Whom do you play?

Community Larp discussion
#1

There is a French word “amplois” which is also used in Russian language, but I couldn’t find adequate equivalent in English.

The idea is that you play particular types of roles. So curious me now wonders what types of roles you guys like to play?

To give a better idea here is the example of myself.

I like characters that wear beautiful costumes, as I’m a bit of sewing freak. My Ravenholme black-with red dress and my Pirate crimson-with-gold shirt are made totally by me.

I mostly play nice characters who do not cause troubles for others and often help those in need. The reason is that I’m not a very experienced larper, and it’s rather difficult for me to be evil even in game. But I’m working on improving this (the Countess in last Ravenholme is an example showing that I am indeed improving :unamused: ).

I like playing with little things and tools, especially if they involve biology and chemistry. Making alchemy potions in bottles with water and coloured powder, doing medical activities with test-tubes, coloured water, and medical gloves, or applying bandages to people and feeding them with pills (which were M&Ms in little medicine bottles) - this is a kind of stuff I enjoy very much.

Fighting. I am indeed a fighting fan, so I often make fighting characters, and if I carry a weapon - I will use it with every opportunity. Plus recently I found that my character can easily grab someone else’s weapon if it’s left unattended :unamused:

I like having connection with another character(s) so that we can do some special playing around it together. Though I think most of larpers enjoy this option, I included it just in case there are people who prefer to make totally single and independent characters.

I’m not a leading role person, more a follower. So being a part of someone’s crew is a good option for me. Being Megilindir’s retainer suited me perfectly, and so does being a pirate in Captain Black Luc’s crew.

I like having IC lover. Or even two. It’s fun :laughing:

I like magic stuff and don’t like special combat abilities. I’m not someone who will be taking Tough or Super-Special-Punch, nor I take armour. However, if magic is involve in larp, I’ll definitely take at least a bit of it. Or maybe much more than a bit :unamused:

I like to take care of someone IC. Being a village woman who was speaking for the pregnant girl in Stargate was a nice experience. I also like being a bodyguard, this involves not only fighting to protect someone but also watching the space around, checking possible threats, and when necessary - taking the strikes aimed at the one I protect.

Ok, here was my confession, now’s your turn, guys :unamused:
I’m listening carefully :smiling_imp:

#2

i’m a costume freak too, very much into looking the part, even if it means 3" heels all weekend.

my characters usualy appear nice and act friendly but most of my larping involves some sort of secret or dark past. i don’t like being a evil character but i love revenge.

magic confuses me but i wish i could understand it and use it to torment people for the fun of it :slight_smile: yay making people super-itchy.

i can’t fight IC, i usualy do the ‘hide in the corner behind the guy/girl/mutant with the axe who i conviced to protect me’ thing. i like having bodyguards and being a bit of a ‘damsel in distress’ its the easyist and funnest part to play. the whole 1920s mentality of dames being fragile creatures who can get their way just by crying is cool, though it hardly works in game.

interaction with other characters is great i love just generaly chatting about whatever and having fun IC.

i like having big showdown things where its all up-to-you to save the world, but im not good at them i usualy end up killing myself invertantly, or hiding in the corner havig somene else do it. err whatelse? oh yeah joining the evil side is so fun if it means not dying…even though you usualy have to die to join them.

i do too but dont tell anyone.

#3

I tend to play tricksy rogue types, with a side order of big dumb warriors. They tend to gravitate towards the good end of the alignment spectrum, however much I try to be evil.

I enjoy complicated character interactions and strategising, but the maths of running a wizard, say, becomes tedious very quickly.

In real life I’m more of a dippy Elan-type bard.

#4

this is a tough one for me, since i often don;t think aboutnthe characters until they evolve a bit.

But looking back on recent ones, i tend to play as one person put it, the hero types, either a grizzled warrior who stands the line with his comrades, or a lone wolf of sorts that throws his lot in with others because i thinks they need his help.

other characters are more investigators or cunning rogue types, as i do like to work my way through puzzles and histories to uncover the truth about things.

In real life i think i would rate as a level 6 solo dad/level 3 security guard.

#5

ahh character types (EDITED for more detail)

i like to be a utility knife. My “Quest” characters I have played so far all reflect this. I have been a general (white) elven mage, sacrificing some magical power for knowledge skills, who also employed a bastard sword.
Magic knowledge & fighting all in one… not that I was good at any of them in particular. Lorildor was the black & white hero type… not so virtuous as a paladin but an archetypical good guy.

Also a necromancer, much more more heavily magically reliant, used a staff for reach & summoned powerful undead minions. Lorit was/is the darker hero, the magic user who Quests for his own gain, eager to blast his enemies into submission but unwilling to decend into betraying his companions like so many rogues have been known.

There was also a druid, moderate magic, healing, & a dual weapon fighter. Another hero type I guess, an angry slightly zealous character, willing to destroy the enemies of nature & slightly careless if nature was affronted. Verden Bearclaw was/is also a bit of a joker, abruptly taking on bear form (metamorphosis) to make his fellow party jump.

Whatever I play, its almost always going to be useful in more then one situation, rather than powerfully specialised.

Of late however I find myself drawn to a darker archetype, not evil but certainly not good either, such as Lorit the necromancer, my current Quest character.

#6

I prefer playing males, but other than that, I’m pretty flexible… I think I prefer being handed a specific role than having to think the character up. More because of the diversity than anything else.

EDIT: Thinking further about this. I do tend to end up playing heroic fighter types. Honest, true to their work, brave etc.

Sir Nigel of Hoven springs to mind :smiling_imp:

#7

I like playing both ends of the spectrum

Nice Sweet, Kind Men (Junius Corvius, Caleb Gorden, Colt)

And

Tricky, Sly, Weasly Power Hungry Cads (Felix, Peiter van Hoboken)

The trick is never letting people know exactly which one your playing while you play it :slight_smile: Always throw in a little bit of the other side in so that people are never quite sure where you stand deep down.

-Peiter helped the envoys of the prince and worked against the anarchs, while being a member of the sabbat infultrators bent on destroying the city.

-Felix was always polite and happy to help and helped the members of “the family”…but deep down wanted to control the mob in the city and bumped off the heads of both families to instill the women he was seducing to power.

-Colt was always confrontational and never liked any of the other elders telling him to do anything and would resist at every turn and would often threaten violence, not a team player at all, but loyal to the code of the camirilla to the end. He was also a very phsyical character but detested using violence, but knew holding that card would give him the ears of those that mattered…i social character with mainly physical ability.

-Caleb was a nice guy, a little down on his luck. He didn’t want to hurt any one or take advantage of anyone…but was willing to do what he needed to get by…inclueding lying, cheating, stealing and killing.

-Junius was a nice guy…but deep down inside was…actualy a nice guy…its always nice to play against type :slight_smile:

I do like characters that:

-Dont like resorting to fighting (as I can’t fight, so playing a character thats willing to resort to fighting before every other option is tried is silly for me, as why would they resort to fighting when they suck at it)

-Are mainly about the talking and socialising (Something I am alot better at than fighting) This i think is the most important thing for me.

-Always have a bit of surprise and can change and adapt when nessacery.

-Have an interesting history and background, but not enough so that their characters a static…I like being able to add things to my characters as they go along.

I think that if I had to narrow it down…Talky characters are the way for me