User Blog:
Common Larp Mistakes: Why can’t I be in charge?

One of the most common mistakes LARPS make is putting a player character in some sort of titular leadership role, above all other players. Creating factions is one thing, but giving a player unilateral power over other players is almost always going to back-fire at some point.

Any LARP organizer I've ever spoken to has almost always agreed that your "head of state", should always be an NPC. Here are few of the reasons why:

1) Allowing a player to be the supreme leader means they have access to powers and abilities that no other players can possibly acquire. If you suddenly have a King as a player character, shouldn’t they have all the resources and treasure of that kingdom at their disposal?

2) A player in a titular capacity pretty much means that they have the ability "create" plot whenever they need it. If there is a looming Orc horde on the regions borders, wouldn't the head of state have the ability to muster the army to drive them off?

3) The system by which players gain power and prestige in game is part of the "treasure and reward" system. Not everything players get that is "loot" will be coins, items or gems. Some players actively strive towards things like Knighthood and Guild-mastery, to have someone who can simply appoint these at a whim takes all of the work and reward out of the system.

4) Not all players want to be "Good guys". I’ve witnessed this situation first hand; there will always be players who want to explore the “darker” side of your game system – whether they want to be necromancers, assassins, or just plain thieves who rob other players blind for “kicks”. Personally, I don’t believe it is plots responsibility to endorse or facilitate players abusing other players, but I also don’t think the plot team should be building hurdles to specifically target them beyond the game laws. But if players are under the constant scrutiny of the head of state and their “royal guard” it can start to feel like plot is specifically hindering those players’ abilities to work within the game system.