You have been Banished...
Exiled from civilized society and thrust into a savage and chaotic land where the hungry dead crawl from their graves in search of flesh and unending conflicts between the gods trample ordinary mortals into dust.
But, underneath the chaos, there yet lingers the promise of a better world. It is a world where the enslaved may break their chains, where knowledge is denied to none, and where one may change their fate with nothing more than a blade and their own will. It is a world of wonder, magic, and conflict.
Do you have what it takes to survive being Banished?
About our game...
So what is Banished? Banished is a Live Action Role Playing (LARP) game in a high fantasy setting inspired by ancient civilizations. It uses the Accelerant live action system which is dedicated to immersion, without overly complicated rules. The system is designed to allow a great deal of options in creating and advancing characters. If you can imagine a character, you can most likely create it within our system.
With the Accelerant system, we have taken every opportunity to allow the player’s actions to speak for themselves. Most of the active skills require real interaction from the player. The rules handle the resolution of our staged combat, allowing rogues to actually work game locks and disarm game traps, mages to throw battle magic and summon spirits, and even encouraging musical performance. Our staged combat stresses roleplaying, using boffer weapons and packets to represent weapons and magical effects.
What is LARP?
A LARP a game where you act as if you are your character while fighting monsters, usually with padded weapons, but sometimes with dice or cards or other elements of chance deciding the outcome. These games often have much in common with their close cousins, table top Role Playing Games. In fact, it is easiest to think of LARP as an RPG, but in “real life”.
Like table top games, LARPs can take place in various settings and at a variety of facilities. From high fantasy set in the woods, like Banished, to a post apocalyptic science fiction drama played in an “abandoned” mall to represent a deteriorated space station, all things are possible in LARP. There are LARP games played across the US and all around the world. Whatever setting you are looking for, chances are good, someone somewhere has created a LARP to let you live in that world.
Some LARPS are for participants all ages and some have minimum ages. This policy varies from game to game and may be influenced by local law. In general, LARPs are “play at your own risk” and most will have some sort of Liability Waiver (ours will be on the Join Us page in the “Our Liability Waiver” section) for you (or an adult who represents you, if you are a minor and the game allows players under 18. Banished is 18 and up only.) to sign before you can participate.
There is always some sort of base rule set that you will be expected to be at least minimally familiar with before play. Most of the rules (ours are available in PDF format on the Rules page, along with current version info) will include safety procedures, info on how the mechanics of a particular game work, what is and is not considered “in game”, and so on. While there are some common ideas, each game should be considered unique, so it is a good idea to read and understand the rules of a particular game before you participate.
Games or Events can be a few hours or several days long. You may hear terms like “Tavern Night” or “Adventure Day” used to describe shorter events, with “LARP Weekend” or simply “Event” referring to longer games.
Much like table top RPGs, LARPs are often based on the idea of a Campaign, with a series of events being part of a larger story. In Banished, we call these campaigns “Chronicles”. You can read more about the history of Karn, which is the setting for Banished on the Our World page.
Other Nearby LARPs
Banished is only one of the many LARPs played in Texas. Here are some others you might like.
Getting the most out of LARP
There are tons of tips and videos for first time LARPers on the web. Not everything mentioned in all of them will apply to every LARP, but many of the general ideas of these will apply.
- Be sure you understand how to dress in layers, how that works with the anticipated weather, and plan these concepts into your costume.
- You do not have to be an extrovert to LARP.
- Start small with your character, costume and other gear. Start with the basic concept for personality, dress, weapons, etc. and leave yourself room to adjust after an event or two. There is no need to spend a fortune right away.
- Don’t expect to know everything the first time. It’s fine for your character to evolve over several events.
- Practice staying in character when you ask questions, talk about your day, and so on.
- If you aren’t sure what you want to play, join us as an NPC and get a feel for the world and rules before you start to build your character. It’s a great way to make friends, try several ideas and get familiar with the rules.
- There is a place for everyone in the world of Banished. Don’t let limited mobility or distaste for the outdoors keep you away.
- We don’t need tents or to plan and prepare our own meals, so you can scratch that hassle off your list if you decide to come play with us. Hang out in the Tavern, play some cards, and meet people.
- When you need a nap, take one. LARP will wear you out and you will need to rest when you can. Maybe even plan some down time or a lighter workday, if you can, to recover after the LARP. “LARP hangover” is real.