Dziobak Larp Studios Reviews 229

I spent 4 days in a castle in Poland, which felt like a real school of wizardry. All the people participating in the event were amazing, the setting (including food, accomodation, support from the organizers) was beautiful and the whole event felt like I was really there. I recommend to every one who wants to become a wizard, even for just a few days.

I have had so much fun at these events. I had never been at a LARP before, but loved every minute of it. And I keep going back.

Cow15 was my first Larp ever and although I had high expectations, the Larp was even better then I could've imagined it.

It was fun, it was crazy and it never got boring. This is all thanks to the great community that's always there for you, even when you're this scared little first time larper...

Whether you are passionate about LARPS & Drama, or simply looking for some adventure… whether you are the biggest Harry Potter fan out there, or merely wanting to try something remarkably crazy, the Dziobak College of Wizardry LARP is the perfect getaway for you.

Spending 4 days of my life amidst 140 strangers in a foreign land… living through a fictional identity in a freakish 13th century castle gave me one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life. Kudos to the team behind it all!

Being a first-timer at College of Wizardry, I had no idea what to expect. Nothing could have properly prepared me for the experience.

The enthusiastic player community had embraced the game world completely and the organizers made sure to facilitate the wishes of the gamers, which helped make the surroundings both believable and deeply layered.

You know that feeling you get when you are reading a really good book, and you just wish you could be a part of it?
Participating in a Dziobak LARP is just like that.
Christian Kierans - Denmark

Everyone was helpful and friendly. This was my very first LARP so it was disconcerting and first, with everyone's help I became more relaxed and immersed in the experience.

Good organisation in all points: everyone was helpful and friendly, always trying to make life as easy as possible! I found the workshops at the beginning a very good start to bring my character to life. The review after the larp was an interesting experience for me as well.

Locations was excellent - never been in such a fantastic castle / surroundings.

I already have tickets for 2018... :-)

The convention of thorns larp (CoTlarp) was a transcendent experience. Roleplay and character has always been the heart of gaming for me. I’ve never played with a group of more intense people. The level of performance and character immersion was unparalleled - at the same time the story was driven forward with the pedal to the floor. I picked a character that had enough power to be pivotal but obscure enough I could simply fall into the dream if others were moving the story along. I've never been challenged to maintain such a high level of emotional intensity or thoughtful purpose for such a duration in any game I’ve played. It brought genuine emotions to the surface. Character events paralleled those from my own life. I’m left in that experience forever, and a part of it haunts me still.

Your group attracts people like that because of the quality of the games you put on. Edin and Boruta and the entire CoTlarp team really deserve a lot of respect and praise. So much thought and planning was put into the game. The people on site were helpful friendly and enthusiastic. Dayplay filled in details to complete my character in my minds eye. I’m still processing the experience. It was amazing.

Edin and Boruta really know how to run a game. I can’t wait to attend CoTlarp 3 and I'm bringing a friend!

EU4 Grandest LAN-party.
This experience was really one of the collest I have ever made.
The experience to be reunited with people that share the same passion as me was great. But what was really impressive was the place. It was really suitable for the topic of the event and all the service was really great. The activity were interesting, on the topic and diversified.
To resume, this experience was totally what I expected and I would gladly go for it again.

I went to Fairweather Manor 4, and had so much fun! The only thing I want to complain about, is how large the portions of food were.

The staff did a GREAT job of immersing everyone into a traditional school setting where players could interact while learning skills for individual adventures. I met many awesome people that made the experience enjoyable. Roughly 40% of the people playing were new players like myself and I could not tell the difference between returning and new players. There are always a few players that are very intense but they added to the overall experience and only interacted with people within their stories, so I was able to enjoy from a distance. I would HIGHLY suggest that anyone interested give this a try as the entire staff did an AWESOME job of making my experience truly enjoyable.

When I was a child, I grew up along with this famous young scarred wizard and I dreamt of having my own wand to cast magic spells. Then, I discovered LARPs, and it made possible everything I ever imagined. A few years after, I've been part of a LARP using this magical universe and those two days of play are still some of my best memories.

So, in 2014, when I first heard about College of Wizardry (CoW), when I discovered pictures of that amazing Czocha Castle, when I pictured myself back in a wizard world, I couldn't do anything but waiting the exact time of subscriptions opening... and see none left after some 20 seconds... What a disappointment...

Last year, in 2016, some friends managed their way to CoW and came back with a head so filled with incredible memories their eyes were shining like stars... And I joined them this year, for CoW14.

12 hours driving a 9 places car from Geneva to Czocha, running into the unknown of something I couldn't brightly identify but in which I was strongly believing, an experience I knew would be unique. And it was. It took the first magical place in my LARP souvenirs.

Arriving in the night to the castle I opened my eyes on a magnificent structure illuminated and towering me, so small on the incredible bridge leading to the main door. In was the first astonishment.

The second one was the discovery of all rooms and halls that weren't locked during this pre-night: no map was imaginable for there were real secret ways behind walls...!

The third one was when I saw all again with the sunlight in the early morning. I thought I was in a whole new castle and went back into my childhood for at least 2 hours of wandering around with eyes opened like a full moon.

The fourth one was the arrival of all players: the Berlin Bus brought in so many stranger-and-nonetheless-familiar faces! Knowing that they were going to be my fellow LARPers brought me a brand new excitement.

The fifth and last astonishment was the "Hymn of Czocha": standing all in this hall, looking up to teachers and staff, singing along altogether those strong words was as incredible as the first time I played music in a symphonic orchestra... Art dwelling directly into your soul. And moreover, at the end of the LARP, singing it once again after being sorted, being part of a House, discovering friends and admiring teachers made me feel so proud to be among those people, at that precise moment of complete cooperation lived with a hundred hearts warming each other for three minutes... Those three are not only imprinted in my mind; they also left a trace deep, deep in my whole body. Ears, tongue, eyes, skin, feelings... I've listened with my look, I've felt with my singing mouth, I've lived with my emotions. And now, a little more than one month after, I'm still living it. Completely.

You think CoW is too huge for you? It is not. It is huge, that's a fact, but made of so many reachable elements you can grab on that you will be safe. Never alone. Never let down.

You fear CoW is made for experienced LARPers? I thought that way before coming. But for having played with a lot a new players I think I couldn't imagine a better place to discover LARP... Try it, register, fly away and you'll be warmly welcome by a bunch of benevolent, generous and lovely people waiting to offer you a great time in Czocha! Play a Junior and let yourself be taken in the storm of friendship!

The ticket is too expensive? It is. I've never paid as much as that for a LARP... And considering the transport to that place, it grows bigger... But I also already have bought new tickets for further editions... So... Sell your car, live in a smaller place, don't buy all this stuff that you'll put on a shelf at home and never use again... Spare some money to go to Czocha because when you'll be lying in your coffin remembering your life, you will feel a great smile on your lips thinking about those ghosts in the castle who will wait for you to join them. And life will go on. Forever.

College of Wizardry (CoW 14) was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I'd never done anything like it before and now I can't wait to go back. 10/10 hands down, would recommend.

Nice people, intreresting program, beautiful castle, good food and mood:-)

I won a ticket for College of Wizardry: Winter Banquet and it was the most amazing LARP experience I ever had.
It was really easy to stay in character and it was truly magical and really festive.
The organisation and gameplay are great.

Go! Just get a ticket and go!!

CoW14 was my first ever LARP, and let me tell you: I will NEVER forget such an incredible experience as that! The things I learned and the people I met alone (outside of the LARP) were worth it! I think I gained some friends that I hope never to loose over just 4 days.

As for the castle and the LARP, well.. That castle is AWESOME! Magnificent, exquisit and true to it's past (unlike some 'refurbished' castles for public viewing). There are hidden secret paths behind bookshelves and the like that you can actually go in and use (which makes the experience that bit more amazing) and the decour of the rooms is beautiful! All of this whilst acting as a character of your creation (or someone elses if you so choose) in a magical world were the players themselves create something truelly touching that will leave you on the verge of crying out of sadness for leaving.

First time and not sure how to dress, or act? Don't worry!!! Neither did I, and it's fine.. Take some basic clothing and that's all you need, the other players are just that - Players - And they understand that not all are as experienced as they. The Goblins (NPCs for your help amongst other things) are amazing! They can see when someone is sad in-game, or off-game.. If you're not feeling well, or just need a timeout, ask a Goblin for help and you'll get it immediately <-- There's always someone looking out for you so you won't be overwhelmed.

I cannot recommend this experience enough for someone who is considering LARPing and is into fantasy. Or maybe you're not considering LARPing? I wasn't - I did it for a friend (ironicly I now forced her to go back with me!). If you're into games like Skyrim, Elex, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, etc, if you enjoy that feeling of you being the character, you guiding THEM through the game and the choices are yours and not theirs... Then I'm confident you'll like CoW a lot more than you may realise.

See you there ;)

I would like to share my first ever LARP experience during College of Wizardry 15.

Since I have never experienced anything like larping before (apart from playing "play pretend") I was quite nervous about what to expect.
I have to admit, that the first day was a bit overwhelming for me. Just like my grandma felt, when she was introduced to her new IPhone. Now I Know what it feels like if you expect to just make a few phone calls and you are introduced to the whole bulk of other apps and features...
So the first day was tough, but I got on track by the next day.

Maybe you are wondering what will happen during this event? Honestly I was expecting a bunch of people roaming around the castle, wearing robes and waving wands.
Basically that is true, but it is just the top of the iceberg. Beyond the surface there is a very well organised schedule and plot, that makes it nearly impossible not to get involved in any kind of game.
Many players arranged events before (e.g certain kind of rituals) where the staff wass helping out organising it and providing Non player Characters like Demons or Beasts (yes beasts!).
During the day, you always had the chance of fullfilling multiple tasks like find a hidden object, that was taken away by someone for instance. The overal plot also included a huge trial after a rebellion of golblins, where you could participate to help the "guradians".

The whole day is pretty much structured. 3 Meals a day and classes durning morning and afternoon. A sports event, called Fireball Dragon, similar to Dodgeball. And of course a ball at the end of the event.

Things I liked most:
Attention to detail: Everything wass perfectly planed and you had the impression, that nothing could happen to bring you in any kind of trouble. Speaking of ingame and offgame trouble (like medical issues for instance) This event seemed to have learned from its previous runs and incorporated various aspects to make you feel professionally cared.
Ingame there were very well organised events, even with kind of special effects to make it even more realistic. For instance: my wife participated at a kind of tryout for witchards with very few combat experience. So she was introduced to an attacking spell, that literally blows you up. Demonstrating on a mannequin, that eventually blew up by her amazing spellpower ;) was very nice to watch.
Other examples of special effects were lanterns that changed colours when casting arouund them. Yes, this was kind of remote control, and the blowup were fireworks, but during the situation it felt so overwhelming real and it led to goosebumps.
Every staff member adapted to any kind of game.
If you had any problems, because it is obviously normal to experience some kind of overwhelming feelings, you always had the chance to talk to a staff member. Bare in mind, that everyone has its own personality, plus the personality of the played character. Sometimes there are conflicts so it was a very nice idea to implement an area out of play where you just could sit, grab a blanquet and have a tea and chocolate. You were also given the opportunity to step out of the game and play a Czocha Spirit - a person no one is allowed to interact with - for a moment to get yourself back into shape and the game.
After the game you had the chance to reflect your experience in a "debriefing".

Things I did not like:
To be honest, very very few aspects botherd me but to name one of them:
The prom is on saturday and the game is over at sunday. During the ball the house trophy was given to the winning house and just after that the event was OVER. Just like in the movie where the director says "cut". So everythin after was offgame. Of course it was an opportunity to get to know the real persons behind their characters, but it would have loved it, if there was an opportunity to learn more about the real persons in advance. Though there would have been an opportunity through a facebook group, I have to admit, that I am not into facebook and other forms of social media, so I prefer the real face to face contact.
It was quite strange to learn about the real people you got to know ingame. One of them will always be remembered as Lance, the werewolf :)
The closing ceremony right after the ball was also quite surprising, because I expected to celebrate victory or have a reason to have a beer on the loss of the trophy in the tavern ingame with your team/housemates. Since everything after was offgame this did not happen in that way.

Coclusio:
If you are interested in any kind of way in Harry Potter and always dreamed about being part of something like that in a LARP event, then you are perfectly right at College of Wizardry.
Keep in mind, that there are very high standards regarding organisation and professionalism. To be honest I do not have any other LARP experience, but it felt like beeing introduced to football for the first time by watching the champions league finals. I do not know if other LARPs are handled in the same manner, but standards are very high...

I went to College of Wizardry, and it was everything I hoped for and so much more! For a couple of days I got to actually live in a Polish castle, living he life of a senior student at a magical school. The experience of the location was amazing, but the people I met there was even more fantastic. I`m still talking to some of them, and we are planning a meet-up in Denmark in the summer. I can`t believe this is actually happening! I would recommend this to everyone!

College of Wizardry 14 -- the staff was attentive to all my requests, and together with the volunteers created a truly magical experience. I felt safe, welcome, valued and had an amazing time. The setting of an actual medieval castle is perfect.