How to LARP

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Last Updated: April 18, 2023 References

LARPing, short for Live Action Role Playing, is a way to get away from everyday life and explore a world of your own making with friends. LARPing involves acting out fantastical scenarios and engaging in make-believe combat with other players while role-playing as a fictional character. LARPing can, for instance, allow a completely normal person to assume the role of a powerful warrior, a deadly mage, or a sly assassin in adventure scenario with other LARPers. To learn how to plan and play your own LARP Game, see Step 1 below to get started!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Creating a LARP Universe

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1
Pick a setting or backdrop for your LARP game. The first step of planning any LARP session is to decide what sort of scenario you'll play. In popular culture, LARP games are often associated with settings and characters from the fantasy genre of art and literature and works like the Lord of the Rings novels. Though many LARP games stick to these conventions, many do not. Realistic settings and storylines, such as those set in the modern age or based on history, are possible, as are science fiction and alternate-world scenarios. Be as imaginative as you'd like — your LARP game is the product of your own imagination, so there's literally no limit to the types of scenarios you can design.
- For example, let's say that, for our first LARP game, we want to attempt a classic middle ages/fantasy scenario. If we're feeling uninspired, we might chose characters and settings from a familiar fantasy universe (like those portrayed in the Lord of the Rings or A Song of Ice and Fire novels). However, we can also create our own — let's be adventurous and do this instead! In our scenario, we'll be brave warriors from the kingdom of Karyphesh. For our purposes, let's say this is a vast fantasy kingdom that contains a variety of different sub-regions. This way, we'll be able to visit a variety of different settings!
- Let's be honest — if you're making up your own scenario for the very first time, there's a decent chance it will end up being cheesy or hackneyed (like the one above). This is OK! LARPing is basically playing pretend for grownups, so a healthy measure of good humor is advised when playing. With time, your stories and scenarios will become more nuanced.
2
Create a conflict. LARPing can be whatever you want it to be. There's no rule that says you have to have a conflict in your LARP game. If you really want to, you can LARP a completely uneventful, normal day in the life of the world you've created. But why do this when you can have so much more fun with an exciting conflict? Giving your fictional setting a conflict is a great way to make your LARP instantly engaging and to give everyone something to do. Make a conflict that fits the fictional world you've created, but be creative! Feel free to add as many minor details and wrinkles to your conception of the central conflict as you desire.^{[1]
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- Because much (though certainly not all) LARPing involves fictional combat, wars or clashes between two or more fictional nations or entities are always a good bet. These can be normal wars between humans or can have supernatural aspects — it's all up to you. Regardless of what you choose, try to make your fictional conflict engaging and urgent.
- In our example, let's say that mysterious demons have begun to terrorize the outer reaches of the kingdom of Karyphesh. As it stands, this is a pretty cliched plot line, so let's spice things up by saying that these so-called demons have been causing entire villages to disappear, leaving only giant symbols in an ancient tongue burnt into the ground in their place. As the story unfolds, we may find that the so-called demons are actually sent by a benevolent deity to protect the kingdom from the true villain — the king of Karyphesh, who wants to convert his subjects into mindless slaves. Remember that everything is up to you and that the conflict in your world can unfold however you want it to.
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3
Create a character. Much of the fun of LARPing lies in the fact that it allows you to be someone (or something) you are not. No one is a valiant knight or a space marine in real life, but LARPers enjoy pretending to be these types of people and acting the way they imagine they would act if they were real — in a word, roleplaying. Based on the setting you've chosen, design a character who fits into your fictional world. Consider both his or her physical appearance and his or her personality traits. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What sort of being is my character? Is s/he a human or non-human?
- What is his or her name?
- What does s/he look like?
- What does s/he do for a living? Anything is possible here, though, since many LARPs focus on fantasy combat, you may want to choose a profession that would logically confer some martial skill (soldier, knight, pirate, assassin, thief, etc.)
- What does s/he act like? Is s/he kind or cruel? Guarded or outgoing? Fierce or cowardly?
- What sort of knowledge or training does s/he have? Does s/he know multiple languages? Know a craft? Have an education?
- What quirks does s/he have? Does s/he have any bad habits? Fears? Odd talents?
- In our example, let's say that our character is Melchior, a royal knight from the capital of Karyphesh. He is big, tall, strong, tan-skinned, and has short black hair. He usually wears steel armor and carries a massive broadsword. However, when he's not defending the kingdom, he's a total sweetheart and runs a kitten orphanage as a side job. What a hunk!
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Give your character a backstory. How does your character fit into the world you've created? What happened in his or her past? Why does s/he do the things s/he does? These are all things you'll want to consider as you complete your character. Giving your character a backstory isn't just for "flavor". On the contrary, it's actually a way to give your character a compelling motivation for getting involved in your LARP game's conflict. A logical backstory can also help guide your decisions as to how your character might participate in the conflict based on past experiences.
- In our example, let's say that Melchior has a troubled past. At the age of 5, his parents were killed by bandits and he was left by the side of the road to die. However, he was saved by a band of feral cats and raised for two years until he was old enough to strike out on his own. After years of poverty, he eventually won the favor of a wealthy lord and trained as his squire until becoming a full-fledged knight. Because of his experiences, Melchior has an undying compassion for cats but sometimes finds it to connect to other people, who he often sees as cruel and unloving. However, he is incredibly loyal to the lord who pulled him out of the gutter and plans to fight for his honor in the coming war against the demons, who have killed one of his lord's sons.
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Have any fellow players design their own characters. Again, there's no rule that says you can't LARP by yourself, but it's usually more fun to interact (and do battle) with others, so try gathering a group of willing friends to LARP with you if you can. Since your friends will be joining you in your fictional world, each should design his or her own character (complete with backstory) so that each person is able to experience the world through the eyes of an active participant in it. If you're looking to have fighting and combat as part of your LARP session, you may want to have some of your friends be characters that are opposed to your own (such as soldier for an opposing faction) unless you're willing to fight imaginary enemies as a group.^{[2]
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- In our example, let's say that we're able to get five other people to LARP with us for a total of six players. To make it an even battle, we'll split up into groups of three. The two other players on your team might design characters who are allies of Melchior (for instance, other knights, mages, or soldiers fighting for the greater good), while the three you're fighting against might design characters that would logically want to fight you (for instance, the demons attacking our fictional kingdom).
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Create your own clothing, gear, and weapons. If you and your friends have decided to run around pretending to be knights and wizards, you may as well look the part. When it comes to costumes and gear, your options can be as simple or elaborate as you please. The most casual LARPers use their ordinary clothes and weapons made from foam, wood, or PVC piping, while serious LARP enthusiasts are known to spend thousands of dollars on lavish, period-accurate costumes and real (or real-looking) weapons. Generally, most first-timers will want to stick to cheap, casual options, but it's up to you and your fellow LARPers to decide how far you want to go.
- In our example, Melchior is a knight, so we'll probably want to find him a sword and armor at the very least. If we're looking to stay thrifty, we might want to use a broom handle or a yardstick as our sword. To represent our armor, we might make a breastplate out of a thin piece of foam or simply use an old shirt painted grey. If we wanted to go one step further, we could make a shield from a trash can lid or a circular piece of plywood and use a bike helmet to imitate a metal helm.
- Some LARPers also like to replicate consumable items with actual food and drink. For instance, if Melchior carries around a magical potion in case he's injured in battle, we might want imitate this with a small flask filled with a sports drink.
7
Create a scenario for your characters to participate in. When you've designed a fictional world, a conflict in that world, and all of the characters who are participating in your LARP session, you're more or less ready to play! All that remains is to imagine a reason for your characters to meet and interact. Ask yourself, "what do I want to do during my LARP session?" If, for instance, you want to have an exciting battle, you might want to invent a set of circumstances that would cause your characters to meet and engage in hostilities. On the other hand, if you're looking for something more cerebral, you might envision a more open-ended scenario, such as one where the two groups of people involved are not mortal enemies or are matched in a battle of wits, rather than a literal battle.
- In our example, let's say that Melchior and his two companions are on a mission to scout the area for demons when they run into three such demons. Melchior is immediately shocked — the leader of the demon band is the very one who killed his lord's son. The ensuing fight practically writes itself!
At this point, virtually every part of your LARP game is set up for success. The rest is up to you. Dive into your fictional world with no hesitation. The sooner you get into character and start thinking and acting like your fictional counterpart, the sooner you can start enjoying your LARP experience. Keep an open mind, stay respectful of our fellow LARPers, and be open to letting them influence your role-playing experience. Most importantly, have fun. If don't enjoy your LARP session, why go through the bother of having one in the first place?
9
Stay in character as you play. LARP games can be serious, grim affairs or casual adventures with a group of friends, but regardless of the specifics of your LARP game, it's almost always better to have players who are committed to their roles than those who aren't. LARPing games are essentially continuous amateur acting sessions. While different players may have different levels of acting ability, LARP experiences are usually the most engaging when everyone tries to take the acting portion of the game seriously.
- Understandably, first-timers can be shy about the prospect of running around in foam armor pretending to fight monsters in the presence of other people. To "break the ice", you may want to try doing a few basic acting exercises with your fellow players until everyone is feeling a little more open. For instance, try the classic "Question Scene" exercise — have one player ask another a question to which the second player must respond with their own logical follow-up question. The players keep asking each other questions at a faster and faster pace until one hesitates or fails to ask a question, at which point s/he is replaced by another player and the scene starts over.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Organizing a LARP Game

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1
Choose whether to create a LARP game or join another's. When you want to LARP, you typically have two choices — making your own game or joining another person's. If you choose the former, you'll be responsible for organizing and planning the game, but you'll have total freedom to do exactly what you want. If, on the other hand, you join an established game, you won't have to worry about as much, but you may have to abandon your preferred characters, scenarios, and/or rule set if your game's organizer feels strongly about these aspects of his or her game.
- Your geographical location can actually have an effect on the ease of creating or joining a LARP game. Certain locations, like large population centers, may have an active LARP community that organizes lots of local games, while more sparsely-populated areas may not have a LARP community, which means you may be forced to make your own game even if you'd rather start by joining someone else's. If this happens to you, try to look on the bright side — if your LARP game is really good, you may be able to plant the seed for the beginnings of your area's very first LARP community.
- One way to find other people's LARP games is through online LARP resources. For instance, the website Larping.org has a LARP-finding utility which allows for you to search for LARPing activities near your address.^{[4]
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  Research source} Another useful tool is larp.meetup.com, which has information on LARP groups worldwide.
2
Find an area for your LARPing. LARPing is a game based on the players' physical, bodily actions. By physically acting out your character's actions while in-character, you make the experience more real than if you were just to say, for instance, "I swing my sword at you". However, to get into the physical aspect of your LARPing, you'll first need a place to play. This can be almost anywhere, though, if you can, you may want to choose places that resemble the fictional setting of your scenario for added realism. For instance, if your adventure takes place in a forest, try finding a forest clearing in a local nature preserve to LARP in.
- Though every LARPing session is different, much of the fun of a typical LARP game is in the combat aspect of the game. This can involve running and jumping, swinging, throwing and shooting (fake) weapons, and other athletic activities. Thus, you'll want to choose a site for your LARP game where you'll have the space to safely do these things. Fields, parks, and athletic spaces (gyms, soccer courts, etc.) are all great locations to use (though if there are other people at these places, first-timers may get embarrassed).
3
Optionally, assign GMs. If you've played role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, you may already be familiar with the concept of a DM (Dungeon Master) or GM (Game Master). In the context of LARPing, GMs are participants in the game who don't pretend to be fictional characters. Instead, they stay "out of character" and ensure the game stays engaging and fun by staging conflicts, facilitating the gameplay of the other players, and, in some cases, controlling the story of the LARP game. For large games, GMs may be the people who run and organize the event (though this is not necessarily so). In these cases, GMs may additionally be in charge of planning and promoting the event itself.
- Compared to GMs and DMs of tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, GMs in LARP scenarios generally have a looser, more supportive role. While tabletop GMs have a great deal of control over the types of characters and situations the other players may encounter, LARP GMs can't control the actions of real people as effectively and thus often opt to facilitate fun adventures, rather than dictate them exactly.
4
Decide on a rules system (or lack thereof). The rules of player interaction and combat for LARP games can be as diverse as the games' settings and storylines themselves. On one end of the spectrum, some LARP games have no rules other than staying in character. In other words, it's up to the players to decide many aspects of the game on-the-fly. For instance, during combat, if one player is injured by another, it's essentially up to him or her to decide how much so and whether or not his injury will affect his or her fighting skill. On the other of the spectrum, some LARP games have extensive rule systems that account for every possible scenario. In these cases, players may, for instance, have a set amount of "life" that is drawn from every time they are injured in battle, meaning that they are definitively wounded or dead after being hit a certain number of times.
- If you're organizing your own game, it's up to you to determine how extensive you want the rules to be. However, because LARPing is a group activity by its nature, you'll definitely want to consult with your fellow players before making a decision.
- Note that many online LARPing resources offer pre-made rule sets for players looking to jump right into the game. For instance, Larping.org hosts LARPing-related blog posts, some of which contain the authors' preferred rules.^{[5]
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Coordinate game logistics with your players. Depending on the dedication of everyone involved, LARP games can be serious undertakings. If you're organizing your own LARP game, you'll want to ensure that you have the best game possible by taking the time to solve logistical issues before the game itself. For instance, if people are traveling to your LARP game from far away, you may want to send directions to everyone a few days beforehand, and if you plan on relaxing with the other players after the game, you may want to make reservations at a local restaurant ahead of time. Ask yourself the following questions as you plan your LARP event:
- Can all of the players easily make it to the event? If not, are carpools or public transit options available?
- Will there be an offsite meeting place or will all players meet at the site of the event?
- Will there be food and drink for players at the event?
- Will there be any after-LARP events?
- What is the plan if there is inclement weather?

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Taking LARPing to the Next Level

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1
Start a local LARP group. If you've enjoyed your first few LARP games and you'd like to continue participating in them, you may want to consider starting a dedicated LARP group or club for your local area. On the most basic level, forming a LARP group means that you'll be able to schedule the games that you and your friends want, when you want them. More importantly, however, it also means that you'll be able to meet new people who are also interested in LARPing who can in turn influence your LARP activities with their own characters and ideas.
- This is an especially good idea if your area doesn't already have an established LARP community. Be the first person in your area to start a LARP club and, with luck, you may be able to watch your LARP community grow more than you thought possible!
- If you're forming your own LARP group, you'll want to promote it to ensure that you get the best turnout possible. While classified sites like Craigslist, etc. offer one possibility for online promotion, you may also want to try posting your group's information to online LARPing sites which welcome community submissions like Larping.org.
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Participate in massive LARP events. The biggest LARP groups with the most members occasionally host enormous LARP games which can have hundreds of participants (or more) and last for days at a time. For a truly unique LARP experience, try participating in one of these massive LARP sessions. Because of the scope of the game, you'll be able to experience scenarios and character interactions that aren't really possible in smaller LARP games. For instance, while an ordinary LARP game between a dozen or so friends might give you the opportunity to experience fantasy combat on a small scale, a LARP game with hundreds of players allows you to become a soldier in a huge battle teeming with opposing forces. For some, participating in one of these large-scale meetups represents the pinnacle of the LARPing experience.
- To find one of these massive LARP events, which aren't necessarily everyday occurrences even among dedicated LARPers, you'll want to become an active member in the worldwide LARP community. The aforementioned Larping.org is a great place to start, as are nerolarp.com, larpalliance.net, and other regional sites.
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Make and share your own system of rules. If you've become an experienced LARPer and are looking for an additional challenge, try designing your own rule set for LARP play. While this can be satisfying as a creative endeavor, it's also a chance to correct any unfair or annoying aspects of the rules that you've been using thus far. If you're unsure of where to start, try looking up other LARPers' self-created rule sets online (on Larping.org or similar LARPing websites as well as role-playing resources like rpg.net) and working from there.
- Once you've created a "draft" of your rule set, try playing a game or two with your new rules. You may find that they don't work exactly as anticipated — this is OK! Use your experience to help you revise your rules as needed.
4
Create a detailed fictional universe. LARPing allows you to indulge your imagination and explore your creative capabilities to the extent that you please. If you're looking for ways to express yourself creatively beyond planning typical LARP sessions, try expanding the fictional worlds you've created, adding detail and individual flourishes to your characters, and creating fictional histories and mythologies. You can go as deep as you please here — some LARPers may be content leaving some aspects of their fictional creations up to the imagination, while others may want to account for even the smallest details. Your world is yours to create and explore. Enjoy your journey!
- Extremely detailed fictional worlds can serve as great fodder for fiction writing. In fact, it's not completely unheard of for novels exploring both in-character and out-of-character LARPing universes to experience popularity and success.^{[6]
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  Research source} If you've given the time and effort to creating an amazing fictional universe, consider writing about it. You may be the next J. K. Rowling!

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Is larping apropriate for kids?

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It certainly can be. Larping is essentially imaginitive play.

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Does LARPing have to take place in a new setting, or can it take place in an existing fictional universe, such as Star Wars?

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LARPING can take place in any setting, be it made-up or existing. "LARP" stands for "Live Action Role Playing," so as long as there's some role playing and live action, you should be good.

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Can a child do LARP as well?

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Certainly! Anyone can LARP. The costumes for a children's might not be as sophisticated, but other than that, all the child has to do is make a creative backstory, find people who are willing to do it with him/her, and set a date and setting. An ideal setting for a children's LARP would be some kind of local park or a fellow LARPers backyard, provided that it is large enough.

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Tips

It helps joining a LARP club. There are experienced LARPers there, most of them willing to help a young newcomer out.

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It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye or breaks a bone, so be careful.

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If you're LARPing in woods or at any location far from civilization, make sure you have a cellular phone with you to call the cops, the ambulance or your relatives in emergency.

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Warnings

Allow odd ball weapons to be in any size of shape. Just make sure to test them before they are used in a battle.

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Some people may find LARPing nerdy. But it's fun, so don't let that bother you!

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Use boffers; they are safe no matter what region of the body you hit.

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Don't go overboard; but don't be too lenient with safety and technique. If somebody has a unique fighting style, make a freestyle class that lets some use their style. For example, boffers to the head are safe and so is jabbing with them. Nobody likes an event that is overly safety or technique obsessed but same is true for lax standards.

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Organizing a big LARP event is no piece o' cake. Make sure you know your business before you think of something like this.

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