Summer LARPin'

Ah, it's summer!  Maybe not officially, but at least in Ohio the sun is here, along with the heat.  Summer is the busiest time to LARP, so you're probably planning on having quite a few weekends dedicated to games over the next few months. 

Summer offers relatively clear weather where you can get camps that don't require heat.  You can enjoy sleeping under the stars!  You don't have to be weighed down by layers!  People have more free time to get out there, and it's just generally good to be outside. But it's hot.  Those high temperatures can be just as much, if not more, of a damper to your game than winter chill, so here are a few things you can do to beat the heat.

Water - this is a priority.  Drink it.  Don't drink pop or anything else sugary or hyper-caffeinated unless you're drinking a lot more water to balance it out.  I've gotten dehydrated because all I was drinking was sugar, and it's icky. :( Worried about carrying it around? Try a camelback.  You can put it in another bag or just cover it with some cloth to give it a more period look.  You can also get leather bottle holders!

Summer Costume - First, cut down on unnecessary armor, or even go to a lighter version.  You don't want to trap all that sweat and heat in - ask yourself if it's worth the armor points.  You don't need to reduce yourself to a Metallica t-shirt and sweat shorts to stay cool (unless that's already good for your game!).  There are all sorts of short-sleeved blouses for ladies that still look pretty period.  Or try a gauzy shirt and just roll up the sleeves. You can also make sleeve ties or use sleeve garters.  Now's a good time to wear lighter skirts, and open-sided wrap pants allow for ventilation. These can all be pretty cheap, and your friendly neighborhood seam-person can help :)  Also, a little more expensive, think about getting some summer Under Armor, which is designed to help keep your body cool.

Cool Down - Make sure that you make time to cool off.  Take a break and rest, drink some water, and let yourself air out :)  Related to the hygiene post, take off some of the heat-traping aspects of your costume and sit in the shade.  Take a cool shower to bring your body temperature down.  Change out your socks and other sweat-soaked elements - you'll feel better & smell better!  Think about bringing things like freezie pops for the tavern and extra water in a cooler.  Staff, coordinate to make sure that you have access to cool water for your team, and think about bringing them some extra heat-beating treats! :)  Cooling down the inside can help cool down the outside!

Take it Easy - Don't push yourself during the heat of those scorchers, if you can.  Try to go on role-play or investigation mods in the hottest part of the day.  Plot, think about planning those kinds of things so that they can take place during that time.  Also, think ahead and consider where you're having your mods - try to make them in shaded areas that no one will pass out getting to (hopefully).  It's hard when you're NPCing, but try to rotate out people to give everyone time to cool down.  Yes, you want everyone to have fun, but having someone pass out from heat exhaustion won't make it better!! :)

Beat the Bugs - Let's not forget summer mosquitos! :)  Don't forget your bug spray, and think about bringing a citronella candle to keep them away from your sleeping area (if you can burn it safely).  Keep lights out where you can so the bugs don't swarm inside your tent/cabin in the dark (especially while you're out - your tent/cabin mates will be thankful!).  They do have silent mosquito repellers, which I've used and seem to work pretty well.  I got it from a guy in Louisiana, and you know they've got bugs down there!  Also, people sometimes forget, but this is tick season - give yourself a check before you go to bed to make sure you haven't picked up any hitchhikers. 

Got any more tips on beating the heat at LARP?

Avoid Searches

One of the staples of the RPG world is "Searching."  So it's no surprise that a lot of staff teams will try and integrate those searches into their games.

But if done incorrectly, searches can break immersion faster than almost anything else.

You see, we don't usually have the benefit of having a perfect replica of the setting.  We run out of cabins and tents and try to make them seem like castles or caves.  So when you tell players to search, they now look in every nook and corner of that anachronistic shelter.  They're looking in things that may or may not be IG and in the process they may be checking near refrigerators, electrical outlets, and the like.

So if you really want to have a search mechanic, make sure you put boundaries on it and supply everything.  If you want the players to find a needle in a haystack, you've got to bring the needle and the haystack, and make sure the players know where the haystack ends.

"Using" Your Players

I know it sounds bad when presented this way, but a good plot team knows how to use their players for the minor tasks at an event.

Doing so frees you up to run the event.

The two best examples of this is the use of the guildmaster position in WAR and a PC running the general store in Exiles.

The guildmaster is the person who manages the players' needs from the guild.  This creates a buffer between plot and the players, and also allows for players needs to meet.  For example, a player might want dispel scrolls while another player might want to trade in/sell those scrolls, so no logistics are necessary.

In Exiles, a PC can work for the general store, selling bullets and other supplies to the players.  This basic task doesn't really require staff to perform.  This frees up that staff to set up the next big thing.

Now, the obvious problems with farming out this work to players is that it cannot be something important and you have to be able to trust your player doing the task.  If you're afraid of that, this might not be for you.

But if you can farm it out, it's totally freeing.

YouTube Friday: How to Make a Mask

Guess what? MOAR PROP STUFF!

This is a big roundabout adventure around me working that Sintra armor. I've been messing with it, and it really is a nice medium. However, I was wondering if there was a way for me to make it into a robotic mask, but I realized I would probably need to get a mold of my face.

Which led me to this little gem. This actually looks a lot easier than I once thought (not in a "your job is easy" way but in the way that I never thought it would be accessable). It's also not nearly as expensive as I once thought. The only thing stopping me at this point is that I have to wait for Christmas (to get gifts), and the fact that I'm not as artistic as I could be.

But either way, check out this 5 step instruction video on how to make masks.

Enjoy!