Most LARPers do not play alone. They travel, camp and fight with a group: a company of soldiers, a merchant house, a temple, a band of mercenaries. A good group makes every event easier and more fun, from sharing a kitchen tent to having friends at your side in battle.
This guide explains what a LARP group is, the main types, how to join one, and how to start your own step by step.
What Is a LARP Group?
A LARP group is a team of players who play together regularly, usually with characters who belong together in the game world. In German LARP the word Gruppe is common, elsewhere you will hear company, household, guild, warband or troupe. A group usually shares:
- an in-game identity: a name, a story, a reason to travel together;
- a common look: colors, symbols, tabards or matching armor;
- a camp: tents, kitchen, banner and furniture;
- out-of-game organization: who brings what, who drives whom, who pays for what.
Types of LARP Groups
| Type | What It Is | Typical Size |
|---|---|---|
| Local club or society | Organizes regular local games and training | 10 to 100+ members |
| Campaign group | Plays the same characters at one campaign's events over years | 3 to 20 players |
| Festival group or camp | Travels to large festival LARPs and runs its own camp there | 5 to 50+ players |
| NPC crew | Plays monsters and villains for organizers | Varies |
| Organizer team | Writes and runs its own events | A few core people plus helpers |
Join a Group or Start Your Own?
Joining an existing group is the easiest start. You get people who know the rules, shared camp gear and a ready-made place in the story. Ask in the event's community channels, at local games or in faction forums. Many groups welcome newcomers and even lend kit for the first event.
Starting your own group makes sense when you already have a few friends who want to play together, or when you have a concept no existing group covers.
How to Start a LARP Group in 7 Steps
- Choose your game. Decide which event or campaign you want to play first. Its setting and faction descriptions shape everything else.
- Find a core of 3 to 5 people. A small, reliable core is better than a big list of maybes.
- Agree on the concept. One sentence is enough: "A mercenary company that guards caravans" or "A temple order hunting dark magic". Make sure it fits the faction you want to join.
- Define your look. Pick two or three colors and a symbol. Matching tabards, shields or armor make the group recognizable from far away, which matters in battles and big camps.
- Split the tasks. Someone keeps contact with organizers, someone plans the camp and kitchen, someone takes care of first aid and safety, someone handles messages and photos.
- Plan the camp. Shared tent, kitchen, banner, lighting and storage for modern items. Share costs openly from the start.
- Play your first event together, then talk about what worked and what to change.
Gear for a Group
- Shared: group tent or tavern tent, kitchen equipment, banner, chests, lanterns, first aid kit.
- Matching: tabards, cloaks or armor in the group's style.
- Individual: each player's costume, sleeping gear and personal kit.
A matching look is where a group stands out. Our polyurethane armor is reinforced with fiberglass, light enough for long days and available as complete armor sets or single pieces such as helmets and breastplates. Style ideas by archetype: knights, landsknechts, paladins, northmen.
Ordering for your group? Group orders start from 5 players with a 15% discount. For pieces in your colors or with your symbol, see custom LARP armor.
Recruiting New Members
- Post in the event's community channels and on social media with photos of your group.
- Offer newcomers loaner kit and a simple starting character.
- Be clear about what you expect: events per year, costs, the group's play style.
- Invite people to an out-of-game meeting or a training day before the first event.
Keeping a Group Alive
- Give everyone a story. Each member should have a goal inside the group's plot.
- Keep costs fair and transparent.
- Meet between events for crafting, training or planning.
- Solve conflicts out of character, calmly and early.
- Welcome change. Characters and members come and go; the group can grow with them.
Common Problems and How to Avoid Them
- Too many leaders: agree on in-game ranks and out-of-game responsibilities separately.
- One person doing everything: share tasks before the first event.
- Unclear money: track shared costs from day one.
- A concept that does not fit the event: talk to the organizers or faction leads early.
Find Your First Event as a Group
Pick an event in the LARP calendar, compare formats in LARP Events, Festivals and Camps, and help each member build a character with LARP Characters Explained.