Monstering a battle

Overview

Battles are a massive logistical undertaking involving well over 300 player monsters and crew, not including those players preparing to play the battle. This page should help guide players preparing to monster battles at an event. It provides basic hints and tips, gives you an idea of what to expect, and how to speed you through the process as quickly as possible.

Quick guide

• Find out when you will be monstering
  • Ask your generals - they should be aware of the battle info
  • Check signs on the toilet doors to find out when to monster
  • Ask your Egregore
• Bring kit, armour and weapons where you can
• Bring water with you
• Turn up between 09:30 and 10:30 at Monster in the OOC area
• Get counted by the crew member outside Monster
  • We need accurate numbers to record the Nation Weightings
• You will be assigned battlefield orc role
  • Follow crew directions on battle briefings
• Ask if you would rather play a low combat role
• Add PD provided kit and armour to your own
• Apply orc make-up to mouth, eyes and hands
• Put on an orc mask
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

How will I know I am monstering?

The first time that you might get an idea of when you might be monstering a battle is when the Winds of War are released and we notify the players of the major conjunctions at the event. It is likely that the Marcher generals will want to fight in the Mournwold, and the Varushkans in Karsk, or Highguard in Reikos; this means that these nations will monster the other battle. But don’t count on it, it is all down to player decisions...

Once the Military Council have met at the Muster on Friday and decided upon the two major conjunctions the heroes will take, word will start to spread about when the battles will be fought and who will be fighting when. Knowing when you will fight as your character will make it obvious when you will need to monster. Ask your national generals, your group leaders and military minded folk which battle you will be fighting as your character and then you will know which battle to monster in. Your national Egregores can always help you find this information out.

In addition to these in character avenues, PD’s Battle Team will also put up notices in GOD and on all the toilet doors around the site. These signs will provide basic information for the monstering nations including:

• Which barbarian force your nation is monstering as (Jotun/Grendel/Druj/Thule)
• Which orc formation your nation will be monstering as (Heavy/Skirmish/Magic)
• Guidance on equipment and costume that will help in these roles (Armour/Weapons/Costume)
• Any available low-combat roles as part of the battle

Elite Monster Units

We also have a number of Elite Monster Units (EMU) formed from players in several nations. Commanders from these groups will attend a briefing the night before a battle on the role their units will play the next day. Otherwise, these groups will already know their briefs, have costume and know what they need to do when they monster. Please ask in your nation group if you are not already part of an EMU.

What do I need to bring to monster?

When you come to monster there are a number of things that you should bring if possible:

Clothing

You should wear a neutral base layer - a long-sleeved shirt and trousers (greys, blacks, and browns are ideal) - under any other costume or armour you have. This base layer should keep you warm, provide coverage from the sun, and help protect against any armour you might wear. A pair of thin gloves are also recommended. Ideally, you want to cover as much of your own skin as possible. We strongly advise wearing a decent pair of boots to avoid accidental toe stomping and provide ankle support on uneven ground.

Armour

Please wear any armour you have when you come along to monster. Using appropriate armour will provide your orc monster with additional hits and protection from some heroic calls as it does with your player character. Wearing padding is also advised to ensure the armour is as comfortable as possible and doesn't hurt you more than protecting you.

Weapons

Please bring along a weapon to use in the battle. For the basic orc troops most weapon combinations are fine to use - sword and buckler, axe & shield, spears, great weapons or paired weapons.

• NOTE - the Jotun do not use bows or crossbows, please do not bring them to Monster when you are monstering as Jotun

Water

You should bring water with you when you come to monster, a 500ml of water should be sufficient, but you might need more, especially if it is hot. It is advisable to ensure you are hydrated before heading up to Battle Prep and monstering, sports drinks or other soft drinks are ideal, especially if you were drinking the night before.

What will Profound Decisions provide?

Profound Decisions may provide additional items for you to borrow during a battle as your barbarian orc. Please ensure you return these when you leave the battlefield and let us know if they are broken or damaged. Unfortunately, we may run out of kit to provide players; our Battle Team have contingencies in place should this happen during Battle Prep.

Armour

Profound Decisions can provide additional items of armour to wear on the battlefield. The polyurea breastplates, vambraces, greaves and spaulders count as heavy armour if struck - protecting against the CLEAVE and IMPALE calls - and with sufficient coverage, they will provide additional armour hits. Wearing your own armour makes it easier for us to ensure we can equip as many monsters as possible with as much armour.

Orc mask

Profound Decisions will provide a basic orc mask for you to wear on the battlefield. These are cotton/lycra balaclavas with a natural rubber latex face that should fit most head shapes and sizes. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, we only use masks once an event, and we encourage players to take a mask and wear it rather than trying several on to find the perfect fit.

If you can bring your own orc mask to wear then that will help us equip other players with a mask. Owning a personal mask means you can customise it for comfort and fit - accommodating hair or a beard - and using it as the basis of your own orc monster costume.

What do I do when I arrive at Monster?

Monster will be open between 09:30 and 10:30 for you to arrive, go through weapon check, kit up, get stats and be briefed, and then prepare to deploy on the battlefield. If you arrive after 10:30 we will turn you away. We want to ensure this process is quick and as hassle free as possible for everyone, both players and crew. The main thing we want to do is to ensure the monsters are ready to begin the battle at 11am. Secondary to this, we want to avoid players standing around waiting before a battle. Importantly, we can not handle 400 player monsters coming into the Monster tent all at once. Please choose a time that is suitable for you and your group, make sure you have everything you need and get to Monster as early as you can. The process for monster preparation is as follows:

• Weapon check
• Nation number count
• Nation role assigning
• Roleplay brief and stat assigning
• Collect armour
• Apply orc make-up
• Collect orc mask
• Meet unit commanders
• Deploy onto the battlefield

Low-combat roles

Not every orc we put on the battlefield needs to be a fighter. We aim to offer around 25 low-combat roles for players. These are intended for those who are capable of fighting, but do not want to be caught up in a swirling melee. These roles might include:

• Orc healers, mages and other support characters
• Orc slaves, subjects and thralls
• Imperial refugees or captives in need of rescue

Sometimes we might require additional players to take on NPC characters as part of a battle objective.

Non-combat roles

Importantly you should not enter the battlefield if you consider yourself a non-combatant. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee you will not be hit on the battlefield, so if you are a non-combatant then it isn't possible to volunteer to help with the battles.

The battle

Our battles start at 11:00 and can last 60-90 minutes, depending on the scenario, how well the players fight, or how much resistance they face from the orc barbarians! Have fun!

Respawns

When your orc character is killed on the battlefield, you will need to head to a Respawn Point. We suggest keeping your hand in the air until you reach a respawn point to indicate to other players that you are out of character. Respawn points are located in several places around the field, but change between battles due to many reasons. Most monsters will know where to go, so do ask other orcs if you don’t know where you are. Referees will also be able to help send you in the right direction (Find one with a radio). If you get lost, head back towards Monster and the location that you entered the field from.

After the battle

After the battle it will take a short time to get off the battlefield, remove your orc mask and makeup, take off your armour and get back into character. Hopefully you will be able to go back in character from 13:00. We ask that you help our crew when leaving the battlefield and do the following:

• Turn your mask inside out and spray it with disinfectant
• Return any unused herbs, mana and potions you haven’t used
• Return your armour to the correct size pile
• Return any costume or weapons to the correct rail or pile

Further Reading

General Information

• Battles
• Monstering
• Monstering a battle
• Playing a Barbarian

Barbarians

• Druj
• Grendel
• Jotun