So You Wanna Make A Character?:

Some simple guidelines and comments:

• 1) This is a Vampire LARP. Despite what our loveable players may think, we may eventually have other, non-Vampire characters. Yes, we will most likely be changing a lot of them to fit our world. However, starting players should aim at playing a Vampire or ghoul.
  
• 2) As a tangent to the above, this is a (mostly) Camarilla city. Yes, it is right on the border with the Sabbat, but we'd rather not run a Sabbat Larp (yet.) So. We like to have starting characters as part of the Camarilla (or a Caitiff.)
  
• 3) Let's not go overboard. create your character as twelfth generation. Cry all you want, but the easiest way to convince us that your character needs a higher generation is to write a good character.
  
• 4) That all being said, go read the Vampire Design Doc by Justin Achilli. Even experienced players. This speaks volumes about our game, and how we want it to be.
  
• 4) All the info you need to make your character is available in the Character Creation Packet. Even experienced players from other larps would be advised to read through it, as not only have we made many changes to the Laws of the Night LARP rules, but our version of the World of Darkness is different too. Look here if you don't believe me.
  

TIPS FOR GREAT NEW CHARACTERS

So you have this collection of stats, but just don't know how to breath life into it, how to role-play it? Tip one is thinking like your character, and to think like your character, you have to know all about your new character.

The MLS Character Questions
When we first started getting players at the beginning of the larp, we gave them a questionnaire with lots of personal details about the character, so we could keep it on file and refer back to it. Since then, we've more than tripled in size, and keep track of everything isn't feasible anymore. But the questionnaire is still a great way to figure out how your character acts. These are the kind of questions you should be able to answer about your character off the top of your head.

The Game of Twenty Questions
I also copied a similar list of questions from the new Legends of the Five Rings role-playing game, simply because I liked the way it read. Yes, I had to change a few (since the L5R game is set in a fantasy oriental setting) but some concepts (like Clan) transfer over nicely.

Shakespeare Knew Everything About Role-Playing
An essay by Don Bruns about how to really get into your character. Great for new players and players looking for that extra oomph.

You and Your Backstory
A fine piece by Jennifer Raffensperger about the proper way to create a character: story first, then stats.

General Information:

• Please don't bring any sort of prop that remotely looks like a gun or any sort of weapon. We will ask you to put it in a backpack or something.
  
• Our goal here is to have fun and make sure everyone is having fun. That's why we do this. If you're not having fun, let us know. If someone else is keeping you from having fun, let us know. We'll try to rectify the situation to everyone's best interests.
  

Crunchy Information:

ILF members are exempt from having to pay the suggested $5 per semester donation that we ask of people. No reason.

Maps of the UMCP Campus for those who don't know their way around.

College Park By Night

Paul M. M. Jacobus (vampire@digex.net)