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New To Herofest LARP
Never been to a LARP before? Or just new to Herofest?
This page walks you through what we do, what a weekend looks like, and how to book your first event without feeling lost.
Who this page is for
I've never LARPed before
I've LARPed but not a Herofest
I'm a parent or Guardian of a child
What is LARP?
LARP is an acronym for Live Action Role Play. It’s like any table top roleplay game, where you create a character and go on fantastic adventures, except instead of rolling dice with your friends around a table, you’re with them in costume experiencing the adventure!
You dress as your character, you act as your character, and you even fight or plan your next moves as your character. From the time the game starts, to the time it ends, you are your character. However, you are still yourself too, and if it gets too much or tiring, you can always step away from the game for a while to recover.
Fights and battles use safe foam weapons and clear rules. You’re not hitting people for real and all weapons are checked for safety before they’re allowed into the game.
There are many different kinds of LARP. From Sci-fi space operas, classic fantasies, or Regency ballroom, there are many different genres and games you can get involved in, and each one with its own rules.
You don’t need acting experience, perfect costume or encyclopaedic rules knowledge. You just need to turn up, and join the Mercenaries. They will teach you everything you need to know to join in the game, and give you the knowledge to go on to other LARPs too.
What is Herofest?
Herofest is a festival-style fantasy LARP set in the world of Orin Rakatha, a dangerous land of shifting magical mists, powerful nations and scheming factions. You create and play a character in costume, fight with safe latex/foam weapons, roleplay alliances and rivalries, and get involved in ongoing storylines that build from event to event. There are multiple factions, each with its own flavour and agenda, and the game mixes combat, politics, exploration, puzzle-solving and character-driven drama.
Events run as weekend campaigns: players can arrive on site from Thursday afternoon, with game time running from Friday evening to just before midnight on Saturday. Over that time you’ll get safety and rules guidance, learn how the world works, join your faction in briefings, and then dive into missions and encounters – from big set-piece battles to quieter roleplay scenes and negotiations. It’s designed so new players can slot in quickly, get help from their faction, and start making their mark on the story straight away.
What a Herofest Weekend is Like for a new player
A Herofest weekend starts the moment you buy your ticket. Our new player team will get in contact to talk to you about LARP, and get to understand what your expectations and knowledge is, and make sure you know how to get the most out of the weekend.
On the day you arrive at the site, after setting up your tent and getting ready for the start of the game, you’ll be taught how to fight safely at 5pm on the Friday of the game. If you aren’t able to make that time, don’t worry, you’ll get your training when you do get there. Once the game starts at 6:30, you’ll be given an introduction to the game and the other factions. From then on, you’ll be immersed in stories, missions, and a whole world of roleplay and lore to explore.
The event ends at midnight on Saturday. After that, it’s time to relax out of character, pack at your own pace in the morning, and swap war stories with your new allies (and enemies). You’ll need to be off site by 1pm on Sunday. By then you’ll have a much better feel for the rules, the world, and where your character might go next.
What are the rules like?
Herofest LARP rules are designed to be straightforward but with enough breadth to be versatile and interesting.
Combat is simple. Everyone has 1 hit point per location, so if your arm is hit by a weapon your arm stops working. If your body or head are hit, you fall “unconscious” and you lie down until you are healed. You can be healed by being bandaged or by a spell. There are a range of magical spells that can be shouted at you which range from acting like a magical missile that hits you, or slows you down, or root you to the spot, or make you go temporarily blind, and a few more.
For a more complex game there are the crafting and ritual circle mechanics which will be explained to you once you get on site, or you can read more about in the full rules section.
What you need
Essentials
- Directions to site
- Tent, pegs, mallet
- Sleeping bag + roll mat/air bed
- Spare warm clothes & socks
- Wash kit, towel, toilet roll
- Torch + spare batteries
- Camping chair
- Bin bags
Character stuff
- Costume (plus a spare set)
- Boots + good socks
- Weapons (plus a spare if you have one)
- Belt/pouches, IC cup/drinking vessel
- Makeup/face paint, accessories
- White sash if you’re non-combat
Food & extras
- Stove, pans, plates, cutlery (if self-catering)
- Water bottle
- Matches/lighter
- Cash for bar and traders