Rules Updates for 2025
- Drachenfest US
- Apr 9
- 6 min read
We're proud to unveil our updates for DrachenFest 2025! This year we've compiled all three guides into one. That's right, we've boiled over 100 pages of text down to 30. Check it out here.
While the presentation of many rules has changed, there are only a few big shifts. Some of these were covered in the Fast Track post we released earlier this year.
Core Rules Updates
+1 HP for wearing a Helmet
Helmets and chain coifs (unlike hats) grant +1 hp (instead of ap). If removing the helmet would drop you to 0 hp, you stay at 1 hp instead. Once removed, no other helmet grants hp in that battle. Helmets do not count as "metal armor" for purposes of spellcasting.
We've reorganized the Alchemist and Healing roles, making them more distinct - Healers are great at resolving damage and Alchemists are great at resolving ongoing effects.
Alchemist (role) - Spells with ongoing effects are pretty common, and now alchemists can help resolve them. We've improved the basic Poultice ability so that this skill doesn't depend on additional guild training to be useful on the battlefield.
You can spend 5 minutes prepping ‘herbs’ to give yourself a poultice. It doesn’t expire, but you can only carry 1 at a time. Use it by treating someone for 15 seconds to cure one ongoing effect (like Blindness or Sleep). It can’t cure poison or ritual effects. Learn more abilities at the Alchemists Guild (pg 23).
Healer (role) - Reorganized for clarity. Instead of 1-2 damage per minute, a 5-min surgery scene now restores all damage. The Leech ability has essentially been moved to the basic Alchemist role.
Healer: - Roleplay First Aid on a stationary target for 5 minutes with appropriate props (splints, fake blood, needle and thread, scalpels, etc). Only after First Aid is complete, does healing (like additional surgery, magic, or alchemy) let them recover hp. - You can roleplay Surgery on a stationary target for 5 minutes with appropriate props. When complete, the target recovers all lost hp.
Spellcaster (role) - We remind casters that their casting roleplay should be loud and visible. If you don't get your target's attention, your spell is more likely to fail.
Warden (role) - Instead of a once-a-day power to ignore someone's spell, Warden now lets you purge ongoing effects (with no per-day limit).
You have some means of resisting magic (like an amulet or cleansing prayer). You can spend at least 1 minute roleplaying this to cure yourself of an ongoing effect, (like Blindness or Weakness). This can’t cure poison or ritual effects. If affected by the Sleep spell, you can wake up after 1 minute.
As an aside, you may wonder why Dispel Magic, Alchemy poultices, or the Warden ability can't cure Ritual and Poison effects. Answer: Rituals and poison take a lot of effort to create & deploy! It should take a large effort to cancel one out.
Warrior (role) - The three fighting styles (Defender, Skirmisher, and Striker) have been folded into this role. When you choose it, you gain +1 hp and can use all three styles.
Smite Monster (spell) - The weapon enchanted by this spell can be used multiple times during the spell's 5-minute duration. But each time, the original caster must "recharge" the weapon with 15 seconds of roleplay.
Bow and Arrow Updates - As noted in the Fast Track post:
No shooting at targets under 10 feet away. From 10-20 feet, you can only half draw. (This means that if your prop cannot half-draw, like a crossbow, you need to shoot from at least 20 feet away.)
This year the only allowed arrow props are Teardrop shaped IDV arrows. See here for more information about this type of arrow. These can be purchased from a variety of places including Calimacil, Medieval Collectibles (Arrows | Bolts), and Epic Armory (Arrows | Bolts).
Weapon Compliance Checks
Yes, you read that right.
Compliance Checks: before you use them, bring your weapons & arrows to a Ref Stand and have them inspected by a Referee. They’ll give you a sticker after confirming they are:
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Weapons without a sticker are not allowed on the battlefield.
General Play Updates
Camp Leadership received a fresh coat of paint. "Key" leadership roles (Councilor, General, Spymaster, Head Diplomat, Champion) are selected by game staff on Wednesday after they complete a short quest. Each one of those roles has a 1-page handout with its key deliverables and advice. We've also set up a back-end process to support those leaders via camp refs and the plot team. You can read about those roles here: tinyurl.com/DFUS-Leadership.
Camps can have other leadership roles too - like master crafters, archery captains, Shadow camp's ritual master, etc. These likely have a seat on the camp's "council" and advise the councilor. But how these roles work and how they're selected is managed by the camp council and camp players.
No Real-World Places & Religions - DrachenFest is a fantasy game which features intense roleplay conflicts. This gets complicated when someone depicts real world identities. As such, DrachenFest characters must use "fantasy" nouns for places and religion stuff.
However, these worlds can still draw inspiration from the real world! You can't be a Christian knight from France, but you can be a knight from the Witcher's Tuissant setting that follows the prophet Lebioda. (or your own fantasy version of France--you just can't call it France). Norse inspired characters could say "The All Father" instead of Odin, or "Tor" instead of Thor.
What about costume? Use "open source" aesthetics- styles and patterns widely shared or reimagined in fantasy. Avoid "closed source" designs, such as sacred garments or clothing with deep cultural or religious significance, unless they are thoughtfully reinterpreted in a clear fantasy context.
If someone raises a concern about your choices- especially if they have a direct cultural, ethnic, or religious connection to the element in question, listen to understand, and approach with care. If an agreement can’t be found, err on the side of caution and take it off so the festival is a space where everyone feels respected and welcome.
Updates to the War Game
Rubrics
All evaluative criteria for camp defenses has been moved to the Camp Defense Evaluation Rubric
Large Monsters and War Machine criteria can now be found on the Arament Evaluation Rubric
Check those out here: tinyurl.com/DFUS-Rubrics
War Machine Updates -
There's no limit to how many War Machines a camp can field at a time (the limit on Large Monsters remains).
War Machines must move at a walking pace. They must be stationary while reloading or firing them.
Their reload time is now based on their tier. Tier 1: 90 seconds Tier 2: 60 seconds Tier 3: 45 seconds Tier 4: 30 seconds.
Large Monster Updates
Because removing the cap on War Machines is likely to make them more common, they now only do 3 damage against Large Monsters (instead of 5).
The change to Smite Monster allows it to be cast more readily (it only takes 15 seconds instead of a minute), and a single casting can damage a Large Monster multiple times (providing the original caster spends 15 seconds recharging the weapon). There are also new ways to get access to Smite Monster. So while monsters are still fearsome, they can't rampage unchecked - a well organized adventuring party may be able to take one down.
Morning Banner Summoning - If a camp begins the day without its banner, they can opt-in to recovering it. Between 9 and 9:30am (right after camp refs come back on duty), camp players can perform a ritual at the Dragon Shrine to resummon their lost banner.
Lost your banner before the final battle? We've removed the rule saying that teams can't fight in the final battle unless they control their banner at the end of war hours. Each camp will begin the battle with its banner. No more spending 2 eggs to resummon it!
An army can only claim 1 banner per carrier per siege - In the past, a camp could theoretically occupy an enemy courtyard indefinitely while their banner carrier went back and forth collecting multiple banners. Now, after each invading banner carrier has taken a banner, the siege is over and the occupying force must leave.
Larger Courtyards - As the game grows, we need more room to fight! The minimum size for a courtyard has been increased from 30x30 to 30x50.
War Hours - On Saturday, war hours now officially end at 12pm (instead of 11).
Guild Skill Updates
If you have a guild skill that's been updated, head to your guild lead to receive an updated card. The current list of guild skills can be found here: tinyurl.com/DFUS-Guild-Skills. If you have one of the following skills, visit your guild to pick up a new card!
Fighter's Guild - Beginning this year, a Fighter's Guild class will train warriors in the art of Monster Hunting, exploring the roleplay of the hunt, and granting access to a Smite Monster ability.
Surgeon's Guild - Their abilities have changed names for clarity. Bandaging is now called "Advanced First Aid". Triage is now called "Transfer of Care".
Magic Guild - Meditate's Rank 2+ options have shifted, including a new one where the Shadow mage leads a guided meditation session for one other character.