General Rules:

• Downpatching is fine.
  • If you’ve gotten a run over multiple patches in a certain category, only one of those runs will make it onto the site. Do not try and submit the “same” run across multiple patches.
• ERTool is allowed for stutter fix and avoiding achievement bug/freezing only. Any other ERTool functionality usage will result in runs being rejected.
• Quitouts are generally not allowed besides the following exceptions: 
  • If you are taking a break, quit out inside Roundtable or immediately after resting at a grace, the game should always be visible on the BRB screen. 
  • Quest progression reloads (must open map to prove you are not in combat)
  • Player must show IGT after loading back into the game.

• You do not have to fight Grafted Scion.
• Getting hit by lightning in the overworld that is not caused by an enemy is not a hit.
• If your horse takes damage from an enemy, but the player does not stagger or take damage, this is a hit.
• If you accidentally set-up Pegasus glitch, you need to quit-out and make sure your horse is no longer floating.
• If Torrent dies from a fall, but you survive, this is considered self-inflicted fall damage, and thus is not a hit.
• If you get soft-locked on an invisible Torrent (i.e. stuck in place), you may quit-out and come back into your save file.
• Mohg’s transition damage is considered scripted and is thus not a hit.
• Full list of banned Glitches and Skips
• Full list of banned boss AI interactions
• The tick damage from the Frenzy Flame Tower (North-East Liurnia) is a hit.

Specific Rules for Damageless:

• On Damageless runs your current HP can never be lowered.
• Equipping items that decrease your current HP is not allowed.
• Equipping items that increase your max HP is allowed, but unequipping them after resting at a grace is not allowed since it decreases your current HP. The only exception to this rule is the 5% HP reduction that appears unavoidably when doing Fia’s Quest 
  

Specific Rules for Non Fresh Start NG+ Runs:

• No Runes carried over from NG, including rune count and rune-gain items.
• Max starting level is 125, can level up in NG+ like normal.
• Must show inventory/item box at the start of your run.

Specific Rules for “X” Only Runs:

• Attacking and/or damaging enemies is only allowed with the Only-Restriction, Throwing Daggers, and bare-fists.
  
• Before acquiring the X restriction of choice, the runner is allowed damaging items/consumables, as well as the +0 starting class weapon. Any abuse of these temporary items/starting weapon on the way to X restriction is subject to verifier/mod review. Example of abuse: using starting weapon for the first half of the run‘s bosses when X restriction could have easily been used to kill the same bosses.
• Killing Grafted Scion at the begining of the run with the Starting Class Weapon is allowed.
• The usage of a +0 Serpent Hunter to kill Rykard is allowed for All Great Runes, All Remembrances, and All Bosses categories.
  
• Utility consumables are always allowed (Example: Sleep Pot, Greases, Oil Pot, Bloodboil Aromatic, etc..)
  • Additionally, dealing 1 damage on direct contact is allowed.
• Besides Throwing Daggers, other damaging items/consumables are allowed for the following scenarios:
  • To produce sound & distract enemies..
  • Forcing the Ancient Dragon in Farum Azula to fly using long range items/consumables such as Glintstone Scraps. Video Example
• The Weapon Only rule restricts the usage of certain bullet/ranged weapon arts. Please make sure to check the List of Allowed and Banned Weapon Arts for Weapon Only Runs before routing.
• Non-enemy objects that require an attack to interact with them such as the spirit turtles, balloons, fire pillars, mausoleums and illusory walls are exceptions to the “X only” restriction therefore any source of damage can be used for them. Other non-enemy entities like wildlife and friendly NPCs are not an exception to this rule.