What is Age of Claritas?

What is LARP?

LARP stands for Live Action Role Play. Different LARP communities have different focuses and styles - at Age of Claritas we aim for a mix of free-will storytelling, improvisational acting, theatrical combat, and interesting mechanics.

Who We Are

Age of Claritas is a KC-local family friendly live action adventure. We've been hosting fantasy themed events for children and teens since 2013. Age of Claritas started with the goals of getting kids outside and letting them be creative. We also have our roots in stunt combat and acting, so theatrics and storytelling are a huge focus for us. Our community is made up of people with all sorts of interests, including theater (and former theater) kids, DnD/RPG enthusiasts, stunt actors, cosplayers, and a whole lot of other individuals who just think fantasy adventure is a fun way to spend a weekend. You can meet our GMs - Game Masters - here.

Our Goals and Values

Ultimately, we believe LARP is a uniquely effective medium for people to play with characters that differ from themselves and tell interesting and dynamic stories. For some people this is a therapeutic way to play with different versions of themselves, for some it's an opportunity to engage with moral choices that wouldn't exist in the real world, and for others it's just a fun fantasy world that lets us escape reality for a little.

Junior Adventurers

We strongly believe that LARPing can help kids play, grow, and experiment in a safe and creative space. We're proud of our roots as a children's LARP, and we remain the only LARP in the KC area to have children-only events (alternating with senior events each month). Players under 18 are welcome to join us as junior adventurers, and over 18 as senior adventurers.

Our junior storylines generally parallel our senior storylines with slight differences to ensure age appropriateness. Junior LARPs use appropriate language, avoid gore, and use slightly simpler mechanics, but other than that are largely similar. We give our junior and senior adventurers the same free will and character freedom. You can see our junior code of conduct here and our parent/volunteer information here.

The Location and Schedule

Our events take place at 5014 Gibbs Rd, Kansas City, KS 66106 and generally start at 9AM on Saturday and end at 4PM on Sunday. Game off is called at 10PM Saturday for junior adventurers and variable times for senior adventures. Game on is at 10AM on Sunday. Most players go home overnight, but you can tent-camp if you'd prefer. Meals are in-character, but you are welcome to leave to get food if you'd like.

How We Play

Storytelling and Character Building

Age of Claritas creates situations and characters for players to interact with, but beyond the setting, we strive to let players drive the story. Parts are not scripted; other than restrictions laid out in our rulebook or code of conduct, player characters can act and react as they see fit. Conflict, drama, and impulsivity are welcome - your character does not need to be good, kind, or well behaved. At the same time, the world will produce realistic consequences, and those consequences tend to push players toward cooperation against common challenges.

Acting

Many (but not all) in our community have acting backgrounds and enjoy improvising to the complex, exciting, and fantastical scenarios set out for us. The unscripted nature of Claritas makes acting a fun, but not entirely necessary component. Some people go all in on the drama with accents, high emotions, or silly quirks, while others play characters that resemble themselves and keep the acting to a minimum. Either playstyle is absolutely welcome, we just ask that our players stay "in game" (i.e. leave the real-world conversations at the door) and delve into the story.

Combat and Mechanics

Combat is a significant part of Age of Claritas! We focus on physical theatrical combat, although there's plenty of technique and intensity. Talents and other mechanics make our combat more complex than just weapon fighting. Claritas is a step more intense than a lightest-touch LARP; we're ok with a little force behind swings, but nobody should be getting hurt. We call damage numbers and enjoy dramatic and theatric fighting.

Some players get really into the mechanics and rules of combat and character building, while others base their character and combat style on whatever feels the most fun. There's no right answer - whether you're a power gamer or a vibes player we'd love to have you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Claritas is a fantasy world with a deep history where much remains unknown. We have a hard magic system, but the people of Claritas haven't figured it out fully, so there are a lot of mysteries. We have storylines and settings that span all sorts of genres, so there's something for everyone, but in general you can expect epic storylines, wild adventures, and weird challenges. You can learn more about the Adventurer's Encampment here and about the kinds of people that inhabit Claritas here.

For LARPers: We describe our LARP as slightly more intense than softest-touch LARPs, and we use weapons that are slightly less padded than boffer weapons.

For non-LARPers: we're hitting each other with pretty soft weapons, but we're not hitting super hard, and Talents make our combat more interesting than just weapon fighting. If being on the front lines of combat isn't your thing, we have plenty of play styles that might suit you!

You can see our safety rules here and our weapon guidelines here.

If you meet our volunteer NPC or parent NPC guidelines and pass the required background check you can join us to NPC for Junior LARP, but otherwise no. Exceptions may be made if you've turned 18 within the month.
Nope! Exceptions may be made if you're turning 18 within the month.
We'll have tent-pavilions for socializing, benches, a porta-potty, and a fire pit. We have a public water cooler, but we recommend you bring water or drinks for yourself. The property has pretty well-established trails and open areas. Although our main areas are pretty cultivated, you should prepare for standard weather and nature related challenges - bring sunscreen, bugspray, warm clothes, and whatever else you need to be comfortable outside!
Most players bring food. We'll have a fire pit (if the weather allows) that you can use to heat food if you'd like. There are also fast food options within 10 minutes driving from the property if you'd rather go out to get food, but we don't pause our game for meals. We have a public water cooler but we recommend you bring water and drinks for yourself to be safe.