When we buy gifts for others, we either get something we think they’ll like based on our own preferences or we figure out what they actually need by listening to their day-to-day rants.
However, as a
These tips are helpful if you’re getting something for a character.
- Try to figure out what time period/world the game is set in. Because immersion is so important, you’ll want to purchase something that’s appropriate for that event. Most LARPs have a lot of information about this on their website.
- Research the character.
- What kind of class is the character?
- What’s he like?
- What weapons does he use?
- How does he dress? Anything can be useful.
- Has the person talked about creating a new character? If so, you’ve got a golden ticket. New characters need new gear. Old characters need expensive upgrades.
That’s for the character. The best gifts may be the practical ones. However, they tend to be less personal. (I got a leaf blower a while back, it was incredibly time-saving and convenient. I loved it. Was it sexy and personal? No.)
The LARPer needs a ton of stuff when he/she is out of character too. Items that indirectly make their LARPs better. These items are more about function and comfort than amusement. I’m talking about:
- Storage
- Camping
- Comfort
- Safety
- Maintenance/Crafting
Lastly, the gifts the larper MAY love. These include things from hobbies that are similar to LARP in some way.
The Best LARP Gifts
To purchase something practical for the LARPer’s ventures or something that stimulates the LARPer’s imagination is my absolute best bet. When you think of it, LARPing is so much more than costumes and boffer weapons.
Some LARPs include airsoft, archery, paintball-like weapons, camping, music, cooking and so much more.
Here’s a list that combines the convenient, the attractive and the amusing elements of LARP-like-nerdery.
If you’re unsure what their character looks like, try to find a picture. You’ll want the accessories you buy to fit their costume. Accessories are what makes a costume go from good to GREAT.
Books on Larp/Roleplaying
To witness and experience roleplaying is something that pleases all of our senses. There’s amusement pre-game, during the game and even after the game. Reading a book on the subject might be interesting for the dedicated player. There are books that go in-depth on specific topics within the genre.
Here’s a book I recommend for a LARPer. It’s a great read for anyone who’s interested in the LARP culture and the mechanics of a game.
It’s a perfect gift for someone who wants to dig deeper but also for someone who you’re longing to introduce to LARP. Giving them a book on the subject is a subtle way of saying “I command you to find this interesting and spend your time on it”
Pouch
Seriously, this is a NEED for most LARPers. To store items can be a real hustle if your costume doesn’t include a pair of deep pockets for your essentials. Nine out of ten times, wearing a backpack is ruled out. However, a small pouch can easily be worn for the entire duration of a LARP without exhausting the player or compromising the players look.
There are good-looking leather pouches that fit perfectly for most
Tent
As I mentioned before, some LARPs can last for a couple of days and in some cases an entire week. At the expensive LARPs, lodging is included in the price of the ticket. That’s not always the case though. Whiles lodging isn’t provided, the arranging crew may have rented space for camps.
Creating small camps is a popular way of living during LARPs. To have good camping gear is of great importance.
Why?
Because it’s a horror to sleep outside when you’re cold or wet. If you have any self-respect left – make sure you sleep well. Not doing so will take away all your energy and essentially, the way you’ve experienced the LARP. Go with comfort and spend all of your energy where you should.
Here’s an affordable tent on Amazon.
Propane Stove
Another luxury item for the LARPer who doesn’t mess around with his food. Instead of getting a shish kebab in a knightly manner, the propane stove will provide the possiblity of cooking your own food at your camp.
It’s easy as 1-2-3 to prepare a healthy meal or boil water for tea and coffe. Having coffe at a LARP can resemble the sudden raise in popularity one would witness when bringin a pack of chewing gum to school.
The propane stove is a great tool for the player who attends LARPs that go on for multiple days. Furthermore, the propane stove can be used for your non-LARP camping ventures. Here’s a high-quality stove from Amazon.
Helmet
Is this person’s character missing a helmet? Fix it! Helmets are a big part of the character’s costume and can make or break the character’s design. Wearing a state-of-the-art piece of armor combined with a helmet from Target will bring your character from “I’m a Royal Knight” to “I’m sleeping in an alley behind The Royal Hotel tonight”
The helmet should also fit the rest of the costume. Wizards usually wear headpieces made of cloth, rogues and thieves use leather and warriors go for harder material like stainless steel.
Here are a couple of the best LARP helmets on Amazon.
Bottle Holders (Larp Alchemy/Potions)
Plague-doctors store their potions in small bottles, they are not the only ones. Wizards use mana pots and Warriors restore health by using health potions. Everyone uses them. Wearing a bottle holder says more than you think about you. You’re organized. You’re neat.
They come in many different forms and colors but these are my favorite. Combine this with soda or any other colored fluid to make them look like real potions. Blue for mana and green for health potions.
We talked about accessories being the thing that completes a character, this is one of those accessories. To take the role of the alchemist even further, some
Pair of LARP Boots
For me, a pair of good-looking LARP boots would be the best gift for a LARPer. Of course, roaming whatever world you’re on in a pair of sandals works, too. It’s just that sandals have less to offer your feet and, your character’s dignity.
Cosmetics
Warriors seldom powder their nose before battle but this is LARPing. Anything to improve the visual representation of your character is allowed. Just like Johnny Depp when he played Captain Jack Sparrow, your character could do with a little bit of make-up.
If done properly, cosmetics can add impressive features to a character’s body and face. There are make-up kits and scar kits that include everything you need to get started.
I’ve made sure to pick kits that are easy to bring to LARPs. I imagine they’ll want to remove the make-up before calling it a night, else they’ll wake up looking like the sixth chapel.
Bonus: Top-quality makeup set for realistic special effects. This set includes a tutorial that guides you through the steps. Not as mobile as the smaller kits and should
Viking War Horn
The
To hear these horns at LARPs will instantly evoke a special feeling. If a sound can prepare you for battle, this is it.
Here’s a pretty awesome horn that I’ve purchased myself.
Medieval Musical Instrument
To gather round a campfire and listen to live music has probably been enjoyed by people for thousands of years, I hope. To think that music and instruments don’t have a place in LARP is wrong. To find someone who can manage an instrument skillfully is quite captivating.
Some classes even use instruments to strengthen their allies, providing them with “buffs” by playing songs.
Any instrument works but for the sake of character immersion, you should try to find an instrument that fits the period, and more importantly, isn’t troublesome to carry. Therefore, a grand piano is not an option.
Opt for a lute, a small harp, an ukulele, a citole or a gittern.
Archery Gear
Chances are the person you’re buying a gift for plays an archer when he or she LARPs – or maybe has the intention of doing so but is missing the right equipment.
In that case, you’ve got the perfect gift. Just like normal archery, LARP archery requires a little bit of practice, a bow, special foam-padded arrows
In an older
To accompany it you’ll need these arrows. LARP Archers are not allowed to use real arrows, for obvious reasons. These are high-quality arrows that live up to the standards.
Treasure Chest
Amidst these gifts for larping friends comes the one thing that can double as a piece of furniture without sending out that strange vibe that a collection of two-handed longswords would.
The treasure chest is a popular prop in LARPs, it’s a good-looking decoration for the encampments and a pretty sweet way to store your goods. There are many different designs but isn’t this one awesome?
Action Camera
What does a LARPer need more than a head-mounted camera to document his adventures? Nothing. With the smartphone came the age of recording everything you witness, all the time.
However, smartphones aren’t the best choice for filming action in POV (Point of view). Action cameras are used for snowboarding, skydiving, scuba diving and pretty much every other sport on the planet, including LARPs.
The best bang for your buck in this category is this one. It takes great photos and records in Ultra HD. The image stabilizer works wonders on the battlefield too. I’m using this one and I recommend it over the 250-300$ models.
Pen And Paper RPGs
Unlike live action roleplaying, tabletop
If you’ve ever heard of Dungeons and Dragons, which I bet you have, then you know what type of thing this is. It’s an incredibly amusing thing, that’s what it is.
The LARPer likes to roleplay, there’s roleplaying involved in Tabletop RPGs. There’s a lot of imagination and fantasy involved. Someone who likes to LARP doesn’t have to like Tabletop RPGs but there’s a chance they might.
Here are some popular Tabletop RPGs.
Nerf Gun
In many LARPs, Nerfs are substituted for firearms. This allows the LARPer to simulate gunfire hits safely. They are very popular in post-apocalyptic LARPs. These nerf guns can then be modified to enhance their performance and functionality.
Lookin’ down the barrel of a Nerf-N-Strike Elite – not as miserable as a .45. Here’s a collection of different Nerf Guns on Amazon.
Drone
We talked about head-mounted cameras earlier. Drones are capable of taking to the sky to record high-quality footage of the ongoing action. For someone who likes to record and edit movies, drones are awesome. They can easily produce feel-good movies that give you that larger-than-life feeling.
Drones used to be very expensive a couple of years ago, now they are manufactured for personal use and come at a much cheaper price. After scanning the market for weeks we came to a decision on which drone to get. Here’s the one we’ve used for our “campaigns” at my local LARP and we couldn’t be happier with it.
If you’ve got no experience using a drone, don’t worry, the U818PLUS was quite easy to maneuver.
Board Games
You can never go wrong with a board game. It doesn’t have to be Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit either. There are plenty of games that will please the LARPer, ranging from fantasy adventures to strategic battles that demand cooperation to free for all gladiator-type games.
Some of the best board games within neighboring genres:
Mobile Charger
Every LARP doesn’t have the opportunity to provide their attendants with electricity. In that case, a mobile charger is much needed to keep your phone alive through longer LARPs. Mobile chargers are very affordable.
Sewing Kits/Machine
If it wasn’t for LARP, I would’ve never been able to repair my own jeans. Crafting is a big part of the community and there are a lot of do-it-yourself guides for the LARPer. Sewing is one of the most popular and useful skills to have if you are a LARPer.
- You can craft your own gear
- Repair it
- Customize it
- Modify and reuse old clothes
- Craft for others
In addition to the sewing machine, the sewing repair kits are extremely useful AT the event. Here’s what I’ve been using at home and at the events.
Medieval Cutlery Set
A cutlery set would surely be a good gift for someone who larps and eats. Most of us do. Staying true to the setting of the event as much as possible is appreciated by the other LARPers. For many attendants, modern items can disrupt their immersion.
Using time-appropriate utensils will help fellow LARPers embrace the time period.
I hope this article has helped you find a LARP gift for that friend or special someone of yours. If the person reading this has some great gift ideas for LARP stored, please do share them in the comments. Good luck!