Practical information
Stockholm By Night is a Vampire the Masquerade-inspired LARP campaign that began in 2003. It's set in the modern nights, where the kindreds of the Camarilla face off against foes and woes, both internally and externally. We LARP every other Saturday, with a break for both Christmas and Summer, and the LARP dates are communicated before the term starts.
To LARP with us, you need to be a member of the organization "Stockholm by Night" or pay a fee of 50 SEK for each LARP that you attend.
However, if it is your first time joining us, you are allowed to attend on two occasions for free, to get a feel for whether or not you want to partake further and subsequently become a member. The membership fee is decided at the annual meeting ( which the Board organizes ). If the cost for a full year would be too steep, you can always opt into disbursing every half year instead.
The events are currently held on the premises of Studiefrämjandet in Högdalen at Högdalsplan 12.
Book a Gamemaster
The premises are open from 15/3 pm and up until the introductory round the Gamemasters are available for going through actions, questions, or general assistance in increments of 20 minutes. You need to book a Gamemaster for these types of things. To book a gamemaster, follow the link bellow.
We use a google document for bookings and this document is cleared and updated before every LARP. You book the Gamemaster of your choice by filling in your name on the desired time slot. Do not remove anything on or alter the schedule, if a particular slot is taken, it is taken.
The LARP itself
The LARP tends to start somewhere between 30 minutes to an hour after the introductions are done, and we typically frolic to about 23/11 pm. We then clean and tidy up the spaces we've utilized, as a collective, for speed and efficiency. When all that is done, we are finished for the night! However, sometimes people transition to a bar for a beer or two, to shoot the proverbial shit and to ease out of their characters.
Larping in Stockholm by Night
Stockholm by Night, or SbN, is a vampire LARP based on a revised edition of the roleplaying game Vampire: The Masquerade (if we were going for an edition, we would most likely be closest to the third edition), but with a focus on the word based on. There are a slew of house rules and should there at any time be a discrepancy between what a gamemaster has said and what is said in the rulebooks, the GM's word is final.
As stated earlier we have an age restriction and the reason for this is because of the dark and at times unsettling themes such as drugs, violence, oppression, sexual violence, sexism, racism, and many others. It might not be commonplace at every LARP, but these things do exist - you must be aware of and accept this setting and its themes for you to LARP with us. Naturally, there are precautions in the form of safewords and gestures to ensure our safety and comfort.
To the greatest extent possible, we avoid "dotplay" and refrain from challenges (rock-paper-scissor) in the open. We have a play to lose/lift attitude, which means that we try to accept what transpires and let the game continue. This does not mean that you are expected to be bested in every arm wrestling contest by characters much less proficient in it, but rather have disciplines and other mechanics go through rather than contesting it. Challenges do occur and should you want to contest anything, try to do it away from the game floor.
Social and political plots are the mainstay of the LARP, with intrigue and a stringent status based hierarchy, this does not mean that there are no plots that circulate around physical or mental prowess.
We have a very strict set of guidelines when it comes to creating a character and the subsequent progress of said character as the games go along. The characters are all created on the same premise and sixty years as a supernatural (ghoul or kindred) is the oldest your character can be, unless there are appropriate circumstances.
Tips for a good LARP experience
- The people portraying the characters and the group are what matters, not the character or to win the LARP. Keep this in mind as we are all here to have fun.
- Play to lose. If you end up in a tough spot with your character, play it out rather than to just resolve it with a couple of tests and lift the other players in that scene. If we all play to each other's benefits, we all reap the rewards.
- The GMs words are final. Regardless of what the rulebook says, the Gamemasters word is final. One of the GMs goals is to create a unique, dynamic and unpredictable world. To have everything play out according to rules will take the element of surprise and wonder away sooner rather than later. If a GM has said "No." It is prohibited to seek other GMs approval. It didn't work with Mom and Dad, and it's not supposed to work here either.
- Communicate. Are you planning to do something terrible to another character? Are you uncomfortable in a certain situation? Do you struggle with getting into the group? Are you uncertain? Communicate this to the people in your surroundings, the GMs or the board.
- Think about the consequences For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Or so Newton's third law would have you believe. For every action, there are going to be consequences, some of it might be Non-player-character-driven but most will be player-driven. Take that into consideration when you're about to knife the Gangrel Primogen in the face and make an assessment. "Do I want to do this? Will this be fun for everyone involved? Are there any risks to my character or someone else's character?"
- How you portray your character gives other players an inkling to what kind of play you want. If you provoke or attack other characters, know well that they might well retaliate. Some might retaliate harder than others and If you can't handle a reaction, don't give what you cannot receive.
- Be as active as you can. Depending on your activity on the LARP floor and in actions, you might be given more or less from the GMs and from those around you.
- The floor is where the LARP happens. Try your very best to settle big scores, feuds and the forging of impossible alliances on the game floor and not via Facebook messages or actions. It matters less that what transpired in a Facebook chat between five people generate some play as it will be reactions to the actions of those five people. Imagine having spent actions and LARPS in hopes of successfully gaining some insight into the rather secretive dealings of a group of people, only to have it all unraveled because of a handful of Facebook messages.
- Include others. This ties into the previous post a little, try to include people in your playing and your scenes. The more people involved the bigger it gets and the faster it might get out of hand. (Or into your hand...)
- Try to go beyond your comfort zones. Is there a big scary conflict going on over there? Gangrel and Brujah are spitting paper balls at each other? Join a side! Or observe, noisily how the plebians make a ruckus.
- Step out of your character. It's equally important to distance yourself from your character as it is to immerse yourself in it. Were there any especially tough scenes? Talk to the players involved. Was there a very fun and interesting scene? Talk to the others! Did a plot go straight into the dumps? Or was it a resounding victory? Converse about it. Give each other credit for their achievements and pat yourself on the back. We've LARP'd! Good job! Are you feeling blue after a LARP? Talk to others, what's the worst that could happen? Bleed is something that many players experience and it's perfectly normal and it's nothing to be ashamed of. (Bleed is when emotions, both positive and negative, bleed over from the character into the player. Happens to us all!)
- Take responsibility. Did you book a timeslot with a GM? Show up, if you can't let them know. Participate in the introductory meeting. Don't interrupt those speaking at said meeting, do you have something to interject or a question? Raise your hand. Aid in the cleaning up process after the LARP. Is someone struggling with moving a table? Help them.
- Do you feel something is missing or do you have any questions? Ask the GMs or the Board. But be mindful that they are human beings as well. They might not be able to give you an answer right away, and sometimes they will have to ask you to wait until their next meeting. Neither group receives pay for the work they put in. Both of these groups usually have meetings once a week and there are many things to keep in mind.