Shveiran
2017-09-07, 04:50 AM
I've had my fair share of D&D in my life.
I've been a player for about four years, then started to act as DM for the group and, as players and adventures came and went, did a bit of both for 6 more.
The group changed and changed again, but the four of us sticked around for a long time now; as one of us had to leave for an extended period of time, we decided to take a break from D&D and try something new for the six months of his absence, before resuming our usual game.
So we grabbed us an old friend to join the party, and largely on my insistance we tried out Vampire The Requiem.
It's not going well.
So far I've not managed to get my party invested, and it is starting to be a problem. I feel like I'm a good enough GM, and I know my crowd, so I suspect this is likely rooted in the mood. Namely, my struggle to set it right and make them care at the same time.
Usually, I either scare them to the point where they take no actions because they don't dare risk it, or jest about without taking anything silly. No middle ground, apparently.
If any more experienced storyteller has some advice on how to make them care despite the place being, well, a world of darkness, I'd be most grateful.
A few more details:
The cast is composed of three fledgling kindred.
Mr J (Daeva) is a former gangster with a thing for flamboyant catchphrases, guns and stunt driving.
He is by far the less shaken by his new condition, and his somewhat the most stable of the bunch.
Though his morality of 2 should be mentioned...
The player is a known "Specialist" so far as etiquettes go.
Miss V (Mekhet) is a strong woman out of her depths. She used to be a lawyer with a strong morality, freshly divorced. She has been forced to do much she was not used to, mainly relying on her obfuscate to survive the "try and fail" approach. The player is the oldest and less experienced of the group, and she is the one that just joined the happy brigade.
Miss E (Gangrel) was a field surgeon in the army, fatally ill due to misterious circumstances together with most of her team. She is the one with most intimate connection in Phoenix (J is a loner, V recently changed city) starting with her family and comrades at arms and finishing with her dog. She has taken badly to her new condition and is becoming more cynic and ruthless (we just got our fist, mild derangement)
The fledgling were sired by three kindred who formed a strong consortium eight years before the start of the game. They have strong ambitions, and they have been plotting to deligitimize two of the Barons to replace them (the Prince has a very divide and conquer approach, so there are eight barons in a 270 kindred city).
The fledgling have been trained by their sire and the other senior member of the consortium that most fit their skills (knowledge, social grace, or muscle) and taught how to feed (which took very, very long, because they were not satisfied until they proved they could reliably do it without making a mess. And due to a few bad ideas and worse rolls... it took a while, it really did). They have now been assigned a mission to prove they are ready, which ties in to main plot as it uncovers the info that a carthian kindred is trying to establish a blood-doll service rival to the Baron to which the Prince assigned the monopoly.
We'll soon move to the "bachelorette party", the night where the fledgling will be presented to the society of the night. I'm planning to have them introduced to an uncaring prince and their priscus, and then let them free to roam and socialize.
Due to reasons linked to their siring, shortly thereafter a workling of the prince will demand a service from them, which I think will be finding and removing a ghoul gone rabid.
I've been a player for about four years, then started to act as DM for the group and, as players and adventures came and went, did a bit of both for 6 more.
The group changed and changed again, but the four of us sticked around for a long time now; as one of us had to leave for an extended period of time, we decided to take a break from D&D and try something new for the six months of his absence, before resuming our usual game.
So we grabbed us an old friend to join the party, and largely on my insistance we tried out Vampire The Requiem.
It's not going well.
So far I've not managed to get my party invested, and it is starting to be a problem. I feel like I'm a good enough GM, and I know my crowd, so I suspect this is likely rooted in the mood. Namely, my struggle to set it right and make them care at the same time.
Usually, I either scare them to the point where they take no actions because they don't dare risk it, or jest about without taking anything silly. No middle ground, apparently.
If any more experienced storyteller has some advice on how to make them care despite the place being, well, a world of darkness, I'd be most grateful.
A few more details:
The cast is composed of three fledgling kindred.
Mr J (Daeva) is a former gangster with a thing for flamboyant catchphrases, guns and stunt driving.
He is by far the less shaken by his new condition, and his somewhat the most stable of the bunch.
Though his morality of 2 should be mentioned...
The player is a known "Specialist" so far as etiquettes go.
Miss V (Mekhet) is a strong woman out of her depths. She used to be a lawyer with a strong morality, freshly divorced. She has been forced to do much she was not used to, mainly relying on her obfuscate to survive the "try and fail" approach. The player is the oldest and less experienced of the group, and she is the one that just joined the happy brigade.
Miss E (Gangrel) was a field surgeon in the army, fatally ill due to misterious circumstances together with most of her team. She is the one with most intimate connection in Phoenix (J is a loner, V recently changed city) starting with her family and comrades at arms and finishing with her dog. She has taken badly to her new condition and is becoming more cynic and ruthless (we just got our fist, mild derangement)
The fledgling were sired by three kindred who formed a strong consortium eight years before the start of the game. They have strong ambitions, and they have been plotting to deligitimize two of the Barons to replace them (the Prince has a very divide and conquer approach, so there are eight barons in a 270 kindred city).
The fledgling have been trained by their sire and the other senior member of the consortium that most fit their skills (knowledge, social grace, or muscle) and taught how to feed (which took very, very long, because they were not satisfied until they proved they could reliably do it without making a mess. And due to a few bad ideas and worse rolls... it took a while, it really did). They have now been assigned a mission to prove they are ready, which ties in to main plot as it uncovers the info that a carthian kindred is trying to establish a blood-doll service rival to the Baron to which the Prince assigned the monopoly.
We'll soon move to the "bachelorette party", the night where the fledgling will be presented to the society of the night. I'm planning to have them introduced to an uncaring prince and their priscus, and then let them free to roam and socialize.
Due to reasons linked to their siring, shortly thereafter a workling of the prince will demand a service from them, which I think will be finding and removing a ghoul gone rabid.