on Mon 12 of May, 2014 23:34 BST, by Len
posts: 1095
Call it LARP, or LRP, this hobby really is just another form of role play.
I have rarely missed a big meet, but I did miss the last one. I was roped in to LARPing originally as a favour to another friend who used to be an assistant organiser in the days when we were on Meetup. Jason was short of 'monsters' and I reluctantly agreed to help out. It was a one off. Only helping him out as a favour and just this once. I used to think LARPing was taking role playing too far. I used to think it was just too much to expect someone who wanted to play an Elf to wear the ear prosthetics.
Yeah, right. I have LARPed pretty regularly ever since. First with Jason's events 'Eventyr', then instead of being a member of crew, I got roped in to actually playing. First Odyssey then Empire. Persuaded to play by players who I met as an NPC who interacted with their characters.
Four times a year I play Empire. I no longer have time to monster at Eventyr. The main reason is that I got offered the chance to be a cast member for The Vale. The Vale is a new LARP system and this last weekend was the first ever event.
How can I describe LARPing to someone who has never tried it? Well, it has been called cross-country pantomime. It is like actually being in a film. Where you simply play an adventurer that you made up, just as you would a tabletop character. Instead of rolling dice though, the fighting is done by actually fighting. Admittedly with rubber swords, rubber axes, rubber shields etc. But you don't just say "My character charges the Orc." You actually charge the Orc.
Playing in the crew is like being one of the DM's orcs, goblins, trolls etc. You can even be an NPC in town. The barman who offers you a pittance for clearing the rat problem in the cellar. The priest whose church has been attacked. Pretty much any NPC you ever dealt with has been done in LARP somewhere.
At The Vale I get to play one of the coolest characters I have ever played. The Vale will grow. It is held on a site owned and run by LARPers. A site that is like having your own special world.
Live Action Role Play
Call it LARP, or LRP, this hobby really is just another form of role play.
I have rarely missed a big meet, but I did miss the last one. I was roped in to LARPing originally as a favour to another friend who used to be an assistant organiser in the days when we were on Meetup. Jason was short of 'monsters' and I reluctantly agreed to help out. It was a one off. Only helping him out as a favour and just this once. I used to think LARPing was taking role playing too far. I used to think it was just too much to expect someone who wanted to play an Elf to wear the ear prosthetics.
Yeah, right. I have LARPed pretty regularly ever since. First with Jason's events 'Eventyr', then instead of being a member of crew, I got roped in to actually playing. First Odyssey then Empire. Persuaded to play by players who I met as an NPC who interacted with their characters.
Four times a year I play Empire. I no longer have time to monster at Eventyr. The main reason is that I got offered the chance to be a cast member for The Vale. The Vale is a new LARP system and this last weekend was the first ever event.
How can I describe LARPing to someone who has never tried it? Well, it has been called cross-country pantomime. It is like actually being in a film. Where you simply play an adventurer that you made up, just as you would a tabletop character. Instead of rolling dice though, the fighting is done by actually fighting. Admittedly with rubber swords, rubber axes, rubber shields etc. But you don't just say "My character charges the Orc." You actually charge the Orc.
Playing in the crew is like being one of the DM's orcs, goblins, trolls etc. You can even be an NPC in town. The barman who offers you a pittance for clearing the rat problem in the cellar. The priest whose church has been attacked. Pretty much any NPC you ever dealt with has been done in LARP somewhere.
At The Vale I get to play one of the coolest characters I have ever played. The Vale will grow. It is held on a site owned and run by LARPers. A site that is like having your own special world.
Well, that is LARP for you. - Discuss.
Len