Hello!

Hi there everyone!

I'm Brittney (or Craven, depending on when you ask me--and that's Craven by name, mind you, not by nature), and I'm a complete and total LARP virgin. I've been involved in who knows how many online roleplays in my past, but larping is completely new to me. While gallivanting about the PA ren faire with a certain dragoon I know, we happened to run into Geoff and Diane, and I have to say, between the three of them I'm already really looking forward to attending my first event! I'll be coming in as a Barbarian.....Ranger? Druid? Still working out the details, minor setbacks there. I was hoping to go in November but regrettably, work has me by the checkbook and I can't get the weekend off. With any luck, I'll be attending the December event though--and the wait, long as it seems, will give me extra time to flesh out the character as well!

As someone brand new to any kind of acting whatsoever, let alone complete and total improv, anyone have any suggestions for me? I fall into character quite easily (damn you, Craven...) but the issue is STAYING there. It's not like the online RPs, can't just be like "OOC: BRB!" and run off to do whatever else, and I feel that remaining in character will be my biggest problem for my first event.

Feel free to shoot me a message on AIM any time (assuming I'm ever actually on), it'd be nice to get to know you!

Welcome to the game! Hope to see you in December.

Hi Brittney and welcome to the forums!

The best advice I can give you with regards to making a first character and staying InGame (or IG, what we call staying in character) is to make your first character 1) someone that you can fall easily into, like you said, and 2) someone that fits into the KR gameworld specifically.

As to the first one, this is all about making a  first character that isn't so far from your own personality or mannerisms that you'd have trouble maintaining it for three days at a time, especially if you are worried about staying IG. Remember, for instance, that if you start out your character with a limp or with some quirky way of speaking you have to keep doing that for a whole weekend, so make sure its something you are able to do for that long! This also means writing a strong character background for yourself - a history doesn't have to be epic or complicated, but the more you understand your own character's motivations, aspirations, and reasons for being who she is and in Travance of all places (one of the most dangerous places in Kormyre) the easier it is to stay living as your character during the downtime or while just simply chatting with people.  

As to the second one, I've found that the more your background and character follows the lore of the game and the racial RP (all found through the links on the website, to the left), the easier it is to mesh yourself into the enviroment. Everyone wants to be special, but that doesn't always mean having some incredibly crazy background or trying too hard to "different" for the sake of being different - some of the best RPed characters I've seen have been pretty "normal" people who have found themselves coming to Travance for some reason or another, but have otherwise let their character evolve through interactions at the game rather than from some event they created from their character's past. You can of course come up with whatever you like and submit it for approval, but thats just been my experience.

Other tips include bits of costuming or accessories that particularly make you feel in game (when I don't have on my character's jewelry, for instance, Elawyn, my PC or Player Character, just doesn't feel like Elawyn), or listening to period music that gets you in the right mindset on the way to the game. If you chose to play a race other than human, the costume and makeup requirements may also help in this regard. Check out the "Roleplaying" link to the left sidebar for more articles on staying IG, and I'm sure other people have advice as well.

Good luck, and keep posting any further questions you have!