Contributor: Zoe
Submission: The art of beneficial traits and character development
Just some very pretentious rambling about LARP theory and anthropological theory.
For those of you who have taken courses in anthropology or economic theory, you are probably familiar with Marcel Mauss’s theory of the gift and reciprocity. For those of you who are not, I will briefly summarize one of the key points: gift-giving creates social bonds between members of a group. Reciprocity, the impulse and obligation to return an equal-and-opposite (and-even-slightly-greater) gift in return, is one of the most fundamental of these bonds. Therefore, when an individual refuses a gift or refuses to return a gift, then they are not behaving neutrally, but instead making a very strong statement. To refuse an individual’s gift, for instance, can be to refuse a relationship with that person. The Gift, by Marcel Mauss, is a relatively slim novel, and worth picking up, if this interests you.
Onto LARP and gift theory...
There is a very peculiar LARP rule, in Accelerant at least, of “refusing a beneficial.” A player can refuse healing, life spells, or curative behaviors (I am not positive if this holds true for all games, mind you). In my early LARP experiences, I had always wondered at this-- what was the purpose? I had my first answer when I saw a character refuse a lifespell-- the character did not believe in the “unclean taint” of life-spells, and wanted to follow a “natural path.” The beneficial rule allowed him to refuse the lifespell-- it was a far subtler way to communicate that character’s build than if he had constantly reminded people of his IG faith.
Another instance, from MIrror, Mirror, similarly clarified the beneficial rule for me. In Mirror, Mirror, characters, PC and NPC, host a smattering of traits including both Dark and Heroic Virtues. Heroic Virtues include things like valor, honor, trust, and insight. Dark Virtues include things like Apathy, Rage, Gluttony, and Greed. These traits are attached to either once/event attacks “With Valor, Triple 5 Damage” or to “refusable” beneficials like healing. Accordingly, a variety of healers can grant “Heal 2 by Darkness/Blood/Apathy.” (Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong/over-simplifying.) On the superficial level, these traits allow healers to add an individual flavor to their abilities (hence, flavor traits-- an interesting conversation in and of itself). On a more nuanced level, it allows for an interaction between Dark and Heroic characters-- particularly virtuous characters, for instance, can either refuse or react poorly to dark healing: a paladin of the light, for instance, might take the 2 points of healing with a voluntary Agony by Dark Quality. Reacting to a beneficial, a “gift” from another player, allows characters to establish themselves within a game universe in a very sophisticated way.
To return to Mauss...
Refusing a beneficial allows players to communicate a very strong message, about their character, in game. By refusing a healing spell or curative activity, people can mark themselves as ascribing to particular beliefs that would be hard to express IG: this could be a character opposed to life spells, certain magics, or the ingestion of certain herbs. Additionally, a character who refuses a particular trait, such as Darkness or Light, can mark themselves as adhering to a particularly virtuous or unvirtuous path.
Maybe I’ll teach my undergraduate seminar on anthropological theory and LARP theory.
Submission: The art of beneficial traits and character development
Just some very pretentious rambling about LARP theory and anthropological theory.
For those of you who have taken courses in anthropology or economic theory, you are probably familiar with Marcel Mauss’s theory of the gift and reciprocity. For those of you who are not, I will briefly summarize one of the key points: gift-giving creates social bonds between members of a group. Reciprocity, the impulse and obligation to return an equal-and-opposite (and-even-slightly-greater) gift in return, is one of the most fundamental of these bonds. Therefore, when an individual refuses a gift or refuses to return a gift, then they are not behaving neutrally, but instead making a very strong statement. To refuse an individual’s gift, for instance, can be to refuse a relationship with that person. The Gift, by Marcel Mauss, is a relatively slim novel, and worth picking up, if this interests you.
Onto LARP and gift theory...
There is a very peculiar LARP rule, in Accelerant at least, of “refusing a beneficial.” A player can refuse healing, life spells, or curative behaviors (I am not positive if this holds true for all games, mind you). In my early LARP experiences, I had always wondered at this-- what was the purpose? I had my first answer when I saw a character refuse a lifespell-- the character did not believe in the “unclean taint” of life-spells, and wanted to follow a “natural path.” The beneficial rule allowed him to refuse the lifespell-- it was a far subtler way to communicate that character’s build than if he had constantly reminded people of his IG faith.
Another instance, from MIrror, Mirror, similarly clarified the beneficial rule for me. In Mirror, Mirror, characters, PC and NPC, host a smattering of traits including both Dark and Heroic Virtues. Heroic Virtues include things like valor, honor, trust, and insight. Dark Virtues include things like Apathy, Rage, Gluttony, and Greed. These traits are attached to either once/event attacks “With Valor, Triple 5 Damage” or to “refusable” beneficials like healing. Accordingly, a variety of healers can grant “Heal 2 by Darkness/Blood/Apathy.” (Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong/over-simplifying.) On the superficial level, these traits allow healers to add an individual flavor to their abilities (hence, flavor traits-- an interesting conversation in and of itself). On a more nuanced level, it allows for an interaction between Dark and Heroic characters-- particularly virtuous characters, for instance, can either refuse or react poorly to dark healing: a paladin of the light, for instance, might take the 2 points of healing with a voluntary Agony by Dark Quality. Reacting to a beneficial, a “gift” from another player, allows characters to establish themselves within a game universe in a very sophisticated way.
To return to Mauss...
Refusing a beneficial allows players to communicate a very strong message, about their character, in game. By refusing a healing spell or curative activity, people can mark themselves as ascribing to particular beliefs that would be hard to express IG: this could be a character opposed to life spells, certain magics, or the ingestion of certain herbs. Additionally, a character who refuses a particular trait, such as Darkness or Light, can mark themselves as adhering to a particularly virtuous or unvirtuous path.
Maybe I’ll teach my undergraduate seminar on anthropological theory and LARP theory.
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