Lorien Trust Weapons and Armour Construction Guidelines 2018 Revision Introduction This document is intended to be a guide to both basic construction of Live Roleplaying weapons for use at Lorien Trust events, and an explanation of what kind of things the Weapons Check team are checking for when examining your kit at the gate. Each item is checked solely on its own merits and flaws in its given state when provided to the Weapons Check team, and so following the information provided herein does not guarantee that your kit will pass - 12mm of foam may be the required padding for a striking surface, but if the core is so large and heavy that it can be felt through the padding, more will need to be added. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Lorien Trust Weapons Check team, please speak to one of our members and they will be able to direct you to the next available training session. If you have any queries with regards to this guide, please contact [email protected] 2 Mêlée Weapons Weapon Lengths Melee weapons at Lorien Trust events come in three sizes - Small, Medium and Large. Small weapons are between 7”/17.8cm and 18”/45.7cm Medium weapons are between 18”/45.7cm and 42”/106.7cm Large weapons are between 42”/106.7cm and 84”/213.4cm Oversized weapons should not be used. Bladed Weapons Foam Construction Foam used should be LD45 Plastazote or an equivalent closed cell foam of approximately 45kg/m3 density. Lower density foams may be too soft to sufficiently cushion blows, whereas denser foams may be too hard. Pommel A minimum of 0.5”/12mm thick foam, fixed securely to the core. Any solid decoration such as gems must be recessed into the foam and have at least 0.5”/12mm of foam between it and the core, any surface mounted decoration must not be made of rigid materials and have sufficient give (25% of its thickness is a reasonable amount). Weighting It is permissible to weight the weapon, however all weighting must be fixed securely to the core and any weighting that extends from the handle into the pommel must be covered by 0.5”/12mm of foam. Weighting should not extend into the blade. Handles The handle must be firmly fixed to the core, but does not necessarily need to be padded. If the handle is longer than two hand spans (approximately 16”/40.6cm) for a one handed weapon or three hand spans (approximately 24”/60.9cm) for a two handed weapon), it has to be padded as if it were a striking surface. Any weighting must be securely attached to the weapon and not extend past the guard into the blade. Any ricasso above the crossguard should be treated as if it is a striking surface and padded appropriately. Crossguards Must be made of foam. Any solid reinforcement (i.e. fibreglass/carbon fibre core) must be securely fixed to the core, covered by 0.5”/12mm of foam and not extend more than 10mm past the edge of the blade. Flexible reinforcement such as cloth, thin leather, suede or an equivalent material is permissible. Blade A minimum of 0.5”/12mm deep foam on the striking surface and 0.25”/6mm deep on the non- striking surface after carving - 0.25”/6mm thick with a 0.125”/3mm deep blood groove carved into it will not pass. The foam should be securely fixed to the core and layers of foam must be laminated 3 together firmly with a suitable grade of flexible adhesive, such as a solvent based impact adhesive. This glue should not become rigid under compression. Where possible the tip of the core should be rounded to prevent to prevent it working through the foam and be reinforced using cloth, thin leather, suede or an equivalent material. This material must not become rigid after the adhesive attaching it to the weapon has cured. Flexibility The core should be stiff, especially with regard to longer weapons so that they do not flex or “whip” more than 20% of the weapon length. Example construction of a foam sword Please note that the measurements on these diagrams are for demonstration purposes only and not necessarily a reflection of the actual measurements that each weapon is based on. Hafted Weapons Pommel A minimum of 0.5”/12mm thick foam, fixed securely to the core. Any solid decoration such as gems must be recessed into the foam and have at least 0.5”/12mm of foam between it and the core, any surface mounted decoration must not be made of rigid materials and have sufficient give (25% of its thickness is a reasonable amount). Weighting It is permissible to weight the weapon, however all weighting must be fixed securely to the core and any weighting that extends from the handle into the pommel must be covered by 0.5”/12mm of foam. 4 Handles The handle must be firmly fixed to the core, but does not necessarily need to be padded. If the handle is longer than two hand spans (approximately 16”/40.6cm) for a one handed weapon or three hand spans (approximately 24”/60.9cm) for a two handed weapon), it has to be padded as if it were a striking surface. Any weighting must be securely attached to the weapon and not extend past the guard into the blade. Any secondary handles above the first should be treated as if it is a striking surface and padded appropriately. Shaft The entire distance from the handle furthest from the striking end is considered a striking surface and therefore should be covered by a minimum of 0.5"/12mm of foam after carving and be securely attached to the core. Hammerheads/Maces Minimum of 0.5”/12mm of foam. Standard weapon foam should be securely fixed to the core with a softer foam, such as upholstery foam, forming the striking surface. These foam layers must be firmly laminated together with an appropriate flexible adhesive. The heavier/larger the head is, the softer the foam should be - don’t get carried away with the size of the head as you have to be able to pull your blows. Any spikes should be no longer than 2”/51mm and the spikes should be completely collapsible, containing no rigid reinforcement. Axeheads Axeheads are also obviously striking surfaces. These should contain no rigid core. Flexible reinforcement such as cloth, thin leather, suede or an equivalent material is permissible, which again should not become rigid when the adhesive attaching it to the weapon cures. The reinforcing should not come within 0.5”/12mm of the outer edges of the head. The head should also be securely fixed to the core. Flails Links Links should be made of a flexible, non-elastic material such as leather, rope or firm rubber. You are allowed one half link protruding from the haft and one half link from the striking section/head. These are then joined by a single, full link as shown.. A full link has an internal measurement of no more than 2”/51mm long by 0.75”/20mm across. Inelastic rope may also be used instead of a set of links. The total distance between shaft and head should therefore not be more than 4”/102mm when stretched out, whether links or rope. This is to prevent entanglement around other weapons. Three (or more) section staves or equivalent weapons should not be used. Striking Section/Head The head should have no solid core, and be made of foam, preferably open cell polyurethane foam (such as sponge or upholstery foam). 5 Spikes Spikes should not be more than 0.5”/12mm in length on a flail. Length Flail lengths will be measured laid out straight, i.e. handle length plus link section length plus head should not exceed the maximum length for the weapon size. Nunchaku For nunchaku type flails one end should be completely coreless - this is the striking end. This should be easily distinguishable from the handle, to avoid confusion and unintentional handle strikes in a mêlée. Staves and Polearms Pommel A minimum of 0.5”/12mm thick foam, fixed securely to the core. Any solid decoration such as gems must be recessed into the foam and have at least 0.5”/12mm of foam between it and the core, any surface mounted decoration must not be made of rigid materials and have sufficient give (25% of its thickness is a reasonable amount). Some people may also use staves and pole weapons as walking sticks. To protect the lower end from compression damage and wear on the ground, a soft leather pouch may be tied over the pommel. The knots should not protrude, and should have an equivalent give to any surface mounted decoration as discussed above. This should not be used as a striking end. Weighting It is permissible to weight the weapon, however all weighting must be fixed securely to the core and any weighting that extends from the handle into the pommel must be covered by 0.5”/12mm of foam. Handles The handle must be firmly fixed to the core, and should be padded with at least 0.5”/12mm of foam. Any weighting must be securely attached to the weapon and not extend past the guard into the blade. Any ricasso above the crossguard should be treated as if it is a striking surface and padded appropriately. Blade A minimum of 0.5"/12mm deep foam on the striking surface and 6mm deep on the non-striking surface after carving - 6mm thick with a 3mm deep blood groove carved into it will not pass. Remember this is an absolute minimum, and we would recommend, due to the increased mass and potential angular velocity of a two-handed weapon, that thicker foam should be used. The foam should be securely fixed to the core and layers of foam must be laminated together firmly with a suitable grade of flexible adhesive, such as a solvent based impact adhesive. This glue should not become rigid under compression. Where possible the tip of the core should be rounded to prevent to prevent it working through the foam and be reinforced using cloth, thin leather, suede or an equivalent material. This material must not become rigid after the adhesive attaching it to the weapon has cured. 6 Hammerheads/Maces Minimum of 0.5"/12mm of foam. Standard weapon foam should be securely fixed to the core with a softer foam, such as upholstery foam, forming the striking surface. These foam layers must be firmly laminated together with an appropriate flexible adhesive. The heavier/larger the head is, the softer the foam should be - don’t get carried away with the size of the head as you have to be able to pull your blows. Any spikes should be no longer than 2”/51mm and the spikes should be completely collapsible, containing no rigid reinforcement. Poleaxes Axeheads are also obviously striking surfaces. These should contain no rigid core. Flexible reinforcement such as cloth, thin leather, suede or an equivalent material is permissible, which again should not become rigid when the adhesive attaching it to the weapon cures. The reinforcing should not come within 0.5"/12mm of the outer edges of the head. The head should also be securely fixed to the core. Double-ended Weapons A two-handed weapon with striking surfaces at both ends should be treated as the entire length of the weapon being a striking surface. Injection Moulded Weapons Injection moulded weapons should have a density of approximately that of the foam discussed above. Injection moulded weapons often start out harder than an equivalent foam weapon but will soften with use. This may lead to the injection moulded weapon deteriorating through heavy or consistent use. Injection points should be checked for solid protrusions where the moulding compound has not ‘foamed’ and cured as a rigid lump or point or a foreign object has been caught in the mould, and the weapon should be firmly attached to its core 7 Claws Claws should be constructed of LD45 Plastazote, an equivalent closed cell foam, cast latex or similar soft material and must not have a core. The claws should be solid enough to hold their shape, but should be soft enough to flex when a strike is made. Flexible reinforcement such as cloth, thin leather, suede or an equivalent material is permissible, which again, should not become rigid when the adhesive attaching it to the foam cures. Cast latex claws may be filled with open- or closed-cell foam to increase structural integrity. Claws should protrude at least 3”/76mm past the tips of the fingers. All claws must fasten to the wearers open hand or extended fingers. You must not be able to clench your fist and still have the claws in a striking position whilst wearing them. This does not mean that you cannot close your hands; only that you should not be able to hit someone with the claws with your hand closed. Claw users will be expected to pass a Claw Competency test, and re-qualify themselves every three years. Claw Competency cards must be on your person while using your claws. Any creature that requires claws to be played - such as Were Creatures - may not be played if you do not have a Claw Competency Card. 8 Projectile Weapons All archers are expected to have taken a Bow Competency test, and will be expected to carry their Bow Competency card when using their bow in an In Character area. All archers will be expected to provide their Bow Competency card on arrival at weapons check. Bows Compound bows, Mongolian composite bows and bamboo bows are not permitted within this system. The ‘Mongolian style’ wooden shortbows are permitted, subject to the checks below. In general the Archer will be expected to string their bow, which should not have evidence of cracks, splinters or other damage. The bowstring should be firmly attached and in good condition. Bow limbs / staves should be of wood or fibreglass. Riser/handle should be of wood, fibreglass or metal. Bow limbs may be wrapped in material, or built up with resin or foam to make them appear more in character, but these modifications must not interfere with or alter the mechanics of the bow, nor be of a size or shape that may cause injury to those around the archer. These modifications must be in place when the bow is weighed. Draw Longbows and recurve bows will be tested using a standard set of bowscales at a draw of 28”/71.1cm. The draw weight at this distance must not exceed 30lbs/13.636kg with a small allowance for standard deviation in the set of bowscales being used. Arrows Neither IDV Engineering Mark 1 LRP arrows nor the dimple-headed ‘golf-ball’ style are suitable for use with this system. IDV Mark 2 arrows are acceptable. If the weapons check department is unsure of the construction of a home-made arrow, a Senior Weapons Checker may request that a sample be cut open in order to check the construction. If this is done, the Senior Weapons Checker will return the arrow to you, so that if the construction is called into question again, you will have a cutaway to show. Previously unseen moulded arrows will be need to be subject to more strenuous testing prior to being allowed to be used at Lorien Trust events. Shafts The shafts should not exceed 28”/71.1cm from nock to the base of the arrowhead. The shaft should not splinter when lightly flexed or put under torsion. Shafts should be made of wood or fibreglass tube. Dowel, Metal and carbon fibre shafts are not acceptable. Nocks The nock should be securely attached to the shaft and should not be cracked or broken. It should hold the arrow securely against the bowstring. 9 Fletchings The fletchings should be securely attached to the shaft either in a set of three - one perpendicular to the line of the nock and the remaining two set at 120° and 240° around the shaft from the first, or a set of four - one set at 30° to the line of the nock and continuing around the shaft at 150°, 210° and 330° to the line of the nock. Heads The head of an arrow should be at least 2”/51mm in diameter. There should be no sharp points, bodkins, broad heads, bullet tips or piles on the end of the arrow shaft even under the foam. The front face of the arrow should be made of upholstery foam at least 1”/25mm thick, which may have a hemispherical dome to improve its aerodynamics. Any latex, gaffer tape or other coverings around the outside of the foam should leave 1” of foam clear above it. The foam face should be securely attached to a piece of LD45 foam at least 1”/25mm thick. This should be backed by industrial rubber or leather (bicycle inner tube or boot leather tend to be sensible), no less than 0.125”/3mm thick. A piece of LD45 foam at least 1”/25mm thick with a hole to accommodate the shaft is then securely glued in place. The shaft is then securely glued to the rubber/leather pad and the sides of the hole in the foam. Behind this another 2-3”/51-76mm LD45 foam should be glued to further support the shaft, this extra foam can be tapered or left as a cylinder. Cross-section of an LRP arrow, using the build techniques described above. Moulded arrow types will differ in cross-section. Crossbows Hand Crossbows may be either powered by bungee cord and utilise a rigid prod, or be of a prod- driven design. Prod-driven crossbows are allowable under the provisions of the Crossbows Act 1987, section 3, i.e., not for use by persons under the age of 18. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1987/32/section/3 The body of the crossbow should not be cracked or damaged, and the prod should be firmly attached and not cracked or damaged, and should have suitable attachment points to stop the cord from slipping down the prod when drawn. The bungee cord or bowstring should not be frayed, damaged or repaired. A bungee cord should be attached by crimping the ends of the cord into loops with wire crimps or suitably strong cable ties, and a string should rest correctly in the notches on the tips of the prod. The trigger mechanism should work fluidly, and the trigger should release the cord smoothly and evenly without the opportunity for snagging on the body of the crossbow. Crossbows will have their draw weight measured at full draw, which must not exceed 30lbs/13.636kg. 10