Every LARP, and at some levels every Role Playing game has 4 basic types of players. In the twelve years that I’ve been a LARPer, I’ve seen hundreds of players, and you can almost always fit them into one of the four. It isn’t bad thing, and I think that it is important for a game to have all four to really thrive. Learning the types, and learning how to work with them can really make a game become more well rounded.
1. The Warrior
The warrior is the guy that is there for the combat and fighting. In a combat larp, they are going to be the guys that spend the most time practicing the martial art of boffer combat. They tend to get involved much more heavily in that side of things. They aren’t going to worry too much about role play and characterization, but they are going to be the guys that strive to become combat marshals and spend hours perfecting the art of smithing weapons and armor.
You can almost always rely on them to have extra weapons laying around, and they’re going to be the guys that will keep people from getting too bored when mundane things bog down an event by organizing games and sparring. In my experience, they’ll end up forming a unit together and become a force to be feared. The boon they bring to the table is that they are also usually more than happy to take aside a newbie and show them a trick or two to help them out on the battlefield.
Usually the first to volunteer to play some a group of NPC monsters, and tend to have a lot of fun with it when you give them a one shot character, especially if it’s a monster that is just there to get beat on by the party.
2. The Actor
Pretty much the opposite of the warrior, this is the guy that is here entirely for the role play. On the extreme end they can even be non-combatants that only want to spend some time in character. Their focus is going to be on story and plot. Good to have around because they don’t mind being thrown a curve ball for the sake of a great story line. These guys will spend time in shadows around a campfire working on politics and schemes.
You can usually use them to introduce new things into the game, and given a little bit of prompting can run with it. Even the most minor thing can become an epic plot point if you let these natural hams take care of it. With a handful of them around, the job of the story teller becomes easy, and you don’t have to worry too much about finding reasons for your warriors to gear up and beat on each other.
3. The Craftsman
Seamstresses, blacksmiths, even cooks, these are the people who are here for one purpose only, to make things that are awesome. Sure, they’ll pick up a weapon and fight, or might even spend some time negotiating over a few coins for a spare weapon they’ve got lying around, but their true passion is in the craft associated with the game. They will spend hours making garb and weapons, and will generally be the first to volunteer to help a new player get geared up. They, and their friends, family and unit, will almost always have the best garb, and they’ll no sooner have one project done than they are already working on the next great innovation.
They can go a long way to making a game look a lot better in the photos.
Take advantage of what they can offer in training and trade, but make sure you’re giving back as much as they give out. In my experience they will be too generous with their goods. Actually, that applies to most players. Make sure that if they hook you up with something cool, you at least repay the favor by helping them with some camp chores.
Generally, when they do sell their craft for cash, their prices are a lot lower than you’ll find online for work that is as good or better. Better yet, get some materials and spend some time learning a bit about the craft from them. It might not be your passion, but it’s always good to know how to at least fix the hole in that fancy pouch you’ve got.
4. The Heart
For every guy that is an amazing fighter, there is a guy that can’t quite seem to get past the basics. For every brilliant character, there is a guy struggling to find himself. For every artisan, there is a guy that somehow sewed his new cloak into a tree. Every once in a while, you get someone who is cursed with all three of these, but they don’t let that get them down.
The heart is the core of a LARP. They show up because they love the game, and they put more work into it than anyone else. These guys are die-hards that just can’t be beaten. I love them for that. They might not ever be the best at anything, but they’re going to try everything, and they’re going to keep on trying, no matter what. You can’t ever do better than that.
One of the best things about playing a LARP is that you get to step outside yourself for a while and be closer to what you really want to be. It doesn’t matter to LARPers if you’re a bumbling clutz in real life. We’re just out here to have fun, and these guys have fun, no matter how bad they might be at something. Their spirit is infectious in a positive way, and can keep people in a good mood even when it’s hot, humid, and the bugs are horrible.
Plus, guys that are this dedicated will usually be the first to volunteer to help run things, because it’s something they love. Give them time and encouragement, and you’ll find that someone with real heart will one day become a force to take seriously. Besides, we can’t all start out perfect, can we?
Breaking the Mold
Of course, anything as broad and generalized as these archetypes will cover everyone. That’s not an excuse to let yourself fall into one. It’s good to recognize what people love, and help them do what they enjoy. It’s better to help everyone step outside of their comfort zone and become great at more.
If you’re a warrior, why not take that guy with heart aside and help him get better with the sword. He might not ever be the best, but a little one-on-one training can make a huge improvement for a fighter.
If you’re the actor, why not pull the craftsman aside and help him really develop that blacksmith persona into something grand? It might just liven up the event to have a boisterous merchant haggling prices.
It’s always been the philosophy of the people I game with that we are here to help each other get better as people, not just players. It makes the game better when we work together to help overcome our own weaknesses and strengthen those around us. It just makes for a better time.
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