You have decided to play at a LARP, and now it's time to create your LARP character. But how does that actually work? And what is involved? In this and the next blog, I will take you through the step-by-step process of creating your first LARP character, first on paper and then physically.
Step one: Leather know your LARP
The first step is to know what is possible in the world of the LARP you want to participate in. Almost every LARP association or organization has a website where the world's history can be read. Sometimes there is also an ethnography book available, in which you can read about the different races and peoples that exist in this LARP world. It is important to read this kind of information thoroughly, so you have a good understanding of the possibilities and how the relationships between certain peoples and classes are. In many fantasy worlds, for example, elves and dwarves do not get along well, but this is certainly not always the case! Additionally, in LARPs inspired by history, there is often a clear distinction between characters of different social classes. While reading the information about your LARP world, you often get a bit of an idea of how the world is structured and what you might enjoy playing. While reading the world history, take notes on things that seem interesting to you for gameplay, things that inspire you, and also note things that do not interest you, so you can avoid them.
Step two: Gaining inspiration and forming a concept
Now that you have an idea of how things operate in the world of your LARP, you can gain inspiration for your LARP character. Perhaps while reading the world history and the rule system of the LARP you are going to play, you have already seen elements you would like to explore further in the game. Be sure to incorporate these when creating your character.
Most LARPs are inspired by a mix of different books, films, series, games, mythologies, and historical periods or events. While reading, you might have recognized something or felt a certain way. It can be very helpful to delve into media that fit the world of your LARP character. This way, you can gather ideas about how people interact, the relationships between different social groups, what kinds of professions existed in a certain era, different ways to resolve a conflict, etc. All these broad ideas together can create a concept for your LARP character.
Step three: Writing the background of your LARP character
After creating a rough concept for your LARP character, you can come up with a background for your LARP character. Besides helping the game masters and story writers to connect the story within the LARP to your LARP character, it can also guide you during the game. For example, if you encounter someone from a certain area in the world, it can be helpful to know whether your LARP character would interact with that person in a friendly or hostile manner.
When writing your background, several important things should be considered. The most obvious details are the name of your character, the race or people you want to play, and the profession or class your character has. But if the LARP where you will play has a pantheon, it is also important to think about which god you follow, and whether you follow a god at all. These are important elements that can influence the choices your character would make IC.
Additionally, you can further develop your background by considering in which region or place of the LARP world your LARP character was born. Always consult the world history or the peoples' book of the LARP to know if the region where your LARP character grew up has connections with other areas, or if there might even be a war between your birth region and another area. This can add a lot of colour to a character.
Finally, it is useful to write a (concise) life story of your LARP character for yourself. Consider important, defining events, such as the death of a family member, an abduction, a broken relationship or a marriage, a birth, etc. Think of a reason why the character you play has left home and would join an adventurer group or settle in a new village, depending on the type of LARP you are going to play. Additionally, to help the game masters and story writers create plots that specifically connect to your background, and thus provide the most beautiful and epic IC moments, you can think of several important people who play or have played a role in the life of your LARP character, whether these people are still alive or have passed away.
Step four: Game Objectives
Think about what you would like to achieve within the game. Consider what you OC would like to achieve or learn , such as learning to speak better in large groups, or improving combat skills, but especially on what your LARP character IC wants to achieve: what is your character's motivation to stay within the IC group? Does your LARP character want to take on a position of power? Or become a renowned priest? Or does your LARP character want to focus on life as a warrior and take on an important position in the army? You don't necessarily have to share your long-term goals with others, but it is certainly useful to note them down for yourself somewhere, including the different steps that will lead you to this goal. Within the game, various events will likely occur that sideline you, adjust your goals, or even completely change them, but having such an overview can help you find connection within the game and give you some direction when you get stuck. You can always ask yourself the question: what is the best thing I can do to achieve my short- and long-term goals?
Step Five: Skills
The last step to fully complete your character (on paper) is to compile your skills. Most LARPs use a skill system where you can purchase skills with experience points that you collect during an event, by collaborating well with other players, solving problems and/or puzzles, defeating enemies, or otherwise creating memorable moments in the game. Starting players are often given a certain number of experience points to purchase their first skills. These skills are described in the rule system or in a special document with all the skills. Sometimes it is necessary to learn another skill first for a particular skill. For example, to brew alchemical mixtures, you may first need a skill related to knowledge of plants and herbs. Additionally, skills may sometimes only be learned IC, from a mentor, for instance. This is always described in the document where you can choose the skills for your character.
When choosing your skills, also consider what your OC skills are. For example, if you have difficulty walking, you might want to choose skills that don't require you to run across a battlefield. However, this doesn't mean you can't fight. In a high fantasy LARP, for example, you can play a mage, where you can stand (or even sit) at a distance and attack your enemies with spells. Or if your upper body allows it, you might give archery or crossbows a try, so you can still participate in combat.
You can also use the lack of OC knowledge and skills to help create gameplay. If you know little about construction outside the LARP, but it seems fun to play a constructor, then find an IC constructor who can teach you the finer points of the trade. This way, you have immediate engagement, something to do during the quiet moments of an event, and perhaps you even learn something OC!
Now that you have thought about and written down all this information about your character, you are ready on paper to begin your first event with your new character. But a LARP doesn't just take place on paper and in your head, but physically as well. So it's also important to think about what your character looks like and what kind of props and weapons you have with you. The next blog will focus on the physical creation of your first LARP character.
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