Studio Manifesto:
Who and What is Dangerous Magic LLC?
We are an independent interactive design studio based in Maryland and serving the Greater DC Metro area, Maryland, and Virginia. Founded in 2026 by an alliance of veteran historical martial artists, theater directors, larpers, game runners and community care advocates, we design events that bridge full-contact historical fencing with profound storytelling.
We built this company specifically as a local hub for our regional community to call home. Whether you are a first-time LARPer, an established player looking for an event closer to home, or a veteran of the SCA, HEMA, TSL or maybe just your weekly tabletop RPG of choice, we welcome you to join us. We also proudly welcome our friends joining us from afar. Our ultimate goal is to showcase the best of everyone and provide an opportunity where we can all meet up, exchange ideas and build friendships across these organizations. We don't want to replace them, we want to elevate all of them.
Why the Name?
This was a name that rang with me back in college, waiting for a purpose, a 'someday.' I didn't know yet it would become this studio, but stories are a dangerous magic in and of themselves. They let us explore the parts of ourselves, experiences, and lives that we might never want to face in reality. We get to become someone else even if only for a moment. We grow and we learn from those stories. Dangerous Magic, like those stories and even our own dreams, hopes to be a place where you can safely explore. At the end of the day, each of us strives to learn and to become better tomorrow than we are today.
Our Core Pillars:
Story Telling First: We completely decouple physical combat from the story. Losing a martial bout never means losing control of your character’s journey; instead, it becomes a collaborative, co-authored milestone.
Full-Contact Historical Fencing: We treat the combat with respect and understand the personal mastery it takes to study. Combat is an art form, that's why it's called a martial art, and including it in our events allows players to explore their story through that art form.
Hospitality: We built this studio to be a home for our regional community and a destination for traveling players.
Immersive Worlds: We build immersive environments where your choices directly impact the world around you. We focus on fluid character progression and intricate narrative webs.
Safety and Player Care: We want to make sure our players can participate with safety and dignity. The following links take you directly to our documents highlighting these areas.
Code of Conduct: Our community expectations, anti-harassment policies, and values.
Combat Rules: Weapon & protective equipment specifications, safety, rules and lyst procedures.
Narrative Safety: Emotional safety rules, calibration tools, and opt-out techniques.
Game Mechanics: Character progression, game play and conflict resolution systems.