What Is A Larper?

Last week I visited my aunt on her birthday. It was a “quick” visit that included a cup of coffee, giving her the earrings I had got her and finally, small talk for about 45 minutes. Her presence on Facebook makes her quite aware of my lifestyle and my hobbies.

This is mainly because I’m pretty good at posting pictures of the things I love doing. The last collection was a bunch of photos from a LARP I attended a while back, the album was titled “I’m A Larper”. It didn’t come as a shock when she wanted to know what the hell I was up to. So, what is a larper?

A LARPer is someone who enjoys LARP (Live action roleplaying). Larping can be described as a mixture of cosplay, roleplaying games, and acting. There’s a wide selection of LARPs, making them available for anyone. There are LARPs that focus heavily on the roleplaying aspect, while others are more combat-heavy, focusing mainly on the battles – then there’s everything in-between.

Is Larping Popular And Who Does It?

Larping has grown rapidly since the 1980s and has received a slight boost in popularity lately as well. While larping is most prominent in North America and Europe, it exists in other parts of the world too.

The largest and most popular events in the world take place in Europe or North America (The German festival ConQuest Of Mythodea attracts close to ten thousand visitors!)

Events that attract that kind of crowd are not as common as the smaller, local larps that pull 20-60 players. In North America, popular organizations have chapters all over to make them available to people in all locations – these chapters follow the organization’s main event and its rules, world setting, and combat system.

Then, on special occasions, players from every chapter are invited to attend a big event hosted by the main organization. These gatherings are large in comparison to the stand-alone events but small in comparison to the biggest events in the world.

The size of the event doesn’t indicate how fun it is though. Some enjoy the large festivals while others only attend smaller events. I enjoy both but tend to visit the smaller larps regularly.

What kind of person runs around in a costume wielding a sword, casts magic spells (bean bags), and mourns the death of his not-so-dead comrade? It’s incredibly hard to tell you what kind of person does something like larping with great specificity. Instead, I’ll try to do a breakdown of the larpers I’ve met over the years and make it as just as possible.

• Age
  • 18-60 with the majority being in the 20-35 range
  • I know people bring their kids sometimes
  • There are certain events for kids where adults are present but only to preside.

• Professions
  • Incredibly hard to say – I’ve played with people who are in college and people who run big companies – there seems to be no connection between a larper and a certain job.

• Non-LARP hobbies
  • This also varies greatly, however, it’s common to find larpers who enjoy other forms of roleplaying games, video games, or computer games. As you might’ve figured out by now, we larpers are part of the nerd culture.

• Looks
  • Just like anywhere on the planet, you’ll see people in all shapes, colors, and sizes at larps. The larper doesn’t have a predetermined look.

• Why do people LARP?
  • They enjoy being a part of something bigger than themselves. Something that takes their attention away from the mundane.
  • They enjoy the freedom of being someone else, developing their character as they go, without being judged.
  • They enjoy the roleplaying aspect of it. Acting in front of an audience that seeks to be entertained puts pressure on you, in LARP, the audience is part of the show and can, therefore, be much easier to handle.
  • They like to use their imagination to display their feelings
  • They like the combat
  • They like to step away from their responsibilities to recharge their batteries. Becoming another person can make it easier to let go of things you “have” to do.
  • They are interested in other cultures
  • They enjoy spending time with like-minded people

The list can go on forever but I’ll stop there. Everyone has their own reason. I’ve come to the conclusion that I like doing it because it is so much unlike anything else I have experienced. It’s the feeling of freedom, curiosity, and excitement all mixed together.

The possibility of doing something that many would label as “strange” without being judged by your fellow mates. All the things that I have learned and exposed myself too during these events have led to some serious personal growth.

Many larpers claim they have learned how to handle their social anxiety because of LARP. Because everyone around you is doing the same thing, as awkward as it may feel at first, you’ll feel more comfortable doing it.

In an environment where people are comfortable, they are more likely to take the baby steps needed to overcome their anxieties. I think that’s why so many people have undergone such an amazing transformation thanks to LARP.

How To Start Larping

If you feel like you’ve got the imagination and the will to try something outside the box, then larping might be something for you. Of course, there are a hundred other reasons why LARP could be something that you’d enjoy. The first question that comes to mind is “how do you start larping?”

I’ll make an easy step-by-step guide to the process. I won’t go too in-depth but I’ll take you where you need to go. If you can devour information easily, take a bite of this 6000-word guide on the subject. It covers the basics of LARP from almost every angle.

• Search your region for events that may interest you. Once you’ve found an event, make sure you understand what kind of LARP it is. The larpers of Reddit are very helpful, visit r/LARP if you’ve got questions about specific larps.

• Get in contact with the organizing crew if you’ve got questions – they are most likely very helpful, especially when a potential member asks for assistance.

• Create your character. Use the information you’ve gathered about the event you’re attending. Based on that, create a character that fits the setting.

• Prepare a costume for your character

• Pack accordingly – if you’re going to an overnight event there’ll be more packing. Here’s a list of things that make the experience much better.

• Get to the event

• Enjoy yourself

Read more: The Beginners Step-By-Step Guide On How To Start Larping

Other Common LARP Questions

Is larping dangerous? The kind of danger you’re exposed to can be minimized by going to larps that are either free from combat or have strict combat restrictions (light touch, no touch, half speed, etc).

Organizers are often strict when it comes to combat/weapon rules to minimize injuries on the battlefield. Those who injure themselves at larps are part of a small minority.

Is LARP the same as cosplay? Not really, cosplay is about visually replicating a character while LARP is about creating your own character and acting out his or her every action. I’ve explained the difference between cosplay and LARP before.