What to expect
- A relevant history overview which includes everything you need to know for the game. No extra study materials are needed before the game.
- A complex character with multiple plots, relationships and a strong story. A strong story taking place in the Middle Ages that takes 30 hours of real time and about 6 hours of pre-game workshops.
- A full historical costume including accessories appropriate for the historical period and social stance of your character. Shoes and warm underwear (and any additional layers under the costume) are not included in the costume.
- Lending of historical props and weapon models.
- Full board for the whole game based on historical recipes and hot tea (Thursday evening – Sunday morning)
- A three-night stay at a medieval castle with with access to the whole building complex (with the exception of a few storage and technical rooms)
- Live medieval music during the game.
- Services of a team dedicated to providing you with a complex experience of the Middle Ages
- Three options of accommodation with different levels of comfort
What not to expect
- A transparent game – the plots are not known in advance and they are not public knowledge – GoPL work with a mystery and surprise that make the game exciting
- A battle – some people will get into a small scale conflict, but there is very little fighting overall
- A sandbox – GoPL is not a world where you could come with a character you have created on your own – all the characters in GoPL are created by us, they have and elaborate background and motivation, relationships and plots, and all is prepared in advance by the authors of the game.
- A survival game – we make sure that you are comfortable during the game, you will get 3 warm meals per day, you will sleep comfortably (depending on your price package)
- Off-game interactions during the game: Once the game starts, we want most of your interactions to be in character. You can go talk off-character to the organisers or negotiate with your co-player in the chill-out zone, but otherwise we want you to spend most of your time in-game.
Do I need to study history in order to enjoy the game?
No prior knowledge of history or local lore is necessary in order to enjoy the game. If you’d like to read up – we can point you to some resources.
How long does GPoL last, where does it take place?
The event lasts for 4 days (Thursday afternoon to Sunday morning), and takes place in a beautiful Czech castle half-way between Prague and Brno.
Overview timetable:
Thursday afternoon – arrivals and registration
Thursday evening – we distribute costumes and pre-game workshops start
Friday morning/early afternoon – pre-game workshops continue
Friday afternoon – Saturday late evening – game
Saturday night – afterparty
Sunday morning – breakfast and goodbyes
The castle is remote, how do I get there?
Depends on your mode of transportation. We will gladly provide tips on reaching the venue in the most convenient way and we will also recommend transportation to the closest bigger city near the castle. We will then arrange transportation to the castle from the city. A minivan transportation from your accommodation to the castle and back will also be available.
Who is this adventure for? How do I know if it is for me?
The GPoL game is designed for all adults who want to try life in the Middle Ages, it covers topics such as medieval mentality, faith, rituals, violence, prejudice, gender and social stratification of society and religious oppression.
If you want to find out if this LARP is for you, read our design document and our web. You can also contact us.
My English isn’t that great – what do I do?
Don’t worry. If you can read through this FAQ and Design Document, you have no reason to worry. Our players come from all over the world, English is not the native language for most of them and they manage just fine – and so will you!
How much is GPoL? What is included in the price?
GPoL costs between 490 € and 690 €, depending on your choice of accommodation. We provide unique script for each player character, accommodation, transfer from the accommodation to the castle (a dinner on the day we start, a breakfast on the day the game ends), safe LARP weapons, costume including accessories, live music during the game, workshop with professionals and most of all – unforgettable experience!
What if I want to bring my own costume and LARP weapons?
If you wanted to bring your own costume, it is possible, but be aware of the fact that our fashion police is incredibly strict. We want to have a unified visual style of the game, clearly centered on year 1262. We want the costumes to go well with each other not just in style but also in fabric – we don’t have any velvet in our inventory, we believe it would be out of place. So if you are a re-enactor focused on the same period and you want to use your own equipment, please take pictures of the pieces you want to bring and send them to us. Our fashion police will evaluate your costumes and they will let you know if you can take them or not. Thank you for your understanding!
The same is true for weapons, we will also evaluate them from all aspects – they must fit from historical, visual and also safety perspective. We don’t allow any steel weapons, not even knives for cutting food.
If you have your own costume approved by the organizers, you will get a discount of 20 EUR.
Can I bring my own musical instrument?
Most definitely, just please consult first with the organizers on the appropriateness of the instrument. The organizers have the right to veto on this.
How many layers of clothing will you provide?
We provide only the top layer of clothing – a tunic, a cloak or a sleeveless surcoat and accessories. Bring your own warm clothes to wear under this top layer! Sweaters – two are just fine, thermal underwear or tights, sweatpants, trousers (not jeans). We would like to kindly ask gentlemen to take trousers of one colour, black or dark hues of brown or grey, definitely not jeans – some of the costumes are shorter and part of the trousers can remain visible. Take your own warm shoes, suitable for outdoor activities. The castle will be cold and there won’t be many opportunities to warm up.
I want to travel light, do I have to bring a sleeping bag and a sleeping pad?
If you have selected the cheapest option – Camping in the building – you will sleep directly at the castle. You will have to bring your own sleeping bag, ideally designed for colder environments. You don’t need a sleeping pad, we provide “mirelon” mats – Czech made isolation mats made of foam low density polyethylene, they are approximately 4 times thicker than an average sleeping pad so they are also much more comfortable and warmer. The rooms for sleeping will be heated up to approximately 18 degrees Celsius.
What about hygiene and toilets during the game?
The entire game and pregame workshops will take place at the castle and except for the time when you go to bed, there won’t be time to go back to your accommodation. There is only cold running water at the castle and two female toilets and two male toilets. We will provide hand sanitizer. So far, we have managed on past Czech runs, there is no reason to believe we won’t manage again!
Will I have access to my personal things during the game?
If you select the cheapest accommodation option – camping in building at the castle, then yes.
If you select accommodation at a guesthouse or a hotel, it won’t be possible (except at night when you go to bed). Therefore, if there is anything you need to have access to during the day, please take it with you in the morning. On the first day, there will be a short break between the workshops and the game but there will be no breaks later.
What about food allergies / intolerances?
We can prepare the following special diets – vegetarian, gluten free, various food allergies and milk intolerance. We cannot cover vegan and other diets. However we need to be informed in advance in order to allow our chefs to prepare for it. The best way to let us know is providing this information in your registration form. Thank you for your understanding!
Our chefs cook using authentic camp cooking equipment and authentic medieval recipes. Therefore, there will be no potatoes, sweet corn, turkey meat and many other ingredients not known to the medieval person in your meals.
The cuisine will be inspired by authentic recipes from the middle ages. The food will be cooked at open fire. You can expect porridge or eggs for breakfast, a thick soup with bread for lunch and a two course dinner. There will be bread with lard or fresh cheese between meals.
The world of GPoL is sexist, violent and cruel. What emotional triggers can I expect?
Out of the game, we adhere to a very strict policy of zero tolerance to discrimination of any kind as well as zero tolerance to physical or emotional violence and abuse.
However, you can experience such situations in the game. You can encounter violence (including sexual), gender inequality, social inequality, poverty, physical disability, illness, manipulation, abuse of power, etc. It is possible that none of these topics will be directly included in your character script – and you can list emotional triggers you want to avoid in your registration form – but we cannot guarantee that something related to these topics doesn’t happen in the game around your character (through interactions of the other characters) .
How do you guarantee of safety of your players?
Your safety is crucial for us. GPoL starts with a series of workshops in which explain game mechanics and tools that will guarantee that players have means to stay safe. There will be a team of organisers and consultants in the game who will take care of your emotional safety, who will help you solve any issues and who will give you support if needed. There is also a trained health professional always present to address any medical issues and we are ready to call an ambulance in case of an emergency.
Can I leave the game?
You can step out of the game to take a break from your character only in dedicated areas. These areas are the smoke room in the “stables” (which is the only place in the castle premises where smoking is allowed) and the chill-out zone on the second floor, which is an area out of the game. Please respect this split. Some of you will probably appreciate an option to step out of your character for a few moments and to take some rest. However it is not possible to leave the castle during the game. You would spoil the game to yourselves as well as to the other players. The only times when it is possible to leave the castle are when you leave the castle at night to sleep at your accommodation.
Can I leave the castle during the game?
It is not possible to leave the castle during the game. You would spoil the game to yourselves as well as to the other players. The only times when it is possible to leave the castle are when you leave the castle at night to sleep at your accommodation.
I have filled in the registration form. What’s next?
You should receive a confirmation email that your registration was successfully recorded in the system. If you didn’t receive any email, please let us know, we will find out what happened. If you have a facebook profile, join event “GPoL” where we will post updates on the game. If you don’t have a facebook profile, you will get all the important information through email. Seemingly, nothing else will happen for a while, you can read materials on our web, study some sources about the period when GPoL takes place. Mark the date on your calendar, find your transportation and friends that will join you for the trip and look forward to GPoL!
Is your game physically demanding?
Different roles will have different physical demands. The castle Lipnice nad Sázavou does not feature barrier-free access unfortunately and the players would walk 10km per day inside and around the castle on average. Therefore, a certain level of physical aptitude is necessary.
Can women fight in this game?
No and there won’t be many fighting men either. GPoL is not based on fighting, it is more of a conversation game where only a few characters have a chance to fight a little. GPoL is set in a period when gender roles are very strictly outlined and we believe that it brings tension that is good for the game.
Do I have to participate in religious rituals?
GPoL is a game that is based on a religious conflict. Religion is not a key topic for all character scripts but questions of faith and religion form an integral part of the fabric of the game. You can note in your registration form that you don’t want to have religion as the main topic in your script. At the same time, religion was important for a medieval person and we think that it is also important for the game, it helps us to build the medieval atmosphere. On top of that, some key plot twists, which we believe should be witnessed by all characters, happen during church services. There will be no Eucharist in any of the Masses re-enacted in the game.
So, long story short, the answer is yes, it is better to participate in religious rituals. If religion is something you don’t like to encounter in LARP games, GPoL probably isn’t a game for you.
Does my character have to express their faith?
GPoL is a game based on medieval way of thinking and worldview – at that time and in that place, everyone was a deeply devout Christian in their own way and many willing to die for their faith. If your character script tells you that your character is a faithful believer, you should express your faith in the game. You can express your preference in the registration form and indicate if you prefer strongly religious character or a less religious one. If religion is something you don’t like to encounter in LARP games, GPoL probably isn’t a game for you.
Do I have to fill-in the registration form truthfully?
Yes, it is better for all participants and many misunderstandings can happen if you don’t answer truthfully.
Will it be cold inside the castle?
Yes, the temperature inside is approximately 12 to 14 degrees Celsius, outside temperature is about 8 to 10 degrees. However, everyone will sleep in a warm room regardless of the price package. Still, it is important that you take warm layers to wear under the costume we will give you – sweaters or jumpers – two are just fine, thermal underwear or tights, sweatpants, trousers (not jeans), warm shoes.
Is the castle where we play also a hotel?
No, it is a National Cultural Monument and it is used as a museum and a cultural site during summer. We really appreciate that we can organize our game there, it is really exceptional. We are responsible for protecting the monument while we are using it. Before the game, we will ask you to sign a consent form confirming that you will treat the premises adequately and with care and that you will not damage the castle and its equipment on purpose. Those who select basic package will also sleep in the castle but it will be camping in a building experience in their own sleeping bags. There are flushing toilets and cold running water at the castle but there are no showers.
Will I get the same script quality regardless of the package price?
Yes, all the character scripts have the same quality. The package price impacts only your accommodation and connected transportation, there is no impact on the character selection
What is the difference between the price packages?
The only difference is accommodation and connected transportation. The character scripts have comparable level of quality regardless of the package selected.
Do you allow crossgender player casting?
We decided not to allow crossgender player casting in GPoL. We want the player experience to be as realistic image of the Middle Ages and we believe that not allowing crossgender player casting will help us to achieve our goal more easily and realistically. Thank you for your understanding!
Do I have to know the relevant history?
It is enough to read our design document and the materials posted on our web. We will remind you of the most important pieces of information during the pre-game workshops.
Will the nobility have the same food as the commoners?
Yes, we don’t go that far in creating an authentic experience. The nobility and the commoners get the same food in this game
Is it possible to drink alcohol in the game?
The only allowed alcoholic drink during the game will be mulled wine, otherwise alcohol is allowed before the game and after the game at the afterparty. There will be a pub open in the game where you can buy refreshments on top of what is provided in your price package.
Can I start relationships which are not outlined in my script?
Yes, but please focus primarily on the characters mentioned among the key relationships in your character script.
Can I create my own plots?
Yes, but please focus primarily on those that are mentioned in your character script.
Do I have to know liturgical texts?
If you get a priest character, i.e. a character that might lead a service, you will get all the necessary texts and materials in advance. We will prepare a missal for the priests – a book with the guidance for each Mass, you can refer to it and read from it. You don’t have to learn anything by heart, you can read everything from the missal even during the game.
Can I take a souvenir home after the game?
Yes, some game equipment is for sale after the game, just like costumes and weapons.
Will there be a photographer?
Yes, there will be two professional photographers in the game and you accept our “Policy concerning audiovisual records taken in our games” by the act of registration to the game. Thank you for your understanding.
How do you assign character scripts to players?
The character scripts are assigned to the players primarily based on your registration form. Why try to respect your preferences. If we are not certain, we ask further, ideally through messenger or email in order to get more information that will help us select the best character for you.
Can I cancel my registration?
Yes, a registration can always be cancelled but there are cancellation fees. You can find details here: http://goodpeople-larp.com/pricing/
