Live Action Role
Playing (LARP) is an extension of the traditional roleplaying
games where all the actions of the player characters (PC’s) and
the non player characters called actors is done as much
as possible for real, when necessary combat is resolved in real
time by using our laser skirmish equipment.
While all our laserskirmish missions can be considered in the
broadest sense live roleplaying, however with a LARP, there are a
lot more unknowns. So the idea behind live roleplaying is that
people you encounter may or may not be enemies, are they
friendly?, can they help us?, can we trust them?
A good definition and introduction to the basic concept of Live
Action Roleplaying can be found at
http://www.core.binghamton.edu/~tyr/larp101.html
While there is still a lot of potential for combat (this is
laserskirmish after all), there is often a need to negotiate,
evade or solve some mystery. Live roleplaying with laserskirmish
equipment takes laserskirmish to the next level.
Vietnam LARP is based late 1960’s Vietnam war including Laos and
Cambodia. Typically the player characters are Special Forces such
as the Green Beret’s, Marine Force Reconnaissance, SEAL’s etc.
Special forces operations suites live role playing because it is
quick to assemble the player characters and assign assets.
Objectives are established easily because they are typically
orders from up high. Typically each mission briefing covers:
· Method of Insertion
· Fire Support Availability
· Enemy Movement Information
· Terrain
· Mission Objectives
· Special Rules
· Method of Extraction
· Equipment assigned
With LARP's, there is also a need for a lot of Actors. Actor's
while played by a person, the Actor's act as directed by the
Mission Director. Actor's may be Viet Cong, NVA, Villagers or some
other ethnic minority. Actor's, therefore get to play a wide
variety of different characters under the direction of the mission
director.
The Actor’s will also be provided a briefing; this will be done
secretly so that the player characters do not know too much about
the Actor’s.
Characters
Because the life expectancy in special forces Vietnam roleplaying
is so short, character creation is very quick and simple. All a
player needs to do is select a skill card.
There is no need to choose equipment or weapon as these will be
assigned by the army to the special forces team as appropriate for
the mission and the skills within the SF team.
Creating a character requires the player to choose a skill card
which is a major speciality areas, characters are assumed to
already have been trained in how to use assault rifles and
pistols, does not include mortars or light machine guns
Demolition
· Able to use & place explosives & demolition charges.
· Can attempt bomb disposal.
· Can investigate an explosion & assess likely causes.
Heavy Weapons
· Training in use of the Mortar (ie the 60mm M19).
· It takes 2 minutes to set up & get a mortar targeted accurately
(assumes a round or two of target rounds).
· Mortar must have line-of-sight with the target.
Intelligence
· Interrogation & Impersonation
· In-depth knowledge of enemy
· Safecracking/Lock picking
· Translator, you can speak the local language whereas others can
only speak English.
Medic
· Trained in first aid & combat oriented surgery.
· A character that has been reduced to 0 hit pts can be saved by a
medic.
· Give first aid (2 mins) to someone on 0 hit pts within 5 mins of
that character dropping to 0 hit points; the injured character is
set back to 2 hit pts by the MD. If not done with 5 mins, the
character dies.
· If reduced to 0 hit pts & awaiting first aid, you must lie on
the ground, not move but you can groan & call out “medic!”
definitely cannot shoot, talk or use any specialist skills.
Point
· You’re the 1st member of the squad to move down a trail!
· Trained in use of maps for orienteering (in the game, the MD
will help from time to time as to direction the squad should be
travelling & your current location).
· Can follow tracks (The MD will provide assistance with the
tracking)
Light Machine Gun
· Can use a light machine gun (Morita = M60 or Soviet RPK 7.62)
· Max 2 LMGs can per squad (10 soldiers) because it is assumed the
other members of the squad are carrying spare ammunition &
barrels.
· M60 or RPK must be used on fully automatic mode only
RTO: Radio Telephone Operator
· Can use the radio to call in air strikes, artillery barrages &
can contact with HQ for helicopter extraction.
· Only 1 solider per squad can be assigned a radio, however the
radio can be given to someone else with RTO skill during the
mission.
Standard Starting Attributes
All player characters start each mission with 5 hit points, as
they are considered well-trained Special Forces soldiers. Most
Actor’s played characters will have 1-4 hit points.
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