Getting Ready for the New LARP season

How to Update Your Character to Help Plot

Whether you are new to LARPing, or as old a player as I am, there is nothing a plot team loves more than a well-defined character to build into their plot lines. LARP Portal has multiple features to help PLOT learn more about your character. It all relies on information that you build into the CHARACTER MODULE.

The key feature is your CHARACTER HISTORY. Even if you have submitted a history to plot pregame, adding it into LARP Portal makes it searchable and reportable for people, relationships, places, and key words along with all other characters. We also added the ability to include addendums to your Character History. Staff gets notified when you add a character history or an addendum and if points are awarded, those points go directly to your character.

Many Campaigns/games use lists of “characteristics” or “traits” or “game specific character descriptions” that are not skill based and do not cost any build points. These components are included in CHARACTER INFO Non-Cost Character Descriptors.

When we were first developing LARP Portal we met with an advisory board of 12 experienced staffers and one theme that came up often was making it easier to connect the Characters to Plot. That is why we developed the next two features.

Players can define RELATIONSHIPS that their characters have to other PCs and NPC characters (if they are visible). They can add the names of their relatives, friends, people in their back stories. The PLOT possibilities are endless if the feature is broadly used by players.

Similarly, PLACES is a feature that allows players to note where they are born, where they live now and even note places that have significant meaning to their character. Some Campaigns have established worlds with places to choose a relationship to and players can add and name their own places.

Both RELATIONSHIPS and PLACES are reportable and make it easy to target plot based on them.

Another key feature that is customizable for each Campaign is located under GOALS and PREFERENCES. Each campaign can pick up to five open ended questions or topics to ask about a Character. Examples include what are your Fears, Hates, Loves, Goals. Each game is unique and these questions are often important to building flavor into the character and into plot.

One of the best ways you can assist your PLOT team is to submit a PEL or Post Event Letter. Your responses are read but more importantly when they are in LARP Portal they are searchable by PLOT teams. Include the plots you were involved in, other PCs, NPCs you engaged with, your actions and any follow up you expect.

Lastly, your plot team would love to know that you are coming to the next event. Did you know that you can register for events in LARP Portal in advance…even if the event is not yet open? It’s very helpful to PLOT to know who is planning on attending. Register for upcoming events in advance. Most do not require payment in advance and some give credit or discounts for pre-registering.