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 Orbital Blues Part 1: Sad Cowboy Song Well, howdy there, pardner! Do you yearn for the wide open spaces, the sun-blasted asteroid belts and those airless nights where every star burns steadier'n a gunslinger's hand? Would you love nothin' more than to hop in your trusty spaceship and light out for the empty sky? Are you sufferin' under the hellish yoke of late-stage capitalism? Then strap on yer sixgun and call up yer posse, cuz sister, you might just have yerself a case of the Orbital Blues! Okay, I'm not going to keep that bit up the whole review--I've read the Firefly RPG, that poo poo gets insufferable fast. Anyways, Orbital Blues is a tabletop RPG from SoulMuppet publishing, who previously earned some critical acclaim for Best Left Buried, an OSR-adjacent dungeon crawler that takes a fair bit of influence from Darkest Dungeons and its "gothic dungeon crawling" ilk. I'm personally not very familiar with it, but it got pretty good reviews and won a few awards, at least. Funded by a Kickstarter back in 2021, Orbital Blues takes the same basic chassis of Best Left Buried and applies it to the "sad space cowboy" genre: Your Cowboys Bebop, your Firesfly, and so on. In the Frontier Galaxy, you and your crew of Interstellar Outlaws will cruise the space lanes, trying to survive and scrape together a living in a cut-throat gig economy of bounty hunters, couriers, smugglers, and outlaws, all while trying to stay one step ahead of the Troubles dogging your heels. The first thing I want to say about this game is that it is gorgeous. The art, by Joshua Clark, is a mixture of photography cut-ups and digital painting, and in addition to scenes set within the world, it also includes loads of in-setting artifacts: corporate logos, flyers for lovely local bands playing at lovely low orbit dive bars, and the like. The graphic design of the book also drips with style, without ever making the readability suffer. I'm reviewing from the PDF, but I'm seriously debating picking up a hard copy, it's that nice looking. There's also a coffee table-style art book available with even more pieces than just what's in the core book, along with commentary and behind-the-scenes details from the artist. Unfortunately, while the page-to-page layout and design is fantastic, the overall layout of the book is kind of janky, and the text really could have used an editing pass by someone less familiar with the designers' intent, because there's some stuff missing from the rules that is pretty glaring. But we'll get to that in time. After a two-page spread of tables for quickly generating names for space settlements (the backmatter has another spread for randomly rolling the settlement's economy and population), we get a little introductory blurb, laying out the themes and aesthetics of the game, which, given that it was posted on the game's Kickstarter, I feel okay sharing here directly:  Spaceship fuel should always be dispensed by lovely Amoco pumps from the 1950s. Next up, before we even get to the game proper, we start off with a couple of full-page content warnings, which I always appreciate seeing games put so front and center. The first covers topics and themes the game is going to touch on and safety tools for dealing with them responsibly--though like a lot of smaller RPGs I've seen, it basically tells you to google the X-Card or Script Change safety tools rather than actually giving you the tools themselves. On the one hand, I get it--the information is pretty readily available online, and this book is pretty small (it's 200 pages, but only slightly bigger than A5), but on the other hand, I feel like safety tools is one of those places you really want to minimize barriers to entry. The second is an explicit statement that, while Orbital Blues is an anachronistic future based on mid/late 20th century aesthetics, both the game and its creators condemn the socioeconomic inequality and injustice toward marginalized people that era embodied. It also explicitly says that PCs in this game are either people who either fell out with the capitalist lifestyle or never benefitted from it in the first place--it's not quite as bald-faced as CY_BORG's "you cannot play cops or corpos in this game," but it's still a sentiment I appreciate. And with that, we plunge straight into character creation! Yes, games are still doing that "create your character without even a brief precis of the mechanics" thing in TYOOL 2021, and I'm still hollering about it in TYOOL 2023. Anyways, since the game won't do it for us, I'll give you a quick overview: It's 2d6+stat (which range from 0-2 at character creation and can go up to 3 max) with a target number of 8 (though a couple of special abilities can tweak this by +/-1). Advantage and Disadvantage are here, under the aliases "with the upper hand" and "against the odds," and while they stack for purposes of cancelling each other out (i.e. if you have the upper hand from three sources but two circumstances that make you roll against the odds, you still have the upper hand), you never actually roll more than one extra die and keep the two highest/lowest, respectively. In addition, if your final total comes out to 3x upper hand, you succeed automatically, and vice versa for 3 instances of against the odds. Finally, on any roll, you can spend Heart (read: hp) one-for-one to reroll dice, so you've actually got pretty good odds of doing whatever you set out to do, it's just a question of how vulnerable you're willing to leave yourself afterwards. Got all that? Good. There are some more wrinkles we'll see later for things like combat, vehicles, and finances, but that's the basic resolution mechanic. Now, onto character creation!  That is the Dracula cape of ponchos, god drat. After the obligatory concept and name (we're told that most Interstellar Outlaws adopt a mononym, nickname, or just go by their surname, and we get a d100 table of suggestions), character creation is pretty straightforward. Assign +2, +1, and +0 to the three stats of Muscle, Grit, and Savvy, start with 8+Muscle Heart (that's hp, remember), one Gambit (basically a feat), one Trouble (your combination personal trauma, story generator, and advancement mechanic), and a few pieces of equipment: a melee or ranged weapon, a memento (which is probably just a little hook or hint into your backstory, but you never know when one might end up becoming a critical plot device), and one larger piece of "crew equipment," which is usually something like a personal vehicle or a gizmo that can optionally be built into your crew's ship. You also start with any documents or whatnot that you might need to do your preferred jobs: the deed to your ship, maybe, or bounty hunters' writs, trade licences, etc. In a nice touch, the game says that as a group you should decide whether or not that paperwork is actually legitimate or not. Oh, and of course a game about sad space cowboys wouldn't be complete without picking your character's soundtrack. Because how else are you going to know what song to queue up on the playlist when they do something totally awesome and/or stare broodingly off into the depths of space at the end of the episode? There's also one really fun extra step for generating connections and relationships between PCs: the book provides a big, two-page spread of "roles" (things like "the soldier" or "the money"), and you're encouraged to pick one that your character sees as reflecting themselves, and another they think reflects one of the other PCs. It's a neat way to spin prompts about inter-character relationships, but honestly what makes it way more fun is that instead of being presented as just a list or a table, each role gets its own little logo with its own typesetting and graphic design, so you can imagine them popping up on screen during your character's obligatory freeze-frame introduction.  Some examples-unfortunately it's impossible to get a clean crop without just posting the entire page. Lastly, the whole group creates the crew's ship. Much like characters, ships have three stats (although weirdly, we're not actually told what those stats are in the text here, though they are labeled on the art of the example ship) at +2, +1, and +0 and a single weapon system by default (you can pick up additional ship weapons with a Gambit, if you want). There are also d6 tables for things like the ship's origin, original purpose, general appearance, and other features. And that's it for character creation! It's a pretty fast process, and one I can't really see taking more than 30-45 minutes for the whole crew. The rest of the character creation section is taken up with the descriptions of Gambits and Troubles. Gambits, as mentioned, are your special abilities akin to feats. They're about what you'd expect--a lot of them give you the upper hand on particular actions, a few let you spend 1 Heart to reroll two dice, and a few let you always use your own stat in place of one of your ship's on a ship action, if yours is better (normally doing that costs 1 Heart). Troubles are the reasons why you're living this drifter's life as an interstellar outlaw: maybe you're in too deep with the mob, maybe you're looking for revenge, or maybe you're just trying to stay one step ahead of your gambling debts. There are 20 examples in the book to get you started, and each one consists of five questions about your Trouble (e.g. "who are you gunning for?" or "what's the most you ever lost in a single hand and who did you lose it to?") and three triggers that cause you to gain a point of Blues. You answer two of the questions at character creation, but keep the other three back: when you dramatically answer one in play, you also gain 1 Blues. We'll get into Blues next time, but they let you do some cool stuff and act as your XP, sort of. You'll also definitely be picking up more Troubles as the game progresses, so don't worry about blowing through your whole backstory in like 3 scenes. And with that, let's do something I haven't done on an F&F in a while (since Legends of the Wulin, I think): Hit me with some sad space cowboy concepts and/or rockin' dieselpunk-looking spaceships, and I'll whip up a crew to show off. But until then... 
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Apr 24, 2023 13:02
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I'm always fond of 'former actress/singer whose fall from grace was less about talent and more about the lovely men who control the industry' Also obligatory: Do Spike, and also do Edward.
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Apr 24, 2023 14:24
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Leraika posted:I'm always fond of 'former actress/singer whose fall from grace was less about talent and more about the lovely men who control the industry' Weirdly enough you'd have to do some homebrewing to do Radical Edward--hacking doesn't come up in the game, so there are no Gambits related to it. Granted that homebrewing would be as easy as writing "Master Hacker: You roll with the upper hand when hacking into computer systems," but still.
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Apr 24, 2023 14:37
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GimpInBlack posted:Weirdly enough you'd have to do some homebrewing to do Radical Edward--hacking doesn't come up in the game, so there are no Gambits related to it. Granted that homebrewing would be as easy as writing "Master Hacker: You roll with the upper hand when hacking into computer systems," but still. It actually doesn't surprise me at all, and that's one of the reasons I suggested Ed.
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Apr 24, 2023 14:42
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Does Orbital Blues support non-human PCs, whether gene-tampered turkey, robo-sapiens or full fledged alien weirdo?
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Apr 24, 2023 14:55
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Nessus posted:Does Orbital Blues support non-human PCs, whether gene-tampered turkey, robo-sapiens or full fledged alien weirdo? It does not. We'll talk about that a little more when we get to the Running the Game section, but the devs deliberately chose to make a human-only galaxy. That said, they do also say "if you want to add aliens to your game, knock yourself out, but it's not something we're interested in exploring."
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Apr 24, 2023 15:01
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GimpInBlack posted:It does not. We'll talk about that a little more when we get to the Running the Game section, but the devs deliberately chose to make a human-only galaxy. That said, they do also say "if you want to add aliens to your game, knock yourself out, but it's not something we're interested in exploring." Foiled again in my hopes for a bespoke Outlaw Star game.
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Apr 24, 2023 15:04
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Eric "Speedy" MacDoughan, a down-on-his-luck Space Trucker looking for his girlfriend, who disappeared a year ago and was last seen cruising around with a handsome cyborg
Asterite34 fucked around with this message at 16:01 on Apr 24, 2023 |
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Apr 24, 2023 15:57
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GimpInBlack posted:It does not. We'll talk about that a little more when we get to the Running the Game section, but the devs deliberately chose to make a human-only galaxy. That said, they do also say "if you want to add aliens to your game, knock yourself out, but it's not something we're interested in exploring."
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Apr 24, 2023 16:09
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 Joylessdivisions World of Dorkness presents  Vampire: The Masquerade 1st edition part 2  Chapter Two: Rules You better believe I’m going to be blitzing through this chapter. We’ve gone through four other corebooks of rules at this point, unless something stands out as being vastly different from a previous book, we’re going light touch on this chapter. Periods of Time You know the deal at this point, time within the game is broken down thusly: -Turn: 3 seconds to 3 minutes of in-game time -Scene: All events/turns taking place in a single location -Chapter: A single game session -Story: A complete game that has had a beginning, middle and end that has played out across however many sessions are necessary. -Chronicle: The collection of stories that revolve around a group of characters. Actions Most actions are automatic, those that aren’t are handled by dice rolls.  Rolling Dice 10 sided dice are used for Vampire and all the other Storyteller system games. Dice should be employed whenever the success of an action is in doubt, or the ST wants to make things more interesting. Ratings Ratings are the measure of how good or bad a character is at a thing. Ratings range from 0 to 5, though generally 0 is not applicable. The ratings of a player's Traits or Attributes directly correspond to their Dice Pool, or how many dice they have available to do a specific task. Generally, most rolls will be Attribute + Ability, however when there is no Ability appropriate to the task, simply using the Attribute as the pool will suffice. There is never a situation where two Traits are added together for a pool, and the only Traits with potential value of 10 are Humanity and Willpower. Difficulties Difficulties range from 1-10, with one and two essentially not being used because they are so easy, and 10 only being used when an ST wants to make sure the player knows what they are attempting is essentially impossible. The standard difficulty is 6, and “Degrees of Success” are rated 1-5, Marginal to Phenomenal.  Rule of One Every time a player rolls a 1, it cancels out one success scored on the roll. If there are no successes left and only a 1, the roll is a botch regardless of how many ones were rolled. The number of one’s only matters in that it can indicate the degree of chaos caused by the botch. The Character Sheet  The top of the sheet covers the character’s name, their Nature/Demeanor, their Generation, Player’s name, Haven, Chronicle name, Clan and Concept. Attributes break down into three columns of Physical, Social and Mental, with Abilities following with Talents, Skills and Knowledge. Next are Advantages which cover Disciplines, Backgrounds and Virtues (Conscience/Self-Control/Courage) and finally at the bottom we have Other Traits, Combat (where you can log your weapons) the Humanity, Willpower and Blood Pool tracks as well as the Health Level tracker and a handy box for recording experience. At the very bottom of the sheet we have a handy-dandy reminder of how many points the player gets to distribute across their sheet. Automatic Success If the number of dice the player has in their pool is equal to or greater than the difficulty of the task, the ST can give them a single automatic success. The players can still roll their pool for additional success attempts if they like, but the automatic success rule is intended for those who wish to more or less remove dice rolls from their game. Complications For the players who like rolling dice and want a bit more game in their storyteller game, we have complications for dice rolls. Extended Action Any action that requires more than a single success to achieve, or task that could potentially take a while to accomplish can be handled with an Extended Action, where the player has a target number of successes they need to gain to complete the action, such as 15 successes to climb a tree. Botching removes all accumulated successes, and the ST can raise the difficulty of the roll if they choose after a botch. Ex: Climbing the tree takes 15 total successes at a difficulty of 6. The player botches, wiping out any successes they have, and the ST ups the difficulty to 7. Resisted Actions Any action taken in opposition to another character or player is a Resisted Action. Both characters roll against the difficulty of the opponent's Trait, and whoever has the most successes wins, however each success gained eliminates one success from the opponent and vice versa. Whoever has the most after this is considered the winner. Teamwork At the ST’s discretion, two or more players can roll and add their successes together, however they cannot add their separate traits into one pool.  Try it Out Test out the mechanics that have just been explained and see how easy they are. We’re also given a sample extended and resisted action in the form of how to handle arm wrestling. -1st roll: Strength vs opponents Dexterity+3 -2nd and 3rd roll: Strength vs Strength+3 -4th (and any additional) roll: Strength vs Willpower. Game Terms A quick glossary of terms related to the mechanics of the game beginning with Ability and ending with Willpower.  And that’s it for chapter two. Like I said I was going to be a light touch here, and nothing in these basic rules jumps out as being any different from the basic rules presented in the other books. I don’t have much to say about this chapter because it’s just rules, and ones that I’ve now read four times previously. At least I know if I ever decide to run a 1st edition WoD game I’ll know the basic rules without having to think too hard. Tomorrow: Chapter Three
joylessdivision fucked around with this message at 19:07 on Apr 26, 2023 |
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Apr 24, 2023 16:35
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I decided not to review Vampire 1e, mainly because I was really looking forward to doing the first Vampire book I owned, which wasn't 1e. One of the things I really missed was the continuing adventures of Shezzla. Also LOL that Celerity is even more overpowered in 1e.
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Apr 24, 2023 16:42
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Can we make the spaceship equivalent of this truck? https://twitter.com/ass_beaters/status/1645769895517224962?s=20
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Apr 24, 2023 17:07
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Sorcerer 1977
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Apr 24, 2023 17:09
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Halloween Jack posted:I decided not to review Vampire 1e, mainly because I was really looking forward to doing the first Vampire book I owned, which wasn't 1e. One of the things I really missed was the continuing adventures of Shezzla. It doesn't get mentioned until way later in the review (because I realized I'd written thousands of words about the book and hadn't actually addressed the art  ) but I dug the Shezzla stuff. There's a certain charm about this book that really endeared it to me as I was reading it, despite its various issues, of which there are plenty lol. Although, I'd say most of my complaints about the book fall into one of two categories, content or mechanics and both can be somewhat forgiven because it's a book from 1991. That doesn't stop me from pointing out the issues and complaining about them of course.
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Apr 24, 2023 17:11
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GimpInBlack posted:Well, howdy there, pardner! Do you yearn for the wide open spaces, the sun-blasted asteroid belts and those airless nights where every star burns steadier'n a gunslinger's hand? Would you love nothin' more than to hop in your trusty spaceship and light out for the empty sky? Are you sufferin' under the hellish yoke of late-stage capitalism? Then strap on yer sixgun and call up yer posse, cuz sister, you might just have yerself a case of the Orbital Blues! I'm committing the annual transgirl hajj to Fallout: New Vegas right now and god, how it does.
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Apr 24, 2023 18:08
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Bastion* made it work, though. *the video game
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Apr 24, 2023 18:31
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Reading a phonetic accent and hearing one read aloud by the buttery-rich voice of Logan Cunningham are two very different experiences.
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Apr 24, 2023 18:44
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SkeletonHero posted:Reading a phonetic accent and hearing one read aloud by the buttery-rich voice of Logan Cunningham are two very different experiences. So all these tabletop game developers just need to hire Logan Cunningham to do the audiobook, got it.
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Apr 24, 2023 19:09
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I can't find it and it might be behind a paywall or lost to all history but at some point the old Giant Bomb crew definitely recorded him reading an old Monster Manual.
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Apr 24, 2023 19:14
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Dawgstar posted:Foiled again in my hopes for a bespoke Outlaw Star game. That's just Dungeons The Dragoning.
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Apr 24, 2023 20:20
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Joylessdivisions World of Dorkness presents Vampire: The Masquerade 1st Edition Part 3   Chapter Three: Character Character creation is relatively simple and works on a points system instead of dice rolls. Yada yada creative effort, yada yada, it’s the same general advice for character creation that has opened this chapter in every other corebook. Getting Started As the ST, it’s your job to guide the players through the creation process, and there are a few elements they should know before they begin:
2. Points buy system baby! No dice rolls required (except one and we’ll get there). Freebie points are available at the end to juice up any stats you feel like bumping up after the main points have been distributed. 3. Reminder of the 1-5 scale for Traits and that 1 should be considered as the character being not very good at that thing or simply a beginner. 4. The character creation process was designed to help the player define their character as much as it is as a means of interacting with the rules and should help sharpen the concept of the character. 5. Create a character that fits the story/group. If you can’t play nicely, you’re going to have to make a new character who will fit things better. Players should then be given the character sheet as well as the Character Creation Outline to help them get a handle on the process, along with the ST answering any questions the players may have.  Step 1: Character Concept Once you’ve settled on an idea that you think will be fun to play, choose your Clan and Nature/Demeanor for the character. Making these three aspects interrelated will help to make the character more real. Provided is a short list of broad concepts and the sub-concepts that can fall into those categories. Concepts
Kid- child, runaway, student, high schooler Soldier- mercenary, elite army squad, Ex-GI, SWAT Politician- any elected official Drifter- Wanderer, hobo, homeless person, cowboy, rancher, prostitute Investigator- Police, FBI, detective, cop, secret agent Outsider- Tribal, Third World, Communist, Moslem, Native American Gang Member- Motorcycle, street, 90’s drug gang Professional- engineer, doctor, teacher, scholar, mortician, entrepreneur Entertainer- comic, soap opera queen, movie star, nightclub singer Dilettante- idle rich, artist, writer, intellectual, gambler, college student Punk- musician, club crawler, stud dog Criminal- prisoner, mafia, cat burglar, drug dealer, drug runner Reporter- TV, newspaper, paparazzo, photojournalist The “Outsider” concepts are.....something else. “Tribal” and “Third World” are both not great, and the use of the term “Moslem” here is certainly weird and jarring, but after looking into it, at the time it was the commonly used term to refer Muslims, although it’s considered offensive now. Isn’t Islam like...one of the most common religions in the world, how the hell is a Muslim character going to be an outsider? I refuse to google the term “Stud Dog” because I fear what it will show me. I assume it’s just old slang for a kind of punk or something.  -Concept Step one of the character creation processes is coming up with who you were before you became a vampire. Concept can play an important role in your character's Background.  -Clan After the concept has been decided, the player chooses their Clan, one of the seven that are available as members of the Camarilla. As previously noted, Clan has an effect on the disciplines the player can take, with the exception that if the player does not want to choose a clan they may play a Caitiff, or a vampire who has not had the characteristics of any one Clan imprinted onto them via their blood. While the Caitiff option allows for greater choice in Disciplines, mechanically it costs more experience to raise those disciplines later, as well as narratively, Caitiff being outcasts from Kindred society. We get a quick sidebar with the Clans and a quick blurb about each. We’ll get more into the Clans a little later.
Tremere Ventrue Gangrel Toreador Brujah Malkavian Caitiff -Nature (Optional) At this point the player chooses their Archetype for their Nature, which is the expression of the dominant aspects of the character's personality, as well as being the primary way in which the player can regain Willpower. Nature helps to describe who the character is on the inside. -Demeanor (Optional) Another Archetype is chosen to describe the personality of the character, or at least the personality they pretend to have. Demeanor is usually different from Nature, and Demeanor can change whenever the player likes within play. Demeanor has no mechanical effect on play. Archetype Sidebar A shorter list of Archetypes with full descriptions being provided later in the book.
Bon Vivant Bravo Caregiver Cavalier Child Conformist Conniver Curmudgeon Deviant Director Fanatic Gallant Jester Judge Loner Martyr Plotter Rebel Survivor Traditionalist Visionary Step 2) Choosing Attributes quote:“I am what I am, and I don’t think Betty Ford takes Vampires”-Nick Knight This is the point in the review where I gush for a moment about the incredibly cheesy but extremely influential (on me at least) Canadian vampire cop drama Forever Knight and how much I loving love that show. It was great to see a quote from the show pop up in this book, although after double checking, the series didn’t air until 1992, so the line more than likely came from the TV movie/quasi-pilot Nick Knight released in 1989. Now the players distribute their points beginning with their Attributes. Points are distributed along the simple guideline of Primary (7)/Secondary (5)/Tertiary (3).  Step 3) Choosing Abilities Choosing Abilities works under the same system as choosing Attributes, however the spread this time is 13/9/5. No Abilities can be raised above three dots at this time; however, freebie points can be spent to raise an Ability to four or five.  Step 4) Advantages Unlike the previous two steps, the points here are at a fixed quantity. Disciplines get 3 dots; Backgrounds get 5 and Virtues get 7. Disciplines The powers possessed by the Kindred, only three points are given to the players at this stage and only Clan Disciplines may be chosen, unless the player is a Caitiff. Players are advised to choose their Disciplines carefully, as they are a central element of the character, but players shouldn’t worry too much about starting out weak (because three dots isn’t much) as Disciplines can be improved over the course of the Chronicle. Here’s the quick list of Disciplines that we’ll discuss more later:
Auspex Celerity Dominate Fortitude Obfuscate Potence Presence Protean Thaumaturgy Backgrounds Players each get five points to allocate to Backgrounds, however backgrounds can be restricted by the ST to fit the chronicle, and players should try to choose backgrounds that fit their concept.
Contacts Fame Generation Herd Influence Mentor Resources Retainers Status Virtues  Virtues break down into three categories, Conscience, Self-Control and Courage, and are used in game to determine the players ability to resist Frenzy as well as factoring into the potential loss of Humanity when inhuman actions are taken. Players are given seven points to distribute between the three categories. These traits will also play a part in determining the players starting Humanity and Willpower. Step 5) Last Touches This is the point where the players have access to their 15 “Freebie” points that they can use to raise their Attributes/Abilities and Advantages as well as Humanity and Willpower. But before the players can spend those delicious freebie points, there are three other elements that have to be determined first. Willpower Willpower is based on the players Courage rating, so if the player wants to have a fighting chance to resist Frenzy or Domination, or they’re playing a Tremere (Willpower is needed for Thaumaturgy) they’re probably going to need to make sure they put a few of those seven points into Courage and then a few more from the freebies. Humanity Initial Humanity score is based on the players Conscience + Self-Control ratings. Another stat that should probably be bumped a bit with freebie points as a character with no Humanity becomes a non-playable character. Blood Pool The initial Blood Pool determines how much “energy” the player has at the start of the game. Simply roll a D10 and write the results down as your Blood Pool. Freebie Points Now the player can spend their freebie points per the chart below. [timg]https://i.imgur.com/TchgVQZ.jpg[timg] Spark of Life The following elements are not necessarily things that need to be written out on the character sheet but should be kept in mind as aspects of the character as the story progresses. Contacts Players should make a list of all primary and secondary (if any) contacts on the back of their sheet (or other piece of paper/notebook, whatever). All the info that needs to be jotted down is Name, some detail about where and how they work, and what kind of assistance they may be able to offer the player. Additional details on Contacts will be discussed later.  Retainers If the player has taken the Retainers background, then the player should flesh out who their retainers are. Players should ask themselves the following questions when writing down their Retainers:
Do you Dominate or use Presence powers on them? Have you befriended them? Do they owe you something? What are their special skills? What do they do during daylight hours? Are they Ghouls or do you feed from them? Additional details on Retainers will be discussed later. Specialties Specialties can be chosen during play, however if a player wishes to add them during character creation, they can. These are adjectives which define what your character is especially good at. These are written into the blank space beside a Trait. Specialties can offer dice bonuses, and suggested specialties related to each Trait are provided in the Traits chapter. Haven Where does the player stay during the day? Feeding Ground As long as a player is near their haven when they attempt to feed, they can do so without a dice roll or roleplay, however the player should detail the area and their method of feeding. Equipment If the player wants to buy weapons, clothing, condos, cars, etc. they can. Use a catalog to gauge appropriate prices, however as ST, don’t punish the players who don’t go all out with fleshing out their character. If a player chooses not to add equipment at this stage, simply have them roll their Resources during play to see if they have the equipment they need. Appearance Players are encouraged to turn relevant Attributes and Concepts into aspects of their characters' appearance, as high Intelligence could be represented by a clear, piercing gaze or a Dilettante might wear stylish and expensive clothing. Quirks Quirks are simply interesting personal details or anecdotes the players can note down about their character. Motivations What drives the character? Nature and Demeanor can be useful to guide the players towards motivations, however having no motivations could potentially be an interesting direction to take a character as well. Sire Most player characters will not know much about Kindred society beyond their Sires at the start of the game. What was the Sire like? Did they aid or hinder the player? How long was the player under ‘Apprenticeship’ with their Sire? Where did the player and Sire live? Is the Sire still around or did they take off?  Example The next 2 and a half pages are dedicated to an example of character creation, giving us an explanation of why each choice was made in creating the sample character. There’s not much to say about it beyond it being an example of the rules for creation that we’ve already read. Looking Ahead Players should always keep in mind potential ways their character can grow and change over the course of a story or chronicle, including personality changes in response to events. Players are also encouraged to allow the character to determine their own fate rather than attempting to stick strictly to what the character was at original conception.  The Chronicle quote:“The Storyguide has more to do than the players in preparation for the start of a Chronicle” Quoted because the term “Storyteller” is used literally everywhere else in the book and I believe this is the only time the term “Storyguide” appears at all. LOL editing. While the players are focused on only bringing their own characters to life at the table, it is the Storyteller who has the bulk of the work to do, in creating the setting, antagonists and conflicts of the story. If an ST intends to restrict Backgrounds or how high a player can raise a specific rating, now is the time to present these changes to the players during character creation. ST’s also need to make sure that the player characters will gel together as a group to avoid unnecessary conflicts (unless conflict amongst the coterie is the intended story being told). Reminding the players to come up with ways in which their characters can relate to each other or are familiar with each other is important, as is making all players aware of the potential roles their characters will play. Probably a good idea to have the player with the highest Leadership to be the leader of the coterie, no? Prelude It’s a good idea to spend the first game session on character creation and the Prelude so that players don’t feel rushed in creating their characters. The Prelude provides a frame of reference for the coming Chronicle, and a way for the players to quickly become more familiar with their character and their past. Each player should go through the Prelude alone, just the player and the Storyteller. The Prelude should move quickly, jumping from vignette to vignette of the character's life. This gives the player a chance to add additional flavor to their character while providing the ST with potential elements to draw from later in the chronicle related to that character.  Stages of the Prelude A simple three step cycle of Description, Decision and Resolution. -Description The ST describes a situation involving the player and presents a few options. -Decision The player makes their choice of how to respond to the situation from the options presented -Resolution The player and ST now work together to figure out the resolution of the choices made in stage 2. Ex: If the player ran away from home, the ST could ask for a Manipulation + Streetwise roll to see how well the player managed their first few days on the street.  The Course of the Prelude During the Prelude, the ST should have the player explain in detail their Background, including how they gained their Resources and the identity of any Contacts. Presented below is a slightly more structured take on the Prelude. -Age Start by asking the player how old the character is at the start of the game. If the game takes place in 1993, and the character is 37 (19 years human, 18 as a Kindred), then the prelude could start as early as 1965 when the character was 9. Ideally the Prelude should give the player ample room to determine the course of their life prior to embrace, so starting in childhood isn’t the worst idea. -Childhood Spend a little time asking questions about the characters' childhood and roleplay any key moments from this period. ST’s can add subtle clues that the Sire was watching the player as early as their childhood if they wish to make the embrace even more unnerving. -Setting Once childhood has been covered, establish the setting the character lived in prior to their embrace, and roleplay an average day in the life of the character, making it as mundane as possible. -Stalked This is the beginning of the end for the characters’ mortal life, as they are being watched by someone. -The Attack At this point the ST and player should roleplay the attack and embrace. The tone of the Chronicle should inform how the embrace takes place, and allowing the player some rolls to attempt to escape are a useful way to ratchet up the tension, but remember that no matter what the player rolls, they’re not getting away. -Neonate What are the characters' feelings about being with their Sire? How did the Embrace affect them? How long did the Sire stay with them? These should all be answered at this point in the Prelude. The ST should determine why the player was embraced, and how cruel or kind the sire is and then play it out as vividly as possible. -The Release The player’s character has been released by their Sire. Were they presented to the Prince or simply taken somewhere and dumped? -The Traditions Before the character is released by their Sire, they should have the 5 Great Traditions told to them, as well as being told their Generation and Clan. quote:“You are of the Eleventh Generation from Caine, of the Clan Tremere, and so these words from him are not so distant from you, for they were spoken by him to his Fledgling”. Then the ST tells the player the Traditions. Further details on the Traditions will be discussed in the Settings chapter. -Wrapping it Up Have all the players characters meet each other, either just before the beginning of the story, or as the story opens, as it is a good idea to establish the connections between characters early, as well as to avoid the whole thing coming apart at the seams.  Example We’re given an example Prelude that closes out the chapter, touching on each of the aspects of the prelude as discussed previously, along with some narrative flourishes. And that brings us to the conclusion of chapter three. Aside from a couple of differences like the Virtues, most of this chapter covers the same information that the other corebooks cover regarding character creation. I liked most of the concepts presented other than the ones I questioned earlier. Solid enough chapter, so let's keep moving onto  Book Two: The Hunger  What is wrong with your face? We get the next bit of the first-person narrative that started with the opening of “The Becoming”, this time our narrator is struggling with the urge to feed on a woman who passes them by.   Chapter Four: Traits Traits are the frame which a character hangs on, describing how strong or weak the character is, and giving the character a functional attachment to the mechanics of the game. While traits are important, they should be treated as a guide as the essential aspects of the character will come forth through roleplaying. The numerical side of traits is left a little loose so that less focus is dedicated to the character sheet while playing. Specialties Oh hey, we’re going to detail Specialties finally! Any Attribute or Ability ranked over three allows the player to take a Specialty in that Attribute/Ability. While Specialties are generally chosen simply to improve the character, they can also influence the narrative. Players can claim a Specialty as a guide to roleplaying, but if they do not have the appropriate number of dots, it has no mechanical effect. It is also up to the ST how a Specialty will affect things, however there are three methods that an ST can employ if they do not wish to make up their own method.
2. If the Trait is ranked above three, all the dice in the Trait can be used if the Specialty specifically applies to the action. If it doesn’t, the player can only roll 3 dice for that Trait. Best used with Ability Specialties 3. The Specialty lowers the difficulty of the action by one. This can be used with any Trait at the ST’s discretion. While more straightforward, this is a potentially destabilizing method. Use with Abilities if the previous Ability method doesn’t suit your needs.  Clans These are the seven clans of the Camarilla, and while there are additional Clans, these are the only ones available to the players at this point, as they all support the Camarilla and are thus regular fixtures of Kindred society. Quick note: All of the clan listings include a “Background” bit, although in most cases this section is verbatim information provided in the Clan introduction about who they embrace, so unless that section was different enough or added some new bit of info or clarification, I’ve skipped over them. Brujah  Unabomber looking motherfucker Nickname: Rabble The rebels of Kindred society, the Brujah are generally punks, skinheads, bikers, communists or anarchists, and tend to be stubborn, ruthless and highly aggressive and vengeful. Brujah Sires always choose rebels as their progeny, and often embrace multiple people at a time into “Packs” (usually without seeking the Prince’s approval, natch). A fractious lot, by tradition, Brujah will aid each other in times of need, regardless of dispute or antagonism. If the call is made, the Brujah will show up, but you better hope it was a well warranted call for help or they’re going to be pissed. While poorly organized as a Clan, they still hold the occasional informal meeting, though generally they rely on their chaotic behavior to achieve the results they seek. The other Clans indulge the Brujah in their eccentricities, even during Camarilla meetings. Outbursts and fevered ravings are to be expected of the Brujah, but if you’re not a Brujah and try to pull some Brujah nonsense, you’re going to get in a lot of trouble. Fanatical in their disparate beliefs, the unifying element of this Clan is their desire to overthrow the social system, Vampiric or Mortal, and replace it with a system of their own making, or not at all. Bullheaded crusaders of the worst sort, they completely believe in what they are doing, and are thus blind to shades of the truth. The Brujah have many different places they use as Havens, though a common method is moving in with a suburban family and Dominating them into submission. This usually lasts for a few weeks until the Brujah either gets bored or simply moves on, and this method has proven quite useful in recruiting new Brujah from the ranks of rebellious teenagers. Appearance Brujah fashion trends toward the most outrageous styles of the period, though some will dress in ways that conflict with the rest of the Clan simply to be the ‘most’ rebellious. Leather, spiked hair, chains and black boots are common as are Renaissance era attires. Some will dress and assume the attitude of street-hoods, Neo-Nazi's or even “Dead Heads”. Haven Wherever they feel like, usually after kicking out whoever lived there previously. Typically after a month they move on. Character Creation The Criminal and Punk concepts both fit the Brujah well, but so do intellectual concepts. Their Demeanors are generally aggressive and extreme with Physical Attributes and Skills being their primary focus. Contacts, Allies and Herd are their usual Background Traits. Clan Disciplines Celerity, Potence and Presence Weakness Brujah fall into Frenzy far more easily and quickly than the other Clans, though they vehemently deny this (to the point of Frenzy) if this is ever mentioned to them. The difficulty of Frenzy rolls is always a +2 to whatever the listed difficulty is. Organization Poor, however the clan supports the Anarchs more than any others, and they make up the bulk of the Anarch movement. Quote quote:“All creatures of sentience deserve to be free—it is our born right. When we overthrow this decadent system that attempts to rule us, we can overthrow the system that rules the mortals as well. We shall be the saviors of the Earth” After reading this bit about the Brujah, my first thought was Hell’s Angels by Hunter S. Thompson and his description of the bikers. A bunch of rowdy, violent losers. That’s the Brujah. I don’t love the idea that a player would bring a Neo-Nazi concept to the table, nor do I love that the book presents that as an option, but within the context of who this Clan is broadly, it makes sense. I admit I kinda love the idea of a Brujah just taking over some poor suburban family's house and then making off with their lovely teenage son or daughter. Gangrel  Wait poo poo, wrong Gangrel!  Nickname: Outlander Wanderers who rarely stay in one location for very long, the Gangrel have no records of who the eldest of their line is, nor are their established leaders of the Clan, as they are generally unconcerned with such matters. Known for being withdrawn, quiet and solemn, the Gangrel play their hands close to the chest. A lineage of survivors, they don’t despise society, mortal or Kindred, they simply have no use for it, and it is said they have a total lack of concern regarding crossing the lands controlled by Lupines, and that they even have friends among them. Gangrel choose their progeny carefully, only embracing those that are capable of existing on their own or are already survivors. Once Embraced, the Gangrel Sire will abandon the Chidler to make their own way in the world, though they may continue to observe from a distance, they rarely interfere. When they feel the Childe is ready, the Sire presents themselves and teaches them the ways of their Clan. Their capacity for shapeshifting is likely why they can cross wilderness areas without issue, though reports are that they are only capable of shifting into bats, wolves or mist. Because of their Protean Discipline, they often have animalistic features, and each time a Gangrel Frenzies, they gain another animal feature. Legends say that the “Gypsies” are the mortal descendants of the Gangrel Antediluvian and are under his protection. Any who harms or Embraces one of them answers to said Antediluvian. Regardless of the truth of this, the consensus among Kindred is that no harm or impediment is to come to the “Gypsy”. The Gangrel are expected to aid them whenever necessary, and it’s not uncommon for the reverse to happen as well. Some Gangrel groups have adopted much of the culture from the “Gypsies” including their manner, aspects of their language and dress. Appearance Often rustic in dress and mannerisms, they frequently have animal-like features. Haven While they may live in cities, they never make a single location their home. Generally, they are found in parks, zoos or semi-wooded areas of a city. Character Creation Drifter and Working Joe concepts are common for Gangrel, with their Nature and Demeanor being similar. Physical Attributes are their primary, along with Talent Abilities. Normal Background Traits are Allies (Gypsies) and Mentor (Sire) Clan Disciplines Protean, Animality, Fortitude Pretty sure they meant Animalism. Weaknesses Each time the player Frenzies, they choose another animal feature. These features typically have a negative effect on the character’s Social rolls and for every three animal features gained, the player loses one dot in any of their Social Traits. Quote quote:“The city is not our home. It is simply the only place where we are allowed to exist for long. To be sure, it is the outlands where we belong. Our people have become ill and deranged because we have lived in this purgatory so long and have grown dependent on the tainted blood of mortals” While I don’t have a ton of complaints about the Gangrel as a whole, hoo-boy that Roma stuff. I understand that this game (and by extension the entire WoD) is heavily inspired by the broader world of monster legends and stories and gothic fiction, and anyone who's watched a Hammer or Universal vampire/monster movie made in the last 100 years will pick up on many of the tropes and elements that have been woven into these games, and the two biggest elements of this that stand out to me are the heavy emphasis on “madness” and the inclusion of the Roma. From a modern perspective the treatment of “Madness” in these games is really, really bad, but within the context of gothic fiction, to which these games owe a great debt, it makes sense. The same can be said of the inclusion of the Roma, but much like the depiction of mental illness, it’s not a great look to be breathing life into these old stereotypes. Yes, they have their place in literary history, and I’m even willing to let the mental illness stuff slide to a degree, because this whole WoD universe is a giant Gothic-Punk nightmare hellscape where the literary depiction of “Madness” makes a sort of sense, however, the inclusion of the Roma is just...uncomfortable. Also aren’t the Ravnos supposed to be the wanderer/Roma aligned Clan and not the Gangrel? Didn’t I literally already have a fit about how the Ravnos were depicted in Promised Lands and how gross and uncomfortable it was? Yes, yes I did. On the bright side(?) the Roma are under the protection of the Gangrel Antediluvian so that’s nice I guess? It’s poo poo like this that makes me wish I could go back in time with a spray bottle to spritz the writers when they put something like this down so I can shout “No, bad writer!” at them. Malkavian  Nickname: Kook From madness comes insight, and from insight comes power. The Malkavians are undeniably mad creatures of chaos, however they are also known for being clowns and pranksters. As with all things linked with the Malkavians, not everything makes sense. Known for being nihilistic and destructive, Malkavians have a reputation amongst the Kindred for being sadistic with very little grasp of whatever sanity they retain, though truth be told, this kind of Malkavian is the minority of the Clan. Malkavians regularly surprise their brethren of the other Clans with just how normal they can be. Because of this, many Kindred believe that the Malkavians have a reputation that is undeserved, though it’s important to remember that even the most normal of people can have the least functional grasp on reality. Playing practical jokes on Kindred and mortals alike is a tradition of the Clan, though the shape and form of these “Pranks” varies wildly from the harmless and amusing to the terminal. When they interact with each other, it is not uncommon for prestige to be awarded based on the quality of a prank. Many believe that the entire Jyhad is just a big practical joke devised by their Clan founder. Malkavians are very choosy about who they Embrace, usually only those on the very edge of sanity are chosen, often searching long and hard for the right person, the type of person to have seen the truth in their own twisted minds, thus granting them a unique perspective on reality. However if the intended victim is sane, the Sire will make the Embrace and Becoming as difficult as possible to drive the newly embraced Kindred into the welcoming arms of madness. Appearance Malkavians have different looks and styles, as each is unique in their lifestyles. Haven Anywhere they feel comfortable. Some take up residence in mental hospitals and asylums, often assumed to be patients by the staff. Background Those who are close to death or for whom the reality of vampires existing is merely a blip in their outlook. The Clan believes that all mortals should have a chance to live out their natural lives. Character Creation Any concept will work, although the weirder the better. Their Demeanors can be anything but are very rarely in tune with their Nature. Mental Attributes are their primary as are mental Talents and can take nearly any Background trait. Clan Disciplines Auspex, Obfuscate, Dominate Weakness All Malkavians have a Derangement, and players start the game with at least one they have chosen (covered later in the book) that cannot ever be completely overcome, no matter how much Willpower is used. Organization Half the Clan doesn’t even understand that they are a clan, while the other half is too busy denying that they are Malkavian at all. Quote quote:“Madness you say! Do you fear me, are you afraid of what I might do, of what I might say? What a fascinating reaction. Don’t you find it somewhat encumbering?” My boys (and girls and enbies)! I love Malkavians, and I feel like there’s a lot of room to do interesting, weird poo poo with them within a story. So long as the players/ST aren’t Fish-Malking all over the place. Nosferatu  Nickname: Sewer Rats The least human appearing of the Clans, the Nosferatu resemble feral animals, and they don’t smell much better. They have long bulbous ears, coarse skin and elongated faces with disgusting warts and lumps. After a Nosferatu is Embraced, they undergo an exceptionally painful physical transformation over the course of weeks, slowly shifting from their mortal guise into the monster they have become. While a Nosferatu Childer may revel in their newfound powers at first, the pain and physical changes are likely to leave lasting psychological damage long after the physical agony has passed. The Nosferatu only Embrace mortals they deem twisted in some way, either emotionally, physically, spiritually or intellectually, or those who have been cast off by society, as they consider the Embrace too horrific to inflict on a “Worthwhile” mortal. By embracing these damaged people, the Nosferatu hopes to somehow redeem the former mortal. Shockingly, this works more often than not. Despite the grim exterior, the Nosferatu are a practical and mostly sane bunch. It’s believed that they revel in being disgusting and do little to make themselves look better. While revolting in both sight and smell, they are quite cheerful in their squalor, though they’re known for being grumpy and lewd, never to be trusted to maintain the standards of a civilized society. While they are able to move through mortal society with their use of Obfuscate, they are unable to interact, and as such they tend to be solitary figures, living apart from the rest of Kindred society. Despite this, the Nosferatu have their finger on the pulse of the city, often listening in on other Kindred’s conversations from the shadows or even sneaking into a Prince’s haven to dig up whatever secrets they can find. When in doubt, go ask a Nos. While they generally don’t hang out with other Kindred, the Clan does stay in communication with its members through a unique subculture, hosting each other with elaborate rituals of politeness and gentility. Because they share their information freely amongst themselves, they are easily the best informed of the Clans. Appearance Hideous. Haven Underground, either in cellars or even a city's sewer system. The rare times they do live above ground, it is typically in abandoned homes or graveyards Character Creation Lower class concepts generally fit the Nosferatu well, and they often have a strong contrast between Nature and Demeanor. Physical Attributes and Talents are their primary. Clan Disciplines Obfuscate, Animality, Potence Weakness The Nosferatu are so ugly they have an Appearance score of 0. Just put a big old X through that entire Attribute, and they fail any action reliant on their appearance. Organization Nosferatu look out for themselves and rarely mingle with others. Though united in spirit and with an established network amongst themselves, their Clan rarely hold formal gatherings. Quote quote:“I don’t look for trouble, but if it comes, I hide from it. drat right, pretty boy. You may call me chicken, but I’ve known a lot of Kindred over the years who got smart just a few seconds too late. It’s not like we can’t die, it’s just that it don’t come natural anymore” Toreador  My dude, what is going on with that eye? Nickname: Degenerates While the Clan is known for their hedonism, to view them strictly as such is a misinterpretation of their true nature. They may be proud and regal Kindred, usually highly excitable and with expensive tastes, but hedonists is maybe a bit extreme. After all, artists are often misunderstood. Concerned with beauty in ways mortals could never fathom, the Toreador are one of the most sophisticated Clans, they use their rarefied tastes and senses gained from the Embrace to become as consumed and impassioned as possible. Ideally, nothing matters more than beauty, though the search for beauty often simply becomes a search for pleasure, at which point they earn their title of hedonists. Like any true artist, the Toreador search for the truth beyond the existence they fear is meaningless. It is this struggle for truth and ultimately, salvation that has provided the Toreador with their “mission”, that of protectors of the genius of the human race. Truly in love with the vigor and passion of mortals, the clan never tires of marveling at the creations of man, and the Clan as a whole consider themselves to be conservators of the greatest artists of all varieties. Those they deem most worthwhile are Embraced in order to protect their genius against the ravages of age and death, and many of the greatest artists and musicians to have lived are counted among the Clan’s ranks. Their greatest weakness is their sensitivity to beauty, and because so many surround themselves with elegance and luxury, it is easy for them to become hedonists of the most extreme kind. Because some members of the Clan have become so obsessed with their own continued pleasures, the rest of the Clan has suffered the reputation. Appearance Typically, good looking, and dressed in the latest fashions from the most expensive stores. Amongst the Kindred, only the Toreador bother to keep up with the latest fashion trends. Haven Generally, they make their Havens in the center of cities in specially designed condos or luxury apartments. Character Creation The Entertainer or Dilettante concept are common among the Toreador, and while their Demeanor is often flamboyant, their Natures are unique. Social Attributes and Skills are their primary and their common backgrounds include Fame, Resources and Retainers. Clan Discipline Presence, Celerity, Auspex Weakness As much prisoners as they are beneficiaries of their artistic vision and sensitivity, they are often overcome by the beauty they see around them and can become immobilized with fascination. Paintings, neon lights and even sunrises can captivate them. A Willpower roll is required to break this immobilization quickly, otherwise it will end on its own after a few minutes, sometimes an hour. This is likely why Toreador so often fall in love with mortals. Organization Toreador meet frequently, though these gatherings are often more social occasions than councils. In times of great need, they become united and ferociously active, though generally they are too apathetic to be much of a force. Quote quote:“I remember my first love, a beautiful woman with a silver laugh. For ten years we were constant companions, but in the end I had to let her go. She begged me to take her but I could not. You may call me cruel, but in the end I realized that she was not a real artist, but an imitator. She was unworthy, I don’t think I’ve ever recovered.” Tremere  Nickname: Warlocks An extremely well organized and dedicated Clan, they are aggressive, highly intellectual and manipulative, respecting only those who struggle and persevere despite all odds. The other Clans generally view them as arcane and untrustworthy weirdos. Which isn’t exactly an incorrect outlook, as the Tremere believe that they must use the other Clans to prosper. quote:“Be friendly with them, let them think that we are one with them, but never forget we serve our Clan first and foremost. If you must use your friends in service of the Clan, then you know that your time was not wasted.” A bunch of magical weirdos, the Tremere claim to have once been wizards who voluntarily gave up their “Art” for eternal life and the powers of the Kindred. The Clan has never named a founder, and many claim that they have no founder, that they simply discovered and harnessed mystical powers to achieve their current state. Most Elder Kindred however discount this claim, as it bears too much resemblance to other so-called “Magicians” of Europe who were nearly uniformly proven to be deluded or schizophrenic. Rumors abound that the Clan is capable of harnessing the power of the blood to gain extraordinary powers, while some believe the Elders of the Clan were originally practitioners of ancient blood magic, that was then passed down from Generation to Generation, to the degree that it is seen as natural and commonplace to the younger members of the Clan. The leadership of the Clan is based in Vienna with Chantries on every continent. A council of seven Elders is believed to control the entire clan from Vienna, and from that locus, they maintain their tightly ordered, extremely hierarchical group that does not allow anyone outside of the Clan to know of their innermost workings. The youngest members of the Clan are expected to obey their Elders without question, though this is not as true as it once was. Typically, they have an immense love and loyalty to their Clan, due to being made Regents of the Seven Elders. While some Tremere are among the Anarchs, it is likely they are posing as such on the orders of the Elders. Appearance The traditional attire of the Tremere is black coats or cloaks with high collars and arcane symbols stitched into the lining. While this is no longer the universal uniform, they still prefer black and impressive clothing (like pinstripe suits) and many carry a prop, usually a cane. Haven The Tremere operate out of the local Chantry of whatever city they reside in. All members of the Clan are welcome in any Chantry, while those that choose to live alone often have a variety of accommodations. Background New Tremere are chosen from the most aggressive and ambitious people around, with a preference for men, and after their embrace they are carefully trained and nurtured as an “Apprentice” Character Creation Professional and highly educated Concepts are common, while their Nature and Demeanors are usually closely tied to power or science. Their primary Attributes and Abilities are Mental and Knowledge, and they often have the Mentor Background. Clan Disciplines Thaumaturgy, Dominate, Auspex Weakness Tremere Neonates are blood-bound to the Seven Elders when they are created, ensuring that the Clan remains intrinsically linked. Tremere characters are considerably more tightly restrained than other Clans, and when the Clan calls, they must respond. Organization Hierarchical and tightly organized, with the youngest members expected to obey orders from their Elders without question. Quote quote:“We must survive Gehenna and establish the tenants of the new world order once the horror is overcome. If we are to succeed, we must control the other Clans. No more time can be wasted. If they cannot be convinced to aid us, they must be forced.”  Bunch of loving nerds. Tomorrow, the rest of Chapter Four
joylessdivision fucked around with this message at 19:07 on Apr 26, 2023 |
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Apr 25, 2023 17:16
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Reading about Vampire again and I’m thinking it is a more accurate version of the 90’s conspiracy genre. In stuff like the The X-Files the menace is that the conspiracy has a plan and is working to enact a change. In Vampire, you play as members of the conspiracy and there is no plan. All the bloodshed is in service of an eternal status quo in a world that is rotting and in need of change and growth. Vampire even has the details right like the daddy issues as each new generation is an even worse collection of failsons.
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Apr 25, 2023 18:04
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This is it, the point in history where a single discussion with someone who was good at probabilities could have prevented 30 years of players suffering through the complete mismatch between the game's descriptions of how dots in an ability/attribute scaled and how they actually scaled.
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Apr 25, 2023 19:19
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It's certainly Illuminati-like in that virtually every single legend and rumour about a conspiracy turns out to be true. (Even if that's just an accidental result of the incentive to sell more books.)
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Apr 25, 2023 20:07
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Halloween Jack posted:It's certainly Illuminati-like in that virtually every single legend and rumour about a conspiracy turns out to be true. (Even if that's just an accidental result of the incentive to sell more books.) The Supplement Treadmill baby! Gotta sell more books, including telling you that more will be revealed in the next book! What's that, you need that information contained in another book now and the book isn't coming for another 6 months? gently caress You, make it up* *Whatever you make up will likely not be compatible with whatever nonsense we wrote in the upcoming book so have fun fixing it later
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Apr 25, 2023 20:11
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joylessdivision posted:The “Outsider” concepts are.....something else. “Tribal” and “Third World” are both not great, and the use of the term “Moslem” here is certainly weird and jarring, but after looking into it, at the time it was the commonly used term to refer Muslims, although it’s considered offensive now. Is the game going to be set in North America, probably in the USA? Most likely. As of 2017 of the 330+ million people living in the USA, 3.45 million were Muslims. Figure in the early 1990s that number was lower. No, Muslims wouldn't be "outsiders" in the sense aliens from another dimension or something, but in terms of people who aren't really part of (or at least not completely accepted as being part of) the dominant social-religious culture of the USA, yeah I can see it.
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Apr 26, 2023 00:00
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Everyone posted:Is the game going to be set in North America, probably in the USA? Most likely. As of 2017 of the 330+ million people living in the USA, 3.45 million were Muslims. Figure in the early 1990s that number was lower. No, Muslims wouldn't be "outsiders" in the sense aliens from another dimension or something, but in terms of people who aren't really part of (or at least not completely accepted as being part of) the dominant social-religious culture of the USA, yeah I can see it. That thought did cross my mind especially since WW was in Georgia. But I'm also from the bay area so I'm kinda used to there just always being diversity, especially back in then.
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Apr 26, 2023 00:15
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Everyone posted:Is the game going to be set in North America, probably in the USA? Most likely. As of 2017 of the 330+ million people living in the USA, 3.45 million were Muslims. Figure in the early 1990s that number was lower. No, Muslims wouldn't be "outsiders" in the sense aliens from another dimension or something, but in terms of people who aren't really part of (or at least not completely accepted as being part of) the dominant social-religious culture of the USA, yeah I can see it. There were more Muslims in the 1990’s in the US than there are today. 9/11 and the ensuing Islamophobia caused a nose-dive in the numbers. And “Moslem” is just an earlier, poorly done loan of “Muslim” with the fun addition that Arabic transliterations are famously poorly standardized. English has a couple of those where they borrowed the same loan word twice : ‘castle’ is Norman French and ‘chateaux’ Modern French, for instance.
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Apr 26, 2023 01:48
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Leraika posted:It actually doesn't surprise me at all, and that's one of the reasons I suggested Ed. “It’s a lympho-lympho-cytey-cyte!” SkeletonHero posted:Can we make the spaceship equivalent of this truck? These are the best kinds of spaceships. Finnicky, lovely, and only the crew of it know how to make it work. Everyone else is amazed it can even run. Mecha_Face fucked around with this message at 02:17 on Apr 26, 2023 |
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Apr 26, 2023 02:08
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I appreciate how much more understated the Vampire 1e clan artwork appears. It looks like these are vampires actually going out of their way to look as human as possible. Feel like the clan portraits got more and more exaggerated until they looked like manga characters in Revised and goth fashion models in V5.* *Even the Nosferatu in V5 looked like models showing off the Derelíctč collection from Zoolander.
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Apr 26, 2023 12:26
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JD's World of Dorkness presents VtM 1st edition part 4 Ventrue  Before I even get into the write up on this clan, this image doesn’t strike me as “Ventrue” and honestly, I thought I had missed something because homeboy over there looks like he should be the Tremere image and not grandpa smoke machine up above. He doesn’t even have the handy Clan tag on his image! What are you doing WW?! Tradition bound, sophisticated and genteel describes Clan Ventrue. Firm believers in good taste above all else and making their own unlives more comfortable, they are frequent leaders within the Camarilla, though the position of Prince is considered a crude office amongst many of the Clan. The Ventrue see themselves as the Clan of the modern age, and while this may be true of the more powerful members, many have a hard time letting go of the habits and fashion of the times in which they were Embraced. Frequently found in the upper echelons of mortal society, their sophistication gives them an advantage amongst the elite and in turn, allows them to better control the power players of a city. When things go wrong, the Ventrue are who other Kindred turn to for stability. The Clan has a strong tradition of supporting their own, and any Ventrue may take safe Haven with any of their Clanmates in a city and cannot be refused. Because of this, many Ventrue will aid their Clanmates even before a request of assistance can be made, however harboring a fugitive can have extremely negative consequences. Proud of their place as leaders of Kindred society, the Ventrue are all too happy to claim they were the founders of the Camarilla, and will do anything to maintain their grip on power over both mortal and Kindred affairs. Appearance Because the members of the Clan are often set in their ways, older styles of fashion, especially lace and ruffles and top hats are not uncommon. The younger members tend more towards modern preppy fashion. Haven Often mansions, or the places where they lived as mortals. Background Ventrue generally draw from older and more experienced mortals to Embrace, often from the upper classes. Occasionally they will Embrace a member of their own mortal family. Character Creation Upper class and Dilettante concepts fit the Ventrue well, and Mental Attributes and Knowledges are their primary stats. They also usually have high Resources and some Influence. Clan Disciplines Dominate, Fortitude, Presence Weakness Players must choose a restriction on the kind of blood they can consume (only animals, only men, etc) because of the Ventrue’s exacting and rarefied tastes. Organization While the Clan may gather often, their councils are closer to debate clubs, as there is plenty of talk and not much action. They believe this to be the most civilized way to handle things. Quote quote:“The best way to get even with an enemy is to outlive them. Because we are reasonable and above such petty concerns as vengeance, we are the leaders among our kind. Our colleagues do little to support the Camarilla, so we must bear the burden.  Caitiff don’t get a proper write up because they’re losers who nobody likes. No seriously they’re the lowest rung of the Kindred social ladder, don’t nobody like Caitiff. Archetypes Archetypes can be thought of as a rough idea of the part a character plays in the story, however they should not be considered absolute standards of personality. The provided Archetypes are intended as a guide for players, who are encouraged to create their own Archetypes that best describe their Nature and Demeanor. If you go this route, the ST will need to work with the players to figure out how their Archetype will regain Willpower, the core mechanical effect of Nature. The players should keep in mind during the game when an action could potentially lead to regaining Willpower, however the ST should not award Willpower if they believe the player is acting only for the reward instead of taking the best action to advance the story/scene. While the Archetypes are at least a paragraph of text each, I’ve cut the summaries down to get as close to the gist of the Archetype as possible.
-Bon Vivant: Life is meaningless so why not just have fun? Regain one point of WP whenever you have a truly good time, can fully express your desire for exaltation. -Bravo: You’re an insolent, overbearing rear end in a top hat. Regain a point of WP whenever you can intimidate or force another person into doing what you want. -Caregiver: You are always trying to help those around you. Regain a point of WP when you successfully nurture or protect someone else. -Cavalier: You are bold, intrepid, valiant and fearless. Regain three WP when you accomplish a significant task that positively affects the group you belong to. -Conformist: You are a follower. Regain a point of WP whenever your group accomplishes something because of your support and aid. -Child: You never truly grew up and are still immature in personality and temperament. Regain two points of WP when you know that someone is looking out for you and won’t let you be harmed, or are made to feel safe, secure and protected. -Conniver: Why take the hard road when you can accomplish your goals the easy way? Regain a point of WP whenever you get your way through trickery or coercion. -Curmudgeon: You are at heart, a churlish person. You regain a point of WP when someone does something stupid, just as you predicted (prediction must be made out loud either to yourself or the other characters, and the ST needs to know) -Deviant: You are a miscreant whose beliefs are antithetical to the status quo. Regain two points of WP whenever you accomplish something that works directly against society (either Kindred or Mortal) -Director: You despise chaos and disorder and prefer to take charge. Regain two points of WP when allowed to take over leadership of a group and manage to use said leadership to accomplish a significant task. -Fanatic: You are consumed by a cause and are driven to accomplish the directives of your self-appointed mission. Regain two points of WP when an event occurs that furthers your cause. -Gallant: You are as flamboyant as you are amoral. Regain one point of WP whenever you manage to greatly impress another. ST is the judge especially when NPC’s are involved. -Jester: You are the fool who forever makes fun of both yourself and others. Reagin a point of WP whenever you raise the spirits of those around you through humor. -Judge: As a moderator and peacemaker, you always seek to make things better. Regain one point of WP when you can separate truth from lies or successfully convince disputing individuals to agree with your judgment. -Loner: You’re always alone, even when in a crowd. Regain one WP when you complete a task on your own, without aid of others that still aids the group in some way. -Martyr: Your ability/desire to sacrifice yourself stems from either a low self-image, a lack of feeling in control or a profound love for others. Regain two points of WP whenever you sacrifice yourself in a real and immediate way for your beliefs or another person. -Plotter: Everything you do is planned and often long and involved. Regain three points of WP when any action you planned works as planned. -Rebel: You are a malcontent, free-thinking recalcitrant, untethered to any cause or revolution beyond your own freedom. Regain a point of WP when you resist someone's attempt to intimidate or coerce you into doing something you don’t want to do. -Survivor: You always manage to survive, manage to endure, outlast and outlive nearly any circumstance or situation. Immediately regain a point of WP whenever you are about to fail or are in danger of surviving a situation. -Traditionalist: You are conservative and traditional. While you welcome innovation, you also don’t like change for the sake of it. Regain a point of WP whenever you can protect the status quo and prevent change from occurring. -Visionary: You see beyond the bounds of conventional imagination and create new possibilities Reagin two points of WP whenever you can convince others to believe in your dream and follow the course of action outlined by your vision. All attributes and Abilities are scored on a 1-5 scale as noted earlier in the book.  -Physical Attributes- Traits associated with how strong, dexterous and sturdy a character is. Strength: Potence is related to Strength and is added to many Strength rolls. Blood Pool points can also be used to add to Strength temporarily. Specialties: Strong Grip, Massive, Husky, Able-bodied, Broad shoulders, Hearty, Powerful, Bulging biceps, Wiry, Large Dexterity: Celerity is related to Dexterity and is added for some Dex rolls. Blood Pool points can also be used to temporarily improve Dex. Specialties: Smooth-motioned, Lithesome, Steady, Deft, Graceful, Nimble, Athletic, Cat-like, Swift, Sure-footed, Fleet-footed, Light touch. Stamina: Fortitude is related to Stamina and is added to Stamina rolls. Blood Pool points can be temporarily added to Stamina. Specialties: Tireless, Enduring, Tough, Determined, Aggressive, Tenacious, Stalwart, Durable, Forceful, Dedicated.  -Social Attributes- Traits associated with appearance, charm and familiarity with the human mind. Charisma: The sum of a character's bearing, charm, and power of influence. Specialties: Smooth, Eloquent, Outgoing, Captivating, Charming, Regal, Genial, Smooth, Well-mannered, Urbane, Sophisticated, Rustic, Down home, Gracious Manipulation: Used in rolls where you a player is attempting to influence or convince another person overtly. Specialties: Glib, Expressive, Cunning, Persuasive, Smooth, Silver-tongued, Bravado, Ingratiating, Eloquent, Blarney, Double-talker, Sophist, Witty. Appearance: Generally used by the ST to determine how others react to a character upon first meeting. Specialties: Bold demeanor, Alluring, Captivating, Sexy, Luminous, Honest face, Imposing, Dignified, Pleasing, Handsome, Beautiful, Gorgeous, Look of the Eagles (wut?)  -Mental Attributes- Traits representing a character's mental capacity, including memory, perception and the ability to learn and think. Perception: How aware the character is of their surroundings. Perception ratings should be added to all Alertness rolls as well as Empathy and Subterfuge. Specialties: Insightful, Attentive, Patient, Probing, Keen-eyed, Intuitive, Visionary, Astute, Apprehensive Intelligence: Representing both memory and ability to learn. Common sense does not fall under Intelligence. Intelligence caters to carefully thought out judgments rather than snap decisions, which are considered part of Wits. Specialties: Discerning, Creative, Knowledgeable, Pragmatic, Astute, Bookworm, Clear thinker Wits: Relates to how quickly the character can think on their feet and react to new situations. Wits can be added to any surprise rolls or situations of sudden changes in events. Specialties: Quick-witted, Clever, Shrewd, Sharp, Practical, Wily, Level-headed, Creative  -Talents- Relate to untrained and intuitive Abilities that are not trained or studied, instead learned through experience. -Acting: Even if you’ve never been on stage, you could do an adequate job if it were thrust upon you. Possessed by: Actors, Politicians, Amateur Thespians, Conmen, Evangelists Specialties: Pretend, Roleplay, Inspirational, Feign emotion, Stage, Evangelistic -Alertness: Describes how much attention you pay to things besides your hunger or personal doubts. Possessed by: Watchmen, Hunters, Bodyguards, Reporters, Burglars Specialties: Bodyguard, Traps, Ambushes, Forest, Crowds, Noises, Paranoid -Athletics: Describes the general athletic prowess and familiarity with sports. Possessed by: Professional Athletes, Enthusiasts, Dancer, Jock, Kids Specialties: Swim, Mountain climb, Acrobatics, Dance, specific sport -Brawl: How to fight unarmed Possessed by: Martial Artists, Army, Punk, Police, Bar Fighter Specialties: Bar Fighting, Boxing, Wrestling, Karate, Judo, Tai-Chi, Grapple, Throw, Intent to harm, show-off -Dodge: How well a character can avoid attacks as well as diving for cover. Possessed by: Street fighters, Bouncers, Boxers, Criminals, Military Specialties: Leap, Sidestep, Cover, Dive, Awareness -Empathy: The intuitive understanding of the emotional needs of others. Empathy score can never be higher than the player's Humanity score. Possessed by: Actors, Mediums Specialties: Emotions, Personality, Backgrounds -Intimidation: The ability to inspire fear in others. Possessed by: Police officers, Criminals, Businessmen, Salespeople, Torturers Specialties: Nag, Browbeat, Interrogate, Threats, Violence, Suggestion, Subtly -Leadership: Your capability to get people to follow your lead or obey orders Possessed by: Politicians, Military Officers, Gang Leaders, Executives, Police Specialties: Commands, Orate, Compelling, Friendly, Noble, Fierce, Wise. -Streetwise: Covers a familiarity with the culture of the streets, the underclass and petty criminals. Possessed by: Criminals, Kids, Street people, Reporters, Detectives, Cabbies Specialties: Pickpocket, Street Savvy, Cool, Drugs, Fencing, Lingo -Subterfuge: The verbal art of trickery and deceit. Possessed by: Politicians, Casanovas, Movie stars, Conmen, Kids, Debaters Specialties: Whine, Bluff, Fraud, Cajole, Con, Seduction, Fast talk, Lie. Other Possible Talents: Seduction, Search, guile, Intrigue  -Skills- Skills are learned or trained Abilities. Using a skill with no dots raises the difficulty of the task by one. -Animal Ken: Indicates the capacity for training animals as well as ability to ride horses Possessed by: Dog Trainers, Circus trainers, Zookeepers and those close to nature. Specialties: Charm, Training, Dogs, Horses, Farm animals, birds. -Drive: Self explanatory Possessed by: Truckers, Race car drivers, Stunt drivers Specialties: Automobiles, Semi-truck, Heavy machinery, Boat, off-road racing, Motorcycle -Etiquette: How well the character can ingratiate themselves. Specialties should be taken even at one or two dots in this Skill as it relates to the characters own culture. Possessed by: Diplomats, Miss Manners, Gentlemen, Literally anyone Specialties: Manners, customs, Slang, Myths, Lowlife, Gang, High Society, Politics, Hollywood, Aristocrats, Middle Class, Ghetto, Foreign -Firearms: Relates to familiarity with guns, but does not include heavy weaponry such as tanks or artillery, but does cover knowledge of how to fire and fix a weapon in case of misfire or jam. Possessed by: Cops, Military Personnel, Gun enthusiasts, Hunters Specialties: Rifles, Handguns, Uzi -Melee: Relates to combat with hand weapons such as knives or clubs. Possessed by: Police, SCA fighter, Ex Knight, Ex Musketeer, Kendo enthusiast, Fencer Specialties: Sword, Axe, Rapier, Knife, Club, Sweeps, Disarm -Music: For each dot in this skill the character can play one instrument and the higher the skill, the greater the ability to create music. Possessed by: Rock musicians, Disk Jockey, Singer, Conductor Specialties: Guitar, Composition, Lyrics, Tuba -Repair: Relates to knowledge of mechanics and carpentry and using tools Possessed by: Handymen, Repairmen, Mechanics, Carpenters, Electricians Specialties: Wood, Mechanics, Electricity, Electronics, Engines -Security: Related to both the techniques and proficiency with tools used in breaking in or deactivating security systems Possessed by: Criminals, Locksmiths, Police, Detectives, Security specialists Specialties: Electronics, Speed, Silently, Pick locks, Hot wire, Burglar alarms, vaults, safes -Stealth: Relates to sneaking and hiding, often rolled with Perception. Possessed by: Criminals, Spies, Reporters Specialties: Prowl, Hide, Lurk, Shadows, Crowds, Crawling -Survival: Relates to wilderness survival. When attempting to use Stealth in the wilderness, players cannot roll more dice from their Stealth rating than they have in Survival. Possessed by: Tribesmen, Hunters, Park Rangers, Hikers, Native Americans Specialties: Tracking, Arctic, Jungle, Hunting Other Possible Skills: Pilot, Cook, Boating, Police Procedure  -Knowledge- Knowledges are all Abilities related to the mind. If the player does not have any dots in a Knowledge Ability, they cannot attempt rolls that involve that Ability. -Bureaucracy: Relates to ability to bribe officials and navigate the political system Possessed by: Lawyers, Politicians, Journalists, Administrators, Bureaucrats Specialties: Negotiation, Intrigue, Bribery, Diplomacy, Thwart, Delay, Bypass the system, bluff -Computer: Related to the knowledge of computer operation and programming Possessed by: Hackers, System Analysts, Programmers Specialties: Hacking, Security, Programming, Hardware, Sales, Software -Finance: relates to the knowledge of evaluation of value Possessed by: Accountants, Managers, Businessmen, Economists Specialties: Accounting, Corporations, leveraged buyouts, Management, Investing -Investigation: Relates to a character's ability to do research in both libraries and through interview Possessed by: Detectives, Insurance investigators, Reporters, FBI agents, Intelligence agents Specialties: Search, Prowl, Tail, Detective -Law: Related to the law and how to use it to your advantage Possessed by: Police, Lawyers, Judge, Detectives, Criminals, TV viewers, Legislators Specialties: Courts, Contract, Litigation, Criminal -Linguistics: For each level of this Knowledge, players can speak another language besides their native language fluently. Possessed by: Travelers, Scholars Specialties: Curse words, Technical, Diplomatic, Political -Medicine: Relates to the use of medicine, functions of the body and the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Possessed by: Doctors, Paramedics Specialties: Pharmacy, Paramedics, Emergency care, disease, surgery, specialist (specify) -Occult: Relating to knowledge of the occult, specifically Vampires, but includes curses, Voodoo, magic and mysticism. At 4-5 dots, the character has real and true knowledge of Vampires and other aspects of the Occult (mostly what is patently false) Possessed by: Weirdos, New Agers, Occultists, Scholars, the curious Specialties: Vampires, Witches, Mystical Powers -Politics: Relates to the familiarity with the current political climate Possessed by: Lobbyists, Politicians, Lawyers, Protesters Specialties: Neighborhood, City, Congress, Elections, Machiavellian, Ornate, Dogma, Radical -Science: Relates to the sciences such as Physics, chemistry, botany, etc. Possessed by: Engineers, Researchers, Inventors, technicians, pilots Specialities: Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Relativity, Nuclear Physics Other Possible Knowledge: Psychology, Art, Philosophy, Theater, Journalism, Military Science, Geography, History, Theology, specific area of knowledge/trivia.  The Disciplines The supernatural powers possessed by the Kindred are called Disciplines. The source of these powers remains a mystery to the Kindred, and mostly simply accept them as one more element of their superiority over mortals. There are 10 Disciplines presented, all ranked on a 1-5 scale, and the rating in each Discipline should be noted on the character sheet along with the names of the powers associated with it. Animalism Relates to the friendship and empathy with the animal world as well as being an expression of the Beast within. This power grants the Vampire powers related to animals but does not allow for transformation. Anyone with this discipline can soothe an animal and at higher levels, command them. Storytellers should give each animal a unique personality and manner of speech. The Gangrel have named these powers to reflect their feelings toward their animal kin. 1 dot: Song of the Beast Allows the vampire to communicate telepathically with animals by looking into their eyes. Animals that do not see such as starfish or bats, as well as lower life forms such as bugs cannot be affected by this power. There is no guarantee that the animal in question will want to be bothered with the Vampire or deal with them truthfully. The approach taken to communicating is dependent on the character’s Nature. Players roll Intelligence + Animal Ken (or any other appropriate Social Trait) to determine to what level they can communicate with the animal (Difficulty 6) Only one roll can be made per animal, and if eye contact is broken and later re-established, the player rolls again but the connection cannot be deeper than the original roll. 1 success: Understand the animals basic motivations 2 successes: May “baby-talk” with the animal 3 successes: Basic communication is possible, and the player can expect straightforward questions. 4 successes: Complete communication up to the animals potential 5 successes: Complete communication with the full trust of the animal. It will not mislead the character. 2 dot: Call of the Wild Allows the vampire to summon nearly any type of animal to them by call, and nearly every animal of that type will arrive as quickly as possible. Only one summoning can be active at a time, and there is no way to cancel a call once made. Animals called this way are under no obligation to obey the commands of the caller, unless they have three dots in Animalism, which allows for simple direction. If the caller does not possess Animalism 3, the called animals will avoid the caller or at least not harm them. Player rolls Charm + Survival (difficulty 6) to determine how well the call was received by the intended target. Conditions for an animal to respond and the distance it will travel are listed below. The distances are in relation to cities/wilderness. 1 success: One animal within 1 city block/a half mile will respond unless they have an owner 2 successes: A quarter of the animals within 2 city blocks/1 mile will respond unless it would be life threatening to do so. 3 successes: Half the animals that are within 5 city blocks/5 miles will respond unless life threatening to do so 4 successes: Majority of animals within a half mile/7 miles will respond unless life threatening to do so 5 successes: All animals within 1 mile/10 miles will respond even if it is dangerous to do so. 3 dot: Sweet Whisper Allows the vampire to convince animals to do a “Favor” for you, even if it may endanger them. Complex commands cannot be given to animals who will not comprehend them, IE: a mouse cannot distinguish between people, and a color-blind dog cannot bite a man with red hair. Commands can be deeply implanted so that it affects the animal for longer periods of time. Wits + Animal Ken (Difficulty 6), with the difficulty being adjusted due to circumstances such as a dog being owned by the Vampire when they were mortal. 1 success: The animal at least pauses to consider the command, and will head it if it is in their best interest. 2 successes: Animals will probably follow the command but may expect a treat or reward in return 3 successes: The animal will do as commanded unless it goes against their nature. 4 successes: The animal will heed the command unless doing so would unduly threaten their life. 5 successes: The animal will blindly follow any command. 4 dot: Sharing of Spirits By staring into the eyes of an animal, the vampire can possess the animal. If successful, there is nothing the animal can do to prevent the vampire’s control until the time limit has expired. While in the animal's body, the character acts like the animal. Sometimes after an extended period, the character will continue to behave like the animal even after the connection has been broken. Spending 7 WP points to resist and overcome the effects is the only way to make it stop. At the end of a particularly exciting incident, the player rolls Wits + Empathy to retain their own mind. Failure means the vampire must relinquish control and return to their body or be forced to roll every turn to remain sane. Botching returns the vampire to their body and triggers Frenzy. Using this power will allow a vampire to travel during the day, albeit in the body of an animal, however the vampire must be awake and must therefore make a successful Awake roll (detailed in the Drama chapter) 1 success: up to one hour 2 successes: up to six hours 3 successes: up to one day 4 successes: up to one week 5 successes: Indefinitely 5 dot: The Roving Beast Allows for the vampire to force Frenzy on another animal, man or vampire when they begin to enter Frenzy themselves. All animals, men and vampires with a Humanity score of less than 7 are suitable targets. Because the vampire is passing their Beast onto another being, the nature of the Frenzy will reflect their personality in the possessed, and if the vampire leaves the area, they could potentially lose their Beast all together. However, while this means they will no longer Frenzy, they are also no longer able to use, gain or regain Willpower. To take the Beast back, the vampire must find the victim and act in a manner that will coax the Beast back into them. Roll Manipulation + Animal Ken to see if the attempted transfer works. The player must announce the target of the transfer before the roll is made. Attempting to transfer to someone with a high Humanity score causes the Frenzy experienced to multiply in intensity, lasting twice as long as normal and twice as difficult to break out of. Botching the roll causes the Frenzy to become so intense that even Willpower cannot be used to control it. Vampires with a Humanity score greater than 8 should not be allowed to use this power without rolling for potential Humanity loss first. 1 success: You unleash the Beast, but in your crazed state it is released upon an animal or person within sight 2 successes: You are successful but are stunned and cannot act on your following turn 3 successes: You are successful 4 successes: You are successful and if the target is unsuitable, you can spend a Willpower point to switch targets to the being nearest to the original target. 5 successes: You were so successful that even if your target was unsuitable, you reflexively targeted the next nearest appropriate target.  Auspex The Discipline of awareness, sensitivity, empathy and extrasensory perception. Nearly all Auspex powers require some variation of a Perception roll. 1 dot: Heightened Senses You can sharpen all five senses to an extreme degree at will and last as long as the character chooses. When making perception rolls for mundane circumstances, double your Perception rating. The downside is that loud noises or bright lights can disturb the character in this state. Heightened Senses can also alert the user with premonitions of danger. ST rolls the characters Auspex whenever appropriate. Difficulty depends on circumstances. This roll should be made in secret in case the character fails. 2 dot: Aura Perception Allows the vampire to see the color of the aura of other beings, thus determining their mood and level of tension. Player makes a Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty 8) each success indicates more of the aura is seen and can be understood (per the chart below). Botching indicates some sort of misleading interpretation and an aura may only be looked at once with clear vision. On a second attempt, any failure should be treated as a botch. 1 success: You can only distinguish primary colors 2 successes: the precise color shade can be identified indicating the targets current mood 3 successes: Subtleties of color can be recognized 4 successes: Change in colors can also be detected as you maintain sight of the aura allowing for recognition of mood change 5 successes: Identify the color at the base of the aura determining the subjects true Nature  Effective range is within eyesight of the user, depending on light and weather conditions. 3 dot: The Spirits Touch (Psychometry) Allows the vampire to pick up an object and gain impressions of the last person to handle it. This reading is limited but can reveal the race, sex, age, emotions and aura of the last user as well as revealing how the object came into the possession of the owner, as well as a “Snapshot” of the last moment the item was handled by the subject. Players make a Perception + Empathy roll with the difficulty being the age of the impressions and mental/spiritual strength of the person who left them. Which doesn’t mean a goddamn thing. Assume it’s a 6 unless the ST says otherwise. 1 success: Determine the main colors of the subjects aura 2 successes: the sex, name and age of the subject comes to mind 3 successes: You are aware of the basic thoughts and emotions of the subject when the object was handled last 4 successes: the “snapshot” of the last time the object was handled comes to mind 5 successes: You know how the object was acquired. 4 dot: Telepathy Allows for the probing of surface level thoughts of any nearby target. Players make Intelligence + Subterfuge roll against a difficulty equal to the target’s current Willpower. One success must be rolled for each item of information gained and level of consciousness pierced. Vampire minds cannot normally be read, unless a point of Willpower is spent first, at which point Intelligence + Subterfuge is rolled as normal. 5 dot: Astral Projection Allows the vampire to separate their mind from their body, allowing for astral travel. In astral form the vampire can travel anywhere on Earth they choose, as well as into space, however the astral form cannot travel beyond the outermost point of the Moon’s orbit. The physical body is left behind in a Torpor like state with no awareness of events occurring around the body. If the body is burned, no sensation will reach the astral form until death is moments away. The astral form is connected to the body by a diaphanous line or “Silver Cord” that grounds the mind to the body. If the cord is ever cut, the vampire suffers Final Death if they do not return to their body. One Willpower point per turn must be spent to attempt to return to the body in this situation and upon return the player makes a Willpower roll against a difficulty determined by the number of turns it took to return to the body, or their Auspex rating drops to 4 and regaining the 5th dot requires the expenditure of experience points. Each time a character enters the astral realm, they spend a point of Willpower, then make a Perception + Occult roll (difficulty 6, raises or lower depending on how much astral travel has been done previously). This roll determines how well the character perceives astral reality. A new roll is made every time the character chooses a new destination. Failure means the character is lost and must roll Wits + Courage (difficulty is the difficulty of the original roll +2) to reorient themselves and attempt the Perception + Occult roll again. Botching means the cord has been broken. Whenever a character is lost, as long as their cord is not broken, they can follow it back to their body. Astral travel speed of up to 500 mph is possible, however the astral form is naked and no mundane items may astrally travel with the character, though there are rumors of magical artifacts that are capable of astral travel. Characters in astral space cannot interact with the physical world without spending a point of Willpower, allowing the character to manifest in a ghost-like form for one turn. Aura Perception and Telepathy can be used at will while in astral form, and characters in the physical world with Auspex may roll Perception (only) to detect astral forms nearby with the level of Auspex determining the number of successes needed (Ex: Auspex 1 requires 5 successes, while Auspex 5 requires 1) If two astral characters encounter each other, they may interact as if they were physical, however as physical conflict is not possible, attempting to sever another beings silver chord is the goal in astral combat. Social and Mental stats take the place of Physical stats for astral combat. Intelligence + Stealth (reflecting the characters intellectual ability to control their body) against the difficulty of the targets Wits is the combat roll, with whoever achieves three more successes than the other breaking the opponents chord. Botching the roll counts as one success for the opponent, and if neither character gains a success, both characters' chords are entangled and any further movement will snap both. If this occurs, the two characters must work together to become untangled. Only Auspex may be used while in astral form.  Celerity Representing the superior quickness of the vampire, Celerity allows for extremely quick movement as well as taking multiple actions in a single turn without penalty. One extra action is gained per point of Celerity, and allows the vampire to use their entire dice pool for each action taken, however Blood Points need to be spent to take the additional actions at one point per action taken, and only one point can be spent per turn. Celerity can also be added to any Dexterity rolls, up to a total rating of 10 as any more would put too much stress upon the undead body, unless the vampire has lived more than 100 years (additional rules coming in later books)  Dominate Relates to the vampire's ability to command others. Dominate always requires eye contact with the target to be used. Resisting Dominate requires an opposed Willpower roll vs the dominators Attribute + Ability used for the power. Each success gained negates one success of the attempted domination. If the target is able to resist completely, they can spend a point of Willpower to render themselves immune to future attempts at Domination from the same vampire for the duration of the current story. Dominate ratings can be added to just such a resistance roll. Domination cannot be used against a vampire of a higher generation than the caster, so a 12h Generation could use Dominate on a 13th Gen, but not an 11th Gen. One in a million mortals are known as “Neutrals” who cannot be controlled with Dominate, and the Inquisition has rituals that can render a mortal immune. Storytellers can block heavy users of Dominate from increasing their Empathy scores as a reflection of the character becoming more overtly manipulating and controlling. 1 dot: Command You can issue simple and concise one word commands which will be obeyed. Commands should typically have only one meaning, such as jump, sit, stand, etc. If the word is at all ambiguous, the target reacts with temporary confusion. Using the word in a sentence and stressing the command word is possible, and will conceal what the caster is attempting. 2 dot: Mesmerize After looking deeply into the target's eyes for a turn, the caster may implant a suggestion into the target’s unconscious mind. This requires several minutes of intense concentration and precise instructions so that the intent of the order can be carried out. Mesmerization can take effect immediately or trigger at a designated time, however eye contact must be maintained during the mesmerizing. The planted suggestion will not force the target to do anything innately against their Nature, though with enough dots this can be overcome. Only one suggestion can be implanted at a time. Manipulation + Leadership is rolled to determine success. 1 success – Subject will begin to heed suggestion but shake it off 2 successes – Suggestion is effective, but the subject cannot be forced to do anything that seems strange to them. They may walk outside but are unlikely to act like a chicken. 3 successes - Suggestion is effective unless it conflicts with the target’s Nature. A business man won’t pick a fight, but a bouncer would. 4 successes – Suggestion is effective unless heeding it would directly threaten the life of the target. 5 successes – Target will heed any suggestion 3 dot: The Forgetful Mind Allows for the theft, creation or removal of memories from the target’s mind. It is also possible to take a memory from one target and implant it into another. Wits + Subterfuge is rolled to determine effect. 1 success – Determine exactly what the target remembers of a certain incident. You don’t change the memory, just which memories they recall Wait, if I’m understanding this correctly, you can theoretically cloud a part of a memory but you can’t actually change it with one success right? 2 successes – Slight alterations to memory can be made. Ex: Target knows someone bit their neck, but assumes it was a lover. 3 successes – simple but complete alterations are possible 4 successes – large portions of targets memory can be altered 5 successes – wholesale changes can be made to the target's memories, including the reconstruction of entire periods of the target's life. 4 dot: Conditioning Allows for the target to follow orders so long as they are in the presence of the vampire without eye contact post initial suggestion. Charisma + Leadership with successes indicated by Mesmerize. 5 dot: Possession Allows for complete control of the target's body and mind. Possession requires that target be acclimatized to the Domination over a period of time, however at 5 successes, a brutal possession can take place, leaving the target an automaton completely incapable of independent action. Successfully dominating over time turns the target into a Retainer and players may add 1 dot to their Retainer rating. Once a day the vampire and target face off in an opposed roll of Willpower (the target) vs Charisma + Intimidation (the caster). If the vampire wins, the target loses 1 point of Willpower, if the target wins, they may roll their Willpower rating instead of their current WP value. Vampires cannot use this power on other vampires as a Blood Bond is the only means of control over another Kindred.  Fortitude Relates to the vampire's resistance to harm. Anytime Stamina is rolled, Fortitude can be added. Usually in combat the soak roll becomes Stamina + Fortitude. Fortitude can be used to soak Agg damage from sunlight and fire, however they may only roll their Fortitude in this instance. Stamina + Fortitude can only top out at a rating of 10, as anything higher requires 100 years of existence (and rules in additional books)  Obfuscate Relates to the vampire's ability to hide in plain sight. Obfuscate ratings can be added to any Stealth roll. If used against a Kindred with Auspex, there is an opposed roll of Alertness + Auspex vs Stealth + Obfuscate. If the obfuscated player wins the roll, the other Kindred either doesn’t see the character or doesn’t realize their true appearance. Auspex can be added to resistance rolls to see through Obfuscate and children can sometimes see through Obfuscate. 1 dot: Cloak of Shadows Requires some sort of cover such as shadow to be used. Once in cover the character must remain motionless to remain obscured, and any movement of the character or if an observer moves to an angle where they would be able to see the obscured character, the power is broken. No roll is required to activate, however a character with Auspex higher than the hiding character Obfuscate rating will be able to see through the power. 2 dot: Vanish Allows the caster to disappear for one turn. Requires the expenditure of 1 point of Willpower. Those who witness the vanishing, especially if mortal, are stunned with indecision. Another aspect of this power is the ability to make people forget they saw you. Appearance + Stealth against the target’s Intelligence + Alertness. If the obfuscated player wins, they are forgotten immediately but must leave the area or risk being seen again. 3 dot: One Thousand Faces Allows the vampire to appear as someone else, though it does not change the casters appearance, simply the perception others have of them. Manipulation + Acting determines how well the power works. 1 success – You look a bit different, but someone might still pick you out of a police lineup 2 successes – You look different, but everyone who sees you would describe you differently 3 successes – You broadcast the desired look 4 successes – Not only do you look different, but you appear to move and act differently. For example, 4 successes are required to disguise oneself as the opposite sex 5 successes – Same as 4, however the caster may change appearance for the next hour without rolling again. 4 dot: Unseen Presence Allows the vampire to remain unseen indefinitely. Though this power does not physically cause the character to become invisible, it has the same effect on the mind of the observer. Characters remain unseen unless they are being specifically sought, otherwise people will simply move around the character. If the hidden character attempts to move or speak they will draw attention to themselves. ST can call for a Wits + Stealth roll to determine how effectively the power is used, with several successes being required to speak and remain hidden. Unless the hidden character draws attention to themselves, others cannot make a roll to see them, however with Auspex an attempted Auspex + Alertness (difficulty 9) roll can be performed. One success is enough to alert them that you are present, but five successes are needed to know exactly where the hidden character is. 5 dot: Cloaking the Gathering Allows for the user to extend any of their Obfuscate powers to those around them, at one additional person per point of Stealth possessed. Rolls are dependent on the power used and the character with Obfuscate rolls once for all affected. If any of the obfuscated characters break the illusion, they are no longer under the powers protection. If the caster breaks the obfuscation, the power drops for all.  Potence Relates to the supernatural strength of the vampire. Potence is added to any rolls directly related to Strength. As long as the character is simply lifting weights, automatic success rules apply. When attempting an action that requires combining Physical traits, a roll is required. Strength + Potence can only go to a total rating of 10 due to the stress caused to the undead body. Higher ratings are possible at 100+ years (additional rules in later books)  Presence Relates to the vampire's power over the emotions of others, and can be used on multiple targets at once, unlike Dominate. 1 dot: Awe Everyone near the Kindred feels more intense emotions concerning the character using the power. While targets may not have a desire to befriend or serve the character, they will generally do whatever they can to avoid angering or upsetting the user. Charisma + Intimidation (difficulty is the target's Wits +3) with each success removing one die from the target’s pool by one for the next turn. If done as an extended action, the vampire can completely subjugate the target. Failure means the attempt has failed and all successes are wiped and the caster must start over. Botching indicates the target is completely unimpressed and Awe will never work against that target again. 2 dot: Entrancement Effective in convincing a target to serve the caster, however unlike Possession with Domination, targets retain their freedom of action. Because of this, Entranced targets do not become Retainers. Caster rolls Appearance + Empathy to entrance the target with the number of successes determining how long the effect lasts. There is no way to extend the time of the power's effect, and once it wears off, the target may think ill of the vampire as if their attention and love has been rejected. 1 success – One hour 2 successes – One day 3 successes – One Week 4 successes – One Month 5 successes – One year 3 dot: Compulsion by Attraction Causes those around the caster to be intensely attracted to them, doing anything reasonable to be close to the caster. Lasts as long as the targets are in the casters' presence, though when they see you again the feelings are likely to return without a dice roll. Roll Appearance + Acting (difficulty is the target's Willpower) and those affected can use Willpower to overcome the effects but must continue spending Willpower every few minutes as long as they remain in the area of the caster. However once the number of Willpower points spent equals the number of successes made by the caster, the power ceases and the target cannot be affected for the rest of the scene. 1 success – One person 2 successes – Two people 3 successes – Six people 4 successes – Twenty people 5 successes – Everyone in the immediate vicinity (e.g., an entire auditorium) 4 dot: Summon Allows for calling a person from great distance to attend to the casters desires. To summon someone who is out of sight, the vampire must have previously met them. When summoned, the target knows exactly where to go, so if the caster starts in Chicago then goes to Seattle, the target will meet them in Seattle, even if the summons was made in Chicago. The time it takes for the target to arrive depends on the distance, and if it takes longer than a day to arrive, the caster may make a summons roll each day until the target arrives. Charisma + Subterfuge (difficulty 5) is the standard Summon roll, however the difficulty goes to 7 if the target is a stranger. If a Presence power has been used previously on the target, the difficulty drops to 4, but only if the attempt was successful, otherwise it is a 9. Number of successes determines the target's reaction. 1 success – Summon any subject from the same room 2 successes – Summon any subject within the same block 3 successes – Summon any subject within the same city 4 successes – Summon any subject on the same continent 5 successes – Summon any subject from anywhere in the world. 5 dot: Majesty Cannot be used to actively influence others, however those with Majesty are almost universally respected/feared (raise both Influence and Status Backgrounds by one at no XP cost). Unless mortals or Kindred stop to consider their new feelings about the caster, they are likely to treat the caster with more respect and be unaware of the change. The caster simply seems more formidable. Attempting to take action against the caster requires a Courage roll against the Charisma + Intimidation of the caster. Kindred can spend a Willpower point to overcome the feelings if the roll fails. Those that fail or those that do not attempt the Willpower expenditure will do whatever is necessary to avoid incurring the wrath of the caster. Tomorrow: Protean, Thaumaturgy and more!
joylessdivision fucked around with this message at 19:08 on Apr 26, 2023 |
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Apr 26, 2023 16:45
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joylessdivision posted:
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Apr 26, 2023 17:25
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For me, nothing dates that to the 90s more than the idea that your vampire can’t communicate with bats because bats are blind.
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Apr 26, 2023 18:31
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megane posted:For me, nothing dates that to the 90s more than the idea that your vampire can’t communicate with bats because bats are blind. I'll be honest, when I read that line I said out loud "Wait what?! Bat's aren't blind!" and then went and looked it up to make sure I wasn't insane. joylessdivision fucked around with this message at 20:37 on Apr 26, 2023 |
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Apr 26, 2023 19:09
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Oh, come on. Those are the same people who say bats aren't bugs.
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Apr 26, 2023 19:44
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I always forget how cool Auspex is because it's "just" super senses. One thing I dig about V5, and that's increasingly slowly all the time, is that they drive home that vampires don't go around saying "I am skilled in Protean." It's more "Watch out for that Lick, he's a shapeshifter." Stuff has common nicknames, like calling Presence 'star power.'
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Apr 26, 2023 20:01
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In Requiem you had young Invictus going "I'm a brown belt in Dominate." and the Elders finding that incredibly dumb.
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Apr 26, 2023 21:46
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-Disregard I'm an idiot check this space tomorrow for more-
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Apr 26, 2023 21:57
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Celerity: the MMA of Disciplines.
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Apr 27, 2023 00:29
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 Hello again, everyone! Today, we'll be exploring CLASSES. They're quite simple, but quite fun. There are a few things we should get into before discussing classes, and I'll start it off with a brief recap of how Classes work, along with some new information we haven't actually learned yet, but probably should have been told before we made any characters. Every Class consists of Free Benefits, generally consisting of an HP or MP bonus, and you only get it once when you first take the Class. They also have five skills, each one gained via a level on a 1-1 basis. Some of these skills can be taken multiple times for stacking effect. You must take at least 2 Classes at character creation, or a maximum of 3. The new information: When you take 10 levels in any one Class, you get the skill you chose, as well as a Heroic Skill. A Heroic Skill is a very powerful skill, either chosen from a list later in the book, or worked out between you and the GM. After getting this Heroic Skill, You may never take another level in this Class again. So even if you have multiple PCs at level 150, the highest possible level in the game, none of them will likely be exactly alike. Even with having taken every Class, they would still have different Skills amongst them! It also bears mentioning that when you level up, you get +1 Max HP and MP. It doesn't sound like a lot, but at the rate you're supposed to level up in this game, it'll add up quickly. At the end of the section from last post, I skipped over a list of Classic Characters, which are easy, pre-made builds meant to represent character archetypes commonly seen in JRPGs. There's a lot on this list, but only ONE of them involves the first class, Arcanist, suggesting that the developer at least had some insight into one of the problems with it. I've mentioned this multiple times, so let's get on with it. Instead of immediately ranting about how bad Arcanist is, I will first display it in the format I intend to display every Class from now on. I haven't decided yet if I want to show every spell in the game: There's not a WHOLE lot, each "caster" Class has about two pages of spells, but it might get monotonous. Thoughts on that would be welcome. Some notes: SL stands for Skill Level. If you see something like [SL x 2], that means the skill's effect is multiplied by 2 for every Skill Level you have. If I put a number in parentheses next to a skill's name, that is the maximum number of times the skill may be taken, if it may be taken multiple times. Without further ado:  Questions to ask yourself: Where do your powers come from? Are they a gift from your bloodline? Have you ever communicated with an Arcanum, or are they silent and distant? Do people see you as mysterious, powerful, or otherworldly? Are there many practicing your art, or are you the exception? Arcanist free benefits: Permanently increase your maximum MP by 5. Arcanist Skills: Arcane Circle (4): After you willingly dismiss an Arcanum on your turn during a conflict, if that Arcanum had not been summoned during this same turn and you have an arcane weapon equipped, you may immediately perform the Spell action for free. The spell you cast this way must have a total MP cost of [SL x 5] or lower (you must still pay the spell's MP cost). Arcane Regeneration (2): When you summon an Arcanum, you immediately recover [SL x 5] HP. Bind And Summon: You may bind Arcana to your soul and summon them later. The Game Master will tell you the details of each binding process when you first encounter the Arcanum in question. You may use an action and spend 40 Mind Points to summon an Arcanum you have bound: the details of this process are explained on the next page. If you take this Skill at character creation, you begin play with one Arcanum of your choice already bound to you, chosen from the list on the next pages. Other than that, you may only obtain new Arcana through exploration and story progression. Emergency Arcanum (6): As long as you are in Crisis, the cost for summoning your Arcana is reduced by [SL x 5] MP. Ritual Arcanism: You may perform Rituals of the Arcanism discipline, as long as their effects fall within the domains of one or more Arcana you have bound. Arcanism Rituals use WLP+WLP for the Magic Check. Thoughts: Arcanist's big thing is that they have Arcanum, which are basically summons. It costs 40 MP to summon one, and they (usually) have benefits you get from just having the Arcanum around, called a Merge Effect. But the real show comes from Dismissing an Arcanum. This happens in multiple ways: If you get knocked to 0 HP, the Arcanum is Dismissed. If you leave a Scene with the Arcanum or the Scene ends, they are Dismissed. You may also Dismiss your Arcanum yourself, which doesn't require an action, but it must be done during your turn, either before your action or after. Why would you do this? Most Arcanum have a specially powerful effect when Dismissed, generally a big boom or some other powerful effect, like healing everyone or slowing down time. Not all Arcanum have a Merge or Dismiss effect, but most of them do, and all of them have at least one of the two. Arcanist specializes in delivering powerful effects that cover an entire battlefield, and also out of battle utility. Among some of the Arcanum they have allow for a free teleport, or to just pop a random weapon out of nowhere that does Fire damage. Play an Arcanist if you want to be good at absolutely nothing that another Class can't do better, or if you want to be an active detriment to any character build. You maybe? posted:Wait, you just said they get to do massive damage, or TELEPORT, those are pretty great benefits! Another issue with the class is a nitpick more than anything: Trying to approach this from a newbie's perspective, and it could conceivably be confusing that no Caster can actually cast spells unless they take the specific Skill that allows them to do so. However, every other Caster has Skills that give them fun toys outside of what their spell list includes... Arcanists do not. Every single one of their Skills is based on enhancing their summoning. Nothing else. A newbie could stumble into this class and come out with something utterly worthless because they can't do the one thing all their Skills allow them to do. Granted, this would only create confusion, at worst, up to the first time where the Player tries to summon something, but it's still a problem, because... All their Skills merely enhance their Summoning. This is a game where multiclassing is not a suggestion, or a neat thing you can do, it is required by both RAW and RAI. The entire point is to build a character from the Skill lists of various Classes to make something cool and unique. Arcanist has nothing to offer any other Class, unlike any other Class. All it has is summoning. But wait, you might say, it has SUMMONING, that's enough, right? No. It isn't. Summoning is loving terrible. It costs 40 MP to summon an Arcanum. To put that into perspective, the most MP you can have at character creation is 70. 50 from having d10 WLP, 5 from having five levels to start with, and 15 from having three different Classes that give +5 MP as a Free Benefit. You can summon. Once. As a starting Arcanist, and then you have to use 3 IP to pop out a Tonic for more MP to do it again, and that's a waste of IP because you would be regaining 40 MP from an item that restores 50 MP. And what can you do with that 40 MP? Well, let's look at the first Arcanum on the list:  For 40 MP, you get to have Resistance to fire damage, and your fire damage ignores Resistances. That's pretty neat, except that you need your MP for summoning. You don't have MP to waste casting spells. At best, you Summon, cast a single spell for 10 MP, and then at least you didn't waste half your IP on an item that overheals your MP. There are two Dismiss effects: The first is to create one piece of basic equipment that does fire damage if it's a weapon, and you can use it or give it to someone else. Whoopdeedoo. You're spending MP instead of Zenit to make a basic item that a Tinkerer could also pop out, make better, and for so dirt cheap that it may as well have cost nothing. Technically, it takes a day for a Tinkerer to make something, but if you want basic equipment that does Fire damage instead of Physical, a Tinkerer with only two levels in Visionary can make it for free, whereas the 3 IP you just spent on that Tonic costs 30 Zenit. Good for you. The other Dismiss Effect is not... BAD? I guess? Keep in mind the absolute weakest enemies in the game have at least 40 HP. Unless they're weak to fire, this won't kill any of them. And you have spent 40 MP to do 30 damage. For a comparison, with their most basic Fire spell, even if they somehow had a HR of 0(which is impossible for casters), Elementalists do 15 Fire Damage for 10 MP. For 10 MP. And that's an impossibly low amount of damage for an Elementalist to do, literally. Not proverbially, actually literally. To hit anything in the book, their HR on a Magic Check has to be at least 3 (the lowest Magic Defense of any monster in the book is 6), so at an absolute minimum, the Elementalist did 18 Fire damage in one spell for 10 MP, and they can spend up to 30 MP to attack up to 3 targets. For the same amount of MP as summoning any Arcanum that does damage as a dismiss effect, the Elementalist has done 72 damage. Minimum. You need 3 enemies to be hit to do more damage than the Elementalist's barest-minimum, and that's technically because you're just hitting more things with the same flat 30 damage. Want to be a Caster that summons on the side? No you don't. The amount of MP it takes to summon would be better spent on casting the basic damage spells for each of them. The utility you get from it could be duplicated just by using Arcanism Rituals. The only remotely useful Arcana are the one that lets you teleport, the one that lets you answer a single (truthfully answered) question of the GM (who is free to literal genie the question), and the healing one, and that last one is questionable as to whether it's actually more effective than a Spiritist. See above for why you'd just rather cast spells than summon. Want to be a Martial that summons on the side? No you can't. The amount of MP it takes to summon is more than most Martials will have at all, and the ones that will have enough need MP for a lot of their martial Skills. Why would you summon something that makes you marginally more effective for the cost of not being able to use the Skills that make you better than just some schmuck with a sword? At least not without spending half your IP to do so? Oh, they have a Skill that reduces their MP cost, sure, but... You have to be in Crisis to use it, and a Arcanist is most likely not going to have more than 35-40 HP. Which means in Crisis, one solid hit puts you out of the fight. To effectively exploit this, you'd need your other party members to repeatedly take hits for you until your GM has enough of that nonsense and spams AoEs at you. And to be worse, the effects that Arcanum can provide with their Dismiss effects, like the Teleport or Oracular question, can be duplicated with Rituals. The Ritual rules specifically say you cannot duplicate a Spell or Skill effect, and Arcanum Effects, whether Merge or Dismiss, are explicitly not Spell or Skill effects (as a side note this also means that any effect that lowers the MP cost of Spells or Skills do not work on summoning). The Ritual section even says you can use a Ritual to... Teleport, which negates any argument that this is a cheap, intentionally exploitative interpretation of the rules. Arcanism is a really powerful Ritual spell discipline, but it's also hampered by the fact that you can only perform Rituals related to the domains of Arcanum you have bound... And... Well, the GM is in control of that. To summarize, Arcanist has no synergy with any other Class in a game that is all about synergizing; it has nothing to offer any other Class, and it really has nothing to even offer itself. To make Arcanist decent, it would take a good amount of homebrewing, enough that doing so would be kind of time-consuming and really annoying to balance. The worst thing is, Arcanist is worse than I previously believed, because I got things switched up. On my original read, I thought it was 30 MP to summon, and 40 damage on damaging Dismiss effects. Even that is still worse than an Elementalist casting Explosion, but it was at least capable of contending in damage by ending minor encounters instantly, saving the rest of the Party resources. But... It's the other way around. And that's terrible. TL;DR: Arcanist is trash. Forget it exists unless you're ready to homebrew an entirely new Class. If someone has ideas for how and why I'm wrong, I welcome it. Please just be respectful about it. The rest of the classes, I promise, are well-designed and fun to play. Since I spent so much time bitching about Arcanist, I'll only do one more more Class today, since I'm nearing the end of the time I have tonight: Chimerist.  Questions to ask yourself: Who taught you the art of Chimerism? Is your mentor human or monstrous? Can people and monsters live in harmony, or are they bound to threaten each other? What does your magic look like? Are there many practicing your art, or are you the exception? Free Benefits: Permanently increase your maximum MP by 5. You may perform Rituals whose effects fall under the Ritualism Discipline. Chimerist Skills: Consume (5): After you deal damage to one or more creatures with a Spell, if you have an arcane, dagger, or flail weapon equipped, you recover [SL x 2] MP. Feral Speech: You can communicate with creatures of the beast, monster, and plant species. Pathogenesis: When you deal damage to one or more creatures with one of your Chimerist spells, each of those creatures that share their species with the creature you originally learned that spell from suffers Poisoned. Ritual Chimerism: You may perform Rituals whose effects fall within the Chimerism discipline. When you acquire this Skill, choose INS+WLP or MIG+WLP. From now on, your Chimerism Rituals will use the chosen Attributes for the Magic Check. Spell Mimic (10): When you see a creature belonging to the beast, monster or plant Species cast a spell, you may immediately choose to learn that spell as a Chimerist spell of your own: if you do, record the Species of the creature you learned it from. When you first acquire this Skill, choose INS + WLP or MIG + WLP. From now on, your offensive Chimerist spells will use the chosen Attributes for the Magic Check, regardless of the Attributes used by the creature you learned the spell from. You may have up to [SL + 2] different Chimerist spells memorized this way. If you want to memorize a new Chimerist spell but are already at your limit, you must forget one of your old spells and replace it with the new spell. Thoughts: Pathogenesis is also super good. Poisoning enemies basically for no effort means a lot, especially since a lot of NPC spells also inflict Status Effects... As a reminder, Poisoned can stack with Dazed and Weak, so this can be extra powerful and effectively neuters some Enemies, especially ones that rely on raw MIG or WLP. The fact that a Chimerist is generally going to end up with a good variety of spells from all three species they can effect with Pathogenesis means that it's almost always relevant, too. Chimerism Rituals seem limiting at first, because there's only so much you can do with animal themes. Until you realize that PLANTS are also under the influence of Chimerism, and then the utility becomes more than doubled. Chimerism Rituals generally focus on enhancing the self in some way, but they're also good for creating impromptu stampedes, or covering a fort in gigantic vines. When it comes to Spell Mimic, I want to point out that it's the only "Casting" Skill in the game that gives multiple Spells (well, possible spells) for the price of one level; All other Casters only get Spells on a 1-1 basis. This means a Chimerist can put only 1-2 SL into their Casting skill and still be very effective. That they can forget spells for new ones also means they have a lot of potential to evolve to fit a situation... Fitting for their theme. Finally, despite not getting an HP increasing Free Benefit, Chimerists are equally at home as Martials as they are as pure Casters. Being able to use MIG+WLP for their Chimerism Rituals and Spell Mimic means a lot. One of the biggest Physical damage dealers among my current players is a Chimerist that sports a giant gently caress-off hammer (using the stats for a Greataxe), in fact, and that PC has no Skills from any Martial Class. The only issue here is that one you have chosen which one you use for both, you cannot change them if you'd rather evolve into a pure Caster, or into a Martial Hybrid. You have to pick one, and stick with it. TL;DR: A good Class that can do almost anything well. It has solid Rituals, three really good Skills, and while one might think their Spell list is inherently limited by the GM, in practice they'll fill up their spell list fast. Mecha_Face fucked around with this message at 10:39 on Apr 27, 2023 |
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Apr 27, 2023 01:02
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