Purchase some digital books from DriveThruRPG, through these links, and show me that people are interested in seeing more content!
Onyx Path Publishing
White Wolf
This blog is dedicated to stories and games that are either in the World of Darknes, largely focusing on the Requiem venue.
Included herein are a number of tips and ideas for not just Storytellers, but also players.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Shameless Promotion
Want to see more articles focusing on Larping?
Purchase some digital books from DriveThruRPG, through these links, and show me that people are interested in seeing more content!
Purchase some digital books from DriveThruRPG, through these links, and show me that people are interested in seeing more content!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Storyteller's Corner: Using the Brood
Many Requiem ST's make a grievous mistake of how they use the members of Belial's Brood as antagonists. All too often, they are regulated to little more than the same purpose as orcs in a fantasy game, being that they are worthless fodder for the PC's to cut down without a second thought.
First, let us cover what the Brood are not, and unfortunately what they are often portrayed as. They are not, for the most part, mindless thugs looking to flippantly breach the Masquerade and cause havoc. Whereas they do go on a rampage on occasion, especially the members of the Pandemonium, such activities would only lead to their quick destruction, and their end goal is for not.
There are several factions amongst the Brood whom are more subtle with their work, and whom actually have goals that are not merely anarchy and wanton destruction. Brood are more like terrorists than an invading force. They have limited resources in a territory that they generally do not claim, and therefore, they have to be smart about what they do. Charging Elysium with claws and fangs bared is never a good idea, as it usually ends with minimal effect, and afterwards, the Kindred of the city realize that their gathering has been compromised, and move on to a new location.
Terrorism is the use of violence or the threat of violence, to instill fear in a target for purposes of obtaining political goals. A person whom carries out such acts is a terrorist, though the term is often used to describe political dissidents as well.
As defined by the United States Department of Defense, "Terrorism is a very specific type of violence, although the term is often applied to other kinds of violence felt to be unacceptable. Typical terrorist actions include assassinations, kidnappings, bombings, drive-by shootings, lynchings, hijackings, and random killing."
Remember, the Brood are vampires first, and even though the majority of them might be little more than savage foot soldiers, there are generals who are careful to use their resources to full effect. What do they really gain by throwing a dozen of their soldiers at a well fortified enemy? Obviously the Brood wouldn't do that, and instead they would resort to acts of guerrilla war, fighting against an obviously superior enemy. Thus, I've compiled a list of things that Brood can do in order to make them seem more of an actual threat against your local characters.
Opening Moves:
This stage of the Brood's occupation is set up by a number of ghouls belonging to the Doulosi Revenant family. The ghouls arrive in town, and begin preparing disposable havens for the Brood through either direct purchase of property, blackmailing the owners, finding a suitable location that the owners will not return for some time (seasonal residents), etc. They also 'lightproof' the interior through use of dark colored tarps duct taped over the insides of windows (behind the blinds so that it isn't readily apparent from outside), or by targeting homes that already have extensive 'hurricane protection'.
The Revenants also begin to spread their own influence throughout the city, so that they can effectively gather intelligence or neutralize the PC's influences.
Phreaking:
The Brood clone a PC's cell phone and begin making phone calls that give counter orders and sow confusion. This can be easily used to send favored ghouls and members of the city into ambushes. Cloning a phone is the process used to make one phone appear as another, which will often make calls appear to come from one phone (such as the Prince's), while in actuality coming from another. There are several varying ways to clone phones, much of which can be found on the internet.
Bag and Tag:
Kidnap a PC, ensure that the Brood have a method of tracking them, and let them go, generally leaving them torpored in a location that easily found by their allies, or by having them conveniently rescued from a small pack of lesser Brood (read acceptable losses). The PC can either be Conditioned to return to the Brood after a set amount of time (with Forgetful Mind covering up the act of Conditioning), or the combination of the Investments Mark of Hunger's Prey (Belial's Brood p.136) and Scent of Socius (Belial's Brood p.133). Such a combination only lasts for a number of nights, during which the Brood may track them and make note of their activities. The PC should be fully unaware of either act, unless they learn of the Forgetful Mind.
Epidemic Scare:
One way to create a panic in a society and to destroy an enemy is to deny them a resource that they need for survival. For Kindred, there main resource they require is blood, the very blood that pumps through mortal stock. The easiest way to deny blood to the Kindred populace is through a blood borne illness. Whereas a Morbus would be readily capable of spreading an infection via mystical means, more practical methods can be used by a Brood cell without a member of the bloodline. Hypodermic needles hidden in pay phone change slots in the downtown or nightclub district, a mortal Conditioned to jab people with infected needles, or a Retainer that works in the hospital whom is capable of infecting the supply of fresh blood (such as a phlebotomist), are all viable methods for delivery. Once a Kindred feeds from one of the tainted supplies, they too become a carrier for the disease, spreading their very anathema. Once the media or medical facility realizes they have an epidemic in a medical facility, all suspect blood is destroyed, also possibly causing lean times for a kindred whom relied upon that same facility for sustenance.
Fight Fire with Fire:
The biggest advantage an entrenched Invictus or Carthian PC has is his mortal influences. The Brood, specifically the Nameless faction, also have their own mortal influences, relying upon the Doulosi ghoul family. When the PC's learn that their mortal agents have been encountering difficulties with a previously unknown faction of influences that are all aimed at targeting their influences, it creates an influence war.
This tactic also creates a method for the characters that have focused upon such aspects to get involved and share the limelight.
The Inside Job:
The easiest way to get around the defenses of a maximum security location is to turn someone whom is already regularly granted access past the security measures. The Brood can already assure that any retainers that are allowed that close to any paranoid Kindred are already under multiple stage vinculum and possibly under various Dominate commands. Therefore, they must contact the Retainer while they are away from their regnant, such as when they go about daylight business, which requires the Brood to utilize Retainers of their own. Once they meet with the target Retainer, they need to convince them of how lowering the defenses, or doing one little thing for them, is well within the best interest of their regnant. Hence a liberal application of Majesty as well as the Investment of Predator's Allure (Belial's Brood, p.141) might be needed.
Jihad:
A single Brood member, perhaps a former member of the Lancea Sanctum, or the Circle of the Crone, enters the city, and proclaims themselves a member of either Covenant. If no one bothers to investigate their story too closely, they can pass themselves off as a member of that Covenant for long enough to cause some internal damage. Learning where the Sanctified Churches are, or the holy spots where the Acolytes gather, they can send their allies amongst the Brood to defile or destroy the location, and, to stir up a holy war, they simply frame members of the other Covenant, possibly with only using iconographic graffiti. Once those two factions are fighting amongst themselves, it neutralizes most of the mystical abilities that a city can call forth.
Roses are Red:
A kindred is king of his castle, lord of his domain. A predator needs to have his territory, and within his den, his sanctuary, he has the sense of security. By far, the easiest way to penetrate his defenses, without actually staging an assault, is to arrange a florist to deliver flowers with a veiled message. Not only does it reveal that the Brood know where they live, but that the target is defenseless. This will put a target on edge, or possibly even anger Frenzy when they realize what has just happened, causing them to be their own worst enemy.
Bank Robbery:
Many terrorist organizations fund their efforts through bank robberies. Unfortunately, most branches shut their doors long before dark, therefore, a heist requires that it be done by either ghouls, or mortals whom have either been convinced to commit the robbery, or whom have no free will to argue against the desires of their master. A robbery should be thoroughly planned out, possibly by having pawns enter during normal business hours and pulling the information from their mind. A successful robbery never bothers with going for the contents of the vault itself, but rather empties the registers of a few thousand dollars. Once the perpetrators successfully escape and elude authorities, the Brood can dispose of them, leaving a nigh unsolvable crime.
A more profitable version of this scenario involves a longer term 'sleeper agent' whom is employed by an armored car service, whom robs the vehicle from within.
First, let us cover what the Brood are not, and unfortunately what they are often portrayed as. They are not, for the most part, mindless thugs looking to flippantly breach the Masquerade and cause havoc. Whereas they do go on a rampage on occasion, especially the members of the Pandemonium, such activities would only lead to their quick destruction, and their end goal is for not.
There are several factions amongst the Brood whom are more subtle with their work, and whom actually have goals that are not merely anarchy and wanton destruction. Brood are more like terrorists than an invading force. They have limited resources in a territory that they generally do not claim, and therefore, they have to be smart about what they do. Charging Elysium with claws and fangs bared is never a good idea, as it usually ends with minimal effect, and afterwards, the Kindred of the city realize that their gathering has been compromised, and move on to a new location.
Terrorism is the use of violence or the threat of violence, to instill fear in a target for purposes of obtaining political goals. A person whom carries out such acts is a terrorist, though the term is often used to describe political dissidents as well.
As defined by the United States Department of Defense, "Terrorism is a very specific type of violence, although the term is often applied to other kinds of violence felt to be unacceptable. Typical terrorist actions include assassinations, kidnappings, bombings, drive-by shootings, lynchings, hijackings, and random killing."
Remember, the Brood are vampires first, and even though the majority of them might be little more than savage foot soldiers, there are generals who are careful to use their resources to full effect. What do they really gain by throwing a dozen of their soldiers at a well fortified enemy? Obviously the Brood wouldn't do that, and instead they would resort to acts of guerrilla war, fighting against an obviously superior enemy. Thus, I've compiled a list of things that Brood can do in order to make them seem more of an actual threat against your local characters.
Opening Moves:
This stage of the Brood's occupation is set up by a number of ghouls belonging to the Doulosi Revenant family. The ghouls arrive in town, and begin preparing disposable havens for the Brood through either direct purchase of property, blackmailing the owners, finding a suitable location that the owners will not return for some time (seasonal residents), etc. They also 'lightproof' the interior through use of dark colored tarps duct taped over the insides of windows (behind the blinds so that it isn't readily apparent from outside), or by targeting homes that already have extensive 'hurricane protection'.
The Revenants also begin to spread their own influence throughout the city, so that they can effectively gather intelligence or neutralize the PC's influences.
Phreaking:
The Brood clone a PC's cell phone and begin making phone calls that give counter orders and sow confusion. This can be easily used to send favored ghouls and members of the city into ambushes. Cloning a phone is the process used to make one phone appear as another, which will often make calls appear to come from one phone (such as the Prince's), while in actuality coming from another. There are several varying ways to clone phones, much of which can be found on the internet.
Bag and Tag:
Kidnap a PC, ensure that the Brood have a method of tracking them, and let them go, generally leaving them torpored in a location that easily found by their allies, or by having them conveniently rescued from a small pack of lesser Brood (read acceptable losses). The PC can either be Conditioned to return to the Brood after a set amount of time (with Forgetful Mind covering up the act of Conditioning), or the combination of the Investments Mark of Hunger's Prey (Belial's Brood p.136) and Scent of Socius (Belial's Brood p.133). Such a combination only lasts for a number of nights, during which the Brood may track them and make note of their activities. The PC should be fully unaware of either act, unless they learn of the Forgetful Mind.
Epidemic Scare:
One way to create a panic in a society and to destroy an enemy is to deny them a resource that they need for survival. For Kindred, there main resource they require is blood, the very blood that pumps through mortal stock. The easiest way to deny blood to the Kindred populace is through a blood borne illness. Whereas a Morbus would be readily capable of spreading an infection via mystical means, more practical methods can be used by a Brood cell without a member of the bloodline. Hypodermic needles hidden in pay phone change slots in the downtown or nightclub district, a mortal Conditioned to jab people with infected needles, or a Retainer that works in the hospital whom is capable of infecting the supply of fresh blood (such as a phlebotomist), are all viable methods for delivery. Once a Kindred feeds from one of the tainted supplies, they too become a carrier for the disease, spreading their very anathema. Once the media or medical facility realizes they have an epidemic in a medical facility, all suspect blood is destroyed, also possibly causing lean times for a kindred whom relied upon that same facility for sustenance.
Fight Fire with Fire:
The biggest advantage an entrenched Invictus or Carthian PC has is his mortal influences. The Brood, specifically the Nameless faction, also have their own mortal influences, relying upon the Doulosi ghoul family. When the PC's learn that their mortal agents have been encountering difficulties with a previously unknown faction of influences that are all aimed at targeting their influences, it creates an influence war.
This tactic also creates a method for the characters that have focused upon such aspects to get involved and share the limelight.
The Inside Job:
The easiest way to get around the defenses of a maximum security location is to turn someone whom is already regularly granted access past the security measures. The Brood can already assure that any retainers that are allowed that close to any paranoid Kindred are already under multiple stage vinculum and possibly under various Dominate commands. Therefore, they must contact the Retainer while they are away from their regnant, such as when they go about daylight business, which requires the Brood to utilize Retainers of their own. Once they meet with the target Retainer, they need to convince them of how lowering the defenses, or doing one little thing for them, is well within the best interest of their regnant. Hence a liberal application of Majesty as well as the Investment of Predator's Allure (Belial's Brood, p.141) might be needed.
Jihad:
A single Brood member, perhaps a former member of the Lancea Sanctum, or the Circle of the Crone, enters the city, and proclaims themselves a member of either Covenant. If no one bothers to investigate their story too closely, they can pass themselves off as a member of that Covenant for long enough to cause some internal damage. Learning where the Sanctified Churches are, or the holy spots where the Acolytes gather, they can send their allies amongst the Brood to defile or destroy the location, and, to stir up a holy war, they simply frame members of the other Covenant, possibly with only using iconographic graffiti. Once those two factions are fighting amongst themselves, it neutralizes most of the mystical abilities that a city can call forth.
Roses are Red:
A kindred is king of his castle, lord of his domain. A predator needs to have his territory, and within his den, his sanctuary, he has the sense of security. By far, the easiest way to penetrate his defenses, without actually staging an assault, is to arrange a florist to deliver flowers with a veiled message. Not only does it reveal that the Brood know where they live, but that the target is defenseless. This will put a target on edge, or possibly even anger Frenzy when they realize what has just happened, causing them to be their own worst enemy.
Bank Robbery:
Many terrorist organizations fund their efforts through bank robberies. Unfortunately, most branches shut their doors long before dark, therefore, a heist requires that it be done by either ghouls, or mortals whom have either been convinced to commit the robbery, or whom have no free will to argue against the desires of their master. A robbery should be thoroughly planned out, possibly by having pawns enter during normal business hours and pulling the information from their mind. A successful robbery never bothers with going for the contents of the vault itself, but rather empties the registers of a few thousand dollars. Once the perpetrators successfully escape and elude authorities, the Brood can dispose of them, leaving a nigh unsolvable crime.
A more profitable version of this scenario involves a longer term 'sleeper agent' whom is employed by an armored car service, whom robs the vehicle from within.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Storyteller's Corner: A Half-Dozen Quick Plot Ideas
Since it's the Holiday Season, I've decided to give everyone a little something extra. Thus, I've compiled a number of interesting plot summaries, which you can readily use for your own games.
Eco Friendly
A group of militant environmentalists begin a reign of terror, starting with mild vandalism, then setting fire to a car dealership, and then more heinous acts of terrorism against businesses that they deem to have a negative impact on the environment.
(in part inspired by the real actions of the Earth Liberation Front)
Emergency Response
When you're calling for emergency assistance, you're in a very helpless state. What happens when a group of individuals take advantage of this with a fake ambulance and a radio scanner, attending to areas that traditionally have an extended waiting time? What nefarious purpose do the fake EMT's serve by picking up patients, and who are they being delivered to?
The Beast Within
What happens when a vampire elder loses it's grip on humanity, and becomes nothing more than a cunning beast that exists only to feed. What happens when it can only feed on the blood of other vampires?
The Risen
When a man has lost all that he loves and holds dear, what depths will he go to reclaim what he has lost? When such a man resorts to calling upon eldritch powers, is he really prepared for the thing which answers his call, and breaths life back into his loved one. What depths of depravity would he delve into in order to keep his end of the bargain, and what happens when he realizes that his loved one may be alive, but their body still goes through the process of decay?
Thousand Words
Artists are already known to be eccentric, and many dwell on the borders of insantity. There are thousands of starving artists in every major city, and in order for an artist to rise above the chaff, they have to get noticed by doing something unique. Anyone can paint on canvas, but how many can say that their canvas is made of human flesh?
(for more inspiration, watch the 1959 movie "Bucket of Blood")
Fire in the Mind
A number of cases of 'spontaneous human combustion' begin happening in the area. The reason is a pyrokinetic woman whom was recently the victim in a rape which ended with her in a coma. When she awoke, she found that she was capable of igniting things with her mind. She now searches for those that committed such a heinous act, yet her memory is foggy, causing her to ignite people who are actually innocent. The "antagonist" is a woman who developed the power of Pyrokenisis from Second Sight (p.50).
Eco Friendly
A group of militant environmentalists begin a reign of terror, starting with mild vandalism, then setting fire to a car dealership, and then more heinous acts of terrorism against businesses that they deem to have a negative impact on the environment.
(in part inspired by the real actions of the Earth Liberation Front)
Emergency Response
When you're calling for emergency assistance, you're in a very helpless state. What happens when a group of individuals take advantage of this with a fake ambulance and a radio scanner, attending to areas that traditionally have an extended waiting time? What nefarious purpose do the fake EMT's serve by picking up patients, and who are they being delivered to?
The Beast Within
What happens when a vampire elder loses it's grip on humanity, and becomes nothing more than a cunning beast that exists only to feed. What happens when it can only feed on the blood of other vampires?
The Risen
When a man has lost all that he loves and holds dear, what depths will he go to reclaim what he has lost? When such a man resorts to calling upon eldritch powers, is he really prepared for the thing which answers his call, and breaths life back into his loved one. What depths of depravity would he delve into in order to keep his end of the bargain, and what happens when he realizes that his loved one may be alive, but their body still goes through the process of decay?
Thousand Words
Artists are already known to be eccentric, and many dwell on the borders of insantity. There are thousands of starving artists in every major city, and in order for an artist to rise above the chaff, they have to get noticed by doing something unique. Anyone can paint on canvas, but how many can say that their canvas is made of human flesh?
(for more inspiration, watch the 1959 movie "Bucket of Blood")
Fire in the Mind
A number of cases of 'spontaneous human combustion' begin happening in the area. The reason is a pyrokinetic woman whom was recently the victim in a rape which ended with her in a coma. When she awoke, she found that she was capable of igniting things with her mind. She now searches for those that committed such a heinous act, yet her memory is foggy, causing her to ignite people who are actually innocent. The "antagonist" is a woman who developed the power of Pyrokenisis from Second Sight (p.50).
Storyteller Corner: Plot Inspirations
People often ask me where I come up with ideas for plots, and quite frankly, most of them are stolen ideas. Of course, I don't lift a plot in it's entirety from a single location, instead I grab ideas from half a dozen sources, throwing things together in some weird amalgamation, some odd Frankenstinian monster, and then I let it loose on unsuspecting players. Often they will notice an element here and there, staring at this stitched together work, and seeing a hint of a familiar face. Sometimes the familiarity is comforting, and sometimes it is altogether disconcerting, like that leering face in the window resembling your old, dead grandfather...
When I first started writing plots for roleplaying games, the internet was in it's infancy, and the amount of online resources was minimal at best. I was inspired from a number of famous writers as I poured through anthologies of short stories, and my evenings were often filled with watching classic horror movies, which devolved into B-rated flicks that rode the airwaves after hours.
There is a skill in being a mad scientist and cobbling together these thoughts and ideas. Some simply do not mesh together, and others don't work within the genre. A few bastard creations sound amazing on paper, but don't quite work in a game. Others are spectacular with a tabletop group, but utterly fail in a Live Action setting. There is an Art to knowing what will work, and what needs to be cast aside in it's infancy, left like a deformed Spartan child for the wolves.
Real World News
Unfortunate as it may be, the real world is often a dark and gritty place, filled with atrocities that our species inflicts upon one another. One of the sites I check on a regular basis is dailyrotten.com, which has a list of some of the most horrific things that hits the news.
I feel I must warn you about using the news, as you may inadvertently use something that has some sort of relation to one of your players. Thus, it is imperative that you change the names and locations around, and you should probably also alter a few of the particulars of the article. I also suggest that you don't pull from anything too recent, give yourself a good six month buffer and you shouldn't have a problem with something that is immediately recognizable by someone that stays abreast of the news.
Short Stories
With things like Kindles and iPads being readily available (to those with cash), it's easy to pick up an anthology without needing to find a physical place to store it when you're done.
Additionally, there are thousands if not millions of blossoming writers out there, publishing their works for free on the internet in hopes of grabbing the right attention. Even if someone isn't all that talented at actual writing, they may have an interesting idea or three.
Comics and Graphic Novels
The comics industry has a decent amount of material to draw from, especially because they have to publish another part of an ongoing story about once a month. The contents of a single monthly comic sometimes equates to roughly the same amount of action that you might see in a single Live Action game.
I'm not terribly acquainted with the comic or graphic novel scene, however, I do know of a few series which fits well with the World of Darkness:
"Transmetropolitan"
A tale of political corruption, and how one man makes sense of it all and fights injustice.
"Preacher"
A man finds himself set upon a mission, after being blessed/cursed with a dangerous power.
"Hellblazer"
The setting is very similar to the World of Darkness.
Movies
I'm a pretty big fan of movies, I probably watch something new a couple times a week. With the advent of services that stream movies directly over the internet for relatively cheap, I have a wide variety to choose from.
When I notice a particular aspect of a movie that I enjoy, I write it down as a brief synopsis and file it away. I later go through my collection, and figure out how to use any of this information. Quite often, elements are determined to only work within the realm of the film, and thus I discard them. Occasionally, I get things that will work in one particular genre but doesn't translate well into others.
I also peruse sites like IMDB and pour through the synopsis of movies. If it's a movie I've seen before, I often recall various elements, or if my memory is a little hazy, I watch it again, taking notes as I go.
Television Series
There are quite a few series out there that have a very "World of Darkness" feel to them, even though they may not have a supernatural angle. Over the years I've incorporated bits and pieces from many into the games that I've run. As with movies, I often go through and write down parts that were interesting, and plots which might work for me later on.
I've gone ahead and compiled a list of some of the better ones, and I know that there are others I am completely unaware of (feel free to add those in the comments).
"Breaking Bad"
A tale of a man faced with his own end seeks to leave something for his family to survive on. What begins as an altruistic act slowly devolves into a morality tale as you can see how Walter White slowly becomes a villain.
"Game of Thrones"
The political manuevering alone is worth watching it, and it gets players into the mindset that bad things can happen to the protagonists.
"Deadwood"
This emphasizes the rough characters of the Old West, and shows what happens when a bunch of predatory individuals are thrown into a situation in which there is very little law beyond the rule of might.
"The Shield"
A morality tale of a man who begins with the best of intentions, who is corrupted by the very thing he fights against, and he slowly loses his friends, his family, and barely manages to survive it all... but at the cost of everything. The gang interactions and the police brutality and tactics inspired countless plots and characters to populate the setting.
"The Borgias"
Byzantine politics, Machiavellian manuevers, and abuse of power... this series screams out to be the inspiration for many a Requiem character's motivations and schemes.
"The Wire"
Often heralded as one of the closest depictions to real police work, as well as the criminal and gang side of things, I've used this series as a primer on many aspects of the seedier plots and police capabilities.
"Sons of Anarchy"
A biker crew seeking freedom and to protect their own, this series also has a complex web of inter personal relations. The writing and plots of the series are superb, and many of them have inspired me to my own creations.
"Justified"
Showcasing the dirty underworld of the South, as well as a rough lawman, this is very much a 'modern day Western'.
"Supernatural"
I enjoyed the first season of the show, when it was entirely episodic, however the later seasons started to feel a little epic for my tastes.
"Suits"
So far only a single season has inspired me quite a bit, giving me a new vantage point on how the more well off Kindred might operate among and against one another.
When I first started writing plots for roleplaying games, the internet was in it's infancy, and the amount of online resources was minimal at best. I was inspired from a number of famous writers as I poured through anthologies of short stories, and my evenings were often filled with watching classic horror movies, which devolved into B-rated flicks that rode the airwaves after hours.
There is a skill in being a mad scientist and cobbling together these thoughts and ideas. Some simply do not mesh together, and others don't work within the genre. A few bastard creations sound amazing on paper, but don't quite work in a game. Others are spectacular with a tabletop group, but utterly fail in a Live Action setting. There is an Art to knowing what will work, and what needs to be cast aside in it's infancy, left like a deformed Spartan child for the wolves.
Real World News
Unfortunate as it may be, the real world is often a dark and gritty place, filled with atrocities that our species inflicts upon one another. One of the sites I check on a regular basis is dailyrotten.com, which has a list of some of the most horrific things that hits the news.
I feel I must warn you about using the news, as you may inadvertently use something that has some sort of relation to one of your players. Thus, it is imperative that you change the names and locations around, and you should probably also alter a few of the particulars of the article. I also suggest that you don't pull from anything too recent, give yourself a good six month buffer and you shouldn't have a problem with something that is immediately recognizable by someone that stays abreast of the news.
Short Stories
With things like Kindles and iPads being readily available (to those with cash), it's easy to pick up an anthology without needing to find a physical place to store it when you're done.
Additionally, there are thousands if not millions of blossoming writers out there, publishing their works for free on the internet in hopes of grabbing the right attention. Even if someone isn't all that talented at actual writing, they may have an interesting idea or three.
Comics and Graphic Novels
The comics industry has a decent amount of material to draw from, especially because they have to publish another part of an ongoing story about once a month. The contents of a single monthly comic sometimes equates to roughly the same amount of action that you might see in a single Live Action game.
I'm not terribly acquainted with the comic or graphic novel scene, however, I do know of a few series which fits well with the World of Darkness:
"Transmetropolitan"
A tale of political corruption, and how one man makes sense of it all and fights injustice.
"Preacher"
A man finds himself set upon a mission, after being blessed/cursed with a dangerous power.
"Hellblazer"
The setting is very similar to the World of Darkness.
Movies
I'm a pretty big fan of movies, I probably watch something new a couple times a week. With the advent of services that stream movies directly over the internet for relatively cheap, I have a wide variety to choose from.
When I notice a particular aspect of a movie that I enjoy, I write it down as a brief synopsis and file it away. I later go through my collection, and figure out how to use any of this information. Quite often, elements are determined to only work within the realm of the film, and thus I discard them. Occasionally, I get things that will work in one particular genre but doesn't translate well into others.
I also peruse sites like IMDB and pour through the synopsis of movies. If it's a movie I've seen before, I often recall various elements, or if my memory is a little hazy, I watch it again, taking notes as I go.
Television Series
There are quite a few series out there that have a very "World of Darkness" feel to them, even though they may not have a supernatural angle. Over the years I've incorporated bits and pieces from many into the games that I've run. As with movies, I often go through and write down parts that were interesting, and plots which might work for me later on.
I've gone ahead and compiled a list of some of the better ones, and I know that there are others I am completely unaware of (feel free to add those in the comments).
"Breaking Bad"
A tale of a man faced with his own end seeks to leave something for his family to survive on. What begins as an altruistic act slowly devolves into a morality tale as you can see how Walter White slowly becomes a villain.
"Game of Thrones"
The political manuevering alone is worth watching it, and it gets players into the mindset that bad things can happen to the protagonists.
"Deadwood"
This emphasizes the rough characters of the Old West, and shows what happens when a bunch of predatory individuals are thrown into a situation in which there is very little law beyond the rule of might.
"The Shield"
A morality tale of a man who begins with the best of intentions, who is corrupted by the very thing he fights against, and he slowly loses his friends, his family, and barely manages to survive it all... but at the cost of everything. The gang interactions and the police brutality and tactics inspired countless plots and characters to populate the setting.
"The Borgias"
Byzantine politics, Machiavellian manuevers, and abuse of power... this series screams out to be the inspiration for many a Requiem character's motivations and schemes.
"The Wire"
Often heralded as one of the closest depictions to real police work, as well as the criminal and gang side of things, I've used this series as a primer on many aspects of the seedier plots and police capabilities.
"Sons of Anarchy"
A biker crew seeking freedom and to protect their own, this series also has a complex web of inter personal relations. The writing and plots of the series are superb, and many of them have inspired me to my own creations.
"Justified"
Showcasing the dirty underworld of the South, as well as a rough lawman, this is very much a 'modern day Western'.
"Supernatural"
I enjoyed the first season of the show, when it was entirely episodic, however the later seasons started to feel a little epic for my tastes.
"Suits"
So far only a single season has inspired me quite a bit, giving me a new vantage point on how the more well off Kindred might operate among and against one another.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Storyteller's Corner: A Motley Collection
Following is a list of many of the available antagonists for the World of Darkness. Most of this list is geared toward the standard World of Darkness and Vampire: the Requiem venues, with certain venue specific antagonists from other venues purposefully left out.
Aswang (WoD: Antagonists, p.112 and Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.16)
Azlu (Werewolf: the Forsaken, p.239)
More detailed information can be found in Werewolf: the Forsaken - Blasphemies, p.55
Baykosh (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.22)
Beast of Bethlehem (WoD: Antagonists, p.115)
Belial's Brood
While they provide an interesting antagonist, they are much more in depth than simple mindless hordes. I will touch further upon how to utilize them in an upcoming post.
Beshilu (Werewolf: the Forsaken, p.241)
More detailed information can be found in Werewolf: the Forsaken - Blasphemies, p.57
Bhüta (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.26)
The Black Hounds (Mythologies, p.130)
As the Black Hounds only hunt Kindred, they are rarely useful for other venues.
Blood Bathers (Immortals, p.24)
Body Thieves (Immortals, p.56)
Cihuateteo (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.30)
Cultists (WoD: Antagonists, p.74)
While a fiery religious group makes a decent antagonist, you have to come up with a reason that they are butting heads with the local supernaturals. Perhaps what they hold sacred is a heresy to the Lancea Sanctum, or they seem to be targeting the pagan cults of the local Acolytes.
The problems with running religious cults are several, the first being their core beliefs. In order to make such a cult believable, it's best to pour through established real world religious texts, find a particular passage that might lead to an extremist viewpoint, and then find other passages that support this viewpoint. You don't need to flush out the entire belief structure, but having a decent amount of context in what makes them different from already established religious groups (especially the one they have splintered from) makes the cult more believable as an antagonist. For examples, you can look at such real world examples as the People's Temple (Jonestown Massacre), Koreshians (Waco Incident), and Aum Shinrikyo (Tokyo Sarin Gas attack).
The second largest problem with running a cult as an antagonist is the potential to alienate or offend certain players who have similar beliefs. The best way to avoid losing players is to make the cult extremists to such a degree that the similarities between the player's belief and the antagonists are few if any.
Additionally, Cults can be formed around Reality Bending Horrors (Second Sight, p.147)
Cymothoa Sanguinaria (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.36)
Dampyr (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.135)
Demons (Inferno)
Draugr (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.86)
Dreadful Night of the City (Mythologies, p.138)
The Urbiphage is a very powerful antagonist, and should be used sparingly, if at all. It is a great way to either end a chronicle, or to provide a "reset".
Eternals (Immortals, p.136)
Formosae (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.44)
Ghosts (WoD MET, p.332, Ghost Stories and Book of the Dead)
Ghûls (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.51)
Groetnich (WoD: Antagonists, p.117)
Harvesters (Immortals, p.140)
The Hunger (WoD: Antagonists, p.118)
The Hunter (Mythologies, p.136)
Hunters (WoD: Antagonists, p.46 or Hunter: the Vigil)
I'm always a fan of using mundane mortals as hunters, as they always bring the characters back to the idea that they can be brought low by their prey. Mortals are at a disadvantage against supernaturals only if you allow them to be, while your characters will have a swath of powers to call upon, the hunters should utilize tactics of surprise and subtlety. They should never just walk up to the characters and throw down, instead they should keep an eye on their target and find a method to exploit their weakness.
Imbued (WoD: Antagonists, p.29)
Jiang Shi (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.57)
The Just Angel (Mythologies, p.106)
Larvae (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.100)
The Living Web (WoD: Antagonists, p.121)
Mnemovores (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.62)
Removing a character's memory is difficult, because the player will remember the situation, and the potential for slipping up about what was taken from their memory is large. Thus, like with all memory-altering plot elements, it's best to craft a scene of something that happened to the character, and then let the events of that scene slowly leak out through other witnesses or through outer evidence. Nothing is more frightening than learning that you were involved in something that you can no longer recall.
Passion Shade (WoD: Antagonists, p.122)
More info on such spirits can be found in the Werewolf: the Forsaken venue and Book of Spirits.
The Patchwork People (Immortals, p.128)
Penanggalan (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.67)
The Phanariot (Mythologies, p.119)
Psychics (Second Sight, p.27)
The Purified (Immortals, p.90)
Ragged-men (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.73)
Reality-Bending Horrors (Second Sight, p.124)
Reborn (Immortals, p.134)
Red Jack (Mythologies, p.100)
Revenants (WoD: Antagonists, p.33)
Ridden (Werewolf: the Forsaken, p.242)
More detailed information can be found in Werewolf: the Forsaken - Blasphemies, p.47.
The Rizzetti Apparatus (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.77)
The Strix (Requiem for Rome, p.225 and Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.115)
Thaumaturges (Second Sight, p.69)
The Thief (WoD: Antagonists, p.124)
For an interesting take on this antagonist, watch the movie "Jeepers Creepers".
Toxicum Mold (WoD: Antagonists, p.126)
I'm normally hesitant to use such things (see my previous post of Storyteller's Corner: The Four Worst Plots), however, the Toxicum Mold is one of those rare instances that it actually has an answer for all the issues I've raised.
The Virus (WoD: Antagonists, p.130)
The Visitors (Immortals, p.124)
Wardens (Immortals, p.131)
Werewolves (Werewolf: the Forsaken)
Either the Forsaken or the Pure can make for interesting antagonists for a number of reasons. Perhaps a Kindred's activities have endangered some Wolf-Blooded, or perhaps the local Ordo Dracul have found a Wyrm's Nest which is a powerful Loci that they are unwilling to share.
Witchcat (WoD: Antagonists, p.128)
Zombies (WoD: Antagonists, p.20)
Postscript: A Note on Ghosts and Spirits
While using either in venues that are equipped to handle them (Awakening and Forsaken spring quickly to mind), the Storyteller who chooses to utilize ghosts or spirits, of any sort, should be careful. First off, there are some venues (notably Requiem) which are not readily built to handle much contact with either, as there is no specific power that allows for easy resolution of a plot involving them. Thus, it is the responsibility of the Storyteller to create a number of methods that they can be dealt with, and have that information avaliable to the characters.
Of course, that could be the entirety of the plot, and often is in various tales, that the ghost or spirit is laid to rest when a specific set of circumstances are met. Ghosts often have "unfinished business" that must be resolved or their remains need to be buried in hallowed ground, and spirits need to feed upon specific emotions or else weaken and disappear.
Aswang (WoD: Antagonists, p.112 and Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.16)
Azlu (Werewolf: the Forsaken, p.239)
More detailed information can be found in Werewolf: the Forsaken - Blasphemies, p.55
Baykosh (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.22)
Beast of Bethlehem (WoD: Antagonists, p.115)
Belial's Brood
While they provide an interesting antagonist, they are much more in depth than simple mindless hordes. I will touch further upon how to utilize them in an upcoming post.
Beshilu (Werewolf: the Forsaken, p.241)
More detailed information can be found in Werewolf: the Forsaken - Blasphemies, p.57
Bhüta (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.26)
The Black Hounds (Mythologies, p.130)
As the Black Hounds only hunt Kindred, they are rarely useful for other venues.
Blood Bathers (Immortals, p.24)
Body Thieves (Immortals, p.56)
Cihuateteo (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.30)
Cultists (WoD: Antagonists, p.74)
While a fiery religious group makes a decent antagonist, you have to come up with a reason that they are butting heads with the local supernaturals. Perhaps what they hold sacred is a heresy to the Lancea Sanctum, or they seem to be targeting the pagan cults of the local Acolytes.
The problems with running religious cults are several, the first being their core beliefs. In order to make such a cult believable, it's best to pour through established real world religious texts, find a particular passage that might lead to an extremist viewpoint, and then find other passages that support this viewpoint. You don't need to flush out the entire belief structure, but having a decent amount of context in what makes them different from already established religious groups (especially the one they have splintered from) makes the cult more believable as an antagonist. For examples, you can look at such real world examples as the People's Temple (Jonestown Massacre), Koreshians (Waco Incident), and Aum Shinrikyo (Tokyo Sarin Gas attack).
The second largest problem with running a cult as an antagonist is the potential to alienate or offend certain players who have similar beliefs. The best way to avoid losing players is to make the cult extremists to such a degree that the similarities between the player's belief and the antagonists are few if any.
Additionally, Cults can be formed around Reality Bending Horrors (Second Sight, p.147)
Cymothoa Sanguinaria (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.36)
Dampyr (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.135)
Demons (Inferno)
Draugr (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.86)
Dreadful Night of the City (Mythologies, p.138)
The Urbiphage is a very powerful antagonist, and should be used sparingly, if at all. It is a great way to either end a chronicle, or to provide a "reset".
Eternals (Immortals, p.136)
Formosae (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.44)
Ghosts (WoD MET, p.332, Ghost Stories and Book of the Dead)Ghûls (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.51)
Groetnich (WoD: Antagonists, p.117)
Harvesters (Immortals, p.140)
The Hunger (WoD: Antagonists, p.118)
The Hunter (Mythologies, p.136)
Hunters (WoD: Antagonists, p.46 or Hunter: the Vigil)
I'm always a fan of using mundane mortals as hunters, as they always bring the characters back to the idea that they can be brought low by their prey. Mortals are at a disadvantage against supernaturals only if you allow them to be, while your characters will have a swath of powers to call upon, the hunters should utilize tactics of surprise and subtlety. They should never just walk up to the characters and throw down, instead they should keep an eye on their target and find a method to exploit their weakness.
Imbued (WoD: Antagonists, p.29)
Jiang Shi (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.57)
The Just Angel (Mythologies, p.106)
Larvae (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.100)
The Living Web (WoD: Antagonists, p.121)
Mnemovores (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.62)
Removing a character's memory is difficult, because the player will remember the situation, and the potential for slipping up about what was taken from their memory is large. Thus, like with all memory-altering plot elements, it's best to craft a scene of something that happened to the character, and then let the events of that scene slowly leak out through other witnesses or through outer evidence. Nothing is more frightening than learning that you were involved in something that you can no longer recall.
Passion Shade (WoD: Antagonists, p.122)
More info on such spirits can be found in the Werewolf: the Forsaken venue and Book of Spirits.
The Patchwork People (Immortals, p.128)
Penanggalan (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.67)
Psychics (Second Sight, p.27)
The Purified (Immortals, p.90)
Ragged-men (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.73)
Reality-Bending Horrors (Second Sight, p.124)
Reborn (Immortals, p.134)
Red Jack (Mythologies, p.100)
Revenants (WoD: Antagonists, p.33)
Ridden (Werewolf: the Forsaken, p.242)
More detailed information can be found in Werewolf: the Forsaken - Blasphemies, p.47.
The Rizzetti Apparatus (Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.77)
The Strix (Requiem for Rome, p.225 and Night Horrors: Wicked Dead, p.115)
Thaumaturges (Second Sight, p.69)
The Thief (WoD: Antagonists, p.124)
For an interesting take on this antagonist, watch the movie "Jeepers Creepers".
Toxicum Mold (WoD: Antagonists, p.126)
I'm normally hesitant to use such things (see my previous post of Storyteller's Corner: The Four Worst Plots), however, the Toxicum Mold is one of those rare instances that it actually has an answer for all the issues I've raised.
The Virus (WoD: Antagonists, p.130)
The Visitors (Immortals, p.124)
Wardens (Immortals, p.131)
Werewolves (Werewolf: the Forsaken)
Either the Forsaken or the Pure can make for interesting antagonists for a number of reasons. Perhaps a Kindred's activities have endangered some Wolf-Blooded, or perhaps the local Ordo Dracul have found a Wyrm's Nest which is a powerful Loci that they are unwilling to share.
Witchcat (WoD: Antagonists, p.128)
Zombies (WoD: Antagonists, p.20)
Postscript: A Note on Ghosts and Spirits
While using either in venues that are equipped to handle them (Awakening and Forsaken spring quickly to mind), the Storyteller who chooses to utilize ghosts or spirits, of any sort, should be careful. First off, there are some venues (notably Requiem) which are not readily built to handle much contact with either, as there is no specific power that allows for easy resolution of a plot involving them. Thus, it is the responsibility of the Storyteller to create a number of methods that they can be dealt with, and have that information avaliable to the characters.
Of course, that could be the entirety of the plot, and often is in various tales, that the ghost or spirit is laid to rest when a specific set of circumstances are met. Ghosts often have "unfinished business" that must be resolved or their remains need to be buried in hallowed ground, and spirits need to feed upon specific emotions or else weaken and disappear.
Storyteller's Corner: The Four Worst Plots
...or "Just Say No"
Over the years as both a Storyteller and player, not only in Live Action games, but also Tabletop games, I have come across a number of plots that were... extremely lacking in plausibility, or the Storyteller simply didn't think through the repercussions. Oddly, many of these things popped up with frightening regularity, so much that you can say "Oh, it's this plot again."
Unfortunately, most Storytellers who run these plots start off with a "Wouldn't it be cool if X happened?" to which the only response is "No, no it would not." Sadly, because they cannot come to a logical conclusion why they shouldn't do these things, I've compiled the list below:
The Virus
There's actually several variants of this, there's the Mundane Virus, the Epidemic, and then there's the Supernatural Contagion.
The Mundane Virus is anything but. It's just an amalgamation concocted by the Storyteller to be a unique and special contagion that erupts in their jurisdiction, it's something that has never before been witnessed. Unfortunately, the Storyteller doesn't go to much length to determine much about the particular pathogen, onset time varies from minutes to weeks (almost as bad as some zombie movies), the side effects, the vector for transmission is rarely well defined, etc. What they do know is the contagion is usually lethal, in a manner similar to some of the most horrid diseases already in existence, and that it can only be cured via supernatural methods.
The Epidemic is an already existing pathogen that somehow is released into the local area and quickly erupts out of control. Rarely is it something as simple as H1N1, instead the Storyteller has to ramp it up to something along the lines of Ebola or Captain Trips.
Both the Mundane Virus and the Epidemic fail in that the Storyteller is rarely well versed in biology or pathology, and has little to no understanding of how quickly and thoroughly the Center for Disease Control will react and establish a quarantine. Instead, they let the plague monkeys roam about freely until the Player Characters solve the plot, generally with their powers.
The Supernatural Contagion is something that has no real world comparison, and it only affects individuals of a specific supernatural race. Unfortunately, the reason this can never be viable as a plot is due to the severely limiting factor of the number of hosts that the contagion can gestate in, and thus it would never evolve as such. Evolution requires that a mutation of an organism be something that makes it more likely to pass on genetics to a new generation, and a mutation that requires an extremely rare circumstance causes the organism to become an evolutionary dead end.
While an infectious disease/virus/bacteria/parasite can be a very interesting plot, it is best left to mundane methods of resolution, and few characters should be capable of doing anything about it, making it a poor choice as a plot (unless it's the backdrop for a short-term campaign).
The Magic Baby
Perhaps one of the plots I despise the most is what I call "The Magic Baby". The reason that the plot arises has a whole host of psychological issues of the Storyteller, the Player, or both, insomuch that I could write a dissertation on those factors alone.
Needless to say, the "Baby" is magical for one of two reasons. The first reason is that the baby exists in a situation for which it should not be viable, and pregnancy should not be possible. Many times this is because of a vampire mother, a zombie uterus, etc.
The second definition is that the child itself is magic, anything from a fully awakened Mage in utero to a creature that shouldn't be (like a vampire female getting knocked up by her werewolf lover). What most Storytellers forget is that such creatures should develop a very alien way of looking at things, and giving them such powers is like giving a child a fully loaded assault rifle with a hair trigger. The baby has not gone through any development of ethics or intellect, and will most likely function entirely upon an instinctual basis, without morals, and without consideration for the results of it's actions. It could be quite an interesting antagonist, however, it is rarely utilized as such.
The reason the "Magic Baby" is a poor plot is because it causes the entire game to suddenly grind to a halt while everyone focuses on the baby and the player that happens to be the mother. Everything else is completely ignored by a decent amount of the player base.
And once you've unleashed this monster, there's no calling it back. Characters that act against the mother or abomination will come under fire from a decent portion of the game, and woe to the man that brings up the word that rhymes with shmashmortion. Then you have the ire of the majority of your player base if you decide to have the little monster be anything but a perfect infant. If you choose to have it chew it's way out, have horns, self-terminate, etc. you will be labelled some of the most horrid things ever and your career as a Storyteller will either be over, or you will lose players.
The Broken Masquerade
While it may be an interesting premise for an entire chronicle to revolve around, generally, as a Storyteller, having the Masquerade or whatever veil of secrecy lifted allowing the mortals to know about the supernatural world is a bad idea and something you don't want.
Many have a notion that once the Masquerade is lifted, the mortal population would be accepting and complacent with having predators and such creatures in their midst (as in True Blood). Not only would it beget a situation that would put the Red Scare of the 50's to shame, but it would also end with the destruction of the entirety of the supernatural population over time.
It would be similar to what happens when a wild animal gets loose and attacks someone in suburbia, it always ends poorly for the animal. What would you do if you knew that there was someone who was most likely not just a murderer, but a serial killer, living in your community?
That is, of course, if there is a way to bring this about. Many people have stated that by releasing videos on Youtube, or "evidence" sent to news sources would irrevocably rupture the Masquerade. Of course, how many "viral marketing" strategies have had similar videos on Youtube? And how often do you think newspapers or broadcasting stations get tapes with such evidence, and they are immediately deposited in the garbage with the belief that it is just another crackpot conspiracy theorist looking for their 15 minutes.
The truth is, the Masquerade is very, very difficult to break, because people simply do not want to know about the awful stuff happening just out of sight. For the most part, people willfully ignore horrible things, so long as it doesn't affect them (this principle actually assisted the Holocaust).
It Was All A Dream
Often Storytellers take great liberties with the source material, under the guise that they will have a grand "reveal" that it was all merely a dream and things are back to normal. They also use this to bring back characters that died and attempt to reverse situations that didn't go according to plan.
This plot is horrible because it draws player's ire to a degree that no other plot ever will. It combines the worst aspects of railroading and retroactive continuity into one festering toilet. It also gives them expectations that if something goes wrong, they can always have a free "get out of jail" by convincing you to pull the stunt again.
Now that I've ranted about the worst plot ideas, and why you shouldn't do it, my next post will be a Christmas gift on where to find plot inspirations, as well as a list of canon antagonists to use.
Over the years as both a Storyteller and player, not only in Live Action games, but also Tabletop games, I have come across a number of plots that were... extremely lacking in plausibility, or the Storyteller simply didn't think through the repercussions. Oddly, many of these things popped up with frightening regularity, so much that you can say "Oh, it's this plot again."
Unfortunately, most Storytellers who run these plots start off with a "Wouldn't it be cool if X happened?" to which the only response is "No, no it would not." Sadly, because they cannot come to a logical conclusion why they shouldn't do these things, I've compiled the list below:
The Virus
There's actually several variants of this, there's the Mundane Virus, the Epidemic, and then there's the Supernatural Contagion.
The Mundane Virus is anything but. It's just an amalgamation concocted by the Storyteller to be a unique and special contagion that erupts in their jurisdiction, it's something that has never before been witnessed. Unfortunately, the Storyteller doesn't go to much length to determine much about the particular pathogen, onset time varies from minutes to weeks (almost as bad as some zombie movies), the side effects, the vector for transmission is rarely well defined, etc. What they do know is the contagion is usually lethal, in a manner similar to some of the most horrid diseases already in existence, and that it can only be cured via supernatural methods.
The Epidemic is an already existing pathogen that somehow is released into the local area and quickly erupts out of control. Rarely is it something as simple as H1N1, instead the Storyteller has to ramp it up to something along the lines of Ebola or Captain Trips.
Both the Mundane Virus and the Epidemic fail in that the Storyteller is rarely well versed in biology or pathology, and has little to no understanding of how quickly and thoroughly the Center for Disease Control will react and establish a quarantine. Instead, they let the plague monkeys roam about freely until the Player Characters solve the plot, generally with their powers.
The Supernatural Contagion is something that has no real world comparison, and it only affects individuals of a specific supernatural race. Unfortunately, the reason this can never be viable as a plot is due to the severely limiting factor of the number of hosts that the contagion can gestate in, and thus it would never evolve as such. Evolution requires that a mutation of an organism be something that makes it more likely to pass on genetics to a new generation, and a mutation that requires an extremely rare circumstance causes the organism to become an evolutionary dead end.
While an infectious disease/virus/bacteria/parasite can be a very interesting plot, it is best left to mundane methods of resolution, and few characters should be capable of doing anything about it, making it a poor choice as a plot (unless it's the backdrop for a short-term campaign).
The Magic Baby
Perhaps one of the plots I despise the most is what I call "The Magic Baby". The reason that the plot arises has a whole host of psychological issues of the Storyteller, the Player, or both, insomuch that I could write a dissertation on those factors alone.
Needless to say, the "Baby" is magical for one of two reasons. The first reason is that the baby exists in a situation for which it should not be viable, and pregnancy should not be possible. Many times this is because of a vampire mother, a zombie uterus, etc.
The second definition is that the child itself is magic, anything from a fully awakened Mage in utero to a creature that shouldn't be (like a vampire female getting knocked up by her werewolf lover). What most Storytellers forget is that such creatures should develop a very alien way of looking at things, and giving them such powers is like giving a child a fully loaded assault rifle with a hair trigger. The baby has not gone through any development of ethics or intellect, and will most likely function entirely upon an instinctual basis, without morals, and without consideration for the results of it's actions. It could be quite an interesting antagonist, however, it is rarely utilized as such.
The reason the "Magic Baby" is a poor plot is because it causes the entire game to suddenly grind to a halt while everyone focuses on the baby and the player that happens to be the mother. Everything else is completely ignored by a decent amount of the player base.
And once you've unleashed this monster, there's no calling it back. Characters that act against the mother or abomination will come under fire from a decent portion of the game, and woe to the man that brings up the word that rhymes with shmashmortion. Then you have the ire of the majority of your player base if you decide to have the little monster be anything but a perfect infant. If you choose to have it chew it's way out, have horns, self-terminate, etc. you will be labelled some of the most horrid things ever and your career as a Storyteller will either be over, or you will lose players.
The Broken Masquerade
While it may be an interesting premise for an entire chronicle to revolve around, generally, as a Storyteller, having the Masquerade or whatever veil of secrecy lifted allowing the mortals to know about the supernatural world is a bad idea and something you don't want.
Many have a notion that once the Masquerade is lifted, the mortal population would be accepting and complacent with having predators and such creatures in their midst (as in True Blood). Not only would it beget a situation that would put the Red Scare of the 50's to shame, but it would also end with the destruction of the entirety of the supernatural population over time.
It would be similar to what happens when a wild animal gets loose and attacks someone in suburbia, it always ends poorly for the animal. What would you do if you knew that there was someone who was most likely not just a murderer, but a serial killer, living in your community?
That is, of course, if there is a way to bring this about. Many people have stated that by releasing videos on Youtube, or "evidence" sent to news sources would irrevocably rupture the Masquerade. Of course, how many "viral marketing" strategies have had similar videos on Youtube? And how often do you think newspapers or broadcasting stations get tapes with such evidence, and they are immediately deposited in the garbage with the belief that it is just another crackpot conspiracy theorist looking for their 15 minutes.
The truth is, the Masquerade is very, very difficult to break, because people simply do not want to know about the awful stuff happening just out of sight. For the most part, people willfully ignore horrible things, so long as it doesn't affect them (this principle actually assisted the Holocaust).
It Was All A Dream
Often Storytellers take great liberties with the source material, under the guise that they will have a grand "reveal" that it was all merely a dream and things are back to normal. They also use this to bring back characters that died and attempt to reverse situations that didn't go according to plan.
This plot is horrible because it draws player's ire to a degree that no other plot ever will. It combines the worst aspects of railroading and retroactive continuity into one festering toilet. It also gives them expectations that if something goes wrong, they can always have a free "get out of jail" by convincing you to pull the stunt again.
Now that I've ranted about the worst plot ideas, and why you shouldn't do it, my next post will be a Christmas gift on where to find plot inspirations, as well as a list of canon antagonists to use.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Useful Skills
...or as some people might say "Those Skills That I Never Bother With"
Mental Skills
Academics: primarily useful for Researching information, this doesn't just cover pouring through old books. Searching through tax deeds (to find out whom owns what building), searching for obscure legalities to screw someone with, etc.
Computer: hacking is the most obvious, and most widely used application of this skill. However, anyone with internet knowledge can run down records (in conjunction with Academics), retrieving data from "erased" drives, etc.
Crafts: upgrading cars (see Armory), forging documentation, jury-rigging electronic surveillance equipment, repairing broken equipment, finding out the quickest way to break something...
Medicine: making sure you don't kill someone while feeding. This is paramount for keeping your Humanity high.
Politics: discerning someone's status, figuring out if someone is susceptable to bribes (and how much to bribe them), finding out what issues really interest a politician, getting through red tape (useful for getting interior modifications to a building).
Social Skills
Empathy: empathy is needed to read people, and a Wits + Empathy (vs. Manipulation + Subterfuge) gives you a chance to discern lies.
Streetwise: used in all sorts of illegal activities. Any sort of criminal associated PC should have at least a single dot.
Subterfuge: all Requiem PC's should have at least a single dot of Subterfuge, as it allows you to lie or disguise yourself. It also can be used to perform a con job, which isn't capped by your Humanity when dealing with mortals.
Mental Skills
Academics: primarily useful for Researching information, this doesn't just cover pouring through old books. Searching through tax deeds (to find out whom owns what building), searching for obscure legalities to screw someone with, etc.
Computer: hacking is the most obvious, and most widely used application of this skill. However, anyone with internet knowledge can run down records (in conjunction with Academics), retrieving data from "erased" drives, etc.
Crafts: upgrading cars (see Armory), forging documentation, jury-rigging electronic surveillance equipment, repairing broken equipment, finding out the quickest way to break something...
Medicine: making sure you don't kill someone while feeding. This is paramount for keeping your Humanity high.
Politics: discerning someone's status, figuring out if someone is susceptable to bribes (and how much to bribe them), finding out what issues really interest a politician, getting through red tape (useful for getting interior modifications to a building).
Social Skills
Empathy: empathy is needed to read people, and a Wits + Empathy (vs. Manipulation + Subterfuge) gives you a chance to discern lies.
Streetwise: used in all sorts of illegal activities. Any sort of criminal associated PC should have at least a single dot.
Subterfuge: all Requiem PC's should have at least a single dot of Subterfuge, as it allows you to lie or disguise yourself. It also can be used to perform a con job, which isn't capped by your Humanity when dealing with mortals.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)