Choosing a LARP Club
It’s great that you are looking to step into the world of Live Action Role Playing (LARP) and try this amazing hobby. We are lucky in the UK that we have an abundance of clubs but not all LARP is the same and so to make sure you get the best out of your experience it is worth taking a moment to think what theme and system suits what you will enjoy.
Obviously we’re keen to sell you our club, but we’ll try our best to be as balanced as we can because Heroes and Heroines isn’t the right club for everyone, and we’d rather you ended up with the right club and event that matches you.
The three main things to consider when looking at what LARP system is right for you is system, theme, and people.
System:
High, Low or no Hits? LARP is broadly speaking broken into three different types of system based on their approach to hit points and combat:
Low Hits – The majority of LARP clubs in the UK are Low hits systems, including most large festival-based events which can be attended by over a thousand people with combats involving hundreds per side. Characters in low hits systems usually have one or two hit points per location (sometimes augmented by armour) and frequently emphasise politics, discussion and the interplay of large factions which vie for importance, trade or influence. While combat does take place (often on a MASSIVE scale with large, pitched battles) the combat element can often be only a small part of the game and is often simpler to track hits, damage, and resources or abilities. Combat can often be avoided by those who want to focus on other aspects of the world.
High Hits - High Hits Systems such as ours are a small minority of UK clubs. Characters in high hits systems are more like the main characters of a heroic fantasy book, or player characters from a role-playing game, each with a large number of hit points or combat resources. Combat makes up a much larger part of high hits systems, involving numerous combat encounters per event, each lasting from a few minutes or to up to an hour in extreme cases. Discussion, politics and roleplaying are all still part of High Hits systems of course but are often less about large faction manoeuvring and more about puzzle solving or negotiating safe passage with local bandits. High Hits systems tend to take place on a smaller scale with around 20 – 50 participants being a common event size.
No Hits - No Hits Systems Don’t usually feature combat at all, and emphasise roleplaying, conversation, or even focus on exploring the people, places and events which characterised a particular period of time or a fantasy world which their events take place in. These events are particularly suitable for people who do not enjoy the combat elements of LARP or those who really enjoy improvisational roleplay. No hits systems are very variable in size from events of 10 people to larger scale events with more than a hundred participants.
Theme:
Most LARP systems have an underlying theme which is the style that governs the aesthetic, abilities, and feel of the world that the event takes place in. Are you looking for a high fantasy genre with magic and elves? Or a steampunk feel with strange mechanisms and Victorian stylings? Maybe horror is more your thing? Or Vikings? Or cyberpunk?
Whatever theme you are interested in will certainly be a large part of your choice when it comes to deciding on a club to try, and with more themes than we can possibly hope to list, we recommend searching on either LARP UK or LARP events or through forums on Facebook or other social media for ideas and clubs.
Of course, if you have the time going to one club doesn’t preclude going to another for a variety of experiences. Some of our members also enjoy Empire, Swords and Sorcery, or many other clubs.
In our case Heroes and Heroines is a High-Hit system based in a High-Fantasy world with events involving usually 15 to 20 players and often featuring twenty or more combat encounters per event.
People:
The most important part of any LARP club are the people involved, so take time to reach out to a club that has a system and theme you like the looks of and get to know the people who run the club and make sure they are people that you feel a connection with and comfortable around. You may also ask if, for example, you are expected to be ‘in character’ from start to finish of an event, or are there moments when you can take a time ‘out of character’ to catch up with your fellow players? We’re all different and we want to make sure you find the right people for YOU.
What can I expect from a LARP Event?
So you’ve found a club offering a theme you’re interested in, a system that suits what you want from a LARP event, and is run by a great group of people; what should you expect to experience?
Every club and system is, of course, going to offer something different, but there are a few fairly generic things which you might expect at most clubs.
Playing or Monstering? There are two main ways to participate in a LARP event, either as a ‘Player’ or as a ‘Monster’ (called ‘Crew’ by some clubs) Some clubs allow you to do a little of both, slinking off for a bit to be a monster, or even playing half the event and then acting as a monster for the rest.
Players - Players are, broadly speaking, the ‘heroes’ of an event – They adopt their chosen persona and play that same character all through the event, which generally will revolve around the player group or groups solving a problem that is taking place in an area at the time (the players may or may not be responsible for this problem in the first place!) Depending on the system, as a player you may be involved in high stakes negotiations, desperate combat, be part of a ritual magic circle, or relax in a tavern with a drink in hand.
Monsters – Monsters (who are sometimes called crew) are basically the Non-Player Characters and make up the world that the players interact with. From the group of local woodcutters who complain that bandits are attacking them and stealing their tools to the horde of undead horrors who had taken over the bandit camp as an ambush for the players, these roles are all fulfilled by the monster crew. As a part of the monsters you might be giving an eloquent speech exhorting the players to great deeds in one scene and then cleaving through them as a hungry troll in the next.
Some people prefer playing events, some people prefer monstering, and some people enjoy both equally, but that’s good, because most systems need both players and a monster crew for LARP events to run properly.
What do I need to have to be able to attend my first LARP?
Costume and Weapons - Most clubs and events will expect you to supply your own costume and (if appropriate) LARP safe weapons if you are playing the event but will provide you with appropriate costume for portions of the event that you might be monstering.
If you are monstering then you will generally just be expected to have some black base clothing (black trousers/leggings and a black top) which you will be given costume to go over the top of. If you are playing then your character’s costume will be super important to your enjoyment of the event, and should reflect the theme of the system you choose.
It’s definitely worth looking at pictures from past events to get ideas, and talking to other people who attend the event on their social media channel of choice. You can spend enormous amounts of money on custom made costumes from the many excellent LARP costume suppliers, or you can make your own, or even mix and match. LARP is basically dressing up, and costuming is usually a really fun element.
Some clubs will offer to hire or loan you costume and/or weapons for your first event, so it is worth asking about to see if this is the case. Heroes and Heroines offers basic costume and weapon hire for new participants for £5 per event on the proviso that you agree pay for anything you damage.
Other Equipment / Accessories – It’s worth checking out the eating arrangements for events (is there a communal meal, on site catering, or do you need to bring and cook for yourself? Do you need to bring plates and cutlery or is this available as a part of the site) Is there accommodation or do you need to bring a tent, and if so does it need to be “in character” or not? Each club is different and it’s good to be prepared!
Of course the most important thing to bring is an open mind, a sense of adventure, and a willingness to have fun!