Our Game
This LARP aims to bring people together for wholesome fun, strong roleplay and a tight aesthetic focus. The win conditions aren’t based on hit points or abilities, the community design itself has to be the system. Creating this trust between players means that we will need to train our players and give them the tools to navigate this with others.
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We want our players to partake in engaging interactions with one another, and for all of our players to partake as best as they can!​
Design Inspiration
The inspiration for this LARP is varied but also very succinct. Hobbits are known in most fantasy literature and media but mostly lifted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Hobbits, with aesthetic themes inspired by the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, the cottage-core movement, and 18th-century Dutch and English fashions.​
Player Contribution
Everyone is part of what makes this LARP great! Please try to make this as enjoyable for others as possible. There won’t be much “plot” supplied by the GMs, it is up to the players to create their ties and decide how to navigate their rivalry, friendships and family. We will, however, have the option to allow the GMs to pick a friendship or rivalry for you to explore in-game).
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Players and their choices are huge factors in what makes the story.
The most structure that will be provided in terms of event proceedings, games, competition judging and food times. ​
Speaking of food; this LARP aims to focus on the community aspect of Hobbits. Therefore, there will be the opportunity to share your baking with your halfling peers. We will include some of the ticket cost as food for breakfast, the main feast, snacks, tea, coffee and milk, but we want our Hobbits to be showing their cooking chops!
Play Style
Play for maximum fun. Playing for fun means that even though the characters may be trying to win, the participants can still actively try to lose, whatever that might mean in the given context. Play to lose or play for drama is not a rule, but rather a guideline for making an interesting play for the enjoyment of all.
A LARP like this one is about social interaction: pranking schemes, friendly smack talk, and kind-hearted displays of friendship. This means that most mechanics are very loosely defined, and they serve as an inspiration and a way of giving players the alibi to have enjoyable scenes together. This means that if you agree with ALL other participants involved in a scene, you are free to play it in your own way. Co-creation and cooperative storytelling.
The Hobbit’s Hoedown isn’t a video game you can beat or a contest you can win. This means that it’s important to share the spotlight, involve other players in the action and spread the interesting moments around. The stronger the character, the bigger the heavier the burden for involving others. A movie or a book can have just a few main characters. In a LARP, everyone is the main character in their own story, and no one should feel like “just an extra”. Even when we play against each other, we play together.
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We invite you to play on:
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Community & friendship
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Friendly competition
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Sharing
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Camaraderie
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Fun
Unwelcome themes:
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Racism
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Homophobia
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Sexism
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Sexual violence
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Transphobia
The Experience
The Hobbit’s Hoedown will give a sense of family, friendship, community and friendly rivalry. We want to showcase the best nature of Hobbits!
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Some Examples:
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Be a part of a family, follow all their quirky traditions
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Engaging in pastoral life
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Playing good-natured pranks on friends
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Playing party games in the tournament
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Partaking in baking, brewing, crafting competitions etc.
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Cooking for friends and appreciating their dishes
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Enjoy leisure time by playing music,
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Napping outdoors or taking tea
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Banter between friends and family
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Preparing for the game
For The Hobbit’s Hoedown, we want to have a strong and co- creational pregame phase.
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We will help you prepare and ease into your character preparation phase by helping you establish dynamic and meaningful relations.
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We will make Family groups for those people to meet, engage in discussion, create traditions, and songs, and share in excitement and progress.
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We will explain our visions and hopes by engaging in Q&A sessions.
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We will make competition categories and event itineraries available well before the event.
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We will help you to focus on your relations and desired plots.
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We will encourage you to create stories of the surrounding world.
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We will facilitate pre-game workshops to engage a sense of friendly comfort and curiosity.
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All this is to ensure and better the experience. And to help you, our players, to journey peacefully into the simple lives of Hobbits.
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If you're still feeling underprepared, make sure you go through our resources that have been created and curated for your assistance.
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