Posts
Today is Embrace Your Geekness Day
8:00 AM Posted In geek , holiday , LARP Edit This 0 Comments »
I will be celebrating by LARP'ing all day
Prepping for Summer LARPing
8:00 AM Posted In gaming , geek , LARP Edit This 0 Comments »
While summer may have already hit some parts of the continent, the
northern Pacific coast is still taking it's sweet time, as usual. Here
are some ideas on how to get you prepared.
1. Water
When in doubt, drink more water. My gnome wizard carries a leather water bottle on her belt, and I cannot tell you how much I love that thing. My healer has a knitted cozy for hers. I also make all my potions out of mini water bottles to make sure that people get water and because some people in my group can't have energy drinks, are diabetic, etc.
2. Sunscreen
There's no reason not to us it. Use a stronger SPF than you think you need as it might get sweated/washed off or you might not have a chance to reapply. I use Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch because I hate greasy lotions and makeup/prosthetics can be applied over it.
3. Bugspray
Mosquitoes were so bad this last weekend, that I killed at least 20 of them that were trying to eat one of my friends through his t-shirt. I use all-natural, citronella based bugspray, and got away with only two bites where I forgot to apply it. Being the only one who thought to use it, I'm tempted to start selling it on-site by the spray or by the bottle.
1. Water
When in doubt, drink more water. My gnome wizard carries a leather water bottle on her belt, and I cannot tell you how much I love that thing. My healer has a knitted cozy for hers. I also make all my potions out of mini water bottles to make sure that people get water and because some people in my group can't have energy drinks, are diabetic, etc.
2. Sunscreen
There's no reason not to us it. Use a stronger SPF than you think you need as it might get sweated/washed off or you might not have a chance to reapply. I use Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch because I hate greasy lotions and makeup/prosthetics can be applied over it.
3. Bugspray
Mosquitoes were so bad this last weekend, that I killed at least 20 of them that were trying to eat one of my friends through his t-shirt. I use all-natural, citronella based bugspray, and got away with only two bites where I forgot to apply it. Being the only one who thought to use it, I'm tempted to start selling it on-site by the spray or by the bottle.
Latrines and the LARPer
4:07 PM Posted In gaming , geek , LARP , women Edit This 0 Comments »
If you're in town, answering nature's call isn't that big of a deal.
But say you're in the back end of 40 acres and have to hold your
position and bladder, what do you do? A couple of people (of both genders) I know hold it all day long, which is unhealthy and not an option for some.
Luckily for you, I spent a couple years on trail crew and experienced in
no-trace camping where the closest flush-toilet was eight hours away.
(We would even swap stories around the campfire of what was the best
natural alternative to toilet paper, and the most comfortable positions
to assume). With a couple supplies, and some knowledge, you can mark
your territory with ease.
1. Hand sanitizer
While on-site, I carry this on me at all times. The 2 oz. bottle is discreet, and can be easily palmed in order to prevent breaking character. (Bonus: I get the larger sizes because they're cheaper, and refill my little bottle).
2. Tissues
Even if you don't plan on needing to find a bush, sometimes the latrines are out of toilet paper or someone is simply having an allergy attack. Keep a handful in a pouch or a closeable pocket to prevent wetting or soiling before you intend to wet or soil them.
Once you have an attempt at the trappings of civilization, familiarize yourself with poison oak/ivy/sumac (depending on your region) and stinging nettle. Even if you do not react to urushiol, you and your gear can spread the oil to others, which can be dangerous. For example, every time that I'm exposed to it, I end up on steroids because my eyes and airways swell shut. So be careful.
Now to pick a tree or bush free of poison ivy/oak/sumac, stinging nettle, and brambles that is a sensible distance away from bodies of water and the trail. (Nobody wants to step in your mess, nor have the swimming hole contaminated). With a sturdy stick, dig a "cathole" deep enough to suit your needs. If it's #1, only a few inches is necessary. For #2, six inches is ideal. Set your stick aside as you will use it to push the soil back over your nightsoil.
Before you can assume the position, ensure that all your pouches, weapons, clothing, and other dangly bits are tucked away out of the line of fire. Since both of my characters wear skirts/robes, I pull the bottommost hem (usually my chemise) up around my waist and draw the excess to the front. In this process my overskirt, pouches, and weapons are safely enveloped in my skirts. When it comes to pants you might be better off just removing your belt.
Get comfortable. I typically just squat in a wide stance, ensuring that the topography won't funnel anything back onto my shoes. The bulk of my skirts are sandwiched between my torso and my thighs. If it's a big job, then you may wish to grab the backs of your ankles or, if the land slopes steeply enough, you can put your hands uphill behind you to support yourself.
When your deposit's been made, use as little tissue possible. (Animals can dig it up and eat it, making them sick). If you're feeling particularly adventurous and recognize poison ivy/oak/sumac, experiment with plants. My days on trail crew gave me an appreciation for young sage leaves, soft and sweet-smelling. A second close is pine needles, taking care to use them with the grain, not against. If you're careful, rounded river rocks work well for #2. Just do not use sandstone, as one of my old crewmates learned the hard way.
Sort out your clothing and squirt some hand sanitizer. Take the stick you set aside before and use it to scrape the displaced earth back into the hole. If you were unable to dig very deep, place a big rock over it.
This sounds like a lot of work, but it's mostly thinking about what you're doing when it comes to both yourself and your surroundings. But if you happen to use a she-wee, let me know what you think.
1. Hand sanitizer
While on-site, I carry this on me at all times. The 2 oz. bottle is discreet, and can be easily palmed in order to prevent breaking character. (Bonus: I get the larger sizes because they're cheaper, and refill my little bottle).
2. Tissues
Even if you don't plan on needing to find a bush, sometimes the latrines are out of toilet paper or someone is simply having an allergy attack. Keep a handful in a pouch or a closeable pocket to prevent wetting or soiling before you intend to wet or soil them.
Once you have an attempt at the trappings of civilization, familiarize yourself with poison oak/ivy/sumac (depending on your region) and stinging nettle. Even if you do not react to urushiol, you and your gear can spread the oil to others, which can be dangerous. For example, every time that I'm exposed to it, I end up on steroids because my eyes and airways swell shut. So be careful.
Now to pick a tree or bush free of poison ivy/oak/sumac, stinging nettle, and brambles that is a sensible distance away from bodies of water and the trail. (Nobody wants to step in your mess, nor have the swimming hole contaminated). With a sturdy stick, dig a "cathole" deep enough to suit your needs. If it's #1, only a few inches is necessary. For #2, six inches is ideal. Set your stick aside as you will use it to push the soil back over your nightsoil.
Before you can assume the position, ensure that all your pouches, weapons, clothing, and other dangly bits are tucked away out of the line of fire. Since both of my characters wear skirts/robes, I pull the bottommost hem (usually my chemise) up around my waist and draw the excess to the front. In this process my overskirt, pouches, and weapons are safely enveloped in my skirts. When it comes to pants you might be better off just removing your belt.
Get comfortable. I typically just squat in a wide stance, ensuring that the topography won't funnel anything back onto my shoes. The bulk of my skirts are sandwiched between my torso and my thighs. If it's a big job, then you may wish to grab the backs of your ankles or, if the land slopes steeply enough, you can put your hands uphill behind you to support yourself.
When your deposit's been made, use as little tissue possible. (Animals can dig it up and eat it, making them sick). If you're feeling particularly adventurous and recognize poison ivy/oak/sumac, experiment with plants. My days on trail crew gave me an appreciation for young sage leaves, soft and sweet-smelling. A second close is pine needles, taking care to use them with the grain, not against. If you're careful, rounded river rocks work well for #2. Just do not use sandstone, as one of my old crewmates learned the hard way.
Sort out your clothing and squirt some hand sanitizer. Take the stick you set aside before and use it to scrape the displaced earth back into the hole. If you were unable to dig very deep, place a big rock over it.
This sounds like a lot of work, but it's mostly thinking about what you're doing when it comes to both yourself and your surroundings. But if you happen to use a she-wee, let me know what you think.
11 Ways to be a Better Roleplayer
6:05 PM Posted In gaming , geek , LARP Edit This 0 Comments »
In some people’s eyes, I break #7 by knitting. Not intricate lace or
anything, basically TV knitting. But it helps me deal with anxiety, and
I have no problem telling people to kindly fuck off.
A Day in the Life of Kasima the Gypsy
1:19 PM Posted In geek , LARP Edit This 0 Comments »
During my NPC shift yesterday, I was Kasima the Gypsy, complete in
bellydance finery. She thought that the townsfolk needed a lesson in
respecting gypsies and not judging a book by its cover. So she
proceeded to poison as many drinks, potions, and cookies as she could
get her hands on. (Logic is not Kasima’s strongsuit as she’s a bit
temperamental). She stole whatever she could get her hands on for her
sisters to sell at their shop, and named one of the town guard
“TinCan.” Then, to top it all off, she offered to sell the Queen’s
newborn son on the black market with a “60/20” split of the profits.
Once someone told Kasima that selling children was technically illegal,
she stole a necklace from the Wantadoobie pygmies and gave it to the
Queen in recompense for the offense.
LARP for the Physically Borked
1:15 PM Posted In geek , health , LARP Edit This 0 Comments »
I have several physical issues, and while I would love nothing more than to play a badass Amazon, my body tells me, “No way in hell.” Normally this would not be as big of a deal if my local group didn’t bill itself as HARP: Heavy Action Role-Play. Just yesterday one of the member was waxing nostalgic over when they didn’t pad their weapons and bragged about how he chipped a tooth during some warm-up fights just before this weekend’s mission. That’s all fine and dandy for him, but what about those of us where being tackled almost always ends in a trip to the hospital?
My group, Medieval Chaos, gives people the option of being non-combatant. The non-com wears a neon orange stripe of duct tape somewhere it can easily be seen. The person is not to be hit under any circumstances, however, this means that if a combatant comes within striking distance and yells at them, they’re dead. My first session out, I tried to go non-combatant. Then when my arcane apprentice was talked into drawing from the Deck of Many Things and subsequently became dim-witted (aka unable to read and therefore cannot cast arcane spells), I had the choice of sitting sober and bored in the tavern or ripping off the badge and picking up a weapon. I went with the latter and charged towards combat, yet when faced with actual melee, I role-played being paralyzed with fear. Both in and out of character I had little to no experience with two-handed maces (the weapons that happened to be discarded), so I held them in front of me as if to hide behind them. During a siege on the fort, I turned to one of the few healers and asked if she needed an apprentice. The weapon was traded for potions of resurrect and I gained some basic abilities and spells.
Despite my chosen class and physical issues, I still go to our practice nights a few times a week, but have had to hold myself back from trying to keep up with the teenagers, the people who weight 100 lbs less, and/or are more physically capable of keeping up with our ex-military leader. The difficult part is getting it through my head that I don’t have anything to prove to anyone but myself. The first time out for practice, I didn’t have my inhaler and tried to keep up with everyone else. 20 minutes in the asthma kicked in. I realized that I had two choices: go all out, end up in pain, and unable to breathe after a very short time or go at my own pace, stopping when I need to, have a good time, and still be able to function later. Now I moderate myself and when the asthma starts up while sparring, I step back to let it calm down. I still apologize profusely, but no one has a problem with it. After all, where’s the sport if your opponent is gasping for breath?
When signing in at gate, we are asked to leave as much of our gear in our cars/tents as possible in order to make the experience real. Inhalers and other necessary items are kept in a pouch or pocket, and are listed on our membership paperwork. I go one step further and ensure that most of my friends know where I keep my inhaler, where the first aid kit is in my car, and that I have medical training.
Before and after every mission, MC has meetings that we call “conch.” Someone blows a conch shell and we all gather in town. Before the mission, the NPC’s step forward so we’ll recognize them (as opposed to their characters), non-combatants announce themselves, and we can all generally get an idea of how the day is going to go. After the mission, we can all share something that we enjoyed/appreciated and constructive criticism. For example, last weekend I thanked people for the most part recognizing that I can’t be hit very hard (one solid blow and the resulting flinch/startled reaction could re-injure my back). Most people will hit you as hard as you hit them. That being said, you can’t say, “Please don’t hit me hard!” and then turn around and wail on them. Nor can you not acknowledge a hit. Because I don’t wear armour, I will take even the lightest of hits for both realism and honesty.
Most of the time when on site, I use a sturdy, carved walking stick and when in melee, I hold it behind my back in order to avoid the instinct of whacking my opponent with it. Once I have the money, I’m going to invest in a staff in order to avoid anyone getting hurt accidentally. Only once or twice has the bar’s bouncer tried to make me leave it outside, at which point I break character to inform him that do need it. Enough people have seen me fall flat on my ass when one of my ankles decides to go out and I’m stubbornly avoiding using it that it’s barely even noticed anymore. Although it was both entertaining and humiliating when this happened as an NPC zombie (i.e. no stick, and I thought that the limp added to the authenticity) I was “invisibly” on my way to the outhouse and everyone broke character to see if I was all right. I even took the crippled trait in order to at least get some in-character benefit from my issues.
In short, work within your limits, have fun with it both in and out of character, remember to laugh, and stand up for yourself and your needs when necessary.
SCA vs. LARP
1:31 PM Posted In geek , history , LARP , SCA Edit This 0 Comments »
A lot of people in the LARP community have nothing but bile and
hatred for the Society for Creative Anachronism. A lot of people in the
SCA have little to no respect for Live Action Roleplayers. To both
groups I have one thing to say: Get over yourselves.
You know what our biggest difference is? Nothing. In the grand scheme of things we are merely geeks running around the woods in funny clothing and beating each with sticks.
Yes, there are pompous, arrogant windbags in the SCA who for some reason only the Gods know like to eviscerate newcomers for why their garb is wrong and why they’re an idiot for even trying. Yes, some LARPers love to enumerate all the reasons why a newbie cannot do x, y, or z and why they’re an idiot for even asking.
I have been in TAG, 4H, softball, ABC, basketball, PPFB, VB, track, JSA, FBLA, FFA, LDS, X-C, CCF, RHA, theatre, CUUPS, BTW, BDSM, HRC, CNA, SCA, and LARP. And you know what I’ve found? No matter where you go, there are asshats and politics. You know why? People are flawed.
You are not better than anyone else. Your group is not better than any other. There are pros and cons to everyone and every group. The minute you start pointing fingers, you become a moron.
You know what our biggest difference is? Nothing. In the grand scheme of things we are merely geeks running around the woods in funny clothing and beating each with sticks.
Yes, there are pompous, arrogant windbags in the SCA who for some reason only the Gods know like to eviscerate newcomers for why their garb is wrong and why they’re an idiot for even trying. Yes, some LARPers love to enumerate all the reasons why a newbie cannot do x, y, or z and why they’re an idiot for even asking.
I have been in TAG, 4H, softball, ABC, basketball, PPFB, VB, track, JSA, FBLA, FFA, LDS, X-C, CCF, RHA, theatre, CUUPS, BTW, BDSM, HRC, CNA, SCA, and LARP. And you know what I’ve found? No matter where you go, there are asshats and politics. You know why? People are flawed.
You are not better than anyone else. Your group is not better than any other. There are pros and cons to everyone and every group. The minute you start pointing fingers, you become a moron.
