Life Boat - Mob
LARP for 10 players

This LARP is inspired by a game created by Prázdninová škola Lipnice
Its characters had been created by participants of Youth Exchanged “Knights 2 – Searching for a Grail” which was funded by Erasmus+.

Erasmus+

Time of game: 1.5 hour players prep + 1.5 hour  game + 0.5 h reflection
Time of preparation: 0.5 hour  
No. of players: 10 + at least 2 organizers

Music recommendations

Party 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L37xXA2R21g
Party 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMzlN9-Db1A
Crash sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdwY6akt9Rw

Materials:

  • 3 matches per person
  • nametags
  • costumes (improvised)
  • printed characters
  • speaker and music (party music (1,5 hour) + big crash sound)
  • in-game alcohol (soft drinks like Fanta)
  • chips and some small snacks for “party”
  • Documents – Cancer research (for Elliot) + decyphered Cancer research (for organisers)
    Research: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18REm-xXmhdmqQr35XHTy1x4np0eGdWDXNouYhyLdQKo/edit
    Deciphered: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rrv-W8qx9tCkhW7FFQQYlAjCwe8i-m_B6D990ORia2Y/edit

!!spoilers!!

EXPLANATION

  • Organizers explains participants they are going to go on a journey on a boat. Each one of them will get a character they are  going to play.
  • Organizers will explain game rules
  • Organizers gives players their characters description.

PREPARATION

  • Players are having 30 min to prepare costumes.

BEGINNING OF LARP

  • Caption (NPC) is welcoming everybody on a boat. 
  • Players are having 0.5-1 hour to act their characters.

TWIST

  • Organizers plays a huge crash. Lights goes down. Captain is coming, explaining boat just crashed into an iceberg, and it is sinking. But there is not enough Life Boats for everybody. Only 3 characters can be saved.
  • Each player have 1 minute for speech on who should be saved and why. 
  • Each players gets 3 matches. They are going around the circle, one by one, and giving matches to the ones who should be saved (including themselves). As much matches as they want to.  They have to look into eyes of each character. 
  • In the end, 3 characters with the most matches can be rescued. (If there is a  draw, voting is repeated but only for those who got into the final.)
  • Every survivor have 1 minute for a “thank you” speech. 
  • End of the game (narrated). 

REFLECTION

  • RED stop = if player screams this, game immediately stops
  • No physical violence allowed
  • Players states before what are their physical boundaries (i.e. no touches, no hugs, etc.)
  • Kiss = air kiss on one cheek
  • Sex =  3 times air kiss on both cheeks 

None

Setting of a game

In the mid 80s, a group of strangers, friends and enemies found themselves on the same ship travelling from France to New York.

Characters

Read details only if you selected the character

Generally known: 37, just a regular passenger aboard the boat, no one really knows who you are or what your purpose on the boat is. 

Character:

  • You are secretly an assassin for the mob and complete contracts that have a variety of goals. 
  • You entered this boat without a boat ticket, your “family” has connections that let you in.
  • People on the boat don’t know who you are or why you are here. You must find a way to make your fake life story seem as real as possible, all the while trying to steal a document from a scientist aboard the boat. 

Relationships:

  • Scientist – They are your target. You need to get the documents from them any way possible.
  • Security guard – persuading them may be the thing that tips the scales in your favor. 

Goals:

  • Get the scientist’s research in any way possible.
  • Be as non-suspicious as possible. Try to establish a solid excuse for being on board in case you’re questioned. Shifting the attention to other people always seems to help with keeping a low profile.

Generally known: 32 years old, translator of Ambassador Janali

Character:

  • As you are a translator, you travel a lot, which brings light to your life.
  • You enter the boat for a business trip, to protect and serve as a translator for the Ambassador, Jannali. 
  • You know everything about the Ambassador’s, as he trusts you with his life. 
  • You are very connected with Jannali as you always travel together. 

Relationships

  • You are a part of the Ambassador’s negotiations.
  • You are suspicious of the “Passenger”, as you have seen them entering the boat without showing the ticket and shaking hands with the staff.
  • You see a possible connection between you and the Security guard, mainly because of their trustworthiness.

Goals:

  • To protect Jannali 
  • Find out what’s happening behind the scenes. A plot seems to be unfolding.

Generally known: 45 y. o. very rich, influential, manipulative and arrogant.

Character

  • You were born in a rich family. After the death of your parents you got all inheritance.
  • A few years later, when you were boarding on the ship, you noticed Ed. Yours and their families had been enemies for generations. 
  • You met Morgan on the ship. You understood that Morgan wants to use you because of money, but You decided not to reject her, but to use Morgan for your own purposes.

Relationships

  • Ed is Your biggest enemy. 
  • Morgan is romantically interested in You. 
  • Elliot is a possible ally.  
  • Jannali is a possible ally. 

Goals: to destroy Ed, stay influential.

Generally known: 43 years old, a very talented scientist doing research on cancer. Nobody likes him, because he is very annoying, throwing insulting comments which hurt everybody. Seems like he feels he is better than others.

Character:

  • You’ve been carrying out research on cancer recently and made a phenomenal discovery. 
  • You got on board in order to convince one or both of your possible rich patrons to fund your project/research.
  • You have brought your very valuable research data with you on board. 
  • Secrets: your research is a scam. Your last ditch attempt to gain something from this hellscape called medicine before an early retirement. Protect the documents at all costs, since a trained eye will instantly recognize it for the incoherent mess that it is.  (Ask organizer for a document with your research.)

Relationships

  • You have a financial interest in Ed and Charlie – try to connect with them privately or publicly. 
  • Jannali, the foreign ambassador, could also provide a good opportunity.

Goal:  Make a pitch to your hosts (Ed, Charlie). Might be in your best interest to turn the whole thing into a bidding war between them.

Generally known: 86 years old, an influential politician holding a position of power for the last decades. He has a sphere of influence in many countries, promoting his country’s interests and gaining favour for personal gain.  

Character:

  • You speak a language that no one else of the travellers knows except your translator/bodyguard. That often comes as an advantage as you can speak openly about your peers to a person you trust with your life.
  • Your daughter left the country 18 years ago and had twins. You had never met them. You go on a boat trip with your grandchildren to recreate a family connection since you didn’t have a chance to meet each other before. You are eager to rebuild their family’s bonds but you don’t even speak each other’s languages. You go on a boat trip with your grandchildren to recreate a family connection since you didn’t have a chance to meet each other before. You are eager to rebuild their family’s bonds but you don’t even speak each other’s languages.
  • At the same time you want to create an alliance with one of the other rich and powerful on the boat to find support for negotiations with the local government regarding the status of your country and the borders of its influence.

Relationships: 

  • Jamie and Jessie – your estranged grandchildren, who are accompanying you on your trip. The cultural and generational gap between you is a problem you’ll have to deal with. 
  • Taylor – your translator and bodyguard, you trust him. 
  • Ed – rich, possible ally. 
  • Charlie – rich, possible ally.

Goal

  • Re-build connection with your family. 
  • Get support from rich people on a board. Offer them an option to build their business in your country for it.

Generally known: 60+yo, widowed. Typical sentence: “Everything has a price”

Character:

  • You have built your inheritance from scratch using guile, manipulation and brute business strength.
  • You are uncaring about anyone’s sensitivities, you want your legacy to be one of success and you still feel like you have much left to accomplish.
  • You are always looking for good investments, you are on this trip to consult your business rival Charlie (and maybe steal a few ideas from them) but also get away from the grind of everyday life.

Relationships

  • Charlie, that spoiled trust fund douchebag is also here, make sure you keep an eye on them. 

Goal: whatever Charlie is doing, defeat him in it. 

Generally known: 30 years old, works on a ship

Character: 

  • You are young, introverted and in desperate need of money 
  • You took a job as a security guard on a ship after years of military training. A dishonorable discharge for cowardice in action has left you wanting to prove you are better than what people think of you
  • For a few months now you have been working on a rich vessel with no major events, now they are tasked to look out for a small group of nine characters

Relationships:

  • none

Goal: As an employee of the vessel, you have no pre-established connection with anyone on board, but that can work to your advantage. Keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour and make sure you find out who’s trustworthy. In your experience, nobody hires a security guard like yourself when there’s no need for one.

Generally known: 17 yo, very strong relationships with her twin brother. They are both travelling with their grandparent, Jannali (Ambassador)

Character:

  • Since childhood, you and your twin Jessie were inseparable. This is the first time in life when you had a big fight. The reason behind it is Morgan. You both fell in love with them simultaneously. You are in a deep conflict between loving Jessie as a sibling and Morgan. Who are you going to choose in the end? 
  • Official reason why you have decided to go on a journey with your grandparents is that you want to reconnect and find your roots. Your parents left their country before you had  a chance to meet them – 18 years ago. 
  • The real reason is you want to inherit your family’s money. You are convinced that you and Jessie are going to split money in half. 

Relationships:

  • Jannali – your grand-father. You feel nothing for him but you want his inheritance, so you play it nice. 
  • Jessie – your twin. You love them and you are sorry for the fight. 
  • Morgan – you fell in love with them desperatelly. 

Goals:

  • Get Morgan for yourself. 
  • Persuade Jannali to split heritage between you and Jessie. 

 

Generally known: 17 yo, very strong relationships with her twin sister. They are both travelling with their grand-father, tribal leader.

Character:

  • Since childhood, you and Jamie were inseparable. This is the first time in life when you had a big fight. The reason behind it is Morgan. You both fell in love with them simultaneously. 
  • You felt madly in love with Morgan and even the importance of your relationships with your sibling fades away. Are you going to betray them in the end? 
  • Official reason why you have decided to go on a journey with your grandfather – who is an important ambassador – is that you want to reconnect and find your roots. Your parents left the continent before you had  a chance to meet him – 18 years ago. 
  • The real reason is you want to inherit your family’s money. You would like to keep all the money for yourself. 

Relationships:

  • Jannali – your grand-father. You feel nothing for him but you want his inheritance, so you play it nice. 
  • Jamie – your twin. You love them, but you love Morgan more. 
  • Morgan – you fell in love with them desperately. 

Goals:

  • Persuade Morgan (Sugar Baby) to start a new life with you. 
  • Persuade the Jannali (Ambassador) to give you all of his money

Generally known: 25 y.o., ambitious, materialistic

Character: 

  • You are a spoiled socialite that got invited to the cruise by the twins Jessie and Jammie
  • You’re looking for any means to establish a comfortable lifestyle for yourself and the cruise provides a great opportunity to get close to a lot of old, boring rich folk with connections beyond your wildest dreams. Getting noticed by them is your ticket to the top. 
  • You suspect that the twins have their eyes on you, but you know they offer nothing more than a gateway to more powerful people, although you will not write them off as a last resort.

Relationships:

  • Jamie and Jessie – twins, you know them from before, you suspect they have a crush on you. 
  • Charlie, RICH PERSON – if you would seduce him, you could live life easily and happily. 

Goals

  • Get nice and cosy with the rich and spoiled of the party, uncovering information about them may benefit you. Keep in mind, their affection means your ticket to the top
  • As a gold-digger, you want to get married to someone with the money and power to live happily ever after.

Reflection

  1. “How do you feel?” (give space to express emotions)
  2. “How was it for you to play LARP?” (personal experiences, focus on “I” sentences)
  3. “How did you feel when you were/weren’t selected for a boat?” 
  4. Takeaways – what can you take from this experience for your life?