Dark Ages Vampire - Bloodlines

Game Master Dennis Harry

Bloodlines is a continuation of the now defunct table top Dark Ages Vampire game wherein the PC's have created lineal descendants throughout the ages.

Attendees seeking a seat or have a seat in the Inner Circle:

Assamite - Lord Bajazet al Nasir.

Brujah – Lady Meridie de Chancie, Lord Criatas, “Dark”Selena, Robin Leeland.

Cappadocian – Lord Benne.

Gangrel – Milov Petrankov.

Lasombra - Prince Narses the Archbishop of Nod

Malkavian – Antione le Fanu, Lutz von Hohenzollern.

Nosferatu – Cristo Petradon, Simon.

Salubri – Brian Stack.

Setites – Sadir.

Toreador – Rafael de Corazon, Francois Villon, Helene la Jouste.

Tremere - Radek, Mistress Fanchon.

Tzimisce – Myca Vykos.

Ventrue – Alyssa Gilbert, Lady Jadviga Almanov, Lanzo von Saschen, Prince Alexander.

Remember - only those listed get votes. Of course influencing their Childer can go a long way to getting a vote.

Social Combat:

Let me first thank Sir Dunstan and his excellent Game of Thrones campaign as the inspiration for this rules tweak. A shout out to Vitaliano who also does an excellent job as a player in that campaign.

Game of Thrones has a Social Combat system that, while not translatable directly, I used as inspiration for this campaign.

This is a proposed rules set and I am more than happy to hear feedback from Players before I implement it in full.

Roleplaying is still required to get your point across. However, I think a mechanical system could be beneficial for this scenario, a scenario quite unlike anything I have ever done in a Vampire game before.

Making My Case

To convince a “voter” to side with your Sire, you may roll the following set of Attributes and Abilities:

1. Against someone who is clearly NOT in your favor --- Manipulation+Subterfuge+Politics
2. Against someone who is NEUTRAL – Charisma+Expression+Politics

The difficulty of all rolls is that Cainites Willpower. You will need to score as many successes as they have Willpower to win the contest. Once you engage the voter, you will only have three rounds to make your case and can only attempt do so one time per night.

If you have Presence – Awe or Enrancement, you may attempt to use these powers in conjunction with the above roll. Each success utilizing that Discipline gives you one more success on your total roll.

Beware, failing in using Presence in Elysium can lead to Sanctions by Thomas Brexiano.

Also beware, Cainites may try to turn this system around on you…

But What if Someone Else Tries This on a Voter I just Brought to my Side?

Amount of successes is a key factor here, you will want to score as many success as you can to ensure that a rival does not try to take that vote from you!

Certain NPC’s already believe that others are in their favor and would never change their votes. Those will be the toughest cookies to break.

Note this system cannot be used on:

Your In-Clan rivals, no amount of sweet talking or bribes will change their minds they all want this position badly.

Prince Narses, he simply will not entertain such discourse. Of course, this does not mean you cannot try to get into the ears of one of his Childer to have them speak with him…

Discerning My Quarry’s Intent

How can I tell if someone is for or against me despite what they are saying?

Make a Perception+Empathy+Politics roll.

The difficulty is 10, less that Cainites Humanity score. Those closer to the Beast are much harder to read. For every Century over 300 years that Cainite has lived, the DC will be increased by 1, topping out at 10, as these Cainites have well and truly mastered this game to have existed for so long in the first place.

Once you engage the voter, you will only have three rounds to ferret out their intent and can only attempt do so one time per night. You will need to score as many successes as they have Willpower to ascertain their intent.

If you have Auspex – Read the Soul or Invade the Mind, you may attempt to use these powers in conjunction with the above roll. Each success utilizing that Discipline gives you one more success on your total roll.

How else can I make my case?

The use of Presence, while frowned upon, is much less cause for censure than using Dominate. Dominate does not work on a Cainite whose blood is closer to Caine than your own. If you seek to use Dominate to convince a voter (or perhaps one of the Childer?) to vote for your Sire, it would be best used elsewhere in the city.

Boons – the boon system of quid pro quo can also be used to gain votes. You will need to offer something of course that that voter does not have or cannot get from another candidate.

Eliminate my rivals. This one is obvious though failure to do so without detection may subject YOU to the Final Death!


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Shadow's Status

I'll try to update today, this morning is as reliable as the site has been since Saturday.


Shadow's Status

Things are going to very soon get a bit nutty for those at Elysium ;-)

As always, I'll leave space for interjection or thoughts on matters as they unfold. Some of the plots that were set in motion will be (somewhat) resolved tonight leading to different plots altogether.

Fun times.

Some of the newer players may feel a bit like spectators, don't worry, that feeling will wear off soon enough. As the final formation of the Camarilla comes together, opportunities will abound...

Durdona will be busy with her own adventures and likely not make it to Elysium tonight. Well, maybe she will!

Geoffroi will certainly not make it but he will learn some interesting things form a very dangerous Mortal.

I believe I may have brought someone in to play Clan Ventrue unfortunately, she will miss the vote this night but what can you do? RL has claimed a number of longstanding players the last six months or so. Which is bad as their stories become DMPC stories but will also be good as new PC tales can be told.


Hey everyone,

i got back a few days ago but got a big cold because of temperature shock

i'll be getting up to par over the next 24h


Male Italian (Toreador)

I'll have to respond tomorrow or something. Things certainly got intresting


Storyteller Shadow wrote:


Geoffroi will certainly not make it but he will learn some interesting things form a very dangerous Mortal.

It would be worth the wait if a certain Antediluvian drained me ;)


Male Italian (Toreador)

Starting this Saturday after a brief stay at my family, I will be accompanying my aging father on a road trip of over 1300 miles to retrieve two dogs and 'some' furniture.

During this i will not likely have internet, so we're looking at 8 to 9 days when I will be unable to post.

I will try to get some in, but it seems unlikely I will be able to. Please bot me freely.


Shadow's Status

Just an FYI I will be taking 2 DM board breaks in the month of July:

1. July 2 through July 4 and
2. July 8 through July 11.

During this time I will be working on plot for some of the Campaigns as well as updating Campaign Information tabs for all Campaigns.


IT'S A TRAP!


Male Nosferatu 6th Generation; BP 28/30, xp saved: 0, spent 155

NO its a tarp!


Shadow's Status

Durdona and Geoffroi, I will post for your scenes tomorrow.


Male Weremonkey Rogue/Ranger/Trickster

Hey, just wanted to come here and let you all know that one of the founding fathers of White-Wolf, and the World of Darkness, Stewart Wieck, passed away today, at the young age of 49.


DO NOT STICK FINGERS IN CAGE

Sad news. I guess it was some sort of unexpected heart attack. Tragic.


Shadow's Status
Monkeygod wrote:
Hey, just wanted to come here and let you all know that one of the founding fathers of White-Wolf, and the World of Darkness, Stewart Wieck, passed away today, at the young age of 49.

Sad indeed :-(


Shadow's Status

Updates now between work and a bit of burnout I needed a day or so away from the boards to re-charge ;-)


Male Ventrue 8 Generation 14/15 BP

"Guten Tag, die Herren und Damen. Mein Name ist Franz Albert und ich fühle mich geehrt, bald Teil dieser illustren Gesellschaft sein zu dürfen."

German:
"Good day, Gents and Ladies. My name is Franz Albert and I'm feeling honored to soon become part of this illustrious society."

That said, awaiting the actual creation rules from GM, and then will be back to lurking until such time when I get to actually join the game. But I dotted gameplay just before, so figured I may as well say hi in discussion.


Male Nosferatu 6th Generation; BP 28/30, xp saved: 0, spent 155

Southren dialect german really wasnt a language yet in what was to become Germany, however, that is impecable German!


Male Ventrue 8 Generation 14/15 BP

Thanks, I am from Austria, so I would hope my German's better than my English ;)

That said, it's probably that much harder for me to fake middle ages germanic languages since that would need a conscious effort all the time to state things in ways that are wrong by todays standards.
I hoped you'd accept the modern day austrian dialect as well for a substitution- ;)


Male Nosferatu 6th Generation; BP 28/30, xp saved: 0, spent 155

Lol true! I spent a summer in Germany and my grandparents spoke it in the house, so I still speak and read it though not as well as I should either.


Shadow's Status

I've barely mastered English. ..


Male Nosferatu 6th Generation; BP 28/30, xp saved: 0, spent 155

Have you not heard Ranerius? Chaos is a ladder. (Yeah Game of Thrones reference).


Male Italian (Toreador)
Onfroi wrote:
Have you not heard Ranerius? Chaos is a ladder. (Yeah Game of Thrones reference).

There's no point in being Prince if the domain is just ashes ;)


Generation 8th Clan Assamite (Warrior caste) Blood 11/15; Will 5/7 Temp: Potency Point

I speak American English, and Southern fluently.


Clan Malkavian Blood Pool 19/30

I speak none of it fluently. As a southerner I understand I have a tongue slightly too big for my mouth which leads to mubbling and nonsense mostly.


i speak three fluently (or almost) :)


I used to speak French and Arabic, but I do neither well at this point.

C'est dommage

et-te-kellemu rah dee


I was fairly functional in French, then I had no reason to use it for the better part of 5 years and have lost a good chunk of it.


c'est vraiment dommage Browman


Shadow's Status

OK, the Campaign Info tab is updated.

All players gain 3 more XP.

Now onto updates!


Male Italian (Toreador)

Well, Ranerius may get snuffed. Yikes


Shadow's Status

Folks, by Sunday night I will have us back on track and moving forward I should be able to get to my normal posting rates ;-)


Female Vampire Tremere Courtesan

Sorry I have not posted lately between family visiting and unreliable internet connection it has been a nightmare.

I should be around more consistently after this weekend.


Shadow's Status
Veronica Acqua wrote:

Sorry I have not posted lately between family visiting and unreliable internet connection it has been a nightmare.

I should be around more consistently after this weekend.

You picked a good time to not be posting as I have been backed up lately with posting due to a bunch of different reasons. Tomorrow night I will be back on track!


Shadow's Status

Between an uncooperative child and getting a new game off of the ground and GoT season 7 episode 2, I'll not get to my next update till tomorrow.


Shadow's Status

I will complete the balance of the updates (for those NOT in Elysium) tomorrow.


Clan Malkavian Blood Pool 19/30

Holy fracking...Lilith...I mean...uhhh...s~++...uhhh...blimey. I might just die tonight.

Vitaliano is...gonna test the Elysium to see just how safe these proceedings are and if he can't prove his...worth as a Malkavian perhaps to the very entity that might likely kill him I think for what Vitaliano is about to say....oh heavens.

Edit: Posted...and now I personally am sweating for my character!


Shadow's Status
Vitaliano da Riva wrote:

Holy fracking...Lilith...I mean...uhhh...s%&#...uhhh...blimey. I might just die tonight.

Vitaliano is...gonna test the Elysium to see just how safe these proceedings are and if he can't prove his...worth as a Malkavian perhaps to the very entity that might likely kill him I think for what Vitaliano is about to say....oh heavens.

Edit: Posted...and now I personally am sweating for my character!

A bold move!


Male Italian (Toreador)

VERY.

Ranerius is impressed


Clan Malkavian Blood Pool 19/30

He is gonna die so hard for this...but he is testing the Elysium and this Diablorist to see if everyone plans on obeying the laws....and possibly gain a rather strong ally or a terribly powerful enemy...


Shadow's Status

This might be one of my favorite scenes I have ever run in a game, I hope you are all enjoying it as much as I am.


Clan Malkavian Blood Pool 19/30

So question...where did my character's speech join this fun? If at all for the moment?


Shadow's Status
Vitaliano da Riva wrote:
So question...where did my character's speech join this fun? If at all for the moment?

Right before Narses spoke. I don't like to re-post speeches as I believe they stand on their own just nicely except in limited circumstances. Your suggestion will certainly be addressed!


Clan Malkavian Blood Pool 19/30

Gotcha, just making sure. I couldn't quite feel that it happened at present. (Which can literally be understandable. Daddy is talking to mommy, what child a said will ne addressed when their conversation is done....kind of thing, I could see Elders pulling)


Male Ventrue 8 Generation 14/15 BP

"Adults are talking" needs to be a thing Elders use with Neophytes interrupting them.
That said, if you're the kids, us humans are...pets? So I shouldn't really speak up I guess. Sorry!


Shadow's Status
Franz Albert Capsali wrote:
[ us humans are...pets?

No, dinner...


Male Ventrue 8 Generation 14/15 BP
Storyteller Shadow wrote:
Franz Albert Capsali wrote:
[ us humans are...pets?
No, dinner...

Well, in the end, we all are dinner, to one creature or another. However, this fate seems decidedly more appealing than feeding worms, rats, or pigs with my worldly remains. *shrugs*

Just don't get diablerie involved. Or any Amaranth farmers.


Clan Malkavian Blood Pool 19/30

Too late...one of the elders has Diablerized twice...it's who I confronted >.> Wait...or was that negotiated with to take advantage of....all the same. I've made a terrible but bold choice!


Male Italian (Toreador)

Humans can be pets AND Dinner

Some of us play with our food


Generation 8th Clan Assamite (Warrior caste) Blood 11/15; Will 5/7 Temp: Potency Point

I think I'm missing something important.

The Prince said:

Don't feed from mortals unless he says you can. (Unless you brought you own food.)
Don't spill the blood of other kindred.
Don't attack the hunters even if they hunt you
Don't make any new kindred without permission

Other than political machinations or doing it anyway and hope you don't get caught, it seems like the prince is controlling most of the things a kindred who would want do to create a power base.

Am I understanding that the conditions correctly?


Clan Malkavian Blood Pool 19/30

Correct, but most of these rules are purely for the sake of the meeting of the Elysium.

Once the Elysium is over and the foreigners disperse, then the city stabilizes and the Vampires and do most of their work...however, it's the Prince's job to keep the Vampires from being found by humans so he does has some say in keeping other Vampires from going hog wild and stealing people left and right from the night and so on and so on.


Shadow's Status

Update tonight.

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