Saga of the Ruckers

(These rules are constantly being updated, currently the version is 0.8.0)

Saga of the Ruckers is a combination of Live Action Role Playing (LARP) and Pen and Paper. It takes the classic table top adventures, adds exercises, and brings a new twist to ruck and sandbag training.

Gameplay

Each game has a campaign that lasts one to many sessions and consists of one Game Master (GM) who leads the session and at least one player who participates in the session (training).

Terminology

• attended training: is successfully completing a training.
• #training (number of training): is the minimum of the attended trainings and the sum total of role levels aka pool of knowledge.
• #members (number of party members): is the number of present party members of the session including the GM.
• #difficulty (campaign’s difficulty): is the initial buy in count of burpees, usually 10.
• #roles (number of roles): is the number of various roles with the default being 1.
• priming: is the buy in of #roles * (#difficulty - #training) burpees and at least 1 burpee aka priming one’s knowledge.
• ready an Insight: is to prime one’s knowledge and wait for a future time period to activate the Insight.
• activating Insight: is the usage of Insight aka using one’s knowledge.
• downtime activity: is an activity done not during the session (training).

Campaign

A campaign is a story that lasts one to many sessions.

A campaign is divided into multiple sessions each consisting (typically) of three parts: intro, tasks, and outro.

The intro and outro mainly consist of flavor text and/or can hint of possible future occasions. This can potentially benefit a player who has not yet chosen their role for the session.

Each campaign has a #difficulty which is the initial buy in count of burpees, the default is 10. This number estimates how many session it should take to finish the campaign.

Each campaign has a unique amount of random encounters which are theme specific to the campaign.

Each player starts the campaign with the initial role levels of 0. This means after successfully completing a campaign the role levels are reset to 0.

A campaign can have its own special rules. For example one can integrate downtime activities into the storyline.

A campaign can have its own special roles and/or Insight.

Game Master (GM)

A Game Master (GM) is a person who leads a session (training). Their tasks are to prepare the upcoming session and to guide the players through the session.

Preparation

Each session the GM decides on how to apply the campaign in context of the real world environment.

The GM chooses where to put the locations mentioned in the campaign. The GM can adjust the exercises depending on the strength of the party (ruck club members).

It is recommended to create one’s own set of random encounters. This makes each GM have their own unique set of encounters and can aid in training of any upcoming ruck events.

Guidance

The GM reads the intro at the beginning of the session to introduce the party to current situation and storyline. This is flavor text to ingrain the players into the story and usually has little impact on the upcoming tasks.

Next the GM reads the tasks and clarifies any open questions, it is important for the GM to be stern and not expose too much information of what will be happening. This is when the physical part of the session starts which consists of one to many WODs.

Each WOD has a story element that the GM reads before explaining the WOD.

Any player can use their Insight as long as they have activated it and have enough in their pool of knowledge. This can be done before or during the WOD. The GM makes sure that the rules of Insight are being applied correctly.

At the end of the session the GM concludes the session with some flavor text.

Player

A player is a participant of a session (training). They participate in the session to the best of their physical and/or psychological ability.

Each player chooses one role and are able to hold off there choice by the latest after the session’s intro. If the player is inconclusive of which role to choose the role with the highest level less than 5 is automatically chosen or the GM can suggest a role.

All roles start off as level 0. The chosen role increases its level by 1 up to a maximum of 5.

Each role has a set of Insight and each one needs to be primed before it is activated. Only one Insight can be primed at a time per player independent of how many roles they are. Unless the player super primes or limitless primes.

Players can have multiple roles, check the details.

Priming Options

Priming is the way one can activate an Insight by doing a dedicated amount of burpees depending on the player’s #role and #training and the campaign’s #difficulty.

There are 3 priming options:

• Priming, which will be used most of the time.
• Super priming, which is unlocked once one has at least 2 roles.
• Limitless priming, which is unlocked once one has at least 3 roles.

Priming

Priming is the buy in of #roles * (#difficulty - #training) burpees with the minimum being 1 burpee. This is also known as priming one’s knowledge.

Super Priming

Super priming is priming while wearing a ruck. This has the benefit of being able to use two Insights as long as the player’s #role is at least 2. Each Insight must be from a different role.

Limitless Priming

Limitless priming is priming while wearing a ruck and doing a sandbag overhead burpee. This has the benefit of being able to use X Insights as long as the player’s #role is at least X. Each Insight must be from a different role.

This is a conditional priming option and can only be executed if the specific sandbags are available.

Sandbag	X
40#	3
60#	4
80#	5

For each 20# over the required sandbag the priming reps are reduced by 1.

Insight

Insight is a feature that each role has and can be related as having a specific knowledge. Some Insight are real use-cases that can be applied in team ruck events while others can alter the challenge at hand.

The players activate their Insight by priming their knowledge. They can also ready the Insight before each WOD. Each player can use up to #training Insight aka pool of knowledge per session and can only have one Insight active at a time. This means the player cannot ready more than one Insight at any given time.

Each player that successfully completes a training will level up which unlocks either more Insight or can take upon another role.

Insight comes in two forms active or passive.

Active Insight

Active Insight have a dice rolling component.

Passive Insight

Passive Insight happen automatically and scale based off of the role level.

If the role level is 1-3, then all passive Insight are rolled with a

to determine the success.

Roll	Outcome
Roll <= 1	Instant fail, the opposite applies and is doubled.
2 <= Roll < #difficulty	Fail, the opposite applies.
#difficulty <= Roll < 20	Success, the effect applies.
Roll >= 20	Instant success, the exercise is skipped.

Activating Insight

If a player wishes to use a Insight they need to communicate this action to the GM.

If the Insight alters the current WOD it is first applied on the next set. A set is considered as started as soon as all players execute at least one rep. This means a player can activate either during or before a set as long as it has been primed, otherwise it needs to be primed.

Concept: Insight conflict

If two players try to activate the same Insight with different outcomes, then a random challenge decides the winner. The loser keeps the inactivated Insight and cannot activate the Insight until the next set of the WOD. This is to prevent the Insight of the loser to overwrite the winner’s Insight, for example when (randomly) choosing an exercise and to prevent the stacking of Insight, for example by rapidly reducing gear and/or distance.

Concept: Insight stacking

Insight stacking is the idea of using multiple Insight from one to many players to rapidly simplify an activity.

One player can activate up to 5 Insights using the various priming options.

There are currently (2025-02-19) 6 roles meaning up to 6 Insights are permitted per set of a WOD. These 6 Insights can only be activated by at least two players which will do a combination of priming options.

It is not allowed to use multiple Insight of the same role (independent of the role level) by one to many players per set of a WOD. This is to prevent:

• rapidly reducing gear or distance, and
• overwrite the winner’s choice in the case of conflict.

Clauses

Clauses are special rules that the GM can impose for a campaign.

Clause: Bribery

The Bribery Clause means that the GM can be bribed. If successful the set of a WOD is reduced. If failed the set of a WOD is appended.

The Bribery Clause has three requirements to be applied:

1. The location of the campaign has the option to purchase beverages, ideally beer.
2. The GM needs to ruck regularly between the sessions and track it.
3. The GM needs to choose the beverage of the day, which consists of a volume, a liquid, and a brand. All three properties need to align with beverages that are purchasable in the location of the campaign. Usually this area is 6 km of circumference from the starting point.

Guesses (Properties)	Values
Speed	Choose one: (1) Average speed of GM’s WODs, or (2) time required to a 6th of a minute of a distance.
Distance	Choose one: (1) Distance to closest shop that sells the beverage, or (2) distance to chosen location within 10th of a kilometer.
Location	Choose the location of the beverage.
Volume	One of these sizes: Maß (1 litre), 500 ml, 400 ml, 200 ml, or 100 ml.
Brand	One of the brands that sells the beverage in the area.
Liquid	One of these: alcohol-free Weizen, Weizen, alcohol-free Helles, Helles, soda, still water, or carbonated water.

Each role gains the Insight at LVL 5 to guess one of the properties, which is specific for each role.

Role	Insight
Animal Handler	Through the knowledge of different animal speeds, the Animal Handler guesses either the average speed of the GM’s downtime WODs or stacked with on the Scout, the time needed to a 6th of a minute to achieve the Scout’s distance.
Armorer	Through the knowledge of equipment, the Armorer guesses the volume of the beverage.
Medic	Through the knowledge of healing substances, the Medic guesses the brand of the beverage.
Navigator	Through the knowledge of maps, the Navigator guesses the beverage’s location on the map.
Scout	Through the knowledge of distance, the Scout guesses the distance from the current location to the closest shop that sells the beverage. Or if stacked on the Navigator, then the distance to the Navigator’s chosen location. The distance is guessed to a 10th of a kilometer and directly from the current position independent of existing paths.
Tactician	Through the knowledge of strategy, the Tactician guesses the specific kind of liquid.

In the case that a complete Insight stacking is successful the WOD is skipped and the GM will treat the party to a round of drinks.

Challenges

Challenges are downtime activities that a player can do to enhance their game play during the live session. These challenges are either role specific or general.

Each player needs to share with the GM which challenge they want to attempt and the result of the challenge needs to be handed in by the end of day prior to the next session. This is done by tracking the challenge via a fitness tracker and taking a picture before and after of the equipment at the location. Taking a video is also permitted.

Any LVL 5 role challenge is considered as a general challenge as long as the targeted role is not already LVL 5. Otherwise successfully completing the role specific challenge takes precedence.

Only 1 general challenge per week (from Friday to Thursday) is counted.

Success

Successfully completing a role specific challenge gives the player in that role a temporal Insight and should be activated in the next session or lost. Additionally, if the role is at least LVL 3, then the player keeps the level and does not level down by 1 LVL.

Successfully completing a general challenge gives the player the ability to re-roll one dice of choice and choose which of the results they want.

Movements

The primary way of moving is by rucking.

A WOD can have a defined movement distance per exercise which is independent of general Movements ruling.

Movements can have the random encounter reach.

WODs

Each WOD (workout) comprises of a number of sets with a minimum of #members. Each set has one to many type of exercises and/or distances. Each exercise has one to many reps (repetitions).

The types are:

Some roles have the Insight to alter the WOD. These can always be attempted and/or will result in consequences further in the story.

Some WODs do not permit alteration and therefore the Insight fails. This means the Insight needs to be primed again.

Time Hack

A Time Hack is an allotted time to complete a task.

A failed time hack increases the severity of a random encounter. The severity of the encounter is the cumulative amount of started minutes.

Task: Relocation

To successfully complete this time hack the party needs to be in reach distance of one-another at the new location.

Roles

A role is a characteristic that a player chooses. Each one has a set of Insight. Each Insight requires a specific level (LVL) to activate. The roles are:

Each role starts at level 0. Attending a training and choosing a role will increase the chosen role level by 1.

Level 3 and above

As of LVL 3 the player is required to do the role specific challenge to keep their role level. If the challenge is successful they keep there level and can level up in the next session. If the challenge is a failure they will level down.

E.g. if the player is LVL 3 Scout, on success they keep their LVL 3 for the next session and can become LVL 4 next session, on failure they become LVL 2. If they do not choose to level up, they are still required to do the role specific challenge to keep LVL 3.

Multiple roles

Every player has the option to have multiple roles as of session 2 and are required to choose another role once they reach the maximum level (LVL 5) in all owned roles.

Animal Handler

The Animal Handler deals with animals.

Insight

Level	Insight
1	Re-roll d8 one animal type exercise and the new roll will be applied.
2	Shorten the animal movement distance by a percentage of 20 * LVL down to 20% (Passive).
3	In a random encounter double the Insight effect of any of the other Insight.
4	Shorten the animal movement distance by a percentage of 20 * LVL down to 20%.
5	Choose one animal type exercise and the new exercise will be applied.

Challenge

Do Y rounds of each exercise:

• X m bear crawl
• X m crab walk
• X m low crawl
• X m duck walk

Level	Challenge
3	8 rounds and 10 m
4	8 rounds and 20 m
5	4 rounds and 50 m

Armorer

The Armorer has knowledge about gear.

Reduction List

• 3: Coupon
• 2: Ruck
• 1: No equipment

Insight

Level	Insight
1	Reduce the gear up to LVL player(s) required for the exercise by one as referenced in the Reduction List (Passive).
2	Reduce the gear for the team required for the exercise by one as referenced in the Reduction List (Passive).
3	In a random encounter double the Insight effect of any of the other Insight.
4	Reduce the gear for the team required for the exercise by one as referenced in the Reduction List.
5	Choose the gear for the team required for the exercise.

Challenge

Do X sets of 5 reps with each set having different weight or gear

• dead lifts + clean + over head press
• 2ct lunges

Permitted gear

• ruck
• sandbag
• no gear
• jerrycan
• log
• any other heavy item

Level	Challenge
3	3 gear/weight
4	4 gear/weight
5	5 gear/weight

Medic

The Medic helps team members in need.

Insight

Level	Insight
1	Help a member (helpee) with an exercise. The helpee’s reps/meters are reduced by #training reps/meters and the Medic’s reps/meters are increased by #training reps/meters (Passive).
2	Reduce the reps/meters count by #training, down to a minimum of 5, for the whole team (Passive).
3	In a random encounter double the Insight effect of any of the other Insight.
4	Reduce the reps/meters count by #training, down to a minimum of 5, for the whole team.
5	The whole team does only 5 reps/meters.

Challenge

Do an exercise slide starting at X reps and decreasing by Y reps per round. The exercises are push ups, squats, and sit ups.

Level	Challenge
3	12 starting reps decreased by 4 reps per round
4	12 starting reps decreased by 3 reps per round
5	12 starting reps decreased by 2 reps per round

Navigator

The Navigator navigates to the specific location.

Insight

Level	Insight
1	Replace the location where the exercise is done. The navigator needs to navigate to the new location within a 5 * LVL minutes time hack. The GM starts the time hack and the navigator announces the stop once the complete party is at the new location within reach.
3	In a random encounter double the Insight effect of any of the other Insight.

Challenge

The GM chooses X locations where one needs to navigate to and take a picture of one’s ruck with the POI (point of interest).

Level	Challenge
3	3 locations
4	4 locations
5	5 locations

Scout

The Scout runs ahead to check the situation.

Insight

Level	Insight
1	Shorten the distance of the movement by a percentage of 10 * LVL down to 50% (Passive).
2	Increase any time hack by 2 * LVL minutes (Passive).
3	In a random encounter double the Insight effect of any of the other Insight.
4	Increase any time hack by 2 * LVL minutes.
5	Shorten the distance of the movement down to 50%.

Challenge

Ruck X miles or Y km at event weight in less than T min

Level	Challenge
3	3 miles or 5 km in 50 min
4	6 miles or 10 km in 105 min
5	12 miles or 20 km in 210 min

Tactician

The Tactician uses the power from a strategy to find the best way to overcome the task.

Insight

Level	Insight
1	Increase the reach time by LVL seconds (Passive).
2	Re-roll d8 one type of exercise and the new roll will be applied.
3	In a random encounter double the Insight effect of any of the other Insight.
4	Increase the reach time by LVL seconds.
5	Choose one type of exercise and the new exercise will be applied.

Challenge

Do Y rounds of each exercise:

• X m bear crawl with sandbag pull through
• X m low crawl with sandbag pull
• X m lunges with sandbag on shoulders
• X m sandbag suitcase carry

The sandbag should be at least 40 lbs. A ruck can be used as a replacement if no access to sandbag.

Level	Challenge
3	8 rounds and 10 m
4	8 rounds and 20 m
5	4 rounds and 50 m

Random Encounters

Random Encounters are a way to spice up the training.

An encounter can have a severity factor which hardens the outcome.

Encounters can also grant rewards like filling up the pool of spent SP.

Exercise Pyramid

The Exercise Pyramid is at least 5 tall and increases by severity.

Typical exercises are of type Push.

Reach

The Reach encounter means that all party members are in reaching distance within 3 seconds.

Dropped Coupon

The party just dropped a coupon.

5 + severity bear complex.

Bear complex is a combination of exercises with a coupon:

• deadlift
• clean
• front squat
• overhead press
• back squat
• overhead press
• drop coupon

It contains the exercise types: Animal, Legs, Lower, Upper, and Push.

4 Extension Walk

Walk 5 + severity meters of

• over head
• in front
• left
• right

extension of ruck.

It contains the exercise types: Upper and Core.

Abs Crusher

3 sets of 5 * severity reps

• 4ct flutter kicks
• 2ct Russian twists
• 4ct bicycle crunches

It contains the exercise type: Core.