have been invited by Paul Shaffer to join you

Hello all,

This is the Jenson Clan--Mark, Elaine and Emily Jenson. I work with Paul Shaffer and he kindly invited us to join you. We will be reading the rules, forums, and thinking about what characters we might want to be in the next week or so. Unfortunately we can't join you at the next event, but we look forward to joining you soon. Please bear with us while we navigate your world and please be kind as we come back to answer questions etc.

Thinking about whether we should come as commoners our first time out or as a non-player character (and then we'll be assigned a character to play during the weekend). Anyone have opinions on which would be the best way to go?

This would give us more time to develop our characters etc. though my 12-year old daughter Emily is already sure she wants to be an elf; I think my husband should be a bard as he plays mandolin; and after an intriguing conversation with Paul (Asarewasbeen or something like that--the conjugation of the verb "to be") the other day at my department's end of semester picnic, I think I would like to be a gypsy (which cleverly leads me open to being a singer, dancer or entertainer...)

Thanks in advance.

Elaine

Elaine Hughes Jenson :-*

That would be Am Is Are  Was whir

Which Paul spells Amizar Whuzwir, his little joke.

Welcome Emily and Family!

So glad you found our site (finally).  I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions for your clan.  The Knight Realms LARP offers young and old a chance to take on bold adventures in a wide variety of professions and races.  Perhaps some of your family could entertain the town as we gather for our Saturday-night feast...we're always happy for singers, dancers, and musicians.

My advice is to spend a good amount of time on your personal histories while you create your characters.  Having a clear sense of your characters' past and motivation(s) will give your family the tools it needs to decide how to respond to the many in-game situations that will come rushing your way.  Are you literate?  Do you worship a god?  Where do you come from?  Are you rich or poor?  What's your history for the past few years?

Last fall I met a first-time player who had prepared a very detailed backstory for his character.  All throughout the weekend he was able to provide very impressive role-playing because at every turn he knew just how his character would respond.  In our game, good role-playing is well rewarded, and it makes for a better "story" for us all.  And good role-playing starts with a good understanding of your characters' history and motivations.  You'll be asked to submit a short written history for each of your characters.  While this is optional, and must be approved, it really helps the RP in our LARP.

And, for the record, my character's name is spelled "Amizar Wuzwhir." 

Welcome to Travance!

Hello and Welcome!

As to starting an event, you can't really come as "commoners" to an event - you're options are either Player Character (your own) or Non-Player Character (NPC).  NPCing your first event is a great way to get some extra Build to start your character with, but more importantly, allows you to get a feel for the Gameworld as a whole.  If you're not familiar with LARPing, its a great way to get used to the combat and roleplay aspects as well.  If you decide to PC the event, you'll still have to NPC four hours like everyone else, and I suggest trying to get the first slot Friday night - you can then use what you've learned in that time as you play your character.  Its up to you what you choose to do, both have pros and cons. 

Look forward to seeing you all!

Welcome Jensen Family,

I am so glad that you have joined our group.  I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you and your characters.

As to starting an event, you can't really come as "commoners" to an event - you're options are either Player Character (your own) or Non-Player Character (NPC).

Just to clarify: could they start their characters as "commoner" profession?

www.knightrealms.com/index.php?option=co...ew&id=149&Itemid=170

I've heard that for some new players, starting as a commoner allows them to discover their calling in-game.  If anyone on the list has followed this path, could you please add a comment?  Thanks.

Malcolm, who plays Kwildar, took this path.  He's recovering from eye surgery, so he's offline for a bit, but I can comment for him as he did this with his character.

Coming in as a Commoner definitely lets you learn through good Role-Play, and can be a lot of fun.  However, it also means it will be several months before your character is as "useful" as a regular starting character, because they will need to learn all the pre-requisite skills before they can begin learning things like how to use a sword or cast a spell.  You would need to learn a class your first game, the pre-requisites the second game, and then learn the skills you want the third game, meaning it won't be until the 3rd game before you could swing a weapon (Which don't have a pre-requisite), or the 4th game that you could cast spells or prayers.  Also, some classes require you to start as that class, like Healer or Dragoon - you cannot choose to become one later, since they are "in the blood."

If you don't mind waiting that long to get in on the action, it's a great way to ease into the game, and role-play learning to become a hero.  But if you're looking to get involved in the adventure sooner, it is advised you pick a starting class.

Hopefully that helps!

Thank you for the welcome, Gwynned. I am glad your husband (OOG) invited me and my family to join. We are looking forward to meeting you and experiencing all the fun.

Best,
Ember

(oog name Elaine Hughes Jenson) :-*