1: Fangs Out!
Vampires can be subtle, elegant, but when they show fang it's go time.
2: Sweet Embrace
Of the PCs just done generating for my new chronicle, one of the five gets on with their sire, and another one doesn't know them at all. This seems about average, sires are about as likely to be around and in contact as PCs' parents in most RPGs. At least they're less likely to be killed by orcs for motivation.
3: Where The Undead Gather
As the PCs and most pertinent NPCs are generally vampires, it's easy to have sessions where human characters don't get a word in. Something I try to avoid outside of the occasional Elysium session.
4: Elysium Fashion
You know that the vampire in the brand new outfit is older than they look... the vampire in the Victorian court outfit could be presenting a false front as well.
5: The Very First Bite
Do you remember their face? Their name? Did you ever even know it?
6: Undead Love
There are people who want to play these games without emotional attachments, and that's fine, but I sure don't.
7: Hideout
Ol' New Bremen wasn't great with the Masquerade in many ways, but the Elysium was genuinely hard to find out of character at the start... for a couple of weeks.
8: This Clan Of Mine
My favorite clans are the most "regular pop culture vampire" Brujah and Toreador and the most "specific VTM thing" Hecata, for maximum different play experience.
9: Newly Found Power
Alien Hunger and the other "new vampires wake up after the Embrace" quickstarts always emphasize the rush and temptation of power. I like the Near Dark example of Caleb getting shot in the gut and being shocked as he doesn't even fall down.
10: Inner Monster
The Beast makes sense as a way to motivate new vampires to hunt and do this awful thing, but is it too easy an explanation, externalising survival instinct as something other?
11: Faith That Hurts
Any faith can hurt in the wrong circumstances.
12: Blood Hunter
The hunt is most interesting when it goes badly. Of course this happens to PCs almost exclusively. Have an NPC get in trouble hunting sometime...
13: Eyes of the Beast
Of course I want scary glowing eyes! They don't fit every character though.
14: Every Rose Has Its Thorns
The Toreador are probably the most 'normal' modern vampire type, so lots of people focus on the artsy bit to push them into a niche, often to dismiss them. These people are safely ignored.
15: Blue Blood
I've never played a Ventrue because I've never been happy with an idea for a feeding restriction. (Unless it was a Requiem Ventrue, I could do that, just never had a chance to.) My NPC Ventrue tend to be a bit vague about this...
16: Crimson Tears
A striking image, and one that comes up a lot the way I play these games. Claudia and Tanith's biggest threat to the Masquerade. ;)
17: The Night You Were Turned
"Everything hurts. If I'm supposed to be dead, why does everything still hurt?"
18: Hunger
Hunger Dice are more fun than Blood Points.
19: Satiation
... and the idea that you can get rid of all of them by killing a victim means the temptation is always there. So far nobody in my games has gone for it. So far.
20: Last Sunset
Having a PC who can go out during the day really brings home how isolated vampires are.
21: Eternal Enemy
Vampires have to face the Beast, humanity, hunters, the sun, and each other. And that's before we add gods and monsters.
22: It's A Beautiful Night To Hunt
Vampires who enjoy the hunt are worse than those who just get jaded, but maybe not as dangerous to mortals on the whole.
23: Forbidden Pleasures
A Sabbat game that isn't about showing how gross you can be?
24: The Prince
I should try to make a Prince who isn't some old white dude in a suit sometime.
25: Blood Magic Ritual
Some is fine. I ain't runnin' Mage here.
26: Ceremony Of The Dead
I don't like crossover but the Giovanni and Hecata are among my favorite clans, because they lean into creepy in various fun ways.
27: You're Bound To Me
The Blood Bond and other controls like Dominate don't come up much as many players are uncomfortable with it. Summon is a classic vampire power which often goes badly when used on PCs.
28: Bats!
Yes, yes, nocturnal and eerie, but so fluffy and with the widdle wiggledy ears.
29: Night Off
Some of my favorite sessions were nights off, going to gigs or movies, and of course Claudia playing Skee-Ball.
30: Too Old To Die
Ravnos dying added some interesting development to the clan. Ravnos dying by crossover, less so. At least he actually died, unlike four of the five "confirmed dead" Antediluvians before him.
31: The Sun Rises
Having vampires burn in sunlight is a great way to isolate them from the normal world, but it is a bit much when they rely so heavily on secrecy as they do in this setting.
No comments:
Post a Comment