Places in the city

[Psicose]

Just something to have as a comparison. What kinds of places you put in the cities in the chronicle, I would not get to the point of creating a whole map for the chronicle, but I think it would be good to have some key places already ready and established for frequent use. I was wondering if you have a process or improvise.

[Banu_Saulot]

Well. Usually its good to begin with an Elysium (or more), that is the hotspot and common hall for vampires in the city. I imagine all sects end up having something similar in their own way, even if it changes. But, a place where the Kindred gather regularly, or can contact each other with ease is important. Be it an entire building, wide but separate place, or some rooms of a bigger complex. Here it will be done the ceremonies, public Kindred announcements, reunions and parties.

Then you have the Rack. The dirty and practical place to feed, where every Kindred may hunt. It has little security, lots of mortals, and very little care for strangers dwelling around. A city might have more than one, and it can be either a Rack officially stated to be common feeding ground, or one that ended up being so used that it is common knowledge to be used as such.

You can also think of where the big vampires make their domain. Places where you can't hunt, and probably shouldn't fool around either. The same can be said for Clan-wide domains (if not Clans, than factions) that are of exclusive enjoyment by their holders, but these are mostly of influence-power nature; like the financial district, university campus, stadium, downtown, airport, etc.. You will only go to these locals to negotiate, by invitation or to pick a fight with the owners.
Opposite to that, you have the smaller domains, of personal use by the Kindred dwelling there. These are probably of little concern and beside (in)famous characters, you will hardly stumble upon these ones. Only if you wish to interact with those who make their haven there, and know where it is.

At last I think it is interesting to think on the "frontiers" of the city's, by Kindred standards. Wastelands that usually envelop the bigger perimeter/conjunction of domains that make the city. Usually, all these other places of interest will be close or connected to each other (even if by wide margins), just like lands in a state. Have a Kindred domain way too far from others, and it might have way too much autonomy, impunity, or even exposure to enemies. Of course, Kindred aren't adjacent neighbors one to another, but they hardly will be whole neighborhoods of distance one domain from another without no Kindred activity in-between.
The frontiers are places where few local Kindred dwell (beside those making shady deals). Usually these will be left for the Anarchs (in a Camarilla principality), independent Clans, or similar. Not very good domains these are. But usually better than other (non-taken) options. Here is where the Camarilla Scourge make their patrol, looking for vagrants and undesirables, usually bullying the "legal" residents too if they can get away with it.

Other than that, you might have a domain a Kindred in the city lets everyone know is open for business. Usually maned by ghouls that will receive the message for their masters. But, those where you have to go-in on your own to find the Kindred owner aren't that rare either, with the most famous case being the Nosferatu sewers. Mortals don't go to these places, and if they do, they either won't find anything, or 'things' will find them first.
Similar to that, cities might have haunted grounds too. Places where Kindred know not to go. Be it populated by other supernaturals, unknown anomalies, or even patrol routes of hunters. And like these, you can make restricted places by Kindred law. Maybe the vampires defined as a community, or by Prince decree, that no Kindred might get close to X location, on risk of the Masquerade, or in violation of an old treaty.

[Thoth]

Cities are kind of like characters in their own right. Each city has its own pros and cons as well as aspects that will change how kindred society adapts to it.

I would suggest googling the city and getting a sense of its history and layout. From there you can extrapolate when and why kindred would setup shop there. This generates a timeline and map for what would be fought over.

A port city for example, means the Prince or at least their clan will likely control the docks, but at some point, if a corporation comes to town and setup a factory or data center, then there will be a scramble to see who can control it or if the older kindred even recognize it as a business opportunity.

Sometimes there isn't going to be a diverse kindred population in residence. If a coterie of only two or three clans stakes a claim on a town that is growing into a city, then you won't get the standard political structure that is proposed by many of the books. Their leader becomes the prince and the rest become the Primogen just by virtue of them being the only ones there.

Once you have this all mapped out, then you can figure out what vampiric places of interest are required. If it is a Tremere settled city, then you just need a chantry or two since all business would be conducted there, rather than having an Elysium setup. Alternatively, if it is a a Ventrue settlement, then rather than having designated hunting grounds, every kindred has a membership at the local blood bank for their exact vitae needs.

Next you build out how the city maintains power or defends itself from other supernatural groups. A Giovanni run city will probably have mafia ties for both influence and hitmen. A Toreador run city will probably have a focus on political influence and use mortal connections to counter threats such as expanding the surrounding suburbs to force the shifters farther away from the city limits.

The goal here is to avoid the cookie cutter setup where every city has the same political structure, the same number of clans and bloodlines represented, and the exact same issues being fought over.

[Iguazu]

I've been building cities since my days playing AD&D; you don't have to make a whole, city, building by building, but, you can make a general rough-draft sketch of the city. First, don't think of a vampire-needs, but why a city is there in the first place: it's a place were mortals trade. So, most cities are by a river, have a good natural-harbor, have roads and railway junctions. So, a city will have:

1. A port.
2. A river with many bridges.
3. Railway-stations
4. Road junctions so, a down-town, main-street etc.
5. A coast.

Then, name some areas, that can be associated with those locations.

Now add vampire-stuff like Elysium, the Rack and the Barrens.

Right now, I'm working on an 18th-century French town, founded during the Sun-King's reign that's a newly constructed canal, (Les Canales), dug between two rivers. First, I constructed what was there before; farming villages, ruins, churches, then, along the canal is the prime real-estate, now, what will be there.

[Psicose]

I've been building cities since my days playing AD&D; you don't have to make a whole, city, building by building, but, you can make a general rough-draft sketch of the city. First, don't think of a vampire-needs, but why a city is there in the first place: it's a place were mortals trade. So, most cities are by a river, have a good natural-harbor, have roads and railway junctions. So, a city will have:

1. A port.
2. A river with many bridges.
3. Railway-stations
4. Road junctions so, a down-town, main-street etc.
5. A coast.

Then, name some areas, that can be associated with those locations.

Now add vampire-stuff like Elysium, the Rack and the Barrens.

Right now, I'm working on an 18th-century French town, founded during the Sun-King's reign that's a newly constructed canal, (Les Canales), dug between two rivers. First, I constructed what was there before; farming villages, ruins, churches, then, along the canal is the prime real-estate, now, what will be there.

Why a port?

[Muad'Dib]

Just something to have as a comparison. What kinds of places you put in the cities in the chronicle, I would not get to the point of creating a whole map for the chronicle, but I think it would be good to have some key places already ready and established for frequent use. I was wondering if you have a process or improvise.

You can still create a straightforward or simple sketch instead of a more detailed map. Also you can definitely use colors, or a different drawing implement like for example crayons.

A map, an outline, or a sketch for a relatively small or minor location or an area could be just as useful, interesting, helpful, and inspiring as a more complete map or drawing created in regard to a city or a region.

[Father Enoch]

Why a port?

Ocean freight is still a big deal if you're not landlocked. Look at all the grief caused by the Evergiven.

[Thoth]

One of the nice things about WoD is that since it is based on our world, rather than a fantasy one, you can just google search towns and cities in the area where you want to set your game. Takes a lot of the grunt work off the ST and allows them to focus on the detail work.

[Muad'Dib]

One of the nice things about WoD is that since it is based on our world, rather than a fantasy one, you can just google search towns and cities in the area where you want to set your game. Takes a lot of the grunt work off the ST and allows them to focus on the detail work.

Another possibility is going to a bookstore or a library and looking through or acquiring various tomes, books, and collections that can contain maps, outlines, graphs, photographs, and drawings of terrain and landmarks.

It helps to have a good description and some nice and intricate data, and also of course cultural context. And also as well discussion and analysis of anthropological, historical, mythological, religous themes and qualities.

[Lysander]

You want a port for all the goods and services that we the people like to have and even vampires need there creature comforts. Even landlocked cities need such things to function.

[Bluecho]

Another possibility is going to a bookstore or a library and looking through or acquiring various tomes, books, and collections that can contain maps, outlines, graphs, photographs, and drawings of terrain and landmarks.

It helps to have a good description and some nice and intricate data, and also of course cultural context. And also as well discussion and analysis of anthropological, historical, mythological, religous themes and qualities.

Travel guides are good for this, as they're designed to give you a truncated examination of a city's most notable features. There are plenty of things it leaves out, of course, but it's another perspective on the city.

Even places that largely serve as tourist traps by day can still act as neat backdrops to scenes by night. Shoot-outs in the football stadium. Elysium at an art gallery. Clandestine meetings behind a war memorial or inside a historical society building.

Don't discredit the value of "outdated" travel guides, either. Setting aside period piece campaigns (I've had an itch to run a campaign that starts in 1991, when VtM first released), Vampire stories often have a long history that precedes the current action. So an understanding not only of the city that is, but as it WAS, can be useful. Plus, old travel guides are often cheaper to obtain secondhand, or to find scanned on archival sites.

[Lysander]

Travel guides and googling the city neighborhoods are quite helpful to fill in some of the blanks in what kind of character your city is. It might even give a good starting point on how old some of the Kindred should be on how old the city is and what power level they should be.

[Rhywbeth]

My vague planning process goes thusly:
Generally I keep it to a specific area for a session. For example, rather than using the entirety of LA, keep to Downtown, or over in Westside, Long Island. A chronicle is set in Shanghai, but this particular session is within the confines of Qibao. Even in a small city like Swansea I'll usually focus on specific wards, like Landore. etc.
A good way to decide on an area is to research the city's history, and what role certain regions of the city may have played. What districts are famous for what, what are the more affluent areas, the ones populated by the working class, the criminal hotspots...
Then, having picked an area that suits the story I want to tell, start looking around at the businesses on hand. I tend to go for Google maps for the first stage of planning. Map out where to find the bars, clubs, the 24/7 cafes and diners, carparks, petrol stations, police, banks, the hotels, the homeless shelters, hospitals, logistics, etc etc. Things that would serve as backgrounds for the kindred. Blood, shelter, money, contacts...

If you feel like doing a little more digging, poke around for information on what used to be there. Also, decide who controls these areas and how they tie into the area's history and current politics. Whose haven is where? What Sect is likely to make gains in this area? Where's a good place for a Rack? Or an Elysium? Temples to Set, Noddist Churches, Bahari gardens, etc? Also consider the other gamelines. Where might be a Haunt, or a Node/Caern/Freehold? You don't need to actually do any crossover, but inserting weird shit or rumours about lupine activity to keep the coterie on their toes is fun. Could anything here be of interest to SAD, the Society of Leopold or the Arcanum?

If you go for a smaller settlement, like between the size of places like Laignsburg and St Davids, you can probably map out and use the whole area (although such places will probably have a smaller and more familiar kindred populace than most, if any)