What is LARP: the practical side

After diving into the theory of LARP in the previous blog, I want to explain the more practical side in this blog. In this blog, I cover the main participant groups and terms and mention a few things to consider when choosing your first LARP event.

Within a LARP, there are three main groups of people: the game masters, the players, and the extras, who together devise and enact the overarching story of the LARP.

While the LARPers are engaged in their game, it is the role of the game master (GM) to ensure that the story follows the desired path. Months of preparation precede the game master's work before a LARP event can even begin. The game master usually consists of multiple individuals, each with their own role. A large portion of this group is field GM, who monitors the various lines of the written plot and ensures everyone adheres to the rules during the game and oversees battles (reft). Another important part of the game master is the monster GM, who ensures that all extras are ready at the right moment to fulfill their roles. Additionally, there are often craft GMs, who ensure that the alchemists, weapon masters, and blacksmiths proceed correctly and maintain the internal logic. The game master can be seen as a multi-headed Dungeon Master in D&D, where the game and the players' ideas can be seen as the twenty-sided die you roll to see if you achieve your goal. 

LARP extras, also known as NPCss or monsters, are directed by the game master. Together with the environment and any props and elements, they form an important framework in which the LARP story unfolds. The extras, for example, form villagers and thus offer an ideal opportunity for the game master to give the story a twist in certain time periods. An advantage for LARP extras is that all accessories, clothing, and weapons are often provided by the organization. Additionally, participation in a LARP event usually costs slightly less for an extra. It is therefore an ideal way to get acquainted with LARP and participate in a LARP for the first time. A very large portion of seasoned LARPers started as extras.

Players form the core of the story. The players work together, or against each other, possibly in different groups. The decisions players make during a LARP have consequences for the story. This means that both players and extras, as well as game masters, must have a significant amount of direct creative input and talent for improvisation. What players do during a LARP event depends on the situation they find themselves in. Sometimes they have to collaborate to solve a quest, while other times a large battle is central.

If you are good at LARPing, the reactions and actions of a character mainly depend on the background and character of the persona. A character can participate in multiple LARP events, but a character can also die, after which you may come up with another character. This keeps the event exciting and can also provide beautiful emotional moments. If your character unexpectedly dies at the beginning of an event, you are often taken in by the extras group and can still participate in the rest of the event, to introduce your new character at the next event.

Do you want to start LARPing? A LARP doesn’t have to be big at all. You can easily come up with a LARP alone or with a few friends where you can fully immerse yourself for a day or a weekend. It is best to appoint someone (possibly with experience) as a game master for this, or even hire someone to do it for you. You can do this at a special location such as at or in a castle, on a rented scouting ground, in a holiday home or group accommodation, in the pub or simply at home. Furthermore, all you need is a vivid imagination and a rough idea of the type and genre LARP you want to set up.

You can also visit a fantasy fair or fantasy festival. Usually, there are various LARP groups that have planned a short quest where you can join or participate as an extra.

Do you want to take a look, but not yet participate in a LARP event? Many organizations and associations use volunteers to, for example, prepare food or run bar services. You can often arrange this as you like, from wearing your everyday clothes to being fully dressed as a cook or servant in a tavern. This way, you see exactly how an event works, but you are not thrown in at the deep end if you are not ready for that.

The larger LARP events often take place in a rented forest or on a scouting ground. At LARP events that occur on a scouting ground or at a group accommodation, there is often the option to sleep indoors, in (large) dormitories. However, at some LARP events, it is customary to bring a tent to sleep in. This way, you collectively build a large campsite and keep the LARP atmosphere alive day and night.

To participate in the LARP, participants must pay a fee that often includes the rental of the location and, in some cases, meals. But as mentioned earlier, you can also opt for a simple location or even a cabin in a holiday park at smaller LARP events. 

As explained in the blog where I elaborate on the theoretical side and history of LARP, there are many different types and genres. When you start with LARP, it is best to focus on one character in one setting. This way, you keep an overview of your character, their history and connections with other characters, their skills, and the goals you set for yourself. Many more advanced LARPers have different characters that fit different types of LARPs. This way, you have much more diversity in your LARP adventures, but also much more to keep track of.

If you are not entirely sure about the type or genre of LARP you would like to participate in, you could first join an event as an extra, so you get a good idea of what a LARP entails, without having to write and maintain a character yourself. This is then done for you by the game masters.

During a LARP, several important terms are used, which appear at almost every LARP. Here is a brief overview of these terms. If you are a beginner LARPer, don't worry: ample time is taken during LARP events for beginners to get acquainted with this new world. There is almost always a general start where the key terms are repeated, and even during the event itself, you can always ask how something works.

Call: A word or short phrase that clarifies the effect of a certain event. If your weapon does more damage than medium, because it has been enhanced or blessed, you can make a call during combat about how much damage and what type of damage you deal. Or when you cast a spell on someone, you can point at them and make a call with what your spell entails (for example, freeze or blind), possibly including the duration of the effect. Declarations by the SL during a certain event are also often called a call.

NPC/Monsters: Non Player Character, just like in a video game. These are the extras.

SL: game masters. The members of the game leadership, often marked with a clearly colored chaperon, sometimes even in different colors to indicate the various roles they perform.

Man down: This term is used when someone is injured outside of the game, for example, when someone has sprained their ankle, has an open wound, or worse. The rule is that the game stops immediately, and everyone except the person who called “man down” sits on the ground, crouches, or makes themselves small in some other way, so that the person who has been injured can be quickly found by the first aid team. Anyone can use this term, but only do so in the case of serious injuries where the injured person can no longer (properly) walk.

IC / In character - OC / Out of Character: These terms speak for themselves; during a LARP event, you distinguish between what you do in character (as your LARP character) and what you do outside of acting. This term is important because it distinguishes whether you are acting (LARPing) or not. At some LARP events, you are IC from the moment the time starts until you pack your belongings after the event, while at some events, there are specific places or times agreed upon where you may be OC, such as the sleeping quarters.

Time in / Tijd in - Time out / Tijd uit: Time in is announced by the SL when the whole group goes IC, usually at the start of the event, shortly after the general time-in talk. Time out is announced when the game or event is over. By knowing when time in is, you know when you must be IC, in character.

Time freeze:  This is done by the game master. At that moment, time freezes. This is usually announced for organizational purposes. The rules regarding time freeze differ per LARP: in some LARPs, time freeze means you are also unaware of what is happening around you. You are then expected to close your eyes, put your fingers in your ears, and hum softly, so you truly don't notice what is happening around you. In other LARPs, a time freeze only means you freeze in place. You cannot move or react to what the game master and/or NPCs do, but you can see and hear it. This second interpretation can also be called differently (for example, Time stop). Time freeze is ended by Time in, after which you can react to the changes that have occurred.

Hands in the air or one hand in the air: This person is OC and not part of the game being played at that moment. You act as if this person does not exist.

One or two fingers in the air: This person is invisible but can be heard, felt, or smelled. Whether you can truly slip past someone unnoticed also depends on your own abilities.

Props / physreps (physical representations): Objects used during the LARP. For example, a cup or a chest. These can be very small items, but also entire army camps, where often a number of IC tents are placed, and you imagine the rest of the camp yourself. Generally, props are not meant for bashing (fighting).

Buts: Fight. During a LARP, fights are often organized. These buts always take place under the supervision of the game master to ensure everything proceeds safely and according to the (behavioral) rules. A buts can be between two people but can also encompass an entire battlefield. Often, an event or storyline is concluded with a final buts: a large fight that determines who the winner is of the storyline, upon which a new storyline can be based.

Check-in: Most LARPs use a check-in system to verify if everything is still going well. This can be done in various ways. Sometimes colors are used (green, yellow, and red, like a traffic light), sometimes hand gestures are used (thumbs up, horizontal, or down). With this, you can indicate if a scene might be too intense for you and that it should be toned down a bit, or if you are having a great time and it can be a bit more intense.

Have you not been deterred by all the terms and still want to start LARPing? Great! Then you are about to enrich your life with incredibly many new, beautiful IC experiences. Don't underestimate what effect this will have on your OC life! In the following blogs, we will guide you step-by-step to your first event, whether you want to start as a player or as an NPC.

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