Guess Who Has Opinions?

Hey! I'm a UK-based LARP/LRP newbie who has a lot of thoughts about the hobby. This is a blog containing those thoughts, along with advice and tips I've picked up along the way.

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How To Give Military Style LARP Orders

Playing an officer, commander or otherwise hierarchal member of a group? Here is a brief guide to giving orders based on a military framework!

Describe The Situation You want to keep this as factual as possible with quantifiable data. You don't have to include every single one of these factors, just the relevant ones. It comes in three parts; Enemy Forces: Strength, Location, Weapons, Equipment, Observations, Air Threat, Morale, Intentions (their orders come under this), Hostages, Child soldiers, Chemical/Biological/Radiology/Nuclear defence.

Friendly Forces: 2 up command intention (your boss's boss intentions), 1 up command mission intention/main effort (your boss), Locations, Future actions including those of allies, Outline fire support plan, Intelligence/Surveillance/Reconnaissance, Air Support, Host nation police & military.

Civilians/Human Terrain: Non-governmental organisation, Other government departments, Host nation government, Refugees, Friendlies/Unfriendlies, Locations and movements.

Mission What the orders and goal are. State the orders twice.

Execution Concept of operations.

Intent: The effects to be achieved. Scheme of Manoeuvre: The what/where/when/how. Description given chronologically. Main timings only. Main Effort: The activity considered crucial to the success of the mission. Task & purpose. Subordinate Missions: Support given in priority order. State that order.

Remember what is essential and what is nice to have. Example of Execution "1 section. You are to FIX enemy forces at Compound Alpha in order to allow 2 and 3 sections to CAPTURE compound Bravo."

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How to Calibrate

Calibration is a buzzword and activity that appears in a variety of larps, but is less common among linear and boffer games. What does it mean? How do you do it? Read on for a quick, unexhaustive lowdown on this technique.

Calibration is a technique used in a variety of games, though most commonly in the nordic tradition. It might sound a bit heavy, but fundamentally it means "adjusting your play to better reflect your desires and intentions". It can be done solo but also refers to the conversations you have with fellow players to figure out what you want in play.

Some games will have specific time set aside for these conversations and adjustments to happen. Some will be in workshops. Some will have third party guidance and help. Some you might do quickly in an OC space to stop a storyline going south. No matter how you do it, communication is absolutely key. It's also important to think of clear actions you can take in order to achieve what you and/or your roleplaying buddy desire - wanting something is all well and good, but how do you intend to fulfil that?

I am a firm believer that not every game or playstyle requires much calibration, with many players preferring a more 'let's just play and see where it goes' approach. I myself am one of these players! But different strokes for different folks for different games.

I find calibration most useful when thought of as a series of questions and answers, adjusting your play depending on the response. See some sample questions below.

To Ask Yourself:

Is there any part of this character that is hindering my OC enjoyment of the game?

Where would I like my character to end up?

What elements of my character do I think have been overlooked and need bringing out?

Are there any relationships I want to spend more time with?

Are there any parts of the game I would like to be more involved with?

Is there any plot or experience I would like to talk to a GM about?

To Ask Other Players:

Is there anything I can do to enrich your game?

Are there any adjustments needed for our character's relationship?

Are there any elements of your character you would like me to play on more?

Are you open to doing X with my character?

Could you draw more attention to this element of my character?

Where should we take our characters?

Are there any story beats you would like to avoid?

How are your comfort levels with X?

Are there any access accommodations you need from me?

This list could go on forever, but if it's your first time in a non-guided calibration session, hopefully this will give you some idea of where to go!

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Quick-Fire Tips for New Larpers

Splash out on the more expensive fake blood that doesn't stain clothing.

Layering and scarves are your friend when kitting up on a budget.

There will be tons of people at games willing to lend you weapons a props. Just ask!

In general, 'Just Ask!' is a great tule to have.

Prioritise comfort and warmth/lack of warmth when designing kit.

If part of your character isn't fun, just change it. Don't suffer through for the sake of 'the character'.

Don't feel like you immediately have to throw yourself into combat. Taking it slow and doing some training before wading in will make you a better fighter than 50% of the people at a game.

Life is too short for boring meetings. If it sucks, hit the bricks.

Let yourself have the damn wish fulfilment.

Try your hardest not to be intimidated by people who have been larping longer than you. We're all nerds dressed up in a field.

Crewing can be a good way to try out lots of things and figure out what you like without having to pay a lot for it.

Make sure you read the safety document and complaints procedure for every game you go to.

Remember, above all else, this is a hobby we do for fun.

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Before Bed Checklist for LARP

You're about to go to bed. But before you get cuddled up in your sleeping bag, here are some things to check.

Have you eaten?

Have you drank?

Have you taken your meds?

Have you peed?

Are your feet dry? (Seriously, do not fuck with this one.)

Is your kit somewhere it can dry if it's wet?

Have you set an alarm?

Are your weapons stored correctly?

If it comes down to it, just remember "Eat, Drink, Feet, Sleep."

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Things Even Experienced Larpers do

Mix up out of character and in character names.

Forget their stats.

Forget the rules.

Forget their own character name.

Mispronounce fictional names.

Forget key character costume and props.

Have to go to bed early due to fatigue.

Trip over themselves when making a big speech.

Get out of character worried when doing an antagonistic action.

Forget to eat.

Oversleep.

Get overstimulated.

Get character bleed.

Literally say “Jesus Christ” in games where that man is not a concept, and similar.

Literally fall over during combat.

Seriously, it's alright. Don't stress. You have not ruined everything by making a mistake.

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Small Character Details.

Phew, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve been here right? Well, here’s a post to help your character kit look unique. It focuses on cheap, small items that can be bought on like, eBay or Wish. These items can be added or subtracted to the same base kit and end up with a completely different characterisation but like, inexpensively. 

Costume Jewellery I know this is VERY obvious, but seriously, the effect some necklaces, rings and bracelets can have is outstanding. I’d like to particularly mention some items that are less considered. Lockets can contain pictures of important IC relationships, light up rave wear can make kit instantly cyberpunk. You can get pretty much ANY word on a necklace, so like, labelling your character from the off is totally an option. Of course, if you have piercings, there’s a whole world to explore there too, which brings us to...

Fake Piercings Clip on earrings, non-piercing ear cuffs and non-piercing nose piercings. I promise you they have come on along way since the nineties. Most of them are much more comfortable than they used to be and nearly all of them are cheaper than the real thing. Temporary Tattoos I’m not gonna lie, this is my absolute favourite. There’s metallic ones, glow in the dark ones, white ones, customisation ones, words, images, PHOTOGRAPHS. If you have the cash, there’s even ones that develop over twenty four hours and last a few weeks. For a little extra tip, you can buy gels on etsy that take the shine from temporary tattoos while simultaneously making them longer lasting. Get on it.

Coloured Hair Wax and Spray While I am a person that has and would do again dyed my hair for a character, not everyone has that level of commitment/silliness. In the past five years, there’s been a LOT of developments for super temporary colour. I find hair wax works the best if you don’t mind the slightly odd texture, followed by hair chalk, followed by hair spray. They often are cheapest around Halloween so I stock up. And yes, there is usually a glitter option.

Hair Accessories Look, I’m just gonna list a bunch in case you hadn’t thought of one. Cool? Cool. Ribbons, headbands, alice bands, bandannas, clips, sliders, clamps, animal ears, hair jewellery, beads, hair jewels, hair stickers, bobbles, scrunchies, box chains, bows, crowns, tiaras and you get the image.

Badges and Brooches I have a box of badges with various slogans on them to stick on character bags and coats. Political slogans, pride badges and fandom symbols are particularly good for showing a character trait or interest. If playing a historical larp or a classy character, brooches are the way to go. I recommend an association with an animal or precious stone.  Hats and Gloves I am not going to list every sort of hat. There’s a lot. Google the era and the word hat and do your best. Remember you can personalise hats too with badges, ribbons or things to stick in the band if it has one (feathers and flowers encouraged). Gloves! Mittens, knitted, (faux) leather, driving, fingerless, arm warmers, lace, silk, evening, hand wraps... There’s a lot here. They can represent either end of the class spectrum and can either make a character look instantly tough, instantly soft or instantly classy as fuck.

Veils Don’t be racist, but face/hair coverings can be incredibly versatile in a setting that encourages and incorporates them into the kit brief sensitively. Choice of fabric and pattern can make two otherwise identical looks worlds apart. Masks This is just about verging into actual kit, but I wanted to put it here in case you were in a setting where this would be a STATEMENT rather than a core piece of the kit brief. Lace and filigree masks can be worn easily and are inexpensive to acquire. Other types can be mouth coverings or entire face masks. These tend to be a little more aggressive and/or unusual. Be safe though - I promise you at some point you will deeply regret this costume choice.

Scarves (in the loosest possible sense.) I am EVANGELICAL about the power of scarves. Gain a collection. Add them to fucking everything. Not just as a scarf but. Belts, head coverings, sashes, skirts, shawls, shirts, hand wraps, belt drops. A strip of fabric can do SO MUCH for a costume. My personal favourite is a cheat for an instantly feminine priestess look - get a belt, tie a hundred scarfs and necklaces around it, boom, done. 

Nails Paint your nails! If you’re particularly devoted and have the cash, a manicure to achieve a specific nail shape is also an option. You want claws you can actually use? This is the way to go.

Glasses and Contact Lenses I won’t talk about actual glasses worn for sight here because I’m lazy and that conversation would last all day. I am mostly referring to sunglasses here but I also enjoy differing frames for daily wear. There’s a practically endless amount of glasses designs with colour, frame and glass colour being combineable and changeable. In what situations your character wears glasses can be a character trait in of itself. If you prefer them, contact lenses can make you an instantly different person by changing your eye colour or pupil shape. They can indicate different species, different moods and so much more. Single day ones tend to be cheaper but year long can be quite the investment if you larp regularly. 

Bits and Bobs Belts! Ties! Cravats! Bow ties! Braces! Shoelaces! Charms! Fetishes! Socks! Perfume! Bags! Tights! Aprons! Bandages! Plasters! Slings!

(And like, make up, obviously).

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How To Manage Fatigue at a Game

Wow, it’s been quite a long break hasn’t it fam? My apologies. But I’m back and I’m back with a new set of advice aimed at a problem a lot of my friends suffer from. Yep, it’s that cormorbid symptom everyone loves to hate; fatigue! I have quite a vested interest in this myself.

So, below the cut is a set of tips for larping while fatigued, without breaking yourself.

1. Talk to the Organisers.

First thing is first. If it’s a smaller game, tell the organisers ahead of time that this is a problem for you. This way, if you need to ask to rearrange encounters, do things lying down or turn into a non-combatant part of your work is already done for you. Similarly, this is the time to ask for accommodations to make your life easier. Consider things like asking to camp closer to the field or asking for a bottom bunk. This brings us neatly to the next point.

2. Utilise and Learn your Layout.

This is where it becomes sorta like a military operation. Try, if you can, to get a site map or description. Mark where you’ll be sleeping and then highlight places of interest. Think about your day schedule. Try and plan a day that requires much less doubling back on yourself and walking. Maybe you should set up your ‘base’ in the middle of the field if you tend to visit a lot of camps. If you are a general, you want to be close to the military planning tents. If you tend to need things you can’t bring IC, make sure you’re close to an OC area. This is honestly the single biggest help for me.

3. Advance Planning.

This is a hundred little things in reality. Bring your painkillers downstairs with you. Figure out where there’s seating. Give your character a reason why they may be tired (and incorporate mobility aids and other items ic). Bring a foldable chair. Find out when there are lulls in the event schedule for napping. Carry snacks with you for energy. Think of problems that arise and figure out solutions before they actually happen.

3a. Sleeping Planning.

A thing I’m going to mention specifically is preparing your sleeping area. This should be the first thing you do, before anything else. There is nothing worse than desperately wanting to go to bed and having to make it up. Do it at the beginning of the game. I’d also advise laying out your sleeping clothes, any night time medication you need and any comfort items right on top, so you don’t have to search for them. 

4. Ask Your Friends for Help.

You are not alone in that field. Your able bodied mates will be a huge asset. Ask them for help in labour intensive tasks such as putting up tents or carrying bags. You need to save your energy - if someone offers help, do not be too proud to take them up on it.

5. Self Care as You Go.

Do not wait until you are already broken to look after yourself. Eat before you are starving, drink before you are thirsty, keep warm before you are freezing. It is much easier to maintain a steady state than repair a crashed one. So sit down even when you don’t need to, accept drinks offered, eat snacks offered. Your body will thank you.

6. Pace Yourself.

There will be parts in every game where you have to extend yourself, either physically or emotionally. That’s part of the fun. However, consider if you need to be in every single fight or turn every disagreement into a screaming row. Picking your dramatic moments means the momentum is overall much more sustainable.

8. Escape Route.

This is not an option available to everyone, but it’s handy to have if it’s possible. I find knowing I can leave if I want to a massive comfort, even if I don’t have to use it. This can be anything from having a friend you can call on to take you home, knowing there’s a quiet room you can retreat to or knowing there’s a less taxing crew role with your name on it. 

9. Factor in the Weather.

Mud will make it harder to roll or walk across fields. Cold will wear you out quicker. Scorching heat will also exhaust you. Factor in these things and bring items to counter them. Think hot water bottles and cold packs.

**** SPECIAL CREW SECTION. ****

Most of the above is aimed at players, so I thought I’d take a moment to give some tips to crew specifically.

- Keep your game runners updated on how you’re feeling. - Take breaks frequently. - Rearrange and adjust encounters if you need to to your physical level. - You do not have to stay awake until the last players sleep. - Use the crew welfare available. 

If nothing else, make sure you: MEDICATE. EAT. DRINK. SLEEP.

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How to Write Constructive Feedback

Most games and organisers welcome feedback to improve their games. Here’s a non-definitive guide to help you through the process.

I think it’s worth clarifying from the off that feedback is different from a froth or venting post. My only tip there is if it’s a mostly negative post, filter the organisers out for a bit after the game. They’ll likely be feeling wrung out and stressed, and probably not in a place to see the solution in amongst the problems.  Manners, innit. 

Now, the feedback guide.

STEP ONE: AFTER THE GAME. It can be super useful to note down soon after the game immediate impressions and thoughts you had. Keeping hold of fleeting thoughts can be difficult, and noting them down minimises the risk of forgetting them.

STEP TWO: DO NOTHING. Recover from the game, gain some distance, indulge in froth or comfort! Giving it a little time encourages some objectivity and emotional distance. 

STEP THREE: LOGISTICS Find out when the organisers want feedback (and in rare cases, if they want it at all). In most cases, this is at least a week after the game, so they’ve had some time to destress and rest. In some cases, it’s longer. Respect this.  Also useful to know is how they like to receive feedback. Almost all ask for it via email, but some create forms especially for this purpose. If it’s a form, the rest of the guide is probably mootish, as it’ll specifically walk you through what the organisers want. 

STEP FOUR: THE FIRST DRAFT Write down everything you liked, and everything you didn’t. Good is just as important as the bad here. They need to know what you liked so they can keep doing it! It’s also a bit disheartening to get an email full of problems and no praise. But also, be honest. It’s useless if it isn’t true.

STEP FIVE: EXAMINE FURTHER. Look at your list. Look at what you dis/liked and try to put your finger on why, and put it into words. Sometimes, you won’t know the answer and that’s okay.  Examples: What you liked: “I enjoyed the final boss fight on Friday.” Why: “Because it felt like every player had a role in it’s defeat, and nobody got left out.”  What you disliked: “I had a bad time on Saturday morning about ten am.” Why: “I found it hard to find out any information due to there not being enough communication from the NPC.” 

Another useful thing that is much tricker is to suggest improvements. Again, if your brain can’t produce them, that’s okay! It’s not your job after all! But it can signpost possible solutions to the organisers, even if they ultimately choose a different route. 

Example: “I found the encounter on Saturday afternoon tough due to feeling like I had nothing to do. I think if some healing plot was added, more characters that weren’t fighters could have joined in.”

STEP SIX: DOUBLE CHECK Some last checks of the content are useful. For instance, making sure some of the points don’t need to be actual complaints against another player (like if someone broke the rules and it ruined your day). Another thing is to ensure it’s actually the organiser’s responsibility. If you were unhappy due to forgetting to hydrate, there’s not much they can do about it. Additionally, if the game just turned out not to be your thing, suggesting they completely change the themes or tone is not likely to be a goer. 

STEP SEVEN: FORMAT Generally bullet points are a lot easier to digest than a solid paragraph with no separation. Be sensitive to access needs that may be present, such as the need for a bigger or plainer font. Copy in any refs/organisers who have requested it.

Wait the allotted area of time and send! Other relevant points:

- You may or may not receive a reply.  - You don’t HAVE to submit feedback if you don’t want to. - Sometimes there is also a closing date for feedback entries, make sure you note this!

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Tips and Tricks on Organising a Game

Full disclosure pals: I have not actually run a game yet. Fortunately, I have picked the brains of many of my close friends, and came up with a few useful tips. This is very much NOT a full guide.

So, you have decided to run a game. You have got a venue, you got catering, got a plot, and got a crew. You have covered all the obvious pitfalls, and got all the essentials. However, there’s probably a few things people may not have mentioned or thought to advise you on. Hopefully this covers at least one or two of those gaps. As always, there are exceptions to ever rule yada yada, use your best judgement.

 Online Management

So this is probably going to be the largest section as it covers a lot. I’m going to reduce a lot of it to bullet points for ease of readability. This section will assume your game has some online presence beyond a booking form. Most games will have a Facebook page/event/group, and many will have a website.

- Make a group/page then make an event. Encourage froth on the group, not the event. This way logistics and organiser updates can be kept separate from the keen, and therefore easier to find.

- Make important game information into files, and upload them, rather than making a series of posts. It will be HELL to find otherwise, trust me. If you have a website, make sure the game information is the same version as whatever is currently on the Facebook. Delete old files, they will just cause confusion.

- Release information only when it’s complete. Updates and tweaks are fine. What’s not fine is publishing a unfinished brief, then answering further questions in comments/emails and that information only existing there. People will miss it, and be confused.

- Encourage questions to be sent to your official game email rather than personal Facebook accounts. That way the entire ref team will see it, and it will keep your stress levels down. 

- Your group/page/event should have a pinned post. This should include: Time of event and the location, the event premise, if it’s a standalone, player event or if not what event number it is, if it is fully catered, if it has sleeping space or it’s camping only, if there are still tickets available. Additionally it should have links to any important information such as your E&D policy, your rules, your setting etc. Set up an FAQ for small questions in the comments - anything more complex should go to your emails. 

Okay, now that section is over, we can go to more singular tips. 

Be Honest in Your Advertising.  You want people to come to your game, naturally. You may find yourself plugging it a lot when people are deciding which games to play, or pushing it hard if people are on the fence about attending. A natural opener seems to be if someone asks something like “I wish there was a decent horror game right now!”

There seems to be a tendency with organisers, to push their games even if it doesn’t fully fit the brief of what someone is asking for. Avoid this, as it sets unrealistic expectations for the game, and can also come off as desperate. Nobody likes desperation. Nobody. (This goes TRIPLY if someone is asking about accessible games. Don’t pretend yours is more accessible than it is.)

Saying No To Concepts. You want people to have fun at your game. You also want your game to have a clear vision, and be what you want it to be. Therefore, get used to the idea of saying no to things that don’t fit what you want for the game. This can be anything from proposed rule changes to character concepts. Spell out your expectations and reasoning, and be ready to accept people not attending if it doesn’t fit what they’re looking for.

Make a Thank You List for Your Speech In Advance A lot of organisers make speeches at a debriefing/time out. Make a list of who you want to thank in advance. Otherwise you will forget somebody and feel terrible later. (On a similar theme at your briefing speech, make it clear at the beginning you don’t want hecklers/jokes/complex rule queries until the very end. Save everyone some time.)

You Will Time In Later Than That Figure out what time you want to be ready for, then set time in an hour later. Stick to these limits strictly, and time in when you’ve advertised. Get crew side things done as early as possible, so you can help players who are flapping/late. If possible, dedicate a crew member to later arrivals.

If Someone is a Ref, Don’t Override Their Calls If you have rules in place, or something that players need guidance on, you will need refs. Firstly, there should always be either a floating ref present, or a ref ALWAYS in the same location. Secondly, if a ref makes a call, don’t second guess them, and don’t retcon it unless it’s catastrophic. You have trusted these people and their judgement, let them do their job.

Delegation and Responsibility So, you have your core team. Make sure each member knows what their responsibility is and where their jurisdiction ends. Their calls (and yours as the actual runner) in that area are final. Do not make decisions by committee, as this will fog your version, and lead to stepping on toes. You can’t do everything by yourself, don’t try, but managing the teams and individuals you have is more than doable. 

Keeping Your Emotions in Check Running games is hard. There will be times when you are frustrated, upset or even angry. Have someone who has volunteered to be your venting buddy. When something goes wrong, talk to them rather than taking it out on players or crew. Nobody likes crewing for someone that shouts, becomes moody or treats them badly. Having an outlet who knows what they’re getting in for is invaluable

So that’s my limited experience exhausted, and I have definitely missed an awful lot out! Feel free to add more if they strike you, or disregard everything I’ve said as tosh.

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Accessibility Questions for Organisers to Think About

LARP is a hobby that can often be inaccessible in a number of ways. This is a simple and definitely incomplete list of questions organisers and game runners can ask themselves and consider, related to disability specifically.

As always, a disclaimer before I launch into a million and one ideas and questions. I’m pretty sure it’s technically impossible to achieve all of these in one game, but aiming for as many as possible isn’t going to do anyone any harm. Let’s get into it. 

Last note: I’m going to make a rough attempt to organise these into sections for ease of reading, but it’s important to remember there are crossovers and intersections. I cannot cover every consideration unfortunately. 

MOBILITY: Are your venues doorways wide enough for wheelchair and crutch users? How even are the grounds? Are major game areas only accessible by stairs? Is the outside covered in mud or ice? Are there access ramps? Is there a reservation system for bottom bunks? Is there downstairs sleeping? Is there any plot accessible only in hard to reach areas? 

PROCESSING AND SENSORY: Is there accommodation for those who need interpreters? Doe interpreters accompanying a player pay full price?  Does any plot rely solely on one sense, for example sight or sound? Does your game contain loud sounds or flashing lights? Do your fictional words have sign language to go with them? 

MENTAL HEALTH: Is there a safeword to call scenes to a close? Is there both an OC and IC quiet place to go? Is there a qualified mental health first aider at the game? Is your complaints policy and acceptable themes clearly laid out? Do you list potentially sensitive themes that will be included in advance? How much game relies on social skills? Is there a veto on players policy?

GENERAL: Is there a quiet place to sleep? Is there separated OC and IC areas? What is your alcohol policy? Is there noncom plot? Is there down periods where people can nap? Do you have a concessions scheme? How close are train stations, parking or buses? Is there access to electricity? Can refs remind players of medication timings? Will you list your menus and ingredients in advance? What’s the temperature like? Is there any expensive required costume? Is there running water? How accessible is the place for ambulances? Do you have a first aider?

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A Guide to Crewing

I have previously wrote about crew welfare from a organiser’s perspective. Here is a guide to being the best crew member you can be. 

So, this is all from my perspective as an unpaid crew member. I suspect the paid experience may differ, so I won’t speak on that. And yes, here is my usual disclaimer that differs based on game and crew ability, and you’re not a terrible crew member if you can’t do any and all of them. I don’t know you. You do you.

1. Let the Organisers Know Your Needs/Abilities in Advance.  Are you non-com? Need a bottom bunk? Literally cannot function without your morning coffee? Let the game runners know this in advance so they can alter briefs and accommodate for you. Communication will be a running theme of this entire column - they can’t help if they don’t know there’s a problem.

2. Dropping Out If You Don’t Feel Up To It Dropping out is always fine, as your health and happiness comes first. However, as soon as you know you can’t make it, make it your first priority to tell the organiser. If they’re worth anything as a person, they will not be mad at you. 

3. Checking In This is particularly crucial when playing an R&R character, but goes for any long running NPCs. On the R&R front, having a solid idea about when the runners expect you back into the crew room is great, and avoids piss taking. On the NPC side of things, checking in and updating the refs about reactions and plot developments is massively useful. Some systems have dedicated briefing systems - figure out if these exist ahead of time so you can do it without supervision.

 4. Knowing Your Brief If your GM team have been wonderful enough to post up briefs beforehand and/or assign them, having a read through and familiarising yourself as much as possible will come in handy a truly inordinate amount. Memorising a five page brief in five minutes is not an experience I personally ever want to repeat.

5. If You Can Organise it Yourself, Do So Once you know what you’re doing, the ability to self-brief/stat/kit up will ease the burden if there’s not enough refs. I’m not suggesting go off the rails and decide what you’re doing with no oversight, but if for instance you know you’re playing a vampire in an hour, going and kitting up without being told will be a massive boon. 

6. Bringing Props/Clothes/Useful Things If you can bring spare things as well as what your brief requires, you will be a damn hero. Whether this is extra knives, a spare hoody or lots of safety pins. There is no better feeling than having the exact right thing for the situation. Bonus tip: invest in a swiss army knife.

7. Be Invested, Do Not Be Precious While having ideas and inspiration for the game direction, if you’re not on the writing team, you ultimately do not get the final say on your NPC’s fate. Do not fight organisers because you like your character or have gotten used to it. Crew are there to enable story, it is not about them. Yes, have fun, but remember your roles and requirements. 

8. Take Care of Yourself Your first responsibility is to yourself. Take breaks when you need to take breaks, eat when you need to eat, sleep early if you need to. Despite what bragging might imply, breaking yourself in the name of LARP is in fact neither big nor clever. There’s a bit of a culture about pushing yourself to your absolute limit, and it’s stupid and don’t do it okay. Not least because having a medical incident is a faff that nobody needs. 

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A Guide To Providing a Decent Crew Experience.

I have almost certainly forgotten something.

DISCLAIMER: Before I start giving advice left right and centre, obviously there is no true way to run a game, I’m sure many crew rooms that don’t do these things are excellent, etc etc. This is both subjective and personal. This is obviously geared at refs and game runners. That being said, let’s crack on.

So, I tend to crew as many games as I play. This is because of two reasons, mostly. A) I love making games work for other people, being one of the buttons that makes a story happen. It makes me feel fulfilled and satisfied. B) I’m really poor and if I can’t afford to play a cool game, I’ll crew it. 

This has given me an insight into many, many game runner’s styles and crew rooms in general. It’s allowed me to form a dangerous thing - opinions. I’ve only ever had two truly terrible crewing experiences, so kudos to pretty much everyone I’ve worked for. The following list is things I think ought to be considered or included in crew rooms for optimum experience. They are in no particular order. 

1. CREW BRIEFS. Look, this is honestly the BIGGEST thing for me. Print out your crew briefs and stats. Make two copies. Put one in a folder. This folder lives in the crew room. It does not move from the crew room. If anybody moves it, you kill them. 

The second set can be folded up and kept with the crew members who need it, especially those with long and complicated briefs. It will stop them pestering the refs to doublecheck things. It will make everyone’s lives a million times easier. 

2. CREW SCHEDULES. You know that wonderful folder you have above? You’re going to put an event schedule in it. Sure, it’ll subject to change. But if your volunteers know when about they should be getting ready for certain encounters, it will save time. An for the love of the Gods, have a visible clock somewhere.

3. THE BASICS. Your job is to look after your crew. They are, after all, volunteers, doing you a favour. You should provide, budget allowing, things to make their experiences better and their comfort higher. A basic checklist follows.

- Food, including veggie and vegan options, as well as any other dietary requirements.  - Drinks, including tea and coffee.  - A first aid kit including painkillers, bandages, and plasters. - Sanitary towels. - Blankets.  - Somewhere to sit.  - A pony.

4. A REF PRESENT. Ideally, if you have the numbers, a ref that lives in the crew room is invaluable. Their jobs include: hustling people along, sending crew out on encounters, advising on costume/props, checking everyone is cared for, receiving debriefs and information, answering questions, adjusting plot/timings/stats when needed. 

5. DEBRIEFING. You need a set system for what happens when an NPC returns. If you’re super fancy, like PD, you’ll have a computer system for this exact thing, but most games won’t have such luxury. Some alternatives are: a laptop to log things in, a notebook to make notes in, a ref tasked with receiving such information.

6. MISTAKE MANAGEMENT and CREW AGENCY. Related to the above, your crew are only human. Mistakes will happen, and you need to decide how to deal with them. A popular approach is retconning, of approaching the player who received false information and telling them to forget it. While this is easy, I also encourage the method of refs sticking by whatever their NPCs said when possible. This gives a level of trust to crew that stops stilted interactions and hurrying off to doublecheck with a ref.

7. MAKE UP, COSTUME, AND PROPS. There are a few bits I encourage refs to bring as stock if the budget allows; make up, tabards, some weapons, a few base layers. Other than that, you want to make crew aware ahead of time what you expect them to bring.

8. PREPARATION. Following from the above, if possible, make a facebook group for the crew, and publish information such as brief, schedules, plot and rules as ahead of time as you can to allow them to prepare and gain familiarity.

9. REPORTING SYSTEM. Make sure your crew are familiar with the procedure if they would like to make complaints during the game. Common complaints will include unpulled blows, players flouncing rules and aggression leveled at them. Make sure they know how you will treat complaints, and what possible consequences will be. Additionally, making them aware of who they need to ask if they want something, or need an accessibility adjustment. 

10. R AND R. You will provide breaks for crew, both scheduled and on demand. Let me tell you now, if you insist someone keep working when they are tired/sore/unhappy, it’s a bit of a dick move. Breaks can take several forms. Chilling in the crew room, using a R&R character to get some casual roleplay in, or making a pick up and play folders for easy, low intensity crew roles. Be sure crew are aware of what the acceptable limits of all of these things are - for instance, an r&r character probably shouldn’t have a huge amount of power.

11. Honesty about noncom roles. Look, in a ideal world, there would be plenty of noncom roles for disabled folk in all games. That’s not the situation we are in, and some games will not have a vast number or selection. Please, please be up front about this fact. There’s nothing more disappointing than being told there’s a place for non-combatants and then sitting in the crew room alone for hours. 

[larprambles]

Dealing With Being on Your Period in a Field.

Because it is like, the worst.

Keep reading

[ladieswholarp]

This is perfect timing, I was just thinking of doing another post about this.

The main points are all covered here - basically, take care of yourself out there, and remember everything’s going to take more energy - but there’s a couple more bits I’d add: > Remember, at Fest LARPs in particular, that sometimes there is not readily accessible running water. When it’s a Code Red, this can be even more of an issue, because your hands should really be clean when you’re dealing with that. Consider hand sanitiser or wet wipes.

If your hands aren’t covered in mud and gore, what are you even doing with your game? 

Photo by Tom Garnett from The Fall of Vusoria.

> Are you running an event? Consider if there’s anything you can do to help a player on their period. Recently I did a 24-hour time-in horror LARP set in a space prison, phys-repped by a warehouse in Glasgow. We were going to have basically no personal comforts. I was already prepared for being cold, hungry, uncomfortable, scared out of my mind, and having no sleep. Buuuut theeeen I did the special 28-day maths and let out the long, low “noooooo” of those who see unavoidable horror coming.

But! I mentioned it to a ref, and she basically went “OH NO”, and reassured me that I’d be fine to have my own supplies on me, and that the bathrooms would also be well stocked at all times, and that they’d not only carry additional painkillers, but would keep track of when I could take them - because, IC, we’d never know what the real time was. It was really reassuring to know they had my back and meant I could focus on IC concerns. Like xenomorphs.

See? What a load off.

Photo by Oliver Facey from Incarceration.

> If you are attending an event, take spare supplies with you. Even if it’s not due, because sometimes it will defy all laws of biology and show up just to spite you. (This has happened to me.) And because sometimes it will spite someone else, and they might be caught out as well. And because sometimes someone might already have guessed it was coming, and gotten supplies, but they vanish somewhere en route to the event and suddenly it’s time for the player briefing and where are your damn pads. 

(Are you guessing what has put this issue on my mind lately? Are you suspecting it’s a series of Incidents? YOU ARE CORRECT.)

IN SHORT: BE PREPARED, FOR YOURSELF AND UNTO OTHERS.

Stick to the blood of your enemies.

Photo by Oliver Facey from Projekt Ragnarok.

[larprambles]

Dealing With Being on Your Period in a Field.

Because it is like, the worst.

This advice is gonna be aimed at field LARP rather than indoor games, but the advice is transferable, mostly.  A lot of it is also going to seem really obvious, but all the best advice is. So, let us begin. 

EXPECTED BLEEDING:

First thing is first - it is okay to cancel on games if you want to. For some people their period is more trouble than it’s worth, and not being in the comfort of their own is going to be hellish. That is a choice you have, and one you can make. You will not be letting anyone down, you will not miss all the plot ever. With that said, here is a checklist for packing if you do want to go play!

Checklist:

Pads/tampons/cup/whatever filling recepticle takes your fancy. Pack more than you think you need, like socks.

Painkillers and any additional meds you may need.

A hot water bottle

Something that comforts you, be it chocolate or teddies or a punchbag. 

More changes of underwear than usual. 

UNEXPECTED BLEEDING: You didn’t plan for this and now everything is annoying and awful forever. I’ve been there pal. I feel the need to stress a matching piece of advice to mirror the one above - it is okay to bug out and go home if you want to. This is a hobby, this is meant to be fun, do not force this on yourself etc.   That said, if you decide to stay, you need supplies. If you have a car, you could potentially go do that thing via the traditional means. However, if that is unviable for whatever reason, your first port of call should absolutely be the crew and first aid. In bigger games, there will usually be painkillers and tampons/pad about for crew. In emergencies, refs are usually more than happy to help you out. It may be embarrassing to ask due to SOCIETAL BULLSHIT, but I promise, nobody will judge you for your body being a shit. 

GENERAL ADVICE:

Locate the bathrooms. Know where they are. Ladies and unisex loos generally have bins, gentleman’s don’t usually because of SOCIETAL BULLSHIT.

Eat more than you usually would, if you can. Your body is under more stress and you’re doing a physical thing. Beware of feeling faint - if you do, please go chill with a first aider.

Sleep more than you usually would. If you can, find a place on the IC field where you can powernap if you’re afraid of missing out. If you have an IC bag, try and keep your supplies in it. You will be thankful when you don’t have to trudge back to the OC field over and over.

Cold water gets out blood quicker. Raspberry leaf tea helps with cramps. 

It is perfectly within your right to complain constantly, and lie on cushions demanding people bring you wine and/or grapes.

[larphacks]

Process Hack: Representation

Here’s a quick dit about representation and inclusivity in LARP.

Writing accessible, inclusive games is important. Having a clear, open accessibility policy is important. Improving accessibility in your own games and helping others improve theirs is important. Creating diverse, inclusive, welcoming settings and environments is important, and so is thinking about inclusivity etiquette and how you make it clear to your players that your environment welcomes them.

But representation - representation is VITAL.

I work in a profession which has, let’s be honest, a pretty poor history with LGBT+ issues. When I was starting to think about my transition, I was blessed with some hugely supportive, helpful, understanding colleagues and peers. They told me all sorts of things about how I’d be supported, welcomed, protected. How the process could be handled, how they’d provide the right balance of authority and autonomy, how they’d help defend my privacy. And I believed them; I trusted them; it helped, but… I was still very nervous, very anxious, and deep down, very convinced that I was soon to make a decision which would part me from a profession and a lifestyle I loved very, very much; because the two were simply incompatible - because the complexities and peculiarities involved in gender transition could simply not coexist with my profession. Because, no matter how good the chain of command could talk the talk, the profession, at large, would simply not walk the walk.

Then one day I sat in a big lecture hall full of other people in similar clothes, and a trans lady - about my age, about my seniority, who’d been through the same terrifying process I was staring down the loaded barrel of - stood up on stage. She spoke for about half an hour, and said a number of hugely helpful things, most of them targeted at the predominantly cisgender audience, about how to positively handle the challenges involved in commanding, leading and managing trans people in our profession. But one thing she said, right near the start of the talk, dropped my fucking jaw and left me feeling like someone just switched off the gravity.

She said “It wasn’t a big deal.”

She told the story of her coming out, in broad brushstrokes; the sort of preparations she’d made, a bit of personal history, the command climate, who knew and who didn’t. But that one line, and the context around me, was like the fucking sun coming up.

It wasn’t a big deal.

She could have been staring me right in the eye and speaking directly to my soul. I am like you; I am one of you; I have done the scary, intimidating, complex thing you’re about to do. It wasn’t a big deal. It went fine. You, LARPHacks, are going to be just fine. All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. My own personal Julian of Norwich, standing up on stage with saint’s halo, a big cheesy grin and a photo of her in Afghanistan five years ago with an adam’s apple and stubble.

Any number of my cisgender colleagues and commanders could have told me the same thing, and I would have nodded politely and thanked them for the sentiment but deep down not believed them. And that is why representation is vital.

You can see a lot of really positive comments in the thread captured in the image above, from simple expressions of welcome and acceptance to helpful, practical advice about gendered ablutions. But the line that, I guarantee you, will have put a big fucking grin on the OP’s face and made them feel like yes, yes, this game is for me too! is the very simple and straightforward:

“I’m trans. I write for Empire.”

In those six words, @alchymistryandcoldsteel has put a spike in the tyre of every gnawing little anxiety that a trans potential-new-player might have about trying this LARP. She speaks with the voice of Authority; she is Established; and she is one of us, where the OP wasn’t even sure there was an “us” in this game.

There’s so much subtext in those six words - she’s conveying not only that she’s trans and in an authority position at the game, but that she is out publicly, and moreover, so comfortable in that position that she’s willing to tell people so on the internet; she frames it as a simple statement of fact; later in the post, she’s realistic, which helps convey trust and investment in her sentiments… it’s brilliant. It’s a game-changer.

Not everyone has the resource, the courage, the freedom or the support to be out and proud and to act as a representative; nobody should ever feel pressured to do so. But for those who do, and who have those opportunities, and who want to: please don’t ever be scared that you’re putting yourself forward or “showing off” or making a big deal of your status by simply Existing Publicly While A Trans LARPer (or as a queer LARPer, a LARPer of colour, a disabled LARPer, a female LARPer, etc). You may never know the impact you’ll have on some new young LARPer’s life, when they see you across a field and go oh my god they’re like me, I can be me, I can be me!. 

Those simple, deeply courageous acts of quiet, firm representation are like manna from heaven to the uncertain, the nervous, the will-I-be-welcome. And if you’re not in one of those categories, but are in a position to enable or encourage representation - in photos, in blog posts, in setting material - from those who are, fucking do it. Get there now. Your LARP needs you.

(I tore a ligament in my fucking ankle three weeks ago by not following my own goddamn advice at a LARP so I’m crotchety and have opinions on the internet. I shall not apologise. BEHOLD.)

[larprambles]

The Myth of the Boring Good Guy.

Think anti-heroes and villians are somehow more complex? Think again.

Let me start this rant with a personal anecdote. I have a character in a modern day supernatural system. He is a sweet, gentle, kind young man with a strong moral compass and huge aversion to violence. He rarely loses his temper and his speech is peppered with apologies. At the end of an emotional event, I mentioned how tired I was due to him being a draining character to play. Casually, off hand, someone scoffed and asked why. “All you have to do is be nice all the time.” 

Reader, I almost killed him.

I do not blame this individual for expressing this opinion. I’ve heard it a hundred times in a hundred different ways. “Superman is so much duller than Batman.” “I wish Harry wasn’t such a goody two-shoes.” “I just find heroes boring.” “Finn had no flaws so I didn’t care about him.” (It’s worth noting that usually women are spared this sort of reasoning, only because they’re either expected to be good and vilified if they’re not, or classed as a Mary Sue which is a whole other rant). Apart from what I believe is a fundamental characterisation of much of these characters, I think it also betrays a slightly toxic geek belief. 

Antiheroes often express their flaws in ways that impact others negatively, or glamorises them due to what we judge as ‘cool’.  They’ll push others away, they’ll lose their tempers spectacularly, they’ll engage in self-destructive behaviour. Villains take this further, working against the common interest and going outside societal norms. These characters can be interesting! These can be cool ways to express character! However! There’s a trend of dismissing characters with a good moral compass who don’t regularly have these traits as dull. As though being an asshole is the only way to be interesting. As though having schemes, plots or secret facets of misanthropy automatically makes a character complex. I often wonder if this is just due to a lack of understanding what can make a character tick.

Let’s examine Peter Parker for a minute, a character I’ve often seen dismissed in favour of his villains. On the surface, he seems happy-go-lucky, earnest, good and chipper. And he is all of these things. But to class him as ONLY these things due to his generally positive behaviour would be doing him a disservice. He struggles with anxiety, balancing his superhero and home life, and questioning his role in the world as well as shouldering a lot of responsibility and grief. I often find the true hero’s struggle fascinating. For villains, it can be easy to fall into evil due to personal pain. I find the struggle to continue to be good, and do good DESPITE personal pain just as complex and worthy of investment. 

[larprambles]

LARP Celebrity Culture

And why it's bullshit for all involved.

I am new to this hobby. I have been doing it about a year. When you put that in comparison to those who have been doing it for longer than I have been alive, perspective really starts to set in. Now, get a bunch of LARPers together, and within seconds stories will start to be exchanged. And why not? This is a hobby that connects people and has a range of experiences mixed up within it. Stories are our bread and butter.

 As people talk, certain names will come up more than others. Some are organisers of big fest events, some are players who have played a lot or played particularly memorable characters. Each may have certain stereotypes attached to them - charisma is usually the biggest one, but fighting prowess or a knack for narrative aren't usually far behind. These things have made them well known as stories about them are exchanged and laughed about. In my view, this is relatively harmless. People do cool things, and others like to talk about them. Those who have more OC friends are more likely to be spoken about because, well, you talk about your friends more. 

 However, it can become a problem when due to these tales, the reputation of the player may precede them with attached expectations or demands. It can have an effect both on the listeners and the subject.

 Let's talk about the impact on the listeners first.

Sometimes it can foster a real feeling of inadequacy. It can feel like they are excluded from certain groups. It can cause an amount of hero-worship which stifles social interaction. It can really make them lose sight of the fact everyone is a nerd in costume here and there really isn’t a sliding scale of coolness. 

On the other end of the spectrum, being the subject of this can be intensely awkward. Having people be scared to talk to you, or frightened to roleplay with you is never a good feeling. Additionally, to be reduced down to certain stereotypes can be frustrating and insulting, as can people treating the subject as if they have a level of familiarity they don’t. 

So, what can we do to combat this? Talking about everyone’s achievements is always a good start. But mainly, I think a key part is remembering these known names are well, people. Just people. Treat them as such.