NERO International is one of the two factions of the New England Roleplaying Organization (NERO) played in various locations across the United States and Canada. It is a boffer style live action role-playing game (LARP) wherein participants use padded weapons in playing out roles or characters in simulated combat. NERO International is regarded as the original NERO organization and game.
Several people are involved in making a NERO game possible. The stories and plots are created by a group of NERO staff members to be played as events (per NERO designation) in parks or campsites. The heroes of events (player characters or PCs) act as adventurers, nobility, and other major characters while volunteer NPCs (non-player characters) act as townspeople or monsters to help enhance the simulation of events or scenes. Players pay dues to participate or play their characters at events that may last a day or span nine days of playing.