[Closed][VTM20] Sabbat Shovelheads Chronicle

Shovelheads are not made to "thrive". In most cases they are made to either let them loose as a distraction or as frenzying frontline cannon fodder. So having mundane characters survive this ordeal is one the main themes of this chronicle.
Difference of approach, i'd say, where "building" a character with a more stat invested, "dnd like" approach is more suited to crunchier chronicles, while more relaxed way is better for narrative heavy games. In fact, the situation you described absolutely can happen in this game, and i'm specifically looking for people who will not think of it as a punishment or some grand injustice about the spent stat points, but instead see it as an amazing opportunity for roleplay. People for whom the whole set-up of the game is no a cage full of restrictions that needs to be broken or circumvented or solved, but a grand idea, an open prompt from which a great story could be told and written and made your own.

To reiterate - there is nothing wrong with wanting the numbers to matter or building a character that will "work" well, like in PF or DND. Great thing about VTM and WOD in general is that you can run all types of games. It just that this is not one of them. So if those things matter to you, this one might not be a good fit, as i'm looking to run a pretty specific setup.

That's fair enough!
Gotcha, that does sound interesting. I guess that was my misinterpretation of the "adapt" part. Is the application's adapting question towards how the character will mentally cope with their situation or towards what methods the character will develop to survive? If there could even be any beyond hoping to still be alive after frenzying through the night?

More on the mental front. There is no need to come up with solid foolproof ideas that "you'll be certain to implement in game as written", more general thoughts on the matter. As for methods, techniques or rituals for adapting and coping with the change, those you all will writing and inventing as we play, both individual and collective.

I personally love the concept of the game, I sent you a private message with a concept, and I'll be glad to talk some more about it if you have questions or pointers.

But the Clan roulette is I think very nice, as it makes the story more about individual character and group dynamics before Clan politics which can be sometimes (I'm more used to Camarilla games) a bit too much impactful from character creation. I think it allows the character to grow into the Clan archetypes instead of being one already, which feels very Sabbath

This sounds interesting! I PMd my application info. I have no experience with WoD or the system, but figured I can learn!

Understood, thanks! I have sent you my application through PM :)

I do like the idea of this chronicle, actually a lot. Just one question: Will we be starting with digging our way out or will we be the few survivors of the distraction we were meant to be? I am not sure yet if this makes a difference for me coming up with a concept, maybe it doesn't, maybe I am just curious.
Anyway, I definitely plan to have at least some idea in the concept for why they would actually survive there first midnight hour, night or even a full week. ;)

Definitely doesn't make a difference for the concept. The prologue will be your last day alive and then we'll move into the Embrace itself and everything after.

Due to some folk dropping/going on an extended hiatus, we can currently accommodate 1 or 2 more players.

About the game: this is a Sabbat chronicle where players start out as shovelheads. You've been violently plucked from the night streets of Chicago to be used as a pawn and an expendable soldier in the Sabbat's Holy War. The main group have finally made it to the Detroit and is about to dive deep into the treacherous world of Sabbat politics and lifestyle. This is a mature game, so expect violence, swearing, horror, etc - all the good vampire bits. Both Clan and Generation are rolled randomly - you can exclude certain Clans or default to Thin-Blooded Caitiff/Inceptor if you wish.

I have made the game public, so feel free to check out if it is to your liking. To repeat, this is a mature game, so reader discretion is advised.

What I'm looking for: a solid mortal character concept. I'm trying the best I can to emphasize the horror of being a vampire and I hope you are both interested in exploring the theme and will aid me in playing it out in full. This is not DnD, so what I'm not looking for are the concepts specifically designed to "fit in" with the Sabbat - there are no roles to fill. Only one of our 3 active characters can more or less reliably handle themselves in a fight and that is A-O-K. You can pull material from any book, but the idea is to go simple, raw and natural - a regular person thrown into a world of monsters, not supernaturally aware, deep lore steeped, cool and collected enigma.

There have been some me-related bumps along the way, but I am committed to improving the game, making it enjoyable for all and seeing it through.

If any of this sounded interesting, you can shoot your concept either via PM or here, whichever you prefer. I'll leave this open until (or if) we find someone for whom the game and the already assembled pack can be a good fit and vice versa.

Game link.

Very interested

Hello there!

I absolutely love the premise of this game and would love to get involved. I have a mortal concept I think will work well for the whole "smashed in the head with a shovel, now survive" theme. Random clan and generation too? I'm here for this.

Liam O'Shea

Age: 38
Profession: Former EMT, now looking for work after "the incident"
Character Idea: The reluctant soldier / broken idealist
Archetype: Burnout medic with a trauma-addled conscience

Backstory:

Liam was born in Belfast, Ireland but his parents immigrated to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada when he was very young. He has visited the Emerald Isle a few times to see family but he never felt any real connection to the place. Canada and the industrial city of Hamilton were home to him. He grew up seeing the harsh realities of a world in decline as Hamilton's steel industry failed and turned to rust and crime. Liam's family was well off enough to send him to college once he graduated high school and after six years, he graduated as a trained EMT. Why did he choose this path? He wanted to help people and to heal, a lofty goal and one doomed for failure.

Liam used to be the kind of man you'd want showing up when your world was falling apart and needed help. As an EMT, he ran toward gunshots, car wrecks, overdoses— anything the city threw at him. He faced it time and time again, with each year bleeding away hope and idealism. For over a decade, Jay pulled bleeding strangers from wreckage and tried to save strangers lives when they overdosed, trying to keep his head above the ocean of death he swam in nightly.

But something inside him broke two years ago.

His longtime partner Constance was killed in an ambush on a call in a gang-afflicted area in the downtown area. Gun violence was never common in Hamilton but it was the wrong place at the wrong time. The city tried to spin it as a tragic accident since it involved a prominent Member of Parliament's son. Jay was the lone survivor and knew the truth but they stonewalled him. No arrests. No closure. Just PTSD and mandatory leave.

He tried going back to the night to night routine after his leave but he washed out two months later. He lost his house, became estranged from friends and family and withdrew into himself. Hamilton was hell now. Using what money he had, he bought a cheap truck and now travels from city to city, trying to find work and make sense of the PTSD he suffers from. His mantra? "Physician, heal thy self."

Perhaps he will, perhaps he will die. One way or the other, its as if he doesn't care.

Personality:

Quiet, observant, and slow to speak. Used to listening more than talking. Since washing out however, a quick temper has worked its way in between the quiet.

Haunted by the people he couldn't save, especially his partner's death.

Tense, defensive—not used to being powerless, but too worn down to push back.

Low-key suicidal and plagued by depression.

Here’s my concept. Ideally I would prefer for him to be embraced into the craziest clan possible. Like the Ministry, Ventrue or Tzimisce. Mostly for comedy. Although I also think Caitiff could be funny. "How the fuck is not having a double curse a bad thing?"
Age: 20
Profession: former politics major
Character idea: fairly normal college slacker thrown into a conpletely insane world.
Archetype: mild control freak trying to figure out what the hell is going on.
Backstory
Zachariah "Zack" Chay is the half Cambodian son of average middle class suburbanites. He put in the bare minimum effort to get good enough grades, went to a mediocre high school, partied a little, and managed to get into a decent college. He picked politics as his major to please his father, and minored in world religion. He planned to graduate, get some kind of cushy analyst job, and live the rest of his life in semi-luxury.

Unfortunately, the world had other plans

Also, I don’t think I know how to respectfully portray a Malk so I would prefer not to be a Malkavian

@Beardedboggan Hey there! Nice write up, seems quite up our alley. Invite sent.

@TechnocratSloth15 Hi! The concept was intriguing, but I think overall we might be on a bit of a different wavelength. Aiming for a more cerebral, down to earth game, rather than a fun vampire romp. Not to worry though! I'm sure we'll have fun in our Mage game (and that Changeling chronicle). So I'll see you there!