Battlecry!
This is a weekly bulletin for practices in the Realms. Practices are one of the most important facets to the Realms, it is a place where many people are introduced to the game, as well as a place to enjoy the company and meet new members of the community. Even if you are not a fighter, it is still a great form of exercise, as well as a way to hone your combat skills, which is an important skill for helping out at events while NPCing. A lot of what makes a great combatant in the Realms has to do with muscle memory and building a good intuition for combat, which can only happen with consistent practice, so make sure to try and stop by your local practice as often as possible
Monday
Camelot Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1858)
6:00pm-9:00pm
Details
Practice consists of a mix of individual and group combat.
Water refills are available if need be, bring your own container.
Public restrooms available on site.
Loaner weapons are very limited, plan on bringing your own.
Masks are optional.
Important Notes
Hours have been updated.
Weather
This week will be sunny with some clouds and temperatures in the low 80’s.
Tuesday
Western Massachusetts Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1857)
6:00pm-8:00pm - West Street Playground, Ludlow, MA
Details
Practice consists of a mix of individual and group combat.
Loaner weapons are not available.
Water is not available, bring your own water.
Public restrooms are available on site.
Masks are optional.
This is outdoors and inclement weather is very likely to limit attendance.
Important Notes
None this week.
Weather
This week will be sunny with some clouds and temperatures in the low 80’s.
Riverhawk Summer Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1871)
5:30pm-10:30pm - Frothingham Park (15 Park St), North Easton, MA
Details
Practice consists of a mix of individual and group combat.
Loaner weapons are available.
Water is not available, however there is a nearby convenience store.
Public restrooms are available on site.
Masks are recommended, but not required.
Important Notes
None this week.
Weather
This week will be sunny with some clouds and temperatures in the high 80’s.
Wednesday
Nashua Blackwood Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1857)
4:00pm-8:00pm -Greely Park (Concord St), Nashua, NH
Details
Practice consists of a mix of individual, squad, and line battles, as attendees prefer.
Loaner weapons are available.
There is no water on site, bring your own.
Public restrooms are available on site.
While a few people might be there around 4:00, 5:00 is a more likely time to get started.
We set up near the grills and tables on the West side of Concord St, just off the access road to the north of the public restrooms.
Masks are optional.
This is outdoors and inclement weather is very likely to limit attendance.
Important Notes
None this week.
Weather
This week will be sunny with some clouds and temperatures in the mid to low 80’s.
Central CT Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1860)
6:00pm-9:00pm - Pierson Park, 5 West St, Cromwell, CT
Important Notes
Practice consists of a mix of individual training and if attendees are interested, team combat and combat games.
Loaner weapons available.
Water fountains are available in season, best to bring your own drinking water however.
Public restrooms available on site.
Updates
None this week.
Weather
This week will be sunny with some clouds and temperatures in the mid to low 80’s.
Thursday
Stratham Hill Fight Practice (https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1859)
6:00pm-8:00pm - Stratham Hill Park, Stratham, NH
Important Notes
Practice consists of individual combat for the first half, and ditch style team combat for the second half.
Masks are optional.
Loaner weapons are available.
Water is available on site, but bring your own container.
On-site bathroom.
Updates
None this week.
Weather
This week will be sunny with some cloudsand hot with temperatures in the low 90’s.
Practical Logistics: Starting a Fight Practice in the Realms
In this final edition of starting a fight practice we will talk about how to deal with new players. Having a plan on how to talk with them and let them try things out is important for growing your practice. One thing to keep in mind is the type of people you might encounter based on the location of your practice. If you are on a college campus you may have a different set of expectations on who you might get walking up to make inquiries compared to a public park with a playground. It is good to be prepared for any situation, but knowing what to expect will make it easier.
Oftentimes people who are interested will stand off to the side and watch for a bit. It’s good to have someone approach them to answer any questions as soon as whatever round of practice is over. Generally people will ask what exactly the practice is and how it is played. LARPing is becoming something that people tend to be a bit more familiar with, and it isn’t uncommon to have folks who have tried LARPing before, whether it was an official LARP or just beating the snot out of their friends with wooden dowels. It is always good to make an explicit point that it is a game that allows head shots, in case the interested parties have any former head injuries. Take the time to answer their questions and once they have none left always offer for them to give it a try.
If they are interested, take them aside, either in a small group or individually and run through them the basics of combat. We don’t need to worry about explaining the intricacies of armor or the spell system, just focus on the basics. Make sure to really drive home the importance of blow strength, as this tends to be the biggest hurdle to overcome as far as onboarding goes. Start them out with a single short, to teach them the basics, but let them play around with combos (I would stay away from thrust only or archery initially) so they get the chance to have some fun and live the fantasy once they have grasped the basics. Generally I recommend waiting for concepts like late shots or carry through blows to come up organically, as without the context of having fought, sometimes they can be confusing. After they are clear with the safety expectations and have gotten the hang of calling shots, then you can invite them to join the practice proper. Sometimes people pick things up quickly and this may only take ten minutes, while other times it may take longer.
If you, as the practice runner, are not confident with training people, talk to your practice regulars. It is likely that someone has had some experience with training or has a good personality for it. There are certain groups in the game that specialize in the training of new players, the Knights of the Sable Dragon being the most prominent in my mind, so if you feel like you are lacking in the skills to onboard new players, try getting advice from one of them at an event or reaching out online.
Finally it is always good to be prepared with extra weapons as well as some sort of handout with more information about the Realms, with at least a web address. The Realms Facebook or Discord could also be very helpful, people are much more likely to check in on something if they have something physical to remind them. At the end of the day we want the experience of trying the Realms out for the first time to be a good one.
