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

tion to avoid upsetting other players or bringing the game to a halt, it’s seldom justifi ed to
publicly dress down a player. Handle these matters quietly and politely but fi rmly, and don’t
let them ruin the game for the other players.
UNDEAD DENIAL:
“I’M NOT A VAMPIRE, I’M A SUPERHERO WITH AN ALLERGY TO SUNLIGHT.”
There are some players — not characters, but players — who do everything to downplay the
fact that their character is a vampire, making him as human as possible and otherwise ignoring
the facts of vampiric existence in favor of being a pale superhero. They breeze over slight
inconveniences like having to feed on human blood and their lack of true emotion. They relegate
these things to simple game mechanics and get back to focusing on the powers available
to them. While it’s fun to have a vampire character in denial of his bestial side — some famous
literary and television vampires come to mind — it’s quite another to have a player mechanically
minimize every monstrous aspect of the Kindred experience. Remember, even the Ordo Dracul
isn’t trying to become human, it’s simply trying to transcend ordinary Kindred limits to become
better vampires. Don’t let players create a character who’s essentially completely human with a
slightly different appetite and an allergy to sunlight. That’s not the point of the game.
Rather, players should remember that this is a game about playing monsters. Sure, some are
more in control of themselves, but even the most “noble” Kindred are still monsters with an
unnatural thirst for the blood of the living. They’re forever a mere sliver of sunlight or lick
of fl ame away from a horrifying burst of frenzied violence. If a player really wants to play a
human with some of the powers of vampirism that badly, well, they can play a ghoul. Kindred
characters have fantastic abilities, but everything they have comes with a price — and a steep,
terrifying one at that. It’s rarely a good thing that a character was made into a vampire. Even
if he’s secured a relatively nice position, he’s still given up much to do so, from family and
loved ones to real emotions and the feel of the sun. Most Kindred don’t ask to be what they
are — they just try to deal with it as best they can.
If a player starts to just gloss over the more personal aspects of the game, talk to them
about it. Politely ask why they are missing out on this part of playing their character. No one
should be forced to play a part that makes him uncomfortable out of game, but at the same
time, you can point out that that playing up a character’s faults often leads to some of the
best roleplaying. If the problem persists, maybe that player isn’t quite suited to the mood of
the game you intended.
POLITICAL BURNOUT:
“I CAN’T TAKE ALL THE BACKSTABBING IN THIS GAME!”
Vampires are not nice. Most of them were not nice people even when they were alive, and
even the best of them acquire savage predatory instincts and an eternal, unholy hunger upon
the Embrace. Kindred society and the basic psychology of the Damned promotes a certain
amount of paranoia and treachery in characters. Characters are encouraged to use politics
and dirty deeds to survive in the harsh world of the undead. If treated with maturity on the
part of all parties involved, these mature attitudes and tactics can actually be a large part of
the fun of playing a Requiem game.
That doesn’t mean that certain characters can’t seek out something better for themselves
— or that honest loyalties between vampires can’t be established. But for the most part, players
and Storytellers can be prepared for some knock-down, drag-out nastiness once the politics
of a game get moving. For some people though, this treachery can be a source of frustration
rather than roleplaying. While most of them can still enjoy the game by playing less politi-
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mind’s chapter eye four: theatre: storytelling requiem