LARPing

[furashgf]

Hi. I'm new!

(1) Are there special, separate, updated rules for running Amber as a LARP?

(2) Many people like some randomness. Is there any hack that lets you add a small random element without doing too much violence to the game? For example, "Rock, Paper, Scissors"

[Panjumanju]

Hi. I'm new!

Welcome.

(1) Are there special, separate, updated rules for running Amber as a LARP?

No. But I don't think it needs it. I think the system would run very well as a LARP as-is. I've heard of it done before fairly often.

(2) Many people like some randomness. Is there any hack that lets you add a small random element without doing too much violence to the game? For example, "Rock, Paper, Scissors"

There already is a random element in the game, good/bad stuff. And in my experience it works better than most, especially if you don't want to slow the game down - pretty ideal for LARP.

(I suppose there's two random elements, the second being circumstance. Make that three; planning. But generally good/bad stuff will take care of anything random you'd ever need in the process of the game.)

If you're looking to randomise conflict resolution just for the sake of including a random element, I suggest you give the system a try as-is first. You'll probably find that trying to tack something on will more get in the way.

//Panjumanju

[jibbajibba]

Hi. I'm new!

(1) Are there special, separate, updated rules for running Amber as a LARP?

(2) Many people like some randomness. Is there any hack that lets you add a small random element without doing too much violence to the game? For example, "Rock, Paper, Scissors"

I guess you could run combat as Rock , paper scissors but the guy with lower warfare only gets to pick Rock

[jhkim]

I've played in a number of Amber larps, including one last weekend at AmberCon NorthWest.

The setting for Amber is kind of a pain for larp, because it requires a lot of GM attention to resolve things, especially with various powers like trump contacts (with psyche possibilities), sorcery, and others. In a tabletop game, these can be tricky. In a larp, where players are moving around and doing things independently, it can be a major headache.

I've played I think four Amber larps, and they've always had issues with GM coordination and lag time. They've still been fun, but be aware that this is going to be an issue that the multiple GMs will have to work through in play.

[Artifacts of Amber]

I always thought if I ran a Larp in Amber I would just let everyone carry cards with their stats on them. And If they wanted they could have lower stat cards so they would reveal during that sort of contest the card the wanted up to their stat. The idea being you don't have to show you have a 50 pt psyche but open with a gentle push at 10 then someone could oppose with 20 then you could oppose with a 30 until one of you showed top card. A sort of personal bidding war without revealing how good you actually are until you have to to win. You could then also lose purposely to make people underestimate you.


I always thought that would be fun. If a pain to manage.

I can see how managing a Larp with the Required GM's I think I would have  to assign them duties. Ie one GM does Combat,physical, Another, Mental combat, Another Shadow travel etc. To make it easier to find a GM to handle things and so someone is handling things with full knowledge of it so the Physical combat person would know all the players physical stats well and everything else peripherally. I guess it could work. Don't Larp enough to know.

I don't need Random elements in table top so Larp it doesn't seem needed the players all the Random one would need, Or want  I think the bidding as I detailed above would replace the Randomizer as the Unknown element and tension builder ina game.

just my thoughts

[Evermasterx]

I always thought if I ran a Larp in Amber I would just let everyone carry cards with their stats on them. And If they wanted they could have lower stat cards so they would reveal during that sort of contest the card the wanted up to their stat. The idea being you don't have to show you have a 50 pt psyche but open with a gentle push at 10 then someone could oppose with 20 then you could oppose with a 30 until one of you showed top card. A sort of personal bidding war without revealing how good you actually are until you have to to win. You could then also lose purposely to make people underestimate you.

What a great idea!
I wonder if this could be used in a tabletop session too...

[Panjumanju]

What a great idea!
I wonder if this could be used in a tabletop session too...

That IS a great idea - bidding as conflict resolution.

//Panjumanju

[Evermasterx]

Maybe that using the Tarots could help setting the mood...
Pentacles=END
Spades=WAR
Wands=STR
Cups=PSY
King/Queen=Amber Rank
Knight=Chaos Rank
Page=Human Rank
1-10=Ranked
So if you are ranked #3 in STR, you receive:

• Page of Wands
• Knight of Wands
• King of Wands
• 3 of Wands
• 4 of Wands
• ecc. to the last rung.

and you can play what you want of the above cards.
The GM can use this for NPC too.
Don't know if it works, I'm only thinking aloud.
This can be used in LoO too...

[Artifacts of Amber]

I guess you could use the idea for Table top but I see it wold be really cool for a short campaign / throne war etc, game built on character conflict more so than a campaign. I know in my game most people (after several many conflicts with others) have an idea of who is better than who at this point. Of course I also have players who are not as much into internal conflict among the characters. They have their secrets and such but for the most part are not playing very devious characters.

I hadn't really thought of using it in Table top but i can see it working pretty well in some circumstances. Especially with experienced players who would best know how to use the system and adhere to how it would be role played out.

Just my thoughts.

[jibbajibba]

What a great idea!
I wonder if this could be used in a tabletop session too...

I was thinking the same thing when I was describing Amber to my play group this weekend.
I was talking about running a Fables diceless game and they were like diceless the WTF?
When I described the aution for stats they immediately hooked onto that as the core resolution mechanism and I though, no but ...... hmmm....

was thinking with cards a bit like the example EvermasterX gives with you having a hand of tarot cards but decided that would consume all 4 of my tarot decks and hard to see why you would not drop The Bomb early also hard with NPC v PC battles.

So then I was thinking a pool of poker chips 4 colours that you spend in each scene even allowing you to bluff like you have access to greater power  ... anyway

I might try and hack somethign out

[Artifacts of Amber]

jibbajibba
and hard to see why you would not drop The Bomb early also hard with NPC v PC battles.


Mainly they might if their are witnesses and don't want others to recognize how good they are.

So mainly in campaigns/games were character rivalry / conflict is strong.

[RPGPundit]

Considering that you don't need dice in the game, I don't see why you'd need rock-paper-scissors in the LARP.

[TristramEvans]

Wasn't there a Nobilis Larp? How was it ?

(Meaning how were its Larp rules, not what you think of Nobilis/Borgstrom)

[Taewakan]

The key to playing Amber LARP is to have narrators for PCs. People who know the system and have months, if not years of experience with the table-top version.
You might print up a list of Ranks and their Numbers for easy reference. No names needed. Add to that the combat effect table and you have the potential for a workable LARP – until the cheaters come in. Every LARP has them. You know, visitors from other LARPs with minimaxed stats and ranks.

This is why I run a small game with no more than a handful or seven players. I would love to see an Amber LARP, but I've never seen one done well.
Que-sera, sera.