Game Information - Rulebook Exerpts

Invictus: By William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of Circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning of Chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Back to the top

Detailed LARP Information

LARP, or Live Action Role Play came into being many years ago now, it followed the decision of a number of people that Tolkien’s masterpieces were just too good to stay in the books! The first, or at least most widely recognised, incarnations of that desire to be fully immersed in a world of fantasy were the infamous Dungeons and Dragons games, back in the misty depths of time that was 1974. However, this was simply not enough! Why roll dice when you can swing a sword? During the first years of the 1980s, LARP began to really kick off around the world. The UK’s official starting point is right there at the beginning in 1982 when Treasure Trap started. Most clubs in the UK now can trace their origins back to Treasure Trap, and Inritius Alliance will be no exception. LARP in North America seems to be well behind similar games in Europe when costume, props and even plot are considered; it is my hope that Inritius Alliance will help to fill the void between the styles and systems.

But what is Live Action Role Play? Many of us will have engaged in LARP style games in our youth, from the first time you pretended to be a film character and fought the imaginary aliens in the playground to pointing your fingers and shouting “bang, you’re dead!” LARP simply puts rules to those childhood games; you have hits, you have skills, your weapon and spells deal specific damage and the correct combination of abilities is required to win through. Your character learns and develops, collects new items, learns new spells and new secrets and, in time your peasant sword-swinger could become anything. More importantly for real role-players your character can live and die, laugh and cry, feel joy and wither in despair, forge friendships and learn to mistrust and your character could learn to love or learn to hate.

LARP was once described to me as cross-country pantomime and that is a definition I liked a lot. Everything happens in ‘real’ time. If you decide your character is going to hit the bad guy, you don’t roll the dice or ask the dungeon master, you get your weapon, walk up and hit the bad guy. You immerse yourself into a fantasy world, and into a fictional character. You are no longer Mr. Pete Average from down the road, you are a mighty hero, or a dreadful villain, a figure who wields the powers of destiny, life and death and who has the ability to shape the world or perform great feats of magic.

It is advisable that you read the background stories before reading the rules, as that will make everything a whole lot easier to understand! How can you immerse yourself when you don’t understand the key things which shaped its culture? You will also be able to check the group website which will include an event journal which record the key events and occurrences of previous adventures and that will offer an up-to-date account of what has been ‘going on’ in the world! There will also be a wealth of background information available in the forums the announcements from the referees will be particularly valuable as will any announcements by the Silver Record Guild who operate a printing press.  These rules have been created by myself and a few close friends. The rules and the system draw on my extensive knowledge from having played several different LARP systems of around the world for many years. However, I have also drawn extensively on the Heart of Pargon System with the permission of Will Power, the system manger and owner. This system will also include the contributions of our players and referees. All systems need someone who is in a position to make final decisions and that will be me.

This game has started as a labour of love, if you will, though from watching my friends’ attempts at systems it seems clear that the game they will clearly develop past that!
I dedicate this work to Helen, to Danae, to Will and to my friends.  I hope that this is the beginning of something wonderful.

Back to the top

Disclaimer: This must be read and signed by all players and crew

All work and references contained within these rules are original ideas, as much as any idea is now original. These rules are not intended to copy any other system, though through the nature of role play, some similarities will be apparent, for which I apologise. As mentioned above, in order to create a working system as quickly as possible I have drawn on the Heart of Pargon system extensively with the permission of the system manager and owner; when time allows the similarities with Heart of Pargon will be removed.

The Inritius team wish to create a system which is both fresh and new, to as great a degree as possible. Any references and work within the background are also original and fictional, and any references to persons living and/or dead are purely co-incidental.
The system is an open system which means that anything is possible even if it involves tweaking some things; Note: That does not mean you will be given powerful abilities and characters without earning them. One of the wonderful aspects of LARP is starting a weak character and evolving them into a knight, a king, a princess, an arch-mage or even a God. 

The author of this work absolves himself and Inritius Alliance from any responsibility regarding the outcomes of persons using these rules or backgrounds, and will not accept blame for damages to a person’s physical or mental health resulting in negligent role playing or fighting, over involvement, or any events causing damage that were not directly caused by himself or the club. All participants are required to sign a declaration accepting the nature of the game and noting that by playing they are undertaking a small amount of risk and committing themselves to continue the game as safely as possible.

Any reference to he or him when not regarding a specific individual is a generalisation and should be taken to include the terms she or her as well, we are not being sexist, but it is often easier to refer to a single gender. On the other hand, I might use the term his because I’m a misogynistic sexist scumbag who believes that women live in the kitchen, but you can make up your own minds. Inritius Alliance encourages diversity and discourages any prejudice. If the way someone is role-playing something, like a xeno-phobic character, causes offence, then please take a moment to discuss the issue with them or a referee before becoming stressed or offended.

Back to the top

The Players

Players in any Live Action Role Play system have the potential to make or break the adventure. Good within party role play can provide such entertainment for the day that the refs and monsters almost seem unimportant! Parties being uncooperative, unfriendly and antisocial can make the day miserable for any new players (and indeed everyone else), especially if they feel left out of the group. Players would do well to remember that whilst maintaining your characters role play is important, we should always consider the consequences to other people’s enjoyment of the game.

We ask that all players treat new players, monsters and referees with extra respect over that you are expected to show everyone! Monsters and referees are trying to provide you with a great days adventuring and deserve consideration. New players will often feel intimidated, and it would be appreciated if they felt welcome and safe (out of character at least). We also require that players treat the public and the sites we use with respect. This includes not littering, closing gates and keeping bad language to a minimum when members of the public are around. It is worth noting at this point that certain bad language is not necessarily appropriate in a fantasy world, and that this should be kept in mind.

We also ask that players endeavour to arrive at the designated meeting place on time and that they contact the organiser if it appears that they will be late. Also, we would ask that players make sure they are kitted up and ready to go ASAP. We would also ask that all players know what skill points or funds they would like to spend before the adventure starts; it would be preferable if all expenditures were made by email before the adventure starts. We also ask that players sign up on our forums/website, we will arrange for a username and password to be set up for you, so that you can access your details online. It is a player’s responsibility to see a referee at the end of the day for debriefing so that the character’s gains can be recorded and that skill points can be awarded.

Players are charged $5 for a day adventure at Inritius Alliance, with ‘events’ (longer than a day) prices to be decided depending on the nature and length of the event. All money taken on adventures goes straight into running the club, buying kit, buying weapons and props. The system administrator commits to keeping an open book which will be available to any players who are interested. There will be a membership option created later on; the purpose of the membership money will be to create an insurance policy in case of an accident.

Back to the top

The Crew

The System Manager:
A system manager is the person who is responsible for the running of the system, including OOC issues, IC plot and the game system itself. The system manager aims to follow the following principals and goals throughout his time running Inritius Alliance.

The current system manager is Phil Shuttlewood and he can be contacted at phil@ialarp.com to discuss any issues you may have.

The Referees:
These are the people who are running the day. They will make sure that the players and the monsters are keeping to both the rules and the spirit of the game. They are, metaphorically speaking, you’re in-character Gods for the day, what they say goes, what they say happens, happens. If you have any questions ask the ref. They will also be running battle-boards during the day to measure the state of the party.

Referees are those who run the adventure and often those who write the adventure. They are also those who have a definite say in the development of the system. They are vital in ensuring the smooth running of the day. When someone is made a referee they are automatically considered a member for the duration of the time that they are a referee. There are several different types of referees; each type of a referee has a role, although the same individual may cover many roles during a day.  Only referees are allowed to make calls on rules or otherwise, and are expected to be available to discuss and assist with said rules at any time. If unsure as to the answer, ask the game system manager. If you have any concerns with the conduct of a referee ask the system manager.

The player ref; spends most of his time following the party and running their battle-boards. Sometimes, although not always, the player ref will represent a character or an NPC that is travelling with the party. The monster ref; sets, stats and organises the monsters. The monster ref also manages the kit that is taken on event. The writing ref; writes the adventure. For obvious reasons the person who writes the adventure is expected to be refereeing in some other capacity on the day. The ghost or spirit ref, refers to any referee wearing a referee tabard, they are totally intangible, but can be asked out of character questions. 

The referees promise to

To stick to the fundamental belief of Inritius Alliance that we are here for the players, not that the players are here for us. Plot should ideally be player driven, not system driven. Characters should die through their own choices and actions within the system, not the other way around. Live Role Playing is a hobby, not a game. People spend a lot of money, time and effort investing in characters, and they have a right for the characters to be respected for this.

The Monsters:
Monsters or crew are perhaps the most essential part of a successful adventure. No matter how well written it might be, without a good monster crew, the adventure will fail. Monstering is free. Furthermore, you are awarded one boon for monstering with the potential to earn extra boons for outstanding contribution. Boons may also be awarded for other contributions to the club, at the system manager’s discretion. Boons can be used to bolster your character.

Monsters are expected to adhere to the following guidelines:

To stick to the fundamental belief of Inritius Alliance that we are here for the players, not that the players are here for us. Plot should ideally be player driven, not system driven. Characters should die through their own choices and actions within the system, not the other way around. Live Role Playing is a hobby, not a game. People spend a lot of money, time and effort investing in characters, and they have a right for the characters to be respected for this.

Back to the top