RPG Soapbox

On the other hand, while this may be more of an issue in Vampire, in DA Werewolf, you have some pretty solid, canon reasons for PCs (of most tribes) to be more attractive than the norm (careful breeding lines and the vigor and attractiveness of werewolf genetics and regeneration) and for gender issues to be a minor issue within Garou society, at least.

Stuff is getting done - worked on disallowed concepts and justification list (our version of a restricted list). Should have room lists and major NPCs done.

Am working on beating tech guys with lead pipes.

To ask the peanut gallery so my bases are covered - what's your criteria for a successful Dark Ages chat? I understand this is a subjective question, but I find I get a lot of good information when I ask around like this and I get to pick and choose things - plus it helps me to find things that I might not have thought of before.

additionally -
I'm getting a lot of pet peeves - you guys shouldn't do this, - but what should we do?

Should you do? Active STs, active STs, umm.. ya active STs. There's number one on the list to be successful. Next, run SL's, then run some more, and ya run some more. I know this seems childish and seems to be a 'duh' type thing but it's good to be reminded. Like some others before have mentioned, don't be afraid of PC death, it's ok especially in the DA where random bad crap happens all the time. I'd suggest remembering some of the core principles from the time period. Nobles ruled, peasants got shat on, women were second class citizens(yes women's suffrages is hundreds of years away, sorry ladies, so get back in the kitchen and tonight we're makin a baby, j/k), the Church is all powerful, those kinds of things. You say you want it to be realistic to the time period than stick with it, and if someone wants to break away from that than either don't sanction them, or show them what happens to oddities in a time of superstition.

Also, and this will strike a nerve with some people, remember that this was a time of great abuse. We'd all like to think that knights upheld honor and defended the weak, when majority of the time they were nothing more than bullies for a lord. Strong got to pick on the weak, and it was ok, no lawyers to sue for discrimination or bullying or anything else. Game of politics and horror, don't forget the horror part. I know everyone likes being the hero, but in the DA it can be easier to be an evil monstrous bastard that sucks the marrow out of children or some such.

Finally a personal pet peeve of mine, no NPCs sleeping with PCs. You lose all kinds of respect with a player base if you have the Garou Elder doin a PC kin, or the Prince sleeping with a Brujah's ghoul. Also, keep it real, no watching Dragonheart and having Puff drop in for a chat. Just my two cents.

Use emoticons that face the right direction.

Points 1 and 2 I covered in some of the stuff I wrote tonight for the game.

Point 3 I want to clarify - well, the first part anyway. Second half is already covered as well.

When you mean this; do you mean this as in "No NPC cyber with PCs" or no "NPC relationship with PCs".

My thoughts on this are thus -

I really, really, really don't care what people do as their PCs in their own time. If you want to sit in your locked room and play "Type the Sex" that's fine with me, it doesn't bother me any, but don't expect to get any pull in game for doing so. However, as an ST, you get your jollies on your own time. When you're being official, you should do just that.

However, NPCs who come in and issue proclamations and wander out aren't very vital to the setting. I don't want to see a Garou elder logged in spending all their time playing kissyface with a PC kin (and I think the Prince of the City should be beyond the point where they're sexing up PC ghouls, but that's me). However - I do think those relationships are essential and if you have a network of NPCs who's story is vital only to them, then there's no connection for the players. NPCs also have roles other than the antagonist or the distant mentor - if a PC falls in love with an NPC or arranges a marriage with an NPC - I'm okay with that. But it should exist only to further the story overall or because of in character actions - not because the Werewolf storyteller is trying to get it with the player of the sexy Shadowlord Player and rolls up an NPC Shadowlord noble kin with all the money and the power. There's a certain level of acceptable of that sort of thing - and I'm going to at first err on the side of trust for both my players and my team. Maybe it's naive of me to do so; but there's no reason we can't change things if it doesn't work out.

Read between the lines. Hit on all her NPCs.

Sure! I believe the best love stories are tragedies, anyway.

(:

Will this be another digi? *shudders* I've heard Vampire and Werewolf....any other venues I might of missed?

From what's been said of the setting for Ill Omen, you're going to have your hands full Leigh. Ill Omen is being set in Iberia right around the time of the Reconquista (both mortal and vampiric). That area and time is one of the biggest powder kegs during the DA timeline as far as vampires are concerned. The Methuselahs are stirring and the young are plotting to rise up against them. Eventually, this gives birth to the major sects of modern day. So, you're going to have to be really clear among the ST team just where your NPC's allegiances lie down the road.

What I would look for in this kind of game are clear machinations of the elders. The PC's should feel like pawns on a game board. The NPC's should be looking at the PC's as tools to further their own ends. The NPC's should demand more and more out of them until the PC's should feel as if they're being drawn and quartered. I've always hated the NPC's that play kissy snuggly-face with PC's.

This is why I suggested not being afraid of crushing a PC that steps out of line in regards to the NPC's machinations if they're stupid. There are players like me who will develop PC's that are supposed to go against the grain. I will frequently create PC's that should be dead within a few months and it bores me when the NPC's refuse to hand down an ass whoopin' to them.

Yes personal love stories can be great tragedies. In Werewolf I'm sure that can be great, in Vampire kind of hard, at least for me to say the 400 year old Ventrue elder (NPC) who's hell bent on the War of Princes would fall head over heals in love with some ghoul (PC) and spend free time in the elder's haven giving the ghoul medieval facials. If it furthers a storyline that's one thing, however we've also seen STs introduce NPCs with the sole intent of getting their rocks off with no real SL to speak of. It's a fine line to be drawn.

In Werewolf the idea of it happening is better due to the fact the species still breeds the old fashioned way, they take up mates, etc. So it's more plausible then, so long as it's not as you said, an ST trying to get nice and cozy with a player by introducing the all powerful PB 5 Silver Fang to make a PC happy with no other intentions. After a good amount of time interacting, a PC and an NPC Garou decide they're going to mate, fine, love is part of the game, but if it crosses that and into the line of, ST taking time to cyber when the ST could be running scenes you run into problems.

Love is a tricky situation as it is in real life, throw in the idea that if a the Sept Elder falls in love with a PC kin, regardless of intentions or actions, it'll be viewed as favortism regardless. You can have all the plausible reasonings you want, but someone will always view it as favortism, so be prepared.

I'm a firm believer in dealing with IC consequences IC, regardless of how the chips fall.

If through some exemplary roleplay and judicious use of backgrounds and dice a PC manages to score a high position in the city, good on them, they deserve to be rewarded. My personal feelings about the player aside - and I have rewarded players I've hated, and trounced players I've adored - IC actions deserve IC consequences.

Favoritism, I find, most often occurs when it's the same person or group of people getting the perks. So yeah, Pretty Fianna Kinfolk wins the heart of the Sept Elder, good on her. Does that mean she keeps it or manages to do anything with it because of it? My opinion, it makes her a target. Maybe he has a child from another relationship who hates her or a jealous former lover - or the sept deems her unworthy of him or someone challenges him for her and wins. Or, even worse - great, she wins the heart of the Sept Elder, they become mated and happily ever after - and he dies during the Reconquista. Or they don't live happily ever after - he has a roaming eye. She dies in childbirth. He spends more time in his duty to the sept than with her.

Does this mean that Pretty Fianna gets the same perk transferred over to her Even Prettier Toreador? Hardly. She has exactly the same chance as everyone else in the venue. Maybe Holy Crap She's Hot Lasombra played by someone else comes through and sways the Prince with her wit and charm.

I don't think there should ever be a "You Win" in roleplaying - except at endgame, when you've accomplished what you can and you're ready to retire. And that's a rare scenario in and of itself.

I was told it is a Digichat. Not my licence, not my call. Our open campaign will be anything goes - details are on our forum. Our regular game will start with an open of 3 venues - Vampire, Mage, and Werewolf - and we are currently still looking for STs. Other venues will open as interest shows - generally 1 st and minimum 5 players.

And hereupon we hit the whole reason why Iberia was chosen. (:

The original idea was to set it in London. That was back in summer of 09. I shot that down as soon as I came on the project with the understanding that London was overdone. I wanted something that would be open to PCs and give people a chance to play lots of different character types that might otherwise be restricted in other games - Iberia's location and activity level in dark ages gives people a little leeway and a reason to travel there. Iberia's a region I'm personally and culturally familiar with, and I believe different enough to pique interests. I also wanted an area where there was always something that could potentially be happening - it drives away the bored player/uninspired ST excuse.

And, yeah. I hate when I make a flash in the pan character that overstays its usefulness. It feels, in a way like I've been cheated from something. See my other post about IC consequences for IC actions. Just don't complain to me OOC about it (;

I'm going to be the guy who gets boo'd here, but the dark ages (The REAL: dark ages) fucking sucked. It sucked if you where a nobody, it sucked if you where a somebody, it was awful.

I'd say if your to picky with realism you might as wroll a 50 percent chance of people starting the game sick or maimed. I'm kidding but I'm trying to make a point about having to suspend some disbelief.