Mind's Eye Theatre - Vampire The Requiem.pdf - RoseRed

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designing and using antagonists chapter • sample one: antagonists society of the • animals damned 347 capable than two or three of the players’ characters combined, but when other members of the coterie come into play, the odds even out or possibly favor the players. Such is the value of teamwork — which lets you mine the inherent untrustworthiness of the Kindred to add tension to the story. Beware Incongruous Antagonists Incongruous characters serve a few purposes, some of which are bad while others are good. Regarding the poor use of incongruous characters, they’re either thrown in at the last minute to create some sort of confl ict where none existed before, or they’re “swerve” characters, whose only purpose is for the Storyteller to lord over the players by saying, “Aha! You fell for the red herring!” Incongruous characters can fi t into a story if their alien status helps the story along or illustrates some aspect of the chronicle by way of contrast. Consider an antagonist sent by a greater rival to confound the characters. The rival knows the characters and attacks them where they’re weak. The incongruous character initially seems out of place, but some relevant characteristic makes him very apropos. An apolitical character in a very political chronicle might seem out of place, but his defeat at the hands of the betterconnected characters reinforces the theme that politics are important, and those who exist outside them will be overrun. Sample Antagonists The following sections contain profi les of a number of Storyteller characters that you can drop into your stories as you need them, or as models for creating your own characters. As with the antagonists in Mind’s Eye Theatre, non-combatant characters are individuals who fi ll minor or “walk-on” roles. They serve as contacts, they sell secrets and they become vessels. They have a basic description, Storytelling hints to help you convey them as distinct characters, and a basic description of their pertinent abilities. Combatant characters are individuals who could pose a threat to the main characters of the story. They can be all sorts of physical threats. In addition to a basic description and roleplaying hints, they also have a much more detailed breakdown of their relevant abilities. Note that combatant characters do not always have to be involved in combat. The encounter might have a nonviolent resolution, or the contact between characters might result in some resolution other than bullets and fangs. These antagonists complement those in Mind’s Eye Theatre. The antagonists found there help round out a cast of enemies whom characters can encounter during the course of a chronicle. Remember, however, that meaningful interactions between characters make for satisfying dramatic situations. These antagonists and those in Mind’s Eye Theatre aren’t meant to be the central foes in a game, or even major fi gures. They’re just here when you need an archetype quickly and on the spot. A wise Storyteller builds his chronicle’s central antagonists long before play begins, custom-tailoring them to the chronicle he wants to tell. ANIMALS The following examples list some animals found in urban or rural environments. Note: Unlike humans, Defense for animals is determined by selecting whichever is highest between Dexterity and Wits. Specialties are listed in parentheses following their associated Skills. Add one extra die to a test pool whenever a Specialty applies. Each animal’s attack is listed with a total test pool (including natural weapon modifi ers) for the Storyteller’s convenience.
HELL HOUND Description: Hell hounds originate as normal dogs who gain supernatural prowess over the course of their lives. In most cases, this is due to being fed Vitae (thus turning them into ghouls), but in other cases, certain magics of the undead twist them into these brutish beasts. Hell hounds have far shorter tempers than their normal counterparts, except toward their masters. Hell hounds are fanatically loyal, even more so than most canine companions. The Attributes listed here represent a large guard dog (80-100 pounds) as the base stock from which the beast is created. Attributes: Intelligence 1, Wits 4, Resolve 4, Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Presence 4, Manipulation 1, Composure 3 Skills: Athletics (Running) 4, Brawl 3, Intimidation 3, Stealth 1, Survival (Tracking) 3 Willpower: 7 Initiative: 6 Defense: 4 Running Speed: 14 (species factor 7) Size: 4 Disciplines: Vigor 2 Vitae/per Turn: 2/1 (this is just Vitae usable for a creature’s Discipline; it does not represent the entirety of the blood within a hell hound’s body) Weapons/Attacks: Type Damage Test Pool Bite 2 (L) 9 Health: 7 HOMUNCULUS Description: A homunculus is a magically conjured servant that might be found in the service of a Acolyte or some other sorcerous type. Its appearance varies. In some cases, homunculi are stunted, impish likenesses of their masters. In other cases, they’re animal “familiars” with an outstanding degree of intelligence or loyalty. In still other cases, homunculi are wholly freakish things — disembodied hands that scramble about doing their masters’ business, small tentacled horrors that scuttle from sight when the lights come on, or even things less describable with words. Homunculi can take simple orders and even communicate on a limited basis with their masters. They’re not capable of meaningful communication with other intelligent creatures, however. The following Attributes are typical for a small homunculus, perhaps 10 pounds or so. Storytellers should come up with physical descriptions for exactly what each homunculus looks like. For animal “familiars,” Storytellers may wish to consult the Mind’s Eye Theatre book and use the animals presented there instead of an artifi cial description. Non-animal homunculi are not designed for heavy-duty tasks. They have a -1 dot penalty to their Health. Attributes: Intelligence 1, Wits 2, Resolve 1, Strength 1, Dexterity 5, Stamina 3, Presence 2, Manipulation 1, Composure 2 Skills: Athletics 2, Crafts 1, Investigation 3, Stealth 3 Willpower: 3 Initiative: 7 Defense: 5 Running Speed: 10 (species factor 2) Size: 2 348 mind’s chapter eye four: theatre: storytelling requiem
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live-action rules for playing vampi
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CREDITS Concept and Design: Justin
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4 Introduction No man ever became e
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Vampires must sustain themselves on
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8 chapter one: society of the damne
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Try though they might, the Kindred
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Kindred that thrives on blood and d
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Geographically, the Gangrel seem to
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dred institution, especially owing
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London, New Orleans and Chicago —
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20 mortal society. Certainly, some
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22 they become helpless targets. Li
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options? Petition for help? To whom
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26 Needless to say, the society of
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Church-modeled domains tend to swin
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FEEDING RESTRICTIONS Some Princes d
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of state.” The Herald is assumed
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MASTER OF ELYSIUM In essence a comb
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don’t happen, but rather that tho
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38 The Danse Macabre Throughout the
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Upon being informed of just how old
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Just the same, puppets and sinners
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44 chapter one: society of the damn
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esponding roughly to a later Spanis
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48 The Carthian Movement Undeniably
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The Chain At almost every Carthian
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52 THE CIRCLE OF THE CRONE Few vamp
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way a static creature can otherwise
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Hierophant In domains where the Cir
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without the reality of it. Many you
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The Invictus, alone among covenants
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the Middle Ages, that God stepped i
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66 Two: That what you once were is
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Anointing/Blood Baths Used whenever
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it, nor does it mean to adhere to a
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RITUALS AND OBSERVANCES The most im
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Not all members of the Ordo Dracul
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Not every covenant is as fully stru
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— it chooses its fi ghts carefull
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Likewise, the Ordo Dracul doesn’t
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to Rötschreck, and can even access
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92 THE FIRST TRADITION: MASQUERADE
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ever fi gure responsible for the cr
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granted therefrom), the next step w
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Kindred even use connections in the
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Rumors suggest that some few ghouls
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trial Revolution) arrived not long
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Exceptions exist, of course. Every
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Crúac (KREW • ack): The bloody,
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Whip: One who keeps his clanmates i
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110 chapter two: character
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Now that you’re familiar with the
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All characters begin with one dot i
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• The Carthians: Members of the C
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118 OPTIONAL RULE: I WASN’T EMBRA
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VAMPIRE TEMPLATE QUICK REFERENCE Th
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• What are your habitual feeding
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in a number of practical talents. S
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her formidable personality and the
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nying chart). In fact, some elders
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little protection once they have be
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as a whole. Princes, Regents, Primo
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A character must have at least a si
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136 chapter two: character Daeva Ot
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138 STEREOTYPES Gangrel: They are b
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clan is active in the Circle of the
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142 chapter two: character Mekhet V
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144 STEREOTYPES Daeva: They thought
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in any warren until she provides he
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148 chapter two: character Ventrue
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150 STEREOTYPES Daeva: Our only ser
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• Bonuses or penalties to test po
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154 Note, however, that such protec
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The vampire must make eye contact,
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awake. Any injuries infl icted on t
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In order to avoid potential problem
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A Kindred may only read a subject
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•••• TELEPATHY At this leve
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during the daytime (see p. 264). Th
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168 chapter two: character This is
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•• MESMERIZE The source of many
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To restore stolen or false memories
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or accidents unless more compelling
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Refusing to pay attention to the va
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This power may only be used on a ta
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diablerist being summoned into a kn
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mediate gratifi cation, and these K
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Rötschreck, for example. In this c
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their Cloak to an individual who ha
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- indicates that she wishes to use
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Lastly, with considerable effort a
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PROTEAN Easily one of the most over
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Imbued with the unholy power of Vit
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Test Pool: Resilience is unlike man
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Crúac does not have the same linea
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CHEVAL (LEVEL-TWO CRUAC RITUAL) Thi
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WILLFUL VITAE (LEVEL-FOUR CRUAC RIT
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know an unlimited number of level-o
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BLANDISHMENT OF SIN (LEVEL-THREE TH
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If this power is used to affect ano
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THE COIL OF BANES The two major ban
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Like all Obfuscate-based powers, a
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Cost: 1 Vitae Test Pool: Resolve +
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216 mind’s chapter eye three: the
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In addition to the powers and advan
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Vitae does not change a character
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DIABLERIE The act of diablerie, som
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OPTIONAL RULE: DIABLERIE DURATION T
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tion best focused elsewhere. The La
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ond. (Willingly bonded characters s
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BLOOD SYMPATHY On some occasions, K
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BLOOD SUPPLY When a vampire takes b
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on the part of the Kindred to creat
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a Ventrue ghoul gains a single dot
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Potency comparisons or frenzy tests
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BASHING DAMAGE Fists, clubs and fal
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danger. Sunlight fi ltered through
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A Vitae is spent to heal one lethal
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permanent residence in a vampire’
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If the character succumbs to torpor
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or did he merely wish they had? Som
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of submitting to the Kiss. Few modi
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Kindred call such a temporary, nego
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Kindred who spend too much time in
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show of bravado as a show of streng
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REGAINING HUMANITY Kindred who make
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If a situation imposes penalties on
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discretion, a character may resist
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this draw succeeds, your character
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people who confront him with trauma
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The visionary encounter ends with a
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Blood Potency to a level where she
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2,” and players should avoid usin
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city, his City Status in his home c
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CHANGING CITY STATUS City Status is
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Clan Status and City Status is the
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3.14 — PRAISEWORTHY DEEDS FOR THE
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While engaged in rituals and simila
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usually results in punishment by a
Page 297 and 298: 296 mind’s chapter eye four: thea
Page 299 and 300: Knowing the proper application of t
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Page 305 and 306: more Kindred it can sustain. The si
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Page 311 and 312: Themes help you focus the events an
Page 313 and 314: Now you can go through this skeleta
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Page 317 and 318: Along the way, they face the tempta
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Page 365 and 366: While every vampire belongs at leas
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Page 369 and 370: clan, and she passes that weakness
Page 371 and 372: What circumstances led this Kindred
Page 373 and 374: THE RULES STUFF At some point, you
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Page 377 and 378: Although novel Disciplines might be
Page 379 and 380: Watch out for redundant powers with
Page 381 and 382: An attack might have a fi xed effec
Page 383 and 384: That Discipline is the most advance
Page 385 and 386: healing 244-245 bat form 194 Beast,
Page 387 and 388: addiction 221 aura veins 96-97, 223
Page 389 and 390: esisting abilities 153-154 Vinculum
Page 391 and 392: Ordo Dracul 77-78 torpor 248-252 dr
Page 393 and 394: FAVORED ACTIONS Action/Power Traits
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