A younger persons LARP

[Jared]

My kids have often pestered me about running a LARP for them and I'm looking at doing so as I attempt to ease myself back into running LARP.
At this point, I'm looking at maybe the last quarter of 2010.

So question is, who is keen to be involved in a LARP with younger people involved?

It would be generic fantasy, with a very simple ruleset.

Typically the kids would be the main protagonists, with adults being crew.

The age bracket I'm looking at is 10-16, although younger kids could join in providing they had close supervision. 10 seems to be the age when kids can handle abstract concepts involved with LARP, so thats the reasoning there (not saying younger kids can't but all sorts of things are happening developmentally at 10, particularly things like judging speed of oncoming objects).

I'd be looking at running in Hamilton, either at the Lake or the Hamilton Gardens as they are great venues. If demand was sufficient (meaning low interest in Hamilton), it could be run in Orkland, possibly Totara Park or Western Springs.

Would people come down for this?
If so what time and day would best suit out of towners?
Who would bring their kids?
Do you know of kids that would be interested whose parents aren't necessarily LARPers themselves?

[amphigori]

They did this at Longbush when I was there a few weekends ago. A game very much tailored for kids. The kids absolutely loved it.

Though sometimes they had some of the kids playing crew as well as they could fit in the goblin costumes, and they made the combat very kid friendly, a la "go attack your dad!!" Good silly fun.

[Jared]

Yeah the trick isn't to make it too serious. I'm strongly looking at Halloween as a potential date.

[Malu]

Have a chat with Mike Curtis, Jared, he's run quite a few Kiddie Skirmish games.

Speaking as someone who's helped out with these before, they are awesome fun, fantastic for sharpening your ducking and blocking skills (kids sometimes have trouble with pulling their blows and seem to enjoy legitimately being able to wail on adults) and kids are some of the best larpers out there.

I'd be up for crewing at one of these if I can make it.

[Jared]

Have a chat with Mike Curtis, Jared, he's run quite a few Kiddie Skirmish games.

Thanks Malu. I've been to one of Mike's kids larps myself and am fairly comfortable with the format required. And yeah, volunteers are one thing I'll need plenty of, so thanks for the offer.

If you can make it down you'll also find the Hamilton Gardens, although quite public are an awesome venue for LARP. Lots of interesting little grottos and structures to set those little minds ablaze with imagination.

[Jared]

Ok Halloween rules

Warrior Gets +1HP

Sneak - Hide - cannot be seen by enemies as long as one hand on head, the other touching a object (tree, bush, rubbish bin) and not moving.

Wizard/Witch - 2 spells from: Counterspell (removes a spell in effect - point), Fear (run away 1 min - point), Fireball (2 damage - red or orange spell packet), Web (can't move 1 min - point)

Trick or treat

Lollies/food/fruit - eating food heals all HP ONCE food is eaten and swallowed

3HP (base)

1 damage per hit (no head, neck or groin)

At 0HP lie on ground unable to move (but may eat to heal). Otherwise wake up on 1 HP after fight is over.

[Derek]

I've found if you give the kids the toys they're capable of making up their own rules. My daughters and her friends were running around my backyard playing with some padded swords and had a blast without needing to get adults involved at all.

One of them ended of playing an Evil Queen (TM) and she put on quite a cool speech with phrases like "...follow me my evil minions..." and "...my vengeance will be swift..."

They're in the 6-8 age group and they don't need to be told how to play games

[theotherphoenix]

Haha. So cute!

[Jared]

I've found if you give the kids the toys they're capable of making up their own rules. My daughters and her friends were running around my backyard playing with some padded swords and had a blast without needing to get adults involved at all.

Yes, this is valid Derek but not all kids play fair when others are involved. You need a benchmark of some sort. Particularly when theres a whole bunch of them.

[Lady Prema]

I'd definately be keen to help out as crew... sounds like a blast.

[Jared]

Hi all,
Its a little short notice but I'm keen to run a family friendly larp event on Sunday 4th April.
The format is largely down to numbers but would consist of several battle games culminating in a final battle scene.
The games would consist of a series of loosely linked scenarios (in teams) such as a hunt for items, a classic take and hold, a bridge fight, a capture the flag, zombie outbreak, and of course a final battle.

Rules would be quick and simple to cater for a range of ages such as:

Rules

Warrior Gets +1HP

Sneak - Hide - cannot be seen by enemies as long as one hand on head, the other touching a object (tree, bush, rubbish bin) and not moving.

Wizard/Witch - Fireball (2 damage - large red or orange spell packet)

Healer - Carries a magic potion which heals all damage (ala Lion Witch and Wardrobe)

Adults start with 3HP, Kids 4HP.

1 damage per hit (no head, neck or groin hits)

At 0HP lie on ground unable to move. Otherwise wake up on 1 HP after fight is over if not healed beforehand

Details:

Location: Hamilton Gardens or Resthills Park in Hamilton

Cost: $5 per head towards Hamilton's Armoury and refreshments

Time: 1pm til 4pm, Sunday 4th April

Other requirements: Weaponry/shields/tabards from nzlarps

We only need a relatively small number to make this work, its just for the fun of it, its for all the youngsters who have shown interest in what other larpers do but are not catered for. I will make a decision whether this will go ahead after Multiverse.

[Hannah]

Hi Jared,
considering this is Easter Sunday, and the start of the school holidays, and we actually have nothing else planned for easter, we have put it on the calendar and can work this into whatever holidays plans we come up with. So put us down for 2 adults, [to crew, presumably], and almost 11 y.o. and almost 13y.o. - the kids are as keen as a keen thing.

[Jared]

Thanks for your interest Hannah.
The idea so far is to break everyone into teams, each with objectives of their own, and also objectives that they will be competing for in a series of somewhat linked scenarios.
It'll be a mixed bag, so adults will be playing along side kids with minimal crew (there will be bandits and zombies of course).
And we'll keep it light hearted so everyone has a good time.

The only thing I do need someone in Auckland to grab some basics as stated above from the nzlarps gearshed (yes I need to ask Gaffy etc.)

[Jared]

Oh yeah - one detail - kids younger than say 8 will need to be closely supervised by their own adult at all times, though given the proposed team structure, it shouldn't be a major issue. It does come down to the individual child of course.

[Jared]

Hi all,
Low interest is currently limiting the kids larp event set for 4th April. We have a mere handful... anyone else interested?