@ST Talomyr I was considering taking a personal haven with the (non-existent) 'mobile' descriptor, the idea being K has a car or van he can sleep in. Is this acceptable, or no?
*
Storyteller Shadow wrote:
They call him Jack wrote:
Hunting without an increased chasis looks like it'd be insanely difficult? Could we drop a few more points into it? I've only got 5 or 6 dice in my pool to hunt, and it looks like it's difficulty 6?
I think the Domain 4 is Chassis 4 no? I guess we can bump it up one more, that would be the max I guess.
I'll let ST Talomyr step in here as I don't really know these V5 rules.
I think this is a case of confusion over semantics. As I read it, a coterie's Domain is the set of Chasse, Lien, and Portillon. So we're currently looking at Chasse 4, Lien 3, Portillon 3, which would make hunting checks within our Domain difficulty 2 (base 6 - Chasse 4.)
Hi folks! Have a lazy day on my vacation so I thought I'd pop in :)
I'm good with a coterie based on uncovering mysteries with a secondary focus on earning Camarilla prestige, using Scientology as their front to the mortal world.
By and large K's down for whatever the coterie wants. He wants to belong, both among his immediate associates/peers and the Camarilla at large. He'd join the cult if needed, but more as a means of acceptance than as a true believer. I can see him running into quandaries if/when his various loyalties (coterie, cult, Camarilla, old street crew) come into conflict.
I think he's got a fairly classist view of people factoring their experience with poverty, current wealth, awareness of criminal activity, participation in criminal activity, and now awareness of/participation in supernatural activity. Prior to his Embrace he idolized those who rose from poverty to power in the criminal underworld, believing them to have figured out how to beat the system and win at life. He looked down on those born middle class or wealthier with no day to day experience of crime or hardship, considering them entitled rubes with no idea how the world really works. Now that he knows there's a whole other level of 'underworld' populated by vampires who really run the show, he's put the Camarilla at the top of this hierarchy.
K's fine with the concept of killing folks in the course of business, though he's never done it himself. Snitches get stitches, after all. He's not okay with murdering people out of hand or for amusement. I don't think he really views mortals any differently as he did pre-Embrace yet - as a Thin-Blood he's not so different from them, and hasn't had the time or experience yet to feel truly distanced from them.
I think K is pretty much done - alias is here. I'm still working on the alias name; his full name + K nickname + Outrun moniker is over the character limit, so will have to cut something out - it's like they don't expect your character to have three names. I still have some xp to spend, but will do that during/after coterie creation.
Tomorrow afternoon I'm leaving for an international trip, returning in 10 days. Posting will likely be spotty, but will try and catch up every night on my phone.
@ST Talomyr Any interest in pursuing a narrative where K's Sire is an anonymous Camarilla neonate looking to "fix his mistake" without incriminating himself? If so, what Clan would be a good fit for the Sire - I'd take some of the Clan-specific merits and flaws available to Thin-Bloods.
...Of the clans, the ones most likely to "embrace recklessly" are the Toreador, Brujah, and Gangrel, so one of those would be the easiest.
Toreador or Brujah seem a better fit.
@Calliope I don't want to step on anyone's toes - any objection to K having an anonymous Toreador Sire? Mechanically it would give K the Toreador Bane and Celerity. Narratively it might provide another reason why Calliope is feeding him. If not, no worries, we'll go with Brujah :)
Blood in exchange for access to experiment with Thin Blooded Alchemy? Probably yes, especially considering the connection that my character has with the Ducheski.
Calliope Marchette wrote:
Calliope would be open to be a blood source as well. Coterie bonding!
Sweet! I’ll definitely roll with Blood Leech/Vitae Dependency/Bond Junkie then.
@ST Talomyr Any interest in pursuing a narrative where K's Sire is an anonymous Camarilla neonate looking to "fix his mistake" without incriminating himself? If so, what Clan would be a good fit for the Sire - I'd take some of the Clan-specific merits and flaws available to Thin-Bloods.
@Everyone I'd like to take the Blood Leech predator type along with the Vitae Dependency and Bond Junkie flaws. My idea is he'd be feeding from one or more of his fellow coterie members.
Any takers/volunteers to be his blood source?
If we go with both an anonymous Sire and Blood Leech, perhaps K's Sire could be from the Clan of whomever is feeding him. The Clan's keeping tabs (and a blood bond) on K while keeping an eye out for clues as to his Sire's identity, so the culprit may be appropriately punished. In this scenario, I imagine the initial opportunity for K to prove himself to the Camarilla is more just a carrot to keep him around and alive long enough for the Clan to clean up their mess.
Looks like we might have all the takers we're going to have for this one. If any you have someone else in mind that might be interested, please send them this way.
I know someone in RL who may be interested, but they'd be new to PbP. I'll check with them this weekend.
Here’s my write-up. Everyone is free to read it, in fact I’d appreciate any feedback or suggestions all of you may have. I’ve made notes throughout.
Krzysztof “K” Sobczak, aka Outrun
Top o’ the Sheet:
Chronicle ST Talomyr’s Chicago by Night
SireSomeone rash and 13+ generation Concept Fast & Foolish vampire wannabe
Ambition Earn Camarilla’s trust
Desire Prove himself to his coterie
Predator Scene Queen (street racers) or Blood Leech if this helps story-wise with coterie Clan Thin-Blood plus one for reference if Clan Curse flaw is taken Generation 14+
Blood Potency 0
Attributes:
Physical
Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2
It’s all in the reflexes. Social
Charisma 3, Manipulation 1, Composure 2
People like being around him, but don’t take his advice. Mental
Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 3
Quick thinking and present in the moment. Health 5
Willpower 5
Humanity 7
Skills:
Physical
Athletics 3, Crafts 2 (vehicles), Drive 4 (getaway), Larceny 3, Stealth 1
He’s got the moves, especially behind the wheel. Social
Performance (dance) 1, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 2
He’s got some hustle, and can bust a move. Mental
Awareness 1, Tech 2
Keeps an eye out; electronics hobbyist.
Disciplines:
Thin-Blood Alchemy 1 possibly 2 depending on xp expenditures
-Distillation Method: Fixatio
Prefers to cook on an exhaust manifold, but a hot plate or electric stovetop will do in a pinch.
-Formulae
Haze. Exhaust fume infused blood cooked down and filled into a custom one-hit atomizer; vaping vampire-style.
I may take one more Discipline via the Thin-Blood Merit ‘Discipline Affinity’ if I take the Thin-Blood Flaw ‘Clan Curse.’
Thin-Blood Merits & Flaws:
These are largely undecided, as I think they’re going to impact / be impacted by coterie dynamic. But here are my thoughts:
Flaws
Branded by the Camarilla.
K “turned himself in” to the Camarilla in his bid to join their ranks.
And 2 of the following:
Shunned by the Anarchs?
He took part in an inter-vamp battle with Anarchs, and the word’s out that he’s not on their side.
Clan Curse ?
May be interesting plot point if he exhibited his Sire’s bloodline, especially if his Sire is anonymous (or wants to be,) and/or a member of a Clan represented in the coterie.
Vitae Dependency ? (paired with Blood Leech predator)
May be an interesting dynamic for the coterie, where he’s basically dependent on one or more of them to maintain his full potential: what does he have to do to earn access to Discipline use, and what’s him being powered up worth to the rest of the coterie?
Merits
Lifelike
Part of my idea for K is his naïveté towards the full horror of being a vampire; he lacks many of the physical transformations that mold the unlives of full-bloods, and takes this for granted.
Day Drinker?
Interesting to further bolster the above naïveté concept, but I can see this becoming disruptive to play, so maybe not? or
Vampiric Resilience
If Day Drinker isn’t taken. Still plays up the same concept - he takes for granted he’s got full-blood resilience without the loss of normal human biological functions.
Discipline Affinity?
If the Clan Curse flaw above is taken, I may take this for one of that Clan’s Disciplines to lean into the premise. or
Thin-Blood Alchemist
If Discipline Affinity isn’t taken. If I don’t take this as a merit, I’ll buy 1 rank with xp.
Advantages & Flaws:
Flaws
Influence 1 - Disliked (law enforcement)
Known troublemaker. He’s got no record as an adult, but only because they’ve never managed to catch him in the act.
Bonding 1 - Bond Junkie?
Could be interesting if Vitae Dependency is taken as Thin-Blood Flaw above.
Adversary 1 - Neonate?
If we want to go with an anonymous Sire, they could be sabotaging K behind the scenes in the hopes of erasing their mistake.
Merits
Looks 2 - Beautiful
All this and looks, too!
Backgrounds
Haven 2 - small, mobile?
Obviously “mobile” isn’t an option in the rulebook, but thought it would fit if K had a low-key sedan or conversion van he sometimes sleeps in (or in the trunk, if sedan.) If not, I’ll just reassign the 2 points into my other existing Advantages.
Contacts 2
”The Dean,” leader of his old chop shop crew, the HK Grads.
Resources 1
Currently working occasional small-time, low risk criminal jobs.
Experience Total / Spent:
15/0 (15 to spend)
Convictions & Touchstones:
Some ideas
“Hate the game, not the player.”
-Hastings, rival street racer. Much better financed, she often beats K through sheer mechanical advantage; while the two don’t like each other, they respect each other.
“Everybody’s got a shot.”
-Tina G, ex-girlfriend from his teens. Applied herself at school, got scholarships for college and law school, and just got hired at a prestigious law firm in the city.
“Always back your partner’s play.”
-Dante Green, Tina G’s brother and fellow member of the HK Grads. Went along with his crewmates despite disagreeing with a job, purposefully got caught by police to allow others time to escape when the job predictably went awry; currently serving time in Hill Correctional.
Other Details:
True Age 26
Apparent Age 23
Date of Birth 08/05/1996
Date of Death 08/05/2019
Appearance 80s retro: clean-cut, customized varsity and bomber jackets, jeans, high-end sneakers, sunglasses.
Distinguishing Features Good looks, 80s style, ‘HK Grads’ varsity jacket, aggressive positivity.
Random Bits HK Grads varsity jacket has patches for every kind of car he’s stolen; loves stand-up arcade and pinball games; favorite car is the 1989 Trans Am Turbo; learned early that folks are more attracted to someone who’s willing to dance with them; customization is key - ready made is for suckers; favorite movie is the 2009 anime Redline.
History Grew up poor in the city, juvenile delinquency led to recruitment in the HK Grads (Hard Knocks Grads,) a local chop shop crew. Learned professional car theft, car mechanics, street racing, and getaway driving. Known professionally as ‘Outrun’ - originally coined by his crew due to his obsession with synthwave and retrofuture aesthetics, it’s relevancy expanded with his turn as street racer and wheelman.
Was rashly Embraced to serve in an ill-conceived attack on rival vampire; operation was a disaster, but K survived through skill and luck. Learning that the Camarilla were the Big Name in vampire affairs, presented himself to them for probationary membership. Has since learned the basics of Thin-Blood Alchemy from fellow thin-bloods and experimentation.
Purposefully leaving room for expansion and details to be determined with ST and coterie input. Some ideas include anonymous Camarilla Sire who Embraced K without sanction for a similarly unsanctioned action against rival vampire - Sire is trying to keep K down to protect themselves, and/or maybe K is being used as bait by Sire’s Clan to out them; K possibly being blood bound to a fellow player or NPC due to Vitae Dependency flaw.
I’m getting into the nitty gritty of crunch today. Some questions for you, ST Talomyr:
What skill would cover mechanics and electronics? Things like physically assembling/repairing/installing various hardware for vehicles, sound systems, arcade/pinball machines, etc. as opposed to any software.
Is Thin-Blood Alchemy considered a Clan Discipline or Other Discipline for experience point costs?
I am considering changing from Brujah to Toreador. I have a clearer character idea for this - an up-and-coming artist/poet Embraced by a Patron. Any thoughts on who that Patron could be, etc.?
Some random general ideas. Patron is…
… currently on the outs with Toreador society, and expects your genius to catapult them back into favor.
… responsible for a menagerie of childer artists each representing one of the current 7 major arts (Painting, Sculpture, Literature, Architecture, Theater, Film, and Music); you’re replacing their oldest or fondest childe, with big shoes to fill.
… fascinated by your work, but you’re beginning to realize they have no taste.
… an artist in the same field, intent on mentoring your artistic promise into “true greatness” - as they define it.
My week unexpectedly got hectic there - I’ve put together some bullet points for my character. Leaving precise details open for now in case we want to fill in with links to pcs/npcs during coterie process. I’ve assumed we’re Camarilla (“C”) below for clarity, but can easily flip sects.
Background:
age 25 (23 mortal)
grew up poor in Chicago,
petty theft and vandalism in childhood turned into stealing cars for joyrides in early teens,
joined small chop shop crew in mid-teens; grand theft auto, street racing, and eventually getaway driving,
embraced ~2 years ago for his criminal skills as part of disastrously failed attempt by a C coterie to take out an Anarch rival,
turned himself in to C looking to prove himself, got branded and attached to new coterie.
is in a “honeymoon phase” - so far loves being a vampire, sees it as a shot at “the big time”
enthusiastic, friendly; excited to be included
Possible convictions:
Everybody has a shot
Hate the game, not the player
If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen
You never know until you try
Rulesy stuff:
stats focused on Dexterity, Charisma, Wits; thinking my 1 dot stat will be Manipulation
skills focused on driving, larceny, streetwise, mechanics/electronics
Scene Queen predator, street racing community
looking at thin blood flaws of branded by C, shunned by anarchs; clan curse or vitae dependency if we can work one in story-wise
I suspect that is viable. Could be a stretch for a Camarilla associated Thin-Blood, but I suspect that could be an interesting thing to roleplay.
Great! I’ll work up a treatment tonight.
Storyteller Shadow wrote:
ST Talomyr wrote:
Also, with the Thin-Blood Alchemy, I could certainly see Edwin (Storyteller Shadow) being interested in that character - trying to understand how Thin-Blood Alchemy works.
Absolutely, considering he was a hedge mage trying to make magic work as a Mortal before the Embrace, no doubt he would find pseudo Mortals actually doing it interesting.
I can definitely pick up a rank in Thin-Blood Alchemy if it helps explain why other PCs tolerate my presence :)
ST Talomyr wrote:
Yes, it is my intention to do the communal coterie creation once everyone has a base concept down.
Also great! I’m excited for this aspect of character creation - my past experience as a player has basically been ST dictated coterie setups/purpose.
As happens, my initial character ideas have transformed into something quite different. After a few days with the rulebook, I’m now very interested in making a thin-blood character. Most basic concept is a street-level criminal trying to hustle and grind their way into the sect’s good graces, hoping to carve out a niche for themselves by leveraging their variant abilities; sort of like the coterie’s hyper-ambitious intern.
ST Talomyr If you think this is viable, I should be able to write up a précis tonight. Also, will we be doing communal coterie creation more or less as presented in the core rulebook?
I've got two ideas I like - a Malkavian literati with a focus on social conflict, and a Nosferatu campanologist decent at stealth and combat. If either of these (admittedly broad-stroke) concepts seems a better fit for the existing characters, let me know. Both could be played as either Camarilla or Anarchs, really just depends on what kind of game we all feel like playing. My experience with VtM has mainly been small-scale homebrew type games rather than published 'X by Night' settings, so I'm not steeped in much game lore beyond the main rulebooks, if that makes any difference.
ST Talomyr Do you prefer preliminary character concepts/sheets by PM, or can I post up here? I note others have gone the PM route, but not sure if it's because they pre-date this recruitment thread or because it's your preference. Or if they're being secretive because VtM ;)
I'm up for giving V5 a go. I like the new Hunger mechanic vs tracking blood pools, and the changes to fluff are interesting. I'll be traveling internationally the first half of April, so as long as proper gameplay doesn't start until after April 15th, I can commit to the posting rate.
ST Talomyr Do you want all characters to belong to a specific sect, ie Camarilla or Anarchs? Seems like the two solid characters proposed, Tremere and Brujah, could go either way.
I might be interested. I’m familiar with V1&2, and played a little V20 Dark Ages on these boards under the illustrious Storyteller Shadow. I’ll pick up V5 this week and give it a read. Traditionally I tend to gravitate towards Gangrel, Nosferatu, and Malkavians, but maybe 5th edition will pique my interest in something new :)
Here's my 'word storm' for the half-orc / li lung champion
Words - even a couple sentences!:
Rumbling - gravelly/basso profondo voice
Armed - adamantine greatsword, retractable claws, grievous bite
Armored - ornate, full suit + helm
Mighty- thick, muscular, long-limbed
Immovable - when in contact with the ground
Destructive - hew-in-twain; humanoid wrecking ball
Resilient- cannot be crushed
Animalistic - coarse fur, cat’s eyes, toothy maw, predator grace
Earthy Appetites - eats dirt, stone, metal, gems
Secrets of Subterranea - burrow through earth, see in darkness, excellent climber; tremorsense?
Strength of Simplicity - prefers simple, direct actions/solutions - the more complicated a thing, the easier it is to break
Oath is Bond - actions should match words
Grudgingly Duty-Bound - serves 2 masters (mortal and Elemental), neither to his liking
Currently I'm using the following ability scores, cribbed from the AD&D 2nd edition Player’s Option: Skills & Powers book: Stamina, Muscle, Aim, Balance, Health, Fitness, Reason, Knowledge, Intuition, Willpower, Leadership, and Appearance.
My concepts have gelled into the below; given that characters should be “equivalent to about a 20th level PF character,” I’m assuming that by and large they’ll already be eminent individuals in their own spheres - big fish in small ponds, as it were.
An orc descended from a Li Lung (styled per the 3.0 Oriental Adventures version) who is duty-bound as both champion of an orcish king/emperor and servant of the Elemental Bureaucracy. He’s the last descendant of his draconic ancestor, who was responsible for maintaining the section of earth the World Maw was dug through. After a lot of paperwork the Bureaucracy has recently decided he’s a low-ranking member of their organization and responsible for his ancestor’s duties, and has tasked him with fixing the whole tunnel-to-the-Lands of Darkness debacle. Not too long after this the call for aid went out, and his lord gave him leave to pursue his divine mandate so long as he upheld the lord’s interests abroad (tbd) as well. Functionally I’m picturing him as a tanky melee heavy hitter with some earth-based powers. With more details on the orcish kingdom(s) I can flesh out his orcish lord details and motives.
A shape-changing practitioner of questionable magic taught to them by the four titan-hags that raised them - the “Old Ways” of Bone (earth, matter, physicality,) Breath (air, thought, sentience,) Bile (fire, passion, will,) and Blood (water, knowledge, intuition.) Due to the tender care and mutational rituals of their mothers they’ve been polymorphic since infancy and have no knowledge of their original species or gender [referred to throughout this précis as they/them]. Under the guidance of their mothers they’ve carved an unofficial kingdom out of the wilderness, peopled with outcasts and monsters; but rather than the puppet the hags desired, they’ve grown too powerful and willful for the hags to control outright, and instead serve as their councilors. They desire their realm to be a haven for those whose appearance, nature, or appetites preclude them from acceptance in more civilized nations, while the hags seek to create an army of monsters for conquest to forge a realm to rival that of the Scaled Tyrants. Despite the hags’ protests they’ve decided to answer the Legion of the Dawn’s call for aid in a bid for official recognition of their burgeoning nation and alliance with the crusader states. While battling the forces of the Dark Symphony, they’ll undoubtedly also have to deal with the insidious machinations of their mothers seeking to twist events to their own advantage. Functionally I’m picturing them as an espionage and battlefield controller type, capable of melee forms but lacking the fighting skills to take on martial-focused enemies directly. Inspirationally she’s sort of queen of her own little Droaam - guess the 3-dragon creation myth seeded some dragonshards into my psyche :)
@Monkeygod: Didn’t see your reply until I came to post this. If we both decide to go with our titan/hag related concepts I’m sure together we can work some sort of relation out :)
@Sebecloki & All: Constructive feedback will be welcomed!
An initial thought was some sort of Hermes-esque messenger/courier between the mortal world and the Heavens, but sounds like that wouldn’t really be a thing. No worries - if there’s one thing I’m not short on, it’s character ideas.
Currently bouncing around ideas for an orc champion descended from a li lung, and a shape-changing druid/witch type raised by a coven of hags/titans. Will post more once I’ve narrowed down the key concepts for each of them.
Are dragons of most varieties currently present in the world? Are all dragons considered (un)holy? For instance how do the people of Gloriana view their dragon mounts?
Is travel to/from the Heavens and Elemental Strongholds possible for individuals of the PCs’ stature, or even at all? Or have these realms been effectively completely sealed off from Esarlon by the Dark Symphony?
Here's the basic crunch of my inquisitor; still on the fence on his last feat. He could be ship's captain or chaplain. I'll finish equipment and full derived stats tomorrow, hopefully fluff as well.
crunch:
CN human inquisitor of besmara 5
S 14 / I 12 / W 18(20) / D 14 / C 13 / Ch 8
F +5 / R +3 / W +9
BAB +3 / CMB +5 / CMD 17 / Init +7
Skills- bluff +14, diplomacy +14, intimidate +16, acrobatics +6/+8, climb +6, *knowledge (nobility) +9, knowledge (arcana, nature, religion) +5/+10, heal +12, perception +10, *profession (sailor) +15, sense motive +12, survival +10/+12, swim +12
Feats - Favored Judgment (human), Judgment Surge, Extended Bane, ???
Traits-Gentleman of Leisure, Soaring Sprinter
Racial Traits-Bonus Feat, Heart of the Sea
Spells-(-/4/2)-orisons (acid splash, brand, create water, light, sift, stabilize), 1st (burst bonds, cure light wounds, divine favor, lend judgment), 2nd (blistering invective, cure moderate wounds)
Class Abilities-Conversion inquisition (Wis to bluff, diplomacy, intimidate), judment 2/day, monster lore, stern gaze, cunning initiative, detect alignment, track, solo tactics, teamwork feat, bane 10 rds/day, discern lies
Eqiupment-+2 Wisdom item, ???
Edwin & Wicked, welcome on board! Please post any character questions here in discussion - I don't think we want to pull a Herbert West on the recruitment page. The build data is quite lengthy and itself contains multiple spoilers, so I figured it would be easier just to link to everything. :)
If you're literally trying to post a period "." try posting something else - text which hasn't been posted to gameplay yet. There's an anti-spam element to the site that often denies exact duplicate posts.
Hey Mark, go here (link) and "add new thread" with the topic: Unable to post in gameplay after deleting initial post. In the body of your post request that they assist and include a link to the gameplay thread so they know which one to fix. It might take a couple days for them to get to it.
For me, the whole idea is trying to get away from any recontextualization or re-expression, mathematical or otherwise... Seeing this play out on the toy gets her flow going to see all of the ordering and disordering necessary for her desired Effect. The less of her conscious self that she needs to dedicate to considering contextualizations of entropy, the better.
I get you now. Now, another question: What does Ceridwyn believe the mechanism of her magic is? Why does it work? Despite what he believes Yellow doesn't actually bring manifestations of the Universe's subconscious Dreamlands into its conscious material world, it's just what he thinks he's doing, because our characters don't actually know that what they do is an act of sheer will.
Nice. Is it possible that there are archetypes that humanity has not yet discovered/experienced? if so, can he use those without Vulgarity? or is Yellow limited to that which humanity has already dreamed?
Currently he's limited to that which has already been dreamed, though not necessarily just by humanity. I think this fits with the idea that he personally can never dream; indeed, at his root he's really just a symbol for the idealized selves of five alternate versions of the same man. (Given that I bought a fairly incomplete book on symbolism and it still contains 800 symbols, I don't think I'll run out anytime soon.)
If we encounter some non-human culture with radically different symbolism, or if new symbols arise due to invention/time travel (ie trains are invented and become symbolic of progress, or something like that), he'll definitely make an attempt to discern their import.
One of the things I like about Mage is that you can usually figure out a way to achieve the result you're looking for with the means at hand, so long as you don't get caught up on a particular pre-conceived how and you think outside the box a little.
Re-reading the magic rules, you don't actually need a dot in a Sphere to target anything with magic, except Correspondence if your target isn't in line of sight. What you can actually do to those things is somewhat limited, however. For instance, to directly affect another (not yourself) living creature with Entropy you need Entropy 4 - lesser effects may create problems for people by affecting the environment around them, but you can't just straight up make someone drop dead until then.
