Enjoy yourself
To have a good time is one of the most important factors – remember that you’re doing this for yourself and the people you share the experience with. The majority of the players are there to enjoy themselves and break free from the mundane for a while. They’re not attending the event to judge newcomers. Honestly, the more you expose yourself, the more you’ll get from others. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – especially not when it’s your character who’s making them.
Go as a non-player character (NPC)
Non-player characters are creatures that are part of the story – like monsters or civilians. Unlike player characters, non-player characters don’t develop during the game. Instead, they participate as a part of the story – filling a role in the game. For first-timers, going as a non-player character would be beneficial because
- You can observe the game, its mechanics, rules, and roles. Prepare yourself for the next event with the information you’ve gathered.
- Non-player characters rarely pay for tickets, if they do, the prices are reduced drastically.
- Non-player characters don’t need impressive armor.
- You can talk to gamemasters and ask to be assigned a minor role if you feel uncomfortable playing a big part.
This advice is given on a daily basis to new players all over the world. It’s not because we don’t want you playing a player character. It’s because most newcomers feel much more confident in their own character after witnessing a LARP as a non-player character.
Bring a friend
Obvious one! If you have a friend that likes or would like to LARP, you should attend a game together – it’ll feel better if you’re there with someone you know. That way, it might be easier for the two of you to interact with other players. Chances are, you’ll be invited to their group and voila, now you’ve got a contact that frequents that event – perfect for the future.
Making friends at LARPs is very easy – I think many LARPers feel comfortable being around people who are like-minded, and more importantly, people who don’t judge.
Start small
This applies to both costume, character, weapon, and LARP festival. You’ll want to start small. Take what you have at home first, and modify it if needed. For your first event, you should only purchase the essentials (Unless you’re really sure about LARP and want to spend some money).
For your character, start small – leave space for your character’s development. To cement a character at such an early stage might close doors for the future – you don’t know your character fully yet, and neither does anyone else. Let the character grow with you.
Don’t take yourself too seriously
You’re playing make-believe, relax. Don’t feel like you have to outperform yourself or anyone else. Try to be less self-conscious during the event. You’re here to have fun. Besides, you’re in character – let the character take responsibility.
It’s important to remember that everyone else at the event is there for the same reason. We’re all in it together and people tend to be very helpful. We make mistakes in our everyday lives, of course, we’ll make mistakes as a newly generated LARP character too.
Make a character that fits the setting
Some organizers have pre-generated characters assigned to players but most events don’t. If they don’t, then you’ll have to make your own character for the event. Make sure to research the setting of the game – you’ll want to create a character that fits the time period. It’s important for characters to fit the setting in order to make character immersion as easy as possible.
Gather visual information about the event, either by attending as an NPC or by looking at pictures – this should give you an idea of what your character should look like and be capable of doing.
If unsure, ask.
People are very helpful, especially to newcomers. We’re very happy to have you at our LARP and we want you to be a part of our growing community, therefore, we’ll take good care of you. We’ll make sure to show you the ropes at an early stage – for your sake and ours. With this in mind, it doesn’t feel so scary to ask for help, does it? It shouldn’t. Your first time will be very informational – the more you learn, the more you’ll roleplay the shit out of your next event.
If you stumble upon a question at an inappropriate time, save it. Let whatever happens, happen. Afterward, ask – “What should I have done?” “Was that right?”. People will understand that you’re eager to learn.
Don’t spend more money than you need to
For your first character debut, you shouldn’t spend too much on your gear – here’s an article that goes through the costs of larping and what you can do to reduce them.
Don’t like to talk to a crowd? Don’t worry!
Stage fright and social anxieties are real, and very common too. Everyone doesn’t enjoy the attention of a crowd, some love it, some handle it and others hate it. It doesn’t matter which one you belong to – you are not alone! You don’t need to worry about it as much as you think. Our anxieties tend to spiral out of control when we think about them. Give them less space to spiral – do not let them hold you back from having a good time. Here’s what you can do!
- If you’re very shy
- Play a character that is very shy at first (that way you can hide behind your character until you feel comfortable)
- Play a character that is the exact opposite of yourself – some people can escape their own ghosts when playing other characters. Playing someone that’s very different from yourself can, in some ways, be rehabilitating.
- Stay in the background or let gamemasters know that you’re uncomfortable with the situation – they will let you adapt and evolve at your own pace.
- Start small, talk to a single player and let it grow from there.
- If you’re drawn into the action, develop a catchphrase or characteristic that you can hide behind at first.
- Step back if you feel overwhelmed – you’re challenging yourself, and personal development is exhausting. Take a break if you need to – people will understand.
- Put yourself out there when you feel safe – being a part of the story will give you a role that you can develop. The more you know about your character, the better you’ll roleplay him/her.
Let me tell you this – I’ve seen a lot of people let go of their social insecurities because of LARP. Once you step out on the ice, you acknowledge that people aren’t there to judge you, then all of a sudden, you’ll feel free and proud of yourself.
Pick a backstory you’re comfortable with
Your character needs a little backstory, the backstory will make it easier for others to understand your character, his ambitions, fears,
Pick characteristics you’re comfortable presenting
This doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone. I’ve seen friends roleplay something that I thought they would feel very awkward doing – after the game, I was told they liked the challenge and the show. It somehow helped them escape their own boundaries. However, I would suggest that you, for your first event, pick something that you’re comfortable roleplaying. Remember, you’re the one who’s going to embrace the character for a couple of hours, up to days, depending on the event you plan on attending.
Be open-minded
This! Seriously, it is very important that you keep an open mind when attending a
Pack essentials
If you’re attending a one-day LARP, you’ll get by with just a couple of things. For a longer event, the list is much longer. For further information, here’s an article on the subject.
If you don’t like one event, you might love another.
As the title says, one game rarely resembles the next, therefore, you should give more than one type of
Research the event
For your first time at any LARP, I would suggest you research the event to find out what the game is all about. Read up on the backstory, the world and its inhabitants, the rules, and lastly, personal experiences shared on forums. This will prepare you for the event, help you create a fitting character, and be more confident at the event. Knowing what you’re allowed to wear/do/use will help you prepare your costume accordingly.
Embrace the event – leave the rest behind for a couple of hours.
It’s important that you let go of stuff that you can’t control at the moment – just be there. Embrace the moment and make the best of it. The rest of the world won’t disappear over the weekend.
Make friends
Try to socialize at the event, you’ll make a lot of friends doing so. Taking part in the story and putting yourself out there will make you more approachable by other attendants. If you frequently do your best to participate, people will notice and try to involve you as much as possible. Once you’re out of character the ice is already broken. It’s incredibly easy to make friends at
Try to break character as little as possible.
While larping, you should really try to stay in character as much as possible, breaking character and talking about mundane things can ruin the event for others. Don’t be that guy or girl for that matter. Immersion and escapism depend on the ability to embrace, adapt, and let go. To have two people talk about something unrelated to the event in the middle of a scene will ruin it entirely. Out-of-character stuff should be handled away from the roleplaying. With that said, never be afraid to ask questions if you’re wondering something – there’s a big difference between arrogance and curiosity.
Find out what kind of combat the event allows
In live-action roleplaying, combat isn’t always conducted in the same way – you’ll see a wide array of different styles and methods. Some
Try to hide modern items
I guess you can this belongs to “Try to break character as little as possible” but I decided to make it a stand-alone to highlight it. These days, your phone will probably be the biggest disruptor and distraction that you’ve got. Try to keep all your modern items, such as your phone, shut off or put away during the event. During medieval times, there was a shortage of cellphones, cars, and fitness trackers. Keep them hidden.
Find a weapon you like
What kind of character are you playing? Find a weapon suitable for that character. In my experience, swords are the go-to weapons for most new LARP
If you’re spending the night…
Bring anything to keep you warm. I’ve included most of the things you need in my
Take breaks when you need to
Some
Get a good pair of boots
You’ll be wearing these all day so make sure they are comfortable to wear and make sure to bring something to prevent them from chafing. To find a pair of boots that fit the era, your feet, and your budget can be hard. You could get a pair of all-terrain boots or military boots that you can wear throughout the entire event but they tend to cost a little bit. Second-hand stores might have something. Lastly, go over to Amazon and check out their collection of medieval boots.
See if local groups arrange weekly practices
Do you want to master the
Can you do an accent? Please, do it!
Accents can make a character stick out from the crowd. Can you fake an accent? Please do! It’s appreciated when someone does their best to create an original character and I believe an accent is a good way of doing that. People will remember the character who had a special accent throughout the entire event. I can only speak for myself – I love when people do accents!
Develop a catchphrase
Another useful tool for your first
Use props to your character’s advantage
Going back to the part of feeling insecure about being a first-timer or dealing with social anxiety – props, catchphrases, accents, backstories, and costumes work together to create something you can hide behind. You don’t have to expose yourself if you don’t want to. Creating an interesting character isn’t about giving long speeches, your character can be interesting in many other ways. Bring something unusual to give your character more meaning – something that will do the talking for you.
You don’t need to act, you need to roleplay, a little.
Acting is one thing, roleplaying is another. You’re not performing to entertain or captivate the audience’s attention, you’re performing your character – doing and thinking as he or she would. The way your character behaves is entirely up to you to decide, either before the event or on the go. The interactions between players are much less frightening than in scripted scenarios. Nobody knows what you’re going to do, therefore, they can’t fault you. The outcome of what you decide to say or do is the only consequence of saying or doing it. There’s no judgment. Still worried? Here are a couple of things you should keep in mind.
- Avoid corrections – If another person gets something about your character wrong, skip breaking characters to correct them. Instead, let the story go on or correct them in character. Find a way around it. Going out of character to tell them they got a detail wrong will break the roleplay, making it harder to embrace it again. Just let it flow and things will fall into place later on.
- See the world as your character would – Let go of yourself and visualize the world as your character would. Try to get the impressions he or she would when something happens.
- Do your best to keep the conversation flowing. If you don’t agree with someone, instead of saying “no” – go with something a little bit more dramatic like “What makes you think I would consider that?”.
- Now you’ve created space for advancement. However, you should always play your character – if your character is a no-sayer, then say no.
Leave room to develop your character
You don’t need to know everything about your character at your first
Let’s say you’re a newly-recruited spartan soldier – by accepting the fact that you’re new to fighting, your character can grow and decide where to go as the story evolves. If you were to enter and present yourself as the greatest warrior on planet earth you’re going to be the greatest warrior on planet earth with very little room for advancement. Create a simple character at first.
Bring something to amuse yourself and your fellow LARPers during pauses
While gamemasters are doing their absolute best to keep you stimulated at all times, there will be pauses. Believe me, you’ll need it after a couple of hours. Use this time as you wish – I would suggest trying to socialize with other
Don’t sleep naked
If you enjoy the freedom of sleeping entirely naked, save it for later – you do not want to sleep naked at a
Don’t be afraid to get dirty
This will most likely happen if you’re attending a medium-sized event. You will get dirty. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you’ll be able to enjoy yourself fully. There will be dirt, mud, grass, water, horseshit, makeup, and much more. The absolutely best thing you can do is to bring a pair of wet wipes.
Conclusion: Everyone is a beginner at some stage in their life. Accept it. Don’t let the fact that you’re new restrain you from doing something like this. Besides, at these gatherings, you’ll be surrounded by other nerds who enjoy the same things. If you’re looking for the perfect time to break out of your shell – this is it.