1) What is your favorite Vampire the Masquerade Clan? Why?
1.: If a player/ST can pull it off, clearly Malkavian. They can be interesting, intriguing, being random while not acting randomly. But they can also derail a game or story, badly.
So a close second is Tremere, Thaumaturgy offers so many options, both for players and ST. It's the versatility that makes them.
2) What is your least favorite Vampire the Masquerade Clan? Why?
2.: Nosferatu as a player. I simply can't get over that flaw, it doesn't click for me. I'm not really vain, and I know there's ways to deal with it, but...it feels like too much of a handicap to enjoy the character.
If it's about flavor, Brujah. 2 of their disciplines are purely mechanic in nature(potence+celerity), the low frenzy treeshold - they are timebombs that don't have much else going for them beyond being powerhouses and intimidating things. Thumbs up @Dane Harlow for fighting the stereotype.(I know I am generalizing there, but in the end, the aspects that define a clan are both flavor and the clan-specific mechanics, and both are not particulary intriguing for me when it comes to brujah).
3) If you were a person in the World of Darkness, what Clan or Bloodline would you suspect would embrace you assuming you would definitely get embraced?
3.: My, what a personal question. I would assume Ventrue would have the highest chance of being interested in me. Ambition and all that...and possibilities if using clan disciplines, and there, I'd like to not go into more detail.
4) Who is your favorite Kindred NPC in this chronicle so far, and why?
4.: That is hard to say. I did try to read along, but I admit I sometimes had to skip other people's stories, or just skim along. I do think it's a bit too early to pick out favorites. From what I gathered, I found Fang quite amusing, but had little personal interaction with him so far. What I liked about him was his verbal comebacks and comments. It's like he's doing a sort of sarcastic comedy relief anarchy against the stiff old guys in power.
5) On a scale of one to ten, with 1 being getting your ghoul to crush a spider maybe (Sorry, that does tickle me and it was well played), and 10 being a swath of destruction every time you get out of your haven, how much combat do you want in this Chronicle?
5.: Loaded question, again :) I did build Alyson to not be completely helpless...but against a dedicated combat build, she'd stand no chance, and need to flee.
So, 1...(because then Sam can be my hero some more) :)
Realistically, I'm fine with whatever the others pick up, as long as the scaling of combat happens in a way that takes into account that Alyson has a low combat potential.(and more importantly, has no melee training, only basic firearms, and does not START with a proper gun. So I'd appreciate if either one was provided for her, or the first combat is simply enough to let her get a gun before things become more serious.)
6) On a scale of one to ten with a one being your friend lies to you if you ask if this cloak makes you look fat and a ten being Game of Thrones meets House of Cards but on cocaine so everyone is extra paranoid, how much intrigue/politics/betrayal do you want?
6.: Oh, turn it up to 11. Seriously, in those free-form-games, to me, thats where the fun is. As long as the common pitfalls are avoided(always being blindsided vs. always see it coming, everybody betrays everyone so everybody is prepared for everybody betrying them, being forced to pick between options with serious consequences while lacking information needed for informed decisions...) - don't get me wrong, some of the things in those brackets are fine now and then, but if they happen too much, it's no longer as interesting. So, intrigue and politics get a clear go from me, betrayal? Sparingly. It's a powerful plot element but usually not very amusing to the one being betrayed.
7) If ST Gloaming ever gets the guts to try another vampire game on top of this one, I think he should try A) A regular Cam game B) A Dark Ages Game, C) Anarch game! D) Sabbat game, or E) An overpowered Elder's game where they just wake up after a century or two?
7.: hm...I'll go with C+E or B+E :)
In the end, 'overpowered Elder' can still be limited a bit by creation guidelines, but potentially gives a lot more toys to enjoy right from the start. Being with the Anarchs could be a fun change. And Dark Ages simply allow a more 'casual' way of doing things(no video surveillance, no online footprint, only minimal influence of the nation on an individuals life...) I could see both as fun.
What I would not like: D.: Not my cup of tee. B alone(just started in Shadow's recently), and A: would probably be bland. Unless of course we get to be elders there awoken to deal with a great crisis, then MAYBE.
8) I think it's A) Better to give too few experience points rather than risk the game getting too wild too fast/B) Better to give too many Experience points rather than frustrate others.
8.: I am torn on the point. There's a few things I need to 'get' before my vision of the character is even done. Some of those I could not afford during creation(such as Obfuscate 2 or Fortitude 1), others I left blank or low on purpose(only basic firearms training(1 dot), no awareness...
What that means is that it will be a while until my "build plan" is even complete, probably about 30-40 XP for that alone.
But at the same time, too many XP points invested to enhance strenghts can be unbalancing quickly.
I would tend towards A, but possibly with boons.(Such as based on something we learned tonight, get one dot in a Talent we had no dots in yet...we reason for the talent we place that dot in in discussion, and if you agree with our view, we get that - also possible with getting better in a skill(where it's easier to argue for the lower increases...upgrading from drive 1 to drive 2 means essentially learning to drive stick shift instead of automatic...upgrading from 3 to 4 or 4 to 5 is a lot harder to justify...and should probably not be possibly without spending XP)
9) Ooo, if a mortal or ghoul ((Even if isn't your own) that you've seen introduced so far gets embraced, you vote for (Fill in the blank).
9.: Hum. I'd go with the girlfriend of our late Caitiff, Contessa? I think she has some potential, also to stir up some conflict regarding the death of her lover she'd inevitably learn about...and she'd probably not like me very much - but hey...that's unlife.
Bonus points if Paolo suddenly finds he has a sister! *grin*
@Storyteller Shadow: Nasty Shadow! You ninjaed me because I lost my first post 10 minutes in from a browser crash :P You could at least have picked different answers to some of those questions :P
@Storyteller Gloaming: Thanks for the XP :) I would have answered the questionnaire either way, but I'll put them to good use. *Vanishes*
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My favorite clan is all of them seriously. I have been an ST for 15 years in Vtm and done it all as a player and ST. My favorite was a clan salubri hiding as a malk.
2)
Seriously mechanically Ravnos for me too Chemistry needs serious rewrite.
3)
I am too dangerous to embrace so I would be killed. I spent 20 years in the army and am now a 10th grade english teacher. Who embraces that?
4)
I have no vote yet, still too early but Stan the spider slayer is top on my list.
5)
I usually do combat characters so if you decide to go over a 3 in this game then I picked wrong.
6)
7 at least. Burn my brain. Give me suspense, mystery, terror.
7)
I will play them all and maybe even be convinced to run a game one day...
8)
Give medium xp up front and slow down as one levels up
9) Stan.
I would do this even without the xp offer...but I'll take the xp too. :)
The Giovanni, probably for a lot of the same reasons it would be hard to play one. There are so many things wrong with them and they have so many trope levers you can pull. The Necromancy thing is a little meh but I dig their whole deeply wrong little society. One of my joke concepts for a Vampire game to run is basically "You're newly vamped inbred Italian mafiosi necromancers. Go!" They're awful, awful people but their Revised clanbook sells them really well.
I have a soft spot for Setites for similar reasons.
2) What is your least favorite Vampire the Masquerade Clan? Why?
As much as I love mind control as a superpower and like the whole Vampires are rich trope (see Paolo's Resources) I have a lot of trouble coming up with a Ventrue concept that doesn't feel like it would fit more as a different clan. But they're a clan I like and just don't like as much as others. Toreador is kind of in the same space.
I really dislike Nosferatu. Other clans have interesting flaws that provide a lot of RP hooks for me or neatly integrate with their flavor. Nos are just unpleasant and seem to be written mostly as a way to avoid a lot of the things I find interesting about Vamp, like involved interaction with mortal society. I love me some Obsfucate but generally they're just ew. Psychologically and physically monstrous is also a bit on the nose.
3) If you were a person in the World of Darkness, what Clan or Bloodline would you suspect would embrace you assuming you would definitely get embraced?
Going strictly with personality archetypes, it's gotta be one of the nerd clans. I am a research monster. I wrote this for fun. The Kiyasid probably have a culture closest to my inclinations, except I'm not that polite. A Tremere who never leaves the chantry or a brainy Malkavian would be decent fits too. Most of my vampire concepts have some kind of strong education focus to them.
4) Who is your favorite Kindred NPC in this chronicle so far, and why?
I'm terrible. I got Paolo into enough trouble that he's been on the run almost from the start and I've not paid enough attention to NPCs that haven't interacted with him. Obviously I'm partial to Gaetano, but I kinda made him so he doesn't really count. (You got exactly what I was going for with him, by the way.) Since a lot of what I study is slavery and I really like slave resistance, Betty is the the stand-out.
5) On a scale of one to ten, with 1 being getting your ghoul to crush a spider maybe (Sorry, that does tickle me and it was well played), and 10 being a swath of destruction every time you get out of your haven, how much combat do you want in this Chronicle?
Hm...maybe 4 but ok with a fair bit higher? Paolo would rather never left a hand in anger because that's messy and difficult to manage, but given the chance and the right incentives he's totally game. If he believed there was an opportunity to, erm, upgrade himself he would probably take it. Yes that would be monstrous but Paolo's got a monstrous side and over a very long timescale I could see him adopting some sort of self-control oriented Path. Feeding the Abyss with someone else's soul is the kind of thing that makes sense to him.
6) On a scale of one to ten with a one being your friend lies to you if you ask if this cloak makes you look fat and a ten being Game of Thrones meets House of Cards but on cocaine so everyone is extra paranoid, how much intrigue/politics/betrayal do you want?
That's rough to say. It's always hard to keep track of the little details and who's who, doubly so in PBP where the RL time is dilated. Ideally, I'd like enough that it matters but not so much that we get lost in continuity hell or everything becomes too paranoid to be fun. It would make good RP sense for PCs to just hide out all the time and always act with absolute distrust...but then it stops being much of a game. Basically I'm flexible on it and inclined toward a midpoint or a bit over to the intrigue side. Maybe a 6?
7) If ST Gloaming ever gets the guts to try another vampire game on top of this one, I think he should try A) A regular Cam game B) A Dark Ages Game, C) Anarch game! D) Sabbat game, or E) An overpowered Elder's game where they just wake up after a century or two?
First: I am in favor of this if it's something you're in favor of. :) But not if you're not because I know it can be interesting to run many PBPs at once.
I'd be totally up for a regular Cam game, though since Shadow's game is already that I'd want to play something pretty different from my PC over there. I'm also using two of my main go-to vampire ideas presently, so it could be a fun chance to think outside the box but still with some constraints. Cam+Indpendents would be a lot of fun too. (I have some vague Setite ideas.)
Dark Ages is especially rough for me. I like the greater emphasis on alternative moralities, but it's also much harder for me to get into the head of a medieval person. My default mindspace there is D&D/PF, which is definitely a poor fit. :) I think it's the kind of thing that I'd need just the right character hook for; not impossible but a reach.
Anarchs have never grabbed me too much because they seem to be simultaneously shooting themselves in the foot by writing themselves out of vamp society and not having much to do as an alternative. In general I tend not to be big on WW's dropout-style non-factions, though they could open the door for very non-traditional coteries in principle.
A big part of the appeal of this game was the chance to play all the wacky stuff that would normally not quite fit with the setting. That still has appeal, which naturally argues for the Sabbat. But the Sabbat stuff I've read always seemed more angled toward biker gangs doing crimes. (At least so far as I recall. Been a decade or more since I read a Sabbat book.) That's fine in itself, but a little harder for me to get into my usual Vamp mindspace of "normal people have these special problems and are maybe sociopaths." Not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a different thing. I'd probably want to explore a Path properly here. A thing I do like about the Sabbat is the vinculum (however it's spelled) facilitating a more group-oriented milieu.
I have never thought about an elders game. I like it in principle. Could be a good excuse to play a nineteenth century person in the modern day. :-P Also a great chance to try out some of the neat tricks that normally PCs don't get access to without it being radically unfair to other players. I feel like this is potentially very compatible with any of the other ideas (maybe not Anarchs) in that the old farts of X, Y, or Z just pop up and go about their stuff.
I guess my personal preference would be to use E as an overlay on A, D, B, or C in about that order, with A and D almost interchangeable. (E being by no means necessary.) Either way, I have two mental primary vampires right now so my next one probably isn't going to be that unless singular inspiration strikes or something happens to one (or both) of the current stable.
8) I think it's A) Better to give too few experience points rather than risk the game getting too wild too fast/B) Better to give too many Experience points rather than frustrate others.
The xp table encourages hyper-specialization at character creation and then broadening out over time, but escalating costs then make getting a secondary trick up to the level of your primary much harder. I feel like on the balance that can potentially solve the too much xp at once problem, but it's not something I've theorycrafted or played out before to say. Overall it's not something I'm too concerned with either way...even if I do want Paolo to level up his Dominate ASAP. :)
9) Ooo, if a mortal or ghoul ((Even if isn't your own) that you've seen introduced so far gets embraced, you vote for (Fill in the blank).
Same problem as favorite NPC kindred; I've been bad at noting those who Paolo hasn't done a lot with. It would be fun to embrace Jacob for maximum weird, but he's not been introduced. For proper supporting cast, my vote goes to the lady who stole from the Nazis. She's the best.
Well I'm kind of a XP whore, so here it goes...
1) What is your favorite Vampire the Masquerade Clan? Why?
That's a tough question...the answer has changed a number of times over the years. When I first started play V:tM way back in the 1st edition days, I liked the Gangrel. At the time, I had (and still do to a certain extent) a thing for the concept of the noble savage, but scratched that particular itch long ago. Next up was the Lasombra, mainly due to the group I was part of playing a lot of Sabbat games for a while and the Lasombra's manipulation of shadows and twisted take on religion was appealing to me. These days I tend to gravitate toward blood sorcerers, Tremere in modern games and Cappadocians in the Dark Ages, just for the shear versatility of blood magic and the different routes you can go with it.
2) What is your least favorite Vampire the Masquerade Clan? Why?
Never been real fond of the Toreador. Yes, I know, they're techinically the signature clan of the entire game. I love their discipline mix of Auspex, Celerity, and Presence, but the rest of the tortured artist bit I could do without.
3) If you were a person in the World of Darkness, what Clan or Bloodline would you suspect would embrace you assuming you would definitely get embraced?
Probably the Tremere. I'm an engineer by training and my job entails a fair amount of research and attention to detail. Qualities I suspect the Tremere would desire.
4) Who is your favorite Kindred NPC in this chronicle so far, and why?
Limited exposure, as I tend not to read the posts that don't involve Damien too closely. Of the ones that I've interacted with, Maddie Hartman is a wonderful character. It would be very easy to think that she's this kind, old, southern lady, but there is the constant undertone of pure danger just below the surface.
5) On a scale of one to ten, with 1 being getting your ghoul to crush a spider maybe (Sorry, that does tickle me and it was well played), and 10 being a swath of destruction every time you get out of your haven, how much combat do you want in this Chronicle?
4-5 mainly because Damien isn't built for combat in the least. :)
6) On a scale of one to ten with a one being your friend lies to you if you ask if this cloak makes you look fat and a ten being Game of Thrones meets House of Cards but on cocaine so everyone is extra paranoid, how much intrigue/politics/betrayal do you want?
7-8. Intrigue should be part of every V:tM game, but if every little thing is part of some tangled web it can get a bit tedious.
7) If ST Gloaming ever gets the guts to try another vampire game on top of this one, I think he should try A) A regular Cam game B) A Dark Ages Game, C) Anarch game! D) Sabbat game, or E) An overpowered Elder's game where they just wake up after a century or two?
I would be equally interested in A, C, or D. Storyteller Shadow's Dark Ages game gets me my fix for both Dark Ages and Elders.
8) I think it's A) Better to give too few experience points rather than risk the game getting too wild too fast/B) Better to give too many Experience points rather than frustrate others.
When I've been in the Storyteller's seat, I've had a tendency to hand out an elevated amount of XP, but I also had players that liked to spread the wealth so to speak as opposed to dump everything they got into one thing to max it out at the earliest opportunity.
9) Ooo, if a mortal or ghoul ((Even if isn't your own) that you've seen introduced so far gets embraced, you vote for (Fill in the blank).
Trick question. As I said above, I tend to not read the non-Damien related posts too closely, so if I have to pick one I would say Lydia. On the other hand, Damien has no intention at the current time of ever embracing a childe, so if someone else were to embrace Lydia, Damien would be mighty pissed off.
Thank you guys. I appreciate your responses, and your bribes were well earned :)
I would take the survey myself more or less, but I'm the ST. Can give anyone I want experience points.
BAM
that NPC? now has underwater basketweaving skill at level 5. See how easy that is?
Meanwhile, Arthur gets another family reunion.
Damien has found a masquerade breach
Paolo's father had big dreams.
Alyson's got a coworker not sure whether to be grateful, weirded out, or both.
And Marcus is playing pew pew with a crazy Malk Anti chef!
*Munches popcorn*
So far...
Marcus has learned how to cook in a very odd and dangerous way!
Damien has learned that the Walking Dead Craze is the best thing to aid Masquerade protection in a long time!
Alyson has learned just where the Anarchs (at least some of them) are hanging out.
Paolo has learned there are other hackers at work in protecting the Masquerade, at least that's what they appear to be doing.
Arthur has learned that creepy snake disciplines hurt like a *****, and that he's not -that- attached to family.
ST, question for no particular reason:
Is the darkness created by Shroud of Night (Obten2) or Shadow Play (Obten1) something that could blend in with natural dark in shadowy areas? Or are they distinctly Other enough even then that Paolo would basically be putting a neon Lasombra sign up and asking all the Sabbat, Hunters, and the inevitable blood hunt he would totally deserve to get in line?
I'm guessing it's mostly the "get a new character" answer, but Shadow Play can be used to augment stealth and Shroud of Night is a little like a darkness spell with possible tendrils and unstable edges. (I know Paolo can't see through it.)
Idea is possibly he could throw a shadow across a light source or put up a dark cloud to block people looking into the alley without it being a masquerade breach.
ST, question for no particular reason:
Is the darkness created by Shroud of Night (Obten2) or Shadow Play (Obten1) something that could blend in with natural dark in shadowy areas? Or are they distinctly Other enough even then that Paolo would basically be putting a neon Lasombra sign up and asking all the Sabbat, Hunters, and the inevitable blood hunt he would totally deserve to get in line?
I'm guessing it's mostly the "get a new character" answer, but Shadow Play can be used to augment stealth and Shroud of Night is a little like a darkness spell with possible tendrils and unstable edges. (I know Paolo can't see through it.)
Idea is possibly he could throw a shadow across a light source or put up a dark cloud to block people looking into the alley without it being a masquerade breach.
Well, tis a silly power ;)
But as it stirs fear in mortals even at level 1 and so on, I'm inclined to believe it stands out to those in it. That doesn't mean it's going to somehow be noticable from a great distance though. I' say anyone who knew of the power might have to make a perception plus Awareness, but a single success would do it, at level 1..unless they're IN it, of course. That's kind of a gimmie
Level 2 and up stuff gets more and more obvious
But I'm winging a lot of this as it goes along.
As much as I like combat tentacles and shadow powers, I now have two brainy characters with slight physical sidelines. (Could have justified more for Paolo, but I wanted that sweet, sweet 10 die pool for hacking.) Next time around it's got to be a specifically physical or social concept.
Maybe with a specialty in murdering shovelheads that attack sorta-boyfriends. :-P
As much as I like combat tentacles and shadow powers, I now have two brainy characters with slight physical sidelines. (Could have justified more for Paolo, but I wanted that sweet, sweet 10 die pool for hacking.) Next time around it's got to be a specifically physical or social concept.
Maybe with a specialty in murdering shovelheads that attack sorta-boyfriends. :-P
Not to worry son, you'll grow into those tentacles :-)
As much as I like combat tentacles and shadow powers, I now have two brainy characters with slight physical sidelines. (Could have justified more for Paolo, but I wanted that sweet, sweet 10 die pool for hacking.) Next time around it's got to be a specifically physical or social concept.
Oh it's just shovelhead fiend with big ambitions to be the best Sabbat she can be! At 46 she thought her life was over, but now she's got a fresh start and hunger in her heart!
Who's the villain here?
okay, she is, or at least her sire is. ;)
Maybe with a specialty in murdering shovelheads that attack sorta-boyfriends. :-P
Good specialty :)
I'd feel bad about this, but someone put a flaw down that almost mandates at least some sabbat attacks. ;)
But fear not, I've read the surveys and combat is not going to be that constant.
I'd feel bad about this, but someone put a flaw down that almost mandates at least some sabbat attacks. ;)
But fear not, I've read the surveys and combat is not going to be that constant.
Don't; I'm not complaining at all. I took the flaw for a reason and it wasn't just to get more points. :) The awkward bit here is the Masquerade plus Paolo's best fight power being Umbral Hentai.
...Paolo's bestfightpower being Umbral Hentai.
Damn. Wrong kind of character. I would so sign up for that.
Tis a silly power *Repeats*
:)
I'm rather pleased with the RP so far all around. I know some of you (Damien and Alyson) haven't been thrown into combat yet. I hope this doesn't make you feel unloved.
No concerns on my part. Damien isn't a combat monster anyway. :)
I'm rather pleased with the RP so far all around. I know some of you (Damien and Alyson) haven't been thrown into combat yet. I hope this doesn't make you feel unloved.
I haven't thrown you into combat I think ever in the Dark Ages game. Does that make you feel unloved? :-)
I can love you a great deal more if you feel a dearth of love ;-)
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Really enjoying the RP as well. I have been following everyone's stories and I find them all entertaining!
I'm rather pleased with the RP so far all around. I know some of you (Damien and Alyson) haven't been thrown into combat yet. I hope this doesn't make you feel unloved.I haven't thrown you into combat I think ever in the Dark Ages game. Does that make you feel unloved? :-)
I can love you a great deal more if you feel a dearth of love ;-)
Oh pass. Ranerius is such a Tory... a good one I hope, but definitely not a fighter *G*
He just wants that darn vote over preferably with Helene and talisman shut out *Knock on stylish wood*
(Okay, he wants more than that, but I won't bore all here)
Really enjoying the RP as well. I have been following everyone's stories and I find them all entertaining!
Excellent! I'm having fun trying to make them. It's almost like I have a plot.
when actually for each one I have 12% of a plan
I rather enjoy it too.
Somethings I've noticed- None of you seem that eager to embrace. For some of your characters it's 'Heck, I'm too young for kids', others are like 'No way, Neonates are jerks, I should know, I'm one of them!' and this is comical when you consider the Prince's odd obsessions and the frustration the NPC primogen feel at not being allowed to fill up the population.
Which is fine. Childers is hard work and you're responsible if they screw up! Heck, Arthur already 'sold' his first embrace right to the Nosferatu, and no one even knows ICly. Will that pay off? It should.
But that doesn't mean Northcliff is suddenly going to be giving hugs.
The humanity angle is also fun to watch. Alyson's mix of faith and humanity has her making moves that make perfect sense to me after I consider it but took me off guard (Pleasantly so). Should be interesting to see how she responds to temptations of various sorts, not just 'hey, want to do something monstrous' but appeals to calls for this high minded ideal over that high minded ideal.
Where as Arthur is very much 'What humanity?' (He is on a path) and chopped off a distant relations' head because she had gone all stupidly snakey.
Both had moments of 'dude, that's cold' from NPCs, but for very different reasons and in very different situations. Marcus just slurped down a soul, but he ain't on the path of humanity either. Will he get a pass for this most heinous of crimes? Well, it was Sabbat, and it is war. We'll see.
Love is in the air, in one way or another, with Lydia and Damien, Samuel and Alyson, but the blood bond makes the question of how legit it is rise up for each of them. Paolo is meeting an old flame/friend of sorts who maybe about to see too much.
You're all playing a very interesting group.
How many Licks does it take to get to the center of a shovelhead? Paolo wants to find out! :)
Somethings I've noticed- None of you seem that eager to embrace. For some of your characters it's 'Heck, I'm too young for kids', others are like 'No way, Neonates are jerks, I should know, I'm one of them!' and this is comical when you consider the Prince's odd obsessions and the frustration the NPC primogen feel at not being allowed to fill up the population.
Thought about this for Paolo, in the event that Jacob was sucked dry. He would be extremely tempted, but he just saw an illegal embrace result in a death sentence with a threatened blood bond for the sire. He's pretty sure the Prince would at least think about making him have a sip if he did it wildcat. If Jacob ends up dead either way, what's the point?
He's also keenly aware that he's a marginal player in the city who might be a big deal down the road and doesn't want to screw that up. Anything he does may also reflect badly on Father by association and compromise any coattail effect Paolo would like.
Plus Paolo respects Father's wishes enough that he would probably want to consult with him on an embrace (especially of a vamp who would stay local) and Father has a marked preference for doing things the traditional way: destroy their lives and if they don't self-destruct, they're good enough. He's pretty sure he couldn't do that to Jacob...yet.
Now ghouling him...that's got potential. A corporate lawyer could have so many uses and a ghoul would be easier to explain things to than his present legal guy. And would give Paolo an excuse to lift the curtain a little with his oldest friend.
raises eyebrows at the type of girl who likes umbral hentai so so much I could say...
I approve is the least revealing lol
I admit that they're possibly not the best fighting power...but they are cool. And if Paolo really needs to he can turn into a creepy shadow thing and slither up walls.
I think Obtenebration 3 is one of the top 3 powers in the game. IMHO ;-)
What's really fun is watching the different ways that each PC is dealing with handling the shovelheads.
Brujah - Attack directly and kill.
Lasombra - Utilize the shadows to restrain and kill.
Tzimisce - Utilize the land and terrain to neutralize and kill.
Very stereotypical approaches! ;-)
Regarding embracing: O boi.
Alyson is totally too young for kids.
But she would totally freak out about the prospect of being ALLOWED to get a childer.
Then of course, there's that little other problem...because, you know, I'd stick with the original concept of "no male DoC's"(even if you relaxed it for the creation, I feel it's something...special about the clan that would get watered down) - so if she wants Samuel to join her in unlife, she would have to "exchange" childers with someone she trusts and who wants a female childer.
And then, if they want to be a happy vampire family, the second embrace would probably be some female teenager that gets to play the child - as childer...50 years later and we have a weird little Addams Family going on...
That said, I also find things VERY interesting, but moving so fast -_- I do try and read along in the other plot lines...but it may also be that time zones are a problem here...I usually wake up to 20-30 new posts in the morning :(
And I'm afraid I'll miss out on something relevant(such as Damien considering "upgrading" his music system with live performances ;) - even if there's other trouble now)
Oh well, just meant to say I have a lot of fun!
What's really fun is watching the different ways that each PC is dealing with handling the shovelheads.
Brujah - Attack directly and kill.
Lasombra - Utilize the shadows to restrain and kill.
Tzimisce - Utilize the land and terrain to neutralize and kill.Very stereotypical approaches! ;-)
Ha.
Good point.
The shovel heads by themselves are not that big a challenge for you guys , and you should have some edge, but as that aggravated damage proved, they can get lucky and it could still go south.
Regarding embracing: O boi.
Alyson is totally too young for kids.
But she would totally freak out about the prospect of being ALLOWED to get a childer.
Ha. I agree that she's probably too new for that kind of thing, but you have a Malk prince and they get weird so she might ignore the practical.
Then of course, there's that little other problem...because, you know, I'd stick with the original concept of "no male DoC's"(even if you relaxed it for the creation, I feel it's something...special about the clan that would get watered down) - so if she wants Samuel to join her in unlife, she would have to "exchange" childers with someone she trusts and who wants a female childer.
Well, if I recall the 'no male members' was not so much original as something they did later on when the fanbase 'sons of discord' got so popular that many thought it was official, a bit snarkily at that. I don't have Lore of the Bloodlines, but I did get to peek through it once, and the most current version says there ARE male Daughters of Discord, but yes, they're called Daughters whether they like it or not, and they're out numbered 10 to 1. One reason given is partially because of vocal range, a female Soprano might be fine mentoring a female alto, but a male bass will make for harder mentoring. Someone can correct me on that.
But exchanges are legit, and I just tip my hat to Arthur player for playing the boon transfer game to his advantage. No reason Alyson can't do the same.
And then, if they want to be a happy vampire family, the second embrace would probably be some female teenager that gets to play the child - as childer...50 years later and we have a weird little Addams Family going on...
they're creepy and their kooky, but they're on key so much it's spooky...
ahem. Sorry :)
That said, I also find things VERY interesting, but moving so fast -_- I do try and read along in the other plot lines...but it may also be that time zones are a problem here...I usually wake up to 20-30 new posts in the morning :(
And I'm afraid I'll miss out on something relevant(such as Damien considering "upgrading" his music system with live performances ;) - even if there's other trouble now)
That kind of priority is just good RP for a DoC ;)
And yeah, we've been posting a lot faster than I originally intended but I've had the time so I actually was like 'yay' but it can be rough on your schedule. I don't want to leave you out, but I don't want you to feel like you have to race to catch up. I hope we'll find the balance.
Oh well, just meant to say I have a lot of fun!
That's the important thing.
But exchanges are legit, and I just tip my hat to Arthur player for playing the boon transfer game to his advantage. No reason Alyson can't do the same.
Yep that one I figured would go down well. Plus Auspex for a kid is not an even exchange so I know I'll get something on the front AND the back end ;-)
Now that I can speak with the dead I can use them to help me find all the hidden nooks and crannies in the Web, looking forward to that too!
Yep that one I figured would go down well. Plus Auspex for a kid is not an even exchange so I know I'll get something on the front AND the back end ;-)
Paolo may try to cash his Masquerade boon in for a discipline. Auspex would be nice...but there are so many to choose from. Presence would also be good. Or Fortitude. Or Obfuscate. Celerity.
Hm...who does hold the bag for a general boon like this? I'd guess it's the Prince since she asked. Paolo would rather not slurp her vitae, but maybe if he stays away from Elysium for a while. It's less the one drop effect than that it might be refreshed and Paolo is a little paranoid about that. Should look up how long it takes for a single drink to attenuate.
@Male Daughters...pity, I liked it better when there were none. Regardless, that wide disparity can't be explained simply by not being able to school them properly. Quite possibly there's some selective "infertile vitae" thingie going on, where most males don't make it. Some do, but the others die. Would explain Jackson, Lemmy, Prince, ... AND give Alyson strong incentive to look for a female childer, rather than try and gamble with Samuels life.
@Male Daughters...pity, I liked it better when there were none. Regardless, that wide disparity can't be explained simply by not being able to school them properly. Quite possibly there's some selective "infertile vitae" thingie going on, where most males don't make it. Some do, but the others die. Would explain Jackson, Lemmy, Prince, ... AND give Alyson strong incentive to look for a female childer, rather than try and gamble with Samuels life.
Well, you are the only player playing a Daughter of Cacophony, so if you want it to be all female, I am amendable into putting that into the setting. I maybe personally okay with males among the bloodline, but if it makes it more fun /immersive /whatever for a player then I don't mind following that lead. :)
...
Going back to the surveys, I find it amusing that if i were to go with most popular votes for 'other option games' we'd end up with Over Powered Elder Anarchs *L*
I may try to narrow down a few concepts and run those by you folks.
Interesting, perhaps a group of Elders who fought during the Inquisition but refused to attend the Convention of Thorns and thus never joined the Camarilla or the Sabbat.
Maybe that makes us Inconnu for the Anarchs ;-)
I have an existing Tremere PC I'd roll out for the Elders game!
@DoC: I am fine with males, but I want some in-universe explanation for why there's a significant gender disparity. Such as the aforementioned 1 in 10 survives, the others die - scenario.
Also, Toreadors would try and protect their favorite male artists from crazed DoC-groupies trying to "turn" them...you know, that kind of thing.
@Overpowered Elders...All Tremere Game? Everybody gets one superpowered Thaumaturgy path? ^_^
Anarch Magical Girl Power Rangers?
I am quite balanced but my Mastery will increase as i gain experience! ;-)
@Overpowered Elders...All Tremere Game? Everybody gets one superpowered Thaumaturgy path? ^_^
Anarch Magical Girl Power Rangers?
As much as I like dressing characters in spandex, I've already got a Tremere. Maybe for the right concept, though. :) There are a couple of reused backstory elements (abuse, wrestling) that fit where I was going with both present vampires. The first is a modern day concept I've had for years and used several times, so his backstory was pretty baked in. I knew I wanted a physical angle for Paolo but didn't see him as a big time brawler or martial artist, so wrestling was the obvious way work it in and taking up the sport perversely just to spite his bullies was totally what teen!Paolo would have done.
okay. I will give Alyson a bit more time and then move on to Night 4 I think.
Sorry folks. I got kind of swamped this week with a lot of little things.
Hum...yeah, swamped fits quite well.
Work became a tiny bit better, but with how much time I had to spend on it in the fast weeks, I needed/need some family time now - priorities :)
I'll try and keep up somewhat.
NP. RL comes first, Family doubly so.
Well, Arthur DID say they might hit an Elysium... ;-)
Okay, apologies. I thought I'd be putting this up tonight but have been given a reminder of a previous engagement.
No worries. :)
And we're off again
Oh man, wait till you see my last post for Ranerius... ;-)
Good stuff :) Going to jade my poor innkeeper yet.
Good stuff :) Going to jade my poor innkeeper yet.
Man that Bastard is positive. Good response BTW. I'll get back to that thread tomorrow or Tuesday. It's tough to strike a balance when closing a night with 13 players in the game ;-)
Okay. Not sure of a second vampire chronicle or not, but trying to think 'anarchs' or elders I split things up to into some options that came to mind.
let me know in what order you guys would be willing to play these assuming you were at all
1) The Unofficial Patch.- Based on the Los Angles of the video game Vampire Bloodlines, everything has gone Anarch! With the leader of the Eastern Kindred slain, the Kue Jin are in retreat, losing large sections of even China town. With LeCroix and the top floor of his building blown to high hell, the Camarilla finds itself in disarray as the Anarchs turned on the true Cam Loyalists hard! And traditions went out the window. While the masquerade holds, many new Kindred have been embraced, some because they had stumbled onto too much, others because the Anarchs needed numbers, and a few? Just because they could. Your new life/unlife is a mess and there's no Prince to be 'presented to'. Welcome to the real L.A. (Players are granted 3 extra Freebies if they make Kindred versions of mortal NPCs in the game like Samantha, Knox, or Heather Poe)
2) Caido Sangre- It was the old west, not a time folks think of vampires, but it was a meeting place for a powerful group of elders who had left the old world to set up havens here with a plan to build a town up. They set matters into motion, enjoyed watching the town grow from a mere village into a town and then start to become a small city when… well, a group of holy men cast a spell over the town and set them into torpor. But spells, even miracles, only last so long. They wake to a city larger than they ever thought possible in a world very different from the Old West. Perhaps their city is Camarilla, perhaps it's Sabbat; but either way, it's time to wake up and remind all who its true masters are. (Players all start out as Elders, and among many bonus points/freebies get at least one dot in firearms for free)
3) New Childer, Old Blood- What happens with a 5th Generation Elder wakens and finds out she is alone? She embraces help, and fast. And there you are with 6th Generation 21st century 'elders'. Your sires power allows her to teach you somethings rapidly, but will it be enough to discourage others from making you a diablerie target? (Possible bloodlines for sire include Telyavelic Tremere, Cappadocians, or one of the 'regular ones' but the first two would at least allow you options in thaumtirgical nor necromantic paths. Probably bonus dots to attributes to reflect early benfits to low generation's higher cap on them, something like 9,7,5 instead of the usual 7/5,3)
4) Shovelheads to the Rescue- It was supposed to be a simple low budget biker film. One (or more) of you decided to try out the 'method', and got the whole group to agree to go into a real dive 'in character', criminal biker outfits and all. Faster than you could say till dusk till dawn, you were whacked over the heads, killed and buried alive err undead. Well, what should have happened was you would lose your humanity and your will to resist when you popped out, but the Sabbat that did this to you didn't count on the fact that the long hard rain of the last week had made the dirt too soft, so soft that you actually fell down into the sewage system to be flushed out closer to the city and with your minds intact. Man oh man, are the anarchs here glad to have real help. They heard the Free state was sending a group of bad asses! It must be you! It's like Galaxy Quest, with fangs. (Probably everyone starts out with at least one dot in performance, subterfuge and drive each)
So, where's the one where Elon Musk is the Baron and recruits us to defend his movement against the camarilla and sabbat oil industry/nuclear power lobby?
J/K - Anyway, with the intense pace of THIS game, I doubt I can fit another one in, so from where I stand, thats purely theoretical:
2, 3, 1/4(equal) is my order.
2.: Regaining our rightful domain using our elder status to support our claim sounds fun.
3.: Sounds good, makes sense - plus there's definitely a reason she needed help, fast, without saying hi to a prince and nicely asking.
1.: Been a while since I played it last. Fun setting, certainly, but not as "fresh" as 2 and 3.
4.: Seems like a great variant not taking itself serious - it COULD be fun. But then, I don't see that as a "Elders" game.(It's probably not supposed to be, but well- compared to other options... :))
I order of preference:
2 followed by 1 followed by 3 and then 4.
Thasaid, I'd play in all 4 ;-)
So, where's the one where Elon Musk is the Baron and recruits us to defend his movement against the camarilla and sabbat oil industry/nuclear power lobby?
J/K - Anyway, with the intense pace of THIS game, I doubt I can fit another one in, so from where I stand, thats purely theoretical:
2, 3, 1/4(equal) is my order.
2.: Regaining our rightful domain using our elder status to support our claim sounds fun.
3.: Sounds good, makes sense - plus there's definitely a reason she needed help, fast, without saying hi to a prince and nicely asking.
1.: Been a while since I played it last. Fun setting, certainly, but not as "fresh" as 2 and 3.
4.: Seems like a great variant not taking itself serious - it COULD be fun. But then, I don't see that as a "Elders" game.(It's probably not supposed to be, but well- compared to other options... :))
Oh number four is more "Accidental Anarchs" :)
Okay, we're on night 4, so..
As soon as Paolo posts
Everyone gets TWO more experience points