Salon du Larp House: The Pitbull

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Join us on April 28, 2024

On the 13th and highest floor of the tallest building in the city a crew of dastardly individuals bask in their own glory. They drink, they laugh, they banter. Each one knows that they are the greatest to ever live. The people of this town are but mere pawns in their dastardly schemes, and as they’d be happy to tell you in monologue fashion, it would be impossible for something to ever change that. Bwahahahaha!

However, today is not a normal day for our group of despicable villains, for The Pitbull has come to town and they seem distressingly capable of the impossible…

What

The Pitbull is a larp about being a ridiculous Supervillain. Throughout the game, you will create an over-the-top character, gloat about how great you are, and come up with a cunning plan that cannot fail, only to watch it fail. Come play for the campy hijinks, stay for the schadenfreude!

Beginners Welcome! We wrote this game with new larpers in mind. If you can come up with a really dumb plan, let loose a cackle, or say “impossible” in three different intonations, you can play this larp!

Designed by Tom Fendt and Ben Francis

Organized by Ben Francis and Tom Fendt
Admin Support by Jon Cole, Olivia Montoya, Katherine Shane

This event is a playtest. The Pitbull isn’t totally finished, though it will be a complete play experience. We have playtested it before, but there might be some parts that still need more polish. If this game sounds interesting to you even though it is not in its final form, we will be very glad to have you join us!

When

Sunday April 28, 2024, from 12 pm to 5 pm

Colorful comic book covers spread overlap one another with bold titles like "In the Clutches of Mephisto" and "Casualty of War!"

Where

Private residence near Arlington Hills Library in St. Paul (address given after sign up)

Metro Transit routes 64 and 71 stop nearby. Street parking available.

Tickets

Get a ticket by filling out The Pitbull registration form. Once you have filled out our form you don’t need to do anything else besides show up to play!

On the day of the event we request a pay-what-you-want goodwill cash donation ($5–$20 suggested) to support low-cost immersive scenarios in Minnesota. No one will be turned away if they do not make a donation.

A masked villain stands facing away from the viewers, looking back over their shoulder. Flanked by 2 trains, they are holding 2 scifi guns and conceal their identity with a full coverage helmet.

Covid policy

Attendees need to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and boosted to the extent recommended by the CDC for their demographic group. Bring proof of your vaccination status for inspection during check in, which could be your card, a picture of it, or a document on your phone. Our policy means you will need to have had the 2023 covid vaccine at least two weeks before this event or we will turn you away at the door. Please reach out if you have any questions about our policy. N95 respirators or better are required, and we will have a few to share. We will be playing in a large and well-ventilated room and bring our own CR box to run. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, stay home. If you are able to, take a rapid test before arrival.

Other Information

Safety Tools

Check-in, Brake, and Cut, will be reviewed and practiced prior to play.

Following play, we will debrief our experiences and shed the roles we assumed for the game. The debrief is encouraged, but not required.

Accessibility

Our venue is in the attic, you will need to go up stairs in order to play. Our playspace has plenty of seating. Gender-neutral restrooms on site.

Water will be available, and we recommend bringing a water bottle for your ease of access. No food will be provided.

Costuming

No costuming needed.  If you want to wear something that makes you feel like a campy supervillain, go right ahead. Some amount of costume items will be available, but no guarantees it will suit what you’re looking for.

Contact

Contact us with any questions or concerns!

Photo of a plastic action figure. The action figure is lit from the side, almost appearing human at first glance. The action figure is a white man wearing a billowing black leather duster and a domino mask.

Image credits

Cover image from Loading Ready Run (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CApIobs1oss). Inline images are used under Unsplash license and are by Erik Mclean, Emmanuel Denier, Kashish Kumar.

Larp House Presents: A Crow Funeral (PBS edition)

two crows on marble steps

TPT Twin Cities PBS logo

This special run of the game is a exhibition game that will be filmed by Twin Cities PBS as part of a segment they are doing on Larp House. All participants must consent to being filmed and interviewed.

A fellow crow has died and we will gather to mourn their passing, but more importantly to understand why they died. Not in a metaphysical way, but in a practical way – what killed this creature and how can we ensure it won’t kill us as well? We are crows and this is the crow way.

What

A Crow Funeral, a live-action game about arguments, empathy, and corvids for 2 or more players

Designed by Tim Hutchings
Organized by Katherine Shane and Tom Fendt

When

1 October 2019, from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm (including interviews)

Where

A private residence in Richfield, Minnesota. Details will be provided to participants.

Registration

If you are interested in playing, please fill out our A Crow Funeral registration form ASAP.  We’ll let you know if you are in the larp as soon as we can.

We probably only need a few players for this. Continue reading “Larp House Presents: A Crow Funeral (PBS edition)”

Documentation for Boundary Waters

two people in lifevests carrying a long tube

Documentation for Boundary Waters, a live-action game about shared journeys, burdens, and friendship

This run was played outdoors on a lovely day in a city park, with riparian forest and the Mississippi River standing in for the forests and lakes of northern Minnesota.

Designed by Katherine Shane
Organized by Tom Fendt

24 August 2019
St. Paul, Minnesota
Six players + a facilitator

 

Larp House Presents: Boundary Waters

Sunset over a wooded lake with a canoe in the foreground

Why do we do we travel? Why do we go to the world’s wild places? Why do we paddle or hike for days, when we could reach the same destination in a few hours by car? In a world of elevators, why do we climb mountains? Sometimes we go into the wilderness to figure out what matters. We take on burdens to learn how much we can carry, and who will help us bear the load. We go to liminal spaces to find a path forward, or the way home. Sometimes we all need to go to the Boundary Waters.

In Boundary Waters, a group of six strong women facing difficult choices travel through the lakes and portages of the Boundary Water Canoe Area, heading for the Canadian border. As they paddle, they contend with the inner voices of hope and fear, guilt and love. At portages, they carry heavy burdens over difficult terrain, just as they must carry the burdens of their past and future choices over many paths. Sometimes they share each other’s burdens. At night they gather in the dark and liminal space of a campfire under the stars. As they travel, the beauty of wild places will hone who they are and what they value most. When they reach the border, each must make a choice.

What

Boundary Waters, a live-action game for two to six players

As featured at Make a Scene!

Designed by Katherine Shane
Organized by Tom Fendt

When

24 August 2019 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Where

Hidden Falls Regional Park, St Paul (Google Maps)

Metro Transit routes 46 and 134 stop about half a mile away. We’ll solicit carpool needs and offers.

Registration

There is no cost to participate in this larp.

If you are interested in playing, fill out our Boundary Waters Sign-Up Form by Sunday, 18 August 11:59 pm. This larp will run as long as we have a minimum player count by this deadline, so please register by or before August 18th if possible!

Continue reading “Larp House Presents: Boundary Waters”