How to Make your costume

By Michael Bielaczyc

There are many ways to add a more realistic touch to your costumes. When people see costumes on TV or in the movies the thing that is often forgotten is that costumers on shows or films have the advantage of lighting, camera angle, and often more money.

So what can you do on a normal budget?

Decide on costumes early. If you have some time to put it together you can watch fabric stores for sales or wait for coupon books. When you are not in a rush you can look for items in Thrift Stores or on Ebay. This can take a large chunk out of the original base cost.

Material – The material you use for your costumes is very important. In fact if you have ever seen a costume that blows you away, it is often because it is not only put together well, but it is also made from good materials. And it doesn’t have to always be expensive, my ranger cloak which I made over 5 years ago is from $1 a yard fabric and it is still in great shape.

Aging – Another problem with costumes is that often they look new. When was the last time an orc had a new outfit? For those who are planning on LARPing in their costume this won’t be such a problem as your costume will probably get worn in pretty quick. For those of us who are a little less active, a little fake wear and tear never hurts. I will leave my costume out in the weather for a week or so to get some sun fading, or tea stain the clothes to give them a bit of uneven color.

The more the better – What is the difference between a costume and garb? A costume is an outfit that people wear out to Halloween or a Con and then put it away. Garb looks like the person walked through a time/space portal into reality. Good garb relies on creativity and accessories! If you are making a pirate costume, people will be able to tell if you bought a fake sword and medallion at the costume shop.

My suggestion is to start out with the basics and start adding. And add anything that sort of fits! My pirate friend Nigel and I were once out having a drink and someone walked up and gave him a wooden spoon. With a “Thanks mate!” he turned and tied it to one of the many hanging pieces of leather from his belt. Two years later, it still hangs there. Well except when he is eating.

For a fairy costume, the more thin fabric you have the better the dress is. My friends at Faerystone Creations will buy tons of scrim (a colored type of gauze) and make many layers to create a dress. Sometimes they don’t even sew it in any fashion, they just tuck it into a bodice or wrap it around themselves.

What is LARP anyhow?

by Jay Shaffstall

LARP stands for live action role playing.

You may have heard the term mentioned before, or maybe not. It took me going to a major gaming convention before I heard about LARP. At that time, the term brought up images of people dressed up as vampires, because that was, then, the most popular LARP at conventions.

At its most basic, a LARP is a role playing game. But instead of sitting around a table using your imagination to picture the movements of your characters, you actually move around as your characters are moving.

Want your character to open a door and walk into a room? You open the door and walk into the room.

Some LARPs carry this to extremes, requiring that you must be able to do whatever your character can do. If your character is an expert swordsman, you must be an expert swordsman. Want to run a thief? Better be able to pick pockets.

Most LARPs don't carry things quite that far. There's usually a resolution system in place for skills, so you'll have a way to know if you hit someone with a sword, or talked them into revealing their computer password, or picked their pocket.

Some LARPs focus on the interaction between players, with very little of the game being spent on any GM-led plot. These are called "theater style" games in the United States, or "freeforms" in the United Kingdom. Other LARPs focus on a group of characters who cooperate to go through a GM-led plotline. These are typically called "adventure style" games, and are more of a straight translation of a table top adventure to live action role playing.

Boffer style LARPs use actual weapons, typically made of soft foam, that you swing to try and hit something. I've played in a Wild West LARP that used rubber band guns to represent pistols, and that was a blast! Other LARPs use pellet guns for pistols.

Theater style LARPs typically use simulated combat, where you'll use the game's resolution system to figure out if you hit someone.

At a gaming convention that runs LARPs, you'll typically play one in an hour. These will usually be theater style games, where your character is provided with goals to accomplish. The main requirement of a theater style LARP is usually to be able to socialize in a party setting while pretending to be someone else.

I've heard live action role playing games compared to improvisational acting, and there's some truth in that. But the term "acting" brings up all sorts of triggers for most people, and LARPing just isn't that frightening. You aren't up on a stage in front of other people, you're at a party socializing.

Which isn't nearly as hard as it might sound!

So if you're going to a gaming convention and see a theater style LARP on the schedule, go ahead and sign up for it. You never know, you might find a new dimension to your favorite hobby.