Welcome to Refuge LARP Portland

Welcome to Refuge LARP Portland!

A General Welcome

Refuge is an exciting game of high fantasy, mystery, and fun! We play weekend-long events in Goldendale, WA and Eugene, OR (although we're always looking for more sites!), as well as the occasional gameday in the Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA area. We've also been known to host online events, so you can get your feet wet and meet some people without all the stresses of coming to game the first time!

We welcome people from all walks of life to our game. Please be sure to check out the NEW PLAYER FAQ in the ABOUT section, if you have an interest in learning more about what it's like to play our games. That FAQ is exapanded on in our PCING and NPCING guides, and you can learn more about what to pack and what to expect from your first event on our FIRST EVENT page.

Want to know more about the game itself? There are a ton of resources under the RULEBOOKS tab. We're adding more regularly, so if you don't see something you think would be helpful, please let us know and we'll look into adding it!

Is LARPing with Refuge for me?

There are always things to consider when deciding to pick up a new hobby. Here are some of the ones we suggest thinking about:

Time: LARPing is a weird hobby because it take a LOT of time once in a while, and not a lot of time the rest of the time (unless you want it to). If you have a hard time getting one weekend a month or so off, this might be a more frustrating hobby than fun hobby for you. If you want to see what our schedule looks like so you can plan, check out our calendar. That being said, unless you want it to take more time (and most of us do by the time we're three games in), there are infinite ways to do this! You can join staff, engage in online roleplaying on our Discord Server, spend time upgrading your costume, hang out with local LARP buddies talking shop, etc. There are so many possibilities, but only attending the game is truly "required".
Money: LARPing can be an expensive hobby. It doesn't have to be one, however, expenses do add up. If you're playing your own character (PCing), you'll need to spend money on your costume (garb), weapons, and other essentials. Depending on how crafty and thrifty you are, this can range from a small investment to a huge one - but that choice is up to you and your own budget. No one expects a new character to look amazing! You can make a small effort and do really well, and invest in new/better/nicer garb over time. You will also need to pay your event fee, which generally ranges from $75-$100 a weekend. If you want to play for cheaper, you can play on the monster side, which has no event cost. Regardless of whether you PC or NPC, you will need to pay for transportation and food for the weekend. Depending on your situation, you may also need to invest in good boots, the right clothes (black street clothes for NPCs, garb for PCs), time off from work, and other things like that.
Reality: LARPing is a live-action game. We have a lot of options for players who have special needs, but there are some things we cannot change: LARPing in the Portland area is COLD and WET most of the year, and can be outrageously hot the other times. It's important to know the limits of your health when it comes to weather conditions. The physicality of the game can range from just walking between your cabin and the tavern a few times a day to engaging in full combat, but there are some physical elements to the game. We do have a number of accommodations depending on the site that we can offer if you struggle with the physicality of the game, so no fear, but only you can decide if those accommodations are what you need to enjoy the game. Finally, we also play at sites that generally don't have cell phone or internet coverage. If you need access to technology for the weekend to monitor children, work, or what have you, that's going to be a challenge.

If you have considered these points and are ready to explore more, please go to our New Player FAQ page to read more

What should I know before I start?

LARPing is an incredible sport, hobby and adventure. But there are some things to think about before you begin exploring the hobby as one that you want to join:

You are going to have to make a lot of decisions in the beginning. This isn't a bad thing, and you aren't alone! We are more than happy to help walk you through all the decisions to make, and give you alternatives if you want to do things differently. There's no one-size-fits-all in LARPing with Refuge!
There are as many ways to LARP "correctly" as there are people on this planet. Maybe more! Don't worry too much about figuring out what the "right" way to do something is, and just have fun! We're here to help you figure it out as you go, and we're all still learning, too!
Our official Rulebook is a huge thing that contains every rule for every single thing in the game. It's huge in part because the game designers and creators were influenced by games like Dungeons and Dragons, and because they wanted to give characters a LOT of opportunities to do basically anything they could think of! But fear not, you do NOT need to read the whole thing! Read through the New Player FAQ, and decide if you want to PC or NPC first. NPCs don't need to know any of the rules, really, and PCs can get away with only knowing a few at the beginning, and learning the rest through gameplay.
Our players are MORE than happy to teach you how to do anything you like, and will gladly take you under an arm, wing, or claw to instruct you in how to play the game.
If you have any special needs of any kind, feel free to reach out to us and discuss how we can best accommodate your needs. We'll do what we can to make you feel safe and happy and ensure you have a good game.

There's an awful lot to do and think of at first, but we do promise that we'll try our best to ensure that you are as well-supported in your journey as you can be! We encourage everyone who plays to routinely check-in with themselves and others to ensure they are coming to the game from a place of compassion (for themselves and others). We want to tell amazing stories, and we want YOU to be a part of it! Join us now!

Refuge LARP Portland

Welcome to our world