Live Action Roleplaying, or LARP as it is often called, is a form of art, recreation, and social gathering all rolled into one. LARP events are often referred to as Games, and may take place at an outdoor or indoor location, and may last a few hours or an entire weekend. The chosen physical location will represent a Setting, and a number of people known as Cast populate the setting with characters ranging from monks to brigands to ghosts to wild beasts. Cast members will usually play several different Characters during an event. The actions of the Cast are guided by a number of inter-connected Plots, which are written and directed by the Prophecy Staff. A Player will create a single Character, with personality, desires, goals, motives, skills, etc., using a designated rulebook. The Player will then portray that Character, and interact within the world of the Setting. So while Cast Characters (sometimes called Non-Player Characters or NPCs) must for the most part follow a pre-written Plot, as directed by the Staff, the Player Characters (or PCs) are free to do what they will within the confines of the Rules. A good way to think about it is that the Game is like a sweeping epic novel, in which the Players are the main characters, while the Cast and Staff provide the opposing forces, setting, and side characters. For this second Prophecy campaign, we plan to run mostly weekend events at a rural wooded site, several times each year, for 3 to 4 years. The events will be part of an overall Campaign, with a main over-arcing Plotline that has a definite ending point. Depending on the actions of the Players, that ending point may be reached earlier or later. The Game revolves around “real” actions. What this means is that when you choose to do something you must actually do it. You can never “say” or explain what you are doing and have it happen for you. You must actually do it. If you say, “I climb up this wall”, all it means is that your character has just said that very thing, which will get you some odd looks, but won’t save you from the monster that now has you cornered. There should be no need for you to ask other players out-of-game questions, such as “Do I recognize you?” or “What do I see?” These questions should be avoided. There may be a few cases where you will need to ask another player to clarify a situation, but these should be rare. You can do anything that you are capable of accomplishing without breaking the rules, endangering another player or yourself, disrupting the flow of game, calling a Hold, or damaging other people's property. There are some things you just can’t do, even if “realistically” your character could do them. The reasons for this are to avoid situations like the following: Player A: “Okay, I set the hut on fire. You guys must be roasting in there by now, come on out!” Player B: “Actually, I broke down the back wall and climbed up that tree.” This sort of thing confuses the continuity of the game. Examples of things you cannot “say” you are doing include: cutting off limbs, breaking down doors, violation of another’s person, and burning items. There are also some real-life actions we would ask you to refrain from for your own safety, and the safety of others. This information can be found in the Rules and Policies section of the Prophecy Rule Book. Links to other LARPs and general LARP information: Live Action Roleplaying Games: |
