LARPing FAQ
What is LARP?
LARP stands for Live Action Roleplay, but if you are new to roleplay in general, that probably doesn’t clear much up. Roleplay is pretending to be a character, this is often done sitting around a table or in front of a computer. Live action roleplay involves getting on your feet and out into the world to actually act as your character, your characters actions are your actions, the words they speak are the words you speak. The theme doesn’t matter, LARPs come in all shapes and sizes (medieval, fantasy, steampunk, vampire, zombie, etc.) the important thing is you are being active and interacting face to face with other people while being enveloped in a world you can normally only experience through a computer screen.
LARP first emerged in the 1970s inspired by table top roleplay games like D&D. The hobby then spread internationally in the 80s and has continued to gain popularity.
There was a time when few people knew what LARP was but these days most people know someone who has tried it or is at least vaguelly familiar with the concept.
Learn more about the History of LARP on Wikipedia
What Does the Frontier Do?
The Frontier runs live action events for many different age groups in a wide variety of themes such as Zombie, Medieval Combat, and Post Apocalypse. It is our goal to give people an immersive experience unlike any other.
You can learn more about all our different events under the “Events” tab of our task bar.
We setup at various festivals and conventions throughout South Eastern Manitoba like C4 Comicon, Aikon, The Morris Stampede, Swords and Sabres, and many more.
Here we typically run mini versions of our big events called “Gauntlets.” 10 minute experiences which give you a taste of what our events are like.
We also do Kids parties, Bachelor parties, and Corporate events where we come out with some of our gear and let participants battle each other with Nerf blasters or Foam weapons.
You can learn more about this under the “Book Us” section of our task bar.
LARPing Expenses
Our games cost anywhere from $10-$50 dollars depending on the experience and how early you purchase your tickets.
While many LARPs are hobby groups which have little or no game fees at the Frontier we pride ourselves with creating professional quality events, your funds make this possible.
While some of game our games all equipment is provided we do have several games where players are required to supply their own. Please ensure you know which is the case for the event you are attending.
Players may choose to build their own equipment (provided it passes our safety inspection) or to rent gear from our Armory. An Average rental cost is $10-15.00 for basic gear.
See the next section on “Combat” to learn more about making or purchasing your own gear.
Ultimately how much you spend will depend on how invested you want to be.
Combat
We use foam weaponry as a fun and safe way to engage in combat in many of our events.
The most common type of foam weapon used in LARP is called a boffer. Constructed from flexible cores like PVC piping or Fiberglass rods, coated in foam like that from pool noodles or camping mat, and coated in duct tape or cloth.
For a good example of weapon building guides check out some of these links:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UZSMP5W6iPc
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DtGLPOr6rdM
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=B9ixHvXuCWE
Professional weapons can also be purchased online for upwards of $90. We always recommend Calimacil products as they look great and are very durable.
To learn more about our safety requirements check out our Safety page
Many of our events use Nerf, and other foam dart firing blasters as a means to engage in safe and fun combat.
As a general rule, any stock Nerf brand blaster is allowed. Knockoffs and mods are allowed in some cases.
To learn more about our safety requirements check out our Safety page
Combat is a fun and essential part of many of our events and when done correctly is very safe.
Live action combat will have you actually physically interacting with players and volunteers, this might be striking them with a foam sword or firing a foam dart at them. Physical, emotional, and environmental awareness is crucial to keeping everyone safe.
To learn more about engaging in safe combat please visit our Safety Page.
We are happy to say our combat related injuries are extremely low!
Getting Involved
Whether you’re looking to dive headfirst into the world of LARP or just come see what it’s all about, we invite you to join us! Below you’ll find several important details about exactly how to do that.
This is the main way we communicate with our players and is also the easiest way to keep up to date with all of our events and news.
The more familiar you are with the rules of the game type you want to attend the easier it will be on the day you show up. You can find applicable rule-books at the bottom of each event page.
All our attendees are required to sign our waiver form or have their parents/guardians sign it for them if they are under 18. Visit our Safety Page to download the waiver for the event you’re interested in and save yourself time day of!
Have more questions that weren’t answered here? You can email us anytime at info@frontierevents.ca and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.
There are a lot of ways to get started and prepare to attend your first Frontier event but the most important thing you can do is simply show up!
We have an amazing community of people who will be happy to help make your first game a great one.
