INFO and FAQ for Winter Haven

•Winter Haven Larp History
•New Player Info
•Combat
•What To Bring
•Cross Chapter Info
•Character Creation and Background Advice
•Event Dates
•Prices

First, some history about the game.
Winter Haven is the first spin off chapter of another LARP called Final Haven (Not so Final, eh? *chuckle*). The designers of the Final Haven LARP rules have been in the LARP gaming industry for over a decade, and it is their second creation. They, and a few others, originally founded another game called C.A.R.P.S. (Central Action Role Playing System) which was also set in Phantera just like Final Haven is, but set in a time prior to the great Cataclysm that tore Phantera apart. For various reasons, after creating Carps they left the project and new leaders took that game over taking it in new directions, and it is still running today though the two games are no longer officially connected (http://www.CarpsGame.com/). back to top

The Final Haven "founders" then returned and picked up from their roots creating Final Haven as a game going back to their original concept system, and keying into the ideal of a system that is quick, easy, and on the lower end of the power spectrum. A game that urges players to look to each other for strength and safety, and where newer players don't feel drastically outmatched compared to longer running characters. They recreated the world of Phantera after a magical apocalypse had destroyed most of the existence, and the world as a whole was not a pleasant place to live. Except for the Final Haven, the last semi-stable and semi-safe place to survive (For more Phantera lore visit: www.FinalHavenLarp.com) Adventurers arrived from different lands, and different worlds, starting to call the 'Haven' home finding unending drama, comedy, and adventure. Six years later Winter Haven was born/discovered.

A magical portal that allows "safer" travel magically from one Haven to the other links the two lands of Winter Haven and Final Haven. Winter Haven is a strange land that was once a thriving civilization set against a major trading port, but now has been decimated. The city now naught but ruins and a few standing structures. The ruins are in places illuminated by mysterious magical devices that seem almost alien to the rest of the surviving structures. The ground is crisscrossed with strange tunnels that appear to have been dug, but not by the hands of any humanoid creature. The great bay that Winter Haven sits next to is always warm even in the dead of winter and is clogged in places with the debris of numerous ships destroyed in the great Cataclysm. Strange beasts, and strange people, not native to these lands roam everywhere making life difficult for the last few surviving inhabitants.

New Player Info:
Welcome to Winter Haven LARP. As a new player you probably have many questions, and we will do our best to answer most of them here. At any point, if you have questions NOT answered here, or would like further clarification, please contact us on the Winter Haven forums, or directly at winterhavenlarp@gmail.com. back to top

Combat:
Winter Haven and Final Haven are both light contact LARPs that pride themselves on trying to be as safe as possible. That means that while we do use padded swords and shields for combat only a light touch or tap is required to score a legal hit, and hard swings are illegal. This can be hard to keep track of when in the heat of battle and your adrenalin gets pumping, you yourself have thick skinned or a high tolerance, but generally keep in mind if someone says 'ow' you are probably swinging too hard. Just stay aware of yourself and be considerate of others around you. Players should also avoid swinging in a way that is likely to hit a person in the face or head (For example: overhead down at a person's shoulders). Any blows to the head, groin, hands below the wrist, and feet below the ankles are illegal and should not be counted.

We also give an option for players that do not want to be hit at all. By wearing a white sash, you become what is commonly referred to as a "non-com" or non-combative player. These players are not to be attacked physically. To harm a non-combative player all you need to do is walk within weapon's reach and announce, I FELL YOU. while pointing your weapon at them. They instantly drop to zero life and start bleeding to death (1 min).
You absolutely may NOT bash opponents with a shield. And, you must possess a discipline that gives you the ability in order to wield a weapon in both hands at once (Also known as "Dual Wielding" or "Florentine").

When coming into the game as a new player you should be aware that the game setting is a hostile environment. Most players will be very open to your character and supportive of him/her, but there are plenty of situations in the game that bad things can and will seek them out to do them harm for little or no directly visible reason, even other players. Not to say every attack will be senseless or without obvious reason. But the game the world of Phantera has all but ended, and survival itself is a core theme of the setting and there are villains out there who do not care who they hurt to get what they want. We want to be sure that players are prepared for the bad as well as good, and can be 'good sports' even in the face of the worst thing(s) that could happen to their characters. First and foremost this is just a game, and everyone is there to enjoy him or herself. Nothing in game is worth a serious argument.

Winter Haven and Final Haven both encourage PVP conflict (Player Vs. Player) environments, and people should be ready if it happens to them. Try to live in the spirit of the game even if something tragic happens to your character. Many players enjoy playing up personal tragedies. There is no shame in losing a character, if you enjoyed playing him it might sting but for every beginning there is an end. Some characters try creating backup character concepts so they always have something to look forward to in case something bad happens.

You are considered to be in character at all times as soon as the game is started and you are checked-in. Out of character narrations may be given when it is necessary by the game staff, however asking questions out of character does not mean you are safe unless a 'game stop' is called beforehand. If you require special considerations to be out of game for some reason (For example: laying down in bed for the night due to illness or injury), please discuss it with the GM staff ahead of time.

Everyone has a different style when playing a character, and coming into the game for the first time it may be difficult to know what you'll like and dislike. Many gamers enjoy the feeling of being a loner out for himself ready to prove his Independence and heroism going against the grain of the established characters (For Example: Wolverine or Drizzt). This can be very fun, but possibly lonely. We encourage careful thought about creating an anti-social character before you actually bring it in. A LARP is a social gathering, and some people can find that what looked good on paper is not so appealing when the other characters are actually rejecting them. Things like playing a distrusted race (For Example: Drow Elves or Monsters), an evil/sinister/dishonest character, or etc. They can be as tough as they are rewarding. Even something so innocuous as being overly careful, or suspicious, can have a segregating effect, and wind you up waiting for others to get you involved. The best advice is to be proactive your first event(s) and get yourself involved in things at your own pace. In general it is often better to be a doer, not a reactor. You might be shy, but the simple act of exploring and asking people their names can be a wealth of role playing experience.

Like "Highlander", the bathroom is holy ground. You may not attack someone who is in the bathroom(s). However, those on their way there or back are free game. On the other hand, you also may not hide in the bathroom to get away from someone.
The cabins at the site represent ruined buildings. Therefore you may not actually 'lock' or 'bar' the doors with a tag unless you take the time to make the building a real structure with resources. You should NEVER actually physically lock or block a door for safety reasons. You may fight in the cabins. You may not fight on steps, stairs or bridges. Be careful when fighting to check out the terrain around you for your safety and that of others.

There is a two hour game break on Saturday afternoon, usually from 4-6. During this time there will be no plots run by the game staff. This does not mean the game stops totally if you feel like role-playing, and yes you can still engage in combat or could die. Most people use this time to take an out of character break. You are encouraged to role-play with the other players, or use this time to nap, have dinner at a restaurant in town, shower, or run to the store. The time is yours to use. back to top

What to bring
You may be asking what you need to bring to the game. We recommend some sleeping stuff. The camp has cots available, but pillows, blankets, and etc are not provided. It is good to bring food to snack on, or for meals if you don't plan to leave at game break. If you bring food items to share, be sure you know what is in it so people with food allergies will be safe. The cabins have electrical outlets available, but space heaters are not allowed in the cabins for fire safety (They also blow the circuit breakers). Candles, torches, and lanterns are allowed so long as they are kept fifty(50) feet from any building. The camp provides firewood free of charge. There are shower facilities available so bring a towel and shampoo if you like.

A costume is highly recommended for new players, and necessary for experienced players. If a new player cannot find something semi-period to wear (For example: a bed sheet toga) we ask to try and wear clothes that don't stand out as blatantly modern. Try to wear a plain t-shirt and sweatpants as opposed to something like a anime print shirt and blue jeans. The GM staff may have some spare costumes available so feel free to ask. Comfortable footwear and especially leather walking boots that protect the ankles and lower legs from brush that will let you spend lots of time on your feet are very useful.

Know your own limits. We do not want to see people hurt themselves at any event by being careless. That includes overexertion. Know when you need to take a break, and don't feel like your obligated to push past your personal limits (Especially in the summer heat.).

Use of the lake is prohibited without the supervision of a licensed lifeguard. back to top

Cross Chapter Info:
For characters that travel between chapters there can be some confusion, and we hope to ease that.
Winter Haven and Final Haven are run concurrently and are cannon with each other. What happens at one chapter does indeed effect characters in the other chapter. This includes things like trade, plots, character advancement, death, and etc.

Your characters typically travel between sites through magical portals. The portals have gate keepers, but unless we on staff are specifically told otherwise in game at an event where players have a chance to react and interface with the gatekeeper/problem the portal allows anyone who wishes passage through it. This is to prevent cheesiness, and so people don't arrive at the game and are met with notice that their character isn't available for that game after a long drive and preparation time because something happened on the forums or over email.

The magical trip through the portal is very taxing on characters. Once they pass through the portal going from one chapter to another going back through to another land before their essence can restabilize is dangerous and can lead to hazardous complications. This prevents characters from making trips back and forth over the course of an event.

Currently here is no limit to the number of resource tags a character can bring with them from one chapter to another, however it is encouraged to only bring what your character could bring through the portal on them with the aid of a conveyance they possess, or what they have stored in character at that site. Characters can bring all their gear from their home chapter to another. However, a player must have the legal tags and a character sheet including written descriptions of all special items, and abilities, not found in the printed rule book to be submitted to the Winter Haven staff at check in. This information is confidential, but we need to have it before it can be used in the game.
No one has yet tried travel to Winter Haven over land or other more traditional means, and no one is sure it is even possible or not yet. In fact, while Winter Haven is assumed to be west of Final Haven the exact distance and relative location is yet unknown.

You gain levels for your character as you would at any event, and may pledge your allegiance points as you would at your normal game to any character or organization they wish in that game.

Allegiance may not be spent on institutions in any other game sites at this time. An RPO or bureaucrat may send Military-points to effect things in other chapters, but those points cannot also be spent again until that entity's next event at the chapter they where they were spent from. back to top

Character Creation, and Background Advice:
Some suggestions to creating an interesting character that works well in Winter Haven.

The greatest advice I can offer on how to write a great background for the LARP is to work with the Game Masters to direct you in ways that will work with the game's plot and not against it. Come to the table with a loose concept, but be willing to make alterations and concessions. In the history of gaming players have always seen great things for their characters and written grand epics telling of how they came to be. In a LARP you have to remember that there are many other players out there who all need the same consideration and to fit into one story. Not everyone should be a dethroned king, or a vagabond prince, and without the Game Master's support for your story ahead of time you will just be another person with a tale to tell that may or may not be true. You may find that your grand sweeping saga that looked so good on paper, doesn't mesh well with the game-world and leaves your character holding the reigns of a story that is just that: fiction. By working with the GMs you allow the world to interact with you on a deeper level. Things from your past can seek you out, you can impact the world in more profound a way, and it allows for greater development for your character.

The least productive thing a player can do when writing a background is create something that doesn't mesh with the world's history, and then spring it in game without corroboration. Another thing you may want to avoid is sounding like your character has been everywhere and done everything. Often giving your character overly grandiose exploits in their past can seem like overcompensation, or someone will ask them to prove their claims. For example, a character claims to be a dragon slayer or a Fae hunter. In Phantera Fae and Dragons are powerful beings with the power to change reality almost at will, characters might have a hard time swallowing a zero level character accomplishing such a feat, and it might come looking for someone making such claims and turn him into a toaster by pointing at him.

Often in LARP being a character from humble origins can make more of an impact than a stereotypical fantasy character, and be easier for Game Masters to incorporate into a preexisting story arc. ; The world has been destroyed and many of the people left alive are the hardy commoners and warriors of the land. A tale of personal hardship and drama can often win the attention/respect of players, and role-playing personal weakness is more uncommon than the macho bravado of the undaunted warrior of unwavering duty. Don't be afraid to fill your character with some soul, and make them more than yourself in a mask. 

If you have an idea that goes beyond the norm, please talk with the GMs. You never know, they may already have something in mind. Like maybe an angle you didn't think of, or information that isn't yet available to the general player base but fits your concept well. In the end, taking the time to talk with the GMs during the character background process will save you both time and heartache. back to top

Prices:
If your a new player to Winter Haven/Final Haven your first event is always FREE.

Winter Haven events cost $25 to attend. This charge covers your activities and use of the Winter Haven campsite. The camp has cabins with sturdy twin sized bunks, and in the warmer months there are circles of large tents with cots. You are welcome to bring your own tents or other erectable shelter so long as you know it is your responsibility, and you leave the site as it was when you got there. It is possible for the players to request additional areas of the camp that the staff has not planned on renting, but these are the player's responsibility and expense (The GM staff have a listing of costs for cabin groups, Tent groups, and separate buildings.).

•Winter Haven is also offering a four event punch card for a discounted price. The cards are $80 and give you four events per card ($5 savings per event), but are not usable for any Final Haven events.

•The Winter Haven staff is also offering $5 incentive coupons for bringing a new player(s) to their first event. Only one coupon can be claimed per event.

•For a limited time, married couples can double up on savings. Married couples can both participate for only $40 (That's a ten dollar savings.)

•Are you broke and still want to play? You could try NPCing. If you NPC an entire event, you get your levels for attending and either that event or the next event is FREE! Spaces are limited, and subject to game master approval. back to top