Frequently Asked Questions!
Where do we find Character pages?
They are now going to be part of the forum. This will allow players to post up their own character pages.
How do I submit a sheet? What do I use?
We used to use one of the really well done Char sheet generators. Sadly, it's now obsolete. We are moving to the impressively well done Mr. Gone sheets.
Kindred
Mortal
Mr. Gone also has a Patreon! Please support him. If none of these sheets fit your character, please talk to the STs!
Please be sure to open and edit the PDF in Adobe Reader, NOT your browser. It will not save everything properly and things will be blank when it's opened by other people. Also make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Reader.
Why is this website so basic?!
The Webmaster likes old school, simple HTML. This admittedly basic website was all written in notepad (WYSIWYG? We don't need no stinkin' WYSIWYG!). As the website is refreshed and updated, we are focusing on getting the game-critical items in place. Things like hyperlinking other pages, or resources, will come later. Maybe. We'd rather be playing than writing HTML. ;)
I'm stuck! I'm not sure what to do with this SL next, or if I missed anything important?
This is where the "Roll" can come in. Our characters have skills, experience, and knowledge that we will never have. Tell the ST what you're stuck on, or looking to accomplish. Not sure if you missed a clue when you broke into that house? Ask for a roll! Did the player forget to ask an important question? Ask for a roll! Can't spot a solution to a social problem? Ask for a roll! We get it, other games when you tell the ST you aren't sure what to do next and ask for advice, they just shrug their shoulders. We don't do that here! The path to success and power might be long and slow, but we're not going to let you twist in the wind when your character could "figure it out" with a good roll!
What are the limits/rules around spending XP?
1. Most things should have some RP backing them up. This is a pre-requisite action. Taking night classes at the community college for Computers. Burning up an evening getting tutoring from a law student or recent law grad. If you haven't tried to do/use that trait/ability, you can't justify buying it. Normally the RP to 'unlock' the right to buy something is NOT XP worthy.
2. Disciplines. To learn an out of clan discipline, see House rules.
3. Abilities are usually limited to about 1 dot per 1 month of real time (With supporting RP).
4. Physical and Social attributes are 1 dot per 3 months.
5. Mental attributes are seriously case by case (really damn rare). While a person can memorize things and become more educated, that doesn't necessarily increase their IQ (Intelligence). Similar for Perception and Wits. So be sure you're happy with the Mental attributes of your character... they may never change!
How often do we get XP?
There is currently no set time or play-amount restrictions around XP. If it is related to a StoryLine and the scene was run by the StoryTeller experience will be rewarded at the end of the scene. In social play, if you do something you feel is worthy of XP, making a note of it and bring it up with the Storyteller on the weekend, you can also jump into #Caci-Story-planning and 'leave a message' with details.
Can you elaborate on what earns XP?
Sure. RP that is interesting, puts your character at risk (not always physically, but mentally, or their reputation/standing in Kindred Society or Kine Society), or lets your character start moving people around like chess pieces is XP worthy. Here's some examples:
NOT Worth XP: Your character spends much of their time in the Kine social clubs, dancing, singing, making superficial friends with people that he can't immediately use or manipulate to his gain. Generally just focusing on having a good time. This goes back to the page where we talked about welcoming Cafe Culture players, but don't expect a lot of character sheet progression. No XP.
Worth XP: Jack found a way to embezzle from a construction company that has a lot of the Prince's contracts. Pete finds out about it and blackmails Jack. For bonus shenanigans, Pete finds a way to sell Jack out to the Prince, without getting in trouble for the blackmail! Pete definitely gets XP. Jack may get XP depending on how he setup his embezzlement and what he does when called before the Prince.
Another good XP Example: The local Tremere find an opportunity to manipulate a Burjah into thinking they are not a threat, by accidently revealing information that clues the Brujah in on the Tremeres age and generation. Both of these facts are false though. The Tremere has setup breadcrumbs that are tough to find, but not impossible, that substatiates the Brujah's "discovery". The Tremere gets XP, and if the Brujah puts in the work to chase down the breadcrumbs, they'll get XP too.
And lastly, if it moves your characters towards their personal goals (ones set with the Storyteller) in a significant way, it may be XP worthy.
Is the city Camarilla controlled?
Yes, however there are Sabbat forces lurking around, and they’re smarter than the typical shovelheads.
Can I play a Sabbat?
It’s possible, but please note the statement above, if your Sabbat character is going to leave a string of dead bodies, they may not last long… likewise playing a Tzimisce or Lasombra could be very limiting (the former because they tend to look like monsters by choice, the latter because the clan flaw can make them stick out in the wrong places).
What about [insert rare clan]?
Not at this time.
Are any clans harder or easier to play than others?
Not by direction or intention of the STs! We let players decide for themselves how much their characters clan or lore will affect how they treat other characters. We won't tell you that your character must distrust the Setite, or want to chase out the Thinbloods. If you want to play up to those stereotypes, that's okay too! Now, if you decide to play a Nosferatu, and take every Insect "merit", and don't have Mask of 1k Faces... you could face some limiting situations without breaching the Masquerade and being hunted. If you do come to us with a concept that might prove mechanically difficult, we will tell you up front, so you can decide if you want the challenge.
How likely is it my character could die?
Overall, we don’t like to flippantly kill off characters (even for "storyline reasons"). The rest depends on your character's actions and the dice. It’s probably about a 60/40 split. If your character is about to do something extremely unwise (like, attack a suspected powerful being with a shotgun), we may nudge the player and ask “Are you really sure that’s what your character would do?”
Now sometimes that IS what the character would do *cough* Brujah *cough*. At that point, it’ll come down to the attitude of dice, and the creature that was attacked. Some are more forgiving than others (by forgiving, it might mean your character isn’t killed, but will wish they were).
Please don’t abuse our wanting to try to help keep characters around longer to build up better storylines and more intricate maneuverings. Or you might be labeled a disruptive player.
How do you define a disruptive player?
This is not an exhaustive list, but should get the idea across. Disruptive players are typically players that bring in combat heavy characters with severe anti-social traits (not just the typical Brujah temper, but every movie cliché curmudgeon and psychopath rolled into one). These are characters that will take every opportunity to see something as an insult, and want to fight or be a nuisance for the perceived offender. These players will also tend to have characters that will have motive or personality swings (separate from the D.I.D. that some Malks have) which do not fit the character. They also will try to find the most destructive ‘resolution’ to a storyline – this goes beyond finding a solution that lets one skip ahead a few modules in a story, or sometimes right to the end. This is more like “I think the purse-snatcher who now has a Kindred’s phone lives in that apartment building. I’m going to burn the building down.” We will warn and try to help these players, but ultimately may ask them to leave.
What's up with using super-notable characters from the White Wolf Books/media as "visiting NPCs"?
Simply put, these characters are usually well enough known that it makes it easy for everyone to understand the potential impact, and have solid reasons to act/react around them. They put these characters in the book for exactly that reason. Similar to the weight that comes with a title (such as a Justicar showing up), only with some more dimensions that might make characters more comfortable approaching them. After all, any Brujah should be completely open to going up to Nines or Smilin' Jack; compared to the Justicar example... most Kindred, even those of the same Clan, aren't going to want to proactively approach a Justicar.
Recommended Sources
Youtube:
Look up "The Gentleman Gamer", he has some great videos on White Wolf, some are done "In Character" and are done well. We do not always agree with his views, but his approach and mood setting is always excellent. His video on Humanity is outstanding.
Movies:
Gothic (1986)
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Elizabeth (1998)
Memento (2000)
The Prestige (2006)
The Matrix Trilogy
Strange Days (1995)
Metropolis (1927)
Pi (1998)
Dark City (1998)
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Television:
Gotham
Hannibal
American Horror Story
Millennium
Twin Peaks Fire Walk with Me
Game of Thrones
Blacklist
Burn Notice
Warehouse 13
Books:
Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
Murders in the Rue Morgue, by Edgar Allan Poe
The Thing on the Doorstep, by H.P. Lovecraft
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly
Dracula, by Bram Stoker
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas
The Sprawl Trilogy, by William Gibson
A Scanner Darkly, by Phillip K. Dick
The Vampire Chronicles, by Anne Rice