Larp Couture

Mortal Kombat taught me that folding fans can be a weapon; some judicious research confirmed the existence of both Japanese and Korean war fans. Even more tantalizingly, fans as an accessory have been in use in Asia since 2000 BCE; in the Mediterranean since at least 300 BCE; and in Europe since at least the 500s CE.

This little accessory seems perfect for classes that require touch-based attacks, especially if your game rules are designed to allow PCs to avoid being directly touched by other people’s hands. It might take a little bit of modification for combat, though, as most of the readily available fans are made from plastic or wood so splintering or overly painful blows might be an issue; depends on how your group plays.

The other perfect thing about this accessory is how diverse it is; the technology is so common and so old that any character might have it, or have come across it in their travels. And while not all fans in history were specifically for combat, it is easily converted by the creative weaponsmith using materials available in nearly any game setting.

Maybe your Ogre took that cherry blossom confection off a Samurai. What? It is red, like blood, and keeps Ogre cool in summer! Or perhaps your crafting character will start selling them in game during the warmer months, at a tidy profit, and poisoning their chief rival besides. Something this old and this common can be quite the roleplay tool.

Photo: Electric War Fan by Outland Armor. Item available by commission. To order, email danny (at) outlandarmour (dot) com

Or you can purchase your own fans and mod them. Amazon has them for as little as $2 a piece, and Etsy has some amazing variety, though usually for a bit more. Enjoy!