Battlecry!
This is a weekly bulletin for practices in the Realms. Practices are one of the most important facets to the Realms, it is a place where many people are introduced to the game, as well as a place to enjoy the company and meet new members of the community. Even if you are not a fighter, it is still a great form of exercise, as well as a way to hone your combat skills, which is an important skill for helping out at events while NPCing. A lot of what makes a great combatant in the Realms has to do with muscle memory and building a good intuition for combat, which can only happen with consistent practice, so make sure to try and stop by your local practice as often as possible
General Note: South Shore Practice has wrapped up for this summer, there will be no more practices..
Monday
Camelot Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1858)
7:30pm-10:00pm
Details
Practice consists of a mix of individual and group combat.
Water refills are available if need be, bring your own container.
Public restrooms available on site.
Loaner weapons are very limited, plan on bringing your own.
Masks are optional.
Important Notes
Practice is still planned to run today.
Weather
This week will be partly cloudy and in the mid 70’s.
Tuesday
Western Massachusetts Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1857)
6:00pm-8:00pm - West Street Playground, Ludlow, MA
Details
Practice consists of a mix of individual and group combat.
Loaner weapons are not available.
Water is not available, bring your own water.
Public restrooms are available on site.
Masks are optional.
This is outdoors and inclement weather is very likely to limit attendance.
Important Notes
None this week.
Weather
There is a high chance of rain this week, keep an eye out for practice, but otherwise it should be in the mid 70’s and cloudy.
Riverhawk Summer Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1871)
5:30pm-10:30pm - Frothingham Park (15 Park St), North Easton, MA
Details
Practice consists of a mix of individual and group combat.
Loaner weapons are available.
Water is not available, however there is a nearby convenience store.
Public restrooms are available on site.
Masks are recommended, but not required.
Important Notes
None this week.
Weather
This week will be cloudy in the mid 70’s. There is a slight chance of rain at the end of practice this week.
Wednesday
Nashua Blackwood Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1857)
4:00pm-8:00pm -Greely Park (Concord St), Nashua, NH
Details
Practice consists of a mix of individual, squad, and line battles, as attendees prefer.
Loaner weapons are available.
There is no water on site, bring your own.
Public restrooms are available on site.
While a few people might be there around 4:00, 5:00 is a more likely time to get started.
We set up near the grills and tables on the West side of Concord St, just off the access road to the north of the public restrooms.
Masks are optional.
This is outdoors and inclement weather is very likely to limit attendance.
Important Notes
None this week.
Weather
This week will be sunny in the low 80’s to high 70’s.
Central CT Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1860)
6:00pm-9:00pm - Pierson Park, 5 West St, Cromwell, CT
Important Notes
Practice consists of a mix of individual training and if attendees are interested, team combat and combat games.
Loaner weapons available.
Water fountains are available in season, best to bring your own drinking water however.
Public restrooms available on site.
Updates
None this week.
Weather
It is going to be a perfect day for practice this week, mostly sunny and in the high 70’s.
Thursday
Stratham Hill Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1859)
6:00pm-8:00pm - Stratham Hill Park, Stratham, NH
Important Notes
Practice consists of individual combat for the first half, and ditch style team combat for the second half.
Masks are optional.
Loaner weapons are available.
Water is available on site, but bring your own container.
On-site bathroom.
Updates
None this week.
Weather
It is going to be a great day for practice this week, mostly sunny and in the mid70’s.
Practical Logistics: Starting a Fight Practice in the Realms
Over the next few weeks I would like to talk about some pointers and things to think about if you are interested in starting up a new fight practice. One of the great things about the Realms is that anyone can throw an event, or in this case a practice. If you are someone who is interested in fight practice, but if the closest to you is too far away or is on a day you cannot regularly make, then your next step might be starting a fight practice.
Posting a practice to the Realms calendar means that you are going to be in some way responsible for this practice. While there may not be nearly as many responsibilities as being an Event Holder, you should make sure you read all the Realms Standing Policies and the middle section of Becoming a Realms Event Holder in the Omnibus. Once you’ve read those and decide you want to start up a practice, first it is good to check on the nearby practices. If you are really close to another established practice, it may be hard getting more than a handful of people there to fight. You are going to want to find a local park or open space, generally it is nice to have easy access to public bathrooms and water. You should read any local ordinances for using your site and it is always good to do a drive through on the day that you plan to practice at least a week in advance, in case another group is using the space.
Once you have a site in mind, next I recommend reaching out to any local established players in the area. One of the things that keeps a practice healthy and gives it longevity is a committed core of attendees who are going to make it nearly every week. It is possible to build up that commitment from scratch with newer players, but if you can get it right off the bat, practice will run smoother much faster. Talk to your local players who would be interested and see if you can get a consensus for which day would be best. You won’t always be able to please everyone, so try and pick what works best for the most. Finally you are going to want to communicate the mood of the fight practice. If you are hoping for a higher intensity fight practice, it may be a good idea to post as part of the practice information that there is a minimum age requirement or if a minor attends they will need a guardian present. It is always best to try to be as inclusive as possible with fight practices, so I would suggest if you want to do such a restriction that you consider doing it for only part of practice or biweekly.
At this point you are just about ready to post your practice to Realmsnet. There are a few more things that you are going to want to consider before the fight practice actually happens. The structure of your fight practice, how to deal with problem players, how to deal with new players or to talk to interested parties, and how you are going to communicate about changes to practice are some of these topics, which I plan to cover in subsequent weeks. If you have any questions about starting a practice, feel free to contact me and I will include a FAQ section of this series.