International Fantasy Games Society
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The International Fantasy Gaming Society, Inc. (IFGS) is named after the fictional group described in the Dream Park series of novels (by Larry Niven and Stephen Barnes). Similar to the organization described in the novels, the IFGS designs, runs, and sanctions various fantasy based live action role-playing game(LARP)s. The authors attended an early IFGS Convention and Steven Barnes later played in an IFGS licensed game in Colorado and Larry Niven played in a game in California. The authors adopted the "real" IFGS as the historic background for their future one, and provided the "real" IFGS with publicity in subsequent "Dream Park" novels, as well as donating the original manuscript of one of the "Dream Park" series novels, for fund raising purposes. Similar to the organization described in the novels, the IFGS designs, runs, and sanctions various fantasy based live action role-playing games. For several years they also ran "Undercover", an espionage LARP.
The IFGS was founded in 1981 in Boulder, Colorado. It is a non-profit member run corporation. It employs a live-combat system with boffer-style weapons and a complex rules system. It has chapters throughout the world.