JOHN HARDING
Actor & Larper; Plymouth, UK
Live Action Role Play
This may be similar to your own story or this may be a unique one. Everyone love a back story so why not give you one of mine...
Where did I start?
I’ve been larping since I was about 17, before that I casually played table top games such as Dungeons & Dragons, GURPS (Superheroes) and Hunter the Reckoning.
It started off with my friend Chris when in a nightclub, I was working. He found out I did table top and asked if I wanted to do a ‘Live Action’ version. I was confused at first but he briefly explained it. I joined a local Plymouth group and began with a 'pit fighter'. New to the game, might as well be someone’s pit dog and learn. I had no kit, borrowed bits and pieces from every other player and I began my journey.
The group I was with were mainly Lorian’s Trust players and at the time it was the only BIG larp festival game that I knew about. This was back in 2002 and before we had the luxury of social media, everything was word of mouth. Every time a LT event was on, it was rely your mates to get the paperwork. To this day I’ve not been to a LT event and at this current pace I don’t see myself going there anytime soon (Sorry guys). During this time I also attended two larp versions of Vampire the Masquerade game and funny enough both games were played out in church halls.
Eventually over the years, players thinned out and change of owners before all the games I attended were disbanded all together.
After a long sabbatical where my old armour got put in the attic, weapons gathering dust and thought my larping days were way behind me… I was wrong.
Now thanks to social media, I was invited to a group, funny enough by my old friend Chris. Fools and Heroes (F&H) Plymouth. The odd thing is that F&H were playing in the same areas as the old system I was with for years and we’ve never encountered each other, not even once.
Out of the old gang, I was the first to attend a session, after a couple of games I reported back and now a hand full of the old crew I enjoy playing with are part of F&H Plymouth.
How did I get into Curious Pastimes?
Gibbin Family; these guys that I met in the wrestling world, ever since they knew I larped, have been nagging (they say encouraging) me to join them from years. As my wrestling career was a priority and my main source of income at the time, I couldn’t spare weekends like I wanted to. Eventually an opportunity came up in July 2019 and I went to E3 Forge of Norsca and then a Faction event in Oct 2019. Needless to say I’ve been hooked on the game since and developed some serious character froth/plot for myself. I won’t spoil what I'm trying to achieve but just know I’m working to finding the balance to Necromancy, that’s all I’m saying.
So what other systems you plan on attending in the future?
After monstering for Chaosgate in Cornwall, I attend to go back and play at some point. I've been aware and nagged (again they say encouraged) to attend different games. So many have caught my interest but because this isn't my job so I can't attend them all. Goals I am working towards.
I already have F&H and Curious Pastimes to play through so this will take up sometime. If the link works (apart from the Larpbook pic), the link on this page will direct you to my current characters. Use the ideas as inspirations for your future characters or NPCs in your campaigns and stories. A warning though, I'm not giving away to much of my current characters as I don't want anyone accidently metagaming when it comes to playing in the system I'm a part of.