In the event that there is discrepancy between the policies below and the policies within the rulebook, the policies within the rulebook shall always take precedence. Please note that these are excerpts from the Rulebook and do not contain all of the rules, guidelines, or policies that a member of the community must follow. Please read the Rulebook for complete guidance.
Facing the frontier means fighting to make a home in a hostile environment. One of the best way to protect oneself is through combat. It often isn’t pretty, and it can be quite difficult, not to mention bloody. But it is best to be prepared against all cases of hardship that might come.
All attacks or abilities used in combat follow the same guidelines:
Aim for your target’s torso, arms, or legs. Strikes to the head, groin, feet or hands are not counted as successful.
Swings made with melee weapons are only valid if the attacker’s arm bends at a 45-degree angle before swinging and between swings.
Players may only make one attack per second, unless dual wielding in which case they may attack twice each second, once with each hand.
Bows should not be fired at or inside buildings. If a bow user is in a position where they need to defend themselves indoors, they are free to use packets in place of arrows. These packets must be touched to the hand holding the bow, pulled back over the shoulder, and then thrown overhand to be valid. Packet arrows may not be used outside.
Only use the listed allowable brands of firearms and keep to the allowable mods.
Attacks shall be made with enough force to be heard and felt and no harder.
Strikes that only hit clothing, garb, or worn items are considered misses and are not valid strikes.
A melee attack is considered blocked if it comes into contact with a claw, tentacle, brawl weapon, or melee weapon before striking another part of the target.
Only non-ranged attacks may be blocked, and may only be blocked with melee weapons, claws, natural weapons, and brawl weapons. Bullets and packets that are physically blocked are counted as a hit.
Calls are formed following this format: “[Meta Tag] [Damage Number] [Effect] [Target].” Not every ability needs every part of this call. The simplest form is just the damage number. A character swinging a staff at another character could call “2.” Using an effect changes the call, such as: “Disarm Hammer,” which inflicts Disarm focused on the target character’s hammer. More complex would be “2 Induce: Fear,” which does 2 damage and inflicts Induce Fear. More on effects and resisting effects can be found in the Effects section.
A flub occurs when a player fails to properly deliver an ability or attack. In the case of a flub, the cost of the ability or effect is not spent, and the ability or effect is not successful. This applies to situations such as: failing to clearly indicate the attack’s target when required, failing to clearly say the call for an ability, failing to state a call in the above format, or failing to fulfill a skill’s roleplaying requirement. However, if the wording of a call isn’t correct but the effect or ability is still worded in a way where the meaning can be understood, the effect or ability is still successful and the cost is expended.
If a player does not hit any target or completely misses with an attack or ability, the SP/HP and any consumable cost of that ability are considered not spent and are instead returned to the character. If the consumable tag was destroyed prior to using the ability or making the attack, then that consumable is considered used.
Combat can get heated, but it should never be unsafe or unfair. Below are common rules violations that will not be tolerated at Call of the Void. Mistakes may happen, but each player is responsible for policing their combat. If other players ask you to adjust your combat in order to stay within Call of the Void guidelines, you are expected to take their comments into consideration.
Charging: moving towards someone in such a way that they must move out of the way to avoid collision with your body. Usually done at a run.
Illegal Aiming: aiming for illegal targets (hits to the face, head, groin, hands, and feet of another player) repeatedly or intentionally is against the rules. Accidents happen, but if you are consistently hitting these targets on people, you will be cited.
Machine Gunning: Rapid-fire attacking a target with a melee or brawl weapon without fully bending the arm back 45 degrees or without waiting one second between swings.
Rhino Hiding: When a player does not properly take effects or damage as called and continues to fight well past the point where their character would be rendered incapable of doing so.
Full Strength Contact: Hitting too hard with a weapon or boffer. Whether a player is hitting too hard or not is up to the player being hit. Archers in particular should refrain from pulling back on their shots more than necessary to hit a target.
Players are expected and required to practice good sportsmanship. This includes considering how their actions impact other players, and accepting losses (their own and others’) and successes with grace. Unsportsmanlike conduct may include but is not limited to: excessive aggression, taking out one's frustration on others, threats, and hostile behavior. Poor sportsmanship is considered a rules violation and can result in disciplinary action being taken.
If you see an unsafe condition, or if someone is injured, a weapon breaks, or someone is about to back up over a log, immediately call “HOLD.” If the situation requires a staff member, notify one and they will attend to the concern and ensure that the unsafe condition or injury is dealt with so that the scene can continue. If you hear someone call out “HOLD” in combat, take a knee (get down on one knee or squat as you’re able and cease all action.) Please be patient; the hold will end when the staff member or player calls “Is there any reason for this HOLD to continue?” allowing opportunity to verify the situation is dealt with. If there is no further reason for the hold, they will follow their question with “3, 2, 1, GAME ON.” Then gameplay can continue.
Combat shall not be initiated on main paths. Combat shall also not take place in places where it will block access to or egress from buildings. Both staff and players will adhere to this, and everyone is expected to assist by paying attention to where they are initiating combat. In the event that combat begins or spills into one of these two places, any player may call a “HOLD” in order to relocate combat out of these places.
We have created a policy for players who cannot physically engage in combat for safety or personal reasons. In this way, a non-combatant character can still participate in the dangers of the game without physical danger to the player themselves or others.
All players who wish to identify themselves as non-combatants must wear an orange sash. Wearing this sash marks that they have opted out of the physical contact involved with in-game combat. The sash should be worn across the body of the player and must be visible at all times. Reflective tape is highly recommended for added distinction during the night- if the sash cannot be seen, then players cannot effectively follow this policy. Note that wearing the orange sash opts the Player out of being struck physically in combat situations. Their character can still take damage, suffer conditions, and be killed by the dangers that abound at Call of the Void.
For non-combatants, Call of the Void utilizes the “point-and-click” method of combat. Those targeting Non-Combatants will follow the steps below, as will Non-Combatants who attack those who are not wearing a Non-Combatant sash. Attack calls using these rules can be made no more frequently than once every three seconds.
An attacker with a melee weapon, brawl weapons, or claw boffers must maintain a 10 foot distance from their target (no closer and no farther)
An attacker with a ranged weapon or packet of any kind must maintain a 15 foot distance from their target (no closer and no farther)
The attacker must point their weapon or packet at the target, not touching them with it in any way.
The attacker will call their attacks as “Strike: [Damage and/or Effect Call]!” for weapons or “Packet: [Damage and/or Effect Call]!” for packet attacks. They may name or describe their target at the end of the call in the event that there is uncertainty regarding who is being targeted by the attack. (e.g., “Strike 2, you in the big hat!”)
The target will take the damage and/or Effect exactly as if they had been struck by the attack’s standard delivery mechanism
When the 10- or 15-foot range of Point-and-Click combat has been established, neither participant may attempt to close the distance for any reason other than the physical safety of the players involved (e.g., to step toward another player in order to get away from a bench or pit that could be tripped over). Players are encouraged to call a “HOLD” in order to cleanly establish these ranges as needed.
The 10- or 15-foot range of Point-and-Click combat is established at the time that a weapon or packet is drawn and brandished to explicitly begin combat. Players attempting to use Touch effects are not required to announce their intentions and establish a Point-and-Click range. If a Non-Combatant player believes that they are under threat from such an effect, they may draw and brandish a weapon to defend themselves. This initiates the need to establish the 10- or 15-foot Point-and-Click range, which must happen before further combat can be pursued.
Attack calls are only valid at within the mandated distance, and this distance does not pass through physical objects (e.g., if a Non-Combatant can be seen through a glass window, or is barely visible through the gap in a wooden wall, this does not allow an attacker to affect them with a packet effect as it could not pass through the barrier under ordinary circumstances).
Any party involved in Point-and-Click Combat may decide to flee the situation. Participants in Point-and-Click Combat should not move faster than a brisk walk in order to escape or to pursue. If all Non-Combatants flee from an engagement, leaving only those who have not designated themselves Non-Combatants, then the players involved may call a “HOLD” in order to reset the battlefield in keeping with relative positions now that no Point-and-Click ranges must be maintained.
All players are required to respect the designation of Non-Combatants. If you are a Non-Combatant and are physically struck by a weapon or packet, you may call a “HOLD” in order to make clear to the attacking player that you are a Non-Combatant. During this hold you will then establish the Point-and-Click distance in keeping with the rules above.
Please see the Three-Color System for more information on rules regarding physical roleplay.
Last Updated: May 2025
Brawl Weapons - 1 Damage
Thrown Weapons - 2 Damage
Melee Weapons - 2 Damage
NPC Claws and Natural Weapons - 2 Damage
Archery (Arrows) - 3 Damage
Firearms - 3 Damage