How To Play WAR (NERO)

Finding a Game Event

There are several ways to get to a WAR or NERO event close to you, here's how:

Creating a Character

When you start your first character at WAR, you are automatically given 30 "build points".  These points are used to purchase skills for your charcter much like any RPG (or Role Playing Game).  The cost of your skills are based on your "class", which can be Fighter, Scholar, Rogue, or Templar.  The cost per skill of your build points depends on which class you choose.  Check out the classes and build document to help you figure out what class you would like to be and what each skill will cost you.

When you decide on which class you would like to be, then you must also decide which RACE you would like your character to be.  You can choose from many races and they each have advantages and disadvantages.  To see the available races and their abilities, see the basic races document.  For further details on different races that are played at WAR go to the "people" page.

Your Equipment  (At your FIRST EVENT, any equipment that you need will be provided for you if you can not bring your own)

The equipment you will need is based mostly upon the class your character will be. Fighters can wear more armor than Scholars and adversely Scholars rarely use weapons. What does this mean for you? Well, let's take a quick look at typical equipment for each class:

  • Fighters: These are the "warrior" types that specialize in weapon skills and taking the brunt of melee combat.  If you are playing a fighter, then you need to have boffer weapons that are specific to the type of weapon that you wish to wield (and the weapon skill you have purchased for your character).  For example, if you are playing a fighter that uses a "Short Hammer" then you must have a boffer weapon that looks like a short hammer, but MOST IMPORTANTLY falls within the guidelines of a NERO approved short hammer.  The specific guidelines for building NERO weapons and their approved measurements can be found in the NERO weapons document.  Information on how to build a NERO weapon can be found HERE.

    Fighters can also wear more armor than all other classes, because they are usually at the front of a fight.  So a good fighter must come equipped with as much armor as possible.  Anyone that plays an effective fighter should include armor as a part of their costume.  Many types of things can be considered as armor;  any person playing a fighter does not need to spend a lot of money on a professionally built suit of chainmail or plate armor.  Things such as soccer chin-pads can be used as armor as long as it is covered by in-period costuming or it is painted to appear as if it is medieval armor.  The key to wearing armor is that the more armor you wear, the more damage your character can take. For specifics on armor, see theNERO armor document.

  • Scholars: These are typically the "magic users" of the NERO world.  The single most important piece of equipment for a person playing a scholar is a "spell packet".  When a scholar casts a spell, they must throw a spell packet at their target and hit that target for the spell to take affect.  A spell packet is basically a piece of cloth that is wrapped around a small amount of birdseed and secured by a rubber band or string to make a packet. To build a NERO approved spell-packet, see the spell packet document.

    Scholars can also wear armor, but they are very limited in the amount of armor they wear.  Most Scholars only wear a couple simple pieces of leather armor or some very light chainmail as it does not benefit them to wear heavy armor.

  • Rogues: Rogues are very versatile, sneaky, and agile types.  A rogue can wear more armor than a scholar, but not as much as a fighter.  Most Rogues will wear leather armor because it it quiet but still protects well.  Almost all rogues use weapons of different types as they engage in combat almost as frequently as a fighter, with the exception that rogues prefer attacking from the back and flanking positions.

    If you are playing a fighter, then you need to have boffer weapons that are specific to the type of weapon that you wish to wield (and the weapon skill you have purchased for your character).  For example, if you are playing a fighter that uses a "Short Hammer" then you must have a boffer weapon that looks like a short hammer, but MOST IMPORTANTLY falls within the guidelines of a NERO approved short hammer.  The specific guidelines for building NERO weapons and their approved measurements can be found in the NERO weapons document.  Information on how to build a NERO weapon can be found HERE.

    Also, Alchemy is much easier for a rogue to learn.  Alchemical "gas globes" can be thrown at an enemy in battle much like a Scholar casts magic.  Therefore, rogues who intend on using gas globes need to bring "spell packets" which are totally similar to those that Scholars use with the exception that gas globes must be colored orange. To learn how to build a gas globe (spell packet), refer to the spell packet document .

  • Templars: Templars are essentially a combination of Fighters and Scholars.  They balance their skills with weapons and magic.  A Templar will typically use a weapon AND cast magic.  If you choose to play a scholar, you will need a boffer weapon of your choice as well as spell packets to cast your spells.

    Templars can also wear a decent amount of armor.  Armor will be very useful for anyone playing a templar. For specifics on armor, see the NERO armor document.

Costuming

Every good character should have good costuming, and you should have yours when you come to your first event.  But if you are unsure of what you should wear at your first event, we will be happy to supply you with some basic costuming.  We play a medieval fantasy game, so you should try to find costuming that might be commonly seen at a renaissance festival.  If you know what you want your character to look like and you are ready to go get your costuming, there are plenty of excellent places to look, even if you are short on money:

  • Look in your closet, basement and attic.  You would be suprised what you might find that could fit the medieval fantasy genre that we play.
  • Go to yard sales.  You can often find clothing, jewelry, and other neat stuff that fits into the realm of our game
  • Ebay!  You can find anything on ebay
  • Local costuming store.  There are often a few stores around that specialize in theatre costuming.  Halloween time is the perfect time to find make-up and costuming that easily fits into the game.
  • Online stores / Google it!.  If all else fails, you can ALWAYS find costuming at online stores. Some of these stores can be a little costy, but if you plan on keeping the same cosuming for your character then it will be well worth the money
  • Other players.  A lot of other players at NERO have extra costuming that they might not use anymore.  If you ask, they may be willing to lend, sell, or give you old costuming.

Being Prepared

When attending a weekend NERO event, there are several things to consider.  Most importantly, you will be staying at a camp, which rarely has many buildings that are heated or have air-conditioning.  In order to keep yourself most comfortable, you must prepare for the weather.  During the cold months it is advisable to wear extra layers of clothes and bring a couple extra changes of clothes to wear underneath your costuming.  It is quite possible that your clothing may get wet or muddy, so extra clothing is always a must.  In the summer, it would be good to wear light clothes and sleeveless shirts to wear underneath your costuming, or perhaps cut down on the amount of costuming your wear or the thickness of your costuming.

Sleeping arrangements frequently include small beds inside of uninsulated cabins or tent-like structures.  Sleeping bags and extra blankets are encouraged during the winter months, even though winter events usually have some type of heated buildings in which to stay.

Snacks, food, and drink are commonly brought to our events by players, even though there is almost always a "tavern" in which you can purchase food and drinks.  Often times players find themselves in need of a snack when the tavern is not open, when it is late, or when it is too inconvenient to make a trek to the tavern.

Useful Documents