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[mikerand]

Hello,

I've been chosen / volunteered to run a few 4 hour sessions of Vampire Requiem at a convention next month. While I've played unofficially at conventions before it was always with friends and people I knew. So I've never done this before.

Are there any suggestions or advice you could give me about introduce new people to Vampire Requiem and what I can fit into a 4 hour session?...

[mikerand]

Charlaquin - I guess my idea was a corrupt LS priest that falls from grace and possibly has a lot invested into Theban Sorceries, but takes Pledge to the Worthless One and starts a secret cult within the LS subverting its members while still using dark miracles and outwardly seems to be a LS in good standing. I guess it kinda works, but as Griautis pointed out, probably have to give up at least 4 & 5 level Theban Sorceries....

[mikerand]

Griautis It's more of a hypothetical than for your chronicle. I am not taking that ritual.

@Inodiv 3 dots is hardly a dip... But whatever... Also, dipping is for mini-maxing games, like when you take a level dip in a class to gain some ability.

My point is if I am bringing Belial's Brood into a game, I would want low humanity with that Pledge. Why else would you do it?

Yes, technically you could do Pledge to the Worthless One and have a 10 humanity. Thematically it doesn't fit at all. Plus, read the description - you are utterly betraying the Lancea...

[mikerand]

Okay so yes I am playing a Lancea Sanctum character and I am considering Pledge to the Worthless One just to mix things up... But let me get this straight, I do this miracle and I am irrevocable pledged to Belial now, fine I get that and it works for me.

But what about my humanity? So I do this and begin my decline in humanity and again, totally fine with that. But then as I proceed I LOSE my ability to use Theban Sorceries since you need a humanity rating equal to the ritual level in order to use. There is nothing in Pledge to the Worthless One that makes your Theban Sorceries...

[mikerand]

Well getting a +3 to detachment rolls for having more than one touchstone would be handy, plus merits are relatively cheap XP-wise. Yes, I will focus on getting another touchstone next.

[mikerand]

Correct, you normally cannot tell the age of a vampire from Predatory Aura. That said, I *think* (Don't quote me) that Half-Damned for the Dhampir or Revenants has some kind of sense where they can tell if someone is a vampire, their clan, and so forth - I don't know if age or blood potency is one of those elements. I am away from my books right now, but I can look later if it's important to you.

[mikerand]

Could you elaborate more on how you did the map? I want to make a map for a game, but I need some help with the technology. You said you used Roll20? Is that some web-based software?

[mikerand]

Why don't permanent derangements exist? It is a disservice to people with real mental illness who don't have a resolve condition - no matter how vague. I get it's a game, but even VtM had permanent derangements for those who can't just push past them.

[mikerand]

I am playing a vampire with Theban Sorcery which requires maintaining your humanity and my humanity is 5 - my touchstone is this REALLY OLD GUY who could die at any point, should I pre-emptively get a new touchstone or does the sanctity of merits kick in before I suffer being languid?...

[mikerand]

I thought Belial's Brood was an excellent product - but yes they may have been a Sabbat-like holdover from Masquerade which they want to put distance between....

[mikerand]

I really dislike the social maneuvering rules - either roleplay it out or make a single social roll. I do like down and dirty combat though (again, let's do a single roll). Conditions and Beats don't bother me so much, though I am not sure how I feel about derangements just being a simple condition that can be resolved.

[mikerand]

Is this tabletop play? Or play by post or what?

[mikerand]

Yeah I am pre-ordering it on steam

[mikerand]

Ventrue Life - Thank you!!! Yes, I always thought the Ordo Dracul was underrated when it came to how many princes they had. Maybe the Ordo Dracul cares the least about ruling, but it is scary how personally powerful they can be, especially with the Coils of Voivode. I think I am going to have a Ordo Dracul prince too in my chronicle....

[mikerand]

Wormwood - Yes, Down and Dirty combat rules.

@Heavy Arms - Thank you for your input, but we are not doing a minimum of six posts for something that can be covered in one roll. That is exactly what I am trying to avoid.

I guess I'll just come up with some beats or modifiers to the social rolls.

[mikerand]

Well we are going to be playing a play by post game and I feel the social maneuvering rules are too bulky so I just want single social rolls instead (pacing is very different in play by post so I don't want to spend a week "opening doors" or whatever). Usually no problem to do that normally, however three refinements (Cuprum, Cobalus, and Phosphorum) all have refinement conditions based on those rules.

Any ideas on what to give for the refinement conditions if not using social maneuvering?...

[mikerand]

Thanks Howalt - exactly what I was looking for, just an idea of what it should look like.

I agree to some degree that all NPC's don't need to be completely fleshed out, but if the coterie / party / whatever decides to do something crazy and unexpected I want to be ready - I don't want to be just making up dice pools that I can't at least sort of back up. I want to have some idea of what they can do before hand.

I can see how a Storyteller would just arbitrarily just say the Prince has a dice pool of 20 in every roll because it's easier and they don't want their...

[mikerand]

So all of this said - is anyone willing to show me the stats of their NPC Princes or other elders in their games please? The XP total and BP is beside the point, I get that, I am just looking to get an idea of what other people are doing. Thank you in advance.