For all LARP types, WPI and individual Chapters handle the Out of Character logistics for the game, including OOC Check-in, attendance and membership rolls, and enforcing the WPI Code of Conduct.
WPI’s role in the creative direction or continuity management varies, based on the type of LARP run under the WPI structure. There are three types of LARPs run within WPI: Chapter Interest, Club Supported, and Club Directed.
WPI Members do not need to pay annual membership dues — their membership is extended each time they attend a WPI Game. In lieu of annual membership dues, each Chapter is expected to provide a portion of their attendance fee to the organization. This makes sure WPI is able to support the chapters and pursue our collective goal of expanding Parlor Larp, while not providing a prohibitive obstacle for casual players.
As well, each type of game has a recommended minimum attendance fee. The purpose of this is simple: WPI Games are expected to be of a high quality, with moderate production value. A recommended minimum site fee ensures that the games are of a high enough quality for players to be willing to pay the ticket cost, but every group and game is different.
Remember, WPI is here to support your Chapter running great games without getting in the way.
- If a player is unable to afford the minimum site fee, Chapter Owners can track their attendance and note the inability to pay the site fee. Our minimum site fee is not intended to force Chapter Owners to turn away players from game who are unable to pay.
- If your Chapter has alternate needs which do not work with a traditional game site fee model (a special arrangement with a location based on food or beverage purchases; a donation based model to cover costs without mandatory game fees), WPI is ready to work with your needs. As part of your onboarding process, WPI’s Club Manager will help your Chapter Owner work out a model which both covers costs and meets your group’s needs.
Chapter Interest LARPs
These are LARPs without creative involvement or chronicle management at the club level, supported only at the local chapter level. While WPI Chapters will get more mileage out of running Club Supported or Directed LARPs, they are welcome to run any LARP that suits their interests (even off-the-wall homebrew games of their own making!), as long as they individually handle any licensing needs for their games, and players are interested enough to keep the games viable.
WPI Chapters who wish to network their interest LARPs together can work among themselves to do so, and we will attempt to provide resources to facilitate that networking. If there is enough interest among numerous WPI chapters, an Interest LARP may become a Club Supported or Club Directed LARP at a later time. Note that WPI is a Parlor LARP focused club, and while some serial Nordic LARPs could work as an interest LARP, Chapters will not be supporting physical combat LARPs.
Example LARPs that could be run as Chapter Interest LARPs: 7th Sea; Dresden Files; Houses of the Blooded; that wacky homebrew game about Space Fighting Unicorns in Alpha Centauri you’ve been writing up.
Note: Chapter Owners are entirely responsible for handling any needed intellectual property licensing or requirements for running their Chapter Interest games.
Recommended Attendance Fee: $5
WPI Event Membership Fee: The greater of 1) $0.50 per attending member and 2) 10% of game member attendance fees.
Club Supported LARPs
These are LARP games which are supported club-wide by WPI, but for which WPI does not handle creative direction for the chronicle. These games will either be supported only as a Managed Chronicle, or may be part of a larger chronicle not directly managed by WPI. These games may have licensing or participation fees beyond normal WPI fees.
Vampire the Masquerade will be run as a Club Supported Managed Chronicle, run by a Chronicle Manager. The WPI VtM Chronicle will manage continuity, networking, and shared mechanics among chapters, but will not at this time involve any club level metaplot. There is not an additional licensing fee expected for this chronicle.
Recommended Attendance Fee: $5
WPI Event Membership Fee: The greater of 1) $0.50 per attending member and 2) 10% of game member attendance fees. Note that some Club Supported LARPs may have additional fees for licensing requirements.
Club Directed LARPs
These are LARP games for which WPI fully handles creative direction. The WPI Board of Directors will hire a Creative Director for each Club Directed game’s chronicle, who will handle the chronicle structure and continuity. WPI will interface with any applicable third parties and handle any needed licensing for these games.
Coming soon! Look for news about our upcoming Club Directed chronicle games being created, including Huldufólk: The Hidden People.
Recommended Attendance Fee: $10
WPI Event Membership Fee: The greater of 1) $1.00 per attending member and 2) 10% of game member attendance fees.
WPI Chapters are welcome to run any mix of these LARP types their players would like to play. One Chapter may run Huldufolk, Changeling, and Vampire. Another Chapter might run Werewolf, Huldufolk, and a homebrew LARP version of Dogs in the Vineyard. What binds us together is not the games themselves, or who created them, but our community that wants to play and promote Parlor LARP together.
