You don't have to know the answers to all of these, but the more you do know, the more you will be ready to act and react as another person.
Basics: What is your name? Visit our Links page for ideas.
What is your race? (Human, Elf, Dwarf, etc...) What type of character
are you? (warrior, magician, rogue, etc...) What is your sex?
(traditionally you should know... but in a LARP anything is possible...)
Family: How many siblings do you have? Are your parents married?
Divorced? Dead? What are their names? What class of people
are they? (noble, farmers, merchants, mercenaries...)
Homeland: Where do you come from? Coming soon: the IFRA world book. To what government do you owe allegiance?
(Chojan, the Elven wood, the Ogre king...)
Experiences: Why are you in Ankhar Liet? Where were you before
that? Who did you encounter? What did you learn from those
experiences? Do you have a mentor? If so, what did you learn
from that person? Did you ever have your heart broken? Have
you ever been robbed? Have you ever seen battle? And so on...
Morals: What is right and what is wrong? Do you believe
in slavery? Do you believe in helping others? Would you participate
in theft? Murder? Espionage? What limits will you not cross?
Set boundaries on your character such as: no fighting, no bribery, no theft,
or no flirting. Would you try to impose your values on others?
Laws: Do you believe in the laws of your kingdom? Do
you believe in the laws of other kingdoms? Would you fight to protect
those laws? What rights do you believe a governing body should have?
(Should they be able to take food from farmers without paying? And so on...)
Should they be able to levy taxes? Is execution a fair sentence?
Read here: the laws of the kingdom of Chojan. Preambulata: We accept as truth that the rule of Law is that which divides civilization from anarchy. Justice, dispensed by persons of good character according to a simple set of laws is the method by which we keep order in a manner fair to all, Noble and common alike.
The order of authority:
King Robear Chojan is the only citizen of the Realm equal to the Law of the Kingdom, which by his command is enforced by Nobles, kingdom magistrates and domain Magistrates. The order of authority is as follows:
The king his majesty Robear Chojan
The kings sons and daughters
The Dukes of the Great Houses
Baron, and baronesses of the kingdom
Counts, and countesses of the kingdom
Knights of the kingdom, and counties, and kingdom magistrates.
Domain magistrates
Lords and lady’s
The common people
The Law, and Minimum Punishments for breaking the Law.
Do not take that which does not belong to you.
Minimum punishment will be a fine equal to double the amount taken. Removal of hand is suggested. Length of time without the hand is to be set by the magistrate.
2. Do not Attack or Kill an adversary unless you fear for your own life, or unless your adversary struck first.
Penalty for premeditated murder is a full death. Half of the murderers estate goes to support the victim’s survivors.
Penalty for manslaughter is a Held Spirit death.
3. You may not hold another person or another person’s property against their will for profit.
Penalty for Kidnapping is a full death.
Minimum for holding another’s property for ransom is loss of a hand.
4. One individual may not own, as property, another individual.
Penalty is a full death. All of the slaver’s worldly goods become property of the slave’s family.
5. You may not take sexual advantage of another without their consent.
Life sentence in the mines.
6. You may not set fire to another individual’s property
Minimum penalty is double the appraised amount of damage.
7. You may not conspire against anyone or conspire against the crown.
Penalty is minimum of10Silver, confinement or immobilization if a jail is not available.
Against Crown, Full Death.
8. Sesquipedaleanism is strictly forbidden.
Minimum penalty is 5 copper.
9. Creating, aiding or harboring undead, or possession of creation scrolls without the express written authorization from the school of Necromancy is illegal except within the confines of the tower of Necromancy under certain strict conditions.
Minimum penalty is Death by Disease. Unhold spirited.
10. Taxes must be paid. Evasion of same will not be tolerated.
A service to the Town must be performed at the direction of the magistrate.
11. One may not willfully disregard commands and directions given by those of greater authority or station. To do so is Contempt.
Minimum penalty is a silence spell (10 minutes).
12. One may not withhold evidence from the Magistrate or otherwise obstruct his pursuit of justice.
Minimum penalty is 10Silver
13. Impersonation of Nobility or of any other person of higher station is illegal.
Minimum penalty is a permanent facial scar.
14. Contracts between persons must be witnessed by persons of legal authority, and fulfilled. To default on a contract is a crime.
Minimum penalty is 10Silver
15. Fleeing to avoid prosecution of a crime will only delay and double the inevitable punishment.
16. Bribery.
Minimum penalty is 20Silver
17. Blackmail.
Minimum penalty is 40Silver
18. Vandalism and Littering.
Minimum penalty is to police the entire town, plus pay a 5 copper fine.
19. Forgery.
Minimum penalty is the removal of the offender’s dominant hand for a period of at least 6 months.
20. Possession of lock picks without a legal permit from a official of the law is a crime.
Minimum punishment is confiscation of the picks, and a fine equal to the picks value.
Magic: Do you fear magic? Do you dislike Sorcery? Necromancy?
Nature magic? Do you believe magic is dangerous? Do you fear
being paralyzed or another certain spell? Do you believe raising
undead is evil?
Conflict: Do you like war and fighting, or are you peaceful?
Would you try to impose your views on others? Would you try to pick
fights? Under what circumstances is fighting justified? (for sport,
to right injustice, for defense only, never...)
Loves/Likes: What do you love and enjoy about life?
(horses, fighting, research, romance, food...) What do you simply like?
(horses, green things, sea shells, Kinser, merchants...) What are your "favorites"? (food, color, animal...)
Fears/Dislikes: What are you terrified of? (Ogres,
spiders, loud noises, people touching you, death...) Do you have
any phobias? (open spaces, closed spaces, water, paranoia...)
Do you get nightmares about these things? What do you just dislike?
(spinach, cold weather, Elves, bug bites...)
Hobbies/Skills: What are you good at or enjoy? (gambling,
chess, storytelling, singing, puppet shows...) What skills or trade
do you possess or want to possess? (weaponmastery, armor smithing,
leatherworking, alchemy...)
Habits: What does your character do without thinking about
it? (twiddle thumbs, squint, put fists on hips, say a certain
phrase like “and so forth”, bite fingernails, etc...)
Characteristic Traits: What characteristic qualities does
your character possess? (cowardly, loud, shy, protective, bouncy...)
Is your character trustworthy? Is your character loyal? If so, to what?
Uniqueness: What one thing will identify your character to the other
players? (always wears green, the only dog-man in town, has a
star tattooed on forehead, has a huge pink hat, talks in a Russian accent...)
Goals: What things do you want your character to accomplish
the first day you get to town? (Join the town guard, meet the magistrate,
find the ale barrel...) The first year? (Overcome fear of
heights, own fifty gold pieces, discover the alchemical recipe for gunpowder...)
Eventually? (Destroy all undead on the earth, eat all the
pies in the world, marry the queen...)
Outlook: How does your character view life? (carefree,
serious, jaded, depressed...) How is your character aligned?
(good hero, evil villain, law abiding citizen, chaotic anarchist, neutral
pacifist...) Would your character impose that alignment on others?
Emotions: Is your character an emotional person? How
would they react to a child in pain? An angry customer? An
unwanted admirer? Would the character cry? Yell? Laugh? Sulk?
When would the character do these things?
Virtues: Rate the seven virtues in your character from 1 -
10: Temperance – Justice – Fortitude – Faith – Hope – Charity – Prudence
Vices: Rate the seven vices in your character from 1 - 10:
Gluttony – Greed – Wrath – Lust – Envy – Sloth – Pride
Merits/Flaws: Choose Merits and Flaws for your character from
our rulebook (guardian, iron will, enemy, etc...) to go with the
history and type of character you just developed.
The following instructions are adapted and posted courtesy of , a MA and CT LARP.
Copyright 1999, Living Imagination of New England, LCC. All rights reserved.
The IFRA weapons are color coded for easy identification. Personal weapons may be decorated, but the weapon type dictates what the dominant color must be. For instance, a blade-blackened sword can be black with red grooves, runes, or trim, but the majority of the weapon's area must be black.
When constructing weapons, it is important to use the following color conventions:
Brown: used for any part of a weapon constructed from wood.
Grey: used for any part of a weapon made from steel.
Black: used for any part of a weapon made from steel and then blackened.
Blue: used for any part of a weapon made from silver.
Tan: used for all weapons made from copper or bronze.
Red: used for claws or other natural weapons.
Yellow: used for fists for unarmed combat.
White: used for all magical weapons.
Players are encouraged to construct their own weapons, but the size limitations outlined in the weapon size table must be followed.
One-handed Weapons
There is only one general boffer construction technique that has been approved by IFRA. Other construction designs have been developed and weapons from these designs are often approved for game use. However, these techniques require a higher level of skill and greater knowledge of materials required to produce a safe weapon. We recommend that a new player construct their first weapon from the simple technique described below, and as they gain a greater understanding of what is required to produce a safe, durable weapon, begin to construct weapons from these alternative designs.
Regardless of construction technique, all weapons must pass inspection by an IFRA marshal at each event. If deemed unsafe, a weapon will be prohibited from game play until the defect is remedied. If you do come to an IFRA event with a weapon of unapproved design, the possibility of your weapon being rejected is high. Therefore, we suggest that all players bring a weapon of approved design, as they can usually be repaired on the spot, bringing the weapon up to safety standards quickly.
Four specific materials are used in the construction of IFRA approved weaponry. Limited substitutions may be addressed on a case by case basis.
¾" diameter CPVC pipe (can be bought at hardware stores)
Duct Tape (appropriately colored for weapon type - can be bought at hardware stores)
Open-cell pillow/mattress foam (can be bought in any fabric store)
5/8" thick green pipe insulation foam (can be bought at hardware stores)
For weapons exceeding 46" in total length, PVC pipe can be substituted for CPVC pipe. PVC pipe is more rigid and heavier, and should only be used on weapons of longer length to prevent "whippiness."
The following instructions describe the technique for building virtually all hand-held weapons. Variations for the constructions of staves, two-handed weapons, and thrown weapons are described later in this section.
On a piece of paper, draw the blueprint for your weapon. Organize your thoughts by defining the overall shape, grip length, cross-guard, and other basic dimensions. Read all instructions before you begin.
Determine the total length of the weapon you wish to make. Be sure to consult the weapon size table for legal dimensions.
Cut the CPVC (or PVC) pipe approximately five to six inches shorter than the total weapon length desired. Foam padding at the ends of the weapon will be added later to recover this length.
Reduce the sharpness of the cut end of the pipe and provide a base for a "stopper" (added later) by covering the ends of the pipe with duct tape. A sharp end can cut the foam, damaging the weapon, rendering it useless.
In several places along what will be the blade or shaft of the weapon, wrap duct tape, rolled inside out so the sticky side is both up and down, around the pipe. This will help hold the foam securely in place. When creating weapons of longer lengths, such as staves or long two-handed weapons, you may wish to secure more areas along the pipe in this manner.
Using a durable pen, mark the point where the cross hilt of the weapon (if you have one) or handle will go. Slide the foam over the length of the weapon until it lines up with the inked mark. Cut the foam so that it extends ¾" over the tip end of the pipe while the base of the foam is still lined up with the inked mark.
At the handle end, secure the foam to the pipe with duct tape.
Determine the desired length of the cross hilt, and cut the foam to that length. Cut a hole in the center of the foam about the same diameter as the CPVC pipe. Slide the cross hilt onto the weapon until it is firm against the bottom of the blade or shaft. Secure the hilt in place with duct tape.
The butt end must be padded with foam, and covered with duct tape. Counterweights may be used in the butt of the weapon, but they must be well secured and heavily padded with foam.
At the tip end, insert a small slice of the pipe foam into the ¾" gap. This is called a "stopper." Cap the end with a small piece of duct tape to ensure the stopper stays in. This will help the pipe from coming through the foam during a thrusting attack.
Building the thrusting tip and properly attaching it is one of the most difficult tasks of boffer weapon construction. Most weapons will fail inspection due to some flaw in this process. It is important that a minimum of duct tape be applied along the length and tip of the weapon. The more tape that is applied, the harder and heavier the weapon will be. This makes the spongy pillow foam we will use at the tip much less effective, and the weapon is more likely to injure a player.
Cut the pillow foam so that a piece of it will completely cover the diameter of the foam tube, and be about three inches long. An ideal thrusting tip might measure 2"x2"x3".
Unroll a 2 foot length of duct tape (don't cut it yet), and attach it to the base of the hilt so that you may unroll the tape up the blade or shaft of the weapon. When you reach the top of the shaft, place the pillow foam on the tip of the weapon, and tape over the pillow foam thrusting tip (compressing it from a 3" length to a 2" length). Continue unrolling the tape as you apply it down to the opposite side of the handle. Repeat this same process on the remaining uncovered portion of the shaft and tip. Using this method, the foam and thrusting tip should have no more than one layer of tape over them. Small pieces of tape may be used to cover any exposed areas.
Cover the hilt with duct tape, and apply a small 2"x2"x2" piece of pillow foam to the butt end of the weapon, covering it with duct tape as well. This is called the "waylay tip."
Wrap a length of rope, electrical tape, tacky grip, leather, duct tape, or some other material around the handle to avoid PVC splinters, and reduce the slipperiness of the weapon grip.
If the weapon you are considering is a battle axe or mace, cut a section of pillow foam into the shape if the weapon head. Attach this foam to the shaft below the thrusting tip, and cover it with a single layer of duct tape.
Using a pin or small nail, poke many holes into the thrusting tip, waylay tip, and axe blade or mace head. This will allow the pillow foam to "breath" and recover its shape more quickly after being compressed during a weapon blow.
Notes on weapon construction:
Cross Hilt: The weapon may not have any piping or other nonmalleable substances sheathed within the cross hilt.
Two-Handed Hafted Weapons: To make a two-handed weapons greater than 46" in length (Great axe, Polearm, Giant club, etc.), use the same methods as for one-handed weapons. Remember to use PVC pipe instead of CPVC. An aluminum pipe could also be used for stability. To do this, sheath the aluminum pipe over the PVC pipe, placed equidistant from both tips. The aluminum must be firmly taped to the PVC pipe so it does not slide off. Weapon construction is similar from this point on.
Staves: To make a staff, use the same methods for one-handed weapons, but put the grip in the center, and pad both ends with foam and pillow foam as you would for two one-handed weapons put base-to-base.
Bows and Arrows:
Any low-pull plastic or wooden bow will work fine. No compound bows please.
Items needed:
A wooden or graphite arrow, pre-fletched
A poker chip or half dollar, (or any other round flat disc about that size)
Duct tape
Pillow/mattress foam
Hacksaw
Steps to creating an arrow:
Take a regular arrow. (Graphite or wood, no metal please) and cut off the tip.
Take the poker chip and duct tape it so it sits flatly on the head of your
arrow.
Take the pillow foam and wrap it directly below the disc (about 3 inches wide)
Wrap more foam around the existing foam AND the poker chip.
Place foam in the hole on top.
Put more on top of the chip (Like the thrusting tip on a sword)
When you completely wrapped the end in foam, duct tape it all to the shaft of the arrow
(not too tight, it needs to give).
Poke air holes in the duct tape to allow the foam to breathe, and regain its shape
after it has been compressed. You should not be able to feel the poker
chip through the foam. Check very hard, or it may not pass weapons inspection, and it
could hurt someone. If you have about 2-3inches above the
disc of foam and you can't feel the chip you probably have an increadibly
ugly arrow, but practice and you can get them to look AND fly right.
Thrown Weapons:
Thrown weapons are substantially different than hand to hand combat weapons. They cannot have any solid materials, like CPVC pipe, in them and they may only be thrown in combat. Thrown weapons must have an item tag attached, and be inspected at every check-in.
Small throw weapons represent axes, hammers, daggers, and rocks. They must be made entirely of pillow foam and covered with a single layer of tape, or preferably, cloth. These weapons can be no longer than 12 inches in length, and must have one dimension of at least four inches. Rocks should be round, and between four and six inches in diameter.
Large thrown weapons represent javelins and short throwing spears. As with small thrown weapons, they may only be thrown, and no rigid materials may be used in their construction. These larger weapons should be made of the pipe-foam tubing used in hand-to-hand weapon construction, covered with cloth or tape, and must have a standard thrusting tip. It is allowed to place a small weight inside the foam, behind the thrusting tip to make the weapon easier to throw, but the item can be no heavier than a standard C-cell battery. The weight must be heavily padded. These weapons must be at least 30 inches in length, but cannot exceed 48 inches. Soft collapsible fins may be attached if desired.
Shield Construction:
Shields come in many designs: round, heater, oval, teardrop, rectangle, coffin, and triangle to name a few. Other designs are certainly possible, and there are no size limits on the shield. Unusual designs will be judged individually, and may be rejected for safety reasons.
The following instructions describe the approved technique for building boffer combat shields. Variences will be allowed on a case by case basis. As with weapons, your alternative construction ideas should be discussed with a LIONE official prior to the actual construction of the shield.
Required Materials include:
1/4" thick plywood
5/8" green pipe insulation foam
1/8" clothesline rope
Duct tape (white is not ok unless it is a magic shield - any other color is fine)
Power drill
Round-headed bolts and nuts
Forearm strap (wide nylon works well)
Hand grip (pull-door handle works well)
Paint
Directions:
On a piece of paper, draw the blueprint for your shield. Organize your thoughts by defining the shield dimensions, shape and handle locations. Read through all of the following instructions before beginning.
Draw the shape and dimensions of the shield you want onto the ¼" thick plywood a size slightly smaller than desired shield dimensions. Cut out the shape. Foam padding will be used to bring the shield to desired dimensions.
Drill holes around the edge of the shield, approximately 3" apart and 1" from the edge of the shield. The rope will be threaded through these holes to hold the foam in place along the shield edge. Drill holes for the forearm strap and handle.
Paint the shield. A base coat at the very least must be applied to protect the wood.
Open the green insulation foam along its pre-cut joint. Use duct tape to cover the outside of the foam. This skin of tape will protect the foam, giving it more durability.
Wrap the foam around the shield edge, threading the rope as you proceed. Be sure all the edges are covered by the foam and that there are no gaps. Duct tape new pieces of foam to the old as you add new pieces.
Assemble the forearm grip and handle by bolting it to the back of the shield. Leave your arm plenty of room to slide into the strap, even with armor. The round-headed bolts should be on the face of the shield.
Armor Construction:
There are six basic classifications of armor in the IFRA game system: clothing, leather, studded leather, chain, scale mail, and plate. It is difficult to describe the proper armor construction methods because of the diversity of techniques that exist. Our best recommendation is to find a player with a well-crafted suit of armor, and inquire as to how the suit was made. Players are encouraged to be creative in the design and construction of armor. Visit our Links page for additional help making armor.
Marshals inspecting various weapon and armor types will first look with an eye towards safety. Special attention is given to sharp edges, armor joints that can pinch or cut the wearer, large bolts or screws sticking out from the armor or any unusual feature.
Spell Component and Gas Globe Construction:
Spell packets, or spackets as we call them, must be made to very specific standards for both safety and durability. Spackets will be inspected at all IFRA events. To assure that a player's spackets will pass inspection, we suggest the following technique for their construction:
Take an eight-inch square of soft, durable, light colored cloth (orange for gas globes) and poke the center of it into a standard 35mm film canister. Fill the canister with birdseed (no sunflower seeds can be in the mix). There are no other legal spacket fillings. Use tape, string, or needle and thread to close the packet. Rubber bands are prohibited. The "tail" of the spacket can be cut off to improve its aerodynamics, but never completely wrap the tails of the spackets with duct tape or other rigid substances such as glue or paste. You may personalize your spackets with magic marker or patterned cloth. Spackets are out-of-game items. They cannot be stolen or taken from an incapacitated character. Without a spacket, a character is unable to cast spells. Even though players make personal spackets, it is allowable to use another player's spackets.
To help with the atmosphere of the game, players try to dress up in the clothes and makeup they feel their character would wear. It also helps
to stay in the mindset of your character if you are appropriately attired.
Some tips for easy, inexpensive costuming are as follows:
Go to Salvation Army stores, or garage sales
Try to find big fluffy shirts, long skirts, or old leather jackets to turn into armor.
Need pants? Black or brown sweat pants work well.
Need a tunic? Cut a hole in a piece of fabric or use an oversized tshirt and belt it.
Try to avoid visible anachronisms like zippers, velcro, clothing with pictures, baseball caps, and watches.
Visit our links page to see some places to buy period clothing.
Makeup can be tricky. The weather and your type of skin largely impacts what type of makeup would be best for a weekend.
There are three basic types of makeup: pancake, grease, and liquid. No matter what kind you use, it is important to bring baby-wipes to wash it off before bed, or if you need to leave the camp. Sleeping in makeup is not good for your skin.
Pancake is a powder, and tends to come off very quickly. It is great for sensitive skin and light pigmentation of the skin.
Grease will last for a long time. It does not sweat off, and requires very little maintanence. It tends to clog skin pores, and be hard to wash off later. Bring ALOT of baby-wipes.
Liquid is very good for detail work (tiger stripes, tatoos, eye-enhancement...). It will sweat off, and tends to get on your clothes. Liquid is not recommended for hot days. It also tends to dry out your skin, so use moisturizer.
The best thing to do when deciding on what makeup to use is ask an expert. Generally, people who sell theatrical makeup know a lot about the properties of different products. Also, experimentation is key because everyone is different.
For more information, use our links page to find a site that specializes in theatrical makeup.
The following items are a fairly complete list of things to bring to a campout. Depending on the time of year, weather, and your personal desire for comfort, you may wish to alter the list.
Flashlight with extra batteries and bulb, lantern, or enclosed candles.
Bedroll or sleeping bag, pillow, extra blanket, air mattress or cot
Tent or mosquito netting (At the winter site, this will not be needed. At the summer camp, there are buildings new players can sleep in if you don't own a tent.)
In the Cooler: gatorade, fruit drinks, cheese, hot dogs, lunch meat, condiments, milk for cereal
To Cook: Steak and potatoes can be wrapped in foil and put on coals. Chicken, fish, steak, and burgers can be grilled. Stew can be heated if you bring a pot, and so on...
Arrive one hour early to meet with the director and check in, set up your living area, help the directors set up if you are NPCing, etc.
Dress appropriately for the weather. Expect to be outdoors come rain, sun, wind, and snow.
Wear clothes you can move in, and bring spares in case you get wet.
Footwear – Combat boots are preferred, they have good traction and
they protect your ankles.
Guys – should wear a cup.
Ladies – should pad their bras. Shoulder pads work well, and are
available at fabric stores.
LARPing is a very physically active sport, and you should expect to get
hit. No one intends to hurt you, but accidents do happen.
Come to the event well rested. The action happens all night long.
At sleepover events, bring your own sleeping bag and pillow
Costumes, food and drink are provided for NPC’s.
If you are NPCing, you are responsible for the proper storage of weapons,
masks, costumes,
and props after each module. Place them back where you got them. If
you see
that a costume is in need of major repair, or is wet and dirty, place
it in the
basket that will be available for that purpose. If a weapon or mask
has become
broken or unsafe in any way during play, DO NOT place it back in the
bin. Set
it aside and let someone know.
Most important, bring your imagination and your sense of adventure. Be
safe and HAVE FUN!
, a MA and CT LARP.
Copyright 1999, Living Imagination of New England, LCC. All rights reserved.
