My new favorite house rule.

[Levi]

For games that use non-boffer combat...

(Might work in boffer combat, too. I dunno)

At Point
Upon making a successful challenge to injure, instead of actually injuring the target, you can declare that you are “holding them at point”. If you do so, touch your weapon prop or one finger against them; you are in a position where if they move or attempt escape, you can cut their throat, put a hole in them, or what-have you, but you haven’t hurt them yet. The target may decline being held at any time, in which case they take the injury immediately. You may also choose to follow through at any time, delivering the injury, even as a reaction to their declaring a challenge. But in the meantime, you have them “at point”; they can’t step away from your weapon, or end the condition without taking the injury, but you and they can walk around (often moving the weapon around to their back), can talk, and so on. At any time, simply by lifting your weapon away from them, you may “release them”, giving up on that injury.

[Redfeild]

Good rule. I would make it harder some how to achieve that durring a combat.

Another thing I would consider is the posibility of escape. A suitible distraction (guy showing up, explosion, load bang) can give the guy at point an opertunity to escape but failing that incures a double damage penalty or even instant death if you are playing a plain Jane human.

[Levi]

I would make it harder some how to achieve that durring a combat.

Why?

[Redfeild]

Why?

I think it should be garder to 'at point' some one durring combat because it seems to me it would be harder than just hitting the guy.

If you 'at point' some one you are likely to be at point blank range. A clear hit like that should do at least double damage. Then again you may just want to default to a point blake rule here. You could have some one 'at point' and not be point blake I suppose.

As for the possibility of escape, its for cinimatic resons. For all the times the bad guys have the jump on the good guys and they find a clever way to trick and disarm them.

Of course this all could just be to complicated.

[Levi]

Those are good points.

Here's why I don't agree, despite that.

Because a LARP is about interacting with other players in cool ways.

This rule makes cool interaction in and around fights more likely.

It should therefore be very, very easy to use.

[Ambrogino]

I'd say you'll need an extra houserule for the people that are willing to take the hit to hit back, since it means their own strike in turn can't be parried.

"Sure, you can run me through, but if you do I'll cut of your head."

Personally I'd say boffer or not, it's just best done through roleplaying the situation. I'd rather interact in a cool way by being cool and interacting with someone cool, rather than have mechanics people need to learn to enforce that.