September Voting Period 2021

September Voting Period 2021

This is the record for proposals and votes for the September Voting Period 2021

Vote Results

[Pass] Change 4.12.5.1: Leather Armor Thickness
[Pass] Modify Bylaws 7.2.5: Term Duration
[Fail] Change 3.2 & 3.5: Missile Weapon Valid Hit Locations
[Pass] Change 3.12.4.6 Personal Safety Equipment

President: Hakan
Vice President:Demox
Treasurer: Stormcrow
Secretary: Sarca
PR Coordinator: Antoinette
Webmaster: Hobbit

Proposals

Change 4.12.5.1: Leather Armor Thickness

Link: http://board.belegarth.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=72226

Carthage motions for the following change to minimum leather armor thickness:

Current Rule wrote:
4.12.5.1 The minimum thickness for leather armor is three-sixteenths (3/16) inch (4.76 mm).

Proposed Change wrote:
4.12.5.1 The minimum thickness for leather armor is 10oz (5/32", 4.0 mm).

Summary Justification This decrease strikes a balance between maintaining the hinderance that many would like to see armor have, while increasing accessibility by opening up more options for purchasing materials and finished pieces. Ideally this increased accessibility will result in more people being able to take advantage of the armor rules and will result in more quality armor on the field.

Detailed Justification

In Terms of the Holy Trifecta:
Safety: We don't use leather thickness or hardness for protection.
Playability: Lighter armors, such as pocket brig, are already common and don't break the game.
Realism/Aesthetic: No decrease. If anything, this could increase our overall aesthetic by encouraging people to make more armor, or nicer armor in lieu of things like pocket brig.

Arguments in Favor:

It will increase leather selection. Increased selection means greater accessibility, which will ideally increase the amount of leather armor on the field, which increases the aesthetics of the game. Price isn’t a huge factor, as shown below, but bargain bin leather in stores like Tandy are often just barely too thin.
Opening the floor up to leathers like this could allow someone to break into the craft with a lower investment.
It will improve our aesthetic. Greater accessibility and wider selection will see leather armor become more attractive. It will also make it more competitive in price, weight, and accessibility with pocket brig, the popular alternative.
It will not be less visible than thicker armor. The decrease in thickness will not excuse it from being readily identifiable as armor (BoW 2.2.4). Super thin suedes that have a costume appearance will still not be armor. Likewise, pleathers and other fake leathers will still not count as armor.
The weight reduction will not be game breaking. Actual weight is hard to estimate with leather, but assuming weight and thickness scale roughly equivalently, this would be about a 17% decrease. A piece using 10lbs of leather would be roughly 8.3lbs. This is not a game breaking advantage.

Pricing:

Since pricing has come up in other discussions, I thought it relevant to include. When I looked at prices on June 3rd, on Tandy Leather and Springfield Leather, I found the following for veg tanned leathers (lowest price found listed):
8-10oz - $5.99/sqft
10-12oz $6.20/sqft
12oz+ - $7+/sqft
Economy grade, 12oz+ sides - $80 ($5/sqft); this is perfectly good leather for armor making, but it isn't always in stock, especially in store.

While the price isn't super different across these weights, the selection of 12oz+ is more limited and sometimes requires waiting on economy grade leather to pop up. There was also a time when leather was short and I paid $145 for that same side of economy grade.

Modify Bylaws 7.2.5: Term Duration

Link: http://board.belegarth.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=72219

Babylon motions a change to the national bylaws to fix a contradiction.

Proposed change:

7.2.5. Officers' terms will be a minimum of one year. After the conclusion of said officer's term, the position will be opened for a vote at the next voting period. If an officer's term expires during a voting period, the vote will take place at the beginning of that voting period.

The purpose of this change is that according to bylaw 16.2, officers may run for terms lasting between 1 and 3 years. The current verbiage of 7.2.5 makes it so elections for each position must happen each year, which effectively blocks this as an option.

Current bylaws:

7.2.5. Officers' terms will be a minimum of one year. After one year has passed, the position will be opened for a vote at the next voting period. If an officer's term expires during a voting period, the vote will take place at the beginning of that voting period.

16.2. Number, Appointment and Qualifications of Directors. The Board of Directors of BMCS shall be not less than three (3) persons and not more than ten (10) persons, each of whom shall serve for a term of one (1) to three (3) years. Said Director shall hold office for the term for which such Director is elected and until such Director's successor shall have been elected and qualified, and each Director may serve as many successive terms as such Director is elected to serve on the Board. Directors may be, but need not be, residents of the State of Idaho. The Directors may, in their sole discretion, elect or appoint more directors after the adoption of these Bylaws.

Change 3.2 & 3.5: Missile Weapon Valid Hit Locations

Link to Proposal: http://board.belegarth.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=72234

Beornve motions for the following changes to the Book of War:

3.2.1. Head contact from Class 1, 2, 3, or 4 weapons or shields.
3.2.1.1. Feints towards the head from Class 1, 2, 3, or 4 weapons or shields are discouraged.

3.5.4. Class 4 (missile) weapons cause one hit to a target area and bypass all armor.

3.5.6. The head is a legal target area for all Class 5 weapons
3.5.6.1. The head is an illegal target area for Class 1, 2, 3, and 4 weapons.

The existing rules read as follows:

3.2.1. Head contact from Class 1, 2, 3 weapons or shields.
3.2.1.1. Feints towards the head from Class 1, 2, 3 weapons or shields are discouraged.

3.5.4. Class 4 (missile) weapons cause one hit to a target area and bypass all armor except head armor. A Class 4 weapon striking an armored portion of the head area causes no hit.

3.5.6. The head is a legal target area for Arrows/Bolts, Thrown Javelins, and all Class 5 weapons.
3.5.6.1. The head is an illegal target area for Class 1, 2, and 3 weapons.

In summary, these changes remove headshots being allowed by Class 4 weapons (arrows/bolts and javelins).

Justification:

Safety: Headshots are dangerous, regardless of what is hitting you. Removing shots intentionally aimed at the head has only positive impacts to safety.

Playability: There is no valid reason for projectiles to be allowed extra target zones over any other weapon type. They already ignore armor and can be used from farther range than anything else. No modifications are being made to how they are made/checked, so this rule change would not result in any required changes to equipment.

Realism: Other than rocks (#RocksOP), no other weapons are allowed to strike the head, the most likely target in real life (when it is unarmored and unguarded, as most Belegarth fighting styles result in). Therefore this is not making archery any more or less realistic than other fighting styles.

Change 3.12.4.6 Personal Safety Equipment

Link: http://board.belegarth.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=72249

Stygia presents the following motion:

“The current rule:
3.12.4.6. Groin protection is exempt from 3.12.4.5.

Proposed amendment:
3.12.4.6. Groin protection, protective sports bra inserts, and safety glasses are exempt from 3.12.4.5.”

Positions

President: Hakan, Jesus(Dropped Out)
Vice President: Thumbs(Dropped Out), Demox
Treasurer: Stormcrow
Secretary: Sarca
PR Coordinator: Antoinette, Dalany, Nenharma
Webmaster: Torix, Sylph, Hobbit