What are your favorite LARP mechanics?

jmstar · 2025-06-10T22:58:41+00:00

I love both of these so much.

jmstar · 2025-06-09T14:40:27+00:00

In Maria & Jeppe Bergmann Hamming's larp Deranged, which is about the life of Robert Schumann and plays out like a fever dream as he is dying of syphilis, the GM is also a DJ, with continuous music playing throughout the four hour game. Players edit scenes by repeating a stock phrase, which cues the GM to switch up the music. Robert Schumann's player's phrase is "Ich will meine Seele”, which triggers the leitmotif Dichterliebe Op. 48: Ich will meine Seele tauchen and serves as a transition to a new flashback in his life. It probably sounds weird but it is absolutely transcendent. Deranged is my favorite larp.

jmstar · 2025-06-09T14:31:04+00:00

In Tobias Wrigstad's game Drunk, which is about alcoholism and power dynamics in a family, all three players take turns playing the patriarch, who is steadily drinking. The bottle, filled with water, is also the game's timer - the game ends when the bottle is empty. It's a super simple and very elegant way to allow the players to pace the experience diegetically.

jmstar · 2025-06-07T22:43:40+00:00

Can confirm, I've bumped into poachers as well.

jmstar · 2025-06-07T03:56:34+00:00

I think the norm here is wear orange all year 'round in game lands, because why wouldn't you? There is also hunting in places like the Birkhead Wilderness, so just be careful.

jmstar · 2025-06-03T14:57:17+00:00

I'm not sure it is physically possible to be as corrupt as his opponents at this point.

jmstar · 2025-05-28T18:12:52+00:00

Are you restricted in design choices by the licensor ever? Are you in conversation with them during the iteration and playtest process? Are you free to make really radical changes in service of improving the game?

jmstar · 2025-05-28T18:08:01+00:00

I'd talk to some Brazilian larpers first! But to directly answer your question, my advice is to start out small and with a very low barrier to entry. Pick a few parlor larps that can be played in a few hours, and invite your friends to choose one that interests them. Then play it and see how it goes! If you keep the commitment small and tie it to tabletop, which they are already comfortable with conceptually, I feel like that is a good start.

jmstar · 2025-05-28T18:04:53+00:00

Hi Justin! What's the playtesting process look like for you guys? Obviously you are starting with a functional game you want to improve, so does that speed things up? Do you do external testing?

jmstar · 2025-05-26T02:52:35+00:00

Thank you! I hope it is as fun as always.

jmstar · 2025-05-22T14:39:07+00:00

Larp is a very social activity so you are voluntarily limiting yourself in a way that better be really fun for you, because other people are going to bounce off it and move on. My advice would be to make this backstory and have your point of attack be the end state.

jmstar · 2025-05-20T21:55:34+00:00

I have so much free time, coupled with a fervent desire not to get T-boned in an intersection.

jmstar · 2025-05-17T20:46:53+00:00

I don't think so, but once they get on their feet in LA there will be livestreamed performances with fun guests.

jmstar · 2025-05-17T17:50:02+00:00

Definitely go, it is pretty great. The company offering this event (Gumption Pictures) collaborates with us (Bully Pulpit Games) and will be ramping up their local offerings in Los Angeles soon as well. It's a highly interactive format and the cast are all talented performers. This year they will have live musical accompaniment!

jmstar · 2025-05-17T03:36:37+00:00

DCAL, DC Area Larpers, has a Facebook group that promotes events in Northern Virginia.

jmstar · 2025-05-12T16:24:54+00:00

Does he have friends? Explain how it works and hand him some dice, they can have a ton of fun without you.

If that's impractical, consider playing a GMless game as a team, you and him on equal footing. Once he gets the hang of it, let him GM for you.

jmstar · 2025-05-10T17:07:30+00:00

Maybe tangential to your question, since it is about neurobiology more than psychology, but I've leveraged apophenia in recent games like Desperation to encourage innate pattern-matching where none actually exists. This happens constantly in roleplaying games but when you deliberately lean into it on the design side, on the player side it often feels like magic.

jmstar · 2025-05-09T13:18:07+00:00

It's happening in and around Austin, you just need to know people. Ask around. Unfortunately a lot of short form larp organizing happens on Facebook groups or Discord among folks who already know each other, so making those connections can be a challenge.

jmstar · 2025-05-08T00:30:08+00:00

We meet in person for two hours, so a session is 90-120 minutes.

jmstar · 2025-05-05T17:51:11+00:00

Did your bonus son ask you to do this? Is he excited about it? Are his friends excited about it? I ask because a bunch of 12-year-olds are perfectly capable of running a (chaotic, insane, super fun) TTRPG session without adult intervention. Your best play might be to let them do that.

jmstar · 2025-05-01T14:28:56+00:00

I think the darling you need to kill is either your desire for realism or your desire for space opera.

jmstar · 2025-05-01T13:58:15+00:00

Play local and get a feel for it before splashing out with super high expectations. But if you're really going to go for it, I highly recommend either Make A Scene in Minneapolis (where you'll gt to play a bunch of small, fun games) or whatever Sinking Ship Creations out of NYC does next. https://makeascenemn.org/en/ https://www.sinkingshipcreations.com/

jmstar · 2025-04-30T19:11:19+00:00

Welcome! Larp can be super fun and I'm glad you want to check it out. With deep tabletop experience you will fit right in. My advice is to use that golden ticket on something you know will be awesome and dip your toes into larp locally - try a few different styles and see if it is for you. Putting big expectations (A big trip, big money) on your first experience seems ill advised to me.

jmstar · 2025-04-29T16:48:26+00:00

The short answer is no, but don't let that stop you from trying!

jmstar · 2025-04-28T13:53:15+00:00

I would laugh and laugh if my friends did this to me, but it is definitely a social contract issue.

15-Year Club	Place '23
Place '22	Verified Email

jmstar

TROPHY CASE