Getting Started
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Out of Game · Rule Book · Chapter 1
Introduction
The forest changed as night fell. It did not announce itself. It did not lunge or howl or cry out. It simply grew heavier, as though the trees themselves had almost leaned inward, listening. The road darkened beneath the canopy, moonlight thinning to pale threads between tangled branches. The young scholar felt it in his chest before he understood it in his mind, a tightening unease that crept into every breath.
He told himself it was nerves. First journey. First town. Every new adventurer felt this, or so he told himself.
Then the forest began to breathe.
Skeletons crawled from between the shadow cloaked trees in disciplined waves, armor rusted and fused to yellow bone, weapons hanging loose in their skeletal grip. Their eye sockets burned with pale fire, cold and steady, as they advanced without haste or sound. There were no cries of battle, no clatter of excitement. Only the measured certainty of death marching forward.
The young adventurer raised his hand, panic sharpening into focus.
“I call forth a Flame Bolt!” he chanted, and fire answered.
The flame tore through the front rank, shattering bone and scattering blackened fragments across the road. One down. Heat rolled outward, lighting the forest edge in violent orange, and for a fleeting moment hope flared within him.
“I call forth a Flame Bolt!” … “I call forth a Flame Bolt!”
He cast again, and again, each spell ripping apart another adversary as shadows danced wildly along the trees.
But the dead did not slow.
Each fallen skeleton was replaced with dreadful efficiency, ranks closing as though guided by a single will. Beyond them stood their master. A Death Knight, towering and immovable, clad in dark armor etched with faint, cold runes. He did not charge. He did not raise his blade. He simply watched, his presence alone commanding the legion.
Steel scraped flesh as a blade caught the adventurer’s side. Pain bloomed sharp and sudden, stealing his breath. His next spell faltered, fire sputtering weakly from his palm. Panic surged, raw and unrestrained. He turned and ran.
The pursuit thundered behind him, bone and steel pounding the earth in relentless rhythm. He hurled fire over his shoulder, buying moments at a time as exhaustion dragged at his limbs. The distant lights of the town shimmered ahead, close enough to promise safety yet impossibly far with every faltering step.
The trees broke suddenly, and the adventurer fell to ground, hard, and unforgiving, spilling him into the misty, open grass.
Moonlight flooded the field, cold and merciless, and the skeletons poured out behind him, spreading wide as they closed the distance. The Death Knight emerged at last from the forest’s edge, advancing with measured certainty, his gaze fixed upon the fleeing figure.
The skeletons weapons rose around him, promising a swift death. There was nowhere left to go. He had no magic left. His head slammed hard into mud, his mind racing.
An arrow slammed through a skull, dropping the nearest skeleton before he could swing. Another followed. Then another. A surge of bright felled the remaining skeletons surrounding him.
Roots erupted from the soil, thick and living, coiling around skeletal legs and dragging them down as the formation broke for the first time. The wave faltered, blue flames flickering in hollow sockets as the dead hesitated.
The adventurer turned.
At the edge of the field stood a line of seasoned fighters, shields locked, weapons raised, magic crackling along their ranks. Archers loosed with calm precision. A druid commanded the earth with sweeping gestures, vines and roots answering her call.
“Fall back!” a voice shouted.
Hands caught the adventurer as he staggered forward, pulling him into the line. Warm light flared as a healer pressed glowing hands to his wounds, sealing torn flesh and driving back the pain. He collapsed to one knee, shaking, breath ragged, alive by inches.
Then the town surged forward.
Steel met bone in a thunderous clash. Hammers shattered skulls. Spells tore through ranks of undead, scattering them like leaves in a storm. The Death Knight advanced, dark power flaring around him as he struck down defeners with brutal force, but focused fire and relentless pressure drove him back step by step.
At last, with a final, seething glare, the Death Knight turned and retreated into the forest’s depths.
The magic sustaining his army unraveled. The remaining skeletons surged toward the town in a disorganized rush, striking without purpose or command. Their blows were clumsy and unfocused, easily turned aside as the town’s defenders cut them down with practiced ease. One by one, the undead collapsed, blue flames flickering briefly before fading as bone and rusted armor crumbled into lifeless dust beneath the moonlight.
The adventurers stood victorious, battered but unbroken.
Someone laughed softly and clapped the young man on the shoulder as he struggled to his feet. “Rough first night,” they said.
He looked back toward the dark treeline, heart still pounding.
He had almost died.
Instead, he had arrived.
And as the town gates opened and the survivors gathered beneath the moon, he knew that this night would not be remembered as the end of his journey, but as its true beginning.
What’s Your Story
NERO is a premier live-action roleplay organization, where you step directly into the story. Picture an entire medieval town filled with heroes, villains, merchants, and mysteries, all played by real people under the same set of rules designed for fun and safety.
At NERO, you don’t just create a character, you become one.
A NERO Event is part fantasy adventure, part improv theater. You define your character’s personality, ambitions, and backstory, then bring them to life in a shared world where your choices shape what happens.
If action calls to you, you could play a wandering adventurer, gathering allies in the tavern before setting out to slay a necromancer and his undead minions.
If you prefer intrigue, play a merchant, striking deals, trading secrets, and building influence.
If magic is your passion, study the arcane arts, craft potions and scrolls, or rise through the ranks to lead the Mages’ Guild. Every role has a place, and your story is entirely up to you.
NERO thrives on the spirit of epic fantasy with fierce warriors, cunning rogues, powerful spellcasters, loyal knights, and devoted healers. Against them stand goblins, ghosts, spies, and dark forces waiting to test their courage. Every event is a chance to write your own story of legend alongside friends, rivals, and strangers who share the same stage.
NERO is not just a game. It is an adventure you live.
How NERO Works
At NERO, non-player characters (NPCs) help set the tone of the game and provide a backdrop for the player characters (PCs). NPCs often serve as guild leaders, nobles, or townsfolk, but their main role is to drive the story forward and create opportunities for players to act and react. Still, much of what unfolds at an event is entirely shaped by player choices.
Combat is represented using foam sculpted weaponry safe padded weapons, called boffer weapons; and spells are cast using foam golfballs, baseballs, and softballs or by small cloth packets filled with birdseed, called spell packets. Armor, costumes, and props bring the world to life, creating an immersive environment that feels like stepping into a fantasy novel.
Events in NERO come in several forms. Day events run for about eight hours and usually focus on a single scenario or module, often very direct in structure. Weekend events begin Friday night and continue through Sunday, with multiple modules and plotlines woven together to create the feel of a living medieval town. Long events last longer than a weekend, usually four days, but sometimes stretch a week or more. These longer events bring together hundreds of players, all living their characters nonstop for the entire duration.
There is nothing quite like playing twenty-four hours a day alongside a village of others, each character with their own ambitions, secrets, and fears. It may sound simple, but when you find yourself deep inside a dungeon with shadows shifting ahead of you and echoes rolling down the hall, it is hard to remember that half-forgotten clue whispered by a stranger in the tavern. Every choice feels heavier when the danger surrounds you.
As your character grows, you gain new abilities, influence, and even the chance at noble titles, great wealth, or renown. One day, songs may be written about your victories, or storytellers may recount your deeds by firelight over spiced cider.
What you choose to do is entirely up to you. Every decision shapes the path forward. The future of your character is yours to create.
The Core Four
This rulebook contains many guidelines, and for new players it can feel overwhelming at first. The Core Four, however, are absolutely critical. These rules keep NERO safe and fair for everyone, and they apply equally to all players and NPCs. There are no exceptions. Breaking these rules may result in removal from the game.
THE BODY CONTACT RULE
Physical contact between players is not allowed during combat. All combat must be done using NERO approved safe weapons. Even with approved weapons, certain areas of the body are never legal targets, including the head, neck, groin, and hands. The only exception is spell packets, which may strike any part of the body.
THE ALCOHOL AND DRUGS RULE
Alcohol and illegal drugs are not allowed at NERO events. You may not consume them on site, and you may not attend an event if you are under the influence.
THE HOLD RULE
When the word “Hold” is called, you must stop immediately and drop to one knee. A Hold should only be called when there is a real safety concern or emergency. Holds are not to be used for rule clarifications or to confirm whether an ability or spell was noticed, unless the effect is so important that it impacts everyone in the situation.
THE SNEAKING RULE
Sneaking is permitted in the open play areas, however you may not enter any building or tent unless you are assigned to it or the owner is present. Items may not be taken from any building or tent unless it is explicitly part of an approved adventure module.
The Rules
At first, some of the rules in this book may seem complicated. Certain rules depend on others, and it can feel like you need to understand both at once. Do not get discouraged. The system is easier than it looks, and everything will start to make sense once you play.
PLAYING A CHARACTER
When you attend a NERO event, you portray a character for the duration of the game. Your character has skills, some of which can be used as often as you want (for example, proficiency with a weapon) while others have a limited number of uses per day (such as spell casting). To gain more skills or increase your spell capacity, you attend more events and earn experience.
GAINING EXPERIENCE
You gain experience by attending events. The amount you earn depends on the following:
- PCs earn a base amount of experience. This may be doubled in several ways.
- Spending in-game currency at the end of the event
- Performing a set number of NPC hours (if the chapter allows it)
- Receiving a double-experience reward granted by the chapter to all attending PCs
- NPCs who serve for the entire event receive the maximum possible amount of experience as a reward for their service.
Experience Points (XP) are converted into Build Points (BP). Build Points are used to purchase new skills. Every 10 BP raises your level. As your level increases, the XP required to earn additional BP also increases, so progression slows as your character grows stronger.
RACES AND CLASSES
Your character must be one of the approved races, such as Human, Elf, Dwarf, or Sarr. Each race has specific advantages and disadvantages, which are explained in the Classes and Races section of this rulebook.
You must also choose a class. Your class determines:
- The BP cost of each skill
- The maximum Armor Points you may wear by default
- The number of Body Points you gain each level
COMBAT BASICS
Battles are a common part of play. When you swing a weapon, you must call out the amount of damage it deals. For example, a standard longsword inflicts 2 points of damage. When you are hit, subtract damage from your Armor Points first, and then from your Body Points once your armor is gone. When your total falls to zero or below, you are defeated.
Spells may also be cast during combat and can influence the battle in many ways. To cast a spell, you must:
1. Speak the correct incantation (for example: “With mystic force I web you!”).
2. Throw a spell orb or packet, represented by a small cloth bag filled with birdseed or a foam golf ball.
3. Strike your target with the spell orb for the spell to take effect.
TRACKING YOUR STATUS
You may track your character’s skills, abilities, and magic item uses using any approved method. NERO provides a digital skill sheet, a mobile app, and a paper skill list for recording Body Points, Armor Points, skills, and spells. After each battle, or when you return to your home base, update your records to reflect skills and uses spent and your character’s current status.
NEXT STEPS
Now that you understand the basics, the following section will walk through a typical NERO weekend and explain how these rules apply during live play.
Your First Event
To give you an idea of how your story might unfold at a typical NERO weekend, here’s an example from the perspective of a new player.
You arrive at check-in with your character already created. At registration you receive a small amount of starting money, tags for your equipment, and a character card listing your skills and other important details. A new card is issued for each event to ensure that everything is accurate and up to date. This allows you, other players, and marshals to track abilities and settle disputes. You may receive a stack of tags for your abilities or a full skill sheet to manage them.
Next, your weapon is checked for safety. All players, even returning ones, must have their weapons approved before every event. Once approved, the marshal attaches a safety tag. If you are staying on site, you are also assigned a cabin. With registration finished, you put on a white headband (signaling that you are out-of-game) and carry your gear to your room. Once settled, you get into costume and prepare to start.
Costuming is an important part of NERO. Everyone wears outfits suited to the fantasy setting. The type and quality of your armor can also increase your Armor Points, so both appearance and function matter.
Weekend and long events usually begin between 9:00 pm and 11:00 pm on Friday night. Before play starts, an opening ceremony is held. Staff members explain chapter policies, camp rules, and general plot information that all characters would know.
By Friday night, the town is alive. Guilds meet, adventuring groups plan, elves perform ceremonies, and the tavern is packed. Rumors spread about a zombie attack, and local politics seem uneasy. You adjust your gear and head toward the tavern—only to be confronted by a goblin with a snarling green mask.
Monsters like goblins are played by NPCs. Members who take on monster roles receive benefits but must follow the directions of the chapter staff.
The goblin advances with a longsword. You draw your dagger. Real injuries are extremely rare. Even little league baseball has a higher injury rate than NERO combat.
Your dagger inflicts 1 point of damage, while the goblin’s longsword inflicts 2. What the goblin does not realize is that your character purchased the Critical Attack skill, giving you the ability to deal an extra point of damage on one strike.
The battle begins. Each of you calls out your damage so the other can track it. “Two Normal!” the goblin states as he swings. “Two Normal!” you respond, using your Critical Attack. With quick, deft movements you leap out of the way of his next swing and counterattack with a jab to his back. The goblin yelps in character, swearing vengeance.
The fight continues with traded blows. You have both taken damage, but you do not know how many Body Points the goblin has left. When you finally bring him down, you breathe heavily and search him for treasure. NPCs hand over any treasure they carry, and in this case it’s three copper pieces and a small, locked box.
You note the use of your Critical Attack and the damage you have taken. With only four Body Points remaining, you realize you will need healing before your next encounter.
Inside the tavern, music plays while nobles and officials argue in hushed tones. You purchase a drink, then approach a spellcaster whose glowing hands reveal her as a healer. You ask for a Cure Light Wounds spell. Though she charges three silver pieces, you only have two. After some roleplay negotiation, she agrees to cast it in exchange for a future favor. She performs the incantation, “I call upon the Earth to Cure Light Wounds 5” and you feel your health return.
Later, a warrior in chain mail approaches you with a mage and a rogue. They ask about a rumor concerning a goblin treasure map. You recall the locked box and you cautiously agree to join them. At the rogue’s cabin, he attempts to pick the lock.
In NERO, prop locks are used, and having the Pick Locks skill allows you to try. Boxes may also be trapped with electronic buzzers or similar devices, so careful investigation is required before disarming them. If state law prohibits owning lockpicks, your chapter uses the Alternate Pick Locks rule.
The rogue succeeds and opens the box, revealing an amulet, some coins, and a map in an unfamiliar script. You and your new companions spend the night decoding it while battles rage outside, deciding to let the knights defend the town this time. The map reveals directions to a hidden treasure and a note instructing you to “See a marshal when you’re ready to go on this adventure.”
This leads your group into a weekend module. Some modules can be repeated by multiple groups, while others are one-time only. These single-use modules may change the course of the overall story or represent unique scenarios such as saving a small farming town from a gnoll invasion.
This example shows how a NERO event blends combat, roleplay, and story. Adventures can unfold in countless ways depending on your choices. Welcome to NERO, where you can be all that you can’t be.
Roleplaying
Roleplaying requires you to create and portray a persona. You should think, feel, move, and act as your character would. Remember that you are the player, while the persona you adopt is the character.
NERO is a fantasy role-playing game set in a pseudo-medieval world filled with swords, sorcery, monsters, and magic. Your roleplay should reflect that setting.
Your character can be similar to yourself or completely different. You may design someone who behaves as you would in real life, or someone who allows you to explore a perspective you normally would not take. Many players find comfort in creating characters that are close to their own personality, while others prefer to play roles that are the opposite. Either choice is valid, as long as it follows the rules.
Always be mindful of the experience of other players. Even if it makes sense for your character, actions that intentionally harm or disrupt others can go too far. Remember that you are responsible for everything your character does. See the “Code of Conduct” section for further guidelines.
This includes roleplaying unusual behaviors such as insanity. If your character loses control or acts irrationally, you are free to play that out, but you must also be willing to accept the in-game consequences or use roleplay to explain your way out of them.
The atmosphere of NERO relies on players staying in character. This means speaking and thinking as your character would and avoiding modern topics or references.
Staying true to your character helps everyone remain immersed in the setting, and with practice it becomes easier to maintain your persona throughout the event.
Multiple Characters
Unless you are NPCing, you may only play one character during an event. Allowing multiple active characters is too confusing for other players, who may assume you are portraying the same character in a different costume.Characters owned by the same player may never directly interact with one another.
Vision at NERO
Unlike many other fantasy roleplaying games, NERO does not use Darkvision or Low-Light Vision. Races such as Elves, Dwarves, and Hoblings do not have any special sight abilities. What you, the player, can see is exactly what your character can see.