Slice of Life

This site is best viewed in a modern browser with JavaScript enabled.

EricfromNJ

OK, I need to write some slice of life gaming scenarios for a LARP. I am having trouble with this because I have written so many that I am running out of ideas. I am posting here to ask for help with inspiration.

Slice of life stories are simple things that don't involve a lot of cast. Something as simple as a mother begging her son not to go off and be a soldier (and the PCs interact with the son telling him war stories he wants to hear or talking with his mother and trying to convince him to chose a different life) would be one example of such a story. A person trying to hire PCs to cast divination spells to find out if someone is still alive would be another example.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

fray

Is this a modern setting or fantasy?
How about some character/NPC needing to repair something for the PCs but is in the employ of Bad Guy and rigs the repair to fail at a certain time. Like the brakes in a car.

EricfromNJ

fray because fake repairs are hard to implement in the LARP it would be tough to do however you made me realize that NPCs never come in and need armor repaired by the adventurers (great way to earn coin). Thank you for that.

Kairaku

Going to town to buy supplies. The focal character arrives in town to find hoodlums/toughs/gangers causing problems at the store.
You arrive at school to find it has been closed by the armed offenders squad. No one is saying why.
You step out of the door to your apartment building and no one is around. You walk down the store. No one. No people, no animals, nothing.
A person is running through the crowd. They bump into the character and then Kareen around a corner. Another person/people chase in pursuit.

EricfromNJ

Kairaku I am actually stealing some of this for a future LARP game because I have a town idea and I love the school idea.

EricfromNJ

(Takes notes) while some of these logistically may not work they give me other ideas which helps a lot. Thank you.

It is Fantasy. About 50 or so people. Human centric (PCs are all human. Dwarves have died off. Elves are left alone on a chain of islands. )

Sockjack

small hooded entity giving fortunes, of the PC walks past without playing along with the weird hooded figure they get "cursed" auto fail next event roll.
two people arguing over the most palatable part of troll(or preferred monstrous meal). If the player gets involved and convinces them, the NPCs should draft a recipe for that component for future events.
three village idiots arguing over jurisdiction at the settlement. So their having an idiot off, think calvinball but more yelling.
randomly guards will approach PCs noting obscure HOA fines in the village. PCs need to outwit or parley to avoid escalating and increasing inane fines.

EricfromNJ

Sockjack why I have never thought of doing an idiot off makes me ashamed. I love it,

Kimi

A trial of some minor crime.
A religious holiday or celebration of a local historic event.
A child is lost
Two families who dislike each other find out their children are in love
A snake oil salesman has left town and people have potions that all do the wrong thing.
the village is hiring someone for an important position and need help deciding

EricfromNJ

Kimi we just added a mechanic for children (or LARP is 18 and over due to insurance costs) and I will admit I never thought of simply having a missing child. After last year having a game where kids were murdered in their own bed (written by guys who are doing a 1930's horror larp next year), I can just make a child lost in the woods with barely anything threatening him or her and the PCs will completely freak out...

EricfromNJ

I couldn't use all the suggestions (some just don't fit), but that's more because it's an established town and some things just don't fit. However, a lot of this became inspiration that fed the muse, and I am extremely grateful. I credited each of you as a co-author of at least one story it seems, which will be funny when the GMs of the LARP go "What the heck is a Sockjack?" for example.

Seriously, thank you, and if you think of anything else please feel free to share.

Kairaku

What is freely offered can't be stolen

Kairaku

If you want to do a totalitarian state in small town kinda thing I would suggest you could read/watch Sleeping Dogs. It would give you plenty of grist.

Kimi

Some other ideas from old gigs we do at faire:

Food tasting contest: Pies, beer, cakes, whatever
a wedding celebration is happening
an election of an important official. People give speeches and vote
an important, high ranking visitor is coming to town
a new resource has been discovered and the town is trying to figure out how to use it/profit from it

EricfromNJ

All great ideas. Due to the fact that the town isn't something I made up (it is an established town the GMs for the game are using) I can't use everything. However, there is a lot of wonderful inspiration here.

I am going to post one of the stories I submitted just to show you how much you guys have helped. It is a simple story but keep in mind at a LARP this could eat up a half hour to an hour worth of time for people who want to find the kid.

TYPE:S
TITLE:Lost Child
AUTHOR:Eric Pierson and Kimi
ARC:none
SERIES:none
CAST:Linda, Panicked Mother
CAST:Eddie, Lost Child
CASTesert Kobolds (2), Optional to add some action
PROP:dk swords
MAKEUP:none
COSTUME:peasant clothing x2
COSTUME:purple armband for Eddie
LAND:none

Eddie is 8 years old. He wandered away from his homestead. His
mother is panicked. Eddie is lost in the woods. Optionally (but not
needed) there are two desert kobolds eyeing up Eddie for dinner.
That's pretty much the story but let me elaborate.

Set up: Eddie and the DKs, go up the hill somewhere. Wherever the GMs
want you. The DKs should hang out away from Eddie like they are
stalking him without getting too close. IF the adventurers find
Eddie I want it to not be immanent danger just the knowledge that the
DKs could have taken him away at some point. Alternately, there can
be no desert kobolds. I am sure the adventurers will think of all the
terrible things that could happen to a kid after the Kendall Mindfuck
known as Game 6, 2018.

Anyway, once Eddie is in position (and he should be sitting in a field
playing or just cloud gazing or something, maybe in the woods
climbing a tree), Linda comes into town obviously distraught. Her
son wandered off and she is scared something is going to eat the
child. The child is 8. She's a terrible mother. Make the
adventurers calm you down. Mention he could be anywhere up the hill
by now.

Basically, the adventurers go and find Eddie and bring him back to his
mother. If the GMs use DKs, then they should stalk the adventurers
too (you're probably outnumbered and outmatched. Try hit and run
tactics.). If there are no DKs, then they just bring Eddie back.

Happy reunion. Mother scolds Eddie and says she loves him all at
once. THE END

Kairaku

Have you done a Spring Heeled Jack pastiche? That could work well as a LARP

EricfromNJ

Kairaku what is that????

MasterVidar

Wasn't "Slice of Life" the name of Dexter's boat?

EricfromNJ

MasterVidar I always think of the Bauhaus song.

Kairaku

Monsters such as goblins, bugbears, spriggens etc. are just our way of categorising a type of creature. Historically speaking they were individual entities without common origin. In general, a village would not be plagued by a race of goblins. Instead they would fear an individual entity; "be careful if you go out at night or Tumpin Ted might getcha."

Personalising a cause of misfortune will make for a more immersive experience than just having a group of monsters and should allow you to tell a better LARP while at the same time redcuing the requirement for the number of NPCs.

Spring Heeled Jack is a documented, historical figure that would suit the purpose admirably. He was an assailant who terrorised Victorian London prior to Jack the Ripper. Like Jack the Ripper he was never apprehended. Also early Jack the Ripper murders were attributed to him.

Here's a pretty good link about him.