New Players

New Player Primer

Jumping headfirst into any activity can be a daunting task and LARP is no exception. LARP can seem very complicated but ultimately the most important rule is to be exceptional to each other if you aim to try your best - you will succeed.

LARP is a hobby that is kind of like Theater, video games, Dungeons and Dragons and Improv all at the same time. It is a hobby that everyone who's ever done it just says, "You have to do it to understand." No amount of reading or watching LARP media can properly convey what exactly it is really like. In Fact, many LARPers find it hard to convey what LARPing is really like on passive mediums like Youtube or Instagram.

That being said, We have several sections that will help you understand what in general to expect but also what we expect of you. Inside here you'll find hobby specific terms and handsigns alongside a code on conduct that needs to be signed.

Before your first game

Before your first in-person game it is best to have a general idea of what kind of character you want to play and what you think you would have the most amount of fun with. Some people like helping other people succeed, others want to be of use by providing weapons or other crafting services and some just want to forget about real life and hit some silly creatures with a sword.

First, we would recommend skimming our "Common Knowledge" on our Wiki. It will offer some important insight into the world that we've built and then you can easily imagine how you can fit there.

https://mystfalllore.miraheze.org/wiki/Common_Knowledge

Next, you'll want to think about your character concept. Do you want to be very active or are you someone who enjoys sipping tea and gossiping about things? You get to choose your activity level so what is more fun for you?

After that it is finally time to properly build your character using our rule book.

There's a step-by-step process to help you out. If at any time you need some assistance or feel a little bit overwhelmed (don't worry that's completely normal) reach out to our staff via email or Discord and they'll be happy to help you. If you find your eyes glazing over we also have pre-generated characters you can try out. Our Rulebook is LARGE - one of the downsides of having a classless, sandbox style skillset. However, you do not need to read everything, you only need to know the stuff your character can do.

Once you've had your character created and spent your XP 70 you can write a backstory that justifies your skills, attitude and playstyle. The more that you give the AD (Art Director) to work with the more they can incorporate potential personal plots into a live game for you. The Art Director may even give you up to 5 XP for a well written backstory, but, most people get 2 or 3 on their first attempt, you may always resubmit your backstory to try to get the maximum of 5.

In your backstory we highly recommend keeping your parents alive, having enemies, making a big mess or mistake that could haunt you, incorporating character shortcomings that you will overcome in the next year or few years. Any lore you find interesting. Think about the story you want to tell everyone else and then begin writing your backstory. You can submit a backstory at any point and it does not need to be elaborate.

That being said, maybe you don’t want to make up a backstory now. That is fine too! Just make sure to let us know!

Ad@mystfall.ca - Backstory + Character Sheet Logistics@mystfall.ca - Character sheet - They will make sure all your paperwork is set up Once these are approved you may start role-playing in our Discord and Live Games!

Getting ready for your First Game

Mystfall prides itself on fairly low barriers to entry, you do not need to have any camping gear as we have a heated cabins with bunk beds. We also have a camp shower on site along with flushable toilets on a septic system.

You should plan to bring your own food for a weekend unless you purchase a meal plan, have a warm blanket and a pillow, money for snacks or drinks and a simple costume.

Your First Costume

Costumes evolve over time and it is perfectly acceptable to have a simple fantasy looking shirt and dark pants at the beginning. Don't stress too much about footwear, just make sure that it would be suitable for hiking on a wet muddy trail. Always bring extra socks!

Also, Don't feel discouraged when you see pictures of LARPers in immaculate armor. This is always a product of years upon years of building up a costume you’ll get there!

If you are still unsure how to proceed we do offer paid rental services with a purchase option, we just need to know what your size is ahead of time. For more information contact treasurer@mystfall.ca

Game Day!

You might feel a little bit anxious and that's completely normal. There's a lot of buildup and excitement around going to a game and even veteran role players feel that same excitement after years of playing.

If you can't get to site using your own transportation, there are a few different ways to come...

If you live near someone else who has a car they can potentially pick you up if you ask well in advance. You can post on Facebook or ask on the Discord.

There's also a GO Transit station located in Acton, Ontario that we can pick you up at if booked in advance.

Logging In and Friday Night

Friday Night is always a bustle of activity. Staff arrived well before everyone else and are probably setting up tables and immersion items. Paperwork, money and plot prep is underway.

Staff may or may not have time to have a one-on-one conversation pre-game. There is a lot happening in the background from props management, talent management, food preparation and immersion. Art Directors known as AD’s are planning modules, personal plot and preparing cast cabin.

Cast Cabin is where Art Directors and Cast get dressed, do makeup, plan modules and give out loot. This is also where you sign in and out of game and where the showers are located. Cast Cabin is always a busy place, you may always come to cast cabin to get tags or loot.

It's time to get into your costume and wait for Log to open. If you paid and logged your character sheet well in advance the logistics officer will hand you all of your incomes and a copy of your character sheet. Prelogging with logistics@mystfall.ca is one of the most helpful things you can do as a New Player.

When you prelog we know you are new, that means we will have a staff member ready to check your weapons, inform you on safety and consent mechanics and most fun of all do the New Player Mod.

Safety Speech

Every game has a very basic safety speech that is told by either the Ombud or the President. It is fairly common sense but we go over certain policies every single time for new players.

After the safety speech there will be a module that you must attend, this is a mandatory module. The New Players module will go over some basics such as how to properly engage in safe combat and consensual roleplay. It also tends to give a formal introduction to many characters IG.

Now what?

Game has begun and now the real adventure begins. LARP can be overwhelming at times and we highly recommend dropping out of game to have regular meals and to drink water. If you are feeling overstimulated take a shower or a hike in the woods. Folks tend to tell war stories around the campfire to decompress and we encourage you to do so as well. Typically if you wish to join a campfire, if within your ability it is polite to bring wood to burn.

Sunday

Some roleplay will happen on Sunday morning but for the most part people will be recovering from a very active Saturday night. Breakfast will be served and you may see some staff beginning the clean up process.

Everyone helps with end of game chores, Scouts Canada who hosts us has a zero garbage policy that means any garbage we bring we have to bring home. Extra garbage that people bring home grants them 10 CRPs per bag and CRPs allow you to purchase in game items.

Everything from floors needing to be swept and mopped, toilets scrubbed, props put away, spell packets retrieved from the field and dishes needing to be done. Typically everyone will have 2 or 3 chores we always want to leave the site a little bit cleaner than when we came. :)

Chores are part of LARP and everyone must contribute, we offer accessible chores for those who cannot do certain tasks.

Closing Ceremony

At the end before everyone leaves we will sit down and do a big decompression. Sometimes you'll feel like you don't need one and then other games you'll definitely want to clear the air after tense or antagonistic roleplay.

We highly recommend joining us at the post game social, usually a meal at Wendy's. This event allows for you to meet the real players instead of the characters and can help ease some of the post game anxiety that some people get. If you had tense or antagonistic role play with anyone we recommend that you hang out with them -specifically- after game. Our brains are not great at telling the difference between pretend social rejection and real. Post game social is an integral and important part of avoiding oog (Out of Game) bleed.

After game there is something called the Week of Stories.

The week of stories is when staff members get to take a week-long vacation from anything to do with Mystfall. They will not respond to emails and there will not be any public Discord roleplay. It is a time to reflect and distance themselves from a lot of the intensity of the weekend so they can be refreshed before the next game.

Do not be surprised if you have a lot of mixed emotions around game. Make sure that you eat and drink and get a good night's sleep after. Don't be surprised if you feel a bit sluggish on the Monday as there's a lot of intense physical and mental activity.

Sometimes, especially if you pushed yourself you may feel something called *PostGame or PostLARP Drop* If you ever need someone to talk about anything post game feel free to talk in the general chat or join us for a social event.

PostLARP Drop can happen after a very intense weekend of physical activity, staying up late, dehydration and such. It is a big disruption to your regular activities especially if this is your first time. There will be a TON of information coming at you during the weekend and you will feel tired after - that's totally normal. Make sure you shower, nap, drink water, eat or do something that comforts you afterwards.

Bleed - Bleed is when you mix up OOG (out of game) emotions and IG (in game) emotions. Maybe, there is a character that was mean to you because you are an elf, or a secret meeting you stumbled upon and they yelled at you to leave on pain of death. These interactions can cause you to feel bad OOG - it's important to make sure you are separating fantasy and reality, player from character. The closer you make a character to yourself in real life the more likely you may find lines blurring. If you need help navigating bleed talk to us in discord. All LARPERS will feel bleed from time to time it's part of the hobby and can be navigated with education. Bleed is NOT always negative, it can also be incredibly positive.

Table of Contents

Our Values, Our Design Philosophy, Our Community

Consent, Respect, Communication and Trust Playing to Lift/Lose Spirit of the Game over Rules as Written Boffer Fists and Lightest Touch Combat

Striving Towards Accessibility

Case by Case Basis Philosophy Non-Combat, Described Scene Mechanics Accommodation Contact Information Examples of Accommodations

Glossary of LARP Terms

Hand Signals

OOG Talk Out of Game Out of Play Physical Spell Indicators Non-Verbal Check-In Non-Verbal Consent

Consent Mechanics

Permission for Physical Roleplay Verbal and Non-Verbal Consent Trigger Policy Discomfort Policy Individual Responsibility Planning a ‘heavy’ scene CvC Fate of the Party / Fade to Black Check-In Post Game Decompression

Combat

OOG Bleed

Safety

Before your first game

Before your first in-person game it is best to have a general idea of what kind of character you want to play and what you think you would have the most amount of fun with. Some people like helping other people succeed, others want to be of use by providing weapons or other crafting services and some just want to forget about real life and hit some silly creatures with a sword.

First, we would recommend skimming our "Common Knowledge" on our Wiki. It will offer some important insight into the world that we've built and then you can easily imagine how you can fit there. The link is available on Discord.

Next, you'll want to think about your character concept. Do you want to be very active or are you someone who enjoys sipping tea and gossiping about things?

After that it is finally time to properly build your character using our rule book.

There's a step-by-step process to help you out. If at any time you need some assistance or feel a little bit overwhelmed (don't worry that's completely normal) reach out to our staff via email or Discord and they'll be happy to help you. If you find your eyes glazing over we also have pre-generated characters you can try out.

Once you've had your character created and spent your XP you can write a backstory that justifies your skills, attitude and playstyle. The more that you give the AD (Art Director) to work with the more they can incorporate potential personal plots into a live game for you. The Art Director may even give you up to 5 XP for a well written backstory, most people get 2 or 3 on their first attempt, you may always resubmit your backstory to try to get the maximum of 5.

In your backstory we highly recommend keeping your parents alive, having enemies, making a big mess or mistake that could haunt you, incorporating character shortcomings that you will overcome in the next year or few years. Any lore you find interesting. Think about the story you want to tell everyone else and then begin writing your backstory. You can submit a backstory at any point and it does not need to be elaborate.

Once you've done both these things you can submit them to our staff email.

Ad@mystfall.ca - Backstory + Character Sheet Log@mystfall.ca - Character sheet

Once these are approved you may start role-playing in our Discord and Live Games!

Getting ready for your first game

Mystfall has fairly low barriers to entry, you do not need to have any camping gear as we have a heated cabins with bunk beds. We also have a camp shower on site along with flushable toilets on a septic system.

You should plan to bring your own food for a weekend unless you purchase a meal plan (depending on the year and game it may or may not be available), have a warm blanket and a pillow, money for snacks or drinks and a simple costume.

Your First Costume

Costumes evolve over time and it is perfectly acceptable to have a simple fantasy looking shirt and dark pants at the beginning. Don't stress too much about footwear, just make sure that it would be suitable for hiking on a wet muddy trail. Bring extra socks!

Also, Don't feel discouraged when you see pictures of LARPers in immaculate armor. This is always a product of years upon years of building up a costume.

If you are still unsure how to proceed we do offer paid rental services with a purchase option, we just need to know what your size is ahead of time. For more information contact treasurer@mystfall.ca

Game Day!

You might feel a little bit anxious and that's completely normal. There's a lot of buildup and excitement around going to game and even veteran role players feel that same excitement after years of playing.

If you can't get to site using your own transportation, there are a few different ways to come...

If you live near someone else who has a car they can potentially pick you up if you ask well in advance. You can post on Facebook or ask on the Discord. There's also a GO Transit station located in Acton, Ontario that we can pick you up at if booked in advance. (At least two days)

Logging In and Friday Night

Friday Night is always a bustle of activity. Staff arrived well before everyone else and are probably setting up tables and immersion items.

Staff may or may not have time to have a one-on-one conversation pre-game. There is a lot happening in the background from props management, talent management, food preparation and immersion. Art Directors are planning modules, personal plot and preparing cast cabin.

Cast Cabin is where Art Directors and Cast get dressed, do makeup, plan modules and give out loot. This is also where you sign in and out of game and where the showers are located. Cast Cabin is always a busy place

It's time to get into your costume and wait for log to open. If you paid and logged your character sheet well in advance the logistics officer will hand you all of your incomes and a copy of your character sheet.

If not you'll need to talk to the secretary and pay preferably electronically, we accept cash and debit and credit.

'''Safety Speech ''' Every game has a very basic safety speech that is told by either the Ombud or the President. It is fairly common sense but we go over certain policies every single time for new players.

After the safety speech there will be a module that you must attend, this is a mandatory module. The New Players module will go over some basics such as how to properly engage in safe combat and consensual roleplay. It also tends to give a formal introduction to many characters IG.

Now what?

Game has begun and now the real adventure begins. LARP can be overwhelming at times and we highly recommend dropping out of game to have regular meals and to drink water. If you are feeling overstimulated take a shower or a hike in the woods. Folks tend to tell war stories around the campfire to decompress and we encourage you to do so as well. Typically if you wish to join a campfire, if within your ability it is polite to bring wood to burn.

Sunday

Some roleplay will happen on Sunday morning but for the most part people will be recovering from a very active Saturday night. Breakfast will be served and you may see some staff beginning the clean up process.

Everyone helps with end of game chores, Scouts Canada who hosts us has a zero garbage policy that means any garbage we bring we have to bring home. Extra garbage that people bring home grants them 10 CRPs per bag and CRPs allow you to purchase in game items or slightly influence plot.

Everything from floors needing to be swept, toilets scrubbed, props put away, spell packets retrieved from the field and dishes needing to be done. Typically everyone will have 2 or 3 chores we always want to leave the site a little bit cleaner than when we came. :)

Closing Ceremony

At the end before everyone leaves we will sit down and do a big decompression. Sometimes you'll feel like you don't need one and then other games you'll definitely want to clear the air after tense or antagonistic roleplay.

We highly recommend joining us at the post game social, usually a meal at Wendy's. This event allows for you to meet the real players instead of the characters and can help ease some of the post game anxiety that some people get. If you had tense or antagonistic role play with anyone we recommend that you hang out with them -specifically- after game. Our brains are not great at telling the difference between pretend social rejection and real. Post game social is an integral and important part of avoiding oog bleed.

After game there is something called the Week of Stories.

The week of stories is when staff members get to take a week-long vacation from anything to do with Mystfall. They will not respond to emails and there will not be any public Discord roleplay. It is a time to reflect and distance themselves from a lot of the intensity of the weekend so they can be refreshed before the next game.

Do not be surprised if you have a lot of mixed emotions around game. Make sure that you eat and drink and get a good night's sleep after. Don't be surprised if you feel a bit sluggish on the Monday there's a lot of intense physical activity and mental activity. Sometimes, especially if you pushed yourself you may feel something called *PostGame Drop* If you ever need someone to talk about anything post game feel free to talk in the general chat or join us for a social event.

Some techniques that will help with post game drop can be found here. Post Game

Consent Mechanics

At MYSTFALL we have a strong culture of enthusiastic consent. This means that players are empowered to choose their own interactions and what kind of plot they want to partake in. We have many ways to navigate boundaries and content below.

Permission for Physical Roleplay Before any in-game or text interaction that requires physical touch you must always ask for Permission for Physical Roleplay. If enthusiastic consent is not confirmed then describe the scene.

Example,

Kat and Alex are doing a medical roleplay, Kat is facedown and currently in her IG bleed. Alex rushes over to help her friend and kneels down, before any roleplay commences Alex asks, "Permission for Physical Roleplay - I am going to roll you over and begin applying a bandage."

Kat is comfortable with this and non-verbally and enthusiastically nods and gives a thumbs up.

Kat can also say "Permission Granted."

Alex continues with the roleplay.

The next time later in the fight Kat goes down again, but this time Kat says "Permission Denied." Kat doesn't need to explain why and Alex doesn't take this personally. Alex instead says, "Ok! Described Scene: My character rolls you over gently, and applies a bandage."

They both continue the roleplay but this time Alex uses descriptions of scenes verbally to explain what is happening.

On occasion you may hear "Permission Granted, Blanket" or "Blanket Permission: Alex Only" this is the player giving blanket permission for physical role play, within the scene this permission can be revoked at any time for any reason. You never ask for blanket permission, it can only be given. This term is used among experienced roleplayers who have earned each other's mutual trust over years of roleplay. Some folks LARP with their intimate partners or close friends. Blanket permission is not a goal to attain, merely a way for people with OOG relationships to indicate to other players that consent has been enthusiastically given.

Trigger + Discomfort Policy At anytime, for any reason you need to exit a scene you may do so. This is indicated by going Out-Of-Game by using the associated hand signal. Reasons can vary widely from anxiety or discomfort to other reasons covered under self care. This includes, needing water, taking scheduled prescription medication, bedtime or something else. Characters are still subject to IG results of RP but Players will not be punished OOG for needing to use this policy. If you remove yourself because of strong emotions or OOG bleed do not go back into the game. Instead take a break, take a nap, eat a meal or walk in the forest.

Fade to Black Fading to Black is a consent mechanic that allows people to participate in potentially graphic roleplay or have a built in out if they cannot or do not wish to continue. Typically, Fading to Black is used to gain the result of intense RP without graphic detail or to finish a roleplay. Fading to Black is a collaborative consent mechanic, if someone is asking to Fade to Black it isn't to ruin someone else's fun it's to protect their own fun and mental health. Please enter scenes that Fade to Black in a mindset of cooperation, compromise and consent.

Eg. Kat and Amcreva have an interrogation scene. Kat needs to get information out of Amcreva who is an NPC with important knowledge. Kat doesn't have any skills like Knowledge Rend or Solomon to assist. Kat asks, OOG.

"Amcreva, Are you okay with an interrogation scene?"

Amcreva thinks about it. "I think I will be comfortable with the interrogation verbally, and maybe a few fake punches or slaps. I don't want to actually be tied up. But I'll hold my hands behind my back. Anything that involves body horror or torture I'd definitely need to fade to black."

Kat nods, "Okay! So we will role play the interrogation, only verbal threats and a few described scenes of a slap or two. When we fade to black will your character give up the information or die protecting that information?"

Amcreva nods, "Well, I don't feel this character is loyal to the point of death. I will give you the information when we Fade to Black or before that if the roleplay goes well."

Kat and Amcreva roleplay the scene. Kat chooses to fade to black when a boffer knife comes out.

"Was that okay?" Kat asks, Amcreva nods. "That was very intense but also really fun! I forgot to ask to Fade to Black when the knife came out."

"We both agreed that the scene would Fade to Black when any kind of body horror would be involved. I appreciate the roleplay I thought you were really convincing!"

Red, Yellow, Green This is also called the stoplight mechanic, sometimes it's hard to be able to negotiate your limits if you don't know what they are. The stoplight mechanic allows both you and the other players in the scene to gauge how everyone is feeling. There's a verbal version of this and a non verbal version.

OkayHand / Thumbs Up - Go!/Green FlatHand / Thumbs Middle with Wiggle - (Redirect/Yellow) Thumbs Down / Tapping Chest and Shaking Head NO. (Stop!/Red)

Alexandra has been role-playing for several hours and hasn't quite had the chance to grab some water yet. She is in the middle of a fairly intense roleplay