Rules changes adopted by the Ragnarok XV War Council

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Rules changes adopted by the Ragnarok XXI War Council

1.4. Forbidden Items
1.4.1 Blue jeans, white shoes, camouflage patterns such as military fatigues, exposed T-shirts, modern hats, real swords or knives (even in sheaths or cases, worn or carried) during combat or fighting. This list is not exhaustive.
1.4.2. Weapons, shields, garb, and armor may not have clearly mundane logos or prints, nor may be made with fluorescent/neon colors.

(Changed from" "1.4. Forbidden Garments: Include blue jeans, white shoes, camouflage patterns such as military fatigues, exposed T-shirts, modern hats, real swords or knives (even in sheaths or cases, worn or carried) during combat or fighting.")

4.2.5.1. Flail heads must weight a minimum of 4 ounces and minimum circumference of 16 inches measured on separate axes."

(Changed from: "The ball of a morning star has a minimum circumference of 18 inches measured on separate axes.")

4.5.3.13.5. All arrows must have at least two full fletchings (feathers) and a nock.

(Previous rule did not require a nock. As a safety issue, this was adopted immediately and unanimously.)

4.5.3.13.3. All arrows must contain a perpendicular penny secured at the end of the shaft, unless it is a golf tube shaft. In this case, a washer slightly larger than the golf tube's rolled edge must be used instead.
4.5.3.13.10. No arrow using a golf tube shaft may have a yellow cover.

((References to the golf tube arrow, and its requirements, are new.)

Golf tube arrow requirements.)

5.2.4. Acceptable Standards for 4:1 European Weave Chainmail

Gauge 12 14 16 18 Etc

Butted Link Maximum Ring Diameter 1/2" 3/8" 5/16" 1/4" **

Non-Butted Maximum Link Diameter* 1/2" 3/8" 3/8" 3/8" **

*Non-Butted = Riveted, welded, punched, etc.
**At the discretion of the event organizers

(Changed from 5.2.4. The minimum thickness wire for chain mail is 16 gauge. )

Previously, no chainmail could have thinner wire than 16 gauge. Not only was it a weight concern in ages past, but thinner wire would shred unless reinforced and only butted chainmail was available on the market. Now there are affordable, thinner chainmail gauges on the market that have welded, riveted, and/solid links. It is the intent of this rule to make this available and effective for Dagorhir enthusiasts.

Rules changes adopted by the Ragnarok XX War Council

4.6.1. Rocks must be at least 4" in diameter and constructed of foam with a little tape as possible.
4.6.2. The maximum weight of a rock is 1.5 pounds.

(Previous rules did not provide for larger rocks)

5.2.1. Metal armor may be made of iron, steel, bronze, brass, copper or titanium. Aluminum and other modern alloys are not allowed, with the exception of titanium.

5.2.2. The minimum thickness of non-plate metal armor is 16-gauge.

(Previous rules required metal plate armor to be 16 gauge or thicker. They did not allow for titanium)

5.2.6. Metal helms may only be constructed with 18- to 16-gauge. Helms may not have non-period grills. All other armor standards apply.

Rules changes adopted by the Ragnarok XIX War Council

The following changes were intended to clarify existing rules, set better weapons checking and safety standards, and to wipe recent rules changes from the books in the hopes of returning Dagorhir to its original intent: a safe, balanced, and FUN game. No change was even considered without a majority vote on the interest. No changes were implemented without at least an almost unanimous backing.

3.5.10 Shield Kicking: Players are allowed to kick shields, provided the kicker keeps one foot on the ground. (No flying kicks!) Shield kicking must be done with regard for the safety of other players and will be monitored carefully by the Heralds.
4.1.8.3.2. Minimum dimensions for single edged bladed weapons are 1.25 by 2.5 inches

Rules changes adopted by the Ragnarok XVIII War Council

Varying interpretations on red weapons lengths in recent years were complicated further by having a one standard for swords and another for other red weapons.
    4.3.6. A swung weapon (sword, axe, mace, glaive, halberd, etc.) 48 inches or longer is considered a red weapon.

For the sake of adding a consistent and easy to follow standard, rule 4.1.8.2 was changed to the following. This requires only weighing by weapons checkers, rather than weighing OR measuring the weapon circumference.
4.1.8.2. The following weight standards apply to red and blue weapons:
    4.1.8.2.2. Blue weapons must weigh a minimum of 12 ounces.
    4.1.8.2.3. Red weapons must weigh a minimum of 24 ounces.

The following is a clarification/modification of the previous year's RWC safety requirements ruling:
4.1.8.8. No swung weapon may have more than 1/3 of its length unpadded. No swung weapon may have more than thirty unpadded inches.

Flail size/weight requirements had been made lax in recent years, allowing the weapon to convey advantages that their historic antecedents did not possess. Flails had become unrealistically predominant as a result of these advantages. Therefore, rule 4.2.5.1 added 3 inches to minimum flail circumference:
    4.2.5.1. The ball of a morning star has a minimum circumference of 18 inches measured on separate axes.

Rule 4.2.5.1 was changed back to the original 20' requirement for the sake of safety.
    4.5.1.1. Arrows and javelins must be half-drawn/thrown at half-force under 20 feet.

The following represents more of a clarification than a rules change. The original intent of the rule was to disallow rigid metal plate armor knees and elbows:
    5.2.5. No metal knee or elbow armor with the exception of ring or chain mail.

Rule 5.2.6. was added at Ragnarok XIV for no good reason. It prohibited the use of helmets that covered most of the head. Unfortunately, this prevents the use of many good-looking period helms. It was the decision of the Ragnarok XVIII War Council that helmets add an element of safety. They do not reduce it.
5.2.6. Metal helms may only be constructed with 16 gauge. Helms may not have non-period grills. All other armor standards apply.

Rules changes adopted by the Ragnarok XVI War Council.
Change quarterstaff rule 4.2.6.2 in the Dagorhir Manual of Arms to read: "Double-ended weapons must have a minimum of 18 inches in length of a cylindrically padded striking surface on each end and both ends must pass as green or neither end will pass as green."
Change rule 4.1.3 to remove the words: "but arrows and rocks" All striking surfaces are now required to have a cloth covering.
Changed rule 3.5.1 to remove the words: "structure, planar" as redundant in defining a shield.
Deleted rule 4.1.8.2 and changed rule 4.1.4 to read: "Two and one-half inch rule—No surface on a striking edge (sword tip, arrow head, spear head, javelin head, etc.) whether designed for stabbing or not, shall pass more than 0.5 inch through a 2.5 inch hole; swords with a semicircular tip, with a minimum 1.5 inch radius are exempt from this rule."
Added to rule 3.2.2. to read: "The weapon type is decided at the discretion of the weapons checker."

Rules changes adopted by the Ragnarok XV War Council.

New Rule.

3.6.6. No person may initiate a grapple while carrying a bow and/or arrows.

New Rule

4.2.7. The minimum length of a blue weapon is 12 inches from above the handgrip to the tip or end of haft.

The words even minutely were dropped from this sentence.

4.5.3.8 If an arrow is deflected it is considered to have hit.

Added the words... along its entire striking surface.... to the following sentence.

4.1.8.3.1. Minimum dimensions of 1.25 inch by 3 inches along its entire striking surface.

Additional wording.

6.10 Healing: Note, heralds will announce healing at the beginning of the battle and identify all healers.

New Rule

6.10.7 Healers may only heal one person at a time.