How do you pick a character creation method for a new larp? It`s a key point. Character creation is the first thing helps players get a grip on what they will be playing and points towards the style of the game as a whole.
I’m going to think about this question for The Edit.
What Is The Edit Larp?
The pitch goes like this. A disease has wiped out most of the human population in a short period of time. The structure of civilization is in collapse.
The disease when it hasn’t killed has brought horrific transformations to the minds and bodies of some people.
At the start of the larp, the disease has just started to jump into other species.
The game focusses on groups of survivors who have not contracted the disease. They are trying to cope with these changes.
It looks at group politics, conflict, and people just trying to understand the extraordinary.
The Edit is also a post apocalyptic body and psychological horror larp.
What does character creation need to achieve?
We need the player to understand what their character has become good at over its life so far.
We must also allow for skill growth. Characters are going to be surviving an extreme version of the world. It’s going to be a case of learn, or die. We must be able to periodically confirm what new abilities the character has gained
The modern world that The Edit stems from is complex. As a result, we are all capable of many things. The character creation process needs to reflect that.
Players also need to be able to reconcile the play of their character with its abilities. Whatever is used to define and generate the character must be simple enough to remember. It should also offer hooks to build plot off.
Methods of Character Creation
Points Based Characters
In the UK this is really popular amongst fantasy fest systems. It’s even-handed, as everyone has the same potential. My concern I’ve seen some rule books get complex in order to define things by points. Also the world of The Edit has many skills. So I’m not sure listing these is practical.
Story Based Characters
Essentially characters have a back story and abilities are inferred from it. It’s very roleplay focussed. It’s very flexible.
The bad side is that it is open to abuse. Its openness may lead to people trying to create overly powerful characters.
However, I’ve seen this approach work so well in other horror games that it has to be a possibility for The Edit.
Archetypes
Describe the defining roles in your characters life and gain the relevant abilities. It’s a little more controlled than just writing a story as the archetypes can come from a list pre-defined by the game designer.
Archetypes can broadly define work-skills and with a little adaptation lifestyle abilities. These wouldn’t be ‘skills’ per se. Just areas of ability
I find this idea to be good. It suggests that a foundation for a character can be created, and built on.
Specials
Everyone has a foundation of common skills. Like cooking in a local style, using basic technology and so on. Onto this are added banks of abilities based on work and hobbies. The control here is that each character can only have so many banks of abilities.
A bank of abilities, for example would be the medical skills appropriate to a choice of doctor or nurse. Or the combination of survival and combat skills that go with being a soldier.
Adding New Skills
Characters need to grow and gain new abilities.
How does this happen in the four systems I’m thinking about?
Well in a points-based system, the character would gain points to spend on skills. Points would be gained per event or on any online play. It’s simple and easy to manage. I want the new or updated skills to reflect play so I will have to think of controls and restrictions that make this possible. The aim is to avoid gaining skills just because the points exist.
Story Based Characters, Archetypes and Specials have one thing in common. Skills can be assigned based on story events. There is not direct connection between points and skills. Everything depends on how the player plays the character.
I like assignment by play That’s the solution. However the problem is recording when a player is due an update. I’ll be looking into solutions for this problem. As I think this ties everything back to story. Its the way to go.
Which method of Character Generation do I go for?
I think it has to be Specials. I need something that doesn’t get bogged down in detail and that lets players differeniate themselves
Also by doing some defining of availale specials and skill banks I hope to achieve an element of scalability in play. By which I mean it’s easy to say yes or no to the question of "can I do something?".
First of all, I’d like to point out that this is my first article for Larp Book as you normally see me videoing myself on my YouTube Channel.
So, as I start, please ignore the spelling mistakes and bad grammar as me did bad at English in school!
I’m going to be attending my first Curious Pastimes; Event 3 “The Forge of Norsca” at Huntley Woods between the 19th to 21st July. Now as an experienced larper you’d think that this should be a walk in the woods (pun intended) and that I should be excited, ready to go but in actually fact I’m nervous and anxious.
When it comes to debuting at a new system you have to remember that calls and actions for certain systems can and will be different from each other. I for one don’t want to mistaken a ‘Strikedown’ and pretend to bleed out but it’s actually you fall over and not bleed out (for example). On top of this I will be meeting a lot of new players in a system I’m not familiar with. I don’t have an IC tent so I will be camping separate from my friends in the OC area so my anxiety will be heightened getting from OC to my IC area during ‘Time In’ without being murdered IC (which I’ve heard this happens).
Thankfully going into Curious Pastimes Event 3 having been reading up the rules, know people who already attend and made a character to fit in with the players I know attend and help with their plots. If you’re completely new person to the game and you don’t know anyone then this can be very scary for you. If I were to give any advice for anyone starting a new system, veteran larper like me or completely new to larp, then read and learn the information the systems provide. I’ve linked the Curious Pastimes sites below but if you’re looking at attending another larp system that you’re not been to before then please do your research. You’ll never know you might know someone or a friend of a friend that attends who can help you as larp popularity is on the rise.
If it helps then why don’t you try monstering for an event, I did this down in Cornwall for Chaosgate and learnt the system pretty quickly and got to know players very well. Even have two-character concepts for my next event when I go back there next year.
By all means if you have and issues or questions about a system then please get in touch with those who run the events. Most systems get back to answering questions pretty quickly but obviously expect some delays around event times.
Hope you’ve got something from this article and if you’re as nervous as me going into Curious Pastimes Event 3 or any other Larp event you’re attending then please get in touch. I’ve also linked my ‘Like’ page below and would love to hear from you fellow larpers.
Larp traders in a field means one thing. Rob will try to interview them. Actually so would any other member of LARPBook.
Of course, traders being who they all have their own things to say. Which is good. That’s the whole point of interview.
So with Rob’s usual stuttery approach, we end with 3 very different conversations. After all, they are 3 very different larp traders.
These interviews were recorded on the Monday morning of ‘Curious Pastimes – The Siege of Ravenburg’. Pretty much one after the other.
Rob Interviewed
Ian Knope of Having A Larp. The talk went beyond larp trading as Ian also runs LarpCon and the UK Larp Awards. You’ll hear plenty about these.
Andy Rimmer of Offa Studio. Offa Studio is part of the Skian Mhor family and you’ll get to hear about that family of amazing makers. Rob’s wandered to the dead character discount. Which is perhaps one good thing that can come out of the worst thing.
Tristan Dowrick of Stardust Larpcraft. We’ve interviewed Tristan before – this is one from What’s Your Game. This time you’re going to see his Booth Babe dance and also some new products he’s been working on.
The Interviews
Ian Knope
Andy Rimmer
Tristan Dowrick
Thank You
We’d like to finish up by saying a big thank you to all three.
The Photo for this post
We couldn’t show a traders stand without showing favouritism. So instead we have a shrine at Curious Pastimes.
If you’d like more photos from this event then take a look at Robs new photo page – starting at The Siege of Ravenburg
I’ve been designing a new larp and that has taken me down the route of thinking about the world that it runs in. These are some of my thoughts on constructing a world to run a larp in.
Why World Build ?
Players are critical to any larp; and they need to know quite a lot. They need to know how to costume in a way that creates an consistent feel to the game. They need to know how much things are worth, and what are the social norms.
In any larp we need to find a means that help players tackle these questions. That’s the point of detaling the game world. It allows everyone involved to contribute in way that improves the game for all.
Describing the Big Picture
Talking about a fictional world can be intimidating for both the writer and the reader. So we need to take it in steps. First of all do you know enough about the world to be able in a few seconds to give someone and idea of what it is like.
If you can; then that is awesome – as you have a clear idea of what you are creating.
If not then go back and think some more. Make notes of a few ideas. This way you should be give people your idea with clarity.
Decribing “The Edit”
First some context, The Edit is a larp under development. This is the current state of the Big Picture description.
The Edit explores what it is like to live in world changing in unforeseen ways. The population has crashed. Nowhere is safe. It has become dangerous to live in one place for too long. Bands of people are figuring out how to survive. Disease and disfigurement are everywhere.
A simpler description is that The Edit is a post Apocalypse Horror Fantasy
What do you think of these descriptions. Do they make the world worthy of exploring. If you think the answer is yes then The Edit is looking good.
Develop The Look and Feel
Players are going to need to know how to costume. They need to know what kind of equipment their characters will have access to.
In order for immersion to work well the players must all be developing their ideas from a common base. Make sure you have answers to questions that include
What does clothing look like?
What does armour look like?
Do characters have makeup or facial markings?
Are there any taboos towards certain kinds of dress?
What are common technologies emoployed by people?
This isn’t an exhaustive list; but not a bad start. Here are some things that can help.
Use a Mood Board
Mood boards are collections of images that set the tone and the feeling of what you are trying to achieve. The easiest way to do this is to use Pinterest.
Use Fictional References
Tell people which films, TV Shows or books best illustrate the world you are trying to create. If possible provide links to items on YouTube, Netflix or Amazon to help people get there.
Do A Photo Shoot
Get a few people together with a photographer and shoot a gallery of images that shows what you are going for. This will help to solidify your plans.
Applying Look and Feel to The Edit
The edit takes place very soon after the fall of civilisation. A plague is resposible for the fall. Dress is whatever you can get. Most people will wear their normal preferred choice of clothes. Some are wearing protective gear. Some are grabbing practial outdoor or military wear. Its not the full on Mad Max stlye apocalypse gear yet. It is the worn out modern day with some people taking precautions; while others are practical.
Its expected that a mood board will be established for the game.
The LARPs Rules
You may not see the rules as being part of the world, but thing of it this way. Your rules describe how people interact with things. How they achieve things. And if your larp involves conflict; who wins.
Your rules are a key tool in describing your world to the players.
This is never more true than in the case of character creation. The building of characters is an expression of how people live in your world.
Remember this about rules
Terms like no-rule or high-rule are explain complexity but in themselves don’t model the world.
Create your rules as needed to let people understand how the world works.
The Edits Rules
The plan here is for as few rules as possible. Combat should be brutal and terrifying. The combat rules will reflect this by making it easy to be killed. Character generation will be descriptive. Based upon building an archetype. The archtype comes from previous employment, interests and hobbies.
As you can see the rules are not finished. But I do have goals.
The General rule is Iteration
This means that your world won’t be formed first time. You’ll go back and edit and revise ideas. Each time improving things for yourself and others. Like the real world it should be a living breathing thing that never stops changing.
Your Players Understand Things
Never forget that your players are a fantastic resource. How they respond to things will teach you how people interact with your world. Always listen to them. They are a mine of ideas.
It is LARP Awards season. At least here in the UK, it is. Also when I say season I do mean the UK Larp Awards associated with Larpcon.
These awards have been running now since 2011 – which is quite an achievement and I hope they continue for quite a while as each year we get a fascinating insight into what is going on in UK Larp.
The award ceremony itself is on March 3rd 2019. So these are the nominations.
Let’s see who is in the running this year.
The Nominess
Award for Accessibility in Larp. *** NEW FOR 2019 ***
Bothwell School of Witchcraft
Curious Pastimes
Empire
Marked: A school for heroes
Under the Stars
International Larp of the Year. *** RETURNING FOR 2019 ***
Academy of Eblana – Ireland
College of Wizardry – Poland
Conscience – Spain
Legion: Siberian Story – Czech Rep
Raven Crew – Italy & on a pirate ship
Larp Venue of the Year
Eversley
Herstmonceux Castle
Huntley Wood
Paccar Scout Camp
The Grange
Small Larp of the Year
Clans of Albion
Erda
Eyelarp – Norseman Saga
Faded Glory
Paradigm Shift
Medium Larp of the Year
Age of Aether
Exiled on the Shores of Carmoa
Guild of Darkness
Orion’s Sphere
Wing and a Prayer
Large Larp of the Year
Bothwell School of Witchcraft
Curious Pastimes
Empire
Future’s End
Lorien Trust
Family Larp of the Year
Curious Pastimes
Empire
Fields of Illusion
Legacy
Lorien Trust
Sanctioned Larp of the Year
Age of Aether – Consequences
CP College Event – Tempest Arcanem
Empire – Nemesis
Empire – Over the Edge
LT – Fey Fables 3
Club Larp of the Year
General Larp Society (DUGL) – Durham University
Fools & Heroes
Hokfell – Leeds University
Labyrinthe
Polaris – University of Nottingham
Grassroots Larp of the Year
Bothwell School of Witchcraft
Empire
Erda
Fools & Heroes
Northern Kingdoms
New Larp of the Year
Exiled on the Shores of Carmoa
Jacobite
Legacy
Northern Kingdoms
Orion’s Sphere
Producer of the Year – Foam/latex
AJ Preece LARP Supplies
Offa Studios
Cræftigan
Light Armouries
Medlock Armoury
Producer of the Year – Leather
Darkblade
Lock’s Leather
The Goblin Workshop.
Lamia Leather
The Thornless Rose
Producer of the Year – Costume
Chows
Cræftigan
Romany Robes
Sewn By Dragons
Whitestar Clothing
Caterer of the Year
Caggles Catering
Mhorish
The Good Honest Food Co
The RattShakk
The Wooden Spoon
Creature Costume of the Year
Bruce the Drop bear – Sewn By Dragons – Age of Aether
Rob spent some time talking the Ram. The man behind the Colony Wars SF Larp games. This is what he found out.
Question: What is Colony Wars?
Answer:
It is a SF Larp Nerf System. That borrows from SF action films and TV from the 1980’s onwards. You’ll find inspirations from the Aliens, Terminator, Predator, RoboCop, Resident Evil, and others.
It refers to the famous corporations from these worlds. Expect to see Weyland Yutani, Umbrella, OCP, etc all up their usual tricks.
So far there have been 3 games in the Colony Wars Sequence
Games 1 and 2 were both Bug Hunts. A team has to deal with a difficult situation. This boils down to dodgy dealings with bioweaponery.
In Game 3 the emphasis shifted to the Colony Wars concept. Now a team landing on a world has to work with a world inspired by SF. In the first Colony Wars this was the apes from planet of the Apes.
Question: What About The Next Game?
Answer:
The next event is Colony Wars: Wargames.
Delos (Westworld) and CyberDyne (Terminator) have created a training ground. Teams from different SF backgrounds are invited to compete to see who is the best.
Question: When and Where?
Answer:
When is the weekend of June 21st. Arrivals will be on the Friday.
This will include some social time. A chance for the players to get to know each other.
The game starts on the morning of June 22nd and plays on until mid afternoon June 23rd
The location is Priory Wood Scout Camp, Takeley, Bishops Storford, CM22 7 TD
It’s close to Stansted Airport.
Question: What SF Genres
Answer:
You’re going to have quite a choice. At the moment we are thinking of
Colonial Marines (Aliens)
Mobile Infantry (Starship Troopers)
Marine Corps Space Aviators (Space Above and Beyond)
Robocops (via the OCP corporation from Robocop)
Judges (as in 2000AD’s Judge Dredd)
By way of example.
The game is open to most SF genres especially if they can fit into the action adventure style. We are open to ideas.
Question: Nerf Gun Mods?
Answer:
We’re looking for all Nerf guns (or similar) to be painted. So they do not look like toys but instead look more like guns.
Cosmetic modifications are fine. This includes body panels, new stocks, lights and so on. The idea is that if the guns look more like their SF counter parts then so much the better.
We are not allowing alterations to guns that increase their rate of fire or the speed of darts. So nothing to increase the power of the guns themselves.
We are also not allowing dart modifications. These all need to be stock darts.
Question: What are the rules like?
Answer:
Very lightweight. All the characters will have the skills to do complete tasks that match their roles.
We do ask that skills are all roleplayed out.
Combat is more theatrical than points based. You will know when you’ve taken hits and these need to be role-played.
Wounds and healing should also be role-played.
We are not aiming to kill characters off. Be warned, if a character gets caught in an untenable situation; then we won’t shy from the outcome.
Question: What About Player Support?
Answer:
We are putting together resources to help players create their characters.
If someone comes to us with a good idea then we’ll try and make that happen
From our point of view then we are putting together props to make this a fun game.
All players have to do is remember to talk to us.
Here’s is the idea. Give someone a ticket for a larp that they have never attended.
Before I get into detail I must say that this is not my idea. It belongs to Gideon Lawrence of Wyvernstales, Legends Larp and Myth. You’ll more details on finding his stuff at the end of this post.
The Ticket as a Gift
If you go to more than one larp then you may know people who go to one larp but not the others. So why not help a friend go to a larp they have not tried before by getting them a ticket.
The more larps we all go to the better it is for everyone. Yet sometimes we don’t do this. There can be plenty of reasons. Sometimes though all we need is a nudge. The ticket is the nudge. Plus finding out that you know another attendee is always a good thing.
So give a ticket and help a friend experience more.
The Ticket Exchange
Larp tickets are rarely cheap. Spending a larp amount of money to see if someone likes something could feel like too much. So how about getting into a ticket pact. I’ll buy you a ticket to something I do; if you buy me one for something you do. It’s a simple exchange.
Yes you still spending money. Now though you have negotiated with your friend on what you are both going to do. You know what you are doing and what you are getting.
Raising the question can be the thing in itself. It may be that you decide not to buy each other tickets. That’s ok as now you have talked about the other larps you do. The idea of going to another larp is out there and that is a good thing.
Spreading The Cost
Tickets for larps are not always available. For a larp planned for later the next year, it may be months before tickets go on sale. This means you are giving away a ticket you cannot buy yet.
That’s not a bad thing. It means you can promise the ticket and start saving. Spreading the cost over a period of months. So long as you save some money it can take the sting out of the final cost.
It turns out that a larp ticket as a Christmas present need not feel as expensive as it might.
About Gideon Lawrence
He’s a one man larp machine. He runs a larp company, owns a larp shop, tells stories, educates and pushes the hobby forwards.
This had to followed up on. So following the run of The Night in Question I asked the players if the would help us tell you how it went. Their responces were wonderful, and documented here.
So much so that in face I need to tell you what is coming as this is going to a long post. So I’ll show you the plan
There was a long path from the parking lot to the actual rave. It was really dark, with only lights from the scene and glowsticks to lure unsuspecting mortals to the last night of their lives. I was walking with a friend of mine, working out our character ties when she got distracted by someone else and I told her I’d meet her in the party. As I walked the path alone, I felt more and more Bethany coming forward in my mind and shannon dropping away. By the time I made it past the tents and just before the lighted “Bridge” shannon was gone. That fact was cemented when, from out of nowhere, I heard “BETHANY! I’ve been looking for you!” And I turned, as if I’d responded to that name my whole life.
The feeling, going in, was like any other rave. Things were just kicking off. The music was going, people were dancing, and the drug dealers we’re already scoping their marks. I walked in arm in arm with a good friend, Vera, and she was telling me that my ex was there. The same ex who had abandoned me after 4 years together. (Actual separation from the real me had already occured- I was Bethany.) I fought tears as Vera took me to her brother Vince to explain why Mike, the ex, was there. Feelings of anger and hurt already apparent.
I left them to their sibling squabbles to locate Anton, the guy who’d invited me to the party, and ran into some more friends. Things were going good! Despite the fact that Mike was lurking somewhere, I was around people I loved and cared for.
A few good moments
Bethany found out that Vince had ordered Mike to kill her on again off again boyfriend Ian. It seemed Ian owed Vince quite a bit of money. Terrified that the men she loved most in the world would tear themselves apart, she struck a bargain with Vince herself – she would pay the money Ian owed and Vince would call his dogs off. Strangely, this blew up in her face.
The thrum of the music matched the mood. The feeling of impending chaos grew and I found it strangely difficult to keep control of situations and felt helpless as I was no longer able to put people at ease as I’d done so easily before. Slowly, creatures started coming out of the dark, friends seemed off, colors were wrong. I’d been so caught up in trying to problem solve that I didn’t see the nightmare growing around me.
Finally, Anton, the guy who’d invited me, pulled me away to calm me down. I was frustrated and upset and felt hopeless. He offered to take away the stress.
Defining moment
As Anton soothed me, and promised to help me shed the weight of humanity, she gave her life to him. And he gave her a new one. My embrace was soft, kind, and oddly romantic. From the exchange of blood, and the awakening to a new world, he walked me to a grave pit. He described that the world he would give me would have no more stress, no more concern for people who only seek to take advantage, no more loneliness. “But nothing comes without pain.” The shovel came down and I ended up face down in a shallow grave. Speakers in the wall of the whole whispered the words of my Beast as I fought to save myself. My Beast was awake and hungry. I struggled to free myself from my grave. (It was a hole in the ground, but a tear away tarp and hay instead of dirt.)
I came out of that grave feeling free from the first time in my life. I didn’t give a shit about the petty mortal bullshit. That was all too temporary. All I cared about was my Sire who truly woke me up…and this insane hunger. I cackled at the silliness of the Bethany from before; how pathetic she was to have given so much for so little in the past. I cackled at the knowledge that I was better now. Stronger, more determined, and tied to someone forever in a way that was more permanent than anything the mortals could hope to have.
Coming out of that game, that character, was the hardest thing I’ve ever done as a gamer. For literal days, I couldn’t mentally let Bethany go. I didn’t feel Shannon wake up again until the next morning. After I’d had some sleep and started moving. The night before, I’d walked almost 10 miles total and never felt a step, and it all hit me at once the moment I put my feet on the floor. It was really hard. I’ve never in my nearly 20 years of gaming participated in something so collaborative and immersive.
Nathan Klinger – About The Night in Question
So going into the game I didn’t know what to expext. I had never LARPed before, and this was a hefty one to take on for a first one. But when I walked up the dirt path to the rave site.. I felt my personality fade to the back and my character’s come full force to the front.
The most memorable scenes for me… were reconciling with my ex girlfriend, after a lot of backwards deals and betrayals between us, the drag rats, and my boss Vince.
As well as my creation rites… when I went to the graves I was tagged to become a Lasombra. But Vince was being put in the grave first. I got poached by the toreador, and shovel headed. When I was in the grave, the speakers played 1st Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child…” etc. It was chilling. I am also an ex Christian and the relationship I had with my character… this was extremely relevant to me on a personal level.
And then watching the monomacy fight between the hunter and my packs Ductus… that was a major highlight
The Feel of this game
I was following the Facebook group for this game as it started and after its end. It was very clear that a lot of emotion was generated. That it was a massively immersive experience and that the people who played love it.
Do You Want to Know More?
There is a Facebook group for this game and a website. There will also be a 2019 outing as well. Here are the links
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