4. What kind of character can I play?
In the book, there are four types of characters: The Game Designers and the Game Contestants, who are all human; and the Game Builders and the Automatons, who are not human at all. The Builders are members of the two warring Otherworldly factions, and the Automatons are their creations—made to serve the purpose of the Game.
For the purposes of this larp, the participants will each select a character type—Designer, Builder, Automaton, or Contestant—and select (or be given) a brief character description. When the larp commences on Saturday, the Designer and Builder characters will create the Game and populate it with the Automaton characters. Then the Contestant characters will arrive, and the Game will begin. The content and character of this Game is entirely up to the participants, with some restrictions for time and locations.
(Obviously, the Contestant characters in “Sunken Places” will actually know they are playing a Game, unlike the poor souls in the book. Personally I hate asking players to pretend they don’t know something they really do, but in this case it is inevitable: please fake it.)
What will I be expected to do when I select one of these roles?
First off, all characters will select or be given a brief character description, which will have a name and a set of character traits. Your responsibilities in regards to “The Game” will be assumed through the lens of this character. However, how you portray these traits will be up to you. Examples of these character descriptions are here.
Beyond that, there are the duties each character will have as a participant in The Game:
Designer duties: Develop the theme for the overall Game; build the Gameboard; oversee the Builders as they create the Gameboard Spaces; select Contestants (and/or teams of Contestants) for each side; spur the Contestants to begin play; judge all contests that require human discretion (such as those involving art, wit, style); conclude the game after the winner is announced.
Builder duties: Develop the Gameboard Spaces under the direction of the Designers; assign (“build”) Automatons and manage them during play. Monitor and manage the Contestants while they are on the Gameboard and judge all contests that do not require human discretion (simple yes-no outcomes such as those involving having an item or having knowledge, completing a task, winning a contest of strength or speed, and so on). Builders also tally up the points (if used) and announce the winner at the end of the Game.
Automaton duties: To perform according to Builder specifications, whether as a specific independent Automaton (a troll, a fairy, a monster, an object) or as an ad hoc portion of a Gameboard Space (trees, rocks, wildlife, atmospheric effects). Automatons also assist the Builders in creating any props necessary to a Gameboard Space that cannot be somehow simulated by a roleplayer.
Contestant duties: Play the game. Try not to get killed; your character has better things to be doing than being dead.