Stupid LARP Tricks For Playing Nosferatu

Skulk:

Practice. If you're naturally a visible and outgoing person, it may be a stretch. A good way of doing it is always looking for the darkest corner of a room and sort of revolving your travels around that corner. Multiple Nosferatu, should of course pick multiple corners.

Skulking is also a good way to hide makeup deficiencies. If you have very slight makeup, or don't look all that hideous at all, then you can use skulking to make sure people don't get to see your face all that much. If, on the other hand, you have snaggle fangs, six-inch overbites and pasty gray nasty skin, don't waste it by skulking too much. Look 'em in the eye. Make 'em squirm.

The Information Network:

Never say "I don't know." If someone asks you a question you don't know the answer to, say "Tell Me." Or something like that. Alternatively, you could say you don't know even if you know very well. Eventually it will get around.

Detail the Nosferatu Info Network. Have a semi-out-of-character clan meeting and write up the structure of the thing. Who has what contacts? What is the nature of those contacts? Remember to give it to your Storyteller for approval and editing. (Trust me, they don't have the time to do more than read it, say 'that's good' or 'that sucks' and give it back to you.)

Be Out Of Place (One):

Look uncomfortable. Wouldn't ya rather be back in the sewers instead of out talking to all these people? There you go.

Be Out Of Place (Two):

Get pushed out of conversations. That may sound weird, but just try it once or twice. It's surprisingly easy to do. Stand in the wrong place, and suddenly, you're a social outsider.

The Face:

Although I've never tried it, apparently a way to make really effective warts is to use rice crispies stuck on with the skin safe adhesives you can get in joke shops (or theatrical type shops I suppose). Then color them in with foundation to match your skin. Don't know where I heard about it, though.

A really effective undead makeup is to make the face really pale (not with thick white greasepaint, but with something like very pale foundation with white eyeshadow all over) and then use a blend of dark green and dark brown eyeshadow around your eyes, and a little on the sides of the nose and lips. Vary the intensity of the white and green/brown according to how dead you want to look. I thought of it for my sister for a Hallow'en party and it looks great when you get it right.

Some other ideas include:

• Potting soil, mixed into mud and smeared on ANY exposed portion
• Baby oil in the hair (long and ratty looking)
• A Deep green eye shadow in a ring around the eye (for that hollow, scary look)
• Heavy makeup of any sort when combined with a hooded sweatshirt (or cloak if Resources and temperament allow) and sunglasses make for a very vaguely-evil looking face that people won't want to see.
• The soap and vinegar trick is fun and leaves you smelling stinky: put a thick film, almost a paste of soap on your face. Now pour white vinegar on it. It bubbles into blisters and pustules.
• Also, any face powder (skin colored) mixed with water into a paste and then applied to the face, will slowly dry and flake off onto people - nice and gross.
• Go to sleep with wet hair. Wake up and don't try top fix it. In fact put mousse or gel into the wet hair when you go to sleep so when you wake up it will stay like that all night/day... (Malkavians take heed!)

Some ideas include:

• Go to the Salvation Army or an old Army store or such, and splurge $15 or so on old, beat up shirts/pants/sweaters/etc.
• Take an old button-down shirt (white or another color) that you don't mind getting dirty. Take a cup full of dirt, some cheap wine or even grape juice, and whatever other 'ambience' you want. Cut the shirt in
• places with a knife and fray the cuffs. Rub the dirt in and use the grape juice or wine to give it that 'wino look'. You can do the same with pants.
• Also at the Salvation Army, look for a really beat up trenchcoat. You can add dirt to this and cut it up some, to give it the proper completion.
• Add to this any cheap fake jewelry you can find, anything you think would be thrown into the sewers after a mugging or something.
• Tools. (We like to keep our sewers clean, no?)
• Pillows make good hunchbacks.
• One of those knitted beer can hats. Knitted hats of all kinds make good hairless fun.
• A formal tuxedo shirt properly stained reddish-brown for blood and other stains for age and use.
• A formal tuxedo vest (old and ratty) buttoned wrong.
• A full tailcoat (slightly moth eaten) with the sleeves pulled up.
• Ripped and destroyed jeans.

Put a fresh egg in a bowl, sprinkle some sugar on it (very little) add some water and leave at warm or room temp for several days. Rub into clothing...Tuna juice is also very effective. Eat garlic (LOTS of garlic) and always use H words - like Halitosis!

Minor Touches:

Always have dirt under your fingernails.