Interest Checks - World of Darkness

Yes, that's interest checks plural. Pitching this because I've noted some welcome chatter on the current dearth of World of Darkness games, (reversia.ch started a Sabbat one recently) and also that a good number of us familiar with its system core hanker for some of that. Also I believe we haven't given VtM 5th ed a proper run here on GP yet, which is a shame really.

Depending on who wants to play, and drawing from 5e published resources, I'd like to offer the following possibilities:

1. A full-length chronicle, such as Fall of London. This will be for players who want something for the long haul, with major character development that is relevant to the story itself. The premise of this adventure means we can't easily swap a PC in/out, so I will be picky in selecting whom I believe will be thoroughly committed to seeing this through.

2. A medium-length adventure, such as something from Let the Streets Run Red. There's enough meat (and blood) in them to give us a solid sense of how V5 plays like. If we decide to play on after the first story, we can continue with another. The difference between this and option 1 is that we won't get the overarching sense of scope and drama a chronicle affords.

3. An introductory one-shot, Midnight Kiss. This would be for those who've wondered how a Vampire game plays like, but have little or no experience with the system, or want a V5 taster. We cut straight into the scene with pre-gens, and be done by midnight, metaphorically.

Chime in if you want a piece of this, and briefly let me know what you want out of a V5 game and your commitment level. From there I will convert this into a proper recruitment pitch to describe exactly what we'll be playing!

I'm in. I don't care which one we settle on, but I'm in.

Always wanted to try any World of Darkness games, but I never got the chance. Really interested to play V5. I am up for any kind of chronicle. I have the corebook but I haven't read it, so I am basically a newbie. I wanted to clarify this before you started. I hope it doesn't affect my recruitment chance, but if you want only experienced players, I will accept that. It is difficult to teach WoD to a newcomer, though I must admit, I am familiar with the clans on a basic level. Also, I have played some text games on Vampire: the masquerade before.

Aw, man. V5. That's the one i'm really not hot about at all, so unfortunately i'll have to sit this one out. My main exposure to this was around the time it came out, watching the live playthroughs and being bothered by the "hunger dice" mechanic and reading threads on reddit's WW forum, where folk discussed the lore changes, which were.. confusing and not in a good way. It makes sense for GP i guess, since the majority of people here seem to be multi..uhh systemalists? Know a lot of different game systems, is what i mean; and it's definitely a fun activity to try out new things, instead of running same thing over and over again. And it's of course great to see more WoD stuff. So i truly wish you guys the best with your games, and i'll be keeping an eye out for something non-5 era! I've contemplated creating another V20/rev for folks whom i didn't invite to the Sabbat one, and had a pretty good idea for it, but as i already run 2 games, i don't want to stretch myself to thin to the detriment of all 3. So maybe a bit later. Anyways, have fun and have Good Evening!

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Please count me in, and just as MaJunior, I'd be happy with any of the sceanrios you have laid before us!

Good luck with this!

So glad to see more WoD popping up on the site! I'll throw my hat in the ring as well, happy to join regardless of length.

Options 2 and 3 has my interest

Would like to, but real life kept me so busy recently not sure i can be stable poster in coming up weeks.

I've always wanted to try VtM, and this sounds like the perfect opportunity. Mainly familiar with it (basic lore and mechanics) through some podcasts I've listened to, though it's been a while and would need to brush up. I'd be down for options 2 or 3.

Sounds like you've got plenty of interest, and I would be too. Put me on the back-up list of players if anyone ends up dropping?

I've been kicking around a character concept. An Anarch Brujah.

I might be up for this. I’d choose option one or two, though. I like to make my own character and get a chance to develop her, rather than a quickie with pre-gens. I’ve been playing vampire/WoD since about 92, have run several editions before V5, but have only dabbled a bit in 5th ed so I’d love to give it a spin

Drgwen makes a valid point about character development and not going with pre-gens.

I'll update my interest to option 2

It's kind of funny. Based on preference, they're already in order for me. #1 would be my first pick, #2 my second pick, and #3 my last choice. However, I felt it more important to stress that -- because I loves me some WoD -- that any option was just fine.

I'd happily take a one shot with pregens over nothing at all.

Thanks for the early chiming in everyone! I certainly think there are two strong possibilities here:

- a longer game that allows for character growth (always fun to buff some of those powers, and also have narrative development with stakes, pun intended)

- a one-shot that allows some of us to get our fix, experience how 5th ed is like, bite a few kine, and play without needing to do character generation

Both are fun! Lemme mull over whether I want to consider running two games, since there's a goodly amount of interest.

I hear you! Having played the other versions, Requiem included, I do feel and have gone through some of the changes. As usual some better, some worse in terms of system mechanics. Lore shifts are sometimes difficult in my own head canon, I sometimes imagine the different editions to be resets, so that I'm not encumbered by previous lore (there's so much history in WoD games!).

One of my intentions is to take V5 out for a proper spin on its own merits, so I shall pretend this is new lore for myself and everyone else playing. (And if in the course of the game I get mixed up with older editions, help me self-check!)

Never played VtM, but creating some damned souls tussling with the beast within? Sounds like a hell of a good time! I have a vague idea of a priest struggling against his sinful descent, but more ideas could be forthcoming if this goes forward, and if I make the cut. I generally like longer stories, but given my lack of experience on the system, a shorter run could also work for me. Definitely interested!

My experiences with Vampire etc have been poor. I am curious, though. Long game would be interesting. My lore isn't terribly deep, I don't think.

Probably full and you're spoilt for choice, but out of curiosity, what books are you thinking of using? I've a soft spot for the Hecata, but they were a later thing, so y'kno,w worth checking.

I'd probably do things on a adventure to adventure basis building out to a longer campaign if the stars align.

Color me interested. My experience with VtM is limited to a oneshot done with some pregen characters, but I quite enjoyed my experience. Up for anything, though leaning towards the mid-length option.

I am not a fan of this edition but if it means playing a game I love. Sure. I will toss my hand in.

I'm thinking seriously how many players we can reasonably accommodate, so let's see. But yeah, the Hecata might not come into play yet unless I open up the options in Cult of the Blood Gods.

Thanks again for the strong interest everyone. I am honestly contemplating two games, one which gives people newer to V5 a chance to get into the game and not be too overwhelmed by too many options and too much lore to begin with. And another for people who know what they are signing up for. Vampire games take a moment to prep, even with published material. I shall be posting a proper recruitment write-up so we know what we're playing. And let's see whether we can accommodate most of those here who've thrown their names in.

Fantastic!
It crossed my mind, the beginner game might benefit from having a VtM vet amongst the players. That way you aren't shouldering the entire burden of training yourself.

As much fun as I've had with Vampire content (Redemption & Bloodlines videogames, LA by Night game stream etc) I never seem to get a good experience when actually playing the TTRPG itself. Maybe it's been because of the ST and group, so if there's one person I'd trust at the helm for this, it'd be @BedzoneII

So this feels like the correct audience to drop this tidbit to...*No relation to vampire the game.

This game does interest me. I have been in many formed groups that have collapsed after a dozen or so posts for one reason or another, but I can see that you're probably more than a little full at the moment. If you have an opening later, keep me in mind.

Still watching.

Still here!

Thanks for the vote of confidence DarkRaider, and thanks again everyone for the overwhelming interest. I do realise I can't accommodate everyone, but I'm gonna go ahead and pitch one of the games first, followed by the next.

I got distracted over the weekend by Runekyndig, who was trying to make me pitch a Mage game instead, so I fleshed out a story proposal for that one too in my head.

For me, a mage game would have priority over a vampire game, but you know that already.

As a forever Mage storyteller, I'd jump on the chance to play, but go with what works for you, obviously!

Stahp, what next, you'll run a Wraith game too?

Why would you be so mean like that! :D

The one game I've never played. Not really played on its own anyway.

If there an OWoD Werewolf or Mage game - count me in! 😁

This thread is turning into a whole World of Darkness server itself!
Wraith 20th is on my list, yikes! As is Demon!
Gonna leave Werewolf and Changeling to better storytellers though.

So, to manage everyone's expectations since there are so many WoD fans, let me be clear what I'll be pitching in the next few days, so that people can know what to expect:

- First up will be a V5 one-shot. Pre-gens will be provided so that people can get to playing straightaway. This game will be a good place to learn V5 system, or get a sense of the lore that surrounds it (Camarilla? Jyhad? Coterie?) or to get back into Vampire in general. Some assurance, just because it's a one-shot doesn't mean we have to stop when it ends, it all depends on the commitment level of the players.

- Next will be a V5 longer chronicle, 4 to 5 clear published scenarios, but with my sandbox surrounding them in case the politics take a different direction. Make your own characters, and also be prepared to do a bit of worldbuilding. There will be character advancement, so that we get to play with some of the higher level disciplines. Whether this launches first, or the following does, is up for discussion.

- I have made my draft plans for a Mage 20th game. Not a published story, so I'll have to write it up properly to pitch it. It will happen though. Mage is the other WoD game I miss terribly.

- Finally, someone go ahead and tip me over the edge about Wraith. It's a game that hasn't had enough of a proper go on GP I believe, and that's good enough reason to start one, and what's not to like about playing dead people? Also Wraith 20th is a solid compilation!

First pitch drops tomorrow. I'm not particularly fond of first come first served, so no rush!

Are you looking to be convinced to run it?

Here's my "pitch" (including the good and the bad):

I've played in one Wraith game IRL a couple years before COVID. It was a "one shot" (maybe 6 sessions?) that lead into a V20 "zoo" campaign.

It has perhaps the most arcane but also some of the most interesting (imo) lore of any of the lines. It was a bit hard to grok the vibe at first for me, cuz there's some really complex dualities (or even "tri-alities") going on in it, but what I arrived at was, imo, that vibe is like 50% Dostoyevsky, 50% 90s-goth-freak-kamp. (think: Beetlejuice - but in a good/darker way, or "Cool World" - except if the cartoon world was the world of the dead) In a good way!

Setting that aside... it is heavy, emotionally. Especially character creation.

You are creating characters that have died and can't move on for probably some terrible or terribly-poignant reasons, right?

So players need to be prepared for that to run through out character creation and the story in play.

Had some of the most rewarding roleplay I've ever experienced under that game. But every session was a bit emotionally draining.

There's probably ways to get away from that draining feeling (focus more on the Shadowlands, and/or more on violent deaths and revenge arcs, or community or "service" focused past-lifes, instead of familial/protective concepts), but we blundered right into it, and... oof... for better or worse it was intense.

Possibly the most unique experience I've ever had in ttrpgs.

Can't think of anything else that crafts a similar experience and narrative.

That's certainly the experience that I want! But I'm not sure that's the case with the players in my groups. Am I underestimating them? Possibly, probably even. Am I confident in my storyteller ability to guide them in such a game? No.
Changeling: the Lost (i.e., Chronicles of Darkness, not oWoD) is on my short list of games to run. I've not run or played in Changeling: the Dreaming before. I do have C20 though. Hmmmm....

Dostoevsky meets Beetlejuice is a hell of a pitch.

Dear god that was quite the post. I think this is largely a game about exploring relationships and the tragedy of a fall from the light. How becoming a vampire both changes and does not change a person.

What does immortality do to a person? How does the need to feed on people alter your humanity? Do you give in to the beast or do you retain your compassion?

How did you become a vampire? What do you think of your sire for doing this to you? Is it a blessing? A curse? What if you don't have a sire and your transformation is the result of strange and powerful magics? How long have you been an immortal?

FYI, I was talking about Wraith. Not Vampire.

Echoing Dirigible to say that's a hell of a pitch! Emberskyes we were talking about Wraith in that last post.

Thanks Emsquared for that reflective review, the detail is much appreciated. I ran Wraith once many many years ago, and my players didn't want to get very far, we were younger then, and the other WoD games felt much more edgily enticing, so that was that. I'm looking to give it a go again, I feel it's got so much meaning and gaming promise, easily the 'deepest' of all the WoD games.

For those who've been keeping up with this thread, I changed the title!

More importantly, first game pitch is up in the Tavern!

I'd love to join, not so much for one shot because I don't get invested in characters only meant for short periods of time.

Might be interesting to expand to. What would I be needing for books?

Sounds fantastic all those ideas.

My second recruitment thread is up in the Tavern!

Honestly I'm responding to the enthusiasm shown here, same game, different approach. Caters to two very distinct expecatations of what kind of game people want to play.

Here's my pitch, I'll refrain from applying in one of your V5 games, just to save myself the bandwidth for when you do launch a Wraith game :P

With that rare chance to share a game with you Dark Raider, I'll be thinking hard to put up a Wraith game soon!

Have a look at Vampire the Masquerade 5th edition! See if that feels like a game you'd want to get into.

I am extremely interested in the long game, but would happily (and gratefully) accept a spot in any!

The V5 games are yet to start and you guys already discussing the MtA AND Wraith, eh? Can relate. Been thinking about some peculiar Ascension and Changing Breeds scenarios, but gosh darn in, the time! The ST's biggest enemy. As for Wraith.. I think i personally would be a bit apprehensive about running it with people with whom i've never played before. Feel like it would be more smooth sailing if players knew each other, what to sort of expect of one another, the style and interests. The shadow stuff is a particular beast after all.

Longer the better. Always have WoD interest..

Any movement on any other WoD games planned to start out (non Paradox stuff)? I'd love to play something, even splats i'm less familiar, like Orpheus. Conversely, while procrastinating, reading some other books (instead of the ones that are actually relevant to my running chronicles), i thought up a smaller "one-shot" type VTM thing, mainly to test out Inceptors+Discipline making, detective style game and actually running a more pre-planned/written plot as opposed to player's choice open world/sandboxy extravaganza.

It took a moment, thanks to chargen decision-making, but we're off to a start on our V5 game. That still seemed more preferred than opting for a one-shot with pre-gens. That said reversia.ch, if you're offering up a one-shot I think there'll be takers.

Next up is Mage. There was some interest here for that. We're still very far from Mage 5th ed, so it's likely to be good old M20.

Looking forward to a Mage game

I'd love to play Mage! Most of my experience with 5th Ed is from Werewolf and I'm not really a fan.

I'm contemplating a few one-shot (as in story with a definitive conclusion) VTM ideas: the aforementioned Inceptor detectives game, akin to the second VN in the "New York" series; a Tremere only chantry building game, played during a certain time period; or a Week of Nightmares for Nosferatu, similarly played during a certain time frame. That being said if there is a Mage game on the horizon (some pun intended), i'll probably wait to apply for that. Whether i get in or not, that might be the needed push to try and run one of the Mage ideas instead. To get inspired, so to speak.

I have been reading the Streets and it's being interesting. Looking forward to see the story unfold.

Wouldn't mind trying a proper mage game.

Always one for a Mage game, I'd suggest going back to revised for a more consistent edition (IMHO).

Not 2e?

---

Also, any thoughts on Vampire cities? Is Chicago a classic or a old mare that needs to be put down out of its misery? There are a lot of cool places, but i'm feeling a bit unqualified to run the majority of them, mostly for cultural reasons.

Revised, imho obs, has the cleanest laid out rules before the over enthusiastic bloat of M20. Not so keen on the setting change, not sure why they keep wanting to make Mage a grubby street game but there you are!

For Vamp I'd pick somewhere like New York or San Diego, places people will know from other media and have an interesting story. It's either that or pick out one of the interesting setups from Beckett's.

I've always wanted to get more involved in one of these games, but I'm a literal neophyte with the veterans who use the lingo. I have no clue what people are talking about with all the edition discussion and decision-making (or lack of it) and various spectrums of play, because WoD has to split everything up. I'm mainly experienced in Vamp, and have a shotgun collection of material from across editions old and new and newer...and then setting counts, too.

I like WoD but seem perennially allergic to finding anything since it moved beyond me.

Posting my interest in a Mage game, depending on when that happens. =) If it's too soon I would not be able to join =(

Thanks all for keeping the interest ongoing! A Mage game is in the works. Revised is cleaner, while M20 is way more gonzo I admit. But I do appreciate the thorough compilation of everything in one volume, although I suspect we'll have to take out a few tedious things for PbP purposes.

I'm very encouraged, so watch out for a new recruitment thread soon!

With the number of interest (i'm interested, but my experience is Vampire and Werewolf) how many players are you looking at taking or are you also looking at multiple Storytellers?

I see I'm far too late for the Vampire games, but I'd like to be put on the waitlist for those if there's room. I'm a big VtM fan, and I thank you for hearing my interest.

Excited to hear that a Mage game is in the works. I'm also still contemplating running another VTM game (or maybe something else), just can't seem to decide on the place and core theme/mood. I've been rereading the New Your by Night book, after Tiffany mentioned it, as the only two things i remember from it were "that's not how you pronounce Aisling" and "THERE ARE TZIMISCE IN THE SEWERS!".

@PlebeianG

In terms of Mage editions, i'd say that we have:

1)2ed - simplest rules, hopeful, cosmic adventures, with the "i can change the world!" attitude

3)3e/revised - gritty, depressive street-level survival, "the war is over and everybody lost"

4)M20 - a massive compilation tome, pretty much "everything everywhere all at once". utter (optional and not) bloat.

My vote would be M20 and let the storyteller have the freedom to build without the 'but the rules say this' arguments that might arise.

Not just any Tzimische, the entire Cathedral of Flesh!

Mage is mage, and I will play any version you offer, though I do have a few issues with M20. In some way, it's too much mage to handle, and rather than just a collection of all the rules in a metaplot free package, it makes a few changes to the fundamental rules of the setting.

Though it should have always been the Society of Ether, and I shall die on that hill, ether goggles in hand!

I yeah I know I'm being grumpy about unimportant stuff!

Take it from an old man, don't be grumpy for too long; it tends to grow on you like a fungus. I can't get rid of my grumps. :D

Really nice to see a whole bunch of us still keeping the interest alive through all the different editions of Mage, and also Vampire for that matter. My take is certainly that the edition to use is the one that evokes whatever we want the game to best represent. Loving the edition debate!

@PlebieanG I did pitch a starter one-shot for those who wanted to dip their toes into WoD, best way to learn it is to play a straightforward starter scenario without thinking too hard about setting or edition.

@reversia.ch Chicago will always have a soft spot in my heart because it's the first setting, and because there's so much rich detail to use. But I can see why avoiding it in order to avoid overfamiliarity is a thing.

I don't have enough experience with the different editions to voice an opinion, other than use the one that fits the story best

I will say that the improvising magic is what drawing me most to the system

Thanks for the info on the edition difference. I don't have the experience either, but perhaps at some point I get involved.

I'd be good with either second edition or M20.

But not the revised?
I feel like what gives it more gravity is the belief - a VA and Verbena trying to produce the same effect would do wildly different things, because they believe that it will work. Though it can be a double-edged sword, i suppose. What if your character faith and belief doesn't align well with any Tradition/Convention? Gotta pick up that "Orphan's survival guide" at that point.

Been a while, but Orphans really isn't worth it! And you're right about how paradigm effects a Mages view on the world is fascinating, hard to cover well in this format though.

I belive that the PBP format allows each player the time they need to express their mage's view on the world

Why not? It is hard work, to come up with a concept, a belief, a paradigm of your own, but seeing it sing is quite satisfying, i would think.

Sorry, should have been clearer, I love me some bryonic gothic Hollow Ones and their ilk. The Orphan Survival Guide, however, really isn't worth it if you're looking for interesting material on of them.

I'll admit that this is all from memory, though it's telling that it's not with my other Mage books!

I think it was one of those general books, that went to more for feeling than rules. That was the one where the reader was sitting in a cafe with a Hollower in early chapters, i believe. Gotta reread it. Kinda makes sense that it would be broad, given that Orphan can literally be anyone doing anything any sort of way. It does begs the question about Hollowers themselves - how do they fare these days? What are Gen Z and Y (that's what the next one referred to as, right?) Hollow Ones look like. I remember seeing interesting title on a Youtube video once, was something like "Rise of Aesthetics/Death of Subcultures". So what is a modern Hollower? How do they feel about the "old" guard and vice versa?

I've started a VTMxMTA chronicle and we're still looking for a few good licks. Posting here in case folks who subbed to this thread missed the recruitment for it - Singing streets.

Thank you, but I'm mostly interested in a Mage game, not a mixed one

Following this discussion, I've been planning on running a Changeling: the Dreaming game, using the 20th anniversary edition ruleset.

I initially spent time working on a broader setting, using Detroit, Michigan to echo the themes of loss and decay that can be found in CtD. However, I decided that there is a good quickstart adventure available, and will use that to get the motley into the game, then expand to Detroit only if we all like the system and playing together. As such, it is only a short game that you'd be committing too, but it has the potential of expanding to a broader semi-sandbox style game.

Here's the call for players!

Anyone ever run Vampire or anything else in Australia? Tales, tips, good reference materials?

Great! Another element on that bloody continent that wants to kill you

🤣
Somehow, Vampires are probably not the most dangerous thing down there.

It doesn't seem to feature much native leeches, interestingly enough. No South America esque "Drowned Legacies".

Looking at it now, 1ed Werewolf covered a lot of ground. There is Rage across Russia as well. Not a lot on it apart from Brujah Council and Baba Yaga that i can remember being mentioned in Vampire books. Maybe Orodea League or something.

So it seems that the abomination known as "Bloodlines 2" is due this month.. And it's October..

I'm hopeful, but not optimistic. It would depend on the user reviews if i would buy it.
Enjoyed the other vampire games

I'm going off of a single review, but it's not a RPG, it's nothing to do with Bloodlines, but apart from that, it's okay!

I would be interested in any WoD game.

Same, same. Wouldn't mind playing VTM or maybe WTA. I've contemplated running another VTM game myself, but that would be pushing it. I'm lucky (and thankful) enough as it is that folks stuck out in my games despite me-related slowdowns. Don't want to spread myself too thin by starting too many.

Would be interesting to see how other, more experienced STs handle things. Here's hoping that spooky October will put someone in the mood for some broody vampire game.

I planned a (nWoD/CoD) "Innocents" Halloween one shot that I'm gonna run for my in person groups, and I would also love to run it here, but my work is getting busy and I don't have the time right now to do another game...

The poor Bunyip. . .

I dropped all my games a year ago almost runnung & playing, but I am feeling the desire to slowly come back in if anyone is running something with open recruitment

Curious, how much prep do you do for your VtM chronicles, assuming there is little-to-no info on the city in the books? Do you write the whole court, each individual of importance described or just outlined? Or are you more of a "wing it" ST? How much prep is too much and how much it too little?

VTM: Initial Prep for a New City
I set up first the initial factions (not just the big two, but subfactions and outsiders as well), and try and illustrate what they're up to, big picture stuff. Then I work out the movers and shakers, and how they fit into the faction goals - I always try to introduce some friction. Lastly, I work out how the PCs will enter the scene, and work out the connections from them to the factions.

I feel that within this system there must be instability of some kind, as I find that's where the drama for a chronicle lies - what happens if someone disrupts the fragile balance? So I go back and make sure I know where those stress points are.

Once I know what I need, then I usually play fast and loose with the NPC stat blocks until they're needed. In fact, I often use an oWoD NPC reference that I have to Google each time and grab stats for a canon NPC of similar clan, gen, background.

Major NPCs that the PCs will interact with regularly will get much more detail.

Lastly, after the first two sessions, you realize most of that needs to be subtly reworked to for the player styles and demonstrated interests.

With no canon info, and assuming it is a Cam campaign, and that the campaign is focused largely on Camarilla relationships/politics and tasks (as opposed to, say, militant actions against the Sabbat, or just day-in-the-life-Vampiring, etc)? I'd at least do a "relationship web" that includes:

The Prince
The Sheriff
The Harpy
Each member of the Primogen Council (the number of which can vary)

Including a name, a motive, and a one word descriptor for the relationship or attitude of each member towards each of the other members of the web.

I find political intrigue really difficult (basically impossible, if I want to achieve a consistent and interesting dynamic) to improvise.

YMMV in that regard.

I also like to kick campaigns off in the middle, or on the precipice, of some sort of big action or Situation. So I would also prep a "Starting Situation" of some sort, that points the Coterie in a direction to get them going.

A hunt for a rogue Cam member, with the "reward" of Amaranth?

An Anarch insurgency in someone's Domain?

The discovery of a group of Hunters?

Something like that.

Just an FYI Vampire v5 is the current Humble Bundle.

WoD HumbleBundle...

That is interesting. My approach so far has been to first create/pick/adapt all/most important NPCs and then work out what these characters are up to - what plot threads are they involved in, what ideas they hold and if they belong to any group/agenda. So kinda working backwards.

Do you have any particular approach to the random NPCs that players sometimes (often?) end up dragging into the fray? Do you keep a few generalized templates for such events or just improvise on the spot?

What I described was the minimum I'd recommend doing (most important parties, imo, no stats - which clearly needs to come along eventually, etc). But I don't see the result of what you describe as being particularly different from a relationship web.

The components of the web (motivations and views of each other/relationships) tell you a lot about what each group (the Cam Court, each clan, etc) might be up to.

And without further definition (which can take a lot of work to develop), I would rely heavily on clan tropes and stereotypes draped upon the "bones" or scaffolding of the web to define "ideas they hold" and groups and agendas and things. There's little value in me re-inventing/working things that are already established by the greater lore, I'll use that work as much as I can.

A web is maybe kind of like the difference between "writing a plot" and "writing a situation".

A relationship web gives you a broad situation for them to play around in, and a framework to adapt the story to whatever they choose to do with that.


Writing out specific plot threads only gives you plot threads. What happens when the threads snap?

That's the hope/idea/philosophy for me, the execution may not be so smooth ofc.
Good question. I'm maybe not 100% sure what you're referencing, but the most common NPCs that players tend to drag into the story are those associated with Backgrounds, right?

And I probably tend to view and handle those very mechanically.

In that; I'm not going to "write them into" the story. That's the players job right? They're certainly their, somewhere, commensurate to the number of dots that were allocated to them, but they're living their own (un)lives, telling their own stories, and they only come into ours as the resource that they represent. The player will get the value (and narrative) out of them such as is demanded by, again, the dots allocated to them.

But they're not going to be ever present, or an integral part of the story (unless ofc that is what their dot allocation demands - Retainer). Often un-statted - they are the stat. They're like an ability or attribute, they come into play when the character calls them into play, the player rolls the dice they represent, and the player gets out of them the XP they have invested in them.

🤷

If you're talking about more narrative-based ones ("I'm a vampire now, but my mom still lives in this city. I go to visit her sometimes.")? Yea, those can just stay narrative, until they can't, then yea, probably improvise any dice pools needed. Not even on a attribute/ability basis, just: "oh yea, mom has probably just 4 dice in that"...

Nope, I actually was referring to regular people/supernaturals that players love to latch on to. The DnD equivalent of "we took in that random goblin child and raised him throughout the campaign, naming him Gobby. He survived most of the campaign, dying heroically in the battle with the Big Bad. We all cried." You know, when the player feeds on some random pedestrian/club goer, and then continues to stalk them after the fact, ghouling them or otherwise dragging that poor sob into the web of Cainite intrigue. Random people who witnessed the PCs doing something crazy is another example. Generic NPCs that players show sudden interest in and insist on bringing them in and along.

Yea, so those would fall into the category of "just narrative until they can't remain just narrative" (when they're feeding on them in the club, they're just narrative, they have and need no stats at that time - the vampire is testing against a situational Difficulty, not an opposed check).

When they can't remain just narrative is when they continue to stalk them. Then I'm improvising a pool, as needed, case by case basis. If they fit loosely with a template in the books, then I'll use that, or riff off that.

Then when they ghoul them, then they're getting stats and a character sheet.

So I assume it's too late to get in on this. But I would be very interested in joining if it isn't

There are four active WoD game on GP, as far as I know. 2 public, 2 private.

Public are:

Let the Streets Run Red - a V5 chronicle currently on pause.

It's a Kind of Magic - M20 chronicle which suffered some setbacks, but still endures, courtesy of @emsquared

Private are:

Yours to Keep - a C20 jumpstart chronicle.

Buried Shallow - my V20 Sabbat chronicle. There have been a few exits, so we might look for 1 or 2 more people soon-ish. I'll post here if/when that happens.

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Feel free to add any chronicles I missed.

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There aren't that many WoD games around, I agree. And while I do understand the desire to play in one, it might be good to think about maybe trying to ST your own little thing? @Kingo @TechnocratSloth15 Be the change you want to see and all that. That's how I started and I gotta say it is pretty fun storytelling. Just a thought.

Damn it, I have a very soft spot for Mage, and it's so rare to see one in the wild...

The problem with WoD is that there's far too much back and forward to work well for pbp. So I roll attack, the ST rolls Dodge, then I roll Damage, and the ST rolls Soak. And then if we're lucky, something happens and we can move on to the next person who makes the same kind of rolls!

Obviously it can and has been done, but it doesn't make it any easier.

I would be very interested in the mage chronicle. But I see the applications are closed

You are not alone with the soft spot for Mage. I feel that in PBP there are room to expande on your characters paradime.

But you are right, with the roll and counter rolls mechanics its a clonky system for PBP

In WoD games I played (mostly Werewolf and Vampire) we would roll attack and damage, and the target responded with dodge and soak to cut the interactions in half. And the target would only have to roll immediately if the damage potentially caused incapacitation so the game could keep rolling.

Outside of combat, which yes does have a lot of back and forth rolling, the ST system is truly excellent for pbp, imo

In part because lots of important things (like Backgrounds) can act as as a rating that just tells you what a character can or cannot do without rolling. And beyond that, the dice are just powerful/can convey a lot of narrative with a single roll.

And for combat...

Chronicles of Darkness as well as the WoD5 lines have rules for one roll combat that is recommended to be used when combat doesn't/shouldn't really carry the risk of death for the characters based on the opponents/circumstances (which is frankly most combat in Chronicles, in my experience), which completely eliminates the earlier critique mentioned here.

The full combat rules are still there ofc for combat that should shape the course of the campaign.

But again the dice are powerful in the ST system and it doesn't require that you roll a lot most of the time if you don't want to.

I would happily put up with this to get to play my Man in Black NWO agent

I mean... it just so happens that our player who rolled up a Techno has... seemingly disappeared from the forums.

(Anyone know if MaJunior is okay, btw?)

There's a number of caveats that would have to come with an invite...

1. You would be playing a Techno who is teamed up with two Traditions Mages.

2. I am a former player who has taken over this Mage game when the ST had to bow out.

3. This is the first Mage Chronicle I've ever ran. I've played a Dark Ages Mage and ST'd for a Mage in mixed-splat Chronicles, but that's about it. My Mage-lore isn't super strong.

4. Pretty much only planning on this being a one shot. Personally I wouldn't have made some of the choices that the ST who kicked this off made. And I'm basically just doing this because it was a convenient opportunity to get my feet wet with Mage STing (and I just wanted to see some good ol' Sphere-work!). So... be aware of it's limited scope.

But...

If none of that is a deal breaker for you?

I've held this spot for Ma WAY longer than I normally would for anyone, cuz we were kind of counting on him being there. And if there's someone who conveniently is looking to play a Techno?

It's a little too good of an opportunity to not slot you in.

So.... how does all that sound to you?

1. For that, I would see him as a former Technocrat. Maybe he figured out the Union had Nephandi in it and ditched them?
2. Totally fine!
3. I am pretty new to Mage too, so it’s fine!
4. Disappointing, but still good.
I would absolutely love to join!

RE: 1. I made up some narrative artifice for it to be at least kind of plausible. But you can take it in whatever direction you want really.

We've started play and so the easiest thing to do would be to just drop your PC into the shoes of the other Techno and just say it was you all along.

But if you find that unpalatable, we can retcon whatever.

I actually been thinking of maybe taking over once you're done with the story you've set up. You know, make it a "round table" (I think that's the saying..) of STs/players. That way we can all (or at least me and you) try STing and get a chance to play.

I've bumped the recruitment thread for the Sabbat game, but just in case you missed it:tl;dr - have an open spot or two in the Sabbat shovelhead game.

After watching some gameplay of the upcoming Vampire Bloodlines 2, I could see a character who was trying to figure out what kind of person he/she would be as a vampire. They would be trying out different styles, goth, techo, elitist, occultist, risque...
That kind of character is not a shovelhead

That's kinda a hodgepodge of words, not sure how any of them relate to the struggle of adjusting to your new existence as an undead being. I think someone cycling through all of those things is figuring out themselves as person, not a vampire.

Oh I totally agree, figuring out how to feel about drinking blood is first on the list.

Why not just always roll damage with attacks, and always roll soak with defences?

There's an idea for a werewolf game tickling the back of my mind but I can't quite figure it out yet to run it.

What's the idea? Maybe a bit of collective brainstorming can help it coalesce into a full-fledged chronicle.

Chasing your own tail?
Agreed, throw some ideas at the wall, see what sticks.
Use the discord if you want

Love seeing all the recent interest in WoD here!

Wish I had more bandwidth to run something else.

Oh, interesting. Now I'll have to wonder if I want to try getting my first WtA experience (admittedly, as far as the WtA branch of WoD goes, I am more intrigued by other weres, such as Corax and Ananasi).

Tell us about it, perhaps we could help your idea to come forward. ;-)

I think I got the core of it whipped together at work today-

The basic pitch is a game that takes place in three eras- modern(ish), the Wild West, and medieval times (the three times there are Werewokf sourcebooks to run, conveniently).

The players would each play a character in all three times (with the past lives background- you play as previous lives of your modern character).

There's a major threat that you have to deal with that spans all three timelines.

Sounds fine!

Naturally, there come futher questions to my mind:
Can the characters in the three timelines communicate with each another? Or would that be a kind of Ancestor-driven communication? More a Memento-like game or parallel game? Same areas in the three timelines or different ones?

I'm hooked already. :-D

Wow, great usage of the werewolf ancestors!

It would be more of a "Momento" style game- you'd slowly learn more as you played each chapter, alternating between the three timelines but all forming a cohesive story-- I'm working on it, probably need five to fill out the group-- one for each auspice and then require the auspices to be different in each time period (So if you're ahroun in the present you might be theurge in wild west and ragabash in Dark Ages etc).

That sounds like an ambitious but also fantastic game.
I'm very interested

I think that running tight chapters would be best way to keep everything sync'ed

Perhaps use a jeep-roleplay tecknique, by providing an end goal for each chapter, up front. This can help guide the players, without depriving them of choices.
Example.
As you see its very open ended, but gives the characters something to steer their actions and connect plot ploints

All three characters of one player could be linked to the same ancestor. Or all characters with the same auspice.

If the play would be at three different areas, say DarkAges in the Levante, Wild West in the U.S. and modern in Europe, it spans half the world. If the play would be at the same area, we could delve deeper into the place, for example, discover a caern which was formerly known by an earlier pack...

I would be interested in joining your game Alordis!

I'll put up a thread tonight or this weekend for recruitmenr and hammer out some of the details.

Glad to see this collective WoD interest thread still fabulously alive and well!

I mistimed the V5 one I started, no thanks to a health scare, and lost momentum on that. But am game to pitch something afresh.

I love to hear your pitch - just not werewolf as I'm already pack'ed (pun!) on that account.

That is unfortunate about the V5 game, was reading that one with a mixture of interest and dread (the hunger dice!).

Personally, I'd be most interested to play a standard, modern V20 chronicle. Contemplated started another one myself, but decided against it for now. Put some thought and work into several ideas (including the Newcomers thing) but nothing yet. Plus, I'd rather save space in case something interesting appears.

I’d throw my name in for a Bedzone WoD game!

So now that we have a Werewolf game going on GP as well, how about some fluff talk?

What are your favourite Vampire Clan/Bloodlines? Which ones are your least favourite? Why?

Best: Tzimisce. The only thing better than Vicissitude is what Alex Mercer can do. Plus, the dangerous-but-hospitable territorial fiend is a cool archetype. As is all the weirdness from things like path of metamorphosis and inhumanly beautiful forms.

Honourable mention: Kiasyd. Fun æsthetics, cool archetype (that got hijacked by Beckett in Bloodlines to great success), interesting (though not as cool) signature discipline.

Worst: probably Samedi. A disproportionally bad clan flaw, no interesting schticks, and a dubiously 'balancing' signature discipline.

Tremere is my favorite. I like the sorcerer's approach to vampireisme

I never really found the appeal for clan Malkavian

Best:
Setite. The most socialite clan in my opinion.

Honourable mentions:
Tzimisce. Unbound possibilities, dark aesthetics.
Assamites. Only after they got their full background, then the mages were great.

Worst:
Ventrue. The most boring clan ever written.
Toreador. The second most boring clan.
Tremere. The most annoying clan.

Favorite: Lasombra - To me they personify the darkness of WoD (see what I did there) but more importantly the politicking.

My least favorite would be: Giovanni - I just never got the appeal or the attention they get.

My favorites are--

True Brujah the mechanics don't do it justice, but the idea of Temporis is amazing and the story elements of Carthage are on point

Tremere sorcery (duh)

Baal not as a player- but demon worshipping vampires so evil that even other Sabbat consider them kill of sight is killer for antagonists

Worst-- Malkavian just a group destroyer waiting to happen, but Giovanni ad Lasambra I find kinda dull

Giovanni.

First, they're Independent - yet respected. The Cam sucks so hard, being independent is awesome.

Second, the necromancy stuff is just great. Thematically, it's right up my 90s kid/Type O Negative-loving alley. And mechanically, it's quite powerful, in a subtle political/social/Masquerade-y way (i.e. not just raw magic eff-you power, like, yawn those short-sighted Tremere).

Third, the clan curse is great too! Old school monstrous vampire. Whoever in the annals of history first decided that humans should moan and writhe when they're bitten by a vampire is why we have Twilight today.

Fourth, just don't look too closely at the incest stuff!

Perfect.

I think people's choices of Background dots says more about them lol

Love my little Bhaja vampires, the Nagaraja!

One thing I did like about V5 was making all the necromancers join their own family as the Hecata. One day I should do a campaign where the players have to get everyone together so the group forms with (minimum) bloodshed.

Ooo really? My group played, like, 3 sessions of V5 back in the day right before COVID hit, but I never dived deep enough to learn that.

What happened?

The Gios get wiped out in the Inquisition?

More they all merge together after Daddy Giovanni get chomped by in the Shadowlands and a peace treaty between the Giovanni and the Camarilla running out. So it's half a dozen bloodlines in a trenchcoat pretending to be a clan!

This "family reunion" plot is one of the dumb changes V5 brought. Harbingers joining hands with Giovanni and Infitiores? Yeah, I don't think so. Centuries if not millennia of hate erased by what? That Second Inquisition nonsense? No thanks. And why are Samedi and Nagaraja even there? Not to mention the long gone Lamia. Sigh.

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As for the Clans, the ones that resonate are:

Ravnos - the endless vagabond in search of a reality he can never reach.

Gangrel - a primal descent, wondering the last vestiges of purity (plus a much more interesting tale of transhumanism than "look at all the tentacles I've put on my head" Tzimisce).

Malkavian - longing for the knowledge that you know will drive you madder.

Tremere - not for the Magic(k)s, but for the much hated (for some reason) Pyramid and an academic bend.

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The ones that do not resonate:

Brujah - losing your cool all the time? No thanks. Plus two narratively poor, physical Disciplines.

Nosferatu and Samedi - ew. Just ew.

Lhiannan - so, just sitting in the forest all the time. An exciting chronicle that will be.

I always read it as the Harbringers just biding their time. With the beckoning and the Sabbat running around the Middle East, they have no real safe harbour. So, where better than the house of your enemy whilst you plot their true downfall? I'll admit that the Lamia and Nagaraja are a stretch but I have a soft spot for 'em so I (personally) give them a pass!

Beckoning.. stuff aside, did they need a safe harbor? They sided with the Sabbat because the Cam royally screwed them back in the day by allowing the Giovannis to hunt them down unabated. It's the family and the Camarilla who are afraid of the Harbingers, not the other way around.

One potential way to spin a similar sort of story is to lean on the post-Maelstrom metaplot and the ideas/rules for Harbinger "neonates" presented in "Lore of the Bloodlines"; with the Harbingers taking over the Giovanni holdings, converting or destroying the family members. Maybe even resurrecting the Lamia somehow.