Vampire The Masquerade V1-Storytellers Hand book

Credits: Special Thanks To:

Written by: Andrew Greenberg, Graeme Davis, Dustin Mark “Piggly” ReineHagen, for scarfing so many free-
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Development: Andrew Greenberg, Rob Hatch
ing firsthand the idiocy of Atlanta’s finest.
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Cover: Clark Mitchell
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Rob“TheImpaler”Hatch,fortheflightof theBumblepen.

Chris “Ragmag”McDonough, for turning the magazine
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Off.

01992by WhiteWolf. All rightsreserved.Reproduction Word From the White Wolf Game
without written permission of the publisher is expressly
denied, except for the purpose of reviews. Storyteller’s Studio:
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Printed in Canada

Chapter One: The Sto................................ 7

Chapter Two: The Chronicle ...................... 25
Chapter Three: The Setting ........................41
Chapter Four: The Motive.......................... 57
Chapter Five: The Enemy .......................... 79
Chapter Six: The Ways ............................... 105

Appendix One: Enchanted Items for Vampire ......139
Appendix TWO:Lists for Storytellers.................... 143







Cbe S~ory

Storyteller: 1. One who is accustomed to tell stories or
anecdotes in conversation;

2. Euphemistically: a liar;

3.One whose business it istorecite legendaryor romantic
stories.

- Oxford English Dictionary

Storytelling is the focus of this book. It is also the take an activepart in shapingit through the words and deeds
whole point of the Vampire game. But what ex- of the charactersthey control.It is very difficultto formulate
actly is Storytelling?There are two trite answers a simple,pithy definitionof this kind of Story; the definition
to this question: Storytelling is what Storytellers do, and which follows is by no means perfect, but it is hopefully
Read this book andfind out.. Both are true, but neither is enough to work with
particularly helpful.
Story:a situation,eventorseriesof eventsrequiringaction
Storytelling is what Storytellers do. In Vampire, the on the part of certain characters, presenting problems and
Storytellercreates and presents Storiesin which the players challenges, and offering rewards for successful action.
participatethrough the controlof theircharacters.The result
is an interactive type of storytelling, where everyone in the Story Parts
groupcontributesto the progressand finalform of the Story.
The Story is at the heart of the whole process, and it is the Just as a character in Vampire is an amalgamation of
Story with which this Chapterconcernsitself. Other Chapters
many component parts - trait scores, nature, demeanor,
will cover different aspects of the Storyteller’srole -Read equipment and so on - so a Story is made up of several

this book and find out. things. On one level, the Story consists of characters, loca-

~- tions and situations -these will be discussed a little later.

What isa Story? Fornow, we will concernourselveswith the bonesof a Story
-concept, plot,themeandmood.Thesewillnormallybe the
Story, n. A narrative of real or, more usually. fictitious first four things you decide on when planning out a Story,
events, designed for the entertainment of the reader or whether you are conscious of doing so or not.

hearer; ... an incident, real orfictitious, related in order to Payingattentiontothesebasicscanhelpyou createaStory
more easily, and combinedwith a little practice you can use
amuse or interest. them to createsomethingwith asmuch depth and originality
as anything in literatureor films.Of course,you have to be
- Oxford English Dictionary prepared to put something of yourself into the process; the
notes in the next few paragraphs can’t do the work for you.
A VampireStoryis morecomplexthan manyotherforms There is no such thing as a wholly mechanical system for
of tale, because it is interactive. The audience (that is, the
players)donot sitpassivelyand simplyabsorbthestory;they

Chapter One: The Story 7

, Thereare as m n y types of Vampireas there are beastsof
creatinga Story-and hopefullythere never will be, for the
productsof sucha systemwould inevitablybe withoutdepth Prey.
or soul. But thischapter is intendedto help the bewilderedor
nervous Storyteller through the process of creating a Story, -Captain Cronos: Vampire Hunter
and point out a few useful ideas, tricks and techniques.
Therearecertainlyasmanytypesof vampirestoryasthere
Concept aretypesof story,andmost of themhavebeen coveredin one
medium or another. Considerthe shelf and section labels in
They only have sixplots, but they swap them round a bit. your local bookstore: aside from the fantasy, sciencefiction
and horror sections where most vampires are to be found,
-George Orwell, 1984 there will also be mystery, romance, thrillers, adventure,
western, literature and many other genres and subgenresof
Thisquote-accordingto someliteratureteachersat least fiction. All genres have featured vampires at one time or
- was originally intended to reflect cultural impoverish- another, and each has its own potential as a concept for a
ment underthenightmarishrule of Orwell’sStalin-cloneBig Vampire story.

Brother,rather than telling a universaltruth about the narra- ~ ~~~~
tive form. However, the Vampire Storytellerwill certainly
find that certain themes and types of story crop up again and Mystery
again,in VampireChroniclesaswell asinvampireliterature
and films. I can’tfind yourface in a thousand masqueraders
You’rehidden in thecolorsof amillion other lostcharades
The informationin this sectionis by no meansexhaustive,
and Storytellersare activelyencouraged to find and develop -Alice Cooper,Hell is Living WithoutYou
new types of Storytoaddvarietyand depthtotheirchronicles.
It does, however, provide a basic treatment of the more Mystery stories (“whodunnits” to British readers) start
common themes and narrative structures; as well as being a withamystery(normallysomethinglikewhokilled someone
useful last-resort source of inspiration, it should help the and why), and follow a character or characters through the
Storytelleridentify and avoid clichCs and repetition within a process of discovering facts, piecing together clues and
Chronicle. findingthe guilty party. They can range from the compara-

tively simple to the fiendishly baroque -some of Agatha
Christie’s later work became particularly convoluted, as

increasingly savvy fans demanded ever more baffling mys-
teries.

Vampirestorieslend themselves well to the Britishstyle
of mystery writing. The company is rarified, resources are
scarcely a problem, political infighting, jealousy, revenge
and other motives abound,and the fear of a Blood Hunt is a
powerful incentive to plot the perfect murder. It is almost
irresistibleto envision Christie’s Hercule Poirot immortal-
ized as a Ventrue Justicar, feeding exclusively from mortal
murderers.

The main American mystery style is the “hard-boiled
detective story,” springing from the works of Raymond
Chandlerand Dashiell Hammett,and carriedon today by the
likesof Ed McBain and Mickey Spillane.It was once said of
Hammett that he took murder out of the vicar’s rose garden
and gave it back to the people who were good at it. Cynicism
and grittyrealism arethekeynotesof this genre.Motivations
arenearly always sordid,charactersand locationssleazyand
interactionsviolent. This kind of mystery is ideal for Stones
involving the Sabbat, Brujah and other less stylish Clans.

The mystery/manhunt theme has long been a favorite in
vampirefictionand movies, whetherthemain charactersare
mortals like the reporter Kolchak or Kindred like Nick
Knight. Always remember, too, that there are other crimes
thanmurder,especiallyamongthe Kindred. BarbraHambly’s
Immortal Blood is amanhunt,asthe KindredofLondonwork
togetherwithacoercedmortalspecialist tofindacainite who
is becomingdangerouslyprolific in the creation of Progeny.
The searchfor a known or unknown vampireis a subplotthat

8 The Storytellers Handbook

has appeared again and again in Anne Rice’s Vampire Themes generally involve discovering secrets, gaining
Chronicles, and le Fanu’s classic Carmilla has the heroine possession of objects or people before The Opposition does
(or villainess) leading Fearless Vampire Hunters a merry so,and soon. SinceCainitesaroundthe world (especiallythe
dance as she flits around the central European countryside power-hungry Ventrue) gravitate to high places, there are
under a number of anagrammaticpseudonyms. many opportunitiesto work with Storiesof this kind. It also
gives the Storytellerthe chance to come up with some truly
Romance wonderful pieces of alternate history, conspiracy theories,
and general what-iffing. The two words “what if‘ are prob-
Ifshe was an ace and I wasjust a jack ably the most powerful tool in story creation.
And the cards were never seen
We could have been the king and queen What was the role of Vampiresin the Cold War?Was the
Brahms Network headed by a Cainite?What if Red October
-Dire Straits,ThePlanetofNew Orleans was actually designed as a safe,floatingHaven, and Ameri-
can Ventrue found out and wanted to get hold of it? Are
Romanticfictionis the most widely-read,and at the same Kindred highly placed in the CIA? Do espionage agencies
time the most widely reviled, literary genre, and there are have teams of Vampire operatives? Plenty of roleplaying
good reasons for both. But Vampire is in many ways a
romanticgame, and a great many vampire stones have been games have addressed the thriller genre - with varying
of the type generally described as “gothicromance.” degrees of success-but adding Vampiresinto the equation

John Polidori’s seminalThe Vampyre,with its hero based turns the adventure into something quite different.
on Polidori’s employer Lord Byron, was a spectacularly
unsuccessfulforay into gothicromance; Carmilla was essen- Adventure
tially romantic, and many commentatorshave seenDracula
itself as being essentially a romance, with the cadaverous I have made the big decision,
Count obsessed by Mina Harker. Both film versions of I’m gonna tryfor the kingdom,
Nosferatu play up romance, castingthe vampire as victim as ‘Causewhen l p u t a spike into my vein,
well as monster; Fred Saberhagen’s modem-day Dracula I tell you things aren’t quite the same,
stories-especially An OldFriendof theFamily -also owe WhenI’m rushing on my run,
much to the Count’s romantic attention to Mina. And I feel just like Jesus’s son,

Themesused in romantic fiction arenormallyloss,yeam- And I guess but I just don’t know...
ing and triumph over adversity.There is frequentlya section
where one of the protagonists must overcome immense -Velvet Underground,Heroin
internal obstacles-obsession with work, personality prob-
lems, the hurt of past affairs or whatever-in order for the Adventure is the most miscellaneous and polyglot fic-
relationship to succeed. All of these can be used within the tional genre. Aboutthe onlyconstantfactoris ahero (usually,
context of a Vampire Story, and of course there are the but not always,male) with considerablecombatand survival
additionalproblems of the Hunger and the Beast. A Cainite skillswho facesand overcomesa number of life-threatening
falling in love with a mortal will face many problems, situations before finding the gold, thrashing the evil genius,
ranging from the farcical (Love at First Bite) to the soul- winning the girl and doing whatever else passes for success
wrenching (for example,the dilemma presented in the song in the particular setting and story. Most science fiction and
Moon OverBourbonStreet),andplayerswhoenjoythrowing fantasy stones are pure adventure; so are the Indiana Jones
themselvesintotheirroleplayingwill be ableto makea great movies, any swashbuckler film you care to name, most
deal of this kind of situation. Westerns,andthevastmajorityof historicalnovelswhich are
not romances.
Romance makes a better subplot than main plot, but can
sometimescarry a storyall on its own; subplotsare discused Thekeynoteis action,andplenty of it. Johnle C a d ’ shero
later. GeorgeSmileytakes part in espionagestories;Ian Fleming’s
James Bond stars in adventure stories. Thought and investi-
Thrillers gation take a back seat, and intellectualchallenges are often
limited to ways of getting out of the latest life-threatening
War makes rattling good history;but Peace ispoor reading. situation.

-Thomas Hardy Thistype of story has become such a stapleof roleplaying
games that it is almost fatuous to mention it here. Much
Thrillers are probably best regarded as a subgenre of the vampirefiction is based in the action-adventuregenre, often
adventurestory(seebelow), but are distinguishedby the fact with the vampire cast as the threat to the mortal hero.
that they almost always involve espionage, politics, ad- SunglassesAfter Dark,Lost Boys andNear Dark all countas
vanced military hardware and dirty dealing in high places. adventurestories. In Vampire,there are numerousphysical
Dependingon taste,the reader might considerJohn le Can-6, threats to a character’s existence, which are adequately
Tom Clancy, Len Deighton or Robert Ludlum. covered in the main rulebook.

Chapter One: The Story 9

Plot Archetypes rival or enemy might have the prisoner, surrounded by
faithful guards including Ghouls and possibly Neonates.
Just as players can use archetypes to help define the Villains often bait traps by kidnappingthose dear to a hero.
personality of their characters, so the Storyteller can use
archetypesto assistin the process of developinga Storyplot. Attack: Thecharactersmustfindand neutralizean enemy
The list of archetypeshere is by no means exhaustive,and it stronghold. This is similar in many ways to the Bug Hunt
is intended merely to provide the Storyteller with a starting archetype, except that the accent is less on searching and
point. more on destruction. Problems will involve analyzing the
stronghold’s defenses and choosing the correct tactical op-
Mystery:An eventor seriesof eventshastakenplace, and tions to maximize the characters’ effectivenessin mounting
the charactersmust find out what it all means, who is behind the attack.
it and what action, if any, must be taken to safeguard the
interests of themselves,their Clan, the Masquerade,or Kin- Defense: The characters have been targeted for an attack.
dred in general.Eventsmightinvolvekillingsof mortalsand/ The enemymightbe rivalclanmembers,servantsof an Elder
or Cainites, breaches of the Masquerade, destruction of they have recently crossed (knowingly or unknowingly),
Kindred-ownedproperty, or almost anythingelse where the servants of one of more Methuselahs and/or Antediluvians
perpetrator and reason is not clear. involved in the Jyhad, Sabbat strike troops, Witch Hunters,
Lupines,and soon.The charactersmay ormay nothaveprior
Bug Hunt: Akiller is on the loose,and must be found and warning of the attack, and must either defend the area in
stopped.UnliketheMystery,theBugHuntispurelya search- which they find themselves or try to escape (see above).
and-destroymission,with little investigationand no interest
in reasons and wider implications. The target might be a Siege: A specialcase of the Defense archetype,in which
Vampire against whom a Blood Hunt has been called, a the characters are surroundedor otherwise unable to escape.
Sabbatcell,anothersupernaturalentity,amortal serialkiller, May be combined with the Guard archetype (see below).
a FearlessVampireHunter who has been a little too success- Think of Assault on Precinct 13 with Vampires, Ghouls,
ful lately, or any of a number of others. Werewolves and other supernaturalelements.

Treasure Hunt: The existenceof somethingof immense Guard: Another special case of the Defense archetype,
valuehas become known to the characters,and they must try where the charactershave to retain possession of an item or
to obtain it before anyone else, and preferably without individual. Items might be of the types listed under the
anyoneelse findingout. OtherKindred who also discoverthe TreasureHunt archetype above, while individuals might be
existence of the item will want it for themselves, and will of the types listed under Rescue.
probably stopat nothing to obtain it. The treasure might be a
fragment of the Book of Nod, the person of an Elder or Betrayal: The characters are sent on a mission which
Methuselah in Torpor (which can be used as a political appears to be of anotherkind, but they have been betrayed.
bargaining chip or for Diablerie), knowledge which can be They may be pawns in the Jyhad, to be sacrificed for some
used for blackmail or political gain, or even an enchanted obscurepoliticaladvantage,or they may be sentout to throw
item of some kind - a weapon which causes aggravated a mortal witchhunter off the trail of a greater Cainite. It may
wounds, a cup which enhances the nutritive effect of blood evenhavebeen decided,overthecharacters’heads,that their
drunk from it, and so on. Embrace was not authorized by the Prince and/or Primogen,
and thebetrayalis a way of gettingrid of them,likeunwanted
Escape: The charactersarethreatenedby somethingvery kittens.
powerful which they cannothope to defeat -such as a Blood
Hunt, a powerful renegade Vampire, or a Sabbat uprising Jealousy: The characters have inspired envy or jealous
whichhas destroyedalltheirpotentialallies.Their onlyhope rage in another,and stepsare being taken againstthem. Their
for survival is to escape and find a place where this threat enemy might be someone who one or all of them recently
cannotreachthem. Theymustarrangetotravelalong way (or crossed,or a rival of the Sireof oneor more of them,enraged
at least,get out of the city or fief where they currentlyexist), at not being allowed to make Progeny of hisher own or
dodging aggressors and agents of all kinds. jealous of their Sire’ssupportand determinedto removeher
manpower base. This might lead to an Attack (see above)to
Rescue: The charactersmust penetrate an enemy strong- to some other kind of hostile action.
hold, find a friend imprisonedthere, and effectthe escapeof
this character. The prisoner might be a mortal, such as a Conspiracy: Two or more antagonists or groups of an-
retainer with too much knowledge of a character’sHaven,
protections and dealings, or a Cainite, such as the Sire or tagonistsareplanning a courseof action which threatensone
Mentorof oneormorecharacters.Theprisonermightbe held or more of the characters,either directly or through Sires or
clan ties. The means by which the conspiracy comes to
by mortal authorities-perhaps in a cell with a window or fruition can be various; direct assault is a possibility, but
OthersincludeFraming(seebelow),attacksonthecharacter’s
skylight, adding a time element to the rescue of a Vampire resources,alliesandcontacts,theplacingof trapsorassassins
prisonerto whom the lightof dawnwill be fatal.OraKindred in theirHavens, and so on. This archetypecan lead naturally

10 The Storytellers Handbook

to a Mystery as the characters try to discover the identity of of Macbeth is brooding and somber,whileOthello is angry.
their enemies and take action to neutralize the threat. Moods correspond fairly closely to human emotions, and
choosing a mood for a Story allows the Storytellerto select
Framing: One or more charactersaremaneuveredinto a which of the players’ (and/or characters’) emotions will be
situationwhere they appearto have committedan offenseof most stimulated by the story.
somekind. This might be a breach of the Masquerade,a plot
against the Prince, an attack on the interests of a rival Elder ~
or clan, and so on. The characters may need to Escape (see
above) for a while, and events may unfold into a Mystery as Choosing Theme and Mood
they try to find out who is responsiblefor framing them and
uncover enough evidenceto clear themselves.

Love: One or more characters(ideally one) are suffering
the pangs of love, and must find some way to resolve the
situation. The object of affection might be a Cainite from a
rival clan (RomeoandJuliet), an Elderor other superiorwho
is hopelessly out of reach (any number of historical ro-
mances),a prominentfigure on the other side of the Anarch-
Primogen divide (Wuthering Heights), or a mortal whose
involvement with the character threatens the Masquerade,
facing the character with the problem of convincing a skep-
tical Prince to allow the character to Embrace this mortal.
Enemies will find many opportunitiesto thwart or spite the
character through the loved one. Perhaps the love is unre-
quited, or the character cannot reveal her true nature. This
archetypeis best suitedto subplots (which are discussedin a
later section), but can carry a Storyall by itself if done well.

Injustice: A wrong has been perpetrated, and the charac-
ters feel obliged (or are ordered)to right it. The wrong might
have arisen from an accident, a misunderstanding, or from
consciousaction on the part of the charactersor others. The
consequences of the wrong are likewise diverse in their
possibilities; an individual might be the subject of a Blood
Hunt, or might sit in a jail cell awaiting execution,or might
havebeen ruinedfinancially,politicallyor personally.Injus-
ticemight forcethe charactersto takethe side of the Anarchs
against a tyrannical Prince or Primogen.

Theme and Mood A plot archetypewill normally suggest a range of themes
andmoods,and you’llfindplot,theme and mood developing
It can help tremendously in the design of a Story if you together as an organic whole. Sometimes,though, it can be
spend a few minutesthinking aboutthe theme and mood you fun to stretch things a little. Combining a plot with themes
want to project. More is said about these two things in the and moods which would not normally match provides an
Vampirerulebook,andintheChroniclechapterof thisbook. interesting intellectualchallengefor the Storyteller, and can
also produce a unique and very memorable Story if things
The themeof a Storyis a summary,in a word or phrase, of
what the Story is about. Note that it is not a summary of the work out.Neverbe afraidtotry somethingunusual-testing
Storyitself,but of what the Storyis about.Thisis a subtlebut
important distinction. For example, the theme of Macbeth preconceptions and pushing against perceived limits is the
might be summarized as ambition/power/corruption, while best way to develop your Storytelling skills, and will help
thethemeofHamletcouldbe seenasrevengeltragedyandthe avoid hackneyed,two-dimensionalplots.
theme of Othello as jealousy. A theme is a broad concept
whichunderliesthe Storyasa whole. It is usefulas afocus- For example, let’s start with the Bug Hunt archetype.
a startingpoint around which to build the Story. Logical themes for this kind of Story would be exploration
and searching,while tension and horror are the moods most
Mood is much more of a surface feature, but no less strongly suggested. As might be inferred from the name of
important.The mood of a Storyprovides a basic idea for the the archetype, we’re dealing with somethinglikeAlien. But
Storytellerto keep in mind when presenting the Story to the
players. To repeat the examples above, the prevailing mood how about if the theme and mood become -to pull two

words out of the air -betrayal and grieving?Betrayal:who

has been betrayed -the killer or the characters? And by

whom? A whole range of motivationsand general skulldug-

Chapter One: The Story 11

geryopensup. Grieving:has thekillerjust destroyeda friend these potential rewards before the Story starts, in order to
orlovedoneof oneofthecharacters?Orhas adeeply-feltloss gauge their effects on the Story’sprogress.
pushed the killer over the edge, allowing the Beast to break
through?Immediatelythe Storybegins to developdepthand Here are brief notes on a few types of reward and incen-
atmosphere. tive. As with plot archetypes, the possibilities are literally
endless,and this list is only intendedto servethe Storyteller
~~ ~ - as an example and a source of inspiration.

Experience and Other Incentives Experience

Have you ever been experienced? Experiencepointswillbeearnedby nearlyeverycharacter
from nearly every Story in which she participates. The
-Jimi Hendrix, Are You Experienced reward of experience points, and their promise of increased
characterTraits,are apowerfulmotivationtoplayers,but not
As well ashavingideas abouttheplot,theme andmood of to characters, who of course have no perception of game
a Story,you will also need to know what rewards it offersto mechanisms.Charactersmay have some awarenessof learn-
the characters.It is best to startthinkingaboutthis at an early ing and sharpeningtheir abilities,but very few will risk their
stage, for a number of reasons. livesforthe sakeof experience,althoughsomemay do sofor
the sake of adventure.
First,atleastsomeof the rewardswillprovidean incentive
for characters to involve themselves in the Story;these will ~ -~
have to be sufficiently obvious from the outset, and will
therefore need to be built into the design of the first few Knowledge
scenes.
Thisis themainprizeof investigativeStories,andin many
Other potential rewards will reveal themselves as the other kinds of Story, Neonates will have the opportunityto
Story unfolds. They will affectmany things in the courseof learn about the society of the Kindred, the power structure
the Story: the character’schoice of directionsat key points, andpoliticsof theirparticularhome areaand soon.Themost
the attitudes of various encounters,and the likelihood of the coveted knowledge is that contained in the Book of Nod,
charactersbeingfacedwith opposition,competitionor coop-
eration,to name but three. The Storytellerhas to be awareof

12 The StorytellersHandbook

1

although there are so many fragmented, falsified and other- Influence
wise unreliable versions in existence that the knowledge
gained may never live up to the characters’ expectations. Characterswho regularly solve problems and overcome
Knowledge can be divided into three types, which for the difficultieswill find that theirreputation is spreadingamong

sake of argumentmight be named Lore, Dirt and Sawy. the Kindred of their home city. This can be a double-edged

Lore has been formalizedinto a series of Knowledgesin sword-alongwiththegoodopinionsof somewill comethe
The Players Guide, and can be useful to characterswhoare
stillcomingto terms with theirownabilitiesand whowishto enmity of those they have crossed, embarrassed,or simply
understandthe abilities of those around them. caused to become envious. As with favor and friends, this
might be reflectedby appropriatedie roll modifiers, or dealt
Dirtis detailedknowledgeof the Kindred of the city, their with more formally by increasesto Traits bought with expe-
rience points eamed during the Story in question.
relationships,dealings and plans -the sort of thing which
Material Rewards
might be used for political advantage and blackmail.
Wealth is always useful to Kindred,whose opportunities
Savvy is knowledge of the nature of Kindred, what it forraisingalittleextracashby conventionalmeansare,to say
means to be one, and how to survive. This also includes a the least, somewhatlimited.
certainknowledgeofpoliticsandpowerstructuresinthecity.
Other material rewards might take the form of actual
~ goods-equipment whichis difficultand/orillegalto obtain
openly, such as heavy weaponry and specialized ammuni-
Favor tion, for instance.Obviously,the availabilityand desirability
of certainitems of equipmentwill vary accordingto the tone
A powerful incentive for resolving problems is the favor which the Storytellerhas chosen for the Chronicle. This is
of powerful Kindred. Like knowledge, favor comes in a covered in a later chapter.
numberof guises.Itmayenhanceacharacter’sstatuswiththe
higher levels of the city’s Kindred, simply causing certain Onrareoccasions,charactersmightbe ableto obtainmore
influential Cainitesto look favorably on the character. This
may be donepurely throughroleplaying,or itmaybe formal- specialized items, perhaps even enchanted items like those
ized into a bonus to dice rolls for dealing with them. It may mentioned in the description of the Treasure Hunt plot
lead to somereward, such aspatronage,intercessionwiththe archetype.
Prince or protection from enemies. It may even lead to the
characterbeing ableto claim a favor from an Elder,although Survival
this is very rare.
For all the appeal of fame, influence and material gain,
Like the gratitudeof princes,the gratitudeof Vampiresis nothing impels a character to action like the prospect of
grudging and doesnot last.A Neonatewhoholdsa favorover
an Elder had better use it quickly, or risk being seen as a continuedsurvival-orthe lackof it. This isthe strongestof
threat. However,if workedproperly,thecharacterscan tiean
Elder to them through the bonds of &station, as detailedin all motives, and should not be overlooked or overworked.
The Players Guide.

Allies Patronage

It is a far easier and safer thing to make allegianceswith If a characterhas friendly contact with a Sire,Mentor or
thoseon one’sownlevel,forminganetworkof friends, allies
and contacts among the city’sKindred and kine without the Elder, this individualcan become a patron. The advantages
politicaltensionsanddangersof becominginvolvedwiththe of patronagehavebeenexplainedundertheheadingof Favor
Elders. In almost any Story, characters will interact with above; in return, the patron might well require certain small
mortals and with other Kindred, and friends are always a services,givingthe Storytelleran idealmeansof introducing
good thing to have. More will be said later about non-player the characterto a Story and a goodreason for the characterto
characters,or NPCs -those characterscontrollednot by the become involved.
players but by the Storyteller.
For all its attractions, though, patronage should not be
In play, this can be reflected by die roll bonuses for overused;in certaingames it has become asmuch of a clicht
dealingswith certain individualsor it can takethe form of an as the time-honored“you are all sittingin the village tavern
increaseto one or more of a character’sBackground scores
- Allies, Contacts, or some other score, as appropriate. ...”when opening.Overusinga patron encouragescharacters
StrictStorytellerswill insist on theseincreasesbeing bought
with experiencepoints. to become passive, waiting for the next assignment to be
handed to them; this can lead to lack of player initiativeand
the eventual stagnation of the Story and the Chronicle.

Chapter One: The Story 13

Creating a Story Subplots

Having so muchfun with the poisonouspeople Subplots are optional, but they can be very useful in
Spreading rumours and lies and stories they made up creating thefeelingthatthecharactersarepart of a real world,
Some make you sing and some make you scream
One makesyou wish that you hadn't been seen with more than one thing going on at a time. It is quite
possible to run a Story with a single plot very well, but the
-David Bowie, Candidate illusioncan begin to waver if theplayers form the impression

The Story Worksheet has been designed to help the that everythingtheircharactersexperienceispart of thesame
Storyteller develop a full-fledged Story from the bare bones plot. If the action begins to flag, for instance, and there is a
discussed in the previous section. Like everything in this period of timewherenothing can happen toadvancethe main
chapter, it is intended as an aid to the Storyteller's own plot, then you are faced with a blank area.
creativity,and not a substitute for it; essentially, it is a blend
of checklistand scratchpad, helping the Storyteller organize Subplots give you something to fill the blank areas, and
thoughts and ideas. can also add to the challenge and entertainment value of a
Story by facing the characters with minor problems and
Setting plotlines which have to be resolved while dealing with the
main plot.
I always wanted your surroundings
A room to rent when the lizards lay crying in the heat Details

-David Bowie, We Are The Dead Thenextthing the Storytellerneeds to know is what major
NPCs will be involved in the Story, and what role each of
This first thing you need to know about a story is where them will play. This comes mainly from the setting (see
and when it is going to take place. If the Story is part of an above),although in many cases the Storyteller will alsohave
ongoing Chronicle, it will probably be set in much the same to invent new NPCs, as required by the plot of the Story. At
time andplaceas the rest of the Chronicle,although this need this planning stage, all that is needed is a list of names and a
not always bethe case. If the Story is a one-shot designed to few notes on the role each will play, and the way they will
stand alone, the choiceof setting is much more open. react to the characters' involvement in the Story.

As a game, Vampire is set primarily in the present day, As well as characters, the Story needs locations. The
and favorsurban overrural settings. When choosinga setting events of the Story need somewhere to happen, after all.
foraStory,the Storytellershouldbear in mind not only which Again, a few names and generaldescriptionsare sufficientat
timeandplacewouldbestsuittheeventsofthestory, but also
how easily the players and their characters will be able to the planning stage, and in the case of an ongoing Chronicle
come to grips with the setting. By setting a Story in the some locations may already be known to the Storytellerand/
present day, and in a place which is well known to both
Storyteller and players, it is possible to save a great deal of or players.
work, both in researching the setting and in communicating
it to the players during play. Other details are largely a matter of taste. Plot twists,

Main Plot double-crossesand the likecan be planned in at this stage, or

Getyourfactsfirst,and thenyou candistort them as much added whenever inspirationstrikes. Many Storytellersprefer
asyou please. to leave these out of the original design of a Story, and add
them according to whim duringactualplay. Thepossibilities
-Mark Twain for plot twists are endless, but the two most popular typesare
the reversal (your friend is your enemy, your protector has
This is perhaps the easiest part of the Story to create. betrayed you, the prisoner you rescue is a terrible Beast who
Earlier in this chapter a number of plot archetypes were should have remained imprisoned, etc) and the unexpected
discussed, along with other things which can assist the continuation(outof the fryingpan intothe fire,wheels within
Storyteller in designing a main plot. The Story Worksheet wheels).
has a space for jotting down brief notes about the main plot
Another type of embellishment is the throwaway -an
-these notes are all that are needed at this stage, although
incidentor encounter that has absolutely no connection with
any detailswhich springto mind might bekept on somescrap
paper until the process of writing begins. the Story, but happens anyway. Players can make what they
will of these things, and like subplots they give the impres-
sion that the characters are operating in a completea n d " '
world. They can also allow the Storyteller to accomplish
various goals: to sow the seeds of an upcoming Story or
subplot, to confuseand misdirect players and characters and

even to break tension with comic relief or an urgent distrac-

tion.

14 The Storytellers Handbook

Story Structure -~

Having worked out the bones of a Story,it’s time to start Patrons and Rumors
adding someflesh. The first big decisionis the overallshape
of the thing: how long it will be (in terms of individual The perfect turn of phrase is one where crajly placing
Scenes, gaming sessions or elapsed time), where the key makes an old word new.
eventswillbe,andsoon.Thefmt stepindoingthisis to break
everything down into threebasic categories: the beginning, -Horace,Ars Poetica
the middle and the end.
Patronage and favor have already been discussed as the
The Beginning
rewards of a Story successfully completed. An individual
(The)opening sectionis called ‘thelead‘,and $you don’t who is in a position to give the characters information, or
write a good lead, it doesn’tmatter what you call the rest of even commands, provides a good way of getting a Story
the article. Nobody’sgoing to read it.
started with a minimum of fuss. The NPC simply calls the
-Marshall J. Cook,Journalism Lecturer,
characters together, gives them the information which is
University of Wisconsin availableat the start of the Story,and asks or ordersthem to
get on with it.
The beginningof a Story is by farthe most importantpart,
and if the beginning fails,thereisn’t much futurefor the rest Another way of achieving pretty much the sameresult is
of the Story,nomatter how muchworkyou mayhaveput into to leak rumorsto the charactersthroughtheir socialcontacts,
hopefully piquing their curiosity enough to stir them into
it. This part of the Story has to do threevital jobs: action. Nightclubs and other meeting places offer ideal
facilitiesfor this,just astheubiquitoustaverndoesin generic
It has to catch and hold the interest of the players. fantasy games.

It has to provide some incentive or imperative for This type of opening goes back a very long way, and is
the charactersto become involved. regarded by some as stale and cliched. Somerefuse to use it
atallanymore,but thepatron/rumoropeningstillhasitsuses.
It has to giveboth players and characters someidea It can quickly become stale if overused, and it can lead to
players becomingpassive, simply waiting for the next order
-of what is going on althoughit doesn’t matter whether or or rumor rather than looking for themselves.

not this idea is accurate.

This can be achieved in a number of ways.

Crescendo

Openingwith a crescendois oftenuseful. An initialflurry
of action is sure to get everyone’s attention,and may create
enoughwavestoensurethat the charactersbecomeinvolved,
if only in the interests of self-preservation.No one is left in
any doubt about what has happened, and players’ natural
inclinationswillbe to look forexplanationsand try to ensure
that the same thing doesn’t happen again.

~~~

Slow Build

The opposite of the crescendo is the slow build, which
requiressomeexpertiseto handleeffectively. If overdone,it
might be so subtle as to be imperceptible,but go too far the
other way and the charactersbegin to see metaphoricalneon
signs reading “I am a significant event.” The best way to
handle a slow build is to start the Story with a couple of
subplots, adding in clues and minor elementsfrom the main
plot more or less as throwaways, and building up their
Erequency and intensity until the main plot takes over. Done
well, this can make for a breathtaking plot twist later in the
story.

Chapter One: The Story

The trick is never to use this opening straight. It’s fme to Say, for example, the Story demands that the characters
have the characters’ Sire, Clan leader or Prince send them uncover some vital information about the location of an
into a Story in this way, but they should always be left with opponent’s Haven before things can progress to the next
something to discover and a few surprises to experience scene. Clueshavebeen placed,but the charactershave passed
along the way. The patron may know more than the charac- them by, ignored them or gone somewhere else. Think
ters are told, or may lie to them, or may simply be misin- carefully.Do thecharactersreallyneedto find thisout?What
formed; they may find themselvesbetrayed or sacrificed,or happens if they don’t? Perhaps they will give theiropponent
discoverthat thingsarenot asthey seem. Patronsaredifficult a tacticaladvantage,but still somehowbe able to carry on. If
to refuse, of course, but they cannot always be trusted. the Storyreally will fail withoutthecharactersacquiringthis
knowledge,then ithas to be placedwherethey can find it. An
The sameis true of rumor.Thetale may have grownin the easy way around this (perhaps too easy) is to have an Ally
telling,ormayhavebecomedistortedby aprocess something come up with the information, but there are several other
like the parlor game of ChineseWhispers. It may even have possibilities.The charactersmightbe attackedby theiroppo-
been started deliberately by an enemy of the characters or nent or by hisher minions; the attackcan be beaten off, but
their patron, as part of some fiendish plan. the retreating enemy can be tracked to the Haven, or some
clue as to its whereaboutscan be droppedduringthe battle or
The Middle found on the dead or unconsciousbody of one of the attack-
ers.
Don’t Panic.
~ ~~
-Douglas Adams,The Hitchhiker’sGuide to the Galaxy
The Easy Life
This is the main part of the Story, and the part which has
to have the most flexibility in it. Having experienced the Perhaps the greatest luxury of all is to sit back and let the
beginning,the charactersset out to resolve the problems that players do as they will, simply reacting on behalf of the rest
face them, uncover a heap of additional problems and chal- ofthe world.ThistakesconsiderablenerveontheStoryteller’s
lenges, and try to get to the end of the Story in one piece. part, as well as thorough preparation and the ability to think
on one’sfeet.But inmanyways,it’sagood deallessstressful
~ ~~~ than constantly worrying about the planned course of the

Troubleshooting John Cobb & Erlc Krosnes

TheEdsel...mustbe the most thoroughlyplannedproduct

ever introduced.

-Fortune Magazine, September 1957

As Storyteller,you’ll have an idea from the outset about

what the characters should do -and as you grow in experi-

enceas a Storyteller,you’ll learnthat they willnever,everdo
what you expect; hence the need for flexibility. You have to
be able to cope if the characters miss a vital clue, leap to the
wrong conclusion, or simply do something weird. Some-
times you’ll facethe heartbreakof having to dispensewith a
scene you love, one you spent hours carefully plotting out,
because the characters have taken another approach and
short-circuitedyour plans. It’s all in the game.

The midsectionof a Story is a balancingact. You have to
prevent the characters from wandering entirely out of the
Story withoutappearingto limit their freedom.This is not an
easytask.Ithelpsif, whiledesigninga Story,youdecidewhat
thecriticaleventsare- thosewithoutwhich the Storywould

collapsecompletely-and try to map out a few contingen-

cies for use if the charactersdon’t approach these events as
expected. Obviouslyit’s impossibleto anticipateevery pos-
sibility, and there will be times where improvisation is
necessary,but it’s often possibleto get a Storyback on track
by movingakeyeventwhichthe playershavemissedintothe
characters’ path somehow. It is even possible to do this
without the players ever knowing.

16 The Storytellers Handbook

Storyandhow to keep the playersmoving alongtheintended of the next episode. TV networks need this kind of fudging
route.
so they can show the episodes in any order, but Vampire
Themainthing is to know the settingandthe majorNPCs. demands somethingmore than that. In most cases -but by
Whateverthe charactersdo,whereverthey go,whoeverthey
meet, you have to be ready. This is not as hard as it sounds; no means all -the ending of a Story must also give those
it’s more a matter of practice and self-confidence than
anything else, Do not be afraid to freezegame time in order involved a sense of whether they have won, lost or merely
survived.
to checkup on somethingor think somethingthrough-the
Types of Ending
players will probably welcome this opportunity to hold an
impromptutactical conferenceof their own. When the char- The most common type of ending is the climax -the
acters stray into terra incognita, be careful not to let the
playersrealizethis; it might be a good idea tohave aprepared showdownwith the enemy,the discoveryof the desired item
stockof genericlocations(shop,warehouse,station,church) or information,the removal of the threat, or whatever. Once
and NPCs for use in such situations. this tense, action-filled scene is resolved the Story is over,
andthe winnerin this scenewill almostalwaysbe the winner
Also remember that the Story keeps on going even if the in the overall Story.
characters are not taking an active part in it. The master
villainisnot goingto sitandwaitjust becausetheheroeshave Anticlimax can also be effective,but needs careful han-
not shown up on cue to foil the plan. As well as keeping on dling. If the sense of anticlimax is communicated from the
top of what is happening where the characters are, the characterstotheplayers,thereisachancethattheplayerswill
Storyteller should at least try to have some idea of what is become frustrated or disillusioned. When you have risked
happening where they aren’t. your life and seen close friends lose theirs, it can be hard to
come to terms with the fact that it was all for nothing. Even
Alwaysremember,the storytellingin Vampire is interac- if the result of the main plot is an anticlimax,the Storyteller
tive,and the finalform of the Storyis thejoint creationof the should make sure that the subplots and other circumstances
Storytellerand the players. Forcing the direction of things give the characters something over which they can feel a
robs players of the freedom to create their part of the Story, sense of achievement.
and canreducethem tothe statusof apassiveaudience.If that
happens,theymight aswellgo andread abook instead- and Anticlimax works best when it is combined with a lead
eventually, many will. Allow the characters to get into a forward. Both players and characters will be happy to chan-
mess, and let them get out of itby themselvesasmuchas you nel theirfrustrationinto a new Story,and if the blame for the
can. Mollycoddling can be as bad as forcing wipeout situa-
anticlimax can be laid at the door of a particular NPC or
tions - both deprive characters and players of their own
group,the characterswillhave a readymotivationfor further
initiative. When characters head off in some unexpected action againstthem.
direction, think of them as writing their own subplot. Let
them go. Sooner or later there will come an opportunity to Loose Ends
rejoin the main thread of the Story.
I’ I1 be back.
The End
-T101-800,The Terminator
If you start out to take Vienna-take Vienna.
-Napoleon Bonaparte While the ending of a Story should resolve the main plot
one way or another, loose ends can oftenbenefit from being
When exactly does a Story end? This may seem like a left untied. Especially in an ongoing Chronicle,these are the
fatuousquestion,but it is vital toknow from the outset what things which provide continuity, lead to subplots or new
conditionsmust be fulfilledin order to bring the Story to an main plots, or hang unresolved over characters’ heads for
end. Remember,too, that there’s more than oneway to do it. some time to come. If the ending of a Story brings the
Even the simplest Storyhas two possibleendings-success Chronicle to a major crossroads, then it may be better to tie
and failure. up allthe looseendsat once,but in other circumstancesloose
ends can have their uses.
Like the beginning, the end of a Story has a number of
tasks to perform. It must resolve the main plot of the Story, Aftermath
oneway or another.Everyoneinvblvedin the Story(NPCsas
well) must have a sensethat things have changed as a result Once the Story is over, the characters are awarded expe-
of the events of the Story. This is important, or players will rience, and players busy themselves with developing and
develop the feeling that their characters exist in a kind of updating their characters. This is also the time when the
sitcom limbo, where everything is left the same for the start Storytellershould take stock and update the setting,for the
events of the Story will not have left it unchanged.

Chapter One: The Story 17

The Characters abilitiestodraw upon,and isnot soseverelyweakenedby the
deathorincapacityofonecharacter. Andfromthestorytelling
There areguidelines in the Vampirerulebook to help the point of view,this styleof play reflectsminorcharacterslike
Storytelleraward experience to survivingcharacters. These friends, allies and contacts very well, without giving the
aresufficientinmost cases,but thoseStorytellerswhousethe
additional rules in The Players Guide may need to take Storytellerthe added burden of playing additionalNPCs.
certain extra details into account.
Troupe-style play is not for everyone, and the Storyteller
Increased characterknowledgehas been discussed under has the fmal say over whether it will be used in a particular
the heading of Experience and Other Incentivesabove. Chronicle.

The Setting Approaches

The events of a Story leave very little of what they touch There is more than one way to handletroupe-styleplay in
unchanged, and while the players are busy updating their Vampire, and again the Storyteller must decide which is
charactersheets,the Storytellershouldtake a few minutesto most appropriate for the Chronicle.
note changes to the setting. As well as material things like
buildings which have been destroyed and artifacts which Clan Spread
havechangedhands,thereareintangibleslikeNPC attitudes,
alliances and power structures. Consider this situation: the group has discovered some
vital information, and must get it to the Prince, who is
NPCs currently attending a very exclusive Kindred affair in the
Elysium. Mostof the groupareBrujahandNosferatu,whose
Theeventsof thecompletedStorywillhavewroughtsome fighting and stealth skills have enabled them to get this far
changesontheNPCswhotookpart initaswellastheplayers’ withouttoomanyproblems- but thesecharactersarehardly
characters.Somemaybe dead,andothersinjured,forcedinto likelyto be welcomedin the Elysium. All areNeonates,and
Torpor or reduced in power and influence. Many will have lack the authorityto simplybarge in on theirown. Brujah are
gainedknowledgeand changedopinionsandattitudes.Some fractious and unrefined, and nearly all are suspected of
may now be friendly to the characters,and others will want
them extinguished. having Anarch sympathies. And as for Nosferatu -well,

Mostof thisismerelyamatterormakinga fewnotesin the they’rehardlylikelyto getpasttheToreadorAncillEwhoare
appropriateplaces.Optionally,the Storytellermay decideto guarding the door.
award experience points to key NPCs, according to their
actions in the Story, and to advance these charactersjust as Normally, the characters would be faced with a problem.
the players are advancing theirs. This is a lot of work, and They might be able to find an ally from the Ventrue or
should be restricted to those NPCs who were directly and Toreadorclanswhocouldgetword tothePrinceforthem,but
actively involved in the events of the Story. by the time they have done soit might alreadybe too late, It
could be that everyone from the more socially acceptable
Troupe=StylePlay clansis alreadyattendingthe Prince,behindcloseddoorsand
unreachable. And from the storytellingpoint of view, to go
My name is Legion;for we are many through an NF’C at this stage takes the action out of the
players’ hands, leading to a feeling of anticlimax and inevi-
-Luke 8: 30 tablybreakingthe tensionthat has built up in the Storysofar.

Troupe-style play is a concept which was introduced in One solutionto this problem is to have each player create
White Wolf’s Ars Magica game. Instead of each player a character from a different clan, so there is at least one
controllingonly one character,a player may controlseveral Ventrue, one Tremere, one Toreador, and so on. But then
characters of different types, selectingthe most appropriate again,this canlead to tensions within the group-especially
charactertoplayin any givensituation. This styleofplay has
a number of advantages. if the charactersare played to the full -which could lead to

First, having several different characters to choose from the whole Story breaking down. What Toreador would be
allows a player to take an activepart in the Storyeven if the seenin thecompanyof Nosferatu?WhatVentruewouldtrust
“main” characteris absent,injured or killed. It also allows a
his or her life to the companionshipof a Brujah-or worse,
player to undertakeseveralactions at once-for example,a
a Malkavian?
morescholarlycharactermightbeoff researchinga dilemma
while a more active characteris taking a direct approachto The problem might be solved if eachplayer were allowed
the problem. The group as a whole has a wider range of to create a number of characters. From this pool of charac-
ters, it would then be possible to put togetheraparty with the
appropriate skills and background for almost any situation.
Intriguein high places? Leave the Brujah at home and bring
outthe Ventrue,TremereandToreadors. Toughfight ahead?
Load up on Brujah, with a couple of Nosferatu scouts and

18 The Storytellers Handbook

perhaps a Tremere for supernatural coverage. A foray into ..
the Earrens? Concentrateon Gangrels, with Nosferatu and
Brujah for support. c

When a player creates a troupe of characters,the Story- A greaterproblem is the cannonfodder syndrome,where
teller and the otherplayers shouldgettogetherto workout the the lesser characters take all the risks, and are generally
details. Sincethis pool of characterswill allknoweachother pushed around and thrown away for the benefit of their
and be able to cooperateto an extent,they will need reasons Cainite master. Unless the Kindred has them sufficiently
for overcomingtheir normal clan hostilitiesand prejudices,
and these will need to be worked out in order for the whole Dominatedto turnthem into mindless slaves,this is not only
troupe to work effectively.
unbelievable,but it is not using the lesser characters to their
It’s no good switchingfrom a Brujahto a Ventruecharac-
ter if the Ventrue refuses to have anything to do with these fullpotential. In the end, it devalues the whole game.
near-Anarchrabble, for instance, so relationships and con-
nectionshavetobefound. Inmanycasesthesewill strengthen There are various ways to deal with this. One is for the
and deepenin play, but there shouldbe at leastsomeconnec- Storytellerto insist on some kind of loyalty check for lesser
tion to start off with. Two characters might have been characterswhenever they are required to do something life-
colleagues,buddies or evenrelativesin theirbreathingdays, threatening, against their nature (remember, these lesser
orthey mightbe drawntogetherby somecommoninterestor characters should be created with as much detail as a main
priority. character),orjust plainunpleasant. Thisdiceroll shouldtake
intoaccountthingslikeDomination,how well themasterhas
Don’t neglect the characterarchetypes when considering treated thelessercharacterin the past, potentialrewards,and
this. A Caregiver might well feel impelled to look after a
Child, even if the Child is from a normally hostile clan. A so on. A good roll would be the Vampire’sManipulation+
Conformistwill stick with a Director or Architectof another
clan in the absence of any clearer lead from closer to home, Leadership vs the servant’s Intelligence+ Courage (it takes
while a Fanatic or Visionary will use anyone to further the
Cause. A Rebel, on the other hand, might take pleasure in a certain amount of nerve to refuse a command from a
associating with those of other clans, especially if this out- Vampire), but the Storyteller can vary the Traits used to
rages the more traditionalclanmates of either character. reflect the situation.

The Warband Anotherway to prevent the abuse of underlingsis to have
the Vampire character make a Conscienceroll to avoid loss
In Ars Magica, a player typically controls one of the of Humanity each time a lesser character is knowingly sent
powerful wizards, along with a small entourage of men-at- intoa dangeroussituation. Thistendsto make even the most
arms and othercompanions. In Vampire,this idea might be autocraticof Kindredthink twice, and is, after all, one of the
translated into a player controlling one Cainite, along with things that the rules mechanism of Humanity is intended to
any Ghouls, retainers and other hangers-on associated with cover.
that character. In the language of skirmish wargames, this
would be described as a hero and warband.

Playing this way frees the Storytellerof the need to play
these NPCs, who would normally hang around with the
Vampire character anyway. It gives the player a few more
pairs of hands, and the abilityto be activein daylight. But it
is not without its drawbacks, especially when dealing with
inexperiencedor power-hungry players.

Most of the time, the player will be fully occupied by the
Vampire character,and it will be more or less assumed that
any hangers-on follow this character around obediently.
When the action becomes intense, an inexperienced player
cansometimesbe a littleoverwhelmedby the strainofhaving
to lookafterthreeor fourlessercharactersaswell asthemain
one. TheStorytellercanovercomethisby handlingthelesser
charactersmostof thetime, and onlyhandingcontrolof them
to theplayeruponrequest,orwhenoneof the lessercharacter
has something important to do or some critical decision to
make.

Chapter One: The Story

Live=Action would you ratherkeep these in the imagination,and concen-
trate on the words and deeds of the characters?Do you want
Just a game that you like to play to seekout suitablelocations,oradaptthe spaceyou normally
Sleepwalking through a world of pain use for gaming? How much extra work do you want to put
Just another prettyface in the romeo rain into things? Whatresourcesdo you have to devoteto setting
Now you're wide awake in dreamland live play up? This is a decision that each group will have to
make for itself, according to its own preferences and re-
-Pat Benatar, WideAwake in Dreamland sources.

The Vampire rulebook makes some mention of live- Props
actionroleplayingin the game as a meansof bringingcertain
scenesmorevividlytolife. Live-actionroleplayingis where I'm putting on my top hat
the distinctionbetween game and improvisedtheatre almost Tying up my white tie
vanishesaltogether,and with theright scenes,charactersand Brushing offmy tails
players a live-action session can be very effective indeed.
Like troupeplay, live action is not for everyone,and should - Fred Astaire, TopHat
always be considered as optional.
Propscan add a greatdealto alive-actionplay session,and
Choosing Scenes some players like to use props as a part of their characters.
Something like a silver-topped cane, a monocle or a certain
Just as some scenes in a Story might be particularly itemof clothingcanquickly becomeatrademark,identifymg
suitablefor a live-actiontreatment,so some scenesmight be acharacter asmuch asan attitudeor a catchphrase. Groucho
particularlyunsuitable. When preparingto play out a Story, simplyisn't Grouchowithoutthetailcoatand cigar,nomatter
the Storyteller should decide which scenes, if any, will be how well you do the walk. Where would Obi-Wan Kenobi
played live.
be without his hooded robe and lightsaber, or Darth Vader
Scenes which are most suitablefor live action tend to be without his mask? Or Don Corleone without his ring? Or
those without combat or other kinds of dice-rolling; it can
ruin the atmosphere of a scene if it becomes necessary to Ripley without an enormous gun? What would Stanand Ollie
swingconstantlyfrom liveplay to dice-rolling. Discussions do if they didn't have their hats and ties to fiddle with? You
and negotiations are easy to play live, and indeed many get the idea.
people do so without even realizing it - they are sitting
around a table face-to-face with the Storyteller,just as their
characters are sitting face-to-face with one or more NPCs.
Other, less static types of scene can also be played out live,
but these tend to require a littlemore preparation. More will
be said of them later.

Combats are the least suitable scenes for playing live,
mainlybecause of the amount of dice rolling involvedin the
average combat, but also because of the risk to players, as
opposed to characters. In most cases, specialized facilities
arerequiredforhandlinglive-actioncombats. Suchfacilities
do exist, and can be found advertised in most hobby games
magazines,but few if any of them are eithercompatiblewith
Vampirein their settingor flexibleenoughto accommodate
a storyor scenariowhichthey havenot designedthemselves.

Styles of Play

Anything can happen in the next half-hour!
-Commander Shore,Stingray

The question of style in live-action play really revolves
around one question: How far do you want to go? Do you
want to covereverypossible scenelive, or only use liveplay
when it is particularly easy or appropriate to do so?Do you

want to get involved with scenery, props, costumes - or

20 The StorytellersHandbook

This is just as me of NpCs -it’s normally just a figure -is no exception. Second -and perhaps more difficult it

of speech when people say the Storytellerwears a number of is importantto makesurethatno membersof thenon-gaming
hats duringthecourseof the game, but it can becomeliterally publicget thewrong impressionaboutwhat is goingon. This
true in liveaction! A prop, a mannerismor a styleof speaking may sound like a minor point, but it is quite possible to get

can all help bring an NPC to life and separate her from the arrested for attacking (or appearing to attack) another per-
son in a public place, and many people tend to become
many other characters the Storyteller must play during the
course of a Story. womed when they see blackcloaked figures flitting in and
out of churchyards or abandoned houses late at night.
Someprops are part of the action instead of being part of
a character. The most common type of prop is the “player Therehave been a few unfortunateincidentsin thehistory
handout”-a copy of a map,pictureor documentwhich can of this hobby where such misunderstandings have led to
be givento the players when theircharactersfind its counter-
part in the Story. But in a live session, the possibilities arrests and even death. Rare as these incidents are, they are
broaden. Books, pieces of jewelry, scraps of paper or cloth
-almost any kind of clue or significantitem can be repre- always seized upon by the sensational press, and by those
sented in the flesh, so to speak, instead of the Storyteller who would like to prove that this type of gaming is danger-
simplydescribingto theplayers whatitis thattheircharacters
havefound. Propsarealsogoodforsetdressing(seesettings ous, unwholesome, satanic or otherwise undesirable. Non-
below), helping to conveythe atmosphereof a location more
eloquently than any amount of verbal description can. participantshavea hardenoughtimeunderstandingwhatthis
hobby is about, given the often confusing statements of
Props are neither as difficultnor as expensiveto obtain as gamers and the scaremongeringclaims of the hobby’s en-
you might expect. Thrift stores, “nearly-new” shops, yard
and garage sales, and house clearance auctions are all good emies. Don’t get your hobby a bad name, or help reinforce
sources. If you makea habitof cruisingsuchplaces, keeping harmful misconceptions about it. That hams all of us, not
an open mind and looking for useful and interesting items
ratherthan having a rigidly fixed idea of what you want, then just yourself and yourgroup. Thekey words are permission,
you can find a good collection of interesting props fairly planning, safety and responsibility.
inexpensively.
As withallaspectsofliveplay,theStorytellermustchoose
Settings exactlyhow far togo in thepursuitof realism. Few will have
the time or otherresources to create movie-likesetsfor their
M y set is amazing live gaming sessions, but everyone can do something to
It even smells like the street
There‘sa bar down at the end create a sense of place.
Where I can meet you ana‘ your friend
Cheap Tricks
- David Bowie, Candidate
From ghoulies and ghosties
Mostlive-action gaming sessionswillprobablytakeplace And long-leggity beasties
in much the same surroundings as the “‘round-the-table”
sessions: someone’s home or another convenient meeting And things that go bump in the night
place. There are some occasions, though, where another
setting can add a great deal to the experienceof the game. Good Lord deliver us

Even when planning a live session in the normal gaming - traditional English prayer

location,there areways to make theplace look and feel more The ruses and techniques discussed in this section can
apply to round-the-tablegaming as much as live-action; in
like the location in the Story. Props have already been
mentioned, and simple things like moving a few pieces of many ways, they provide a kind of halfway house between
furniturecan go a long way. Other senses,such as smell,can
be as importantas sight in creating the feel of a place, but is the two. As with everything in this section, the ideas
a little more limited in its possibilities. You might not want presented here are only examples, and the Storyteller is
to make your home smell like a city sewer for a scene in a encouraged to develop his or her own ideas and techniques,
Nosferatu stronghold, for instance, but a little incense and according to the tastes and gaming style of the group.
perhaps a tape of Gregorianchantingin the background, and
you have an atmosphereideal for a Tremere Chantry or an Sound
Elder’s Haven.
Music and sound effects are among the oldest techniques
For special scenes, you might even find an outside loca-
tion, but this must be done with greatcare. First, permission -for establishingatmospherein a gaming session,and several
mustbe obtainedforany activityonprivateland,and gaming
companies -White Wolf among them produce collec-
tions of music and sound effects specifically designed for
gaming. Many record stores also stock recordingsof sound

effects -the BBC series is particularly recommended -

and enterprising Storytellerswith recording equipment can
easily make their own.

As well as being part of the background ambienceof the
gaming session, sound can be used for specificpurposes as
well-especially soundeffects. At itssimplest,thisinvolves

Chapter One: The Story 21

playing a sound effect instead of describingto players what
they hear at a particulartime. In a more developed form, it
can involve concealing small speakers about the place, and
playingpreviously-cuedsoundsat the appropriatetime with-
out letting the players see you hit the switch. Unexpected
crashes of thunder, explosionsor sounds of breaking glass
can produce much the same feelings in players as in their
characters.

Searching

Another of the basic semi-live tricks is to have players
search for clues instead of letting them roll dice for their
characters’ searching. This works particularly well in con-
junction with a moderate amount of set dressing, and of
course the clue or clues should be concealed before the
gaming sessionbegins. Apart from adding some live-action
realism to the game, this technique can also stop players
whining about the Storyteller’srestrictions on how large an

area can be searched in a given amount of time -they’ll

realize it takes longer than they thought!

Of course,a Storytellerwhouses this techniquedoeshave
to be preparedfor the playersto take the room apart,and make
sure there is nothing there that they are not supposed to find.

Tasks

In a round-the-table gaming session, players roll dice to
decide the success or failure of many of their characters’
actions,and it is oftenthe casethat the amountof dice-rolling
necessary determines the suitability of a scene for playing
live. In some circumstances,it is possible to have a player
attempt a task, instead of merely rolling dice as the player’s
character attempts the same task. Searching, discussed
above, is one example of this, but there are many other
possibilities.

Say, for example, a character is trapped in a semi-ruined
building at dawn. Sunlight is beginning to filter in through
gaps in the walls and roof. Thesecanbe simulatedby setting
up a number of narrow-beam flashlightsat variouspoints in
the room, and turning out the other lights. The characterhas
to make it to the darknessof the cellar in order to rest for the
day, and sothe player might be requiredto make it acrossthe
room. Every time the player breaks a flashlight beam, the
character has stumbled into a shaft of sunlight, and suffers
accordingly.

Some gamers prefer not to have players attempt taskson
behalf of theircharacters,pointingout-quitereasonably -
that the character often has very different abilitiesfrom the
player. It’s no good expecting a player who has never had a
music lesson to play the piano, for instance, even if that
player’s characterdoeshappen to have Music 5 specializing
in keyboard instruments. There are some tasks which a
player simplycannotperform on behalf of the character,and
in these cases it is far better, and fairer, to fall back on dice
rolls.

The Storytellers Handbook

Storyteller:
Chronicle Name:
Geographical Setting:
Start Date:
Characters:

Story Concept:
Plot Archetype(s):
Subplot(s):

Theme:

Mood:
Plot Summary:

Key NPCs:
Key Locations:
Key Situations:
Troubleshooting:
Rewards:
Reward Conditions:
Opening:
Location:
NPCs:
Ending:
Location:
NPCs:
Conditions for success:
Conditions for failure:

Chapter One: The Story 23 d



When in the chronicle of wasted time
I see descriptions of thefairest wights,
And beauty making beautiful old rime
In praise of ladies dead and lovely knights.

-William Shakespeare,TheSonnetsof Shakespeare

Not allVampireplayersand Storytellerswantto ~~
engage in a Chronicle. Many stay perfectly
happy with one-shot Stones, complete in and Where to Begin
of themselves,with no relationshipto the next Story. Some
may even use the same characters,settingsand antagonists, Vampire itself details a number of ways to begin
but stillnot wantto tiethem together. However,mostplayers Chronicles, as well as aspects to consider in their establish-
and Storytellers prefer the character growth and interaction ment. As with characterand Story creation,theplace to start
that only comes from a Chronicle, which explains why is with a concept of what the Storytellerwants the Chronicle
Vampire has been set in its current form. to be. Will it follow one of the classic lines, with the
characters as members of a gang defending its turf against
Characters develop and grow, their enemies’ schemes Anarchs, the Prince, hunters, Lupines, demons and others?
change and evolve, and slowly the characters begin to piece Will it be more roleplaying-oriented, with the characters
together what their existenceis all about. The layers of the desperately caught up in their Clans’politics? Or will it be
onionunravel, unveiling deeperand deeperintrigues,greater farmorebizarre,withthecharacterssomeof thefewKindred
and greater enemies, and more and more exciting stones. still existing in a world that believes in the Undead -and
Both the crescendo and the culmination that can only be hunts them down with ruthless efficiency?
experienced in Chronicles add additional levels of excite-
ment absent from single Stones. Chronicleconceptoftentakesa meanderingroutethrough
the Storyteller’sbrain. Many times the process begins with
However, it remains possible to ruin Chronicles with a Storytellerflippingthrough a book (maybeeven the Vam-
poorlythought-outactions,mistakesinplanning orjust plain pire rulebook) or talking to someone when something will
bad luck. The unplanned actions of characters can easily click in her head, Maybe it will be the setting(“Wouldn’t it
sabotage all the Storyteller’s careful work and scheming. be wild to set a Chroniclein Berlin, with the East and West
Thus developing and reshaping a Chronicle around the parts of the city still being run by competing Princes?”), a
characters’ actions can be just as important as the original majorantagonist(“Whatif oneof thecharacters’Sires,under
setup devised by the Storyteller,but both are essential to an the delusion the characters betrayed him, made a deal with
enjoyable Chronicle. thedevilinordertogetrevenge?”) orevenjust amood (“How

Chapter Two: The Chronicle 25

I

would the players handle a Chroniclewhere everything was Tremere than they would if the characters were Brujah and
designed as sensually as possible?”). Caitiff.

Even if the Storytellerhas a fairly clear idea of all these Werethisthecase,the Storytellermighttelltheplayersthe
setting she has in mind, and something about the situation
aspects -where the Chronicle will be set, who will play (“A new Prince recently seized power here in Dallas, and
nobody is quite sure what the future holds.”). Then the
major roles in it and what will happen -it is probable that players can start developing their characters and she can
beginto seewhatdirectionyou hopetogoin. Soif theplayers
much remains vague. Exactly what role will the characters start saying“I want to run a Ventrue who was allied with the
play in the Chronicle? Will they be pawns of higher forces? old Prince,” or “My character is going to be a Gangrel who
Wild cards uncontrolledby the powers that be? Or a potent hates allPrinces,”shecan seewhat will be coming. And thus
force in their own right, working together to drive their the concept is born.
enemies from power?
Prelude
In developing the concept, the Storyteller must look at
what the players seem to want out of the game. If they all Many Chronicles begin with the Preludes, an excellent
make up Anarchs, then she can safely make the assumption time for players to get to know their characters and for the
they hope to battle it out with the Prince and Camarilla. If Storyteller to figure out what the players want out of the
they all make Toreadors,Ventrue,Tremereand Malkavians, Chronicle. Usually Storytellersheavily script the Preludes,
then it is likely they hope to have a game of politics most for they must ensure the characters become Vampires and
treacherous. Finally, if they end up with a mixed bag of survive up until the time the Chronicleis supposedto start.
Brujah and Ventrue, Toreador and Nosferatu, Gangrel and
Tremere, she should be prepared for intense roleplaying, However,even here things can begin to go wrong. What
with the stories serving as a backdrop for the coterie’s if thecharactersbefriendthe Elderthe Storytellerhopedthey
internal conflicts as much as anything else. would hate? How about the time they attacked a member of
the Inconnu by accident? What if they seek out and join the
Chronicle concept requires more Storyteller-player dia- Sabbat a month after the Embrace?
loguethan does any other aspect of creation. The Storyteller
might hope to have the Chroniclerevolve aroundthe charac- None of these occurrences is especially critical to the
ters’ battles with the egotistical Prince, but those battleswill Chronicle, despite their apparent significance. Since the
take a far different form if the players run Ventrue and Storyteller has great leeway during the Prelude, anythmg
whichhappensherecan change. Additionally,she shouldbe
able to draw ideas from this part of the Chronicle for future
Stories. Thus if the charactersdo meet and impressthe Clan
Elder who should have proven a great impediment to their
advancement,she stillhas time to makethe Elder changeher
mind about them.

Justremember,thePreludedoesmorethanjust serveasan
excitingStory. It givestheplayer a chanceto get to knowhis
character and get intothe rolebefore the importantscenesof
the Chronicle begin. The Storyteller should also take the
opportunityto sizeup the characterand the eventsof charac-
ter creation. While the conceptbehind the Chronicleshould
already be firmly planted, one can always add to it. If the
players seem more intent on violence than she first thought,
now is the time to make their enemies more brutal. If the
players appearto enjoy schemes and plots, add even greater
layers of conspiracy to your concept.

26 Where to Go

c Now that the Storytellerhas theconceptdownpat,fleshed
out with setting, characters and major players, she needs to
devisea plan. The plan detailsin what directionsshe wishes
to see the Chroniclego and what the goals are. This can be
as specific as “Thecharacters shalltrack down and slaytheir

The Storytellers Handbook

Sires,therebyregaining theirmortality,”or it can be as fuzzy Mostmaps have more, however. Sinceany SceneorStory
as ‘The characters slowly unravel the mysteries of the city, can end in a numberof differentways,the mappoints out the
learnwho is behind what actionsand thus becomea powerin resultsof whatmay happengiventhecharacters’actions. For
their own right.” instance, if one scene calls for the characters to meet and
interrogateapoliceofficerinordertofindout whatprompted
The easiest way to handle this plan often involves setting the raids on their havens, the scene would have arrows
up a final destination and establishing checkpoints which pointing to what could happen should the characters get the
shouldbereachedif the Chronicleis on course. For instance, information they need, not get the information, get partial
if the goal of the Chronicleis to have the charactersdrive the information or even get arrested.
evil Primogen from power and take its place, ushering in a
new era of peace and harmony,then she can setup a number Eachof theseresultswouldleadto a differentscene,which
of checkpoints. would then become a new point on the map from which new
arrowsto new sceneswould bedrawn. Thus,if thecharacters
First the charactersmust learnjust how evil the Primogen get the required information from the cop, they can seek out
is, accomplished easily enough by having the Primogen the Cainite who orderedthe raids, present the informationto
persecute them unjustly, perhaps turning them into scape- the Prince for its high risk to the Masqueradeor do nothing,
goatsforthe sinsof oneof the Primogen’sown Childer. The in which case the arrow points to the next fiendish (and
next stage would be for the charactersto achieve a position potentially lethal) plot of their enemy.
of relative safety, either by leaving the city or by recruiting
powerful allies (perhaps from their own Clans). While the map can be extremely useful in planning indi-
vidual Stories, its true utility becomes apparent when plan-
Now the characters should start learning about the ningout theChronicle. This sortof maphas to be vaguer than
Primogen’s weaknesses, be they its inherent friction, the the story map since it covers much greater events. Thus the
hatred it has earnedfrom allthe city’s Kindredor the factthat Story about the Cainite who ordered raids on their havens
half its members are diabolists,Setitesor turncoats from the would only take up one point on the map. From this point
Sabbat. The characters reach the fourth checkpoint when would come such options as: Characters slay Cainite,Char-
they begin using this knowledgeto their own advantage,and acters driven out of town, Characters drive Cainite out of
the Primogen begins to weaken. town,Charactersbringpressureto bear on Cainitesohe stops
overt action against them, and even Characters make peace
The fifth and final checkpointcomes when the characters with Cainite (not bloody likely).
finallydrivethePrimogen frompower,perhapsby turningits
members upon each other, and either take over the city This Chronicle map, instead of showing the route the
themselvesor installsomeoneof theirliking. This may have characters should take (as the game pIan does), shows the
taken anywherefrom 10to 100or more individual Storiesto routes they may take, and allow the Storytellerto get a feel
accomplish, with a number of odd Stories (hunters,encoun- beforehand of what consequences their actions may cause.
ters with Lupines, Clan meetings, etc.) to add spice and Whilethis map will not havethe samedefinitionof either the
variety. Now the characters have met the goal and the game plan or the story map, it allows the Storyteller to
Storyteller can consider the Chronicle through. After all, anticipatewhat the characters may do and how to handle it.
now the charactersrule, and most of their time gets taken up
with the petty aspects of government, not alwaysthe stuff of Additionally,each point on the map should havean arrow
enjoyable Stories. leading to a blank space to allow for completelyunforeseen
results. Other events should have arrows going both ways
However,perhaps the members of the Primogen were the between it and another nexus, showing how the characters
pawns of powerful Methuselahs, and the characters’actions can take either route and still get to the same place.
force one to rise from Torpor. Now a whole new Chronicle
begins, where the concept revolves around this new evil Stops Along the Way
powerlooseinthecharacters’city,andthegoal has to dowith
their tracking it down and doing away with it.

The Chronicle Map Nothing ever works as easily as this. If the Storyteller
thinks for one minute thd players will happily follow the
An alternativeto the game plan is the story map. Similar gameplan or story map, she is sadly mistaken. Perhaps one
to the game plan, its main difference lies in the amount of or more hope to side with the Primogen, turning in their
controltheplayershaveoverwhatwillhappen. TheChronicle coterie in exchange for favorable treatment. Perhaps they
map takes the same form as the Story map which is used in chuck the wholethingand headoutto theAnarchFreeStates.
White Wolfproducts like Ashes to Ashes to show Storytell- Maybe in seeking power to combat the Primogen, they
ers what may happen depending on the characters’ actions. become socaught up in diableriethat they forget the original
At its most basic, the Chronicleor Storymap has two points purpose of their murders.

on it -where you plan to startthe charactersand where you The changes may not even result from characteractions.
The Storyteller,in taking the characters through some sub-
hope they will end up.

Chapter Two: The Chronicle 27

plot or another, may well notice the players and herself how importantitisto point the charactersback intheoriginal
becomingmoreinterestedin thissideaspectthan in the main direction.
part of the Chronicle. Maybe a red herring you throw out
amacts so much attention you decide to make it a major A Storytellercan always follow the high-handed method
elementof the Chronicle,and theplayers need neverknow it to bring the charactersback into line with his plans (a loved
originally played no role. one threatened, the characters kidnapped,offerstoo good to
refuse, etc.), but many players resent being treated in this
In anycase,the Storytellerneedsto preparefor that which way. Ontheflipside,the Storytellercan chuckallthe careful
cannotbe preparedfor. Unexpectedtwists and turns are one preparation she has made in order to go with the characters’
aspect of roleplaying which makes it so interesting and whimsy -a result as unsatisfying as the one which forced
exciting. These can occur at any moment, from the first the characters to toe the line.
session to the last.
However,it is almost alwayspossible to bring the players
Expansion and the Storytellerinto a mutually agreeable solution. One
way to handle this situationis to weighthe benefitsof getting
Once the actual Chronicle has started,it cannot help but them back into the originalChronicleagainstthepotentialof
grow asStorytellerandplayersexplorethe differentfacetsof these new events. Is it possible to accomplishthe samegoals
theVampiricexistence. Handlingthat growthisnoeasytask, within the framework of what the charactershave done?
as new plot lines develop, new enemies form while old ones
fall by the wayside, and the characters begin turning their Forinstance,if the Storytellerhopes tohavethecharacters
desiresinto Stones. Infact,itisduringthis period of growth, uncoverthetrue power behindthe throne,canthey findclues
aftertheactionhas gottenunderwaybut before itapproaches in their new location which will set them back on track, but
a conclusion,that the Chronicleis at its most vulnerable. on their own timetable? Or, if the goal was much broader in
scope, perhaps forcing the characters to choose between
Keeping it Together sidingwith two evils (say the Salubriand the Tremere),then
thereisnoreasonwhy theStorytellercannotcreateacompro-
The most obvious problem lies in keeping the Chronicle mise.
compact. A Chroniclecanquicklyunravel amidsta flurryof
captivating,yet unconnected,Stones. No matter how excit- Another way to handle this situation is with redirection.
ing battling BuddhistWitch-Hunters one night and Ravnos Something has caused the characters to diverge from the
Archonsthe next maybe, eventuallyyou andtheplayers lose
all sightof what is goingon aroundtheircharacters. Reallife course the Storytellerhad hoped they would follow -now
has never been a seriesof random events,and while there is
no reason to make the players feel everything in the world it is up to the Storytellerto give them a reason to return
rests on their shoulders,they should at least understand that
their actions one night will effect what happens the next. Which Way Did He Go

The easiestway to bring thisabout is through the use of a Another area whichcan quicklyblow up is the setting. As
unifying theme and mood for the Chronicle,as explained in a Chroniclegrowsand grows,more and moreplacesbeginto
Vampire. For instance, if you follow the leadershiptheme take on greater and greater importance. By now the charac-
presentedin the rulebook,then characters will begin to get a tersmay havedevelopedanumberof back-uphavens,visited
sense of how control and authority affect them and the other cities, been forced to seek shelter among the Lupines
Gothic-Punk world. Thus they see how their own actions duringa BloodHunt and generallybeen around somuch that
related to being leaders and followerschanges the game. the Chronicle no longer revolves around one location.

Even with a sustained theme and mood, however, the Whilegood in itself,multiplesettingscanquicklybecome
Chronicle can begin to branch off in a million different too much for a Storyteller. Not only does she have to know
directions as characters follow their own plans and stories somethingaboutavarietyof differentplaces,buteachsetting
take a life of their own. In this case the Storytellerneeds to is filled with its own fascinating individuals and their inter-
combineher two great weapons-planning and improvisa- actions. Each areaundergoeschangewhetherthe characters
arethere or not, and it becomes exceptionallydifficult to keep
tion -into one. track of these when the Storyteller needs to make decisions
forfouror fiveunconnectedareas,especiallywhen anumber
The plan has been discussed above, and the Storyteller of these are large cities.
should already have a good idea of what she wants the
characters to accomplish. As they start getting off track, Theeasiestway tokeep the settingsfromblowingup in the
maybe by turning someone else’s ghoul retainer into a Storyteller’sface is to designate one as the main place of
Vampireandthen runningoffto Gary insteadof rescuingthe business. Using the settingfrom Vampire as an exampleof
Salubriwho could tell them about the MethuselahDominat- this, Gary would be the main location for the Characters,
ing the Justicar, the Storytellerneeds to carefully weighjus1 thoughthey would makeregularincursionsinto Chicagoand
occasionalforaysto Milwaukee. Thus the Storytellerwould
have to put the most work into Gary,keep a close eye on

28 The Storytellers Handbook

Chicago and let Milwaukeesimmer ~tfhle back of her mind charactersto pound on. Finally,the minor villains,thanksto
theirvery pettiness,will make the main onesthat much more
-a much easier task than trying to juggle all three. impressive by comparison.

Deciding which settingshould be the main location for a The Web
Chronicleshouldbe arelativelyeasytask- whichoneis the
Storyteller most interested in, and which can provide the A finalareathe Storytellerhas to keep a closeeye on isthe
most interesting Stories? While characters might become growing web and depth of entanglementsand conspiracies
moreattractedtothe otherplaces,theStorytellershouldhave the characters become involved in. Vampire lends itself
little difficultykeepingthe charactersin one place. As they well to deep plots and intricate ties between characters and
spendmoretimethere,they willbegin tohavemoreandmore NpCs, but these also make the Storyteller’sjob that much
investedin it. Thus, no matterhow often they leave town to harder. It is not alwaysenoughto just keep in mind that the
seek allies or safety, they will eventually return to their Anarch gang boss is Blood Bound to the Toreador Clan
“home.” leader.

An alternateway of handling a plethora of settingsis by Instead, the ties between the Clans, its Elders and its
givingeach one a solepurpose, and only having to look at that Neonatesallplay arole inhowtheleader will usetheAnarch.
location in a specificlight. To use Gary once more, it would Whether or not the leader will have the Anarch help, hinder
be the place for power plays as the characters strive to take or ignorethe characters(or even if the leaderlets the Anarch
over. Chicago would be a place of quiet conspiracies and actfreely)will dependasmuchon outsidefactorsasit willon
plots while Milwaukee would allow the characters to let how she herself views the characters and their mission.
loose with spasms of violence. Thus the Storytellerwould
only have to stay cognizant of those factionsthe characters Onlythe loosestof Storytellersshouldtry andkeep allthis
would be interactingwith instead of the entire spectrum of informationin her head. Chicago by Night and Milwaukee
Kindred. by Night providecoterie maps which showhow individuals
feel about each other, and these are good startingpoints for
Who Do I Hate Tonight Storytellers. As your Chronicledevelops,you can add each
major player to the map, and illustrateher relationswith the
Another area which can easily grow out of control are the others. Changethese as the characters change, and feel free
villainsof theChronicle. While it may be truethat thereis no
such thing as a “good” Vampire, not all of the Kindred need
be hostile to the characters. However, it can be a great urge
to have every Vampire want to use them for their own
appalling purposes.

If the charactersfind they can never trust another of the
Undead, or that every mortal is a pawn of some Cainite or
another,their players can swiftly becomefed up with always
being inconflictandthe Storytellerwillfmd shespendsmore
time keeping track of the villains than having fun with the
Chronicle. It becomes very tedious when every time the

characters are attacked they have to run through a growing

checklist to decide who it might have been. Finally, it
detracts from the impact any one foe can have when the
charactersmustbattleevery other individualthey encounter.

Thebest methodfor avoiding this fate is to follow a tactic
similarto handlingthe settings-establish a main enemy or
group of enemies. While only fighting one enemy would
rapidly become boring, the charactersshouldat leastbe able
to concentrate their attentions in one direction. Of course,
this does not mean the characterswill necessarilyknow who

their enemy is -there should always be a level of uncer-

tainty in the game. However, they should at least have
something to aim at (the Prince’s brood, the Anarch gang,
two Clan Elders, etc.).

Once you have decided on the overarching evil of the
Chronicle,it becomesmuch easierto integratethe otherfoes
the characters will meet. Each will have a purpose and job,
becomingsomethingmorethananotherpunchingbag forthe

Chapter Two: The Chronicle 29

Consistency is as much a matter of perception as it is
reality. If players see the Storytelleras inconsistent, it does
not matter if she really is or not, and vice versa. Thus the
Storyteller should fust endeavor to be consistent, keeping
accuratenotes and listeningtoplayerwomes as soonasthey
crop up.

However, other tricks can help as well. For instance,
keeping a motif to the Chronicle(as describedin Vampire)
immediately gives it the illusion of stability. After all, if
players seeeventshappening in a constantmanneror at least
with the appearance of a plan supporting them, then they
assume everythingoperates in that way.

Another way to keep the consistency together is to avoid
even the slightest hint of favoritism. Nothing causes a
Chronicleto degenerate as quicklyas players believingthey
arebeingtreateddifferentlyfromeachother. Evenif youfeel
everythinghas been equal,the playersmay not seethingsthe
same way. Listen to each player as much as any other,
pretend to give theirplans the sameamountof consideration
and never let them see the dice when you fudge a roll.

Handling Time

to make major revisions should the Chronicle seem headed One problem unique to Vampire lies in the handling of
off course. time. In roleplaying games, the characters are usually mor-
tals withrelativelybrief lifespans. Invampire,however,the
Additionally, you can interconnect these webs as you charactershavethepotentialtoliveforever,and theChronicle
desire. No coterieexists without feelingthe impact of other canlasteons. Theobviousproblemsbeginwhen theChronicle
Kindred,and themore connectionsexistingonyour map,the begins advancingfaster than real time does, until the Story-
more detailed the Chronicle can be. This also aids the teller is left trying to decide what her city and world will be
Storytellerin keepingthe Chronicletogether,aseventhough like in 10or 100years.
shemay add morepieces, they stay in an organized,planned
manner, usable as the Storytellerwills. Storytellershave used a number of tricks to deal with this
predicament. The easiest involves keeping the Stories re-
Consistency lated to the night-to-night events of the characters, thus
preventing the game from advancing far beyond the rest of
ThefinalfactorwhichcancauseanentireChronicleto fall the world. The opposite side of this coin requires the
apart is a lack of consistency. All the above suggestions Storytellerto plan for a sciencefiction Chronicle, and let it
shouldhelp keep it together, but if players begin getting the advance at a high rate of speed in order to avoid ever having
feelingthatthe Storytellerneverknowswhat is goingon, and to get too deeply involved in one place and time (which
cannot keep things the same, then they lose the trust and would requirethe Storytellerdoprodigiousamountsof work
credibilitywhich is the basis of the Storytellingexperience. for multiple eras).

This lack of consistency does not refer to just forgetting Neither of these angles is particularly satisfying,and both
which buildingthe Prince makesher haven in or what sideof limit the Storytellerin the ways shecan direct her Chronicle.
Thus there are two other ways to handlethe passage of time,
the room has the hidden doorway. Instead it becomes each of which keeps the Storytellerfrom having to do too
important when the Storyteller has villains act differently much work but givesgreaterfreedomto advancethe clock at
from one Story to the next for no reason, when taking one will.
pattern of action works sometimes and inexplicably fails
other times or if the Storyteller seems to be backtracking Sleeping Beauties
constantlyto recover when things go against her.
The first way requires the characters to enter torpor,
preferably voluntarily. At some point, most Kindred who
have survivedthe better part of a century begin to tire of the
wakingworld. Theyhave seenmostof whatthey wantto see,
and thelatestinnovationbarely attractstheirinterest. At this

30 The StorytellersHandbook

~

pointthey createa heavilyprotectedrestingplace or seekout kind, or the suspensealwaysdramatic,eventuallypeople get
a quiet place in the wild where they can meld with the earth. fed up with the same menu over and over.

Voluntary torpor differs from that which Kindred enter Varying the emotions in each scene cannot always be
when they suffer grievous wounds. Kindred who enter this planned out. Youmaybe ableto saywhenthecharacterswill
statewithoutbeing forcedto can generallyawaken at the time be in the greatest danger, and when they face their most
they desire (or at least within a decade or so). Those with horrendous foe, but the players themselves might feel the
Auspex may be able to keep a vigil over the world and pick most horror during the anticipation of what is to come, and
their time of revival. Indeed, many who have involuntarily find the actualbattlea relief (at least they know what they’re
entered torpor due to wounds can awaken earlier than they up against).
do, but opt to continue sleepinguntil they feel ready to come
out. The Storytellercan maintain some control over how the
players feel, however. Modulating the tension requires as
Thus at some point the characters should decide, as a much attentionto what the players aredoing as to what their
troupe, to enter torpor and when to arise. One easy way to charactersareupto. Whenthey aredistractedfromthegame,
bring thisabout is to have them battling some great foe who nothing will make them feel the suspense you have spent so
himself disappearsfor decadesat a time. With the use of the long building up. On the other hand, when their concentra-
proper ritual (thoughtfully supplied by the Storyteller),the tion becomes complete,they will feeleveryemotionof their
characterscanrevivethemselveswhenevertheir archenemy characters.
comesoutof torporaswell. Thusthecharactersstayinhiding
from the villain’s minions, but can still combat him as Onceyou know how the players themselvesfeel,you can
necessary. begin the process of manipulating their moods (after all, is
thatnot what storytellersof allkindsaimfor?). Contrastsare
While this method can also be used with the downtime probably the easiestway to handle this. For instance, if the
rules found later in this chapter, it works best when the dramatic Scenes won’t happen for a while, use humorous
characters sleep the years away. Given years of downtime, situationsto relax theplayers. Then, asthe tension begins to
far too many players would begin demandinggobs of expe- rise, cut back on the levity. Have the vain retainer you’ve
rience for their characters, possibly increasing the power been playing for laughsreturn home and ship the bumbling
level of the game before the Storytelleris ready. cop off to the doughnut shop.

Back to the Future By the time the most important scene comesup, you have
prepared the players both with a buildup of tension and a
Another way to handle the passage of time involves reduction of humor. While the players remember (at least
startingtheChronicleat anearlierdate. If a Storytellerbegan subconsciously) past times of whimsy, you have readied
the actual game in 1950, she would have a wealth of details them for the more serious moments to come.
about the time and be able to slowly advanceit to the present
day. While she might have to take care about keeping the The same holds true for Chroniclesas it does for Stories.
charactersfrom changingthe present (nocharactersallowed Have someepisodesplayed for laughs. Put the charactersup
in DallasonNovember22,1963or sleepingin theWatergate against one of the prince’sbrood whohas becomerenowned
for his incompetence. While theplayerswill enjoylaughing
Hotel nine years later), even that can be fun. attheamazingineptitudeof thisfoe,theStorytellercansetup
the first in a seriesof Storieswhich will allow the players to
Storytellerscanhandlethe Backto the Futuremethod one realizethe Princehas setthecityup for an attackby Lupines.
of two ways. With the first method, time passes normally, When the culminating battle against the Lupines and their
with the charactersspending as much time on the Stories as demon allies takesplace in a deep salt mine on the night of a
they would if the Chronicle startedtoday. In the second,the full moon, both the characters and the players will be ready.
Storytellerspeedsuptimeleadinguptothepresent. Afterall,
many players find it difficultto separatetheir knowledge of Thek Own Devices
the past from their characters’actions, so if the Storyteller
keeps events moving quickly,the players cannot exploitthe All of this can be happily blown out of the water by that
situation. Still, the Chronicle will be able to encompass at
least some of the scope of what being immortal is all about. most ephemeral of Chronicles-the character-driven cam-

~~ paign. Instead of the players taking their cues from the
Storyteller, the Storyteller devises the scenes around the
Humor and Tension plans of the players. For instance, if the characters decide
they want to set one of their number up as Prince while
Thefinalaspectof the Chronicletokeep inmindisthe mix establishing the others as ruling candidates, the Storyteller
need do nothing to begin the Stories or keep the running.
of playermoods. Thisdoesnotrefer to Chroniclemoodslike
Instead, the characters decide what they plan on doing.
suspenseand darkness, but instead to how the players them- For instance, the first step in their schemes might involve
selvesfeel. No Chroniclecan surviveif it alwaysmakes the
players feel the same way. Even if the horror is of the best

Chapter Two: The Chronicle 31 4

discrediting the Prince, which they will do by setting up a in which Magic worked with the same regularity as science
numberof threatstothe Masqueradewhichthe Princewill be does in our world while Science was a very arcane and
unable to deal with. The players describe what actionstheir chaotic undertakingwhose principles were understoodonly
characterswilltake-perhaps revealingthePrince’scontrol by a learned few.
of thepolice to the mediaat the sametimethey begin a series
This may seem crazy and at first, but think about it. If it
of“Dracu1a”attacks-andthe Storytellerleadsthemthrough works consistentlythroughoutthe worldthen it isn’tchaotic,
now is it? Another example is the world of Vampire.It can
each scene,throwingobstructionsin theirpath and generally
adding to the excitement level. be summed up in two words -“Vampires exist.” Every-
thing else is built outward from this basic premise. This is a
This sort of Chronicle is both easier and harder than a
normal one. While the Storyteller does not have to spend as very important consideration whether you are creating a
much time beforehandgettingeverythingready, he has to be Chronicleset in 12thcentury England or 21st century Cali-
deeplyinvolvedin the players’planningin orderto make the fornia. It must have its own internal consistency;otherwise
Scenes as interesting as possible. it will fall apart under its own weight.

Additionally,he needs to add depth to the Chronicle so it The Famous Few
does not degenerateinto a series of wish fulfillmentsfor the
players. The challenges must stillbe there, the scenes must The next consideration applies to historically-based
still require effort and sacrificeon the characters’part, and Chronicles and relates to handling historical figures and
characters should not be allowed to assume things will celebrities. Virtually every place and time in human history
always go their way. has produced at least one individual who made it into the
historybooksaswell asfamousworksof literatureassociated
The character-drivenChroniclerequiresgreat Storyteller with specifictimes and places. The Storytellershouldgive a
involvement, but little preparation for each story. Instead, great deal of thought as to whether or not to includeencoun-
character sheets for a number of important figures, a free- ters with some of the rich and famous of a particular time
wheelingimaginationand a willingnessto go along with the period as well as notable figures from literature. They pro-
players’hair-brainedschemeswill takethe Storytellerthrough vide color and give a feel of reality to the Chronicle,but risk
all but the roughest parts of the Chronicle. making the action of the players fated if the Storytellerdoes
not want to change history, or turning a Chronicle into an
. Other Times, Other Places undead version of an “Excellent Adventure.”

By now, most of us are familiarwith most featuresof the If the Storytellerdoes decideto use historicalpersonages,
Gothic-Punk world of Vampire. After all, it is our own then the next question is how big of a part are they going to
world. Keepingup withcurrent eventsand changesis as easy play. If the Storyteller isn’t careful, the celebrities may
as watching televisionor reading a newspaper. If the Story- overshadowthe characters,which is definitely somethingto
teller sees something she believes would add flavor to the be avoided.Experiencehas shownthatthebestway to handle
Chronicle, she simply makes a note of it or cuts it out and celebrities is to have them make a cameo appearance. An
incorporates it. The Chronicle gains a bit more detail and encounterat a socialfunction is usuallythe best way to do it.
becomesricherfor it. Theplayers have one morelittlethread It is also more fun if the celebrity in question is relatively
to consider in the tapestry of their unlives. young and unknown at the time. Be forewarned, however,
thatthere willprobablybe atleastoneplayerwho may decide
But oneof the most excitingelementsof roleplayingis the to try and Dominate the celebrity. This is not a good idea
factthatwearenot limitedtoourownlate20thcenturyworld. unless the results can be part of your overall Chronicle.
Throughthe medium of our own collective imaginationswe
can adventurewith mighty heroes in the dawn of prehistory Another form of celebrity is, of course, the celebrity
or walk down the dark and mysterious streets of 1920s Vampire. ThisNFT requiressomespecialwork anda special
Arkham in search of mind-blastingterrors. We can travel to criterion for deciding whose made it into the ranks of the
lands under the earth or to the farthestreaches of the galaxy. undead and who sleepsquietlyin their grave.First of all, the
Vampire should be no exception to this. That’s what this celebrity Vampire should be an extremely rare occurrence,
for otherwise the entertainment value is lost. After all, if
section is about -how to travel to those far and fabulous everybody who was anybody winds up with fangs, it be-
comes boring, the one thing a Vampire Chronicle should
times and places through the medium of a Storytelling never be. Sokeep them a rare item and the Chroniclewill be
Chronicle. the better for it.

There are a few basic concepts,however, that need to be Anothercriterion for a celebrity Vampireis avoidingthose
discussed before we proceed to those strange places. The who are too obvious a choice. A perfect example of this
first and most important is internal consistency. What this would be the notorious Roman Emperor Caligula.Here is a
means is that there are certain basic premises that govern a man who is known for his sadisticexcessesand his famous
world. Things can be expected to work in a certain way, at
leastmost of the time. One exampleof this would be a world

32 The Storytellers Handbook

~

quote: “Would that all of Rome had but one neck.” Having By now, there should be a number of index cards with
Caligula turn up as a Vampire would probably come as no names of famous people on them. Now comes an important
greatsurpriseto anybodyfamiliarwith Roman history or the decisionpoint. VictorianLondonwashome to many famous
movies. Anotherexamplewouldbe Lord Byron,the English fictional characters and one all too terrifyingly real one.
Romanticpoet. LordByron’spoetrycontainsmany allusions Sherlock Holmes, Doctor John Watson and their archen-
emies,ProfessorMoriartyand ColonelSebastianMoran,are
to death and the undead, so having him turnup as a Vampire probably the most famous fictional residents of Victorian
would hardlyraise an eyebrow. Like all rules, however, there London.

are always exceptions. The question the Storytellershould ask is, “DOthey exist
in my campaign and if they do, how large a part do they
Playing the Past play?’ Certainly, SherlockHolmes, with his vast intellect,
powers of deductionand ironwill,would make a formidable
Now thatwe’vegonethroughsomeof thebasic ideas,let’s Vampire hunter, as would Professor Moriarty. Having such
powerful NPCs running about would certainly add a great
talkaboutthemostimportantaspectof historicalChronicles: deal to any chroniclebut would alsorequire a bit more work
on the part of the Storyteller.
research. It is through good researchthat we canreally make
a Chronicle “come alive” by providing atmosphere and Other popular fictionalcharactersfrom this time areBram
detail. It isnot necessarytobe an experton theera,but a good Stoker’sCount Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,Fagin and
basic working knowledge can increase both you and your
players’ enjoyment. the Artful Dodger, Captain Nemo, Phileas Fogg, Professor
Challenger and Allen Quartermain. Pick with care which
As an exampleof how to conductresearch, let us say that you use, but mosttimeshave awealthof suchcharactersfrom
a group of players have gotten together with the Storyteller which to choose.
andexpressedaninterestin doing a Chronicleset in Victorian
England.The Storytellerknows a little about the period,but It is ironic that the most infamous and temfymg of
not enough to feelcomfortablerunninga Chroniclesetthere. Victorian London’s denizensactually existed.Jack the Rip-
It is time to put that InvestigationTrait to use. per wasreal, and in the spaceof a few shortmonths inthe fall

Where do you start? The best place is, of course, a good of 1888,hecreatedareignofterrorwith fewequals.His body
library.You should get a pad, somepens and/orpencils,and
a pack of index cards. Some change for the copy machine count was modest compared to more modem serial killers,
may alsobe helpful. The firstplace to look in the libraryis in
theReferenceSection.You shouldfindagood setofencyclo- ft
pedias (preferablythe EncyclopediaBrirannica). Look un-
der “England” to get a general overview of the country and
its history, paying special attention to the Victorian Era.
Make a quick outlineand use the index cards to note promi-
nent figures,including some from before the era who might
make interesting celebrity Vampires. At this point, you
should also begin to consider whether or not to include
Werewolves, Magi and other strange denizens in your
Chronicle along with the Kindred.

By now, you shouldbe getting somebasic plot and theme
ideas for your Chronicle based on the setting. The time has
cometo starttoreallyfocusin ontheVictorianEra.Checkthe
encyclopedia again as most of them should have a separate
section on the Victorian Era, including a bibliography for
morein-depthresearch.Now you canbegintoreally geta feel
for the period. Look in the encyclopedia for the entry for
London, which should have, among other things, a fairly
extensive history of the city itself.

If possible,you should photocopy this material and make
it available for your players to help them develop their
characters’backgrounds and Preludes. This backgroundwill
also help the Storyteller developvarious plots and subplots
for the Chronicle. By now the Storytellershould also begin
to considerthe starting year for the Chronicle. (For the sake
of example we’ll say that the Storytellerdecided on the year
1881.)

Chapter Two: The Chronicle 33

but none can equalhim in evoking terror whenever the name theme of the struggle to advance socially and what kind of
is mentioned.Perhapsit was the factthat hewas never caught ruthlessness it takes to do so. The Players areNeonates who
or even remotely identified that makes him such a terrifying have recently been presented to the Prince of London. The
specter. Who he was (or is) and why he (or she) did what he Storytellerplans to use theFollowersof Setand someof their
did is left up to the Storyteller to developand work into the human allies in the London underworld as the main villains
Chronicle. of the piece.

At this point, the Storyteller should sit back and consoli- SherlockHolmes and company will graduallymake their
date all of the information gathered so far; there should be presencefeltas theChronicleprogresses. CountDraculawill
enough to get the Chronicleup and going. As the Chronicle also make his presence felt, but in an indirect way. The
progresses, the Storytellershouldbe preparedtoreturn to the climax of the first Chronicle will be the hunt for Jack the
library. This time, the Storyteller should use the cardcatalog Ripper. The Storyteller hasn't quitedecidedyet who or what
to find books and othermaterials to provideeven more detail the Ripper is but that can be decided later on.
to furtherenrichthe Chronicle. Thesewill helpadd authentic
attitude and feel, for every era has had its distinct features. As a subplot, the Storytelleris goingtohave theFollowers
For instance, the people of VictorianEngland were far more of Setattempt to infiltrateand subvertan occult society. All
convincedof their superiorityand place in the world than are of this is done againstthe panoramic backdrop of the foggy
people today. streets of one of the greatest cities in the world. Careful
attentionwill bepaid to social statusand class differences.(If
Now comes thenuts and bolts of setting up the Chronicle. you think the Ventrue aresnobsnow, imaginewhat they must
A good way to start is to go through the character sheet and have been like in Victorian England.) With enough research
skills list in both Vampire and The Players Guide and and attentionto details, theworld of Victorian Londoncanbe
decide which ones will be applicable to a Chronicle set in made to seem real. There are other worlds as well, so let's
Victorian London. At this point, the Storyteller should also havealookat someof themand thepossibilitiesthey present.
decide what Flaws and Merits will be available. Assemble
the Troupe, have it start setting up characters and proceed 0ther Worlds
from there.
Carpe Nocturnem (Seize the Night) -Ancient Rome
An example of a Victorian London Chronicle might go
something like this: The Chronicle starts in 1881with the figures quite prominently in several Vampire publications.
The same research methods used for Victorian England
would work well here. Consider the following questions:
Why did Nero play theharpwhileRomeburned?What really
went on in the catacombs beneath the city? Who caused the
downfallof this great empire?All of this and Attila the Hun
too.

The Hundred Years War - It is a time of great

turbulencein Europe. France and England are busy tearing
each other apart. Heresies abound and the Black Plague is
everywhere.Who were thosevoicesthatguidedJoan of Arc?
Gilles de Rais, one of her most trusted lieutenants, was in
reality a sadisticchild molester who practiced Satanism and
indulged in torture-murdersas a hobby. It is during this time
that the Sabbat wars are at their fiercest. Again, the same
research techniques that wereused fortheVictorianChronicle
can be used here.

The Renaissance -If you want a Chronicle filled with

intrigue and Machiavellian plottings, what better time than
that of Machiavelli himself? It was a period of rebirth forthe
arts and sciences, so the Toreador Clan would probably
figure prominentlyin theproceedings. The fist Conclaveof
the Inner Circle of the Camarilla was held at this time in
Venice. Why was it called? What was the problem? What
were the consequences?The themes of corruptionand deca-
dencewould fit in quitewell here. An entireChroniclecould
be based around the rise of Clan Giovanni.

The Terror That Was Paris -Paris during the French

Revolution can provide an excellentsetting for a Chronicle

34 The Storytellers Handbook

that combinesboth actionand intrigue.The Anarchs and the regard them? Will they ever make it back home? Do they 4
Sabbat are battling it out for control of the streets. The even want to? Was the nuclear war the result of human
Camarilla are trying desperately to preserve their existence stupidity or has Gehenna truly arrived? 4
while being hunted by both sides. Perhaps the characters are
a groupof Kindredwhoaretryingto smuggletheirEldersout CyberFang-It’s a grim futureout there, folks.It’s hard
of Paris as in The Scarlet Pimpernel. The Marquis de Sade
to tell the real Vampires from the biosculpted ones. R.
was active at this time - who knows what strange and Talsorian Games has created a vision of a dark future with
theirCyberpunk2020”game. Thebackgroundiswellfleshed
diabolicalplots thistwistedmadmanmay be up to? All in all, out and easily adaptable, especially to a “Lords of the City”
a time of great excitement and revolutionary fervor. style of Chronicle. The Night City Sourcebook” is an excel-
lentexampleof a Cyberpunk-stylecity.Besides,choomba,if
The Second World War: The Really Untold Story - you think the Inquisition is bad news, just think of what it
would be like having a major megacorporation gunning for
The Nazis have occupied Europe. What was the Kindred your undead butt!
response?Somemay have aidedHitler and his cronieswhile
othersfought against them. Most probably tried to avoid the Well, there you have it. Remember, the key to creating a
whole thing and enjoy the opportunity to feast freely. An good alternatesetting for your Chronicleis research. It’s the
interesting setting in this period would be Vienna, Austria, littledetailswhichhelp giveyour settinga life of its own.It’s
the home base of Clan Tremere. It also has a Foundation the little things that help build and maintain the internal
house of the Arcanum there as well. What if elementsof the consistency that is so necessary to hold everything else
Gestapocoercedmembersof theArcanumintohelpingthem together. It pays off in enjoyment for you and your players.
try to prove the existence of Vampires? Think of the possi- After all, isn’t that what we are here for?
bilities there. Imagine what kind of hunters the Gestapo
would make. Here’s another tidbit: the Nazis developed Organizing Downtime
“OperationWerewolf,”allegedlya guerrillamovement.What
if there was another part of “Operation Werewolf’ with a Theunlivesof Vampirescanlastmanythousandsof years,
much more sinister meaning? spanning periods of intense action and complete inactivity.
Even though few Chronicles last a similar amount of time,
Thenext coupleof Chronicleideasuse backgroundmate- periods stilloccurwhen the players may find their characters’
rial from other roleplaying games. There are some advan- actions boring. Known as downtime,these are the essential
tagesto this.Firstof all,there’savery goodchancethateither yet less interestingparts of roleplaying. One cannotplay out
the Storytelleror at least one of the players will have access every moment of the character’s unlife, yet that unlife goes
tothematerial. Second,severalof thePlayersmay alreadybe on. Eventsduringtheseperiodsof stabilityarethe essenceof
familiar with the background, which saves a great deal of most normal people’s lives, yet they are anathema to the
time in the initialsetupphase. Last, but not least, a lot of this roleplayer who always wants her characterto be involved in
material is just downright interesting. interesting and exciting events.

The Deepest Darkness-It is the 1920sand the Players Thus,to facilitatethe inclusionof “reallife”in a Chronicle
mustnot onlyfacethe dailyterrorsof Vampiricexistencebut withoutboringboth Storytellerand player,we have included
must slowly come to grips with the existence of Great a sectionon eventsgoingon duringdowntime. Thishas been
Cthulhuand its minions. You should read the works of H.P. divided into background changes and story threads. While
Lovecraft and check out Chaosium’s Call of Cfhulhu”, an characters’ Backgrounds should not change *duringdown-
excellentsourceof backgroundinformationonthe 1920sand time (anything that important should be the result of an
the CthulhuMythos. The actualmechanics of convertingthe adventureinto which the players have input), forces of time
crittersto Vampiremay take a littlework but the resultswill and coincidencecan affectthem and the characters’abilities
bewell worthit.Be forewarned,however,thatthisVampire/ to use them.
Call of Cfhulhu” crossover can produce an extremely grim
Chronicle. Not even the Kindred should be immune to the The following charts have greatest impact during periods
terrors of Great Cthulhu.
of extended downtime - generally more than a month’s
Darkness: 2000 -Game Designers’ Workshophas put
together a post-holocaust setting for its Twilight: 2000” worth. Simplyroll adieto seewhichBackgroundisaffected.
Another die roll indicateswhat happens to that Background.
game series. It is well detailed and has generally withstood If the characterdoesnot have the Backgroundaffected, than
the test of time and world politics. The devastation of post- she goes through no change. No charts have been included
holocaust Europe provides an eerie background with high- for Status, Generation and Mentor, as these Backgrounds
tech barbarians charging about in the form of ruthless ma- should not change during downtime.
rauder bands.Thecharacterscouldbe soldierswho now find
themselves Vampires. This is a chance to introduce some Backgrounds are not the only things affected by down-
techno-thriller elements,especially if their Vampiric condi- time. After all, the character does have a life. For this we
tion wasthe result of a biologicalwarfareweaponratherthan have added story threads. These threads, divided up by
the more traditional Embrace. How would other Kindred

Chapter Two: The Chronicle

theme, allow the Storyteller to tell the player about signifi- Allies, Contacts and Retainers
canteventswhich occurredduringdowntimeor which could
be turned into stories of their own. Storytellers use these 1-4 Mortal is ill and will be of littlehelp to the characterin
charts much like they use the ones for Background-roll to the upcorning adventure.
see which theme to follow and then roll on the theme chart.
5-7 Mortalhas been promotedorreceivedadditionaltrain-
One final note: please feel free to ignore the dice alto- ing which makes him more useful to the character.
gether. If one Background change or story thread leaps out
atyou,grabitanduse itasyou will. Donot feelboundtoobey 8-9 Mortalhasmovedand willbe of onlylimiteduse in the
the dice. future.

Backgrounds 10 Mortal has gained access to significant information
which will be of great use to the character. Can the
Roll Background character find out about it in time?
1 Allies
2-3 Contacts Fame
4 Fame
5-6 Herd 1-4 Due to positive publicity, the character’s fame has
7 Influence been waxing. For the upcoming Story, treat him as
8-9 Resources
10 Retainers though his Fame were one point higher. If this gives
him a six, then almost everyoneknows him.

5-7 Due to a lack of publicity, the character’s fame has
been in decline. For the upcoming Story,treat her as
though her Fame were one point lower (which could
mean nobody knows about her).

8-9 The character’s fame has attracted the attention of
(media representatives, advertising agencies, obses-
sivefans,etc.). Whateverit is will hound thecharacter
throughout the next Story.

10 Negative (possibly true, possibly false) information
has given the charactera very bad reputation in town.
Anyone who recognizes him will be highly put out.

Herd

1-4 One point worth of the character’s Herd is not avail-
ableforthe adventure(atrulyterrifyingexperiencefor
a Ventrue).

5-7 The character’sHerd increases(either due to conven-

tioneersin town,a birth,new employeesorwhatever).
She begins the next adventure with one additional
blood point (as long as it does not take her over her
maximum)and hasoneadditionalpointof Herdforthe
upcoming adventure.

8-9 Character’s Herd has come down with a communi-
cable disease. If the character does feed on any
member of her Herd for this adventure, she loses one
point from Strength,Dexterity and Stamina.

10 The character’s Herd has been discovered, either by
hunters, other Vampires or the members of the Herd
itself.

36 The Storytellers Handbook

Influence The Beast

1-4 One of the character’s main followers temporarily At the core of Vampiric existencelurks the Beast -that
gains additional power, effectively increasing the inhumancreatureof passion yearningto be free. While most
character’s influence.
Humanitylossesand frenziescome about during gameplay,
5-7 One of the character’s main followers temporarily the very horror of day-in, day-out blood feeding brings with
fallsout of power, making it harderfor thecharacterto it its own penalties.
manipulate events.
1-4 Hunting areas are becoming sparse. Character starts
8-9 Powerplays amongthe kinecausethe characterto lose with half the normal blood for the next adventure.
some major followers,but in the shakeup which fol-
lows, new ones are gained to replace those who were 5-7 Hunting has become extremely difficult. Not only
lost. While the character stillhas the same amount of does the character begin the next adventurewith half
influence, decide how the changes have affected it. the normal amount of blood but she is much more
likelytofrenzy, Thetargetnumberforanyrolltoavoid
10 Media outlets have become aware of the character’s frenzy increases by one.
influence (though not the character’s true nature).
Unless the characterdeals quicklywith this threat,her 8-9 Blood is the onlything on the character’smind. Char-
acter begins with one blood point and had better find
* influence will suffer. some soon (but make it tough).

Resources 10 Rumors that a clue to Golconda is to be found in the
area have been spreading. Characters get a hint as to
1-4 One of the character’s Resources (car, house, bank what they should do.
account) is in sorry condition. She will be unable to
take use it during the upcoming Story. Intrigue

5-7 Unless the character takes prompt action, she will Moregoeson inthe world of theVampirethan anyof them
likelysufferagreatlossof Resources. Thiscanhappen know. These conspiraciesare still in action even when the
due to lawsuits, bad investments, gambling or other characters are not.
Vampires’ malevolence.
1-4 As the characters go about their nightly existences,
8-9 Thecharacterhasimpressedsomebodyin apositionof plots arebeinghatched which will threaten their Mas-
importance. Whoever it is offers the character em- querade. Someonewants to (1-4) recruittheir aid, (5-
ployment or contracts which would substantially in- 7) move against them, (8-9) manipulate them or (10)
crease her income. However, if she accepts, her turnthem into scapegoats.
freedom may be curtailed.
5-7 War of Ages heats up. If the characters have not
10 The characterhas a chance to increase her Resources already chosen sides,they may soon have to.
(through stocks, gambling, employment, inheritance
or whatever),but it requiresher to take some chances. 8-9 Thereis aplot afoottooverthrowthePrince. Whilethe
characters do not necessarily have to choose sides, if
Theme they failto do soboth sidesmay view themaspotential
enemies.
1 TheBeast
10 The Camarillahas calleda Conclavein the characters’
2 Intrigue area. There can be no limits to the intrigue involved
here.
3 Introductions
Introductions
4 Nostalgia
Vampiresarealwaysinterestedin new blood,andthevery
5 Premonitions nature of the characters’ feeding habits requires that they
meet new people constantly.
6 Pursuit
1-4 Character meets a mortal in a position of power. If
7 Romance handled correctlyduringthe game,the kine could turn
intoacontact,aretainer oreven an ally. If mishandled,
8 Secrets he or she could become a potent enemy,

9 Vengeance 5-7 Character meets the F’rince or some of her main sup-
portersat a mortalaffair. They do not have much time
10 Weirdness to interact there, but they now know of each other.

Chapter Two: The Chronicle 37

8-9 Characterencounters a powerful non-Kindred super- characterdoes not take care, he may find that his next
natural entity. Be it Magus, Lupine, ghost or hunter, victim is a police officer serving as bait.
the character becomes aware of someone who could
pose a powerful threat. 8-9 A new Witch-Hunterhas come to town and has man-
aged to find out something about the character.
10 Characterruns into one of the area’s powerful Elders,
but remains unaware of the individual’s true nature. 10 The character’sSire has come to town and is looking
for her.

Nostalgia Romance

Thecharactershad a lifebeforethey diedandwerereborn; Despite their sexless lives, Vampiresremain creatures of
this previous existence can appear in numerous ways. great passion. For them romance is still one of the most
important emotions.
1-4 Reminders of the character’s old life have begun to
crop up all around him. If he does not handle it well, 1-4 Character encounters a mortal who reminds him of
it may well lead to frenzies in the next Story. someone he used to love.

5-7 Someone significant to the character’s mortal exist- 5-7 Character meets a Cainite who reminds her of some-
ence has gotten into trouble. However, helping her one she used to love.
might be perilous for the Vampire.
8-9 Character meets someone he used to love.
8-9 The person the characterwould least like to see in this
new form seeks her out. 10 Character meets an old lover from her mortal life, and
the lover has become a Vampire.
10 Malicious rumors have begun to spread about the
character’s past life. Stopping the spread of gossip Secrets
might be beyond even a Vampire’s power.
Evenduringthe day-to-daytediumof most people’slives,
Premonitions there are still secrets to be learned and questions to be
answered.
Even Vampireswithout the Auspex disciplineknow their 1-4 Somebody (either Kindred or kine) has discovered a
mindssometimesgivethemhintsaboutthefuture Therefore,
they pay greaterattentionto their dreamsand feelingsof deja major secret of the character’s.
vu than do most mortals.
5-7 Character comes across a clue which could lead to
1-4 While passing a place, feelings of the area’s impor- significant discoveries about the mortals in the
tance overwhelmthe character. In fact, the place will Chronicle.
play a significantrole in the Chronicle.
8-9 Charactercomesupon a clueregardingthe Cainitesin
5-7 The characterhas a dream in which the symbols spell the chronicle.
out what will happen in the upcoming Story. More
than likely the player will misinterpret them. 10 Character gets a clue as to who is behind it all.

8-9 Someone else is having dreams about the character. Vengeance
Could it be their family,a hunter or another Vampire?
Thelustforrevengedoesnot waitforthe storyto continue,
10 Whilefeedingon a mortal,the characterhas a visionof Whether someonehuntsthe charactersor the charactershate
an enemy Vampire feeding on him the same way he someone else, vengeancenever rests.
feeds on the kine. It is up to the Storytelleras to why
or even if this ever happens. 1-4 Somebody who despises the character begins a cam-
paign of harassment against him; all the little things
Pursuit start going wrong.

Manychasethe Vampires-media,hunters,family,magi 5-7 Character becomes involved in someone else’s plans
for vengeance, either as a pawn or an ally.
and even other Vampires. Their pursuit never stops.
8-9 Somebody the character despised during his mortal
1-4 Someonewith ties to the character’smortal existence existenceappears on the scene in a role which cannot
begins to gather clues as to her current location or be ignored. However,takingvengeanceonthis oldfoe
condition. via Vampiric powers could lead to a Humanity loss.

5-7 Policehavebegun investigationsinto the storiesof the 10 Character discovers somebody has the dirt on an
lunky assailant who attacks people and kisses their individualshe despises. If she manages to obtain this
necks (yes, the character or another Vampire). If the information, it can be used now or saved for later
blackmail.

38 The Storytellers Handbook

Weirdness

Weird things happen in everyone's lives, but since the
existence of a Cainite is so strangeto begin with, what they
consider odd is correspondingly stranger.

1-4 Character becomes ill from feeding on tainted blood.
LowerherPhysicalAttributesby onepointforthenext
story.

5-7 A chance encounter with an ancient, philosophizing
gypsyhas giventhecharactera mysticalamulet. With
the amulet,shecan contact the gypsy any time and vice
versa. Thus when the character is deeply involved in
the Story, the gypsy will ring her up to discuss the
paradox of Zeno's Arrow and whether it can move
where it is or where it is not.

8-9 Rumors begin to fly through the Kindred community
about a new Disciplinesimilar in effect to Golconda.
However,to leam the truth of these rumors, the char-
acters must track down a hunter with a deadly reputa-
tion.

10 MarsNeedsVampires! Anothercoteriehasdecidedto
blame space aliens for its actions, and will attack
characters under the guise of bug-eyed little green
men. After all, if the charactersbelieve in the undead,
why not Martians?

Chapter Two: The Chronicle 39

,'. - '

Death is everywhere
There are lambsfor the slaughter
Waiting to die
And I can sense
The hours slipping by
Tonight

-Depeche Mode, Fly on the Windscreen Final

he Cainites,often bored of their immortality, Choosing a City
wage constantwar in the great Jyhad. Across
theemptywastes of the wildstheWerewolves After deciding what flavor your want your Chronicle to
reign supreme, challenging any who would have and what themes and moods your setting is going to
violatetheirancestrallands. Around theworld indeep,secret project or reflect,you must choosea city. Choosecarefully.
places Magi practicetheir cunningart for their own purposes. All cities have strengths and weaknesses that will both
Intothe madnessthat is the Gothic-Punkworld your Troupe expand and limit your Chronicle. Some cities are too small
is cast. This chapter will help you, the Storyteller,design a to supportalargepopulationof Vampires,while othersareso
city, describe a scene and build the Gothic-Punk world into big that it would be difficultfor theplayersto have anyeffect
a place that can containthe strugglesof your greatest heroes on the city at all. Onthe other hand, a small city (like Gary)
and shroud the deeds of your most sinistervillains. might allow the Vampires to be critical in fighting off the

In Vampirethe actionoftencentersaroundacityinwhich Vampiresfrom a largercity,while a big city (likeParis)with
theKindredhideduringthe burningraysof day and skulkout a large Kindred community can allow for an immensely
at night to feed and play. When building your Chronicleyou
will no doubt choose a basic mood and theme, but your city complex game that keeps you and your players on your toes
canhave a mood and theme as well. In many casesthey will for months of game play.
be the sameas the Chronicleitself,but they do not haveto be.
The Chronicle may emphasize the Vampires’ struggle and Each area of the Gothic-Punk world has its own tone.
the hope they find to continuetheirmiserable existences. At Choose your city accordingly. Europe houses one of the
the sametime the settingmay dictatethatthe world isnothing oldest Vampirecommunities. The Kindred here, often very
but a wretched place where there is no law, no order and no ancientandthePrincesverypowerful,enforcetherulesof the
hope. These two contradictory themes work against each Lextalionis more fiercelythan their counterpartsin the New
other in a dramatic way that allows for more conflict and World and often strictly control the number of Kindred in
makes a more intriguing Chronicle. their cities.

Chapter Three: The Setting 41

In North America,the East Coast resemblesEurope. The with much to offera Storyteller. In these citiesthe Camarilla
Vampire Princes are more powerful and tend to have more does not exist at all. The Orient is controlled by its own
control over their kingdoms, though in the eyes of the Vampires, with different forms and customsthan those who
EuropeanVampirestheKindredof Americaarewild andout rule the west. A Chronicle set in the East would require a
of control. The hrther west you go in America, the younger Storyteller to spend more time in preparation, but would
thecitiesgetand the wilderthe Kindredbecome. West Coast provide an extremelyunique settingforthe game and is ideal
cities are almost free of the rules imposed by the Camarilla. for a troupe who has been playing long and needs a change.
Many say that these citiesmorethan any othersendangerthe
Masquerade,while others feel that western states serve as a The important thing to rememberis that each city in each
pressure valve in Vampiric society that releases the wild part of the worldhas its owncharacter. Sticktothat character
Kindred to places where they will be less noticed. and the city will soon gain its own distinct flavor and style
that will be unlike any other city. It is, unfortunately,easyto
There are many other more exotic areas of the world that generalize and say that Tokyo is much like Los Angeles
are much less constrained by the politics of the Camarilla. which isjust likeNew York. All threearemodemcities,with
This makes these areas vary widely in their attitudes and a great deal of wealth, population and influence over their
distributionof power. An innovativeStorytellercouldeasily respective regions.
seta Chroniclein Cairo,Jerusalem,Beirut or Tehran. Many
of the cities in Africa,India or South Americacould produce When one does not generalize, we begin to see that these
rareandunusual environmentsforVampire. In theseout-of- cities are very differentin style and character. New York is
the-way places, away from the economic power centers of considered grimier and darker than the other two. Its prob-
the world, Kindred are safer from the Camarilla and the lems with crime seemto be much greater,and in the Gothic-
Sabbat who vie for controlof the prime real estate. Not that Punk world it is largely controlled by the Sabbat. Los
either organizationwould not interfere if it thought it could Angeles is wilder than the other two, with a feeling of youth
gainpower in that area;theycertainlywould,butthey willnot and energywhich can only be found in the youngestof cities
likely actively involve themselves in the cities of poorer (a city of Anarchs perhaps?). Tokyo is a shiny new city of
nations unless they are invited by some faction. glitz and neon, but underneath it lie centuries of ancient
tradition. All of these cities face the problems of urban life
The Orient is another exciting place for your adventures. that are becoming only too common in the 20th century, yet
Tokyo,Saigon,Beijing, Seoul,or Manila are all exoticcities eachwill choosedifferentwaysto deal with them. Findyour
city’s character and your saga will become strong and very
real.

Of c o m e you may want to choose a city a little closer to
home. You may even want to use the city you live in or one
nearby. Choosinga familiarcity has its goodpoints and bad
points. Theadvantagesarethatbothyou andyourplayersare
likely to know what certain areas of the city look like, and it
will be easier for your players to envision the settings you
describe. Informationaboutthecity willbe readilyavailable,
and you will not have to research the city too thoroughly.
Finally, everyone knows of mysterious parts of their own
city, and what better setting can there be than an area already
imbued with mystery?

The disadvantagesare that yourplayers willknow the city
as well or better than you do. They may have certain
expectationsas to what the city is really like and may argue
with you over trivial facts. Furthermore, while the Gothic-
Punk world is not entirely identical to our world, some
changes you make to your city may be difficult for your
players to swallow.

Choosing a city far from where you live is always a safe
bet, but it will require you to obtainmapsand informationon
thecity beforeyou b..?gin. Maps are easy and canbe obtained
from a map store or from AAA. Other information can be
obtainedin the sameplacesoryou cangoto a libraryformore
information. Most largecities also have touristbureaus that
you can call to receive pamphlets, maps and other tourist
information through the mail.

42 The Storytellers Handbook

Once you have chosen a city you must find a “look” for it to addto your city and how much“Punk.” Thesearethe parts
(or a “look” for each city which your Troupewill spendtime of the city that make a look uniquely Vampire. Without
in). The look of a city is the elementthat makes it unique. A these qualities, your city is just a modem city with some
city with a distinctivefeel and look could be recognized as Vampires in it. It has no flair, no flash of style.
soon as you stepped into it. While many of our cities today
in the real world seem to look very much alike, a close ToNew York,onecould addmoreGothicthanPunk. New
inspection will reveal many differences which all go into York’s tall brooding buildings suggest Gothic architecture.
characterizing the city. For instance, Los Angeles has Since New York in reality does have a very large group of
practically no buildings over three stories high (The First streetpeopleand is anintenselyurbancommunity,you might
Interstate World Center notwithstanding)and most are only not want to build on these aspects. Too many changes will
a single story. The roofs are hardly sloped at all because of make the city unrecognizable. Los Angeles, on the other
the lack of rain. Almost all the buildings have air condition- hand, has hardly any Gothic lookto it at all. Tomake the city
ing and the sunsetsare mostlypastel colors,perhapsbecause look more Gothic (tall buildings with elaborate architecture
of the smog. The heat of the day can still be felt in early and many statues) would make the city almost unrecogniz-
evening,but becauseit is a desert climatethe evenings often able and goes completely against its character in the real
cool off quickly, even in the summer. world. However, Los Angeles has quite a street life which
could well be expandedto give L.A. more Punk. In L.A. you
New York, onthe otherhand, hastall, oldbuildings,many mightnotmake anythingGothicat all,fearingthat this would
of which date from the early part of the century. The climate look silly since everything else looks so modern.
is fairly cold, with warm months lasting for only about four
months out of the year, It rains frequently,giving the city a Once all of this is done you will be left with a city that is
damp, fresh feeling. The tall buildings cast stark shadows very much like its counterpart in our world yet has been
and create vicious wind tunnels that funnel the offshore subtly altered by its Kindred inhabitants and has all the flair
breezes. New York has many slums and even some of the and styleof the Gothic-Punkuniverse.Oncethecity’s“look”
nicer buildings look old and dilapidated on the outside, has been established in this way you will find that other
though their interiors are lavish. It snowsin the winter, and settingsjust seem to come naturally to your stories.
the hurrying of the pedestrians and cars about the streets
quickly turn the soft white snow into a grey slush. The The Kindred
commuters can be seen standing in their blue and black
winter coats,blowing at their cold hands while waiting for a Tomakeacity seemrealyou haveto fillit withrealpeople.
bus or taxi. It is impossibleto separatethe city from charactersin a game
like Vampire. Thus, once you have chosen your city and
This is just an example of the differences between two foundits specialcharacter,you mustbeginto populateit with
cities in our world. Los Angeles and New York are both Vampires. Before beginning play, detail the personalities
extremecities with rather extremecharacters and are easy to (not necessarily the Attributes) of at least half the Vampires
depict. Cities like St. Louis, Seattle, Atlanta, Orlando, San you plan on includingin your city. This will allowyou to ad-
Francisco,Tulsa,Boston,and Dallasmay be a littleharderto lib with minimal effort and will not require you to make up
characterize,but with a littleresearchyou will find that each too many Vampires on the spot.
city has its own flavor and characterwhichyou need to bring
out and keep alive in your Chronicle. The Camarilla generally enforces a rule of no more than
one Vampire for every 100,000people. This is a good rule
In the Gothic-Punk world, your city may well be more for you to follow as well, but remember that it is not in the
extreme. For instance,since New York is controlled by the slightestbit binding. Many cites are far more overcrowded
Sabbat,the buildings might be more rundown, their upkeep than this andmany others(especiallyin less-developedparts
ignoredby a Sabbatwhichdoesnot careforhuman suffering. of the world) are almost empty of Kindred. In other words,
The crime is more rampant and the city a little dirtier. All of put in as many or as few Kindred as you like. To keep your
these effects are brought about partially by the Vampire gameseeming“real” you will need to explainwhy you chose
rulers. Los Angeles, on the other hand, is probably domi- the number of Kindred you did, especially if you went for an
nated by Anarchs who fled west from other Princes who extreme. Lots of Kindred can always be because of over-
would not tolerate their indiscretions. The Kindred who crowding (many of the American cities have this problem)
control this city have made it wilder than it already is. The and a lack of Vampires could be attributedto a strict Prince
gang problems are much worse and the culture is much or a recent purge (maybe by the Inquisition, the Lupine, a
wilder,moreexoticand more avant-gardethanit is inthe real Magus or other Kindred).
world.
The Prince
Once you have foundyour city’scharacter,you may wish
to alter it to better reflect the effects that its Vampire inhab- The most influentialperson in your city the charactersare
itantswould have on it. But you are not done with the city’s likelyto meetis thePrince. While the Primogen and eventhe
look there. You must decide how much “Gothic” you wish

Chapter Three: The Setting 43

Anarchs hold a kind of power, the Prince alone can often If you want your city to center aroundthisgroup,you may
stand against them all. He may well have been holding the wish to increase the informal limit of one vampire per
throne for years, shaping the city in his own image. His 100,000mortals to twice that number. This creates a city
power will includemany of the mortal institutions,whichhe with more conflict and the Anarchs will have to duel one
may well have twisted for his own needs. So choose your another for feeding grounds. Like the Elders, there will be
Prince first and choosecarefully. If you find that he doesnot more than one faction among the Anarchs and you should
suit your needs later you can always arrange an “accident.” detail at least two or three differentgroups before the game
begins.
Whichever Clan the Prince is from will probably be the
most powerfulin the city. By tradition the Princeis the only Others
one who may create Progeny freely and so he frequently
surroundshimself with a bodyguard of his own creationsto Thereare many other Vampiresthat do not fightin the War
extend his power and protect him fromhis enemies. He also
frequently comes from Clans Ventrue or Toreador. of Ages between the Anarchs and the Elders. These are the
neutrals, and they play a very dangerous game. Having no
This is the norm in Kindred society,but by no means the friends, they are often targets for Diablerie or worse for
only option. A more interesting city might be ruled by a Vampires from either camp who need the power. Still,they
Nosferatu Prince whose power resides only in her own tend to be very independent,and therefore powerful, Vam-
personal abilities and who refuses to create Childer to help pires who can make good allies for your player Vampires.
her maintain control. She may be so powerful that no
Kindred in the city can dare opposeher singly and she may Someof these other Vampiresmay work forthe Sabbatas
be so cleverthat she can keep her enemiesfrom ever getting spies or assassins, while others are Caitiff or other rogue
together. Do not feel bound by tradition like the Vampires Vampires hiding from the establishment. Many may be
do. Make your Prince unique above all else. politicalrefugeesfrom othercitieswhowouldnotbe allowed
in by the Prince of your city if they officially Presented
The Primogen themselves, so they hide, knowing that if they are ever
discovered they will be slain. This group can also include
Theleadinggroupof EldersareoftencalledthePrimogen. powerful Kindred seeking Golconda or Cainites who are
They sometimes represent all seven major Clans and hold among the ranks of the Inconnu and disdain contact with
power alongside the Prince. The Primogen often helps the other Kindred. This group of Kindred will require the least
Prince rule his city by performingthe less importantday-to-
day tasks, while he worries about general policy and the big
picture. At least that is what they are supposedto do. More
oftenthan notthey areavery dangerousgroupwho seekonly
power over other Kindred. Many members of the Primogen
think they would make wonderfulPrinces, and frequentlyit
isfromthis groupthat a new Prince emergeswhen an old one
has “passed away.”

Dependingon the kind of campaignyou want to run, these
people may require the most detail. If your Vampires are to
be involvedin theJyhad,vying for power and blood with the
Elders, then this group will be critical. Make sure that the
relationships between them are complex and passionate. If
your Chronicle is going to be centered around some other
conflict you can give the Primogen less detail. Remember,
though, that as a group the Primogen will have a huge effect
on the city,and their actionsarelikelyto affectthe Vampires
of your Troupewhether or not your Vampires want them to.

The Anarchs

The othercamp into whichyour Troupemay fall is that of
the Anarchs. Constantlyrebelling against the power of the
Primogen and the Elders, this group includes some of the
most violent and unpredictable Kindred in the city. Your
players’ Vampires may well fall into the ranks of this group
as young Vampires of the 20th century are prone to do.

44 The Storytellers Handbook

detailand you canaddmemberstoitsranksasyourChronicle inhabitantsandguardthemfromharm, SinceVampiresmust
progresses. Few are powerful enoughto seriously affect the kill or at leastharm peopleto live, they frequently comeinto
dynamics of the city, so their addition later in the Chronicle conflict with the police. Furthermore, the police are trained
will not change things. in combat. Though Vampires aren’t vulnerable to most
weapons, guns can hurt a Vampire or even force her into
Mortals Torpor. Once captured by the police, a Vampire may be
forcedto stayinjail foratleastonenight andintothedaytime,
It is for the mortals that the Cainites come to the cities. a catastrophe for the Vampire as well as the Masquerade.
Somerespect and appreciatethe mortals. The Toreador try Additionally, the police keep detailedrecords. If any orga-
to save the best among them from the ravages of time, and nization is in a position to discover and reveal Vampires to
many use the mortals for protection and power. Some the world, it is a police department.
Kindred, especially the younger ones, identify with the
mortals and see little difference between themselves and It is only natural that the Vampireswould seek to control
their prey. Many Vampires, such as the Sabbat, view the the police if for no other reason than their own protection.
mortalsascattleto be slaughteredandused atthe whimof the Thisis easier saidthan done,however. Whilecontrollingthe
immortals. This group of thinkers often commits the most police chief will give you a certain amount of power over
atrocious acts of violence against the mortals to satisfy their general policy, it will not allow you to get yourself released
own sick and twisted psychological needs.
fromjail. Youneed to control a particularprecinct captainto
Mortals are very important to your city. Who is the
mayor? Doeshe know about Vampires? Does he care? An do that, and even then the detectives are going to ask ques-
interestingmayor might be one who is a Vampire or, worse, tions. In order to coordinate a search for a particular indi-
onewhoknows aboutVampiresand is secretlymaking aplan vidual (like an enemy Vampire you want to find), you need
to hunt them down. Mortals have as many varied reactions to controlthe police chief or specific detectives. Even then,
to Kindred as Kindred do to them. Many respond with fear, if you start having those policemen you control do strange
but there can be no doubtthat many humans find something things for no obvious reason, Internal Affairs will arrest or
attractive about being able to live forever,whatever the cost suspend them.
in blood.
There are five levels of the police department, each of
The Mayor which may be controlled by different Vampires. They are:

The mayor’s office can be very influential in mortal PoliceChief. Thisofficeordersgeneralpolicy and can
politics, and in order to control and manipulate the mortals firethe policemenfrom other areaslowerdown in the power
the Kindredoften controlthe mayor. Control of this office is structure. He can have precinct captains fired or hired.
easierthancontrolof othermortal organizationsbecauseyou
only need Dominate one person and the power is in your PrecinctCaptainsandthedetectiveshandlemostof the
investigations; they can be used to hunt down enemy Vam-
hands. You can easily use the mayor already in your city, or pires you wish captured or found and they can also be used
to getyou outofjail. Controlof thisgroupisdifficultbecause
you can make up your own. there is no centralized authority.

The advantageof usingreal public officialsin your games The uniformed policemen on the streets. These men
is that you can then use real newspapers as the newspapers can be used for a localized search or to avoid capture if you
from your version of the city. If in the real world the mayor happento know thecopwhoisaboutto captureyou. You can
is called before a grandjury on corruption charges you can direct them to patrol areas you wish protected and they can
usethisassourcematerialfora Story. Thisiseasy if youhave alsobe used by the precinct captains to conducta large-scale
set your Chroniclein your home town but even if your city is search.
across North America you can frequently have the paper
delivered(sometimesa day or two late) or keep up with it at Internal Affairs. These guys are in charge of finding
a library. cops who are committing crimes or altering procedure and
havethem arrestedorfired. Vampireswho controlthis group
Whoever controls the mayor’s office and the mayor him- use it to gaincontrol of the othersby having all of the mortals
self will have a chokeholdon the city. Givecarefulchoiceto that other Vampires control fired.
which member of the primogen (or perhaps the Anarchs)
controls this important mortal. Conflict over control of the Thepolicebureaucracy. Thislow-level group is often
mayor could lead to many Stones for your Troupe. overlooked by Kindred who want flashy, dramatic results.
However, these are the people to go to when you want
The Police specificinformation,anAPB sentoutorofficersmaneuvered
away from a specific area by Dispatch. These are also the
The police have the greatest immediateeffect on the lives folks who can cover up autopsy reports, make crime scene
of theCainites. It isthepolicewhowatchthe streetsandtheir photos disappearand keep you updated on investigations.

As you can see, the internalpolitics in the police depart-
mentcangethombly complex. If differentVampirescontrol

Chapter Three: The Setting 45 <

each group,then they may use the police againstone another controls the fire department, because they can be used to
in an attemptto gaincontrolof theentirestationor force. The deadly effect.
problemis thatif the policeareinvolvedin a civilwar created
by their Vampiric masters, then the streets are not being The Gangs
properlyprotectedand the city suffers. For thisreason,many
Princes lay claim to the police and do everything in their Mortal streetgangs are a common problem in many cities
power to control the entire force. This prevents Vampires across America. These gangs, often organizedracially, are
from squabblingoverthe departmentand risking a breach of usually violent,emotionally disturbed and very well armed.
the Masquerade. They make ideal pawns for the Anarchs because they em-
body the Anarchs’ philosophy of rebellion against society.
You may also want to considercreating the characters of Anarch gangs often control lesser mortal gangs through
a few individualpolicemen to use in your Chronicle. These Dominate or other Vampiric powers, though simple force
guys may know or startto guessattheexistenceof Vampires. and intimidation is also effective.
They may begin hunting down Vampires, specifically your
players’ coterie, which might require your Vampires to When you create your city, give some thought to the
“remove” these nosy policemen. mortal gangs. They should be placed around your city,
centering around the poorer areas, and they all have turf
The Media which will likely share a border with the turf of other gangs.
Thesegangsoftenfightwith oneanotheroverthe sizeof their
ThemediathreatentheMasqueradeconstantly. Reporters turf. Decide which gangs are already enemies and which
fromnewspapersand television stationsconstantlycombthe ones are allies. Then you need to give controlof someof the
gangs to the Anarchs or even to some of the Elders if you
streets, looking for stories and bizarre occurrences - a think any of the Vampires in your city are inclined to use
massive threat to the Vampire community as a whole. To these unreliabletroops. Invent a few gang leadersand some
of their most dangerous warriors. These characters will be
make matters worse, reporters are usually headstrong, self- useful when your Vampires are on the street. You can also
reliantindividualswho aredifficulttobribe or controlfor any use them to spice up a Vampire’s nightly hunt for blood.
length of time, especially if they smell a story or cover-up,
Other Creatures
For this reason Vampires who wish to control the media
usually do so through the administration. This way the Vampires are not the only mystical beings to inhabit the
administrationsimplykillsthose storiesthe Vampiresdonot Gothic-Punk world. Other creatures have their own goals
want printed or produced, and the Masquerade is protected. and motivations, some of which are detailed in Chapter
Thismakesthe mediaeasiertocontrolthanthepolice,but the Five, but the most interesting antagonists are the ones you
consequencesof a loss of control can be much more severe. come up with. You also may wish to make up your own
Themediaannouncesthings to large audiences,and it would mystical creatures.
be impossibleto coverup sucha storyif it was releasedto the
world. As aresultthe Vampiresdonot fightforcontrolof the The Lupines have the most interesting relationship to the
media; the costs of discovery are too high. Frequently this Kindred. Thetwo are enemiesin theirvery philosophy. The
organizationis simplyleftforthePrincetohandle. As aresult Kindred live off mortals and think that whatever promotes
it is a symbol of power to have sway in the media, and is the growth of human societyis good,no matter what the cost
usually the mark of a powerful Elder or the Prince himself. to the earth. TheLupinesworshipnatureand feelthat it must
be preserved even if it hurts mankind. As the cities spread
When planning your Chronicle and your city, consider into the wilderness, the Lupines get more desperate as they
whatpart the mediawillplay and invent a fewjournalistsand try to preserve their way of life in the face of the new urban
producers. The key ‘tocreating a realistic setting is to make life of the coming century.
it filled with realistic people, so sprinkle in a fewjournalists
to keep the players on their toes. The Magi arehumans who have masteredthearcaneart of
magic to higher levels than even the Tremere. They too live
Fire Department among mortals and hide their activities from those who
would not understand. These humans search for many
This may not seemlike a particularly important organiza- bizarre artifactswith theirartsand sometimesrequire special
tion for Vampires, but when you consider Vampires’ weak- ingredients,likeadropof Vampireblood. Theiroverallplans
nessfor fire,you will seethat this departmentdoeshave more and goals are their own and are specific to individual Magi,
than a few uses. Its primary concern is, of course, fire so you can add a few of these mysteriouswizardsto spice up
fighting, but if the trucks are late or committed to a fire your city.
elsewhere, a Vampire’s Haven which might be otherwise
saved could be burned to the ground. Combine this sort of Among the othercreaturesyourVampiresmay have truck
thing with a fewAssamite assassins, and any Vampire in the with are Ghosts. These beings are sometimes bound to
city you want “removed” is as good as gone. Consider who

46 The Storytellers Handbook

specific locations or at least they seem to like certain areas thathold interestto theKindred.Themostimportantof these
better than others. Sometimesthey will appearto Vampires are the hunting grounds. Many cities in the Gothic-Punk
and haunt or talk with them. When creating a few ghosts to world have a “clubrow” where all manner of clubs and and
add to your city, considerhow they died and how that might bars can be found. This place is called many things by the
affect their behavior in their afterlife. Violent deaths may Kindred, including “the Rack” and “The Crucible”. Here
produce violent ghosts, while calmer deaths may produce Vampires can be found, hunting for fresh blood or meeting
more friendly ghosts. withothersof theirownkindtomakeplansornegotiatedeals.
There are other kinds of hunting grounds as well. Indeed
There are,of course, the Faeries. These creatures don’t thereareasmanyhuntinggroundsasthereareVampires. See
make too many appearancesin urban areas,sothe Vampires the Vampire book for the different styles of hunters.
are unlikely to meet too many of them. Even so, the Faeries Slummerswill need to go to the slums,while those who seek
don’tstayin oneplaceasmuchasthe othermagicalcreatures to get a rush by drinking from the drunkor the stoned might
do, soyou don’thaveto plan them out aspart of your setting. need to go to entirelydifferentplaces.
Just include them as your plot demands later on. Whatever
you do, don’t overusethese creatures. This is a game about The Wilds
Vampires, so don’t make these beings very common.

Locations Despite all the work you have put into your city, eventu-
ally your Vampires are going to leave it. They may be
Onceyou have decidedonthecharacterswhoinhabityour movingto anothercity or they may be simplyfleeingintothe
city, you need to give them places to live, meet, hunt and wilderness,havingbeen on the losing side of some great (or
gather for parties. Here is where your research on your city more likely petty) battle in the Jyhad. Either way you need
will comein handy, as you can use the locationsdescribedin to realize that while the same basic principles for making a
your travel guides and other literature as the locations for scene dramatic still apply, there are some important differ-
Vampiricactivity. You also may want to look ahead at the ences that arise as soon as your Vampires leave the neon
section “Choosing Settings”to get some ideas for Vampire lights of their home and enter into the musty darknessof the
locations, if your research material isn’t helping you any. wilderness.

The first thing you have to decideis where the Prince and In Vampire,all of the citiesareGothic-Punk. Simplyput,
the Primogen meet. This will be the center for Vampire they have aspectsof the Gothic horror novels and aspects of
politics, a kind of Cainite town hall. Do they meet in the
Elysium like the Vampires of Chicago? Or,like the Vam-
pires of Milwaukee, do they meet in a hotel complex?
Perhapsthey meet somewherereallydifferent,likeoutsideof
town,inthesewers,onayacht,inacave,orinafuneralhome.
Where the Primogen and the Prince meet will often charac-
terize your city and the kinds of problems it has.

Once you have placed Vampire Town Hall, you need to
find Havens for the Vampire characters you have created.
TheHavensof olderVampireslikethe Prince,Primogenand
other Elders will be more important because these Kindred
movearound a lot less, and their Havenswill remain consis-
tently the same through much of your Chronicle. Choose
theseHavenscarefully,andkeep in mind the characterof the
Vampire when you do so. No doubt your Troupe will have
contact with most of the major Vampires in the city at some
point, so you want their Havens to characterize them well.

You also have to place your Anarchs’ areas of control.
Frequently(though not always) the Anarchs take control of
certain parts of town just like mortal gangs. These areas of
turf shouldbe marked out on a map so that you know where
certain Anarch groups are likely to be found. This will also
show you where it is dangerous for the characters to hunt
becausemany Anarch gangs arevery rigorous in controlling
their territory.

Finally,once you have placed the Havens and controlled
areasof allofthemajorVampires,youneedto addotherareas

Chapter Three: The Setting

streetculturetoday. In thewilderness, thereis littlestreetand that you tailor how much Gothic you add to your wilderness
therefore littlePunk. However, the Gothic is still very much to the amount of Gothic you added to the cities. If your city
alive. TheGothicWildernesshasa very distinct look that you is coveredin gargoylesandmadeof dark blackstone, then the
will want to make use of in your Vampire Chronicle. wilds should have dark, brooding mansions on hills over-
looking cold, stony moors. The moon may well be full, and
The Gothic wilderness is very dark. There are nearly no
streetlights,except foroneout in themiddleofnowhereatan there should always be an icy mist creeping across the
intersection to make a harsh light. The moon is oftenfull (or landscape,accompaniedby thehowl of alonelywolf. If your
hidden behind ominousclouds), and the wind whistles eerily cities are not so Gothic, then make the rural areas more like
through the trees. If it is not a clear night, then rain pours
down in torrents to buffet the weary traveller. In the real the real rural areas in our world.
world, the rural areas often have little gas stations or motels
dottedaboutto take in thelonely traveler. In theGothicworld When describingrural areas,realize that Vampirestend to
many of these are gone, leaving larger areas of open space, see them differently than mortals. A lack of mortals means
free of man-made buildings and devices. no vi=, and for a Vampire this means death. Thus the
Vampires tend to see the wilderness as despairinglylonely,
Under the open moon and in the swirling mists lie a few unlike many humans who see the wilderness as a place for
small towns that close up their doors at night. These little comfortingsolitude. Thewoods are full of Werewolves,who
hamlets are sometimes distrustful of strangers and are usu- are the mortal enemiesof the Vampires,and while many find
ally poor, unless they are just bedroom communities for a the Wilderness to be filled with a kind ofpeace,the Vampires
nearby city. The Kindred do not existout here so the people only find war here. Just like the city, there is no safety for
them even here.
arefreefrom their hunting. Themortalsmusc however, deal
with the ravaging Werewolves, whose fury can know no Thus with all of these problems to confront a Vampire in
the woods, they will see the rural areas differentlythan you
limits. These monstrous beasts travel in packs on nights of may. Do not describebirds as “chirping from a tree.” Rather,
the full moon when their rage consumes them, hunting for
victims to rend and destroy. the birds wou1d“cackleat you from above.” The moon is not
beautifuland soft;rather, the Kindredseeit as a watchingeye
Just make sure you don’t overdo it. You don’t want to illuminating their position with stark shadows and gives
make the Gothic-Punk world seem so different from our them away to the wolf men who lurk all around. Wide, open
world that your players cannot identify with it. Make sure expanses of terrain, which many mortals find lovely due to

48 The Storytellers Handbook

their peacefulness, are merely empty to Vampires, who feel Choosing Settings
naked when out in them. The open sky overhead seems to
threatento swallowtheKindredup inits greatblackvoid, and Once your city is completethe settingfor your Chronicle
the stars which arerarely visible in the brightly-lit city seem is still incomplete. You only have the larger framework in
to laugh maliciously at them. whichyou willbuildthemoreimportantscenesettings. Your
Troupewill experiencethe Gothic-Punkworld only through
You need to describe the rural areas as the Vampires the settingsyou describeto them. If your city has all of this
perceivethem,not as we perceive them. FormanyVampires great flavor and great style but you do not let that come out
the wildernessis a frightening,unknown place they have not in the individualscenes,then it was allfornothing. You must
visitedinmany years. Theyhaveonlyheardrumorsaboutthe let the look of your city shine through in each individual
temfyingWerewolveswholivethere and what they doto the scene.
Kindred they catch. When you describe the scenes in this
way,yourplayers will learntodistrustthewilderness,asthey In orderto best createan individualscene,the biggestand
should. most important task is to choose a location. Once you have
found your location, you can think about what makes it
Thereis alwaysthe possibility, however,that you wish to different from other similar locations in other cities. For
run your Chronicle as a traveling story where the Vampires instance, an inner-city slum in Los Angeles may have a
never stay in one place for any length of time. There are a cultural mix of Mexicans, African-Americans and Asians,
number of possible reasons for this and many are given in though many are racially segregated. One in New York
Vampire. Inthiscaseyou will wishto doalittleresearchand would have mostly African-Americansand Hispanicswith a
find good, dramatic settingsto place your Vampiresin. You mix of Europeannationalities.Both areinner-city slums,but
will also want to make the rural areas seem a little less onceyou addtheflavorof yourowncity they look,soundand
desolateand dangerous than 1have recommendedabove, or smell very different.
the Chronicle will quickly become extremely oppressive.
Youneednot spendasmuchtimewiththesettingsforyour
The possibilities for settingin rural areas are a little more sceneas you do with your plot and characters,but each time
limitedthan inthe city,soyou willneedto worka littleharder you create a scene,ask yourself who will be there,what will
if you want a mobile Chronicle. The Vampires will rarely they be doingand wherewill they be? Exoticand interesting
meet the same people more than once, and they will spend a settings can bring to life an otherwise ordinary and even
lot of time away from the large concentrations of people. boring scene. Following is a list of a few exotic scenes that
Thusyou will have to find more ways to make the Chronicle have been popular in chronicles. The list is by no means
interesting. This will also affect your plots and your charac- exhaustive,but it mayhelpyou when ad-libbingorimprovis-
ters, of course, but here are some suggestionsabout setting. ing a Story.

Think of exotic places in the wilderness that will make On the upper strata of wealth,the penthouse apartment is
good settings for scenes, such as abandoned houses, deep always an interesting location. The extravagance can make
mines, ghost towns, misty swamps, forbidding caverns, for an interestingplace to bargain and negotiate in. It’s also
broodingforests,old rock quarriesand lofty mountainpeaks quite fun to stage large fights in penthouses as the resulting
with dangerouscliffs. You must lookat the terrainthatexists collateraldamageis guaranteedto be very high. Usuallythe
in the area of the world that your Chronicle is in, so choose whole city is laid out in front of a big picture window with a
your initial location very carefully. New England, Eastern marvelousview. Thisalsocanmakethe scenemoredrainatic
and Western Europe and the new states of the old Soviet if,for instance,twoopposingfactionsarefightingforthe city
Union are all classic Gothic terrain which would make while the city is laid out behind them in panorama.
wonderfulsettingsfora rural VampireChronicle. Themore
adventurousStorytellermight choosea moreexoticarealike Mansionsare another good place to locate your Elders and
northern Africa, but this can lead to more trouble than it’s to negotiate deals and treaties. Try to stay away from the
worth, so only do it if you’re sure of your knowledge and typicalHollywoodmansionthat we seeineveryothermovie.
ability. Do somethingdifferent with it. Include an elaborategarden
in the back, a maze of bushes, a sculpturegarden, or a zoo.
Making It All Come Alive With Vampires and wealth, anythmg is possible. Why not
make the mansion a grand old castle that some old Vampire
No matter what kind of Chronicle you are planning on had broughtfromEuropestoneby stoneorhad a replicabuilt
running or in what part of the world you have placed your here to remind himself of his past? A grand castle on a hill
Vampires, you must be able to make the setting seem real, overlooking the city would be an impressive sight and an
dramaticand dynamic. This sectionincludestips and secrets unusual landmark for your city.
for novice and experienced Storytellers alike.
Yachts can be very exotic and interesting locations for
deals or fights. Again, try to make the yacht unique. There
are not too many strangethingsthat you can do with a yacht
because of the spacelimitations,soyou will probably simply

Chapter Three: The Setting 49