Bleed & bandaids

In our genre of storytelling (survival horror), bleed is inevitable in our equation of play. A little gore is to be expected, of course, but that’s not really the macabre we’re addressing here today. So what exactly is ‘bleed’, and why are we talking about it? Well, here’s the deep cut (we love a pun here).

Bleed is the crossover between the emotions experienced by a player and those experienced by a character; essentially the border between player and character becomes more transparent. There are two types of bleed–often referred to as bleed-in and bleed-out. Bleed-in refers to the player’s emotional state affecting the character. Have you ever felt yourself getting hangry and suddenly notice it’s reflected in your character acting unusually temperamental? This could be a case of bleed-in. Bleed-out refers to the emotions experienced by a character influencing the player’s emotional state. An example may be experiencing frustrations in-character about not accomplishing something, but then as a player feeling burnt out and frustrated in turn. On the same token, positive emotions experienced as your character can affect you just as powerfully. Did your character save the day and it made you, the player, feel really good too? Technically, that’s bleed out. Usually when we talk about bleed, it’s in a negative tone. The word itself has some pretty heavy connotations, but it’s important to remember that bleed itself is neutral and is not inherently “good” or “bad”. Bleed can happen to anyone, seasoned player and newcomer alike, and it can happen for a variety of reasons. Instead, let’s judge and address bleed by it’s surrounding context.

In LARP, our bodies are the avatars we use to navigate a given play space. As a result, it’s often easier to startle or scare the player rather than the hardened, wasteland surviving badasses that we play. Sometimes this is entirely unintentional and beyond our control, but other times it can inform the stories we tell and the spaces we create for our players to explore in a safe and voluntary environment. After all, real life fears and character fears are sometimes one in the same. 

But why does bleed feel so powerful? At Dystopia Rising: Virginia, you spend a weekend soaking up all the highs and lows that come with surviving in the Wasteland. Your character will get hunted by things who want them dead or worse. They’ll also probably get scooped up and cared for by their fellow survivors in the same breath. Needless to say, a weekend of Dystopia Rising has the potential to leave your heart full and your body ragged with the roller coaster of endorphins and shifting cortisol levels (ie; happy and stress chemicals in meat suits). This is why we believe proactive approaches to bleed are just as important as the more easily recognizable reactive approaches like decompression and aftercare. 

Let’s talk about some of the techniques that we can use to reduce or manage bleed as we navigate LARP scenes.

Alibis - Tools for getting in and out of character 

Getting in and out of character is more than quickly throwing on a costume; it’s a process laced with intention that can prevent bleed in both directions. Something that can help the process of getting in and out of character (also called roling and deroling) is creating an “alibi” - a technique, item, or process to incorporate into your practice that builds the boundary between player and character. Examples include putting rings on in a specific meditative order, wearing a specific item (such as a hat) as part of your kit to indicate when you are in character and taking it off for OOC discussions, or putting on your character’s makeup in an intentional way. This works for getting out of character too - putting items away in your trunk in a specific order to put the character themselves away, washing your face every time you get out of character, etc. Alibis are unique to each player (and each character!), and are part of an intentional mindfulness process and practice. 

“My character” vs “Me” - Shifting Language 

Because our bodies are our game pieces for LARP, it makes bleed all the more likely; even more so when recalling events. The memories you experienced in character vs. out of character can get blended together. Instead of saying “Remember when you and I took down that Gorehound?” try saying something along the lines of “Remember when [my character] and [your character] took down that Gorehound?” It takes practice, but each time you intentionally choose that language, it sets up the boundary between player and character in your mind. A player and their character are not the same person, and honoring this distinction for both yourself and others at game is a key element in reducing and preventing bleed. 

Player goals VS. Character goals 

Have you ever felt frustrated for not doing “enough” at game? This is an indication of bleed-out. Separating goals that a character may have from your experience as a player can limit the bleed we experience in these situations. At the end of the day, LARPers come together for a variety of reasons - see friends, engage in creative storytelling and imaginative play, get outside and touch grass in a way other role-playing games don’t include - so not getting rectangles or furthering a storyline as much as one had hoped doesn’t have to be the downfall of a whole weekend. 

Character goals can focus on story, econ, or more, while player goals should focus on your needs as a person. For example, a character goal could be “Research a bounty”, or “learn a master skill” while a player goal could be “talk to friends” or “rest when I feel tired”. That way, even if you don’t accomplish your goals as a character, this limits frustration and burnout as a player. 

Bleed can have a profound impact on your time at game, but the techniques we discussed can have an equally transformative effect on your experience with LARP. Take a moment to think about your own process for getting in and out of character and what things help you make that transition. And if you're having trouble, staff here at Dystopia Rising Virginia are always here to help.

Join us for a pre-game workshop at DRVA on March 29th to work through these techniques! Can’t make the workshop but want to explore these ideas and techniques? Download our worksheet here and try it out for yourself!

If you’re interested in some more readings, here are some of our favorite blogs and resources on bleed.

 https://nordiclarp.org/wiki/Bleed

https://nordiclarp.org/2015/03/02/bleed-the-spillover-between-player-and-character/

https://arc-adelaide.com.au/2017/03/10/10-steps-to-manage-your-own-bleed/