From corleyj@helium.Gas.UUG.Arizona.EDU Thu Jul 14 12:37:05 EDT 1994
From: corleyj@helium.Gas.UUG.Arizona.EDU (Jason D Corley )
Subject: Jason's Stupid LARP Tricks: The Toreador
Date: 13 Jul 1994 17:59:57 GMT
 
There is no change, only a change in the microphone.
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1.  The Sneer.
        Practice it.  Learn it.  Love it.  Cherish it.  Unleash it on
people who deserve it.  A good sneer is more powerful than a hundred angry
words.
        As an example, we had a Ventrue in our local LARP group who had
natural sneering talent.  Why she didn't choose to play a Toreador, I'll
never know.  Even Malkavians (who, remember, have immunity to Status as
their advantage...) would get all antsy if she looked like she was about
to sneer   I personally got a _really_ withering one over something I
babbled.  Made me feel like I was bout two inches tall and shrinking fast.
 
2.  Consider carefully your arrival, attendance and entry to social
events.  Remember, by attending a socially-oriented event, you are making
that event from a loser party to something great. Hence, your entry, the
point at which the party changes from dumb to cool, is very important.
Make sure your host is properly grateful.
 
3.  How To Be An Artist If You Ain't:
        This is a toughie...and probably the reason there's so many Poseur
LARP Toreadors.  Not that there's anything bad about that... they're
necessary too...
        a) Steal Brazenly.
                For painters and other visual artists, libraries often
                stock really big expensive art books that also
                include preliminary sketches of particular artists.
                Pick a work that is fairly obscure and as cool as you want
                and trace the sketch onto your note pad.  That way when
                anyone asks what you're working on, you have something
                to show them.
                Writers and poets have it pretty easy---poets best of
                all.  Get a really obscure work and just change the name.
                (For courtesy's sake, you might want to announce to
                people where you're stealing it from out-of-character
                afterwards.)  People playing poets who have no poetic
                talent shouldn't feel too abashed about writing really
                bad poetry.  Vampire players are notorious for having no
                taste at all in poetry...you'll probably impress the heck
                out of 'em.
                Musicians have it pretty tough.  I can't think of anything
                right offhand except some quick out-of-character
                announcements, or obscure recordings.
        b) _Don't_ press your work on people, though, unless of course
		you're a total asshole.  (A Toreador asshole?  That'd be a 
		change...)
 
4.  Entrance on your own.  Don't wait for a GM to tell you to.  Just do 
it.  If someone is particularly good-looking or moves in a particularly 
attractive way, or speaks in a particularly musical way, just...go. It
helps to have a good idea of what your character considers beautiful. But
of course, if you don't have that, then this might help you develop it.

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"Generally, things have gone about as far as they can possibly go when
 things have got about as bad as they can reasonably get."--Tom Stoppard
Jason D. Corley (aka corleyj@gas.uug.arizona.edu) is a fugitive from Reality