Freeform larps are interactive roleplaying games involving anywhere from six to as many as eighty players, all with detailed character backgrounds.

Writing Freeform Larps is a 154-page book outlining a structured process for writing freeform larps, covering the initial concept through to running the game. Topics covered include writing plots and characters, character sheets, and rules and mechanics.

Get Writing Freeform Larps as:

• A book from Lulu 

• A pdf  and epub from DriveThruRPG or Itch.io

Reviews

"I recently finished my first ever LARP. I read your book while I was working on it and it was massively helpful. We did a playtest a few weeks ago and it went really well. I'm not sure I would have had the courage to write it without something like that to help guide me so thanks for putting so much effort into writing such a quality resource." Ezzy Pearson, author of Stellar Standoff

Contents

1 Introduction: A short explanation of freeform larps and why I wrote the book.

2 The process: The ten-step process I use to write my freeform larps.

3 Character sheets: A detailed look at freeform character sheets.

4 Structure and events: How I structure my freeforms, from game start through to wrap.

5 Plots: My four-step process for planning and writing plots.

6 Characters: What makes a good freeform character?

7 Rules and mechanics: A discussion of freeform larp mechanics, including combat, romance, contingencies, crime and punishment, abilities—and more.

8 Running freeform larps: My approach to running a freeform larp.

Appendix A: Freeforms: Details of the freeforms mentioned in the text, along with links.

Appendix B: Abilities: Example abilities from several freeforms.

Appendix C: Other freeform styles: A discussion of other freeform styles, including horde games, workshop games and faction games.

Appendix D: Where to find more: Links to other resources.

The freeform writing process

This is a brief summary of my writing process (discussed in more detail in chapter 2):

1. Concept and constraints: Ideas and setting boundaries.

2. Themes: What is the game about?

3. Character types: In broad-brush terms, who are the characters?

4. Outline characters: Characters in more detail – their public and private faces.

5. Character sheet layout: What the character sheet will look like.

6. Structure: Determining the freeform’s structure.

7. Plots: Writing plots – the heart of the process.

8. Rules and mechanics: Deciding on rules and mechanics.

9. Background: Writing the game background.

10. Finishing off: Getting it finished and ready to run.

(In reality, I hop between sections as the muse takes me. But the overall flow follows this process.)

Links in the book

These are the links in the book:

Chapter 1

• Lizzie Stark’s discussion on the meaning of “freeform”: https://leavingmundania.com/2014/12/31/freeform-for-noobs/

Chapter 2

• Freeform Games’ standard rules: https://www.freeformgames.com/standard_rules.php

Chapter 3

• Google fonts: https://fonts.google.com/

Chapter 7

• Freeform Games’ standard rules: https://www.freeformgames.com/standard_rules.php

• My romance rules – originally on my blog: https://fourlettersatrandom.blogspot.com/2016/03/all-purposeromance-rules-for-freeform.html

Appendix A

• Death in Venice: https://www.freeformgames.com/games/death-invenice.php

• Death on the Gambia: https://www.freeformgames.com/games/death-on-thegambia.php 

• Hollywood Lies: https://www.freeformgames.com/games/hollywood-lies.php

• Midsummer Mischief: https://www.stevehatherley.uk/freeforms

• Murder at Sea: https://www.freeformgames.com/games/murder-at-sea.php 

• Reunion with Death: https://www.freeformgames.com/games/reunion-with-death.php

Appendix B

• Ability Strips: https://stevehatherley.itch.io/ability-strips-for-freeform-larps

Appendix C

• Time Travel Review Board: https://www.larplibrary.org/brands/allegedentertainment/projects/5-time-travel-review-board 

• Venice: https://www.stevehatherley.uk/freeforms 

• St Cakes: https://www.murdermysterygames.net/product/st-cakes

• Mars Attracts: https://www.stevehatherley.uk/freeforms

• Second Watch: http://peakygames.wikidot.com/second-watch 

Appendix D

• UK Freeforms Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ukfreeforms  

• UK Freeforms mailing list: https://groups.io/g/UKFreeforms  

• UK Freeforms wiki: http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/

• Peaky Games: http://ukfreeforms.wikidot.com/peaky  

• Peaky mailing list: https://groups.io/g/peakygames  

• Intercon: https://interconlarp.org/  

• New England Interactive Literature: https://www.interactiveliterature.org/NEIL/  

• Larp Library: https://www.larplibrary.org/  

• Alexandria: https://alexandria.dk/en/  

• Great Murder Mystery Games: https://www.great-murdermystery-games.com/ 

• Four Letters at Random (my blog): https://fourlettersatrandom.blogspot.com/

• Freeform Games: https://www.freeformgames.com/

• LARP Theory and Practice: http://www.vortexofchaos.net/larpTheoryAndPractice.html