Internet Info 1994 March/Internet Info CD-ROM (Walnut Creek) (March 1994).iso/answers/rec/games/roleplay/live-action

Internet Message Format | 1994-03-14 | 40KB

Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!hookup!swrinde!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!headwall.Stanford.EDU!ayermish
From: [e-mail] (Aimee Yermish)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.live-action,alt.games.frp.live-action,rec.games.frp.announce,rec.games.frp.misc,alt.answers,rec.answers,news.answers
Subject: Live Roleplaying FAQ
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.live-action
Date: 14 Mar 1994 19:11:49 GMT
Organization: Society for Interactive Literature West
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Summary: What is Live Roleplaying?  How does it work?  How do I find out more?
     How do I get involved?
Originator: [e-mail]
Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu rec.games.frp.live-action:576 alt.games.frp.live-action:1349 rec.games.frp.announce:890 rec.games.frp.misc:29347 alt.answers:2094 rec.answers:4450 news.answers:16364

Archive-name: games/roleplay/live-action
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               Live Roleplaying
              Frequently Asked Questions
              rec.games.frp.live-action


0.  What happened to alt.games.frp.live-action?

It has recently been replaced by rec.games.frp.live-action, a move
which we hope will enable more people to read the group more easily.
While it is not possible to actually remove alt.games.frp.live-action,
all posters are strongly encouraged to post to the rec group *only*,
rather than letting there be two newsgroups dedicated to the same
discussion.

1.  What is Live Roleplaying?

Basically, it's "Let's Pretend" for grownups.  As in any roleplaying
game, each player takes on the role of a fictional character.  You
play your character much as you would in an improvisational theatre
setting, with a strong knowledge of who you are and what you want out
of life, but with no script.  Together, you and a group of other
players create an imaginary world and a multitude of stories.

These are *not* games of "killer" or "assassin": the emphasis is on
dramatic roleplaying and interaction between players.  Most live games
involve a large number of players (from thirty to several hundred at a
time) who walk around and talk with each other, acting out as much of
their characters' actions as are safe.  Dice are rarely used.  Unlike
many tabletop roleplaying games (D&D and other games of its ilk), most
live roleplaying games have a strong emphasis on player-player
interaction rather than on interaction between the players and the
world which is controlled by the Gamesmasters (GMs), making the games
very social events as well as intellectual and creative challenges.

Why do it?  Because it's lots of fun to be someone else for a few
hours or a few days at a time, and to do it with other people.

2.  It's not dangerous, is it?

No.  There are a variety of different systems used, but all groups who
run any kind of live games consider safety *very* important.  There is
no running around in sewers, no swinging sharp steel, and no real
demon-summoning.  Gamesmasters and players alike stress that these are
*games*, not substitute realities.  Groups which use "live" mechanics
have elaborate systems for combat, magic, and thieving which are
designed to make sure no one gets hurt, and many of these groups also
have medical insurance.  There may be the odd bruise or ankle-twist,
but nothing more than you might expect on a vigorous hike or game of
touch football.  Groups which use "virtual" mechanics use systems
based largely on index cards, rendering the whole event little more
dangerous than a walk in the park.  There is more description of these
systems later in this document; rest assured that these are not
dangerous or satanic games.  [There is further information explaining
the falsehood of this sort of accusation, which is frequently leveled
against roleplaying games in general, in the rec.games.frp.* FAQs]

3.  Who wins?

Everyone who has fun.  Yes, sometimes you'll come away from an
adventure having accomplished your goals, sometimes you won't.  Most
games are set up so that it isn't possible for everyone to "win" all
the time -- if there's no chance of failure, success doesn't have much
sweetness.  But "winning" isn't the point of live roleplaying games.
Dramatic roleplaying and creative interaction are what's really
important, and what's really fun.  Some of the most legendary scenes
happen when people are "losing."  More so than in any other form of
gaming, how you play your character and how much fun you have are far
more important than who does better or worse than you.

4.  Do I need experience?  What if I don't know anyone there?  What if
I'm shy?  Who are these people, anyway?

Don't worry.  Many people who play these games have played tabletop
roleplaying games, but many others have not.  Lots of other real-life
activities are excellent preparation for live roleplaying.  If you've
ever daydreamed about being someone else, or about being in a
different world, you've got what you need.

Besides, most game designers set things up to give experienced players
incentive to help new players along.  You'll probably have knowledge
or abilities that other people need.  Other people will help you out,
not just because they're nice, but because they need your help.

And they *are* nice, too.  These aren't wild-eyed lunatics or immature
geeks -- they're ordinary people from all walks of life, who happen to
like using their imaginations and sharing the experience with other
people.  All live roleplaying games are very social -- it's a great
way to meet new friends.

5.  Can I team with my friends?

Of course!  Just let the Gamesmasters know ahead of time.  Really big
teams often get broken up into smaller ones, just to keep things
balanced, but you'll practically always get to stay with at least a
few of your friends.

6.  So how do they work?  Who runs them?  How do I get involved?

There are currently two basic forms of live roleplaying, which are
different enough to require separate answer lists.

But first, a brief word about nomenclature.  Both forms of live
roleplaying use many different terms to refer to themselves, many of
which overlap with each other.  The terms chosen for the purpose of
this document are the best suggestions which clearly and correctly
*distinguished* between the two forms of gaming.  Adherents of each
form are welcome to suggest other distinguishing terminology for this
document, and are requested to do so by private mail to the editor.

The first form is characterized by continuous campaigns and almost
always live mechanics.  Rules and plot structures are based upon
traditional tabletop roleplaying games, and are usually very complex
and as realistic as possible.  Games are usually run in the woods,
using boffer swords and other live systems for magic and thieving, all
of which rely a fair bit on your own physical skills.  You design your
own character, and over the course of many games, build up experience
which increases your effectiveness.  Almost all of these worlds are
"swords and sorcery," although a few organizations are branching out
into other genres.  Most of the time, you will play a "module," a
series of planned encounters for a small group of characters, where
GM-scripted non-player characters (NPCs) act as your adversaries as
you carry out your quest.  For the purposes of this document, this
form is called "Live Campaign."

The second form, called "Interactive Literature," is run under a very
different paradigm.  Rules are designed to be as simple as possible,
and to require little or no real physical action on the part of the
players.  About the most violent thing you'll do is stick a sticker on
someone; usually, you'll compare numbers on index cards.  Games are
usually run in hotels, often in conjunction with science fiction or
gaming conventions.  Genres range all over the map, including high
fantasy, science fiction, historical, espionage, horror, cyberpunk,
Saturday morning cartoons, and lots of others.  Games are almost
always single self-contained events, usually a weekend long, with the
action building to a climax and resolving by the end of the game.  The
GMs write the characters ahead of time, designing plots and characters
so each character has allies, enemies, objectives, and an interesting
personality.  Because the games are self-contained, there is no
long-term building up of experience necessary to get a powerful
character.  Your adversaries are not the GMs or NPCs under GM control,
but the other characters who have goals contrary to yours.  The focus
of these games is negotiation, persuasion, trickery, and so forth; as
in real life, combat and such are effective, but often create new
problems.

7.  "Live Campaign" questions

7.1.  Does this have anything to do with Dream Park?

Yes, many Live Campaign game system designers were inspired by the
Dream Park novels by Larry Niven and Steve Barnes, as well as by the
tabletop games the live systems strongly resemble.  Basically, people
thought that it would be lots of fun to play their favorite
roleplaying games for real in the woods -- and it is.

7.2.  Who runs these games?

The list of names and addresses follows at the end of this FAQ.  Many
groups are quite widespread, with regional chapters in various
locations.  They provide centralized authorities which help new
writers design good games, standardize rules systems and reward
levels, purchase insurance, and the like.  Players who travel or move
to a different area can usually keep playing their already-developed
characters.  There are also dozens of smaller groups around the world,
each with a slightly different system.

7.3.  What do you use for weapons?

Most systems use PVC piping or fiberglass covered with foam rubber,
with soft or retractable tips.  To attack, you really swing the
weapon, and if you really hit, you hit.  More experienced characters
generally get to do more damage per hit.  Most systems do not allow
weapons which could trap an opponent's weapon or body (tridents), or
which are articulated (nunchaku, flails).  Some systems do not allow
thrown or projectile weapons (throwing stars, crossbows), but simulate
them with tossed bean bags.  Many systems do not allow attacks
directly targeted at the head.

7.4.  What do you use for armor?

Some systems use coded clothing (brown cloth is leather armor, etc).
Some require you to simulate armor, more or less realistically
(fiberglass, etc).  Some require that you actually wear actual armor.
Most systems require that armor edges be padded, for safety.

7.5.  How does magic work?

Most systems use bean bags to determine whether or not your spell
hits.  As you toss the bean bag, you generally have to say a key
phrase to indicate which spell you're using; some systems require
longer verbal components (some use a whistle to stop time to allow
spells to be cast); some require you to collect physical components
from the game world in order to cast spells.

7.6.  How does thieving work?

Some systems teach you the fundamentals of real-life lock picking, and
you have to really pick the locks you encounter.  Some use more
abstract representations, such as a twisting wire connected to a
battery and a light.  Your "pick" is a metal loop, which you must slip
from one end of the wire to the other without touching it and
completing the circuit (more experience allows you more errors or
larger loops).  One group uses only combination locks, and thieves are
given sets of combinations which might work -- if you have the
combination to a lock, you can open it.  In most systems, traps have a
mechanical trigger which you must really disarm.  In some cases, the
actual disarming is a simple as flicking a switch, but it may be tough
to get at that switch.  Picking pockets and burgling rooms is also
generally done for real -- most systems have a convention along the
lines of "real life personal items under the bed are off limits."
Some systems use index cards which allow you to simply demand the
items from the other player, along the lines of an Interactive
Literature system (see below).  In general, you must have a character
skill in order to have the right to make a thieving attempt.

7.7.  What kind of characters are there?  How do I create one?  How do
I improve my skills?

Most systems use character classes such as Mage, Rogue, Fighter,
Cleric, and so forth; and character races such as Human, Elf,
Half-Orc, and so forth -- basically, familiar races and classes from
tabletop roleplaying games.  Each class and race has particular
strengths and weaknesses.  Some systems have a class-free skill-based
system.  Most allow you to learn skills not normally associated with
your class or race, depending on the development of your character.

The group will send you instructions on character creation when you
join.  In general, you write a background history for your character
and state what starting items and skills you think you should have,
and submit it to a local plot committee, who will make sure you're
being reasonable, and will attempt to work you into the ongoing plot
of the world.

Each time you successfully kill a monster, disarm a trap, recover a
treasure, solve a puzzle, and so forth, you may receive "experience
points," which you can turn in for improved skills.  Some groups
simply give you experience for surviving a certain number of hours,
rather than rewarding you for specific actions.  You work your way up
over time.  Some groups have very slow advancement, others tend to
rush you up the first several levels.

7.8.  Can I play a monster?

Yes.  In these games, monsters are all non-player characters (NPCs)
under the control of the GMs.  What you give up in autonomy, you get
back in discounted or free admission.  In most groups, people play
monsters occasionally so that everyone else has someone to fight
against.

7.9.  What happens if I get killed?

Some systems have provision for limited resurrections.  If not, you'll
probably have to make up a new character, or spend the rest of the
weekend playing a monster.

7.10.  Where do you play?  How often?  What's the schedule like?

Most groups play in wooded campgrounds, in which many create an entire
medieval village.  Some sites have cabins with beds, some require you
to bring tents.  Many have events every weekend during spring, summer,
and fall, including weekend-long events once a month, but this is
highly region-dependent -- some places only have a few events per
year.

Most groups run single-day adventures as well as entire weekends of
continuous play.  There are usually no formal rest or meal breaks, but
you are encouraged to remember to eat and sleep.  Most groups prefer
that you remain on site and active the entire event.

7.11.  How many people play?

While the number of people at the site at any give time may be quite
large (several hundred), most actual adventures are organized into
"modules" for small groups of players (4-12).  A given adventure may
be run a large number of times, allowing lots of people to
participate.  Of course, interesting things can happen any time of the
day or night...

7.12.  How much does it cost?

Most groups charge a yearly membership fee, in the range of $10-30,
which gets you the rule books, the right to participate in other
events, and often a quarterly newsletter.  You may also have to buy
membership in a local chapter.

Few-hour and single-day events cost $10-20, weekend events cost
$30-75.  You can play a GM-controlled NPC (monster, etc), usually for
half price.

Additionally, you are generally required to provide your own equipment
(weapons, armor, etc), although some groups have loaners for new
players.  In most groups, your character cannot have a piece of
equipment for which you cannot provide a physical representation.
You're also on your own for food -- some groups have taverns where you
can buy hot food.

7.13.  Do I have to costume?  What about other props?

Most systems require that you make at least a token effort at
costuming, but don't have the "costume police" associated with some
reenactment societies.  Many have requirements such as "each person's
costume must be at least 80% one color, no two people in the party can
have same color," or "all players playing dark elves must wear black
face paint and pointed ears."  These requirements are generally to
ease the application of other rules and to enable other players to
identify you at a glance.

Most groups have a strong emphasis on making everything in the game
look and feel as real as possible, which allows a strong atmosphere to
be created.  You may be provided with props, or you may need to
provide them yourself, depending on the situation.

7.14.  Can children play?  What about people with disabilities?

Children under 18 always need parental permission.  Many groups have a
minimum age, usually 14-18.  People with disabilities are welcome, if
they feel they can play safely.  There are few provisions for playing
a character who does not share your disability, however.

8.  "Interactive Literature" questions

8.1.  How does it work?

Many characters (from 30 to over 200) are drawn together by choice and
fate into a single place at a single time, where history stands in the
balance.  Each character has individual skills, desires, and a
personal stake in the outcome.  Over the course of the game, you use
diplomacy, cunning, and roleplaying to convince the other characters
to help you and your allies save the world, or rule it, or destroy
it... all while they're doing the same thing to you.  Because your
adversaries are your fellow players rather than NPCs under GM control,
anything could happen.  Everyone has a chance to control the outcome
-- the GMs act only as referees.

8.2.  Yeah, but how does it *work*?  How do you do combat and stuff?

Combat, thieving, magic, and other "unfriendly interactions" (that is,
things that don't involve people just talking to each other) are the
least important part of an Interactive Literature game.  For this
reason, the rules are kept very easy and quick to resolve, serving
only as a framework for roleplaying.  Each game has its own set of
rules, rarely longer than a magazine article.  Most GM groups use a
constant set of rules to govern things like "don't touch people's
real-life personal property," "don't run in the hallways," and "don't
freak out people who aren't playing," and write rules for unfriendly
interactions as appropriate for each particular game.

The thing that characterizes all of the rulesets, however, is that
your real physical skills play only a minimal part in the game.  For
instance, in most rulesets, if your character is an expert burglar,
you'll have to get to the room you intend to burgle (something pretty
reasonable to ask of anyone), but your character's skills will take
over from there.  Almost every Interactive Literature system uses
index cards describing your character's skills and proficiencies.  To
use an ability, all you have to do is show the card (of course, if
circumstances demand, you can show it to a GM, so the other players
don't know that you've done anything).  If you're an expert swordsman,
your combat card may have higher numbers, or a greater variety of
moves, or whatever is appropriate to give you an advantage over a
less-well-trained opponent.  If you're a mage, you'll probably have a
card describing what you need to do to cast a particular spell, and
what effects it has when you succeed.  Whoever you are, you can play
anyone at all, without having to spend time building up real-world
skills.

8.3.  Who runs these games?

Again, the complete list of addresses follows at the end of this FAQ.
This game structure was originally designed, somewhat concurrently and
cooperatively, by the Society for Interactive Literature and the MIT
Assassins' Guild (the names of both are historical accidents).  The
overall goal of these games is to create a world where you can be
someone else with a maximum of dramatic roleplaying and a minimum of
rules-crunching.  There are no centralized authorities who control how
a particular group of GMs designs or runs a game, but some
organizations (most notably the Interactive Literature Foundation)
attempt to provide a central clearinghouse for information.

8.4.  Where do you play?  How often?  What's the schedule like?

Most Interactive Literature games are run in hotels, although some
college-based groups simply run on campus.  Occasionally, games are
run in wooded campgrounds or other appropriate venues.  Often, games
are run in conjunction with science fiction or gaming conventions, to
keep costs down.  Because of the vast amount of writing involved in
producing a single game (2-4 person-*years*), most individual writing
groups only write one or two games per year, but in some areas
(particularly the US Eastern Seaboard) there are so many groups
writing that you can play every few weeks, all year 'round.

Some groups have written "minigames" which are designed to take only a
few hours to play, and some of the college groups run games over a
ten-day period, with players going inactive to go to class or do
homework.  However, most games are run over a weekend.  Once you have
read your character information, you are free to interact at any time
with anyone else in the game.  However, most groups do not allow
combat, use of special abilities, or anything else which might require
a GM's intervention, until some time after the official beginning of
the game (Saturday morning for a game which runs Friday evening to
Sunday afternoon).  The early part of the game is a "safe" time, so
you can meet all the other characters without worry.  Also, most
groups schedule sleep and meal breaks, which are again "safe."  You
can keep playing your character, but you cannot be attacked.  And of
course, any time you want to just take a break, you're free to go
inactive.

8.5.  What happens if I get killed?

It depends on the game.  In a fantasy world, you might simply become
your own ghost, or you might get resurrected.  In a cyberpunk world,
you might be cloned and backed up on tape.  If the GMs have extra
characters, you might be given a new character.  Some GMs write bit
parts, such as police officers, for players who get killed.  Or, you
can just hang around and ask everyone what's *really* going on, as
long as you don't tell what you learn.

8.6.  How many people play?

While some Interactive Literature games are written for as few as
eight people or as many as two hundred, most are written for thirty to
ninety players.  Rather than forming a small adventuring party, you
spend the weekend interacting with anyone you come across in order to
advance your goals, so you really do play with all those other people,
and it's to your advantage to deal with everyone else in the game --
most of them have some knowledge or abilities you can benefit from, if
you can convince them to help you.  Most games are organized into
factions of 3-8 people (rarely is a faction more than 10% of a game),
so you have allies, but traitors and multiple loyalties are common.

8.7.  How much does it cost?

Few of the game-running organizations charge membership fees, and none
require membership in any organization to play in their games.  Some
publish quarterly newsletters, which cost $10-20/year, and some groups
offer discounts on their games to subscribers.

Most games cost somewhere between $10-35 for a whole weekend, although
games run apart from an existing convention can cost $65-125, or even
more.

If the game is run at a convention, players are usually required to
join the convention, at a cost of $15-40.  Sometimes, the GMs are able
to arrange discounted convention memberships for game players.

You are on your own for food and sleeping arrangements in most games,
although many GMs provide free munchies (as do many conventions) and
will help players coordinate crash space.  Occasionally, a game will
be offered as a package deal, but prices are highly variable.

You do not need to bring or buy any other costuming, equipment, or
supplies -- everything you need to play the games is included in your
registration fee.

8.8.  Do I have to costume?  What about props?

You are never required to costume, although it's always cheerfully
encouraged.  Your character is usually identified with a name badge.
Props which are part of your costume are just part of your costume --
all items which could affect the game are created by the GMs, and are
always clearly marked as game items.  Most props are index cards with
descriptions of the items, although most GMs like to include as many
"real" props as they can afford.

8.9.  What kind of characters are there?  How do I create one?  How do
I improve my skills?  Can I play a bad guy?

Every character in an Interactive Literature game is a unique
individual, not restricted to a particular class.  Your character is
described to you in a 3-10 page short story describing your skills,
desires, background, allies, knowledge, personality, and objectives.
Each character is created by the GMs to be deeply woven into the
interconnecting plots.

When you sign up for a game, you fill out a casting questionnaire,
which gives you an opportunity to tell the GMs about yourself and
about what you're looking for in a character.  They rarely have
exactly what you describe, but there's so much variety among the
characters, they probably have something you'll enjoy for the same
reasons.  Once you get your character, if there are elements of your
background or personality you haven't been told about, you're free to
make them up, of course.

Depending on the game, it may or may not be possible to improve your
skills during the weekend.  However, because the games are
self-contained, rather than a continuous campaign, you don't have to
start with a weak character -- you enter the game with a fully
developed and advanced character, prepared for action.

Of course you can play a bad guy, or a good guy, or someone to whom
those labels wouldn't apply at all.  Each player is part of the world
for the others, and if everyone were nice, there wouldn't be much need
for conflict, so the game would be pretty dull.  But don't worry:
people who play these games are grownup enough to realize that just
because you're their enemy in the game, doesn't mean you're a bad
person in real life.

8.10.  Can children play?  What about people with disabilities?

Children are welcome, with or without their parents.  As long as they
can talk to adults and understand the game materials, they'll do fine.
Realize, however, that games often have plots that might be rated
PG-13 (drugs, crime, violence, occasionally sex) -- although the
representations of these things are always totally G-rated, you might
want to talk to the GMs ahead of time if you're concerned.

People with disabilities are welcome in Interactive Literature, and
GMs will make every effort to help you be able to play freely.  Your
character will not share your disability.  It's best to discuss your
particular needs with the GMs ahead of time, so they can make whatever
arrangements are necessary.

9.  Boy, Live Roleplaying sounds like a great party!

It is.  But no group which runs any sort of live roleplaying game
permits alcohol or drugs in its games.  Being under the influence
doesn't make for very good roleplaying, and can annoy and endanger
those around you.  Many groups also prohibit smoking.

10.  How do I find out what events are coming up?  How do I get my
event listed?

There is a list maintained on rec.games.frp.live-action, posted
every other weekly.  Mail your announcement to Shade Palmer
([e-mail])

Also, most groups have a calendar of events which they publish in
their newsletters.  The SIL's announcement list is maintainted by Tad
Pierson ([e-mail]).  The ILF's announcement list is maintained
by Terilee Edwards-Hewitt ([e-mail]).

There is also a mailing list for Interactive Literature announcements
and discussions, [e-mail].  To be added to the list,
send mail to [e-mail].

11.  I'd really like to run one of these!  How do I get started?  Is
there a publicly-available ruleset I can use?

Your best bet is to play in a game or three first, and then find a
group of experienced writers and apprentice yourself to them.  There's
only so much that can be learned from reading someone else's set of
rules, especially in a system such as Interactive Literature.  It
takes experience to learn what sort of plots work and how to weave
things together to make things fun for your players.

If there isn't anything in your area, it may not be too easy (although
the net does make it easier for learning how to write).  Contact one
of the listed groups, and see if they have any advice.

Many groups have starter games which they will sell or give away to
people -- if you plan to make a profit, expect to have to share that
profit pretty generously with the people who put all the time and
effort into writing.  Contact a group whose work you are interested
and see what they say.

Because of the large amount of time and effort most groups put into
their game design, and because of the near-impossibility of enforcing
one's copyright over something that's been freely and widely
distributed, they are generally reluctant to make their work
accessible to the general public (by anonymous ftp and the like).
However, most game designers are eager to help out people who are just
getting started, and will give you ideas or samples or even more
in-depth help on an individual basis.  Again, your best bet is to
contact someone whose game-writing skill you respect and ask them if
they can help you.

12.  Which kind of game is best?  Which group runs the best games?

Whichever one you think is most fun.  Ask some more questions, or just
come give them a try.  Many people play both Live Campaign and
Interactive Literature, while some can't figure out why anyone would
want to be so stupid as to play a particular system they don't play
themselves.  It's easy to get into flame wars over whose games are
better, and they're really pointless arguments.  This newsgroup is a
forum for game players and designers who wish to trade ideas and learn
from each other; please keep the language calm and as nonjudgemental
as possible.

13.  What if I have other questions, comments on this FAQ, or want to
get my group listed?

If you think they're of public interest, post them on
rec.games.frp.live-action with a comment that you'd like them to be
included in the FAQ.  If you'd rather keep things private, send mail
to Aimee Yermish ([e-mail]).  Your comments are
always welcome.  If your group is not listed, or listed with incorrect
or incomplete information, it wasn't meant as a personal slight, and
will be cheerfully corrected.

Listing policies:

1. No phone numbers will be listed, because the editor does not want
to be responsible for your getting awakened at 4am by someone who
couldn't figure out which time zone you were in.

2. Only one contact address per organization will be listed, for space
reasons.  Organizations with multiple local chapters are encouraged to
submit the contact information for their central office, plus a list
of the local chapters or the general areas in which those chapters
exist.  People who are interested will contact the central office to
get the contact information for the chapters near them.

3. Names of individual local kingdoms (or equivalent) will not be
listed, because they are of little meaning to those not already
involved in the organization.

4. Dates of events, whether regular or scheduled, will not be listed.
Send those to Shade, Terilee, and/or Tad (above).

5. If your group differs sharply from the description above (for
instance, your games sound mostly like Interactive Literature, but you
use live mechanics), please mention the differences.  The editor
reserves the right to boil these descriptions down to a few words or
to omit them if they don't actually distinguish anything.

[Editor's note: I happen to have opinions, as do we all.  I have done
my best to keep them out of this document, and to describe all games
and game designers the way their enthusiasts would want me to.  I'm
also human.  If I've misrepresented something, or failed in some other
way, please let me know, and if something needs fixing, I'll be happy
to do it.]

14.  Live Campaign groups -- contact information

Unless otherwise stated, all of these groups use live mechanics and
conform at least mostly to the description of Live Campaign games above.

Aberystwyth University LRP [Wales]
email: [e-mail]

Adventurer's Guild [England]
email:  [e-mail]

Adventurer's Inn [Northern California]
PO Box 1654
Ceres, CA  95307

Amtgard
[Many locations in OR, CO, TX, NM, and possibly others, including East
Coast USA and Scandanavia.  Central location is El Paso TX]
email:  [e-mail] (Duane Watts)
email:  [e-mail] (listserver, send a blank message with
"help" as the subject line)

Archaea [Washington DC area]
email:  [e-mail] (Ed Chang)

Avgrunden [Sweden]
Box 25006
100 23 Stockholm
Sweden
email:  [e-mail] (Lennart Borg)

Birmingham Treasure Trap [England]
email: [e-mail]

Brunel University LRP
email: [e-mail] (Tom)

The Camarilla [many locations in WA, OR, CA, UT, MO, IL, IN, GA, MA,
NJ, TX, possibly others, as well as the UK and Italy]
8314 Greenwood Avenue North
Box 2850
Seattle WA  98103
email: [e-mail] or [e-mail]
email: mailing list accessible -- send mail to [e-mail]
with the message text "subscribe camarilla-l Your Real Name"
Note: this group runs Vampire games under the White Wolf system.  The
plot structure has elements of both Live Campaign and Interactive
Literature.  Mechanics are entirely virtual.

Chapter Victoria LRP [Victoria University, New Zealand]
c/o VUWSA
PO Box 600
Wellington
New Zealand
email:  [e-mail] (Campbell)

Dagorhir [Ohio, Tennessee, Maryland, Illinois]
PO Box 1065
Akron, OH  44309

Dragon-Sys [Germany]
Juergen Wittmann
Winner Zeile 26
90482 Nuernberg
Germany
email: [e-mail] (Markus Degen)

Elsenham Live-action Fantasy Roleplaying [UK, London area]
Heather Deep
Park Road
Elsenham
Essex
CM22 6DE
UK
email:  [e-mail] (Matthew W Martin)

Eternica [Flemish Belgium]
Steven Redant
Bremstraat 33
3520 Zonhoven
Belgium
email:  [e-mail]

Ett Glas [Sweden]
Bergkallavagen 72
S-191 79 Sollentuna
Sweden

Fantasy Fieldtrip Society [Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada]
email:  [e-mail] (Richard Pocklington)
Note: this group uses a more free-form system than most; their rules
are very limited.

Fools and Heroes [Britain, many locations]
c/o Dave O'Neill
40 Connolly Drive
Carterton
OXON
UK
email:  [e-mail] (Louise Dennis)

Games of Adventure [Seattle WA]
Alex Walkup
20227 23rd NW
Seattle, WA  98177

Glasgow University LRP (The Cuckoo's Nest) [Scotland]
email:  [e-mail] (Russel Barnes)

International Fantasy Gaming Society (IFGS)
[Alabama, Atlanta, Central Ohio, Dallas, Denver-Boulder, Los Angeles,
Metro Denver, New England, Norman OK, Northeast Oklahoma, Northern
Colorado, Southern Wisconsin, Virginia, West Los Angeles, and possibly
others.]
PO Box 3577
Boulder, CO  80307-3577
email: [e-mail] (Patrick McGeaherty)

Keele Live Action Society (KLAS) [England]
email: [e-mail] (Paul Wilder)

K'nar Gaming Enterprise [Michigan]
c/o Christopher Jozwik
Michigan State University
274 West Holmes Hall
East Lansing, MI  48825
email: [e-mail]

The Labyrinthe Club [Chistlehurst, England]
Dept S
PO Box 225
Orpington, BR6 7SX
England

Leicester University LRP [England]
email: [e-mail] (Chris Smith)

Live Action Interactive Roleplaying Explorers (LAIRE) [New Jersey]
PO Box 661
South Plainfield, NJ  07080-0661
[e-mail]

Living Imagination of New England (LIONE) [New England]
260 Brent Street
Manchester,  NH   03103

Live Role-Playing Society (LRPS) [Edmonton Canada area]
Box 60209
Edmonton, Alberta
T6G 2S5
Canada
email: [e-mail] (David Mondor)
Note:  mechanics are entirely virtual, as for an Interactive
Literature game.

Make Yourself The Hero (MYTH) [Indiana]
c/o Lee Dwayne Sudduth
2219 Park Avenue
Anderson, IN  46016
email:  [e-mail]

New England Roleplaying Organization (NERO) [New England, Pittsburgh
PA, Toronto Canada, New York, Arlington TX, Virginia, Georgia,
Detroit MI, Chicago IL.]
80 Hardwick Pond Road
Ware, MA 01082
email: [e-mail] (Ford Ivey)
[WARNING: There is a group in California claiming to be a NERO chapter
which is not.  They have been defrauding people.  If you want to be
sure you're really dealing with a legit NERO chapter, check with the
office first.]

Otherworld Interactive Theatre [New England]
c/o Kristi Hayes
431A Broadway #45
Somerville, MA, 02145
email: [e-mail]
Note: games are designed to be *educational*, specifically fostering
teamwork, leadership, communication, and self-confidence.  Games are
single events rather than continuous campaigns.

Quest Games [Connecticut]
email: [e-mail]

Realms of Wonder [Amherst MA]
c/o Jon Merripen
599 E. Leverett Road
Amherst, MA  01002
email:  [e-mail]

Traces of Reality [Oberlin College]
OCMR 2245
Oberlin, OH  44074
email:  [e-mail]

Xanodria [New Jersey]
c/o Doug Bischoff
47J Franklin Greens S.
Somerset, NJ  08873-1955
email:  [e-mail]

15.  Interactive Literature groups -- contact information

Unless otherwise stated, all of these groups use virtual mechanics and
conform mostly to the description of Interactive Literature above.

The following three groups (SIL, SIL-West, ILF) know of many other
smaller GM groups and can help you find games running near you.

Society for Interactive Literature (SIL)
PO Box 44-1478
Somerville,  MA   02144-1478
email:  [e-mail] (John O'Neil)

Society for Interactive Literature West (SIL-West)
c/o Stephen R. Balzac
808 Coleman Avenue #10
Menlo Park,  CA   94025-2455
email:  [e-mail], [e-mail] (Aimee Yermish)

Interactive Literature Foundation (ILF)
PO Box 196
Merrifield,  VA   22116
email:  [e-mail] (Jim Edwards-Hewitt)

Enigma [Univ CA Los Angeles]
email: [e-mail] (Robert Hurt)

Japan International Gamers Guild (JIGG) [Tokyo area]
email:  [e-mail] (Alex Antunes)

Kraken Games [New Zealand]
PO Box 4310
Christchurch
New Zealand
email:  [e-mail] (Dillon Burke)

MIT Assassins' Guild [MIT, Cambridge MA]
email:     [e-mail]
[Note: historically, this group ran mostly spy thrillers and used a
live combat system (plastic guns).  There is much more variety now,
but I believe there is still some live element to the unfriendly
interactions]

Ravn [Norway]
PO Box 3867 Ullevaal Hageby
N-0805  OSLO
NORWAY
email:  [e-mail]
Note: mechanics are live, some player input in character creation

WPI Science Fiction Society
Student Activities, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 Institute Road
Worcester, MA  01609
email: [e-mail]

There are *lots* of smaller groups running IL, almost all of whom
advertise on Tad Pierson and/or Terilee Edwards-Hewitt's lists, plus
on the il-info mailing list.
--
Aimee Yermish    [e-mail]    415-780-0403 (before 11pm PST)
Society for Interactive Literature West -- Live Roleplaying
Coming Memorial Day weekend to Baycon (San Jose CA): *The Game of Empire*
Magic, mystery, murder, in the City of Ten Thousand Magicians: ask me about it!