Live Action Vampire vs Realms: A Comparison - Part I

by Gerald "Gray" Chartier

Dictionary.com defines immersion as: (the) state of being deeply engaged or involved.  In the Realms community, we talk about immersion a lot.  We’re often asking, how can we get people more immersed?  I had the thought we might find some answers in how other LARPs do it.  The only other LARP I’ve participated in for a comparable length to my time in Realms is Live Action Vampire.

Part One

My first taste of LARPing came back in the 90’s, when a friend brought me to a Live Action Vampire game.  This led directly to my involvement with Realms, because a friend I did Vampire with brought me to my very first Realms event. 

My initial exposure to Live Action Vampire was an independent LARP called the Apocalypse Club.   The Apocalypse Club was kind of notorious for being more like a live-action first person shooter than a roleplaying game.  Combat occurred with unnerving frequency, brought on by both plot and by incidental brawls between PCs.  However, it is where I met the people who later got me involved in the Camarilla.

The Camarilla was White Wolf’s official fan club (it’s still kicking around as the Mind’s Eye Society).  I got involved with the Camarilla when some Apocalypse Club alumni started a chapter at UConn in the late 90’s.    The Camarilla organized a no-shit international LARP – actually several, one for each of White Wolf’s World of Darkness properties, but chief among them was the Vampire LARP, which the UConn chapter was formed to take part in.

Generally speaking, playing in the Camarilla’s Vampire LARP was fairly similar to being a Realms player.  The success of the UConn chapter sparked the creation of others in the Northeast, so before too long there were chapters in Boston, NYC, Rochester NY, and Bangor ME.  Players from one chapter could participate with their PCs in events held by other chapters, and this was pretty common, particularly between UConn and Boston.

Live Action Vampire was based on White Wolf’s Vampire: The Masquerade RPG, which was extremely popular in the 90’s.  It was set in a more dystopian version of the modern day, where supernatural creatures were real, existing alongside humanity.  As the name suggests, PCs played vampires – specifically, vampires of the Camarilla, the sect who believed vampires needed to hide their existence from humanity, and that they should try to be as human as possible.

With everyone playing vampires of the same sect, the game generated diversity by dividing vampires up into clans – essentially bloodlines of vampires who all descended from one of the first vampires created by Cain (yes, THAT Cain), each with its distinctive traits and powers.

One of the things Live Action Vampire had going for it was an extremely rich background.  There was a well-established, detailed mythology steeped in millennial apocalypse lore, and all the clans had their own cultures, traditions, spheres of influence, and areas of interest.  These were introduced in the main rules and expanded upon in optional clanbook supplements, intended primarily for tabletop, but applicable to live play as well.  Those sources included material on how members of the clans interacted with each other and members of other clans.  There were also established antagonists – the competing sect of vampires called the Sabbat being the primary one, but there were also the other supernatural creatures in the world.  The ones that butted heads with vampires most often were, as you can imagine, werewolves.

Live Action Vampire and the Camarilla’s LARP were very immersive, which is no doubt why I stuck with it as long as I did.  Part of this was because the background was so detailed, with archetypes readily available.  That made it easy for players to pick their clans and know what playing a member of that clan would generally be like – players who wanted to be political/social gamers would choose to play members of the Ventrue or Toreador clans, for instance, whereas players who wanted to play more fighty/warrior types generally gravitated towards the Brujah or the Gangrel clans.

Such information is much harder to come by for new members of the Realms.  The website begins with the rules, and to get any information on the setting, one has to click on the Community tab.  From there, information on the setting is scattered among a disorganized hodgepodge of tabs, with little information to help a new player figure out how to play their character.  How does a member of one race get along with another race?  Where does the new PC fit in?  What are the customs and traditions of the nations?  What gods are out there to be worshipped?  What organizations are there to be joined?  Who are the most common antagonists?  What are the most common sources of conflict?

Realms leaves all of that up to the individual player.  That allows for maximum creativity, but it has the downside of not giving the player much to work with or draw inspiration from.  This leads players to either come up with really shallow, generic characters and (hopefully) backfill the details as they go, or it leads them to draw on elements from outside fiction, or it leads them to go looking for something that does give them answers to those questions.

In essence, the lack of information about the setting of the Realms is an obstacle to immersion, particularly for new players.  It’s hard to find anything to get immersed in, which is why events tend to focus around provided content and not around roleplaying so much.  In Vampire, the player can roleplay for hours without any storyteller involvement, because there’s a wealth of information about the setting to base that roleplay on, giving players a common ground to start from.

What You Missed: Gau Dring Presents: Mountain View

by Alyssa "Esper" Lee

We were summoned to the city of Dahme within Gau Dring. The Guild of the Guilty had taken over the growing town, and we were called to help. Past the city gates, we found the streets in chaos. As soon as we entered, we were met with lost citizens and hordes of the Eshkin, white goblin like creatures aligned with the Guild. We were able to fight our way in, but unfortunately not without civilian casualties.

We continued our quest, weaving through back alleys and greater parts of town, doing our best to clear the streets of invaders. However, the Eshkin weren’t our only problem. We were met with a rampaging minotaur. It was only by luck that a collapsing building separated it from us. However, in our mad dash to flee, we left behind one of our own: Borjid.

The party continued on to an outpost within the town. One of the city guards warned us of an impending attack, imploring us to shore up our defenses for a gruelling battle. However, many of us couldn’t take our minds off the comrade we’d left behind. We returned to the scene of the collapse, intent on digging our friend out. It was amidst this split that the attack began.

The outcome of the battle was not certain, but finally we emerged victorious. Instrumental in our victory was the town’s ballista, which we ultimately used to slay the minotaur. With the area clear of hostile combatants, we continued our search for Borjid. We found his skeleton, picked clean by the Eshkin.

Through the dismay of our loss, we continued into more treacherous territory. Scattered throughout the pits and alleys, we found items left behind by the ill-fated populace. Among these items were Borjid’s own possessions. Using these, his remains, and a bit of magic, we were able to return our friend to the land of the living.

Borjid was not the only person we had to rescue. We split up to save more citizens of the town, some who had been kidnapped, some who had been left behind in burning buildings to die. Meanwhile, a third contingent stayed behind to guard what little of the town we had taken into our control. How could we rescue the people if they didn’t have anywhere to go after?

After the rescues, the party reunited to combat the onslaught of Eshkin. We were successful in pushing them back. Our defense became a pursuit. The fight was all but won until we came upon a large monster the size of ten men. The beast was ravenous. It devoured its own allies, the Eshkin, without abandon, and surely would have done the same to us if we had gotten close enough. Fortunately, we were able to employ the town’s ballista again to slay it, slinging bombs down its cavernous mouth.

Finally, only one Guild outpost remained within the city limits - the town hall. While we staved off waves of Eshkin, we took the helm of the ballista once more to destroy it. Their attack dismantled, the Guild was defeated and we were victorious.

Why YOU Want to go: Uncle Cecils Crazy Yuletide Tavern

Let's begin with me saying I am incredibly biased, as I am on staff for this event.  When the event was first thrown, I was not involved.  After seeing the magic, I pretty much forced my way in so I can greedily be a part of it.  That said, let me tell you more about the Best Event Ever.

It all starts on Friday night.  Spend the evening chatting with friends, sharing warmth of friendship, maybe singing some songs.  This is when we deck the halls.  Literally.  We decorate the hall, put treats on the tree, and set the stage.  Please note, the tree this year is huge.  And gorgeous.  I cannot wait to see it lit up and adorned with all sorts of goodies.  Someone (Called Mistress of the Tree, by the way.  Real title) did an excellent job picking the tree out.  Not a night for partying, get some rest, because Saturday is a doozy.

Wake up and dress warm, things kick off with a quest.  Each year is different, but rest assured you will enjoy the days activities.  (this year might seen rain or snow, please pack accordingly).

Official Fancy Hat of Saurabia

Questing somehow always wraps up around dark, which gives us all time to head inside to warm up.  As people kindly remove all their gear (hint, hint) from the hall, find a place to get dressed to the nines.  Put on your party pants and fancy hats, this is the celebration we have been waiting for.  (Plus, you know the Peacocks will be watching)

Party kicks off with first toast, lead by our host with the most, King Alexander Cecil.  The tree is lit, the beautiful Shinegourd glitters down on us, and the party begins.  A special guest will stop by for all the good boys and girls.  And or a few others, too.  Father Yule will share some gifts and wisdom during his annual visit.  Who knows what will be in his bag this year.  Maybe something for you.  Were you good?

Once the good Pater has moved on, the gift swap will begin.  Each year, people want to share a little joy, and one of the ways to do this is the gift swap.  People gather under the tree and give a gift to someone they normally wouldn't.  With small clues to guide them, thoughtful presents show that, in Uncle Cecil's tavern, we are all one family.

Around this time, we will have food to snack on, if you feel peckish.  By snacks, I mean a full spread that could make some feasts Ive seen pale in comparison.  Turkey, ham, fixings, soups, (are you hungry yet?)  Don't worry, theres food for you.

For those more motivated by gold, stop into the casino.  I know its fun, I always see people playing and hear gold shifting hands.

There is also an auction.  (this is an out of character auction to benefit War Dogs Making it Home, a group that pulls dogs (and a few cats) from high kill shelters.  The animals are then trained to be support animals for veterans with PTSD).  The auction is for cash, and prizes range from Mystery boxes, home made goodies, to garb, weapons, trinkets, magic items, and event entries.  (Bring cash or be Paypal ready)  If you make a donation, you can get tickets!  See me (Twen) for details.

This event takes a team months to prepare for.  Each year, we try to tweak little things to make the event as enjoyable as possible for each and every person.  This means we have to set a LOT of rules.  Please read the event description for that part.

In short, this is the event to attend if you want to solidify why this community is wonderful.  I know for quite a few people, this is their holiday.  This is the event when we are all family.  On a cold, frigid night, come into the coziest tavern around, see the glow of the tree, and feel the warmth of true friendship.

I Can't Even, Winter Etiquette!

I Can't Even...

by Sara "Zarine" Jessop 

…  Etiquette, Winter Version

            Ah, winter. That wonderful time of year when we all hibernate in our homes, sipping hot pepperminty drinks and eating obscene amounts of delicious food that we will frantically try to lose the evidence of come spring. It's generally a quiet time of year. The social whirl dies down in favor of alone time and self reflection, and with that comes inevitable boredom.

            Dear reader, boredom can be relieved in many ways. Redecorating your home, catching up on written correspondence, spending time with the other inhabitants of your home, or (not so subtle hint) perhaps spending time with a paid companion could all be excellent ways to pass the time over the course of the long, cold winter. But there is one tried and true way that we all seem to like to alleviate our boredom: Arguing with each other.

An Atypical View: Season Two: #50

Choose Our Own Adventure Part 4

Choose Our Own Adventure

To Sleep, Perchance to Die

By Jason (Aeston) Rosa

Let me tell you, it hurt me. It physically hurt me to pass up the ample gold of two wet-behind-the-ears brats who were certainly foolish enough to overpay for my protection. But when I really considered the pros and cons, if I’m going to be stuck with people whose company I won’t enjoy, it might as well be a crew where I won’t also be stuck on diaper duty for the duration of the trip. A few 120-counts later and the troop of guards was looking very alive and very embarrassed, except for that one fellow who kept swooning every time he saw Kenna’s angry glare. With a sort of a regretful look in their eyes, the pair of merchants’ children were on their way ahead of us. There isn’t a lot of doubt they’ll be killed by something else later on but, hey, the ravenous beats of the forest deserve a chance to eat every once in awhile. Circle of life.

With our erstwhile companions out of sight, and after taking the time to eat a quick and unsavory meal of trail rations, we packed up to see how far we could progress until the darkness would make continuing to travel basically a murder sentence.We were still in the woods when it became clear it was time to make camp and everyone spread out a bit in the hopes of finding  a place for us to rest that was as least uncomfortable as possible. I could feel my bad back already acting up.

Simon soon ran back to the group pretty excitedly and begged us to hurry after him. Soon enough it was pretty clear why. You don’t expect much in the way of accommodations when you’re planning on sleeping in the woods but I have to say, the sight before us made me regret this whole escapade a little less than usual. There was a swiftly running brook (a good indication that the water we would be drinking wasn’t rancid and full of disease). The ground seemed soft with tall grasses which would make for a comfortable mattress (as long as one isn’t terrified of insects). And there seemed to be ample fallen trees from which we could create a fire (as long as I could avoid the good times and camaraderie that are often inspired by such a blaze).

While we were admiring what would certainly not be the most miserable place to spend the night, fate decided to kick us in the collective junk as we heard the patter of raindrops on the above treetops. We were inspired, therefore, to notice another feature of this serendipitous glade, a cave set into the nearby hillside. As we started to get wetter and considerably less pleased with our circumstances, I suggested we stop standing around soaking up water and instead...

What You Missed - Echoes of Ragnarok II: Muspelheim (photos)

The heroes of the Realms fight through a door guarded by the demonic Faenfolk.

As expected, the dungeon is tight quarters and the rear of the group is dangerously less protected.

The heroes are figuring our how to use the light-totems they were provided to open the door forward.

One of the light-totems creating a zone of safety.

The questing party continues to fight their way forward through the domain of fire.

The waves of faenfolk seemed endless. Luckily the heroes were well provisioned with magic and well armed.

Heroes that were wearing protective necklaces could leave the zone of safety created by the light-totems.

A salamander guards her clutch of eggs.

One of the six urns containing the ashes of Surtr, locked underneath a dome of glass.

Raiding the salamander nest for eggs that can be used to solve the room's puzzle.

The goo from the salamander eggs filled in the shapes in this moving puzzle board.

The heroes pass along the sparking flame of Muspelheim to solve this cavern's puzzle.

Finding themselves in a strange forest with piles of wood, the heroes were instructed to build a fortress.

By completing puzzles the questing party was able to arm traps to help them defend themselves.

The completed fortress, ready to stand against the armies of undead that would soon approach.

The pool of fire-water was a breeding ground for fire-frogs. A unique creature that could be used to carry that same water.

Adding the firewater from the pool to a ceremonial goblet that would be used to activate the volcano.

The erupting volcano that would expel another of the urns.

The urns, collected together so that Surtr could be reborn from his own ashes.

Dumping Surtr's ashes into the magic pyre to give him new life.