A lot of questions from a new guy.

[JustinR]

Hello all,
My friends and I are planning to attend March 20-22, and we are all new to SOLAR.
It sounds like a really fun time, but we have come up a ton of questions, and i was hoping that maybe someone would be so kind as to point us in the right direction.
Okay here we go,

Regarding armor / weapons
1. If you own armor and show up in it, is you character assumed to have it or do you need to purchase it with in-game currency?
2. I have scoured the spartanburg area for 5/8' pipe foam, and i just can't seem to find any. can you buy/rent weapons there (preferably buy) and if so how much should we budget for this?
3. I have PVC chainmail, it looks like metal but i assure you its PVC, what would the in-game armor value be (if its even allowed)?

Regarding Price
Is the whole weekend free for first timers or just the first day?

Alright i know we have more questions than that, but i just can't think of anymore at the moment.

Thank you for your help, I look forward to meeting you all.
Justin

[Justin]

Weapon/Armor Questions

1. You start play at the beginning of each event with maximum armor points based on what your wearing. Any armor points lost must be recovered through In Play means.

2. PVC armor is allowed. It would count as Soft Armor. If it only covers the torso it's worth 12 points, if it's short sleeved it will get you 16 points, and if long sleeved it will get you 20 points. The weapon check in specialists or Keith Hudgins will correct me if I'm wrong I am sure.

Price

1. First event is completely one hundred percent free. That includes both game days, a bed, and parking. Though there are ancillary costs that occur or may occur, such as paying for food, makeup, costuming, weapons, et cetra. Costuming requirements are lessened for newer players, and weapons will be available to borrow for your first few events.

Let me know if you have anymore questions, and feel free to send me a PM as well for any questions you might have.

[Darrell]

Regarding Weapons:
As a general rule, most southern hardware stores do not stock 5/8" foam, since our winters just aren't that harsh...as a result, it can be very difficult to find. Your best bet, if you want to make your own weapons, is to order online. Be warned that there is a minimum amount that you will have to order.

A more economically viable option: Buy weapons from Kevin and Casey Hardy. Good weapons, good price, and worth it to not have to deal with the headache of making weapons.

Regarding Price:
While the first event is free, please do bring some cash. You will want to eat, and the tavern only provides PB&J and water for free. Additionally, you can often buy costuming/make-up/etc. from some folks on site.

[caldsteven]

Here is what Casey charges for weapons (assuming prices haven't changed since November)
Waylay widget - 5
Dagger - 10
Claws (each) - 10
Shortsword - 15
Shortaxe - 15
Short mace - 15
Longsword - 15
Staff - 20
Two-handed sword - 20
Two-handed mace - 20
Two-handed axe - 20
Polearm - 20
Spear - 20
Shield (all foam, no pipe-foam border) - 20
Shield (all foam, with pipe-foam border) - 25

You can reach her by email at ecasey7@hotmail.com if you have any questions.

[Kat]

Justin, I'm not far from Spartanburg. If you would like to meet up with some Shadowmoor players before going, let me know. We can do some sparing with boffer weapons and spell packets to give you a better feel for the game. As far as garb, If you buy the materials, I'll make you your first set of newbie garb at no charge. Basically a tunic and pair of pants.

[Casey]

Yes, the weapons prices are accurate!  (Prices tend to fluctuate a little depending on supply cost, but I think the economy has quit freefalling alarmingly for a while so hopefully I won't have to fork over any more heart-attack-inducing amounts for gaff tape.)

I am trying to build up a stock of generics for the first event, but if you want to make an order for something specific please get it in ASAP to give me plenty of time!  It makes me very cranky when people order weapons within a week of the event...and remember I am on plot this year, so I may have to find extra-creative ways to kill your PC if you do so.  Muahahahaha....

And Steven, YES I will have pictures, I am in the process of a website redesign and it will all be up there soon! 

[Johnie]

Justin - As another new guy here myself, I'll go on record as saying that a friend of mine (who I'll hopefully be traveling with to  my first SOLAR event in March) directed my attention to the weapons that Casey builds and I immediately placed an order for some which he brought me from the last event. They look amazing.

On that subject, I can't wait to see the website with the pics as I am extremely curious to see what the claws and 2 handers look like

[keith]

If you want to build the weapons yourself, and you're building a lot (Like, you and 6 friends are coming to an event in March or something...)

Acr Hardware can order Tundra Foam, which is the 5/8" wall foam. It's tan in color, not black. You have to buy a wholesale case at a time, which is a little pricey, but not when you break it all out across a few people, with stock to spare for later.

[RogerYoung]

Hi Justin. I live down in Piedmont if you wanna get together or talk on yahoo messanger let me know. I can help give you a hand/idea about Solar

[Ffej]

Questions from a different new guy-
Hello, I plan on coming to the March event.
How many weapons (throwing knives) can a new character start with?  (I've found that I go through a lot in big battles.)
Do you allow plank foam (all foam) shields?  (Cloth covered in my particular example).
Thank you and I'm looking forward to the game.
Jeff

[Darrell]

How many weapons (throwing knives) can a new character start with?  (I've found that I go through a lot in big battles.)

As many as you can make, and that are legal (i.e. they have to pass safety inspection)

Do you allow plank foam (all foam) shields?  (Cloth covered in my particular example).

While I am not 100% certain what "plank foam" is, I can say that we DO allow all foam shields, Kevin and Casey make those in addition to weapons...so, they could tell you the type of foam that you use. Cloth is fine, as long as there are no sharp edges (from zip ties or staples or whatever).

Again, the shield WILL have to pass safety inspection.

[Ffej]

How many weapons (throwing knives) can a new character start with?  (I've found that I go through a lot in big battles.)

As many as you can make, and that are legal (i.e. they have to pass safety inspection)

Do you allow plank foam (all foam) shields?  (Cloth covered in my particular example).

While I am not 100% certain what "plank foam" is, I can say that we DO allow all foam shields, Kevin and Casey make those in addition to weapons...so, they could tell you the type of foam that you use. Cloth is fine, as long as there are no sharp edges (from zip ties or staples or whatever).

Again, the shield WILL have to pass safety inspection.

Legal throwies are easy- leave out the core.  (especially as Solar's safety rules are more lax than other games I've played).
Plank foam, aka shield foam, aka 17 Polylam is the (white) 2" thick foam that many Amtgarders use for shields.
It is easier to make safe shields when it doesn't have a core.

[Jeff Hall]

I would hardly call one game safer than another, especially when you have little or no experience with one of them.  Kite spars, graphite rods for cores tend to create ultra light weapons that are swung harder and faster in the heat of battle.  They also tend to shatter.

SOLAR has a very good safety record.  As an alternative to the all foar shields, a few of us make wood shields with foam covered edges.  They tend to be heavier on average, however they also tend to hold up extremely well and look worlds better than the all foam ones (No offense to the foam shield crowd).  It's a personal choice.

[Ffej]

I would hardly call one game safer than another, especially when you have little or no experience with one of them.  Kite spars, graphite rods for cores tend to create ultra light weapons that are swung harder and faster in the heat of battle.  They also tend to shatter.

I was referring to the safety of the weapons rules- not the game.  I am new to SOLAR, not SOLAR type weapons.  Ultralight cores break easier than PVC- but a core that breaks is a good thing- it means that it will break before bones will.  How hard a weapon is swung is rules safety, not weapon safety.  (what are your rules for eyes safety?   {evil grin}) 
That being said, my standard Amtgard swords uses PVC.  (I like heavy weapons)

[keith]

Our combat style is faster than most boffer games, but nowhere near as rough as IFGS or Dagorhir. You're right that cores breaking before bones is good, but, the only broken bones we've had in the 12 years I've been playing have been due to twisted ankles, not weapons.

We're overbuilt on our weapons for a reason. ;P Ultralights break far too often for my comfort level. More concerning is when an ultralight breaks and it isn't noticed. Doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

That being said, and knocking on wood, we've got a rather nice safety record. The most serious injury in my memory on site actually happened to me, to be honest. I tore my ACL about 10 years ago, and ruptured my meniscus a few years after that. Moral of the story: play it safe, and you will be.