Episode 173 – LARP round table, part 1
by Dan Repperger
* (1:09) Fear the Boot, now with timestamps!
* (1:45) Fear the Con 3 sign-up is coming very soon.
* (2:20) Introducing our guests.
* (5:05) What separates LARP from tabletop RPGs?
* (10:32) The negative image of LARPers. The infamous Lightningt Bolt video.
* (17:07) The seemingly insular nature of the LARP community.
* (28:03) Flirting, physical contact, and other boundaries.
* (31:38) The flow of LARP as compared to a tabletop RPG. You can see the Oak Island Mystery videos here: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4.
* (36:08) The role of NPCs in LARP.
* (39:45) Character advancement and player attachment.
* (43:48) Representing magic.
* (45:11) Honor and honesty in sparring.
Our guests were also kind enough to provide links to the Amtgard and Insurrection LARP systems.
Hosts: Dan, James, Michael, Nathanael, Wayne
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Glad you guys finally got along to doing this.
For me, it was the non-combat aspects of the SCA I loved so much. The crafts, the music, the storytelling and the socialization. I was the PR (Chatelaine) guy for the Barony of Stonemarche (NH, USA) for 3+ years. I still proudly display the two awards I received while doing that service. There are weirdos of course, every social group has them. But I had a lot of fun and met some great people.
Having said that… *every* subculture thinks that it is the best and greatest. I’ve seen this time and time again. be it any type of fandom, NERO, the SCA, trekkies, LARPers in general, you name it.
I never minded dressing up as Lord James Edmund of Aberedw, Chatelaine of Stonemarche. I did countless public demos in full garb. I recruited dozens of people, many of whom stuck with the SCA even after I left. I still consider myself a SCAdian at heart.
But I never wanted to dress up and pretend to be a fantasy character in the woods. :)
“Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt”, just wasn’t my thing. :)
How many damn Lightning Bolts does that guy get?
In Amtgard, a few can be used in a life. In Nero….. how many people in habit our planet again?
One comment I wanted to make now that it is totally over. Our Amtgard Chapter doesn’t advertise ourselves as a LRP because Amtgard has very little rp truthfully. We do advertise ourselves as a Wargame however. if anything a LAW, Live Action Wargame. :p
Dante, I really like Brennon’s term “Medieval Combat Sport”.
@Michael. Hey I know Brennon met him at an event a few months back ;D calling it a Medieval Combat Sport kinda detracks from the feel though. I mean in reality Amtgard is a wargame, you simulate a unit with different strengths and weakness, in most cross realm wars it is one army or faction against another. Multiple lives Representing reinforcements of sorts.
But then again different strokes for different folks, if calling it a Sport helps get some jock type people into it then by all means it’s a sport. If calling it a wargame helps get wargamers into it then it’s a wargame. A name by any other would sound just as sweet.
Flurb.
PM me on the forums, I’d love to swing some foam with you at an event sometime.