tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55365656643573923612024-02-08T08:25:47.671-08:00Thoughts on GameThoughts from a former Storyteller on rpg and larp games.
Not affiliated with One World By Night.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-38979735618309670902022-02-28T17:04:00.005-08:002022-02-28T17:04:39.719-08:00Beccaria and Camarilla Justice<p>(edited version of email I sent to the OWBN-ST list.)<br /></p><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Hi Folks,<br /><br /></div>I'm
not the Camarilla Coordinator, this isn't canon, this is me (Zephyr),
whose PC is Cam Law expert, being a nerd trying to create a richer game
world by perhaps explaining some ideas Elders have. This grew out of
something I'm writing in character, but it's good enough that I thought
it's worth exploring here.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I believe it's
better to have monsters make a certain kind of sense, and I recently
read some stuff that has been helpful in that regard. Bear with me, you
might be thinking half way through this, "what the hell are they talking
about?" but trust me I have a point.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, Cesare Beccaria changed the world with a little pamplet, and you might have never heard of him, and that's a shame.<br /></div><br /></div>In
1764, during a time we now called the Age of Reason, Beccaria, a 25
years old lawyer authored, with the help of two members of his circle, a
slim volume in Milan.<br /><br /></div>18 months later it was in its 6th
edition. The Italians read it. By 1766 it was translated for a second
time into French with a foreword by Voltaire, who also told everyone
he met to read it. Voltaire is someone you think of as an author, but
back then he was a huge influencer. People listened to him. Several of
the US founding fathers definitely read it. <br /></div><div><br /></div>What was this short pamphlet that took the world by storm? On Crimes and Punishments.<br /><br /></div>See
back in the day they used to torture the innocent to confess, and then
torture them again when executing them,Why? Well mostly out of
tradition. But there were two fundamental possible understandings of
how to measure crime that could explain that that Beccaria explored and
rejected.<br /><br /> One is that the dignity of the injured party is how
you measure crimes. That is killing a king is worse than killing a
peasant. The killing of a King's deer likewise a huge crime.<br /></div><div><br />The
second is the idea, expressed in the bible and antiquity, of in making
the punishment fit the crime, eye for an eye, or in Latin what was
called the Lex Talionis, the Law of equivalent retribution.<br /><br /></div><div>Becarria
rejects both these ideas for what are perfectly logical reasons for
him. The former because people don't punish blasphemy worse than we
punish regicide, the latter basically because all people are equal
before god.<br /></div><div><br /></div>Beccaria had the idea that justice
shouldn't be about making the punishment fit the crime or the dignity of
the acused, but be done purely for the utility of preventing crime.
That is, nobody wants crime to be done to them, and yet some people do
crime, so government should act to discourage crime so that everyone can
be happy. That is, justice should deter criminal behavior, so that
through reason and the principles of pleasure and pain people can live
their lives in a good and godly way. Reason wasn't considered anti-god
in the age of reason... reason was god's gift to man to govern himself,
and so can be applied to all things man does to bring about good ends. <br /><br /></div>Beccaria
believed in what was then a new fangled idea, a social contract, in
which men were governed by their own implicit consent, so they could
enjoy civilization. This was in contrast to the idea that governments,
kings, ruled by divine right. <br /><br /></div><div>Thus the idea he
believed in was that punishment was done for deterrence, as any other
reason to do so was tyrannical and illogical and thus ungodly.<br /></div><div><br /></div>Anyway,
why is this relevant to the Camarilla? Well the idea that the dignity
and position of the offended and offender matters, well that's how
status works basically. And the Lextalionis is absolutely used for
Camarilla criminal justice in the books.<br /><br /></div><div>But both of
those were Beccaria trying to reason out why people do things the way
they do them. The truth is some things are just done because of
tradition... there isn't a logic to understand them, they just are that
way. Roman law from Constantinople was the basis of a lot of legal
practice in his time and people were taught to apply it. The idea that
things should be reasonable and logical or done towards a purpose,
that's shockingly recent and modern.<br /><br /></div><div>Anyway, when NPC
Elders act "unfairly" in the modern sense, one way to make them make
sense to the players is to pick one or more of those three elements to
base their actions on and explain it thusly.<br /><br /></div><div>1. They
are doing it because that's what's always been done. Those who steal on
Elysium always lose their hands to sunlight, because that's what they
learned was the punishment. Or it's always been theirs to decide, and
this is the punishment they've always used.<br /></div><div>2. They are
doing it because of the difference between the Dignity of the offended
vs the dignity of the offender. Thus an independent Ravnos stealing
from a Ventrue Seneschal absolutely deserves to lose his hands, whereas a
Tremere Primogen taking a magical item from a Nosferatu neonate might
get a literal slap on the wrist, assuming that it's not understood that
the Primogen had every right because Magical items are part of his
Domain in that city, just like Police are part of the Ventrue Domain in
London.<br /></div><div>3. They are doing it because it's equal
retribution, for some value of equal. Losing your hands is a suitable
punishment for taking something with them.<br /><br /></div><div>And if you
are portraying a Brujah Elder or older Anarch or Loyal opposition
member, this maybe also gives you some ideas regarding where to take
them. Honestly just reading a book about enlightenment thinkers is a
wonderful way to think about the Anarchs as a sect in opposition to the
Camarilla. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And that tension, between the
old ways of doing things and a more modern understandings, perhaps ones
based on equity, or deterrence, or even rehabilitation, I think can
absolutely create drama for PCs.<br /><br />A blog post that helped inspire this email<br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.exurbe.com/on-crimes-and-punishments-and-beccaria/&source=gmail&ust=1646152239321000&usg=AOvVaw35tIww9Qs6va3XX6TV8NDf" href="https://www.exurbe.com/on-crimes-and-punishments-and-beccaria/" target="_blank">https://www.exurbe.com/on-<wbr></wbr>crimes-and-punishments-and-<wbr></wbr>beccaria/<br /></a>The pamphlet in english<br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/voltaire-an-essay-on-crimes-and-punishments&source=gmail&ust=1646152239321000&usg=AOvVaw2smE0GzBWJuzTS1QuD0J24" href="https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/voltaire-an-essay-on-crimes-and-punishments" target="_blank">https://oll.libertyfund.org/<wbr></wbr>title/voltaire-an-essay-on-<wbr></wbr>crimes-and-punishments</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-79845692738742388642013-03-11T20:56:00.002-07:002013-03-11T20:56:33.059-07:00Character Pittraps: Never Lost/Seen it AllSo I want to bring up a criticism of a type of character, or maybe a certain type of player, but I want to do it by pointing out that I have guilty of it too. It's something I see all too often... that's not to say such character's shouldn't exist, but they should be created with the OOC understanding that they are flawed, and how.<br />
<br />
I've written characters so they are perfect. I remember a Malkavian, childe of an Elder, the coolest guy ever. They made every decision right in their back story. Every challenge he faced he has beaten. And of course, anybody who did anything less, are to be derided, and exploited. No forgiveness, no understanding. And worse... I as a player judged people who's character's fucked up the same way... and when, inevitably, I failed, I wanted to play a different character. because the character was broken. He could never recover.<br />
<br />
It's very easy to make a character who never failed... or who, if bad things happened, happened only because of things that were beyond his control. We all want to play clever, skilled, smart, socially skilled fighters that have never lost a bout. <br />
<br />
And of course, if you have never failed, if things have gone wrong only because of others... then any individual who has failed, who makes a mistake... is to be judged.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, characters should be successful... they should have something going for them. <br />
<br />
But if you only play characters who are successful in their backstory, who don't understand failure, then you should do it with the out of character understanding that, your character is flawed. Never having failed means never having learned to learn from one's mistakes. And that is a flaw. You've been perfect? that means you never learned how to deal with failure. In fact, you may be unable to admit you failed. You should plan for success, and not allow for failure.<br />
<br />
The super villain that can't understand how they were beat... yeah, that's you. And it's okay to play that character. But please do it with your eyes open.<br />
<br />
You Never Lost.<br />
<br />
Because It's one thing to play a character that never made a mistake. It's quite another to be a guy who thinks that their character is better for having had a back story where they never failed.<br />
<br />
Anyway, like I said, eventually your PC will fuck up. Or find a new mistake, Or he/she won't, but something will go bad and your first thought will be... this character is no good anymore. <br />
<br />
And that is the really sad thing... because in the best stories, the best characters grow... and you don't grow by being perfect... you grow by learning from your mistakes. Your perfect character found out they aren't perfect... that's when the fun begins. <br />
<br />
Not to mention, the perfect back story character is kinda boring... it's successes are based on stuff you wrote, which means that as soon as it has to interact with other characters, it's failing because it's not being awesome. When you see people coming in an doing nothing at game just waiting on XP... that's this. <br />
<br />
That means that you should never work with others.... since they may fail. And right then, you've built a PC who belongs on a shelf like a trophy, not in play. In play they will only get tarnished.<br />
<br />
Heck XP represents what your character learned... if you aren't doing stuff, if you know better, then you shouldn't be getting XP.<br />
<br />
To me, the best characters are tarnished... They've seen horrors, and they've failed, and they've lost. And having been broken. But they aren't done being broken. <br />
<br />
There is a variant that perhaps goes too far the other way... the too wise cynic who has seen everything. That character may have failed, or at least had bad stuff happen, but now they have no more mistakes to make... they are perfect. Nothing will ever change them, make them care, because they know better. Every other character who is still trying to do stuff is a failure because they haven't learned the lessons they have. Again, I meet players who play such characters without understanding, or at least without acknowledging, that they are also flawed. <br />
<br />
You have Seen it All. <br />
<br />
Again... if your character has seen everything and nothing effects you... why the hell are you playing it? <br />
<br />
Where is the story? It's okay to be arrogant and think you know everything... but again, it's a flaw.<br />
<br />
So, if you are going to play a character who either never makes a mistake, or knows every mistake you can make, at least now you can do it with open eyes. And when I play with you, and you say OOC that a PC is a screw up because they didn't know better... I'm thinking you don't know better. Fucking up is better story, and makes for better characters, then the perfect character that never screws up. The character that goes home after an adventure without changing or learning anything is a boring and sad one. And when I've done that, in the past, I've missed out.<br />
<br />
We play characters... often vampire characters... and we treat stasis and the status quo as a good thing. But it's important to remember that what IC is a good thing may OOC make for less valuable characters and less interesting story. <br />
<br />
And if you have never made the same mistake, never never lost, or never saw it all... well good for you... Maybe you as a player never screwed up, or maybe you've seen it all. I hope that makes for good stories for you.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-48603525895216779132012-06-08T23:50:00.002-07:002012-06-08T23:50:41.839-07:00Pixars Rules for StorytellingOn a blog for the Pixar Touch, a documentary about the history of Pixar, they published a collection of rules for good stories originally tweeted by <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/lawnrocket">Emma Coats</a> a Pixary Story Artist.<br />
<br />
Some good ones:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; line-height: 21px;">#5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.</span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;">#6: What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?</span>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">#17: No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on - it’ll come back around to be useful later.</span></span>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<br />
See <a href="http://www.pixartouchbook.com/blog/2011/5/15/pixar-story-rules-one-version.html">http://www.pixartouchbook.com/blog/2011/5/15/pixar-story-rules-one-version.html</a> for the rest.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-2969016585552121642012-02-16T21:20:00.001-08:002012-02-16T21:20:58.249-08:00Online Gaming not Sucking, and the Gamer Nuremberg Defense<a href="http://forum.dwellindarkness.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=5028">http://forum.dwellindarkness.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=5028</a>
<br />
<br />
Two articles, one on how to run online games that don't suck, and one on how just playing your character is a BS excuse.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-82751879227958362412011-12-08T12:27:00.000-08:002018-10-23T15:42:36.962-07:00Joseph Campbell's Heroic Journey, Supernatural Characters in the World of Darkness, and Gangrel<span class="Apple-style-span">There's been some discussion recently in OWBN's gangrel out of character mailing list about Gangrel. People have been suggesting that vampires (and other supernatural creatures more generally in the World of Darkness) can be Heros in the sense of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth">Joseph Campbell's monomyth</a>, or superheros, while others have suggested that Vampires are essentially motivated by selfishness. Personally I think either view is reductionist, and I wrote the following:</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Actually, Campbell's heroic monomyth isn't that great a fit. <div>
<br />Character types of the world of darkness are based on trespassing against a society's taboos, about ceasing to be human. Vampires, Changelings, Werewolves and Mages, all represent an alteration from man to another type of being brought upon by some sort of trespass... with the possible exception of mages, who are a sort of reification of ritual as a means of transcending humanity, but at the same time plays with the separation of the "awakened" from ordinary man. None of them returns to humanity, they are all fundamentally inhuman at some level, set apart in fundamental ways. Even mages are in effect the shamans of their culture, transcending the physical with the metaphysical in ways that "sleepers" cannot.<br /><br />The mono myth isn't even all that widely accepted among students of mythology, at least as I understand it. It's kind of a crib. Sure the Hero has a thousand faces, but Campbell goes on to write the Masks of god, which talks about the cultural differences in myth and their importance. <br /><br />Anyway, getting back to vampire, it's perhaps better to see Vampires as representing essentially cautionary tales. Myths about the inhuman are still, at there essence, myths about humanity, the limits of what it is to be human and the allure of leaving humanity behind contrasted with the loss that represents... hence the focus on Humanity in vampire. <br /><br />That tension, among Clan Gangrel, is about becoming bestial and wild vs. staying human. Gangrel grow more powerful by departing from their humanity, by becoming part of the wilderness. Essentially, Gangrel become red in tooth and claw, the ultimate bestial predator, at the cost of giving up most human concerns. The essential ultimate gangrel lives in the wild, survives easily, is a monsterous predator and a loner, lacking concerns for politics or human morals and even human speech, a master of their environment, but lacking self control and operating largely on instinct.. <br /><br />It's also not really a player character, since living alone in the wild as a beast isn't really great for a protagonist. <br /><br />Gangrel PCs instead have to have that tension... they live uneasily on the line between beast and human, seeking a unification that may well be impossible. A Gangrel story is about changing, or resisting the change, of becoming more bestial and animalistic. It works slightly better in Tabletop, where Frenzy is an advantage (making you largely immune to social and mental powers) then in live action, where it's mostly a disadvantage. It's also hard for Storytellers to frame stuff... really dramatic moments should have you choose between fufilling your goals by acting like an animal, or remaining essentially human and failing. It's about sacrificing ones humanity for one's goals or one's goals for one's humanity. <br /><br />Anyway, that's not to say that Gangrel can't be heroic. But in a sense, if your playing your Gangrel as the good guys, facing only easy black and white moral choices, running around in beast form without it making you more into a beast fundamentally, you are not taking full advantage of the real drama of being Gangrel... that tension, that struggle. In a sense, that struggle, winning it, or even losing and becoming more beast like, is also part of myth. <br /><br /> Remember, when you "Win" on a path or humanity check, you feel either guilty (for conscience) or gain a sense of shame over your own failure (for conviction). When you lose, you feel righteous and justified. <br /><br />If I had to draw a larger lesson from this... I'd say that things that make one more powerful should also bring one closer to one's animal nature, and one's Beast. Maybe some combo disciplines would benefit from having neg trait requirements... you have to be bestial or repugnant or feral enough for them. Maybe getting mentors for paths like path of the beast, especially instinct paths, should be harder for those that resist frenzying, or seek to mitigate their animalistic nature with Mask of 1k, or use tools in beast form. Not that these should necessarily be binding packet rules, but they might make good suggested rules for STs, and guidelines for PCs to gain coord approval.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-1504139183837150022011-05-24T01:34:00.000-07:002011-05-24T01:38:54.311-07:00Hello Again: Character Development Techniques<div><blockquote></blockquote>Hi! It's been a while, but I thought I'd post something I saw.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kung Fu Monkey, which is a writing blog, <a href="http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2009/03/writing-360-degree-character-reviews.html">talks about developing characters</a>. I think this is valuable both for developing PCs, and developing NPCs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Techniques discussed:</div><div>360 Degree review. IE, how does the character's bosses, peers, and underlings view him. </div><div>Flipping characters from villian to hero, or hero to villian.</div><div><br /></div><div>And my personal favorite:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; ">Years ago another writer taught me a simple exercise -- describe a character, hero or villain, as his best friend would describe him while setting up a blind date. Then do it from the point of view of the co-worker <span style="font-style: italic; ">who hates his guts</span> and is unloading to his wife after work, or finally has a chance to sink him with a job recommendation.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><blockquote></blockquote><br /></span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-17569532514610156792010-02-22T15:48:00.000-08:002010-02-22T15:53:22.496-08:00UpcomingI realize it's been a while since I've posted. I'm working on the following two blog posts (titles tentative).<br /><br />House Rules that Don't Suck: Or what I've generally learned about Writing House Rules that players will actually read<br />We Screwed Up: Fixing ST mistakes<br /><br />I'm also considering a post discussing how to communicate players to figure out what they want in terms of plot and theme, but I haven't started work on it.<br /><br />If there is one you would prefer me to put out first, sound off in the comments.<br /><div style="position: absolute; display: none; z-index: 1000; border-width: 1px 2.5px 2px 0.5px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 170); background-color: white; padding: 1pt 3pt; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-67243885210768065582010-01-24T15:37:00.000-08:002010-01-24T15:54:15.116-08:00Advice for New Ventrue PlayersSomebody on the OWBN Ventrue OOC list asked about playing a Ventrue. I've edited it a bit, expanded it a bit, but this was my response. In case this isn't clear, this is for Masquerade Ventrue, though it's possible that it's applicable in parts to Requiem.<br /><br />Playing a <span class="il">Ventrue</span> is hard.<br /><br />Lineage wise, I don't regret not having a PC sire, but I do wish I had picked a lineage at least partially shared with other players. Hopefully the Coord team and the wiki can be helpful in that. Incidentally, if they'd be interested in being related to my PC, I'd love that, and I'm sure there are plenty of other PCs who would be happy to share a lineage or even be a PC sire.<br /><br />Lineage is incredibly important for Ventrue RP. It colors many things. Having a screw up childe, or a famous sire or grand sire creates new facets for characters. There is also a PC I know of who's sire was killed by another Ventrue, and the hatred that's there makes for awesome roleplay.<br /><br /><br />For playing a <span class="il">Ventrue</span>, you could do worse then recommending they pick up a copy of <span class="il">Tai</span>-<span class="il">Pan</span> and/or Noble House by James Clavell. Possibly Shogun, though I haven't read that. Strategy books like the Prince, art of war, how to make friends and influence people or vampire: the Masquerade books like Guilded Cage etc. might help them being good at being a <span class="il">Ventrue</span> IC, but the Clavell books books will show them how to play a <span class="il">Ventrue</span>, whether a strong leader, a cunning manipulator, a brutal monster, a career politician, or a weak willed patsy. It also teaches you about rivals, and how Ventrue won't kill their rivals off the cuff... they want everything their rivals have built torn down, destroyed or taken over, and they want their rival to see it, and their children take up the cause. In Noble house especially, you realize a rivalry from the 18th century has continued for at least a hundred years between two families.<br /><br />TV/Movie wise <span class="il">Tai</span> Pain was also a movie, which I haven't seen. I'd also highly recommend HBO's The Wire.... The police dept functions a lot like the Directorate, and many of the characters are excellent examples of <span class="il">Ventrue</span>, The worst of them often are promoted. Loyalty is established by protecting one's subordinates, or taking the fall for one's superiors. The best of them are good police because of their flaws. <br /><br />Flaws. Flaws make <span class="il">Ventrue</span> <span class="il">Ventrue</span>.<br /><br />Lots of people will tell you to that <span class="il">Ventrue</span> are supposed to be great leaders, astute businessmen, honorable knights, and masters of influence. This is all at least somewhat true IC, and every <span class="il">Ventrue</span> will likely be expected to to try to live up to that. But OOC playing a <span class="il">Ventrue</span> who isn't perfect is best. A Ventrue who is flawed, who has weaknesses. First, because it's impossible to play perfectly. Second because <span class="il">Ventrue</span>, like all of the best PCs, are made interesting by their failures.<br /><br />Having said the above about failure, few <span class="il">Ventrue</span> PCs should be complete failures and total disappointments to their elders. On the other hand, that doesn't mean that one's elder's shouldn't be disappointed in you... living in the shadow of other <span class="il">Ventrue</span> and under the weight of their expectations is a large part of <span class="il">Ventrue</span> genre. Breaking under that weight can be good RP.<br /><br />The most important way a <span class="il">Ventrue</span> can fail is by arrogance and pride. Hubris and entitlement are in many ways really the <span class="il">Ventrue</span> Clan flaw. Seriously, if your <span class="il">Ventrue</span> is screwed over because of their unwillingness to lose face or to admit defeat, your probably RPing just fine. That's why neg traits like callous, violent, impatient and condescending are great for <span class="il">Ventrue</span>.<br /><br />That pride colors competition in clan. <span class="il">Ventrue</span> compete not by doing things well (that's to be expected) but by trying to get each other to lose face. In fact each Dignitas claimed is like a target telling your Clan to test you there. There is also noblesse oblige, and the paternalistic part of <span class="il">Ventrue</span> arrogance. If you replace <a href="http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/Kipling.html">White Man's Burden</a> with <span class="il">Ventrue</span>'s Burden, and have the other people be other Kindred, you start to get an idea.<br /><br />The second is tradition and the clan's institutions. <span class="il">Ventrue</span> genre is holding to tradition even when it's the wrong choice, and it's breaking from it when it's the right choice (or even the only choice) and being punished for bucking the system or failing the tradition. The best stories I've seen in the Clan have often come from this. The best way to get a <span class="il">Ventrue</span> to lose face is to point out a way they failed the clan traditions, or failed to live up to their Dignitas. The best place to do so is in a Directorate meeting.<br /><br />Speaking of the Directorate meeting, I've also had Tremere players tell me that the clan has better genre, and much better clan meetings. Some people hate Directorate meetings... personally some of the best RP I've ever seen has been in them, especially when you have a rival or an agenda. Tribunals as well can be awesome, as can Death Nights. New players should seek directorate meetings, should push for them. <br /><br />So again, playing a <span class="il">Ventrue</span> is hard. It's also amazingly fun.<br /><br />Later on in the thread I said.<br /><br />I'd add to that thatneonates, nobility, honor and obedience are part of the same package. They are encouraged to be ambitious, but being honorable and noble means ambition must be tempered with respect for the good of the Clan.<br /><br />A noble neonate understands how little of the Elders they understand, and is thus willing to trust their elders, to sacrifice their personal ambitions, and possibly themselves if required for the good of the clan. That's honor. That's rewarded.<br /><br />An ignoble neonate pursues his owe interests, doesn't trust or respect his elders and superiors, and sells out his clan for short term gains. He dishonors himself. He will find himself on the outs. A CEO can thus be noble and well rewarded by Elders, and a <span class="il">Ventrue</span> descended from royalty with an aristocratic bearing can be ignoble and dismissed. <br /><br />That's how the majority of neonates should likely see it. 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The STs will introduce a plot, perhaps with interesting NPCs, perhaps specifically targeted toward new players. <br /><br />And older players with powerful PCs, (powerful meaning either politically in terms of position or physically in terms of experience points) will jump on it, demand that nobody go after it but them, for everyone's safety.<br /><br />I've explored this problem before, in my <a href="http://owbn.blogspot.com/2008/06/plots-for-new-players.html">Plots for New Players</a> post. But recently something occurred in a game I ST for, Shadow's Crossing, that has changed my perspective. I've suggested targeting plots for new players, but on reflection, there may be another way to go then in trying to segregate players. <br /><br />I was running a plotline for a player, and after I was done, he thanked me for giving him a plot he could do investigate. But the thing was, I hadn't targeted the plot toward him. In fact I hadn't known he would even have been played, or glanced at his sheet before the game started. The fact was other PCs were pursing other plots, both PC and ST created, and he just happened to be the one going after this plot. <br /><br />Instead of trying to keep players involved with specific plots from the get, and other players out, the thought occurs to me. Why don't I simply introduce more and more plots, until everyone is involved with something if they want to be. <br /><br />Now I know what your thinking, at least if your an ST. If your running 5 or 10 or 20 plots, aren't you going to be too busy to run everything?<br /><br />Well yes and no. I've found that the more PCs going after a plot, the longer it takes to run, exponentially. The inverse also seems to be true. That means if I run 20 plots for 20 players, I may actually save time over running one or two plots for 20 players.<br /><br />Why this may be isn't totally clear to me, but it seems that the more info I put out, the more things going on, the more it leads to PCs roleplaying with each other, sharing the information, trading things they have for things they need, etc. Making the game world richer with more to do means that PCs have more to do not just through interacting with STs, but with each other. <br /><br />There is a time loss however. It's in prep time and downtime responses. However if face time with STs at game is at a premium for players, this is often better then the alternative.<br /><br />So I'm going to be exploring this in upcoming games, and seeing how well it works.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-1240801471656995482009-06-21T02:24:00.000-07:002009-06-21T02:39:28.618-07:00The Horror of VentrueA while ago, I talked about the <a href="http://owbn.blogspot.com/2008/06/stuff-from-owbn-st-list-1-horror-of.html">Horror of Setites</a>, quoting a post I'd made to the owbn-st list. Well a few days ago on the ventrue ooc list (owbn-scepter-ooc) I posted about what I consider to the be the Horror of playing Ventrue. <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To me the core on </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="il">Ventrue</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="il">horror</span><span style="font-style: italic;">, at least based on the fiction and the clanbook is that we are The Man. We are the government. We are the elite few in control of the society. It's the </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="il">horror</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> of the boot stamping on a human face forever, of royalty abusing the commoners, of fear of those in power, and power corrupting. It's treating people like chess pieces. Hell, our signature PC from the clan novels had a feeding preference for rape victims, so he dominates somebody to rape a person so he can feed. That's </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="il">Ventrue</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="il">horror</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. </span><br /><br />I'm not sure that's wrong, but thinking about it there is another element I may have failed to talk about. The horror is not just that the Ventrue are monsters who devalue individuals, who think of others as less then them. Part of the horror is that people want Ventrue in charge. They want safety and security, and if that means putting monsters who think of them as pawns in charge, all they ask is those monsters act like leaders and politicians. a Kind word, a good speech, even a smile and a nod, and Kindred will go and die for the Ventrue.<br /><br />People want leaders they can love and politicans they can believe in. They will submit to the illusion of compassion in a leader. <br /><br />And that too is part of the horror of Ventrue. That people obey and follow them, not out of fear, but out of the will to submit.<br /><br /> <br /><div style="border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 170); border-width: 1px 2.5px 2px 0.5px; padding: 1pt 3pt; position: absolute; display: none; z-index: 1000; background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-66189446666420547282009-04-23T23:49:00.000-07:002009-04-24T00:14:10.041-07:00Losing to Win: Why Screwing up in Character is good for your RoleplayIt's been a while since I posted, for which I apologize. <br /><br />in MET (at least the original version) taking flaws or negative traits (such as being cowardly or obnoxious) gives you points to make your character sheet more complete. I often see individuals picking flaws based on which will least inconvenience them. <br /><br />To me that ignores the beauty of what flaws are. Flaws don't limit your character. They make your character better.<br /><br />An Example: Shanghai Kelly is a Gangrel PC based in San Francisco. He happens to be a funny and clever conversationalist. But he is incredibly tactless (or obnoxious maybe, I'm not going to say what is on his sheet, and I really don't know). He'll say rude things he shouldn't, and get shushed for it. He'll piss people off. He'll yell at people, or question people who don't like to be questioned. He'll get mad for no good reason.<br /><br />Now that might seem like a bad thing, if you play larp to play the perfect vampire that makes no mistakes and destroys his enemies. But that's a pretty boring PC to play. You can play that PC sitting in your haven, and not come to game, and nobody will miss you. People miss Shanghai. It's an occasion when somebody doesn't give him a roleplay nod. His roleplay is entertaining. He helps make game fun for others.<br /><br />Flaws do that, much more then advantages. There are also Derangements, which are the way the game handles some mental dysfunction or disorder. I know several people that pick the derangments that effect their behavior the least. Or individuals who's derangement manifests only in downtime, or only when in the presence of NPCs. While I don't believe the any character should be defined by their derangement, if it doesn't effect your roleplay, what's the point? <br /><br />Another Example: The Herald, a malkavian PC in Berkeley. He's clearly schizophrenic, to the point where people wonder about the player, until they chat with him after game. But his madness comes out in his interactions. <br /><br />Of course screwing up in character doesn't have to be about what's on your sheet. Sometimes you can make a choice that you know OOC may cause your PC problems. Fun problems, that require lots of interactions with other players to work through. A PC I know got captured by the Sabbat, and turned into a Mole. The player volunteered for this to happen. Her character got punished severely for it. And yet that's changed the dynamics of the Sabbat plot from being lead by her Prince to being run by Archons, and created at least three new plots from the fall out(that I know of). <br /><br />Of course screwing up in character works best if you have support from other players. If a Prince's immediate response to an IC screw up is to kill the character, well that may create future plot, but it puts an end to the screw-ups story. PCs who die silently unnoticed in back rooms with no one to miss them don't make for good plots. Though sometimes killing the wrong character is a form of screwing up in and of itself.<br /><br />So I guess my point is, play your flaws, in ways that make you interact with others. When others have IC problems, get involved if you can, and try not to put an end to their story inherently. Doing so can lead to great roleplay, and great stories, and most importantly, fun.<br /><br /><br /><div style="border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 170); border-width: 1px 2.5px 2px 0.5px; padding: 1pt 3pt; position: absolute; display: none; z-index: 1000; background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-59967311019963889922009-02-26T18:16:00.000-08:002009-02-26T18:21:16.545-08:00How Bad Guys can be Good GenreIn OWBN, the word genre has a specific meaning, that needs to be explained to non OWBN players. Being "In genre" is being consistent with the setting materials in terms of of character and story. The idea is, there are certain established norms regarding certain IC groupings, such as Clans, or Tribes or Sects, and these should be portrayed by the PCs appropriately. The easy example is Black Furies. Black Furies are a tribe of amazonian werewolves with Grecian roots. Playing a male Black Fury would probably be considered "out of genre" or outside of the genre conventions for Black Furies. <br /><br />Of course if it was always that simple, I wouldn't be writing this. Lets take a look at a more complicated example, and one, in OWBN, which will hopefully upset some people. The Tremere Clan. <br /><br />The Tremere are a group of vampiric magic users organized as part of a hierachical "Pyramid" which is supposed to be merit based in outlook. Also they are protective of their magic, and strongly discourage teaching them to outsiders. <br /><br />Since the Tremere are a meritocracy and a hierarchy, often people feel that a dutiful tremere that obeys their superiors is in genre, and a Tremere that, say, rebels against their superiors or teaches their magic to others, is out of genre.<br /><br />I think this suggests that only good in character behavior is consistent with portrayal. I think that's a simplification. Certainly, not every Tremere should be rebelling and/or teaching magic to passing strangers. It's important that there be a norm. But I believe that so long as that norm is present, characters that rebel against it, or undermine it are consistent.<br /><br />In the case of the Tremere, the published source books list spells and magical effect that help detect rebels. They list punishments for individuals that cross the line. These are often pointed to when people say things like, "No Tremere, In genre, should be teaching magic to outsiders."<br /><br />I think they point out the opposite. The fact that the genre goes over consequences means its something that happens often enough to have normal punishments. The fact that there are spells that are helpful in dealing with these issues, means those spells are meant to see play.<br /><br /><br />So I don't think Tremere, or any group, rebelling against the norm is "out of genre." There are other issues with characters doing so, but they aren't inherently violations of the setting expectations.<br /><br /> I do think that characters that do so will likely be caught and punished, since that's what usually happens when you buck the norm in a strict hierarchy. Characters getting away with breaking the IC rules of the clan that tweak their superior's nose about it and generally broadcast their presence will get slapped. I also think that a norm has to be maintained. Such characters need to be treated as abberations. IC, characters that toe the line need to be clearly rewarded for doing so, and characters that break from it need to be punished, or you risk changing the norms themselves. And characters that break the rules need to be watched to make sure they don't spoil the fun of players of characters that cleave closer to the IC expectations.<br /><br />But there are opportunities for stories consistent with the norms of the setting where characters deviate from those norms. Not just rebels... tyrants are another good example. A tyrannical Camarilla Prince might abuse the laws of the Camarilla for their own benefit, grant unfair rewards to their sychophants and heap abuse on those who question them to silence critics. These aren't the only types, there are thieves, liars, traitors, subversives, spies. <br /><br />Is that in genre? Yes, there are tyrants that break the laws, or twist them to their own benefit. There are bad guys. Sometimes the bad guys win. Usually they lose. <br /><br />Why do I bring these up? It's not because I want to justify some guy teaching his friend magic when he shouldn't. It's not because I think that rebels and tyrants shouldn't ever be held accountable for breaking rules.<br /><br /> It's because I think that bad guys make for good enjoyable stories. Dealing with somebody who's betrayed your group because it's abused him, who forces you to question your loyalty, can be a good story. Taking down a tyrant who claims they acted out of the best interests of your sect, or even with the sect leaders blessings, is a good story. Being the rebel, and trying to make a change happen, that can be a good story, win or lose.<br /><br />And I'm usually a fan of a good story. If it's in genre.<br /><br />What do you think?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-16192759430015562572009-01-08T02:52:00.001-08:002009-01-08T03:06:19.935-08:00Being Uncomfortable<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:13px;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Most of the games I play are set in dark scary worlds. Things are not on the upswing in the World of Darkness. There are very bad things. It's a game of personal horror.</span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">By very bad things, I'd say there are two different types: There are things which people acknowledge as bad, but generally don't make them uncomfortable, and things people acknowledge as bad that make them uncomfortable. The latter I'll call horrible things. The former will be not nice things</span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For example: I have no problem being in a scene where somebody gets killed, or even where mass murder takes place. Mass murder is not nice. I have a big problem being in a scene where somebody gets raped. That's horrible. </span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I'd expect you see the same thing in other games. In D and D, the Orcs kill the villagers, or enslave them. They don't rape them. <br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I think a lot of people have this divide, and probably divide it more or less where I do, or within a standard deviation of it. Very bad things tend to be presented by STs, and by players, based on the lowest common denominator, because in a sense Larp is a mass medium. </span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I think another reason is that killing people means no aftermath. It's a lot easier to have the Sabbat kill a bunch of people, the players kill the Sabbat, and have nothing for the PCs to need to do in downtime. But there is another reason, which is what I want to talk about. You bring in rape, or child abuse, or other Horrible things, and you can hurt people. I'll also say doing scenes about romance, about love and other positive sentiments can also be Horrible, in it's own way. It makes people uncomfortable.</span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Most games operate on a social contract, a usually unwritten one. In most games what that social contract says about Horrible things is, "nobody gets hurt." You don't run things that make people uncomfortable. If you start something uncomfortable, people can leave without penalty. Some things happen, but they don't ever impact game. You'll hunt down a serial Killer, but never a serial rapist.</span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But I was reading </span><a id="r:2l" href="http://www.story-games.com/forums/comments.php?DiscussionID=8434" target="_blank" title="Story Games for Everybody - I will not abandon you?"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">this post on story-games.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> which referenced </span><a id="nyjd" href="http://davidartman.com/games/for-mature-audiences" target="_blank" title="This post by Davidarman on his game (For Mature Audiences)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This post by Davidarman on his game (For Mature Audiences)</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> which mentioned </span><a id="sfb:" href="http://www.fairgame-rpgs.com/comment.php?entry=32" target="_blank" title="This posting by Meguey Baker"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This posting by Meguey Baker</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> on the difference between "nobody gets hurt," and "I will not abandon you," social contracts. </span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In the first... you don't push people's buttons. In the latter, you push their buttons, then work through the scene and invest in the emotion. You process it, IC. Now I will admit it's dangerous... yes dangerous, to run a scene about a Horrible thing, and try to work through the emotions it generates by staying inside the story. </span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">First, I believe the way we stick to not nice things conditions players to not invest emotionally in the story and to treat game with a sort of crude adolescent humor. Their characters maybe, but many players don't really think about the mortals they kill as people. They laugh and joke about killing, or make fun of people who try to do tender sentimental scenes. And it's possible that such players will do the same for a Horrible thing. </span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Second, not everybody goes to game to play a game of personal horror. That's not the expectation most players have. They are there to hang with their friends and advance their PC and politic. The idea that they are going to take part in a good story that may depend on them being uncomfortable doesn't cross their minds. </span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">There is also a comment in the Baker post about a third style or at least a variation, "To the Pain." You push to a person's boundaries, and maybe a little past them, but back off if they tell you to. In return they tell you to back off when it starts to hurt them, not just when it's hard for them. </span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So I'm not sure under what circumstances you can run Horrible things under a "I will not abandon you" contract in a larp or even a "to the pain" contract. Maybe only in one on ones between players of good friends. Maybe only by telling people before hand what you intend to do so they can bail at the beginning. </span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But I think if you can tell stories about horrible things... it can be some of the deepest most engaging and most memorable roleplaying possible. </span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">I also think that it's important that, regardless of play style... people who decide to step out should not be shamed for it. It's not wrong to not want to deal with Horrible things. They are, by definition, those thinks that make you very uncomfortable. It may mean a missed opportunity for a good scene and good roleplaying, for experiencing personal horror but that's the player's option. I just think it's important to make it clear that it's an option, not an expectation.</span></div></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-86661132660451526882008-12-25T16:16:00.000-08:002008-12-25T17:11:19.364-08:00Dealing with Game Boredom Part IIt's a Weekend night, and your game has gathered in the usual spot. For a while things probably go fine, but then the Court officers go have a meeting, the Tremere go off to follow up on that cool plot, and a bunch of players, new players or players who haven't quite made it or even experienced players that don't have an in on a plot, are left, sitting around the gathering spot, bored.<div><br /></div><div>Maybe you are one of the players, or maybe you are the ST watching these people. What do you do to make things interesting? Part II will be for players, this will be for STs.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a problem I've seen come up repeatedly. It's not only when people go off into meetings, sometimes the whole game has a sort of ennui, doesn't catch on to plot, and doesn't seem to be interacting.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are a ST, there are several things you can do. Lets talk first about one the things I've seen STs do(or done myself), and why they may not work.</div><div><br /></div><div><h2>Ghosts and Goblins and Werewolves Oh My!</h2></div><div>One of the things I see STs do a lot, is as soon as the officers leave the room, they bring in some sort of weird beasty. A spirit that messes with people, a ghost, a mischevious fairy, even an enraged werewolf. Generally it takes only a minute or two before all the officers trump back in, the tremere show up, and the PCs who went to them for help get pushed to the side. A similar situation is the one of the PCs who is bored gets a vision, or a phone call from influences, or whatever, about some problem. The effect is mostly the same.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't think having some sort of supernatural creature waiting in the wings, or some problem that crops up as soon as an officer's meeting starts, makes anybody happy. I don't think it leads to good plot. </div><div><br /></div><div>What does lead to good plot? Well I'm not a big fan of NPC theatre, but a few well drawn NPCs that visit regularly can serve the Storyteller well.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's important to establish these PCs before you use them. They should have hospitality, occasionally drop in for gatherings, etc. They can be present when the meetings start, or at the beginning of the night. Then you use them as a catalyst. This also helps when dealing with gathering sites that are "secured" by the PCs. When some NPC shows up, having established that they have ways to find out where the site is, and permission to be present is a good thing.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you've read my earlier post on plots for new players, you'll have some idea of the sorts of things NPCs can do with newer players or players on the outs that don't bring in the more powerful characters. But when everybody is bored, you don't need to have a plot. Sometimes you just need some questions, or an interesting item, or for the NPC to tell a story that sets the tone and gets players thinking, or brings up some of the history of the game.</div><div><br /></div><div>A question the NPC could ask is, "so what happened to (previous prince's name?) they used to be Prince here, right?" If nobody knows, they might tell a story about the Prince, with or without exaggeration. This need not be the prince immediately before the current one. Go back a few years, and there is probably a juicy story of tyrant removed, or a good prince brought low by treachery.</div><div><br /></div><div>NPC questions can also work to circulate information on already existing plots for new players that may have stagnated. Ask about the original rumor to get people talking, or even offer up a new tidbit, or an old one that wasn't spread widely enough. </div><div><br /></div><div>NPCs could even take advantage of a bored group of Kindred to lecture or teach, and then encourage comments. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another thing to do is to bring in NPCs that the new PCs outrank or can easily handle. Unacknowledged childer, Caitiff who has hospitality but wants to know more about being a vampire, ghouls who are messangers or observers for their domitors, even a drunk mortal who passes out, or drug addict looking to sell jewelry or stolen items. Avoid problems that might bring in the officers... reporters and cops are probably not a great idea, unless one of the remaining PCs have some influence in those areas and has demonstrated they know how to use it in the past. </div><div><br /></div><div>You can also have NPCs that show up only when the officers are out of the way. The Anarch recruiter (sent to me by Dan an OWBN player from Buffalo). The Setite fence. They may lecture, or pull people off to the side for conversations, or sell dubious goods. The last can be a way to introduce interesting items like the music box I mentioned below. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-58758852451503463482008-12-20T14:52:00.000-08:002008-12-20T18:46:31.167-08:00Running Sabbat Fights - an examination of a recent game event<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Recently, a nearby game ran a big Camarilla fighting the Sabbat event. A city,which was previously Anarch, fell to the Sabbat, and the Camarilla domain nearby decided to organize an effort to take it back before the Sabbat dug in. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I think the STs did a pretty good job. However I wanted to offer my thoughts on what they did right, and what they might have done better. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I also want to hear what happened with groups different from mine, so I can build up a better picture. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I did manage to talk to a person who acted as both a PC in the background and played NPCs with extensive Sabbat experience, who have me his perspective.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The game is ordinarily 20 - 30 players, either local or visitors. I think they had something like 70-90 total for this, based on eyeballing the crowd. (Edit: another player estimated 50 - 70, possibly not including late arrivals) The STs decided to not scale up the threat, and simply make the enemies smarter. I'm not exactly clear how successful this was.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Non-Combatants/Influence</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The STs asked some players as well as STs from other games to act as STs for scenes. I think they were suprised by the number, since they ended up asking somebody to run the non-combatant masquerade covering portion without giving them any real instructions.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This lead directly to a significant amount of boredom for the players working to use influence. Sure, we used influence to cover up the masquerade. But there was no real influence use opposing us, despite the use of the dark epics system. I would have liked to have seen Sabbat lasombra manipulating influence and prepping things from their end, so that it could have been a combat of influence... their sheriff deputies being blocked by our police contacts, The Camarilla media cover ups being avoided by their video bloggers. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The ST, who had been given limited instruction, narrated a partial Sabbat fight when the Sabbat shadow stepped (a form of teleportation between shadows) in, but was unwilling to push very hard with it. So the Influence mongers fought for one round, against doppelgangers, then magically fell asleep, and it was called flavor. A small and relatively weak Sabbat Pack, a group of shovelheads, or war ghouls would have been interesting.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">On reflection, if no real challenge was going to be thrown at the influence mongers, their efforts should have been handwaved, with each individual getting a chance to do describe something great and creative they did with influence, and they should have been given the opportunity to play Sabbat NPCs. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Combat Groups</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">There were three combat groups, each at different levels of ability. The most powerful characters fought the most powerful NPCs. The least powerful fought shovelheads (mass created indoctrinated vampires who are meant as a numerous distraction rather then a serious threat). I believe this was a good strategy to allow players of different levels of experience and different abilities fight participate. Some players acted as STs or NPC shovelheads. I am not sure to what extent that worked, but I will edit this when I find out. I would guess that numerous PCs acting with unfamiliar sheets may have delayed matters. That of course assumes they had pregen sheets. (edit, they did not, but made base characters, or had them made for them. )</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Celerity/Extra Actions</span></span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Combat in a lot of cases lasted in real life several hours, and in game several seconds. A lot of this has to do with a pernicious power... Celerity. Celerity allows multiple actions within one round. While in character the character acts faster, out of character, they act slower. I believe, for massive combats, it may be useful to simplify celerity, and have the third and fifth levels function normally, and the 1st, 2nd and fourth levels (which give extra actions, though the 1st may or may not depending on the game) give extra traits, or a retest. This would have two effects. It would speed up combat actions, and it would prevent celerity from giving those who had it more time with the STs then players who lack it. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The game however did simplify the off-hand action, which in the mail rule book allows an additional action if one risks extra traits, to give an extra trait, and adjusts the amount of extra traits bid based on wether one has the merit, Ambidexterous, and a relevant ability aptitude (like firearms: double pistols). I believe that an extra trait is not enough, when comparing to two handed weapons, and advocate an extra trait along with an additional point of damage, but I digress.</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> Horror</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I believe the game did a relatively good job at creating a sense of horror, from the stories I heard. The Sabbat in one location attacked a high school dance, simply to terrorize mortals and the Camarilla. One Sabbat member killed a girl a Kindred was trying to help escape with a shot to the head that splattered the would be rescuer with blood, then taunted them by saying something like, "you can't save everyone, isn't it a pain to be noble?"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Then they released what are known as hell hounds, monsterous supernaturally adjusted and empowered dogs with an appetite for blood, into the dance. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">However I am not sure, to what extent, the players were challenged by their own inhumanity and monsterous nature. The Sabbat are monsters, but when telling a story about the Camarilla fighting them, they can be effectively used as a dark reflection. They should place Camarilla players in a situation where they have to choose between horrible choices... being unable to heal in combat, or killing a innocent person. Letting a Sabbat pack get away to continue their rampage, or levelling an inhabited apartment building. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Which brings me too.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Humanity</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> know many STs make players throw challenges to keep their humanity after killing Sabbat. Perhaps just as many don't. After all, it can be argued that killing the bad guys is good. I disagree with the later however. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Vampire is not a game intended to have moral absolutes, or easy answers. Actions can both be ostensibly good, can be completely justified and nonetheless morally damaging. This is because of the nature of the beast. I'll be writing a larger essay on this issue, but I believe fighting Sabbat justifies humanity challenges because the violence, and bloodshed, and killing strengthen the beast. Keeping one's morals is about feeling guilty, and I'd let any person kill Sabbat and not feel guilty, assuming they agreed to lower their humanity. Because it's not about who you kill. It's about the fact that you chose to kill. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In any case, I don't know the extent that people were encouraged to throw chops (edit some did, but perhaps not everyone who should have), but I did, and felt guilty for injuring the Sabbat and seeking glory, instead of working to help others escape.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Pre-event stuff</span></div><div><br /></div><div>there were several things that happened prior to the event night that I thought deserved comment. </div><div><br /></div><div>One PC, intimately involved in the planning process, had been asked if they were willing to have their character screwed over by the ST, without details. They agreed, and the ST decided that they were attacked and controlled by dominate to give information before finally breaking free. This lead to some great scenes for a variety of players, and an ongoing storyline for some of those in the know. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also the Sabbat spent the previous game doing some general attempts to breach the masquerade and damage Camarilla interests, in an attempt to create problems for the Camarilla and probe their responses. They attacked a hospital transformer (with no real effect on hospital function), a blood bank, and a bus (making the blood driver's blood boil from a distance). Frankly, I thought the blood bank attack was good, but the rest seem disjointed and ineffective. I would have liked to see some more effective attacks that served as double threats, as well as attacks that . Sabbat dressed as police using disciplines and shooting people in shopping district. ghouling and releasing animals from the Oakland zoo. Making a Berkeley Lecturer's blood burn. Driving an Armoured Car into a Police station. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Additional Thoughts</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Having talked to a few people who witnessed combat. I think I can say that the STs were not as well prepared as they could be. Elders who should have been wily enough to challenge powerful PCs... or better yet, simply avoided them and reaked havoc. As well, more STs would definitely have served the game better. Shovelheads attacked in small groups, and were easily defeated, instead of being a real threat. Finally, there was a lack of ST communication. A set of Radios would have allowed the STs to keep in touch.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also think that differing options that the STs didn't attempt would have been interest. A Player who was unhappy with his PC volunteered to have him be killed by the Sabbat, and ended up playing a shovelhead. I think it would have been interesting if that PC had been replaced by a Sabbat member. The same player could have had an integral role, acted as an informant, and otherwise disrupted the Camarilla.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think it would have been interesting if the victory was more pyhrric, with more Camarilla dead, more infrastructure destroyed, more breaches to cover, etc. It seems like everything happened incredibly neatly, and aside from the volunteer I believe there was only one PC death.</div><div><br /></div><div>There were also no assassination attempts. I think attacking (and possibly killing) one of the PCs in charge would have made the story more interesting either way.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also wonder, if things had gone differently, and the Camarilla had lost, If that would not have made for a better story. Less satisfying for the players in the short term... but they were attacking like the Sabbat, in a series of nightime raids by groups on holdings of the other side. In a toe to toe match, the Sabbat has the greater martial focus, so mindless violence should tilt the advantage in their favor. The Camarilla could then plan and scheme and succeed by clever strategems instead of brute force. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-32689516537531596282008-06-19T11:02:00.000-07:002008-06-19T11:58:31.922-07:00Plots for New PlayersI've spent many nights thinking about plots for larps, and what works for established players and characters doesn't always work well for new players and new characters.<br /><br />The classic plot in larp is something bad happening that must be fixed. What I'm going to call Stick plot. This can be the Orcs are gathering in the woods, or the Sabbat are invading, or a masquerade breach has brought hunters. Obviously there are embellishments, suprises, etc, but I'm talking basic structure.<br /><br />In some larps, especially OWOD vampire, where I have the most experience, once players get to a certain level, instead of involving newer players, they will cut them out, because they will be capable of dealing with the problem themselves, and consider the new players to be a risk.<br /><br />Often STs try to combat this by giving information to new players that the older players need, but new players generally don't know how to leverage their information into being involved in plot, and older players can simply threaten them if they don't give the information over. It's often hard to come up with ways for this information to be given, since influence rumors work better for people with more influence, not those just starting out.<br /><br />Another method STs will often try to use is to limit plot to newer characters by OOC means, telling older players to ignore it. However stick plots are usually the business of city officers, which tend to be the more experienced players. Thus one way or another, the plots get brought back to the more experienced players, and the new players are often shut out.<br /><br />There are ways to make such plots work, but it's difficult.<br /><br />What I have found is that new players need a different type of plot. A Carrot Plot. A plot that gives them good stuff to deal with instead of bad stuff.<br /><br />There are some things that make this work better. Something that other mor PCs can't easily get or take for themselves works well. <br /><br />My preference is relationships with NPCs. It's hard for an experienced PC to take away an ally and keep it for themselves. Maybe the Anarchs in the city don't want to deal with anybody but the new Brujah. Maybe there is a gang of street kids that brings info to the Nosferatu. Or the Ventrue political scion has connections to the local Mob Boss. Maybe an NPC gives them access to influence, or the ability to grow influence. Maybe an NPC elder gives them a favor, one that they won't transfer.<br /><br />This doesn't have to be ongoing. Especially if there are stick plots which require investigations, giving new PCs access precisely because they aren't famous and powerful often makes sense. A toreador neonate will know about the avante garde theater troupes private performance, and can get you in, but the Harpy is too establishment. The city college's wiccan group would be seriously weirded out by the Tremere elder's conversations about the four humors, but his young apprentice can quote buffy at them.<br /><br />You can also give them other stuff, a bag of unset diamonds, a suitcase full of heroin, a counterfeit printing press, even a magical item that has a limited number of uses or can't be given to others. Give them the loot first, and ask them, "okay, now what do you do?" <br /><br />If you are going to give them information, blackmail information, haven locations, knowledge of hidden passages in the elysium site, and knowing how to contact a secret society/cult is all great. Stuff which if revealed widely loses it's utility. <br /><br />Then for new players the story is not inherently about the more experienced player's plot and if they can or can't be part of it, it's about what they do.<br /><br />On the other hand, older players deserve stick plots. If they are regularly handling stuff, step things up. They've shown they can deal with stuff, and they should be expected to make their own opportunities. <br /><br />But you give them carrots too. Poisoned carrots. Opportunities that will screw them as much as help them. And if possible you give new players the antitote.<br /><br />But at the level of experienced players, of people with big sheets, you should set things up so they are competing with each other. Make there not be enough high level influence to go around. Say that something's happened, and there can only be one person with that 5th dot of Police influence, and they'll fight over it, and bring in new players as pawns to do it. <br /><br />Of course plots don't need to be carrots or sticks for new PCs. Things can just happen that are interesting. One of my favorite plots from the game I ran was a magical music box that when opened forced the PC to rexperience the hours surrounding their embrace from their sire's perspective. In real time it took only a round or two. It would regularly disappear and reappear among the cities Kindred if they tried to lock it away for themselves, even vanishing from other Domains when taken there.<br /><br />It forced new players to come up with their actual embrace. It served as a possible way for amnesiacs to learn about their Sire. I don't think more then one player figured out that it worked on humans too, showing them their birth from their mother's perspective.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-39103118511556612602008-06-12T19:23:00.000-07:002008-06-12T19:39:04.002-07:00Stuff from the OWBN ST list #1: The Horror of SetitesThis is from a tangent on a tangent of a tangent discussion. Such is the ST list. but it's really not important what it was about. It lead to an AHC telling me I was the coolest ST of the day, and an ST telling me they loved me beyond words, so hopefully it's worthwhile reposting.<br /><br />"And I'd argue that vampire is a game of personal horror. Human horror. Horror with reasons. the horror of dark impulses that you can't control, of losing yourself and liking it. Of being a slave and loving the whip. <br /><br />That's what makes setite genre so cool. Because they believe that the only way to deal with the beast is to go beyond it. When you have given in to your worst fear, experienced your worst rage, lost everything you thought you knew, lose faith in your bedrock... You become what you truly are, beyond all your petty illusions of yourself, then your free. <br /><br />Enlightenment basically. Free from attachments and illusions. Free from the chains of guilt and fear that bind you. Able to act on your true will, instead of the will of the aeons.<br /><br />And you want to free others. <br /><br />Being a tool to a setite is only the first step. Being corrupted is a process of revelation. <br /><br />Blackmail as sacrament. Corruption as worship. Tell me that isn't horror. And it's human. It's the fear that by holding tightly to what we think we know and value we are our own jailers. The fear if giving in to temptation. Setites don't fall to temptation. They dive."<br /><br />Anyway I've been thinking more about horror and Setites since then. I reread part of the Kult rulebook. Kult is probably the darkest horror game in existence, based on gnostic ideas of humanity being trapped in a cosmic prison. That's basically the setite philosophy.<br /><br />That's why I hate how Setites are often portrayed. Sabbat are the monster you fight. They are the slasher films of larp. Setites should be used for psychological horror. They need to stop being the pushers and pimps and start being the ones that force players to face the uncomfortable truths about themselves. They need to tempt people less with physical objects and more with what they think they want. They should show people that what they think they want won't make them happy, and isn't what they need. They should bring revelations.<br /><br />Horror I'll write about in a later post.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-68593103774185156932008-06-12T18:04:00.000-07:002008-06-12T18:14:03.163-07:00Gold Star Method of dealing with new PlayersThis was tested at Kublacon 2008, and reportedly worked very well.<br /><br />Make up a bunch of pregen character sheets. <br /><br />Contact established players and arrange for their characters to know or be otherwise related to one or more of the pregens. It's better if multiple people are.<br /><br />List the relations on the pregen sheet.<br />If somebody uses the pregen, make sure the established player remembers how they know the pregen.<br /><br />Give the new player a gold star sticker to wear, or other prominent symbol, that indicates, "new player, playing a pregen." <br /><br />Basically the idea is to get new players playing, not have them spend the whole game making a character. making a character when you don't know the game is time consuming and generally fun killing. Most new players are there to have fun, not to do paperwork. <br /><br />Having the gold star means everybody knows to help the player, go OOC to help with rules, establish that they know each other, treat nice etc.<br /><br />New players are often treated badly. Players try to take advantage of them or just don't act well towards them. A friend of mine went to an OWBN game in the midwest, and was yelled at by the player of the Prince. She had given no indication that she was an experienced roleplayer, but she told me that she almost didn't come back. I don't think a new player would have come back.<br /><br />I think in general, establishing a new player symbol, and rewarding those who interact with the new player and if necessary, disciplining those who try to take advantage, will serve to help recruit players and get them to stay in game.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536565664357392361.post-15295570748464557192008-06-12T05:32:00.000-07:002008-06-12T05:35:17.833-07:00Introduction<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Hey Folks,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A short little introduction here. I'm writing this blog as an outlet for my thoughts on gaming and larping, of which I have many. Basically I believe that by thinking hard about the various elements of gaming, as well as our motivations, we can improve our enjoyment of games. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0