In which I make a Vampire
So, pondering larp. As I mentioned elsewhere, my Brujah felt more like being myself at game than a vehicle for story-ifying, which prevented a real engagement. I also felt too passive as that character- I was too often acting at the behest of others instead of driving myself forward. Because, again, I was myself- rather than an interesting character with strong goals.
So.
Q: What do I like doing at game?
A: Talking in Elysium. I don't like combat.
Q: Talking about what?
A: Crap, I dunno. Whatever the topic du jour is. If there is no topic du jour, I like cards and banter.
Q: What topics can you introduce and always talk about?
A: Philosophy. I know enough real life philosophy to bullshit through it.
Which means I can also manage art and politics reasonably enough.
Gaming (heh). Vampires playing Settlers of Catan? Or Prince of the City? ;)
Mythology. Would need some brush up, but nothing major.
Q: What topics do other people like to talk about?
A: Themselves- given a chance to expound on something they're interested in, and the feeling of an open audience. Their opinions on how the city is doing. Advise; most people enjoy offering advise, as it makes them feel engaged.
Also, overtly vampiry stuff tends to draw crowds- especially the care and feeding of the Masquerade, how to best combat the Sabbat, etc.
Q: And your topics?
A: Philosophy tends to excite a few people a bit, and bore/frustrate most folks.
Gaming is right out, as fourth wall denting.
Mythology is limited and generally artifical. 'Man, this is just like when Aegamnenon sacraficed his daughter to satisfy the gods!' The artificallity gets worse if it becomes a defining conversational trait.
Q: So, how can you consistantly get people to provide advise/opinions, especially about overtly vampiry stuff?
A: Hold round tables, like with Heard. But that's a receipe for burnout- preparing those took two or more hours out of game, and I was running low on ideas towards the end.
Q: How else?
A: (long delay). Informal roundtables. Come up with topics, but don't chart out the flow of them (like Heard did). This avoids the majority of the brainstorming process.
It does still run into the problem of not being self-sustaining. Also, copy-catting myself, which is depressing.
Q: How can you achieve Heard's results without using the same methods?
A: (longer delay). By having a character who's personal interests are similiar enough to the vampire topics that they draw people in, but different enough that they aren't casually recognizable.
Q: So, what topics are common?
A: Well, the Masquerade is the most popular. Fighting the Sabbat. Hunting. Managing mortals.
(lightning strike)
What about a con man? A confidence trickster who targets mortals, bilking them of significant sums of money and property, then vanishing. Someone who goes to Elysium to brag about his exploits and make connections with people who might be able to help (directly or indirectly) with his games.
Concept: Confidence Man
Q: What clan?
A: Since direct interaction with folks is a must for this type of character (the identity theft route as a Nos hacker is too impersonal to do much bragging with), that rules out Nosferatu and Gangrel. Brujah tend more towards 'hit things'. Tremere are both differently focused and should be avoided to help preserve their rarity. Toreador, Ventrue, Malkavian all could work. Ventrue seems unlikely, although a mortal con man who convinced his mark that he was, personally, rich and well bred- and got Embraced for his troubles by a Sire who didn't pierce the ruse until it was too late -is an amusing concept.
Dominate would almost seem like cheating, though. OTOH, he could have it and try not to use it- more of a challenge. Presence is, of course, not cheating. For, um, reasons.
Toreador move in the right circles. This guy would definitely be a posuer Toreador- 'My art are these elaborate confidence games', wankwankwank. There's the downside of being enraptured by everyone's fucking Tailoring x8 suits, but such is unlife. Auspex and Presence are both handy for this concept.
Malkavian. Well, almost any concept can work as a Malkavian. No form of insanity is especially and directly obvious here, but that's not neccesarily a bad thing- sometimes, you just need an agorophobic Malkavian, instead of lunatics defined by the limits of their derangements. The confidence game trickster plays well with the Malkavian Prank theme that has seen some ill use.
Any could work well, and shouldn't significantly impact background or ability choices.
(Ponders)
So.
Q: What do I like doing at game?
A: Talking in Elysium. I don't like combat.
Q: Talking about what?
A: Crap, I dunno. Whatever the topic du jour is. If there is no topic du jour, I like cards and banter.
Q: What topics can you introduce and always talk about?
A: Philosophy. I know enough real life philosophy to bullshit through it.
Which means I can also manage art and politics reasonably enough.
Gaming (heh). Vampires playing Settlers of Catan? Or Prince of the City? ;)
Mythology. Would need some brush up, but nothing major.
Q: What topics do other people like to talk about?
A: Themselves- given a chance to expound on something they're interested in, and the feeling of an open audience. Their opinions on how the city is doing. Advise; most people enjoy offering advise, as it makes them feel engaged.
Also, overtly vampiry stuff tends to draw crowds- especially the care and feeding of the Masquerade, how to best combat the Sabbat, etc.
Q: And your topics?
A: Philosophy tends to excite a few people a bit, and bore/frustrate most folks.
Gaming is right out, as fourth wall denting.
Mythology is limited and generally artifical. 'Man, this is just like when Aegamnenon sacraficed his daughter to satisfy the gods!' The artificallity gets worse if it becomes a defining conversational trait.
Q: So, how can you consistantly get people to provide advise/opinions, especially about overtly vampiry stuff?
A: Hold round tables, like with Heard. But that's a receipe for burnout- preparing those took two or more hours out of game, and I was running low on ideas towards the end.
Q: How else?
A: (long delay). Informal roundtables. Come up with topics, but don't chart out the flow of them (like Heard did). This avoids the majority of the brainstorming process.
It does still run into the problem of not being self-sustaining. Also, copy-catting myself, which is depressing.
Q: How can you achieve Heard's results without using the same methods?
A: (longer delay). By having a character who's personal interests are similiar enough to the vampire topics that they draw people in, but different enough that they aren't casually recognizable.
Q: So, what topics are common?
A: Well, the Masquerade is the most popular. Fighting the Sabbat. Hunting. Managing mortals.
(lightning strike)
What about a con man? A confidence trickster who targets mortals, bilking them of significant sums of money and property, then vanishing. Someone who goes to Elysium to brag about his exploits and make connections with people who might be able to help (directly or indirectly) with his games.
Concept: Confidence Man
Q: What clan?
A: Since direct interaction with folks is a must for this type of character (the identity theft route as a Nos hacker is too impersonal to do much bragging with), that rules out Nosferatu and Gangrel. Brujah tend more towards 'hit things'. Tremere are both differently focused and should be avoided to help preserve their rarity. Toreador, Ventrue, Malkavian all could work. Ventrue seems unlikely, although a mortal con man who convinced his mark that he was, personally, rich and well bred- and got Embraced for his troubles by a Sire who didn't pierce the ruse until it was too late -is an amusing concept.
Dominate would almost seem like cheating, though. OTOH, he could have it and try not to use it- more of a challenge. Presence is, of course, not cheating. For, um, reasons.
Toreador move in the right circles. This guy would definitely be a posuer Toreador- 'My art are these elaborate confidence games', wankwankwank. There's the downside of being enraptured by everyone's fucking Tailoring x8 suits, but such is unlife. Auspex and Presence are both handy for this concept.
Malkavian. Well, almost any concept can work as a Malkavian. No form of insanity is especially and directly obvious here, but that's not neccesarily a bad thing- sometimes, you just need an agorophobic Malkavian, instead of lunatics defined by the limits of their derangements. The confidence game trickster plays well with the Malkavian Prank theme that has seen some ill use.
Any could work well, and shouldn't significantly impact background or ability choices.
(Ponders)