The experience of LARP, or live action roleplay, is made up of many independent elements. In our case, it’s part camping trip, part (light)contact sport, part theater and improv acting workshop – to name a few – woven together to create an interactive environment and story that you, the player, participates in and becomes a part of.

Live action role-play games cater to myriad tastes and levels of activity across an incredible range of genres. If one genre or style of play doesn’t appeal, you can try a different one. There are games that incorporate intense play-combat and games with no physical combat at all. Games also vary in size, from large events that pull in 500+ attendees to smaller games settling at around 30-40 players per event. Each offers a different type of environment, and prospective players can choose to attend one game or another based on their own interests and comfort levels.

Most importantly, the LARP community is precisely that – a community. LARPing is an intensely social, cooperative hobby – it means going out there, interacting with others, building in-game relationships and ties to other characters in order to gain information and resources. Game and plot staff always strive to involve and entertain every player, but players who go out of their way to engage with others and explore the world autonomously will find they get the most bang for their buck. It is possible to play a timid or lone-wolf character in a LARP, but playing still requires a degree of cooperation with, and investment in, other players and characters in order to further your character’s progress in the gameworld.

Doomsday is a far-future science fiction LARP that encompasses a wide variety of different roleplay styles and themes. It is managed by Edge of Forever, LLC, and runs approximately 10 events per year at Olivet Blue Mountain Camp in Hamburg, PA. Doomsday is currently a 16+ game; some exceptions are permitted with parental consent.

In addition to running an exciting, enjoyable, and challenging game, Staff at Doomsday and Edge of Forever are invested in creating a safer space and welcoming atmosphere for players of all backgrounds and identifications.  With the community’s support, we’re committed to providing an inclusive, harassment-free LARP experience for everyone, regardless of age, sex, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression/presentation, race or ethnicity, country or origin, or religion.

We encourage all of our players to be excellent to each other.

You’ve decided to attend your first event at Doomsday. What’s next?

Check out our online community – introduce yourself, let us know where you’re coming from and what you might be interested in or have questions about. If you have any allergies, you can let our Staff, Kitchen and First Aid marshals know by sending in this form.

If you haven’t already, familiarize yourself with the rules. You can download or view a PDF of our current Rulebook here. Copies of the Rulebook are also out and available during the event, and Rules Marshals are around to help with clarifications. Also be sure to check out our Onboarding Primer here (more information on Onboarding below).

NPCing, or participating as non-player characters, is a great way to get a feel for the game before bringing in your character. Regular event admission includes a 4-hour NPC shift requirement, but you can also NPC the entire event (NPC admission is free). NPC roles are varied and generally will involve a mix of combat and roleplay through various pre-written characters depending on the needs of the shift Marshals and Event Plot.

When it comes to your personal character – do you know what you’d like to play? We’ll get to the basics of how to build your character in a bit. While it’s nice to have an idea all ready to roll, it isn’t required. You can always ask the online community if you need suggestions of what to play, or if you need information to flesh our your concept. Once you have the details for your character written up, you can submit it online through the New Character Form here before the game so your card is ready to print when you arrive at the Event.

Players are welcome on-site after 5pm on Friday of the Event. When you arrive, the first thing to do is find a place to bunk. If you arrive late and are having trouble finding space, or if you have requirements due to an injury or disability, ask, and someone will help you locate suitable sleeping space. Once you’ve unloaded your gear, please move your car immediately to the designated parking area. The parking lot near the main building will be an in-game area.

Next, you’ll want to sign in (even if you’re only NPCing). There are two options; if you preregister you will be able to collect your character card (even if you have not created a character yet) and starting components and gear at the Preregistration Table in the main lodge between 8pm and 10pm on Friday. Weapon and armor checks will be done at this time. If you didn’t preregister or if you arrive after 10pm Friday night, you’ll need to sign in at the Staff Cabin (ask, and someone should be able to direct you to it). You’ll also need to sign up for an NPC shift – if you preregister, you are able to do this ahead of time.

Around 9:30pm on Friday we run New Player Orientation. If you are around for this, you should attend! Our Community and Safety Marshals will go over rules and systems specific to Doomsday and will answer questions specifically for new players. If you’re unable to join us for this, please review our Player Guide.

All that remains after this is to get into costume (if you are playing your character) or comfortable black clothing (if you are NPCing). Pre-game is also a great time to check out the building, introduce yourself around and meet other players. Marshals and Staff will be available to answer questions regarding rules or help you with your character.

Around 11pm, Opening Announcements are held and Lay-On (the official start of the game) is called. You should be in costume by this point, and ready to begin.

Doomsday normally has 5 NPC shifts during which gameplay occurs: Lay-On to 3am, 10am to 2pm, 2pm to 6pm, 8pm to Midnight, and Split Shift, which runs in two parts: Midnight to 2am and 10am to Noon on Sunday. There is a break between 6pm and 8pm on Saturday for dinner. During times outside of the regular NPC shifts players are welcome to continue roleplaying with each other, even if no mods are running. Some players even choose to sleep as their character, but this is not required or expected.

If this is your first LARP, you may find things bewildering for a bit. Some new players catch on immediately, while others take their time over the course of a few events and a few character card tweaks to find their groove. Get involved, do things because they are fun or interesting; even if they might get your character killed. It’s all part of finding out where you belong in this world.  If you’re feeling out of sorts, let us know and we’ll do what we can to help.

Packing for a LARP is very similar to packing for a camping trip – the more prepared you are, the more comfortable you will be.

At minimum, you will want to bring sheets and bedding (mattresses are provided, but do not always suit everyone’s comfort), toiletries (toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant/antiperspirant, soap and shampoo/conditioner), a towel, changes of socks and underclothes, and snacks and/or food (Dinner is provided on Saturday Night).

A longer list of LARP essentials is available in the Player Guide.

If you forget something, it isn’t the end of the world – the camp is very close to local shopping, and it is likely that if no one on-site has what you need, you will be able to find it without having to travel far.

There are many ways to go about deciding what type of character you would like to play.

What kind of gameplay are you interested in?
One way to look at this is from the perspective of what you’d like to be doing. Would you like to play a character who is very active, doing a lot of fighting and defending? Or, would you rather play someone who spends their time researching, debating, solving puzzles? There are many different options here, but if you have specific interests this may help you to narrow down your choices.

How much costuming and makeup do you want to have?
Doomsday is a science-fiction game, full of many interesting alien species to play – however, not everyone wants to paint their skin purple at every game! We have species that range from no-makeup to high-makeup requirements. Similarly, costuming requirements can range from very simple garb to highly elaborate. It’s a good idea to consider what you would like to commit to when choosing your character’s species. More details are available on the Playable Species pages, including detailed Makeup and Costuming Technical Guides for each species.

What inspires you?
Is there a concept you have in mind that you’d like to put into action? Some quiet aspect of your personality you’d like to try expressing more fully? Maybe you saw some costuming or makeup you thought was really interesting, and wanted to try out. Inspiration can come from many angles – we encourage you to follow your passion, and create something truly unique.

What about a Backstory?
Keep in mind: Your character’s story starts here! A backstory for your character can be a fun creative exercise, but is entirely optional. We don’t review backstories, and we don’t usually take them into account when we write plot or assign ranks. If you have questions about whether a specific aspect of your character’s background is viable, or fits in the gameworld, you’re welcome to drop us an email to discuss.

Once you have a character concept in mind, it’s time to iron out the details and build them up with stats and skills.

There are three main classifications of Playable Species in Doomsday: Human, Machine, and Alien. Humans currently include four cultures: Terrans, Elysians, Aesir, and Boz. Machine types include Robots and Androids, as well as the heavily augmented Cybrids and Cryo. Alien or Other species include Maneaters, Mutants, Weeds, Zelnalak, M’kai, Oniri and Yana. Each of these has three pathways (sub-species designations) you may choose between. Based on this, you can then select your Class and one of two sub-classes.

You start with 10 Body, 4 Stamina, and 15 Build Points to spend on Skills. Besides those available on the Universal Skills list, your choice Skills will be determined by what Species and Class you chose.

More in-depth details and explanations can be found in the Rulebook or on the individual Species pages [link].

Your character is ready, but how do they get involved?

The Onboarding Process is your direct route to interacting with the gameworld. All new arrivals go through an in-game screening process where they can express their character’s interests, and from there they will be able to meet with the various departments that handle the internal workings of Mag Mel. It is suggested that new players familiarize themselves with the Onboarding Primer here and devision-specific documents (below) for any devision they might be interested in joining.

These main departments are:

The Mag Mel Defense Force (MMDF)  [PDF]

The law, security, and military power of Mag Mel. Characters who enjoy combat or who are interested in investigation and tactics would feel at home here.

The Tempest Foundation for Higher Education  [PDF]

This devision focuses on science, medicine, and exploration. It is structured as an in-game university. Characters interested in researching, experimenting, and engineering would likely be involved here.

The Intergalactic Faith Accord (IFA)  [PDF]

The IFA deals with the spiritual and cultural aspects of life on Mag Mel. Through connections with other divisions, they foster a greater understanding of the very real and active metaphysical forces in the universe.

The Perpetuum and the Mag Mel Union (MMU)  [PDF]

The political division handles diplomatic and administrative affairs in Mag Mel and The Perpetuum. This devision requires a bit more knowledge of the gameworld, and is focused on roleplay and debate.

The Underworld  [PDF]

Much of the underworld activity in Mag Mel takes place through Contract work. Contracts come in a variety of flavors, from information gathering to assassination. This is a high-risk department to be involved with, and requires involved players to be pro-active to make progress in the gameworld (particularly if they do not have a steady job in another department).

Players may choose to focus in a specific department (for those seeking high involvement) and can be involved with another to a lesser extent. We strongly suggest new players do not take Politics or Underworld as their only focus, but rather, interact with these through other departments, or on the side. These departments are provided as a starting place – it is expected that, over time, players will naturally increase or decrease their involvement in accordance with what best suits their character and play style. Please review the Onboarding Primer for each division you are interested in prior to submitting your new character.

The Rulebook provides a brief summary of the gameworld, and of each playable species or culture from a historical and roleplay perspective – for many, this is all that is needed need to begin playing. For those who want more, however, there is a vast amount of information available that goes into further detail on many subjects the Rulebook only glosses over.

We do not require character backstories for review – however, if you are looking to create a character that is a heavy departure from the established lore, please do check with us first.

We’re still working on bringing this section fully online; check back soon for more information!