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Live Role Playlng a.k.a. LRPing
This info taken directly from the live role playing society of edmonton.
What is "Live Role Playing" ?
A definition of Live Role Playing: Live role playing is a recreational activity that has its roots in both live theatre, and in role playing games, the most (in)famous of which is TSR's Dungeon's and Dragons(R). The intent is to provide an environment where people can explore different characters and themes while interacting with each other. It differs from traditional theatre in that there is no audience; everyone is invited to participate in the events, and in that there is typically a framework of rules rather than a predetermined script to govern interactions.
Live Role Playing is, simply, putting yourself into someone else's role. From the time little kids are playing dress-up, pretending to be Mommy & Daddy, or Cowboys & Indians, or moviestars, or firefighters, they are learning about themselves and their world through roleplaying. It's all make-believe, and yet there is a great deal of education to be gained from it.
It can also be great entertainment. Forgetting about life's day-to-day hassles and immersing one's self in a world of fantasy is a very common form of stress relief, whether it's by day-dreaming in a bubble bath, seeing a play, or watching the X-files on TV.
Roleplaying games such as Dungeons & Dragons (tm) and Cyberpunk (tm) take imagination a step further by creating a shared fantasy world (see note). A leader, or "Dungeon Master" describes places and events, while players explain how their make-believe characters react. Combat and other conflicts are resolved with the roll of dice. Characters grow and gain experience as the game goes on, and all the players have the chance to share their ideas and explore their own imaginations.
Live Role Playing, however, goes beyond traditional 'tabletop' games. Participants dress up as their characters, and act out the story, with the aid of props and an appropriately decorated environment. They interact with eachother, and usually try to complete a quest, or solve a plot. Anyone who has played in a 'Murder Mystery' at a dinner theatre or a party has participated in a form of Live Role Playing.
Dangerous or distasteful activities are still described rather than acted out, and certain safety standards are enforced. For example, props such as swords must have dull edges, and should be tied into their sheaths during games. Rather than attacking someone with a sword, a player describes his or her actions, and then rolls dice to determine the outcome. And no one really needs to be subjected to the stench a dragon's lair might produce - a referee's description will suffice. Different games may have different ways of refereeing events (some may use directors, narrators, or storytellers), and different methods of resolving combat (such as a game of rock-paper-scissors, or by comparing combat scores on the character sheet) but the same general principle applies.
In some Live Role Playing events, combat may even be acted out. However, those games have very specific rules as to when and how combat may be played out, and who can do so. Special foam-based weapons may be used, and sufficient padding or armor must be worn. Sometimes players have to attend combat workshops, or pass a test before being permitted to fight on the playing field. Most games don't go to such lengths, however.
As an interesting side note, these live combat games have often been called "Live-Action Role Playing games", or LARPs, as opposed to the less combat intensive Live Role Playing games (LRPs). The abbreviation "LARP" has caught on, though (you have to admit, it is easier to pronounce), and the term LARP is now used to refer to all live games, rather than just the ones with live combat. So before you play, make sure you know what kind of system you're working with.
Whether they include combat or not, all Live Role Playing games have a system or rules to govern interactions, and keep the games safe and fun for everyone. After all, no matter how dramatic or involved they are, they're just games, and the point is to have fun.
Note: Games such as these have occassionally been criticized and condemned for drawing kids too deeply into a fantasy world, making them withdraw and lose touch with the real world. While it is true that some people have taken the games to an extreme, the reality is that more kids have become lost touch with the world through alcohol and drugs than to any game.
Role Playing games (RPG's) tend to promote a much healthier lifestyle. They pull kids away from the TV and get them reading, talking, and sharing. They develop the imagination. They teach kids to solve problems presented by the Dungeon Master. And, because they are usually played in the safety of a livingroom or basement, they are easily supervised by concerned parents (unlike trips to the bar, or drug parties).
Of course, anything taken to an extreme can be harmful. No game or activity or substance should ever take central place in a person's life.
Thanks for taking the time to read this
This info taken directly from the live role playing society of edmonton.
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