Combat is optional. Not all LARPers choose to engage in combat. 

A boffer is a padded foam weapon.

These lightweight contact weapons are designed to prevent injury during mock combat. The classic boffer is made using closed cell foam for the blade with a PVC pipe or fiberglass rod core and open-cell foam cushion for the tips, plus washers, contact cement and duct tape (although a fitted cloth covering is much preferable to duct tape).

• 1. Only boffers may be used in combat.
     • All edges for weapons used in battle must be made of thick dense closed-cell foam.
       • There must be a minimum of 1 inch of foam surrounding a weapon’s core, including its tips or ends. More is better!
       • Common materials used for boffers include blue camping mats, pool noodles, and foam floor matting.
     • The tip or thrusting end must have 3 to 4 inches of softer open-cell foam.
       • Your tip or thrusting end must not be able to pass through a 2-inch round hole (that is, an eye socket).
       • The core must end at least 1-inch before the tip or thrusting end begins.
       • Common materials used include all-purpose sponges.
     • Pommel strikes are not allowed, but pommels must be padded for accidental hits.
       • Use at least 1½ inches of closed cell foam for padding.
       • The end of your pommel must not be able to pass through a 2-inch round hole (that is, an eye socket).
     • Thrown weapons must have all exposed edges and surfaces covered in foam.
     • Non-foam weapons may be used as costuming but not for mock combat.
  2. All weapons should observe Rule #1, Safety first!
     • Make sure there are no spots on your weapon that could cause actual injury.
     • All warriors must check their weapons for rough spots before engaging in mock combat, paying particular attention to the edges of the duct tape which can accumulate dirt and become sandpaper like.
     • Do not use a weapon if it is unsafe.
       • Unsafe weapons include (but are not limited to) those that have core showing, weak or broken padding, ripped tape, or sandpaper-like dirt accumulation in the adhesive along the edges of the duct tape (this is one reason why a fitted cloth covering is preferable to duct tape).
  3. Prior to engaging in mock combat, remove any potentially dangerous objects from your person such as jewelry, watches, etc.
     • This is a simple safety issue for both you and the friends you are fighting.
     • Glasses are optional, but they have a nasty habit of being knocked off and stepped on during combat.
     • You may also want to empty your pockets of keys, mobile phones, or anything else bulky.
  4. All parties must give consent to a duel prior to any combat.
  5. Strike only hard enough for your opponent to know they have been hit.
     • To test the strength of your blow and the hardness of your weapon, strike yourself in the leg with your boffer.
     • If your weapon goes behind your body to swing, you’re swinging too hard.
  6. When you receive a hit in a valid area, you must acknowledge that you were hit, even if the person who hit you doesn’t notice.
     • If two players hit each other at the same time, they are both dead.
  7. Do not stab or thrust at your opponent’s abdomen.
  8. Do not strike your opponent in the head, neck, breasts, groin, hands or feet.
     • These are not valid targets because they are very sensitive areas and because you may cause serious injuries if you hit someone in these areas.
     • You may want to wear a bicycle helmet and athletic supporter just in case.
     • However, if you purposely use an invalid target area as a shield (for example, use your hand to stop an attack), you are dead.
  9. No “Drum Rolling” or “Machine Gunning” — do not strike rapidly in succession and do not strike the same spot repeatedly.
  10. Never grab, catch, or hold an opponent’s weapon.

Boffering is a contact sport whose injury risk is equivalent to that of a friendly pillow fight when following safety rules and using properly padded boffers, but bruises and welts are possible if play gets too rough — so don’t let it get too rough.

Every boffering group has their own unique rules. It’s your responsibility to ensure that you know what they are and that you follow them.

Resources

BofferWiki

Crafters Guild: Foamsmithing Flatblade Boffers

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.

• • 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.

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.