1 Complex type of battle.

There are 7 staple types of battles in combat larp, but that's not all. It just scratches the surface of possible types of conflict. While the previous post was about seven simple kinds of battles, this post is about one which requires a bit more gear. For certain themes of larp, this type of battle may be crucial. Careful though, if you want 'simple' or 'low set up', probably skip this one. But hey, larp is all about logistics, right!?

House and Character Preparation for a 4x Larp

Hypothetically you're joining a 4x larp. You've collected a number of friends, formed a house, and have decided what the general outline of the story for that house is... But what are the Houses from a rules perspective? Why are they formed, and what do they accomplish in game?

Editing a larp.

One of the most difficult things to do is write a larp. It's a challenge because there are so many assumptions and biases that we write into our rules sets which we can't see or assume aren't there. Writing and editing your own work can be frustrating. Editing someone else's content can help point out flaws, errors, and omissions in your own. It's a good way to train your brain to find the missing pieces of your own larp system. Instead of pointing to my own work on the 4x larp today I want to highlight work someone else is doing. Pointing out those gaps, providing suggestions, and tips has been really fun.

Getting back to larp!

Today is the first day of Spring. Which makes it a great time to talk about getting outside and being active after a winter of hibernation! Time to get the gang back together, and help each other lose the winter weight in a fun way. When it comes to larp, and kicking things off, that means practice. As a new season starts I always get excited to play again!

Beginners Guide to Larp: Choosing.

New players want to larp but don't know where to begin or what they might like. They see Geek and Sundry's videos online, or read local news articles about a small but growing local battle game scene. After scratching the surface with one game, newbies often find larp is a surprisingly general hobby. To an outside it may seem very specific, but then you find all these different varieties. Maybe that first found style or flavor of larp is appealing... Maybe it misses the mark a little. How to pin down where to begin? Fortunately there is a style of larp for many different tastes.

Core Hit Location Larp Mechanics

Recently a redditor had an idea for an event. Unfortunately what they didn't have was a game system to set that event in. There are tons of people out there just getting into larp who are trying to build something but don't know where to start. If you need core mechanics to build a Hit Location combat larp, here is an index of critical posts needed to build that core. Keep in mind this is not one document with all the rules, but rather an index linking to the rules.

4x Larp Index

This post is going to function as an index page for a 4x larp guide book. It's a bit of a dry post, but a necessary one. As a work in progress it's going to change over time. Each section will get linked as it's written and fill in over time. What needs clarification? What needs to be cleaned up? What do you want to know more about? There will probably be a 'guidebook' version on a static page, which will have titles/headings which are less like a blog post, and more like a book. Here is the general outline as it stands right now.

Social Status and Character Creation in Larp.

Social status is an interesting issue in many U.S. combat larps. Some game systems leave it up to the players to write their status into the character backstory. Some have elaborate game mechanics which allow the purchase of status with experience. But lots of games have no official way to limit players from claiming any title they want (however silly that title may be). Many players abuse this and tell extremely similar stories. Games overflow with 'Counts', 'Dukes', and the brothers, nephews and sons of titled nobility who come complete with some kind of tragic backstory.

Many players also tend to ignore the interesting down to earth stories, and instead shoot straight for the Eurocentric Feudal landed caste. Occasionally players choose an Asian style Feudal landed caste to spice things up. This similarity of story is frustrating, limiting, and not all that fun. I've attempted to address this lack of depth with a character creation system based on group dynamics. It can generate nobility, but far more often produces 'salt of the earth' type folks. Today let's address the game mechanics of a social system.

How to, theoretically, earn a living with Larp.

This is entirely theoretical, as I have a day job. Most career advice is 'follow your passion'. What if you passion is constructing fake weapons out of plumbing supplies? What if your passion tends to have more to do with leather, chain, and plate rather than spreadsheets and office work? These days there is not much call for larp as a career choice. But there just may be some tangential career paths that could be relevant to larp.

How to build a hybrid boffer weapon.

If you've had a few years of experience building boffer weapons, you may be considering the construction of ultra light weapons. The machinery needed to make really good eva/camp pad weapons is a bit daunting. Fortunately there's a middle step which produces durable, functional boffer weapons with a camp pad twist.

Rules of Combat

Usually these rules are easier to go over in person during practice. Learning how to execute the rules of combat effectively is exactly the reason why we practice. It takes time and experience to train yourself to know the rules and play them correctly. Here are the rules of combat that we're using at practice and in the 4x larp.

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.

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?"

2 methods for Resource Gathering in a 4x Larp

While thinking about building and play testing the 4x larp concept it occurred to me that the collection of resources is unnecessary. Earning resources from holding territory doesn't impact actual game play very much. It wouldn't change many tactical decisions, or add tension to combat. Collecting resources seemed like a tacked on concept with didn't really matter... So I removed it. And then I had a brilliant idea.

How much Technology should there be in a Larp?

If you listen to Fear the Boot, or other RPG podcasts, you'll know that table top gamers have a terrible time with digital devices and social media. Fantasy Larp to a greater extent is free from the same intrusions, because we specifically remove modern items from our kit when playing. How much modern tech do we want to include in our larping experience? This is not a rhetoric question, I really don't know. Empire's pictures are really amazing, btw. Definitely check out their War Rhino.

Orcs vs Photographer! Empire Larp

Completed Shields

It has taken a while, but two of the shields have been completed! They are functional and fun. Despite being a bit smaller than commonly made they provide good coverage and work well. Although inspired by some more historic examples, they are both pretty much boffer shields. The wooden shield should last a year, maybe a bit more. The plastic shield should last indefinitely.

7 types of larp battles

When transitioning from player to event holder, the event holding options available to you can quickly become overwhelming. Being able to narrow down the scope from completely pie in the sky ideas to something concrete is crucial. Usually this comes with time and practice, but there are shortcuts. Here are 7 types of battles you can use at an event to lay the foundation for role playing and interaction.