Maelstrom LARP

Welcome to the Maelstrom LARP. Maelstrom is a survival horror live-action roleplay experience set in a Gothic high-fantasy world steeped in darkness and danger -- a game that challenges you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Survival depends on grit, ingenuity, and teamwork. This site is the complete rules reference for all game mechanics.

Use the left sidebar to navigate by section, or use the search bar to find any rule, call, or keyword by name.

New to Maelstrom

If you are preparing for your first event, read these pages in order:

1. Attending Your First Event — What to bring, how check-in works, and what to expect when you arrive.
2. About Maelstrom — What the game is, how it works, and the core mechanics at a glance.
3. Safety Rules — Hold calls, physical contact limits, and out-of-play emergency procedures. Every player must know these before stepping on the field.
4. In-Play and Out-of-Play — What each status means and how to signal it.
5. Game Conduct — The honor system, sportsmanship expectations, and marshal authority.
6. Character Creation — Step-by-step guide to building your first character.
7. Health and Death — How damage, dying, and resurrection work in play.
8. Status Effects — Every status condition and what it means when called against you.
9. Attack Types — What each damage type means and how they interact with defenses.
10. Defenses — How to call Cloak, Shield, Resist, and other defense responses.
11. Combat Mechanics — Weapon attacks, packet spells, and how to call damage.

Browse by Section

Most-Referenced Pages

• Status Effects — Full list of all taglines and their durations
• Attack Types — What each damage type means
• Defenses — How Cloak, Shroud, Shield, Mantle, Resist, and Reflect work
• Health and Death — Bleeding, Dead, Resurrection procedure
• Crafting Mechanics — Dice pools and improvement system