Hey there! I’ve wanted to larp for a while but a lot of the rules and requirements were a little overwhelming, but I’ve got a handle on things now I think and am interested in jumping in come September with a maybe on the end of July if I can get things together quick enough.
Firstly through, I need some advice and feedback. I’m planning on running solo for my first time, give me a bit of freedom to wander around, get to know people and see what’s up. I’ll avoid combat due to physical limitations so my current plan is; A Brass Coast Dhomiro who specializes in everything medical, making potions plus a little dabble in the Heal spell, being a little sleazy and offering services for a price to anyone who’ll pay. Would this work in-character or would another nation/archetype be a better choice?
Secondly, what kind of props would I have to prepare for potion making? Would I be able to get props at the site, or do I have to make/buy my own? If I do it myself, will I need to prepare safe drinkable liquids to fit the potion descriptions or is that going a bit too far? I’ve really no idea how to tackle this.
Third, I’m not one for tents but I really want the full IC experience. I can’t afford to buy/make a tent which would fit the aesthetic and I’m not ready to try and get with a group to bunk in a corner (If that’s even an option), but I am curious about if I would be allowed to sleep rough? My concept would run along the idea of him being able to park himself anywhere and make it work. I can pack a bag of fabrics and cloths for comfort and sleep under the stars, just depends on health and safety etc.
Firstly, it’s worth pointing out that the Brass Coast are Honest this isn’t nessecary stopping you being sleazy but it’s worth bearing in mind.
Also on that note this thread On the profitability of healing talks about charging for healing
Potions:
On props there will be potion physreps for sale at the site, making drinkable potions that fit the descriptions wouldn’t be too far, but it is definately more than is needed
Sleeping rough:
I have no idea if this would be allowed, but I wouldn’t recomend doing it, firstly the IC field is quite busy and even if you sleep out of the way, I can imagine someone taking a shortcut through some tents and stepping on you. Secondly weather at events can be somewhat variable there have been events where it has poured it down with rain for most of the event and most of the field turns into a swamp.(Now hopefully the events moving later in the year will prevent a repeat of the worst of it, but Murphies law suggests the time someone turns up hoping to sleep rough we will have all the rain.)
Re playing solo, there was a pretty good thread a while back:
and another discussion on props for potions etc (probably over-detailed for your purposes)
First, that sounds reasonable from my POV, although remember that the Brass Coast are NOT Dodgy Camel Merchants. Being a sleazy amoral trader in medicines and “medicines” is probably fine. I can reccomend a Herb Garden as your personal resource if you want to churn out potions.
Second: The amount of props you could use is defined by how much effort you want to put into it. A table with dripping glassware and dribbly candles is fine, a small folding table with chopping boards and grinding stones, a pestle and mortar, a couple of rows of tiny bottles containing powders and oils and things… All of these have turned up in play. All are optional.
If you want to make props for your raw materials, you can. Cheapest method is combing the hedgerows on site for grass, dandelion leaves, ivy, and similar suitable props Or you could invest in packets of herbs and spices from the supermarket, which has the bonus that they’re all edible and often strongly scented. I made props, detailed at the end of the Potion Physreps thread. In terms of little bottles, there are many places selling these on-site, I believe Chow’s Emporium will sell tiny bottles at 2 for a £. As noted in that thread, you CAN prepare potion props with the right flavours and colours… that’s a bit too much effort for me, and entirely optional. Probably not to be tried for your first event…
And no, they don’t NEED to be safely drinkable. Any of them. You could do so, just in case of silly LARPers drinking every bottle, but that’s not your responsibility. Olive oil impregnated with chilli oil looks good and is technically drinkable…
Third: The IC game ends at 1am and resumes at 10am, except in the Senate (where you will be kept awake by dancers…). You could quite feasibly stay up round the fires till 1am and then ask someone if you could snooze in their IC tent. Which would probably be fine if it’s unused. I suspect there’s a lot of the Brass Coast marquees and awnings untenanted till the morning. I don’t know if anyone else goes for sleeping rough at Anvil, you may need to ask the organisers about it…
No worries! I read up on the wiki a fair amount before coming here and that’s not the angle I’m going for, more of a down-on-his-luck vagrant who’s torn between being a good medicine man and making money, the food chain needs a bottom after all
I’m willing to put some effort in, it’s just budget I’m worried about right now. I’m already considering having a pack and use an old wood chopping board with a pestle to mill around at a path side, though right now it’s just the potion bottles that I’m uhmming and aahing about, might see about making a mould to shape clay for some cheap little bottles? I’ll only be focusing on Elixir Vitae and Sovereign Specifics.
I’m pretty seasoned at all-nighters and can get away with a few hours sleep. 1am-10pm sounds do-able, I’ll have a mooch around and maybe bite the bullet and ask Brass Coast groups if they might have a corner I could doze in. It’s how I’d act IC so why not try eh?
Can I suggest that if what you end up putting in your potion phys reps isn’t edible that you somehow seal the lids on (dripped candle wax works nicely) because some larpers will try anything once…
This is why I was thinking of trying to make something which is comparable to the potion descriptions, it’d be pretty immersive to actually pop the top off your potion bottle and downing it and it being, well, at least not offensive in taste
I was thinking Elixir Vitae would have a little mint flavouring and some souring agent to make it tingle, then a drop of food colouring. Sovereign Specific would have a little bit of thickening agent to help suspend edible glitter, then put in a little mint flavouring around the inner neck of the bottle to make it have the minty smell and not the taste (hopefully, science must be used) then I think rose flavouring and a little sweetener for the taste.
If I make clay pots though it wouldn’t need any liquid in it since you wouldn’t see it, it’d just be a solid lump.
As awesome as edible contents would be, the issue with allergies, food colours, and spoilage are issues you just don’t want to get too. I have done “shakes drop on to tongue” and wash down with water.
Re: not bringing a tent - make sure you’ve practiced sleeping outdoors before trying it, it gets very cold at night and unpredictably wet and windy - you’ll want at least a very good bivvy bag and setup inside it, and I wouldn’t recommend trying it at a LARP event until you have extensive experience. Making an arrangement with someone OC before the event to be kipping in their tent seems much more likely to succeed.
While you can do ‘down on your luck’ at Empire the default assumption is you’re quite well off, and you get a decent chunk of resources each event to support this - but ‘I’m supporting an entire extended family back home off this’ is a good way to be driven by money-desperation despite the apparent wealth that the contents of your pack represents.
I’d suggest bringing a cheap OOC tent (and sleeping bag) as an insurance policy, so you can sleep in it in the OOC field if you don’t manage to sort out an IC arrangement.
