Allegiances - The Down and Dirty

We've had a number of very excited people asking a lot of questions about how Allegiances work.  WAR Accelerant - The Shattered Realm does not use transformations.  Instead, we have come up Allegiances.  There are some key differences between Allegiances and what other systems use.  

Allegiances are, by their definition, your character aligning yourself with a specific plane, person, totem animal, etc.  It is a High Magic spell that once cast upon you is permanent.  It is also "active" all the time.  This means that while they may not be as powerful as transformations in other games, you have access to the abilities granted you by your Allegiance all the time.  

As per the Allegiance High Magic Spell:

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Allegiance

Sphere: Unbound

Essence: 5 Spring, 5 Summer, 5 Autumn, 5 Winter, 5 Neverwas 

Prerequisite: None

CP Cost: 3

Duration: Permanent

Target: Person

This High Magic spell allows a person to begin the path of focusing their character’s allegiances.  Upon the completion of this ritual, the target must state “Imbue <Trait> by Magic.”  This represents a group that they are giving their allegiance to.

Possible Traits Include: Animal, Lycan, Faerie, Race, Undead, or you may choose one of the races or planes as a Trait.  You may never have more then one Allegiance at a time.    

This Imbue grants the target the ability to use “Speak” at will to the chosen type (if they cannot already do so).  The character will now seek out a quest to become a beacon of that Trait.  While this skill will most likely improve the disposition of those you speak to, it does not prevent the type from attacking.  As your Allegiance continues you will receive an individualized hidden Header for no CP and skills that are available for purchase with CP.  New skills added to the Header will be decided upon by campaign plot in conjunction with the rules committee as you pursue your Allegiance ingame.  You may end the Allegiance at any time by speaking with your master or by having an Unravel Magic cast upon you.  When an Allegiance is ended the CP from the Allegiance Header will be freed and you will no longer have access to that Header.  If you decide to pursue a different Allegiance, a new Allegiance must be cast and the quest begins again.

Often, powerful beings associated with that group (enemies or allies) will seek out the target of this ritual.  Allied beings may offer help or even offer to take the target on as an apprentice.  However, enemies of that Trait may seek to cause harm to the target.

What happens once I have an Allegiance cast upon me?
When you have the High Magic spell Allegiance cast upon you it lets you find someone of the chosen type (as spelled out in the High Magic package) to align yourself with.  A master or a group, for instance.  They will teach you the ways of your Allegiance.  You'll rp with the person you find (your responsibility) regarding what your hopes, dreams, and unicorn wishes are.  Once you find a master, you will gain access to a Trait skill associated with that Allegiance.  For example, a Greater Gypsy would receive the Greater Trait.  You will also most likely get one additional skill.  You've found your master and they have rewarded you.

Keep in mind that as you receive skills for your Allegiance Header that this Header is for you!  It is considered a Hidden Header and you can no make Wands and such from the abilities found in it.  

The Header itself will cost 0 CP - you spent essences in place of CP in this instance.  (Yes, that's a zero.  Dunno why it looks so tiny and forlorn).  As you gain skills some may also cost 0 CP, though most will have a small CP cost associated with it.  The skills will be the same types in the rulebook - passive, attribute, or daily.  Once in a while they may be monthly, per event, or x ever.   

I've Found a Master - Now What?
After you've found a master, some will direct you to your next step.  You'll want to rp with them a bit and figure out some goals.  These do not necessarily have to be plot directed or overseen.  Since Allegiances are permanent (MOST OF THE TIME - see below) and so many people will have them, it puts more of an onus on the player to follow their path ingame, rather than having it be dictated to them by plot.  What this means is YOU, the player, will be pushing your path forward.  Skills and abilities are awarded for rp and carrying your Allegiance forward.  They are not awarded constantly and it will be something to work towards.  After each event, drop a line or two (no books please!) to acceleranttransition@gmail.com.  We will keep track of everyone's Allegiance and what you've done towards unlocking your next skill.  

Some examples on carrying your Allegiance path forward.
If you have a Faerie Allegiance, perhaps you might book a book of Faerie Lore together ingame.  Every event, you go to the Plane of Faerie.  You establish contacts, explore new areas, etc. and everything goes in the book.  That might get you something.  Or if you have a Sun Allegiance, perhaps you would be a strategist.  And you bring armies and such, maps, schematics, notes on battles, strategy, whatever with you to every event.  Or you have a master and Allegiance from the Plane of Earth, awesome, maybe you collect different types of rocks and gemstones.  Or have a badass forge that you rp at all the time.  Maybe you follow Moon and collect fingernails from your enemies to make a necklace from.  Point is - it is up to you.  Maybe you'll investigate Summer portals in the area and work to close them because you follow Winter.  Perhaps you're an Undead hunter and will seek out vampires and collect their teeth.  If you follow Autumn, you might regularly advertise for knowledge and enter in to debates.  It's up to you how to follow your path.  Anytime you do something that you feel is particularly noteworthy drop a line to acceleranttransition@gmail.com.  Everything will go in a a repository and as time goes on, you'll get access to new skills.  The campaign team, in conjunction with the rules committee, will help design something tailored for you.  You won't be getting skills every event, maybe one or twice a year, but they are yours and they are there forever.  If you don't do anything ingame and follow no quests, you won't get anything.

What are the benefits of doing Allegiances this way?
Mainly, it brings the roleplay in to game much more.  Since it is on you, the player, to roleplay your path it opens up a whole new realm of possibilities.  It also allows plot teams to interact and help guide you along your path (give suggestions if you are stuck), etc. without placing all the burden on the plot teams to keep it moving forward.   

How do you represent your Allegiance as your character?
This is up to you.  You should wear something or have something about yourself that clearly delineates the path that you follow.  You can have it hidden, but if someone comes to town that also follows your Allegiance, they may not be able to quickly find you. 
 
Is it possible for me to lose my Allegiance? If so, how?
Yes, it is possible, but this will only happen in very rare circumstances.  There are a few ways this can happen.  First, if you have a Greater (Race/Culture) Allegiance.  Say Elven.  And you decide to cast New Lineage and become a Miydrandan Dark Elf.  Well, you would no longer have access to that Allegiance.  There are a few other ways to lose access to Allegiance abilities or lose the Allegiance entirely:
      1. You completely go against your Allegiance: Say you have a Summer Allegiance and all you do all day long is seek to spread Winter and open Winter portals, make agreements with Winter Elementals to help them, etc.  That is a no-no.  
      2. If you, for some reason, kill your master: They channel the power for your Allegiance.  If you kill your master you will probably lose access to the Allegiance. 

In the end, Allegiances are all about pursuing and pushing forward character goals with some plot oversight and help.  It helps provide wonderful opportunities for roleplay.  And now, you are able to perhaps pursue Allegiance plot by pushing forward regular event plot and mods.  But remember, we won't know what you are doing unless you tell us, so be sure to keep us apprised of what you are doing by dropping us an email after the event to tell us of the more noteworthy things you accomplished as your character! (acceleranttransition@gmail.com).

YouTube Friday

In tribute.

I very much would like this to come to fruition and finally get out of production.

So I tip my hat to you, Knights of Badassdom.

Who else votes yes?

Organization in an NPC Shack

Most of the people involved in a Larp are creative in one way or another.  We put a lot of attention in to our props, plots, rp, and costuming whenever possible.  One of the things that can....well....slide by is organization within the NPC shack.

It's boring.  It's a bit of work.  And there is always something better (and more fun) to do.

However, prepping before your Larp season begins and brainstorming some ways to keep your shack organized can make the event go WAY smoother and lessen a heck of a lot of stress.  Here are some tips for getting the shack organized - and keeping it organized.

1. Have a logistics table - Have a table dedicated just to logistics.  This is where your computers, printers, cutting board, scissors, pens, pencils, and production hangs out.  Any necessary forms for check-in should be organized in a binder on this table, too (legal release, production forms, High Magic records, cheat sheets, etc.).  Binders are essential for organizing all your forms and sheets, otherwise they will end up scattered all over the table and you'll have to reprint them.  A good production box, with pre-printed tags, can be really, really helpful, too.  It makes check-in go smoother, especially for late arrivals.  Keeping this table clean is a must.  You won't be able to find what you need and it will just make more work for you after the event.

2. Have a plot table - I have a ton of personal stuff that I have purchased that I bring to events.  Heck, this year I have a bin AND an organized drawer pull-out thing full of stuff.  The plot table is really, really a must.  NO ONE should be at the plot table except for the plot people and staff people.  Here, you'll find on one table (we have two :-) the following: monster cards (with a bin for people to drop their used cards in to, so they can be refiled in the monster card box); personal computers/electronics, and event treasure.  On the other are all the personal reps brought by plot/staff - masks, unique items and treasure, plot sheets, mod sheets, the timetable for the event, etc.  This keeps stuff from getting all mixed in with the regular NPC wreckage and it's important to remind people to return stuff from where they got it.  It's why we can have nice things. 

3. Monster Card Box: with a box to put used monster cards.  Let's you find cards easier and it keeps stuff from getting randomly shoved all over the shack.  It helps get monsters out way faster, too.

4. The Even Timetable: We instituted this at Lumberton last year, and wow, did it make a difference.  For three plot meetings leading up to an event we divide the event in to chunks and figure out what goes where when.  It lets us all see what the other is doing, tweak one another's ideas/add stuff, and see if we have a "hole" during the event that needs to be filled.  It also lets us see how much rp vs. combat we have when and lets us adjust as necessary.  It also helps keep us on track at the event, especially when we are tired and a bit brain dead.  Just look at the sheet!  And finally, it lets us clearly see who is getting plot/spread it around, to make sure everyone gets involved in some way.

5. Costuming Table/Make-Up Table/Prop Table: It's important, too, to have the NPC costuming and props have a specific area.  NPC's can return what they use to the general area.  Helps keep the shack from spiraling in to "where did that one thing go?" and tearing through 20 boxes looking for it.

6. NPC Speech: I highly recommend an NPC speech at the beginning of the event.  Just a little 15 minute speech.  Remind NPC's they aren't there to kill PC's, but to have a good time and give others a good time.  Remind them about the importance of staying ingame, roleplaying their parts, having a goal whenever they leave the shack, make-up/costuming, etc.  And to have a good time themselves!  It's also a great time to remind them of any issues (like effects that were misplayed the season before).  A lot of times it is easy to forget that NPC's are there, busting their ass, for you and the players.  A lot of the focus is on the PC's for the event.  As a plot person it is your job to remember that they are there to have fun, too.  Having an NPC speech lets you take a minute and see who is actually there NPC'ing for you, to thank them and show you appreciate them.  It lets you communicate they are important.  Why have a PC speech to remind everyone playing and then not do the same for NPC's and expect them to just know it?

7.  Keep It Clean:  NPC's will need a break from constantly going out.  They tirelessly role out of the shack and sometimes really need just a minute.  No problem!  Let them grab a drink, sit down, and relax.  Once they chill for a second, ask (nicely) if they wouldn't mind putting monster cards back in to the box, picking up the production table, etc.  Something they can do while sitting, relaxing, and chatting.  Helps keep things clean and organized for Sunday morning and the final Saturday night push.

8. Placement: One of the most important things is to get stuff where it goes.  There's nothing more frustrating then when my stuff ends up all over the shack.  I can't find anything and it creates unnecessary lags.  I know other plot/staff/npc's have mentioned this time and time again.

9. Monster Card Creation: Have your monsters printed/drawn up ahead of time.  It will save a huge amount of time during the event if you don't have to mess with it.  Taking 30 minutes to get your cards printed or drawn up is a massive waste of time.  Everyone is guilty of it, but if you can do it beforehand, do it.  You'll be amazed at how much faster stuff gets out when you do!

What do you do to help keep your shack organized? Do you find it helps the events run a bit smoother?

Hipsacks from Flowtoys

I just have to throw up a quick review for this belt.  Mad props to our buddy Tyler who turned me on to this little gem.

Flowtoys is a site that sells stuff for people like fire dancers, poi spinners, dancers, etc.  What's great, is that they understand the need holding a bunch of stuff when you're moving around a lot.  And so they sell this badboy.

My other buddy picked one up for me, knowing that I wanted one, and I must say, it did not disappoint.  All the pockets made it super easy to keep thing separate when I was NPCing, and a few of the pockets are the ideal size for tags, small tins, packets, and what not.

I've only had the chance to use this as an NPC, but I imagine it's going to work even better for me as a PC.

My one complaint about it is that it rides a little small.  I had to loosen the shoelace that connects the belt, and may even want to get a longer shoelace because I'll be wearing layers of other stuff.  Also, the golden "laces" on the big pouch look like they're just painted on, but that's pretty easy to fix.

You can pick this guy up at Flowtoys.com for $40.  Feels like a steal to me at that price.  

Blurring the Line: Puzzles at Larp

Some things dance the fine line between what can and should be done at LARP.  You see, on one hand, we're supposed to be acting out as our character, and what we do is what they do.  However, there are often things that your character might be interested in doing, but you simply can't represent it easily.

For example, picking locks.  Sure, you can put a cheap lock on a mod and ask a player to actually pick it.  That's fine.  But what about an elaborate lock system with many tumblers and possible fake outs.  There's almost no way that your run of the mill Larper is going to be able to pull that off with run of the mill Larp tools.  So you can try and do some dexterity puzzles.

Or what about an intricate ritual?  You could simply say that someone has to do so and so for 15 minutes.  But honestly, that gets pretty boring, considering the player really knows he's not actually casting a spell (although the atmosphere and depth of the situation can help that).  So, in order to make it skill based, throw a puzzle (or puzzles) that determine the length.

So it's clear that there is a time and a place for puzzles.  But at the same time, each puzzle used to represent something else ends up breaking the immersion of the game, because instead of working a complex lock, everyone sees you play operation.  Or instead of a ritual, you're doing mazes or whatever.

So if you're going to be running puzzles, remember these tips.

1. Keep it Similar
There are lots of puzzles.  Some require intellect, some require deep analysis, some require dexterity, some require cleverness, and others require plain old luck. When picking a puzzle to represent an activity, try and pick a puzzle that falls in line with what you're doing.  A thief picking a lock should almost always be performing some kind of dexterity puzzle, while an introspective mage shouldn't have to put a bunch of wooden pieces together to form a cube.  Try and pick a puzzle that fits the IG activity.

2. Remove Anachronistic Elements
While Operation makes for a great dexterity puzzle, the big red and the dude with the glowy nose most likely don't fit the genre.  Try and do whatever you can to remove/disguise any modern elements.  Applying some layers of an earthy tone paint can go a long way to save immersion.

3. Don't be Afraid to Take it Off-Board
What I mean by this, is you don't have to put the puzzle on the module every time.  Sure, with locks and such it makes sense.  But if players have to translate some kind of runes to get a password to open a door, you can give them the stuff to translate ahead of time.  As the commentors at Collabnarration said, the standard deviation for someone doing a puzzle on the spot is huge, and you can find yourself victim of a module that is drastically longer or shorter than intended.  So for things that require a lot of busywork or have a high variability of time to solve, see if there's any way to feed it to the players early.  This also helps create the Zero NPC moment.

I personally love puzzles, but I know not everyone agrees. How do you feel about puzzles in your Larp? What awesome puzzles have you used/seen?

The Jingle Jangle of Larp Banks

Some people lately have been discussing Larp banks as of late and one or two people have asked why WAR uses a bank system.  For those of you unfamiliar with it, the bank system functions like this: plot puts out coins, typically with a unique stamp on them (copper, silver, gold, etc. and they are colored to match their name).  Players collect the in-game currency throughout the duration of the event and then hand it in at the end of the event.  The coin can be used for all sorts of things in-game.  Once they hand it in, it gets added to their character sheet or "bank."  Players can take out up to 100 gold at check-in. 

Why do we have a bank rather than just letting players keep their coin?
The main reason to have a bank is to save the chapter money and to help keep event prices low.  Coins can get pretty expensive.  Besides the camps, coin is probably the other top expense.  With a bank, we only have to order every couple of years.  Players aren't able to make every event, they lose coin, it disappears in to the nether.  It also lets us keep a decent idea of what money people have in-game, which can be important to certain plot lines and recognizing we are handing out too much/not enough.

But, but, it doesn't make sense....where is it going "in-game"? 
The simplest answer is literally an in-game bank set up by the guild.  It makes sense, adventurers can't simply go and "bury" their lootz in the woods.  It isn't the real world.  And it's campsite, so actually burying all your stuff probably isn't a good idea.

What if a player wants more than 100 gold? 
If players need more than 100 gold during the duration of the event - say they make a large purchase in-game, etc.  they can simply talk to someone at the "bank." It can be marked on your sheet for easier transactions or we can give you more if you need it for something in particular.  We aren't being a-holes about it - we just need enough to continue putting out treasure and such.

I pay to play the game, doesn't that mean that the coin I get is mine? 
In a nutshell, no.  It's a prop that we use throughout the game to help make it more enjoyable and add a fun feel to the atmosphere.  The treasure box you get on a mod gets returned at some point during the event.  You find an NPC weapon, you return it.  It doesn't go in to your loot box.  Think of going to the Harry Potter Experience.  You pay money, they give you a rob and wand to use that you return at the end of the experience.  If you don't, you get charged more :-)

Why not use paper money instead? It's cheaper! And players can keep it.
Well, there are a couple of reasons.  Paper money is easier to replicate.  It DOES get expensive if you are printing in color.  It doesn't hold up as well, and frankly isn't as cool.   

In the end it is the individual chapter/Larp's decision.  What do you think? Is the bank really that big a deal? Would you be willing to pay $5.00 more an event to keep coin?

Mythodea

Advertising is super important in the Larp world - giving an accurate and exciting view of the various games that we all love to play.

There's nothing worse than a bad Youtube video to send the hordes giggles and laughing in the other direction.

One group that does it right is Conquest (Mythodea).  I actually got chills watching it.  Although, I do have to say, I have no idea how the lady kept her dress up in the one scene.  Lot's of theatrical placing of duct tape?

Keep in mind that while it looks awesome, there's some pretty good editing in there.  Great shots of people in full-on costume.  A creepy overvoice.  And maybe best of all the use of real camera equipment.  It doesn't look like it was filmed in a backyard.  It looks professional.

Anyone up for Mythodea at some point soon? :-)

The Importance of Cross Gaming

Back when I blogged for LARP Ohio, we always used to sing the praises of players who crossed games.  Sometimes, it's hard for us to step outside of the realms we're familiar with and step into a whole new world with new rules and new people.

But the benefits of cross gaming can be absolutely eye-opening.

When I started LARPing, the only game I played was NERO.  I had played it at a few different chapters, and even that got me started on seeing what kinds of games are out there, because no two NERO chapters run the same game.

From that time, I've played and staffed Exiles, a completely different game from NERO in almost every way, as well as playing Wastelands, a post-apocalyptic game based around airsoft combat.  And that's not even counting the few times I've participated in convention games (PST Productions) or played Amtgard or Dagorhir.  I'd like to think that I have at least a mildly varied history when it comes to LARP.

And each one of those things gave me a different take away, both as a player and as a staff member.

Exiles showed me the importance of environmental effects taking a bland module to something spectacular.  Every event aspires to have at least one vehicle module, where common events are joined with some varied mechanic (trains, riverboats, stagecoaches) to make a lasting impression without a lot of major work constructing NPCs.

Wastelands helped me identify, as a player, how to be better with situational awareness as well as resource management (both from internal resources and for money).  The Airsoft aspect made it super important to understand where enemies are and to handle it swiftly, because failure to do so ended in mild discomfort and sure destruction. And with it being a post-apocalyptic game, money can be hard to come by, and generally interacting with other PCs is the only way to get by (unless you're the money, then you can do what you want).

Amtgard and Dagorhir simultaneously taught me that I'm a good fighter, but also that I'm not the best fighter.  I tended to fair better than I thought I would, but in many instances I was extremely humbled by the skill and speed of some of those players.  It really helps put things into perspective.

Have you gone out of your comfort zone to play a different game?  What did you learn from doing so? Let us know in the comments!

A Plot Person's "WAR" Chest

I've been doing plot for over fifteen years.  It started out as a binder, where I drew up extremely detailed plots.  Like, really detailed.  Up to 15 or 20 pages for an individual plotline.  I wanted to make sure every possible contingency was accounted for.

That stopped after about four years.  I realized that I can't expect PC's to follow my plotlines from point A to point B to point C.  It isn't fair to them and it totally cuts their creativity.  Trying to plan for every contingency was a nightmare and incredibly time consuming.

WAR Accelerant: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Alright, so the title is a little melodramatic.  All and all, I think the event went really well!  But there's always some things we can improve on!

The Good:
There were a number of things that I think went very, very well!

Staying IG: Players did an amazing job staying in-game.  I kind of expected our players to have a tough time, going from a largely narrative type game, but I never actually heard any OOG chatter, aside from clarifications.

Plot: Speaking of IG all-the-time, the plot team had a huge leap to take, trying to tell their story.  And from what I heard, most players indicated that the story was very clear to them.  So, clearly, the plot team was able to adapt and overcome any jitters they may have had about the game.

Watchers: The Watchers worked almost exactly like I expected them to.  We were able to observe without breaking immersion (most of the time) and provide some insight.

The Bad:

Rules:  It's new to a lot of our players, but there was a ton of confusion about how certain effects work.  I think we had a lot of players skim the core rules and read the headers, which is a no-no!  If there's one thing you should read, it should be the core rules.  I will most likely be doing an effect spotlight for Accelerant after that event.

Prep: There were a number of mods where we didn't adequately prepare for it.  In particular, there was one where we needed a portal set up, and we forgot the plug for the rope lights, and then no one put up the information sign telling people with knowledge how to close the portal.  But again, I think that's something that will shake out with time.

PC/NPC Ratio:  I'm not sure when it happened, but I distinctly remember sending about 15-20 NPCs down for one of our mods, which was good.  But as the night dragged on, somehow our numbers dropped to about 6 active NPCs.  We had a few people who sat around more than they should have, and that was unfortunate, as the rest of us started busting our humps and were too tired when it came to the last mod.

The Ugly:

Core Version: We ran into an issue where players were not playing by the same core rules at the event. Long story short, the rules we originally got were 5.1, and we found out about 2 weeks before the event that 5.3 was latest (and got a copy), and 5.4 was coming out.  Some of the veteran players were playing with 5.4, which completely blasted the game balance in regards to grants.  Made things very difficult.

Sick: We had a couple of sick people in the shack.  Jenn came down with a fever, and Jeremy R. was still getting over pneumonia.  I had not had more than about 4 hours of sleep for about a week prior to the event.  In general, we weren't in good enough shape to get what we needed to get done.

All and all, I think it was an amazing job by everyone, and the bad and ugly are really just grasping straws.  I always seek to improve the experience, and I think those are the core things that we can address to do so.

What was your good, bad, and ugly for the event?

Our First Accelerant Event....The Shattered Realms

This past weekend we ran our first WAR Accelerant event ever - The Shattered Realms, Rage Hollow.

And wow, what a good time. 

Bill will do his after event wrap up tomorrow, but today I just wanted to thank everyone and give a general overview of the event. 

All the stress of the last several months, all the work everyone put in to it, seemed to come together almost seamlessly.  Were there misplays and mistakes? Heck ya, but the Clarification skill worked great.  No holds, no utter complete confusion due to the new rules that stopped gameplay.  We even got through check-in and in to game at a normal time (10:45).

Plot, staff, and NPC's did a GREAT job adapting to the new system and working within it.  I know they were nervous, but they really did do a wonderful job of adapting.  The NPC's roleplayed their parts and people knew what they were - the leather masks made by Beth Jurns helped a lot with this and saved our faces from constant and continual make-up.  I was really impressed by their non-typical treasure - from favors and letters, to the market-day spring celebration complete with an improvisational performance of the rescue of King Balladan from the Fortress of Kaas.  People saw the storylines and they put them out in a variety of ways.  They tried to do a little something for everyone - a little rp, a fight...something...

The PC's had tons of new and awesome phys. reps. Megan, who plays a Khala, had a wonderful Alchemist Lab set up.  Brandon had a badass Weave Tap.  So many people had new costumes!! And so many other reps and wands and knickknacks.  And the PC's brought their A-Game with the roleplay.  It was intense seeing them ingame the whole time and a lot of fun.

In the end, it's about the community.  My friend Brad, who I haven't seen for years game out (and hopefully enjoyed himself).  We were chatting at one point and he said while he was so happy and surprised by the atmosphere.  It reminded him of 1996, back when we first started.  Everyone was jovial and happy, willing to help, and it was just a good feeling.

And that's what it's all about.

What did you enjoy about your first Shattered Realms game? Ready for Lumberton? 

YouTube Friday - WOW Funeral and Griefers

So, this video circulated a while back.  After talking with a few friends, I realized that some of them hadn't seen this video before.  We watched it, of course, and had a moment of laughing - cause we're terrible people.  Couldn't help it.  It was so bizarre and odd it was funny.

The music is perfect, the beginning is a tad long....basically, a girl that played WOW (World of Warcraft) died in real life.  Rumor has it (completely unconfirmed) that she played too much WOW and had a stroke.  Urban myth? Who knows.  It's terrible that she passed away.  As tribute, a bunch of people ingame got together and WOW put an Avatar of her character in to game for them to pay their "respects." In an act of ultimate trolling, several guilds joined forces and, well, completely wrecked it.

However, it got me to thinking about Larp (imagine that) and griefing of players.  This guild, for all intents and purposes, got together and purposefully &*#$ up people's day - in a moment of solemnity - for the hell of it.  Super douche move.  I mean, really.  And it made me think of how people tend to do this in Larp, too.  They do something specifically to mess someone's day up - not because it follows what their characters would do, but because they think it is funny.  Why mess up someone else's moment for the heck of it? What do you get out of it? Just because they don't play the game the same way you do doesn't meant that it isn't without validity.  And you are basically getting a kick out of making someone else feel bad.

So, I pose the question to you - have you griefed other players for funsies? Is it a problem at Larp? And how should plot/owners/players handle the situation?

Also, see you tonight at Accelerant!

First Accelerant Event...

You could say that we are a bundle of nerves as our first event transitioned in to Accelerant is upon us.  That would be an understatement.  Everyone has worked very, very hard to make this a reality.  Tens of dozens of hours have been poured in to this since we released our rulebook - putting together Allegiances, answering questions, printing and organizing documents, printing and organizing production, dozens and dozens of emails from players, and, of course, the Accelerant Readiness Weekend. 

That's not to mention all the work and effort put forth by a slightly frazzled and nervous plot/staff team.  I have to give mad props to the Rage Hollow plot team.  They fully embraced a brand new system and went forth in to the unknown, ready to reorganize how they have run to continue to bring fun and entertainment to their friends, as well as complete strangers.  New monster cards, props, plotlines, and reworked mods/plotlines...they have worked tirelessly.

Not only is it our first event under the Accelerant system, it is the Rage Hollow opener.  No pressure.  And the event looks to be extremely large.  I think right now we are looking at 100 people or so.

I am hoping for happy chaos.  I recognize that everyone will be making lots of mistakes.  Mods probably won't go the way we planned, NPC's/PC's will forget stat's/over/under-play, and getting used to the system will take a little while.  And that's okay.  It's going to be like a bunch of newbies running around with mid-high level characters. 

So as you prepare for the weekend - and I hope you are coming - remember, as long as you have fun, it doesn't really matter.  Whether you remember that daily or that attribute, or totally forget what something does, it's all about the friends and stories you take home for you.

And so in closing - because I still have a gadzillion things to finish for the weekend - I would just like to say thank you to the Rage Hollow plot and staff team for taking this on and planning an awesome weekend.  I would like to say thank you to the NPC's willing to chime in for this very large event and help make it a success.  To the rest of the owners for all your hard work.  And to the players for being willing to try change and not hating it just because it's change.

Let the games begin! 

Makes me all warm and fuzzy.

Any advice Larp community?

Header Spotlight: Juggler

The Header Spotlight segment is a way to deliver some information about the specific Headers and to highlight their strengths and weaknesses.

Today, we'll be covering the Juggler. 

The Juggler covers two common Archetypes in fantasy - The jester and the expert with thrown weapons.  While the class primarily focuses on the latter, we decided to throw a single skill in for the other.

If you're playing a Juggler, your primary means of attack are thrown weapons.  Accurate toss allows you to throw them for called damage and Flick of the Wrist allows you to throw them for Agony.  You can even keep throwing weapons after a Maim if you pick up the Muscle Memory skill.  And you can use the Showmanship ability to keep enemies at bay.

On the defensive side, you have the ability to catch missile weapons to avoid the effects, and can even throw them back with the Return Fire ability, making you a difficult target for double and triple missile attacks.  

The two capstone skills are Flurry of Daggers (which allows you unlimited 2 Damage or Root attacks as long as your feet are planted) and Juggler's Performance, where you give a short juggling/comedic routine in order to refresh attributes of those who watch.

Good Header Combinations: Acrobat (Even more defensive actions), Duelist (Longsword + Throwing Daggers anyone?)

Pro: The Juggler is the best class when dealing with missile attacks.  They can use Deft Hands to negate them at no cost!  Also, they have a fair amount of battlefield control with Repels/Agony, and who doesn't like Attribute Refreshes! 

Con: All the Juggling in the world isn't going to help you if you've got a fighter on top of you.  You'll probably need some help to keep yourself disengaged. 

Would you play a Juggler?  Could you muster up a Juggler's Performance?  Let us know in the comments!

What NOT To Eat At A Larp...

So, I know that people have some peculiar eating habits, and they sometimes come out in interesting ways at Larp events.  Many times peoples diets, good nutritional habits, and all around decent eating habits go straight out the window.  This is a homage to horrifying things that have - or could - take place at a Larp regarding food.

1. Don't have an orange eating contest.  Ask Dan C., it'll turn out badly.  Very badly.  Eating contests at Larps are just asking for trouble.  So is bringing shrimp.  WHY?....Just...why.
2. Eat when the tavern is open.  Even if you aren't hungry.  If you don't, you'll pass out or get dizzy and sick.  And be that person that the hold/emergency is called for.  We won't mind, but everyone will still stare at you :-)
3. Don't eat chili at Larp. Nuff said.  No, but really.  It's tasty, it's delicious.  But I've had to call a hold on a long mod because literally people couldn't, um, wait.
4. Racoon-a-horse: Keep your Larp foodstuffs in a cooler.  With a padlock.  And a fifty-pound weight on top of it.  Inside the trunk of your car.  Raccon-a-horse will probably still get it and you'll find its minions, Racoon-a-corns chugging your vegetable oil out of a water bottle by the fire.  But at least you'll feel good about the effort you made.
5. Hotpockets - ask Jim Gaffigan, the comedian. Here you go, for those of you too lazy to youtube it :D

6. Don't eat burned rice.
7. Don't rely on tavern to have vegetarian friendly food.  We appreciate your efforts, but it's always good to have some back-up's just in case.  Also, mushrooms are not meat, so it's okay. :-)
8. If you can't identify the meat that you are about to consume, don't eat it.  This includes if the package states "meat-like product." 
9. The mega-can of baked beans and everyone eating out of it with the same spoon leads to terrible things.  You will not sleep in my cabin.  Humans are meant to consume that many beans in one sitting.  Seriously, you.

I leave number 10 to you, the readers.  What do YOU think is the worst possible thing you could eat at a Larp?

Getting Into Accelerant: WAR Readiness Weekend

WAR hosted a "Readiness" event this past weekend to help turnover characters and items, as well as do some sample mods based on the Accelerant ruleset.  All and all, I think it went extremely well.  But we did notice a number of things that are a little jarring when going to an Accelerant game.  With our first game up, here's a couple of things to keep in mind.

1. There's no "What do I See" Phrase
This was kind of difficult at the readiness weekend, because most mods were for mechanics, and we didn't really have much costuming.  Ultimately, without that phrase, it's going to come down to costume and roleplay.  NPCs are going to have to try hard to rep everything that goes out so that people get an idea of what those things are.  And as even more of a safety net, most of the PCs with abilities that are particularly strong against a type of creature have exposes they can use.

2. Roleplaying Hits
Everyone I've talked to has said that one of the biggest things to overcome in the transition from NERO to Accelerant is roleplaying hits.  And you know what?  They're totally right!  It takes a little bit of time to get used to roleplaying being struck or roleplaying an agony effect rather than saying "Got it" or not responding at all.  It may take a bit of time, so be patient with the players and don't jump all over them about it.  But remember, if you're not roleplaying your hits, that tells me that you didn't take it and that I still have the attack!

3. Flurry!
As expected, changing to a three strike flurry is pretty difficult, especially in the heat of battle.  It's something we're all going to have to work on.  There are times when you just want to keep attacking when you have an opening, but eventually people will get the hang of this.

Remember, the biggest thing about the new game is immersion, so don't go jumping down anyone's throat at the game because they did too many swings in a flurry or aren't roleplaying hits.  If you can find a friendly way to bring it up IG, please feel free to do it.  You know, something like:

"Wow, that man over there is tough!  Nothing seems to faze him!"
"That guy is particularly fast with his weapons, it's hard to keep up!"

What do you think is going to be (or has been for people who are already experienced) your biggest stumbling block in getting used to Accelerant?

YouTube Friday - Honest Movie Trailer, Lord of the Rings

One of the things to remember as we begin the Larp season is that we should never take ourselves, or the game, too seriously.

In honor of that concept, I present the Honest Movie Trailer of Lord of the Rings.

Enjoy.

I especially like the Sean Bean dying part :-)

What's your favorite "don't take Larp too seriously" video?

Header Spotlight: Sentinel

The Header Spotlight segment is a way to deliver some information about the specific Headers and to highlight their strengths and weaknesses.

Today, we'll be covering the Sentinels. 

Some call them leaders.  Others call them tacticians.  And even some call them Paladins.  Whatever you decide to call them, the archetype of the warrior that inspires their troops is common among most fantasy stories.  And so we decided to include it.

The Sentinel is a martial class that focuses on group buff through inspiring speeches.  They are often found leading groups of people into battle, as their skill in speaking inspires greatness in those that follow them.

While the Sentinel is not equipped with any offensive attacks of their own, they do have a number of defenses that they can use regularly.  Vigor and Heavily armored allow them to wade into the front lines without fear of falling.  Courage allows them to wade into the front lines without fear of, well, Fear.  And Rally Bretheren gives them the ability to Cure Mental for cheap, but it requires that you use that person's name.  That's a pretty good reason to get to know the people you'll be fighting with.

For utility skills, they also are able to Repel by Gesture using Heroic Presence, and have access to the Trauma Expert skill, which allows them to stabilize others at will.

But let's be honest, if you're playing a Sentinel, you're doing it for the speeches.

The Sentinel has 4 speeches that they can deliver to give buffs to those who listen, as each provides a "By My Voice" benefit.  Bolster Defense grants everyone a Guard Physical, Boost Courage grants everyone a Shield Fear, and Lead the Charge grants everyone a melee attack for 2 Damage.  But the capstone ability, Inspiring Speech, allows the Sentinel to spend a Spirit to Refresh the Spirit of others.

We didn't define the length of the speech, based on our "I like Nice things..." adage  but in general, we're expecting speeches that range from maybe 20 seconds to a minute.  Normally, we're expecting these speeches to be made before a battle, so you're unlikely to be rushed.  We also made it so that you can only give one speech per full rest, to prevent spamming of these speeches in battle, but this is something that may change in the future (if we have tons of awesome Sentinels looking to give more speeches).  

Good Header Combinations: Shield Bearer (So defensive, never have to leave the front lines), Bard (if you like to talk, maybe you like to sing?).

Pro: By My Voice Grants are amazing and can turn the tides of battle.  Most efficient grants from the point of attribute expendature. 

Con: Not a lot of offense, not a lot of internal defensive skills.  If you don't like public speaking, or don't want to get over your fears of it, probably not the class for you. 

Would you play a Sentinel?  What kinds of speeches would you give if you did?  Let us know in the comments!

How to be a Good Noble

This post comes from the fact that our Noble group is currently working on the Laws for the Lumberton site.  One might think that it's pretty straight forward to come up with laws and be a noble, but it really requires a lot of forethought to be a GOOD noble.

The key is that you are a representative of your game.  Whether you are an owner or have any kind of share in the game, the people who put you in charge have entrusted you to maintain the fun of others in the game.  And I'm sure there are countless people who read this blog who can tell you story after story about bad nobles.  And I'd prefer to not be one.

1. Building Appropriate Laws
As I mentioned, we're designing laws for the town that we're nobles.  The point of our design was to limit making things illegal, sticking with the things that are illegal from a game world standpoint (like Necromancy or Undead) and things that take the fun away from others (Theft, Murder, Assault).  And when dealing with those laws, we rarely punish with Death on the first offense, and rarely will take away people's rights (tantamount to banishment.)  Death and Banishment have the ability to remove someone's ability to play the game from an OOG standpoint, which is why you want to avoid them, except for repeated or extreme crimes.

2. Helping the Town
I know that this seems like a no brainer, but as a noble, you should be increasing the fun of others.  Generally speaking, the game staff will give opportunities and resources to the nobility, because it makes sense in the game world and they have some trust in the nobility.  In response, nobles should be willing to pass mod hooks on to others, and even offer to pay people for work that needs to be done (as long as they can maintain the coffers.)  If plot gives you 100 gold for being a noble, you should really try to pass a huge chunk of that on to the rest.

3. Generally Being Nice
Another no brainer.  I understand that there are reasons for your character to be gruff or isolated from others.  Or even to be untrustworthy of certain people.  But that doesn't mean you can't use that as an opportunity to roleplay, rather than a reason to be mean to people.  As Mickey once said, even a bad guy can literally choose from hundreds of possible responses, so there's no reason to pull the most dickish one.  Even if your character doesn't like someone, you should go out of your way to make sure that you like them OOG.  That way, when the rubber meets the road, those people are more likely to have your back.

So there you have it.  Being a good noble in three easy steps.  Do you have any tips on being a good noble?  Drop them in the comments!

WAR Accelerant 1.2 Changes

Instead of a Header Spotlight today, I'd like to do a quick summary of the changes in the rules in 1.2.  I know we haven't run a game yet.  However, we still had some changes that we had to make, mostly because of great questions from our players.  Here's a quick rundown of the changes.  For a full run-down, check out the 1.2 Clarifications document, where all changes are listed.

Enjoy!

WAR Accelerant Rulebook, Production Companion, High Magic Companion, and Clarification Document Version 1.2

Hi everyone,

If you are looking for Version 1.2 of the War ACC Rulebook, Production Companion, High Magic Companion and Clarification Document here they are!

WAR ACC Rulebook V1.2

Production Companion V1.2

High Magic Companion V1.2

Clarification Document V1.2

Thanks everyone!

Jenn

Keeping "The Shack" Organized

We encourage guest posts from players and owners across the Larp genres.  They will not always express our views or fit every game. If you would like to do a guest spot, please email us here with your idea!  Ben Mathis has been Larping for several years and has served as Plot, Campaign Plot, and as a long-term player.

One of the things that makes me frazzled is a disorganized plot shack. For those that are unfamiliar with the term, a plot shack is where the majority of the event logistics take place. It also houses the NPCs and serves as a sort of "home base" for them.

I have found, through my 7 years of larping, that keeping a shack organized and clean will allow for a smooth event. Here are three tips that you can use for your shack that I have found to be effective.

1. Use a "Plot only" table.
In my experiences, having a plot only table is key to running a smooth event. Need information on that plot line Billy Bob wrote? It's on the Plot table. What about the write up on that super important artifact that went out at the campaign event last month? It is also on the plot table. 

This will allow you to have all the information that you need readily available. The key point is that no one but plot should be mucking around on this table. Sometimes it will contain information that could affect a staffers PC.  We want that to remain a surprise. It will also help other plot team members to know what is going on with other people's plot lines.

2. Have a Shack guy!
A shack guy is someone that will stay up at the shack, primarily, and make sure that it doesn't get completely destroyed. This person will clean off logistics tables and make sure that monster stat cards get put in a return box so they don't get lost. 

Having someone that is willing to do this will help tremendously. It is also helpful if this person is a staff member so that they can check people in/out, print tags, and possibly answer plot related questions that any PC might have. If they aren't able to, I am sure that the shack guy could point you in the right direction to the plot person that can though.

3. Last but not least, have a timeline!
Having a timeline for when modules and randoms are supposed to go in is super handy. Let's say that the RP session with the Arch-Lich Daranak took a bit longer than expected. Maybe it took a couple hours longer. Another plot team member can look at the time-line and make sure that the next module goes in on time. A proper timeline will have a description of what the mod is, whose plot line it is, and what level it is supposed to target. All of that information should be packed into one or two lines so that there is plenty of room for everyone's stuff on one-two pages. 

What can you do to make YOUR shack more organized?


~Ben

Header Spotlight: Blood Mage

The Header Spotlight segment is a way to deliver some information about the specific Headers and to highlight their strengths and weaknesses.

Today, we'll be covering the Blood Mage. 

A common archetype in fantasy is a magic user that uses their own blood to cast spells.  It's usually considered somewhat profane, just due to the nature of manipulating blood for power. We decided that we wanted this archetype, and designed it so that while it may not be illegal, it's a least considered a little taboo.

The Blood Mage has three attack spells.  Drain allows them to do damage and heal themselves, Decrepify gives a slow, and Red Mist does 4 Damage and Agony.  Pretty Decent.

As far as Defensive abilities, the Blood Mage gets the Vigor skill, an Avoid against melee/missile/packet attacks, can go to spirit and walk for a brief period of time, and can become immune to aging and may resist metabolic effects and purge them for 1 damage.

The three utility skills that the Blood Mage has are Blood Magic, Surge of Strength, and Control Rigor Mortis.  Blood Magic allows the Blood Mage to spend Vitality to power spells,  but this Vitality can only be healed after 5 minutes of rest.  Surge of Strength gives a Double Grant Melee Attack for 2 Damage.  And Control Rigor Mortis allows the Blood Mage to drop an item of their choice when they go to spirit, which is huge if you're carrying the key and you die.

The way people interpret this header may vary, but expect that some people may be turned off by it.  That's the trade-off for the power of this Header.

Bound High Magic: Curse of Sight, Ethereal Bond, New Lineage, Unfinished Business

Good Header Combinations: Warden (Great Defense v Elemental and Metabolic), High Magic (some very cool Bound High Magic spells).

Pro: Excellent defense and some good attacks all from one header.  No one is better at defending against Metabolic effects.

Con: You may be ostracized, and non-Metabolic attacks are expensive to defend against. 

How will you react to Blood Magic? Would you play a Blood Mage?  Let us know in the comments!

Creating RP Through Reps

One of the things that I am super big on is the use of "non-typical treasure" as a plot person.  They can be a wonderful tool and I have already extolled their virtues in another post done a few weeks ago.  Today, I would like to focus on how plot people can help encourage rp through the use of non-typical treasure.

One of the best ways to do this is to create items that require/encourage a number of people to work on together.  For example, a code or prophecy.  Encourages you to go and speak with other individuals, historians, etc. to figure it out.  Once at an event (Ashton) we received two prophecies and 11 of us spent the better part of the afternoon putting our combined knowledge of racial/cultural history and ingame events together trying to figure it out.  It was awesome.  And everyone wanted the prophecy, so there were a bunch of people copying it down.  Lot's of fun!

Another example, something that I put out, was a "Spirit Board" at Lumberton.  It is currently about 2, 000 miles away (the person moved), but she graciously sent me some pictures to use.

Header Spotlight: Duelist

The Header Spotlight segment is a way to deliver some information about the specific Headers and to highlight their strengths and weaknesses.

Today, we'll be covering the Duelist. 

In an attempt to create incentives for different fighting styles, we designed the paper-rock-scissors of the Shield Bearer-Blade Dancer-Brute.  But we also wanted to encourage people who prefer to fight with less optimal fighting styles, such as one sword, sword/dagger, or sword buckler.  And that's what the Duelist is.

The Duelist is a capable fighter who focuses most of his power into a single one handed weapon.  They have some of the best attacks and defenses, but burn through Attributes extremely fast.

For attacks, the Duelist has Precise Strikes for damage, Winded for Silence, and Death Strike for a Double Death!  That's really hard to beat.

For Defenses, they have the Agile skill for Armor, Vigor for Vitality, Optimism to resist Stricken, Reflexes to Avoid missile and packet attacks, and Riposte, which can be used to turn a melee attack on itself.  Finally, if you are a skilled Fencer, you become immune to Disarm (as long as you're wielding Duelist weapons).

The Stance for the Duelist is unusually, as most stances require a player to plant their feet.  Instead, you can grant yourself 1 protection after each flurry, which is pretty handy.

All and all, if you like using an underrated fighting style and have a few attributes to toss around, the Duelist is a pretty decent header.

Good Header Combinations: Shield Bearer (If you use a buckler), Blade Dancer (If you use a dagger).

Pro: The Duelist has a great selection of defensive and offensive skills.  Probably better than any one header.  

Con: You cannot fight with an "optimal" fighting style, with the best possible situations being sword/buckler or sword/dagger.

Would you play a Duelist? Would you use a Buckler, Dagger, or nothing?  Let us know in the comments!

The Closing of a Chapter - In More Ways Than One

We encourage guest posts from players and owners across the Larp genres.  They will not always express our views or fit every game. If you would like to do a guest spot, please email us here with your idea!  Tera Boster has been Larping for several years and has served as Plot, Campaign Plot, and as a long-term player.

When Nero Cincinnati made the decision to leave the world of Nero and venture out on their own, the first question that was asked was “What happens to the story?”  The question echoed in our minds and brought on a moment of silence as we all considered it.  What WOULD happen to the story?   We couldn’t in good conscience just leave it without resolution.  Too many people, too many players, too many characters couldn’t be left without an ending to their story.

Almost immediately, we began talking amongst ourselves.  What about the towns?  They had their own stories to tell, also.  What should we do?  What COULD we do?  The idea came quickly.  A Campaign Event.  A final blow out that would allow for the story to end… or at least for there to be an end to this chapter of it.  The Campaign Team had already been working to put the new plot arc in place.  All it would take was a few tweaks here and there and voila! A final chapter in the story of the Kingdoms of Solus, Coradar and Izendorn.