The Realms: LARP question

[flarewing]

I am not quite sure how popular the Realms are, or if anyone here has ever heard of it, but I had a question for those familiar with it. How is it possible to progress at a reliable pace, as say an assasin, when you rarely find the time to go to events, and what are the merits of attending a feast event?

[EvilElitest]

No offense intended, but i have no idea what your talking about
from
EE

[flarewing]

I had a feeling i would be the only one to have ever have heard of it:smallfrown:

[EvilElitest]

I had a feeling i would be the only one to have ever have heard of it:smallfrown:

Mind explaining a little more detail, maybe we can help
from
EE

[flarewing]

Probably not. Realms is a LARP, in which it is custom to make your own foam weapons, chose a spell path and make your own spell components, and is incredibly complicated, and so takes a while to understand.
The spell paths work that you can learn a new spell in a path you chose at every event you go to, and so to become more powerful you must go to events more. this ties into my question about how to become more powerful without attending events, maybe a loophole in the rules.
there are three types of events, quest, action, and feast. a quest is an event in which one pretty much acts out a DnD adventure and goes through a quest. Action is a Free for all fight. Feast is a political event, in which one goes rooting around for information and improves ones own social status, but only for the one event. I don't think you can even learn spells at feasts, and so my second question was what the benefits were for attending those events.

[Felizginato12]

Basically LARP is like the SCA except they play with light foam swords and they cant take a hit.

Also you throw bean bags to cast spells...

THUNDERBOLT THUNDERBOLT THUNDERBOLT THUNDERBOLT!!!!

[Swordguy]

Basically LARP is like the SCA except they play with light foam swords and they cant take a hit.

Also you throw bean bags to cast spells...

THUNDERBOLT THUNDERBOLT THUNDERBOLT THUNDERBOLT!!!!

Don't get people here started on the SCA. Some people used to be both light and heavy weapon marshals and red belts. Some people understand that the SCA "fighting simulator" only exists so fat, out-of-shape guys with bad knees can go hit each other with sticks. Some people understand that the SCA's primary claim to fame is the random drunkeness of members, their disconnect from society at large, and their singular inability to accept criticism of their systems - NOT their supposed "historical accuracy", which doesn't even mesh with their own mission statement: "history as we WISH it had was."

Don't throw stones.



Now to the OP, can you tell us more about Realms LARP? How does it compare to the likes of IFGIS and NERO? What about the more "straight-up" fighting games like Dagohir or Amptgard?

[flarewing]

I've never heard of the games you mentioned, but Realms is a make your own weapons game (mostly from pvc pipe and insulation foam tubes) in which you can progress in the caste system, gain levels of magic, and fight various other with a no hitpoint, kill area based system in which a chest or head shot kills instantly, unless armor is worn, and even a few hits to that
(1-3) will destroy it and render you vulnerable. When you actually start playing the game, it is almost more talk than fight, although saying the wrong things to the duke might end up in a fight anyway.
The only way to survive in any scenario The Realms is to have more than rudimentary skill with a weapon, foam or not. Even I, who have had many years experience with the sword, constantly die, and require the healer quite often. So your response that it is only for fat, out-of-shape guys is not true at all, though watching the results might be entertaining.

[Swordguy]

I've never heard of the games you mentioned, but Realms is a make your own weapons game (mostly from pvc pipe and insulation foam tubes) in which you can progress in the caste system, gain levels of magic, and fight various other with a no hitpoint, kill area based system in which a chest or head shot kills instantly, unless armor is worn, and even a few hits to that
(1-3) will destroy it and render you vulnerable. When you actually start playing the game, it is almost more talk than fight, although saying the wrong things to the duke might end up in a fight anyway.
The only way to survive in any scenario The Realms is to have more than rudimentary skill with a weapon, foam or not. Even I, who have had many years experience with the sword, constantly die, and require the healer quite often. So your response that it is only for fat, out-of-shape guys is not true at all, though watching the results might be entertaining.

That was at Felizginato12, who intimated that the SCA was more "legitimate" than LARPing.

And it sounds like Realms is similar to Ampguard, with more of a roleplay aspect. Interesting. Is there a website?

[Felizginato12]

Jesus, chill the **** out Swordguy.

I didn't know that LARP was serious ****ing business.

But I do have a friend who is in the SCA with his father and they tried LARP out once. They got there and picked up their foam swords and continued to find someone to fight. They ended up finding some fat weabo guy who used a stupid looking sword based off of cloud's buster sword.

Then they started fighting and my friend (mind you he is 15) hit the guy in the face and he started flipping out as if he was beating him to death.

All in all they said it was the dumbest thing they had ever done in their life. Just a bunch of greasy fat men running around painted up like tiger people and throwing bean bags. I don't know if this is true everywhere but it is in Michigan.

Plus the SCA doesn't aim to be historic. They base the different clans off of real life ones but they don't try and act as if it were a historical reinactment. Some act as if they were the templars and some act as if they were vickings but it is all to represent their colours, clothings, and way of fighting.

And all of the SCA fighters I have seen can really fight. I would like to see a LARPling charge into battle against hundreds of other fighters at pensic (spl?) weilding heavy wooden swords and wearing full armor (helm, leather pieces, chain skirts, ect). Hell, my friends father is 45 years old, has diabetes from his father and even has a messed up shoulder blade because he cracked it and chunks of bone stayed lodged in his muscles for a month or so and he still managed to wear a complete set of chain armor with a shield and a sword in 90 degrees weather fighting against a bunch of other men.

And I admit, i'm a geek but i'm not about to paint my face like a tiger and walk around as if I were really a tiger person and throw blue bean bags to represent a bolt of lightning while a man who thinks he is goddamn cloud runs up swinging a light foam sword at me.

[Swordguy]

Jesus, chill the **** out Swordguy.

...

And I admit, i'm a geek but i'm not about to paint my face like a tiger and walk around as if I were really a tiger person and throw blue bean bags to represent a bolt of lightning while a man who thinks he is goddamn cloud runs up swinging a light foam sword at me.

1) Hitting people in the face is generally against the rules in every boffer LARP. Your friend should have been yelled at; he is responsible for everything his weapon does.

2) The SCA absolutely aims to be as historic as possible, in practice if not in theory. Let me give you a bit of history: I was a red belt (a knight - a rank awarded generally for combat prowess) in Midrealm (OH, KY, IN, plus some surrounding areas), based out of Gryphon Barony (southwestern OH). I managed to get my heavy weapons marshalate (the "traditional" SCA fighting style) to judge and run fights in 1999, and my light weapons marshalate (obstensibly rapier simulation, but really smallsword) in 2000. I fought as a member of the SCA from 1998 to 2004, when I was asked to promote the SCA in local media as "historically accurate fighting in the modern era". I refused, and was, to put it bluntly, shunned from the group for not doing so. Therefore, I left the SCA. During my time there, I was chided on multiple occasions by "period nazis" - people who really will talk down to you if your garb is in any way out of period, down to the types of fiber padding in your aketon. The organization says they don't care about period authenticity; the individuals do.

3) While I was a member of the SCA, I joined several historical fighting organizations and started my apprenticeship with the Society of American Fight Directors to teach stage combat and direct onstage and onscreen fights. I have fought and trained with HACA/ARMA, AASSCC, BASSCC, SAFD, CAFD, the SCA, the IJA, and several LARPs, including NERO, IFGIS, and Amtguard. (If you don't know what all those acronyms stand for, try some research. You really should know them if you're into historic armed combat in any real capacity.) Historical combat is both my hobby and profession. I know what the heck I'm talking about. Believe me when I tell you that boffer combat has just as much validity to it as the SCA. It hurts less and is cheaper, but otherwise has just as much validity - which is to say basically none. The SCA prohibits attacks 2" above the knee and down. Most LARPs prohibit face and groin shots. BOTH systems therefore inhibit the growth of actual combat ability. Now, I wouldn't have compared the two, except somebody made a perjorative post regarding LARPs in comparison to the SCA when all the OP wanted was a bit of info. What could that post have been? Oh yes...


Basically LARP is like the SCA except they play with light foam swords and they cant take a hit.

Now, the question is: can SCA fighters take a hit? Well, I'd say no. If they can "take a hit", they wouldn't wear protective gear, now would they? Sure, the weapon packs more punch, but the protective qualities of plate and layers of padding really ameliorate that. Let them take a hit in the armor the LARPers wear (which is to generally say: none) from their rattan sticks. If they can do that, they can take hits better than the LARPers.

4) Don't want to paint your face blue? Fine. Go play Amtguard - there's no weird default races for PCs to choose (they CAN play monsters occasionally, but not very often - it varies from chapter to chapter). Here's the rulebook (http://www.amtgardinc.com/bldocs/AmtgardRoPv7_2.pdf). Even a modicum of research would have revealed this. If that's still too fantasy for you, try Dagorhir.

Side rant: your friend's dad is an idiot. The ability to play through pain doesn't mean you're a good fighter. It means you're too stupid to know when your body needs a break - and that break may well be permanent. My father-in-law is a kodokan judo sensei in Cleveland - and he's 64. He still enters tournaments. How can he do so? Because he took care of his body and took long breaks from the sport when he needed to, and he remains willing to hang it all up if his body gives out in a major way.

Now, whether LARPs break your suspension of disbelief too much for your participation is a whole 'nother topic. Try starting one instead of derailing other people's threads with attacks. "Ohh...I didn't realize LARPing is such serious business!" I don't care one way or another - I don't LARP anymore. But I don't like people posting ill-informed attacks on other people's gaming habits.

Finally, this is a role-playing gaming forum. The very fact that you're posting here means you probably play RPGs of some sort. I see your join date, so maybe you haven't realized that we try to be inclusive of ALL forms of gaming here. Try it.

[Felizginato12]

Your experiences may have just been in one particular area. With my friend and his group they try and make things period but their actual clans and groups (at least this is what he told me) are based off of real life ones. They do fighting practices and events which are by no means historical but just a pure competition.

lol, I just thought that the fact that a grown man would complain and throw a fit because he got hit with a foam weapon (regardless of rules) is funny.

And the SCA may be about looking and acting period but your claim about them basing their fights and motives around recreating historic events (as far as I know) are false or at least they are umong the individuals I know.

And i've seen an SCA fighter at practice with little gear on and he toke a hit in the face and kept fighting. Even after practices the people I know walk out with bruises everywhere.

lol my friends dad is a bit of an idiot on some things but I do agree that if you can protect against most hits and not fall to the hits you take you can become a good fighter. I did not say the fact that they could take hits was the only reason they can fight but they can block most hits and take the ones they get.

And I don't know why nobody can understand that all of my opinions are based off of what I know. From what I was told the LARP in Michigan was filled with people who couldn't fight and the SCA fighters here are mostly skilled. I did not say I KNOW that all LARP players can not fight. And any referance to that was basically me joking around. I do not do SCA or LARP but I base what I know off of what i'm told and I only posted a comment here was because I thought it was funny and I by no means want to make fun of people but christ, nobody can take a joke or an opinion without turning to all seriousness.

And I do not complain about LARP because it breaks my suspension of belief but I do think it is funny that people paint their faces like skeletons and run around with foam swords. I don't know it is just what I find funny.

So take this into consideration. People generally base their logic and knowledge off of what they experience or what they are told from experience. I have used the later to push my opinions. If I was to try both idk I might find LARP to be better then the SCA but as of now I know the SCA only as a group of people who can fight but take things a bit to serious and LARP as a group of geeks pretending to be monsters and such.

Now that you have pointed out your knowledge from personal experience I may look into it from a different point of view but I just think it is funny that people do not understand that I speak solely off of what I am told.

And other comments made by me that seem to be me presenting fact were all just jokes (me making fun of LARP). Sorry if it hurts anyones feelings that I think it is funny that LARPers use bean bags and paint their faces but I just do.

[flarewing]

So many words, so little answers...:smallfrown:

The Realms site is realmsnet.net, though I'm not sure how much information they have on the site. For the rules and stuff, click on the omnibus in the side bar.

Also, face paint is mostly used by the Event Holders (or people that are a bit to into the game) and bean bags and such props are only commonly used by about 10% of the LARPing community

[Swordguy]

So many words, so little answers...:smallfrown:

The Realms site is realmsnet.net, though I'm not sure how much information they have on the site. For the rules and stuff, click on the omnibus in the side bar.

Having the rules helps tremendously.

So, you want to advance as an assassin. Do you mean the class or the role? After all, ANYONE can be an assassin - you just have to kill people for money. In any case, the trick is being patient and subtle - the best assassins are the ones who stab a buddy in the back during a mass brawl when nobody can notice, or poison them in their sleep. Walking around wearing all black and long cloaks in the middle of the day attract attention. The best assassin I ever saw? He played the tavern dishwasher (both IC and OOC), and was a loud, boisterous, and generous (nearly a spendthrift to attract friends) fellow. He just happened to kill people for money.

There's nothing in that document about a feast event, so I'm reaching a little here. In most LARPs, feast events are times to get together and socialize in-character, but combat is generally limited to non-lethal tournament forms. The food is also often better. Because people come to the events not expecting combat, it's gold for assassins - people are off-guard and vulnerable to poison or traps in the bathrooms or something. To be clear though, the primary feast benefit is to get together with friends over decent food and just interact for several hours.

There's also nothing in there about XP gain, but I suspect it works on a "get some XP per event or game day" system. In that case, many games allow "brownie points" or similar for helping out with the chapter (donations, logistics, etc). These can often be redeemed for some XP. If you're poor and can't afford to donate anything (not even raw materials), and can't be there on a regular basis to help with logistics or event staffing, then you're pretty much screwed. Find time and money - that's about all I can say.

[Felizginato12]

[Scrubbed]

Just had to. [No, you really didn't. - Sheriff of Moddingham]

[flarewing]

There is no XP in the game, only the rule that spellcasters get one more spell in their area at each event they attend if they can find someone to copy it out of their spellbook. I was looking for a loophole that would allow me to advance with the spells without needing to attend multiple events.

Also, if you haven't noticed, I've decided to start ignoring Felizginato from here on in.

[Swordguy]

There is no XP in the game, only the rule that spellcasters get one more spell in their area at each event they attend if they can find someone to copy it out of their spellbook. I was looking for a loophole that would allow me to advance with the spells without needing to attend multiple events.


From the RAW, I don't think there is one - obviously, there may be chapter-specific house rules that enable that (similar to the brownie points described above), but in the complete absence of XP I'd doubt it, since that's the sum total reward for long-term attendees. Most games want to give people incentive to keep coming back, and without XPs, there's not a whole lot else. Hence, they'll probably be protective of the thing that keeps people coming back to their games.



Also, if you haven't noticed, I've decided to start ignoring Felizginato from here on in.

S'Ok. The mods have been notified.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham: Let's all be like Fonzies in here, okay? Real cool.

[Silroc]

lol, I just thought that the fact that a grown man would complain and throw a fit because he got hit with a foam weapon (regardless of rules) is funny.

As a "veteran" Larper of many years, I'd point out that just because a large piece of pvc pipe has some foam around it, does not mean it is pleasant to be struck in the face. Try it sometime, and you won't think it's funny. Larps have safety rules for a reason, just like any other game or sport.


And I do not complain about LARP because it breaks my suspension of belief but I do think it is funny that people paint their faces like skeletons and run around with foam swords. I don't know it is just what I find funny.

Some people think grown men getting into a padded arena in short shorts and hitting each other over the head with folding chairs is funny. Most Larpers do not paint their faces, and the point of a Larp is not about the foam sword, it's about the experience. Yes, you can carry a sword, or (in some cases) become a wizard and fling beanbags as "spells".. If you've ever played Dungeons and Dragons or any similar game, it's easy to say "I wish I could really do some of the things my character can. At a Larp, for a weekend, and with sufficient imagination and susupension of disbelief, you can.

[Hario]

Ok guys I'm not even going to bother with answering all those questions. I am an actual member of the realms, the one he is speaking about. The Realms is a New england based larp. It is a lightest touch system with hit location such as arm, chest, leg, back, and head (yes we have head shots some larps don't). Our Rules are on the 'omnibus' which you can pick up at any of our functions but is also on the omnibus link at www.realmsnet.net Just fair warning our game changes once a year due to our community based system (players run the game not a company) and that is comming up in the next week or so. So some of the rules should be out dated and it will prolly take a month for the online portion of the omnibus to be updated, but if you have any questions you can email me about them. Or send an email to our email list (not putting it up here because of potential spammers or bots)


Now your question about progressing as an assassin, basically first you need a spell book with the following things made out, your IC name, your OOC name, if you wear armor or not, and your current weapon restriction would be medial. Then at your first event you learn a pool spell which you can either get a quest from the EH (event holder) or MM (magic marshal) or learn it from another player. Every event you go to you may either learn a spell or unlearn as many spells as you want or not change anything. Assassin is just a spell path like any other spell path in this game. I'm personally a Seer/Channeler/Channeler (meaning I have 3 paths of magic and 2 paths of channeler) a Path of magic is described as 6 spells which you go up a sort of ladder system. Such as you next event after learning a pool spell you can either learn the 2nd circle assassin spell 'deep pockets' or you can buy down to a lower circle like another pool spell, or you can buy a regional (which is a spell which changes from each event and the EH/MM give it to you.) After you get 7 or more spells you are working on your second path and your weapons restriction is lowered, the restrictions are None (fighter), Light (4'6" or 5' combination), medial (3' or 3'6" combination), or Severe (18") all the guides on how to make the weapons are in the how to part of the omnibus. If you progress a 2nd path of spells of the same path of magic you will unlock the 2nd ladder of spells which inevitably gets 7th circle magic the highest in the game, but cannot get more than 2 paths of magic of the same school.

The merits of attending a feast depend on the feast, some have tournies or competitions, or even newbie tournies (mostly testing knowledge of game) and you may get a cool item or at some events a magic item (only one may be released at an event day) Feast of Leviathan was a couple weeks ago and that had a full questing day which some people loved others just wanted to sit down and chat at the feast. It really depends since this game is run by so many people different people have different tastes. Such as in southern mass most events are High Role playing and have hard puzzles and some fighting, in events in New Hampshire most events are high fighting and little role playing. Its just depends on the Event holders. There will almost inevitably be some fighting at pretty much every event feast or not. People will practice or spar, though its less likely to put you in danger if they don't throw any plot.

[Hario]

From the RAW, I don't think there is one - obviously, there may be chapter-specific house rules that enable that (similar to the brownie points described above), but in the complete absence of XP I'd doubt it, since that's the sum total reward for long-term attendees. Most games want to give people incentive to keep coming back, and without XPs, there's not a whole lot else. Hence, they'll probably be protective of the thing that keeps people coming back to their games.



S'Ok. The mods have been notified.

Actually without any XP people have more incentive to play, since you don't have nigh unkillable cantankerous oldbies. A first event fighter is just as good (mechanically) as an oldbie fighter, this game encourages fighting style and progressing your actual skill not your numbers.


Also Flarewing there is no loop hole, and I don't know why you'd want to have spells if you wouldn't attend events. The events are there so you have some time to learn your spells individually. The only 'loop hole' that might happen is if a new system gets voted in, which is called the Aspect system where every player starts out fully maxed out, which might happen.

[Silroc]

Interesting. It sounds as though your Larp is the "Guild Wars" of Larping. Much easier advancement than most are. What are the average costs per game for your events?

[Hario]

I guess you could compare the game to like guild wars, though you can change classes easily, and there is no progression for fighters, they get everything from the start. Event prices vary, I have seen free events (a few are there, some are free for newbies only), most events are usually 5-10 dollars covering the site fees the EH (event holder) has used. The Most expensive I've seen an event be is 40$ and that was for a whole weekend where food was provided. Because the game is not run by a company you don't see the monopoly prices you do in some other larps for 90+$ weekends (I have seen on some for over 300$). NPCing (Non player charactering) is almost always free.

The game has many different frequented sites, being the game has 3 major areas where events happen, which are generally Connecticut (UConn), Worcester Mass (WPI), Nashua NH, though there are plently of other sites, and the game can be played at any site, there have even been events in Washington and even in Virginia (though some people are weary about games since most of the community is in New england.

If any of you wish to show up to an event, just try to look briefly through the omnibus, its an easier game to pick up than Nero or any HP based boff larp. A good newbie friendly event which is comming up is the Knights of the Eternal Flame Tournament which is in February 16th in UCONN. I am not the one running the event though. The one event I know I'll be at in the up comming months will be Myracion which is a plot I'm heavily engrossed in, though I'm not sure if it will be newbie friendly it will be a 2 day dungeon crawl and will get into the nitty gritty of plots. I assume the OP got the information on the realms from the Arisa convention held a few weeks back, and the Myracion plot (aka Kaipheron plot) was held there so if you want to see a continuation of it there.