#solo vtm

[newwavenosferatu]

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Damned Gangrel. As I awaken and tend to my things, I see a message from Aurelia, the local Baron. She has invited me to some bar to meet with her and Koffi. I reluctantly go after ingesting some rando blood.

The address sent was some dingy dive in Speedway. It was empty save for the Anarchs, a barkeep, and 4 or 5 depressed drunks. They were in a corner booth, and when I joined them, the first thing Aurelia said is "Hunt?" as I'm asking what she means she interrupts "A Hunt. Will you join us on a good old fashion Gangrel hunt? We like to go after local scumbags and whatnot and make them pay." I agreed, and we chatted for a bit, Harish, their Emissary , deciding to join us before we left .

I haven't spent much time among the Outcasts, so I was under the impression this was a simple feed-kill with a twist. Not so.

The Anarchs drove me out to the woods, where the Gangrel shape changed and ran around amongst the beasts. Aurelia caught a deer with her claws, mutilating the poor thing. She brought it back and the Koffi began to drink from the wounds like, well, an animal. Harish bit the creatures throat, while I stand by curiously watching. When they offered me a sip I dipped my finger in its blood and tasted it. Better than rats.

After this little ritual, we went to stake out the target. Apparently, the guy was a prison guard with a tendency for violence. We pulled up a street away and made our way to the house, a simple two story with fading white paint. Two cars were parked outside, but the lights were off. It was decided that I would be sent in to survey the place. Unseen Passage plus an unlocked door makes for an easy time. A middle aged woman and a teenage boy were in the kitchen, talking around the dinner table. Great, a complication. The target was upstairs, endlessly scrolling on his phone. I make my way back and inform the Anarchs of the situation, and despite the unsuspected humans, they decided to move in. I made my way back inside and up the stairs, waiting until I hear the knock-knock on the door, when Harish would attempt to use Dominate to deal with the others, and the Gangrel would come upstairs and help get the guy out. I held the guy back with a knife to his throat but my threats were met with a simple "what the fuck, fuck you". Luckily, I was able to keep a hold on the guy while Koffi came to my assistance, tying the dude up. Aurelia laughed and told us to bring him down. We obliged, and found the two kine asleep on the couch, with Harish lounging in a reclining chair. He got up, opened the back door, and then there we were, in this small, fenced area. Koffi and Aurelia began to drink deep of the subdued target, with Harish waiting patiently to join in. We heard people moving and talking in the house, it looks like whatever Harish did wasn't too successful. Aurelia says "not enough time, stab him and lets get out of here". Koffi whined, "aww but the chase is my favourite part!". Harish pulled out a small knife and plunged it into the mans heart. It was now that I fully understood what was going on. Apparently, the Gangrel like to choose a target, subdue them, and release them in the woods so they can chase them down and kill them. she ride back was full of arguing over how things could have gone better. The second the car stopped, I slipped out and vanished into the city.

I thought the Gangrel were just animalistic, but tonight revealed a gruesomely primal part of their nature. We Kindred are hunters yes, and many of us even revel in the hunt, but the way their eyes looked as they jumped on him, the noises they made as they fed on him in a way like wolves feed on a carcass. I'm starting to think there is more animal traits of the Gangrel besides their appearance and disciplines.

|End of Transmission|

[zindoesart]

julia and ilaria

[radiantmorningstar]

[transhueylong]

Someone made a vampire/VTM themed Ironsworn hack!

[interkos]

For @saintchevre

[lycorogue]

[ID:

Screenshot of a Facebook comment by Haldir Tleilaxian. It reads:

I once ran a VtM game. One dude signed up. I explained the setting, available clans: the game took place in Kazakhstan, modern days, explained the political powers, which clans controlled what. He said he understood everything. Then sends me his character - an elf druid.

/end ID]

Imagine a person who only consumes Batman-related media. That is, they only watch movies and TV shows that have Batman in them, only read books that are novelisations of Batman media, only play licensed Batman video games, and so forth. This is not so absurd an idea; Batman-related media is sufficiently popular, varied and widespread that restricting one's media consumption in this way is completely feasible. However, I trust we can agree that if you actually do this, you will be left with very strange ideas about what popular media looks like.

The next step in this analogy is undestanding that if the only tabletop RPG you're acquainted with is Dungeons & Dragons, you have the same grasp of the tabletop roleplaying hobby as our hypothetical Batman Guy has of popular media.

[bahamuts-tears]

I promise more vtm content soon 🙏

I've bern traveling a lot and will be headed to Firenze soon. The uffizi is so important and I really want to see Cellini’s work in person.

Really don’t want to leave this part of the world.

The best thing about traveling solo is being able to wander.

Please forgive me for not posting art. promise soon!!

[ttrpg-smash-pass-vs]

actually now I'm curious.

EDIT: Right, my personal experience is D&D 3.5, years of PF1e, a quick bout of Call of Cthulu, a year long campaign of Changeling the dreaming, Some d100 fallout thing, big campaign of Shadowrun 5e, D&D 5e, and PF2e. Haven't gotten to play PF2e in an actual campaign though, just watching and studying and running through mini adventures solo to balance test. Which is sad, but the only group I'm part of that plays it currently includes someone I'm not inclined to play with again. Also, have sat in on plenty of VtM and a bit of the Witcher RPG (and heard the tale of the campaigns like 10 times to the point I know it well.)

Most of it was PF1e. While I did enjoy my 3 year 5e campaign once I got dragged over, I'm glad to be slinking back home to Paizo. Changeling the Dreaming is my second favorite system. D&D 5e behind it. I feel like PF2e will knock PF1e down to 3rd of 4th once I can actually play the damn thing, but for now my mastery and nostalgia keep it at 1st.

[muckyschmuck]

scariest most terrifying thing ever for halloween ever is like just some dude having a nice time playing vtm solo while their sims are dying

[blackoutsys]

one thing i will probably not figure out if it's system related is just suddenly and randomly getting the urge to like. hunt people for sport.

like. i've got games i can do that in. however they all require and Large amount of people to actually work properly [project winter, among us] if you don't want to play with randoms

i play VTM: Bloodhunt but i don't want to do solos but my friends who Do play are busy

i don't think i will be used to having like. random urges/desires getting shoved into my head sdknfsdnkjs

'cause it's not a Concerning Urge [i've felt it before and i know how to deal with it easily] but also. how the fuck do i explain to someone my brain wants a fucking sniper rifle

like im gonna assume it's probably partly passive influence but like???? fuck????

[pretend-pretend-vampire]

if vtm had a gacha game

quick disclaimer: I'm probably not going to make this an actual game even if I'm allowed to, I just had fun thinking it up. I might do something with it though, I dunno what yet.

setting and plot

player is an anarch baron sending coteries on missions. there are more anarchs officially part of the movement than the baron has direct control over, “recruited” characters are just ones the baron has enough power over to make them do things

story starts small, with missions being largely to keep the peace within the anarchs themselves and keep [undecided city] running as it should

one event has them go to the beach PLEASE we need a beach episode

gameplay

form coteries of 4 for missions

success/fail (NOT choices matter) story rpg approach to missions. sometimes very specific specialties will resolve to a win far easier than high stats/disciplines, so fledglings with niche specialties remain useful into the midgame and even the lategame if you know where to use them

still a dice roll whether things work or not, so higher stats are important but can still fail

vampires in a coterie will gradually build trust the more successful missions they’re on with each other, which will increase the likelihood of succeeding help checks/amount they can help each other on checks per level of bond

missions grant feeding materials, trust, and on a first clear [currency]

vampires

vampires are named, with backstories and feeding preferences and flaws

vampires have the usual attributes, as well as a few key specialties (numbers dependent on the rarity of the character)

vampires have Discipline powers too (numbers dependent on the rarity of the character)

level-ups can be saved and spent on increasing stats or disciplines. different rarities get different level caps, and certain levels will unlock bond stories where you get glimpses into the personal lives of the vampires

vampires come in F (fledgling), N (neonate), A (ancilla) and E (elder) rarities, with fledglings being the most abundant and easiest to recruit and elders being by far the hardest

recruiting (scouting) can be done with [currency], typically in a solo yolo with some form of pity/spark system.

duplicates can be devoured for additional experience, which will be more if the dupe is devoured by its original

skins/”masks”(?) can be acquired, possibly granting mechanical benefits? and they’ll typically feature the vampire in a different outfit or doing something different. frequently gory. they can be set for navigators on the homescreen also

feeding materials

blood types A, B, AB, and O, as well as bagged blood, corpse blood, animal blood, and much rarer vitae and meat

very small chance for a feeding material to grant additional xp (representing resonances)

certain vampires have restrictions on which feeding materials they can/will consume, suffering steep mechanical consequences (lower experience gain?) for being fed the wrong type of blood (e.g. ventrue not getting their preferred bloodtype, nagaraja not getting meat, farmers not getting animal blood)

daily free 10-pull for basic(?) feeding materials

characters

lotsa typically-anarch clans, but antitribu of all clans are present. huge sprawling cast of 50+ recruitable characters

some events unlock characters “switching sides” to the anarchs, adding to the gacha pool as rate-ups for the relevant event periods

one salubri in the whole game and they’re a neonate but their unique amalgam disciplines make them really fucking useful

[newwavenosferatu]

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Tonight proved interesting. Tufts, my Gangrel friend told me that 2 of the local Divas are feuding. Carmelia, one of the dreaded Kindred suburbanites, is aiming to convince to Primogen that she would be a better Keeper of Elysium than Rayner, who has had the role for over 4 decades. Always down to fuck with the Roses, I decided to go to Rayner and express my support after grabbing something to eat, as my taste for rat blood was wearing away.

He was frantic, pacing and staring at all these strange but beautiful tapestries depicting scenes both gruesome and beautiful. Apparently he has made one for each of the Primogen, and inquired if I may assist him in delivering them. Curious to see their reactions, I spent the night riding around town and presenting his works to our Primogen. It was a mixed bag, all in all. Some greatly enjoyed the works, although most of them are rather friendly with Rayner. Itzhak, our Toreador Primogen, seemed beyond amused that his childe would create such a work in an attempt to maintain good standing. Eskil, the Termere on the council, flat out refused the gift and said he couldn't care less who arranged Elysium. Classic Eskil. Sometimes this whole Camarilla thing can actually be fun, especially when you don't give a shit about it. I let the others scurry around and humiliate themselves in an attempt for power and glory. Me? I'll be with the rats, pouring over their secrets and shame.

|End of Transmission|

[mxldito]

Get to Know the Mun

what's your phone wallpaper?: Both my wallpaper and lock screen are Coyote lol. My lock screen is this classic by joltergeist and my wallpaper is this beauty by its-sixxers.

last song listened to: Solo la morte ti ammanette - Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats

currently reading: Netherworld by Richard Lee Byers. It's one of those OLD VTM novels. I believe this one is based off V2.

last movie: Watched Maxx/xine with Prism.

last show: Blue Planet II.

what are you wearing right now?: A snap closure tank top and cargo short (in a goth honoring way)

piercings/tattoos: Double lobe on my left and single lobe on my right. I almost got a navel ring but my anatomy turned out to be a little risky for it.

glasses/contacts?: Glasses

last thing you ate?: Chicken sammich (yay!)

favorite color: Black.

current obsession: Other than the usual? Horror movies again.

do you have a crush right now?: The Predator in the original 1987 film heehee.

favorite fictional character: My OCs...and my friends OCs. :)

last place you traveled: Like, traveled traveled? Went to San Francisco with my tías and a couple of my cousins a little while back! We toured Alcatraz and it was very interesting. My hips gave out once we got back to our lodgings though. My hips hurt easy and there are so many stairs and inclines in the island and in the actual prison itself. But the view across the bay of Fisherman's Wharf is very beautiful after dark. I love being on boats. :3

Tagged by: @eternalbite (Thankies :3) Tagging: YOU!

[all-thestories-aretrue]

Obligatory disclaimer: I am not that familiar with VtM 20th anniversary edition mechanics or the lore so like take some of this with a grain of salt (or several).

TDLR: Nara exploits Neil and his abilities by taking away his ability to consent by getting him high during their time in Baghdad. 

There is the obvious moral quandary of “one guy getting high is worth saving the world,” which may be true. That is not what I am here to discuss. I am much more interested in looking at Neil and Nara’s dynamic during this time and what it says about them. 

It is obvious that Neil cares for Nara; he loves her. It’s stated that he would trust her with his life, and he calls her beloved nearly every chance he gets. I do think Nara does care for Neil in some ways; I just don’t think her feelings outweigh his usefulness to her. She has many reasons to keep Neil close to her, and her care for him is just one. 

Time is running out for Nara and the Assamites; the Herald is rising, and she knows this. She also knows Neil is capable of having visions. These two facts culminate in her using Neil to get what she wants regardless of his own thoughts or feelings. In addition, I would argue that Nara is familiar with Neil on kalif, that she would know how it affects and impairs him given their relationship and proximity to one another, particularly earlier in Neil’s life. I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe she would know any potential dependencies or addictions Neil would have to the substance. 

I posit that kalif does not affect all Kindred the same, and that it has different potencies (smoking vs. ingesting kalif tainted blood) based on how Jubair and Neil both react to smoking in Neil’s solo episode. However, I do recognize that Neil has been on a steady diet of kalif (and who knows what else) for a few weeks at the time of his meeting with Jubair, and it is safe to assume he is not sober when he accepts the joint from Nara as he mentions having trouble focusing earlier in the episode.

Over the course of their conversation, we see Jubair take “a heavy hit” (PoN 1.5-Neil Foster 11:39) off of Neil’s joint, but he does not seem to have any immediate effects. He remains cognizant and able to carry on the conversation with Neil, and he is quick to respond to the attack. Whereas Neil is unable to follow the conversation and repeatedly looks to Nara for guidance since he is unable to make his own determination despite only having accepted the joint moments before Jubair is introduced. 

I also posit that kalif has addictive qualities about it. Whether this is true or not, I honestly don’t know, but there is evidence in PoN indicative that it may be addictive. When Nara offers Neil the joint, the comment is made, “If she gives it to me, I take it. It’s hard to say no” (PoN 1.5-Neil Foster 8:10). Later on, in episode 25, the coterie is hit with a kalif bomb, and Neil is described as an addict (PoN s2ep25 16:15). Though, this could have been a way to explain Neil’s mechanical failure. 

(As a note, I haven’t been able to find much online about kalif and whether or not it is addictive. The source I have read, provided by @peppedstep, compared it to weed and described it as a strong hallucinogen that is used for ritualistic magical purposes (Rites of Blood, pg,72).) 

Whether or not kalif is addictive, Nara knowingly and willingly gave Neil a substance that impairs his cognitive function and lowers his defenses to serve her own ends, and did so to “a dangerous degree” (17:40). I would also argue she would be familiar with the impact kalif and the visions may have on his mental health (panic attacks, dissociation, anxiety, etc.), and she chooses to proceed with offering the drug to him anyway without heed for his wellbeing. In this situation, Neil is incapable of giving informed consent (regarding the conversation, regarding the additional kalif, regarding his next attempt at a vision on her behalf) because he is already dangerously high or because he is addicted, or, realistically, both.  

Nara also preys on Neil’s people-pleasing tendencies and self-esteem issue, intentional or not, by commenting that his visions (and therefore, him) have not been as helpful or useful as she hoped spurring him to try for another vision and ingest more kalif. However, she is supposed to know Neil well, and that would include his inclination to people-please. He loves her deeply and wants to help her; he would not tell her no in this situation, and I believe she knows this.

I talked at length here about how I view Neil’s memory loss, which I won’t rehash, but it is worth noting much of his time with Nara during this stretch is quite hazy or he flat out doesn’t remember. The only other person who can vouch for most of this time is Nara, and she has more than enough reason to deceive, omit, or keep the truth from Neil. He has no way to tell if Nara is further exploiting or manipulating him beyond using him for his visions. If she is willing to take his ability to consent away in one circumstance, I would argue there is not much keeping her from taking it away in any other. It’s clear she does not take his needs or wellbeing into consideration with her choices.

This episode is the only interaction we see between Nara and Neil, excluding Neil’s visions. If these interactions are indicative of the baseline of their relationship, how much does she really care about Neil if she is willing to sacrifice his mental health, overall wellbeing, and ability to consent if she benefits from taking those things away? Is this same dynamic present in their intimacy? If Neil is constantly relying on her judgment because he is high and/or unable to remember, when does he have the opportunity to make his own decisions about what happens to him? What will happen when enabling his addiction is no longer beneficial for her? 

In conclusion, I think Nara is using Neil for his abilities and is exploiting him by taking away his ability to consent to what is done to him. Given this is the only canon interaction we have between the two, I wonder about the dynamic in their relationship as a whole and if it is a healthy one for Neil. It also makes me wonder in what other ways she has exploited Neil since she seems to have little regard for his needs or wellbeing.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[toskarin]

this is more of an idle curiosity than any sort of declaration of intent, but if I did another ttrpg soundtrack, what sort of soundtrack would people be interested in?

for context, I'd say NOMAD/VIRTUE was "lived-in sci-fi"

[interkos]

for @saintchevre