The latest of them being my volunteering as Vampire Admin!
The night is young and you're so beautiful.
Think of all we can do with the night.
I've seen many people post that they started out in the World of Darkness playing Vampire, or that at a time it was their favorite system. I ask you to reconsider whatever notions you conceived over sessions or months or even years of playing and think about giving it another shot. I ask that those who haven't played it consider dashing preconceived notions and taking it for a spin. You don't even need to know anything. Just make a freshly Embraced lick or even a Mortal and see where it goes whilst learning as you go. You just might like it!
Where is there a better place to try such a thing?
Going forward I will be:
Now, for a note on style of storytelling and my hopes for the system:
I have always considered Vampire to be one of the most antagonistic systems to play in an online setting. Werewolves challenge one another and sometimes kill one another over kin, territory and plain ol' fashioned honor; some Mages vie for Nodes, artifacts, esoteric knowledge and quantum tech. But Vampires? Vampires go out of their way to make each others' unlives miserable and at times have been known to swallow one anothers' souls in an ancient Jyhad. Just the resonance and manifestations of that word – Jyhad – tells you almost everything you need to know about the Kindred-Cainite social dynamic.
Almost everything.
This is not to say that I think every Kindred is out for another's blood, or that the struggle for power needs to be so overt as diablerie. Some Kindred even opt out of it entirely. That in itself is bountiful potential for a character's story. Like the human pursuit of happiness, the vampiric struggle can take on many forms.
This is not to say that I generalize the Sabbat into a bunch of psychopaths and serial killers in makeshift gangs, or the Camarilla into a bunch of divas and pansies humping in a salon. At the same time, I consider either stereotype to be one that can be played with such gusto that they can make for memorable and inspiring PCs.
The Beast and The Man in each of them is integral to this, and the intricacies of clan, sire and blood that made The Beast or the life and death that made The Man is different for every PC.
As a cook I liken this to a range of ingredients. Sometimes they clash and need to be separated into different courses of the meal. And some players, as with some diners, don't want to indulge in certain meals. Other times they make for a perfect match, despite their differences, and it is those differences that make them the sweet and sour sauce or chocolate covered pretzel (replace pretzel with bacon) that many a wondrous late-night-into-early-morning scene is composed of. That is to say, it may end with all of them getting eaten. But I'll be sure to ring the dinner bell when things are going to get dangerous.
Thank you for reading.
Yours,
Joey
The night is young and you're so beautiful.
Think of all we can do with the night.
I've seen many people post that they started out in the World of Darkness playing Vampire, or that at a time it was their favorite system. I ask you to reconsider whatever notions you conceived over sessions or months or even years of playing and think about giving it another shot. I ask that those who haven't played it consider dashing preconceived notions and taking it for a spin. You don't even need to know anything. Just make a freshly Embraced lick or even a Mortal and see where it goes whilst learning as you go. You just might like it!
Where is there a better place to try such a thing?
Going forward I will be:
- Approving sheets, journals and experience expenditures for the Vampire, Ghoul and Mortal divisions of the system.
- Working on the overall system setting to flesh it out and (hopefully) help stir up some interest. In making the PC that I submitted I did some research into Denver and its history and it gave me a few ideas for historical hooks and other ways to set a stage for our troupe of player's characters.
- Running storylines in the form of one-offs, fun fluff and atmospheric scenes bi-weekly (maybe even weekly if my schedule allows for it.) I will be clear about whether these scenes are meant for Vampires, Ghouls, Mortals, or any combination thereof. Once I pin down what kind of game it seems like the players are itching for I plan on moving toward larger scale plots and storylines.
- I also understand that influence and personal/solo advancement scenes are pretty important in Vampire and would be happy to help all players with that as well (namely the "my PC wants to do this" kind of scenes that need ST oversight).
Now, for a note on style of storytelling and my hopes for the system:
I have always considered Vampire to be one of the most antagonistic systems to play in an online setting. Werewolves challenge one another and sometimes kill one another over kin, territory and plain ol' fashioned honor; some Mages vie for Nodes, artifacts, esoteric knowledge and quantum tech. But Vampires? Vampires go out of their way to make each others' unlives miserable and at times have been known to swallow one anothers' souls in an ancient Jyhad. Just the resonance and manifestations of that word – Jyhad – tells you almost everything you need to know about the Kindred-Cainite social dynamic.
Almost everything.
This is not to say that I think every Kindred is out for another's blood, or that the struggle for power needs to be so overt as diablerie. Some Kindred even opt out of it entirely. That in itself is bountiful potential for a character's story. Like the human pursuit of happiness, the vampiric struggle can take on many forms.
This is not to say that I generalize the Sabbat into a bunch of psychopaths and serial killers in makeshift gangs, or the Camarilla into a bunch of divas and pansies humping in a salon. At the same time, I consider either stereotype to be one that can be played with such gusto that they can make for memorable and inspiring PCs.
The Beast and The Man in each of them is integral to this, and the intricacies of clan, sire and blood that made The Beast or the life and death that made The Man is different for every PC.
As a cook I liken this to a range of ingredients. Sometimes they clash and need to be separated into different courses of the meal. And some players, as with some diners, don't want to indulge in certain meals. Other times they make for a perfect match, despite their differences, and it is those differences that make them the sweet and sour sauce or chocolate covered pretzel (replace pretzel with bacon) that many a wondrous late-night-into-early-morning scene is composed of. That is to say, it may end with all of them getting eaten. But I'll be sure to ring the dinner bell when things are going to get dangerous.
Thank you for reading.
Yours,
Joey