Rules for using armor in Hit Location Larps.

We know from Common Larp Weapons how we deal damage, but we should also know how to prevent it. Armor is less universal across larps and there can be all kinds of major and minor differences. This is the rough outline for the rules of my 4x larp, check with your own game system before assuming they are the same. There will be many details which are different.

Boffer Shopping List

Originally the Steps to weapon construction post was going to contain these links, but it became a giant post! So here's a handy shopping list for heading to the hardware store (or online shopping). Generally constructing a boffer costs around $5.00 per weapon. But you usually have to buy enough material to make 4 weapons. Expect to spend around $30 to $40 for your first batch of weapons. After that many of the materials don't have to be purchased again right away.

10 steps to weapon construction.

Previously we've discussed the rules for weapon construction. But that doesn't really tell you exactly how to build a boffer. Here is a DIY guide for making a boffer weapon step by step in pictures. Don't forget to grab a copy of the shopping list before starting this process! This is a very long post, with lots of giant pictures which you can also find on my Pinterest board.

Rules of Boffer Weapon Construction

When you're new to larp (or starting a new larp) getting started could be expensive in both time and money. There are so many fancy armors, and latex weapons out there. Purchasing them is so tempting. But while DIY boffer weapon construction does take time, it doesn't have to be expensive. Making your weapons yourself is also a lot more rewarding. With these guidelines, some practice, and by following 10 steps you can be making low cost boffer weapons.

The 6 common larp weapons.

At practice last week I was asked about the rules that we follow for weapons. Players wanted to know what the lengths are and the impact of those lengths on the rules. Fortunately the rules are fairly standard and should give the general audience an idea of what weapons are usually like. However, if you are not a member of my practice do check with your game system, as some systems can vary quite a bit.

As a new player it's fairly easy to spot that most Boffer and Latex weapons conform to certain lengths. These standards exist as game mechanics for game play balance not historic accuracy. They have been handed down from one game system to the next for quite some time and as far as I know have origins in the SCA. Most, but not all, larps use similar weapon lengths and skills. Here the 5 common larp weapons.

How to get started larping.

In 1990 finding a larp was a fairly difficult thing. You had to know the right kind of people, and they had to agree to take you. In some places you could get lucky and have 1 or 2 larps to choose from. Generally your first introduction was a physical one. These days, like everything else, anyone interested can find larp via social media. You can study it intently before ever setting foot on the field. Learning about larp via the internet means that many first introductions are not physical, larp is starting to have a 'last mile' problem. R/larp gets a lot of requests for "How do I get started larping?"