Some Advice For First Time LARPers

So your friends talked you in to signing up for this "Live-Action Roleplaying event." Or perhaps you wanted to try it and see what all the fuss was. You filled out the questionnaire, paid your registration fee, and received your character packet. Looking over the sheets and sheets of information you're suddenly seized with a sense of being completely out of your depth. Now what do you do? Let's face it--live-action roleplaying games (LARPs) can be intimidating. Many people, even experienced role-players, often find themselves wandering around their first live-action event wondering what to do with themselves. So how do you have fun? What follows are some simple suggestions to help you get more involved in your first live-action game. And getting involved is the key to enjoying any LARP. (One note: while many of these ideas will work for any style of live-action games, this article focuses on "theatre-style" games -- one where the game centers around characters and character interaction rather than on completing a quest or adventure).

Before the Game
Character Packets
The first step is to relax. Take a deep breath. Now open your character packet and read it-- every sentence, every word. There's probably a lot of information, but it's all there to help you. This is particularly important if you've never played any role-playing games (RPGs) before. (Don't worry, if you're a complete newcomer to role-playing--you're in good company. Many ardent live-action role-players have never played any other type of RPGs and never intend to). Even if you're an experienced role-player and it's a live-action event based on a game you play regularly, read the information in the packet. Just because something's in the tabletop game, it doesn't mean it's in the live-action version. Often the game's organizers have a different slant on the game world; or they've had to change some things to make the game work in live-action.
Assume that the information in your packet is what your character knows about the world he lives in; if it's not in your packet, your probably character doesn't know about it. One exception is when there seems to be glaring holes in your information -- for example, your packet gives you a list of the people your character knows, but doesn't say how your character knows them or how they know you. Or maybe your packet is only a couple of pages long and doesn't really tell you anything at all. Okay, you know you're a vampire and you live in New York. That's not going to give you much to play with. If you have any questions about your character packet, the best thing you can do is contact the game's coordinators. It's entirely possible that in the rush before the event, some vital piece of information was accidentally omitted from your packet or you didn't get all the pages you were supposed to. This happens in even the best organized games, so please go easy on the coordinators. Live-action games are chronically understaffed and often a single person is trying to create and coordinate as many as 100 characters -- usually in their spare time. Just explain your confusion and the coordinators should be happy to fill you in on what you need to know. It often helps to have a list of specific questions prepared in advance, but if you are completely lost and confused don't be afraid to say so. It's perfectly okay to say "I don't know what to ask."

Here are some useful tips to help make sure you get the information you need:
Larger games often have two, three, or even more contact numbers. Each of these contacts may deal with specific types of questions; for instance, you may have one phone number to contact in case of character questions and another for rules questions. Or there may be a number for fighter questions, one for magician questions, and so on. If that is the case, make sure you are speaking to the right person. Don't ask the character contact person about combat rules and don't expect a fighter contact person to know anything about your magician character. If the game has more than one contact person and person you reach tells you that she doesn't know anything about your particular question, don't get angry with her. Some larger games are so complex, many of the coordinators just aren't able to know what's going on with anything other than their specific areas. Thank her for her time, ask who would have the answer, then contact that person.

Some games have a "new player" contact. Contact this person if you're completely lost and confused, or if this is your first game and you want some tips. If there isn't a "new player" contact listed in your information, contact the game's main coordinator. This may also be listed as the person to contact with "general questions." He may help you himself or may refer you to another person who can. Read your character packet thoroughly before you call. Often you'll find the answers to your questions in that information. But don't hesitate to call if the information you need doesn't seem to be in your packet or if you're really lost. If you feel that your character background isn't complete enough, don't be afraid to ask the game coordinators if you can fill in the missing details. I have yet to know of a coordinator who hasn't responded with an enthusiastic "Yes!" In general, feel free to "fill in the gaps", but don't change information already in your character packet without checking with the game coordinator. The information in your packet is there to help you during the game; changing it will cause confusion for yourself, as well as for the other players and the game's coordinators.

Sometimes your character packet will list goals for your character to accomplish during the game. Pay careful attention to these; they've been provided to help you get involved. Even if your packet doesn't list goals, try making up a three or four off the top of your head, based on the information in your packet. No, you won't know if you'll be able to really achieve them or not, but don't worry about that. Right now you're just generating ideas; you can always adjust them during the game to fit what's actually going on.

In some situations, such as at game conventions, you won't get your character packet in advance. Don't despair. Find a quiet corner and take the time to read your character packet. Don't let the fact that the game is going on around you rush you; take all the time you need. If necessary, find one of the game's volunteers, pull them aside and ask questions (but please don't grab someone who's obviously in the middle of dealing with something). Then, when you're ready, dive in. Most LARPs seem to take an hour or two to really get going; people spend this time talking, finding their contacts, etc. So even if you have to read your character at the game, you won't miss much and other people will be in the same situation.

Getting Into Character

Okay, you've read your character packet and the coordinators have answered your questions. Now you're ready to go, right? Maybe. Many players can and do play their characters "off the cuff," with just the information in their character packet. But you'll probably have more fun if you spend some time really getting to know your character. What does your character like and dislike? What is his favorite color? His favorite movie? Does he like dogs? Cats? What does he do for a living? If this information isn't in your character packet, make it up. Even if you never use it during the game, the information will make your character a more complete person, which will make him easier to play. And dropping some of this information into the game will help bring your character to life, giving him some odd quirks which make him stand out from the crowd. Try to make this information fit in with what's in your character packet. If your packet says that your character is a deep-sea diver by trade, don't give her a paralyzing fear of the water. Usually you can modify your ideas to fit what's written -- perhaps she used to be deathly afraid of water, but overcame that fear. That would give you a character who was tenacious with a strong sense that she could overcome anything she put her mind to.

Don't stop with what's going on inside your character's head. Figure out how he would walk and talk too. Finding your character's voice means figuring out how your character normally talks. You don't have to change the pitch of your voice, or use an accent (although you certainly can if you want to and it fits your character). Maybe your character talks faster than
you do, or slower. She probably uses different words. Each of us tends to choose the same narrow range of words when we're talking. Just changing the words you habitually use can make you sound and feel like a different person. Maybe she uses a lot of "likes" ("like, you know, the last time I saw him he was going to the store...") or "umms." Does she speak more precisely than you or less? Does she think about what she says or do words just pour out?

Just as each person talks differently, they also move differently. Like finding your character's voice, finding the way your character moves doesn't have to be elaborate or complex. It can be as simple as figuring out one or two habitual hand gestures he makes. Does he use a lot of gestures when speaking or just a few? How much "personal space" does he claim? How far away from people does he tend to stand when he's talking to them? When he shakes hands with someone is his grip solid, crushing, or limp? Is he confident in his movements or unsure of himself? Even figuring out just one or two of these things can help you get into character.

Even if you don't get your character packet until you're at the game, take a couple of minutes to decide on a couple of quirks or habits that will help bring your character to life. It's hard to overact in a LARP, so don't be shy about playing your character to the hilt. The more you put into developing your character and the more fully you get into character, the more fun you'll have playing and the more fun others will have playing with you and the more likely they will be to make an effort to include you.

When You First Arrive  

Some games include check-in information with the character packet, others don't. If yours does, please follow it. It's hard for people who are supposed to know your character to find you if they don't know you're there. Also, the game coordinators may have additional important information or items for you. If you didn't get check-in information ahead of time, find someone who looks like they know what they're doing and ask them how you go about checking-in. Particularly look for people who have name tags which say "referee" or "GM" or something like that. If there isn't anyone wearing a name tag, look for someone who knows what they're doing and ask them.

The next step is to read your character packet, if you didn't receive it before, and spend a few moments developing your character, as described above. Even if you received your character in advance, you may find it helpful to spend a couple of minutes just "lurking"--getting a feel for what's going on and getting into character. Don't be afraid to just drift around the playing area for a few minutes. However, if you aren't in an "out of character area" be prepared to respond to people who contact you in character. When you feel ready, take a deep breath and dive in. A common mistake people make at their first game is to drift too long. While it helps to get an overview of what's going on, the people who have the most fun are those who dive into the action and the best way to dive in is to talk to people. Start by finding the people your character packet says you know. Talk to them; figure out your history with each other. You can never talk to too many people at your first LARP. Introduce yourself (in character) to as many people as you can find. Even if you're tremendously shy, take a deep breath and go. You'll enjoy the game much more if you do. Many professional actors are extremely shy people too. They have a trick which may help you: they keep in mind that this is their character talking, not them. They themselves don't have to say a word. This is where developing your character will help you -- if you know your character well enough, he will talk for you.

During the Game
By this point, you've talked to most, if not all, of the people in the game. Now it's time to go back to your list of goals, both those provided for you and the ones you made yourself. Look over your list and add any new goals which came to mind while you were talking to people. These can be small goals, like "I'm going to try and find the book everyone's
looking for" or big ones like "I'm going to take over the city." Then figure out how you can get other characters to help you. Don't worry about picking achievable goals; in LARPs, plotting and striving is more fun than actually getting. Even if you just
can't come up with any goals, you can get involved by causing trouble, fostering intrigue, and adding to the general confusion. The best thing you can do to have fun at your first game is to get your character in trouble; Playing it safe isn't much fun in the
long-run. Don't be afraid to start rumors -- true or not -- and spread them to everyone who will listen. Try to find out what everyone else is up to and then find a way your character can use that information to her advantage, or at the very least to cause trouble. Notice, please, this is trouble in character. Causing trouble yourself, as a player, is a first-rate way to ruin the fun for everyone, including yourself .

Trouble between characters is the meat and drink of LARPs. In most tabletop games, the GM provides all the opponents and obstacles which the characters have to work together to overcome. By contrast, in LARPs, it's often the other characters who provide the obstacles and opponents for your character. If you can increase the general level of intrigue and confusion, you'll create more fun, not only for yourself but for everyone involved. Remember, that just because a character doesn't like something you do, it doesn't mean the player isn't enjoying it immensely.

Which brings up another point -- stay in character. Look at everything that happens from your character's point of view, rather than from your own. If you need a break or to ask a rules question, go to an "out-of-character" area, if your game has one, or use a "time-out" signal (find out what this is in advance). Staying in character for four or more hours can be difficult and exhausting, so don't be afraid to take breaks if you need to. You'll have a lot more fun if you stay in character.
A trick some role-players use to help them stay in character is to think of someone they know and then ask themselves "what would Bill or Susan do in this situation?" rather than "what would I do in this situation?" This helps them play someone else other than themselves.

If you can't bring yourself to make trouble for other characters, you can take the opposite tack -- offer to help them out. Find someone who looks like they know what they're doing and offer to take messages, guard them, run errands, etc. Don't worry about falling in with the "wrong" people. In most LARPs, every character is the "wrong" people to someone there and if your character happens to fall in with another character whom everyone dislikes or is out to get-- well, you're more involved. Plus, you can always try to change allegiances later when you know more about what's going on. If you're completely at a loss, you can explain this is your first time and you need some help getting involved. Most players are eager to share their hobby and more than willing to help you.

Look out for other players who look bored. Bored players cause problems and will often start killing people just for something to do. Gather other new/bored players together and brainstorm ideas of things you can do. Or if you're stuck on your own goals or can't figure out a puzzle, bored players can sometimes help you find something you overlooked. And they'll welcome the chance for something to do. You can also send these characters off on "wild goose chases", chasing
after rumors you've invented. And later, if you find yourself at a loss for something to do, these players may be able to return the favor later on. Even if not, you're still on your way to building a group of allies.
Live-action games don't have to be intimidating. A little character preparation will help you get into character and that will help you interact with the other characters. Getting in, talking to people, and volunteering to do things will go a long way to getting yourself involved. And if you create plots, twists, and rumors, you'll soon find yourself so busy you won't have a chance to worry about being bored.