What is LARP
In the most simple terms, LARP is an acronym that stands for live-action roleplay. LARP is a form of immersive improvisational theatre in which you take up the "role" of your character and "play" out their actions. It's very similar to playing pretend like you did as a child. But instead of making it all up on the spot we have a set of rules that we play by and a team of writers to give you a living world to play in. We use volunteer actors called "NPCs" to help us tell those stories. Folks that want to play their own character are called "PCs" or "adventurers." Mechanics, settings, themes, and tropes share a lot of similarities with things like D&D, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Baldur's Gate, etc. Fantasy is not the only genre of LARP out there, just one that we really like to play.
A LARP functions by having 2 groups of people known as Player Characters (PCs) and Non-Player Characters (NPCs). While our plot team is responsible for creating the world and running events, PCs are responsible for creating the character that they would like to play in said world. PCs are expected to bring their own costuming and weapons as well as writing and submitting their own backstory. Though there's more front end work this has the advantage that a PC can make any of their own choices as the story progresses. On the flip side, NPCs are under the control of the plot team and are basically our volunteer actors. They help further the story our plot team is trying to tell but are therefore much more limited in their actions. That being said, they don't need to provide any of their own costumes and weapons unless they wish to. NPCs are also eventually eligible to play big scary monsters or important nobles once they have shown a consistent understanding of our rules system.
All our character sheets are stored on the national database, the Character Management App or CMA . Once you've created your account, go to the character tab and click on "New Character." From there, you can pick any skill so long as you have the XP for it and all appropriate prerequisites. But be careful! Any changes to the database are permanent! If you're uncertain of the exact build that you want, you can always go to the free play version of the CMA and try things out before committing to your build. If you finish your first event and realize you'd like to go in a different direction, you have a few more logistics periods to decide what you want. You can start your character over from scratch but you wont be able to do this forever! Check with your local logistics team to make sure you're eligible.
Most events are run over the weekend at a campsite. Our usual campsite is Aravada Springs in Bunkerville, NV. It has cabins and a lodge so you'll be able to get out of the elements though we may have space for tents if necessary. We are at higher elevation than Vegas so it can be about 10 degrees cooler but it is still a desert so please keep yourself well hydrated. The higher elevation can dehydrate you just as much! This means please be drinking both water AND something with electrolytes. Gatorade, mix-ins like Liquid IV, or even pickle juice are good options to quickly add sodium back into your system.
We offer an optional food plan if you don't want to worry about bringing your own food. It can be purchase along with event ticket on our events page of this website. The campsite offers little to no cell service but does have Wi-Fi so accommodate accordingly. The site is about an hour away from civilization with the nearest city being Mesquite, NV. Please plan accordingly should you need any extra supplies on the way to the campsite. Most of the road is not very well maintained. Its very bumpy with lots of potholes and the last couple of miles start to get pretty steep. While we have seen smaller cars try successfully, there are plenty that have broken down on that road so if you CAN carpool in an SUV or other rugged vehicle we would highly recommend it. The roads surrounding the campsite can get a bit confusing. Aravada Springs has posted this helpful set of directions to make sure you get there properly.
If you are a PC make sure to bring your own weapons and costuming. These things will be provided for NPCs by staff, however please come dressed in all black comfortable clothing. NPCs are also welcome to bring their own weapons and costuming if they would like.
If you plan on flying, the closest and cheapest international airport is Harry Reid International (LAS) in Las Vegas, NV. There is also Saint George Regional (SGU) in Saint George, Utah however flights out of there will likely be more expensive and not much closer. I would highly recommend carpooling with a player from Vegas or southern Utah (We have plenty passing through from both directions) and arranging that ride prior to booking your flight to make sure you can make it to our events in a safe and timely manner. Aravada Springs is about an hour south of Mesquite on dirt and gravel roads so rideshare (i.e. Uber or Lyft) and buses to the campsite will not be available.
If you are planning on driving, Google Maps will be your friend in getting to our site. Aravada Springs has also posted this set of directions so you can make sure you're going the right way. Again, this site is about an hour away from civilization so if you're running low on gas, please fill up in Mesquite and grab any other snacks or supplies you need there before making the final leg of the journey. Most of the road is not very well maintained. Its very bumpy with lots of potholes and the last couple of miles start to get pretty steep. While we've seen smaller cars make the journey, if you CAN carpool in an SUV or other rugged vehicle we would highly recommend it. If you need help or suggestions about accommodations before or after an event or if you will need to borrow weapons, feel free to contact us and we will try our best to help you out.
Alliance Las Vegas is based in Las Vegas, Nevada but our main campsite is Aravada Springs in Bunkerville, NV, about an hour south of Mesquite. This campsite is higher elevation than the city which means it's likely to be cooler but it is still the high desert. Summers will be hot and with the higher elevation there is a higher likelihood for dehydration so please dress and care for yourself appropriately. I'd also like to remind you the winter/early spring games can still be quite cold and windy so extra layers will be helpful.
With this site being about an our away from proper civilization, please fill up on gas in Mesquite and grab any other snacks or supplies you need there before making the final leg of the journey. Most of the road is not very well maintained. Its very bumpy with lots of potholes and the last couple of miles start to get pretty steep. We've seen smaller cars make it but if you CAN carpool in an SUV or other rugged vehicle we would highly recommend it. The roads surrounding the campsite can get a bit confusing. Aravada Springs has created this set of directions so you can find your way a bit easier. Is our game a little further than you'd like to travel? Well there are plenty of other Alliance LARP chapters across the US! If we're too far away from you consider checking out our other chapters in Arizona/California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania (x2!), Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. For more info, check out alliancelarp.com/find-a-chapter/
We have a Facebook page, Instagram account, and a Discord server. We also have a forum on Alliance LARP's national website.
Goblin stamps (also known as "gobbies") are an out of game currency that we use as a way to reward our players. Alliance chapters can give out goblin stamps for pretty much any reason but it usually involves helping out the chapter in some way. It might be something as simple as helping with dishes after a meal or something bigger like donating to a fundraiser. Goblin stamps can be traded in for a number of things. In the character management app (CMA) you can buy back event credits, get an xp blanket every month, or sell a skill your character doesn't make much use of any more. Gobbies can also be used to buy certain in game tags by contacting the logitics team at [email protected]
Dragon stamps (or simply "dragons") are similar to goblin stamps but are used and obtained at a national level, therefore they are harder to get and have limited uses. Dragon stamps are a way for the national organization to say thank you. They can be gained by helping out the organization in a significant way such as participating at marketing events (i.e. renaissance faires or conventions). Like gobbies they can be used to apply a monthly xp blanket to your character but dragon stamps are special because you can make certain magic items that can be used in all Alliance chapters.
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