Your First LARP Event, a general Guide
What to Bring:
General Necessities
– MEDICATIONS (This is huge. Whether it’s prescriptions or pain-killers, don’t forget. If you are allergic to bee-stings and such, bring your epi-pen. If you’re asthmatic, you MUST have your inhaler on you at ALL TIMES.)
– Directions!
– Phone Numbers to call if you get lost. (or you forgot the map…)
– Money for the event fee if you haven’t pre-paid.
– Food Money (Food is usually provided on-site though it isn’t free)
-Flashlight (Just in case.)
Sleeping Necessities
– Blanket (Sleeping Bags)
– Pillow
– Sheet (to go on the mattress)
Personal Hygiene Necessities
– Deodorant (Please!?)
Baby Wipes (super handy)
Shower Items
Costuming Necessities
– Shirts (Anything blousey and vaguely period works. Try not to use modern tees if you can help it. Bring several so you can change, and make sure you have one with long sleeves because it can get chill at night.)
– Pants/Skirts (Same as above, just find something that you feel can be worn in the setting without disrupting it.)
– Underthings
– Socks (LOTS! — Then pack MORE!)
– Shoes (Think about ankle support and comfort, you’ll be on your feet a lot and likely have to run. Try not to wear sneakers, though! A good pair of boots will work, and you can likely find something more in-period for cheap at a thrift-store.)
– Belt and Pouches, Shoulder-bag, and/or Fanny-Pack (You’ll have to carry around your character sheet, tags, and any treasure you find! Pockets are alright, but pouches add to the feel.
– Any extra layers (Maybe a vest or nice scarves to add to your look)
– Accessories (Jewelry and Odds and Ends that make your character who they are.)
– Makeup (If you are playing a nonhuman- you will need some sort of makeup or prosthetic. Make sure to get it, because monster camp may not have what you need.)
– Normal Clothes (You’ll want to change into something sunday when all is said and done and we’re ready to leave site.)
Game Reps
– Weapon (We don’t expect you to have your own your first event. Either Monster-camp or another player should be able to lend you one, and you can look into purchasing your own.)
– Potion Vials (Preferably not glass for the sake of safety.)
– Spell Packets (LOTS if your playing a caster)
Extras
I am a big believer in the idea that the setting makes the game. If you bring things to decorate your cabin and make it seem more real to you, you’ll find it’s a lot easier to maintain character. Likewise- others who see it will appreciate the extra effort. Just try to keep more modern things out of sight if you can. Whether it’s cloth to hang so that it drapes afront your bed or a cloth to throw over your tub-o-stuff to make it into a table, every little detail helps. Bring colorful bottles of koolaid maybe and say that they’re potions, or bring incense that your character might like. You’ll find it’s a ton of fun to feel like you’re making it all more real for someone else.
When you Arrive:
Check-In
When you first arrive at a LARP Event, the first thing to do is report to NPC Camp and check-in. Depending on what site we’re at, NPC camp may be hard to find – just ask any nearby player and they’ll be happy to tell you where to go. When you arrive at NPC Camp, you’ll be paying for your event, showing them a copy of the character sheet you want to play with, and picking out where you’re sleeping. If you don’t have a particular cabin you want to sleep in, NPC Camp will assign you one. You’ll want to tell the person checking you in that you’re a new player so they can note you down and point out the New Player Coordinator to you. If you don’t have weapons or shields, or if you need to borrow costuming, let NPC Camp know and they’ll help you to the best of their abilities.
After checking in, you’ll want to introduce yourself to the New Player Coordinator, who will be introducing you to Nero, answering any questions you have, giving you a quick guide to the game. If you don’t have a character sheet yet, she’ll help you write one, based on what you want to play.
Setting up your Cabin
Once you’re checked in with Plot, the thing to do is set up your sleeping area. There are several cabins in each of our sites – if you don’t have anyone in particular that you want to group up with yet, you’ll be assigned a cabin by the person who checked you in. Unload all of your bedding and In-Game gear and set up your bunk the way you want it. Make sure you get all of your In-Game items into your cabin or on your person, because you won’t be able to fetch any in-game items from your car once the game starts.
Get Dressed
If you still have time before the Pre-Game Meeting, you’ll want to get into your costuming and any make-up you need. If it’s your first event, NPC Camp will give you tags for any items you can physically represent for your character – armour, weaponry, spell books, and other things like that.
Pre-Game Meeting
At approximately 9 pm, there will be a Pre-Game Meeting held in the tavern. The Staff and NPCs will be giving you a great deal of out of game safety information, specific area information, and setting the In-Game Scene for the game. At the end of the meeting, they’ll announce a game-on time, usually 10pm.
New Player Meeting
After the Pre-Game Meeting, the new player coordinator will gather any new players together and give them a quick Guide to Nero, explaining some of our combat system, safe NERO fighting rules, and other things she feels are important for new players to know.
Game On!
Once the Game starts, usually midnight on Friday night, people will start wandering into town as their characters and now the time to get in there and have some fun! The Nero Piedmont staff and npcs will be running themselves ragged, sending out exciting adventures and plots for you to go on. Any time you don’t understand something that’s going on, feel free to ask another player or the New Player Coordinator. We ask that you stay in character as much as possible during the game – ask all your questions but avoid talking about what you saw on tv last night.
Check-Out
Sunday morning we all wake up way too early to clean-up the camp grounds. You’ll want to get all your equipment packed into your car and then clean your cabin. Generally sweep the floors, empty the trash, and make sure there aren’t any random swords or spell packets lying around. Once your cabin is cleaned, check with the Clean-Up Marshal and get your character sheet signed. Check with the tavern keeper and make sure you’ve paid off anything you owe him, and get his signature as well. If you feel like going the extra mile, you can help us clean up the bathrooms, kitchen, or tavern – you’ll be awarded goblin points for your efforts!
Once you’re done cleaning up and you’ve got both signatures, it’s time to check out at the Plot Cabin. Every Piedmont event you attend entitles you to one blanket of experience but you can choose to get another by “maxing out”, which will double your XP gained. You can max out by either volunteering for a 4-hour NPC shift during the game or paying 1 silver for each Build Point your character has. A first time player will have 30 build points so maxing out will cost 30 silver or 3 gold pieces.
Once you’ve checked out you’re free to go home, but most of us wait for the park ranger to show up and sign off on our campsite. We usually old a Post-Game meeting and then we head to one of the restaurants in town to hang out as our real life selves and swap war stories.