Larpcraft

Medieval Rules

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Welcome to one of the largest free LARP networks the world has ever known.

LarpCraft has broken new ground in gameplay by allowing players to visit any realm within the LCR network, while allowing players to expand their characters, collect character experience points (XP), yet not have to worry about massive point counting and other complexities that can be detrimental to the game. The LarpCraft simplistic game play is an action based system that nearly eliminates hit points. It has fast paced LARP Battle action while incorporating a vast collection of magic & skill sets.

In LarpCraft games, characters rarely die for good, (though it is a possibility). Your character will in essence, respawn allowing you and other players to build complex character stories and skill sets while allowing yourself to enjoy the combat aspects of the game. In LarpCraft, as your game play expands, so will your abilities in weapons, armor, magic, healing etc. Your free profile on LarpCraft allows your made character to play in any realm within the network. The LCR system allows characters to gain experience points and develop skills, chat with other LARPers, see games in your area, join or create your own realms and more!

LarpCraft, is a fantasy genre LARP and The LarpCraft set in a pseudo-historical (Medieval/Renaissance) world with magic and fantasy races inspired by fantasy literature, mythology, MMORPG's and fantasy role-playing games. We have 2 basic character types... Battle and Passive. Battle players are just that.. they can be engaged in battle as well as engage other battle players and NPC's. Passive players are those who do not wish to fight, carry LARP weapons etc. A battle player cannot engage a passive player and thus a passive player cannot carry weapons or invoke an engagement of any kind.

Welcome to the LarpCraft experience!

The Kit Rae sword in this video is not allowed in any LarpCraft realm. We were play testing it during this session to rule it out. You can find our entire review here.

What is LARP?

Most people reading this will not be new to some form of role play gaming. Many people new to the game have done other forms of LARPing and perhaps did not know it. All of the people who currently play RPG's or LARP at one time did not know anything about it either. So with that in mind we here at LarpCraft welcome new and returning players alike.

A live action role-playing game (LARP) is a game where the participants physically act out their characters' actions. The players pursue goals within a fictional setting represented by the real world while interacting with each other in character. The outcome of character actions may be mediated by game rules or determined by consensus among players. In other more comprehensible terms, in a LARP event you ARE your character, not on paper, not on a card, no dice, but real flesh and blood. You find the adventure yourself. Just like in the real world, if you get your character involved in action, you will have so much more fun and many more entertaining things will happen. If you can not figure out what to do, ask someone, another character or admin usually works best. You never know, you may be asked to join a players party or guild and share quests, battles not to mention the loot and XP.

There are many things to do in events, and a lot of fun out there just waiting for you.

Preparing for your first game

What to Bring:
Extra Clothing and a bag to carry your items. Many realms do not have a place to store your items.
Writing Instrument & Notebook / Parchment etc. (the more medieval looking the better).
Your ID, signed waiver, payment (if any) and preregistration forms (if any).
Snacks, water etc. Food may be provided at LARP but check the event details.
Sunscreen and Bug Spray. We are outdoors for most LARP events.
Your LARP weapons. They will need to be checked before each day of play.

What NOT to Bring

Real Weapons. Most LARPs do not allow real weapons on grounds period.
Foam shooting weapons (Nerf Guns) or other non-LARP items (paintball, blow guns etc.)
Alcohol or Illegal drugs. Some LARPS or overnight games will have or allow Alcohol but you will need to carry your ID (21 and over only) and get permission before this is allowed.

Attitude

Having the proper attitude about the game will make your LAPRing event much more enjoyable. Because you are a part of the ambiance of the event just as much as any other character, you get out of it what you put into it. You should go into an event with the goal of playing your character and reacting or creating as that character would to the other players, monsters, and the NPCs (non-playable characters). The goal of the event is experiencing adventures, quests, combat, atmosphere, crafts, trade and FUN.

LARP is acting out in character plain and simple. However, its acting where the participants are also the audience, the more everyone puts into their characters, the more fun the game becomes. Imagination is the fuel behind it all, and it is one of the many things that get stronger as you use it.

Please do not come into a game expecting to kill everyone and win the day. You are likely to experience disappointment with this attitude. In fact, some players can not be killed or engaged in combat. Some players are simply here to quest, trade and explore. Be sure to show exemplary sportsmanship while playing in any realm. Poor attitude or not following the rules will end your day or total experience.

Creating your Profile

Awesome, now we know a little about LARPing and that having a proper attitude is key. Now lets talk about creating a character with a background. First choose your race. Being of a particular race will help you figure out many different things about your character and their background. We have a list of all approved races and classes. Be careful which race you would like to be, as prosthetic and makeup may need to be worn, and some races cannot be certain classes. Example: there are not a lot of 6'3" tall hobbits out there orcs are usually grey or green elves have pointy ears orcs cant be Mages and ya just do not see any undead Clerics.

Next would be your characters class, from the Barbarian to the Rogue, and everything in between, choosing your class is an extremely significant step. First decide what you would like to do. Do you want to be an up front in the thick of the fight going blow for blow with the enemy? Then the barbarian or fighter classes would be appropriate for you. Not an up close and personal fighter? Prefer magic and the arcane powers? Then the Mage class would be a perfect choice. If you like a little of both and want to cast a few spells, as well as do some fighting? Do not worry, there are classes that span this gap as well, say for instance the honorable paladin, or the holy cleric both fight and use some magic. A word of caution, like in most "magic" scenarios, learning magic will take more time, energy, experience, etc. In the game, you must learn magic skills as they roll out through LarpCraft. New skills are rolled out all the time but again, know that coming into our game as one of the greatest mages of all time, may leave you with... not so much greatness at first. That is until you learn and develop your character.

Many players have truly sparse character backgrounds that, are... well....... lets just say not remarkably appetizing. No amount of advice can guarantee that your first character will be exactly what you had in mind.

Experiment. You have experienced players at your side to help you when you start playing your character. A detailed character history is paramount and helps you get more out of your game. So go ahead feel free to put in bio details we can use in game stories. Put in that long lost brother, old enemy, biggest fear, or greatest goal. Remember to be sure to give us names—otherwise, how will you know your arch enemy, if YOU do not even know what his/her/its name is? What it all comes down to is this: Choose your race, then your class, this will help you create the background for your character.

Be a monster first?
Try being an NPC (non-playable character) meaning they have no tie to your character account. If you NPC, you might end up as an undead warrior, a mages understudy, someones bodyguard, a town guard, a winemaker, an inn keeper, a mercenary, a spy, a spider, a walnut farmer, or even a litch. Every part you play will give you experience in some form or another. Monsters are known to roam out in the woods etc. This is a great way to start playing the game and monsters are signified by a certain color or face mask in most cases. Despite not being tied to your characters, you WILL get XP points just for volunteering your time as a monster...... Not to mention playing one is fun.

Your First Event: Everything starts with two easy steps. Yep, its that simple, you show up, and sign in. This is assuming you have created an account on www.larpcraft.com and have completed the safety tutorial. Now your ready to adventure! Showing up in costume is also important, because it sets the stage for your, and others imagination. Coming into an event without a costume will limit you to certain parts of the realm or may not allow you to play without a rental costume.

Learn the local food chain and make sure that your character knows the consequences of his/her actions. Don’t start insulting that nasty undead you see coming towards you, it just might be the most powerful Death Knight in the kingdom, also If you just walk on into a zone and start your own thieves’ guild, it’s certainly not going to make the current guild or monsters in that zone very happy with you. Realize that the event is for the enjoyment of everyone, meaning the quests will usually take into account who is eligible for the quest, what kind of NPCs there will be at an encounter etc.. It’s the quest givers job to make sure the quest is challenging and fun, but not impossible! (Now, don’t read this and get a big head thinking you can best any quest, you should never feel overly confident that every battle is winnable, or every quest is easily done.) Perhaps you weren’t meant to destroy that monster yet ...

Don't want to do combat? No problem! We have ways of identifying players who would just rather explore, sell, trade and do non combat quests. That is perfectly fine.

PLEASE don’t take this section’s advice to mean that, as a beginner adventurer, you can never be involved in the event, or just assume that as a new player you can’t have a major effect on the game! Quite often, it’s not the most powerful characters who get to be the heroes!

Summary:

Having the proper attitude about the game will make your LAPRing event much more enjoyable, Creating a character with a rich and interesting background will only heighten your LARPing experience. Realize that the event is for the enjoyment of everyone, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. There are veteran players who are willing to advise new players. LarpCraft is truly a world that is developed by player interaction, and the players themselves.

Safety:
At every event a basic safety overview is given by either the elders or the event admins. In basic terms the safety protocols are as such.
1. Do not hit in the head/neck, no head shots. If you hit someone in the head/face you (character) die, even if it is accidental . Example, if you thrust at your opponents chest and he/she blocks your thrust upward and you happen to hit them in the face you die.
2. Do not hit in the groin, no groin shots. If you hit someone in the groin you (character) die, even if it is accidental . Example, if you thrust at your opponents chest and he/she blocks your thrust downward and you happen to hit them in the groin you die. Athletic groin protective equipment is highly encouraged.
3. If you purposely hit in the head, you will be asked to leave the event immediately. If upon return at the next event you purposely hit someone in the head again you will be asked not to come back at all ever. Same goes for groin hits.

Permission To Touch:
Anytime you must physically touch a person, persons articles, gear, swag, loot, bands, quest items... ANYTHING on them, you must request “Permission To Touch”. If granted, only touch/take the item(s) you requested and nothing else. If denied permission, it is the responsibility of the denier to remove the items requested and give them to the requester.

Permission to touch video here

Please see your event admin or elder if you have any questions.

Safety Video

Limb hits, Mortal wounds, Bleeding out, Death of a Character, and Resurrection:
This section will assume that no armor is being worn, see the armor section for specific armor protection abilities. We know now the head and groin are off limits to hit, so that leaves the rest of the body to go over. However we will reiterate that even if you do wear armor there are some spells that will penetrate all armor.

Limb hits: A limb hit is just that, a hit to the arm (between the wrist and top of shoulder) or leg (between ankle and top of hip), once a limb is hit, it is considered destroyed, and cannot be used until you are killed or healed. The loss of any three (3) limbs is considered a mortal wound.
*If you lose a leg, it is NOT recommended to raise it up and hop on your good leg. To keep your balance, please just make the leg lame and drag it behind you. This prevents players from falling over and making sore knees and legs from bouncing.*

Mortal wounds: A mortal wound is caused when you are hit anywhere in the area between your waist line and your collar bones, this includes your back. If your character has no armor points left, your character has taken a mortal wound, but you will not die right away, your character must now proceed to bleeding out.

Bleeding out: Players in the state of bleeding out can stand, walk (stagger), and fight, but you must hold your chest as to simulate holding a open wound. they can cry for a healer or first aid. Bleeding out takes about 5 minutes and in the event your character does not receive proper care, they will die and will need to be resurrected or will need to go back to the spawn point.

Death of a character: When killed you are to give the person whom killed you one (1) of your XP bands. Stay down preferably until the end of the battle, or until the battle moves at least fifty feet (50’) away from you. Please do try and look where you are falling, and try not to fall into things that might cause you pain. i.e. rocks, ant hills, sharp sticks, poison oak or ivy, tree stump, etc. XP bands count as lives and if your character is slain and has no bands, that character cannot be brought back to life and will become deceased in the profiles here on LarpCraft. With no bands you will need to find a healer in the game that can perform Resurrection. Without bands you will not spawn at graveyards or spawn points. If by the end of the game you cannot find a healer your profile will say deceased on it. Out of game you can pay to bring your character back to life via the website for a few bucks however. This will allow you to keep a character that has a wicked awesome history, achievements etc. so your hundreds of hours of game play do not get wiped out forever if you revive them 7 days after the character becomes deceased. This is being put into play as many players are not taking character deaths seriously enough.

Resurrection: Resurrection mostly occurs at a graveyard, however a few classes can resurrect a fallen player. Study your local realm map for graveyard placements.

Death and Resurrection Video