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I will just leave this here:

 Alex Kolodotschko wrote:
Live Action Role Play.
It can be any genre so murder mystery dinner parties, pirates, post apocalyptic, putting on a silly voice whilst boardgaming or wink murder would fall into the category.
It's different to cosplay in that there is a game of sorts involved.
The huge emphasis on medieval combat is because people need grunts to do their bidding. Often the 'higher' levels of roleplay are done by the commanders but everyone still has fun.
Personally this is why I prefer Herofest, a smaller event, as you are free to become a character with impact upon the setting rather than just a cog in the machine.

Also scale creep.

Sharing the plot is key to a good LARP event. Me, I don't really have a group within my faction, I'm more of a general purpose bastard - capable of lots of little acts, but can't do anything world shaking on my own. So whilst I get a lot to do, I rarely get more than snippets of plot, as I'm too busy bodyguarding, spying, being jammy in the tavern lucky dip (which is how a fresh character got a snacky Silver Sword...and promptly paggad three Werewolves without breaking a sweat). But last year the changed. We just sort of stumbled into it, and it was great. Lots of cross faction running about, and thanks to us the Factions succeeded in their goal.

Previous years, I did have moments of 'why am I doing this?'

Not all LARPs, and not all factions or groups within a given system are that great in sharing out the plot, leading to Star Trek syndrome, where the command crew get it all done, and everyone else is pretty much just a Redshirt.

I mostly do parlor LARPing myself. Helps that the global coordinator for our org is local, and we've got some great storytellers. That, and I don't have the free time or money to build a full set of garb for full contact LARPing. Buying a new tie and slacks is much more achievable.

DragonRaptor wrote:
"Word Vomit"

Adorable.

Way to stick it to all those LARPing cucks! Stay strong brother!

DragonRaptor wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:

DragonRaptor wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

that one still looks lame as hell too; costumes may be better but it feels like/looks like/ actually is a bunch of pasty pudgeballs tapping each other with foam swords hoping they are not hitting each other too hard

But that's American LARP for you, only LARP America is ever good at is historical(those who take part in that tend not like the D&D crowd very much) and occasionally airsoft milsim, but even the Europeans do that better

Problem is that American LARPS are absolutely cringe at anything fantasy(probably can't do anything actually fun because in the United States, you can pretty much sue anyone for anything)

This is larp done right

Ahem...may I remind you you are on a board where grown men play with little toy soldiers...and argue about it...
once you are older than 20 no one cares any more.

Yeah and I call out cringe when I see it just as you would when you see a bunch of sjws being stupid on tumblr

Doubling down on fronting hard eh? Atta boy.

DragonRaptor wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:

DragonRaptor wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

that one still looks lame as hell too; costumes may be better but it feels like/looks like/ actually is a bunch of pasty pudgeballs tapping each other with foam swords hoping they are not hitting each other too hard

But that's American LARP for you, only LARP America is ever good at is historical(those who take part in that tend not like the D&D crowd very much) and occasionally airsoft milsim, but even the Europeans do that better

Problem is that American LARPS are absolutely cringe at anything fantasy(probably can't do anything actually fun because in the United States, you can pretty much sue anyone for anything)

This is larp done right

Ahem...may I remind you you are on a board where grown men play with little toy soldiers...and argue about it...
once you are older than 20 no one cares any more.

Yeah and I call out cringe when I see it just as you would when you see a bunch of sjws being stupid on tumblr

I mean, this post is pretty cringey...

GENERAL IN THREAD WARNING:

RULE #1 is BE POLITE.

If you don't have anything nice to say - then don't say anything.

It really IS the best policy, most times.

Thanks guys nice knowing you. In B4 locks

feeder wrote:

DragonRaptor wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:

DragonRaptor wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

that one still looks lame as hell too; costumes may be better but it feels like/looks like/ actually is a bunch of pasty pudgeballs tapping each other with foam swords hoping they are not hitting each other too hard

But that's American LARP for you, only LARP America is ever good at is historical(those who take part in that tend not like the D&D crowd very much) and occasionally airsoft milsim, but even the Europeans do that better

Problem is that American LARPS are absolutely cringe at anything fantasy(probably can't do anything actually fun because in the United States, you can pretty much sue anyone for anything)

This is larp done right

Ahem...may I remind you you are on a board where grown men play with little toy soldiers...and argue about it...
once you are older than 20 no one cares any more.

Yeah and I call out cringe when I see it just as you would when you see a bunch of sjws being stupid on tumblr

Doubling down on fronting hard eh? Atta boy.

Spinner wrote:

DragonRaptor wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:

DragonRaptor wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

that one still looks lame as hell too; costumes may be better but it feels like/looks like/ actually is a bunch of pasty pudgeballs tapping each other with foam swords hoping they are not hitting each other too hard

But that's American LARP for you, only LARP America is ever good at is historical(those who take part in that tend not like the D&D crowd very much) and occasionally airsoft milsim, but even the Europeans do that better

Problem is that American LARPS are absolutely cringe at anything fantasy(probably can't do anything actually fun because in the United States, you can pretty much sue anyone for anything)

This is larp done right

Ahem...may I remind you you are on a board where grown men play with little toy soldiers...and argue about it...
once you are older than 20 no one cares any more.

Yeah and I call out cringe when I see it just as you would when you see a bunch of sjws being stupid on tumblr

I mean, this post is pretty cringey...

and good on you for calling it out if you think it is

Alpharius wrote:GENERAL IN THREAD WARNING:

RULE #1 is BE POLITE.

If you don't have anything nice to say - then don't say anything.

It really IS the best policy, most times.

Exactly, come on people, don't let my opinions ruin your larp experience just have fun

So, why do I LARP?

There's several reasons really.

1. Dress up is fun. And I look proper hence when it's all strapped into place.

2. It's brilliant escapism. Basically a long weekend's camping away from home. Where I get to portray an amoral bastard who'll simply get the job done (when in real life, I'm a proper goody two shoes)

3. The combat is safe, but satisfying. Had a rough time at work? You've got a safe, consensual environment to work out some of your frustration. Doesn't even have to be during one of the main battles or owt - when you've got healers on hand, sparring can get quite heavy.

4. Friends. There's people I only see at LARP events, because Real Life. Before the event starts, all go get Monkey Drunk in the tavern.

5. It's incredibly good exercise. I'm usually a bit of a couch potato - but this gives me intense burst of activity a few times a year. Once the aches and pains have subsided following a long hot soak, I feel great

6. It's a pooload of fun. Your weekend can go from deadly serious sneaky espionage, bit do dungeoneering to the inevitable full on Monty Python silly-knees-bent-running-around-business, back to 'oh gak this is really quite serious now' and all over the shop.

7. I get to show off my kitchen skills. Well at least I will this year. Gonna cure up a load of bacon, and sell it In Character for In Character Munneh. Reckon a Silver for 6 rashers (everyone has at least two Siver at the start of an event). If I've done my maths right, I can walk away with a handsome old profit, and invest it in ever snackier toys for Valgor to swing at people. I dream of being a Swiss Army knife when it comes to the various nasties. Werewolf, Fae, Vampire, Daemon - I want to have a variety of blades and maces and axes and knives to deal with them. AND BACON SHALL POWER THAT DREAM!

Mad dok, just in case you haven't heard of them- armour archives a great resource for commissioning armor, and secondhand materials. Most of my gear came from there. You should have an easy time of it, that's a fairly common size for armored warriors. Be aware though, that if you have it custom made, it takes about as much time as a kickstarter. Although, you can get awesome work made just the way you want it for just your size for the same price as off the rack.

http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=3

If you've got the cash, and you want something that will stop a 300 pound man running at you with a halberd, then the Duke has what you need, right now. To get armor swiftly, he's the one to go to.

http://store.fastcommerce.com/icefalcon/top-quality-chainmail-ff80808117344aab011752db875a0183-c.html

This guy tries to leach a two year world vacation off the SCA interest:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HQEDVzgE4PM

I personally find it rewarding to pretend to be a person I can't normally be for 36 hours or so, solving plot puzzles, protecting friends, and working as an important part of a team. It helps that our LARP is run sort of like if you could imagine a living world RPG, with 30-60 players playing at once, weaving in and out of plots run by several GM's simultaneously. There might be a main weekend-long plot, but 6-10 micro plots alongside of it that appear and dissapear as the NPC staff enters or leaves the game, and anyone can choose how they fit into any of those in real-time. Some might be pure combat, but other times it's pure roleplay which could positively or negatively affect later plots, or other times there's puzzles involved which could be handled easier by characters who's archetypes have in-game skills to decipher languages, track people, or recieve hints.

In the real world I am a 170lb appliance delivery driver. In my LARP, I am a beatstick paladin in full chain and plate with a two-handed warhammer, who can take and deal enough punishment to be right up front in combat, but then suddenly change gears to drop to my knees next to a fallen friend, "stabilize" him, and then throw his/her arm over my shoulder and stagger back to a safe spot and save their character's life while others close in cover my back.

Though the two LARPs I play might be unique to some people, as they have rulebooks the size of wargames, and we carry around character sheets with more skills than some pen and paper RPG's (each of my characters has about 20 skills with in-game rules involved). We have to call out damage (numbers, usually- not "lightning bolt) as we swing or shoot weapons, and have to mentally track and subtract incoming damage numbers/effects from our life points/armor points.

There is a huge event near my house at Cooper lake call Pennsic. 10k of people show up and there are huge battles. I have army buddies that travel from around the country to go, so I stop by drink a beer or two. I don't larp but it looks like fun, would like to do it but after my TBI can't risk taking blows to the head. Here is some info about the event.

https://www.cooperslake.com/clchome/eventdetails.php?clceventid=aaac6fac-b4b6-11e6-ad5a-b5fbcb09c8d1

Yeah, Pennsic is more of an SCA event as far as I know, where combat is more like a sport than roleplaying (though some players do that). It's mostly about taking and giving combat blows, where one hit to an unarmored arm "disables that arm", etc.

Usually LARPs are more like real-time D20 games, where skills are activated using certain criteria, like spending points from a pool that you mentally keep track of, or spending "X" amount of seconds or minutes and then you can use the skill once before starting the time again.

Like in my game a simple example might be that everyone automatically swings for "1", but a certain skill might let you spend an uninterrupted 15 seconds to swing "5" once. Those skills are bought in kind from skill trees with XP, which you earn after surviving each event, RPG-style.

And that's where the obligatory "fireball, fireball" comes in. A quick way of making magic work is to add a casting time (i.e. shouting fireball five times), and then throw some sort of red ball.

 AegisGrimm wrote:
Yeah, Pennsic is more of an SCA event as far as I know, where combat is more like a sport than roleplaying (though some players do that). It's mostly about taking and giving combat blows, where one hit to an unarmored arm "disables that arm", etc.

Usually LARPs are more like real-time D20 games, where skills are activated using certain criteria, like spending points from a pool that you mentally keep track of, or spending "X" amount of seconds or minutes and then you can use the skill once before starting the time again.

Like in my game a simple example might be that everyone automatically swings for "1", but a certain skill might let you spend an uninterrupted 15 seconds to swing "5" once. Those skills are bought in kind from skill trees with XP, which you earn after surviving each event, RPG-style.

Thanks for the info on the difference, didn't really know what was going on except people fighting with swords and shields. Never really asked any of them, like I said just visiting army buddies since they are in town.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
And that's where the obligatory "fireball, fireball" comes in. A quick way of making magic work is to add a casting time (i.e. shouting fireball five times), and then throw some sort of red ball.

Falls down when you've got a proper mass pagga kicking off.

Was it an armour ignoring magic missile, or merely a thrown weapon? Did it knack me down to zero hit points, or cause me to writhe on the floor in mock agony for 30 seconds?

Curious Pastimes instead use announce and point. Yes, there's the odd bellend you really need to bawl at (you, yes you. You with the green and cream shield, red pommeled sword, and trying desperately not to look at me, YOU. MAGIC. SODDING. MISSILE. TALE YOUR HITS ALREADY) but for the most part it works, as casters can't lurk in the depths and hurl pokey spells around. They need to get up front.

Of course, players not taking hits isn't limited to just spells. I pretty much did a full swing drum solo on someone's noggin from the third rank (6'2" and 4' weapons gives a lot of reach!). Most they could've had, as a human? Two body points (standard and body dev), then 6 for Extra Heavy. After the ninth repeated blow? They shout 'pull your blows'....so they were definitely feeling the impact, but decided to cheat. Which really ruins the game for all taking part.

Or they're playing a different style. In Dagorhir, handheld-blows to the head don't count (for safety), so he might not have taken them due to that. Of course, Dag is more nuts. "Light" shots that would clearly not do damage of any sort with a real weapon are ignored. And weuse real bows and arrows (heavily modified safe arrow-heads). I've gotten shot in the face by an arrow. It happens. Just don't ever call "light" if you get shot in the face by an arrow or take a clip to the nuts!

Oh we get to ignore 'whippy tappy' too - I've waded into a man made hedgehog of polearms and smashed it - all because rapid taps dont bloody count. A proper attack should, at a minimum, be a swing half the length of the weapon. So a 6' polearm does give a lot of reach, but quickly becomes near useless in a press as you just can't swing it properly. 4' sword? Much less of a problem. And dirty sods with daggers can do horrible things, because they can unleash a flurry of proper hits in no time.

Bows sound much the same - wooden shafts are frowned upon, but allowed - the ideal is a carbon fibre shaft (less likely to shatter and do someone a genuine mischief). The arrows heads themselves are heavily regulated. Ultimately, the contact area is the width of a fizzy drink can (so it's wider than the average eye socket), and needs three different, specific densities of foam (for impact absorption to prevent injury and risky rebounds). Even the knock shouldn't be plastic, as if the arrow clips someone the pinwheels off, they can take an eye out)

But yeah. This person was just plain old cheating. Sadly it was a group within a faction absolutely notorious for it. They got their comeuppance though, massive gribbly beasty got involved and the refs 'fatalled' their whole group... and nobody could get close enough to heal them...

Yeah, magic in our game takes two forms:

-Raw damage packets. For instance, a mage counting to 15 with a hand over their head (to signify an obvious glowing ball of magic), and then when he throws it, he calls "15 magic". So it's effectively 15 sword-strikes in one blow. The magic addendum means it can be especially nasty to things that hate magic, and to notify characters and monsters that can "resist Magic", which means intentionnaly hurting themselves a little bit, to shrug off everything else. Especially hardcore mages count to 30 and call "30 magic"- which usually drops nearly anyone it hits in a single hit.

-A game stop effect. A call of "game stop" is made, and all action in earshot must freeze. Then the mage declares the effect (like walking straight in a line with arms spread, hitting everything in that line), and then calls "game on" and the effect immediately happens, making large, sudden effects hard to ignore against the din of combat.

LARP always looked kind of childish stuff to me. But then, I am the one playing with little plastic toy soldiers and a lot of larpers I know find my hobby immature.

I find it as satisfying and adrenaline-inducing as any sport. When you and three friends are suddenly surrounded and outnumbered by "bad guys" in the woods at midnight, and have to rely solely on each other for success, it's a huge rush, at least for me.

Especially with long-running characters on the like, there's some investment involved, too, and that loss helps to makes things more "real". Imagine playing a game like Skyrim, where if you die, you have to erase your character and start the game all over again, even if you have 25+ hours into it. No game saves to restart from.

 AegisGrimm wrote:
I find it as satisfying and adrenaline-inducing as any sport. When you and three friends are suddenly surrounded and outnumbered by "bad guys" in the woods at midnight, and have to rely solely on each other for success, it's a huge rush, at least for me.

That sounds bad ass.

There are definitely cool moments, and cool moments.

For instance, I'm currently Valgor of House Valken, and I'm there as a bodyguard to Flute, an Elf with a serious knack for getting into trouble.

Character wise, I portray the put upon, reluctant bodyguard. When people ask me why I have to bodyguard Flute, I explain it's a punishment. When asked what the punishment is for, the simple answer is 'I got caught'.

Anyways, first time out for this character, and things are going quite well. Bagged a load of cheap goodies in a lucky dip, including the silver sword I mentioned earlier, Stabatha. Already, I'm proving my worth to the Warband.

After a long, hot, hard afternoon on the field, we achieve our objective, and return to our enclave. Being somewhat sweaty and pooped, I decided to take a nap. Off comes the leathers, off comes the chainmail, Gambeson is removed and rolled up for a pillow in a nice shady spot.

Some zzzz's are caught.

Flute, for once in the event, hadn't actually wandered off. She was standing just next to my carefully chosen nap spot (good shade, allowing for movement of the sun, and a suitable incline for ease of rising). Just as I'm coming to from said refreshing nap, thoughts turn to 'mmmm....Tavern....mead'....as they usually do. All of the time. Even mid-battle. Tavern. Mead. Mmmmm..

BUT OH NO! I see something gribbly swaft into camp, and knock out poor Flute!

Thinking fast, I use my off-hand to grab Stabatha, and give the gribbly a few, hearty silver whacks (you have to shout active words, so I was shouting Silver, about six times)

Nasty gribbly howls and writhes in agony for expiring.

Turns out, I'd just bagged one of the nastiest gribblies out there - an Eater of Magic. And being a heavy Magic user, Flute had been in serious danger of death.

And I didn't even get up.....

Definitely a highlight.

And yes. We did then go Tavern to drink Mead. And beer. And gods know what else!

That's my wife and her friends.

And this is, what happens if you scale it up over 9000 (players):



EDIT:
Found the english one:

Holidays booked for the first main event this year! YAY!

Just need to pay for it, which I'll do in the next week or two.

In-Character camping is ace!

I have to wait until the end of April until I can pretend to be a grizzled old ex-soldier/healer with a big greatsword. It's a bummer my group couldn't wrangle a good campground for a winter one-day. Usually we break up the long winter gap with a day-long event out in the snow and then a super late Saturday night of drinking and boardgames.

End of April for me too, but likely the Sanctioned Faction event in March (which is good, because then I can scrounge and forage some more goodies! Got a good haul last time)


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Hmm...thinking about it, should probably do some jogging, at least pretend I'm trying to get LARP fit (seriously folks, sod your Tough Mudder. LARP is the real test!)

Von Hohenstein, that looks unbelievably awesome!