Waylaying someone means knocking them unconscious without otherwise injuring them. A person who is waylaid is not mortally wounded and remains unconscious for 5 minutes unless awakened.
To waylay someone, you need to hit them in the torso1) with your weapon2) when they are unable to see you (usually from behind) and say “WAYLAY”.
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This can be accomplished through player stealth. An unexpected attack from outside the victim's field of vision can be used for a
waylay.
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Note that if a character who is invisible walks up behind you, you need to roleplay that you don't know the character is there. (However, if they make a significant amount of noise that is clearly distinct from background noise, you might suspect that something is behind you and turn toward the noise.)
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Note that characters must be visible for at least 5 seconds before attacking someone, so it is impossible to
waylay someone from the front.
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If you are attempting to
waylay someone and they turn and see you before your weapon makes contact, the
waylay is unsuccessful and the attack is considered a normal hit to the torso. (Obviously, this relies on the honor system.)
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Waylaying does not depend on hit points; anyone can be knocked out regardless of how tough they are.
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If the victim is wearing a helmet
3), they have two seconds to make a single riposte (counterattack) as they fall to the ground.
Someone who has been waylaid can be awakened by the awaken spell, or by a player taking an action that would have woken them up. Note that some actions, such as “I just splashed water in your face to wake you up,” need to be described to the other player and pantomimed rather than performed.