Want to do something other than get drunk on Saturday night?

Try being a vampire.

While many MSU students flock to bars every weekend, one campus group strives for an alcohol-free, socially active alternative to escape from reality.

Darker Images meets every Saturday night to play the Lansing area’s longest running live-action role-playing game.

Upon entrance to the Union Purdue Room, one can see a myriad of conversations and confrontations going on between members posing as vampires. Initially, two separate games - vampires and werewolves - were established, but the vampire game is the only active one.

Co-founder Kate DePauw, said she wanted to introduce an alcohol- and drug-free environment and because she had been participating in role-playing games for years, starting up a game at MSU six years ago seemed like a good idea.

“It seemed to us to be a real viable alternative to getting blasted at the bar every Saturday night,” said DePauw, also the group’s faculty adviser.

At the start of each game, characters begin in a specific setting. For example, war has left Lansing in ruins, and players must go about their daily lives trying to acquire experience points to boost their powers and accomplish their goals.

Some ways to earn experience points are through maintaining good character, good costuming, ingenious problem-solving and a humorous nature.

Goals might consist of trying to become a good-standing member of society or to become an apprentice at a local business.

These goals are met by battling fellow characters through a game of rock-paper-scissors. If a character also has a weapon card, which might say “magnum” on it, he or she can throw it down, giving a boost of power, and thus the edge in the fight.

Each battle might have a winner, but winning is in the eye of the beholder. If players feel they have played well or fulfilled their goals for the day, they can leave as a winner.

“It’s not like you’re playing a video game and you save the princess,” group member Ian Sargeant said.

Overall, the game has few rules, but no touching is allowed unless a fellow player has consented to it.

Each new player starts out as a ghoul, servant to a vampire. A typical chore for a ghoul might be to attend a court summons for his or her master because vampires can’t get to court when it is noon and sunny outside. Eventually, ghouls are promoted to the politically active and manipulative vampire status.

New members start by creating a character sheet with various traits, disciplines, flaws, abilities, merits and a character background. The sheets help guide players through their encounters.

Sargeant, an Eaton Rapids High School student, said a good character is someone who spends time making his or her character, but doesn’t get too absorbed by it. A good character, he said, cannot rush through problems or confrontations.

Players select traits for their characters from the game’s books, available at local comic stores.

Club President Matt Turner said he enjoys the improvisational acting involved.

“It gets you a chance to be creative and test your acting ability,” the mathematics senior said.

DePauw said she hopes the game is beneficial to students.

“I like to think that when these kids leave, they’ll be fast on their feet,” she said.

But DePauw said it’s important not to take the game too seriously.

“We stress it’s a game. You leave your real world at the door,” she said.

Interested students are welcome to attend a game, which are held 7 p.m. Saturdays.