Hello, questions

Hello, I'm new and plan to attend the next larp. I'm Jacqueline and I have a couple of questions that I couldn't quite find answers to while I was sifting through the site.
1. How do I know where I sleep, I'm assuming I'll find out when I get there but I would like to know?
2. What material does a Shield have to be made out for it to be okay to use?
This is my first time larping at an actual event I used to just hold small larps with my friends so I know how to make a character but I was also wondering if just being aNPC would be a good thing to do.
If so is there anything specific I should wear to be a NPC?
Are fiberglass cored weapons allowed?
I would greatly appreciate answers even if the questions aren't very important.
~~~
Jacqueline

Hello!

I think I can help you with a few of those questions.

There's normally plenty of room in the main building (the inn,) so you'll more than likely be able to grab a bunk there. Failing that, there's also the Barn, which is the big building next to logistics - just ask someone to point you towards it if you're in doubt! If you'd like to sleep outside (a wise choice, considering the weather) there are also tents set up across the site; I've found that there are often free tents down in Ostcliff and Drega'Mire.

Have a look here for a good run-down on building shields.

Being an NPC at your first event is a good way to get a taste of what the game is all about - you get to try a couple of different roles, and will certainly get a feel for the finer points of boffer combat. It's also free. However, NPCing and PCing are very different experiences; it's really a matter of personal preference as to whether you'd like to NPC before making a character, or dive right in and PC your first event. The New Player marshals are kind of super awesome and will give you lots of help writing a character if you opt for the latter.

For NPCing, just wear some plain black clothes that you don't mind getting a bit mucky. Black is obviously not a great colour to wear in hot weather, so go for something loose-fitting if you can find it (I myself like to rock a t-shirt and some baggy trousers.)

Fiberglass and graphite cores are allowed for all weapons, with thrown weapons and javelins being notable exceptions (both need to be coreless.) Check this out for more information on building weapons.

I hope that helps! Looking forward to meeting you in a few weeks.

jacqueline parks wrote: Hello, I'm new and plan to attend the next larp. I'm Jacqueline and I have a couple of questions that I couldn't quite find answers to while I was sifting through the site.

Hi & welcome!

jacqueline parks wrote: 1. How do I know where I sleep, I'm assuming I'll find out when I get there but I would like to know?

Look here... sleeping arangements

jacqueline parks wrote: 2. What material does a Shield have to be made out for it to be okay to use?

Shield making is covered here... Shields

jacqueline parks wrote: This is my first time larping at an actual event I used to just hold small larps with my friends so I know how to make a character but I was also wondering if just being aNPC would be a good thing to do.

A New Player Marshal can help answer that with you.

jacqueline parks wrote: If so is there anything specific I should wear to be a NPC?
Are fiberglass cored weapons allowed? I would greatly appreciate answers even if the questions aren't very important.

There's a great part of the website called New Players (not the forum section) that answers almost every new player question imaginable. It's linked New Players! on the left hand side of the website, under the Home link. I highly recommend reading that section.

Welcome to our happy group, & I hope you join us soon & have fun.

Let me simply say I NPC'd the 'other' LARP I attend at camp Sac twice before I made a sheet-and it'd have been more, save for bringing in a friend who wanted to play my "Sister". I've NPC'd KR twice, and want to do so more - probably I'll spend six months to a year NPCing before bringing in my planned PC - but have a lack of time/spoons at the moment. I NPC'd Changeling the Lost a full year and change before playing a character that became central to the game for three years straight. I NPC extra shifts as often as I can without hurting my personal RP with other players.

NPCing is the best way to learn the rules, the world, the tone, the players, the flow. You build up a lot of assistance points. You learn the camp layout. You learn what you'll need to survive OOG for your weekend IG. The weapons will be more familiar. You'll learn to dodge arrows rather than flinch at them There's a GREAT deal to gain from NPCing.

And, perhaps most importantly, it'll mean when you PC, you'll have a much stronger foundation to work off of, and you'll enjoy your character and the experience more. That's the greatest advantage. The goal is to have fun, and feeling off-balance while you're trying to play a character you've poured heart and soul into is depressing!

So, yes. NPC! Besides Logistics is where the cool kids hang out

Hello Jacqueline,

Welcome to Knight Realms. I have been around the block a time or two when it comes to choosing whether or not to PC ones first event. I have learned from the experience I have that NPCing your first couple of events is probably the best thing one can do. It allows the person to become familiar with things like the damage types used, the camp layout, the weapons used, the monsters we fight and most importantly how to hone ones role playing skills. This world you are about to enter is full of different races of beings and professions these races have come to build their lives around and each one can be role played a hundred different ways so getting an understanding of this can only help when you are ready to make the leap from NPC to PC. Having the time to play all the different roles NPCing has to offer will also help you hone ideas for the character you would like to be, it's going to be your life so it's best to make sure it's a life you want to lead.

If you have any other problems or would like someone to talk to about all of this, you can feel free to message me and I'll be happy to help in any way I can. Good Luck.

Hello, I am Justin, one of many New Player Marshalls here at KR.

As for NPCing your first event, it's completely up to you. I came in as a PC (That had almost no garb or direction) and I'm glad I did. Although it took me longer to learn the camp and system, I started making friends and building character relationships right away. For me, that was the biggest thing for me. I stuck around the people I went on the New Player introduction mod with, and had a blast.

That being said, it is true that there are benefits to Full Time NPCing. You do get to learn the system faster, and the camp layout. You also get to be seen more often, as you will be encountering many different people rather than the people your PC would hang out with. You also get more time to develop your character and come up with personality quirks, attitudes, and motivations. Not to mention, Full time NPCing is free. However, you really don't start building IG relationships until you PC. It's all up to you, but it depends on why you want to come to KR.

As for sleeping, there is a sleeping area for each of the lands at KR. While the statehouses (cabins) are generally reserved for vassals and the like, the tents are pretty free. The inn is also a good place to stay, as it's close to all the action, and bathrooms. However, this is first-come, first-serve for the free space, and since during the summer, we can't arrive until 5 PM on the day of an event, it may be hard to snag a bed. If you find me before the event, I will be more than happy to help you arrange a place to stay. I'll be helping with New Player Training, and sign in, but if you can't find me, ask for a New Player Marshall, and they'll point you to someone who can help.

Another thing I'd like to suggest is whenever you do bring in your PC, Don't take the first NPC available. You will more than likely miss the "New Player Introduction" mod that is designed to give you a tour of the town, and introduce you to the system.

If you have any more questions, feel free to post them here, or shoot me a PM, and I'll do my best to either answer them, or direct you to someone who can.

Welcome to Knight Realms, and I hope you love it as much as I do!

I am a relatively new player, and my wife and I also took the route of coming in without NPCing first. We incorporated our lack of knowledge into our character designs, and it worked out well.

I will also pipe in on NPC vs PC first.
I NPC for my first 2 events. it gave me a quick run down on the camp and how the rules work IG. it also gave me a few extra build for my character once I did start.

the other benefits of NPC first Is it can give you insight as to how you may want to play your character. perhaps after a full weekend of being a sword swinging melee fighter you may opt to rethink that Barbarian berserker. or after playing a necromancer or dark priest opt to create a spell caster.

good luck and we look forward to seeing you whatever direction you choose

I would also like to add that when you do decide to come in as a PC and decide that that particular style character isn't for you, you do have the option of re-writing. I, along with many other people have done this, because once you do go to an event as a PC, many things are different than expected, and you might realize that you don't want to be from say, Kormyre when you you can be from Coast Haven.

One of my favorite things about KR is that you get what you put in. If you put yourself out there, and make friends, it doesn't really matter what's on your card as long as you're having fun. And if you're not having fun, more than likely people will help you.

Justin makes a very good point- PCing is very different than NPCing, at least in my experience.

Everything said above is true about NPCing. You get a feel for the layout, how combat works, and the basic mechanics of the whole thing. You never have to worry about whether or not you'll have people to interact with, there'll be plenty of it. Plus the extra build you earn never hurts .

But when I transitioned to PC it was like night and day. NPCing prepared me for the game mechanics, but not the character details. Now if you've LARPed before that's probably not a big deal, but if you never have, like me, it was a wee bit overwhelming.

That being said, as you can see from all the responses above there everyone is friendly and willing to answer any questions you may have. As always the choice is yours, but I found NPCing to be a real blast, and I learned a lot.

Hi I'm just gonna poke my head in and drop my two cents

First off my name is Matt, I'm one of the guys who run the new player mods on Saturdays

Normally I'm psyched about the idea of new players npcing and learning the system before playing, but this event is going to be a particularly good weekend to be a new p.c.

Ultimately the choice is yours, but I'm just saying (without giving too much away) I might be running non stop new player mods this weekend

That guy who just posted? He's pretty AWESOME. I highly recommend jumping in on his new player stuff.

I hope this will be 10 seasons and under new player stuff, and not 5.

Seconded. His stuff is amazing fun.

I'll be making a post on the announcements board with more details soon

Oh another not there is a whole team involved in those mods i just happen to be the most vocal

Yeah, I know. everyone involved with the new player stuff has been really great.

I think my husband Caldor and I decided to PC, because we weren't sure about the game and how the social aspects work with new players(PCs). We wanted to make sure that Knight realms was the place we wanted to commit to by making characters and seeing how the game unfolded with us playing. We wanted to see if players would be welcoming to newbies and whether or not you could jump in as a low level (Stuff that is hard to gage as an NPC). IF you really want to see how the social environment works, being an NPC will not do it.

Also to be honest, we have a small child and are unsure about our availability, so we needed to jump in as we weren't sure we could commit to every event. If you are unsure of what your commitment might be, starting as a PC may be preferable.

Hi.
My name is Sean I am also one of the new player marshal.
When I came in I started PCing right off the bat.

Jason there is something for you as well outside of the new player zone.

Hi Jacqueline! I'm Christine, another New Player Marshal. Everyone who has posted here has really given wonderful answers to your questions, so I'm more just here to say hi, and drop my two cents about PCing v. NPCing.

I came in playing a PC for my first event and had a blast, then came back for my second event as a weekend NPC. I can be kind of shy when it comes to entering into a community of people who are already familiar with each other-I just can't figure out who to talk to or how to start conversations. Personally, spending the weekend tending the bar in the Inn was a great way for me to break the ice and get a better handle on some of the role-playing aspects of KR. I came back in as my PC the next month and again had a fantastic time, and had an easier time of interacting with people and finding things to do.
There are pros and cons to both PCing and NPCing, especially coming into game for the first time. I know a lot of outgoing people who know how to jump right in to anything and make it work, but seeing as it was a little daunting for me, I was happy to watch and feel out people I might be able to spend some time with in game for the next time around. It really depends on your personality and how you handle social situations.
I hope this helps you out a little bit, and I can't wait to see you in game!