Your first LARP character: physical

Now that you have a clear understanding of the style of the LARP where you will be playing and of what kind of character you will portray in this LARP, it is time to consider how you can physically bring this character to life. Three main components are crucial in planning your character: your costume, your weapons, and other props and accessories. In this blog, I will guide you through making choices within these three categories.

The first thing your fellow players will see of you is your costume. This includes, of course, the clothing you choose for your character, but also any makeup you wear and what you do with your hair. Through your costume, you can show at a glance whether you are a wealthy, noble person, a hardworking guild member, or even a poor pauper. Choosing the right fabrics and colors can also help to represent your social status and/or profession. A character that spends a lot of time on the battlefield, for example, would wear different materials than a political character, and a character that needs to hide easily in the forest wears different colors than someone who likes to be in the spotlight. In some LARPs, the world history, the peoples' book, or another document even describes which clothing is associated with certain races and whether the colour also makes a difference. Therefore, when assembling your costume, it is very important that the background, origin, and profession of your character are clearly worked out.

Additionally, it is of course very important to keep in mind what type of LARP you will be playing: in a historical LARP, you will wear different clothing than in a high fantasy LARP, and the difference is even greater when you will participate in a modern or even futuristic LARP. Keep this well in mind when choosing the different components of your costume.

Due to the temperature differences between different events—some events are in the summer, when it is very warm, and some in the winter, when it can be bitterly cold—it is useful to think about different layers. 

Here, for example, you can think of a petticoat or chemise for a female character. When choosing your underlayers, you can also highlight the status of your character. For most people, natural, undyed linen or wool was used for making undergarments, but very wealthy or noble ladies often wore silk underwear. For gentlemen, you might consider an undershirt or blouse and trousers. You can also experiment with different materials for gentlemen, such as linen or wool for the middle class, or silk for the wealthier gentlemen with more influence.

This is the most visible part of your costume and can consist of, for example, a beautiful tunic or a (waist)coat and a trousers in the style of your LARP, or of a dress or skirt with bodice or corset. In the middle layer, you can most express your social class and profession through the materials, colors, and styles of your clothing. A (noble) smith might wear relatively simple and comfortable clothing with the addition of a (leather) apron, while a mage would more likely wear a long robe. And a king would use deep colors and expensive fabrics, such as velvet and silk, whereas a laborer would wear more natural tones and simpler fabrics, such as linen.

Finally, you can think about an outer layer to keep you warm and/or safe. For the outer layer, you can think of warm coats or cloaks that keep the cold away during events in the winter months and chilly summer evenings. But armor and harnesses also fall under the outer layer. These are usually put on only when battles are about to arise, or when a warrior stands guard.

You can make all these layers as extensive as you find comfortable, and the beauty of playing the same character for a long time is that you can add elements to your costume over the years. You really don't need to have a fully developed costume ready for your very first event. In fact, it's often wise to keep your costume relatively simple for your first event and invest in the most important elements, such as a dress, or a blouse with a skirt, or armor, a gambeson, or doublet with matching trousers. As your character experiences more, and you, out of character, also have a better idea of whether you want to continue the hobby, you can then add elements to your costume. Additionally, depending on your budget and skills, you can choose to make your costume yourself or buy components. DIY costumes can be cheaper in some cases, and you have full control over the design, but purchased costumes can also be customized to your own preferences by adding embroideries, lace edges, or family crests, dyeing your costume with (textile) dye, or giving it an aged look through a tea or coffee bath or by working with mud.

Finally, consider your own comfort. This not only relates to warmth but also to wearability and the fabrics you choose. A Rococo-style ball gown with a matching wig looks incredibly cool, but if you know you'll be fighting and walking through the woods, you might be better off choosing a shorter skirt or a trousers to give yourself a bit more freedom of movement. And if you know in advance that your skin doesn't handle wool well, it's perfectly okay to choose another fabric to keep you warm. Consider what your body can handle and what your physical plans are for the event, and adjust your costume accordingly. Also, ensure that your costume is not too difficult to put on and take off, as you'll likely need to dress and undress yourself in the dark in the evening and be very tired in the morning. Additionally, it's handy to be able to easily go to the toilet. 

In addition to your costume, your weapons contribute significantly to your character's appearance. A very tough knight with extensive armor using a simple dagger presents quite a different image than when you are wielding an imposing two-handed sword. And that same two-handed sword is much too heavy and impractical in the hands of a ranger. A sword with a gilded blade looks beautiful in the hands of a nobleman, but would not be logical for a poor farmer. So, when choosing a suitable weapon for your character, consider what would be logical: what can your character reasonably afford and carry with them? Fortunately, the world of LARP weapons is so extensive that there is a suitable weapon for every character, allowing you to always defend yourself. Whether this is an obvious weapon like a sword, dagger, axe, or hammer, or a utility item like a rolling pin or a beer mug. Or if your character does not use any physical weapons at all but is engaged in magic, priesthood, or the elements, you can also express this with LARP weapons. For example, you can use an alchemical throwing weapon to make it clear that you are throwing poison at someone or use foam-made flames to indicate a fire spell. These kinds of additions to your character can ensure that the game is more lively and can make the difference between an immersive whole and a disjointed group of individuals. 

Within a LARP, it is not only the clothing and the weapons that make the man, but rather by using beautiful, fitting props and accessories, you can give that extra touch that truly brings your character to life. You are not just fighting or sharpening your weapons for an entire LARP event, but your character also lives within the participant group outside of those times. For the moments between battles, it is useful to think about what your character is doing then, and how you can dress that up. If you have an affinity for (al)chemistry, for example, it might be fun to show this with copper or (cast) iron pots, glass bottles and jars, old-fashioned scales with weights, and of course, you complete it with real herbs and possibly colorful liquids, so you can actually show that you are preparing poisons, medicines, or other alchemical concoctions. Or if your character is interested in the fine arts, you might consider a beautiful notebook, rolls of parchment, or even an easel, with matching writing and painting equipment, or perhaps even a historical musical instrument to inspire your fellow participants with a tune during quiet moments. From these kinds of smaller, intimate play moments, very beautiful memories and deep bonds with other characters can arise.

Now that you can create a good picture of how your character is put together, what game goals and skills you have, and also how you will look during your first LARP event, it is finally time to take the plunge and attend your first event.

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