Ferrum Impressions OOC 2

[Artemciy]

OOC1

Spoiler: Big 16

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1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?
Gestalt: Vampire 20th Anniversary + bits from Mage The Ascension.

2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?
Near future.

3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?
2-3 players.
Open to alternate players, they'll be introduced into the game if there is an opening.

4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?
Here.

5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
Neonate by default, will definitely consider other options on a case by case basis.

6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?
Depends on the character.

7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?
The character should be willing to work with the current party (coterie led by John and the rest).
I’ll try to accommodate any prestige and homebrew classes.

8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?
Anything that fits into 7.

9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?
For VtM: http://www.thesubnet.com/portal/wod/vtm20/

10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
Humanity 5-10.
Sensible vampires tend to preserve their humanity as it protects them from being controlled by the Beast.

11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
I might consider it.

12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?
I’ll roll the dice and describe the results. If the player rolls I’ll accept that.
See also OOC 1252.

13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.
A Mage can be a ghoul without damaging her Avatar (cf. the Ghoul merit in Ascension, page 229; also).
Life magic can affect vampires (as "material things that move, grow and change", Ascension, page 131), but with increased difficulty (the Matter magic might work better).
A Mage can dispell and/or control the Blood Bond (example).
Vampires rise at the time between 18:00 and sunset (18:00 + (sunset - 18:00) / 2), stronger generations rise later.
The over-dramatic rules outlined in the Blood Treachery might be applied to this game, but they are considered to be only a single of many possibilities of how the Awakened magic behaves around the Vampirism.

Guidelines to prevent the game from freezing and to keep it playable:
1) Time goes on, if it passes in RL it passes in game (cf 339).
2) "Do. Or do not. There is no try." Feel free to start, join and skip missions. Prefer going straight to the action rather than waiting for all the other characters to agree. (cf. 612).
3) Feel free to string actions together and write plans spanning multiple turns.
Basically, "Good roleplaying should never bring the game to a screeching halt" (cf).

Combat additions and maneuvers:

1) Brawl and Melee training should come with Specializations covering the styles and contexts of combat the character's familiar with. This is to help RP the corresponding strengths and weakness ("Difficulty and damage for these maneuvers may be modified at the Storyteller’s discretion, depending on the combat style the character uses", VtM 20th Anniversary, page 276). For example a BJJ grappler will have good tackles and holds but tends to get the fight to the ground and is weak against multiple opponents. A Taekwondo master can knock out an opponent with a single kick but is helpless on the ground against a grappler. Aikidoka can disarm and survive multiple armed opponents but needs an upper hand in reaction time against direct strikes or kicks. The strengths and weakness should be described in the character sheet because every training is individual (there are Wing Chun gyms that ignore the Chi Sao techniques; the weakness of a generic martial art is not necessary a weakness of a particular school or teacher). In addition to modified difficulty and damage, by using the signature techniques the character might get bonus die(s) to his attack rolls.

2) Additional Combat Maneuvers:
Sumbission Hold: A grappling technique that uses the natural body leverage on one side and natural body weaknesses on the other to incapacitate or cripple the opponent. As these soft techniques depend on proper positioning rather than brute force they are Dexterity based. They require a Brawl style that specialize in grapping and come at +2 difficulty when applied to an actively resisting opponent unless the opponent provides an opening: for example, an opponent grabbing the character's weapon arm provides an opening for a wrist lock, a tackled opponent that tries to escape the tackle provides an opening for a joint lock.
Some styles, like Sanda (when used against a kick) and Aikido (against hand and weapon attacks) allow using the corresponding Submission Holds (wrist locks, joint locks) as a +1 DC reflexive action after a successfull Dodge. The character should declare such an action beforehand, for example "If attacked, I'll Dodge and try to apply a Sumbission Hold".
If successfull, a Sumbission Hold will work depending on it's type: knocking the opponent out, damaging muscles, tearing ligaments, dislocating and breaking bones. The pain it causes will give a +1 DC penalty to any actions unless the opponent is resistant to the pain or can shunt it away somehow. It might also placate the opponent (-2 DC to social roll against him) unless he has a good reason or character trait allowing him to channel the pain into some opposing emotion.

3) "feel free to develop your own moves (with the Storyteller’s approval)" (VtM 20th Anniversary, page 275).

14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?
A few words about the character origins. A few words about his attitude (about his nature, demeanor, concept).

15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?
Hopefully all of the above (puzzle solving = alternative ways to solve a problem), depends a lot on the players.
“In a so-called simulationist game, the obstacles don't necessarily correspond to the stakes or rewards, and because the approaches are up to the players', the consequences for success or failure can vary almost as widely as the solution.”
If you have found yourself in a long combat and don’t have an alternative solution for it (running away, surrendering, finding help, tricking the opponents, etc) then ask the GM to auto-resolve rather than quitting the game.

16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?
I’ll try to use the non-standard material if requested.

This game was first discussed in the “LF ST Vampire the masquerade V20 owod”.

Please submit the characters here.

Note that I’ll have a PC in the game, playing as both the narrator and the character!

I’ll use a couple of non-standard techniques in the game:
1) In most situations I’ll give players a set of choices in order to communicate the intent of the scene and share ideas (and because I like the videogame RPG feel).

Spoiler: E.g.

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“A punk kicks you in the face.
spoiler You
1) Dodge and kick him back.
2) Catch his leg and suck on it.
3) Vanish from sight (obfuscate).
4) Wipe off the blood and cry “why?”
5) Turn him into a ghoul.
*) Do something else. /spoiler”

You may do something else entirely. If you take an option, you should expand on it.

IC. TALKS. Cast:

Player	Sheet	Pic
Danteric	John Lucas (bio) Master of suggestion. Blunder through.
Artemciy	Tanaka Wormold
Mosh	Stefan Argintari	The young Ravnos was a lanky figure, with formerly tan skin bleached white from his Embrace and dirty brown hair tied back into a short ponytail. He was dressed well, khakis and a clean collared shirt, but somehow managed to make the outfit look grungy.
Danteric	Joseph
for grabs	Lars	He’s a tough and quiet type, but it’s not that he’s talkative not. No, he’s talking! He isn’t just listening! True, the constant buzz of large and little things leaves little opening for him to chime in, but he hums. He puts his own mental notes into the melody and joins the conversation of stars in the sky. He’s talking, but you can’t hear his thought. Sometimes he would open his mouth and translate.

[cavalieredraghi]

Ahh that new thread smell. is the basement still there and intact, in other wards Anthony would be safe there for the day?

[Artemciy]

Space stations, perfume and plastic?

Anthony will be evidence.

XP +1 everyone.
We did it, we survived the night!

Talks with demons and each other without looking over your back for a while. But mind the hole in the wall.

P.S.

Anthony will be evidence.

Actually, indeed, there is a big chance they will dig him out in the daylight. You can send ghouls after him. Go forth!.. ghouls.

P.S.
Eh, forgot to say. Francis is now Generation 10, through Diablerie.
Conscience check?

[Artemciy]

Erm.. You might want to edit this a bit, because Anthony isn't just in the "daily" torpor.

[cavalieredraghi]

He still has BP so he is not in actually Torpor yet, though How much Damage does Anthony have now?

[Artemciy]

A torpor is a torpor.

How much Damage does Anthony have now?

Enough to enter a torpor. http://prntscr.com/5e8wos
And you can't exit a torpor even if you have BP.

[cavalieredraghi]

well then I have edited it. and my character sheet.

[Artemciy]

Thanks!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Muenster Man]

P.S.
Eh, forgot to say. Francis is now Generation 10, through Diablerie.
Conscience check?

Oh wow, alright!
Conscience (2d10)[8][6](14)

Edit: I've also decided to give my character back a point of Willpower, if that's alright. He has the Survivor nature, and I'm thinking that recent events are worthy of regaining a point. He's now back up to 7/9 temporary willpower points.

[Danteric]

Congrats on the generation Muenster!

[Muenster Man]

Thanks! Who needs Humanity anyways?

[Muenster Man]

I wonder how well defined those "future services" are?

"Hey John! I'm cashing in on that contract! Eat your own foot!"

"Wuh, seriously!?"

"Of course I'm serious! It'll grow back, right?"

"Will this be the end of my end of the deal?"

"Hahahahaha, no."

[Danteric]

Haha!

"I need my spirit suit dry cleaned, chop chop."

"Wha--?"

"I SAID GET TO IT!"

[Artemciy]

Yup.

[Danteric]

So out of curiosity, how will this work? Will John just not take damage from fire anymore? Or is it just lessened?

[Muenster Man]

Hmmm, I think I'm tired of keeping Francis' Brawl and Athletics at 3 dots a piece. He's used them more than enough at their current level, should probably be time for him to at least try and take his skills to the next level.
He'll attempt to spend 1xp on both (at 1/6 cost)

[Danteric]

Hopefully if this works out well, I'll be able to use the path of flames without having to worry about being burned to death by a flaming vampires death hug, woo!

[Muenster Man]

That would certainly be useful! Lure of Flames path is probably the most lethal Thaumaturgy path, but with a lot of potential to backfire. I wonder if you'll be completely immune to fire (and sunlight?), if you'll have your Fortitude cranked up to 5, or something else entirely.

[Danteric]

It definitely is, Id like to combine it with movement of the mind so I can light vampires on fire then telekinetically throw them at my enemies, would be a funny sight. And I do plan on raising my fortitude to 5 regardless, that discipline is extremely useful, specially incase francis turns against John, which I hope he never does :p

[cavalieredraghi]

honestly right now the only one you both may have to worry about betraying you is Anthony if the Sabbat save him from Torpor well then He may actually join the cause given his mental state is not he best due to the memory flashes from his sire.

[Danteric]

That's if some detective doesn't pull him out of the rubble and get a nice helping of sunlight to the face and spontaneously combust

[cavalieredraghi]

well given Torpor is a death like state they may actually just put Anthony in a body bag rather then put him in direct sun light given he was under ground. which he then would be transported to a morgue.

[Danteric]

That's true, body bags can be makeshift havens for the creative vampire. The bad thing about being brought to a morgue however is they drain all the fluids in your body and fill you with embalming fluid to prevent decay, which means you might never awaken from torpor, or worse, frenzy on the morticians and drain them dry, which could be fun on its own :p

[cavalieredraghi]

true but don't for get there is a war going on out there which means, the morgues may be so flooded right now Anthony may have a chance to waken before they get to him on the embalming.

[Muenster Man]

I feel like a trip to the morgue to pick Anthony up from 'day'care is in order

As for inter-coterie fighting, puh-lease, Francis would never try to kill the party. Unless, of course, one of you tried to kill him. Then he'd wipe the floor with you

[Danteric]

Yeah Francis could beat the rest of us pretty easily, but who needs fighting when your suddenly on fire and being flung towards a wall ;p

Anywho, John wouldn't attempt to fight Francis regardless, HE is John's bodyguard after all, and he considers Francis a close ally anyway, just got to blood bond him before it's too late I mean offer him a friendly goblet of blood ;p

[Muenster Man]

Yeah, I really need to get better about that whole bodyguard thing. But, I should get back on trying to learn Thaumaturgy Countermagic. Just in case.

[Danteric]

Learning thaumaturgical counter magic will be pretty hard, no tremere in their right mind would teach it out of clan, unless you want the entirety of the clan hounding for your blood, as it automatically gives you the flaw clan hatred.

[Muenster Man]

Hey! Maybe Goratrix/Tremere really is giving us a nice gift and there's a book on Thaumaturgy Countermagic! But realistically, I need to meet up with Arthur for him to start learning.

[Danteric]

Suppose you never know! Speaking of thaumaturgy though, I really need to get thaumaturgy 4 so I can Protean from Francis without being blood bound, blah! And then you can be taught Auspex so you have superman level hearing, and John will actually have a good weapon to use in combat, as aggro claws are amazing