Hot answers tagged larp
13
Shield walls were typically formed with units of dozens of trained soldiers. They are a formation that takes excellent discipline, and more than one rank. If you're attempting a shield wall with only one rank, don't expect it to last very long. The second rank is necessary because when one of the first rank is inevitably struct down, there has to be ...
12
I will base my answer on how dragons are depicted in Dungeons and Dragons, and also other RPG's and movies and books.
You should have a checklist of certain things that will identify you as a dragon, in character. These are, in no particular order:
Wisdom: As Bobby mentioned, dragons are old. Very old, indeed. As such, they will not rush any decision, and ...
12
Any sort of fire is very dangerous and should not be used. Read up on fire twirling for using fire if absolutely necessary.
You could use LED lightning to represent fire; LED lights are cheap and come in many colours. If you stick to reds, yellows, and orange, you could get good fire effects.
You could also use electroluminescent sheets (known as EL ...
12
Ask him nicely, make him an NPC/GM, and if those two things don't work, ask him to leave
This isn't an in-game problem. This is a player problem. The first approach is "I commend you on your ingenuity, but your current player is making the game less fun for everyone. Shall we work on a way of making him an NPC (that you can play on occasion) but statting up ...
11
Round the edges of the plates. Then round them some more. Then sand them smooth. Otherwise, they'll chew up your co-LARPers weapons like they were going out of fashion.
Consider riveting or soldering the rings shut, once everything is in place, otherwise you'll spend quite a while re-closing them after each time you've taken the armour out and about.
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10
Balance in Roleplaying games is an illusion. It doesn't truly exist.
Even in Tabletop, using point based systems, balance is illusory. The best balanced game out there is probably Hero System 5E. But, given 100 points and no character disads, I know guys who will be pulling off 16d6 ranged killing attacks, and others struggling to get 6d ranged killing ...
10
As well as facilities I'd say safety and insurance are, going to be your primary concern. Make sure that wherever you hold this you have at the very least a first aider there for any sort of injury that may occur and the means to get someone to hospital if necessary; one larp I was in a friend fell and shattered their shoulder while just running down a hill, ...
10
Definitely get a first aid kit that can cover most environmental hazards in your area (spider bites, poison oak, etc) as well as the basic cuts/scrapes/twisted ankles/etc. Don't forget to include sunscreen and hydration tablets, since most of your player base is likely not used to spending a lot of time outdoors. Make sure you know how to recognize and treat ...
9
There is only one rule of LRP fighting: be a safe fighter.
You get the idea. A good LRP fighter is a safe one. So, make sure you follow the safety rules of your system and you will improve as a fighter. Do not think that Renaissance rapier and main gauche techniques will help you. They will hinder you; you cannot stab with a LRP sword. Rapiers are all about ...
9
Ok, first of all I'd like to say that making characters like this is one of the main reasons I role play, so I'll be trying to come at this from both sides where possible.
The first problem is the power divide.
The best way I've found of dealing with this is with making time the biggest problem.
Unless they have some way of manipulating time it is usually ...
8
You should probably begin by focusing on maneuvers that are executed with a particular hand. Once you have those down, learn the same maneuvers, with your off-hand. At that point, start learning maneuvers that require both hands to be active. Then, just make sure to keep practicing. You don't need anyone else with you to practice, but sparring is important ...
8
I've seen large creatures represented using lengths of cloth, held on poles, by two or more people. Think of the way dragons are represented on parades.
This works really well. It's been used by theatre companies for all sorts of mythical or dreamlike creatures. It's a good combination between physical representation and players' imagination.
8
Take a syringe of liquid rubber (latexmilk) inject that straight into the puncture hole, don't screw around with tape, it's crappy looking and unsafe.
Glue and the like will harden and make sharp edges, so not the best idea.
Latex milk will dry with a slight yellow hue, so add a drop of paint; the paint used on Warhammer figurines gives a very nice colour ...
8
AIRSOFT GUNS
I've played a larp system that was very successful where airsoft guns were used; however these were all experienced airsoft players who had played before and knew not to point blank anyone. Airsoft sites are pretty common these days and I'd recommend going along for a days play before trying this at the very least so you can get an idea of how ...
7
At our local LARP group they use a dice roller App (I think it was that one) and they have their characters on a wiki (I think it is a tiddlywiki) that formats nicely for mobile. They keep all their stats there, track of damage taken between sessions and perform random rolls for magic.
They do not use them for LARP combat (which got pretty hairy). I think ...
7
Immersion is trumped by safety.
Combat
You need light. Period. You must have a well lit area or the combat is dangerous. Make sure everyone is aware of the "safety" call. There's nothing you can do but have big lights -- projectors are great apart for the poor sod who is in front of it. You can use filters (red is good, black lights are good) to make ...
7
Types of LARPs
There are many kinds of LARP. Broadly, I see several wide strokes:
Practical LARP - if you can't do it, neither can your Character. EG: SCA, Kingdom of AcreNote: many of this type deny being ａ LARP at all.
Boffer LARP - Use of some weapon simulator, with limits based upon some character generation/advancement rulesEG: Amtguard, IFGS
...
7
Increasing the player base
The first question is not just how but when to increase the player base. If you expand ahead of your readiness, you'll lose people just as quickly. If this is the first event you've ever hosted, a demo dry-run with 'just close friends' to test the system and preparations isn't a bad idea. If it's possible, get feedback
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7
Every historical manuscript we have today on medieval sword fighting techniques describes and depicts the shield being used in the left hand, which is the off hand for 70–90% of the modern population (which is reasonably extrapolated to historical populations).
As Alex P notes in a comment, the sword is actually a tool of finesse and control, not a blunt ...
6
Okay, some friends make this guy a long time ago. But I've never seen a better large monster, ever. He's a stone golem, constructed from 4" thick foam mattresses, hot glue, and paint.
The best thing is he completely covers a large man in 3" foam, so he's all soft and safe :)
Video here: Stone Golem Rocks YouTube
This monster was built with 5 foam ...
6
Take a page from The Lion King and Avenue Q
For the lion King:
They have puppets controlled by actors dressed to match he pattern on the coats. Instead of going for a Beauty and the Beast level of theatrical similarity, the showing of puppets-as-puppets allows audience members to choose to suspend their disbelief without needing to convince them that ...
6
I substantially agree with @Aramis's answer. There are some important caveats though.
Balance, in a LARP, is not about power. Balance is about activity. Make sure everyone's choices allows them to provide a real contribution to problems they choose to be able to solve. No one player should obscure many other players at what they choose to do.
The critical ...
5
It is interesting to see the great differences between the Nordic LARP communities and their Anglophone counterparts.
I'll give some answers based on my experiences with the Swedish LARP community, and the views on this issue that are most common here.
We use very minimal lighting solutions. In-game, if it's dark then it's dark. We usually have tiki ...
5
Step one: practice off-hand until it's comfortable.
Step two: practice with both.
The first step in learning florentine or case (the rapier term for two-weapons) is becoming capable with the off hand.
The sequence of learning for SCA training, both light weapons and heavy, is often:
footwork
parries.
basic attacks, including
for heavy: a downswing, ...
5
If you actually want to learn to fight Florentine I suggest you find your local Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) group, and talk to the heavy fighters. They practice various fighting styles including Florentine (two weapon fighting) and since it actually hurts to be hit with a ratan sword, they tend to have practical advice. There are also some good ...
5
Speak / chant throughout the ritual
Use Latin, Tolkien Elvish, or another foreign or created language. Learn a set of specific phrases that are relevant to the ritual that you can chant over and over, as well as other phrases that should be said at specific action points during the ritual. Chanting is a standard part of many rituals for good reason. Be ...
5
I will throw in a few exotic options from the (extensive and little-advertised) Russian LARP experience. This is just something I could recall in five minutes, I suspect the range of attempted experimentation with rules is wider.
Combat is simulated by a non-violent process that nevertheless involves opposed trials of dexterity and strength. Throwing balls ...
5
I've found they do help. Mostly they stop weapons sticking to each other and stop them picking up fluff.
Note that you can just buy a silicone spray from your local hardware store. The ones the larp weapon sellers sell aren't special in any way.
You can also use talcum powder to do the same thing, but it does tend to take the shine off the weapons (which I ...
5
What you should not forget is to inform local authorities, especially if you're not on a directly/fenced private property but rather in public areas (woods e.g.).
That of course depends on the size of your LARP. The moment you plan on using a public area of any kind I'd inform the local police and answer possible questions by them in advance. Also tell them ...
5
White and Black balls.
Your willpower is represented by white balls: one ball per willpower point. The skill of the attacker is represented by black balls: one ball per skill point. Mix both in one bag, the defender takes a single ball from the bag but does not show it to the attacker. If it is a black ball, the test has failed. If it is a white ball, ...
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