Improving in-game atmosphere

We've mostly collected mugs and cups and things from backyard sales over the years. Scott and Dee donated a lot, and Heidi and I once found a yard sale with about a dozen in-game looking ceramic mugs that are great for coffee and hot chocolate.
 
RiddickDale said:
I saw something at another LARP I visited this year that I really liked.

They don't use white headbands or weapons on heads to denote a plot member or npc being out of game. Instead, they have a giant stack of straw hats.

When a plot member or NPC goes to set up an encounter or something similar they wear the straw hat and are basically just a farmer. Players can interact with them, but they share the understanding that its just a regular farmer going about his business.

This had one more added advantage. If a player needed to speak with a plot member they could walk up to any farmer IG and ask them, "Hey have you seen farmer Jesse anywhere? I was looking for him!" The farmer would then answer ig and tell the player where to go.

I thought it was a pretty interesting way to make the OOG mechanics of running the game more invisible.

Stephen
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That is awesome...
 
I suppose that you could change them from farmer to anything else that might fit your game.

Maybe they could have special sashes and be traders... or another special hat and be a guardsman.

As long as players know the drill, it would work.
 
Oh! Treasure chests with actual treasure. I think it'd be cool if, while fighting the big bag guy, the rogue sneaks over to the chest and successfully picks the lock and swipes all the treasure without anyone noticing. I think big bad guys having a treasure chest with their APL 300 treasure shouldn't necessarily be carrying everything they own on them, should they? I like having more for going about a situation, and if I am willing to risk death by trying to successfully sneak to the mod's treasure chest, unlock the lock, and escape without anyone noticing then that should be a viable option.
 
Pewter tankards are actually more Colonial era than medieval. They do look cool though.

In period, drinking vessels would likely be more clay and ceramic mugs, with rich people having glass. At flea markets and thrift stores, there are very often plain ceramic and clay mugs.

We use one particular pattern that is brown with tan "splashing" around the edges. We find them pretty cheap at flea markets. I don't think we paid much more than $1 for any mug or tankard. And then we see the same stuff in antique stores for $5-$10 and find it amusing.

Scott
 
I'm going to repeat what several others have said. Modern food packaging, get rid of it. My PC always carries dried meat with him, rather than keeping a package of jerky with me, I wrap it in a piece of his writing paper (and stuff it in my boot, but that's unrelated). Clay mugs can be found at thrift stores/garage sales for cheap, otherwise check out Etsy if you want to spend some money. Check out thrift stores for plates and eating ware that suit your character, can't find what you want? Make something, grab a bull horn and a jar of food grade urethane, you have a drinking horn, a slap of wood can be a platter to eat off of for a barbarian, etc.

Another one that bugs me is seeing a ballpoint pen handed to a character, who is taking notes on a piece of spiral bound paper. You can get blank drawing paper at the dollar store and plain charcoal sketch pencils for another buck or two. Kick it up with parchment and a fountain pen, quill, bamboo piece, glass pen, etc.
Need ideas? shopwritersbloc.com
 
While listening to the most recent Larpcast episode, they mentioned a LARP where the word "decorum" was used as an IG codeword for telling someone else that they weren't acting IG. Sounded like a great idea to me.

-Luke

edit: URL
 
Since the tavern is the place most people stay, I definitely see having a decorated tavern could do wonders to improve the atmosphere. Keeping labels off of OOG sodas/juice bottles/ect is something I'd also like to see more. Even putting them in a plastic clear bottle is better than a can. At least people are giving them different names though, "Mountain Ale, Monster Ale ect"

It's also highly up to the PC also to make sure they'll doing their part. Each chapter/plot can only do so much; it's up to the PCs to also contribute to the atmosphere.
 
If people want to spend RL money on mugs, Mike Tino from the CT chapter makes and sells all sorts of stuff. PM me and I'll shoot you his email address. (I'll ask him about posting it and edit if he's cool with it, I don't want to just do it without permission from him).

He made mugs for the Phalanx in CT, and stuff for his own team (Red Paw), that are dishwasher safe (always a plus!) and team or person specific.

And I'd have to argue that clear plasic bottles are better than cups. Even plain white paper cups are better than something clear and plastic that has bright green liquid in it. In CT we either used the camp's plastic-ware, paper cups (as plain as I could find at the local Costco), glass-bottled sodas (like IBC, which doesn't have a recognizable logo/label like Coke or Sprite) or people started getting stuff from Tino, which looked much, MUCH better.

And oh dear heavens, costuming goes a long, LONG way in making things look better. I understand that some people want to wear shoes that are more comfort than period-style. Get some toppers, or find hiking style boots that don't have flashy laces. Always shoot for multiple layers in NPC gear and clothing, very few people walk out of the cabin in a shirt and pants. Get an inexpensive weapon frog, belt and pouch, maybe dig up a hat, or a vest or cloak. It makes less of a sharp contrast between PCs and NPCs.
 
Talen said:
Duke Frost said:
Latex weapons...just saying. I've pretty much updated all my PCs and my big name NPCs with them...except for spears and polearms because I like to poke with those. Someone needs to invent a safe for poking latex weapon.
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Calmacil just started selling a telescoping spear tip, actually.

http://www.calimacil.com/weapons/spears ... spear.html

Add a little open cell for the "point" and I do believe you'd be set.
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The design is very close to the short spear I am making. Not sure if the 1/2" air gap alone would be enough to repeated attacks, but might be worth a looksee.
 
It's not actually telescoping, it's just squishy and you can leave extra room in the spear head so that it has more room to collapse when it strikes. I would like to get my hands on one to see if it would pass (but not enough to spend $75 of my own money on it).
 
Druk said:
Another one that bugs me is seeing a ballpoint pen handed to a character, who is taking notes on a piece of spiral bound paper. You can get blank drawing paper at the dollar store and plain charcoal sketch pencils for another buck or two. Kick it up with parchment and a fountain pen, quill, bamboo piece, glass pen, etc.
Need ideas? shopwritersbloc.com
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I generally carry golf pencils. Charcoal pencils are a bit fragile, and I fall on my kit pretty often.
 
Since seeing the video, I've been bouncing around the idea of securing the head to a slightly-larger pipe, then using either a spring or denser open-cell inside it for the primary core to compress against. I need to spend some time toying with kitespar and stuff to see how well it would work.
 
I know it's not always possible due to cost considerations, but having multiple outfits per event for PCs is a subtle, but surprisingly effective way of saying "these are clothes" rather than "this is my costume". Of course, there are characters who would wear the same thing for 3+ days (barbarians, I'm looking at you :) ), but for us gypsies and vain people, changing clothes everyday, or at least switching out shirts/chemises, really makes a difference.
 
Anazstaizia said:
I know it's not always possible due to cost considerations, but having multiple outfits per event for PCs is a subtle, but surprisingly effective way of saying "these are clothes" rather than "this is my costume". Of course, there are characters who would wear the same thing for 3+ days (barbarians, I'm looking at you :) ), but for us gypsies and vain people, changing clothes everyday, or at least switching out shirts/chemises, really makes a difference.
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I'm a wolf...few licks & I am clean :)
I do agree, having options is useful. The trick is for the people that have multiple characters though. Once you use gear for a PC, you don't want to use that same gear for another PC (or NPC for that matter) as you might run the risk of the 1 being seen as the other.
 
SkollWolfrun said:
Anazstaizia said:
I know it's not always possible due to cost considerations, but having multiple outfits per event for PCs is a subtle, but surprisingly effective way of saying "these are clothes" rather than "this is my costume". Of course, there are characters who would wear the same thing for 3+ days (barbarians, I'm looking at you :) ), but for us gypsies and vain people, changing clothes everyday, or at least switching out shirts/chemises, really makes a difference.
Click to expand...

I'm a wolf...few licks & I am clean :)
I do agree, having options is useful. The trick is for the people that have multiple characters though. Once you use gear for a PC, you don't want to use that same gear for another PC (or NPC for that matter) as you might run the risk of the 1 being seen as the other.
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Also for those of us who wear heavy armor reps. There's only so much you can do to look different when most of your outer garb is the same suit of armor. :)
 
I've heard the term "Arcane Armor" ruins great costumes. I actually think Arcane Armor allows you to show off your costume/clothing MUCH better than heaving a full body leather or Metal Suit of armor.

I suppose it also goes for how much of armor you're wearing in general and the quality. From my personal experiences those that went all out for armor look just as amazing as those in Arcane Armor who went all out for their outfit.

I never thought about having different clothes before reading the post on it. As a Dryad I change the costuming every event I play but that's still only 1 outfit an event. I haven't really noticed other PCs having multiple outfit on the same day, with the exception of a female Orc PC, who brings about 4 outfits a game with her (I never thought about that until now though. However it does add a lot subliminally).
 
Wraith said:
SkollWolfrun said:
Anazstaizia said:
I know it's not always possible due to cost considerations, but having multiple outfits per event for PCs is a subtle, but surprisingly effective way of saying "these are clothes" rather than "this is my costume". Of course, there are characters who would wear the same thing for 3+ days (barbarians, I'm looking at you :) ), but for us gypsies and vain people, changing clothes everyday, or at least switching out shirts/chemises, really makes a difference.
Click to expand...

I'm a wolf...few licks & I am clean :)
I do agree, having options is useful. The trick is for the people that have multiple characters though. Once you use gear for a PC, you don't want to use that same gear for another PC (or NPC for that matter) as you might run the risk of the 1 being seen as the other.
Click to expand...

Also for those of us who wear heavy armor reps. There's only so much you can do to look different when most of your outer garb is the same suit of armor. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, basically you are stuck with grabbing a fancy hat & a tabbard with a different design.
 
I find the problem with changing clothes a lot, is that people will often ask me if I am playing a different character when I do. It's funny that we see our characters as kind of cartoon characters that never change clothes or at least have 50 copies of the same outfit.
 
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