Current crewing opportunities
Overview
Crewing can be an amazing experience - but it's not for everyone - and in particular, we have to make sure we have the right people who can work together and gel as a team. We're always keen to talk to anyone who is interested in crewing so that they can find out if it's something they want to do and we can see if there is a place for them on the team. So if you're interested in one of the roles below, do get in touch with our game director Clare Evans - we'll give you a quick interview and see if we can offer you a place on the team.
All our crewing roles are for volunteers - but you won't need a ticket, we'll feed you throughout the event, and there is a big crew party on the last day for everyone who is helping take the event down. Ultimately the real benefit of crewing is that you'll be part of an amazing team of people and can take pride in your role in creating the Empire events that players love. You'll be part of the biggest LRP event crew in the country (there are over 400 of us!), working with incredibly talented people, and hopefully having an amazing time.
The crew roles described below are specific areas that we are actively looking to fill at this time, so if they sound interesting then it's definitely worth contacting us to discuss it. If you're interested in helping with something that isn't listed below then it may still be worth getting in touch, but bear in mind that we may already have enough people helping out in that area.
NPC
The NPCs are there to bring the Empire setting to life and try to make each event as dramatic and engaging as possible. To do that - we need good NPCs that are capable of playing a multitude of different parts throughout a weekend. This isn’t ‘easier’ than playing - it's much harder! We need you to have a solid grasp of all the nations of the Empire, and you’ll be working with detailed briefs that may involve magic, finance, diplomacy and foreign nations. It really helps to be an experienced roleplayer and is vital that you're familiar with the setting.
You only need to be on site shortly before the event starts, and while we ask that you help with the takedown of the monster tent before leaving, this usually only takes an hour or so after time out, so being an NPC is a great role for anyone who wants to be right in the heart of the game but cannot get to the event early or stay late.
All our plot crew are very busy throughout every event. This means that it is impossible to play an event and be a member of the plot crew. You will get a chance to take a few hours off each event to get out and socialize in-character if you want to, but you can't be an NPC and play the game. We also operate a permanent crew system, so while you're welcome to resume playing in the future if you want to, but you can't switch back and forth being playing and NPCing from one event to the next.
How much of the event will you see?
As an NPC, plenty of it, but as a player, you might only get a couple of hours over the whole weekend, if there’s time. We do try and allow for people to go and socialise, but your main focus should be on your NPC roles.
Requirements
- Be available from Friday afternoon – pre-event briefing is at 4pm
- Be available for an hour after time out for take down and packing
- Have a solid knowledge of the Imperial Nations, and preferably the magic and economy systems
- Be up for cycling through a variety of roles over the weekend, on your own and as part of groups
Referees
We are recruiting for our referee team. The Empire referees are one of the most visible and essential parts of the game, covering everything from battle field safety to bonding items, via rituals, poisonings and all sorts of shenanigans on the way.
Very roughly there are two types of referee role, you can both both, mostly one and dabble in the other or just one! The Field covers Anvil and Skirmish covers battles, skirmishes, encounters and most combat.
All referees are armed with a PD supplied tablet to look up rules for clarification and log player actions. You will also have a radio and ear-piece so you can communicate with the rest of the team. Back up and support is always on hand.
No one is ever thrown in without training and support, for your first event you will be teamed up with another member of the team who help you learn and make sure your confident and secure in the role.
On the Field you will be responding to player needs. This could be based in the Regio or the Ref Access Tent in the Dawn/Wintermark field or roving free range around Anvil as needed. The referees on the field are answering player queries, processing bindings, rituals and things that need data base queries. The tablet walks you through the process, you just need to enter the correct numbers! You get an opportunity to see all sides of the players games and know all the exciting and sneaky things going on!
On Skirmish you will become an expert in managing combat safety and applying the combat rules. This is a physical job, you will need to travel between God, Monster, the skirmish woods and field on a regular basis covering all the terrain in between and keeping up with player movements.
How much of the event will you see?
- • You will be unlikely to play a character but opportunities to take on small roles in other departments can be arranged, e.g. plot writing, monstering, field NPCing with the Civil Service.
Requirements
- You will be one of the main faces of the game and a lot of the work is customer service based. Being polite, approachable and knowing when to escalate is essential.
- We would love you to have either experience as an Empire player OR experience of reffing other systems.
- We would need you to learn the core Empire rules around commonly used items and actions before your first event
- Be comfortable wearing a radio and earpiece at all times and using a tablet to record entries in a database
- Being a referee can involve walking long distances as you cover the space of Anvil and will often be moving between player camps and God. There are places for referees with more static roles in the team with the Regio, Ref Access Tent and God bases.
- Be on-site on Friday at 3 pm until the end of the event at 3 pm on Sunday afternoon
Skirmish Team
We need more people to join our skirmish team - The Hundred - to bolster our numbers and help in delivering combat encounters at events. The Skirmish Team runs in two main groups to deliver large military engagements and smaller plot-heavy encounters for players. As the game has grown the need for more orcs, heralds, undead, and unusual monsters has increased. To continue improving on our current encounters we need a larger team to muster for skirmishes and deliver combat encounters so more players can participate and have fun fighting for the Empire!
The majority of the time we play barbarian orcs from the tribes that surround the Empire, but also portray magical heralds, fearsome creatures, shambling undead, the monstrous Vallorn, and unassuming human citizens with nothing to hide... It can be an exhausting experience but as a team we look after each other and make sure we don’t push ourselves too far. We stop work each evening by 10 pm, then run through a briefing for the battle the next day. After this is done there is time to rest and relax with the rest of the team, head in character to enjoy Anvil, or take on a volunteer role in late-night low-combat encounters. With a larger team, we will be able to support larger military encounters and additional slots for our Plot Team to deliver a whole host of plots in the skirmish areas, encounter tents and in Anvil itself.
Ideally, we are looking for people who already have experience playing or crewing LRP, both at large fests and smaller events. Experience of Empire LRP is not essential but will help make it easier to understand the encounters you are part of, and what we are trying to achieve. Being a competent fighter is useful, as is being able to lead others, but these are not essential; being able to roleplay is however an essential thing we need!
The extra cool bits: "You get to play the varied threats faced by the players; access to the Empire arsenal of weapons and armour for monstering with; support from the rest of the team on creating cool orc costumes and kit; training in how to safely fight and engage the players of the game in combat!"
How much of the event will you see?
- You will be involved in encounters during most of your event, but will have plenty of breaks for rest and food. There is a chance to play your own character after battle brief is done each evening.
Requirements
- This role involves considerable physical exertion, involvement in LRP combat, and frequent running
- This role includes frequent changes of kit, armour, and makeup
- This role requires wearing latex masks for extended periods of time
- You need to understand and follow the Empire LRP rules, especially those relating to combat and conduct
- You will work with team leaders our Battle Team, Referee Team and Plot Writers to deliver exceptional encounters
- You will assist with set-up and take-down of team kit and the battlefield areas before and after the event
- Where possible you should commit to crewing for an extended period of time (four events); it is not possible to alternate between playing and crewing as part of the Skirmish Team
Synod Civil Service (Tribune)
The Civil Servants who support the Synod game are called the Tribune of the Synod, and it's their job to answer questions, accept new Judgements, advise players, and take their votes. We pride ourselves on having in-character Civil Servants who are a living, breathing part of the game world, and having a strong sense of camaraderie.
Primarily, you'd be helping player characters achieve their goals and ambitions by taking away the complicated bits of bureaucracy, enabling drama, intrigue and other gameplay. Frequently, this involves helping outside of the Synod as well - advising players on where to go, what options they have available, or who they might want to talk to.
Out of character experience with admin isn't necessary, but you'd need to be comfortable with helping out with the paperwork for much of the event, checking to make sure players have filled out Judgements correctly and recording their votes accurately. You'll be working alongside other experienced Civil Servants who will happily share their expertise and guide you through this.
You only need to be on site shortly before the event starts, but after that you'll be quite busy - Synod opens at time-in and apart from some small breaks, it closes at 10pm.
How much of the event will you see?
You'll be in your Field NPC role for most, if not all of the event, directly interacting with player characters as an immersive, in-character functionary. Although that'll be your main focus, you'll also get breaks to rest and relax, and freedom to head off and roleplay once Synod closes for the evening - though you won't be playing the game like a player would.
Requirements
- Excellent customer service skills
- Be available from 6pm Friday to 10pm in the evening
- Be available from 10am Saturday to 10pm in the evening
- Be available from 10am Sunday to 3pm in the afternoon
- Ideally have a good knowledge of the game world, such as the Imperial Nations (but you'll learn Synod-specific processes on the job)
Security
Live roleplaying events are generally relaxed and friendly environments so we work with a small SIA registered security team. We supplement that team with volunteer marshals who work alongside security and help them keep a watchful eye on the site each night. We have spaces for both SIA registered security and volunteer marshals at present, in order to cover all our night shifts well and make it possible for each team member to have one night off.
The team covers Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 01:00 to 08.30 in the morning. Depending on your need for sleep, you can get quite a lot of play as a character in the game fitted in around your shifts, though you do need to make sure you save enough energy to do the job well. The team work closely with first aid, and with the conduct team and participant welfare, in order to make sure everyone stays safe whilst enjoying the event. In bad weather conditions, they are also responsible for securing tent structures that are at risk and dealing with other issues as they arrive.
How much of the event will you see?
- Whilst getting enough sleep to cover your shifts is a priority, you may spend time between shifts playing a character and enjoying the event"
Requirements
- Be able to work 1 am - 8.30 am shifts on security, either 2 (when we have enough cover) or 3 nights per event (Thurs, Fri, Sat)
- Be able to walk around the site as part of that shift
- Be sober for your shift in order to be a fully responsible team member
- Be able to do physical tasks such as assisting carrying a person
Costume
The Costume team works closely with the NPC team to ensure they are maintaining the consistency of kit briefs entering the player field. During events the costume team manage the setup and take down of wardrobe, keep the kit rails tidy, accessible & organised. They are also in charge of creating, acquiring and repairing kit, typically during the downtime between events. This would be an ideal role for someone who makes costume for Empire already and has experience playing the game.
How much of the event will you see?
- Plot Production crew are very busy throughout every event. This means that it is impossible to play an event and be a member of the plot crew. You will still get a chance to take some time off and socialise with friends, most likely towards the end of each day once the last remaining plots are run out.
Requirements
- Be available from Thursday afternoon to help setup the costume department
- Be available for an hour after time out for take down and packing
- Have a good understanding of the costume briefs for each nation
- We would prefer that you have experience of the Empire Game World
Props
The Props department is responsible for organising and maintaining PD's props and assisting with prop requests from the running plots of each event. Our props are sorted into numbered & labelled storage crates which many of the plot & plot production crew members will access throughout each event. Once the plot is finished the props team will return everything back into its boxy home.
Between events & occasionally during events specific prop requests will come in, and whilst it’s not the sole responsibility of the props department to facilitate these requests the role would suit someone with crafting skills. There are also ongoing efforts to create a searchable photo database, with photos being taken at each event during any downtime.
How much of the event will you see?
- Plot Production crew are very busy throughout every event. This means that it is impossible to play an event and be a member of the plot crew. You will still get a chance to take some time off and socialise with friends, most likely towards the end of each day once the last remaining plots are run out.
Requirements
- Be available from Thursday afternoon to help setup the props department
- Be available for an hour after time out for take down and packing
- Comfortable with lifting & shifting some relatively heavy storage crates
- Have a good understanding of the visual briefs of each nation