What is LARP

By Beren Olean |

What is LARP? This question has been asked thousands of times and been answered differently almost as many. Rather than just giving a cookie cutter answer or generic description, this article is designed to give readers as much detail on the term as I have gathered through my experience. Much of this is opinion and not provable fact, but it is my hope that the content is insightful and allows you to form your own thought, even if it differs from what is expressed here.

Given that this article has a ton of information to discuss, here is a quick overview of how the info will be displayed.

  • LARP – Breaking Down the Acronym
  • Bear’s Definition of LARP
  • Styles of LARP
  • Genres of LARP
  • Find What You Like
  • References

LARP – Breaking Down the Acronym

The first two words of LARP are live action, which is a description of how things are handled during the course of a LARP experience. The primary focus of any LARP is the meeting and interaction of people in real world locations in real time. LARP participants physically do what they would like to do over the course of their experience. In some instances, there are rules that are written to allow participants to do things during the LARP that are either not possible to do in reality (flying), simulate things from reality (gathering resources), or to simulate dangerous situations (combat). These items, while defying the rules of reality, are still governed by live actions that the participant must complete to take part in the experience. In another way the term live action is used to describe that actions are done physically in person rather than exclusively using technology such as video games, or described actions such as in table top role playing games.

Role-Play is the remaining portion of LARP. Role-Play is taking on the role of an imaginary character, either created by yourself or by another, and taking action as that character. To some people role-play is synonymous with acting, where a character is larger than life at times and blending into the background at others. Other people believe that role-play is inhabiting the thought process of the character and making decisions through that process. The actor viewpoint will base their character decisions on what they feel will make the best scene, while the inhabiting viewpoint will make character decisions based on the history and beliefs of the character. While these views often overlap, there are some instances where they can minorly differ or even oppose each other.

Example: An inhabiting character may be forced to make a decision based on their morality that an actor character will avoid due to possible backlash or the feeling that the scene may be less impactful.

So a LARP is when a number of people get together, pretending to be characters that are different from themselves, and interacting with each other. The earliest form of LARP that most everyone should understand is playing pretend as a child. Cops and robbers, cowboys, aliens, and super heroes are all minor forms of LARP.

When most people talk about LARP or the act of LARPing, they are actually talking about something much more specific. In fact most of the common definitions of LARP specifically state that it is a game.

Google Definition: LARP – A type of interactive role-playing game in which the participants portray characters through physical action, often in costume and with props.

Bear’s Definition of LARP

LARP is when a number of people get together, pretending to be characters that are different from themselves, and interacting with each other in order to create a shared narrative.

Please note, this definition does not include any mention of being a game or involving a game, as not all LARPs are competitive or game like.

Styles of LARP

LARPs come in a variety of styles, often determined by the leadership or ownership of the LARP itself. Style is an important consideration when determining your interest in a LARP. Please note that not all LARPs fit into these particular style categories and some LARPs are made of combinations of these styles. Additionally, there may be more styles not listed here. Feel free to mention any additional styles in the comments, and a I may, if there is enough interest, may make an additional update.

Role-playing Styles:

Reenactments – A reenactment is a number of individuals acting out an event in time for their own enjoyment or the enjoyment of a crowd. The most common types of reenactments are battles from wars throughout history or the recreations of different cultures in different time periods. These can all vary in the authenticity of their clothing, speech, and other factors. Renaissance fairs, battlefield reenactments, modern combat reenactment (Airsoft/Paintball tactical combats), and SCA (The Society for Creative Anachronism) all fit into this style of LARP.

Fest LARP – A festival LARP is generally a large scale event with hundreds or even thousands of attendees. These LARPers are broken up into competing groups, usually chosen by the attendee, and run large scale combats between the groups. While the individual attendees are allowed to control their own roleplay, group leaders are often controlled by or directed by the plot team of the specific LARP. This style of LARP is not very common due to their size and cost and are generally found in Europe and Canada. The most common Fest LARPs are Bicolline (Canada), Conquest of Mythodea, and Drachenfest.

Theater LARP – Theater LARPs are generally focused on the interactions of characters written for the players by the staff of the LARP. These LARPs generally do not focus on combat, but do not shy away from confrontation. Theater LARP attendees are given their characters background and story by plot staff, but also have a objectives for their character to achieve during the course of the event. If combat does occur during this style of LARP, it is usually handled with representational combat or negotiation based combat. The most commonly known Theater LARP is the Minds Eye Society – World of Darkness games and Murder Mystery style events.

Nordic LARP – Nordic style LARPs are based on the idea that events are a collaborative creative process that uses unobtrusive rules and an intense focus on immersion. These LARPs can be based on a number of different genres and often have a creative/experimental viewpoint. This style of LARP uses a negotiation based combat style, but usually without specific written rules. A wonderful additional resource about Nordic LARP can be found in the references below from LARPing.org .

American Freeform LARP – An American Freeform LARP is a stepping stone from table-top RPGs into the LARP space. This style is only partially live action, as a number of scenarios are narrated to the attendees. American Freeform LARPs tend to be based around scenes or stories, very similar to Theater LARP, but tend to have more rules.

Battle LARP – A Battle LARP is a style of event that specifically focuses on combat between participants. These combats could be war, group or one-on-one battle style. Battle LARPs have a larger focus on rules that Fest and Reenactment style LARPs do not. Additionally Battle LARPs do not usually have a heavy focus on in depth roleplay. Dagohir, Amtgard, Darkon, and a number of other similar Battle LARPs exist.

Blockbuster LARP – A Blockbuster LARP is typically defined by its focus on production value. These LARPs are typically more expensive due to this focus. Blockbuster LARPs have been run in very expensive locations such as castles or heavily designed sets. Additionally these LARPs also have very high costuming requirements. New World Magischola, a wizards school LARP, is a well known Blockbuster LARP.

Campaign LARP – A Campaign LARP is defined by its roleplay and event style. Each event in a Campaign LARP is based off the history and story from the events that preceeded it. The stories and character histories progress with each attended event, as well as the progression of the characters themselves. Additionally, this style of LARP often has a dedicated rules set which dictates how the characters progress. NERO (including its many offshoots), Alliance, Accelerant, Dystopia Rising, and Dead Legends are all examples of Campaign LARP.

Emergent LARP – Emergent LARP is a new style of LARP that essentially mashes multiple styles of LARP together in order to support multiple play styles. This style of LARP focuses on consent negotiation, with competitive, simulationist, narrative, and freeform sub-systems. Dammerung, Velvet Noir, and Goat LARP are currently at the forefront of this style of LARP.

Combat Styles:

Heavy, Felt Blow – This combat style is based on the fighters actual physical ability to fight with real weight weapons and armor. You physically need to land a blow on the target, and they need to feel it, to score a blow.

Heavy Boffer, Felt Blow – This combat style is similar to the Heavy, Felt Blow style, but with foam style weaponry rather than realistic weaponry.

Heavy Boffer, Body Location – This combat style uses heavy boffers to fight, but have rules regarding what happens when you are hit in specific body locations.

Boffer, Lightest Touch, Body Location – This combat style uses boffers made without simulating actual weaponry, but also uses body locations.

Boffer, Lightest Touch, Hit Points – This combat style uses boffers made without simulating actual weaponry. All combatants have a number of hit points and damage amounts that they must track to determine the outcome of combat.

Boffer, Roleplay – This combat style uses boffers made without simulating actual weaponry. The combatants act as though their weapons are the actual weight of real weaponry. These combats may be based on hit points like the style listed above or more of a negotiation style found below.

Dart Launcher – This combat style uses Dart Launchers that are appropriate for the games genre. This combat may be based on a hit point system, body location system, or negotiation system.

Airsoft/Paintball – Similar to Dart Launchers, this system uses projectile launchers, but usually follow a single hit and you are removed system.

Simulated System – Simulated combat systems do not allow actual physical combat, but replaces it with things such as dice rolls, card draws, and RPS (Rock, Paper Scissors) to determine fights.

Negotiation System – A negotiation combat system is where players decide how the combat goes by a vote of the combatants or just by feeling that it is time to be removed from the combat.

Genres of LARP

There are an almost unlimited number of LARP genres, however there are a number of common ones that will be listed below. Some LARPs use mashups of these genres as well.

Fantasy: Based off of fantastical creatures and magic, this genre of LARP is often derived from lore from the real world and works of fiction. All of this lore is converted into fictional works and is not intended to be treated as factually accurate. Additionally this lore is not intended to be appropriated, but instead, modified to respect the intent of the lore and celebrate it for its historic or cultural significance.

Historical Simulation: This genre is meant to simulate real world locations, times, cultures, and/or events. Due to being based in the real world, this genre will often explore realistic combat, political situations, religious situations, and other realistic simulations.

Historical Background: This genre is similar to the Historical Simulation, however it is not attempting to mimic an actual occurring event. This genre uses a historical location, time, culture, and/or event as the background for telling new fictional stories.

Historical Fantasy: This genre takes a real time period and uses it as a backdrop for new fictional stories with additional fictional lore. This lore works similarly to the Fantasy genre in regards to modifying its content to avoid appropriation and celebrate historical and/or cultural significance.

Post Apocalyptic: This genre takes a historic or fantasy based genre, but adds a cataclysmic world event that has drastically changed the lifestyle of the fictional world, making survival difficult. Often times this genre will include typical end of the world style characters such as undead, mutations, and scavengers to add a sense of desperation to the genre.

Science Fiction: This genre is based on idealized or imaginary futures, but in almost all other ways are similar to the Fantasy genre, with science replacing magic in some instances.

“Borrowed” Intellectual Property: This genre takes a famous followed IP and “borrows” heavily from it, often to the point that it borders or crosses the threshold of copyright infringement.

Find What You Like

A lot of info, right? That is part of the problem. Everyone has their own ideas of what a LARP is or should be and they never completely match up. Due to this, it is not very important to agree on the definition of LARP, but to understand what you want out of LARP.

It is difficult sometimes to look at a LARP and understand what exactly it is and if it will be the right match. LARPs have mission statements and websites available that describe how the owner/operator view their events.

Using the information found here as a guide, its my hope that you can find what LARP you would like. Have questions or thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment for future articles!

References: