Plot
The over-all storyline. A story-line used specifically for a given character, group of characters or monsters. The word ‘plot’ is used in a similar way to the term ‘screen-play’ or the term ‘script’ in a television programme. Live Role-play is unscripted, however, so it’s more like a Who-What-When-Where-Why-How brief description used by the Plot Team to describe things that are planned for Player Characters to encounter.
Storyline
A given development within a Plot. A Storyline might be ‘what happens to Hikari the Wanderer’ or ‘how the Alchemists figured out how to use Dragon-glass’.
Role-play
The interaction of Characters (PC or NPC). It’s unscripted and usually consists of a lot of chin-wagging about something that has happened or something they suspect will happen. The general experience of playing a character.
Self-Activated Ability
An ability that only you really need to know what it does. There are quite a few of these, and the system works on a ‘need-to-know’ basis.
FOIP
Find Out In Play. Describes how players come to learn the Hidden Rules of the system. Thracia LARP is about experimentation and exploration - we urge you to use a skill and play around with it. If the rulebook doesn’t specifically say that you can’t do something, you probably can!
Hidden Rule
A rule not specifically spelt out for players. Usually, the rule is something like ‘how much power a Crafter can place into an item using Read Magick’ or ‘only Adept Smiths can make weapons from Silver’. There are others - so it’s a good idea to look around a bit. If you have an idea, ask a ref (preferably your local Out of Character ref) about it and see if they can direct you. They usually can!
Linear
A game written by a list of Encounters, one after another. The game is played with very little decision making on behalf of the players with regard to direction of movement and who to talk to. It’s progressive and a great way to train.
Epic
Describes a storyline or general plot which is written to be Non-Linear. Encounters do not necessarily happen one after another (though they may appear that way) and some will trigger off others prematurely or even suspend other ones. Plot of this type generally occur only at large Events.
Event
The gathering of lots of people together, from all over the country and sometimes outside it. Generally a Linear is played at your local playing ground in your county. An Event gathers all Player Characters together that play that system
Game Mechanic
A device used to interpret a rule game-wise. How rules are expressed game-wise. An example is Card Rips. Spells in Thracia LARP are done by a vocal call and by ripping a card. Other systems might use singing and drawing a coloured ball from a pouch, or by ticking off how many points it was to cast the spell. To further the example, Rituals in Thracia LARP are points based, abilities are card rip based and weapon calls are vocal.
Rule
A description telling you (the player) how to use a skill or ability (played via Game Mechanics) and what effect the skill is most likely to have.
Monster
For the purposes of Thracia, when players don kit other than they’re Character to interact with other Characters. They could be wandering monsters, Non-Playable-Characters (NPCs), other human peasants etc.
