What to Expect

There are a few different people in the community and online that handcraft garb to the player’s measurements. These can be quite reasonably priced, and often even machine washable. Asking around will quickly tell you who these people are. 

While some may choose not to, if you plan on wearing a dress or skirt, I highly recommend wearing a chemise or shift as an under layer. This will help with chafing, keeping your outer layers clean, and keeping you cool or warm depending on the material and the season. Most people wear modern underwear underneath this, but a shift was literally underwear. You can even use it as a nightgown.

If you’re wearing cotton, be especially careful of hypothermia if you get wet.

Layers and accessories make your garb look more realistic. The aforementioned chemise, a scarf, an under tunic, some jewelry, all that jazz helps give a character a more distinctive look.

Look for fabrics that look as if they could be woven, natural fibers. Polyester blends can look absolutely fabulous, just try to look for ones that appear like they could have existed at the time.

Wear colorful clothing! It is encouraged. All these movies with peasants in nothing but dingy browns and tatters need to get off my lawn. Even serfs and peasants wore a whole lot of garish colors that they could get from just natural dyes. Go for it!

Leather and cloth are good materials for carrying things on your person. Wicker baskets are great too. Wicker looking purses are a bit modern. Colored and dyed leather is good. Embossed leather is great. Faux leather is commonly used and should be fine.

Embroidery should be relatively simple, or at least look like it is possible to be done by hand. 

Having trim on your garb can add a nice personal detail. It doesn’t have to be tablet weaving, but having it be designed to kinda look like tablet weaving is great, and is also what you normally see.

Renaissance faire fashion and historical clothing are two very different things. Medieval Larp is often a combination of both, or somewhere in between. Being closer to historical for this game is highly encouraged, but not required. Though anything too outlandish or clearly high fantasy should probably be left to fae characters.

Modern purses with a long cross body shoulder strap attached to a smaller bag did not exist. Try instead for a belt pouch or two with a coin purse inside, or some kind of larger shoulder bag. Some people wear their coin pouch on a cord around their neck and stuff it down their shirt. Leather scroll protectors are great if you need to carry around lots of important documents.

We highly suggest getting a ring belt. If you don’t know how to tie it, someone will be able to help because we’ve all done it before. Kidney belts and other wide belts with buckles are also common. Everyday modern belts not so much, but some of them can look ok, especially if they’re simple and in neutral colors.

Getting shoes that look medieval can be great, but we all completely understand if you need the grip of hiking boots to run up that hill over there in the rain. If you get more period looking shoes, I suggest wearing them regularly before game to make sure they stretch and mold to your foot. Early shoes were meant to do that, and wearing brand new ones could be uncomfortable. Make sure any shoes you wear have gripping tread.

The most common head covering for this period was either a hood, pillbox hat, veil, or a close fitting cap. Dipping into the late medieval and early renaissance is okay for all. This is to provide our bloodthirsty friends with some shade for their faces that is not just a hood, and for that sweet, sweet style. Go for a bycocket, a tudor flat cap, a straw hat, a brimmed leather hat, or even a chaperon. However, it should also not be assumed that just because someone is wearing a hat or covering clothing that they are a vampire. Being mostly covered was the norm in the 10th century.

We have seen people arrive at a game with multiple bins full of deco and props, and a few furniture pieces for the room they will inhabit, but you don’t have to go quite that hard. Some wooden boxes, an electric candle or two, and maybe some character centric props is the norm. Perhaps even a journal if you dare write down what happens here…

People commonly disguise modern pens with a glued-on feather, and a leather cord wrapped around it and glued down. Some people come in with calligraphy sets.

Homemade or otherwise handmade props can add a wonderful personal touch to your character. It can help you and other players connect with said character.

Second hand stores are a great place to find various props. Especially wooden boxes, glass cups, and mugs. Leather or faux leather boots can sometimes be found there too.

If you bring in your own lighting, put your initials on the bottom. This will help differentiate it from other players as well as game staff’s lighting.

We highly recommend at some point investing in a large, sturdy plastic bin for use either at site or just at home. Or multiple. You will inevitably end up with a lot of larp stuff no matter how much money you actually spend.

Site doesn’t have toiletries. A building may sometimes choose to provide some, but don’t expect it. Please bring your own soap, razors, shampoo, menstrual products, etc.

The org will not provide food. Buildings or other players may choose to sell food, but you should be prepared to feed yourself the entire time.

Some people like to bring in acoustic guitars, or even period instruments. Almost always super fun. Songs and stories often bring people together really well.

Good songs to bring in can be shanties, less modern and non-story related songs from movies like Touch the Sky from Disney’s Brave, non-story related songs from books like Lord of the Rings or Wheel of Time, folk songs, and songs from the period.

Most people who serve food will either stay away from new world or otherwise inaccessible foods, disguise them as something else (such as calling mashed potatoes “mashed turnips”), or downplay them as a small part of a baked good in a dish. Chocolate chip cookies are less noticeable than triple chocolate cookies with cocoa in the dough itself. Bananas or kiwis can be a bit jarring, but you can call them weird Fae lands fruit.

Some people call coffee something different like caff, but most people don’t bother. Tea is just tea, no matter if it’s black, green, or herbal tea. You can ask a vendor for a specific type though. Creamer is often called “sweet cream”. Sometimes there are qualifiers, like if you use pumpkin spice creamer it would be “spiced sweet cream”.

Everyone uses spices and herbs, and no one cares how you do it. Large and varied amounts of herbs are period! Large amounts of spices (unless you’re nobility) aren’t, but they make food taste good and I want my paprika, cloves and pepper.

People usually use juice to simulate wine, and soda for beer or ale. If you order an ale, expect it to be cola, cream soda, or rootbeer.

Water was drinkable in the mid ages! Drink water! Both your body and safety team will thank you. No one in any building will be able to deny you water.

Some people get specific period-ish-looking mobility aids for larp, or cover their normal ones. However, this is by no means required. Staff will work with you if you have any concerns. 

Bring extra socks and underwear. Eventually, you will step in a puddle you didn’t think was that deep, but there you are up to your ankles.

Make a character playlist! It can be modern or medieval sounding music, but it should be themed specifically towards your character. Listen to it before game to get yourself hyped. Certain movies can also be thematic and get you into the right headspace. 

If the RP gets too intense for you, step away and take a break when you can. Oftentimes if it’s only two people, you can ask for a fade to black and describe what’s necessary.

Check in your character as early as possible. Waiting until the last minute is a pain in the butt for everyone. Put a reminder on your calendar to help you remember.

If you have a wearable electronic watch like a fitbit or similar and have to wake up at a certain time, put a vibrating alarm on it and wear it to bed. That way you minimize your chances of waking up anyone else nearby. Vibrating alarms on a phone can work too. Just try to make as little audible noise as possible.

Keep yourself clean please. You can appear dirty for a character, but most people shower at least once during the event, and use deodorant every day. Your ride home will appreciate it.

You should try your best to know the base rules and the ones relevant to your faction, but if you don’t know what a power does you can always cross your index and middle finger and quietly ask what it does. Respond accordingly!

Take risks, it’s fun. This is supposed to be a safe environment to fail in.

Go NPC! Even if all you do is take a human 3x5 card. It helps you familiarize yourself with the rules, and do even more interesting things. It makes the world feel more alive.

Interact with the community out of game. Some of us play jerks or downright evil monsters, and It’s important to see players outside of just who their characters are. 

Inform safety team of any possible medical concerns that could come up in an emergency. The hospital is far away. Wear a medical bracelet if you have one, no one cares what it looks like. Keep any epi-pens on your person and tell safety where it is.

Have fun! That’s why you came!