A Walk Down Memory Lane

A photo from many years ago.

This character is Rufus. He was a soldier in King Arthur's army. He set sail for the continent to join Arthur's war against the Roman emperor. However, Rufus's ship was caught in a storm and wrecked. When Rufus awoke, he found himself in a strange world - the world of Dagorhir.

Paladin Body Armor Update

My plans are evolving since my last post about body armor. I now have 3 potential options,

Modify

I recently picked up this leather jerkin from Kult of Athena.

It is a nice, light leather. I'm toying with riveting leather plates underneath to create a brigandine.

I'm not sure I want to risk ruining it, though.

Make

I'm still considering making a brigandine from scratch.

I gave up on the Simplicity vest pattern, which I mentioned in my previous post. While I like the overall look, the pattern was too complicated for me.

Instead, I used a tabard to create a mock-up in canvas.

For the real thing, I'm considering dureasuede. It comes in 58" widths and sold by the yard. One yard should suffice for a brigandine shell.

Fake

Another option I mentioned before was to create a leather cuirass and then add rivets to make it look like a brigandine. That might be the easiest to do. 

I can use the pattern from my faux lamellar.

I will modify the cut a bit and fasten the pieces together with rivets instead of cord.

Which One?

Right now, I still lean on modifying the jerkin from KoA. But at some point, I may try all 3 methods, looking for the easiest and cheapest.

Paladin Leg Armor

A bit late with this, but let me finish out my paladin series with leg armor.

I have a set of greaves from Red Dragon Armoury (also available from Medieval Collectibles)

They are serviceable, but I would also like knee protection.

Wyrmwick has a nice pair.

The Huscarl greaves from MC could also work. I would likely repaint them in silver.

Anyway, no need for a change anytime soon. As I said, my current greaves are serviceable.

Paladin Arm Armor

Let's talk about arms.

If you look at my model image, he has full plate arms.

I could do that, in either leather or plastic. In fact, Wyrmwick has some really nice (albeit pricey) ones.

But, I don't really want vambraces (lower arms). I have gloves that I like and I want to keep them. If I wear vambraces, I need to either

• wear them under the glove cuffs, in which case they are not visible and kind of useless, or
• wear them over the glove, but then I have to remove them to remove the gloves.

I'm toying with the idea of making some upper arm armor out of leather. The pauldrons and upper arms don't look too complicated. I already made a nice prototype out of cardboard. Elbows are another story - very complicated.

After some thought, I'm just going to wear my Red Dragon pauldrons.

Paladin Body Armor

Next, I turn to body armor.

The ideal armor for a crusader look would be chainmail. I just don't want to wear chain because of the weight and it messes up any clothes underneath. Sure, I could wear a gambeson, but I want to reduce layers.

Another option is a cuirass. I actually have a plastic one - the Red Dragon knight errant cuirass.

I just find it a bit bulky.

I then started thinking about an armored surcoat, like this. If you look closely, you can see that the surcoat body has squares. These are plates (presumably sewn in).

I could take a surcoat or tabard and rivet plates to the inside. That may not be very versatile, though.

Instead, I thought about a generic, leather, front-opening brigandine. I could always toss a tabard over it.

One issue I've always had with a brigandine is the outer shell. I like the look of cloth brigs, but I don't sew. That drastically limits me. So I finally decided to make the brig entirely from leather. I would use 2-3 oz leather for the outer shell and 8-9 oz leather for the plates. I started pricing it out and had a shock - the 2-3 oz and the 8-9 oz were pricier than 9-10 oz! And I'd have to buy double the amount.

So then I decided to make a faux brigandine using 9-10 oz leather. There would be no plates. I would just make a cuirass and then put a bunch of rivets in it so it looked like brig. Basically, I'm making studded leather.

Now, I need a pattern. There are brig patterns online, like Armour Archive, but they are mostly for the plates. I need one for the outer layer. The outer layer is basically a vest, so I started researching vest patterns.

I found one from Simplicity, The bottom right one seems like it could work.

I ordered the pattern and am waiting for it to arrive.

A Paladin Helmet

As I mentioned, I want an open-faced helmet. There are a few reasons:

• It's easier to see
• It's easier to breathe
• It's easier to wear glasses.

Unfortunately, my Red Dragon sallet does not fit. Otherwise, it would work fine.

I missed out on a nice conical helmet from Norton. I posted this back in 2019. It would be perfect, but Norton no longer sells to the general public.

Wyrmwick has a nut helmet that would also be perfect. But it is large and it ships from England. I'm not sure that I want to shell out the money for something that may not fit.

I thought about the Nordic helmet from Medieval Collectibles/Dark Knight Armory. But it looks more Dark Ages.

Now I’m thinking I could modify this barbarian helmet. I could remove the cheek pieces, sand down the sides so they look less rough, and then repaint it. It is out of stock now

I'm still pondering. Feel free to chime in.

Paladin Kit 2026

 I’ve been down this road before. Once again, I find myself looking into a paladin kit.

Why?

I started ruminating about it after I played the villainous Ser Guy during an event. I kind of like the look. Also, I think the tabard over a shirt is actually cooler than my Legion tunic.

Inspiration

My immediate inspiration for a LARP paladin is a crusader. But this can cover a lot of ground. Let’s look into specifics.

• I’d like an open-faced helmet
• I’d rather not wear metal armor – either chainmail of plate. Plastic or leather is fine.

I used AI to concoct a basic model.

This model wears chainmail, but I’ll discuss substitutes.

I am going to create separate posts to evaluate each component.

• Helmet
• Body Armor
• Arms
• Legs

New Shoes!

I finally picked up some shoes that look better for LARP.

They are chukka boots from Amazon.

They're not authentic but they'll look good enough from several feet away. And they were on sale for $26!

More Enhanced Kits

Following up on the previous post, here are the last few enhanced kits.

Scymatia

Teikoku

Tortuga

Enhanced Kits

Following up on my post about kits for recruits, I am generating Chat GPT images of upgraded kits - basically something to strive towards.

These are the ones I've done so far.

Aridia

Chevalia - knight and ranger options

The Empire

The Isles

Nevora - with and without armor

Palmyra

Rhuunheim

Kits for the Recruit

Back in October, I mentioned a silly project that started with some basic garb using common clothing items. I then went into an armor black hole.

I have returned to the concept of basic garb. I figure with a few modifications someone could fairly easily model the different cultures my LARP. I generated some images in Chat GPT to illustrate the concept.

Basic Kit

Here is a player in a basic kit - t-shirt tunic, sweatpants, belt, and hiking boots.

Regional Variations

Here is how we can take the basic kit and modify it to represent the different cultures.

Aridia - based on the tales of the Arabian Nights. Add a turban, vest, sash, and leg wraps.

Chevalia- based on the tales of the knights of Arthur and Charlemagne. Add a tabard. T-shirt color change is optional.

Aurelia - heartland of our Empire, inspired by Rome. Change the t-shirt color and wear shorter pants. I don't recommend going pants-less.

The Isles - akin to the Scottish Highlands. Swap pants for a kilt.

Nevora - Renaissance and Tudor fashion. A vest, flat cap, and leg wraps convey the image.

Palmyra - based on ancient Egypt. Change the t-shirt color, cut off the sleeves, and wear a white kilt instead of pants.

Rhuunheim - barbarians like the Vikings and ancient Germans. Add a faux fur mantle, leg wraps, and maybe bracers.

Scymatia - inspired by the Slavs of Eastern Europe, especially the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Here we use a bathrobe to represent a zupan. Add a faux fur hat and leg wraps.

Teikoku - akin to feudal Japan. Again we use a robe, this time as a kimono like top. Wide legged sweatpants complete the look.

Tortuga - a pirate haven. A bandana and sash give the pirate look.

I should mention that I purposely did not change the shoes. This is from a practical standpoint - we want to protect our toes during battle. Otherwise, I would have suggested sandals for the Aurelians, Teikokuans, and Tortugans.

Next Steps

I am in the process of compiling these guidelines as well as some basic campaign history, cultural information, and suggestions on acquiring a kit into a guidebook for new recruits.

Leveling Up in Valiant LARP

I would like the officers of the Chimera Legion to consider possible improvements to the current requirements for leveling up. Please send me any suggestions. We can also discuss during practice.

Current Requirements

Here are the current requirements by level. I include the generic level titles with the Chimera Legion equivalents in parentheses.

1. Recruit (Rudis). No requirements. All players start at level 1.
2. Apprentice (Tiro). 3 lore battles. Own a tabard or tunic. Demonstrate proper game etiquette.
3. Regular (Miles). 1 full season of lore battles. Own basic garb and a weapon. Demonstrate prowess and proper game etiquette.
4. Veteran (Emeritus). 2 full seasons of lore battles. Own full garb and a complete weapon set. Demonstrate prowess and proper game etiquette.
5. Exemplar (Principale). 3 full seasons of lore battles. Own full garb, loaner garb, a complete weapon set, and a loaner weapon set. Demonstrate prowess and proper game etiquette.
6. The Best (Optimates). 4 full seasons of lore battles. Own full garb, loaner garb, and monster garb. Own three complete weapon sets. Demonstrate prowess and proper game etiquette.

Notes:

• Basic garb includes tunic, pants, appropriate shoes and belt.
• Full garb is better quality basic garb with accessories, like headgear.
• Monster garb is for when the player is an NPC. It helps the game if people have their own monster garb.
• Weapon sets include sword and board, great sword, bow and 6 arrows, javelin and buckler, etc,
• In the past, I used an Order of the Eagle in a season as a mark of prowess. Now that we have more players we will need another benchmark. The officers can discuss candidates.
• For level 6, I would like to have a quest as the test of prowess.
• Proper game etiquette means the player obeys the rules, does not sluff, treats other players with respect, and makes the game better.

Guiding Principles

When we developed these guidelines initially, these are some principles I kept in mind.

• Reward the character not the player. That is why there are no requirements to build stuff.
• No stupid trials. In Bel and WotS these tend to be of the fight everyone until you drop variety. Thus, they tend to be endurance trials, etc. Waste of time. I want to reward people for what they do during the actual game, specifically lore battles.
• No pay to play. People should acquire the basics, garb and weapons. But they don't need armor or other really expensive gear to level up.
• For higher levels, I want to reward characters who show leadership by helping the Legion. Loaner garb and weapons are great helps.
• Level 6 should be our equivalent of knighthood. These characters will get an in-game ennobling ceremony (details TBD).

Questions

I have some questions for the officers.

• What do you think of the requirements? Anything to add or change?
• Does it take too long to reach level 6?
• Is requiring 3 weapon sets for level 6 too much? The idea is that the character can outfit him or herself plus two others. Kind of like a knight and two squires.
• Should I drop the requirement for monster garb? It is technically out of character. Originally, the requirement called for feast garb. I dropped that because we don't really do fancy feasts.

You can respond in our Discord or in the comments section of this post.

Kit Wish List

A Black Friday sale at Medieval Collectibles got me thinking about what I'd like for gear. Here is my current wish list.

My Current Kit

In general, I am happy with my current kit, which looks like this.

I have painted the shield and replaced the plastic lamellar with leather.

Priorities for 2026

There are some minor changes I'd like to make.

• Breeches
• Shoes
• Subarmalis

In addition, I'd like to pick up another loaner tabard.

Let's look at each item in detail.

Breeches

I have a pair of the Kilian short trousers, but I am unhappy with them. It is hard to tie the drawstring and they don't stay up.

I'd like breeches that:

• have an elastic waistband (I know, not period. No one will see it)
• pockets (Again, not period. See above)
• Not too poofy

I think I found the perfect ones - the Veli Medieval Breeches. They have a version in black.

They're $61 so a bit pricey.

A slightly cheaper option is to take these Viking pants from Amazon and cut off the cuff at the bottom.

Shoes

Right now, I just wear a pair of Skechers. I would like to get something a little more appropriate. The issue is that medieval accurate shoes have leather soles. Walking on leather soles feels like ice skating. For safety reasons, I'd like to get rubber soles (again not period, but do I care?)

A period(ish) option are the Anglo Scandinavian shoes from Boots by Bohemond.

My big issue is that I don't like ordering shoes online. I have wide feet so I like to try them on.

A cheaper option is to go to a local shoe store and look for Chukka boots.

Subarmalis

My subarmalis is made of faux leather so it is very hot and heavy. I would like something lighter for summer months, preferably made from linen.

I found a company in Spain, Sagum Ancient Clothing, that makes a linen subarmalis. Unfortunately, no pteruges.

I also looked for a cotton subarmalis. Most look too padded or lack pteruges.

Another option is to dispense with the top and just wear pteruges. But that means I need to find pteruges, or cut up my current subarmalis.

Cardboard Armor

Experimenting with making armor from cardboard. I doubt it's durable enough for LARP but I could use it as templates for EVA foam or leather armor.

Helmet

First up is a flat top helmet. I figured that flat top is the easiest to do.

Here is the inspiration.

Crusader Flat Helm from Medieval Collectibles

Here is my version.

It's a prototype, using tape to keep it together. It needs to be painted.

I think I made it too short. I should try a version that's a little taller. I may also add faux chain to it.

Greaves

Kind of cheating - using Velcro straps. Still, it came out good.

Next, I should try a version that extends over the knee.

Cuirass, Pauldron, and Bracer

Sorry about the flash.

The Velcro straps work well for the bracers too!

The slits on the cuirass aren't a feature of the armor. I just so happened to have a bunch of cardboard panels with slits. If I did this design for real, the plates would just be solid.

I am really happy with the pauldron. I wanted something to fit onto the point of my shoulder. I took a flat piece of cardboard, cut out a diagonal wedge at top, then bent the cardboard so that the edges of the diagonal meet. It worked!

Next Steps

In all, the prototypes work. On to the final product.

But the big question is what material to use.

• Leather is an obvious choice for LARP. But it is so expensive!
• Cardboard is cheap but I don't think it will be durable. Perhaps I should try Plastidip on it.
• EVA foam is commonly used for cosplay armor. But will it be durable?

As I write this, I think Plastidip cardboard greaves might be a good test.

A Silly Project

I started messing around with a silly project - cardboard armor!

The Evolution of a "Project"

It started with me thinking about how to do a beginner kit in the cheapest fashion possible.

Part 1 - Basis Garb

I figure that one could do basic garb with a t-shirt, sweatpants, and hiking boots.

Here is an AI generated example.

Part 2 - Enhancements

Then I got to thinking about how to enhance the above kit. 

The simplest idea is to add a tabard.

Also, how about some armor? But I want to keep things cheap. Which leads me to ...

Cardboard Armor
I've been researching cardboard armor and found some very intriguing sites.

On YouTube, Mark's Workshop has some good videos, like this brigandine.

Some more ideas. I will add more as I find them.

• Greathelm
• A spangenhelm with faceplate - nice design!
• Another helmet
• Black Raven Academy "Legio" cuirass and pauldrons.
• Fantasy knight armor
• Skill Tree EVA foam bracers

Honestly, I don't know if I can make cardboard armor resilient enough for LARP. Perhaps if I plastidip it? But even if it doesn't work, I can use the patterns for leather armor.

The Simplest Armor?

I'm pondering what the simplest armor would be.

• Greaves and bracers should be pretty simple. Probably not going to bother with bracers; I recommend people get gloves instead.
• Helmet? Probably a flat top design, although I recommend open-face.
• Body? The brig seems like a lot of work. What would be easier?

Happy Easter!

 "But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." Acts 2:24

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3