LARP – Page 4

Mother nature can only provide beautiful scenery for your LARP shenanigans, you'll have to cover the rest of the expenses. I see the same question raised by newly recruited members of our roleplaying culture: How much does it cost to LARP? The cost of LARPing depends entirely on the event and costume you decide to use. Hardcore aficionados may spend hundreds up to thousands of dollars for their state-of-the-art costume while others get by with just a couple of dollars. The ticket prices for events can also vary but, depending on the size and stature of the event, expect to pay anywhere between $15-120 for entry. Higher ticket prices often include food, logistics, and a campsite for the duration of the event. Let's take a look at the different expenses of LARP! The Cost of Larp Tickets Anywhere between $15-120 Take into consideration that the money you pay must cover all of the organizer's expenses for the LARP to function. Larger festivals must pay for insurance, staff on payroll, food, and housing for said staff and participants, site rental, and a myriad of smaller services such as providing NPCs with props. To find an organizer walking away with a small fortune is very, very rare. Most of the time the profit margins are tight. Here are 2 examples of LARPs and their entry fee to give you some perspective. College of Wizardry in Poland charges anywhere between £165 and £650. It's a four-day event that takes place 3-5 times a year in a beautiful polish castle. Echoes of Athus in Southern Louisiana charge 40 bucks for entry - this includes lodging. College of Wizardry is very expensive (for several reasons - one being the castle they rent) but I haven't considered that when putting a 15-120$ limit because I doubt that someone who just found LARP would begin there. I may be wrong though. Your local LARPs are usually not too expensive. Don't judge the smaller, cheaper larps - they might be the ones that you enjoy the most. How to Find Cheap Larp Costumes You can get by with 20-50 dollars if you scavenge thrift stores for material or start really basic. Start by getting the base outfit before you start adding any expensive accessories. Take what you have and fake the rest. Talking to other LARPers you'll be shocked to hear how much they have spent on their costume throughout the years. My full armor has cost me 940$ dollars and I'm still looking for a couple of upgrades. Yes, I could have assembled my costume for less money. Yes, I could have spent a few hours searching for second-hand items. Yes, Susan, I have done the dishes. What could I have done? I'll go through a couple of tips on how to find cheap LARP gear and how to reduce the cost of your larping. Use Amazon to find cheap products! A good option when it comes to finding cheap LARP products is using Amazon. Amazon is such a massive company that it can undermine other companies' prices. For example, I bought this product that came at a great price! Here are some more options for stuff, depending on what you're looking for. Shields Swords Bows Cleaning out your closet Depending on your event you might have some of the stuff you need at home. If you're going to a post-apocalyptic larp you could buy a garment for only a couple of dollars and then burn, cut, and stain to get that post-apoc feeling. Anything old can be used for post-apocalyptic LARPs too. You shall pass Going as a mage or some sort of caster will save you the cost of an expensive weapon. Casters are only required to carry a spell packet which you can make very easily for a little sum. Attend the event as a non-player character I've said it before but going as an NPC will almost cut your expenses in half if not more. If you don't mind participating without advancing and developing your own character you should consider going as a non-player character. You'll learn how the event works, you will most likely have a lot of fun and you'll meet new people - without having to pay for tickets or costumes (This isn't always true - check with your organization) Make your own weapons Create your own boffer weapon - Clicking the link will lead you to a guide on how to make boffer weapons. They are not very good-looking, to be honest, they are awful but they are very cheap to make. Using a boffer like this works great if a) you're a total beginner b) everyone else is using one c) you don't care about others' opinions. But seriously, it's a good alternative. Ask for mask The event you plan on visiting might have loaner gear, ask them. Use what you know Sewing is such a beneficial skill to know if you frequent larps, you can make your own costumes and repair them but you can also make other people's costumes and charge them for it or exchange it for something you might need for your own outfit. Scavenger hunt So where do we start our scavenge? If you feel clueless you've come to the right place. You might be able to find some cheap LARP armor and weapons on Etsy.com Wish Aliexpress E-bay Amazon Thrift stores Charity shops Buying materials in bulk - Consider contacting your local larp group or anyone who might be interested in LARP to see if they would like to order supplies in larger amounts. DIY Guides on Google. With a little bit of luck, you can find discounted items from LARP retailers. Mytholon is a German shop with good prices. Visit their website for more information and to check out their catalog. Flea markets Bonus alternatives Get a tabard - Use a tabard as the foundation of your characters outfit and start from there, they look great. This one isn't too expensive and there are a ton of alternatives in the same price range on Amazon. Search Reddit for How-tos on turning anything found at thrift stores into anything wearable at larps. I have no idea how some people come up with their ideas but I salute them. With costume and ticket paid for your budget has survived the hardest hits. The rest of your money will be spent on transportation, anything you would like to bring and, if not covered by entry fees - food, water, and lodging. I've written an article listing 50+ items you should pack for a LARP, use it as a checklist but disregard some of the items if you plan on attending a shorter event. Transportation, consumables, and camping To spare a couple of dollars on transportation you could try to find other people in your area who plan on attending the same event and carpooling with them. If you've got a big group of people it could be lucrative to rent a small bus. Perfect for all the luggage and the shared cost of gasoline will be a fraction of what you would have to pay if you drove there in your own car. Use Facebook, Reddit (subreddit r/LARP) and your local game stores to find others who might be interested. Double-check to see if your ticket covers the cost of lodging and food, if it doesn't you'll have to bring your own food and preferably pack a tent. Looking at pictures of larp campsites you'll find special looking medieval tents called canvas tents, don't bother getting one right away - either borrow a regular tent if you don't own one or buy a 1-man or 2-man tent. You can find cheap ones, make sure they can shelter you from the rain. With this in mind economy shouldn't stop you from doing something you're excited about. I hope this article has helped any veteran or beginner to reduce the cost of their LARPing. I've created this list of 10 tips and I would be very thankful if you took the time to share it on Pinterest so we can reach even more LARPers or potential newcomers who haven't started yet because they have heard how expensive it can be. Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of luck. Do you know of any methods that I haven't included? Please do tell in the comments!