This page is a guide on creating a character for Concord LARP.
It goes over everything you’ll need to know, including starting your kit, thinking up your character lore, and considering how to roleplay more effectively.
This guide also has the steps to show you at what points you’ll need to consider when filling out your character submissions.
If something hasn’t been covered here, feel free to reach out and ask questions via email at [email protected], or the Facebook page!
What can my character do before they’re approved?
It's important to get your character approved before you engage with Concord, so that the team can be sure that the story and intent you’re bringing to the event matches the setting and intent of the game. While you are more than allowed to play NPCs, partake in out-of-character training, and prepare your character’s kit once you’ve completed a player brief, the only time you are allowed to play an unapproved character is at a Concord event run by the Concord team (such as a Game Hen), where you have discussed it with a Player Support Team member at, or prior to, that event.
It is important to note that prior to your character being approved you may not:
- Play that character at sanctioned events
- Write letters as that character
- Play that character at main Concord events
Where is your character from?
There are five playable realms within The Concord, each with their own distinct atmosphere and vibe.
Choosing where your character is from first is the easiest way to start building their background and aesthetic, as well as potentially their accent and wardrobe.
Each realm has its own specific page, and all the information you’ll need to get started in that realm.
However, if there’s a question you have that hasn’t been answered or elaborated upon, each realm, along with the central Concord page, have their own community pages! Where you can talk to other players and ask questions.
Your realm is likely the single largest decision you will make in creating your character: it will determine your character's place in the world, their allies, their history, their culture, and their concerns. It will determine where you camp, how you dress and how you live. There is no wrong decision, and many players will pick a realm based on playing with their friends, a certain aesthetic style, or a particular piece of lore. Just note that it is important to play to the theme, rather than attempt to move against the grain - the realms are there to guide you into the world, rather than be a challenge to overcome.
Things to consider when picking a realm:
Which one calls to you the most? Each of the realms can be explored over time, but if one’s specific aesthetics or morals excite you more than the others at that moment, lean into it.
A big thing to remember is that you need to have fun as a person, and not just as a character.
Realmic background and history:
Depending on where you choose to play from, learning the history of your character's realm is important for how you act them out and the reasons for your character personality or actions
The Iron Valley is telling a story of an ancient proud history, a people united, and the strength of community.
The Kingdom of Bordevar is telling a story of national honor, striving for good in a dark world, and what it means when the stories we tell ourselves are found to be lies.
The Greenweald Baronies are telling a story of survival against fairytale horror, superstition, and grim determination.
Andash is telling a story of the mixing of cultures, of past and future, and of obligation to your people.
Lerona Mere is telling a story of liberty and revolution, of opportunity and of ambition, of corruption and greed.
With a realm selected you should be able to answer the first set of questions which include name and realm. Each realm's 'People and Culture' pages will have a guide on naming styles.
Are you playing with friends in a group?
If you’re coming to Concord to play with a group of friends in a close-knit Player Group (our word for a collection of characters bound together by an oath), that will affect your choices for your realm, since you need to be in the same realm if you want to be in an official group together. Talk to your friends before you submit if this is the case.
As a note, Player Groups come in two styles, as described below:
Bands - These are the standard grouping of characters. These gain benefits from banners and are often, but not always, martial in style.
Sects - These are groups of Priests who work together to perform Ceremonies. Each Sect is dedicated to one or two of The Spheres.
You can be in both a Sect and a Band at the same time! They can even be the same group.
If you’re intending to play with friends in a Player Group, put the name of that Band and/or Sect in the ‘Alliances’ question in the Character Submission Form
What is your character’s role?
There are many roles a character can pursue, but there are six big routes to go down that are most interactive with other players and the world around you. Many of these roles are covered in each realm through the realmic Archetypes that help guide you towards a character style that fits the setting. These options at character creation give your character a role in the world and can provide some motivation. They are optional though, and if none fit, you can still forge your own path.
Fighters
These characters are the courage and brawn of The Concord, throwing down swords and shields to protect the land’s people. They come in many forms from brawny mercenaries to cunning rangers. These characters make it their business to fight for The Concord, coin, glory, or perhaps all three.
Common Archetypes: Bravo and Free Captain (Lerona Mere), Huscarl (Iron Valley), Avowed Knight or Kings Ranger (Bordevar), Ritter and Huntsmarshall (Greenweald) and, Janissary or Shesti (Andash)
Healers
These characters make sure everyone is healed and functioning right. Some may head out onto the battlefield to fight as well, but many stay prepared and in wait, work alongside Mages, Priests and Apothocaries to assist anyone who needs medical aid. Healers can be Menders or Surgeons.
Common Archetypes: Crow Doktor (Greenweald)
Mages
These characters make the control and use of arcane magic their source of power. With this magic at their fingertips, they can fight for the Concord, heal their allies, bind others together and control the fabric of reality.
Common Archetypes: High Warmage (Bordevar), Mountebank (Lerona Mere), Learned Arcanist (Andash), Wealdsage (Greeweald Baronies), and Farseer (Iron Valley)
Priests
The Church of the Divine Spheres binds the morality of The Concord together and those that minister to its citizens are well regarded. While they are varied even within their Churches, the priests of the Spheres guide others towards the great travel and ensure that the Concord does not lose its way.
Common Archetypes: Priest of the Needle (Lerona Mere), Houndspriest (Greenweald Baronies), Prior (Bordevar), and Graver/Huscarl/Sagite (Iron Valley)
Crafters
Artisans and Apothecaries are those that see the crafting of goods, magical items and, potions as their primary calling. They wheel and deal with the Exchange, they forge powerful enchantments and do their best to support their allies or make a profit (or both).
Common Archetypes: Liberartiste (Lerona Mere)
It should be noted that these roles are not all-encompassing, nor are they exclusive; many characters will fall into multiple roles or change over time. There are also characters who defy these norms, such as roguish sailors and spies.
Along with your primary role, smaller activities can fill in the gaps within the rest periods at events. Many players present as their role during the busy periods, but during rest, a lot of players pick up hobbies and smaller jobs to do. These roles can be commonplace or strange and unheard of, it’s up to you! Some examples are sellers of wares, shop keepers, cooks and barkeeps, artists, and buskers.
Some activities can be used as tools for backstory, or can be used to make extra Keys (see Gamenomics Guide) when you have the time.
What’s your character Investment?
There are 9 different Investment types, Military, Naval, Leyline, Congregation, Business, Farm, Wilderness, Herb Garden, and Mine. You can learn all about them here.
Each Investment will give your character some resources, whether they be Keys, Herbs, Crafting Resources, or Crystal Mana.
Your character can pick out of any of them but can only ever have one at a time. These Investments should serve to support your character in some way, whether it be economically, personally, or occupationally. They can also be upgraded when certain requirements are met, to bring in more of their particular resources.
If you’re unhappy with your Investment, you can swap it at The Exchange by paying a transfer fee.
New players can also change their Investment between their first and second Summits free of charge (once only) as part of a character "re-spec" or re-write.
Things to consider:
What are your real-world skills?
If you have a hobby or talents you use day to day, consider taking advantage of them and incorporating them into your character. It’s another great way to fill the time, to get a step up in the economy, and to increase the chances for interesting character interactions!
What causes you anxiety or concern?
Does the concept of swinging a sword around scare you? Then best to pick a role you don’t have to actively fight in. Or, if you wish to overcome it, pick a fighter or a knightly role!
You always have to consider your own personal comforts, as you have an obligation to look after your own safety and fun at the events.
Which one excites you?
You don’t get to be a Knight or a Mage easily in real life, so it’s better to pick one that you have an interest in learning. Each one has its own specific methods of performing during roleplay or battle, so picking one you have an affinity for can make it a little more fun or easier to get used to.
However, as you play, you will get to see how others perform in their skills, and also learn what really interests you. You can always have your character learn new skills or pursue different things in the future if you really don’t sit well with what you choose initially.
The above questions will guide you towards selecting your skills and other similar decisions.
The important parts to remember are:
- All characters have 8 Experience Points at creation.
- You buy every skill rank, up to the rank you want, not just the single one you want.
- Some skills have prerequisites (Magus for the Magic skills for example).
- No character can have more than 2 different Divine Lores (but as many ranks as they’d like).
- You must pick what Artisan crafts, potion recipes, and spells you know if you’re an Artisan, Apothecary, or Magus.
- You don’t need to pick what Ceremonies you have mastered until you use them. You cannot remove mastery of a Ceremony after you have performed it, unless you unlearn the Divine Lore skill granting that mastery.
- You will get a free redo of your skills after your first game. New players can also change their Investment between their first and second Summits free of charge.
- Every player can also unlearn 1 skill after each game if they wish, and regain the experience points to use on other skills for the next game. This is one level in one skill, not for example, unlearning 3 levels of Juggernaut in one Downtime.
- Players may also choose to unlearn 1 craft/potion/spell after each game and immediately replace it with a new one. This can be done for each skill in the case that you have multiple of Artisan, Apothecary, or Magus.
- Changes to your character are always compared to your sheet at the beginning of the most recent game, regardless of the last game your attended or any edits that have been made since that time.
See All Skills and What to Expect at a Concordian Summit for more information
What is your character’s backstory?
Each character will have grown up somewhere, born into a family and a lifestyle; do they have siblings? What’s their relationship like with their family? Did they live at home for a long time or leave early to travel the land? Try to think about events in your character's life that have shaped them into the character they are now, good and bad.
After you’ve got a backstory etched out, it’s time to consider your character’s goals and aspirations. What do they want to accomplish in life? What are their dreams of success?
Do they wish to learn, heal, lead, guide, or teach?
Deciding on this may also help you choose what Sphere your character aligns with, as well.
There are seven Spheres; six Divine Spheres and one Mortal. The Divine Spheres are Anarch, Lumos, Arcadian, Panoply, Cervitas, Stallia. The Mortal Sphere is the one all our characters currently live upon.
You can learn about The Spheres more in-depth here.
Once you’ve got an idea of what drives your character and what they want out of life, you can then start learning about what is achievable within the world and what your character can have an influence upon.
What your character is driven for is solely up to you; it can be something small or very large.
Depending on what their goal is, they may choose a path to gain access to one or more of The Five Councils.
The Senate is an amalgamation of all of the higher-ups within each realm. They control the big picture and life-changing decisions within The Concord. They spend the Concordian Treasury, deal with foreign nations, rule over disputes and try to keep The Concord afloat. The Senate meets up to four times a game and the audience is open to the public.
Over maps of The Concord, Generals, Admirals, and Champions ensure that The Concord’s wars are fought well. They control armies and fleets, while also determining where the Heroes should go to fight (thus determining the big battles of each event).
The Church of The Divine Spheres meets to discuss matters of import to the morality and spirit of The Concord. They debate the knowledge of The Spheres and they work to ensure the people stay on a righteous path.
Home of The Concord’s economic heart, The Exchange serves a variety of roles. Primarily it controls access to important resources, ensuring that those who have the ambition to control them can, and they operate two great auctions during each Summit. These auctions (held at each night of the Summit) allow people from far and wide to sell and buy wares ranging from the mundane to the magnificent.
The Shardcircle is The Concord's primary arcane council, advising and researching the use of magic across the nation. The Shardcircle meets in a tiny pocket of arcane holding, beyond this world, only accessible to those with access to the Channel Waystone spell.
What does your character look and act like?
Your character's kit:
The first thing to worry about is your character costume and items, or as it’s called in the LARP world, your kit. This will be influenced heavily by what region your character lives in.
You’re able to buy items and costumes from specific LARP sites such as, Burgschneider, Mytholon, and Chow's Emporium, though a great place to start as a newbie is Op Shops.
It will most likely take a few weeks of hunting to find the perfect items, whether it be a vintage-style dress or specific puffy pants. Op shops are a treasure trove for mugs, steins, and era-accurate bowls, accessories, and tent decor.
Something your character kit should reflect is their occupation. For example, a blacksmith’s outfit is probably quite dirtied and covered in coal dust, along with being rather weathered, whereas a fashionable tailor would have a fancy, more high-quality kit, with gold trim and frills.
Once you’ve found your base costume items, you can always fancy them up yourself.
You can weather clothing with steel wool and scissors or make it looks muddy and used with coffee or charcoal. If you want to fancy something up, there are great embroidering videos on youtube. Hand sewing ribbon or buttons onto items is a great way to make your kit look more like the region your character is from, or more versatile, authentic, and handy.
Make-up:
Make-up adds an entirely different level of immersion to your character look and kit.
Whether it be scars, eye bags, tattoos, or glamour make-up, it can really add shape to your character and help others predict if their character would interact with yours or not.
If your character is a Grace, make-up or prosthetics are a must; Graces are believed to be characters whose past lives have died and been reincarnated through a sphere their character has truly lived by. Have a look at the page on Graces for more information
Body language, presentation, demeanour, and personality:
Everyone you meet holds themselves different, and characters are no exception.
Once you’ve practiced LARP for a while and are comfortable, changing how you hold yourself to fit your character personality is another step towards deepening immersion.
A shy character may avert their eyes more often and pinch their eyebrows together or turn away from people that make them nervous. Sassy or loud characters sometimes will stand with their hands on their hips or frown while another talks. Stern and stoic characters may not smile often or talk much. Confident and charismatic characters may butt into conversation and make a lot of eye contact, or be more forward to others.
Try to think of good and bad habits alike when it comes to your character’s actions. Are they naive and trust people too easily? Then, maybe they’re kind and loving for the same reason. Maybe they’re strong and hardworking but because of that, they neglect their own health and always end up sick or injured because of it.
Everyone has flaws, limitations, and strengths. Try to pick and choose, as to balance out your character. A character with too many flaws may make it hard for you to play as, and ones who are too strong or overpowered may make it harder for other players.
Voice and accent:
A good way of separating yourself from your character during LARP is changing your voice.
This is by no means something that everyone does or you have to do! But it’s definitely something to think about if you’re looking to dive even more into acting as your character’s persona.
Practicing an accent or changing the pitch of your voice can reflect your character’s personality, just like your body language can.
These changes don’t have to be dramatic. It could be changing your pitch, speaking slower or more quickly, pronouncing things more deliberately, or choosing to not abbreviate words or use slang.
Things to consider: it can feel awkward or embarrassing.
Don’t worry; learning something new can always feel a little weird. It’s pretty likely that the players around you have felt similarly at some point or another. This feeling does go away with practice. A good thing to remember is that everyone around you at LARP is doing the same, acting as a character and falling into a fictional world. No one is going to judge you for getting into character and having a good time.
The above section should give you the last bit of guidance to complete your character creation submission. Backstory and goals can feel like a lot, but always remember a few good guiding principles:
- The most interesting thing to happen to your character should happen at the game, not before.
- Regular people on great adventures make for better stories than amazing people living their day to day life.
- Concord is a game about a living breathing world, full of people, great and small. You don’t need to be the world's best at anything.
Character Growth
A character who attends a Concord event for at least half its duration will receive an additional experience point at the end of the event, to be spent either during downtime or at the next Concord event they attend. There is no requirement for any particular roleplay to learn a skill, although it is encouraged. New skills should be added to your character submission as soon as possible.
Character Death & Retirement
Not all characters will survive a Summit, or want to return.
Characters who enter Bleedout, become Terminal and die have died permanently. There is no way to return a slain character to life as understood by Mages or Priests of the Concord and players should not hold onto hope for such an event occurring for their character.
You may also elect to have a character retire at any point you deem appropriate. Retiring a character removes them from your control and places them firmly in the background story of Concord. The Concord team may utilise retired characters for story purposes (offscreen generally) but will attempt to seek approval for such actions.
Roleplay tips and endnotes:
See also Hostile Roleplay
Get know players OOC/out of Character.
Getting to know the players around you is just as vital as learning about the characters they play. Talking outside of roleplay provides players a chance to get to know one another, along with beginning to feel more comfortable. This goes for in and out of character.
Doing an activity with strangers can be stressful, so making friends outside of the fictional world is key to getting the best out of your experience.
OOC talk is also a vital part of making sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable.
Characters can get into fights or uncomfortable situations at different frequencies, depending on their actions. Some players can be more anxious or wary than yourself, and taking a pause to make sure they’re okay with a situation is very important LARP etiquette.
The signal for OOC in The Concord is to raise your hand above your head; a fist or a flat palm is fine. There are also allocated OOC and IC (in-character) areas during training and sanctioned events.
Consent.
As a continuation of the last point, making sure the people you play with are comfortable with certain actions is very important.
If you and the player you’re interacting with wouldn’t consider yourself close, then you should never do anything towards them that you wouldn’t do to a stranger, without asking.
This can regard anything between a platonic shoulder pat, a hug, a duel, Surgery, or an argument - at no point can consent be assumed for any kind of physical contact.
That being said, when engaging in verbal role-play, such as arguments, those who chose to take up Titles or positions of authority should be aware that their actions have far-reaching consequences, and are not free from these. Players are not able to 'check' their way out of consequences for their character, but they are encouraged to moderate the intensity of the interactions relating to them. However, the rulings on consent for physical contact supersede this - your character may choose to have an argument with their Senator, aiming for a brawl, but that never gives you as a player the right to touch the other player without their consent.
If someone doesn’t want you to touch them, don’t touch them.
Yes, it is a step out of the emersion, but Concord is a fictional game. It is a top priority that everyone has a good time and feels safe.
If you have the opportunity, speak up with other players in telling them what you are okay and aren’t okay with. RP can be unpredictable at times and you won’t always get the chance to talk about it prior to an event. If you’re unsure about something, it’s best to ask, even if you may have asked in the past.
Your character will make their own choices.
If you’re experienced in RP, this fact won’t be news to you.
When creating a character, you’ll usually create an image in your head of how they should and shouldn’t react. Once you get into actively RPing, your character will make choices that you sometimes won’t be able to predict.
Yes, you created this character, but once you start playing as them, their persona will grow and develop. The more you play as them, the easier it will become for you to get lost in it, and their actions will come more naturally to you.
As they grow, you’ll learn things about them you may not have decided on yet, or things they change their mind on.
For example, your character might not like fighting, but as you roleplay and they grow, they may end up being drawn to it. This is character development, and one of the main purposes of roleplaying. One of the best things about RP is watching your character change and grow, and is completely normal.
LARPing ‘bleed’.
Despite Concord being fictional, the events and situations you enter can affect you afterward.
Bleed is a term for when fictional, character emotions, affect you beyond the game itself. Most LARPers will experience some form of Bleed over their LARP time; good and bad.
As your own character gets closer to other player’s characters, you will naturally start to form a friendship with those players. This is a good outcome of Bleed!
However, negative scenarios between characters can affect you too, and that’s okay! When this happens, it’s good to reach out to friends, other players and to communicate.
The LARP community is here to support you and will be there to talk to you about what’s happened during the game.
Bleed is a very normal part of LARP and you’ll probably see a lot of other players experience it as well. The deeper your immersion, the more likely you are to get a bit of Bleed.
Anxiety and fear.
Anxiety and fear when starting new things is very common, especially when meeting a bunch of strangers. All LARPers started off being new to LARP at some point, and are usually willing to give advice, and guide you when you need it. Older and veteran LARPers are here to teach and support you.
If you’re feeling lost or overwhelmed, tell someone. You are always able to jump out of the game and go take a breather. All of us are human and are allowed to have breaks, and ask for help.
It’s about having fun.
If something in-game doesn’t make you happy, don’t do it anymore. If your character isn’t going to plan and it’s ruining your experience, you should speak to an ST (Story Teller) or other players about it. If fighting, surgery, or whatever role it may be is no longer enjoyable for you as a player, you can always pull out of the position.
LARP is here to build yourself and your character, not to bring you down.
The community is here to help, and support you, this is your adventure!
We're all here to help and meet your character, we look forward to seeing you soon!
*Note* This section of the Wiki was created by Amelia Pickersgill in collaboration with The Concord Team - thank you, Amelia, for your hard work and effort!