Looking for a LARP can be a difficult thing. Finding the right LARP can be even harder. We all know that the point of gaming is to have fun. But what I consider to be fun versus what you consider to be fun are two different things. With that in mind, I present you with a list of 9 questions you should ask a Storyteller before you join their game. Some are obvious. Some are not. But if you can get answers to all of them you will know fairly well what kind of game you are about to step into.
1 What kind of stories do you tell in your game?
I debated what order to put the questions in but this one is easily the most important. White Wolf games is about telling stories and you had best know what kind of stories the LARP you are wanting to join tells.
Make sure you get a clear answer on this question.
If the Storyteller you ask looks at you like you just started speaking in tongues or answers with We play Vampire then ask again. The type of stories being told is really what the game is going to be about. So keep at the Storyteller either he can provide an answer that is acceptable or until you realize he really doesn't have an answer.
2 Are you part of a shared continuity organization?
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Organizations like One World by Night and the Camarilla can provide its players with a type of game that no independent game can. Your game can receive visitors from other cities. You can go to other cities and play your character. And there are often large events held that draw in players from all over a region or, in some cases, the entire world.
Plotting can really expand beyond the borders of your own city and if you move you can take your history and your stories with you. Not to mention the number of new people you can meet. I count myself blessed for the wonderful people I met in the now defunct Shared Universe.
The trade off is autonomy at the local level. For very good reasons, your Storytellers may not be able to do everything exactly as they see fit. Your game may be required to allow people to show up and play if they are members. Visiting characters can be more hassle than they are worth at time. Your game maybe forced to run certain plots that are handed down from above. Also, some organizations require that you pay a membership fee to join.
As you can see, a shared continuity can be a source of great benefit and the cause of many problems. So do your research. Ask the questions. And if the game you are looking at joining is part of a shared continuity, get some facts about that organization.
3 How many different Princes/Alphas/etc have you had in the last year?
This question is here to help you gage the stability of the game. It is also a good double check for the first question.
Some games go through Princes/Alphas/etc like underwear. In my experience, this often means a very violent game with high turn over rate and very little stability. Game sessions are often focused on the latest political crisis or purge. These games tend to lose their charm very quickly but if you like the idea of being the character in charge quickly this might be a good fit. Just remember that the same fate will likely befall your character, too.
The reverse is a little harder to handle. I have played in games with very little political upheaval because people were happy both in and out of game with how things are being run. If you get a really low number, like one or two, ask why this is happening. It may mean a powerful character that is unassailable or it may mean you have a good, functional game. Or it could mean something completely different. Just keep probing until you think you have a grasp on the situation.
4 How many players are in your game?
The number of players in the game is solely for your information. Some people enjoy very large games. Some like smaller games. The thing to remember is that the number of players is not indicative of the quality of the game. I've played games with only eight players that were brilliant. And I've played games with more than a hundred people that I absolutely hated. It is all about what you are looking for. However, with this information in hand, you may want to follow up with how big the staff for the game is. You are looking for somewhere around one staff to seven players. If the ratio get much higher than that, you may fall between the cracks and your enjoyment will suffer.
5 How old is the oldest character?
This is a sneaky way of finding out the power level of the game. Some games have problems with characters of godlike power wondering around in them. Though you can do little to combat Storytellers doing it, you can certainly find out if they allow this thing to happen by figuring out how old some of the oldest characters are.
6 How do you handle character advancement, aka XP, in you game?<
XP is one of the most important things for a player. XP is what allows your character to advance. If the game you are looking at gives out too little you will see almost no progress for your work. If they give out too much you may achieve your goals very quickly and be stuck for things to do. The other problem with too much XP is the god-like characters that will be walking around if the characters survived a number of years. Again, this is something that you will need to know what you are comfortable with.
7 What books do you use?
So very important to know. You want to know what is inbounds and out of bounds for character creation. Often the list is pretty extensive so write it down if it isn't already posted somewhere that is easy to locate.
8 What are your house rules?
Probably more important than what books are used but what changes have the Storytellers made to them. Every game runs with house rules. Find out what they are. The last thing you want is to find yourself in a bad situation in game only to be told what you are doing doesn't work that way here. Also ask about individual conventions for the game. These won't be so much rules as traditions on how things are done. Knowing them before you walk in to play the first time is better than having them sprung on you as a player.
9 What changes to canon have you made?
The bane of all canon-monkeys, me included. Just like games tend to change rules they also change the world they play in. Find out which NPCs are dead, removed, replaced, etc, etc. If they have redrawn political maps your Storytellers need to tell you this so you don't walk into game and announce you have just arrived from City X only to learn that city is held by your game's mortal enemies. You may laugh but it has happened to me. Never accept the answer it is like it is in the books unless you have it in writing. And be prepared for rude surprises at inopportune times if you don't double check with the Storytellers even if you already asked.
So there you have it. Nine questions to ask an Storyteller before you join your game. They will help you find a game that is a good fit for you. But the one thing I will caution is to do this well before a game session or after. As a LARP Storyteller, I know I have very little time right before game to handle creating new characters and answering questions. It may seem rude to some but it is the truth. Most Storytellers I know, me included, are a little crazy right before a session starts getting everything setup for the session and handling a last minute crisis or two. Also, your questions are important and deserve proper consideration and answers. You can't get that in a couple of minutes from someone who is distracted by the umpteen million things that they are trying to get sorted out.