Boon Lottery! NPC Harpy, like or dislike?

by Crisstopher L. Walker

October 3rd, 2010

So, during the historical games at chronicle start there will be all NPC court officers.  As we work out way into the modern game these officers will be phased out in favor of player characters.

It has been brought to my attention that it might be wise to have an NPC "Grand Harpy".

This NPC would be ultimately responsible for keeping track of boons, and for seeing to it that particularly agregious breaches of social etiquette do not go unpunished (something like the "Sins against the City" mechanic from Requiem...except she can technically be killed or Dominated or whatever.

Part of the reason that this might be necessary is that I plan for this game to have a thriving economy of boons.

With that in mind...behold...the Economy of Boons:

Accepted Boon Types: Minor, Major, Blood, Life

(Trivial boons are not boons at all but simply "Favors" in the conventional sense...society will not punish those who do not replay their "Favors" in any official capacity as they will a "Boon".)

Minor Boon = 1 Minor Boon

Major Boon = 3 Minor Boons

Blood Boon = 6 Minor Boons

Life Boon = 9 Minor Boons

Of course, this means the following logical implications are true as well:

2 Major Boons = 1 Blood Boon

3 Major Boons = 1 Life Boon

There will be a Boon Lottery!

Here is how this will work...

If you have an Elder Template, you are required to contribute a minimum of 6 minor boons into the Lottery.

If you have an Ancilla Template, you are required to contribute a minimum of 3 minor boons into the Lottery.

If you have a Neonate Template, you are not required to participate.

These numbers are merely the minimum.  Players may invest any number of boons that they like into the lottery, with the understanding that the more boons you contribute the more dangerous it can be for your PC in the long run.

Each boon contributed will be represented by a slip of paper with the players name on it.  All of the slips of paper will be put into a hat and drawn at random by me.  If you put in 6 slips of paper then you get to draw 6 slips of paper...if you put in none, then you do not get to draw any.  You stand the chance of drawing your own name out of the hat...if this happens then consider yourself lucky as that is one less Boon that someone else can get and use against you.  Here is the kicker!  If someone draws three minor boons for your character then they may consolidate them using the above Economy of Boons chart and turn them into a Major Boon.  If one person does this and then another person does the same and one of them traded their Major boon against you to the other, then that person could combine the two Major Boons into a Blood Boon...and so forth.

Sound like fun?

Should we have an NPC "Grand Harpy"?

10 comments

You asked for it...you got it

by Crisstopher L. Walker

October 2nd, 2010

So...I have a player interest survey which has been up for quite some time.  It can be found here:

Click here to take survey

So far, a number of players have participated in this survey and indicated their preference for the type of game that they would like to play in.

Overwhelmingly, folks have asked that Mystery/Suspence, and Political/Intrigue be the focal point of this Chronicle.

That is what the people want...that is what they shall have.

Also quite overwhelmingly, the players have told me that they are not interested in Action/Adventure themes to involve violence and combat.  Is there a place for combat and violence in the WoD?  YES!  Will there be combat and violence in my game?  YES!  Are the majority of my players clearly Narrativists and decidedly not Gameists?  YES!

So, if you play in this game then you should be expecting to solve 99% of your in character beefs in good old fashioned, machiavellian, fuck-your-buddy, back-stabby fashion.  If you decide to resolve your problems at the tip of a physical challenge then the motivation had better be pretty compelling.  When 27 players are playing the political game, and 3 players decide that they can't win that way and will have to resort to murderation of other PC's...that is when I have a problem. 

Exist within the setting with the rest of us.  Play your character.  Become interested in your characters personal story.  Become interested in the overall story of the Chronicle.  By all means, fuck over your friends for profit at the first opportunity.  Do not, however, make PvP death your automatic response.

0 comments

Gen Slots Redux, Draft Order, and Trading Rules

by Crisstopher L. Walker

October 2nd, 2010

****LAST UPDATED 10/05/10 14:14****

Here is the new Generation spread (based on new, more realistic, numbers):

8th - 2

9th - 4

10th - 8

11th - 9

12th - 8

13th - 4

...and here is the order as it stands today

1.) Greg Clark / Brent Wagner

2.) Laura Simpson / Aaron Coleman

3.) Jonathan Hammond

4.) Dave Johnson

5.) Brent Collins

6.) Lance Williams / Chris Morris

7.) Damon Edwards

8.) Kalon Nalley

9.) Erin Miller

10.) Kenneth Letteer

11.) Doug Clark

12.) Matthew Spharler

13.) Jack Lamb

14.) Betty Walker

15.) Chad Brown

16.) Justin Bailey / Chad Hunter

17.) Tim Boser

18.) Scott Pitcock

19.) Jasmine Jobe

20.) Darrell McLaughlin

21.) Monika Bailey

22.) Marian Koehler

23.) Todd Erickson

24.) LeKesha Hammond

25.) Tony Sampaio

26.) Sheryl Letteer / Doug Ekrut

Trading begins immediately and will continue until Sunday the 10th at 00:01 in the morning.

For clarification, there are some rules to how this trading is going to work.

I am borrowing from the Magic: the Gathering Tournament rules on this one.  In M:tG you are allowed to suggest to your opponent some sort of a resolution to the game other than playing it out (i.e. You take the win, but I get the prize support...or whatever).  However, you are only allowed to suggest it ONE TIME.  After that you can be DQ'ed for badgering your opponent.  In much the same fashion, you are allowed to ask someone if they are interested in making a trade ONE TIME ONLY.  If they say yes and you enter into negotiations then you can discuss it till your heart's content.  But, if they say no...then that is it.  Move along.  Nothing to see here.

It is also HIGHLY inappropriate to offer a lack of retribution as a negotiation.  That is to say "Hey, wanna trade?  If you don't then I will make a combat sheet and grease your PC!"  If this happens the perpetrator will not be welcome to play in my game...period.

No trades are final until I have approved them.

Also, if you have resolved that you WILL NOT be making a trade, please feel free to create your character and submit it to me via this forum.

6 comments

Do this...get 10 x.p. on your character!!!

by Crisstopher L. Walker

October 2nd, 2010

The following questions are meant to be used as a springboard to fill out the character's background as much as possible. Even if there isn't time for a detailed prelude, you should try to answer as many of these questions as possible - write them out if you like, or talk about them with your Storyteller. The more you know about your character, the more real she'll seem when the game begins.

Players who complete this Questionnaire will receive 10 x.p. on their character.

Completed Questionnaires can be emailed to me at AuxArcST@gmail.com

- How old are you?

When were you born? How old were you when you were Embraced? How long have you existed as a vampire? How old do you look? Are you more mature than you seem? Less?

- What was unique about your childhood?

How did you spend your early years? How were your basic motivations and attitudes forged? Where did you go to school? Who were your immediate family? What is your clearest childhood memory? Did you go to high school? Did you have a hometown, or was your family constantly on the move? Did you go to college? Did you run away from home? Did you play sports? Did any of your childhood friendships last to adulthood?

- What kind of person were you?

Were you a decent person, or were you an asshole? Were you popular? Did you have a family? How did you earn a living? Did you have any real friends? What kept you going from day to day? Will anyone miss you?

- What was your first brush with the supernatural?

When did you realize you were being stalked? Did you believe in the occult before your Embrace? When did you first meet a vampire? Were you afraid? Disbelieving? Angry? What frightened you most?

- How did the Embrace change you?

How did your sire catch you? Was the Embrace painful? Did you get a kinky pleasure out of it? Did the Hunger tear at you? Did it frighten you? Did it feel right? Are you grateful to your sire? Do you want to kill him for what he did to you?

- Who was your sire, and how did he treat you?

What do you know of your sire? Was he abusive, arrogant, cryptic or open? Why do you think he chose you? Did you even know your sire at all? How long did you stay with your sire? Did he teach you anything at all? How long was your "apprenticeship"? Where did you stay? Where did you go? Did you meet any other vampires during that time? Do you judge other vampires in general by your opinion of your sire? When did he teach you the Traditions?

- Were you presented to the prince?

Did the prince welcome you? Was he/she reluctant to accept you? Did he/she need to be bribed or

threatened? Did your sire have permission to create you? Are you on the run from the prince? What do you think his/her opinion of you is?

- How did you meet the others in your coterie?

Were you brought together by chance or design? Are you all of one sect? Are you united in purpose and attitude? How long have you been together in the city? Did you know any of the others before the Embrace? Are your sires in cooperation, or are they rivals? What holds your coterie together when things get their worst?

- Where is your haven?

Where do you hide during the day? Do you have a permanent home at all? Do you stay in the place you inhabited in your mortal life? Do you hide in an abandoned building? The sewers? Do you have anyone to protect you during the day?

- Do you retain any connections to your mortal life?

Are you presumed dead? Do you still watch over relatives from afar? Do you pretend to be still alive? Did you abandon your mortal existence entirely?

- What are your habitual feeding grounds?

Whom do you feed upon, and where? Do you have a territory that you consider exclusively yours? Is your favorite hunting ground used by others? Do you compete with others? What is your preferred prey? Do you ever kill when you feed? Do you have a specific herd? Do you seduce your prey? Kidnap them? Assault them on the street? Do they come to you?

- What motivates you?

Do you seek revenge on any enemies? Do you long to return to your mortal life? Do you have ambitions in Kindred society? If you could achieve anything in the world, what would it be?

4 comments

Template Proposal

by Crisstopher L. Walker

October 1st, 2010

All Templates must be applied AFTER base character creation, but BEFORE negative traits, points gained from taking flaws, and freebie points are spent.

8th Generation: Elder Template

+3 Attributes to each category (Phsycial, Social, & Mental)

+3 Abilities

+ 6 Lore (to be divided between Kindred, Camarilla, and Clan. Not to exceed 4 in any given Lore.)

***Lore is treated as a Hobby/Expert/Professional ability and may only be purchased with Storyteller approval.

2 Skill Specializations (may still only be applied to Abilities which have been raised to a 4 or better)

+3 Disciplines (may not be used to raise a discipline above 5)

6 points of Influence (only 3 points can be spent on any one Influence.  So you could have 6 influences at 1, 3 influences at 2, or 2 influences at 3.  Influences can be raised afterward with negative traits, flaw points, or freebies as normal.)

Status Traits - Respected, & Venerable

Merits & Flaws featured in Mind's Eye Theatre: Laws of Elysium are available to your PC with Storyteller approval.

-1 Humanity (No points benefit may be gained from this loss of this Humanity)

+1 Derangement (No points benefit may be gained from taking this Derangement)

9th & 10th Generations: Ancilla Template

+1 Attribute to each category (Physical, Social, & Mental) 

+2 Abilities

+ 3 Lore (to be divided between Kindred, Camarilla, and Clan. Not to exceed 4 in any given Lore.)

***Lore is treated as a Hobby/Expert/Professional ability and may only be purchased with Storyteller approval.

1 Skill Specializations (may still only be applied to Abilities which have been raised to a 4 or better)

+2 Disciplines

3 points of Influence (only 3 points can be spent on any one Influence.  So you could have 3 influences at 1, 1 influence at 2 and another influence at 1, or 1 influences at 3.  Influences can be raised afterward with negative traits, flaw points, or freebies as normal.)

Status Traits - Respected

-1 Humanity (No points benefit may be gained from this loss of this Humanity)

11th, 12th, & 13th Generations: Neonate Template

+2 Attribute traits to apply as you see fit 

+ 1 Ability

+1 Discipline

+3 background points (to be spent in any combination on the following Backgrounds: Allies, Contacts, Fame, Mentor, or Resources)

1 point of Influence (without Storyteller approval, this point may be spent on any influence other than Church, Occult, or Politics)

What do you guys think?  Discussion is encouraged!

3 comments

Interactive Map of the Little Rock of Aux Arc: Little Rock by Night

by Crisstopher L. Walker

September 30th, 2010

Copy and Paste the following link into your browser:

http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=116317760891077036312.000490ca81e0b3a56cf86&ll=34.926475,-92.331848&spn=1.619058,2.469177&z=9

For some reason the linking function of this site is not working properly or something...sorry about the Copy and Paste.

3 comments