Glossary

The following is a list of many words, things, creatures or other LARP/Roleplay related things you may come accross in our or other peoples pages, next to the word is a brief description of what its about (and possibly where you can find more info). If you think somethings missing (we're pretty sure tons are) Email us and we'll try to add it.

Please note most of these are imaginary, we only have this list here to help people new to the subject to learn what mad things we do. As a result some descriptions maybe different to how a dictionary or other site may describe them.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A
Adult Someone with a physical age of 18 plus and in some role play systems 16 plus. To be fair most systems treat 16 years and upwards as adults.
Adventure A game run for a party of players. An adventure can be linear or free-form and for most systems will include combat and non-combat encounters.
   
B
Banquet (event) A themed or in character banquet often with some plot associated.
Baron Or Baroness An individual who has been granted a small to mid-sized area of land and given a distinct title indicate their being important and belonging/owing allegiance to a kingdom or realm.
Blue Meanie Very nasty insectoid monster in the Mayfest System
   
C
Character Persona in the game. More often than not played by a player. For example if you played a fighter called Ooer, Ooer is the character and you are the player.
Child In terms of payment or attendance at a live role play event is usually someone with a pysical age of under 16 years.
Circle of Treachery A popular live role play game (especially with youngsters). Players stand within a circle armed as they like. A referee or starter starts the game and the last left 'alive' wins! Very often agreements are made between players to join forces until just they are left standing. Very often such agreements are broken when one player sees another player's unprotected back! Hence its name!
   
D
Demon Evil creature from another dimension or plane of existance.
"Double!" A call made in live roleplay systems during combat. As a hit is made with the weapon, its user cries, "Double!" so that the target knows the weapon is dishing out two points of damage.
D.P.C. Directed Player Character. A player character who has some of their actions directed by the organisors.
Drow Mainly dark skinned race with pointed ears. Tend to live underground. Sometimes referred to as Dark Elves. Have a matriarcal society and many worship a god that thrives on pain!
Duchess (Female version Duke) An individual who has been granted a large area of land and given a distinct title indicate their being important and belonging/owing allegiance to a kingdom or realm. Such individuals are above Barons in most systems, their land usually being made up of Baronies and other lands that may be held by rich merchants or simply unowned.
Duke (Male version of Duchess) An individual who has been granted a large area of land and given a distinct title indicate their being important and belonging/owing allegiance to a kingdom or realm. Such individuals are above Barons in most systems, their land usually being made up of Baronies and other lands that may be held by rich merchants or simply unowned.
Dwarf Short, stocky and bearded. Often live underground. Good at fighting, mining and masonry. Bad at swimming. Like beer and gold. Hate water when gathered in anything larger than a puddle. Grumpy!
   
E
Encounter Usually on an adventure, an encounter is a chance for players to interract with NPCs, monsters, etc. For example, an attack by bandits, a room to search, aid from a healer and so on.
Elf Mainly light skinned race with pointed ears and a love of woods and forests. Think they are a superior race, generally. Pretty good with bows.
Event In the context used on this site only, any LARP event that is not an adventure, banquet, moot or festival.
   
F
Faction

Some events, usually festivals, divide players into groups called factions. Each has it's name and has characters either from the same area or of the same mind or racial type.

Festival

LARP festivals are static, i.e. held in one place for the duration, involve a lot of people and have features that are more relaxed (and festive) than other LARP activities. For example there are usually traders, maybe entertainment, games and so on at a festival. Many folk want to socialise, sit around camp fires and sing.

Some festivals have very large numbers of players divided into factions. These factions almost act as small countries in politics and wars.

Fey The name given to the fairie folk at Mayfest and some other systems
Fighter A fighter, in this context, is a person whose career is fighting. In most systems it is a character class.
Free-form (event) A free form event is a totally reactive event. The event reacts to the players actions.
   
G
Game This could be a game run within an event or a reference to LARP itself. Live role play has adopted many games and made some of them their own. Mentioned in this glossery are, Circle of Treachery, Idiot Ball and Juggers.
Goblin Small green humanoid creature, usually evil and violent. Bit like a small Orc.
Golem Animated manufactured creature (kind of like a robot) but can be made of things like wood, clay or stone as well as metal.
   
H
Halfling/Hobbit Short humaniod creature a bit shorter ann less muscular (though not usually much tinnner) than a dwarf with big feet and usually a need for large quanities of food (come on you've all seen Lord of the Rings).
Healer "Healer!" A healer is a person who can heal folk. During a combat the cry of "Healer!" can often be heard to summon a healer to help a wounded fighter. The Healer is a character class in most systems
   
I
Idiot Ball A team game sometimes played in live role play.
Imp Usually considered to be some form of very lesser demon! A monster in many systems. At mayfest these are usually played by children who like the chance to be mischievious.
   
J
Juggers A team game that has been adapted for live role players from the game portrayed in the film Juggers Salute.
   
K
King Ruler of a land or Kingdom. (In LARP they tend to be the focal point of a faction or group of factions, and can either be DPC's or very rarely actual players)
Knight A loyal warrior who has been recognised and given a basic title by a King, Duke or Baron. Usually they have outspoken codes of honour which they will defend to the death. The most common code being defend the Kking/Realm from invaders.
L
Lady A Lady (or Lord) is a title used to indicate the superiority (or worthiness) of a person when being formal. An example of worthiness being respect ('Good luck Lord Goran' - said the Duke to a respected but otherwise untitled warrior) or fear ('Yes my lord I'll just get what you want' - said the inkeeper to the huge axe wielding warrior), superiority being when addressing a higer rank ( 'As you command My Lord' - said the Knight to the Baron).
L. A. R. P. Live Action Role Play or Live Adventure Role Play (US)
Larper Live action role player often referred to as the player.
Linear (adventure) An adventure where the players follow a strict series of encounters.
Lord A Lord (or Lady) is a title used to indicate the superiority (or worthiness) of a person when being formal. An example of worthiness being respect ('Good luck Lord Goran' - said the Duke to a respected but otherwise untitled warrior) or fear ('Yes my lord I'll just get what you want' - said the inkeeper to the huge axe wielding warrior), superiority being when addressing a higer rank ( 'As you command My Lord' - said the Knight to the Baron).
   
M
Mage One who uses a force (other than that of some god or other) to cast spells.
"Man Down!" An important safety call made when a person is hurt or a person is very likely to get hurt. It starts a period of time out.
Moot Often a faction meeting or a gathering of a few factions. An event that lasts about a weekend.
   
N
N.P.C. Non Player Character. A character who is not played by a player but played by either one of the crew/monster team or by an organisor. Usually to further the plot by providing vital clues.
Non Player Character A character who is not played by a player but played by either one of the crew/monster team or by an organisor. Usually to further the plot by providing vital clues.
   
O
Ogre Very Big ugly humanoid. Often violent.
Orc Mand sized ugly humanoid. Also often violent.
   
P
P.C. Player Character. Character played by a player, totally under their control.
Player The person who plays/has a character, for example if you played a mage called Zing, you are the player and Zing is the character.
Priest A character class in many systems. Priests generally have something to do with a god and draw 'spiritual' power from them.
"Pull your blows!" This is a call made by players to request that people they are fighting should not be hitting so hard, in most cases the offending player does not realise this so don't consider this a "Your just a wimp" call, its very important! There is never any need to strike some one more heavily than is needed to let them know you've 'struck' them.
   
Q
"Quad!" A call made in live roleplay systems during combat. As a hit is made with the weapon, its user cries, "Quad!" so that the target knows the weapon is dishing out four points of damage.
Queen Female ruler of a land or kingdom. (male form is King)
R
Referee Referees direct and control various parts of the game as well as give rulings on interpretations of a situation or rule. At a festival some referees are quite specialised, for example a 'monster ref.' - not a huge referee but a person who sets up and directs the actions of a group of monsters. At Mayfest we have character referees who help players sort out their characters, a number of player referees who control (as much as anyone can at Mayfest) certain happenings or plot lines as well as monster referees and an overall (the buck stops here) referee.
Role playing Acting a character or part within a game or situation. Make sense? Didn't help me much either! So: Role playing is used in training by corporations as well as by larpers for their games. One takes on a persona and acts that part. Usually there is no set script. better? Good!
Rust Monster A monster that turns metal into rust just by touch. It is said they absorb the 'goodness' from the metal. A monster that has made its way from table top games into live role play. Less frequently used now that players know how to deal with these.
   
S
Scraith Rather evil race that crop up to harry people in the Mayfest system. They were created by John Hayes who also made their masks and costume.
Spell The use of non-reality to get an effect.. (Thought that would throw you!)
Spell effect The effect caused by a spell. (Obvious I know! So why do so many ask?)
System Either the set of rules that dictates how the players play or, sometimes, the organisation running some LARP.
   
T
Table top A form of role play played by a group of friends. This is often played with the character's statistics recorded on a Character Sheet. Dice are rolled against these statistics to determine the success or otherwise of an action.
"Take your hits" This is a call made by players to not only point out to another player that they are not noticing (or ignoring) any hits being made to them but also to draw attention to this fact to other players. This call should not be abused as it is a serious accusation effectively calling the other player a liar!
"Time in" Period when all players should be 'in character.' The "Time in!" call starts or resumes this period.
"Time freeze" This call starts a period of time out but players may not move but have to close their eyes and make a noise. Used by organisors to change something - usually to spring a suprise upon the players.
"Time out" Period when players are not in character. If following a period of time in then the call of "Time out!" is made to end the time in period.
"Triple!" A call made in live roleplay systems during combat. As a hit is made with the weapon, its user cries, "Triple!" so that the target knows the weapon is dishing out three points of damage.
Troll Very big humanoid monster that has an annoying ability to grow body parts back almost instantly. In some systems this is also a player race and regeneration is slowed down to make it fair.
U
Undead Non living monsters and, in some sytems, players. Examples: Skeletons, ghosts, vampires, zombies, mummys, etc.
   
V
Vampire Bloodsucking monster. Usually human. In most systems not a bit like those seen in 'Buffy!'
   
   
W
Werewolf A monster which is part man - part wolf, normally they are able to change between fully wolf (be it a big nasty tough one) or half man - half wolf (looks a bit like the big bad wolf in bed time stories). Usually they can only be harmed with fire or silver.
Wodwose These weak creatures are half plant and half flesh. Mainly in the Mayfest system they have appeared in other live role play systems since.
   
X
'X' Place where treasure should be buried on a pirate's map. A symbol that marks the spot. Also a symbol to represent a kiss.
   
   
Y
Yeti A monster we have yet to see at live role play. (but were still hoping!)
   
Z
Zombie Moving corpse (often rotting) instinctively seek out the living as needs to eat living flesh to slow/stop disintegration. Mainly entered here to get something into the Zs