Game mechanics
We will use several small but important game mechanics which can be used by all characters.
Combat mechanics
Coordinate physical confrontation beforehand whenever possible. If things escalate because of any reason and you are unable to coordinate this; announce your action and perform this in slow motion.
Killing characters
Characters cannot be killed by other characters. They can be abused, beat-up etc. and they do feel pain, but in this fantasy world death was and is non-existent unless you are ‘forgotten’. A player may choose to be forgotten by their creator because of his mental decline, but this will mean the end of the larp for that player. There are no replacement characters available. If you wish this dramatic ending for your character, we advise you to do this by the end of the larp, to minimize the loss of play time.
Also, when something is forgotten in this larp, it looses its color. You can change costumes and use make-up to portray this should you wish this end for your character. But please, wait with this until the last (and 3rd) part of the larp.
Mechanics for intimate scenes
If you wish to participate in this larp you should be comfortable with physical touch like hugs.
Kisses are advised to portray with stage kissing or hand kissing.
Sex scenes will be played out on a ‘fade to black’ principle.
We will go through these during the workshops.
Safety mechanics
We work with several safety mechanics like how to leave a scene which triggers the player (not the character) or checking in with your fellow player if they are ok. These will be explained during the workshops. We work on an opt-out base, which means that it is up to the player if they want out of a scene. Heavy scenes and topics are strongly advised to coordinate beforehand (before the larp or between acts), but if the game evolves to a confrontation, it is up to a player to step out and not the instigator to ask for permission. Taking this into account the instigator must abide by the announcement and slow motion as described above.
Healing mechanics
Should your character suffer from injuries, do not worry. Your character will feel pain and the agonizing scar of defeat. However, you will heal within 15-30 min from your wounds. You are immortal and ‘forever after’ is a thing. Death does not exist nor has your character ever feared it before this game. Even if you have died in a story, it is for the drama, never for real. The concept of death is strange and grief is something the characters only experienced in stories, never for real… until now.
Fairy Tale weaving mechanic
Frederik Crow was a brilliant writer. Not only did he break with stereotypical roles in new fairy tales, he did so as well with retelling known fairy tales. He retold them from different character perspectives giving new insights in century old tales. It is impossible to write these all down, but it is possible for players to use this as a mechanic. Whenever a character starts with “Once upon a time…” He will weave a story of Crow into the game. This can be anything. It can be the player of the wolf telling he never intended to eat the grandmother in Little Red Riding Hood or the witch telling her the oven in Hansel and Gretel was really the bad guy demanding her to feed the children to the demon oven. As long as it is used to give perspective to the character and not used to make the character stronger, win or as an excuse to get out of sticky situations during the game, anything goes. The one initiating a “Once upon a time mechanic” must also always leave open a way for other players to add to the story.
For example, the Princess and the Prince are having a conversation about him saving her:
Prince : “Do you remember that once upon a time I saved you from the bear that was almost trying to eat you?
Princess: “Yes, but I was hunting the bear because he ate my fairy godmother. I was carrying my fathers sword."
etc.