Reserved Colors

Reserved Colors
Rules
Section:	Basic Rules
Summary:	Some colors have reserved meaning in certain situations
Primary Topics:	Bright neon orange is used to indicate something is not in-game in some way
Secondary Topics:	Blue can be used in-game but is often used to denote something is magical.
Tertiary Topics:	On weapons there are some specific paint jobs to represent certain materials
Terminology
Term Name:	Flag
Description:	A strip of cloth attached to an object to give game information
Rule Type:	Basic

Certain colors are used to convey game information; as a result, some colors are off limits or should be used carefully.

Reserved Colors

The colors blue and orange have special meaning in-game.

Blue is the color of magic. While not everything that is blue is magical, when possible, things that are magical are blue or have blue accents. It is ok to use blue in garb or other props that are not magical. Many spells are also represented by blue strips of cloth known as flags.

Bright neon orange is used to indicate something is out-of-game and, on rare occasions, to indicate something is invisible. This can be in the form of flags draped over containers that areout-of-game, orange cloaks on game masters who are present to witness a plot, or orange tape holding an extra key next to a lock so that if someone uses special abilities to unlock it they have a key to use. Because orange is used so broadly very bright orange colors should not be used for garb or anything that is not meant to be out-of-game.

Objects that are both blue AND orange are in-game, but not visible to player characters other than the item's owner. This is typically seen with blue and orange books or bags that are raffled during game fundraisers. The orange is present to tell others not to interact with the item, while the blue is saying that its ok if the owner is interacting with it while in-game. Some "blue bags" predate this coloring scheme and may be just blue without the orange accents; if in doubt, ask the item's owner if it is invisible.

Reserved Weapon Colors

The appearances of weapons is intended to give certain information about what materials the weapon is made out of. Special materials are represented by specific paint jobs. Weapons that are not made of special materials in game (which require crafting to create and introduce into play) should not be colored like these materials.

• Magically imbued weapons (those with spells in them) not made of other materials must be covered with blue paint.
  • This video shows how to paint a Goblin Iron weapon that has been imbued with a spell.
• Blightsteel items don't have a specific paint job at this time, and are not obtainable by players.
• Elven Steel should be covered in black then decorated with natural looking thin white and/ or silver veins coursing through it.
  • This video shows how to paint an Elven Steel weapon.
• Goblin iron items must be covered with green paint.
  • This video shows how to paint a Goblin Iron weapon.
  • This video shows how to paint a Silver weapon that has been imbued with a spell.
  • This video shows how to paint a Thermium weapon with an imbued spell.
• Primal weapons must be covered with red paint then decorated with natural looking thin black veins coursing through it.
  • This video shows how to paint a Primal weapon.
• Thermium items must be covered with red paint then coated in streaks of gold.
  • This video shows how to paint Thermium weapons.
• Silver weapons should be covered with white paint.
  • This video shows how to paint a Silver weapon.
• When an item is made of more than one material it must meet all of these requirements at once.
  • This video shows how to paint a Goblin Iron and Thermium Weapon.
  • This video shows how to paint a Silver and Thermium weapon.

Flags

Flags must be VISIBLE to count as being used; that often means tying them conspicuously on an item or your clothing.

There are two types of flags players will encounter in the game: orange flags and blue flags. Each of these are thin strips of cloth roughly an inch wide and between 8 to 12 inches long.

An orange flag is used to indicate that the object it is attached to is out-of-game and should not be interacted with. Most commonly these are used to indicate that a player's tote is out-of-game. This is useful when a player is playing a non-player character and their player character's game props are left alone in their encampment. Putting an orange strip out warns would-be in-game thieves that these objects aren't part of the game currently and should not be stolen. Orange flags can also be used to mark a hazardous area off-limits, or to warn people against going into places they are not allowed to go for story reasons.

Blue flags are used to indicate the presence of magic. Typically blue flags are tied to objects that have spells on them and are removed when the spell wears off or is dispelled. If a blue flag falls off accidentally then any spells on that object fall off with it. You cannot deliberately remove someone else's flags to take away their spells.

Uses for Flags

Tying on a blue strip in the middle of combat can be a challenging endeavor. Because of this, if you have a good faith reason to believe you're about to need it on your item you can put a blue strip on immediately before entering combat to make sure its ready. Blue strips shouldn't be permanently affixed to items or tied to your fingers.

Orange flags can be placed on any item that is out-of-game as appropriate with no in game ability needed.

Blue flags typically are seen in the following locations:

• Person: Tied to a person, such as for the spell Anti-Magic Shield.
• Armor: Tied to armor, such as for the Enhance Armor spell.
• Shield: Tied to a shield, such as for the Enchant Shield spell.
• Weapon: Tied on a weapon, such as for the Silvershine spell.
• Above Head: Held over a players head, such as for the Dissipate spell.
• Ground: On the ground, such as for the Sanctuary spell.
• Portal: On a portal (a door or window), such as for the Magic Lock spell.

References

Flags and Spells

Out-Of-Game Items

Players are considered "out-of-game" when they are not actively participating in the game. Objects are out-of-game if they don't exist inside of the context of the game; for example, the cars sitting in the parking lot are out of game as characters can't interact with them.

Objects that would normally be in-game can be marked or designated out of play by:

• Marking the item with an orange flag or putting it under an orange piece of cloth.
• Putting the item in a vehicle.
• Players need a place to keep personal items during the event. The area beneath any bunks or beds are considered out of play.

If an item that is not marked out of game or placed in an out of game area is a lootable item, it can be taken even if the character it belongs to is not in play. Be sure to put your items away at the end of your shift and not leave them out in game.

If you start to discuss your job in real life, you are out-of-game having an out-of-game conversation (this is often referred to as 'breaking character'). During game hours, be careful when and where you have out-of-game conversations; they inherently break the immersion of the world and disrupt people's fun. When you are out as a non-player character you should do everything you can to stay in character to keep the world alive and vibrant.

Everything is always out-of-game during hours that the game isn't happening. This includes between events and also overnight after first shift, but before the second shift starts.

Using out-of-game knowledge that your character wouldn't have in-game is known as 'Metagaming'. This is generally a bad thing; it means a player is benefiting from details they shouldn't know. It can be useful every now and then to help others enjoy the game so long as it isn't being done for personal benefit- for example, telling a character not to go in a certain direction because you know a plot with topics that would actually upset the player went that way- but should otherwise be avoided.

Categories: Basic Rules | Role-Playing Concepts | Terminology