Last update June 23, 2025. Subject to further revisions at the discretion of Windfall Entertainment, LLC.
Final draft will be released no later than March 1, 2026.

For questions on rules, please see the appropriate channel on Discord or Contact Staff.

1. Staff members will always be clearly identifiable throughout the ship. A staff member is considered the highest authority within the game and rulings or directions from them supersede this ruleset.

1. As a point of in-game flavor, staff members are traditionally dressed as the maintenance staff of the Flame of Liberty and are often lovingly referred to as “Space Janitors.”
2. Players should feel free to contact a staff member at any time. For out-of-character discussions, it is asked to please try and relocate to a location away from other gameplay.

2. Throughout the event, players are asked to remain “in-character” as much as possible during in-game times.

1. Players should participate as their assigned character as much as possible. Interactions – from conversations to conflicts – should be isolated to in-game experiences and understood as such.
2. Players should refer to each other by their character names and avoid out-of-character distraction such as personal electronic devices.

3. Crossing the index and middle finger and placing it over the head indicates that any current action or speech from the player is considered “out-of-character.”

1. This should be used sparingly. Players that need to interact out-of-character should generally move to a secluded space so as not to interrupt other players.
2. Staff and Non-Player Characters (NPC’s) may utilize the gesture when needing to move through a player-occupied space. These individuals should be ignored entirely.

4. All physical contact must be agreed upon by the Players involved. Consent is mandatory. 

1. Minor incidental contact (such as a light tap on the shoulder to get someone’s attention) may be necessary in crowded or immersive situations. 
2. Players should assume consent is not given until specified otherwise. Players should use common sense: when in doubt, ask first. 

5. A call of “GAME HOLD!” from any individual present will temporarily suspend gameplay to resolve dangerous out-of-character situations or medical emergencies.

1. All players within earshot should take a knee – if they are able – and be silent until the situation is resolved.
2. While other players remain unmoving, at-risk players should move out of dangerous situations or seek out medical help. If warranted, another player can and should seek out a member of the Outbound staff.
3. This call should NOT be used to remove a character from a situation disfavorable to the player. For such instances, see “Clean-Up” rules.

6. A call of “3… 2… 1… GAME ON!” from any individual present will resume game functions.

1. Deference should be given to the individual who originally called for the “game hold” to make the “game on” call, but any individual present can bring the game back into play once the situation in question has been successfully resolved. 

7. Players may temporarily shift themselves out of character (utilizing the out-of-character gesture) and verbally request a “CLEAN-UP.”

1. “Clean-Ups” should be used to request players shift their character’s words, actions, or play style, generally to avoid situations that are threatening to the player. Players may need to temporarily break character to better explain their own responses and resolve the situation.
2. Players are welcome and encouraged to use the Clean-Up call free from judgment or ill-will when their boundaries are challenged in ways that feel unsafe. However, players are expected to limit use of the CLEAN-UP call to threats — tangible or perceived — against a player. This cannot be used to avoid in-game consequences or actions as otherwise outlined in this rulebook.
3. Should these efforts to internally mediate prove unsuccessful – or if the player deems the situation dire enough to skip attempts at mediation altogether – the player has every right to seek support of the nearest GM. GMs will serve as player advocates and may continue to resolve the in-character interaction on behalf of the affected player should the need arise. In this way, the GM will Clean-Up the situation on behalf of the player before returning them to the situation.

8. Staff members may check in by flashing the “OK” sign at players. Responding with a thumbs up signals a participant’s well-being, while a thumb down will prompt further staff assistance.

1. This method is meant to give staff an immediate sense of a player’s well-being without an extreme breach of character. Though not required, players are encouraged to check in on each other in the same way.

9. While this is an adult game, sexually-explicit references must be kept to a minimum, both in and out of game, for the sake of inclusivity and safety. This includes both in-person and online situations and includes both players and staff.

1. References to sexual assault are strictly forbidden, as is sexual harassment and creation of an uncomfortable or hostile environment through sexually charged banter, jokes, comments, or actions without the explicit consent of all within eye- or earshot.
2. Such allusions and behavior are grounds for a GM-guided “Clean-Up,” and noncompliance with this policy could also result in disciplinary action to the instigating player.
3. If two or more players intentionally and with clear and mutual enthusiastic consent agree to participate in sexually explicit roleplay, they must do so privately and in a way that does not infringe upon the obvious social boundaries of other players.

10. Bright, neon pink is used to designate out-of-character items, locations, or individuals and should be inconspicuously ignored by players.

1. Entering into bright pink-labeled areas or utilizing out-of-character areas to hide in-game equipment or individuals is considered to be a breach of the rules.
2. Players can request a pink-marked personal locker to store out-of-game personal items. Accessing another player’s personal locker is considered theft and will be reprimanded as per the Code of Conduct.
3. In-character lockers – not marked with pink and clearly identified– may be “stolen” from as an in-character action and will not be considered a breach of rules.

11. Situations with in-game ramifications beyond the rule set require consent from all players present and staff notification.

1. If an action is not governed by a specific portion of this ruleset it is permissible so long as it is safe to all players involved, is done with the consent of all players present and does not violate the Code of Conduct. Check with an appropriate staff member before such an action is carried out.

1. Each character is assigned a specific RANK, or place within the general in-game social or military hierarchy.

1. Official military rank can be found in the appendix of this ruleset. Non-military characters may not be assigned a specific, named “rank” but will still exist within an organizational hierarchy.
2. Respecting the chain of command is an essential part of roleplay.
3. Characters may choose to ignore or push against the general chain of command, but players should be aware that this may warrant in-character consequences (demotions, time in the brig, etc.)
4. Characters may gain (or lose) rank due to in-game events or at the will of those above them in the hierarchy. When this happens, the character should earn the respect and prestige of their new rank.
5. Generally, the highest-ranking military role within the fleet is the ADMIRAL, while the highest civilian official is the GOVERNOR. Conversions and comparisons between military and civilian rank are left deliberately ambiguous as a design element of the game, and could ultimately create tension between types of characters.

2. Each character is assigned a specific ROLE, or specific duties to be performed as a member of the Outbound Hope Mission.

1. The specific responsibilities of a character’s role will be explained during tutorial sessions prior to the game’s start, though additional materials may be submitted to players as part of their digital character packet as well.
2. This role is assigned to provide unique responsibilities and individual impact on the overall story for each player. Therefore players should generally not take on another character’s role. It is possible that a character can teach another character about their role with sufficient in-character roleplay, but characters new to a role should never be perceived as being more capable than the original assignees and should roleplay their inexperience accordingly.

1. Characters always exist within one of four health statuses, each carrying a specific set of in-game effects and roleplay requirements:

1. The specific in-game effects listed above can be clarified or overridden by the text of a Symptoms Card provided by a nearby GM.
2. Whenever the terms of a Symptoms Card conflict with default in-game effects listed above, the Symptoms Card takes priority.

2. Health statuses are not permanent and can be downgraded easily.

1. Bringing a character from Healthy to Impaired can occur through the use of a weapon, or exposure to environmental hazards (see sections 4 and 6).
2. If untreated, a non-Healthy Status condition will downgrade automatically (from Impaired to Incapacitated or from Incapacitated to Death) after ten minutes.
3. Downgrade timer can be reduced to as low as five minutes if the player wishes to control the narrative of their character, add drama, etc.
4. Any circumstance that would cause Impairment to an already-impaired or incapacitated character will cause that character to automatically and immediately downgrade one Health Status.

4. Any healthy character may perform the HELP Action.

1. Impaired players are prevented from performing their duties at full capacity. This may be restored through the Help of another, healthy player with sufficient roleplay.
2. Helping is a fully-engaging act, prohibiting a character from also helping a second character, stabilizing a character, operating a console or weapon, etc.
3. Helping may continue so long as the Helper remains healthy and otherwise unoccupied and the victim remains Impaired.
4. Note that help restores a character’s functionality, but it does not remove roleplay requirements.

5. Health Statuses other than Healthy are always caused by a Medical Category.

1. Categories include Physical Injury, Infection, Poisoning, and Radiation, and involve varying elements of roleplay.

* All roleplay suggestions are superseded if a Symptoms Card is in play.

6. Characters with Basic (or Advanced) Medical Training can Stabilize a victim.

1. Stabilization involves roleplaying basic first aid care meant to slow a character’s degradation, and temporarily suspends the degradation timer from one Status to a lower one.
2. Stabilization can only be carried out by healthy characters with Basic (or Advanced) Medical training. The Stabilizer must exist within arms-reach of the victim and roleplay must be maintained (otherwise the Degradation timer continues as before).
3. Only one character can be Stabilized by another at a time.
4. If the above conditions are met, Stabilization can occur up to a maximum of 30 minutes. Once thirty minutes have passed, the victim immediately progresses to the next lower Health Status.

7. Characters with Basic (or Advanced) Medical Training can request a Diagnosis.

1. This requires a victim to disclose the Medical Category associated with a Health Status, even if the victim is incapacitated or dead. They may also briefly explain the nature of the health status.
2. Players with Advanced Medical Training can request Advanced Diagnosis of a victim, causing the victim to turn over a Symptoms Card if one exists.

Outbound Hope is not a PVP or combat-heavy game and should not be seen as such (with the exception, of course, for incursions generally limited to Marine characters). While foam weaponry will be provided for safety reasons, it is NOT a boffer larp. The purpose of this portion of the ruleset is to provide players the tools to tell a full story including the use of violence should the need arise. The system is deliberately designed to be simplistic and accessible, minimalizing physical contact whenever possible. The historical nature of the play site necessitates a degree of caution and deliberate movement. Violations to the spirit of these stipulations are considered violations to any written rules.

1. Combat – defined here as an instance of one character deliberately downgrading the Health Status of another – can only occur through the use of game-provided, clearly-marked props.

1. Melee props include items like combat knives, wrenches, pipes, etc.
2. Ranged weapons include pistols, rifles, etc.
3. Unless specifically stated by a GM, all weapons cause only Physical Injury.

2. Characters may inflict a physical injury downgrade on another character by making contact with them utilizing a game-provided melee prop.

1. The wielder should declare “HIT” to make the victim aware of the event.
2. Contact should only be made on the upper arms, mid to low torso or thighs and should only be hard enough to inform the player of the contact. Contact with any other portion of the body is invalid.
3. Attempting to block the weapon with the hands makes the hands a valid target.
4. Players are encouraged toward “theatrical” blows rather than true strikes.

3. Characters may inflict a Physical Injury downgrade on another character by targeting them with a game-designated ranged weapon and engaging the weapon’s trigger (thus creating a sound).

1. Only characters with a Neural Integration Combat Enhancement – indicated on their character sheet and ID – can utilize a firearm.
2. If it is possible that there are more than one targets, the shooter should call out a name or other identifying characteristic as the trigger is engaged.
3. Ranged combat cannot target a character through walls or through another character.

4. Wearing Standard Armor allows a character to negate one melee or ranged weapon hit.

1. Player should declare “ARMOR!” and ignore the blow, regardless of whether or not the contacted part of the body was covered in armor.
2. Armor will always be marked with a red ribbon. Once utilized, the ribbon should be removed to indicate the damage to the armor. Armor can be repaired by members of the engineering team, thus restoring the ribbon

5. Wearing NICE Armor allows a character a greater pool of hit points that must be depleted before accepting a Physical Injury downgrade from ranged weapons.

1. In this sense, the player is effectively engaging in the game’s IR laser combat system. Once armor points are depleted (through repeated strikes from IR laser systems on opposing weapons), the character takes Physical Injury downgrades as if no longer wearing NICE Armor.
2. Only characters with Neural Integration Combat Enhancement – indicated on their character sheet and ID – can utilize NICE Armor.
3. NICE armor has no defense against Melee weapons. If a character in NICE armor is contacted by a Melee weapon, they immediately take a Physical Injury downgrade.
4. No player may wear both NICE Armor and Standard Armor.
5. Once spent, NICE Armor can only be restored by the ship’s Master-at-Arms.

1. Starship Combat is controlled primarily through the event’s software system.

1. “Crew” characters will be adequately trained in software operation prior to the event.
2. Certain actions by players will have an effect on the conditions within the software and vice-versa, giving meaning to things like ship repairs or physical cannon reloads. Note, however, that not every improvisational act can be accommodated by the software.

1. Environmental hazards can negatively impact a character’s health. They are typically indicated by a colored light within a given space.

1. Entering into an area lit by a specifically-colored light causes the in-game effects. If a player is uncertain if they are within a designated area, assume the conditions apply if they are within ten feet of the light source and are not blocked by established walls and doors.
2. Leaving a hazardous area discontinues the suggested roleplay and in-game effects. Any health statuses applied remain until treated accordingly.
3. Additional hazards may come into play as the game progresses; GMs present will explain new conditions when appropriate.
4. Traditional hazards are associated with the following colors and effects:

Roleplay may continue as normal.

Gameplay may continue as normal.

Roleplay should include choking, gasping, inhibited breathing as a result of low oxygen.

Health status decreases by one level for every 60 seconds of exposure (PHYSICAL INJURY). Can be avoided by use of appropriate protective gear.

Roleplay should include difficulty breathing, severe pain in lungs, shaking.

Health status decreases by one level for every 60 seconds of exposure (POISONED, though GM may instead specify INFECTED if present). Can be avoided by use of appropriate protective gear.

Roleplay should include nausea, disorientation, weakness, fatigue.

Health status decreases by one level for every 60 seconds of exposure (IRRADIATED). Can be avoided by use of appropriate protective gear.

1. Characters may be restrained or imprisoned, but a player must always be able to remove themselves for safety purposes.

1. Restraint requires the consent of the captive player. If a player wishes to not be restrained, they may use the OOC gesture and say as such and may work with the captor to find a suitable alternative.

2. Restraint can only be carried out utilizing specific props (such as provided binders) or locations (the brig) as established by Outbound Hope staff. At no point should an individual be restrained by any other means.

1. All restraint must permit easy escape in the case of a real-world emergency.

3. Restraints or imprisonment areas cannot be escaped (by a character) without assistance from another character, a specific counter device or an in-game event that would prompt such an instance.

1. In-character, the brig’s holding cells are secured through a high-tech field that prevents movement, indicated out-of-character by a red light. The field is maintained by a nearby terminal, which can be accessed by other characters to be turned on or off. A power loss to that portion of the ship could similarly allow characters to escape.

1. Interrogation is allowed to gather information from characters unwilling to share, but only under strict conditions:

1. A staff member must be present.
2. The character subject to interrogation must be restrained or imprisoned.
3. The player must never be made to feel physically or emotionally threatened.
4. The player must give full consent for the interrogation to proceed.

2. A player may — at any time — opt out of an interrogation, though doing so will cause them to immediately reveal information their character may have been hiding unless otherwise negotiated out-of-character.

3. Interrogations play to a character’s “Weakness,” as outlined in their character packet and on their ID card. 

1. PAIN takes an aggressive approach, threatening the physical safety of the character.
2. PERSUASION attempts a more logical approach, outlining the reasons why it might be in the character’s best interest.
3. COMFORT effectively sweet-talks a character, offering a more “good cop” approach.

4. As roleplay begins, the interrogator must roleplay an interrogation that clearly corresponds to one of the three weaknesses. If an interrogator’s roleplay successfully corresponds to the captive’s weakness and has been sufficiently played out to the satisfaction of all participating parties, they must truthfully answer any questions from the interrogator for the next five minutes.

1. Prior to the roleplay session, the interrogator should declare which weakness they intend to appeal to. Should the roleplay involved not match the intended weakness, the GM has a right to declare the session unsuccessful with no results.
2. If the approach fails to match the captive’s weakness, the captive may answer however they see fit, even feigning duress or giving false information if they choose.

5. Interrogation may be repeated – either with a new approach or the same one – at least fifteen minutes after the start of the previous session.

1. No character may be interrogated more than once every fifteen minutes, even if a different interrogator is used.

6. Given its questionable implications, interrogation should be seen as a moral and ethical issue by most characters.

1. One of the primary roles of characters within the civilian government will be to consider the needs and welfare of the civilian (NPC) fleet. To represent this, these characters will need to be aware of FLEET MORALE – a numerical representation of the fleet’s attitudes towards various factions.

1. Morale numbers can sway heavily based on player actions such as press releases, loss of vessels, fleet conditions, civilian welfare, etc. Further details will be given to government players.
2. Opinions toward the Department of Colonial Affairs (DCA), the United States Space Command (USSC), and the Anti-Colonial Alliance (ACA) will all be tracked and influenced separately.

2. Government and Press players will have access to the Civilian Opinion Aggregate Report (COA Report), which will update regularly.

1. In-character, this is meant to be a numerical report established by a compilation of data gathered from ships’ SAI systems and represents a percentage of people sympathetic to that faction.

3. Morale numbers will have a sizeable effect on the fleet’ attitudes toward a specific faction:

4. Press players will have a heavy impact on fleet morale based on the types of media they produce.

1. Before distribution, player-produced media will be examined and assessed by staff, potentially pushing morale toward specific factions one way or another based on content.

5. Press players will accrue an individual PRESS SCORE throughout the weekend.

1. Media produced will gain points towards this score based on staff assessment.
2. Generally, media focused on major stories or representing a higher quality will gain more points than others. Media with a major impact on morale will also gain more points.

6. At the end of the weekend, the press player with the highest press score will earn the COOPER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM.

1. This award is meant to invoke a friendly competition between press players while motivating the types of stories they seek to produce.
2. More detail on the Cooper Award – and how media can affect fleet morale and press scores – will be included with Civilian Government and Press player character packets.