New game, new world. Gear up for any of them.
LARP is not just medieval battles. It is vampire salons, wasteland convoys, starship crews, steampunk balls, and gala nights where the costume is a blazer and a secret. Tell the builder your genre and experience, and get a kit that fits the game you are actually playing.
Build your kit
Pick your genre
The classic LARP: foam battles, castles, taverns, and weekend campaigns in a world of swords and spells.
Wasteland games in the Mad Max tradition: scavenged gear, dust, goggles, and stories told around a fire drum.
Colonies, starships, and neon streets: blasters, visors, tech wear, and alien worlds.
No battlefield at all: vampire salons, haunted houses, and murder mysteries played in drawing rooms and rented halls.
Brass, corsets, airships, and invention: Victorian style with gears on it.
LARP in the present day: galas, boardrooms, heists, and dinner parties where the costume is a blazer, a gown, and confidence.
Start with the guides
Your First LARP Kit, Whatever the Genre
Every genre has the same skeleton: one signature piece, a base outfit that is not modern street clothes, somewhere to carry your phone, and light for the way back to the car. Start there and add one piece per event....
LARP Weapons Explained: Boffer, Latex, Foam and Props
Weapon rules differ by game, but the families do not. Boffer weapons are thickly padded for full-contact fighting. Latex weapons look realistic and suit light-touch games. Molded foam props cover everything else, from sp...
Armor Guide: Mail, Leather, and Padding
Armor is a comfort decision before it is a stats decision: you wear it for ten hours, in weather, while running. Padding (the gambeson) goes under everything, mail gives the most protection and the most weight, and leath...
Common questions
Is LARP just medieval battles?
No. Medieval fantasy is the biggest genre, but people also LARP in post-apocalyptic wastelands, on starships, in Victorian vampire salons, at steampunk balls, and at modern-day galas and dinner parties where the sharpest weapon is a secret. HelpMeLARP covers all of them.
Are LARP weapons safe?
LARP weapons are padded foam, latex over foam cores, or molded props, and every organized game inspects them before play. Real weapons are never LARP gear. Each game sets its own rules for padding, draw weights, and realistic props, so check with your organizers before buying.
What does a starter kit cost?
Most beginners start with one foam weapon or one signature prop plus basic garb, often built partly from a closet and a thrift store, and add a piece per event. The expensive mistake is buying a full veteran kit for a game you have not tried yet.
Can I use the same gear at a Renaissance faire?
Mostly yes. Medieval garb, cloaks, boots, belts, and satchels cross over directly. Leave the weapons at home unless the faire allows tied-in props, and swap game-specific pieces for neutral ones.
What should a beginner never buy?
Real or steel weapons for a combat game, unapproved arrows, and realistic prop guns for outdoor public play. All three fail safety checks or create real-world problems. The padded and clearly prop versions exist for a reason.