Introduction: New Players, Read This First!

Hello, and welcome to the website for UNDERLINGS, a parlour LARP run by the Oxford LARP Society in the mould of the OURPGSoc Society Games. If you've never played any sort of roleplaying game before, never fear! Here's a quick introduction. If you're a seasoned roleplayer, feel free to check out the quick guide to sections of the site at the bottom of this page.

One important thing to be aware of first: You don't need to read this entire website!

There's a lot of material here, and you certainly don't need to know all of it to start playing (although if you do want to, that's great!). Read only what interests you and what's relevant to a character you might like to play. You will find a guide to sections of the website and what they tell you below.

Any questions, concerns and character concepts should be e-mailed to the The GM Team.

There are a few acronyms used throughout the website which might be a little confusing if you've never played before. Don't worry—help is at hand! And if you're confused by anything, feel free to email us to ask questions.

• OOC or OC: Out of Character. Events and circumstances in the real world. For example, Underlings sessions take place OOC every fortnight, on a Wednesday, as listed in when and where.
• IC: In Character. Events and people in the world of Underlings. For example, the sessions of Underlings occur IC every fortnight, in the basement of a club for evil villains.
• GM: Game Master or Game Moderator. Us! You might know the term 'Ref' or 'DM' (Dungeon master) from other forms of roleplaying. The team of people who write, run and maintain the game for your playing pleasure. The first place to turn if you have a question.
• PC: Player Character. You! The characters that Underlings players create and represent in the fictional world. You will usually play the same PC every week through the course of the game, though you may switch or retire a character if you get bored or your character dies. Retired characters cannot be brought back if you change your mind.
• NPC: Non-Player Character. Us again! Other characters in the Underlings setting, who may appear at session (played by a GM), or just in turnsheets. NPCs present in the session may vary slightly week-to-week, and GMs will often play several NPCs during a game session. If there is a specific NPC you want to talk to in a game session, then ask a GM (it helps if you know which GM is playing that NPC).
• PvE and PvP: Terms to describe the nature of the obstacles and challenges your characters face, 'Player vs Environment' (i.e. the world, including NPCs is out to get you) or 'Player vs Player' (i.e. everyone else is out to get you). Underlings will be mostly PvE, though there will be some PvP elements (particularly when it comes to Union votes.
• Turnsheet: The down-time system used in Underlings. Outcomes to turnsheets are determined by the GMs based on your plans, character sheet, and game plot.
• Phys-rep: “Physical representation”, an object, makeup, or costume used to represent something in the game—a plastic blade representing a real blade, makeup representing a scar or recent wound.

A roleplaying game is somewhere between amateur dramatics and collaborative storytelling. You turn up, create a character to play, and play them. There are no scripts or lines, no set outcomes to what will happen—just a setting, a bunch of other characters to interact with, and some GMs to make sure it all runs smoothly.

Underlings is broadly a freeform¹⁾ live roleplaying game, which means that instead of narrating your character's actions during game sessions (like you might do in something like D&D), you actually perform them: every week you show up, walk around and talk to other characters. There's no dice rolls - everything is either a result of your interactions with other characters in sessions and emails, or your plans in turnsheets. You can plan, gossip, trade news, form connections, diplome, eavesdrop or orate. This doesn't mean you need to be a great public speaker, or even a particularly good actor—just be able to speak as your character would.

These sessions take place in the backrooms of a fancy club for villains of all flavours - but as their underlings, you don't get so much of the fancy parts. The game is non-combat—it is understood that any physical violence will lead to immediate and swift retribution from the management of the venue. In general, sessions are reserved for talking to other player characters and NPCs, in-session politics, and for planning the big actions you're going to take in turnsheets (more on this shortly!)

Most importantly: roleplaying is about having fun and creating stories with other players. Absolutely no experience is required to play Underlings (indeed, it's designed to offer an easy route in for new roleplayers), and there will be plenty of supportive people on-hand to help you out if you're confused about any aspect of the game. Turn up and enjoy yourself!

Every two weeks on a Wednesday evening, players meet in a room in the Asian Cultural Centre. In character, these meetings are being hosted by the fledgling Underlings' Union²⁾, in the backrooms of a fancy club where many of their overlords are schmoozing and living the high life. During these meetings, players will get to consult with each other and with various other interested parties. They will have to work out how to execute the schemes their villains have tasked them with, and how to build up the Union to improve their lot in life. The GMs will be on hand to offer help, advice, and information and to keep the game running smoothly, as well as playing various NPCs every week.

The time between meetings is two weeks of IC time and the time between sessions is two weeks of OC time. During this period, characters will have the opportunity to travel the world in pursuit of their goals. The time between sessions is the period when your character has the most freedom to act - undertaking evil schemes for their diabolical employers, working to gain leverage in future negotiations, or pursuing other more personal goals.

Each week, we ask that players send in a summary of what they want their character to be doing in that two week period, known as a 'Turnsheet'; the GMs will then judge the results of your actions and report back to you on how everything went.

There is a system for these turnsheet actions, detailed here—but don't feel you need to memorise it all; we're more than happy to help you out if you're having trouble working out what you want to do in the early weeks!

We'd suggest starting in the following places:

• The Setting pages: Your character can be aware of everything in this section. Every page has a bullet point summary written at the top if you just want to skim through! You'll probably want to look at Nequam, the Union and genres.
• Intro to the Wiki System: If you are new to Society Games, and want to be brought up to speed on how the wiki works.
• Character Creation: When you want to start putting together your character for the game.
• Style and Tone: To get some initial idea about the feel of the game, without reading through every page on the wiki.
• Turnsheeting: This will get you up to speed on how turnsheets work, if you don't yet know.