Author: Séa

Rules and Responsibilities

The Dragonwood LARP is on hiatus as of March 2019.

The Rules

    1. Safety first.
    2. Be kind.

Your personal goal should be to think first and act second. Be aware of your environment and those around you at all times. Take care to look 360° around yourself before swinging, throwing, or firing any mock weapons. Be smart to stay safe.

Everyone should strive to be kind, respectful, considerate, helpful, supportive, encouraging, welcoming, amiable, courteous, forgiving, understanding, and amazing!

Responsibilities

No one is in charge here. We are all in this together.

Like many other homeschool gatherings, this is not a formal group. It’s just a bunch of friends and neighbors playing together at public parks. Parents remain wholly responsible for their own children. Adult supervision is not provided.

Ensuring Diversity, Inclusivity, and Getting Along With Others is everyone’s job.

If you have a conflict with someone, the person you need to talk to is that person. You can ask another LARPer to act as a Mediator if you’re having trouble communicating. If you need adult help, you should ask your parent or the other person’s parent for assistance.

The one thing you should not ever do is gossip about another LARPer. It’s simply unkind and can poison the entire group. If you can’t say it to their face, don’t say it at all. If someone attempts to share malicious gossip with you, please politely suggest they bring their concerns directly to the person they are maligning or that they request a Mediator to help them resolve their disagreement. Also, don’t believe a word of what is shared with you clandestinely. If it was true, it would be spoken about openly, honestly, and respectfully.

You are responsible for making sure that you know the names of your fellow LARPers and who their parents are.

All LARPers need to join the LARP’s Discord server to ensure that communication lines are open. We also require that each LARPer have at least one parent on the Discord server.

The organizer’s and/or the host’s responsibilities are solely to set the dates, times, and locations and communicate those choices to the rest of the group.

This LARP blog exists only because my mom insists upon it solely for its educational value for me. That it has proved a useful communication tool for other LARPers is incidental to that goal.

Costumes, Accessories, and Props

The Dragonwood LARP is on hiatus as of March 2019.

Costumes, accessories, and props help you embody and portray your character and can also be used to communicate more about your character to the other LARPers. While not required (especially for new LARPers), they are strongly encouraged.

Your character’s costume can start with a single simple piece to be expanded over time with additional items or enhancements. This could be as simple as a hat, a jacket, a bag, or ….

This is an all-weather LARP taking place outside over the course of the entire year, so plan your character’s outfit accordingly. Characters should come dressed for hiking through deep forests or deep snow! Sturdy shoes and long pants are recommended for all characters, regardless of species, special abilities, humidity, or ambient temperature!

Characters should also consider protection spells against swarming insects and burning sunlight. These can be obtained from your local apothecary.

Wood, cardboard, and plastic weapons may not be used for mock combat but are allowed for costuming purposes. If your costume includes wood, cardboard, plastic, or any other non-padded weaponry, it is your responsibility to ensure you never use it to strike another LARPer. Only boffers (padded foam weapons) may be used in combat.

For everyone’s safety, realistic-looking modern-day weapons and costumes that resemble modern-day law enforcement and military uniforms are discouraged and some parks we visit have rules banning them.

Character Development

The Dragonwood LARP is on hiatus as of March 2019.
    • This is a multiverse LARP — your character may come from any genre, era, or story, or spring solely from your own imagination.
      • Fantasy, steampunk, historical (historical realistic, historical supernatural, alternative history), modern, futuristic, post-apocalyptic, horror! Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings, Sherlock, Zelda, Avengers! Asgardian, Olympian, Arthurian! It’s up to you.
    • New members (with new characters) are always welcome and will be incorporated into the storyline.
    • Characters may evolve over time, even to the point of becoming completely different people (or completely different creatures)!
    • A LARPer may have multiple characters and may choose to switch characters during a single LARP.
      • A LARPer does need to give fair notice to the other LARPers before doing so.

The basics of character identity include:

    1. Character’s name
      • The Scribe will not record the true name of any of our valiant number onto the web of the wide world as all know well the power of one’s true name and how that power can be misused to cause one grievous harm!
    2. Character’s abilities or strengths
      • Characters cannot be all powerful or all knowing.
        • Invincible characters are no fun for the other LARPers.
        • If younger siblings join the LARP under the watchful eye of their elders, we will waive the invincible rule for those who are too young to understand the concept.
    3. Character’s flaws or weaknesses
      • Your character’s weaknesses must be equal to your strengths (if not greater).
      • All characters must have a weakness or flaw.
      • Be complete! “Water” isn’t a weakness, while “water extinguishes my fire power for 5 seconds” is.

The well-developed character includes:

    1. Character’s species and homeworld (or home dimension)
      • It’s perfectly acceptable to be a human from Earth, but you could also be a dragon, elf, gnome, alien, etc. from anywhere you can imagine! 
    2. Character’s appearance
      • shape (hulking, willowy, bulging, lanky, etc.)
      • height (knee-high to a grasshopper, 3-feet tall, towering, 8-feet 6-inches, of average height, 5½ feet, etc.)
      • weight (90 pounds, scrawny, gaunt, lean, average, stocky, plump, chubby, 2 tons, etc.)
      • color(s) (blue, iridescent, pale, translucent, yellow with green stripes, red with black spots, etc.)
      • appendages (2 arms and 2 legs, 8 legs and 3 upper body tentacles, 3 legs plus 6 arms with pinchers, etc.)
      • covering (fur, feathers, scales, skin, etc.),
      • age (exact or relative — 1015 years, 10 turns, ancient, youngling, several centuries, just hatched, since the beginning of time, etc.)
      • etc.
    3. Character’s background or origin story
      • Where did you live before coming to realm?
      • What was your childhood like?
      • Have you been an apprentice (to whom)?
      • What previous adventures have you had?
      • Was there a momentous event that has shaped who you are?
    4. Character’s occupation or calling
      • Wizard, magician, mage, mercenary, soldier, warrior, shopkeep, trader, wanderer, reluctant adventurer, accidental traveler, dictator, benevolent ruler, demigod, god, survivor, pirate, time traveler, bard, etc.
    5. Character’s skills
      • Spells, weaponry, and wisdom.
      • Be specific! Details are encouraged.
    6. Character’s general demeanor
      • Shy, imposing, fearful, aloof, etc. 
      • Any mannerisms or quirks?
    7. Character’s psychology, personality, and motivations
      • What are your best qualities?
      • What are your worst qualities?
      • What will you risk your life for?
      • What do you regret the most?
      • What do you most desire to achieve?
      • What is your moral code?
      • What do you fear?
      • Do you have an obligation to fulfill?
      • Are you cursed?
      • Are you a traitor?
      • Do you suffer from amnesia?
    8. Character’s relationships with other characters
      • Friendships, allegiances, grudges, enemies, nemeses, rivals, family ties, long lost relatives, evil twins, bounties, obligations, debts, etc.
      • Is your character with Lord Maul or against him?! Put another way, is your character part of the Resistance or part of the problem? 
    9. Character’s reason for being in the realm
      • Accidentally fell through an interdimensional portal. Came to defeat Lord Maul. Came to join forces with Lord Maul. On vacation. Dropped off by parents. Seeking fame and glory. Cursed by a grumpy pixie. Etc.

Meet our characters!

The Storyteller

The Dragonwood LARP is on hiatus as of March 2019.

While the story for this LARP is continually evolving and is written cooperatively by all players, in order to facilitate the setting of the day’s plans, the LARP elects a Storyteller for the day. To give the Storyteller plenty of time to prepare, the LARPers aim to make this selection for the following week during the Council Gathering.

It is the responsibility of the Storyteller to …

    • respect the history of the LARP’s ever-evolving story
    • incorporate the day’ plot into the LARP’s overarching storyline and the multidimensional Realm of Dragonwood
    • listen to and consider everyone’s ideas

It is the privilege of the Storyteller to …

    • choose where and when the LARP begins within our fictional world of Dragonwood
    • choose the minions set upon the group by Lord Maul
      • …or to allow the group to slip in unnoticed and unchallenged
    • set the mission to be accomplished
    • establish what is happening in the story at the start of the LARP
      • including which characters are doing what
    • to declare the start of the LARP after the council gathering, by shouting, “It’s a good day to die … and by revived!”

It is the honor of all LARPers to follow the lead of the Storyteller.

If there are challengers for the role of Storyteller, a brutal rock-paper-scissors battle will commence. The count will be “rock, paper, scissors, shoot” with the warriors’ choice made on “shoot” and the victory going to the winner of two out of three battles. An evenly matched battle will trigger sudden-death rounds until a victor is found.

Should the elected Storyteller be ambushed on the way to the LARP, the group will swiftly appoint a Deputy Storyteller.

Council Gathering

The Dragonwood LARP is on hiatus as of March 2019.

Each LARP starts with a quick council gathering where the adventurers suit up, tell each other about their characters, and discuss the evolving story of the LARP — including the location and nature of the realm, the goals and conflicts they are facing that day, and the roles, abilities, and relationships between the characters.

LARPers should come prepared to briefly introduce their characters to the other LARPers including their characters’ name and species, abilities and strengths, and weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

LARPers should also come prepared to listen to their fellow adventurers’ introductions and to the Storyteller’s plan for the day.

Storytelling and World Building

The Dragonwood LARP is on hiatus as of March 2019.

A successful LARP relies on everyone’s creativity and calls for improvisation, repartee, stand-up comedy, strategizing, and more.

You create your own character and determine your own path while working cooperatively to build a story of adventure, friendship, and survival with other LARPers.

Because our characters have self-determination, LARPers should refrain from dictating what the characters of others are doing or how they are reacting. Of course, you may always ask other LARPers to cooperate with your plan, but you cannot require that they do so. On the other hand, this is a cooperative LARP, so everyone is encouraged to agree to cooperate — or to suggest any alterations to the proposal that would make their cooperation possible.

To help us build a rich story and create a complex world, we also engage in cooperative text-based storytelling on our Discord server.

LARP Story Synopses

Read a partial storyline of the LARP. Synopses only get written up when I have the time, which mostly means only during the summer months.

Travel to the deeps woods, open fields, and winding paths of sprawling urban parks and experience the thrill of LARPing in the multidimensional realm of Dragonwood!  We search for magical objects and hidden bases, discover long lost friends and encounter forgotten foes, forge treaties with the elves … or the dwarves, cast spells and deflect aspersions, and defend ourselves, our allies, and our loot against all invaders including rampaging trolls, nefarious gnomes, and untrustworthy humans.

Come prepared … for the unexpected!

Diversity, Inclusivity, and Getting Along With Others

The Dragonwood LARP is on hiatus as of March 2019.

We strive to create a judgment-free environment that embraces diversity and inclusion.

We are serious about inclusivity and welcome everyone regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability or handicap, neurodiversity, economic status, religion, or homeschooling philosophy or style.

If someone makes a choice with which you disagree, whether it be what they’re saying, what they’re wearing, or what they’re doing, take it as an opportunity to practice generosity, kindness, understanding, and global citizenship.

Commonsense playground rules apply: Be kind and stay safe.

Because LARPing is a complex game, we do need to have some shared understandings of the “rules of the game.” We’ve crafted these guidelines (and stolen many ideas from others) to help keep everyone on the same page and reduce the possibility of the misunderstandings that can lead to conflict and disagreement. These guidelines are important to know because they put everyone on the same page.

Like any group of kids playing together, we create ad hoc rules and guidelines as needed and resolve conflicts as they arise.

    • Encourage each other to be understanding.
    • Do not assume malicious intent.
    • Remember that we are all still kids.
    • Everyone is always learning.
    • If an error is made, remember to be kind.
    • Be as forgiving of the mistakes of others as you would want them to be of yours.
    • Admit you’re wrong when you’re wrong.
    • Treat others as if your mother was watching.

We ask that parents do their best to allow the teens to handle any conflict negotiations on their own (unless specifically asked for assistance). We recognize that sometimes we do need adult guidance, but when parents get involved when they have not been asked to assist, they may inadvertently escalate an already or almost resolved conflict because they sometimes act before having listened to everyone’s perspective and so they fail to understand the full story behind the conflict.

To avoid the festering of resentment and misunderstanding that can lead to further disagreement, conflicts should be addressed as they arise. If you do find yourself holding a grudge after you get home, it is best to wait until the next gathering to address your concerns face-to-face as text-based communication is too often misinterpreted in tone, content, and intention.

The Nature of the LARP

The Dragonwood LARP is on hiatus as of March 2019.

As a member of the Dragonwood LARP, you create a character, make a costume, build some props, and then come in character to work cooperatively with the other LARPers to create a story within an immersive fictional world.

LARPers choose to LARP for many reasons, including a love of …

Our group encompasses a wide and everchanging range of interests, and our goal is to accommodate all aspects of LARPing.

While we are not a battle group, we recognize that some LARPers may prefer to focus exclusively or nearly exclusively on mock combat. That’s totally okay, but please do not let this desire interfere with the larger group’s storytelling and world-building efforts. If you are disinterested in those aspects of the LARP, you may step aside to enjoy some playfighting with others who prefer to focus on mock combat. This will allow those interested in creating and maintaining a complex storyline and detailed world to be better able to focus on that task.

Other LARPers prefer to avoid mock combat altogether. Those engaging in combat should take care to not attack neutral parties. And those not engaged in combat should steer clear of any field of battle.

How to set up a secure Discord server — a step by step guide

These instructions are for the desktop browser and desktop app. If you are using the mobile app, there will be differences and fewer options.

    1. Create your server:
      1. Click the giant + button at the bottom of your server list in the left-hand sidebar.
        • If there is no button, you’ve exceeded the 50 server limit.
      2. Choose the “Create a server” option (not the “Join a server” one)
      3. Give your server a name.
        • You can change your server name as often as you like.
        • You may use any name you like as multiple servers may have the same name (but you might like having a unique name)
      4. If you have an image for your server icon, upload that.
        • You don’t need an image, and you can change your image whenever you want.
        • A distinctive icon image is handy for your members as it helps them find your server in their server lists.
        • If you don’t upload an image, Discord will supply an icon using your server name’s initials
      5. Your server region should have been set automatically, but change it if you need to do do.
      6. Click the “create” button.
      7. Click the x to close the Invite Friends prompt. You won’t invite friends until you’re all set up! 
      8. Exit the voice channel by clicking the disconnect icon at the bottom of your new server’s channel list.
        –
    2. Lock down the Everyone role.
      1. Click the down caret next to your Server’s name and click on Server Settings.
      2. In the next screen, click on Roles.
      3. Turn off all permissions for the Everyone role. (Don’t worry, roles do not affect Server owner permissions — owners can always do anything they want.)
        1. Turn off Create Instant Invite under General Permissions
        2. Turn off Change Nickname under General Permissions
        3. Turn off Read Text Channels & See Voice Channels under General Permissions
        4. Turn off Send Messages under Text Permissions
        5. Turn off Send TTS Messages under Text Permissions
        6. Turn off Embed Links under Text Permissions
        7. Turn off Attach Files under Text Permissions
        8. Turn off Read Message History under Text Permissions
        9. Turn off Mention Everyone under Text Permissions
        10. Turn off Use External Emojis under Text Permissions
        11. Turn off Add Reactions under Text Permissions
        12. Turn off Connect under Voice Permissions
        13. Turn off Speak under Voice Permissions
        14. Turn off Use Voice Activity under Voice Permissions
      4. Scan through and make sure no other permissions are still turned on.
      5. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
        –
    3. Create a member role
      1. Click the small + icon to create a new member role
      2. In the role editing form, give this member role a name
        • You can call this role “members” or anything you like, but be mindful that this will be a label you are applying to people so choose wisely and kindly.
      3. Pick the role’s color.
      4. Turn on the following permissions for this role:
        1. Turn on Change Nickname under General Permissions
          1. If you think your Server members are likely to abuse this privilege, then don’t turn it on. Or if you later find that they are abusing it, you can return to Server Settings: Roles to turn it off.
        2. Turn on Read Text Channels & See Voice Channels under General Permissions
        3. Turn on Send Messages under Text Permissions
        4. Turn on Send TTS Messages under Text Permissions
        5. Turn on Embed Links under Text Permissions
        6. Turn on Attach Files under Text Permissions
        7. Turn on Read Message History under Text Permissions
        8. Turn on Mention Everyone under Text Permissions
          • @everyone sends an app notification to everyone on your server. Some people find it very annoying. If you think your Server members are likely to abuse this privilege, then don’t turn it on. Or if you later find that they are abusing it, you can return to Server Settings: Roles to turn it off.
        9. Maybe turn on Use External Emojis under Text Permissions
          • Not all External Emojis are family friendly or SFW. If you think your Server members are likely to abuse this privilege, then don’t turn it on.
        10. Turn on Add Reactions under Text Permissions
        11. Turn on Connect under Voice Permissions
        12. Turn on Speak under Voice Permissions
        13. Turn on Use Voice Activity under Voice Permissions
        14. Scan through to see if there are any other permissions that you wish to grant.
      5. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
        –
    4. Create a muted role by clicking the + icon to add another new role
      1. Call this Role “muted” or whatever makes sense to you
        • This role will allow you to temporarily silence a misbehaving member. Members whose only role is “muted” will still be able to read text messages and hear what others are saying in voice channels.
      2. I prefer to not give this role a color option.
      3. Turn on the following permissions for this role:
        1. Turn on Read Text Channels & See Voice Channels under General Permissions
        2. Turn on Read Message History under Text Permissions
        3. Turn on Connect under Voice Permissions
      4. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
        –
    5. Create a timeout role by clicking that + icon to add another role
      1. Call this one “timeout” or whatever makes sense to you
        • This role will allow you to temporarily place a misbehaving member in a timeout.
        • Members whose only role is “timeout” won’t be able to read text messages or hear what others are saying in voice channels.
        • It gives you time to message the member privately with the goal of de-escalating the situation before you have to resort to kicking or banning them.
      2. I prefer to not give this role a color option.
      3. Do not turn on any permissions for this role
      4. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
        –
    6. If you plan to have moderator assistance, then click that + icon again to create a moderator role.
      1. Give the role a name (“moderator” is fine, but feel free to get creative).
      2. I prefer to not give this role a color option.
      3. You have to decide what permissions you want to grant your moderators — it depends on what you want help doing, but here are some suggestions:
        1. Manage Channels
        2. Manage Nicknames
        3. Manage Messages
        4. Mute Members
        5. Deafen Members
        6. Move Members
        7. Priority Speaker
      4. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
        –
    7. If you plan to share administrator powers with another user(s), then click that + icon again to create an administrator role.
      1. Give the role a name (“admin” is fine, but feel free to get creative).
      2. I prefer to not give this role a color option.
      3. Turn on Administrator under General Permissions.
        • This gives anyone with the administrator role all the powers you hold as the Server owner.
      4. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
        –
    8. Click the giant X to escape from Server Settings!
      –
    9. If necessary, remove access to the #general channel for the everyone role.
      1. Click on the gear icon next to the #general channel in your server’s channel list
      2. Choose Permissions from the left-hand menu
      3. For the @everyone role, change all settings to the “default” or the / icon.
      4. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
      5. Click the giant X to escape from Channel Settings
        –
    10. Create an #introductions text channel.
      1. In your server’s channel list, click the + icon next to the TEXT CHANNELS header to create a new text channel.
      2. Call this channel who-am-i or something that makes sense to you
      3. Click Create Channel button
      4. Click the gear icon next to the channel name in your server’s channel list
      5. Select Permission in the left-hand sidebar
      6. For the @everyone role:
        1. Turn on Read Messages under Text Permissions
        2. Turn on Send Messages under Text Permissions
        3. Turn on Send TTS Messages under Text Permissions
        4. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
      7. Click the + icon next the ROLES/MEMBERS heading and add your timeout role
        1. Turn off Read Messages under Text Permissions
        2. Turn off Send Messages under Text Permissions
        3. Turn off Send TTS Messages under Text Permissions
        4. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
      8. Click the giant X to escape!
      9. Introduce yourself in whatever manner you wish your members to introduce themselves. For example,
        I’m Jamie Jones,  and I created this server to have fun with my awesome friends.
      10. Click the down caret next to your server’s name at the top of your server’s channel list and select Server settings.
        1. Under new member messages channel, select #who-am-i
        2. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
        3. Click the giant X to escape from Channel Settings!
          –
    11. Create a #welcome text channel.
      1. In your server’s channel list, click the + icon next to the TEXT CHANNELS header to create a new text channel.
      2. Call this channel “welcome” or something else that you prefer.
      3. Click the Create Channel button
      4. Click the gear icon next to the channel’s name in your server’s channel list.
      5. Click on permissions in the left-hand sidebar
      6. For the @everyone role:
        1. Turn on Read Messages under Text Permissions
        2. Turn on Read Message History under Text Permissions
        3. Turn off Create Instant Invite under Text Permissions
        4. Turn off Send Messages under Text Permissions
        5. Turn off Send TTS Messages under Text Permissions
        6. Turn off Embed Links under Text Permissions
        7. Turn off Attach Files under Text Permissions
        8. Turn off Mention Everyone under Text Permissions
        9. Turn off Use External Emojis under Text Permissions
        10. Turn off Add Reactions under Text Permissions
        11. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
      7. If you want to allow members to invite others to join your server:
        1. Click the + icon next the ROLES/MEMBERS header and select your member role
        2. Turn on Create Instant Invite under General Permissions
        3. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
      8. Click the giant X to escape from Channel Settings!
      9. Post a message in the #welcome channel that explains what your server is. For example:
        Welcome to my server where we are all awesome.
      10. Post a message in the #welcome channel with any rules your server has.
        • I always have at least 2 rules:
          1. Be kind.
          2. Stay safe.
      11. Post a message in the #welcome channel directing new members to post an introduction in the #who-am-i channel and explaining what you required of your introduction. For example:
        You must introduce yourself in the #who-am-i channel be granted access to this server. For safety reasons, we don’t allow anonymous members. In addition to giving your real name, you must tell us who invited you to the server. If you have been a member of this server for more than 24 hours and have not yet introduced yourself, you will be removed, so go introduce yourself right now. You must introduce yourself even if a Server Owner knows who you are, because our other members may not. You won’t be able to see anyone else’s introduction or any of the other channels until you are granted access by one of the Admins. Once you are granted access, you may need to refresh for those things to show up. Post your introduction to the #who-am-i channel.
        –
    12. Create a #muted text channel where those who have been muted can learn what is happening to them.
      1. In your server’s channel list, click the + icon next to the TEXT CHANNELS header to create a new text channel.
      2. Call this channel muted or something that makes sense to you
      3. Turn on the private channel option
      4. Under “Who can access this channel?” select your muted and moderator roles.
      5. Click Create Channel button
      6. Click the gear icon next to the channel name in your server’s channel list
      7. Select Permission in the left-hand sidebar
      8. For both your @muted and @moderator roles:
        1. Turn on Read Messages under Text Permissions
        2. Turn on Read Message History under Text Permissions
        3. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
      9. Click the giant X to escape from Channel Settings.
      10. Now post an explanation of the muted role to your #muted channel. For example:
        You’ve been muted on this server. You may still read messages but you may not post to the server. Most likely, you’ve broken one of our rules. Check for a private message from a server admin explaining what you need to do to regain access to the server.
        –
    13. Create a #timeout text channel where those on a timeout can learn what is happening to them.
      1. In your server’s channel list, click the + icon next to the TEXT CHANNELS header to create a new text channel.
      2. Call this channel time-out or something that makes sense to you
      3. Turn on the private channel option
      4. Under “Who can access this channel?” select your time-out and moderator roles.
      5. Click Create Channel button
      6. Click the gear icon next to the channel name in your server’s channel list
      7. Select Permission in the left-hand sidebar
      8. For your timeout and moderator roles:
        1. Turn on Read Messages under Text Permissions
        2. Turn on Read Message History under Text Permissions
        3. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
        4. Click the giant X to escape from channel settings
      9. Now post an explanation of the timeout role to your #time-out channel. For example:
        You’ve been placed on a timeout for this server. Most likely, you’ve been unkind or unsafe. Check for a private message from a server admin explaining what you need to do to regain access to the server.
        –
    14. Now create a #moderators channel where moderators and administrators can talk and no one else can listen in.
      1. In your server’s channel list, click the + icon next to the TEXT CHANNELS header to create a new text channel
      2. Call this channel mods-only or something that makes sense to you
      3. Turn on the private channel option
      4. Under “Who can access this channel?” select your moderator role.
      5. Click the Create Channel button.
        –
    15. Create any other channels you’ll need.
      • One channel I like to add to every server is a meme-spam channel. It keeps happy both those who love memes and spamming and those who hate memes or spamming.
      • No need to monkey about with permissions or roles when creating additional channels.
        –
    16. Now you’ve got several channels, and you might not like the order of them. You can click and drag your channels into whatever order you like. This is my preferred order:
      1. muted
      2. general
      3. meme-spam
      4. all other channels in alphabetical order or whatever order makes the most sense for your server
      5. welcome
      6. who-am-i
      7. timeout
      8. mods-only
        –
    17. If you want to give one of your members a channel of their own, you can set them up this way:
      1. Click the + icon next to the TEXT CHANNELS header to create their channel.
      2. Give the channel a name that makes sense
      3. Click Create Channel button
      4. Click the gear icon next to the channel name in your server’s channel list
      5. Select Permission in the left-hand sidebar
      6. Click the + icon next to ROLES/MEMBERS.
      7. Enter the username of the member who will control the channel.
      8. Set your channel moderator’s channel permissions:
        1. Turn on Manage Channel under General Permissions
        2. Turn on  Manage Messages under Text Permissions
        3. I don’t usually grant Manage Permissions, Manage Webhooks or Create Instant Invite, but those might make sense for your server.
      9. Be sure to Save Changes before moving on.
      10. Click the giant X to escape from channel settings.
      11. Optionally post an explanation to the new channel. For example:
        This channel is managed by @user for the purposes of promoting magic and dragon riding.
        –
    18. I like to test my settings by inviting a trusted friend join first.
      1. Ideally, we are in the same room, but if not, we are communicating using a method other than the Discord server.
      2. I then assign them various roles and they report what happens to them in those roles.
        1. When they first join, they should see only the #welcome and #who-am-i channels.
        2. They should not be able to post in the #welcome channel.
        3. They should be able to post in the #who-am-i channel but it should appear to be empty to them (that is, they should not be able to read the message history).
        4. I then assign them the member role and all of the channels should appear except for the #muted, #mods-only, or #timeout channels.
        5. I then add the moderator role and the #muted, #mods-only, and #timeout channels should appear.
        6. I then remove the member and moderator roles and assign the muted role. They should be able to see all channels except #mods-only and #timeout but they should be unable to post in any of them.
        7. I then remove the muted role and assign the timeout role. They should be able to see only the #welcome and #timeout channel.
      3. If all that works, I either thank them for their help and send them on their way or remove the timeout role and assign them the member role.
        –
    19. Once you’re all set up, go to your welcome channel and click on the Create Instant invite icon next to the channel name in your server’s channel list and invite your friends.
      1. Creating your invite here ensures that your new members land in the #welcome channel when they arrive.
      2. Because you’ve otherwise locked down the server, no one gets past the door without an introduction.
        –
    20. Using the muted and timeout roles
      1. If you need to mute someone or put them in a timeout, you must also remove the member role (and any other role they hold), otherwise, they will continue to have all those role permissions.

Story Synopsis for Summer LARP #6 (2018)

When Ace returned from enjoying his sandwich, he found the other heroes gathered on the Field of Destiny. He knew instantly that something had happened.

“What happened?” he asked.

The Semi-Tactical Operator stepped forward. “A giant metal dragon attacked. It took all of our ranged weapons, magical and otherwise.”

“But not my grenades,” declared the Assassin proudly.

“Thankfully we still have our swords,” Sage Petunia observed.

And just then Lord Maul’s minions attacked, for it was the dark one who had sent the Metal Dragon. Unprepared for this secondary assault, the adventurers quickly found themselves driven back until they were across the Somber Footbridge and onto the Mystical Isle.

The heroes rallied and swiftly drove off Maul Corp, driving them back across the Footbridge.

Then the Metal Dragon reappeared and destroyed the Footbridge with bolts of lightning, rending both wood and air with electricity and magic.

Now trapped on the Island, the heroes thought they might be able to rest, but as they settled down onto the ground, they jumped up in surprise and anger. But they did not jump far. The blades of grass soared over their heads and a line of terrifying creatures marched towards them.

Lord Maul had miniaturized the adventurers! And he had bewitched a local ant colony who now sent their warriors marching towards the hapless heroes!

Fortunately, Lord Maul has also miniaturized their weapons and while ants may be skilled at battle, tiny adventurers are more skilled. The heroes drove back the ant assault for they knew that if they reached Lifeblood Castle’s outer gates, it’s latent magic would undo Lord Maul’s evil spell and return them to their natural sizes.

One by one, the heroes popped back up to a regular size as they approached the Castle.

But now Ra was angered for he was fond of ants, and he turned his eye upon the heroes. Fearing they might melt under his fearsome glare, they swiftly fashioned canoes from the stores of bark found in the Castle and paddled back to the mainland.

Ra’s eye followed.

The heroes fled up the Shimmering Alley and into the Faraway Leaf Inn where they all quickly rehydrated before they were reduced to sand.

Ra was displeased. Very displeased.