No apparent OOC threat

I think, particularly in the current climate, it is necessary to have a ‘No OOC threat’ general rule.

By this, I mean that, if playing in a public area, nobody in character should appear (after initial glance) to be a threat to mundanes.

This is more important in ‘modern time’ LARPs such as Vampire-Masquerade where it is possible for players to be carrying physical reps of weapons and firearms. The last thing you want is for a mundane to get the idea that theres a real ramed gang war/robbery/murder going on and call in the SWAT team! To prevent this, any firearms would be represented by the brightest-coloured water pistol money could buy. I know this is not exactly realistic, but in this case, you don’t want realism unless you are not in a public place. Alternatively, we had some replica flintlocks which are sufficiently different from a ‘real’ gun - provided you are in costume, in daylight.

Of course, in Mordavia, being dressed as a demon or carrying a foam sword is usually a dead giveaway that it is some form of acting!

Currently, there is no way I’d want to be LARPing a character with a firearm in a public place in a UK game …

Steve

Public LARPing exists on the sufferance of the general public. It’s because of the security problems in the US that White Wolf refuses to allow anything other than a Card of about 3" by 5" with weapon statistics for in game play.

Other LARP’s have different rules but always with the “The item must clearly be fake.”

Jumpy police are never a fun thing.

An SCA group in the USA had a run in with the police many many years ago.

I believe the star of the story (Ivan) is the guy who knighted me…

http://emporium.turnpike.net/Z/zen/SCA/AUNTIE/STOhara.html