The International Fantasy Gaming Society is perhaps the largest live-action roleplaying group in the United States. You may have heard of them but chances are you don't know much about them — live-action roleplaying ("LARP") remains a mystery to many traditional tabletop gamers. I didn't know much about it myself until I ran into the West Los Angeles chapter of the IFGS at OrcCon 96. After talking to them for about half an hour I decided to try a game…
Right away, I learned that IFGS members are about the most dedicated roleplayers you'll ever meet. The whole organization exists so people can get into costume, get into character, and have a great time pretending to be someone else doing remarkable things. While there is combat, and plenty of it in some games, roleplaying remains at the core of it all. Here, you can't get away with telling the GM, "I bribe the guard." The guard is right there in front of you and you get to talk to him yourself. If you try anything funny, watch out — you might get the business end of that halberd coming your way. There's a lock on the chest, you say? Get out your thief's tools and pick it! Zombies approaching? Pull out your holy symbol and watch them cower before you.
If you're reading Shadis, chances are the setting of a typical IFGS scenario will be familiar to you. There are all the stock fantasy character classes — rangers, fighters, clerics, mages, monks, thieves, and knights — and they all work about as you'd expect them to. Clerics can turn undead, mages can cast sleep spells, rangers can track, and knights have to obey a code of honor. There is a strong traditional FRP feel to all of it.
Your character's abilities are defined by your class, level, possessions, and your own personal skill at swordplay (more on that later). There are no non-human races in the IFGS rules, and characters do not have stats for strength, intelligence, or anything else. This is not to say that characters are all clones of each other; far from it. You are encouraged to customize your character's appearance and history.
If you want to play an elf, well, you're an elf — you just don't get any extra abilities because of it. Still, it's to your advantage to create a history for your character, because you never know when the GM might incorporate part of it into the game. For example, my first character was a cleric by the name of Father Duncan Riley. Riley spent his youth on the high seas, crewing merchant ships. When my GM for "The Piper on the Hill" scenario learned about that, she gave me the ranger class's knot-tying ability, because it fit my background.
If you can, find out who your GM will be ahead of time and give them a copy of your character's history. They might be able to work some of it into the game. Good roleplaying is rewarded!
Part of getting into character is costuming. Most IFGSers dress in costume when they play, and some of the costumes are quite elaborate. If, like most people, you don't happen to have access to a medieval wardrobe, don't fret. Most people build their costume a piece at a time, and people occasionally play in street clothes. What you say and do is a lot more important than how you look.
How Games are Run
Organization, Weapons, and Bar Games
First, some of the more experienced people in the chapter will write the game, or borrow a game written by another chapter. They'll then take care of finding volunteers to play NPCs and fill logistic functions. They also take care of securing space to run the game. (Most games are held in public parks.) Props a-plenty are also rounded up, some of which are quite elaborate. (The second game I played was set in a tavern on a foggy moor, and the chapter rented a fog machine to create the right atmosphere. It was a nice touch.)
A rating system is used to let players know what they might be getting into. Games are given a 1-10 score in Combat, Mental, Physical, and Risk. The higher the score, the tougher the demands in that category are. To give you an idea of what to expect, a Physical rating of 6 equates to about a six-hour game, wherein you'll walk all over a huge public park. A Fighting rating of 6 means that about 60% of your encounters will require combat. A Mental rating of 6 means you'll have to do some basic investigative work and perhaps puzzle out a riddle. The Risk score is a little different, because it's a measure of the chance for permanent changes to your character — good or bad.
Once the organization is complete and the game date is set, a draft is held. The purpose of the draft is to let Loremasters (who are essentially team captains, chosen by the game designer) choose the members of their party. Players also pony up their game fees (which are from $5 to $20) at the draft. Many drafts are held with the "novice rule" in effect — this means that all the novices present must be chosen before the more experienced characters get a chance. After the draft, there might be a short team meeting, so you can meet the rest of your party and discuss strategy. This is a good chance for new players to ask all their questions and have some fun practicing combat.
In the most common kind of game, the players move around a park from encounter to encounter. The course of play can is arranged so that different teams can start with about one hour of separation. That way, 4-6 teams of about six players each can be run through a game over a weekend. Other games are not as linear and will run with more players and fewer groups. Games can be anywhere from 2-6 hours, though occasionally a chapter will run a game that lasts for an entire weekend.
While you can do most things in IFGS without refereeing, occasionally you'll need access to information only the GM has, or the GM will need to hit you with surprises. For this reason, and to monitor safety, each team on the course is accompanied by a GM. If you cast an information-gathering spell, for example, you surreptitiously ask the GM what you found. If the party triggers a trap, the GM tells them what happens.
Here's an example… In the last game I was in, our thief, who was scouting out the path ahead of the party, triggered a trap. The player hit a near-invisible tripwire; when her foot pulled it, it threw a switch somewhere and something started beeping. We all thought, "Uh oh…" as the GM intoned, "A log falls on you, Nix. Take twelve points of damage, and you're pinned underneath it." (Just so you know, the tripwire was made out of weak, thin fishing line. There was really no chance it could have tripped any of us as it would too easily break. The IFGS is very safety conscious.)
Of course, there was no real falling log. To really enjoy an IFGS game, you need to have the ability to suspend your disbelief — totally. You'll be asked to witness some very strange things and act as if everything is quite normal. In one encounter, my party encountered a pair of arguing fire giants. They were portrayed by a couple of other chapter members dressed in jeans and t-shirts. They weren't twelve feet tall, and they weren't breathing fire — but you have to look past all that and try to see what they're supposed to be.
Now, imagine some park visitors on mountain bikes cruising by, checking out the scene. It starts getting surreal real quick, and it can take some time before you're comfortable with it all. It is worth the effort, though.
Suspension of disbelief is also important when it comes to "physical representations," or physreps as they are often called. Physreps are objects with significance in the game. A perfect example is armor. If you happen to own a leather armor vest, go ahead and wear it. It'll have a clear meaning to other players — one point of armor — and it looks keen with the rest of your costume. If, like most people, you don't own any medieval armor, you use a physrep to show other players what you're wearing. The generally accepted physrep for leather armor is a small patch of brown material or leather pinned to your costume. Some physreps, like bows and magic potions, are life-sized. Depending on the game you might get to keep some of the physreps you find. That's part of what your game fee goes for.
Perhaps IFGS's greatest difference from tabletop gaming is in game continuity. There are no long-running campaigns in IFGS gaming, at least in the chapters I play with. You get to keep the treasure you find in the game, of course, and you gain experience, but the story elements of each game are deliberately kept separate. The reason for this is simple — if six teams each play in the same game one weekend, it's inevitable that events won't play out the same way for everyone. "You killed the Overlord? No, I don't think so… we spared his pathetic life!" Six teams will usually play a scenario six different ways.
Combat
Combat in the IFGS is designed to run in real-time, and not surprisingly the rules are quite simple It works basically like this: you engage an opponent with your handcrafted Nerf-like sword and attempt to smack them, while avoiding getting smacked yourself. If you hit, you call out your damage. Your opponent mentally subtracts the damage you do from their hit points. If they are wearing armor, they can subtract its value from the damage you called, but any hit still does one point of damage regardless of what kind of armor is being worn. When you're out of hit points, you're out of the combat.
That's the basics, but there are a few more things to remember. First of all, your hit points are a function of your class and level only. You have locational hit points, so you have to keep track of what you have left in each limb. If a limb gets reduced to zero hit points you have to stop using it. That means you drop your sword if it's an arm, or hobble around if it's a leg. If both legs go you should kneel on the ground and hope no one decides to put you out of your misery. You also need to keep in mind how many points of damage it takes to knock you unconscious, in addition to how many it takes to kill you. Also, all characters should try to wear a different color, so they can be easily informed of ranged attacks or spells directed against them.
Each character class does a set amount of damage with a hand-to-hand attack. This base damage figure increases as your character gains levels. The weapon type doesn't matter; a short sword does the same damage as a long sword, which does the same damage as a staff, and so on. Some character classes cannot use certain types of weapons. For example, a cleric can't use a longsword. This might not seem like much of a disadvantage at first, since the damage doesn't differ from one blade to another, but it is. Longer weapons give you a definite advantage in melee. Also, keep in mind that practice makes perfect in IFGS combat. The more you play, the better you'll get, and that's an advantage that follows you from character to character.
Like melee weapons, ranged weapons also have a set damage, and again this figure changes as your level increases. It doesn't matter if you are carrying the physical representation for a bow, a sling, or a kender's hoopak — they all do the same damage.
It's also important to note that you don't use a physical projectile to simulate missile combat. Characters that use ranged weapons have a certain percent chance to miss, hit, or inflict a critical hit with every shot. To perform a ranged attack, you draw a colored marble from a pouch or pick a colored toothpick from a pocket. You then declare the results of your attack loudly enough so your target can hear. Your hit percentages are, again, a function of your class and level, as is your reload time. However, if you are an archer yourself, you can be tested by someone in your IFGS chapter; your scores on a standardized target can be used to determine your miss/hit/crit percentages in the game.
While projectiles are not used to simulate bows, slings, or other missile weapons, bean bags are used frequently for other types of ranged attacks. A white beanbag represents a vial of holy water. A grey beanbag represents a throwing dagger. A black beanbag is a flask of oil, and a black beanbag with a red string around it is flaming oil. A purple beanbag is used for a monk's "physical attack." As in AD&D, a monk in IFGS can inflict terrible damage with a punch, but since punching is forbidden in IFGS combat a beanbag takes the fist's place. Most beanbag attacks need to hit the target character directly, but some, like flaming oil, have an area effect.
Many character classes have special abilities that can be used in combat. For example, a fighter can evoke "battle fever," which gives them more hit points. To use it in combat, the player should yell, "Battle fever!" so that their opponent can hear it. The player then immediately gains the extra hit points. (It's good form to try and get a crazed gleam in your eye at this point.) Thieves can, of course, backstab. To do this they have to sneak up behind an enemy, strike their back with a weapon, and declare, "Backstab!" as well as how many points of damage they do. Of course, the amount of damage a backstab does increases with your level, as does the damage inflicted by a knight's "avenging blow" or a monk's "physical attack." Some special abilities and spells are level-dependent, and you have to state your character's level when you use them. If the target is of higher level, they can ignore you.
Many games, especially games with novice players, are played with the "PC Rule of Fairness" in effect. This is a catch-all rule designed to make people "play nice." It simply means that if you are the victim of a sociopathic player character who slits your throat while you're unconscious and takes all your loot, the GM can — and will — undo the deed. I have never seen a game yet where the Rule had to be invoked.
Magic in the IFGS
The rules for magic are as simple as the rules for combat. Spellcasting characters have a certain number of spell points to draw on, dependent on their class and level. They can use any spell in the rules for their class as long as the spell's level isn't higher than their own level. Each spell takes a certain number of spell points to cast, and some have a variable cost. You can only put a number of points equal to your level (or less) into a variable-cost spell. For example, a cleric's Heal spell heals 2 points of damage for each spell point used. If I were a 4th level cleric, I could choose to heal 2, 4, 6, or 8 points with it. Some spells are level-dependent, so characters of a higher level than the caster are not affected. When using one of these spells, the caster must state their level.
The actual act of casting a spell in the game is simple. The caster must stand still and recite a brief incantation — six seconds for low-level spells and twelve seconds for high-level spells. Once the incantation is complete, the caster names the spell and its effects loudly enough for the target to hear. If necessary he also states his own level and the target's color or colors. The incantation can be anything you want, as long as it's long enough.
Most people will make up some easy-to-remember incantations before the game and recycle them, but I have seen some armchair poets improvise good incantations on the spot. For example, if a 5th level mage were casting "Crashtime," the IFGS Sleep-equivalent, he might say, "Sands of time, sands of sleep, claim mine enemies and swaddle them in inky blackness. Crashtime, level five—blue, yellow, green!" Unless the characters played by Blue, Yellow, or Green are sixth level, they'll have to fall to the ground and pretend to snooze for five minutes.
An "Innocuous Little Bargame"
One of the first games I played was called "An Innocuous Little Bar Game." Well, this game wasn't so innocuous... It started out with the characters gathering in an inn at night. We were all travellers, and had congregated in the conveniently-placed inn due to the thick fog outside.
About 30 people sat around and shot the breeze (in character, of course!) for about half an hour. Things began to get really interesting when there was a scream from the back of the bar; a barmaid, who had been in the storeroom, had been found dead of some kind of animal attack. It looked like some manner of creature had forced its way into the storeroom, killed her, and escaped. A few more people bit the dust when they went out into the thick fog to investigate; those who survived were driven back indoors by magical fear. A little later those who were killed outside came back to (un)life and we had a merry little melee in the bar, trying to slay the zombies. Well, we barricaded the door after that!
Eventually we got enough clues (from grilling the reluctant barkeep) to realize that there was a magic chalice on the premises which we could use to banish the nasty demon who was out haunting the fog. To do this, we had to travel to a nearby crypt and perform a banishing ritual…
What followed was the most intense part of the game. We were walking up a path in the park, heading towards the crypt. Periodically zombies would wander out of the gloom and we'd have to fight them off. This was creepy enough, but the GMs were circulating among us, playing the part of the demon talking in our heads — he did not want to be banished.
One of the GMs came up to me and started whispering in my ear. "Turn back! If you come any further I'll rip your heart out and suck the marrow from your bones… you will all perish. Your god cannot save you now, Father! Turn back!" Others received similar threats, or even promises of wealth and power… for the tiny price of slaying their companions. Now, there was no danger from any of this in game terms, but it made for some incredible atmosphere. There was some amazing roleplaying going on around me; some IFGSers are great actors.
Eventually we got to the crypt, had a big battle with a bunch of zombies, banished the demon, and (almost) everyone lived happily ever after. Some PCs ended up dead, but everyone had a great time anyway. Keep in mind that this happened at about 10pm, with a fog machine, and was spread out over a few hundred yards of a public park. The "tavern" and "crypt" were jury-rigged out of poles and plastic tarps. The effects were not exactly Industrial Lights and Magic quality, but they did the job.
Safety
Safety is of primary concern in an IFGS game. You cannot hit someone in the head, neck or groin, and you can't punch anyone or try to push them down. To inflict damage, all you need to do is hit your opponent with your foam weapon hard enough that they can feel the contact. If someone breaks these rules, a GM will take them aside and deal with them. Such behavior is not tolerated. However, IFGS weapons are light enough that should you accidentally get whacked upside the head (and it can happen accidentally) you won't get hurt. Because of this, and the friendly atmosphere, people of all ages join the IFGS — one West Los Angeles chapter member started when she was thirteen!
Getting Started
If you feel like it's time to take your roleplaying to the next level, the IFGS may be just what you've been looking for. The games are fun and safe, and the members are all great about teaching novices the ropes. You also get away from the kitchen table, bags of Doritos, and fluorescent lights and into the great outdoors. Gaming and exercise don't have to be mutually exclusive anymore!
If you're interested in giving the IFGS a try, contact the chapter closest to you. They'll be more than happy to help you get started. If there are no novice-class games coming up, ask about being an NPC, which are always needed. Give it a shot, and I'll see you on course!
Back to Shadis #27 Table of Contents
© Copyright 1996 by Alderac Entertainment Group