What is LARP? Just what exactly is LARP? LARP stands for live action role-playing. Live action role-playing is basically story telling and acting mixed together in a game format. There are many kinds of LARPs, some are huge including as many as a hundred players, and some are small with as few as three players. Some go for only one session, and some can last up to ten years. This LARP is designed for 10 to 30 Players, and last for 12 to 36 consecutive games. In a LARP game there are Storytellers (or STs) and Players. Players are the actors in a play with no lines. Improvisational acting or improv is the basis of LARP. These Players are adults playing in a fun game of make believe. Of course this game is more complicated then childhood games, and has serious adult undertones. The game is complicated by rules, like no touching, no weapons and so on, also systems, which explain what someone’s character is capable of doing. The adult undertones are such things as serious story concepts like sex, death, and violence. Though this is only a game some people simply are not mature enough to handle these concepts even in a game setting. In this game characters are pregenerated and assigned by a Storyteller, in some games you get to make your own character up using the rulebooks. We have chosen not to allow this in this game for several reasons. 1.) You have to have a good knowledge of the system to make up a character, and frankly few players will start with that knowledge. 2.) There is an underlying story, a basic plot, which demands that certain character concepts should be present, and others absent. 3.) It is just plain easier if we don’t have to teach the technical system on the first day, but instead allow new players jump right in. It really is the fastest and fun way to learn. 4.) To prevent gaming cheese. Cheese is the game term for unfairness. If someone is being cheesy, they are being unfair, possibly stupid, probably mean, and maybe even cheating. Using ST generated characters allows for character of different levels to be distributed with a minimum amount of cheese. We do it for you the Players, mostly to protect you from boredom, and each other. But you may be asking your self, “What do Players do exactly?” A Player is someone who plays a character in the LARP. They have a heavy responsibility to help tell the story of the LARP from their own character’s perspective. If their character is a werewolf then they must consider how this person would dress, behave, and react as a werewolf using only their own imagination and a few clues such as tribe, backgrounds, nature, demeanor, rank, and auspice on the character sheet. Basically if they are given a character that is of a group or werewolves that regards males as dominant, and respects fighting prowess (such as the Get of Fenris tribe) and is very wealthy (has a 4 in resources), but also wants to be in control (Bravo nature), yet acts like they are very knowledgeable (Sage demeanor), but in fact has very little experience in werewolf society (because he is only rank 1), and is supposed to be a trickster (because of his Ragabash auspice) they have quite a challenge on their hands. They have to ask themselves; does my character buy that male dominance idea, or is he neutral on the subject. Does he focus on fighting, or will he break the mold and focus on social maneuvering? Is he stingy, or does he share his wealth? Does he reveal the demanding side of himself that needs respect and control, or does he hide it with a “kindly teacher” like attitude? Does he feel cheated by not having received a higher rank, or does he honorably strive earn recognition in werewolf society? Is he a mean trickster or a friendly joker? As you familiarize yourself with the character sheet and the game system you will find yourself answering these questions and becoming a better player, and having a great deal more fun. In addition to having more fun you also may even get more experience from your Storyteller for playing that character so well. Players need to do things like attend games regularly to maintain their character in the game. They might do “downtime”, which are emails or typed up explanations of things they want their character to do when not at a game. They may write up a character background or explanation of what the character did before it entered the game setting. (You must get Storyteller approval for backgrounds. Just type it up and email it to the ST or give it to them personally.) In the end a Players most important job is to work with the ST to create an interesting story without compromising their character concept, or the Players personal pleasure. After all we play to have a good time! Now who is the Storyteller and what do they do? Storytellers are the managers, directors, referees, security personal, janitors, secretaries, and GODS of the game. It is a horrible job, and luckily we get to do it. Storytellers make the game possible. They commit themselves to attend each and every game. They front up the money for paper, staples, folders, books, props, photocopies, flyers and anything else which will make organization of the game smoother and more beneficial for everyone. (A fraction of the money is returned to them in game fees. Most independent games have nightly entry fees of one to 20 dollars at the door.) The secure the game location. No small task! They keep track of the Player’s characters experience, and experience usage. They spend hours researching areas, defining cities, making up Player characters (PC’s) and Non Player Characters (NPCs) (NPCs are characters which have no player but are either temporarily loaned to a Player, or played by an ST in order to fill in the other people in the world of the game. Cops, waitresses, desk clerks, personal contacts, Rank 5 werewolves, and Dukes of the changeling courts are all examples of NPCs, but I digress.) Storytellers are in charge of the story they determine its “in game” location (for instance we might be attending a game in Missoula, but the game is set in Monte Carlo, or the fictional city of Paris Montana.) They determine the “in game” weather, time, natural phenomena, results of bomb explosions, and so on. It is also their job to mediate “out of character” conflicts between Players, deal with cheaters, and the cheesy, and decide if needed who will be allowed to play and who will be banned from the game. So in essence a LARP is a game that tells a story told using improvisational acting, by Players who have characters and Storyteller/s with non-player characters in a fictional setting using adult, and fictional concepts, and a great deal of imagination. I swear it really is easy, a lot of fun, and not nearly as complicated as it sounds. |