Making my first character. How much body is good for a starting character?

I also play a beserker. I went with 10 build initially, and have added 1-2 build here or there along the way.

Many larps I have played in make Armor kinda pointless, as the expense and inconvenience outweighs the benefit. Add to that, in Summer, you are also risking your health to wear a large amount of Armor, I have often just tanked on Body instead. It can be healed back easily, and without sparing crafting points from a smith to do so, and you can get a decent amount of body whereas in the real world buying armor can set you back a pretty penny, not to mention the costs in game.

Having said all of that, I am more comfortable with armor in KR as the benefit is worth it usually. Armor that would save me from four or five swings in another larp, against an average mob, lasts 20 or more here. (Main mod of course reduces that ratio highly).

Another consideration is the concept of Soak in this game. It gives you extra hits essentially. A chain shirt usually gets a soak of 2, for example. That reduces by 2 points any attack that does not bypass armor. Lets say you have 80 total Armor and a Soak of 2. That armor now will protect you from up to 80 points of straight damage, AND 2 pts from every attack. For example, NPC swings for 10 Damage, you are only taking 8 damage, and only begin to take Body damage after said NPC swings 10 times. Usually this is 100 damage, but because of the Soak of 2, he has done only 80 damage.