Rule Clarifications

```mediawiki

Usage

Use this template on individual rule clarification pages.

{{Rule Clarification
|RuleNumber = 6.1
|RuleName = Escalation
|Status = ACTIVE
|Date = July 21, 2026
|IssuedBy = Project Leadership
|Supersedes =

|Question =
Does a player need to give a verbal warning before opening fire on someone who is stealing from them?

|Clarification =
A player who personally witnesses someone stealing an item from their possession may immediately treat the theft as escalation.

A third party who only sees someone carrying or looting an item must first establish that a theft occurred and provide appropriate escalation before using lethal force.

|Allowed =
* Defending yourself when you directly catch someone stealing from you.
* Drawing a weapon or beginning combat after personally witnessing the theft.
* Ordering someone to return property when the ownership of the item is uncertain.

|NotAllowed =
* Opening fire because someone is standing near a dead faction member.
* Assuming an item was stolen without witnessing the theft.
* Joining a conflict as a third party without understanding what occurred.

|Example =
A Brotherhood Paladin catches a wastelander removing ammunition directly from the Paladin's inventory. The Paladin may immediately respond because the theft itself created escalation.

An NCR trooper sees a wastelander holding an NCR rifle near a battlefield. The trooper may not immediately shoot because they did not witness the rifle being stolen. They must first confront the wastelander.

|Reasoning =
The rule distinguishes between directly witnessing an aggressive action and making an assumption based only on circumstances. This protects players from unjustified lethal escalation while still allowing victims to defend their property.
}}

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Purpose
RuleNumber	Yes	Rule or subsection number, such as 6.1.
RuleName	Yes	Name of the affected rule.
Status	No	ACTIVE, REVISED, SUPERSEDED, or ARCHIVED.
Date	Yes	Date the clarification became official.
IssuedBy	Yes	Person or group authorizing the clarification.
Supersedes	No	Previous clarification replaced by this ruling.
Question	No	The situation or question being clarified.
Clarification	Yes	The official interpretation.
Allowed	No	Examples of permitted conduct.
NotAllowed	No	Examples of prohibited conduct.
Example	No	An in-game scenario demonstrating the ruling.
Reasoning	No	Explanation of the intent behind the ruling.

```