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One think I can say for all the batshit crazy in Sick Cvnt Draconis and other weird, half-baked RPGs is that it makes great inspiration for building antagonist Conspiracies in Deviant. You can show pics from the corebook, or from Rifts, or old WoD stuff, or whatever as examples of the Conspiracy’s schemes, giving your players a powerful incentive of “these motherfuckers need to get taken down ASAP”
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Jun 24, 2023 12:27
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 Joylessdivisions World of Dorkness Presents:  The Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat Part 2Step Six: Send in the First Wave The first wave is focused on breaking down the loyalty of the Kindred of the city. It is a period of psychological warfare, and Sabbat members charged with this duty will have good alternate identities as they attempt to convert Anarchs, Nosferatu and other young Kindred. Only a small number of Sabbat are involved in this early stage, and if the players are not directly involved, they won’t be privy to what is going on, even being kept in the dark to which packs are involved. If the players are involved, they need to be careful in how they go about their mission or they will be destroyed. Anarchs are especially suspicious of Sabbat trying to convert them, so this will likely be a challenge, one that is potentially worth the effort. The players would need to gain the loyalty of the Anarchs by aiding and playing by their rules. Players are not involved with breaking down the Masquerade at this point, though they should be keeping track of mortal contacts and who is loyal to whom. Step Seven: Send in the Second Wave When players become involved in a Crusade is up to the ST and players, but this works as a good spot to bring the players in as the siege has opened and more Sabbat are moving in before the final assault. If the players haven’t not been involved to this point, rumors of what is happening should begin reaching them, things like dissension amongst the Anarchs, the Harpies and Primogen suspecting each other of treason, etc. Players should be informed of who to report to in preparation, and if there are only a few players, they may be tasked with creating new recruits. Players involved in the second wave will be sent in as Anarchs or under some other hasty identity and will have their hands full murdering mortal and ghoul servants of the Camarilla, as well as the opportunity to attempt to persuade Camarilla Kindred to join or die. While the players won’t have much back up, there will be plenty of action. This is also the only time they will have a viable chance to try and convert Cam members, as once the final assault begins, all bets are off. Step Eight: Organizing the Main Assault Because these steps can blend rather easily, it’s good to have an idea of when to pause before the city is overrun. ST’s should take some time to formulate the tactics and responses from the two sides of the conflict before the big battle kicks off. ST’s may also wish to have notes regarding all characters involved in specific events, so that if things do not go as expected, they are able to change things more easily. Roleplaying each battle is not necessary, though the ST should be prepared to orchestrate each battle narratively to the players, either through another Sabbat member or an Anarch reporting on what happened. Step Nine: The Main Assault After ripping the Masquerade apart, leaving Kindred and mortals in fear, the final force is sent into the city to destroy or chase out the remaining Kindred. All available packs are summoned as well as Black Hand units, and leadership announces mass embraces. The battle commences with an assault of the local Tremere Chantry and the near simultaneous assassination of the Prince. Following this, War Parties are called up to hunt down the Primogen and any other important (or notorious) Kindred in the city while the various packs wholesale murder every Camarilla Kindred they encounter, without hesitation. The savagery of the Sabbat leaves Camarilla Kindred terrified and focused on their own survival, and thus the city falls, though some tightly connected coteries will stand against the Sabbat. The players at this point have numerous things they can be involved in, spending some time on mass embracing, joining War Parties, raiding the Chantry or even being tasked with the assassination of the Prince, though this likely will fall to the Black Hand. Most important is hunting down the Harpies so that word of what has happened in the city does not get out. Numerous events will occur during the main assault, and the best way to handle this is recording the events that are set to occur each night on a calendar or timeline. Players should learn of some of these events from other Sabbat, but ST’s should not be strict in the progression of events, though ultimately when events occur is up to them. Keeping track of the characters destroyed during these events will help as well so that they can be removed from future events if they were intended to be involved. Step Ten: The Results The siege is over, and the Sabbat have either won or lost. Figuring out who killed who, who survived, escaped and defected will take some time to sort out. If the city fell, the ST will need to determine which packs have moved in and taken up permanent residence, as well as determining the new power structure of the city and if that power structure is being challenged by other Sabbat. This could lead to infighting over contested positions. Once all is said and done, the ST determines the outcome of all the infighting and who finally takes control. Listening to Your Players The key element to being a ST is telling stories that your players enjoy. If they don’t enjoy the stories you tell, they’re less likely to keep coming back to the table. If you intend to tell a Sabbat story, you should know a few key things from your players. First and foremost, ask the players if they wish to be members of a coven, where they can gain power more quickly, or if they want to be involved in intrigues and stand a greater chance of survival, or if they wish to play a nomadic pack. While not all players will be able to choose, most should have an idea of what they want based on other games they’ve played or the kind of characters they want to portray. Once the type of pack has been decided, you should begin developing stories and potentially a chronicle. Remember that both nomadic and founded packs are distinct and their differences will come out in play. If the players are dissatisfied with the pack, they’re in, change isn’t an issue, but it should not be made easy for the players. A nomad pack is not likely to become founded unless a city has fallen, and a founded pack isn’t likely to turn nomad unless the Cam has retaken the city or more powerful Sabbat leaders drive them out. If the players are more action oriented than intrigue focused, or vice versa, give them what they want without ignoring the other. Vampire and the Sabbat lose some of its magic if either aspect is wholly ignored, and players might find that they enjoy the other option more than they initially expected. At which point I must ask, if your players are interested in an action/combat heavy game why not just play Werewolf? That game is built for absurd combat at its core, Vampire really isn’t. ST’s should also dig into the attributes of vampires and the Sabbat that appeal and repel the players, nurture both in game, as well as any personal fears the players may have that can be incorporated to make things more intense or scary. If you plan to have a First Mate, observe the players to see what kinds of characters they are good at playing, and then play to those strengths and weaknesses. You may also want to have players take on characters they would not normally play. Finally, ask your players direct questions about your storytelling abilities. Don’t take it personally, simply use their criticism to improve your storytelling skills. Also ask about the types of stories they prefer, whether they enjoy lots of magic or encounters with other supernatural's, as well as which parts of the game they are personally drawn to, and which elements could be better developed. Then act on this advice. And that is Chapter Two. I found the steps for conducting a Crusade extremely handy and was surprised at some of the elements that hadn’t occurred to me in relation to a Sabbat invasion of a city, like sowing discord amongst the Cam. The final bit of the chapter about asking the players about how you can improve your own storytelling is good advice and is one of the only times I’ve encountered one of these books suggesting that the ST should ask for feedback from the players about how they run a game. With that said however, I’m still generally feeling rather cold towards the idea of running a Sabbat chronicle, especially considering how much this chapter has banged the drum of “Action and Combat” which seems entirely counter to what Vampire has been presented as to this point. Again, I must ask “Isn’t this supposed to be a game of personal horror?” because like I said above, if the players are hell bent on action focused chronicles, Werewolf is right there and has murdering things in gruesome ways baked into it, where Vampire is more focused on the social combat and intrigue. It’s almost as if giving the players the tools to play the antagonists of a game…. breaks theme and vibe of the game? Let’s keep moving along.   Chapter Three: The Politics of the Sabbat The Use of Propaganda ST’s need to keep the relations between Sabbat and Camarilla in a constant state of turmoil, as neither side trusts or respects the other. The core of this distrust comes from neither side looking past their differences to see the commonalities they share. While the undying hatred of the enemy is born from ideological differences, its flames are fanned with propaganda. Each side misunderstands the other and because of fear and anger, they refuse to listen to each other. Of course, this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, as the leaders of both sects benefit from the way things are, as it is not in their best interest to allow young Kindred to unite, and as there has always been an enemy sect, continuing the eternal struggle helps support the status quo. Both groups are set in their ways, and neither is willing to give quarter to the ideas of the other, as any from the other side trying to debate the merits of their beliefs are simply brainwashed proselytizers. Thus, it falls to the ST to maintain this wall of misinformation and propaganda. Provided is a guide to explain what kinds of propaganda are promoted, by whom, to whom it is directed and how it is confirmed. But who promotes propaganda? Obviously, whoever is set to benefit from it. Most commonly it is Elders and the leaders for both sects. Within the Camarilla, all young Kindred are subject to the propaganda, especially if they’ve fallen in with the Anarchs. Cam leaders believe that all young Kindred need to be indoctrinated in Cam ideology, and thus propaganda is spread to keep neonates from listening to the Sabbat, as they are active targets for recruitment. Because the Anarchs are generally the front-line fighters for the Cam, they are generally the focus of much of the Cam’s propaganda. For the Sabbat, their propaganda is directed to priests and other younger Kindred leaders as they are more active “in the field”. Scouts are often the most zealous of the sect, as their indoctrination must be so complete that they don’t turn into double agents. The Sabbat, however, does not fear traitors, due to the tracing skills of the Black Hand and the excessive punishment methods the sect employs. The most common propaganda view, shared by both sects, is that the other is hell bent on the destruction of all vampires and not just their own sect. The Cam claims that the Sabbat are all exactly alike, and that they commit murderous diablerie on any young Kindred they can get their hands on, that the Sabbat are ruthless, insane, millenarian cannibals. While most of this is correct, it doesn’t consider that the Sabbat are not, in fact, completely alike. Not all are warlike, or inhuman, or mindless or even diabolists. The Cam also ignores that the Sabbat believes them to be tools of the Antediluvians. To the Cam, especially leadership, this is simply a lie and like all Sabbat propaganda, nothing but a drat lie. On the flipside, the Sabbat claims that all Camarilla Kindred are alike, weak, naive, humane and a threat to Sabbat security. This is also not true but ultimately does not matter. The Cam are dupes and pawns and should all be put to the final death. Only the Brujah Antitribu oppose these stereotypes, but their efforts are not particularly effective. With stories involving both sects, ST’s should remember that both sides will not listen to the other, though they will attempt to convert their foe. Put your players on the defensive with insults about their sect and always point out any statements that confirm the stereotypes presented by the enemy. The reason for this is that both sects' indoctrination runs deep and becomes a hardened aspect of the Kindred’s personality. The Brujah and Malkavian Antritribu however seem more open to listening to the other side. Accepting the views of an enemy is not impossible for the Kindred, but it never occurs overnight. Even if understanding can be reached, a Kindred may still realize that the other is their enemy. Regardless, it can be fun to maintain the wall between the two sects. The Five Factions Within the Sect The disunity within the Sabbat is vast, and the sect can be broken down into five distinct groups. These are the Status Quo, the Moderates, Ultra-Conservatives, Loyalists and Panders. While these names are not commonly used, those that adhere to these ideologies would identify themselves by the ideas and not the title. While not all Sabbat have joined one of these factions, enough have to cause instability within the sect. Which is ironic considering that the Sabbat believe firmly in “Divide and Conquer” despite their own lack of unity. Despite factionalism, the sect has managed to avoid a second civil war through Vaulderie and the Code of Milan. The Black Hand also keeps the sect united by removing the most outspoken when they threaten the security of the sect. The Status Quo Composed of nearly all Lasombra, Tzimicse and Black Hand, these Sabbat prefer that things remain as they are. They don’t want increased authoritarianism because they know this will lead to rebellion, and they don’t want to continue acquiescing to the Moderates and Loyalists. They believe the Lasombra should remain in power (what a shock), as well as maintaining internal peace to better maintain a strong defensive stance against the Camarilla and the coming of Gehenna. These leaders constantly issue orders in the form of requests and prey upon the social impropriety of refusing a request, especially with the Moderates. The Moderates The faction with the most general support within the sect, including the Gangrel, Malkavians, Nosferatu, Serpents of the Light, Toreador and Tremere. They see the sect growing more structured despite the protests of the Status Quo. This faction does not favor Crusades unless necessary, and most Moderates follow orders but are not afraid to question a leader if they disagree. Most of this faction leans towards the Loyalist way of thinking, yet continue to follow their leaders as they do not want to lose the respect of the rest of the sect. The Ultra-Conservatives The eldest members of the various Sabbat clans greatly favor centralization and authoritarian rule (again, what a shock). They believe that total freedom must come to an end if the sect is to survive Gehenna, and that the only hope of survival lies in the sect becoming more stable (probably not wrong). The faction is slowly gaining support from many within the Black Hand, though strangely the Ultra-Conservatives seem more willing to acknowledge the Panders as a truly equal clan. They believe that support from the Panders will be necessary when the final conflict comes. The faction follows strong leaders and attempts to remove weak ones. While they question the decisions of their leaders as much as the Moderates, they never fail to carry out said orders. The Loyalists Composed mostly of Brujah and Ventrue Antitribu, with some younger Kindred of other clans also supporting the faction. They believe they must disobey their leaders to be truly loyal Sabbat. While the sect was founded on total freedom, it has since drifted further and further from its original concept. The Loyalists believe that the sect's strength comes from its formlessness and chaos. While they are known to disobey orders, they support all actions taken to reclaim territory lost to the Camarilla. They have also never done anything that could be construed as harmful to the sect, despite the open criticisms. The Panders Joseph Pander, founder of the “Clan” should be proud of his achievements, though they still have a long way to go before they see any kind of equal respect from the other established clans. The Panders support all who respect them and help them increase their power which leads to them regularly supporting the Loyalists and Status Quo simultaneously. They lack any political agenda beyond accumulating power for themselves, and they will follow orders that they do not find degrading or overly dangerous, willing to take on almost any mission to gain Clan or personal prestige. Puppets and Puppet Masters To say the Sabbat are corrupt is an understatement, and it is this corruption that gnaws away at the foundations of the sect, completely unstoppable and unseen by most. Treachery abounds amongst the Infernal Diabolists and their objective of demonic domination, while the Tzimisce are engaged in overwhelming manipulation despite a facade of indifference. The Lasombra are constantly making power plays, and keeping the other clans from expanding their influence within the sect. Panders and moderates force their own political structure onto things while the Loyalists wreak havoc on what little structure the sect does have, and the Ultra-Conservatives and the Black Hand conspire to increase their own authority over everyone else. All of this, of course, occurs amidst the swirling chaos of the constant war against the Cam and the Antediluvians. The Sabbat, as a sect, is extremely volatile and resting on the brink of either ultimate success or ultimate failure. ST’s can make the Sabbat as intriguing as the Camarilla by playing up sect politics. To many, where a lick stands on issues like direct orders is as important as their ability to face the enemy. To others, the greatest threat to the sect is their fellow packmates and leaders. The Status Quo has the most power of the factions, with the Lasombra and Tzimisce playing their own games with the other clans as their pawns, the Moderates being their strongest tools. They also play on the fears of many within the sect, claiming that the Loyalists will be the sect's downfall through anarchy, and the Panders turning the sect into a group of degenerates by returning to the old methods of recruitment. The Lasombra resist the demands for greater freedom, claiming that their position is for the good of the sect. The Ultra-Conservatives, while small, are great in their political expertise, having gained the support of the four Seraphim of the Black Hand. How this will pay off for them is still unknown, especially since so many see the Black Hand as maintainers of the Status Quo. Should the Loyalists notice this shift, there will be additional resistance, especially amongst the Elders. A major political issue facing the sect is the issue of Jyhad, as recent efforts to retake Camarilla held territories have provided the Status Quo leaders powerful rallying points for all members of the sect and using these events to de-escalate tensions within the sect against a common foe. If the Loyalists can sway the Moderates into supporting their occasionally treasonous plans, the sect would suffer radical revisions, and likely that the Lasombra would lose their role as leaders to either the Tzimisce or Ventrue, though the Tzimisce would likely support the Ventrue before taking power themselves. Lasombra/Tzimisce Politics It’s said that the Lasombra rule only because the Tzimisce lets them believe they do. Bound by a strange relationship, the Lasombra have been the leaders of the Sabbat since the early days of the sect with the Tzimisce playing support. Some believe that the Tzimisce are like their hated rivals the Tremere, as both clans are master manipulators working to direct their sects towards the goals of their clans. The Tzimisce, however, are more of an enigma than the Warlocks, as they are either master manipulators or disinterested neutrals, though it is obvious that they do not attempt to control the Lasombra as the Tremere do with the Venture. The Lasombra, for their part, are a clan of competitors, plotting against one another as often as they do outsiders. While most view their personal goals as more important than those of other members of their clan, they nonetheless see their own clan above all others. Often, they will aid their clanmates if it offers an opportunity to weaken another clan or increase their own power. The Lasombra took on the role of sect leadership when the Sabbat was born from the ashes of the Anarch Rebellion and has since become known as the keepers of their ‘brothers and sisters', seeing it as both duty and privilege to control the Sabbat. As noted, before, the Lasombra and Tzimisce share a unique relationship. Despite their hunger for power, the Lasombra bow to the Tzimisce in matters that the clan takes an interest in, yet the Tzimisce make no claims to being a ruling clan. Rumors abound of the Lasombra clan owing a boon to the Tzimisce for unknown reasons, which is why the Lasombra will not oppose the Tzimisce, in fear that breaking the rules of Prestation will destroy their credibility as leaders. Rulership, not Leadership Loyalty and Freedom may be the foundations of the Sabbat, but it is this same loyalty that is wielded like a whip by the leaders of the sect, forcing them to obey their leaders, lest they appear disloyal. This is of course a great source of oppression within the sect, and some turn to violence as a means of attempting to make a change, using Monomacy to battle their leaders for their positions. But who says they’re any more capable of leading than the leaders they challenge? While playing a Sabbat focused chronicle, players will need to understand that their characters' loyalties will be questioned constantly, especially if they question a leader. This is easy to roleplay for ST’s as they simply issue commands. If a player is a pack priest, bishop or other leader, telling the other players what to do may be easier, as well as adding good roleplaying opportunities, though it could also disrupt a game. ST’s should avoid putting one player over the others by keeping Pack Recognition equal, meaning that no single player is favored over another. So, You Want to Join the Black Hand? Even more secretive than their parent sect, the Black Hand are known and feared not only by the Camarilla but the Sabbat as well. They have long been the primary force holding the sect together, and during the Sabbat Civil War, they became so powerful that they could have usurped power from both the Lasombra and Tzimisce if they had wanted to. The question of their agenda has puzzled most of the Lasombra, who are convinced that something sinister is behind the Hand’s faithfulness to the sect. All the Seraphim are conservative in their political views, despite their destructive occupation. All four of the Seraphim have worked their way through the ranks of the sect and the Hand, and demand discipline within the Hand despite the greater sect's goals of freedom. The Dominions, skilled veterans all, follow this demand by keeping the rest of the group's members in line. Politically speaking the Hand supports the Status Quo, though leaning Ultra-Conservative in its thinking. This is not simply a choice, but the foundation of the group. The Hand was the only part of the sect to survive the civil war intact, exactly because of this strictness and discipline. While it is possible that some younger Black Hand would support other factions should a second civil war break out, it seems the Loyalists have begun worming their way into the Hand as well. The Black Hand’s involvement in the affairs of the greater sect is limited, however, in nearly every conflict, they are called upon to deal with enemy threats, usually through a Dominion being given the order to assemble a unit or two to meet a threat. In a case of assassination, it’s more likely only a single specialist is sent, and by contrast an attack on a Chantry would require all available members. Units generally range from three to seven members, and if the situation calls for it, they will call in specialists from other parts of the world to complete a mission. The Hand has several rituals that are only known or practiced by the group, including one that involves the branding of the right palm of members with a small black crescent moon, marking them as members of the group. This brand cannot be removed by normal healing methods. This signifies that whatever the member does, they represent the Black Hand as they do it. This keeps more cocky or impulsive members in check. There are numerous specialist positions within the Hand, and in this case, position refers to the members area of specialty and not their rank. Most members fall into one of eight categories, with some positions being more valuable than others, but each being an important part of keeping the Hand properly functioning. Raiders are grunts, basic fighters skilled in both hand-to-hand combat and firearms. 80% of the Hand’s membership are Raiders, and at least one is found in most units. Rangers act as advance scouts and point men for their units and are especially useful when traveling through Lupine controlled areas. Often skilled in tracking, survival, hunting, camouflage and other outdoors skills. Covert Agents act as scouts for the larger sect, infiltrating and gathering information from the enemy. Occasionally they employ false identities, usually they simply slip in and take what they need. Removers act as exterminators of all Sabbat security threats. Generally, they work alone, while occasionally working with teams to better infiltrate an area. They have a friendly rivalry with Sabbat Templars. Hardwares are trained in advanced weapons, small arms and explosives. They are few as the Hand typically prefers to face its enemies head on instead of simply blowing them up. Magicians are exactly that, members well versed in Thaumaturgy, highly prized but in short supply. They typically help in battling Camarilla Tremere. Overseers are unit leaders for field missions. Responsible for all actions taken by the members of their unit, most are skilled tacticians and more Dominions have come from their ranks than any other. Sabbat and Camarilla Territories Hey look a map!  The map is intended to assist ST’s with nomadic packs to have a better idea of what they might encounter. While the Sabbat controls about a third of North America, the map has changed dramatically over the last few decades, and players should expect continued, ongoing change. ST’s should not feel bound to details provided on the map, (Which is good, because it’s hard as gently caress to read) as anything that does not fit your idea of how North America works (in the WoD) then simply change it. Also because players will likely see this map as well, ST’s are encouraged to change it up. Mexico City Sidebar Mexico City is the stronghold of the Sabbat, and like most of the country, with few exceptions, wholly under the sect's control. The greatest and most powerful members of the sect reside in the city, and Sabbat affairs are settled through bloodshed and deadly political deals. It is also where the Prisci and Cardinals meet to discuss sieges and the proper uses of sect resources. More than 200 Sabbat reside in the city, making it one of the most concentrated collections of the undead in the world, and the Sabbat here are a mixed lot of at least 22 founded packs, each with their own rituals, customs and manner. Ruling the city is Melinda Galbraith, a regent of the sect. She has numerous Prisci, Bishops, Paladins and Priests assisting her, as well as two Archbishops who do the actual work of managing the city. Mexico City is the political, intellectual and cultural center of Mexico, with 20 daily newspapers and several television stations, nearly all controlled by the Sabbat. As the economic center of the nation, the city has numerous factories, businesses and retail areas, contrasting with the old and magnificent architecture. Of course, the Sabbat influence has had its downsides. Two-thirds of the city's overcrowded population is poor, and there are more than 500 slums on the fringes of the city, referred to as ciudades perdidas or “Lost Cities”. The largest slum is known as the “City of the Hungry Coyote”, a place with more than three million residents, making it one of the largest slums in the world. The city's infrastructure is ill-equipped to handle the nearly two million cars that jam its roads each day, as well as an extremely high crime rate, making it one of the most dangerous cities in the world. New Bloodlines Making political matters within the sect more complicated are the following bloodlines, though they are very rare. The Ahrimanes were started by a Gangrel Antitribu, and the bloodline is only found within the Sabbat. The Kiasyd by contrast are not part of the Sabbat, but are included as one appears in a story in this book, and they have more contact with the Sabbat than they do with the other sects. While these bloodlines are available to players, remember they are intended to be extremely uncommon, as the Ahrimanes are very selective of new members, and all known Kiasyd are loners. Characters belonging to either bloodline require great leeway from the ST as well as a plausible excuse for their existence in the chronicle. You know, you could just…say that a bloodline isn’t available to players. You can do that White Wolf; you can put stuff in the book and say, “This is strictly for narrative purposes and not meant to be a playable element”. But no, it’s much easier to add stuff while huffing and puffing about how rare and uncommon a thing is and then telling the players to justify why they’ve chosen the snowflake option.  Ahrimanes Originating with the Gangrel, when the clan arrived in North America, members of both sects went into the southern wilderness, where many made havens near the villages of the local indigenous people. While they preyed on these villages, they also defended them from the colonial intrusions. The founder of the bloodline was a Gangrel Antitribu (which at this point I feel like we don’t need to add that modifier to every clan, if they’re in the Sabbat, we can assume they’re Antitribu) named Muricia, who studied the local shaman and used their power to break her Vinculum with her sire, as she wanted to avoid being caught up in the constant fighting between rival Gangrel leaders within the sect, as most Sabbat Gangrel were busy murdering each other in a feud between city dwelling and rural Gangrel. Through the Thaumaturgical powers of the shaman, Muricia broke her connection with her clan and bloodline forever. The ritual affected her body and mutated her appearance. Soon, combining the powers of the shaman and her own Gangrel disciplines, she quickly gained an edge over her former clanmates. While she attempted to create others like herself, she soon discovered she could not as her vitae had become infertile. However, she learned that the existing Gangrel, using the same rituals she had, could become like her. Because of this quirk, all Ahrimanes begin their unlives as Gangrel. She only chose women to be part of her new brood, seeing men as inferior and the source of conflict. Because the Ahrimanes are an artificial bloodline, all members must renounce their former clan before being accepted. There are only a handful of Ahrimanes in existence, primarily in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana and the surrounding areas. Extremely secretive and violent, they enjoy material wealth via control of human pawns. They usually form packs of their own, and the Sabbat accepts their ways because the Sabbat value freedom after all. And it helps that the Ahrimanes aid the Sabbat in keeping an eye on the Lupine threat. Nicknames: (Something) Cat - Alleycats, Fatcat, Hellcat, etc. Appearance: There are no male Ahrimanes, and most dress in practical styles, lots of leather and other durable materials. Many have long hair and are of Spanish or Mexican ancestry, though this is changing. They have slightly darker skin than the average Kindred, allowing for easier masquerading as mortals. They are always armed, typically carrying melee weapons and guns. Haven: Typically dwelling in large mansions on the outer fringes of populated areas, all maintain underground lairs that are impenetrable to all but the most powerful. There are no nomadic Ahrimanes, and all stay involved in mortal affairs, traveling frequently, though it is usually just within their territory. Background: Potential Ahrimanes are always female, capable fighters and survivors. Despite this there are only two or three within the Black Hand. Each new Ahrimane is given a mentor who trains them in the ways of their new bloodline. Character Creation: All Ahrimanes are women (have we made this clear enough yet?) without exception. Most will have a Professional or Working Jane concept, while their Natures are usually Survivor or oriented towards survival or power. Their Demeanor can be anything (because it's a stupid loving mechanic!) but most are Survivors or Loners. Common background traits are Contacts, Resources and Retainers. All have at least three dots in Mentor. Weakness: Because of the nature of their existence, they cannot create offspring, nor can they blood bond. They can be blood bound, however. If Merits and Flaws are being used in your chronicle, Ahrimanes may take the “Thin-Blooded” Flaw, but it is only a one-point Flaw. Disciplines: Animalism, Presence, Spiritus Quote: “Little man, you have crossed into my territory. For you, I am the very meaning of Death.” Stereotypes The Sabbat - We may come from it, but we have found our way within its walls. Always show obedience, but never show your throat. quote:“We have been too lax with these Fraidycats. Now we have no way of knowing what has really been going on in their lairs” - Hymie, Nomad Priest The Camarilla - These little pawns want their hands in everything. The only good about them is their blood, and it should be freed from their bodies at every opportunity. quote:“I have heard rumors of a special breed of Sabbat, super warriors created in the Appalachian hills. I hope to discover the truth of this matter myself.” Tatiana, Gangrel Archon, not seen since giving this speech. Kiasyd A millennia before the formation of the Sabbat, during the reign of Julian the Apostate, three Lasombra created the Kiasyd bloodline to discover the nature of their own Obtenebration. They captured faeries of the Unseelie court from the surrounding areas and bartered with a powerful Teutonic sorcerer for a substance believed to hold the “Blood of Zeerebooch” a God of the underworld. A brave member of this group, a fifth gen named Marconius volunteered for the experiment. Through transfusion and experimentation, he became something only part vampire. The fey blood and the supposed blood of a God drastically altered him. Marconius became gaunt, even by the standards of the Kindred, his skin became nearly translucent white, his eyes took on an odd shape as well as turning solid black and gaining a foot in height. Additionally, his fingers grew longer, while his ears, nose and cheekbones became more angular and defined. The now unusual looking Kindred found little peace amongst the tightly knit and snobbish Lasombra, and took off one night. Little was heard from Marconius until the late Middle Ages when he resurfaced in Strasbourg with a handful of Childer, all bearing the same unusual physical characteristics of their sire. Dubbed the Kiasyd by their founder, they soon challenged the Ventrue of the area, and after defeating them, took over the city and the surrounding areas. Apart from this event, the Kiasyd are generally known to be passive, rarely engaging in combat and more known for being scholars. They are usually alone and if two Kiasyd beyond a Sire and Childe occupy the same city for an extended period, it is considered a breach of the bloodline's etiquette. The bloodline undergoes a dramatic physical alteration after their embrace, growing six inches to two feet taller and becoming thin and gaunt, while their skin takes on an almost chalk white appearance and an unusual luminescence under moonlight, while their eyes take on an oval shape and deepen in color until they are completely black. These changes occur rapidly, often during the first or second nights after death. Because of the suffering they experience during this transformation, newly created Kiasyd are locked away to protect others from their uncontrollable frenzy. Stranger than their appearance is their behavior after their change. They are the calmest of the undead, remarkably polite, congenial and honorable. They never get agitated or angry, though they are still emotional creatures. They prefer to drain their victims into a glass or other container when feeding, as simply drinking from a vessel is seen as vulgar. Nicknames: Darklings, Shades and Weirdlings Appearance: Between six and eight feet tall, extremely skinny and with the physical features previously noted, they typically dress in dark clothing and some even wear cloaks despite how outdated they may be. After feeding their skin takes on a slightly bluish tint. Havens: All Kiasyd maintain a permanent haven, to the point that they do not leave said haven until it begins falling apart. Their homes are always roomy enough for guests, and while they do not typically live in the same cities, they visit each other regularly. They have a penchant for vast underground galleries full of unusual stonework of their own design. Backgrounds: Typically drawing from the most polite and intelligent of mortals, while most were rather normal in life, the bizarre vitae within them is responsible for many of their peculiarities. Character Creation: Most have a Dilettante or Working Joe concept, while their Demeanors should be something normal, their Nature should be completely different. Mental attributes are their primary skill, as are Knowledges. Common backgrounds are Heard, Resources and Retainers. An unusual knowledge that many in the bloodline have is Faerie Mechanics, which allows them to construct illogical machine-like objects of any size and shape that can produce odd, preternatural effects. Disciplines: Mytherceria, Necromancy, Obtenebration Weakness: Their strange physiques are unsettling and inhuman, but it does not affect their Appearance, and many are considered quite beautiful. They do, however, suffer from an aversion to pure iron. Being around pure iron raises their Frenzy difficulty by one while touching it causes an immediate Frenzy roll, and damage caused by pure iron is aggravated. Quote: Be gone, vulgar one. I am best not trifled with. Return to your petty games. Stereotypes: The Sabbat - The clan of our creation leads these beasts and sought our vitae when they went to war with the Camarilla. We taught them better. quote:“The Kiasyd should be avoided at all costs. Behind their polite facades are mad beasts, ready to twist your reality into any shape they desire.” Paulo, Lasombra Priest New Disciplines Mytherceria Level One Fey Sight: Vampires with this power are in tune with Faeries and things of the Fey. They can see Fae regios (areas that share an overlap between reality and Arcadia) as well as seeing through Glamour and the ability to see invisible Fae. Also allows for seeing the faint outlines of spirits that are not on the physical plane. System: Does not require a roll unless the player is attempting to see a specific spirit, which requires a Perception + Occult roll (difficulty 9) Level Two Darkling Trickery: Allows for the causing of magical pranks. Allows for the creation of numerous spontaneous effects, which are not harmful but annoying to the target. Players and ST should come up with the effects of the pranks. System: Requires a Manipulation + Occult roll (difficulty 7). Number of successes determines how long the trickery lasts but varies based on what the trick is. Examples: Remove hair (victims hair falls out), Banshee Wail (the vampire lets out a scream deafening all nearby for an hour and causing fear in animals) Blight Crops (causes all plants within 100 yard radius to wither and die) Falling Stones (cause small stones to fall telekinetically.) Slip (causes victim to slip unless they make a Dex + Dodge roll at difficulty 7) Foul Simple Machines (causes a simple machine to malfunction when the victim uses it.) Level Three Goblinism: Grants the Kiasyd an innate understanding of earth and stone, as well as instantly identifying metals, rock formations and stones. Underground, it grants and intuitive sense of direction. Through long and strenuous effort, this power allows for the altering of earth and stone, allowing for uses such as shaping tunnels, building supports for an underground haven, or smoothing surfaces into flat floors and walls. System: Knowledge and directional sense do not require rolls, while shaping rock requires summoning fae goblins for aid. Summoned goblins are inclined to help but not obligated. One goblin appears per success on a Charisma + Leadership roll (difficulty based on how far underground the player is. A mineshaft would be a 6, a street would be 8 and the top of Sears Tower would be a 10, if the ST allowed it at all) Level Four Faerie Wards: allows for the protection of a designated area with faerie glyphs, causing any who enter to become extremely disoriented. These glyphs are often put on those who have offended the Kindred causing the victim to suffer disorientation until the glyph fades. System: Warder must roll Dex + Security (difficulty 7 for inanimate objects, or target’s Willpower+2) Success means the glyph appears wherever the caster chooses and can be seen with the naked eye. Anyone entering the protected area finds all Mental rolls are increased by one and will become lost unless they succeed at an Intelligence + Investigation roll (difficulty 8). Glyphs last based on the number of successes gained on casting. 1.One Hour 2.One Night 3.One Week 4.One Month 5.One Year Level Five Riddle Phantastique: As soon as someone hears the Riddle, they can do nothing but try to solve it. The riddle is so impenetrable that it causes damage to the fragile minds of those who think about it. Malkavians (unsurprisingly) have a much easier time figuring it out. System: Caster rolls Manipulation + Faerie Lore against the targets Willpower. After a success, the victim can do nothing but ponder the riddle until they accumulate 5 times the casters successes, by rolling Wits + Faerie Lore at difficulty 10, minus the number of Derangements they have. This roll is made immediately after the riddle is told to them, and then once an hour until they have gathered enough successes. Each time the victim botches more than succeeds, they take one level of damage and lose that number of successes from their accumulated total. This damage cannot be healed until the riddle is solved, and the caster can end the trance by telling the victim the answer. Level Six Stone Travel: Allows for travel into the earth by way of creating a small tunnel. The tunnels can be used by others, but they are not particularly safe and will collapse easily. Caster is able to travel underground with almost no chance of being caught. System: Tunneling requires physical contact with the ground plus a Strength + Athletics roll (difficulty 6), number of successes translates to MPH the caster moves. Caster may also cause cave ins of any part of the tunnel they wish. Level Seven Earth Sword: Causes huge spikes to shoot from walls, ceilings or floors, made of whatever material they are coming from. System: Caster rolls Wits +Melee (difficulty 6) and spends a point of Willpower. Resist roll for the target is Wits + Dodge (diff 6). If the caster gains more successes than the target, target takes 3 dice of damage for each success, which can be soaked normally. If the target rolls more successes, they take no damage. Impalement of a specific location (such as the heart) requires 5 successes from the caster. Level Eight Basilisk’s Touch: Allows the caster to turn a target into solid stone with a touch. Effect is permanent and can only be removed through Thaumaturgy or the touch of the caster. System: Power takes effect as soon as the caster succeeds in touching the victim and spending two points of Willpower. Victim can resist with at least 3 successes on a Willpower Roll (diff 8) Spiritus Coming from the spiritual forces existing in nature, the Ahrimanes learned this from the indigenous shaman. It is a highly versatile discipline, giving the Ahrimanes a strong edge over other Kindred in the wilderness. Level One Speak Spirits: Allows for speaking with nearby spirits for the duration of the scene. Does not change the spirits reaction to the caster, and communication is telepathic. System: Caster rolls Wits + Linguistics (diff 6) and every success allows the caster to communicate with whatever spirits are found for another turn. Spirits are not required to respond. Level Two Summon Spirit Beast: Allows the caster to call on the spirits of dead animals to aid them. Spirits are predisposed to aiding the caster, and will follow simple telepathic commands, and can take any action they would have been capable of in life. System: Caster rolls Charisma + Animal Ken (diff 7), each success indicates how long the spirit may remain corporeal 1.One turn 2.Five turns 3.One hour 4.One night 5.One week Spirits have the same number of health levels as they would in life and will return to the spirit world when reaching Incapacitated. Level Three Aspect of the Beast: Grants the caster powers similar to those possessed by animals by calling on the spirit of a particular animal to grant the caster its power. System: Manipulation + Occult roll (diff 7) and the expenditure of a blood point. Power lasts for as many turns as successes earned. If the spirit fails to grant the power, the caster must still spend the blood point. Suggested powers: Falcon’s Eye - allows for seeing great distances as a falcon would Sounds of the Crickets - Allows for the production of an annoying, grating sound loud enough to deafen those nearby for a few hours. Swiftness of the Stag - Allows for movement at twice normal running speed. Strength of the Bear - Grants two additional levels of Strength Ferocity of the Cougar - All Morale rolls are made at one difficulty lower. Beavers Bite - Causes casters bite strength and sharpness to increase to the point of cutting through almost any substance. Serpent's Venom - Casters bit transmits venomous toxins that cause two levels of health damage to living targets per turn. Damage continues until toxin is removed or nullified, or until the power ends. Chameleon’s Colors - Grants that ability to change colors to match surroundings. Leapfrog - grants the ability to leap 3x the casters normal height and distance. Ears of the Hare - grants hearing equal to that of a hare, reducing the difficulty of Perception roll by two. Nose of the Hound - Grants sense of smell greater than normal, and allows for tracking by scent with a Perception + Survival roll at a difficulty determined by the ST Squirrel Balance - Allows for movement on branches and tree limbs or across tightropes with little fear of falling. Athletics rolls are made with a difficulty reduced by two. Tomorrow: More Spiritus!
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Jun 24, 2023 15:32
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I'd forgotten about the weirdo bloodlines. The Kisayd are never more than the 'fae-touched loners who don't do anything outside their library' and the Ahrimanes don't even get a write-up in Revised, just a little sidebar in the form of a note saying something like "Yeah, we're leaving. Peace." and are never heard from again.
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Jun 24, 2023 17:47
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Infinity RPG: TAGs Tagging Everything So, one of the biggest things for a GM to understand is that a PC squad armed with TAGs are utterly terrifying in combat. They are intensely powerful destructive weapons, able to deploy quickly and unload a lot of fire at once, and the GM should allow PCs to wade through battle like titans, turning the tide as massive weapons. If you do not want to run a game where the PCs have and use TAGs, just don't let them have TAGs. The book assumes you're here because that's what you want, and step one is letting the party actually use the drat things. It recognizes that, yes, this means you're going to have to scale up the threats you throw at them to really challenge them, so that every action scene isn't a curbstomp. However, not every action scene needs to be or should be a life-or-death struggle, and the PCs should be given plenty of chances to show off their absurd weaponry by blasting through opposition that ultimately cannot handle TAGs. You're going to have to learn how to balance encounters to tell what'll be a curbstomp for the PCs, what will make them feel challenged and what is, in fact, a real risk of defeat. The book also suggests that if you want to dive deeper into the logistics of TAG campaigns, incorporating the mercantile rules from Ariadna, the piracy rules from Haqqislam or the mercenary rules from War Market are all very good and useful options, and that the Aleph book has information on high-scale games in the Steel Phalanx stuff that can also help. The game also discusses the balance considerations in encounter design that are normally used. If the enemies are also TAG-armed, the normal guidance on how to build a challenging combat do work still, but they suggest that if the group has 1-2 TAGs, 4 Elites can be added per TAG, and for a full PC group of TAGs, 4 Elites per TAG plus an additional four-Elite group should make up the difference. However, some things are a bigger threat to TAGs than they are normally. Dedicated enemy hackers with programs like Expel or Total Control are a major threat to a TAG, because they can turn the machine against its users or drop them out of it. Likewise, Elites with anti-armor weapons are going to be a higher threat than normal. When designing encounters that contain this kind of enemy, unless you're planning for an extremely intense and dangerous scene, don't further scale them up with the TAG enemy increase. The game refers to these as "critical adversaries," enemies that specifically take advantage of a TAG's weaknesses or negate their strengths. Elite and Nemesis hackers, Troopers and Elites with anti-materiel weapons or high-Piercing weapons or ALEPH Aspects are all critical adversaries. The game also notes you have to adjust to how many TAGs are present. Even if only one PC has a TAG, it is still going to involve major changes to the game. However, "all-star" campaigns - that is, ones where everyone is in a TAG - need even more. Obviously, such a campaign is going to be significantly more focused on warfare than anything else, because...well, that's the main arena where a TAG is particularly notable and helpful. Players are going to expect combat, and should be allowed to do it. That said, there's room for TAGs to be useful tools in Psywar, as a TAG is an awe-inspiring figure of intimidation, and pilots can easily get into social stuff outside the TAG, and of course you probably do want to have hacking defenses, so Infowar won't be totally absent, but direct warfare is going to be the meat of things. That said, involving TAGs means involving TAG logistics. TAGs can operate more independently than 21st century armored divisions, but they still need a team of mechanics and support with specialized gear. A GM should consider how much they want this to matter in the game and should discuss this with the players before play begins. If you want, you can just handwave away repair and refueling between sessions and ignore the bookkeeping of maintenance. This is especially doable for single-faction games where the army is going to handle that, or if you're really just wanting to focus on the high octane action. If you actually want to deal with the logistics, and hey, I think that's pretty fun, the game is willing to provide. This is especially common with mercenary games or games where the characters hold leadership roles and need to care about such things - in these games, money counts, and it may be a fun tension to have to decide between getting the parts to repair a damaged TAG or getting the ammo to fuel its big guns, plus the costs to buy berths on starships. Such a game - and all-star games in general - does not tend to work well with the default O-12 agent settings of the core book, of course. TAGs in general aren't a common thing in multifaction O-12 task forces except for dedicated Paradiso War teams, and so for most all-star games, you probably want the whole team to end up in the same faction or unit...though the easiest method is a bunch of mustered-out vets joining or starting a mercenary unit, and this is the closest to the default option for a TAG game, though working for O-12 involves pretty competitive contract bidding for mercs. The name the game gives for a campaign where only a small number of PCs have TAG access is a "crackerjack" campaign, for...reasons? These games are likely to be less monofocused on warfare, as the TAG-user is going to dominate these scenes in a way the other PCs aren't able to, and every PC needs a chance to shine. This means that other stuff should be tailored to the skills of the people who don't have TAGs, and the TAG-users should get to shine in combat but not expect it all the time. PCs in a war-focused crackerjack campaign are likely part of the TAG support staff, using their expertise to help with the TAG - an engineer can also prepare traps, a media face can record the battle and use it as a propaganda weapon in Psywar, etc. For logistics, though, the TAG now also is a significant added cost that only one person or maybe two get to use. The upkeep may be an important consideration for balance between PCs, as the TAG's use is limited by its upkeep and repairs. All of this needs to be discussed with your group. Crackerjack games are easier to do the standard O-12 game with, tho, as Bureau Aegis might hire on a single TAG pilot a lot more often than they hire an entire team of them. From here, the game gets into discussing general scenario design, how to figure out objectives that involve but do not exclusively rely on tAGs, or things that are going around them, like civilian crowd control, pacifying terrified people, etc. It's decent adviace in general, but not something I feel much need to go into detail on here. The game ends the book with a chapter of NPC stats for power armor- or TAG-using enemies, stats for ejected pilots, and other enemies that can legitimately threaten a walking tank by various means, whether hacking, sabotage or absurdly big guns. The End! Potential options now: PanOceania (plus Helots) Mercenaries Combined Army O-12 Megacorps Technology of the Human Sphere (new gear and toys and an in depth dive on neomaterials)
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Jun 24, 2023 18:38
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 Now, it's time for Chapter 4. The Game Master. This chapter is going to contain a good deal of information GMs will need to run the game, obviously. For the most part, a lot of it is fairly straightforward. I do question some of it, but only because I haven't played the game to get a real feel for if all the crunch really works how the developer intended just yet. Some of this game hasn't hit the mark all the way, but generally, it seems everything is pretty solid. The game is meant to be more simple than most TTRPGs, and the rules in this chapter are not much more complex than elsewhere. However I will warn that the first part of this chapter is teaching you how to be a GM. I'll try to avoid the obvious things for the sake of brevity. We start this chapter with some pretty sage advice: No one is born a GM. Everyone makes mistakes, and even the best preparation and notes can't keep you from having a bad session. Experience is the key of being a good GM, but that's not foolproof either: I mean, I've been a GM for a long time and I still suck! What's important is communication with your players and learning from your mistakes when they occur. Don't be discouraged by flops. What might not work for one group may work for another, and you don't really learn anything if everything goes perfectly. When you talk to your players, and ask them how things are going, and how things could be better, you're working towards the goal of games like Fabula Ultima: Making a story. From here, the book starts going into session 0, and it has advice specifically for GMs here.
While you're in session 0, there's a general set of guidelines here. We actually cover a bit of this in world and party creation... Well, more like almost all. But in Session 0, some other things should be observed. Help the players find information in the book and clear up confusion. Ask questions about their character's stats, abilities, and their backstory. Why did they pick certain options? This is a fine line, of course. You want to support Players' decisions while still making sure the PC's stats and Abilities actually work in coherent ways, and that they jive with the rest of the party as well. Getting too involved here removes Player agency at the most basic level. Not getting involved enough means you might miss that a Player thinks something works in a way it doesn't. When you're building the world, also, be ready to go back and make changes as a group. Some events might not make sense anymore, when decisions are made later. It's the GM's job to question these inconsistencies and help the Players come up with solutions. The GM is as much a part of world creation as the Players in Fabula Ultima, which is... A rare choice. Usually, it's entirely the GM's responsibility to make the setting, and I appreciate this a lot. After all, the Players will want to make their own things, do their own jigs. While in the Prologue, consider showcasing the first villain and setting high stakes as well. Starting on a battlefield can be as effective as (and less stereotypical than) starting in a tavern or a prison. The next page is... Really just basic GM stuff that doesn't bear mentioning. No, seriously, it's advice like "Portray a wondrous world" and "React to the heroes' choices" which I would hope a GM is capable of doing. The book certainly assumes nothing about the reader's experience. It does have a couple of interesting things to point out, though. Transparency is very important in Fabula Ultima. Players should know how hard a check is and what will happen if they succeed/fail, which is not always a priority in TTRPGs. Another is to keep the pressure on: Fabula Ultima is predicated on the idea of a story moving constantly forward. Long periods of downtime are not encouraged, Villains should always be making a move or in the process of making a move. The Heroes should feel pressed to do something at all times. Personally, I don't like this. Constant stress is not a good thing in a TTRPG and that seems to be exactly what this is encouraging... But it's also meant to be the balancing factor for Rituals and Projects. So there's that. Another departure from standard TTRPG GMing advice is that there shouldn't be very many "filler" battles. Fights should be intense and dramatic by default, with random monsters just attacking because the PCs are there. Okay, then why do you have random encounters when traveling...? That seems to contradict the very idea of random encounters, which is a JRPG staple. I've found that encounters about equal with the party can be a significant drain on resources, so longer Journeys can become quite nail-biting for Players as they have to manage resources carefully, so then again, even these fights can be dramatic. When you're between sessions, you still have work to do.
Of course, GM advice doesn't just stop with the general stuff. How should you treat each Class? Personally, I suggest you treat each one as its own contained entity, considering Classes barely mean anything in this game, but the game has some ideas nonetheless to present about how you could cater your campaign experience to the Classes. I personally think most of these aren't super great, because they're making assumptions about how the Player plays their PC, and the fluff they've built around them. If, for some reason, you haven't banned Arcanist, and someone looks at the Class and thinks it's a good idea, I'm assuming you've homebrewed them a bunch of good Arcanum. But that's MY advice. The book's advice, I'll save the first for last. You should give some thought to how Arcana are bound. It should never be them just finding an Arcanum and saying "cool, this is mine now". It should be an experience. A challenge or trial to bond with the concepts the Arcanum represents. I actually think it might be a good idea to have a checklist of the Arcana that the Arcanist's player wants, and make little challenges that give the Arcanum when "solved". One of the examples the book gives is that binding the Tower Arcanum might involve sacrificing something dear to the character for the sake of another. The book also points out one of the major issues with Arcanist like it's not a big deal: Remember that an Arcanist's progression is gated behind finding new Arcana. The final tip it gives is one I loathe, and I think you'll see why when I get into it: The first pierce of advice is basically saying to make the Arcanist's progression important to the campaign's story. Yep. The Arcana, technically, but do you have multiple Arcanists in the party? God, I hope not. The point is, the game wants the Arcanist to be the main character, and that's terrible. It's not as bad in FabUlt as some other games, because the Players are the ones who work together to make the world, and if they go along with this, they're probably cool with it. But it still rubs me the wrong way. For Chimerists, the game suggests making scenes where the conflict between nature and technology are emphasized, assuming of course the Chimerist is even a druidy type at all. If they do, though, make sure they have tough decisions to make in this ideological conflict, and that not picking sides can sometimes be worse than playing favorites. Like Arcanists, Chimerists also have somewhat gated progression. Make sure they have plenty of Beasts, Monsters, and Plants to fight. It's not super important to have them as part of every encounter, but a Chimerist should have a chance to learn new spells every other session. Darkblades also have a little bit of main character syndrome: Their personal tragedy should play a part in the campaign's story, a major one. Of course, as stated before, not as bad as in other games, but also not as bad as Arcanist: A good tragic backstory connected to a major Villain or the overall plot is pretty standard fare for any TTRPG or JRPG. When designing encounters, keep in mind that Undead are as a rule Resistant to Dark damage, and a few other monsters besides. This is a big deal for a Darkblade. Offer them a chance to fight enemies weak to Dark, which are in the book few and far between. Design new enemies for that! When a Darkblade finally deals with their Trauma with a capital T and puts their past behind them, maybe consider flipping the script if the Player wants. Maybe the Darkblade is now a Light-based Class, not a Dark-based one. Something to consider. (I also made a Paladin prebuilt character with levels in Guardian and Darkblade, with the Dark swapped to Light. This game is pretty flexible about accepting homebrew abilities without breaking it to smithereens.) The advice for Elementalists is pretty elementary, actually, because of how the game works. The biggest piece of advice the game gives is that you should have encounters where doing damage is very important so they can shine... But that's, well, the game. Doing damage to enemies is more important than anything else in Conflict Scenes, because you don't have spells like Grease, or SoD spells like Sleep or Power Word: Kill. Unless you're in a situation where you can set up a hazard which will destroy the opposition, damage is king in FabUlt. And even then, the hazard will usually just do massive amounts of damage. Otherwise, fluff-wise, Elementalists have probably shaped how war in your setting is fought, and history because of it. Talk to your Elementalists to see how they'd like to fit this into the setting! Entropists are a bit more complex. Their magic is generally seen as the bad stuff, the 'black' magic. How do the PCs deal with this? How will your Entropist react in situations where people are terrified of them instead of grateful? Food for thought. They're also capable of dealing untyped damage, causing direct HP loss, and changing the course of the battle via messing with action economy. Encounters where those things are important will help an Entropist shine. Shutting down a boss with Stop just before they make their big boom go off might be a NECESSARY strategy, rather than a helpful one. Ritual Entropism is absurdly dangerous, too: for as powerful as it is, it has great potential to go wrong if the Ritual fails. Use this for drama. When anger and passion are your main driving forces, people often see you as a ticking time bomb. Or at the very least, as reckless. How does your Fury deal with this? Do they exercise strident, cold self-control outside of battle, or are they just as full of rage? What's their reputation back home? Consider storylines that force them to temper their anger instead of unleashing it at the drop of a hat, and I'd suggest, like the Darkblade, maybe allowing them to alter their Skills if they abandon that rage entirely. In fights, Furies hit hard, and only hit harder as they get hurt... So hit them back just as hard. They can take it! The Player feeling the pressure of sinking HP helps create the drama and tension you really want in conflicts. The big drat heroes, Guardians are at their best when their noble or honorable facade begins to crack. Will they protect even enemies that are helpless? What will they do when faced with self-destruction for the sake of another? Or the classic Spiderman scenario: You can't save everyone. In battle, a Guardian can be a really tough nut to crack, but more importantly, they make the PARTY a tough nut to crack. Bodyguard protects a Guarded ally from even AoEs, and Protect, while it can only be used once a turn, means the Guardian can effectively keep two allies from taking damage every round... But at the same time, Bodyguard only gives the ally Resistance to AoE damage, and Protect hurts the Guardian double if they're blocking AoE damage, as well. This is where a Guardian has to make the tough choice of continuing to double-damage themselves or letting an ally take a hit they may not be able to soak. When you get asked a question by a Loremaster, don't screw them. They're supposed to be the person that knows a little about a lot, and them having knowledge you don't want them to have is a secondary concern to them getting to enjoy playing their character. Just remember, the Loremaster doesn't know everything. You can always tell them what they can surmise about a situation; you don't have to give up the whole plot. They probably won't know what exactly the Villain is planning, but they know it has something to do with the Forest of Aether's boundless and wild soul energy. They might not know the chancellor is planning to betray the kingdom to the empire, but they know they're hiding SOMETHING. Quick Assessment is a pretty hard to use Skill already, so when they use it, make sure to give them useful info. Telling them a dragon has the Flying trait is an rear end in a top hat move, they can clearly see that. Telling them the dragon has the Coward trait, on the other hand, can be exploited quite nicely by the Orator or Sharpshooter. Orators get eyes on them wherever they go. Ask the Player why this is, but some suggestions are that they're just that charismatic, pretty, or know just how to get a party started. And people remember the Orator, too. Charisma has consequences. People might not remember the guy who cut them off in traffic, but they WILL remember the one who told them they'd totally get their back on something, or the guy who told them in no uncertain terms what was going to happen if there wasn't results right now. Threats and promises are powerful things, and they shouldn't go untested. Interestingly, the book also says that depending on what the Player says when their Orator uses Condemn, they should get a +2/-2 bonus/malus if they have something really good, or if they have said something that their target doesn't actually care about. With the general dearth of modifiers in this game, I'm surprised it's willing to put this out there. Rogue's first piece of advice worries me a little. The Rogue's ideals can be twisted and manipulated, the oppressed can become the oppressor, blah blah blah. This... I don't know about this. It makes some assumptions, but it's just advice. I think what it means to say is to make sure the Rogue gets shown the consequences of the things they do in the name of freedom. Which is fair. Also, a lot of people might have a hard time trusting them if they have a reputation... And a PC often does. Were they part of a criminal group? They're probably the kind of person who has a name for themselves, and hearing that name could make things hard. There's also some advice about Soul Steal here, mainly to make items gained from the Skill unique and interesting above all else. These items are expressions of someone's deepest desires and darkest fears. The abilities the item has should make sense for whom it came from: Like a fearful person might produce a shield that warns them of incoming danger, and from a bloodthirsty warrior you might get an axe that heals the user whenever it spills blood. And just as important: Soul Steal items are value on TOP of the normal game rewards, not replacing it. It's a bonus, and should be treated as one. Sharpshooters are completely combat oriented, and they only do one thing... But they excel at that thing. Make sure they get opportunities to take on Flying enemies, or that they can exploit range when that's usually not a core mechanic of the game. If a Sharpshooter gets the chance to take a threat out at a distance... Give them a shot at it. This is what they DO. A Sharpshooter character likely has some experience in one army or another, as well, so ask them what battles they might have taken part in, some historical events they were actually there for. They might know some of the top brass of an army, either respected or hated. Spiritists... Woof. Probably the only Class as feared as, or perhaps more, than Entropists. Spiritists can play with the thoughts and emotions of people like toys, and people don't TRUST that. Would you? If they use a lot of Rituals to do just that, it should have consequences. People will get angry. Someone might get hurt. It doesn't help that the source of a Spiritist's power is soul energy in its purest form. A power over life and death should bring at least SOME introspection about what the Spiritist does. In battle, Spiritists excel at enhancing allies and healing them, which makes them very powerful in a game all about dealing damage. The presence (or lack) of a Spiritist completely changes the balance of encounters, so keep that in mind: Encounters need to be harder than normal if you have a Spiritist around. Especially if you're fighting the Undead, the Heal spell deals 40 damage a pop to Undead enemies, and Lux can deal even more if the Spiritist rolls high. A well-made Spiritist can utterly dismantle undead, so use them. It gives the Spiritist good feelings when they wipe out the entire enemy force in a couple of turns. What advice can we give about Tinkerers? The book, surprisingly, doesn't have anything about reigning them in here. It focuses instead on their creativity. Work with them to come up with cool ideas for gadgets, weapons, and vehicles. It even suggests letting them come up with Inventory items for the world's setting, a neat idea. But technology can be scary in any world. Create situations that challenge the Tinkerer's ethics, and whether their pursuit of progress is sometimes worth it. There is one note here about how versatile Tinkerers are, and that should be considered when building ANY encounter, let alone combat ones. As for Wayfarers, the biggest suggestion here is to make a list or roll table of neat and interesting Discoveries the party might find, because a Wayfarer will make those happen really often. You don't want to be caught flatfooted and make a lame Discovery, do you? Hell, actually, the next piece of advice encourages the GM to ask the Wayfarer's Player what exists around here. What's the terrain like? The flora and fauna? What do THEY think should be here? Build on these answers to help make the Wayfarer's Player feel even more valued than they already are, because Wayfarers are awesome. Speaking of which, Faithful Companion is a very powerful Skill. Don't be afraid to adjust it if it's outshining other members of the Party, or if it's not performing as well as the Party had hoped. Have frank discussions with the Players about this, too, don't just unilaterally decide this on your own. Finally, we have the advice for Weaponmaster. When you're in peacetime, masters of warfare are not only unnecessary... But may be seen as threats, harbingers of strife... Or even worse, they might have done some things that people remember. And that's almost never a good thing in war. On the other hand, they probably also have a lot of respect. Ask the Player what their most heroic feat was, and what their worst failure was, and use those in the campaign. Consider giving them a rival. Maybe a friend who follows the same path and demands to test themselves against their old war buddy, or maybe someone out for revenge for the Weaponmaster's past misdeeds. Make sure this rival, if they exist, has an interesting combat style, a challenge to figure out, not just defeat. A mentor might also be a helpful side NPC... Or a harmful one. No one who's played Jade Empire will forget THAT particular betrayal. That's all for now, and I hope you enjoy my return! Next time... We talk about Villains some more because gently caress yes we will.
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Jun 24, 2023 19:35
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Dawgstar posted:I'd forgotten about the weirdo bloodlines. The Kisayd are never more than the 'fae-touched loners who don't do anything outside their library' and the Ahrimanes don't even get a write-up in Revised, just a little sidebar in the form of a note saying something like "Yeah, we're leaving. Peace." and are never heard from again. Not quite: V20 Dark Ages revisit them as viking followers of Freyja.
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Jun 25, 2023 06:03
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The amount of upset chuds about it was amazing, too.
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Jun 25, 2023 07:17
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Loomer posted:The amount of upset chuds about it was amazing, too. Weird. They're already an all-female bloodline.
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Jun 25, 2023 14:36
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Joylessdivisions World of Dorkness Presents: The Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat Part 3 Level Four Engling Fury: Allows the caster to replenish their Willpower with the spirit of an animal, which destroys the spirit. System: Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty 8), each success allows for one point of Willpower regained, and each use of the power destroys another spirit. Level Five The Wildebeest: Grants the ability to take on a feral state, granting special physical powers. Caster also takes on a more cat-like appearance and animals react poorly to this form. System: Change is automatic and raises casters Strength by 3, Dex and Stamina by 2. Appearance drops to 0 and Manipulation is lowered by 3. The casters' fangs and claws cause an extra die of damage, while sense of smell, hearing and night vision improve by double. The History There are two documents of major importance to the formation of the Sabbat as it is now. The first is the Convention of Thorns which ended the Anarch rebellion and the second is the Code of Milan, believed to have existed in one form or another throughout the sect's existence, but gaining full acceptance following the Sabbat Civil War. The Convention of Thorns was translated by the Nosferatu and provided in this book from its original Latin, shortly before the original was destroyed while in the custody of a Ventrue Justicar, whose entire haven was consumed by the blaze. The Code of Milan provided is the revised version, developed at the end of the Sabbat Civil War, completed in New York City through the efforts of the Seraphim, who believed it needed a revision. This version is shorter than the original, and since so many packs begin their Esbats with recitation of the Code, it has become more of a creed than a simple set of laws. Of course, there have been additional writings on the Code and many Kindred share different interpretations of the document. Disagreements over the exact parameters have been the cause of disputes for centuries. This latest version has caused controversy because the Ventrue Loyalists believe the Regent responsible for the Code did not possess the authority to modify it, and take particular umbrage with statue XIV, feeling it is being used by the Status Quo to restrict the Loyalist movement.  The Convention of Thorns quote:“Many years have passed since the start of our current conflict, now called the Anarch Movement. Be it known that on this night of 23 October 1493, the Jyhad has ended. The Time for self-destruction is over. The Code of Milan quote:“By the solemn word of Regent Gorchist, this is the one true Code of Milan, revised from the original manuscript this night, December 21, 1933. Out of the ashes of our great war may this peace reign everlasting. And that brings us to the conclusion of Chapter Three. I’m about 50/50 on my feelings about this chapter, because honestly, I find all the Sabbat politics tedious as hell and boring. These are supposed to be the big bad villainous faction of the setting and they’re just the Diet Camarilla, with more assholes. I genuinely didn’t think it was possible to have a group of vampires who were bigger bickering dickheads than the Camarilla, but here we are, the Sabbat are exactly that. Having said that, and despite my gripes in their introduction, I think the Ahrimanes and Kiasyd are interesting bloodlines, maybe not as ones I’d allow in game as player characters, but certainly a couple of interesting bloodlines to sprinkle into a story. Mytherceria is sort of neat, but ultimately feels a bit like Chimerstry but somehow slightly less useful than even that discipline was. At least until you get up to level six-eight, because Earth Sword sounds bad rear end. The connection to the Fae is fun, though as I’ve pointed out whenever faerie stuff pops up in these earlier books, it’s always amusing to me how different it is to what came later in Changeling to the point that it’s difficult to try and make a “oh this would be this” comparison. Were goblins even a thing in the Changeling core? I honestly don’t remember seeing them but it’s also been a while since I covered that book so my memory could be failing me. Spiritus on the other hand, is a neat power that combined with Necromancy would allow for some fun stuff. I also like that it's predominantly about gaining power from animal spirits which feels very on brand for an offshoot of the Gangrel. The entire Mexico City sidebar is….well it's something. It's certainly not great to point at Mexico and say, “Hey this place is all hosed up because of the evil vampires”, but then again that’s just what we do here in the WoD because it’s the 90’s. The Convention of Thorns is easily the thing that catches my attention the most from this chapter. The Convention is one of those things that gets brought up in VTM lore with enough frequency that I was aware of it but hadn’t seen what the agreement contained. A+ bit of world building there, I really liked it. The Code of Milan is slightly less interesting, because it’s essentially just the Sabbat’s version of the Traditions and let’s be real here, the Traditions were boring as poo poo to read through too, but I appreciate this inclusion of setting history in this book, although I feel like the Convention of Thorns stuff probably could have appeared in a different book, but I’ll be damned if I could tell you what book it should have appeared in. Maybe as a bit of bonus in the Book of Nod or something? Either way, stuff that fleshes out bits of setting history is cool and good. The Sabbat being an even shittier Camarilla, not so cool or good. And to be perfectly honest, as much as I poo poo on the Camarilla, I must admit I prefer their propaganda about the Sabbat over the truth of the sect. Horrible, fanatical murderers are much more interesting to me than just another group of vampires with a tedious and backstabbing hierarchy of horseshit. Sect of total freedom, my balls.   Chapter Four: The Forces of Darkness Efforts of the Inquisition The Sabbat’s in-house Inquisition exists only to stamp out demonic influence within the sect, which as it turns out, is a very real and immediate threat. Demons, by their very nature, demand subjugation and slavery, which is antithetical to the whole point of the Sabbat. The vulnerability of the sect comes from its insistence on personal freedom and the fractiousness of its political elements. So, they’re just Libertarians? Many within the sect see demons as a path to personal power far beyond what is typically achievable by all but the eldest Kindred. Many within the sect do not believe in the Soul and thus do not fear eternal damnation, while others within the sect shudder at the thought of losing their souls and it is from these fearful Kindred that the Inquisition rises. Some within the sect believe that the Inquisition is only called upon when a threat to the leader's security and position arises. In 1804, a Ventrue named Gustav Mallenhous created the Inquisition. He had encountered a cult of infernal demon worshippers within the Sabbat while visiting a friend. He faced down the unworldly powers of the creatures, but barely survived. Looking further into the matter he realized that the threat was much more widespread than he had first believed. As a Priscus, he garnered the support of several of the sect's leaders and founded the Sabbat’s Inquisition. During the civil war, Inquisitors became a political tool, then vanished when Jhyad spread between sect held territories. Shockingly, no one noticed this, as they were all too busy.... you know, having a civil war. The Inquisition was reestablished in 1924, this time by a Black Hand Dominion named Julian, a former nobleman from Avignon who had proved his skill in battle fighting the Huguenots for Henry the Third, bringing the same disregard for his enemies into the Inquisition. Now they are despised by most members of the sect for their far reaching influence and authority to destroy almost any member of the sect. Their methods vary to fit the situation, though a few basic procedures are generally followed by all Inquisitors. Firstly, they formally introduce themselves in whatever Sabbat city they are investigating, then ask that all Sabbat of the city privately present any information regarding demon worship within the city. From there, the investigations begin. Testimonies are followed up, keeping the informant's identity secret in the process. Investigations typically take between one and three weeks and nearly always end in a trial. If evidence is found, the accused is formally charged, and then called before the Bishop and Priests of the city and all members of the Inquisition. A trial date is set, and the accused is placed under constant guard. Once the trial is held, all Sabbat within the city and surrounding areas are invited to attend where the Inquisitor General presides as judge. If the accused is found innocent, they are issued the Ad Cautelam, a written document proclaiming their innocence. If they are found guilty, however, they are tortured until they give up all information relating to other demon worshippers. Finally, the guilty are brought before their fellow Sabbat for punishment, the auto-de-fé or “Act of Faith”. Which as it turns out, is just their charges being read, and then being executed in the most extreme way possible. And speaking of execution, the manner of execution varies from case to case, but some of the favored methods include acid baths, boiling or cooking until Final Death, peeling the flesh and muscle from the guilty layer by layer, or slow, painful dismemberment and mutilation. Death by Diablerie, however, is never a method of execution, as the Inquisitors consider the blood of the guilty to be “Tainted with Evil”. Which again, is rich coming from the supposed “Evil” vampires of the setting. Those who assist demon worshippers are also severely punished, often through a thaumaturgic ritual that locks the accomplice into the trunk of a tree, leaving only the rough outline of the individual remaining visible. These are known as Body Tree’s and are always located in distant spots where mortals are unlikely to notice. The Inquisition have proven themselves adept at intimidation, intrigue and manipulation in rooting out the infernalists. They rely on a wide range of Disciplines, especially Thaumaturgy, and at least one Inquisitor is rumored to be studying the thaumaturgic methods for dismissing demons. Would you be shocked that there are rumors that something more sinister is going on there? Among the 13 Inquisitors, there are four Templars, seven Inquisitors, one Inquisitor General and one ghoul detective with psychic abilities. The Path of Evil Revelations Revealed quote:“The Sabbat many sect members believe in is an illusion. We of the Evil Revelation are the ‘True Sabbat’. If they knew all of our brood, the supposed enemy within, they would be aghast. One day they will find out, and it will be too late for them to turn against us.” - Archdeacon Lorister, Demonologist and Damned Soul. quote:“Most players should never discover the following information, and those who do should only learn it through constant battle with the infernal. These are secrets of the Path of Evil Revelations, a path no character should follow” gently caress Off, White Wolf. How about you just don’t include the poo poo in the book if you don’t want players to have it? Why do you keep doing this dumb poo poo? Is it because you just can’t help handing players all these powerful tools so you can admonish them in a later book for using said tools? Seriously, of all the things that drive me nuts about these books, somewhere down the list from the racism and edgelord poo poo, is this dumbass “Don’t do this thing we’re explaining in detail, because you’re a bad player if you do.” Nicknames: Heretics and Corrupters Basic Beliefs: Vampirism is inherently evil. Originating with Caine’s evil deed, vampires now serve an evil purpose. There is something intrinsically wrong with pretending there is a higher good for the undead. There is none, because the world was created for mortals, not the undead. The morality of the undead is an illusion, and vampires are meant to serve the powers of darkness. Ethics of the Path 1.Reject your humanity. You are the servitor of unnatural evil 2.Support the Lords of Darkness, and they will reward you 3.Hide your nature from your fellow Sabbat. Never reveal your true master 4.Corrupt others whenever possible. Show them the darkness as you see it History The Path began in the 1600’s, founded by a group of Brujah who were demon worshippers during their mortal existence. Even before the Path began, at least some undead were willing servants of evil. The Path has remained hidden for all these centuries, despite a few of its practitioners being caught and staked. Current Practices Followers of the Path meet regularly, but Infernalists are extremely paranoid and secretive (Gee, I wonder why?) and most meetings are small, occasionally large meetings with dozens (dozens of us!) of kindred and their mortal attendants present. These Sabbat are unusual in their numerous mortal servants, used for various purposes including human sacrifice. The Kindred who follow this Path also form pacts with demons for great power in the material world, even including them in the Vaulderie. Through this practice, they can break their Vinculum with all other Sabbat who are not part of the Path. Description of Followers It would shock most Sabbat if they discovered who follows this path. The Infernalists are not necessarily the meanest or most brutal, in fact some seem quite human. Many of the sect's leaders follow this path, which is likely why so many of its followers remain safely hidden. Most of the followers are Lasombra with the rare Serpent of the Light follower and the even more rare Tremere follower. Views on the Other Paths Path of Caine: They are fools. Do they really think they are like Caine? No one but Caine is like Caine Path of Cathari: There is power in their games - real power. Too bad they do not know how to focus it. They are much like us, though they would not believe it. Path of Death and the Soul: We are what they would be, but we know the shortcut Path of Harmony: They deserve to die if they cannot be corrupted. Their make-believe sense of decency and ethics turns my stomach Path of Honorable Accord: They are the most fun to toy with and manipulate. They are still human, though they will not accept that fact. Path of Power and the Inner Voice: All roads branching off this Path led to us. We understand the reality of power and the inner voice. Following the Path To follow this path is to serve the Lords of Darkness, and for this reason ST’s should never allow players to fall down this Path. Followers of the Path must act in the interests of the powers they serve, always trying to corrupt others into following the Path, with promises of riches and power, though of course, these are only promises. Followers of this Path always lie and manipulate, not only for their own interests but those of their masters. Common Abilities Most followers of this Path possess Knowledges like Alchemy, Archeology, Demon Lore, Kindred Lore, Mage Lore, Occult and Theology, while others are also adept at Debate, Empathy, Intimidation, Leadership, Seduction, Sense Deception, Stealth and Subterfuge. Preferred Disciplines Auspex, Dark Thaumaturgy (explained below), and Presence are highly valued. Most infernalists make their pacts for promises of temporal power at the cost of their soul and servitude. Did you know the Path of Evil Revelations has its own Hierarchy of Sins? Well, it does!  Do’s and Don’ts of Following the Path of Evil Revelations  1.Always try to corrupt others to the ways of your Dark Lords 2.In the presence of the enemy - all not of this path - never act in accord with your true nature 3.Use everyone to you and your master's advantage 4.Perform sacrifices, as necessary, to appease your master 5.Express your vile nature whenever the opportunity presents itself 6.Pursue vampiric diablerie as much as you do Infernal Diablerie 7.Despise all vampires who act human and claim to possess morals and ethics The Extent of the Corruption It’s at this point I’ll call out one of the lyrical choices that open this short bit. Mostly because it’s extremely funny to see a Styx song, especially one from Kilroy Was Here appearing in a WoD book. quote:“It’s not always honesty, that is the best policy, but little lies can give you away, though you’ll deny it if they say, maybe you're just leading a double life” - Styx, “Double Life” If the Sabbat knew how many of its leaders followed this path, the sect would likely collapse into total panic as the corruption is more widespread than most in the sect are willing to believe. Even some of the Prisci and Archbishops have fallen to this Path. Turns out the Inquisition is correct in its paranoid fanaticism. ST’s should decide how far this corruption has spread and how it affects the players. While it can be the focus of a chronicle, it works best as a background intrigue, enhancing the mystery of the game. The Art of Dark Thaumaturgy Oh, hey a The Police lyric opens this segment, and if you had told me I’d be seeing a Styx and The Police quoted in a book about the Sabbat, I would have called you a drat liar. Dark Thaumaturgy is a new Discipline, because God forbid the writers don’t add new Disciplines in every book. Of course, ST’s are “Strongly Advised” to not let players learn this Discipline because it is quote:“Intended for use only by the vilest villains' characters will ever have the misfortune to encounter. If the Storyteller allows characters this Discipline, they could disrupt the balance of power among the characters and other Sabbat in the game. It will also go against the grain of Vampire by accepting ultimate evil rather than standing against it. Dark Thaumaturgy removes the moral problem solving and quest for balance between monster and human because the characters embrace irredeemable evil, rather than fighting it. If a player’s character has this Discipline, it is the worm at the rotting heart of the Sabbat and stands a very good chance of destruction at the hands of the Inquisition. For these reasons, Dark Thaumaturgy was not included in the Players Guide to the Sabbat” To which I say, again, why are you even suggesting that the players be allowed to have the thing that you’re putting in the book if you don’t want them to have it? I know there’s no way to stop players from buying a book intended for Storyteller’s alone, because frankly the divide between Player and ST is essentially non-existent, anyone can be an ST if they want to be, but again, if you’re going to include this poo poo that you don’t want the players to use, then maybe just don’t put it into the book or be explicit in the introduction to the book that some elements are intended for narrative use only and are not meant for players, IE: DON’T INCLUDE THE loving DICE ROLLS REQUIRED TO DO THE THING YOU DON’T WANT THE PLAYERS TO DO. Dark Thaum is, unsurprisingly, very similar to normal Thaumaturgy in both appearance and function, however the fundamental difference between the two is that traditional Thaum uses the inherent magical energy of the world, while Dark Thaum uses the dark power of Hades. So, is Hades a thing? I would assume it’s floating around somewhere in the underworld, separated from Stygia right? Yes, I know I’m trying to find consistency between games and books that had years between them but humor me. Dark Thaum has levels like regular Thuam, because of course it does, and the levels represent the highest-level ritual the character can perform. There are also Paths of Dark Thaum that function the same as traditional Thuam paths. Some rituals are like their traditional counterparts, while others have major differences, mostly the invoking and controlling of infernal powers. Dark Thaum has five basic ritual types: Summoning's, Bindings, Dismissals, Signs of Protection and Minor Magicks. Summoning rituals…. summon creatures, usually demons, from the Inferno and the creatures appear through the power of the ritual itself. Summoned creatures are free to do as they wish once they have appeared, so it’s always a good idea to have a way to control them once they’ve been summoned. All summoning's require Charisma + Occult rolls at difficulties set by the ST. Binding rituals allow the caster to force a demon into servitude. These rituals can take on any form the ST wishes, and can involve knowledge of the creature's True Name, the promise of the caster's soul, a list that names the price of the creature's service, or literally anything you want, as most binding rituals should differ depending on the creature summoned. Requires a Manipulation + Occult roll at an ST set difficulty. Dismissal rituals allow the caster to force a creature back to whence they came. Some of these rituals include a specific amount of time to which the demon is bound from returning to earth. Intelligence + Occult at an ST set difficulty. Signs of Protection are exactly that, symbols, glyphs and markings that protect the user from a specific type of creature or harm (fire, poison, electricity, etc.) Signs of Protection range from the handheld to large magical circles and require a Wits + Occult roll at an ST set difficulty. Minor Magicks are the miscellaneous spells that allow for various effects from curses to tossing bolts of energy. These rituals are rarer as they typically come from a direct source such as Infernal Investment or demons forced to produce said effect. Dark Thaumaturgy Rituals, Wards and Pacts Provided are a few ideas for potential Dark Thaum rituals. Characters skilled in this Discipline may create their own rituals, though most are ancient secrets that have been passed down for centuries. Demon stats are also provided later in the book. Level One Aport Object: Allows the caster to magically enchant an item, so that the next time they want it, they simply speak a word, and the object appears. Spectral Mask: Covers the casters face with a magical mist that takes on the image of some demonic creature, causing all who see it to make a Courage (or Morale) roll at difficulty 6, to resist running in fear. ST’s are recommended to use the Delirium chart from Werewolf to determine how the mask affects victims. Level Two Haunting Memories: Allows the caster to create painful images and transfer them to the next person they touch. The victim will be haunted by these recurring, demoralizing images for weeks, and will feel somewhat guilty and saddened but never know exactly why. Sign of the Moon: Makes the claws and fangs of Lupines less effective. For a single night, the caster does not take aggravated damage from Lupine attack but does take agg damage from silver. Summon Grantel: Allows the caster to summon Grantel, the Mandragora. There is no binding or dismissal ritual for this creature, as it is the servant of a greater demon. Binding and dismissal rituals inscribed in tomes do exist, but it turns out they’re all fake, so once you summon Grantel, you’re kinda stuck with him for a while. Level Three Sign of the Wraith: Makes the caster immune to attacks from all spirits for 13 minutes, though the caster cannot affect spirits for the same amount of time. By remaining motionless, the caster can extend the duration threefold. Movement after the initial 13 minutes automatically cancels the protection. Summon Tivilio: Summons Tivilio, Injurer of Cats. A cat must of course be given in sacrifice and like most demons, Tivilio is evil, vile and cunning despite his limited power. Turn to Toad: Allows the caster to turn themselves or someone else into a toad. If used on the caster, they can change back at any time, while victims are stuck in this form for twelve days, minus one day per point of Willpower the victim had when transformed. Level Four Bind Tivilio: A ritual that forces Tivilio to perform one task after being summoned. Once the task has been completed, the demon may do as it pleases. Summon Lucricia: Summons the succubus Lucricia, who is happy to please the caster, as it is her preferred method of corruption. Level Five Dismiss Tivilio: Cast the cat killer back to whence he came. Of course, using this ritual pisses off Tivilio, and it may seek retribution if it returns, but hey, gently caress that demon. Cats are cool. The Inner Furnace: Can only be used against humans and causes the victim to combust and burn to death. The caster must be able to see the victim and succeed at a Manipulation + Demon Lore roll against the victim's Willpower score. Every success causes a level of unsoakable damage. Soul Leech: Allows the caster to draw the soul from the recently deceased with a successful Wits + Intimidation roll against a difficulty of the deceased’s Willpower. The caster cannot keep the soul, as drawing it from the body destroys it while replenishing the caster for five Blood Points and removal of one level of damage. The stolen souls are in agony for the few minutes this process takes and appear as a vaporish cloud of swirling light around the caster that makes a terrible moaning throughout the duration. Level Six Summon Barliagus: Allows for the summoning of Barliagus, who does not appear in person and will likely attack the caster if they do not have something to offer. Transfer Essence: Allows the caster to transfer their soul, Mental Attributes, Charisma, Manipulation and Disciplines into a new body, which must be a freshly killed mortal. Upon transfer the casters original body crumbles to dust. Requires a Stamina + Medicine roll against the difficulty of how many hours the new body has been dead and cannot be cast on a body that has been dead for more than 10 hours. The Paths of Dark Thaumaturgy There are seven Paths of Dark Thaum, though there are almost certainly more as the powers of the Infernal are varied. As with traditional Thaum, the Infernalists choose one Path as their primary at second level, and additional levels can be learned through the same rules as traditional Thaum. Chains of Pleasure A Path used frequently to corrupt souls, some victims become dependent on the Infernalist for the effects of this power, as they are like a drug, sapping the will of the user over time. Once a victim has experienced this power, they will seek it again and again. Victims must roll Self-Control or Instincts at difficulty 6 to resist another chance to experience the effect. After each subjection to the power, the difficulty increases by one to a max of 9. This Path has proven extremely effective in gathering pleasure addicts to serve the Infernalist. 1 Dot: Ecstasy Creates intense pleasure in the target, Kindred or Kine, simply through skin-to-skin contact and the expenditure of a Blood Point by the caster. System: The victim feels the pleasure if the caster maintains contact and must make a Self-Control roll at difficulty 6 to do anything but enjoy themselves. Power may be used for any length of time, however, if contact is broken, recasting requires another Blood Point to be spent to reestablish. 2 Dot: Overstimulation A stronger version of Ecstasy is so effective that some victims perceive it as pain and may be knocked out by the effect. System: Victim must spend Willpower to take any action, then make a Self-Control roll as above. Failure means they lose consciousness. 3 Dot: The Wave of Pleasure Caster can cause pleasure in more than one victim, and no longer requires physical contact, merely eye contact with each victim. Once established, the power lasts if the target is in sight and the caster concentrates on maintaining the effect. System: Same as Ecstasy, contact can only be made with one person per turn and each target requires the expenditure of a Blood Point, though there is no limit to how many can be affected at once. 4 Dots: Writhing Delights Through nothing more than a touch, the caster can send a victim into a spasm of pleasure, leaving them laying on the ground shaking and squirming uncontrollably for hours. System: After touching the victim, the caster rolls Charisma + Subterfuge against the target's Willpower. The number of successes determines how long the victim is incapacitated with pleasure. 2 Successes - Five Minutes 3 Successes - Thirty Minutes 4 Successes - One Hour 5 Successes - One Night 5 Dots: The Glow of a Thousand Embraces It severely injures its victims, causing extreme shock to the nervous system. System: Caster must touch the victim and spend a Blood Point and a Willpower point. If the target is human, they suffer seven levels of damage, minus one per success on a Stamina + Athletics roll at difficulty 7. Vampires make the same roll, but suffer no damage, instead failure puts them in Torpor for as long as their Humanity score mandates. Success means the Kindred victim must make a Self-Control roll at difficulty 7 or go into Rötschreck (a state of blind fear).  Hands of Destruction A rather gruesome path, it grants the caster powerful offensive power and centers on entropy and decay. 1 Dot: Decay Ages an inanimate object, causing it to rust, break down or begin to corrode. System: Every minute the caster touches an object and spends a Blood Point, the object ages 10 years. ST can decide the effects. 2 Dot: Gnarl Wood Allows the caster to warp and bend any wooden object they see. The wood is otherwise undamaged. System: For every BP spent, 50 pounds of an object may be bent. This power can be used on any wooden object the caster can see, allowing for warping a hunter's stake. 3 Dots: Acidic Touch Allows the caster to produce a horrid secretion from anywhere on their body, capable of burning through wood and metal like acid and causing terrible chemical burns to anyone touched. System: One BP produces enough acid to burn a quarter inch steel plate in 3 seconds or enough for one attack. Acid causes any damage taken from a hand-to-hand attack to be Agg, though expenditure of a BP per turn by the caster to use is required. 4 Dot: Atrophy Sucks the life from a target's arm or leg, causing it to become a husk of bone, skin and little else. Effects are instantaneous and irreversible on mortal targets. System: Victim gets one resist roll with a minimum of three successes on a Stamina + Athletics roll at difficulty 8. Failure means the limb is permanently crippled. If one success is rolled the difficulty of using the limb is increased by two, while two successes only raise the difficulty by one. Kindred can heal this through the expenditure of 5 BP over the course of a night. 5 Dots: Turn to Dust Ages a human so rapidly they turn to dust. Caster rolls Manipulation + Intimidation against a difficulty of the target’s Humanity. Every success scored by the caster ages the victim by a decade. Fires of Inferno Who could have guessed this Path is all about controlling a form of energy only found in Hades? This energy looks like fire, but it is supernatural and affects those with protection against normal fire. The higher the level of the caster, the hotter the flames will be. Flames burn for half damage (rounded down) every turn after the first until extinguished if the target is combustible (like Vampires or mortals), causing agg damage. Hellfire can be put out the same as natural flames and appears in various colors. It sounds like Balefire from Werewolf and [i]Wraith. That’s what I’m gonna assume it is because gently caress it, I like having some consistency to the world. In this case number of dots = number of dice in damage 1.One Die 2.Two Dice 3.Four Dice 4.Six Dice 5.Eight Dice [i]Path of Pestilence Focusing on filth and disease as a weapon. An Infernalist skilled in this path is immune to their own effects, but not immune to other illnesses that affect the Kindred. 1 Dot: Sickness Allows the casters touch to cause illness. Effects vary but usually include fever, cold chills, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, etc. You know, symptoms associated with being sick. Only affects mortals. System: Nature of the infection varies from victim to victim, but the number of effects is equal to successes gained by the caster on a Strength + Intimidation roll against the victims Stamina + Athletics. The target then subtracts one point from each Physical Attribute for each effect. If any attributes are reduced to 0, they remain bedridden until recovered, and targets suffer the effects for one day per success rolled, though they regain their attributes at one point a day. 2 Dot: Vampire Sickness Allows the caster to create the same effect as above on Kindred. System: works as above, but victim can add Fortitude to the difficulty 3 Dot: The Swarming Like Animalism, allowing the caster to summon all insects within 200 feet. Summed insects can be commanded to perform simple tasks such as invading an area, eating all nearby food, crawling into things, climbing on targets, biting or stinging a target, etc. System: Insects stay in the area for a time equal to successes gained on a Charisma + Animal Ken roll at difficulty 6 by the caster and can be dismissed at any time by the caster. 1.One Turn 2.Five Minutes 3.Thirty Minutes 4.One Hour 5.One Night 4 Dot: Diseased Breath Allows the caster to exhale a breath that reeks of rotting flesh. Only affects mortals and supernatural creatures that must breathe (Lupines, Ghouls, etc.) Nature of the disease is left to the ST. System: Caster rolls Stamina + Medicine at difficulty 6, and everyone within 15 feet must roll Stamina + Survival at difficulty 6. Each additional success gained over the targets increases the difficulties of all the target rolls by 1. For every two successes over, targets take one level of damage. Targets who tie or roll more than the caster are unaffected. 5 Dot: Cause Plague Allows the caster to infect an individual with a virus that is transmissible to others through air or physical contact, and additional victims suffer the same symptoms as the initial target. System: Works as Sickness but can be transmitted in any way the ST chooses. Path of Phobos The Path of Fear allows the caster to manipulate the fears of their victims as a weapon, however those who have conquered their fears are immune, as are those with Faith. 1 Dot: Induce Fear Allows the caster to cause a victim to feel they are being watched and stalked. System: Can be used on any target in the casters view and requires a Manipulation + Empathy roll against the target’s Courage or Morale+3. Target must make a Courage or Morale roll at difficulty 5 + # of successes scored by the caster to act against them. 2 Dot: Spook Causes a target to feel overwhelming dread. System: Mortals must make a Courage or Morale roll at difficulty 7 to keep from running away. Kindred must do the same, but failure on the roll causes them to suffer Rötschreck. 3 Dot: Terrorize Allows the caster to draw a fear from the target’s mind and present it to them, and the victim sees or feels whatever they fear most. Ex: a fear of snakes would mean they see a large snake slithering around a corner just ahead of them or constantly hearing rattlesnakes behind them. System: Caster rolls Perception + Intimidation against the difficulty of the victims Self-Control +3 to determine duration. Effect ends when the caster no longer sees the victim. 1.One Turn 2.Five Minutes 3.Thirty Minutes 4.One Hour 5.One Night ST then calls for a Courage roll for the victim at difficulty 6 or 7 to allow the target to act. 4 Dot: Fear Immersion Allows the caster to call on the target’s most deep-rooted fear and force them to deal with it, face to face. Functions like Terrorize, but instead of simply placing signs of fear around the target, they are immersed in the fear. Ex: Fear of snakes would mean the victim becomes wrapped to the neck by a python. System: Same as Terrorize but the victim makes their Courage roll at difficulty 8 and lasts even after the caster no longer views the victim. 5 Dot: Leech of Fear Allows the caster to feed on fear as if it were blood. System: If the caster maintains the power, they gain BP from the fear of others. Every time the caster can see someone fail a Courage or Willpower roll, they gain one BP. Note that the other powers of the Path do not contribute to this feeding. Manipulation + Empathy at difficulty 8 determines length of effect. 1.One Turn 2.Three Turns 3.Five Minutes 4.Thirty Minutes 5.One Hour Path of Secret Knowledge Some Infernalist consider this to be the most powerful, and thus most difficult of the Dark Paths. quote:“Storytellers may wish to leave this Path out of the game if they feel it will be too disruptive. This Path allows the practitioner to glimpse knowledge and secrets they should not be privy to” Again, if you’re going to tell me that something isn’t meant to be used at the table, then why are you putting it into the loving book?! 1 Dot: Whispers Caster can spontaneously summon common knowledge of an individual from the back of their own mind, even if they have never met the target. This information includes name, occupation, age, interests, where they live, and familial relations, and takes almost no time for the caster to discover this information. System: Caster must make eye contact with the victim, and the victim can be no further than five feet away. Requires a Perception + Empathy roll from the caster, difficulty equal to the target's Willpower. Does not work on any supernatural beings, including Ghouls. 2 Dot: Secrets in the Dark Like Whispers, it allows the caster to gather more knowledge about the victim, including names of family, their phone numbers, where they work and what they enjoy or dislike. System: Requires a Perception + Empathy roll against the difficulty of the target’s Willpower +1 but works on supernatural creatures. Will not reveal deeply held secrets, such as someone following the Masquerade is a vampire. Tomorrow: The rest of the Path of Secret Knowledge and more
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Jun 25, 2023 14:39
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Dawgstar posted:Weird. They're already an all-female bloodline. I assume the chud rage about "All Lady vampires who are Vikings" was because chuds have convinced themselves that  are incapable of everything and thus it is WRONG AND WOKE to suggest that there were women Vikings.Because chuds are really, really god drat stupid and refuse to let things like facts and history disprove their childish fantasies.
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Jun 25, 2023 14:49
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Dawgstar posted:Weird. They're already an all-female bloodline. They accepted trans women.
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Jun 25, 2023 14:50
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"What the gently caress Julio, I come back from a long night of slaughtering poor orphan children and torturing nuns to death only to come back here and find you consorting with demons?!" "I'm going to report this immediately to the brutal secret police that we have to keep everyone free!"
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Jun 25, 2023 15:16
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MonsieurChoc posted:They accepted trans women. Yup. Cue enormous amounts of chud tears because vikings are MANLY MEN and trans people don't exist until 2017!!! It was incredible to watch.
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Jun 25, 2023 15:49
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By popular demand posted:"What the gently caress Julio, I come back from a long night of slaughtering poor orphan children and torturing nuns to death only to come back here and find you consorting with demons?!" No divided loyalties; you can serve Caine or you can serve the Devil, but you can’t serve both.
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Jun 25, 2023 18:15
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Joylessdivisions World of Dorkness Presents: The Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat Part 4 3 dots: The Hidden Grants the caster extremely private information about the target, or one minor secret the target is attempting to hide, or the name of a person the target claims to like but doesn’t, as well as the name of the last person the target was intimate with. System: Perception + Empathy against the difficulty of the target’s Willpower +2, and takes an entire turn 4 Dots: Dark Prophecy Allows the caster to tell the future, but the prophecies always focus on the darkest possibility, and the information gleaned is cryptic. System: Caster rolls Wits + Investigation at difficulty 8. Information should always be mysterious but ST’s can clarify with enough success scored. One success will provide an incomprehensible vision. 5 Dots: Unlock the Heart of Mystery With this power, the caster can uncover any knowledge lost to the world, such as locations of hidden treasure, secret names of demons, or the hiding places of powerful beings. System: Perception against a difficulty determined by the ST (should be at least a 9) and only uncovers mysteries unknown to mortals and vampires. Path of Torture It’s exactly what it says on the tin, all about causing pain. Many who practice this Path also practice the Chains of Pleasure, and those who follow this Path are the most ruthless executioners and torturers. 1 Dot: Hurt Allows the cast to cause pain in a mortal through skin contact and lasts as long as the caster maintains contact. Caster may specify the nature of the pain (sharp, piercing, extreme nausea, tickling, etc.) and whether it affects the victim's entire body or just a particular part. System: After the caster has made contact, they roll Manipulation + Intimidation at difficulty 6 while the target rolls Stamina + Courage at difficulty 6. Each additional success gained by the caster over the target removes that number of dice from the victims' pools as well as suffering extreme pain. 2 Dot: Hunger Allows the caster to cause pain in Kindred and requires physical contact. Victims feel as if they are starving and will double over due to this sharp pain. System: Works as Hurt, except that Sabbat resist with Morale instead of Courage. 3 Dot: Torment Works on mortals and supernatural beings, causing tremendous pain in the victim, eventually leading to mortals passing out or Kindred entering torpor. System: Once physical contact is made, Strength + Torture at difficulty 6 while victims resist with Stamina + Athletics at difficulty 6. If the caster beats the victim's roll, mortals immediately pass out and Kindred enters torpor. The length of this unconsciousness is based on the additional successes earned by the caster. 1.One turn 2.Five Minutes 3.Thirty Minutes 4.One Hour 5.One Night 4 Dot: Agony Same as Torment, but the victim feels extreme pain while unconscious, leaving them writhing on the floor. System: Follows the same rules as Torment but the victim suffers damage equal to the number of extra successes the caster rolled and can be soaked. 5 Dot: Pangs of Hell Worse than Agony, Pangs can kill mortals and put a vampire into torpor for years. By tapping the very depths of Hades, the caster causes pain, and often only death or destruction can end the pain. System: After physically touching the victim, Intelligence + Demon Lore difficulty 6 is rolled and the victim resists with either their Humanity or Path of Enlightenment roll at difficulty 6. Each additional success for the caster causes the victim to be incapacitated for a turn and causes a level of Agg damage. The Price of Power Gaining power is no easy feat, and inhuman power requires the loss of Humanity. But for those seeking Infernal power, the cost is more than just their Humanity, but their very souls. Demons, being demons, don’t give this power freely or out of the kindness of their hearts, it is always a high-cost exchange. Investment has two meanings when applied to demonic power, the granting of power as well as the demon's investment, which pays off at the end of the agreed period. While losing your soul might seem like no big deal to a player, its effects are felt throughout the game and wouldn’t you know it, players shouldn’t be associating with demons. Players who do become easily manipulated pawns by their masters (played by the ST), as well as running the risk of being subjected to torture and excessively painful Final Death at the hands of the Inquisition. Those who associate with demons become the ultimate villains that all Sabbat seek the destruction of. Once again, just say “This is for narrative purposes and not intended for players to use”. Demonic Investments The powers granted by a demon are known as Investments. The power of these investments is of course the demon itself, and not the Infernalist. They are the most common demonic gifts, though curses, wealth, political power, luck, personal service, valuable secrets or objects of desire can also be granted by demons. Some, such as luck, valuable secrets or curses, are subtle, leading to suspicions without any proof, thus making them potentially better Investments, depending on the situation. Investments have ratings that roughly translate to their power level, like everything else in these games. Gaining power means the caster has a formal agreement or Pact. The wording of such Pacts are always exact and full of fine print, you know, because demons. Requests for other things besides a soul are possible but uncommon. There are no hard and fast rules about making Pacts with demons, and generally this should be roleplayed. Provided is a guideline to granting Investments, and Infernalists don’t sign over their souls until the more extreme Pacts have been written. Size of Pact--Investment Points Gained Minor--1 Average Favor--2-3 Important--4-6 Important and Dangerous--7-8 Give Soul Freely--9-10 The investments provided give ST’s a basic value for certain types of powers. Feel free to change whatever you don’t like and add your own. Some demons can only offer certain Investments based on their own power and position. Additionally, Kindred who acquires even one Investment develops a “Witches Nipple”, where the demon pours the power into the Kindred. Investments 1 Point Aquatic: Allows the character to move freely underwater, allowing them to swim as fast as they can run and keep their full Dexterity score. Additionally, they take on a slightly aquatic look, reducing their Appearance score by 1. Mortal Infernalists gain gills. So, you get that Innsmouth look about you. Bat Ears: Grants sonar abilities. Body Armor: Grants an extra Soak die, and can be taken up to five times Grim Jaws: Increases the strength of the caster's jaws and teeth, allowing for them to chew through just about anything. Some versions of this investment allow for the extension of the jaw so the caster can swallow objects as large as a child in two turns. Kiss of Hades: allows for the burning of flesh with a kiss. Requires 1 BP to activate and causes three dice of aggravated burn damage. The victim must be grappled or surprised before power can be used. Lashing Tail: gives the caster a tail that can be used as a whip at short range, causing 2 dice of agg damage. Magic Sense: Allows the caster to sense any reasonably large expenditure of magical energy within 500 yards of them. Costs nothing to use but requires concentration. Does not pick up Disciplines other than Thaumaturgy. Razor Fangs: Like the Protean Wolf’s Claws power, this increases the size and sharpness of the caster's fangs, and costs 1 BP to do so. Agg wounds can be caused with these fangs and add an additional die of damage. Razor Fingers: same as above except it affects the casters fingernails. Also requires a BP to activate. Smell Fear: Allows the caster to smell fear within 100 feet. Costs 1 BP and concentration. 2 Points Invisibility to Animals: Allows for complete invisibility to animals, unless ST decides some can still smell the caster. Such an animal would cower in fright. Pheromone Powers: Allows the casters body to exude strange pheromones that causes mortals to be more susceptible to Dominate, reducing the current Willpower rating by half when determining difficulty of using Dominate. Effects all mortals within 30 feet. Psychic Tracker: Allows tracking with Clairaudience. Does not tell the caster the location of the target, instead letting them know when they are close. Costs 1 BP per hour used. 3 Points Cause Vertigo: What it says it does. Victims suffer difficulty standing, and mortals feel nauseous. Victims must make a Dexterity + Athletics roll at difficulty 5 to stand, or 7 to move or act. Can be used against any number of victims but requires 1 BP per victim afflicted and lasts for five turns. Magic Portal: Allows for the creation of dimensional alterations that allow the caster to pass through solid objects as if they were not there. Costs 1 BP Walk the Walls: Allows the caster to walk or crawl on any surface capable of supporting their weight, including walls or ceilings and moves at their normal speed. So, you can do the Breaking 2 rotating room dance. 4 Points Guardian: The caster is gifted a demonic protector of some sort, typically a petty creature like an imp. Creature will serve the caster, offering whatever protection it can. Caster has an empathetic tie to the creature, so each knows where the other is always, as well as their current emotional state. Toxic Blast: Allows for the caster to spew a foul liquid blast of demonic energy, which originates from a chosen source. Liquid disappears five turns after expulsion, and until that time, it appears as a foul smelling, acidic blackish-green goop. Costs 1 BP to cast a single blast that is broad enough to coat a human sized object. The projectile hits on a Perception + Firearms roll at difficulty 6 and causes 5 dice of agg damage. Two Dimensional: Allows the caster to lose all width, becoming non-existent from the side, and allowing for movement through small cracks as well as appearing invisible in profile. Costs 1 BP to use and despite being two-dimensional, the caster can still interact with objects. 5 Points Hell Skinned: Grants immunity to natural flame and all-natural heat. Does not protect against magical fire or sunlight. Life Leech: Allows for the draining of Willpower from mortals (including Ghouls and Lupines) and converting it into BP. Requires physical contact and a Manipulation + Subterfuge at a difficulty of the targets Conscience+3. Every success converts a point of Willpower to blood. Victims reduced to 0 Willpower become catatonic until they can regain Willpower. Master of the Domain: Allows the caster to know anything happening within a marked 500 square foot area of their domain as if they were watching from above. 6 Points Atrophic Touch: Causes a victim’s extremities to wither to nothing. Victims lose no health levels and feel no pain, but the target limb simply disappears. Costs 1 BP and 1 Willpower to activate, and the caster must touch the limb to be affected, then succeed in a resisted Willpower roll (difficulty 6 for both caster and target). Teleportation: Allows the caster to immediately pop into existence from one place to another at a range of 100 feet, though does not require visual on the target location. Costs 1 BP and 1 Willpower. Turn to Toad: Allows for turning a victim into a toad (which you can do with Level 3 Dark Thaum ritual). Effect lasts for one night per success on a Wits + Animal Ken against the difficulty of the target’s Willpower. Costs 1 BP and 1 Willpower. 7 Points Infernal Passage: Allows the caster to pass through the realms of Hades without fear of harm. It can only be granted by extremely powerful demons and does not provide the caster with a means of entry. Journey the Spirit Realm: Allows for traveling through the Umbra. Costs 1 BP per hour of travel, and the Kindred’s body becomes noncorporeal for the journey. Summon Hellions: Allows the caster to summon three minor demons to provide immediate protection from danger. Summoned demons will not put their own forms in danger but will attempt to protect the caster as best as they can. Costs 1 BP to use. 8 Points Army of the Damned: allows the caster to call forth nine minor demons to fight for them until their earthly forms are destroyed. Costs 1 BP to use. 9 Points Infernal Rankings: Grants the caster minor status among the truly damned, and makes them superior to minor demons, though the caster cannot force them to do anything they refuse. 10 Points Rejuvenation: Permanently transforms the caster into a mortal, and the caster becomes immune to being embraced again, and now ages normally. Infernal Blood Bonds Attempting to blood bond a demon is a really loving stupid idea. Not only is it a stupid idea, it’s impossible to do so. But the upside is that a demon can’t blood bond you either. Kindred who drink demon blood either get an extremely pleasurable high or become violently sick. Either way, they gain no sustenance from it. If, however, a Kindred feeds on a Succubus, then the ST can allow a blood bond to form. Kindred in this position may gain an investment without additional cost, other than the bond. In this situation, it’s up to the ST to figure out how to break such a bond. Additionally, drinking from a demon will also cause the development of the “Witches Nipple”.  Infernal Regions Hell’s power sometimes flows into the mortal world, especially when a demon manifests. However, certain areas on earth are closely aligned with Infernal regions, and these areas are usually where Infernal Diableries have taken place or locations of other great atrocities. These areas are hotspots of nasty supernatural activity, and these areas often have a presence that most can feel, while Mages and psychics are more aware of this feeling, and this energy can cause severe trauma to those unprepared for it This supernatural energy infects everything in the area, causing plants and vegetation to either wither and die or grow into unnatural shapes, and except for deformed rats and large insects, animals avoid these areas. The air is foul, the ground dry and everything reeks of decay. Any attempt to use Psychometry causes headaches, a nosebleed or some other effect. In cases of recent demonic activity, the smell of sulfur and brimstone lingers in the air. Even after leaving the area, individuals often suffer nightmares for weeks or potentially fall ill for a few days. Infernalists of course do not suffer any of these side effects. Infernal areas typically have a center or core area that is the apex of the energy, as the further from this core, the weaker the energy becomes. The closer to the core, the stronger the energy and the tie to the Infernal. Demons, of course, manifest in the most powerful spots. ST’s can require Morale or Courage rolls (difficulty being the player's Humanity score) when in one of these areas, and failure means they fall to Rötschreck. Infernal areas can also affect other psychic or supernatural powers, and at ST discretion, Disciplines as well. Vicissitude Revisited Vicissitude is more than just a Discipline, it’s a disease. Kindred must have tasted the blood of a Tzimisce before learning this Discipline, which means Sabbat members can learn it, but few others can. Vicissitude is considered a disease because of the toll it takes on the Kindred mind, as the Kindred’s thoughts become more alien the more quickly, they increase in the Discipline. Oddly, the Discipline doesn’t affect all Kindred the same, as two kindred with near identical genetic and environmental backgrounds learn Vicissitude, it could be easier for one to gain control than the other. Strangely, Vicissitude can also be developed by mortals, lupines, literally anyone who has tasted Tzimisce blood. To express this variable cost, there’s a table!  ST’s are urged to drop this mechanic if it overcomplicates the game. The chart is meant to be a guideline as effects are entirely up to ST choice. If an ST uses this aspect, simply roll one die to see how the disease affects the player. ST’s can roll or choose from the chart, and players must make a Willpower roll (difficulty determined by the chart) to see if they are mentally affected. If one or more successes are earned, the player does not gain a derangement, while failure gains one, and botching gains two. Of course, for the Tzimisce, this is just another Discipline, though ST’s can apply the disease mechanic to Tzimisce players as they see fit, though the cost should be the same as upgrading an in-clan Discipline. The chart does not describe how to play the mental effects of the Discipline, as that is up to the players and ST, and players affected by Vicissitude should not be seen or treated as Malkavians, as most continue acting normally, eventually withdrawing and becoming less emotional. Some who are seriously affected simply disappear, never to be heard from again.  The Spirit and the Flesh Despite literally everything that’s been said to this point that would convince you otherwise, the Sabbat are not entirely locked out of Golconda. It’s exceedingly rare, but not impossible, though there is the threat of the forces of darkness within the sect who seek to destroy those who possess faith like mortals. Golconda Some in the Camarilla believe in Golconda, the mythological state where a Kindred finds balance between their humanity and their Beast. Most Sabbat know this is bullshit, and despite the inherent spirituality of the Paths of Enlightenment, few of them teach of accepting the Beast through remorse or spiritual questing. Some on the Path of Harmony or Power and the Inner Voice are attuned to this goal, but the rare few choose to follow the hidden path behind these Paths. Most who seek Golconda do so while following their own Paths, usually seeking out an elder who has already achieved Golconda. Once a character has reached level 10 in their Path, the elder can begin the Suspire, and then the character will have all the advantages of Golconda. The Path of Harmony is intended to give the Kindred a connection to nature and the understanding that there is no innate evil, only that which is natural or unnatural. Being a Kindred isn’t inherently evil, but how they act determines if they are in harmony with nature, and few on this path reach Golconda, though many contact the Inconnu in their travels through the wilds. Despite its focus on power, the Path of Power and the Inner Voice puts an emphasis on spiritual wholeness, and because of this some within the sect seek the completeness that Golconda can provide. Many who follow this path learn that Golconda is not something to be found in a distant land but in the daily struggles for power. Of course, the quest for Golconda is not any easier for the Sabbat than it is any other Kindred, even potentially more difficult because of the inherent chaos of the sect and its focus on more mundane issues. If a character seeks Golconda, they will likely have to abandon their pack, or potentially ask them for assistance in achieving this goal. Either way, because of the nature of the sect and its packs, the Kindred seeking Golconda is at the mercy of their pack. While some will allow them to continue their questing, others will see it as weakness, and may attempt to punish the seeker. Faith and the Sabbat Faith is a mighty weapon against the Kindred, and against those who follow the Path of Evil Revelations are even more susceptible to its power. A rare few Sabbat, the strictest adherents to their chosen Paths have a form of Faith, but this requires they be at level 10 in their Path as well as completing tasks devised by the ST. The Paths of Honor and Cain both have members who could potentially have Faith, and any of the other Paths can as well, except for Evil Revelations. It falls to the ST to decide the cost of the Faith points, how many can be used and how many a character can gain. The Hunters Hunted and The Players Guide (both 1e books) have additional information about Faith, but ultimately it is up to the ST to decide how Faith will enter into the game and its effects. You know, when the corebook pitched the Sabbat as being the evil villains of the setting, this was the kind of thing I was expecting to see more of. While I have made my complaints about including the Path of Evil Revelation and Dark Thaumaturgy, (which c’mon now, you couldn’t come up with a better name than just “Dark Thaumaturgy”?) I liked quite a bit of this chapter and the Dark Thaum stuff provided. Summon some demons, gain Cenobite powers (Chains of Pleasure and Path of Torture)! This is the kind of dumb poo poo that I’m here for. If you’re going to segment off a group of vampires as “The Evil Ones” then by God I want to see some evil, and I got it. The Golconda stuff seems…I don’t know, not out of place but a bit of an odd choice to include. I understand it’s a major bit of setting lore that got an extensive bit of space dedicated to it in the 1e corebook, but it seems antithetical to who and what the Sabbat are, regardless of my pissing and moaning about them being yet another bureaucratic group. The Sabbat are supposed to be the ones fighting the Antediluvians and their influence, and embrace the new morality of being a monster, so why would they seek Golconda? I mean sure, not every single member of the sect is going to be a slavering, mustache twirling villain who's buddy-buddy with demons, but for a group that broadly sees itself as superior to mortals, it seems like Golconda would be blasphemy to the Sabbat. The stuff about Faith is such an afterthought that I don’t have much to say about it other than it's there, and I’m going to need to read Hunters Hunted sooner or later to get a better grasp on the whole Faith as a mechanic thing. I’m still annoyed that the authors keep including things in these books that they don’t want players to use. I understand the thought process of providing the information for the ST to create villains for their chronicles, but the constant “Don’t let players have this or it will break the game” is just so loving frustrating. There must be a way to include this information without having to give this dumb warning about not letting players take it. Of course if they took out the mechanical side of it, I would probably complain that they’re putting too much work on the ST having to figure out how to do all this weird poo poo, which I have complained about in previous books where the authors has introduced and idea and then just said “Hey you figure this poo poo out”. So, there’s not a great solution to this problem, as I know they’re going to keep adding these game breaking elements into things and wagging their fingers at players for even daring to think they can use these elements. Let’s keep moving along, because we’re here for a reason, and his name is Samuel Haight. For those of you asking, “When do we get to the fireworks factory”, well….we’re getting there…. eventually.   Chapter Five: Storyteller’s Aids Sabbat Stereotypes The following are a batch of stereotypical Sabbat for ST’s to use in their chronicles. Each can be adjusted as needed to fit the chronicle and desired flavor of the potential character they represent. For the sake of my sanity and yours, I’m going to skip over most of the stats and just provide the info blurbs about each stereotype.  Archbishop Archbishops are the overseers of all Sabbat related activity in a city, with many overseeing specific scouting missions. They are rarely encountered by non-Sabbat. Bishop Bishops handle security for the sect, as well as scouting missions and any number of other tasks delegated to them by an Archbishop, and in turn, the bishops pass the orders along to packs. Bishops tend to not involve themselves in dangerous activities, instead preferring to remain in their havens and leave the dirty work to others. Generally, there are three Bishops per Sabbat city, though this depends on the size of the city.  Black Hand Agent Representing the average Black Hand member, however ST’s should remember that there is usually great diversity within each Hand unit. Adding or removing combat related skills for individual agents is recommended. Black Hand Removers (Assassins) Predominantly Assamite Antitribu, they are usually quiet and reserved but extremely dangerous. Black Hand Dominion The generals of the Black Hand, wherever major action is occurring, they will be there guiding things behind the scenes.  Blood Brother Blood Brothers are a special weapon of the sect. A nasty bunch low on personalities and high on loyalty, their power to unite their bodies and minds make them a formidable threat.  Coven Member (New) Kindred who are still learning what it is to exist within a Sabbat city. While they’ve caught on to some of the goings on, they are still outsiders to most of the intrigues occurring. Coven Member (Experienced) The Kindred who know what it takes to last in a Sabbat city, they usually have good connections and the power and cunning to pursue their own goals. These are often the most active, and vicious of the sects schemers. Coven Member (Veteran) A rarity, these Kindred have been through it all and survived to tell the tale. They’re ambitions go beyond the petty personal goals of younger Sabbat, instead turning their focus on preparing the entire sect for Gehenna. They are the craftiest of the sect, despite their occasionally honest goals.  Infernal Diabolist (Tainted Soul) The very creatures the Inquisition was formed to find and purge. These are the followers of the Path of Evil Revelations and they vile beyond castigation. These are the beginner Infernalists compared to those who served the Lords of Darkness longer. Infernal Diabolist (Fully Corrupted) The peak of the evil mountain, these Kindred have served the Darkness for so long that there is no chance of redemption. They exist only as pawns of the Dark Lords they serve, though their individual powers are awesome.  Sabbat Inquisitor Ruthless and fanatical in their drive, these Kindred exist to purify the sect of its Infernal influences. They make for powerful enemies, more because of the political sway they hold than raw physical power.  Lasombra Manipulator Perfect representations of the Lasombra clan, they protect their interests, while seeming to work towards the greater good of the sect.  New Recruit The people who were “Lucky” enough to be chosen by the sect to be cannon fodder. Recruits are not considered full Sabbat until they have proven themselves, though managing to climb out of the grave is the certainly the first step in proving their worth. Nomadic Sabbat (New) Younger Nomads who are still adjusting to unlife on the road. They have enough abilities to survive, but many miles to go before it becomes easy. Nomadic Sabbat (Experienced) True survivors, these Kindred know how to make it in Lupine, Inconnu or Camarilla territory, and handle their personal needs. Nomadic Sabbat (Veteran) Older Kindred for whom unlife on the road is just another game, having survived the worst their numerous enemies can throw at them. They have likely seen the fall of their cities at the hands of the sect, only for the sect to unite again later.  Paladin (aka Templar) The personal guards to Archbishops, Prisci, Cardinals and other important leaders. They serve the desires of the ones they have chosen to protect to the point of assassinating their opposition, even if that means taking down a fellow Sabbat. They are held in contempt by many, including the Black Hand.  Priscus Serving as advisors for Archbishops and Cardinals, they wield some political power, but their position is more about respect than authority.  Scout (Novice) Still new to scouting, they make up the majority of Scouts. Typically operating either alone or with a partner, and unlike packs that act as scouting parties, these novices infiltrate the Camarilla or Anarchs of a city. Scout (Expert) Usually reserved for actual scouting missions, they are occasionally paired with a Novice to teach them the ropes.  Tzimisce Torturer The most feared of all Sabbat, to the point that if a Camarilla Kindred was given the choice of Final Death or meeting one of these monsters, they’d readily choose destruction. Through Vicissitude and Necromantic arts, these Kindred have perfected the act of torture to heights unseen and are capable of gaining whatever information from their victims they seek, no matter how tough the victim may believe themselves to be. Titles Sidebar To help make each individual Sabbat more unique, the following is a list of various titles that are used only when addressing an official, with some titles being included under multiple levels. The sect’s system of titles is not clear-cut, and as long as a character has a higher sounding title, then the title is fine, unless a superior asks them to change it. ST’s are encouraged to come up with their own titles, and each includes the most common form used as well as the female form of the title in parenthesis unless it is the same as the male form. Cardinal: Cardinal/High Lord (High Lady)/Lord (Lady) Priscus: Archdeacon/Chief/Deacon/Grand Master (Grand Mistress)/Great Father (Great Mother)/Lord (Lady)/Master (Mistress)/Monsignor/Oracle Archbishop: Archbishop/Baron (Baroness)/Chief/Father Superior (Mother Superior)/Grand Master (Grand Mistress)/Great Father (Great Mother)/Lord (Lady)/Master (Mistress)/Monsignor Bishop: Bishop/Chief/Father (Mother)/Father Superior (Mother Superior)/High Father (High Mother)/ Lord (Lady)/Master (Mistress) Priest: Abbot (Abbess)/Brother (Sister)/Chief/Father (Mother)/Friar/Master (Mistress)/Preacher/Prior (Prioress)/Reverend (Lady Reverend)/Sir (Madam) Paladin: Chief/Lord (Lady) I kinda love that “Chief” appears under all of these tiles. Which makes me now imagine a character who literally addresses every Sabbat member in a place of power as Chief. A Malkavian because they could probably get away with that kind of poo poo. Sabbat Bestiary Here we have a bestiary of supernatural creatures that ST’s can use for their chronicles and should not be used if the ST is not comfortable using them. Stats are provided more as a guide. Demons Each of the following demons are unique creatures of the Inferno with supernatural powers and abilities and wholly inhuman in every sense of the word. Some are in league with followers of the Path of Evil Revelations, and as demons are sexless, they are addressed by the terms appropriate to the most common manifestation they take. Demons also have their own “Virtues” that represent their behavior when the opportunity presents itself. The first virtue is Treachery, and whenever a demon gets into a situation where more is to be gained from betrayal of their allies and supporters, they must make a Treachery roll. If at least one success is scored, the demon will betray its supporters. The difficulty of this roll is based on the size of the potential gain from betraying, said supporters. The greater the gain, the lower the difficulty. Cruelty is the second virtue and represents the likelihood of atrocities being committed by the demon for its own pleasure should the opportunity present itself. If an such an opportunity arises, the demon makes a Virtue roll and commits the act if the roll is successful. The difficulty depends on how out of its way the demon must go to commit the act. EX: If a demon were fleeing Inquisitors, the difficulty would be high because the demon's self-interests are at stake. If, however, there was an opportunity to toss a small child off a bridge, the demon would have a hard time not stopping to indulge. The final virtue is Courage and is used the same as it is for Kindred, though it is rare among demons. Barliagus the Cataboligne A very minor demon, he is considered part of the Catabolignes, a type of demon that enjoys the manipulation of human agents, treating them well and even occasionally manifesting to protect said agents. They’re better known for using their powers to prey on those who oppose them or their servants, often kidnapping such an individual and carrying them off to a safe location to be destroyed. Barliagus is a common example of his kind, with immediate plans to establish a following of immortal servants and has found the Sabbat to be perfect for the job due to their lack of morals, long existence and aptitude for secrecy. Roleplaying Hints: You are a representative of the brute forces of Hell. Your kind serves as legionnaires to more powerful demons. You are tough and it shows. You enjoy human suffering and whenever you torture or kill someone, you almost lose yourself in the pleasure. You speak bluntly and to the point. People obey you without having to be manipulated, and if they are mortal and particularly powerful, you may manipulate them into your service with promises of great rewards. You have no mercy for those that oppose you.  Grantel the Mandragora The servant of a powerful demon, he acts as a link between this more potent demon and its earthly followers. Grantel willingly helps any servant of his master in their schemes for as long as his master wishes. His ultimate mission is to corrupt the very soul of the individual. For centuries he has served as a familiar to more than one Infernalist, and would be grateful to serve a new one, especially one as powerful as a Kindred. He appears in one of two forms, a small child or a man with a beard, or occasionally as a doll of some kind. Roleplaying Hints: You are a sneaky little creature, and you are always looking for new souls for your master, who you refuse to name unless the target is truly interested. When you appear as an old man, act wise, treat everyone with kindness and respect, and try to make everyone believe that Hades is not such a bad place after all. Mentor anyone interested in becoming involved in Infernal matters and always be kind and patient. Appear to do things out of the goodness of your heart, while constantly trying to corrupt those around you.  Lucricia the Succubus As her name implies, she is a succubus, a demon who gains her power through having sex with mortals. She has long preferred mortals over Kindred but has recently learned she can Blood Bond Kindred to her. They seem to gain no sustenance from her “blood”, but they receive enormous pleasure from the act. She has decided to include both Kindred and Kine in her schemes, whatever they may be. Roleplaying Hints: You are after your victims body and soul. You will offer your own body for the victims soul and will seduce any male or female you can, especially those who are most innocent. You begin by serving as a source of pleasure, drawing your victims in for the kill. Soon you begin requiring little acts of service from your victims before they can enjoy further favors. Eventually, you will promise to be theirs for all eternity, if they give up their soul. Nubarus, Grand Vizier of the Infernal Realms An extremely powerful being and one of the mightiest demons an Infernalist can meet on Earth. However, he does not manifest often, thanks to his numerous powerful servants around the world. He can assume his own form, the form of a human or a crow while visiting Earth. He is known for his powerful Investments for the price of a living soul, and he has legions under his command. Roleplaying Hints: You are one of the most powerful beings of the Inferno and exude magnificence and evil. It is your place to dominate all situations involving lesser beings. Around those of equal station you are the consummate politician. You are a strategist and everything you do is part of the structure building to your ultimate goal. You know you are in the second tier of demons and dream of the day when you can ascend to the first. Tivilio, the Injurer of Cats A minor demon who draws power from the sacrifice of cats, a practice known as Taigheirm. He once had a large following in the Scottish Highlands but lost it long ago. He has granted many minor Investments to his followers but never gained a large number of souls, instead relying on animal sacrifice as his main method of increasing his own demonic prestige and potence. He favors the sacrifice of cats and is known to assume the form of a large, mangy black cat after enough have been slaughtered in his name. He is looking for those who will grant him sacrifices but has begun craving larger gifts of worship because he has seen the potential for evil the Sabbat are capable of. Roleplaying Hints: You try to claim more status than you really have. You wish to impress mortals and desire power, but your superiors hold you back. You forever plot to achieve this greater power and status. Use everyone and everything to your advantage. Ghouls Most Sabbat ghouls are animals, as the sect does not rely on humans for ghoul stock as they tend to be rather weak. Provided are two types of ghouls most commonly found around Sabbat havens. Hell Hound A mutated dog, the Tzimisce uses their powers of Vicissitude to horribly disfigure the poor animals into something even more terrifying to behold.  Guardian Ghoul While human ghouls are rare (with some exceptions, to be detailed shortly) the few that are part of the sect differ greatly from their Camarilla counterparts. Most are used to provide protection to communal havens during daylight hours. Horribly changed by Vicissitude, these ghouls are empowered with the abilities needed to protect their Sabbat masters while also preventing them from being accepted by mortal society again. While they may be horribly disfigured monsters, it’s not all bad, as most are allowed to do as they please, so long as they serve their masters faithfully. Most turn to books as a social life is impossible. The few ghouls who are not altered by Vicissitude typically serve the Sabbat as connections to mortals who are used as pawns by the sect. Guardian Ghouls altered by Vicissitude should be unique in their appearance. Roleplaying Hints: You are almost totally insane, a subservient pet to the Sabbat, though a ferocious beast to any intruder. If you’re capable of speech (most aren’t) you don’t say much.  Zombies Exactly what the name implies. The stats provided can be applied to any undead created by the Giovanni or any Sabbat practicing the Path of Death and the Soul. Roleplaying Hints: Don’t talk, don’t think, don’t do anything – except what your master tells you. Revenants Revenants are members of “Ghoul Families” or simply, the Families. The Tzimisce started the tradition by drawing on mortal families of nobles for their potential childer and guards, in exchange for a bit of their immortal vitae. Over the centuries, these ghoul families began breeding with members of their own families and other ghoul families, and within a few hundred years the blood of the Kindred was no longer needed to sustain their powers. Certain traits like long lives and Disciplines became in-born characteristics of those born into these families. The families are an entirely different breed of Ghoul, having been born into the supernatural and some living for three or more centuries. Despite the Kindred blood flowing through them, they continue to age due to thinning of the blood over the course of generations of in-bred ghouls. Only Kindred blood can truly make them ageless. Revenants have a few other advantages besides long lifespans. They are capable of producing vitae at a rate of one point per day and can store up to 10 Blood Points +1 per 100 years alive. These naturally occurring BP are what are used to power their Disciplines, and while they can gain additional BP from drinking Kindred vitae, they cannot exceed their maximum. Disciplines come so easily to them that by puberty they have at least three points worth of Disciplines. While they produce children as mortals do, they typically only mate with members of their own families or other ghoul families and on rare occasions, with Sabbat ghouls. It is rare to have a child with a mortal, but it does happen on occasion, and usually these “bastard” children are destroyed, though a few have been allowed to live. Because inbreeding tends to cause disease and other genetic fuckery, they prefer to marry distant kin. Moral values and ethics among ghoul families are alien to those of normal mortals. As they have been raised around the world of the Sabbat, they reject their human nature and follow the Sabbat’s Paths of Enlightenment, with some following Paths that even the Sabbat have abandoned. Elitists to the last, they see themselves as superior to humanity, and this is reflected in their lifestyles and attitudes. Few of these ghouls, either through natural sensitivity or being raised apart from their families, find a sliver of humanity within and nurture it, though this is a tightly held secret. If “Weakness” is discovered, they will be humiliated and punished, potentially with death. Their lifestyles shock and appall humanity as they do not have or understand human morality. Even some Kindred can express Humanity more than these ghouls. They live evil lives centered on sex, drugs, murder, strange rituals, dark science, occultism and utter lawlessness. Being culturally isolated from the mundane and living like hermits on private estates or in townships where supernatural occurrences are common, most (except the Grimaldi) believe themselves to be normal, mortals are the real weirdos as they haven’t opened their eyes to the truth of the darkness around them. Shocking to no one, most Revenants do not understand human behavior or how to interact with normal people. Tomorrow: More about the Ghoul Families of the Sabbat
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Jun 26, 2023 14:20
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The second named sexy demon who sexes you in Vampire! I wonder if she knows Gulfora.
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Jun 26, 2023 14:24
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Can I just say I adore the artwork in the Sabbat book? It's so inked and punk and it really fits the setting. Classic stuff.
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Jun 26, 2023 14:56
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By popular demand posted:"What the gently caress Julio, I come back from a long night of slaughtering poor orphan children and torturing nuns to death only to come back here and find you consorting with demons?!" 40k does get a little formulaic I agree.
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Jun 26, 2023 15:05
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Mors Rattus posted:Infinity RPG: TAGs PanO or CA.
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Jun 27, 2023 00:15
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PanOceania would be neat. Finally we'd have Catholic shocktroopers in power armor represented in something from a miniatures game.
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Jun 27, 2023 00:42
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Joylessdivisions World of Dorkness Presents: The Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat Part 5 Origins of the Ghoul Families The following families were once noble houses that served the Tzimisce, and from these houses came Tzimisce progeny, adept in leadership and the subjugation of others. These noble houses were no better than any others, though their vampiric connections provided them with many advantages. The first of course being their wealth and power across Eastern Europe, the second being the Tzimisce’s protection and strength in battle and finally, and most importantly, the blood of the damned that transformed them into ghouls. The price was absolute loyalty and fidelity, which they gave without hesitation. These families acted as the eyes and ears of the Tzimisce across the courts of Eastern Europe, Russia and the Ottoman Empire, while also granting the clan access to the Church. These blood bound families proved to be powerful tools by supplying not only spies and recruits, but powerful ghoul armies. Following the Anarch Revolt and the birth of the Sabbat, the surviving families divided over who they should follow. While some claimed independence, others entered the service of the Inconnu, a few remained with the Sabbat. The rest were summarily destroyed by the Sabbat, Camarilla or witch-hunters. Some claim that one family, the Ducheski became followers of the Tremere, though their fate is still a mystery. Another rumor among the Brujah of the sect claims that the Assamites have their own ghoul family composed of assassins trained from birth, descended from an ancient Thugee cult. Technically I suppose the Nabataeans fit that description? I don’t remember if they were supposed to be ghouls or just crazy well-trained killers hanging out in Jordan. That chapter of Promised Lands was a bit of a mess to try and understand. Of the eight families that joined the Sabbat, only four remain. While no Sabbat will cop to massacring servants of the sect, they also aren’t crazy about large numbers of mortals knowing about their secrets. The four families, the Bratovitches, Grimaldis, Obertuses and Zantosas no longer fear the threat of extinction and the Tzimisce stand against mistreatment of their “pets” as they call the families, as they are a reminder of Tzimisce “culture”. Status Within the Sabbat Grudgingly respected by the sect because the Tzimisce demand their existence be unhindered, the ghoul families likely know more about the sect than even veteran members, as lore is passed from generation to generation, as is secret lore that even the Sabbat are unaware of. While the families do not participate in Sabbat rituals, many practice their own traditions and rituals. While a Revenant may not ask to be embraced, that doesn’t mean that many Tzimisce, and a handful of Malkavian and Toreador don’t embrace from these families, as the combination of Disciplines from birth is enhanced upon Embrace, making them formidable recruits, and as many already follow a Path, they have little trouble adjusting to the change. With their knowledge of the sect, Disciplines and ideology of the sect, Revenants are naturals at dealing with the peculiarities of undead existence. Of the four families, only the Grimaldi supply useful services to the sect, supporting something like the Masquerade for the Sabbat, covering up the stories of the sect's escapades that would otherwise blow the lid off the whole “Vampires don’t exist” thing. Family Relations The four families rarely interact, though occasionally they conduct business deals with each other, and on rare occasions, arrange marriages between members of their families as gestures of goodwill, especially when settling a dispute. The Obertus are relatively unknown to the other three families, while the Grimaldis, Zantosas and Bratovitches know and do not trust or understand each other. The Grimaldis and Zantosas don’t get along because of a centuries old feud over land disputes and forgotten insults. While rarely actively opposing the other, they do make each other the brunt of criticism and jokes. Ghoul Families and Vampire Listen, yes you can play a Revenant, but there are numerous advantages and disadvantages to consider. Not needing to drink blood removes some of the horror of the game, especially if the inhumanity of the Revenant isn’t played up. ST’s should also not give Revenants the standard three dots in Disciplines after their embrace, though they can still gain additional Disciplines through the normal freebie cost method. Revenants can be handy supporting characters, adding a bit of mystery and a sense of absurdity to the story. ST’s are free to alter the provided families as well as creating their own, as it is possible other families, like the Obertuses are simply hiding away from mortals, the other families and the Sabbat. Ghoul Family Descriptions While ghoul families once served a purpose to the Sabbat, times have changed and many leaders see them as festering boils on the face of the sect, serving no purpose other than a constant source of weakness. For reasons unknown, the Tzimisce continue to prevent them from annihilation. Bratovitches Nickname: Monsters Description: Easily the most bizarre and inhuman of the families, they originally provided Guardian Ghouls for the Tzimisce and cared for the clan’s wolfhounds, used for hunting down Tremere and Lupines. Bratovitches became the most notorious Revenant Lupine hunters thanks to their keen understanding of Lupine strategy. They remained with the Tzimisce and fought proudly against the Anarchs during the revolt. However, after the Tzimisce fell to the Anarchs, the family shifted their support to the Anarchs, and in a show of goodwill to the Anarchs, burned 50 of their own children alive so that no future generations would remember a time when the family did not support the Anarchs. With the collapse of the Anarch Movement and the formation of the Sabbat, the family stayed with the Sabbat and their love of killing proved useful, while their games of torture and self-mutilation were mostly overlooked by the sect. They remained keepers of the wolves and providers of Guardian Ghouls. The family is no longer active within the Sabbat, and due to their peculiarities, the sect avoids them at all costs, seeing them as even more vile than their own sect. The occasional Nomad pack will stay at a Bratovitch estate, but rarely for very long. The stories of their demented games, cruel experiments, repulsive diets and self-mutilation are innumerable. The family are recluses, living the same way their ancestors did. While some have televisions and other modern conveniences, most do not. They live in dilapidated mansions filled with antiques and junk that has been with the family for centuries. They also never clean their houses, so they are constantly dirty and disgusting. They do not keep servants, as any help they hire inevitably either goes insane, flees in terror or ends up as dinner. Appearance: Most perform flesh and bone crafting upon themselves until they are either odd or strikingly beautiful, though most are the former. They wear whatever clothes appeal, though generally in black. Family Estates: There are at least 20 estates still in existence, with between 10 and 20 family members on each estate, and they are, as described above, dilapidated and disgusting. Backgrounds: All Bratovitch are Dilettantes, like their ancestors. The children go to public school with normal children, learning what normal kids learn. Of course, they also receive tutelage at home in the fine arts of toxicology, animal handling, torture and other handy skills they’ll need. Character Creation: The Bratovitches have peculiar Natures and Demeanors, though typically similar. Physical attributes are their primary stat, as are Skills. Most will have Mentor and Resources. Disciplines: Animalism, Potence, Vicissitude (it’s said they were the ones to teach the Tzimisce this skill) Weakness: They Frenzy as if they were Brujah. Preferred Paths: Literally any, including ones that are no longer followed by the Sabbat. Family Organization: The family respects age, and the eldest male is always the leader of the household. Visits among the family are common and all are expected to maintain close relations with their kin. Gaining Family Recognition: The family does not recognize one member over another, all are considered equal. Wisdom is highly respected, but even the fools get their say. The only exception to this equality relates to children, as they must answer to their parents. The only way to lose respect is siding against the family or leaving to live with regular mortals. Destroying Lupines is also a good way to gain respect. Sabbat Duties: They are still the wolf and dog keepers, training them as pets and guards for the sect, as well as a large collection of animals for their own use. They frequently hunt Lupines and occasionally offer hospitality to visiting Nomads. Quote: “Aaaargh! I’ll be eatin’ yew fur supper if yew don’ get offa my porch ‘fore I count ta 10!” Stereotypes: Grimaldis: Weak human fools. It is them who will betray us. Watch your back around them always Obertus: Snooty, but tolerable bastards Zantosas: Respectable but completely untrustworthy. The Zantosas have deep secrets, but why are they? Sabbat: Our master, but they have grown weak. We must help make them stronger at every opportunity.  Grimaldis Nicknames: Puppets Description: Living among mortals, they are an exception amongst ghoul families. Originally serving the Tzimisce as recruits and spies, the Assamites nearly destroyed the entire family during the Revolt, and the Tremere failed to finish the job. A few of the family made it to the Sabbat and became servants. They quickly found their niche within the church, keeping a watch on the Inquisition and known Camarilla Kindred. Many of the Anarchs who joined the Camarilla became spies, relaying the information they gathered to the Grimaldi, making the family the most adept at covert operations. Now, they serve as a link between the Sabbat and the mortal world, charged with maintaining the Sabbat’s equivalent of the Masquerade, and with the support of the sect, they control most of the media in Sabbat controlled areas. The family is highly skilled in blackmail and bribery and are very well organized and rich. While nowhere as powerful as the Giovanni or Ventrue, they are just as skilled and cunning, and with the backing of the Sabbat, considerably more dangerous. Appearance: The Grimaldi do not use Vicissitude to improve or mutilate themselves, instead dressing as normal humans. If anything, they are slightly conservative in dress and style. Family Estates: They do not have family estates, and rarely visit one another, though they keep in touch for business reasons. Backgrounds: They are the only ghoul family that breeds with normal humans, and they are raised in private schools, receiving the best education possible. They are all professionals, groomed from childhood for the responsibility of working within a specific field. They are the most likely of the families to develop Humanity. Character Creation: Their Nature and Demeanors vary, though their Demeanor should be reflective of the work they do. Mental attributes are their primary stat along with Knowledges. They also have many Background traits, including Allies, Contacts, Fame, Influence, Resources and Retainers. Disciplines: Celerity, Dominate, Fortitude Weakness: All are blood bound to Sabbat Bishops or Archbishops, which prevents them from becoming a threat, and is considered necessary considering how much time they spend in mortal society. Their “Patron” as their blood donor is called, seldom calls upon the bond, though the family commit to the bond out of respect and loyalty. Preferred Paths: The Path of Honorable Accord is preferred, as it allows them to hide their Humanity. A few follow the Path of Harmony or the Path of Caine. Family Organization: The Grimaldis conduct formal business meetings from time to time, calling together family members with related business interests. Gaining Family Recognition: Excelling at a job is the best way to gain respect within the family. Those who maintain the Sabbat Masquerade are the most respected, but those who win awards or mortal fame are also cherished. Sabbat Duties: Maintaining the Masquerade but covering up the high missing persons and murder rates in Sabbat cities and keeping stories of Sabbat shenanigans out of the news. While the sect may claim to not need a Masquerade, the Grimaldi provide one, nonetheless. Quote: Hello my friend! How are you? This is good. Listen, I have a little favor to ask of you. I’m sure you won’t mind, considering how nice I was in keeping all those pictures of you and those young men to myself Stereotypes: Bratovitches: Most definitely the weirdest of all the families. Fortunately, they avoid us. Should they interfere with our efforts, we would have them removed permanently. They are a blight upon the Sabbat. Their refusal to enter the modern world means we should leave them behind. Obertus: I do not understand them or feel comfortable around them, but their information has always proven valid and useful. Zantosas: Lecherous trash. Our longtime adversaries and traitors to our sect’s cause. These inbred, insane, criminal jerks create more problems than they’re worth. Sabbat: We have nothing but respect for our patrons, and we will do everything we can to protect them from humanity, which would too quickly pass judgment upon them  Obertus Nicknames: Hermits Description: Quiet and reserved, living together in small communities. They are seekers of truth, and many pursue this truth through dark science while others through occultism and still others through the Paths of Enlightenment. Some of the greatest scholars in the world are members of this family. Having spent century after century studying and living history, their upbringing emphasizes knowledge and wisdom, and they possess great libraries, rumored to include some ancient books from the Library of Alexandria. The Obertuses maintain a close connection with the Tzimisce, but seldom does either group involve themselves in the others affairs. The family does not play an active role in the Sabbat, however they are highly useful information gatherers and members have infiltrated the Society of Leopold, the Arcanum and certain Mage societies. Appearance: Generally, of average appearance, many of the younger family use fleshcrafting to look better than normal. All are dignified and conservative in dress, most wearing a ring or pendant bearing the family crest. Family Estates: While they don’t maintain large estates, they do typically live together in small villages away from prying eyes, and can be found in New England, the Midwest and Central America. On the surface these towns appear to be quaint, but they are hotspots for all sorts of high strangeness. Backgrounds: Almost all are scholars with an ingrained appreciation for knowledge, they spend far more time studying than the other families. They do not leave home for schooling, instead being taught on an individual basis by another family member. Upon reaching young adulthood, they are free to seek their own tutors, usually for training in a specific area. The one exception is the Obertuses who study science or medicine generally leave home to attend universities to get up-to-date information on their field, though they possess scientific and medical knowledge unknown to the mundane members of these fields. Character Creation: Almost always Professionals or Dilettantes and all are keenly interested in learning, making Mental attributes their primary along with Knolwedges. Their Nature and Demeanors vary and there is no “norm”. Common backgrounds include Mentor and Resources Disciplines: Auspex, Obfuscate, Vicissitude Weakness: Easily obsessed with some aspect of their own lives or goals. Most possess the Obsession derangement, while some have the Perfection derangement. Preferred Paths: Varied, with a preference towards Path of Death and the Soul, Path of Harmony and Path of Honorable Accord. The other Paths are also followed but are less prevalent. Family Organization: Communities elect family members to positions such as Mayor, city council, etc. They are not a gerontocracy and allow the younger members to run for and hold various positions. Communities vote on all major issues Gaining Family Recognition: Discovery or inventing something of value in the academic, medical or scientific fields are the quickest ways to gain recognition, as is protecting the community from outside threats or having a current or former student accomplish something great. Sabbat Duties: They are the seekers of useful knowledge for the sect, especially information regarding demons, Lupines, Mages, history and Caine. Members of the family are not rumor mongers, despite being privy to a great deal of information. Quote: Thank you for coming by, but I really do not have time to visit with anyone at this time. I must get back to my work. Goodnight. Stereotypes: Bratovitches: Foul and disgusting creatures of little or no value whatsoever Grimaldi: Interesting colleagues. Their company is interesting, but their humanlike attitudes and interests are somewhat worrisome. Zantosas: Shallow beasts. Their love of pleasure and ignorance are a deadly combination. Still, they can be very amusing. Sabbat: Our so-called masters treat us with feigned respect. We do the same for them. One day we will break the leash and be free. Zantosa Nicknames: Trash Description: A large family of Eastern European nobility that prior to the Inquisition provided the Tzimisce with stock for embrace, they also served as the eyes and ears of the clan within Eastern European and Ottoman courts. Known for their abundant wealth and inclination towards cruelty, they rose to and held power until the Tzimisce fell. The family quickly shifted their support to the Anarchs and then the Sabbat who needed trustworthy, skilled recruits. They settled for the Zantosa. Those who were not embraced were ghouled and provided the sect with information on the Camarilla. Today, most of the family are hedonists, with some being world travelers, and others involved in the drug industry and slavery. The family hides a dark secret however, as they are the guardians of the Tzimisce Antediluvian. If the Sabbat discovered this, the family would be in deep poo poo. As they haven’t, the family continues to be the wealthiest and most respected of the ghoul families. Appearance: The family have medium to dark skin, extremely attractive and of Eastern European ancestry, and have used extensive fleshcrafting to reach their desired appearances. Most wear up to date fashions but some wear outdated clothing from their youths. Family Estates: The family hold numerous estates in North, Central and South America, as the Grimaldi drove them out of Europe hundreds of years ago. There are at least 17 estates, potentially more and each houses between five and twenty family members. Most of these estates are modern and well cared for mansions with all the modern amenities including satellite dishes. A dozen or more servants are on hand who live at the estates keeping things spotless. Most keep stables, not because the family has a love of riding, but because of their taste for horseflesh. Backgrounds: Fickle and attractive dilettantes, the family are given free reign from childhood to explore their own excesses and debauchery. The few who work do so for sport and are generally involved in illegal activities. Character Creation: Most are Dilettantes or Criminals with a few Professionals for good measure. They lean towards cunning and vicious Natures with social focused Demeanors. Social and Talents are their primary stats. Common backgrounds include Contacts, Fame, Influence, Mentor, Resources and Retainers. Disciplines: Auspex, Presence, Vicissitude Weakness: As pleasure seekers, they become easily addicted to pleasurable experiences. Anything that causes intense pleasure (such as being fed on) causes the Zantosas to make a Willpower roll at a difficulty based on the intensity of the pleasure they are attempting to resist. Preferred Paths: Most are followers of the Path of Cathari, while the few who protect the Antediluvian, are followers of the Path of Caine. Family Organization: The family has no real organization. Members often travel and do business together, but otherwise have no strong bond or singular head of the family, though the eldest male is typically the head of each estate. Gaining Family Recognition: The family loves to hear stories about how various members have pulled one over on the Grimaldi, as well as about large or dangerous ventures. Sabbat Duties: Once useful servants, they are now nothing. While they occasionally provide nomad and traveling covens' hospitality and protection, the sect leaders are tired of the games the Zantosas play, though they have yet to take action against the family. Quote: Dear friend, do join me in my debauchery and delight. We have centuries to conduct business, and now is the time for pleasure Stereotypes: Bratovitches: Monsters are what they are. Their depravity is even greater than our own. We envy them in this, but not their lifestyle Grimaldi: Our little clan of rear end kissers and pretend revenants. Most are so human their blood is almost that of children. Weaklings and morally weak preachers, they disgust me Obertus: Never knew one that well, but from what I can see, they are just as strange as the Bratovitches. Sabbat: We are clearly loyal to the Sabbat above all else. No one questions our loyalty for we are always ready and willing to serve. And that brings us to the end of Chapter 5. I admit that my interest in this book picked up a bit with the introduction of Dark Thaum and the demon stuff, and here we’re going full on into gonzo horror nonsense and I love it. Not only do we get a batch of ready-made stats for Sabbat characters, which is absolutely a useful tool for ST’s, but we also get stats for the few demons that were mentioned earlier in the book, and this entire bizarre side plot about Revenant families that range from the family from “Texas Chainsaw” or “The Hills Have Eyes” to “Some nerds”. Is the idea of in-bred ghoul families loving weird, dumb and kinda gross? Absolutely. But each serves a purpose that makes sense. Guardian Ghouls are another element from this chapter I really like, mostly because it’s gross and weird in a way that perfectly fits in with this antagonist group. I also liked that they spend their time reading because when you’re a hosed up fleshcrafted abomination, what else are you gonna do with your time when not watching over your masters? I’m not sure that the ghoul families stuff is totally necessary to telling stories with the Sabbat, but it certainly adds a different flavor to the sect, and I’m deeply amused by the Sabbat being all about embracing being a monster and “We don’t need no loving Masquerade”, meanwhile they’ve got an entire family of ghouls whose sole purpose is cleaning up their messes and maintaining the Masquerade in the cities they control. It’s silly as hell but it at least answers the question of how in the gently caress are people unaware of vampires existing if the Sabbat control cities like NYC. Let’s keep this party going as we dive into   Chapter Six: Quick Start Materials Much like the last chapter kicking off with a series of readymade character stats for ST’s to use in creating their own Sabbat NPC’s, this chapter begins with two readymade Sabbat packs, including character stats and blurbs about each NPC. The Ravens - A Founded Coven A politically motivated, death dealing elitists, the Ravens are out to take the top spot above all other packs in the city, though they treat the other packs well enough, so long as it proves advantageous. Wronging one is considered a slight against all, and the pack will attempt to ruin the Status of any Sabbat who opposes them. Last year the pack went on the War Path chasing a Nosferatu Inconnu. For their troubles they returned home empty handed and down three members, including their pack priest. They intend to recruit new members soon, providing them with a few expendables for future conflicts. Any who can survive the packs fire rites deserves their place within the coven and the sect. The remaining five are listed in order of pedigree. Desiree Traville Born in Charleston, South Carolina to a wealthy merchant in 1740, Desiree was fond of the very unladylike activity of spending too much time at night with male suitors. She was attacked shortly after sunset one evening by a young thief who met his demise at the end of Desiree’s blade in his throat. After running home to tell her family, when they returned to where the attack had occurred, the body was gone, leaving only a pool of blood. A Sabbat member had witnessed the attack while out hunting, then followed the young woman home, waited until she had fallen asleep then kidnapped her for recruitment into the sect. Since then, she has seen many come and go from the sect, but she has managed to outlast most, becoming a pack leader recently. She has come to realize she enjoys the power and now seeks to ascend to a bishopric. Clan: Lasombra Generation: 8th Apparent Age: 24 Roleplaying Hints: You appear friendly and supportive, but you’re only out for yourself. You spend almost every night enjoying yourself among mortals, living your unlife to the fullest. While this takes most of your time, the success of your pack and its standing among the other packs concerns you deeply, and you are deadly serious in your plans for power. If necessary, you’ll swing your support from one side to another, suiting your personal needs first and the packs second. You are always plotting to gain more influence, respect and wealth for yourself and the Ravens. Quote: “You’re either with me or against me. You really don’t want to be against me.” Jeremiah Noble (Jeremy) Jeremiah wasn’t old enough to read when his parents moved out west on the Oklahoma trail. He grew up helping his father raise sheep but was never interested in the job. When he was 18, he stole his father's best horse and $20 and headed south to find his fortune. By age 20 he had become a passable horse thief before finally being run out of the Arizona territory by friends who wanted to keep him from being hanged. He turned his attention to bank and train robbery, quickly becoming a “Known man”. Then one night he was approached by a man from back east, who offered Jeremy a well-paying job to guard his mining companies' payroll. Of course, this opportunity sounded too good to be true, and it was, as the mysterious stranger was a member of the sabbat looking to recruit Jeremy. With five other recruits, Jeremey was sent out on a Lupine hunt, and only Jeremey returned, having killed three of the beasts. Since then, he’s been his pack's designated protector. Clan: Brujah Antitribu Generation: 10th Apparent Age: 20 Roleplaying Hints: You’re a hard man who has seen a lot of killing in his time. You don’t try to impress people, and are calm and quiet until angered, then you become an unmerciful monster. You enjoy unlife, but few see you smile. There is little you fear, and little you wouldn’t do for your pack. Quote: “I don’t like you” Martha Long From childhood Martha knew she was different, she could see the faeries playing in the bushes, knew when her friends were sick, and horrified her parents when she informed them her grandmother was dead, hours before the news reached them via a relative. Like most children, however, she learned to suppress her gifts and by the time she was an adult, had completely forgotten them. When Spiritualism swept the United States, Martha was intrigued. It opened the doors she had closed so many years before, and soon Martha and her husband became “Experts” in the field. People from around the country came to the couple for answers from the spirit world. Martha seemed to have a knack for seeing omens and signs that could be used to predict even the most mundane of events. After her husband Robert died of a heart attack, she decided to take her own life, and would have succeeded if not for a strange woman knocking at her door just after retrieving the strychnine. The woman took Martha to the cemetery and recruited her to the Sabbat. She was the only one of the group that night that crawled out of the grave. The sect needed her abilities, but she still had to prove herself. After destroying a Gargoyle in NYC, she was accepted into the sect and into a pack. She believes that she had assistance in her first mission. Clan: Tzimisce Generation: 9th Apparent Age: 48 Roleplaying Hints: You are a disturbing individual, capable of sitting and staring holes through people all night, never speaking a word. However, when it comes to your pack, you are unusually quiet and motherly. You give advice freely, but never intrude on the business of others unless asked. Quote: “You cannot hide your secrets from me little one, but do not fear – I will tell no one” Cristos Mantigo Born in a small town in Spain, Cristos lived a simple but happy life until he turned 20 when he left for the trenches of WW1 as a news photographer. He left a bright young man full of life and returned a hardened, hollow shell, his vigor gone as the horrors of the war gnawed at his soul. In an attempt to feel the past, he moved to the United States in 1924 with his wife and newborn son, who sadly perished from pneumonia, contracted on the voyage. After a couple of months in America, he found himself working 14 hours a day in a sweatshop earning nothing. The visit from the Sabbat was a godsend. Cristos proved himself a good recruit, surviving his first mission against a German Ventrue elder. While his War Party failed their primary mission, Cristos came out of the ordeal with as much of the old Ventrue’s valuables as he could and has been accumulating wealth ever since. He took up photography again, with a focus on human suffering, publishing several books under various names that were all well received. He’s also the owner of a nightclub known as The Last Light which provides him with a fair income as well as an excellent place to hunt. The Ravens have made the club their HQ. Clan: Toreador Antitribu Generation: 10th Apparent Age: 31 Roleplaying Hints: You like to control every situation and do not like others telling you how to run your business. You especially hate those who show no respect for you or your property. Under the gruff exterior however lies the soul of a man who loves people, and you surround yourself with mortals, all much more alive than any vampire you’ve met. You still regret your wife and son’s deaths and feel guilty for having pressured them into coming to America. You have secretly taken up charity work, especially helping new immigrants. Quote: “Take this outside. Don’t get me involved in your problems” Pamela Ford Pam was always bright and a bit of a tomboy, doing well in college and receiving honors upon graduation. She had no trouble finding a good job in information networking. Her driving ambition, intelligence and great beauty meant it didn’t take long for her to secure a vice presidency, though sex and treachery were bigger factors in her ascent than ability or dedication. Until one night, while catching up on reports for the next day, an unexpected and unwelcome visitor appeared. The beautiful woman in black told Pam that she had been selected for a once in a lifetime position. She went with the woman and was recruited into the Sabbat. Her first mission was against a Giovanni who had been accused of destroying a Sabbat Nosferatu. She was successful and soon set her sights on becoming a pack leader. She has been making contacts with Sabbat around the city and across the region, one of whom clued her into the shortcut to power, and now she follows the Path of Evil Revelations. Clan: Lasombra Generation: 11th Apparent Age: 25 Roleplaying Hints: You are very businesslike, making the Ravens your pack is your driving goal and you think that your alliances with demons are only temporary. You use every situation to your advantage and believe yourself to be a loyal pack member but undermine Desiree’s influence whenever possible. You aid your packmates, but only if it advantages you. You always listen more than you talk and have a reputation as a solid, trustworthy member of the pack. Quote: “Let me think it over, and I’ll get back to you on that one. I’m sure we can work out some mutually beneficial arrangement.” The Dead Gypsies - A Nomad Pack  Ugh the name. The DG are a nomadic pack that travels North America, not preferring any one area, but following the action, wherever it may be. The pack has been on the road since the Sabbat Civil War, and previously made their home in NYC until a larger group of rival Sabbat, supported by the bishop, drove them out. Unlife on the open road has been difficult for the pack, and their membership requires regular replenishment. Only two of the five current members were part of the pack when it was still a coven. Recently they lost three members to crazed Lupines in New Mexico. Harry Reese Harry and his family were heading home from a family vacation when their car had a flat. While Harry worked to fix it, a pack of Sabbat who were on their way to meet an enemy pack and in need of back up, descended on Harry and his family. They took Harry, his wife and 17-year-old son to the nearest graveyard. Harry was the only one to crawl out of the ground. It took years before the DG accepted Harry as a True Sabbat, but he continued to prove himself as a skilled warrior, intelligent planner and natural diplomat. He nearly met his Final Death during the Sabbat Civil War and was happy to see the war come to an end. The DG’s leader however felt the need to settle old scores and wanted to attack other Sabbat, despite the peace. Harry challenged him under the rules of Monomacy and won, becoming the new pack leader. Now, he does all he can to support the sect, going so far as to join the Black Hand. Clan: Gangrel Antitribu Generation: 8th Apparent Age: 45 Roleplaying Hints: You are an uncompromising leader, and it’s your way or else. Few are willing to challenge your authority, because your decisions have usually proven to be the best course of action. You never make split-second decisions, and when it comes to important matters, you disappear for days, only to return to tell everyone what they need to do. You are kind to all your packmates, but should someone challenge you, you will put them into situations where they will be destroyed. Quote: “I know you are new at this, so, hey – don’t make me kill you this soon” Guss “Redbone” McCray Born along the coast of the Mississippi, Guss was a sharecropper's son who left home after getting a girl pregnant, and unfortunately marrying her was out of the question as her father was out for blood. Guss moved to New Orleans and began playing Jazz and Blues, becoming a good singer and excellent guitarist, but no instrument held his interest like the trumpet, and it was his soulful trumpet music that caught the attention of the Toreador antitribu who recruited him. The Toreador had listened to him play for years until Gus quit, eventually finding him dying of leukemia in his small apartment. Guss’s art needed to live on, and the DG needed a recruit, so Gus was offered immortality. He was taken to the graveyard and proved himself as True Sabbat after a battle with local Anarchs. Ever since, he has become a valued member of his pack, acting as mentor to many young sect members. Clan: Toreador Antitribu Generation: 9th Apparent Age: 38 Roleplaying Hints: You haven’t let time pass you by, making every effort to stay in touch with the fashion, music, and language of the day. You’re great at parties, telling the most humorous and bizarre stories of your early years in the Sabbat. You stood against the pack when it recruited Harry’s family, and in respect for your “Noble act”, Harry now defers to you if speaking out on a matter. As a sly and cunning strategist, you never face an opponent head on. Quote: “Let me tell you about how I taught Wynton to blow chops” Ruthe Cole  Ruth was a dropout and full-time waitress when the DG paid a visit. She was cleaning up when they rolled in, returning from a particularly bloody War Party, they needed replacements. Ruth, and four others were taken to a graveyard and given the Rites of Creation. All survived, much to the surprise of the pack. The new recruits were sent after a Camarilla coterie that had been causing the DG trouble a few years prior, and only Ruth and two others survived, though the other two have since been destroyed. The Black Hand, under Harry’s advice accepted Ruth into its ranks three years ago and it is through the Hand that she met her current Infernal master. Clan: Assamite Antitribu Generation: 11th Apparent Age: 25 Roleplaying Hints: You are very aggressive no matter what you’re doing. You like fighting and causing trouble, as well as making new recruits look bad. Quote: “Luck? Luck had nothing to do with it. I’m that good” Lula Burch Born and raised in the farmlands of Arkansas, Lula lived a quiet life. A loner by choice, she spent most of her free time reading and thinking, until one night she awoke to a strange man in her room. He had been watching her for several weeks and Harry found her beauty and inner strength good enough to make her his undead lover. Before she could even scream, she was whisked off to the same cemetery where her grandparents and generations of ancestors had been buried. After being given the Creation Rite, she proved herself True after surviving a battle with a fierce Lupine, though truth be told she didn’t do anything, instead allowing the other recruits to kill and be killed by the Lupine. Kindred for two years now, she is slowly becoming more adjusted to her new unlife. Clan: Gangrel Antitribu Generation: 12th Apparent Age: 16 Roleplaying Hints: You’re a shy and quiet girl, but there is something about you that makes most people like you. You spend most of your free time reading books on every subject. You are friendly to your packmates, though you sometimes find them disturbing, especially Ruth. Naive even by human standards, Harry protects you. Quote: “You guys are totally whacked!” Yikesaroni on taking a 16-year-old as your undead lover. loving GROSS MY DUDE. Little Willie Willaim Terry, aka Little Willie (a name he picked up in prison) was a small-time drug dealer in Detroit when the DG recruited him. During his short life, he saw his older brother gunned down before his eyes. He wanted out but had no way until the Sabbat showed up. He became an excellent scout for the DG and his loyalty is as overwhelming as his bloodlust. However, he has never felt accepted by his pack until he was accused of being an Infernalist. Only the unwavering support of his pack kept him from meeting the Final death, and he has felt beholden to them since. Clan: Ventrue Antitribu Generation 11th Apparent Age: 22 Roleplaying Hints: You are unusually arrogant and obnoxious, but around your pack you are completely different – lively and excited. You love to cut up and have fun with them, but when it comes to scouting, you are deadly serious. You have honed you body and mind into weapons and when the time comes for combat, you become a bit spaced out. Quote: “Aawooo!! You look good enough to eat.” Aside from the whole “Embrace a 16-year-old girl to be an undead bride” bit, we’ve got a good selection of NPC’s here, with a nice mix of clans, although less Tzimisce and Lasombra than I expected, with only two Lasombra in the Ravens and one Tzimisce. I get some Near Dark vibes from the DG, and speaking of the DG, what a terrible pack name. It makes sense, but it’s still not great. Sample Locations Sabbat Temple This communal haven provides not only extra security, but also an extra measure of secrecy, as well as the means of keeping tabs on ones packmates, allowing a pack to quickly and easily root out spies or catch members who are up to no good, like dealing with mortals. A communal haven also provides the pack with a common bond and reinforcement of traditions. Despite the sects' talk of freedom, they still do things the way they have been done for years. The information provided below is an example haven that can be maintained by the sample coven from earlier in this chapter, or any other founded pack, including the players. The Building  Affectionately known as the “Morgue”, it is located below an abandoned five-story building that is boarded up. Every time the city makes plans to demolish the building, whoever oversees the operation turns up dead in some bizarre, unexpected way, and most officials are willing to take on the task for fear of the building's “curse”. The brick building was built in 1920 and remains structurally sound, though the wooden floors and walls of the upper levels are in bad shape, and it is quite easy to fall through a hole in the floor to the floor below, or further. Aside from the Sabbat, only rats, roaches and other bugs make the building their home. Some of these vermin have been modified through Vicissitude by bored Sabbat. The building contains nothing of value other than a few ragged beds, couches, chairs, etc. upstairs. While most are antiques, they are all beyond repair, and even the boards of the walls are visible through the fading, cracking plaster. Some rooms have graffiti on the walls while others have been painted black. Half the building's windows are broken, though dingy curtains cover many of them. The lair is accessible through a secret panel in one of the first-floor rooms and can be found with a Perception + Security roll at difficulty 8. Building Construction The Morgue was the basement of the original building that burned down and was rebuilt in the 20’s. The Sabbat cleared the basement and fixed it up. In most areas the brick walls have been painted, while others have been left bare. The floors of the halls are brick but the rooms themselves are carpeted unless otherwise noted in the individual entries below. The space is mostly lit with fluorescent lights and a few neon lights and black lights. The lighting in personal chambers is up to the occupants. The ceiling is 12 feet in the rooms and 10 in the halls, with most made of wood or sheetrock painted black, red or white. The ceilings of the halls are painted black and dotted with glow in the dark stars. Pleasant smells permeate the Morgue thanks to strategically placed incense from the ghoul housekeeper. Security Each private room has locks preferred by the occupant, and the common rooms all have locks that True Sabbat and the housekeeper have keys for, though these are mostly left unlocked. Motion detectors are installed in every hallway and turned on during the day. Security cameras and smoke alarms are also strategically placed throughout as well as a new sprinkler system. For a bit of extra security, traps have been placed in various parts of the Morgue, including fake doors with spring-loaded blades (sounds like a Samuel Haight trap) and two false hallways with 70 foot deep, 10 square foot pits filled with wooden spikes. Tomorrow: More about the Sabbat Haven
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Jun 27, 2023 14:23
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Revenants are legitimately one of my favourite parts of VtM. They're all kinds of tricky to handle but by god there's some serious horror in there.
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Jun 27, 2023 14:27
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There's a couple more outside the Sabbat too.
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Jun 27, 2023 15:50
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And one day joyless might get to Ghouls: Fatal Addiction!
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Jun 27, 2023 15:57
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Revenants are a missed opportunity in playing Paranoia in the WoD. Just imagine how hard a family has to work to stay on the good side of four different supernatural conspiracies, most of which actually eat people.
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Jun 27, 2023 16:06
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joylessdivision posted:The Golconda stuff seems…I don’t know, not out of place but a bit of an odd choice to include. I understand it’s a major bit of setting lore that got an extensive bit of space dedicated to it in the 1e corebook, but it seems antithetical to who and what the Sabbat are, regardless of my pissing and moaning about them being yet another bureaucratic group. The Sabbat are supposed to be the ones fighting the Antediluvians and their influence, and embrace the new morality of being a monster, so why would they seek Golconda? Honestly, Golconda in general seems like something from the first edition that they ended up stuck with even as it seemed more and more out of place as the setting developed.
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Jun 27, 2023 16:15
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By popular demand posted:Revenants are a missed opportunity in playing Paranoia in the WoD. and the TOTB introduced Dhampirs which are infinitely more interesting because by all rights they shouldn't really exist.
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Jun 27, 2023 19:43
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 loving LO PAN is in Book of Chantries god drat I love when the WoD goes full steam ahead into stupid
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Jun 27, 2023 21:55
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joylessdivision posted:
I didn't want to spoil it but thought you'd like it.
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Jun 28, 2023 01:51
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Dark Kingdom of Jade manages to somehow be a good book but also is full of Big trouble in Little China quotes.
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Jun 28, 2023 02:32
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Dawgstar posted:I didn't want to spoil it but thought you'd like it. I hate to admit I'm enjoying a Mage book. The Hollow Ones chantry was absolutely  Also hilariously, there's an entire sidebar about the Web that says the web will be explored more in a future book. Digital Web 1.0 came out a month before Chantries according to the wiki MonsieurChoc posted:Dark Kingdom of Jade manages to somehow be a good book but also is full of Big trouble in Little China quotes. I love Wraith and I'm looking forward to more of it.
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Jun 28, 2023 04:38
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Joylessdivisions World of Dorkness Presents: The Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat Part 6 Armory A large storage room is filled with racks of firearms and crates of ammunition of various calibers, as well as swords, bayonets, knives and silver-bladed weapons and a bit of old dynamite. Catacombs These tunnels contain three Sabbat who betrayed the sect, sealed in with two-inch-thick steel sheets. Ghouls provide them with a cup of blood each night equal to one Blood Point. They are trapped inside until pardoned by the Archbishop. Central Security One room is dedicated to the security system console, with monitors for each camera along with lights and switches for the smoke alarms, motion detectors and sprinkler system. The housekeeper is usually in this room when not tending to household chores or resting and is always in the security room during the day. The room also features a TV and video game console, along with a couple chairs, a desk and a bookcase full of cheap romance novels and bad horror collections. Cooler A meat locker used to hold bodies when needed, though primarily it acts as a storage room for extra blood when the pack needs to hide out for a bit. The only rule is that you must replace twice as much as you take, and the blood must be checked for diseases. There is enough blood inside to sustain the entire pack for at least two months. Den A large common room, it has a wall composed of nothing but TV screens, usually showing video of the area outside the building from that day. The other wall is dominated by a beautiful mural of a female vampire basking in the sun surrounded by mortal servants, all by a sea of blood. The other two walls are covered in old movie posters and the room is filled with comfortable furniture, a computer, a pool table, some tables and chairs and an awesome home entertainment system with hundreds of CD’s. Escape Route One Escape route one leads into the basement of a donut shop across the street, and the door to the shop is one-way, you can come out of the tunnel but can’t go back. The door on the haven side is known to all True Sabbat in the pack and requires a Perception + Security roll at difficulty 8 to find if someone is actively looking for it. Escape Route Two This route leads directly into the sewers. There is a camera by the exit hooked up to the Nosferatu kingdom’s security system, so that they are aware of who goes in and out of their domain. Finding the doors on either end requires a Perception + Security roll at difficulty 7. Furnace and Generator The furnace area is used as storage, and there are several pieces of furniture stowed away down here in desperate need of repairs, as well as other odds and ends. Sabbat are welcome to take anything in the room so long as it doesn’t have someone’s name on it. Ghoul Suite The housekeeper's private room includes a kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom. It looks much like a modern apartment with all the modern conveniences, except a phone. It is decorated in a conservative, mortal style. Grand Hall Supporting this enormous, long hall are two rows of eight Greek revival columns, and a ceiling 30 feet up. The walls are covered in green velvet curtains that run the length of the walls. The hall is lit by two electric chandeliers and the floor is polished marble. It is primarily used for performing Auctoritas and Ignoblis Ritae. Guest Chambers 1-4 Each guest chamber has two rooms, one private den with a coffin, furniture, TV and manacles on the wall. The other room is for grooming with a dresser and shower. They are decorated in a conservative, hotel-like style. Hell Hound Lair An area sealed off from the rest of the haven by iron portcullis, which can be raised and lowered from the security station or by hand. Inside are two well-kept hell hounds. Holding Cells Essentially jail cells with three sides of iron bars and a brick wall on the fourth. Each is spartan with only a bunk and a toilet Library The communal library of the pack is large. No one has bothered to count the books, but they fill up the walls from floor to ceiling along with several freestanding shelves. The room is well lit and features a large table with eight chairs. Torture Chamber A solid brick room with several chains, two long tables and a cabinet full of medical tools and a few torture devices. Flesh crafting as well as interrogations occur here. Tremere Antitribu Labs Locked to all but the Tremere and their guests, there are beakers, vials, lab tables, computers and books in this chamber. One chamber is left bare for ritual use and combat practice. Before we continue, how loving big is this building that it has this massive subterranean basement with a god drat 30-foot ceilinged chamber and 70-foot drops into Vietcong death traps? How is all this underground and not part of the sewers, which we’re about to talk about in a moment? I’m not saying it doesn’t sound cool as hell, because it does, this building sounds like a great place for a bunch of Sabbat to hang out, but I’m just so confused about how any of the dimensions of the place are possible. A Nosferatu Kingdom The labyrinthine sewer systems under the great cities of America have provided the Nosferatu with a world uniquely their own. Tucked away from the rest of the world, they pursue their own plans and live their unlives in peace. While the full horror of the modern nights rarely reaches them, the sewers do have their own dangers. Below we’ll be discussing a generic Nosferatu kingdom that can be placed in any city the ST doesn’t want to do their own research for or simply does not have the time to create. For the ST’s who are interested in creating their own kingdoms, this example can be used to give a general idea of how to construct one. The Lair of the Street People The upper levels of the sewer are regularly used as temporary or permanent homes for the city's homeless population, as both young and old can find a refuge from the cold streets and a place where they will be left alone by police and not shunned by the more “upstanding citizens” who don’t like being reminded that the world is not the perfect, happy place they imagine it to be. This area is typically the only part of the Kingdom not tapped into underground power lines. Haven One A damp series of chambers filled with books, antiques and junk. The walls and floor are made of handmade bricks that were used in the construction of older parts of the sewer. The floor is covered by a large, dirty oriental rug and the walls are covered with pre-20th century paintings and lit with neon signs powered by the city's power grid. The Nos who resides here has a series of traps protecting the front door, sending flying scythe-like blades out of the wall at neck level towards anyone breaking in. The furthest chamber contains a large secret basement beneath a secret door in the floor where prisoners can be kept, along with valuable items, including $50,000 in rare silver coins. Haven Two This large chamber has been turned into a sort of loft by its yuppie Nos resident. All the modern amenities and creature comforts can be found within, the concrete walls are covered in wallpaper, the concrete ceiling plastered, and expensive carpets cover the floors. A widescreen TV, plush furniture, computer and two phone lines, as well as a sauna and other luxuries make it a haven where a Kindred can live their unlife in comfort and style. I cannot express how funny the idea of a Yuppie Nos is, it’s just a beautiful bit of irony that tickles me. Haven Three A dank lair reeking of rats and mold. One wall sports a pair of bloody manacles and there are a metric gently caress ton of rats and roaches who also call this chamber home. There are also at least four human skeletons of our residents' previous victims. A large “Stay the Hell Out or Die” sign hangs over the doorway, and tucked behind a moldy couch is a hidden alcove, containing a (shockingly) moldy leather bag containing $43,000, a loaded .357 and some old porno mags. Are they like…rare old pornos or like…some back issues of Cherry or something? Because it would make a little more sense to keep rare old porn mags with your wad of cash and gently caress-off hand canon. Haven Four Decked out in the heights of 1960’s fashion, this haven resembles a bomb shelter. Its concrete walls are painted light blue with a white ceiling and gray floor. There are 8 locks on the door and the haven contains three bunks, several storage closets, eight gun lockers (with at least 50 guns) and a shower. Unlike the previous haven, vermin are not an issue thanks to numerous mouse traps and roach motels. There is a TV and touch-tone phone, the only objects that betray the fact that the world has moved past 1960. The haven is kept by a Malkavian and there are two secret escape passages, one of which all the other Nos are aware of, and several traps, including a tripwire (Perception + Security difficulty 7) with a pair of hand grenades attached, more punji sticks hidden in a floor pit, and an anvil mounted over the doorway to the real secret escape that is also triggered by a trip-wire (same roll as before, difficulty 8) Once again, if this is supposed to be underground how are we getting death pits in there? Also, I think the anvil over the door is extremely funny. Haven Five The Nos who resides here has spent a fortune decorating the haven like a castle, with the rooms filled with ancient and expensive tapestries, antique English furniture, suits of 15th century armor and numerous candles and lanterns on the walls and tables. There is no electricity in this haven, but the lanterns and candles do provide plenty of illumination. There are four chambers in the haven, each different but all having a coffin inside. There are a series of secret passages and one secret room in the haven. Of course, the passages are booby-trapped with pressure plates that release falling bricks or slashing blades, as well as several pits coated in oil and filled with iron spikes and broken glass. Haven Six Another Malkavian haven, this one resembles more of a hoarder's home, with stuff packed so tightly it is near impossible to maneuver except for tiny trails through the junk. While there are plenty of items of value here, from nearly every period of American history, there is also a ton of garbage. The walls are probably painted white, like the ceiling, but it’s hard to tell. Bare bulbs hang from dangling cords on the ceiling and there is even a shower, TV and phone, though finding them is another matter entirely. In the furthest room, there is a coffin amongst the junk. The haven itself is not booby-trapped, although there are plenty of dangerous items floating around the massive piles of junk and it’s incredibly easy to knock one of these precarious piles over. Haven Seven Decorated in a typical American style, distinctly middle-class, with wall and ceiling covered in sheetrock and wallpaper. There is running water and electricity, and nice comfortable furniture. The Nos owner keeps a phone, computer and many other modern items. The walls feature photographs of the Kindred’s mortal family and a few mirrors. As for protective measures, the haven has motion sensors set to trigger an alarm (active during the day and when the resident leaves) and a tripwire that releases a spring-loaded wooden stake as well as a ghouled boa constrictor. Miss me with that ghouled snake poo poo. Constrictors are already scary enough, but you went and made it a loving ghoul!? The Common Hosting Area All Nosferatu can use this area for meetings if they do not wish to host their guests in their own havens, and the room is kept locked when not in use. It is a large circular room with a 30-foot ceiling (again with the 30-foot ceilings!) lit by an antique chandelier. There are several couches and chairs around the room, and the floor is painted green, with the walls covered in murals. The ceiling (again 30 foot tall) is gray concrete with two hooks for hanging up Blood Feasts. A raised area at one end of the room serves as a stage for the host to address their guest from. Along one of the walls is a large storage closet filled with serving glasses, manacles, rope, a butcher's knife, a TV and a VCR. I hope the TV and VCR are on one of those rolling cart things that schools have. Also, if the ceiling is 30 feet up, how the gently caress are you going to string up a Blood Feast without a ladder? Hosting Area Two The hosting area used by the Nos from Haven 2, she’s put considerable money into making this room look nice, decorated in modern style like her haven, with comfortable chairs and a couple of couches, along with a TV, running water and all the other modern conveniences an undead, hideously ugly Yuppie could desire. Video Stations Security cameras are mounted in all the previously noted rooms in out of the way spots that require Perception + Security rolls (difficulty 6) to notice and the roll must be made in each room to find them. Havens 2 and 7 have security rooms that these cameras feed to. Motion Detector Stations All seven havens have motion detectors that are active during daylight hours and are linked to the security rooms in havens 2 and 7. Each room has a light in the control rooms that indicates if the sensors have been activated. Perception + Security difficulty 6 is required to spot these sensors. The Dungeon A small chamber with reinforced half-inch thick steel plate, there is only one door made of two-inch-thick steel, with numerous locks and latches on the outside but no handle inside. There are manacles inside as well, and the space is generally used for the Malkavian when they’re having a really bad night. The Faerie’s Hideaway An Unseelie Fae (probably a Slaugh) makes their home in the lower depths of the sewer. The lair is naturally hewn stone cut into the walls and decorated with glowing, fist sized stones that give the space an unnatural, pale green glow. The Kindred neighbor's upstairs are unaware of this lair. And just like that we’ve concluded Chapter Six. As I said earlier in this segment, I like the NPC’s presented, and I dig these two havens, though as I said before, the dimensions of the Morgue seem a smidgen impossible, and while I understand the tall ceilings are supposed be impressive and when imagining such a space it gives it some grandeur, but how the gently caress do you have 30 foot ceilings underground? Yes yes, it’s an urban horror game, dark reflection, yada yada, but it still seems goddamn weird. Also, so many punji stick death traps! Again, how are you fitting all these death traps into your underground lairs? Yuppie Nosferatu is very funny, and the thought of a group of predominantly Nos characters and a couple Malkavians all living in this bizarre underground apartment complex (I know that’s not what it is, bear with me) sounds like the set up to the plot of an episode of What We Do in the Shadows or my favorite non-existent show, It’s Always Sunny in the World of Darkness. And why is one of the Malkavians a hoarder? That’s just rude to my favorite clan. Special shout out to the Fae who's just living under all these loving Vampires, doing their own thing. The Nos Kingdom section really feels like part of a pitch for a sitcom, and I am here for it. For as much as I complained earlier about not loving the idea of the Sabbat as playable characters, the parts of this book that are focused on providing ST’s with info that can be used in game for NPC’s I think has been mostly good to great and has done a lot to help elevate my feelings on this book as a whole. But enough about that poo poo, it’s finally time to get to the fireworks factory…or rather   Chapter Seven: The Stories And now we’ve reached the real meat and potatoes of this book, the adventures. Does Samuel Haight finally make an appearance in this goddamn book after nearly 100+ pages? Yes! Is it satisfying? NO, No it goddamn isn’t! But we’ll get there. Our introductory paragraph tells us that the provided stories can be run with little preparation and can be used with just about any Sabbat character, as well that if the stories seem too generic, to add details to spice things up and enhance the realism and sense of continuity with your chronicle. Each of the stories is focused on a different aspect of unlife within the Sabbat, and they can be used for either founded or nomadic packs. Let us begin.  Trial By Fire Plot: The players are put through a series of tests to prove their worthiness as True Sabbat. Their mission, go after an old Camarilla Ventrue who knows too much about the sect. But nothing is ever easy, and a traitor has tipped off the Ventrue to the players schemes, giving him time to prepare. Deciding to turn the tables on his would-be attackers, the players must use quick wits and all of their vampiric powers to survive the night. ST’s can use this as an introductory story for new Sabbat characters, as the players start out as recruits and end the story as True Sabbat. It can take place wherever the ST feels is appropriate for their chronicle, as well as modified to be easier or harder as needed. Theme: The foundations of unlife within the Sabbat – harsh brutality, unquestioning loyalty and unyielding secrecy. The players will learn what the combination of loyalty and freedom entails as well as seeing the Sabbat’s secret methods used against them. Mood: The players should be unsure of everything around them, with only the guide of destroying their target and protecting the secrecy of their sect. How they accomplish this is totally up to the players, and they should, by the end, see how freedom requires responsibility, and what freedom within the Sabbat actually means. What the Characters Know Jack and poo poo, and Jack left town. As fresh recruits, the players know nothing about their mission beyond what they are presented with, which is a photograph of the Kindred they are to destroy, along with brief descriptions of their targets' favored feeding grounds. Little else, beyond that he is dangerous, knows too much about the Sabbat, and that he should be brought back “Alive” or at least proof of his destruction as well as the destruction of any servants and progeny. What’s Really Going On Carl Wisor was a Ventrue spy working undercover on the west coast in an Anarch gang that turned Sabbat. He stayed with the gang, learning their secrets for eight years before a packmate revealed his deception, and Wisor escaped. He’s wanted for what he knows, and because he previously acted as pack priest, he is highly knowledgeable in Sabbat ritualism, politics, ideology and tactics. People, Places and Things Carl Wisor: A 9th gen Ventrue, he was born in 1709 the son of a concerto pianist and embraced in 1725. He’s 5’5” and about 158lb, with medium, well groomed blonde hair, dressed in black and always wearing sunglasses. He is highly intelligent and prepared, and knowing that the Sabbat are coming for him, ready, willing and able to force the players to confront their sect’s own tactics. He mostly just wants to be left alone. Tully Jones: A 10th gen Brujah and ally of Wisor, he was embraced in 1944. He will attempt to help Carl if possible, and if the Ventrue is captured, Tully is his last hope for survival. He keeps his black hair short and wears a leather flight jacket from his time as a WWII bomb navigator. While a loner by nature, Wisor is his only Kindred friend, and if rescuing him is on the table, Tully will not hesitate to come in guns blazing. The Situation Carl Wisor: would really rather just be left the gently caress alone, and wants the Sabbat to believe he has been destroyed, so plans to stage his own Final Death. If the players continue to pursue him after this staged death, he will destroy them, as he’s already destroyed one pack of Sabbat recruits before. The Players Pack: The players cannot rely on the rest of their pack for backup, this mission is completely up to them. They can approach their mission however they wish, but cannot return until they have succeeded. If they’re gone for longer than two weeks, one of their packmates will look into the situation to confirm if they’ve been destroyed or not. Successful completion of this mission will grant the players status as True Sabbat, making them equals to their packmates. Carl Wisor: would really rather just be left the gently caress alone, and wants the Sabbat to believe he has been destroyed, so plans to stage his own Final Death. If the players continue to pursue him after this staged death, he will destroy them, as he’s already destroyed one pack of Sabbat recruits before. The Players Pack: The players cannot rely on the rest of their pack for backup, this mission is completely up to them. They can approach their mission however they wish, but cannot return until they have succeeded. If they’re gone for longer than two weeks, one of their packmates will look into the situation to confirm if they’ve been destroyed or not. Successful completion of this mission will grant the players status as True Sabbat, making them equals to their packmates. The Story Chapter One Scene One - The Trial Begins The players are called before the Esbat (which they have not been allowed to attend) and their pack priest praises them for their service, but informs the players they are not yet True Sabbat, but they will be once they complete one final task. The players are informed of their mission to find and capture Carl, and then are given the rest of the night to prepare as they must leave by sunset the next night. Also if they fail, it’s Final Death for everyone! The players are provided with a photo of Carl in LA, taken twelve years ago. The Kindred in the photo has long black hair, a mustache and is short and stocky. Scene Two: Finding the Target Carl rarely stays in one city for any length of time, so tracking him down is going to be difficult. ST’s should decide on the city where Carl is hiding, whether it is Camarilla controlled, or part of the Anarch Free States. Whatever the ST decides, there is no Sabbat backup for the players, as this is their trial by fire and none in the sect would dare to interfere in such an important event. It will likely take the players a couple of nights of searching to find Carl at one of the local clubs, a place called Blue Amazon, a regular Kindred hangout. Attacking Carl here isn’t the best idea, and as it turns out, this isn’t even the real Carl, but a fleshcrafted body double. Turns out the night the players arrived in town, Carl saw them. He read their auras and pegged them as Sabbat, and in the time between their arrival and the discovery of the double, Carl has been plotting. Following the fake Carl is easy, as is staking him, but if the players fail, Faux-Carl will fight them with everything he’s got, as he’s blood bound to the real Carl and willing to die for his regent. If anyone reads Faux-Carl’s mind, they will realize he’s not who and what he appears to be. If the players are successful in staking Faux-Carl, the deception will not be revealed until he is brought before the bishop, leading to humiliation for both the players and their extended pack. As punishment, the players are strung up and threatened with being used for a Blood Feast, but are instead let go, and sent back out on the mission to get it right this time. If they figure out Faux-Carl is in fact faux on their own, the search continues! They could torture or dominate the double for information but Faux-Carl is mostly useless in this regard, knowing little to nothing about his sire, other than his appearance is not that of the photo given to the players. Chapter Two Scene One: Finding the Real Wisor The search for the real Carl continues, but turns up numerous dead ends, until the players realize another Kindred is watching them. Tully has been watching them. If they can shadow him successfully, he will lead them through several clubs before finally meeting with the real Carl who is seated with two young women. The two Kindred and mortals leave the club and head for a car in the parking lot, where they intend to have a bit of an evening snack. If the players attack, Tully manages to escape with Carl and the ladies in the car. There are numerous cars in the lot, but none with keys. Before their quarry escapes eye shot, another car pulls in full of mortals. The players should steal this car and give chase. Otherwise they need to hotwire one of the cars in the lot (Intelligence + Security difficulty 7). Scene Two: The Chase If the players manage to steal a car the chase is on! Tully leads the players through city streets and onto the interstate, off an exit and down numerous other roads before disappearing into a wooded area. A Wits + Alertness (difficulty 9) is needed to see where the car turned off. Carl and Tully abandon their vehicle and the nearly dead mortals (both are at Crippled) and head further into the woods. If the players are still chasing, they are led to an old brickyard where Tully and Carl separate, Tully heading further into the woods and Carl heading underground towards the old brickyard ovens. Should Tully escape, he’s heading back to town for Ghoul backup as well as a whole lotta guns. He’ll be back at the brickyard with reinforcements in two hours. If the players catch Carl, Tully will pursue them, going so far as to plan an ambush to strike when the players least expect it. Carl has booby-trapped the stone floors of the old brickyard with 30 foot deep pits filled with metal spikes, and covered with loosely mortared bricks. I’m starting to think this author just really likes things that are 30 feet. Scene Two: Attack of the Guardian Ghouls Once the players have entered the old brickyard complex and made their way deep enough, Carl kills the lights. As the players fumble their way into the next room, a large circular space, seven Guardian Ghouls appear. These ghouls are not too happy to see the players. Scene Three: Fire! If the players survived the Guardian Ghouls (and RIP if they didn’t) they’re still not out of the woods (ha) yet. Once into the tunnels beyond the circular room, they find the bones of the previous Sabbat pack who came through. Suddenly, the doors on either side of the tunnel close and lock. Flames begin to pour in from slots cut into the wall as someone on the other side is blasting a flamethrower through the holes. The doors are metal and require a Strength pool of 9 to pry open. Punching through the walls near the gaps where the flames are pouring in is also possible but requires a Strength pool of 8. Handling the flamethrowers are two more Guardian Ghouls who will fight back if the players manage to break through the walls. Scene Four: Wisor’s Recruits If the players manage to survive all that bullshit that just happened, they’ll soon find themselves in yet another conflict. This time, in a room just ahead of the room where Carl is hiding, are ten Kindred recruits that Carl and Tully have put through the Creation Rites. These recruits are hungry and ready to attack as soon as the players enter the room. This should be a fast and furious fight as the recruits will Frenzy. Chapter Four Scene One: The Final Confrontation Assuming the players haven’t all been horribly splattered across the walls of the underground rooms in the previous scenes, Carl is locked behind a large metal door that requires a Strength pool of 15 to open, made of solid, four-inch thick steel. Carl is waiting for the players inside, armed with a sword and flanked by two more Guardian Ghouls armed with flamethrowers, but far enough away from him as to not accidentally light him up. If the players are able to capture Carl, but not stake him, he will attempt to escape. If that proves impossible, he’ll kill himself, rather than face what the Sabbat has in store for him. So you know, make sure you stake his rear end. Scene Two: Tully to the Rescue This mother fucker. If you didn’t kill Tully earlier, he arrives with the calvary, all armed with submachine guns, and they will attempt to ambush the players to free Carl, but will retreat if Tully or any of the ghouls are badly wounded enough. If rescue is completely out of the question, Tully will attempt to destroy Carl, knowing that if the Sabbat get their hands on him, Tully will also end up on the hit list. Scene Three: The Rites of Acceptance If the players have survived all of that nonsense and managed to either bring the staked Carl back or proof of his destruction, the pack performs the Rites of Acceptance as promised, and the rite can be handled however the ST desires. The players are now True Sabat once the rite is completed. Future Options If Wisor survives (and lets be real, the deck is stacked in his favor), he may attempt to dominate Tully and then fleshcraft him into another double, or he may hold a grudge against the players and take his revenge at the most inopportune time. Opportunities for Roleplaying This is a story focused on action, so few opportunities for roleplay present themselves. The hunt for Carl can be RP’d out, and turning your living room into a nightclub with dim lighting and loud music or “actually go to a nightclub and play out the scene”. ST’s can also RP the Rites of Acceptance with the ST taking on the role of pack leader, taking the players into a dimly lit room and having them repeat some kind of made up oath. Give each player a candle, have them light it then place it in the candle holder with the ST’s on a table. ST’s can make the ritual whatever they like, but “Keep in mind that the ritual is fake, and has no real meaning other than within the game” Possible Benefits to the Characters The primary benefit to the players is gaining full status within the Sabbat. That’s it. While I don’t think this story is terrible, good lord this thing seems to be designed to obliterate the players. And I have to call out that absurd idea of going and LARPing at a loving nightclub. Jesus Christ what a terrible loving idea. Also that literally goes against one of the main LARP rules that are included in the corebooks, IE: DON’T PLAY OUTSIDE WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT SEE YOU. Also the bit about the ritual feels like yet another hold over of the Satanic Panic and makes me chuckle, but holy moly I can just not imagine what was going through the author's mind when he suggested going to an actual night club to LARP part of this story. Just utterly baffling poo poo right there. Otherwise, I think this story works well as a first mission for a group of recruit players, aside from throwing seven Guardians at them in one room, another two with flamethrowers in a hallway, not to mention a room full of new Kindred on the verge of Frenzy, and then two more Guardians with flamethrowers (bringing our total Guardian count to 11, 4 of whom have loving flamethrowers) protecting Carl. Oh and Tully and his gang of regular Ghouls who show up with submachine guns. I understand that this is supposed to be a trial by fire (ha) situation, but as written, this feels like it’s taking the “You’re characters are going to die” idea presented earlier in the book to an absurd extreme. So what happens if you end up with a TPK here? In theory the players would have back up characters to run, but what, are they just other recruits of the pack who get sent on this mission because the last two groups hosed it up? And if that is the case, then you need rewrite this entire adventure because it would be mighty loving weird for the new set of PC’s to go through the exact same situation. What I’m saying here is this one is likely to need a lot of ST prep and fingers on scale to make sure the players don’t all die, otherwise you’ve got even more work on your hands rewriting the adventure to track down this doofus Carl.  A Night on the Town Plot: The players have been invited to join another pack for an evening of fun and games. After a couple of the other pack end up dead, seemingly murdered by the players, things go south and the games take on a deadly seriousness. Sprinkle in the already volatile situation of a few Anarchs out for blood and two crazed Lupine hunters and you’ve got yourself a party. Theme: Action, and the idea that assumptions can lead to destruction, especially when the assumptions are being made by a rival Sabbat pack. The players must face down numerous threats from all sides. Mood: As this story is more action focused, its mood is less dark than a normal Vampire story. Confusion should rule the mood. People, Places and Things The Anarchs: Led by Eddie “Stickman” Karnotski, an 8th gen Brujah, he’s followed by Homer “Horse” Fralish a 10th gen Brujah, Sophia Watson a 10th gen Gangrel, Brenton Dickens a 12th gen Brujah and Hanna “Angel” Redmons an 11th gen Caitiff. ST’s should treat Stickman as a Veteran Coven Member, Horse and Sophia as Experienced Coven Members and Brenton and Angel as New Coven Members. The Crypt-ticks: A nomadic Sabbat pack that befriends the layers, sharing blood and asking them to join in their games, during which one of the Crypt-ticks is destroyed, leading to the pack seeking revenge on the players. The pack consists of Sabbat Priest and 9th Gen Malkavian known as Jack Knife, Tony “Leatherback” Hodo, a 10th gen Brujah, Leo Washington a 12th gen Gangrel, Dancer, a 12th gen Ventrue, and Jose Sadillo a 10th gen Ravnos. Jack should be treated as a Veteran Sabbat Nomad, Leatherback and Jose as Experienced Nomads and Leo and Dancer as New nomads. The Lupine Hunters: Two men who have been hunting Lupines for several years. Shannon McLaughlin was a used car salesman until his family was murdered by a pack of Werewolves six years ago. After two years, McLaughlin managed to get the murder charges against him dropped, and then underwent extensive psychological evaluation. Once released, he decided he was going to hunt down every goddamn Werewolf he could find. He’s 33, 6’1” and 210 lbs. with a blonde crewcut and in amazing shape as he works out three hours a day. He learned not to make close friends, as they would likely end up targets. After McLaughlin discovered vampires, he quickly learned that their blood allowed him to resist the Delirium more easily. While he doesn’t have the same burning need to kill Kindred that he does the Garou, he’s nonetheless taken up hunting Kindred for their blood, and is now a ghoul. ST’s should treat him as a Black Hand Agent for attributes and abilities, except knowledge of Vampires, and his Backgrounds should be Allies 1, Contacts 3, and Resources 3 with a Willpower of 9. He has Celerity and Potence, and always carries weapons and silver bullets. Curtis Soracco is a new Lupine hunter, previously the manager of a grocery store until one night when he encountered McLaughlin on the side of the road, badly injured after a fight with a Garou. McLaughlin asked not to be taken to a hospital, and instead Soracco took him to a hotel and patched him up. After learning the truth and then seeing it for his own eyes the following night, Curtis insisted he be allowed to join, as he’d been fascinated by the occult since childhood. He secretly wants to become Garou, but hides this as he does not realize he is, in fact, Kinfolk. He stands at 5’9”, 220 and in good shape from the training McLaughlin puts him through. His hair is long and brown, and he has a scar on his chest from a previous battle with a Garou. The Situation The Anarchs: Willing and ready to destroy any Sabbat they encounter, though not stupid enough to stick around a fight they’re likely to lose. If possible, they will attempt to ambush the players. The Crypt-ticks: Normally a friendly pack, now that one of their own is dead, they want vengeance and will not be satisfied until one Final Death is repaid with another. They are unaware that it was actually the Lupine hunters who killed their packmate. The Lupine Hunters: Though they are primarily focused on the Garou, their knowledge of Kindred existence has made the Undead a target as well, though they will only attempt to destroy solo Kindred. If Soracco encounters a Kindred alone however, he will offer to spare their lives, if they agree to embrace him, though if he feels threatened he’ll still stake them. McLaughlin on the other hand, will end any bloodsucker he lays eyes on ASAP. What the Characters Know Since the Crypt-ticks introduce themselves in this story, the players only know as much as they’re willing to ask. They don’t know who destroyed Dancer, or about the Anarchs or Lupine hunters until they make their appearance. The Story Chapter One Scene One: A Visit by the Crypt-ticks Tony, a member of the aforementioned pack, runs into the players while they are hanging out on the Rack (name for particularly good hunting grounds), and arranges a meeting of the two packs for the following night. The Crypt-ticks are friendly when they meet the players, and present the leader of the player’s pack with a beautiful Egyptian statuette of a cat. If the players are down, the two packs can participate in Vaulderie and conduct the Confessional Ritual. Scene Two: Vampires Games and Trouble The Crypt-ticks offer to play a game of Sabbat football with the players and then some cowboys and indians. These games can be played out or not, depending on how long the ST intends the story to run. During cowboys and indians, Dancer is destroyed, found by one of her packmates riddled with bullets, crossbow bolt through the heart, decapitated and exsanguinated. The ticks assume this was the players doing, especially if they lost the football game. They decide to keep this revelation to themselves, and instead simply turn on the players. Chapter Two Scene One: Enter the Anarchs If things weren’t bad enough, here come the loving Anarchs. They’ll likely not realize the players are Sabbat unless they’re still dressed in the costumes used for C&I. Because they’re in Sabbat territory, Stickman will read the mind and aura of players as soon as he can, and once they realize they’re dealing with Sabbat, the bullets start flying, leading to the Anarchs chasing the players on their motorcycles. Scene Two: Showdown with Soracco If the players split up to escape the Anarchs, Soracco follows one of the players, and when the time is right, attempts to destroy the player, as he’s packing a crossbow, an Uzi with silver bullets and several stakes as well as a large silver cross. If he’s able to get the character to Incapacitated, he will release them, on the condition that they embrace him. If he thinks the player is lying, he’ll destroy them. Scene Three: Encounter with McLaughlin Like the previous scene, except when one of the players is alone, McLaughlin tries to put a couple of crossbow bolts into them. He’s carrying two large crossbows, a handheld crossbow, a pistol and other “goodies”. He’ll start by attempting to snipe the player, then moves to Melee. He will not speak the entire encounter, and the player should be in grave danger until Leatherback appears. Chapter Three Scene One: A Truce with the Crypt-ticks Once Leatherback has figured out that a witch-hunter is the reason Dancer is dead, he’ll assist the player fighting McLaughlin, either attempting to capture or kill the hunter. Once resolved, Leatherback announces the mistake to the rest of his pack, who shamefully apologize to the players for the mix up and Stickman offers a small boon to make up for any hard feelings before taking off into the night. I’m pretty sure they meant Leatherback, considering Stickman is an Anarch. Scene Two: Ambush! Just when things have started to calm down, the loving Anarchs ambush the players. Defeating or being defeated by the Anarchs will end the story. Optional Possibility of Continuation If the Crypt-ticks do not learn about the hunters involvement in the death of Dancer, they will continue to harass the players until they are able to destroy one of them, appearing when the players least expect them. Even after destroying one of the players, relations between the two packs will remain strained. There is also the potential for continued battles with the hunters, if they aren’t killed. McLaughlin is addicted to Kindred vitae after all, and will try to follow one of the players back to their haven before returning the next day to stake as many of them as possible. Opportunities for Roleplaying While this story is heavily focused on action, Soracco’s proposal could be played out. Possible Benefits Considering what a clusterfuck this situation is, the players are lucky if they walk away with their lives, though making allies of the Crypt-ticks is a possible benefit, as well as potentially gaining Soracco as a new recruit, though this would hurt the players standing with the ticks, the trade off is a new member experienced in fighting Garou. I feel like the “Sabbat Football'' and “Cowboys and Indians” things are likely explained in the player's guide, but I’m also not going to go look it up just to confirm this. I think this is a pretty good story, but I also feel that this is a big old wasted opportunity by not bringing Samuel Haight into things. Why introduce two entirely new Garou hunters into this story when Sammy is advertised on the back cover? You could easily swap out McLaughlin for Haight and run the story as is. Which, now that I say that, I’d absolutely make the “Games” something completely different from what they sound like, because the idea of a group of vampires playing cowboys and indians veers off into the bad side of ridiculous, unless of course, these are just cute names for something more horrifying, in which case, we’re gravy there. I like the Crypt-ticks as a name, that’s fun, but as for the Anarchs who show up, again I feel like this adventure, like the previous one was written to murder the players because “LOL SABBAT EXPENDABLE”, which I understand is supposed to be part of the whole “Thing” with playing the Sabbat, but as I said earlier, I think running the Sabbat as PC’s sucks, and as a player, the idea that I’m making an essentially disposable character does not fill me with a desire to play the chronicle, or if I do, not bother actually investing into it because my character is probably going to die in some bullshit like this. Once again I have to point out, it seems like letting players play the evil faction in this game breaks the loving game as written.  A Simple Mission Plot: This is a one-on-one story, intended for a single player and ST. The player is chosen for a simple (ha) reconnaissance mission in Birmingham, Alabama, a Cam controlled city. The player soon finds out that this isn’t as simple a mission as they were led to believe (when is it ever?) as the scout they’re supposed to meet has been destroyed. The player must survive an encounter with Anarchs, betrayal and more. The objective, simple as it seems, is to recover and return with a videotape that contains a report from the previous scout. Theme: Betrayal and independence, as the player finds that while they may have allies, they can only rely on themselves. This story confronts the fear of being alone in a sea of strangers, and as allies betray allies all around them, the player must determine how wise it is to count on anyone. Mood: Revelation, of the webs of deceit that cover the world of the supernatural as it does the mundane. Suspense should be the focus of most scenes, though the entire story features numerous unexpected surprises lurking around dark corners. People, Places and Things Birmingham, Alabama: Firmly held by the Camarilla, the Sabbat are eyeing the city for a potential siege, but there is the problem of Garou lurking around the outskirts of the city who seem to be in league with the Cam, or at least at peace with them. In 1990, a Malkavian rose to power in the city after a short but bloody coup, and many within the city have their eyes on the throne, waiting for the right moment to strike and take power. Red Cat: The former Sabbat scout in the city, she was a 9th gen Ahrimane. A good scout and skilled warrior, she earned her name through coming back from every battle the most bloody of the Ahrimane warriors. The Anarchs destroyed her two nights ago, and she left the tape the player is after in a post office box. Alex Silverson: Prince of Birmingham, he is a strong leader who avoids political issues whenever possible. His arrangement with the Garou who run around the city was made after their sept suffered massive losses. Now that they have returned to their old strength, the Garou are looking to break their deal, which the Prince is unaware of. He is a distinguished looking gentleman of 50 and is an adequate Prince despite his lineage, uniting the survivors of the city after the coup. He is 5’11”, muscular with short white hair and dressed in casual attire. As an actor in life, he continues to pursue the arts, and his derangement manifests in his inability to separate fantasy from reality, leading him to frequently ignore unsettling news. He is 7th gen. Erasmos Gallister: The right hand of the Prince, he is a short, 8th gen Ventrue in his 60’s who always dresses in tailored suits. He has no sense of humor and watches over the Prince, eager to snatch power the moment the Malkavian’s mind finally snaps. Gregory Roiters: An 8th gen Tremere advisor to Silverson, he is also the head of the Birmingham Chantry. Red Cat was blackmailing him with proof of an attempted assassination on the Prince. He provided the Ahrimane with information about the Prince’s supporters outside the city. He stands at 5’9” and slightly overweight, about age 30 and dresses in expensive but not too formal clothing with short black hair, usually covered with a hat. The Night Crew: The Anarch gang led by Torrance Urich (detailed shortly). Berthel Ward, a 10th gen Brujah, his second in command, who in turn is followed by Bobby Lemon, an 11th gen Gangrel, Thomas Jurras a 10th gen Toreador, Lorell Herndon an 11th gen Brujah and Dorsey Bohannon a 12th gen Brujah. They are typical Anarchs in most respects. ST’s should treat the gang, except Urich, as New Coven members for stats. Torrance Urich: Leader of the Night Crew, he discovered and destroyed Red Cat with the help of his gang. Once a professional pugilist who suffered one too many injuries, he made his way to Birmingham as a Union carpet-bagger, and is not well liked by the city's Harpies. He’s a 10th gen Brujah, standing at 6’3” with a stout build, short dark brown hair and a thick mustache, typically seen wearing a leather motorcycle jacket checkered with various colors. He’s very suave and politically adept for an Anarch, as well as being extremely arrogant. The Watchdogs: The three Sabbat who the player is meant to deliver the tape to, as well as being the players back up on their return trip out of the city. The group is composed of Maria Stone, a 9th gen Gangrel, Nettie Hale (9th gen) and Juanita Santiago (10th gen), both Ahrimane. They are accompanied by High Top, a Black Fury Metis. ST’s should treat them as Black Hand Agents with Spiritus 3. High Top: Garou ally to the Watchdogs, he has been with the Ahrimane for a few years and is held in contempt by his own people for his fraternization with the undead. Recently, he’s decided to make good with his tribe by setting up his Kindred friends. In human form, he’s 20 years old, 6 feet tall and 189 lbs. with a black mohawk and a taste for casual dress. When in Crinos his chest grows to extreme proportions. Tomorrow: The thrilling conclusion to A Simple Mission
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Jun 28, 2023 14:24
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Infinity RPG: PanOceania PanOceanian life is active, bright and happy - on average, anyway. The supernation is technologically advanced, wealthier than anyone else and highly sophisticated, a leader of the Human Sphere. Those who live within it exist in a paradise of AR, VR and quantronic possibilities that intermingle with physical reality, even moreso than most places. We're going to be taking a broad overview of the faction first, followed by tours of its three major planets - Acontecimento, Neoterra and Varuna - before we move into player options, including the aquatic Helots of Varuna. It's going to be a long ride, because PanOceania is the Human Sphere's premier hyperpower and has a lot going on. One of the great prides of PanOceania is its "living cities," masterpieces of urban design which manage windflow through the high-rises to prevent storm damage and generate power through wind turbines, operate on fully automated traffic flows that ensure there are never jams thanks to the many psuedo-AI optimizing them, and use automated utilities for nearly everything, from waste management to water to power, for minimal environmental impact and maximum efficiency. AR is everywhere, directing people to where they need to go and providing information on traffic conditions, hazards and directions. Maya storefronts are commonplace, letting you pick what you want as you walk up to a shop or restaurant and then just grab it when you get there - if you don't make use of the many automated delivery systems, free of charge. Gardens are omnipresent, often in privately owned parks full of fresh produce for passers-by to take freely, automating payments via geist microtransactions. The gardens often flow up the sides of buildings or onto their roofs, which not only looks very pretty but also improves air quality and mental health for residents and insulation for the building itself. Architectural design focuses on blending the natural and artificial almost seamlessly, though the styles vary by planet. PanO Earth holdings favor a classical architectural style that celebrates the past, while those of Acontecimento are even more garden-crazy than elsewhere, and the Neoterrans go in for heavy religious symbolism and displays of wealth in their architecture. Varuna, of course, is dominated by water, and waterways are incorporated into nearly every city design. Svalarheiman design is usually more practical, with buildings often at least partially underground and heavily insulated against the cold, but even they try to at least minimize environmental impact and blend with the natural scenery. It should be no surprise that the PanOceanian public is hungry for entertainment in any form they can get it. Mayacast dramas and comedies are very popular, particularly Aleph's Myrmidon Wars anime, which has been a pop cultural obsession since it started shortly after the Paradiso conflict kicked into high gear. Hopper is another ppopular show, dramady about the NeoColonial Wars and the crew of the merchant vessel The Hopper, which gets caught up fighting Yu Jing on Svalarheima. While it is on its sixth season and going strong, it has been criticized fairly consistently for relying on stereotyped Yu Jingese bad guys a lot. Mayacasts can be watched on comlog or even right in your brain through wetware, so there's actually been some PanOceanian buzz about "zoners" - people who aren't even paying attention to the world around them in favor of watching TV in their brain. It's not really a social problem so much as a thing you make fun of someone for being. Likewise, music is everywhere, often streamed direclty into the brain or playing on your personal comlog. Almost all citizens of PanO go through their life with a soundtrack tailored to their context and preferences by their geist's automated algorithms. Naturally, the geist playlist craze has led to a burgeoning business in indie artists paying Maya agencies to boost the discoverability of their work to geist searches, and environmental or daily life mixes are incredibly popular...though just about any genre can get big at a moment's notice. One of the top artists right now is psychedelic trance-pop sensation L-Ease, whose songs play out in the night lives of many PanOceanian citizens. Some people even specialize their geists into DJing, putting out Mayacasts of their wild playlists for others to tap into for a small fee. Sports-wise, there's nothing PanOceanians love more than Aristeia!, and major Aristos are popular on the same scale as Mayacast superstars. Stop in at any bar or water cooler discussion and you're likely to hear talk about the Aristeia! fights, especially during Ordeals season. Sports betting is fairly common, as is online gambling, though both are heavily regulated. Gambling sites are the targets of frequent criminal hacks, though their security is required to be pretty high, and enterprising PanOceanian criminals have taken to trying to set up fake gambling sites to try and divert the flow more easily. Video games are also incredibly popular in just about every genre, with achieving high ranks or good gamerscore being a common life goal of many PanOceanians into gaming at all. A lot of games are sponsored by the military and in some way dramatize the Paradiso conflict, which has had the side effect of making most PanOceanians think of themselves as very, very well-informed about the war effort, even when they aren't. Many war-focused games star actual military units, which have seen their recruitments efforts rise as a result. Which isn't at all alarming or weird! You definitely shouldn't be concerned by the fact that some government agents have programmed their geists to monitor gaming scores for potential recruitment of pilots of ships or TAGs or even as Hexas agents - or that Aleph has a few Aspects doing the same! Social media is intertwined not just through the video games above, but also the Mayacasts, the music, the sports betting. Social media in PanO is everywhere, and some people have even begun a trend of "evercasting" - broadcasting their entire lives over social media all the time for clout. Even if you don't evercast, social media presence is a big deal in the lives of all PanO citizens, with your public political posts, your likes and follows, your follower count and your public support for various political lobbies being a major factor in job interviews. The average PanO citizen is fairly invested in being liked and followed on social media, which sounds hellish. Next time: Information access, education, and the specter of political activity
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Jun 28, 2023 14:59
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Mors Rattus posted:Infinity RPG: PanOceania Genuine question: do you have any commentary or opinions on this game? I'm getting a lot of infodump but no context. 
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Jun 28, 2023 15:04
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So, uh, quick question. Isn't just, dumping the majority of the book verbatim like the kind of thing that can get people in trouble? Because that doesn't fall into any fair use, that's just reposting the book's contents verbatim with no input or alteration.
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Jun 28, 2023 15:07
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I do not copy the text verbatim. I present things I think are cool and that people should look at, to get folks interested. I do provide my commentary throughout, albeit perhaps less angrily or loudly as some folks do. Which, y'know, you'd know if you actually read what I write. I am not going to stop presenting poo poo I think is cool. Please feel free to get annoyed about it for 30 posts.
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Jun 28, 2023 15:09
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Mors Rattus posted:I do not copy the text verbatim. I present things I think are cool and that people should look at, to get folks interested. I do provide my commentary throughout, albeit perhaps less angrily or loudly as some folks do. Which, y'know, you'd know if you actually read what I write. I feel like if folks can't actually tell you have any opinions or commentary on things beyond "this was interesting enough to copypaste," then you at least need to make it more explicit.
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Jun 28, 2023 15:14
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Mors Rattus posted:I do not copy the text verbatim. I present things I think are cool and that people should look at, to get folks interested. I do provide my commentary throughout, albeit perhaps less angrily or loudly as some folks do. Which, y'know, you'd know if you actually read what I write. Mors, dude. I read along in the TAG book as you were going. You're not copying the text verbatim but you're close enough to it in a lot of places that it reads as "rewording the source just enough to not be plagiarizing". I wouldn't personally care, if you were presenting why you think it's cool, or what you think is cool about it, or any input whatsoever. But it's just regurgitating the book rephrased to not get in trouble without any meaningful additional content. I'm pretty sure anyone here could run a RAW game of Infinity just from your review text, but they wouldn't have any insight on its strengths and weaknesses, any view on how it works out for other people in play... you know, the things people read reviews for.
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Jun 28, 2023 15:26
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Frankly, I don't like it either. But we've had discussions about whether or not it's Bad For The Thread and there's no reason to believe it is. I just try to post reviews that are not extremely long and detailed, to encourage such reviews, and to signal that you don't have to write a very long and detailed review to participate in F&F.
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Jun 28, 2023 15:33
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Mors Rattus posted:I do not copy the text verbatim. I present things I think are cool and that people should look at, to get folks interested. I do provide my commentary throughout, albeit perhaps less angrily or loudly as some folks do. Which, y'know, you'd know if you actually read what I write. I have no beef with you, I just - here. "Infinity RPG PanOceania" and the cover art. OK, no idea what this is. Maybe the review will explain it? -- Ah, no, we're in the book now. "PanOceanian life is active, bright and happy - on average, anyway. The supernation is technologically advanced, wealthier than anyone else and highly sophisticated, a leader of the Human Sphere. Those who live within it exist in a paradise of AR, VR and quantronic possibilities that intermingle with physical reality, even moreso than most places. We're going to be taking a broad overview of the faction first, followed by tours of its three major planets - Acontecimento, Neoterra and Varuna - before we move into player options, including the aquatic Helots of Varuna. It's going to be a long ride, because PanOceania is the Human Sphere's premier hyperpower and has a lot going on." This is effectively a rewrite of the text in the book with no commentary, except that you're going to look at this faction first, and it's a long ride. Except I have no idea what this rpg is! What's a PanOcean? A supernation - okay, of what, a planet? It seems to be a cyberpunk utopian future, but there's a lot of proper nouns. Human Sphere, okay, we're in a sci-fi setting with interstellar travel. I don't mind having to do work here, but you're giving me nothing to go on. It doesn't help that the next several paragraphs are straight rewrites of the book, I assume - there's information, information, information, but while it's nice setting fluff, uh, what's the context? Or - shouldn't I go read the book now? Where's Mors Rattus? "It should be no surprise that the PanOceanian public is hungry for entertainment in any form they can get it. Mayacast dramas and comedies are very popular, particularly Aleph's Myrmidon Wars anime, which has been a pop cultural obsession since it started shortly after the Paradiso conflict kicked into high gear. Hopper is another popular show, dramady about the NeoColonial Wars and the crew of the merchant vessel The Hopper, which gets caught up fighting Yu Jing on Svalarheima. While it is on its sixth season and going strong, it has been criticized fairly consistently for relying on stereotyped Yu Jingese bad guys a lot. Mayacasts can be watched on comlog or even right in your brain through wetware, so there's actually been some PanOceanian buzz about "zoners" - people who aren't even paying attention to the world around them in favor of watching TV in their brain. It's not really a social problem so much as a thing you make fun of someone for being." This paragraph continues the problem. I'd love to know what you think about this setting having straight up in-universe anime, or what you think of zoners. I personally have a lot of opinions on zoners. "Sports-wise, there's nothing PanOceanians love more than Aristeia!, and major Aristos are popular on the same scale as Mayacast superstars. Stop in at any bar or water cooler discussion and you're likely to hear talk about the Aristeia! fights, especially during Ordeals season. Sports betting is fairly common, as is online gambling, though both are heavily regulated. Gambling sites are the targets of frequent criminal hacks, though their security is required to be pretty high, and enterprising PanOceanian criminals have taken to trying to set up fake gambling sites to try and divert the flow more easily. Video games are also incredibly popular in just about every genre, with achieving high ranks or good gamerscore being a common life goal of many PanOceanians into gaming at all. A lot of games are sponsored by the military and in some way dramatize the Paradiso conflict, which has had the side effect of making most PanOceanians think of themselves as very, very well-informed about the war effort, even when they aren't. Many war-focused games star actual military units, which have seen their recruitments efforts rise as a result. Which isn't at all alarming or weird! You definitely shouldn't be concerned by the fact that some government agents have programmed their geists to monitor gaming scores for potential recruitment of pilots of ships or TAGs or even as Hexas agents - or that Aleph has a few Aspects doing the same!" I can't tell if this is in-book commentary or your commentary. I'm concerned that the government is using gaming to recruit soldiers, but also... where's Mors Rattus? "Social media is intertwined not just through the video games above, but also the Mayacasts, the music, the sports betting. Social media in PanO is everywhere, and some people have even begun a trend of "evercasting" - broadcasting their entire lives over social media all the time for clout. Even if you don't evercast, social media presence is a big deal in the lives of all PanO citizens, with your public political posts, your likes and follows, your follower count and your public support for various political lobbies being a major factor in job interviews. The average PanO citizen is fairly invested in being liked and followed on social media, which sounds hellish." Aha! I found you! Mors Rattus, you don't like being that heavily invested in social media, even in a sci-fi utopian setting. I finally know what your opinion is. e: And this isn't even about - my problem is that that review was 98% of the book, and maybe 2% of you, and that ratio feels off. Which is a bummer, as I'd like to know more about this rpg and see a review of it.
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Jun 28, 2023 15:35
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