Lords and Ladies of the Realm

Hello everyone!  I am Naivara and I have actually never LARPed before.  But nows as good a time as ever, right?

I cosplay a lot, and am also into acting, so when a friend of mine recommended this to me, how could I possibly resist the invitation?  I have a bit of stage experience, as well as a small background in prop and costume making.  I am so excited about KR and have every intention of attending the summit come January.  I just need to figure out how to winter-proof my wardrobe lol

The question of winter-proofing comes up a great deal.
Layers
If you can afford it, silk near the skin
Fleece works
Wool for the outer layers and socks
Waterproof footwear
Wool cap/hat
warm gloves

For those not addicted to silk, underarmor is popular; I don't know that one is less expensive than the other, but if you're considering LARPing year-round, or spring and fall, it's worth the investment.  Cotton will NOT keep you warm, and if it gets wet, it's worthless--remember that for pants and shirts.  If you have a choice between a cotton sweatshirt and a polar fleece garment, go with polarfleece which will also keep you warm if it gets wet.

To waterproof your footwear, go to the hardware store, get a can a silicon spray and spray multiple coats on your shoes.  Not the best, but the easiest.  Best = whole grain leather (split leather is not easy to waterproof) and Sno-seal.  Follow the directions on the can.  Sporting goods stores, good shoe stores, outdoor rec/supply stores (and on-line) will carry Sno-seal. 

Hey, welcome!

Since I am a poor college student, I'll throw the cheap options in. If you character is not planning on running into battle and lying on the ground a lot, I would recommend layers. Layers of whatever you have to keep you warm. A simple polar fleece cloak will keep you warm too.

If you have the money, get the underarmour. One thing that cannot be passed on is lots of socks. Keeping your feet dry is a necessity. I have done boots with silicone spray on them and found that works miracles. Also, since it is winter, a pair of winter boots works fine for running around in snow.

I hope that helps! I'm sure if you keep asking you'll get plenty of answers.

RE: Underarmor. A big thumbs up here, I swear by them. Make sure to get the right kind, as there is a cold weather and a warm weather variant. You can find them in the $30-40 range a piece at some stores, but it can get pricey for several pairs of tops and bottoms. Get one piece at a time as you can afford it, and over some months you should have a few pairs of each type.

If you can cut the cost, a good wool cloak is one of the best things you can buy. That  along with the wool socks and waterproofing for boots as aforementioned

Wool is the best there is for wet snowy weather but also needs some kind of layer as a wind stop

Just my two cents, I am new to KR, but not to LARPing in general. I have been doing it for over ten years and the way I was introduced to it was by NPCing an event or two before making a character.  It helps you get used to the rules while giving you the opportunity to try different types of characters and classes and see which you like.  I NPC'ed last month since I haven't been to KR in a long time and I highly recommend it for anyone starting a new game or new to LARPing in general.

On a clothing note, you can still use whatever garb you wish as well as use some provided by the game.  All in all I have to agree with everyone who spoke before me that you can't go wrong with layers.

Either way, NPC or PC, have fun.

That all sounds fantastic, thank you.  I was just planning to NPC my first time, since I have no clue what I'm doing.  But I think I can dig up some underarmor from my (or my mom's) closet.

I do have a short question that, even after scouring the pages of the website, I couldn't find anwser to.  Is it possibly to PC a noble, or someone of noble rank? Or is that something strictly for the higher ups?

Pierce, as per forum policy, besides purely quoting the rulebook, please do not answer rules questions unless you are a rules marshal.  It only causes confusion.  Thank you.

Samantha, welcome!

I tried to find the rule, but it must be in an odd place and I'm not sure where it is without scouring the whole rulebook.

Every PC starts out a peasant at KR - while some people write things like "leader of my clan" or "head of my household" in their character histories, it really can't go beyond that and still must be approved before that information can be brought into game.

That being said, all titles of nobility must be earned through roleplay while playing the character.

Kristen has the jist of it right - the rule is more that you cannot act on any background information about your PC (such as claiming a noble title) unless it's been approved by James, the director of the game, by submitting your history through the official channels.  Because of this, no one can come in and claim they are a noble without having it pre-approved, and simply put - no one is going to be given that sort of power without earning it In-Game.  It wouldn't be fair to other players who started out as non-Nobles, and someone who is brand new to town is not going to be given any kind of authority until they have proven themselves worthy.  (The rule is under #9 in Making a Character .)

That being said, it IS possible to work your way up to a Knight, Lord, or other noble position, by role-playing and earning the respect of  your peers in the game.  At least one of the current Lords started out as a plain old farmer's son.   Just be prepared to work for it!

There are lots of tailors and seamstresses within the game that will help you out if you decide to stick with the game. I'll pimp out Lauren Seyler (goes under the forum name Mallaidh McSweeney), as she makes really high quality wool coats, etc. Wool is really the single best thing you can wear in cold weather. Avoid cotton and go for synthetics or linen for your shirts and other undergarments.