Live-action roleplaying (LRP in the UK; LARP in the USA; lajv, levande rollspel in Swedish) involves assuming roles, as in usual RPGs, and then physically playing out what the characters do. Usually this is done in private, but some LARPs have taken place in public places. As many different LARP-systems have been developed as RPGs; the forms and rules change dramatically over time and place, as do the genres played.
Forms of LARPs
There is a very large number of different styles of LRP/LARP, but they can be divided into two general styles depending on the techniques used to resolve combat/conflict.
Live Combat
aka "boffer style", "LC"
The first major category is live combat games which use specially-made safe swords, laser guns and sensors, or some similar system to represent combat. They usually have a simplified "hits" system where blows do certain amounts of damage. This can be resolved by trust (i.e. the player keeps track of his damage) or by having a regular "battleboard" where a refereree marks down the damage on a character sheet that keeps track of damage. Games are generally held on private sites (scout sites are popular in the UK).
Live Combat games are generally based around a free-running plot which develops over time, where the players play their characters over several "adventures" and/or freeform events, and develop their characters as they improve.
In the United Kingdoms LARPs generally take 3 forms: Event LARPs where people gather on mass to play their characters, Adventure LARPs where continuing characters form a party and have an adventure, and Freeform LARPs where players are handed dossiers about pre-written characters.
Interactive Literature
aka "card waving"
This category covers games where combat (when it occurs) is resolved by some non-physical means. Examples of combat resolution include simplified dice systems, action cards, or paper-scissors-stones.
Interactive literature games are typically one-shot games. They are quite popular at conventions. Usually, they involve a group of people getting individual folders with background on their characters, and cards explaining their abilities and possessions. Players then play that character in the situation set out for them by the gamemaster(s), who introduces new situations and determines results as necessary.
Murder Mystery parties could be argued to be a form of "Interactive Literature".
The games published by White Wolf under the brand name Minds Eye Theater has been influential on the LARP-hobby in the last five years or so. Theese games make use of many props, such as character forms and cards representing the supernaturual powers of the creatures most participants play. Although there is a strict non-physical contact rule, "Vampire" games are usually plot-based, and evolve campaigns over several events with long-running characters.
The form practiced in Sweden is usually without a gamemaster, and based on an honor system when it comes to rules. Dice are never used, and settings tend to be immersive, with as few anachronisms and out of play elements (off-elements) as possible. The setting and roles are given to the participants by the organizers (often after a dialogue with the player). When the game starts it lives its own life, wholly directed by the players (some predetermined events are often scheduled). A typical game lasts three days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) and has an average of about 200 participants. Rules are designed for combat injury simulation and normally emphasize roleplaying of damage rather than abstract hitpoints (though this was not always so), featuring either padded weapons or live steel. Each gaming organization uses custom rules, but similarities make this less cumbersome than it would at first seem.
History
The history of LARPs is shrouded in mystery. It seems likely, however, that the first LARP was played out in conjunction with the first published RPG (Dungeons & Dragons) in the 1970s, although some extreme free form theater groups may have preceeded that. One of the earliest UK clubs was Treasure Trap formed in 1982. At the same time Swedish LARP-group Gyllen Hjorten started their campagn that is still going strong.
The largest Swedish LARP to this day is "Trenne Byar" (Three villages) 1994. Among the noteable swedish LAPRs are Trenne Byar, Nyteg, Högting, Caroulus Rex, Hamlet, Hamlet - Directors cut, Futuredrome.
Knutpunkt
Knutepunkt was organised in Oslo, Norway in 1997. It was the first of series of annual LARP congresses taking place in the Scandivian countries.
- 1998 Stockholm, Sweden
- 1999 Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2000 Helsinki, Finland
- 2001 Olso, Norway
- 2002 Stockholm, Sweden
- 2003 Copenhagen, Denmark (Feb. 2003)
External Links
http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~richc/lrp/faq/faq.html : the rec.games.frp.live-action FAQ
http://www.larp.com : Domain that hosts serveral larp-groups
http://www.sverok.se : Swedish gaming organisation that supports LARPs