About GV Larp

About the game

This is the website for a Live Action Role-Play (“Larp”) game, set in Glasgow. As the name suggests, the game is focused on roleplaying as vampires, and it is based around the White Wolf “World of Darkness” rules and setting. GV Larp takes place once a month, the first Wednesday of the month at a venue in the Merchant City in Glasgow. The Storytellers (“STs”) are responsible for running the game, can provide more details by email and can be contacted below.

The Larp is primarily a political game, where the characters attempt to advance themselves at the expense of other’s interests, while outwardly maintaining a civilised front. If you have found yourself enjoying the scheming and treachery of Game of Thrones or True Blood then you will enjoy the Larp.

There is no requirement to have experience of the system, or even of roleplay. We are an open and welcoming group, and anyone who wants to give it a go, feel free to email us using the contact form below, and we’ll give you all the information you’ll need to enjoy the game.

About role-play

What is role-play? Most people will have experienced this in some form or another. Role-play is putting yourself in the place of a character, playing their part and representing the written character in person, much like acting in a play. Where our type of role-play differs is that instead of reading the lines and following stage directions, you choose what your character does and says, much like an improvised script.

The guide you will have is the written character you create, and we will help you to achieve that. Your character will have a name, physical characteristics and skills, but also a full history, goals, fears, friends and enemies. This is an opportunity to be creative, and make an interesting and complete character, using this as the basis of how you act in the game. Your character can develop over time, and this is one of the most enjoyable challenges of the game, to grow your initial design in a believable and consistent way.

To most players, role-play offers a chance to reinvent themselves for one night a month, and to engage skills and talents which aren’t always exercised in real life. Have you ever imagined yourself as a private investigator, or a problem solver? Wondered how you would fare as a power broker? Considered if you could be a con-artist, a strong-arm, crime boss or high powered business person?

Well, the Larp provides the opportunity to test those thoughts, in a fun and friendly environment. There are challenges and opportunities, and it may be daunting at first, but most of all we hope you will enjoy the experience as much as we all do!

About the setting

GV Larp is set in Glasgow, but the influence of vampires and other denizens of the night has changed this world. Where murder, kidnapping, corruption or torture may be shocking in the real world, they are almost every day in the World of Darkness. Behind many of the unusual political deals, the inexplicable violence, the heinous crimes and apparently random disappearances, you will find one of the supernatural dangers of this World of Darkness – be that vampire, werewolf, mage or otherwise.

So this is the environment the game is set in. An often chaotic city, full of intrigue and danger, opportunities galore, a chance to carve a place for yourself, make allegiances with your enemies, betray your friends, but above all stay one step ahead of everyone else.

What are Vampires?

First and foremost among the dangers in world is you. Vampires. Often called Kindred, you are one of the immortals. Most of the details you know from stories have some truth to them. You do drink blood to survive. The sun is lethal to you, as is fire. Some Kindred can turn to bats or wolves, some can control minds, some control emotions and some can disappear entirely.

The one factor which unifies you all though, is that you are dangerous. You each hold the potential to endanger each other, and there are many threats of other natures in the world. So to preserve your existence (the most important thing to any Kindred) a society was formed, called the Camarilla. The unity and order imposed by this social order is your best defence.

About the system

The game is live action, which means that primarily we represent our characters in person, at the monthly meetings. Since we are there to play our characters as though they were truly there, we ask that as far as possible you appear as you wish your character to be seen. In practice most players will wear relatively normal clothing, ranging from suits to biker jackets. We also ask that anything you want your character to carry should be represented by an appropriate prop, the STs can assist if you have any difficulties with that.

Importantly, GV Larp is a non-contact game. Any confrontations which might take place at the game, any attempts to use skills or powers will be determined by dice rolls. This doesn’t mean that discussions won’t grow heated, and we appreciate players showing passion – just remember that at the end of it all this is only a game, we are here for a good time and to make friends, not to start fights!

The monthly meetings are the main focus of the game. That’s where players interact, talk through things with each other, find out information and make deals. However, over the course of the month, you may wish to act on what you have learned, fulfil your part of a bargain or try to change something in the city. To allow for this, we have a system of Orders, also known as “downtime”.

This allows for players to send an email to the STs with a description of what their characters will try to achieve between games. An example of a good set of Orders can be seen in the In Character section of the website, but the idea is to base this around your character’s skills and describe how they go about achieving their goal. The success or failure will be determined by the STs and you will then receive a reply detailing the results of your actions. Beware though, if you engage in risky actions, there is a chance your character may be killed in downtime, so keep that in mind!

There may also be occasions where a downtime action may involve a number of players or a very complex issue. In that case, where possible, the STs may try to arrange a Linear, which is a small meeting to roleplay or discuss what will happen. These are more informal than the Larps and don’t require you to be in costume, but the STs will provide more information if this becomes relevant.

Please take a look at our Player Handbook for further information: GVLARP-Player-Handbook-V1.3.pdf (848 downloads )