One of the most common issues people run into in a LARP is trying to figure out how their character fits into the game. LARPs typically have between 10 and 50 characters, and are usually slanted towards social interaction. It can be difficult to figure out what to do with your character. For many people, going through the character creation and/or recreation articles may help, but there is one type of character that can be particularly difficult to play in a social game: the physical character.

I don't know about you, but when I think of a physical character, my mind invariably goes to the classic thug: the guy could punch his way through a brick wall and is about as smart as one. Of course, that isn't always the case. Take Jet Li for example. If I were making a character sheet for Jet Li (or almost any character he's played), he would be Physical Primary without a doubt. Yet, he clearly has social skills and isn't stupid. This concept (that just because you are a bad ass, it doesn't make you a thug) is at the heart of playing a physical character in a social game.

Creating a Physical Primary Character
The first thing to remember when creating a Physical Primary character is that they aren't all brawn. They may not be as socially adept as the Harpy, or as mentally acute as a neuroscientist, but they should have more going on than being able to hit hard. Figure out what it is they do well other than fighting. Maybe they are skilled at investigation, they know the streets like the back of their hand, or they are good with computers. Whatever it is, it makes them more than a thug, and useful to boot.

Another common issue in the game is when two or more character's concepts bleed into each other. For example, there are two brawlers who are also good at investigation. What sets the two characters apart? Given that there are only eight skills in each skill set (Mental/Physcial/Social), it's easy for overlap to occur. As a result, it is imperative that you set yourself apart, especially if you're a physical character. Most physical characters will end up focused around Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry, and as a result, you can easily become redundant. Yes, you can kick ass, and you're useful for combat, but if only 5 people are going and 7 candidates, why should people pick you over the other person who has a sword? It's pretty simple actually, diversify your skills, and try to fill holes. If you see that there are a lot of hand-to-hand fighters, but no one particularly skilled in Firearms, go with guns. If you know that people could really use a bladed-weapons expert, use that. This applies with social and mental skills as well.

Playing a Physical Primary Character
If you've managed to create a physical character and are happy with how they have turned out, the next issue is actually playing them. Whether you are an online player or are able to attend games, the situation may come up where you feel like you don't have anything to add to conversations. You're the muscle after all, so why would you talk politics? One solution to this dilemma is to play stupid. Your character isn't bright, so it makes sense to ask questions like "Wait who's that guy again? or "Why are we doing this asshole a favor?" If you want to be more proactive, you can try to find out who has been bloodhunted and why? What Physical primary character doesn't want to hunt down a criminal? Of course, if you are regularly having trouble adding anything to a conversation, or thinking of things to post to the forums, it's not a big deal, but if you feel like it is happening all too often, then you may need to reevaluate the character, and/or take steps towards figuring out what the problem is.

One of the first things you should do is to talk to your ST. Explain the problem you're having and see if they have any suggestions. We want you to have fun, and we will try to make sure you have a good time with the game, but we can't fix things if we don't know they're broken. Also, and I can't stress this enough, work with other players. Talk to other members of your clan, covenant, and/or team and work out ideas for plot, conversations you might engage in, etc. That way, even if you're at a loss for what to do, you can strike up conversation with others, and get more involved. The more connections you make, the more activity you'll have.