Resources
Playing a Mover & Shaker

Suggested approach for being a mover and shaker (remember these are just suggestions – feel free to ignore them or use only the parts that are of interest to you):

So, you’re a mover and shaker. With that comes a certain level of respect/fear – you are after all one of a select few capable of getting things done in the domain (even if at the hands of your minions) at a moment's notice. You’re one of a select few whose counsel is always heard, and are considered when others are undergoing their machinations. Decisions made by your character can have far reaching ramifications - especially when it comes at the expense of another member of the court. What this means for the PC behind the character is that you often feel overwhelmed, and needing to be on top of everything to keep your house of cards from being knocked over.

Primarily you need to remember when assuming a role like this that you need to be the one making the decisions. Or more to the point is the one who focusing on the larger picture. That is what they need you for. It’s why they’re following you. It’s why they bring you information and wait for you to direct them to appropriate tasks. Through you, whether it is power or the instillation of a shared ideology into the domain, this collective effort will be realized. The heavy lifting needs to be taken care of by those following your leadership. You have to delegate and spread the duties out amongst your supporters – otherwise you’ll make no progress and probably end up alienating some of these individuals who have gathered beneath your banner due to the lack of results.

I know that the concern boils down to players not always coming through for you. That you feel uncomfortable with letting any aspect of a plan get out from underneath your notice. Unfortunately to micro manage like that is to ensure that you’re always taking very small steps, and in all honesty is a little unrealistic. Have all the players failed you? No, you and I both know that not to be the case. Are you concerned that a specific task isn’t going to be completed in time – then why aren’t you assigning two or three of your supporters to this endeavor? Make them work in groups one of them is going to make sure it happens for you. If it doesn’t then you get one of those classic scenes where the boss chews his people out for failing. Don’t be afraid of failure. Embrace it and use it to further the drama of whatever your machinations are. Set backs should be expected and planned for.

Being focused on the bigger picture actually has a couple of benefits that you might want to consider. Through delegation you are actually in position to pay more attention to what your supporters are up to, and see if there are any spies within your midst. Instructions that are worded correctly, or are carried to your supporters through your trusted lieutenant allow you a certain degree of plausible deniability. Trust those you have delegated the task to with coming up with the means. Even if you are cornered for having sent them out on the errand it is usually a simple matter to retreat back into the plea of ignorance and proclaim your own outrage at the means they chose to employ. This could then allow you to salvage what would typically be a more explosive situation, and find another method by which to reach your goal.

Violence is often viewed as one of the first resorts – or at least that has been traditionally accepted over the last decade of LARPing that we’ve been witness to in Toronto. But as a mover and shaker I would like to urge some measure of restraint in this regard. How much respect will your character actually have should they employ violence against another member of the court without the tacit approval of your peers? How are the other elites going to take to your decision to kill a competitor – because that was the most expedient option? Would you, yourself, really want someone who’s first inclination is violence to have any say in the running of the domain that you and your allies live in? For the more prideful of your number – isn’t violence something you expect your lackeys to employ on your behalf; not something you dirty your own hands with, and even then something that you might look upon with some measure of distaste?

Some of you may be asking why I’m taking up space with this short little essay and the reason is that some have voiced concerns to me about feeling overwhelmed and not being able to stay on top of things. I hope that somewhere in the above paragraphs will be some tool or reminder that will help those overwhelmed players centre themselves and take control of a situation that they felt disempowered in. Remember that LARPing is about the ensemble cast and that the other characters can very much be a resource in helping your character not only succeed at their plans, but create a fun atmosphere for more people to get involved in and tell and interesting/entertaining story.