player could beat the hell out of your average recreational softball player and would likely get what he wants). Certainly if you're good at SCA combat, it's likely you'll be good at Amtgard combat, providing you can unlearn the whole "the head is a viable target" thing. But Amtgard is a different hobby. Levels have nothing to do with your ability to use any variety of weapons. The least competent person with a sword is still a sixth level warrior when he or she gets the requisite number of credits and is able to pass a level test (if you live somewhere that level tests). Conversely, the world Kendo champion is going to start as a first level warrior (or whatever he or she wants to play) the first week attending Amtgard.

Why Amtgard? There are really only two reasons, or perhaps categories of reasons. It isn't as hard core as SCA and it is a fantasy setting rather than an historical setting.

In the first category, reasons like it hurts less, it costs less, it's less political, there's less pressure come into play.

In the second, the reasons are about more. There's more freedom. There's more source material to choose from. There's more fun.

In the end, if you don't try both, you won't understand the differences. supports

One thing I'd add - a skilled fighter playing 1st level Warrior, Barbarian or Archer is not "starting at the bottom." No ability gained after 1st level is as powerful as the "hit people with a stick" ability, which every single class gains at 1st level. Warriors, Barbarians and Archers get the best sticks, but they get those sticks at 1st level. They'll become more effective as they gain levels, of course, but it's not as if a 6th level Warrior is worth six 1st level Warriors - or even two 1st level Warriors, in many cases. In any case, a 1st level Warrior, Barbarian or Archer with access to quality, properly-sized equipment is going to be equal or greater in effectiveness to any of the other classes at 1st level. 1st level Assassin is "starting at the bottom" - and even then, a serious ass-kicker fighting florentine with no abilities is going to make more of a difference than a 6th level Barbarian who can only throw one shot.

Amtgard has low financial outlays and near zero participation requirements. The prerequisites against headshots and for padded gear allows for this year round play in most weather. Even this last weekend, with heat advisory's going off everywhere, I was probably actively hitting people for 2-3 hours both Saturday AND Sunday (and I'm pushing 40).

Lives, classes, and Magic present more tactical options to this game (to me, it's a sport) than otherwise available.

• Lives - Allow for games naturally continue beyond a single skirmish. Stimulates learning from mistakes...Simulates the concept of "reinforcements" (or hereditary revenge) and grants another tool facilitate the balancing of the classes. Reduces the time people spend on the sidelines waiting to return to the game.
• Classes - Allows the introduction of new abilities, strategies, and tactics while still avoiding the "I have all superman's powers and then some" syndrome. Like chess pieces, each class can only do so much and it can be fun to see what can be done with the pieces available.
• Magic - A mechanic that "justifies" a number of expanded abilities that add to the ebb and flow of the game. Several could easily have non-magical analogs in other game systems {Sharpened Weapons, Mending armor, healing wounds, curing poison, or resurrecting players (AKA aren't you glad he left you for dead. If I weren't around you would have bled to death.)}.

Other things of note:

Classes and magic allow a greater ranger of people to actively participate in the a game than otherwise would be able. Not everyone CAN wear armor or swing a stick. They also encourage a sort of interdependent teamwork (Rock, scissors, paper anyone?)

At least 50% of the "playing" in my Amtgard experience has been non-class battlegames/practice. In such cases, levels, classes, projectiles, lives, and magic are not used.

Physical Skill, preparation (Gear), and the ability to implement tactics effectively are much more likely to garner victory than level and class.

In Amtgard, levels and classes do NOT grant more hit points. Without appropriate worn armor (the only part of the game that makes any attempt at all regarding "realism") or magical armor {cast upon you by another (actually there's one exception)} you do not gain the ability to suffer more damage by gaining a level.

I played a neutral 6th level Druid today.

Since my park is mainly newcomers to the game, I could have easily taken out both teams...including the 6th level wizard that played.

Any of the new people with the same arsenal would have been killed inside 2 minutes.

Proficiency with heavy or light from SCA doesnt equate to anything but a distinct decrease in weapon weight, and distinct increase in necessary speed and footwork.

Most people that only fight in one paradigm do not progress as much as those who fight in both SCA and Amtgard/Dagorhir.

_________________
[align=center]Sirrakhis Larethian of the Emerald Hills
G R E E N D R A G O N S
House Larethian-Got Newbs?[/align]