About Us

Kingdoms of Novitas is a live action roleplaying game (aka a LARP) that generally meets on the first full weekend of each month at Camp Kingsley in Ava, NY.

Introductory Video

https://www.youtube.com/embed/qOTvxssLtHk

Camp Kingsley

Our games take place primarily at Camp Kingsley which is a Boy Scout camp located on Camp Kingsley Rd in Ava, NY.

https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=camp%20kingsley%20rd%20ava%20ny#map=16/43.3980/-75.5331

What Is Role-Playing

Role-playing is a collaborative experience where people come together to tell stories and act them out. A role-playing game is in many ways like a tv show, but without a script. The players guide the narrative and create the story together. Also like a tv show there are many genres of role-playing games telling many different varieties of stories.

What Is LARPing?

Live Action Role-Playing (or LARPing) is when you take a role-playing game and physically act it out instead of simply narrating the action. There are a lot of different ways to do this, Kingdoms of Novitas is one part sport and one part theatre. Our game is built on a philosophy of if you can actually do it, and do it safely we want to encourage you to act.

Instead of saying "I attack the orc with my sword" in a LARP you have to take your very real sword prop and attack the orc who is being played by another player.

LARPing is more than just combat though. Imaginative players come up with all kinds of theatrical elements as well. Characters dress in a wide variety of historically and fantasy influenced garb. We redecorate buildings to make them feel like they are somewhere truly different. When it comes time to act, perhaps your character wants to perform a magical ceremony as part of an ongoing story. Maybe we add in a cauldron filled with dry ice surrounded by candles. The rules don't require going to this level. We do it because it is fun, it brings both the world and the story to life.

What Kind of Setting is Kingdoms of Novitas?

Kingdoms of Novitas is a high renaissance fantasy role-playing game. Renaissance because many elements of the setting take root from renaissance history. Fantasy because there is magic and strange creatures populating the world. High in this case indicates that the magic is readily accessible to the people of the world.

What Kind LARP is Kingdoms of Novitas?

Kingdoms of Novitas is a full weapon contact LARP. To hit your opponent with a weapon you must actually make contact with them, and it has to be more than just a light touch. We take safety very seriously, so weapons are padded and we train people to hit with the right amount of force. Just because we don't want a light touch and the weapon is padded doesn't mean you can swing with full force. Only approved weapons contact other players. Any other contact between players is strictly with permission only.

The game's rules are built around direct physical conflict. To affect another player you have to interact with them. Very few mechanics can be done simply by pointing at someone, you need to attack them with a weapon, or hit them with a tag bag (basically a bean bag).

Even if the rules are about conflict resolution the game is a lot more than that. Our players use these rules to tell stories. What is it that the evil necromancer seeks to do with this army of undead? Is making a deal with them to protect the town an acceptable lesser evil? You get to decide. Then the game adapts with you.

What Makes Kingdoms of Novitas Different From Other LARPs?

There are many reasons Kingdoms of Novitas is different from other LARPs. We strive for immersion where ever possible. Our props are as realistic as we can make them, including real game coins. Characters pull from the same pool of abilities but have a wide variety of specialties.

When we talk about immersion we mean that we pride ourselves on garb that is as authentic as possible, high quality weapons, and trying to avoid anachronisms. You won't see t-shirts and sneakers at our game. Players wear real armor and dress in a wide variety of quality historical clothing.

Our games rules don't focus on classes, pigeon-holing everyone into certain mechanics. Everyone can do anything but its going to take time to develop into truly doing everything. A new character can expect to pick a field and become good at it fairly rapidly, but to be good at many things will take time. Because the ceiling for developing into a specific field is fairly low, an experienced character is often just as vulnerable as a newer character so combat can still feel dangerous.

There are also no alignments dictating character behavior, characters are welcome to be as moral or immoral as they wish. Character growth is purely up to a player to decide on.

Who Attends Kingdoms of Novitas?

Don't let stereotypes about LARPs dissuade you from trying the game. We have people from a wide variety of backgrounds and ages, from doctors and librarians to business executives and teachers.

The experience is like living a weekend in a frontier town, under siege by the forces of undead, rampant orcs, and shifty bandits. Only you and your band of allies stand in the way of what's coming.

Don't have a band of allies to bring with you? No problem. Our community is very welcoming and most players find a group companions to travel with rapidly.

You take away from the game what you put into it; whether you're a fan of archery, spell-casting, shield-walls, or just living the story.

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