Glossary — LARP — The Atlas

AlibiAlibi is the social permission a character gives you to act in ways you normally would not, because within the game it is the character doing it, not you.
BleedBleed is when feelings or thoughts from your character seep into your real self, or vice versa, and is a normal part of emotionally engaged larp.
BofferA boffer is a padded foam weapon made for larp combat, built so players can strike each other without causing injury.
CalibrationCalibration is how players agree, and keep adjusting, how intense a scene or relationship should be, through a quick talk before play or quiet signals during it.
CampaignA campaign is an ongoing series of connected larp events sharing the same world, characters, and story, where choices and consequences carry forward from one event to the next.
Character backgroundA character background is the history and personality notes behind a larp character, written by the player or supplied by the organisers before the game.
Crew (monster crew)Crew, or monster crew, are the people who play the enemies, villagers and other non-player characters at a larp event so the players have a world to meet.
DebriefA debrief is a conversation after a larp ends where everyone steps out of character, says how they are feeling and helps each other return to everyday life.
DowntimeDowntime covers the actions your character takes between live events, submitted to organisers so those choices can shape the story going forward.
Fest larpA fest larp is a very large, multi-day larp event, often a camping festival, where hundreds or thousands of players share one game world.
First-aid marshalA first-aid marshal is the person an event appoints to deal with real injuries and medical problems, a real-world role separate from any in-game healer.
Game master (GM, ref)A game master (GM, or ref) is one of the people who run a larp, managing the story, answering rules questions and keeping play safe.
Hit points and locational hitsHit points and locational hits are two common ways larp games track how much damage a character can take before they go down.
In character (IC)In character (IC) means acting and speaking as your fictional persona rather than as yourself — the foundation of live-action role-play.
In-game deathIn-game death is a story event where a character is treated as having died within the fiction, with consequences that vary widely between games.
KitKit is everything a player brings to a larp to play their character: costume, armour, weapons, props and the gear they need on site.
LammieA lammie is a small laminated card that stands for an in-game item, ability or effect, a term used mostly in UK larp.
LarpLarp (live-action role-play) is a kind of shared storytelling game where players act out their characters in person, in costume, instead of describing them at a table.
LARP-safeLARP-safe describes a weapon, prop or material built and checked to be safe enough for larp combat under a game's own construction and inspection rules.
Latex (weapons)Latex weapons are foam larp weapons sealed with a coat of latex and painted to look real, while staying soft enough to strike with safely.
Lines and veilsLines and veils is a consent tool where players agree before a game which content will never appear (lines) and which will only happen off-scene (veils).
MetagamingMetagaming means letting your character act on knowledge the player has but the character could not possibly know, and avoiding it helps everyone's story feel fair.
Module (mod)A module, or mod, is a short planned encounter that the game's staff run for a small group of players during a larp event.
NPC (non-player character)An NPC is any character run by the game's crew rather than a player, from tavern keepers to monsters, used to drive story and create challenges.
One-shotA one-shot is a self-contained larp that is played once, with a full story from start to finish and no continuing campaign.
Opt-in playOpt-in play is a consent framework where players actively choose to engage with sensitive or intense content rather than having to opt out of it.
Out of character (OOC)Out of character (OOC) means you are speaking or acting as yourself, not as your persona, so other players know to set the fiction aside briefly.
PC (player character)A PC, or player character, is the fictional person you create and portray throughout a larp event — your main creative contribution to the shared story.
Phys-repA phys-rep (physical representation) is a real object used to stand for an in-game item, a term used mostly in North American larp.
Playing to losePlaying to lose means choosing what makes a better story over what is best for your character, a value in many story-focused larps.
PlotPlot is the organised story and events that a game's organisers prepare for players to experience during a larp event.
PowergamingPowergaming means prioritising mechanical advantage over story and shared fun, and is widely seen as poor etiquette in larp communities.
Pulling blowsPulling blows means deliberately limiting the force of a strike in larp combat so that contact stays safe and within a game's weapon rules.
RespawnA respawn is when a character who has been taken out of a fight returns to play, usually after going to a set point, common in battle-focused larps.
Safety briefA safety brief is the out-of-game talk a game organiser gives before play begins, covering rules, emergency procedures, and physical boundaries every player needs to know.
SanctuaryA sanctuary is a marked off-game space at a larp event where you can step out of the fiction, rest and get support at any time.
SteeringSteering is when you, as a player, guide your character's choices for out-of-game reasons, such as making a better story or keeping a scene comfortable.
TransparencyTransparency is a way of playing where players openly share their characters' secrets and plans out of character so others can help make the story happen.
Weapon checkA weapon check is the safety inspection every LARP weapon must pass before a player may use it in combat, protecting everyone on the field.
Workshop (pre-game)A pre-game workshop is a session before a larp starts where players learn the game's safety tools, meet each other and practise the kind of play to come.

LARP · Glossary

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