Terrain

Walls

High Walls
Walls in which players cannot cross, cannot fight over, and which projectiles cannot cross. Players are encouraged to ignore if any flight weapons cross over a high wall, or if an enemy player swings a melee weapon over the wall. If a player crosses over, or is forced through a high wall, that player is considered dead. This wall is simulating a high castle wall, several hundred feet high.

Low Walls
A low barrier that cannot be physically crossed but can be fought over. Cannot be scaled. A player may not climb from water over a low wall. A player pushed through low walls, falls and cracks their skull open. They perish. This wall is simulating a lower castle wall that one could reasonably arc a high shot over, but is still a solid defense against ground troops.

Ramparts
A rampart is a marked area next to a high wall or in a fortress (Usually a hay bail, or field painted area behind a high wall) that a fighter can stand on and fight. During daylight hours, players may battle from the ramparts with weapons of reach such as arrows, thrown javelins, glaves and pole-arms over. Players on the ramparts may be struck with flight weapons and polearm weapons over 7 feet. Standing on a border staked to the ground is acceptable, but if you step off over the high wall portion of the rampart, you fall to your death. A player may “jump back” off a rampart to avoid being hit by a weapon. (they are “Taking cover.” as they are now inside the fortress/high wall.)

Arrow slits
These are fully enclosed towers or portions in the wall which gives an archer complete defense from melee or projectile attacks while standing in the area marked as a slit. It forces all shots in a specific direction, usually a 90 degree cone from the Arrow Slit. Killing an archer in an Arrow Slit requires entering the tower or wall, but doing so instantly kills the archer without fight. In this way, the archer acts more like a field hazard than a player, though of course their choice of target is still their own.

Fortresses
A fortress is an enclosed area with walls that are laid "flat" on the ground. For example, an area marked out 10ft wide can be a fortress wall. These walls may be scaled by characters who are not carrying a shield, red weapon, or polearm in hand . In scaling a wall, the character must drop to the earth and belly crawl the entire length of his/her own body to cross beyond the wall. Players who are scaling a wall can be killed, they are defenseless during this time. Fighters should use discretion when attacking prone players (Courtesy). Players may pass freely over/under a destroyed wall. Flight may fired from a Walled Fortresses but not into it. A player who is pushed through a rope fortress wall is killed. A fortress is made of high walls. (Heralds decide the effect of siege weapons in respects to fortifications).

4th-Wall, Walls
These are walls made up exactly of what they appear to be, usually hay bales, though sometimes wooden built fortifications. They are what they are. Can you swing over them? You can swing over them. Can you jump them? You can jump them.

Water Hazards

Deep Water
Players in armor drown and must go rez after falling into deep water. Unarmored players may swim. Swimming requires three points of contact. (Two knees and a hand) If at any point a player loses a limb, that player is no longer able to swim and then drowns. A player may have any number of items in their “Free hand.” You cannot “tread water” with an item in each hand. A player that does so drowns.

Shallow Water
Water that is not deep enough to require swimming, such as waist high water. All players, wearing armor or not, may wade through this hazard, but must do so by walking on their knees. While knee walking, a shot to the leg kills a fighter as if they were legged.

Rushing Water
This hazard simulates a rapid river or waterfall. It instantly sweeps all players away to their deaths, armor or not. It is considered a death trap and cannot be crossed by any means other than with water craft or by simply leaping. A single foot into this water does not instantly kill; it isn't acid. But fully submerged, both feet in this hazard, the player is drowned.

Swamp
Unarmored fighters may wade across swamps as if they were shallow water. (Cross on their knees). Armored fighters sink and drown. While knee walking, a shot to the leg kills a fighter as if they were legged.

Bridges Over Water
At no point can any player attack from the bridge to the water and vice versa with melee weapons. Fighters who are pushed completely off the bridge into the water/swamp immediately suffer the effects of that water/swamp type. (Stepping on the rope doesn’t count. A full foot needs to step off the bridge.)

Boats
Players in a boat must walk. While moving no part of a boat may touch the ground. Boats may be held no higher than waist height. People who are carrying a boat are busy sailing the boat. They may not attack. (Though they may defend) Flight is not allowed from a boat unless it is lying flat on the ground. If two boats come into contact with each other there is a boarding action! Both boats must be dropped until the conflict is resolved. Players killed in a boat resurrect normally. Players may “Swim” back into a boat if the people in it lay it on the ground (players must climb OVER the boat edge) All players in the water and subject to those particular water rules.

Other Terrain Hazards

Cliffs
Sometimes a battle will call for players to be fighting against a bluff. In this case, a player is NOT killed when pushed off the bluff. This player “falls” off the wall and can step back into play. While the player is outside of the boundary that player may not attack another player or be attacked, while they are climbing back up the cliff. A player who stays outside in an attempt to exploit the rules system without immediately coming back into play will grow weary and be blown off the cliffs and dashed upon the rocks below.

Chasm
A bottomless edge or ravine. Stepping even one foot into this area results in a player falling to their death. A player who steps completely off a bridge over a chasm immediately falls to their death. (Stepping on the rope doesn’t count. A full foot needs to step off the bridge.)

Brambles
Fighters armored in at least three locations may travel through unhindered. Unarmored fighters must knee walk. While knee walking, a shot to the leg kills a fighter as if they were legged. No flight through brambles. Brambles cannot be jumped. Brambles may be fought through.

Lava
Touching this hazard instant bursts a player into flame and kills them. Lava cannot be leaped over, as the rising heat is too great, and also instantly bursts a player into flames and kills them. However, lava can be fought over and shot projectiles over.

Acid
This hazard causes permanent damage. It is always shallow enough to cross, but at a cost. Any player that crosses acid immediately loses both legs to green damage. They are still alive, but the acid burns prevent them from walking until they are healed. Players knocked to the ground in acid are instantly killed.

Banners/Flags
A padded Banner or flag CAN be thrown over walls but not into fortresses. Do not use the banner as a weapon (Don’t throw or swing it at people). Banner/flag carriers must carry the banner/flag in an empty hand. (Not your shield hand, nor any limb using gear I.E. Strap Shield) A Flag/banner may be snatched from your grip. This does not count as a grapple. A dead carrier cannot throw the banner/flag, it must be dropped where they died. A player may for, example, hold their sword and shield in one hand and have a banner in the other.

Edge of the World

Hard Edge
The edge of the playing field is a sheer drop, such as a cliff or bridge, and even one foot off kills the player. Any player forcefully shoved off is considered dead.

Soft Edge
The edge of the playing field is less an approximation of real life boundaries, and more of a way to keep players confined to a space without punishing them for stepping out of bounds. A player may step out of this loose boundary without penalty, but if one goes unreasonably too far, or spends an unreasonable amount of time off in the soft edge, a herald will call them dead.