Healer in Larp

There’s hardly a word you hear more often on a Larp battlefield: „HEALER!“ But what exactly is a healer and how do you play one on a Larp?

A healer is a medieval physician and scholar who deals with various diseases. Healers can either live in a village or work as field shearers on the battlefield, treating the wounded.

A healer in the Middle Ages was usually not only an expert in the healing arts, but also a herbalist and alchemist. The different branches of knowledge could be combined well and thus complemented each other in the practice of healing.

Being a healer in Larp

The healer is an important member of a player group in live roleplaying. This is because injuries that are not treated in a Larp character lead either to the character bleeding to death or to infections and thus to illness. By the way, in the Larp game we only talk about healers and not about medics or ambulance. Because if someone calls paramedics in Larp, the game is immediately interrupted and the real medics and rescue workers start their work.

In terms of equipment, a classic healer’s game initially requires many bandages, a tincture to clean wounds and needle and thread to sew wounds (fake ones of course). This assortment can be expanded as desired, with foam scalpels, reagents or other instruments. But there are also healers who rely on magical practices. Some mages and elves can also cast healing spells.

So-called shamans, such as those of the orcs, cast healing spells by invoking natural forces. Shamans usually also have a lot of knowledge about worldly healing. However, their views on this are often influenced by rituals or beliefs.

Sometimes witches can also cast healing spells, but in most cases the healing comes with a price and is more a curse than a blessing in the end.

Spiritual healers – Superstition and healing

A spiritual healer heals diseases or the mind by religious, esoteric or magical methods. Opinions differ widely about the effectiveness of the applications of spiritual healers. In the most different practices we find elements of spiritual healing. Spiritual healers can therefore come from  fields like Ayurveda, Reiki or shamanism.

The spiritual healer does not always have to be in physical proximity of the patient. Through the laying on of hands the spiritual healer can come into direct contact, but also only the transmission of healing energies or the so-called healthy prayer can be performed by the spiritual healer at a distance and is supposed to lead to a healing effect.

In live role-playing, there are many esoteric or mystical elements with which some players justify their magical way of playing. The laying on of hands during the magical healing in the game is also a variation of such esoteric practices.

Equipment for healers in live roleplaying can be found here. For example, practical multi-purpose bags made of leather, bandage rolls, clay pots and garments that fits healer characters.