Should
you have any questions about any of the information provided below, please first
click on our FAQ's link. If you find your query is not covered or you have any
suggestions please feel free to contact
us.
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Should you be brave (or is that
foolish?) enough to want to organise a game for The Dark Door, we have provided
below a few pointers to set you on your way.
The main thing to keep in mind is it
can be very expensive, and even if you are planning something quite basic the
cost can start at around £400 and go up to as much as £700 or even more. You may
be lucky enough to be able to get your hands on props and costumes cheaply, but
the venues will nearly always put you back quite a few hundred pounds. It has to
be pointed out that The Dark Door is just a platform through which like minded
individuals get together to run Mythos themed LARP events and so games must be
organised at your own expense, to be reimbursed once the bookings are received.
You should remember that your game
is not guaranteed to be a success. However should problems arise with the game -
unforeseen events causing it to be cancelled or a lack of bookings - The Dark
Door will try its best to reimburse you for any losses. However, funds can be
quite limited as many games just about break even without leaving anything over
for the kitty, so it may take a while to pay you back.
Players will also have certain
expectations about Dark Door games regarding style of story and venues used,
etc. It is important to us that anyone running a game appreciates and can meet
these expectations.
This said, organising and running a
game, observing the antics of the players as they try to fathom your clues,
seeing them scream in fright from the assorted monsters (well, not scream
exactly) is good fun and worth the pain and effort! Knowing the story doesn't
mean you can't enjoy it, as watching the unsuspecting players as they are walk
right into a trap always provides good entertainment (apologies to all players
by the way).
You may only run an event if you are a current member of The Dark Door LARP Society. That main requirement aside the simple answer to this question is anyone who is prepared to put in the time, effort and money involved. Really, as well as being a member you should also have played at least a couple of Dark Door games first so that you can then understand what style of game the players will expect and how The Dark Door runs games. If you have not run an LARP event before, you would be advised to volunteer to crew on someone else's game first to get a good idea of what it involves and how best to run things.
If you feel you meet the above requirement you should approach The Dark Door’s Secretary to request the governing committee’s permission to run your event. The Secretary will advise you if you may proceed and then discuss the arrangements with you.
As the organiser of the game it will be your ultimate responsibility to ensure any risk of injury is minimised and the game is run safely. You must ensure nothing in the game represents a threat to either the players or the public at large. Safety should be foremost in your mind when planning encounters, building props and picking venues. Obvious hazards should be removed, made safe or pointed out to players and crew alike. However all those present have a duty of care to each other and so players and crew should be reminded of the need for safety. Please bear this in mind particularly with the use of blank firing weapons as they can cause powder burns and damage to hearing if used irresponsibly. All hand held weapons should be "safe" latex weapons, but remember they are only safe if used safely.
As well as the safety of the games participants, as the occupier of the site your responsibility also extends to all others who may pass through the area of play - perhaps walking their dog or to ask directions - and you should be alert to anything that might prove to be a hazard to the unwary visitor.
The Dark Door's insurance policy arranged through the LRP Alliance provides cover for each game participant's legal liability to others in respect of personal injury and property damage (terms, conditions and excesses apply). This extends to cover damage to the venue itself. Should an event occur that may give rise to a claim against you or any person participating (player or crew) the insurers should be notified immediately.
The importance of carefully budgeting your game and keeping a track of your outlay throughout cannot be emphasised enough. The financial side of your game is as much your responsibility as all the other elements. Mistakes are costly and if they are down to your own lack of care The Dark Door will not bail you out.
The Dark Door does not allow games to be run for personal profit and so the agreement is that where any games do bring in a cash surplus, due to a high player turn-out or lower running costs than expected, for example, then these additional funds belong to The Dark Door. Any such additional funds can then be used in the future to purchase any large items, props, or equipment for all to use on future events, or to replace broken equipment. On this note if you do have any ideas for equipment that you believe The Dark Door should purchase, by all means let us know and we will look into it, all depending on available funds of course.
When setting your budget you should think ahead and check out what things will cost, bearing in mind that the little bits and bobs purchased here and there for just a few pounds each can all add up very quickly and dig a big hole in your budget. If you recklessly overspend and exceed your planned budget then The Dark Door won't help you out.
In addition to looking into the cost of specific items required for your game we recommend you allow £60 to £100 for miscellaneous items and approximately £5 to £10 per player for food depending on whether you're doing a full weekend game. Don’t forget that you will also need to feed the game crew!
In order to pay for the administration of the club and its insurance policy a levy is also placed on all games that will have to be accounted for in your budget. The actual figure charged depends on the number of games planned for that year and the current premium for the insurance, but you should expect this to be around £40 per game. We will confirm the actual sum with you when we discuss the arrangements for your game. It is also worth stating at this point that the insurance policy only allows for four named referees under the standard premium, we therefore need to ensure all referees for forthcoming games are included at the beginning of the Dark Door financial year (April). If you approach us at a later date when all the referee's have been allocated, or if you wish to use additional referees, it will cost an extra £10 per referee to add to the policy, and this will need to be included in your budget.
You should then decide on a realistic minimum number of players that you can expect to attend - if you get more bookings than this then all well and good since any surplus can go in the kitty. Having budgeted your game you can then divide this figure by the minimum number of expected players to calculate your game fee. To assist you the Treasurer will provide you with a form on which you can clearly record the expenses incurred and then submit it for reimbursement of your outlay once the game has been run and all due game fees have been paid.
This is the first practical bit to
get sorted. Some may say the story should come first, but it's difficult enough
finding venues you can use without having any preconceived ideas that the site
must conform to. It may be best to let the site inspire you.
Venues are often expensive and do
tend to account for about two thirds of the running costs for most games. The
cheaper available sites are often Youth Hostels that can be hired under the
YHA’s Rent-a-Hostel scheme, but even these will still cost you around £300 for a
couple of days, and many venues can cost up to £400 for the weekend. Some will
also charge you a fee for each person attending your event.
You should ensure that any venue you
pick is suitable for a Dark Door event and that it will meet player expectations
in this regard. In particular venues must be isolated to help with the games
atmosphere and setting, and also so as not to disturb or alarm nearby neighbours
or members of the public. Equally, exclusive access is important since nothing
ruins a games atmosphere more than sharing the site with a group of regular
holiday makers or another LARP group.
Let's face it; if you haven't got a story then clearly you're not even
trying and should consider giving up! The Cthulhu Mythos is a series of
allusions drawn from the works of many hundreds of authors spanning three
quarters of a century and as such there is no shortage of inspiration for your
own story. Since its earliest days Mythos writers have borrowed from each other
and adapted ideas for their own purposes, creating a suitably ambiguous
mythology and allowing you the freedom to use and interpret the various ideas,
gods, characters and places however you wish. Those who would argue about what
an Elder sign looks like and how it should work, for example, have got it all
wrong - the answer to this is entirely up to you and what best fits your
purpose.
There's no right or wrong way to plan out your story and different people
have their own methods that work for them. Please note that players can be very
unpredictable and the only certainty is that they will not do what you expect,
so be prepared to adapt and update your story line throughout the game play.
It is worth mentioning at this stage that we do not mix genres. If you
were to introduce a squad of Klingons into the story or use your ogre character
from that fantasy game you played the other month be warned; you will be set
upon by veteran Doorer's who will glare and tut disapprovingly.
Non-Player
Characters (NPC's) and Monsters
You will need to gather together a
good reliable crew to help run your event. Remember to fully brief them before
the game so that everyone knows what they are doing, as this will help the event
run more smoothly on the day and also mean less work for you. Plus, there is
nothing worse than an absent referee who spends most of the game filling in the
crew on what they need to be doing, rather than being around for the players.
NPC’s are of course vital as they
help flesh out the game and provide the narration. Without them you just have a
bunch of players sitting around eyeing one another nervously! Remember that an
NPC can be used as a good source of clues and not just as a pretend player who
acts suspiciously. And again you should be sure to fully brief your NPC’s so
that they understand the game and what is required of them.
Monsters? What can we say? A must
for all games; from a single shambling monstrosity, to a hoard of zombies! You
can be as basic or extravagant as you want, but bear in mind the cost.
These are a very important part of a game, and although a fantastic creature's outfit should not be seen as a substitute for a decent story, they do help greatly.
How much work or expense you want to put into this is down to you, but be warned you could spend weeks putting together an impressive prop only to have the players fail to follow the clues properly and never use it! The Dark Door has a collection of props, masks, costumes, and make-up that's been gathered together over the years, so if you have something in mind you may wish to check with us first before you go out and buy it.
Please remember that any items purchased for your event for which you are financially reimbursed will become the property of The Dark Door. Anyone who wishes to retain an item for their own use after the event has been run would be unable to seek reimbursement for it from The Dark Door.Unless you want your players passing
out you should provide some sort of nourishment. Remember that all Dark Door
events are fully catered. On a one day game you will need to provide an evening
meal and also breakfast for the next morning, while for a weekend game you will
be looking at providing 4 or 5 meals, including breakfast on the final morning
after the game. In addition you will need to keep the players and crew topped up
with tea and coffee. Plus no Dark Door event is complete without plenty of cake!
For the main meals you will find
that most are happy with something quick and filling so there is no need to get
too carried aware with an elaborate menu. In particular if you have a large
number of vegetarians attending you may find that it is best to do a vegetarian
meal for everyone rather then mess around cooking two types of meals.
You should be sure to check if any
of your players or crew has any special dietary requirements.
Your game is written, props and costumes have been scrounged, made or brought, the venue is booked, you have planned the meals, gathered together and fully briefed your crew, and now you're itching to go. You now need to promote your game and as with all other matters this is essentially your responsibility.
You will need to produce a "flyer" detailing the cost, date, and place of your game that can then be sent to all interested parties (a mailing list will be made available), along with contact details for queries. It is important to include a booking deadline with a non-refundable deposit. The booking deadline should be set preferably before the date when the balance for the venue is due to be paid since this will represent the bigger part of your budget, and so will help reduce losses if you have to cancel through a lack of bookings.
Early Dark Door games had neither a booking deadline nor non-refundable deposits and organisers would often find themselves let down at the last minute by people who had assured them they would be coming. By then large sums of money had been paid out, which the game fees that did materialise could not cover. The booking deadline allows you to get an early and accurate idea of the numbers who will attend allowing you to adjust your budget accordingly, or if necessary cancel where this would be the cheaper option. The non-refundable deposit is to dissuade time wasters. It is important that you do not accept any bookings or reserve any places on your event until the players in question has paid their deposit.
Space will be made available on our web site for your flyer. Increasingly this is the main medium through which potential players find out about The Dark Doors events. We will also email all interested parties on our mailing list. Links to the game details on our website can also be set up on various external LARP based forums. We will also allocate you an email address in order for players to contact you direct with any queries, and also set up a section on our forum for information and queries about your game. However, the main responsibility for securing enough bookings will lie with you.
It is usual to allow bookings both by post and On-Line. With On-Line bookings we will set up a facility that will email you details of any bookings received including the player and character details, and confirm payment of their deposit.
You should liaise with the Website Administrator regarding the arrangements for using the website as medium to promote your game.
If despite all your careful budgeting, planning, and efforts the worst does happen and you are left out of pocket The Dark Door will do its best to refund you subject to available funds.
