1. Planning
Consider the number of players you want to use. Do you want to play with just a few close friends for a more intimate feel or with a larger number players for a more rousing and extended game? Do you have enough assistant directors to help you run the event? Using one director for every five players is a good rule of thumb.
2. Writing a LARP
It’s interactive theater so keep the details simple. Write up an interesting background story into which the player can wander. Create one or two paragraphs of background for each character. Also to make it more believable, try using one or two over-the-top details (like a dark secret).
3. Resources, or Doing Your Homework
I do like LARPs that take place in historical settings. If you are going to use a real place, don’t forget to do your homework. The more you know about the place, the better the game will be. There are many resources you can use, such as a local historical society or library. Keep the time period and costumes authenticate.
4. Props
Props are the window dressing to tie players to your event. You can use props as the center of your whole story or just as items for the character to use to add more flavor. You will need to build most of your own props so that means making many trips to hardware stores, costume shops or vintage second-hand-stores. Never use real weapons—use weapon prop cards instead. Some props are used to represent monsters, which must also be made. It is best to appoint a prop master, someone you trust, to store props, and to keep them organized and safe from unauthorized people.
5. Describe Rooms
Photos and diagrams should be used to describe the rooms in the story. A basic description of each room should be presented on cards, using photos for the furniture to give players a sense of what the room was like in a specified time period.
6. Documents
Create a few documents for the players to find. These help to keep the story moving forward. The documents can be vital to the storyline and add few details not found in the background story. A page out of old newspaper and miscellaneous business papers can add that extra touch.
7. Run Time Sheets
Run time sheets contains a list of event that the director and assistant director must make happen during a set time.
9. Event Cards
Event cards are randomly set in one area to trigger a task or combat action that players need to resolved. The player hands the event to the director and then tries to resolve the action on the card. The director reports the outcome of action back to the players.
10. Security
As director, your main job is to make your LARP event safe for players and staff. Don’t let players pull stupid stunts that can harm themselves or others. Some players may try to take over your game. Just remember that you are the director—you need to nicely ask them to stop so that they don’t have to be ejected from your event. The last thing you want is for the police to remove them .
Rules to Live By
| • | Remember that this only advice and not set rules . The director have the freedom to run the live action event his/her way. |
| • | There is only one director and the players must listen to him. |
| • | Obey a rules of society. |
| • | The director must keep the players safe at all times. |
| • | No real weapons should be permitted. |
| • | No touching other players. |
| • | The director must keep the game fun. |
| • | The director should be with the players at all times (for the game balance and safety of the players). |
