nordiclarpyearbook2015

Lungholm Castle; the larp’s location. (Photo: Andreas Ingefjord)
The safety features
A larp like BAPHOMET, which is very
physical and intimate, demands a lot of
trust between players. We have to be absolutely
sure that players are free to explore
the themes of the larp and that they can opt
in or opt out of a scene or interaction at
any time.
First we all agreed on not disclosing what
happened at the larp to anybody not playing
it. This was not done to stop people from
discussing or criticizing the larp; it was done
to give the participants full freedom to do
whatever they felt their character should,
or should not do. To remove the element
of competition of e.g. who larped the most
intensely.
We then all agreed that the recipient of an
interaction was responsible for steering the
scene in a direction that was comfortable
for them. This was done to remove some
of the difficult nonverbal or verbal negotiations
you always see in intense scenes.
This works very well but needs to be workshopped
before play.
We also used the Tap Out mechanic as a
last resort if you were in a situation where
you felt your boundaries were met and you
didn’t want to play the scene any more. You
simply double tapped the other player with
your hand and the scene would stop.
“The combination of unsettling sound effects,
extreme emotional play, and topics
that were a little too close for comfort left
me close to having to “tap out” on several
occasions, but at every turn I was surrounded
by caring, experienced players
who made it possible for me to deal and
explore, rather than fold and admit defeat.”
- Player feedback
The experience
The larp experience at BAPHOMET was a
very intense and unsettling experience. Several
participants have reported weird and
terrifying dreams many weeks after the larp.
When the possessions started the feeling
of time and space slowly crumbled and you
went from one interaction to the next without
any time to rest. This was both good
and bad since the attrition pushed you further
but also diminished the individual experience.
“BAPHOMET was truly something else.
The setting was magnificent, and as I felt
that everyone shared this total suspension
of disbelief, we trod down the spiral
stairway into madness together. To the
increasing presence of two malevolent
entities possessing us in shifts. Constant
immersion. Liberal amounts of champagne.
Altogether overwhelming.
The intense play between the couples was
full of tragedy, insanity and heartbreak.
And the envisioned horror was very much
present throughout. This is one nightmare
I long for…”
- Player feedback
BAPHOMET will be run again in 2017.
C
CREDITS: Linda Udby (design, production),
Bjarke Pedersen (design, production).
DATE: October 5-8 and 8-11, 2015
LOCATION: Lungholm Gods - Rødby -
Denmark
DURATION: 3 days (2 in character)
PARTICIPANTS: 26 at Run 1 and 28 at
Run 2. Players from Denmark, Sweden,
Norway, Finland, Germany, England,
Ireland, Poland and U.S.A..
BUDGET: 4750 €
PARTICIPATION FEE: 210 €
GAME MECHANICS: Possession mechanics,
non diegetic sound, tap out safety
rule.
WEBSITE:
looking-glass.wix.com/baphomet
ARTICLE FRONT PAGE:
Drawings done after the larp.
(Illustrations: Freja Gyldenstrøm)
One last look in the mirror while waiting for damnation to arrive. (Photo: Andreas Ingefjord)
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