A Introduction to LRP
What is LRP?
The most obvious answer is 'Live Roleplay' but that's not really helpful…
LRP (also known as LARP or Live Action Roleplay) is, at the most basic level, the illegitimate offspring of tabletop roleplay and re-enactment/living history. Like roleplay you create a character who will interact with a fantasy world and its inhabitants and like re-enactment you devote the odd weekend do dressing up, running around in the mud and hitting people with swords.
LRP also has much in common with the let's pretend games many people played as children. This is especially true of those aspects of LRP where much of what's happening is purely in the imaginations of the players, for example a spellcaster shooting a fireball at a monster. In fact, this suspension of disbelief is probably the single most important thing you need to bring to any LRP event.
Well, maybe not the most important (you'd feel pretty foolish if you forgot all your kit, for example), but it's still pretty high up on the list.
Of course unlike the let's pretend games LRP has rules…
All of the following can be applied to any LRP system, not just Ascendancy LRP.
Dos and Don'ts
- Do ask a Ref or experienced player if you are doubtful about how a rule works.
- Do try to get involved as much as you can without getting out of your depth.
- Do make sure your costume and kit are in good repair before each event.
- Do make sure you have plenty to eat and drink if the event is self-catering.
- Do have fun!
- Don't keep asking different Refs for a ruling until you get the answer you want to hear. The decision of the first Ref you speak to is final.
- Don't interrupt anybody who is roleplaying to speak to them Out of Character. It's rude and they probably don't need to hear who won the football.
- Don't make your first character in a new system a mysterious introvert (especially if you are new to LRPing). You will probably find it difficult to make friends and get involved with the plot if you do.
- Don't bring real-world politics into the game, especially if they are controversial in any way.
- Don't harass people (sexually or otherwise). If they say no - regardless of whether they are saying it In or Out of Character - accept it.
- Don't over-plan your characters before you play them. It's a lot more fun to let the characters develop through roleplay than to start out with a set of rigid ideas you have to stick to.
General Safety
- Be careful when walking around at night. Many LRP events are held at campsites with plenty of forested areas - a tree stump that is easily avoidable during the day can become a major hazard at night.
- Be aware of your costume and kit. Flowing robes, rigid scabbards and spiky armour all look cool but if you're not careful you could end up injuring yourself or others.
- Always tend to even the smallest of real wounds. A tiny cut may seem insignificant but it can still get infected if you go rolling around in the mud!
- If you see something unsafe, remove it or make others aware of it. While it's very unlikely on a well-maintained site, there's always the possibility that the patch of nice soft undergrowth might be hiding a bit of barbed wire fence or a plank with nails in it.
Some commonly used terms
- Players - players are the lifeblood of any LARP. They are the people who really bring the plot to life and their actions will determine the outcome of the story.
- Crew
- these are the people who do all the hard work. They organise the events, write the plots, play the monsters and generally stop things from becoming too easy for the players. Most LARPs have a few people who are permanent crew with the rest of the crew being made up of players who have volunteered to help out at the event. The permanent crew go by all sorts of names; the more polite ones include Storytellers, Adjudicators and Dungeon Masters. For the purposes of this article they are called 'Refs'.
- PCs
or Player Characters - these are the creations of the players; they are the heroes and occasional villains of the story. They are the treasure-hunters, the monster-slayers and the rescuers of damsels in distress.
- NPCs
or Non-Player Characters - these are the plot-related characters played by the crew. Unlike monsters they aren't always evil. Every LRP event you ever attend in your life will include the following NPCs: comedy peasant, zealous priest, mysterious assassin and rich landowner.
- Monstering
- This is where the crew and any players not directly involved in the current plot put on masks or greasepaint, dress up in suitable kit, scream and try to beat up the players. Most of the monsters you'll encounter will be basic orc/goblin types with a few hit points and very few (if any) magical abilities. A small group of first-level monsters will invariably be better at fighting than the fifth-level adventuring party that's just encountered them.
- IC
or In Character - this refers to things that the characters are doing, saying and feeling. You will always be considered 'In Character' unless you make it obvious that you are not.
- OOC
or Out of Character - this refers to anything that the players are doing, saying and feeling. Many LARPs have a hand signal which is used to indicate that you are currently out of character and some also have 'safe' areas within which you will always be considered OOC. You are also considered Out of Character if you are holding a camera or have bunked off for a quiet smoke8.
Phys Rep or Physical Representation - A Phys Rep is a real item which is used to simulate something the character has on his/her person. Some things, such as costume and weapons, are obvious examples of this. Other things like bandages for healers or spellbooks for magic users are also Phys Reps.
A Introduction to LRP - by Doug McKerracher
Much of the above is taken from the h2g2 article Live Action Roleplay - A Beginners GuideCopyright © Douglas McKerracher, 2006.
