Overview
Maelstrom is a live role-playing game set in a high fantasy world of colonialism and magic. The rules have been specifically designed to allow hundreds of players to role-play simultaneously at large outdoor events run by Profound Decisions. Maelstrom utilizes a live combat system. This means that all participants of the game agree to being hit by, and hitting others with, live role-playing weapons that have passed a safety check by Profound Decisions.

Live Role-playing
Live role-playing or live-action role-playing is often abbreviated to its initials, LRP or LARP. Live role-playing is about inventing a character, dressing up and playing him or her, in the same way that actors play parts in the theatre or on television. The key difference is that in live role-playing there is no set script. Participants improvise with what information they have, and react as they see fit. This creates a continuously evolving interactive story between the players.

Rules
To structure the game and provide a means of performing actions that might be impossible or dangerous in our normal environment, a set of rules are usually agreed upon by all players. This is often referred to as the rules system.

For example, in Maelstrom all characters have the ability to use a sword or similar weapon. However, there is no way that any player should consider using a real sword to strike anyone else as it would be dangerous. So a system of rules is provided for the safe construction of an imitation sword, and the rules govern the effect of this sword hitting another character.

As in all games, there is a distinction between when you are playing the game and when you are not. During game time you are considered to be IC (in-character), outside of game time you are OOC (out-of-character). There are times during the game when a person can be OOC; this is primarily for personal or safety reasons. At Maelstrom this is indicated by wearing a yellow armband.

Characters
The starting point of most live role-playing games is when you create your character. Most games use rules to ensure that the character that you create stays in keeping with the theme of the game. This could be a science fiction game where everyone uses laser guns, or a historical game set in ancient Rome, where everyone is dressed in togas. In Maelstrom, a simple points system allows you to determine which game skills and advantages your character can start with. However, all characters are much more than this, and become even more so when you begin to play.

A character has a personality that is separate from your own. Some players spend time developing a personality for the character before they begin play, others prefer to allow the personality of a character to develop in play. The starting point for this process is often to invent a background for the character. Even a few lines of personal history can help to develop the character in your mind.

From your character’s personality will come your motivations. Pursuing your character’s goals is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game, and the Maelstrom campaign is expressly designed to enhance this aspect of live role-playing. Looking through the campaign guide (the Almanac of the Known World) may help you to form an image of the character that you want to play.

Role-playing
The more seriously you take the game, and the more you become immersed in your character, the more enjoyable the game will be. A true moment of great role-play is when everyone is so immersed in their characters, the situation, and the world around them that they forget their real lives. The imaginary world in which you are playing becomes real to you.

It can be difficult to keep up such pretence for an entire weekend; but the harder you try, the more you will enjoy the game, and also enhance the game for the other players. Consider the actions that you take and try to react and talk as your character would wherever possible.

It is not uncommon to feel intimidated by the prospect of role-playing, particularly if you imagine that the other players are better role-players than you are. However, there is no such thing as better role-playing, you either do it or you don't. If you are in-character then you do, if you are out-of-character then you don't.

Costume
In live role-playing, you wear costumes appropriate for the character that you are playing. Like the actors in a play, all the players are dressed to suit the roles that they are portraying.

Obtaining a good costume may be very challenging for newcomers. If you have friends who are already live role-players then they will be able to help. All Profound Decisions events include traders who sell costume and props. If you are brand new to live role-playing then Profound Decisions can lend you some very simple costume if you contact us well before an event. Avoiding items of clothing that are glaringly unsuitable such as white trainers, jeans and t-shirts will help enormously.

One inspiration for Maelstrom is the early colonial period in the new world of the Americas. As you will learn from reading more of this book, there are many stark differences between the American colonies of the 17th and 18th century that we know from history, and the fantasy colonies of the Maelstrom world. However, much of the spirit of the setting is similar. The costume and make-up guide will help you to get a better idea of what represents a suitable costume.

Good props (often called phys-reps, an abbreviation of physical representations) will also help. These are used to act as a visual and tactile aid to the role-playing. They are substituted for real objects that are dangerous or expensive to use (swords, gold) or fantasy objects that have no real world equivalent (a dragon's egg). Even simple items like a staff or a tankard will improve a good costume.