Getting Started
Check List for New Players
Whether this will be your first LARP ever, or just your first Banished event, we have some tips to help you get started. We have broken down our recommendations into three lists, but we need to explain a couple of terms before the breakdown will make sense.
PCs are Player Characters who are paying for the weekend.
NPCs are those volunteering to be all the other creatures the players come in contact with, at the direction of the Plot Team.
When you attend an event, you will do so as either a PC or an NPC. Which of these you choose for your each event will determine what you need to bring.
First, there is the stuff everyone needs to bring, do, and/or understand. Then there are things you will need to know/do if you will be playing NPCs (ie the monsters and bad guys). Lastly, we’ll talk about things you’ll understand/have if you are playing a PC of your own.
No matter what your planning to do when you come to a Banished event, you need to make sure you read the Core Rules. You don’t have to be an expert, but you should be at least familiar with safety, etiquette, and effects so you know how to respond to in game occurrences and keep yourself and others safe. During the event, if you don’t remember what something does, you can say “Clarification, what does that do?” and whoever used the effect on you will explain it.
NPCs should have a general understanding of the effects in the Quick Reference Sheet. These are the most common things players may throw at you from those in the Core Rules.
PCs should also have a general understanding of the effects in the Quick Reference Sheet and additionally, be familiar with the effects your character can use, based on their race, archetype, and skills.
Register on this site-You will be able to do this on the Join Us page.
Complete the Liability Waiver-Once you have joined the site, you will be invited to complete the Liability Waiver before you can register for an event.
Register for an event-Participants who pre-register and pre-pay for events get significant discounts compared to those who sign up at check in.
Pre-registration lets us plan for your character when laying out plot and lets us get a better idea of our numbers.
Even if you can’t pay right away, please register early if you plan to attend. We can always send a paypal link later or take cash at the door, but we need to plan for the appropriate number of attendees as accurately as possible. There are policies for dealing with last minute cancelations too, so it helps everyone.
Flesh out your backstory-Telling us about your character allows us to start creating custom plot for you. It may also help you develop the character you want to play more easily. (optional).
If you are playing a PC, you will want to create your character and submit it to our records team through the New Character Request form. This lets us double check for prerequisites and general accuracy and ensures that you will have a character sheet at check-in. You can get ideas and help with this on our Building A Character page. If you’d like to interact with a real person to walk though creation, just email support@banishedlarp.org or hop onto our discord chat. We also have suggested links to help you find gear on our Gear page.
If you will be playing NPCs, feel free to make up a character (or two or three) you will use when you go to the tavern to eat meals. Typical NPCs include Farmers, Miners, Traveling Shop-Keeps, and so on. These can be really entertaining for both you and your fellow players, especially if you have a fun back story you can weave into your interactions. These minor NPCs can allow you to eat in peace or play a part in local drama while trying out several different species or character types.
Make sure to bring bedding, change of clothes and extra socks, a towel, and toiletries. You will need weather appropriate clothing, preferably in layers, so you can adapt as needed to your activity level in relation to the weather. If it is expected to rain, extra socks and shoes are a good idea. Basically, bring anything that will make you feel comfortable running around at a camp site in the expected weather. See packing lists below for more details.
Good Shoes are very important. LARP is not the place for uncomfortable, unsupportive, open shoes. There are bugs and critters in the out of doors and keeping your feet protected from water, bites and scratches is essential to LARP safety.
Make sure you come to the event a couple of hours before the scheduled start time, if at all possible. Before the event, we typically do a rules briefing and give out info specific to the event. We also cover basic safety and can arrange for some quick demos on how to fight with safety in mind. During the setup time is also an opportunity to meet the team, the other players and so on.
Packing for a LARP can seem overwhelming when you think about costumes, over night gear, and so on. So we created these helpful check lists to help you get started and hopefully not forget anything critical. This should be a good baseline, but feel free to add or adjust your list as needed.
- Sleep gear-sleeping bag, pajamas, blankets, etc.
- Personal care items-comb or brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, medications*, power cords for devices, etc.
- At least one change of “street clothes” to wear to and from the event.
- Money or cards for any trips into town for emergency costume repairs (or food runs) and for lunch on the way home.
- Comfortable, weather appropriate, dark colored clothes and shoes to run around in for your NPC shift. See NPC list for more details.
- Optionally, an extra change of clothes if the weather is expected to be particularly weird, wet, cold, etc.
- A “non-white” light source.
- Your own bottle, cup, mug etc. for drinking, so you stay hydrated.
- Insect (and tick) repellent, sun screen and so on can also be nice to have.
- Showering items (towel, shampoo, shower shoes, etc.) can be nice.
- Anything else you need to be comfortable outside.
- All items on the “Everyone” list.
- Make sure you bring comfortable, weather appropriate, dark colored clothes to run around in. Good examples are a plain black T-shirt with long sleeves and black sweatpants or jeans when it is chilly or a short sleeved T-shirt and scrub pants in warmer weather. These do not have to be just for larp, but they should be without obvious logos that would be out of place in an ancient culture. You may want 2 or 3 of these types of outfits.
- A willingness to fight the eternal fight, knowing all the while, you will probably lose…(It is OK because you can just re-spawn, or come back as something new.) 🙂
- All of the items in the “Everyone” list.
- Comfortable, weather appropriate, dark colored clothes and shoes to run around in for your NPC shift. See NPC list for more details on this.
- ALL pieces of your costume.
- Your weapon(s).
- Your packets, darts, or other ammunition.
- Props and cabin decorations for Wards, Holy sites, and so on.
- You need to make a character if you haven’t already, and submit it for review.
- Because your play a character, you need to make sure that you understand what all of your skills do. You don’t need to know everyone else’s skills, but the core rules will tell you how to react, so familiarize yourself with them as much as possible. This cheat sheet is handy for the basics.
- Make sure you bring a costume, spell packets, and/or boffer weapons. If you have any questions on any of these post your question on the Discord Channel
- Make sure you look at the Camp Site and which cabins are in the PC area.
- If you have any questions find a member of the Plot Team. Other players can also answer questions. You can find easy ways to reach us on our Contact page.
- Here is some advice on How to Get the Most Out of a LARP.
Of course the plot team is here to help, but there is also an entire base of players who are knowledgeable and friendly.
If you are interested in either becoming or requesting a mentor to help you get into the game, just let us know.