Wondering if anyone on these Boards played, and if anyone would feel like helping me flesh out a new game I want to start
Erf... I played the LARP back before 3rd edition, so the rules have changed a bit. Well that and we had to change the sign for obfuscate because crossed forearms before your chest is a gang sign around here.
Not sure if I can help much, but I might be able to be an okay sounding board. By the way, where are you going to play this? Settling in LARP is very important.
Oh and while there was some story a lot of the vampire stuff tended to be really free form talk, talk, talk.
Erf... I played the LARP back before 3rd edition, so the rules have changed a bit. Well that and we had to change the sign for obfuscate because crossed forearms before your chest is a gang sign around here.
Not sure if I can help much, but I might be able to be an okay sounding board. By the way, where are you going to play this? Settling in LARP is very important.
Oh and while there was some story a lot of the vampire stuff tended to be really free form talk, talk, talk.
Setting in in San Diego - Cause - well that's where we are
Was planning on using the current set of rules but not the setting, I have a great dislike for the current setting (that's a different Rant).
Was planning on making it's a "mortals" game, at least to start with. Meaning that I was planning on taking a lot from Socerer, and the (red) Hunters books, (not H:TR)
Here is what I got so far
The Set Up:
All characters are in “the Know”, meaning that they are aware that there is much more to the big picture then the average mortals. All Characters may start play as humans with abilities beyond that of mere mortals; sometimes called Mystics, wizards, and psychics by the mundane they collectively call themselves the Gifted. As one of the Gifted may belong to an Association or be considered a Solitaire, if you are playing a ‘mere’ mortal you might be an ally or contact of the Associations
The Associations are groups of like minded members of the Gifted, that gather to aid, teach and generally watch out for each other for there are several powers in the world that would as kill your or worst if they got there hands on you.
The Associations:
The Wicce
The Wicce are the descendants of the witches who were vilified and persecuted by the Church and State during the Middle Ages and Reform periods.
The Brotherhood of the Rose Cross (the Rosicrucians)
The Brotherhood of the Rose Cross is an ancient Covenant of magicians whose main interest is the pursuit of knowledge and, to a lesser degree, the accumulation of power.
The Society of Sentinels
The Society of Sentinels has been waging a quiet war against the supernatural for most of recorded history.
The Twilight Order
Contrary to popular belief, the dead can talk -- to those who can hear them. The Twilight Order has long been in communication with the Death Realms and the spirits who remain in our world.
The Cabal of Psyche
Any Seer that masters their innate powers requiring no study to being it to the surface and involves a number of abilities with which the mind can affect and perceive the world, is contacted by the Cabal is offered membership into its ranks.
The Solitaires
Both the Wicce and Rosicrucians, and most of the other magically oriented Covenants, refer to those Gifted who learn and practice their Arts without help from others as the Solitaires.
Circles:
Most Characters are connected to an Association in the grand scheme of things, but are far better known for the Circles that they travel with, sometimes also called Covens, or Clicks, these are the characters immediate support center. Almost all members of a Circle are made up of members of one Associations, but in these strange times it has not been unheard of for members of different groups with few or no other known members in the city to seek aid where they can find it.
It is most common for Solitaires to form their own groups, (where the term Coven is most commonly used).
Players are also encouraged* to get with another player or two and create characters from the same Circle, Starting the Chronicle, with a few other character connections will get you into the actions that much faster.
Histories:
All of us have a past; in this case the characters have a shared past. The Cariani House. This grand three story house located in La Jolla, overlooking the ocean has been a center point for all those in the Know, at one point or another you have all crossed over that threshold into the Grand house, seeking aid, knowledge, or safety from the night.
*Players that build good and interesting Circles, with written history and story hooks will get rewarded.
Thoughts, suggestions welcome.
Any one that has some ideas on using "Second Sight" with MET rules.
Or Ideas on Converting Orpheus into the current MET rules
Okay, like I said I don't know the new rules. I took a peek at 3rd ed WoD the normal tabletop rules and decided I didn't want to shell out for the LARP stuff especially since I was new person in the association and they weren't going to reset the power levels of the new characters. (I'd have to make a brand new character who is new to their powers, the old timers got to play near gods.)
How much of WoD are you going to use? Are vampires, ghosts, fae, garou, and mages going to be the antagonists? Or are your intrepid players going to be fighting the government who want to put all the Gifted into the equivalent of concentration camps unless the work for the good old US of A? And what about other countries? Mexico is within spitting distance and will have its own supernatural and histories.
Oh and I meant where an for how many are you going to be Storytelling for? A cafe is going to be a much different experience from say a cold windy outdoor mallish place at night.
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I ran a LARP many years ago, and my best advice is reduce everyone's character sheet to a 3 x 5 index card. At that time (and I know nothing of modern rules) you were bidding traits, and playing SRP to make choices, and it didn't matter if you were Powerful (strength) or Forceful (Strength)
the less that gets between the players and the story the better because they will chuck the rest anyway.
On the same token, assuming the bidding system still exists, enforce trait reduction. You may only have one three pools to pull from, but make sure the loser loses something.
As for fleshing things out, preludes and casting calls.
Prelude, sit down one on one with characters and ask them about their character, and what they want.
casting calls are larger group things, not necessarily with their own characters. Hand out a background sheet and let 4 or 5 players hash through a scene with people their characters only know.
Did this once letting players (in vampire) run the elder werewolves of a nearby caern for a while. they had a lot more insight and intelligence then I would of had if I had just written the scene
Okay, like I said I don't know the new rules. I took a peek at 3rd ed WoD the normal tabletop rules and decided I didn't want to shell out for the LARP stuff especially since I was new person in the association and they weren't going to reset the power levels of the new characters. (I'd have to make a brand new character who is new to their powers, the old timers got to play near gods.)
How much of WoD are you going to use? Are vampires, ghosts, fae, garou, and mages going to be the antagonists? Or are your intrepid players going to be fighting the government who want to put all the Gifted into the equivalent of concentration camps unless the work for the good old US of A? And what about other countries? Mexico is within spitting distance and will have its own supernatural and histories.
Oh and I meant where an for how many are you going to be Storytelling for? A cafe is going to be a much different experience from say a cold windy outdoor mallish place at night.
Posted right before I had to run off to work yesterday.
Planning on having almost all of the Oher stuff around, but mostly in the background. SD is a Cam city, located way to close to Sabbat controlled Mexico, The garou are goning to be real low key (i love them but I think that the mood would be better keeping them well in the background). Ghost are going to play a big part I think, SD is full of lots of Ghost storys and one of the most Haunted loaction in the US. I want the mages around at least in the backgroud, but don't want to use them (don't want to over shadow the players abilities).
Antangonists I was planning on using to start with are, a human Cult that worships an aspect of the Wyrm (going for a very lovecraft feel here), another Gifted faction with much more dark intentions. Want to use the Arcanum as the "How teh hell are these guys what are they up to". And maybe a Earthbound from Demon as a tempter figure.
Most of the action will be set at the The Cariani House, in game. Out of Game I plan on running it at a local Park, there is some nice quite areas that lots of LARP groups use so it's not odd to see Larpers there. It's moody and could easily be the garndens of the House.
The ST team is me basically, My better half offered to help with Notes etc but doesn't have time to play. I do have some players that I know from another LARP that have offered to help as Narrators (rules stuff).
I've ran a Larp before A weekly V:TM game for 3 years when I lived in Ohio, But I started that game like 10 years ago and it was Vampire so it was pretty easy to just jump in an run. I'm taking a very different angle with this one (ie Mortals)so I'm having to build from the ground up. I need to fleash out the Dark faction, The cult is going to start showing up a few games in so I need a very different feel for the dark faction.
Chronicle Rules
General
Player Contracts
All players will need to read and sign a “Player’s Contract”. Which will basically state that you know the eight “Golden Rules” and that you will follow them.
Character Approvals
New Characters must be turned into the ST at least ONE WEEK ahead of the next Game. You do not turn in a character you don’t get to play them.
Associations
There is going to be a Cap put on Associations, to make sure that we get a divers city. All Character Approvals will be on a first come process.
Circles
‘Circles’ may be anywhere from 3 to 5 players.
Merits
Some Merits players will be allowed to combine points, Such as ‘Sanctuary’ to determine the total level of that Merit, (a Characters Death might cause impact on the rating of that Merit).
Experience
Earning
Each play will get one point a night plus a possible “nod”. All limited role Narrators will get one bonus point a month, ‘Masks’ (see Narrators Roles below) can bank these point towards their next character. Other bonus exp may be awarded for helping out in other ways, making props, bringing more (good) players.
Spending
Spending EXP, All EXP will spending will be handled on the 1st of the month, must be turned in, in writing (I’ll forget if you just tell me).
Character Death
If your character does not make it, you may transfer up to half of his unspent exp to your next character to a Max of 10
Well, I guess the first thing you need to figure out is the main goal(s) of the Dark Faction. I say goals, because there is the stated goal the one that would be easier to find out since most of the members of that faction knows it, and there could be a "shadow" goal that only a select few knows about.
Such as if there were a corporation that were part of the Big Conspiracy.
Know goal: make lots of money.
"Shadow" goal: help X take over the United States of America.
This is rather simplistic, but just something to try and get your creative juices flowing.
You also might want to flesh out the Big Boss of the Dark Faction and his motivation. This way you can get a handle as to how he wants to run his faction and who he might reach out to for allies.
The name of the group, a symbol to represent them, and maybe a costume piece that is unique to them. This will help provide clues for your players, and will help cement them as part of the setting and story.
But just to be odd let me toss out a few blurbs of some ideas:
1. A Luddite group who seeks to bring down all of civilization because it's based on technology.
2. A group of housewives who kill inconvenient husbands, as they see it as their right to live as free women.
3. An Evil Overlord of in full Pulp grandeur who has actually came up with his own version of "What would I do if I became an Evil Overlord."