Live Action Role Playing

LARP, or Live Action Role Playing is (generally) taking some kind of Tabletop Role-Playing Game structure and applying it to live, costumed events, sort of like improv theatre meets Bioware Games.

When most people think of LARP they think of Medieval Fantasy, with people running around the woods with foam weapons and seed packets for spells. This is certainly a really popular form of LARP, but hardly the only kind!

Modern Fantasy is a genre with rising popularity not just in novels, comics, and video games, but among LARP groups as well, with numerous national (and international) organizations built around RPG settings like the World of Darkness, Mind's Eye Society and One World By Night to name a few. These tend to focus more on politics than your acumen with a sword. Ever talked your way out of a boot squad coming to stoge in your face? Quite the thrill.

Even Zombies and Dystopias have been getting in on the action with organizations and settings like Dystopia Rising, a post-zombie-apocalypse borrowing heavily from a Mad Max style feel. Whole campgrounds are rented for a weekend of midnight shambler attacks and raiders.

In most LARPs, you don't spend all your time playing your own personal savior of the universe. NPC (Non Player Character) shifts are usually a part of the fun, where you change up your costume and go to play a zombie, vampire, or kobold depending. After all, you got woken up at 2 a.m. and after that who doesn't want to share the love? Or raid the tacos.

There's a bit of a snicker-behind-the-hand section of even the geek community that often accuses LARPers of taking themselves or their games too seriously (And there is always one Spr Srs Dark Lord in every bunch), but for the most part I've found LARPing to be full of fun, relaxed people. And for me personally it's been a great way to practice social acumen and the art of approaching strangers under the safety of a different persona. I'm not risking myself, after all! It was my character that made the bad impression.

So how do you know if LARPing is for you? Do you enjoy acting, improv, fashion, armor, RPGs, Fantasy, Vampires, Zombies, Political Backstabbery, Swordplay, Marksmanship, Accents, free booze, or hot costumed geeks? Well, then it's possible it might just be for you. Such a large number of hobbies and interests can draw a person into LARP that I have a hard time pointing out a 'type'. Fashionistas will be there right alongside survivalists and astrophysicists. It's a wonderfully diverse group.

And yes, there are Ladies. In fact, if anyone's interested, I'd be happy to do a Stories from a Lady LARPer some time on the off chance it will entertain.

Not to forget the doggie tax.