Non-Com Rules

If you are unwilling or unable to take part in combat for any reason, you can mark yourself as a non-combatant. Non-com status is designed to physically protect individuals who may be more likely to be injured if hit in combat, or who have limited mobility. The aim is to allow these individuals to fully participate in the game and even out the playing field a bit.

To stop potential combat, use the STOP: THUMB DOWN hand gesture. Make this gesture if anyone is moving towards you looking like they’re going to fight you, and they must stop. If this symbol is missed, state “NON-COM” to share your status.

We realise non-com ability is variable; it is down to the individual how often they wish to mark themselves as non-com during a weekend. It is perfectly acceptable to state you are or aren’t non-com whenever you like, including part-way through missions (for example, starting to use the STOP: THUMB DOWN gesture after a short fight because you can only manage short stints and need to opt-out of the rest of the combat).

Non-Com Guidance

  • You should move away from high-risk situations (ie the front line of a large battle).
  • While others should avoid hitting you, you must also try to avoid being hit whenever you can.
  • If someone roleplays threatening you physically (ie raising their weapon and verbally acknowledging you are non-com), you take 1 point of damage. You are only required to lose 1HP in total this way during any mission or battle, but may opt to take more damage if you feel it is thematically suitable for the situation you’re in.
  • Non-com status is not immunity to any in-game effects, but you are trusted to roleplay the effects as much as you are comfortably able to.

Interacting with Non-Coms

  • You must avoid hitting non-coms. If in a situation where you require harming them, this must be roleplayed as you threatening them without making any contact with them (ie raising your weapon and pausing) and you must verbally acknowledge their non-com status so they know you are aware of it and won’t make contact.
  • If a non-com is separated from their group or at the back of a retreat, they should not be aggressively chased; instead focus on chasing high-mobility individuals.

In-Game Conflict Consequences

Non-com status and the STOP: THUMB DOWN hand gesture must not be used to avoid consequences. If you are non-com and have done something that another character seeks to harm you for, you should negotiate a scene between you or agree on a different way to continue the conflict, with a referee present at request. You will not lose your character permanently through one of these negotiated scenes unless you opt-in to that.

Tracking Non-Coms

Non-coms are encouraged to announce their status to referees at the start of the event or before entering a situation with combat risks, so they can better plan situations and adapt them to your needs in advance.

Crew members are encouraged to report to referees whenever someone uses STOP: THUMB DOWN or says “NON-COM” to opt-out of fights. This is tracked to help identify dangerous situations and monitor how much it gets used, and by who. Referees may occasionally come and check in with you to get feedback on the non-com experience so we can improve our mission design and rules.

Scroll to Top