Topic: [Van//NC-ES] Are you the right monsters for the job? [Co-op Game]

[Darkforged Dove]

Right now this is an interest check thread. I'm not sure when I'll be starting this. There's something that I'm waiting for in the background before I'll be able to get this actually started.

"It's a monster's ball."

The premise of this game, is that there are monsters in the world today, they do organize themselves, and the PCs are a coterie of Supernaturals that have been contacted and assembled to do a series of tasks for a more powerful Supernatural creature. All, while staying out of the eyes of the mortal world.

The setting is Earth, today, or tomorrow; whenever the game starts*. So, geography, human history and human politics will be just as easy or difficult for the players themselves to know.

*: For all I know, the Zombie apocaplyse starts in the next month and we'll have to "make believe" that this all happens back in 2008 or 2007.


What Kind of Monster?
We're all monsters. The thing is, we're all different kinds of monsters

A very brief rundown of the types of characters are as follows; there are six main types of Supernatural, and three sub-types of each type. Which yields 18 player options. Trust me, they're actually pretty easy to learn, due to the way that they are subdivided.

Choosing your specific race includes a set list of starting powers, and each player may then select a select amount of additional powers.

The benefits of doing this is that you, as players will always know that a Nosferatu vampire is always going to look like 'some' kind of blood-sucking creature, but -never- a Snake or Bat. Plus, of course other things, like a Nossie is able to turn their fingers into steel-hard claws, and can change into a hulking monster. So, when you see a grotesque spider-faced monster the size of a tool-shed, you have a pretty good chance of knowing what it is, as players.

Note: Unless someone specifically asks for more info about any of the following, I'm leaving things as bare bones as possible. I don't want to wall of text more than neccessary.

A Brief note on being a monster: Monsters are awesome, there is no disputing that. They are beyond the realm and scope of mortal ken. They can turn into mist, they can fly, bend the minds of men to madness, smash open a steel gate with their bare hands, run faster than a man with an Uzi can empty a magazine, regrow damaged tissue or limbs, and many, many other powers supernatural.

Yet, they are also horrifically tragic.

A Vampire is only as strong and powerful as a human in sunlight, and can be destroyed by running water.

A werewolf must foresake alcohol, and must live with the spectre that once a month they go completely and uncontrolably berzerk attacking to kill friend and foe alike.

Prometheans have not a single soul that they can remotely call "brother" or "sister"; each being a unique creation.

Transhumans have completely lost their humanity by mistake, or through assault; and now live as something entirely not human. Worse still, they can never reclaim what they once lost.

Witches have turned their back on their humanity in a bid to gain both immortality and power. Damning their souls not only in the here-after, but now in the present.

Leviathans never were human; or are humans that have decided to look upon their fellow man not as kin, but as prey. Either which makes them horrifying to humans, but also repellant to most other supernaturals that try to hold onto their humanity.

The end result is that Supernaturals are symbols of greatness. Great power, and great sorrow.

Vampires: The Blood Drinkers


Time is an abyss. Profound as a thousand nights... Centuries come and go... To be unable to grow old is terrible. Death is not the worst... There are things more horrible than death. Can you imagine... Enduring centuries... experiencing each day with the same futile things.

An eternity of regret and violence, is still an eternity

Vampirism is passed from one person to the next voluntarily on the part of the vampire passing on the trait. The vampire drinks the blood of the victim until it is gone and puts some of her own blood into the dying victim's mouth. Vampires drink the blood of the living in order to maintain their existence as the living dead night after night for as tong as the Earth continues to turn.

How you can tell someone is a vampire varies from story to story. And it is this difference between vampires which we are recognizing in this game as the primary marker of bloodlines. WoD has at times attempted to differentiate vampires on other criteria as well (such as how tightly controlled they are by other vampires or how long they can be played as characters before they go crazy), but this has not been overly successful. So we're recognizing a few common, and three variable ways to detect vampires. All vampires are the living dead, so their body temperature is below that of a living human even if they have recently eaten. Also, their blood doesn't move around their body at the behest of a pumping heart, so they have no detectable heart beat and their wounds don't bleed. Beyond that, they can be detectable by a number of means which vary by vampiric “type.” The Nosferatu are hideous, the Daeva are beautiful but have distinct animal traits, and the Ventrue don't cast reflections.

• Ventrue: The Obsessed - Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. I look like Dracula. You want to know something though my mortal friend? Dracula looks like me. He's just got a shitty and out of date fashion sense, and you fools seem to imitate him like the sheep you are.

Story Inspiration: European Vampire myths, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Snakes, Euro-Trash, 'some' Anne Rice

• Daeva: The Wonderous
  “It turns out that humans in general are a superstitious and cowardly lot. How marvelous.”

There are some vampires with an affinity for bats and fire. While the name for the bloodline has long ago been claimed as Daeva by those within, they are named as demons in whispered tones by mortals and supernaturals alike. The Daeva do not burn, and small bat wings protrude from their backs. Many Daeva can use magic to grow those wings or assume the form of a bat.

A Daeva's distinguishing features can often be relatively easy to hide. Wearing a backpack covers wings quite nicely. However, once discovered a Daeva's animalistic, even demonic traits are difficult to explain away as anything short of an extreme breach of the masquerade.

• Vigor (Basic Potence)
• Fire Walking (Basic Walk of Flame)
• Blood Bondage (Basic Path of Blood)
• Awe (Basic Presence)
• Patience of the Mountains (Basic Fortitude)
• Revive the Flesh (Basic Fortitude)
• Restoration (Intermediate Fortitude)
• Indomitably (Intermediate Fortitude)

Story Inpiration: Aztec Vampire Myths, Vampire Bats

• Nosferatu: The Hideous
  "You may look upon my countenance in horror, but I have witnessed marvels that rival any you have heard of"

Story Inspiration: Traditional/Original Indus Valley Vampiric legends (where they were horrific blood-drinking demon-men), Lampreys, Vampire Squid, Mosquitos, Spiders, Leeches


[Note: Throw out most if not all "modern" vampire fiction if you even want to consider playing one of these. Stephanie Meyers, Laurell K. Hamilton and Jessica Bird are all terrible authors when it comes to giving these creatures a portayal that is remotely accurate to historical myths and legends. So, Twilight, the "Anita Blake" and Black Dagger Brotherhood series can burn. Not for being immoral, lord no, but rather for being really bad writing about vampires. The bulk of them cheapen Vampires, and a lot of them are actually pretty mysoginistic; which is really sad, b/c they're usually written by, and for, human women.]

Lycanthropy: Ruled by Rage

Howl to the moon, and rend your foes like the sheep they are!
_______
A man may live for forty years, and a wolf only seven. But at the end of their lives, which one knows more of the tundra?

The man and the wolf know the same.

• Get of Fenris: The Norse Reavers
  The better to eat you with, my dear.

Story Inspiration: Larry Talbot, Ginger Snaps, Dog Soldiers

• The Nezumi: Plague on the world of Men
  “Tear him up.”

Story Inspiration: Willard, Torment

• Bagtheera: The stalkers of the jungles. Steel or leafed
  “You can fool everybody, but landie. Dearie me, you can't fool a cat. They seem to know who's not right.”
  

Story Inspiration: Cat People, The Cat and the Canary

Prometheans: Last of their Kind//The Created

Once upon a time, there was ... 'A king!' my little readers will say right away. No, children, you are wrong. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood....

"I am a race, and species, of one. When I die, my entire species dies. Yet you ask why I feel so alone?"

Prometheans are different from the other types of supernaturals because they are not born as a human only to later achieve supernatural powers, but are instead created fully formed and fully grown with their powers already intrinsic to them. A Promethean awakens for the first time already an outcast, already both more and less than a human. Prometheans are almost always rejected by humanity because regardless of how much they try, they are not humans. Every Promethean is not only the first of its kind, it is also the last of its kind, every Promethean creation event is unique and Prometheans tragically find that even other created life is intrinsically distinct from them, different from humanity in ways which likewise reveal a difference that is just as unbridgeable.

Prometheans are capable of being Extras and Luminaries just as normal humans are. In general, a mad scientist's masterwork is a Luminary Promethean (the kind that might be a player character), and a batch of killer robots is probably a bunch of Promethean Spawn. Which means that yes, those Prometheans who actually have peers don't even care because they are just background characters and mooks in their own story.

Special Note on Terminology: It is important to note that Frankenstein is the name of the creator, and not the the name of the creature. The creature's name was Adam. Similarly, in technical Greek an Android refers only to a male human analog, while a female human analog would be called a Gynoid (seriously). However it is also important to note that most of the people you talk to about this issue don't know this and don't care. Like Jello, Frankenstein is a brand name of such overwhelming market dominance that the stitched corpse creations of other mad scientists are called Frankensteins (rather than calling them gelatin desserts or reanimated homunculi or whatever). Similarly, if you use the word Gynoid in every day conversation people will assume you are talking about some sort of sexually transmitted condition. Honestly, it is better that common terminology is used rather than correct terminology in this instance.

• Stitched // Frankenstein : The Child
  “My heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy, and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change without torture such as you cannot even imagine.”

Story Inspiration: Frankenstein, Pinocchio, Edward Scissorhands, Subject Two, Herbert West: Reanimator

• Golem: The Servitor
  “Did I request thee, Maker from my clay
  To mould Me man? Did I solicit thee
  From darkness to promote me?”

Story Inspiration: Rabbi Loew, R.U.R., Short Circuit, Talos

• Android: The Lover
  “How fully functional are you?”

Androids are made of steel rather than flesh and they are coldly perfect to behold. Whether man or woman, an android is beautiful beyond what normal humans are capable of. Unfortunately, the metallic perfection of their exterior belies a digital corsity that makes interpersonal relationships unsatisfactory. The emotions of an Android, though strongly felt, are simply too extreme and simple for others to relate to. The love of an Android is as off-putting as the hatred to a normal, nuanced individual. Androids do not, on initial inspection look anything other than human. However there is something distinctly “not right” about them which will creep out any normal human who interacts with them socially for long. They are beyond autistic, their emotions are simply ones and zeros.

Androids can be made of circuitry, gears, or simply polished marble. The key is that at the end of the procedure they are crafted to look more human than a human could possibly be.

An Android has an Infernal power source and a Ritual power schedule.

• Vigor (Basic Potence)
• Feat of Strength (Basic Potence)
• Light of Ennui (Basic Descent of Entropy)
• Awe (Basic Presence)
• Patience of the Mountains (Basic Fortitude)
• Howling Winds (Basic Chasing the Storm)
• Devastation (Intermediate Potence)
• Contradiction (Intermediate Descent of Entropy)

Story Inspiration: Pygmalion, Metropolis, Weird Science, Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep?

Transhumans: Point of No Return

"Some borders are not to be crossed. Some realms not to be entered. I did so anyway, and this is the result"

[No Current Write-up for Transhumans yet]

• The Reborn: Second Chances and Second Guesses
  “Put your helmet on. I wouldn't want to scar your pretty face. Again.”

Story Inspiration: She, The Mummy

• Children of Aether: Experiments Gone Awry - “There are things man was not meant to know. It is interesting that we repeatedly seek to know as much about these as possible.”

Humanity’s greatest survival trait, indeed the one which has ensured our ascent to power, is a willingness to improve upon our environment – the closest environment being our own flesh and bones. The desire to gain greater abilities overwhelms all else sometimes, even personal ethics, self-preservation, and basic sanity. Man is first and foremost a tool using creature, but when he treats himself as a tool, is he still a man?

The Children of Aether are born when a Luminary is subject to the (nominally successful) experiments of scientists and practitioners of medicine to improve the human form beyond what it already has – and usually, this Luminary is both subject and creator of the experiment. They rarely have any familiarity or experience with the supernatural beforehand, and simply stumble through the veil of normality by “accident.” The transformational event bestows efficiency and power on the human form and mind that brings it beyond mortal limitations, including impressive strength and will – at the cost of sanity and self.

A Child of Ether has an Astral power source and a Ritual power schedule.

Child of Ether Starting Disciplines

Designer note: Frankly, Dr. Jekyll's signature power is being mistaken for someone else. And that's Obfuscation as well. Heck, appearing suddenly and appearing as an unrecognizable monster is the Green Goblin's deal as well. Far from being optional, Obfuscation should be the Children of Aether's signature power. So I'd do it more like this:

- Core Discipline: Obfuscation -

• Hide From Notice (Basic Obfuscation)
• Mask of a Thousand Faces (Basic Obfuscation)

- Basic Disciplines -

• Second Senses (Basic Auspex)
• Nimble Feet (Basic Celerity)
• Vigor (Basic Potence)
• Revive the Flesh (Basic Fortitude)

-Advanced Disciplines -

• Touch of Shadow (Advanced Obfuscation)
• Vanish From the Mind's Eye (Advanced Obfuscation)

Story Inspiration: The Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Norman Osbourne

• -

Story Inspiration:

Witches

“It's not all hocus pocus and chicanery. There's also sleight of hand and deceit. And raw sorcerous power.”

• The Baali Tradition - “You will not remember what I show you now, and yet I shall awaken memories of love... and crime... and death... ”

Story Inspiration: The 1932 Mummy, Constantine, Bible Black, Devil's Advocate, Faust

• The Verbena Tradition - “You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been. ”

Story Inspiration: The Craft, Kotetsu, Poison Ivy

• The Khaibit Tradition - “There are far worse things awaiting man than death.”

Story Inspiration: Reanimator, Flatliners, Jason and the Argonauts

Leviathans: The Ancient Fear


Down and deep / dark and dank / below our feet / below they sank
Under waves and / under ground / no light we have / no hope for sound
Beneath us still / sea and mound / remember will / with silence found


Tiamat had many monsterous progeny. Some of her children in turn had many more children, and they crawled upon the earth, and swam though the seas and rivers. Monsters that never perish naturally.

Long ago, Tiamat was a great and powerful dragon who ruled over the lands and exercised her rights of ownership with great cruelty. She demanded sacrifices from the frightened people of the soil, and she bore many monsters to expand her kingdom. The oppression of Tiamat did not forever last, for eventually a great champion of the human people arose with powerful magic from the sky to battle her. For days they fought, and ultimately it was Marduk and not Tiamat who was victorious.

But while the great Tiamat was slain, her children walked the Earth and swam the seas still. Each of her children bore children of their own. Many of these were able to pass for human and walk in the world of men, and still many more were monstrous beyond mortal comprehension. The taint in the blood of those who are heirs to the power of Tiamat gradually makes itself known. These new generations, called Leviathan, become less human in countenance and thought as they grow in age and power.

Tiamat's descendants are foul tasting as swamp mire, but they are prized as food regardless because whosoever devours the flesh of a Leviathan gains near immortality. However, the otherworldly and inhuman degeneration which happens to a natural born Leviathan happens twice as fast to those who attain their state by eating the flesh of mermaids.

• The Mi Go: The Larvae of Echidna - “There can never be good for the bee which is bad for the hive.”

Story Inspiration: The Hollows, Lovecraftian Mythos, Insect-infested People [Ninja Scroll, Naruto, etc.]

• The Deep Ones: Scions of Dagon
  “Those horrible eyes. Unblinking and inhuman, twas like looking at fish more than a man.”
  I have lived centuries to find a suitable companion. I will take you to my dark lagoon.

According to legend, Dagon was spawned when Tiamat mated with the Tigris River. He was a powerful and fish-like creature, and his progeny all carry fish traits about their being. Hailing from the oceans, a Deep One gradually becomes scaled and gilled as he ages. His eyes flatten and rarely blink, and the lure of the sea becomes harder to ignore. There are few who can stomach long departures from the coast, for in their mind they can always listen for the strange whispered yet incessant call of the ocean.

Deep Ones can breathe water as easily as air. The strange whispers they hear in their own minds can also be shared with anyone foolish enough to look a Deep One in their strangely opaque eyes.

Story Inspiration: Creature from the Black Lagoon, Deep Ones from Lovecraftian mythos, Kou Toa & Sahaugin [D&D]

• Troglodyte: Progeny of Drakaina - Flesh speaks countless stories to me. Stories I hear with my tongue and teeth.//“Thousands of years we have toiled beneath the Earth. We will not stop just because shiftless Eloi tell us we must.”

Story Inspiration: Wendigos, Ravenous, The Jeresy Devil, Cannibal Cults // Alternately: Mole People, Morlocks, The Hills Have Eyes
[Note: I prefer the Wendigo/Ravenous idea over the Mole People/Hills have eyes mutants.]


[maybe... just maybe Note: Changelings are a 'possible' idea. They aren't even slated to be an option in the current system]

Changelings

• -
• -
• -

[/list]



==========

[The following can be read to give more information about what this game will be like, or ignored if you want to ask more about one of the types of monsters presented.]

The System, is down
... no wait, it's up.

This is going to be a "system game". I can hear the groans already. Tut-tut, it's actually a pretty light system, and when you have someone who can throw motorcycles, and someone else who can shred a steel door with their bare hands, 'some' sort of system is probably a good idea.

Players will be expected, and be able to play, characters who are able to do things ranging from lifting and throwing motorcycles at enemies, scaling walls with their bare hands, convincing other creatures to do things (either by being an intimidating Werewolf, a mind controlling Witch, or just being a sexy, sexy Android), and fight enemies that come from all over human ideas of what constitutes a "monster". As well as being creatures that most humans consider "monsters".

A world of darkness
"No, no, not that one, that one's stupid. No, not the 'new' one either, it's stupid too. Both of those are stupid. We're using an alternate one instead. One made of 'not-stupid'. Wasn't easy to make, I'll tell you that much, but it's not stupid; which is a plus."

The system is what is called the "Alternate World of Darkness" of AWoD. So, you can throw out most of the shoddily written, and even worse designed White Wolf material out; or even better not even know it, and be perfectly fine.

The premise behind the system being that players not only should be able to play what they feel most comfortable with (that is, you can play what you want, and not be given a hard painful shaft through the head for it), but that the game setting should not have a collective "backstory" that is summed up as "a dozen versions of the world, written by inaccurate narrators".

As a result most redundant "types" of creatures are removed, but nearly every 'type' of monster from history, myth and story is a player option at least once. The upside is that yes you can be a Snake-themed character; but no, you aren't able to choose from Were-Snake, Were-Cobra, Snake-Vampire, Snake-Wizard, Mummified Snake, Snake Golem and Something-Snake. So, World of Darkness, not "World of Snakes, and Bears, and Tiger" (oh my).

In addition, the design goals of this system was that a person can look at any part of the game, and be able to learn it very easily.

The fact that the original material is actually very badly organized and diffucult to absorb, was one of the original reasons for this project, and a lot of pains have been taken, and many things removed or reworked to make this system relatively easy to read and understand.

There are no 900-page "fluff" manuals on 'vampires'; because honestly, that's a foolish thing to impose on anyone. Let alone someone playing a game. Oh, yeah, them's fighting words; I said a disparaging comment about what I'm doing myself. Excuse me while I go beat myself up for making fun of what I enjoy doing.

Instead of having players learn about several dozen types of monster (that ultimately no one cares about), information for this game and setting are stripped down as much as possible. Then the remaining information is re-organized into small groups that are meant to be easy for a person to glance at, and remember roughly.

====
Note: The campaign for this game has been already written. So, I won't be scrambling to come up with the overall thread of the game's story. Also, I've always hated GMs that railroad, and have always enjoyed watching the players get into the story and change it based on their actions.

It's a series of 10 adventures, with an 11th adventure that wraps up the campaign. Each adventure is pretty independant of the previous ones, and whether the players do well or poorly will not stop the campaign. The final adventure brings the results of the previous adventures together. The details are not set in stone, and player actions will obviously change how the plot goes, but the overall game arc was written on July 1, 2009.
====[/list][/list]

[kongming]

Well, you pretty much know I'm interested, but I'll give a wave anyway. Probably a Daeva, Android or possibly even a Deep One.

[Darkforged Dove]

-nod-

Thanks for the post. :3

Also... good lord. You playing a Deep one would be really creepy.... or is that creepy [verbing]? In any case, it's sort of an outlier compared to your Android and Daeva choices, they would also be fine.

If there's any big problems, I'll just whine and bitch if you act mean, and you'll curb stomp me if I act like an asshole, so there shouldn't be any problems that get out of hand.

[TheVillain]

Leaning a Child of Aether myself, basic idea would be that thanks to a genetic experiment in the womb he is edrinokinetic- someone with the psychic ability to sense and manipulate the biochemistry of others. This ability woke up in his teens and has been getting stronger ever sense, but unfortunately he has very little control. He just thought it was something about his charm and good looks that made his friends a little more adventurous when he was around, women a little more acceptive to advances, authority figures and bullies a little more frightened of him. Now, it's to the point where people almost literally drop dead if they annoy him when his control slips, and it's scaring him.

[Darkforged Dove]

Ok, posted the Racial write ups for

Vampires
Prometheans
--Transhumans do not have one yet
Leviathans

I've copy and pasted the sub-type write ups and starting ability packages for

Daevas
Androids
Children of Aether
Deep Ones

Note: This isn't my material, for the most part. This is a fairly large game design project that has been going off and on for the last 2-3 years, and has in the last 3 months been started up.

The most current desgin/development thread was started June 1, 2009; has 398 posts, and over 11 thousand pageviews. So, there's a lot of work that has been put into this, by a lot of people who aren't me. I tend to throw in some random ideas, and wrote an example campaign up, but the heavy lifting is being done by others. Previous discussions/developments were done in April and May '08. Earliest discussions on the specific problems in WoD material have gone on for quite a while, as far back as 2005 ("World of Darkness Brokenness") and 2006 ("World of Darkness and Folly") so.

Since the current development has gotten past most of the flavour discussion stages; has decided on the mechanics ("pools" in this case dice, players don't need to actually roll dice all the time though); and with Skills and how social interaction will be adjucated pretty much decided on, the only things that remain are mostly "mopping up" details, like flavour text, and the final call on whether some outlier stuff like "Changelings" will be included or not (I'm thinking it won't, but I'd like it to be added; more monster options where player characters were forced to be Monsters is a good thing, since it's the Instant Coffee equivalent of making and role-playing a tragic character; strong and bitter).

The Villain, since you want Mind Control; we'll have to look at picking up abilities from the Domination set.

Dominate[/size]
Basic Disciplines[/size]

• Command
  
• Mesmerism

Advanced Disciplines[/size]

• Forgetful Mind
  
• Conditioning

Mesmerism, Command and Conditioning are all in theme.

Mesmerism is used on an individual and you can have them do something complex, like shred your permanent record.

Command on groups to get them to do simple tasks, like leave a room.

Conditioning leaves permanent changes upon others. Like have them permanently afraid of spiders; or always perform a task at a set time.

In general, your character is going to be "not recognized" by others. So, when called to the Principal's office, he is dismissed by the principal, and gets a note; but the Principal never actually saw him. They saw someone else. Other people will think that your character is someone else. Which is why they can do things.

The upside is that you can go most places, and get people to do things. The downside is that they aren't doing them for you, and no one will actually do things willingly for you; so there are definitely psychological barriers for such a character that most humans never develop between themselves and others. So, walking up to someone, and getting them to do something is easy; having someone walk up to you and do something for you will probably never happen.

The "cancer brain" character from the X-Files episode "Pusher", and "Kitsunegari", is something along the lines of your ideas for your character powers.

Robert Patrick Modell, is able to enter areas he shouldn't, and get people to do things that they would never do. Ranging from assaulting, or killing, other people, to setting themselves on fire.

The upshoot is that your character will have a lot more control over what happens, as they will tell their targets what to do, but people dying with a thought won't happen. Mostly because the second part does not allow a game to be played.

=============

I've had some PMs regarding this thread, and I guess clearing things up is in order

Player expectations:

I always had such high hopes for you. I'm glad you tried to live up to them. Look at where it's brought you.

The players are expected to be a Coterie of Supernaturals.


"Travelling across the land, saving mortal and supernatural from harm, it's the Monster Squad!"[/i]

Co-operation

"Although we all have different ancestors, we're a family now. So let's act like one."

When the Full Moon shows up, the Get of Fenris will require his friends to muzzle, and shackle, her in the basement, and fill her with tranquilizers.

When it's Day, the Daeva can join her friends and wear a cute little backpack, but will be limited to using a firearm, and will not be expected to actually break skulls like ripe watermelons (that's a night-time thing).

The Leviathans will need someone to buy them clothing, so that they can travel in public, and someone owning or stealing a moving van is probably a good idea. As would most Prometheans. A good costumer could however make the Golem or Frankenstein look like a worn outfit, or actually make them a worn outfit. The Golem dressed in a Donald Duck Disney-land costume and pummeling an Pyramidhead (Ogre) or a Deep One painted up to look like a Murlock and using a flamethrower on a pack of zombies are both .... uhm... interesting ideas. Yes, interesting. Okay, funny too.

The Witches.... will need someone else to talk to normal people, as they tend to be ten kinds of disturbing.

Transhumans will probably need people who are just there for them, and who try to help them cope with what's happened to them. A Lycanthrope makes an excellent spotter for a group's Transhuman who is descending into the pits of alcoholism or drug abuse. Specifically because the Lycanthrope can't consume those substances.

Player characters that act in an asshole fashion can expect to be punished by the rest of the Coterie in an appropriate fashion. Betrayal cuts straight to the bone when you have no one else to turn to, and the retribution for betrayal is often swift and severe. I have no problems with a PC being murdered by the rest of the group for betraying them for personal gains, or for trying to intentionally injure an other PC. You guys literally have no one else you can really trust.

On the other hand, you will all be expected to do your best to help the group. None of you would probably still be alive if it wasn't for the rest of the group, and you'd have to either be arrogant or a fool to think otherwise.

The players are expected to create, and roleplay as Supernatural monsters that are far removed from humanity


"They used to laugh at me because I was different. Now I laugh at them because they are all the same."

Powerful Characters

"Pfft. They thought a blast door could keep us out? Henrietta, could you please bash this foolish obstacle down with your dainty manicured hands?"

As mentioned above, the group could potentially include someone who kills people by telling them to blow their brains out, or set themselves on fire; or just is able to score with any mundane person with no problem. 'Score' ranging from anything to free sex, to free drugs, or just win illegal poker games.

The group could also include, depending on what Kong picks:

-A vampire who you are convinced is a demoness. Either because she has little batty wings; or because she doesn't get hurt for long; and has something called Walk the Flame, potentially breathing fire onto enemies.
-A girl that looks really, really, pretty. But either ignores you, or pins you to the wall and wants you to be the other part of their binary configuration. Trouble is, she's probably one inch away from crushing you against the wall, and won't take no for an answer, heck, she'll probably crush the wall too, if you want her too.
-A person, that has big ole' fish-eyes. The powers list for Deep Ones isn't done yet. It's definitvely got Aura Perception (Basic Auspex), and Second Senses (Basic Auspex). Since those are Core Leviathan Disciplines. So she can tell if anything weird is going on. Like that person there has the soul of a murderer, or is a Luminary, and can make babies that won't automatically be hideous, non-sentient, monsters or stillborn with them.

Other types of characters that are possible:

Pretty much everything in the "story inspirations" is possible. You can make Johnny Five, or the Necromancer from Jason and the Argonauts; and even have them be drinking buddies, and I won't care. I'll actually be encouraging PC interaction.

I'm pretty sure that there will be quite a bit of action as a result of this.

Tragic Characters

"Woe! I only have ten bottles of vodka left. I so wanted to get drunk and puke my guts out until it burned so badly that I forgot that I'm invisible."

Your characters are fucked up in some way or an other; you were either killed and came back (Vampires, Lycanthropes); or willingly turned your back on humanity (Witches); perhaps you never had a human childhood or upbringing (Prometheans); or you see humans are flesh or breeding stock (Leviathans); or something happened to you and you are no longer able to consider yourself a human being (Transhumans).

This is part of the horror element of the game. Players can either go with, or against, this horror with varying degrees of success. Mr. Hyde will have no problem hanging out in a club, a Golem will be better of hanging out during Mardi Gras or other festivals where masks are considere de rigeur. Milage will always vary.

The players are expected to be a face threats both mundane, and supernatural


"Let's see. Mutant apes on Monday; corporate lawyers on Thursday; a rogue Bagtheera on Saturday. I can't wait until it's Tuesday again. Tuesdays are always a good day to relax."

A bunch of gangers in the inner city who wanted your shinies (wallets, watches, tie clip, wedding band) is one thing. A pack of Mirror Goblins that want your giblets is.... pretty much the same thing. You fight them, or scare them off, or run away.

Expect to face enemies that are similar to other things of your specific type. The pair of "whatever" dueling it out is a very common element in stories, and I would be foolish to discard it out of hand.

As well, expect to face enemies that are like nothing else in the party composition. If there are no Witches, throwing some at the party will make things interesting.mOther ideas for monsters can come from movies, myths, and even television.

Erotica Supernatural


"What do you get when you cross a Bagtheera and a Get of Fenris? Well, I don't know either! That's why I was asking."

We're all adults here, and sometimes we get adult cravings and desires. That's fine. If anything it's actually sort of interesting to see how the unusual interact with each other. I'd prefer for actual scenes between either NPCs that I'm running and PCs, or PCs and each other to be split off into seperate threads on the other boards where they are appropriate, or even just "fade to black". I doubt that I'd be needed to GM any of that, and keeping tabs on the main game thread alone will be enough work.

For some creatures, it's the way that their species reproduces (Leviathans). For others, they can't do it at all (depends on what they are, but usually Golems can't). For others it's merely something for fun, or to deepen relationships with the signifigent other(s) (Vampires, Prometheans).

The rest of the creatures can possibly have children, who will be normal. Whether they elect to try and have them, or not is merely a personal choice, so a Witch can mind-control people in order to have offspring and support their offsrping, or just put a condom on and not worry about paternity lawsuits. In general, Leviathans can only have more of their type by making babies (which is why Creatures from the Black Lagoon will kidnap Luminaries). While two others cannot make babies at all, Vampires are undead, and Prometheans are individually constructed, making them a species of one; neither of them can have offspring no matter how hard they try.

[Darkforged Dove]

Character Sheets


Myself, I'm thinking of playing a Troglodyte as my own character for this game, although Wendigo is more appropriate.

This is the second character I've ever written up for myself that has ever been a homophageous character (and the first designed to be one from the start of the game); and that's probably 2 more than most other people ever write, making it unusual. I think reading Stranger in a Strange Land, having come across material on cannibalism when doing research on other topics in the past has gotten me over the inherent disgust associated with this practise.

In any case, here's what a character sheet, sans skills or ability pools, looks like.

Needleteeth, the ravenous

"C'mere, no, stop shaking. I need to pull these pieces of rebar out of your guts if I'm going to save you. Afterwards.... you can pay me back. Your cheeks, they look so smooth .... delicious. Now, let's fix up your tummy."

Needleteeth the Ravenous, supposedly gained his powers because of starvation.

Crashed on a remote island in a temperate climate in the beginning of winter via an airplane. Among the few survivors of the crash, the person who later became Needleteeth began to carefully butcher the already dead passengers once it became apparent that the island had no native population of animals for the survivors to eat.

Eventually Needleteeth gained supernatural strength by eating the inner organs of the dead passengers. This terrible feasting on roasted liver with legumes and juice squeezed from fruit, or fried kidneys with tubers native to the island, allowed Needleteeth to survive without as great a degradation of strength, as the other survivors suffered. After nearly a month on the island, the survivors who had not succumbed to malnutrition were rescued. However, the man that had began to eat his fellow humans on the island was no more. Only Needleteeth the Ravenous remained.

Needleteeth prefers the company of other predators such as Vampires or Lycanthropes. Needleteeth has realized that the consumption of non-humans tends to weaken, and sicken, him. However he considers himself a gourmet and wishes to sample all sorts of meals, the more unusual, the better. Sometimes this leads to him engaging in deals with other extremely resilient Supernaturals that are willing to have parts of their bodies removed for consumption, in exchange for either extracted blood, cut-off muscles, or other services or goods.

Usually Vampires or Werewolves are capable or willing to make such agreements. Other creatures are either inedible (Golems, Androids) or are unable to suffer the damage that occurs when the muscles on your arm are removed. Needleteeth's fascination with bodies and their regenerative properties has given him an unusual focus for most Troglodytes, his desire to eat has led him to also develop the ability to repair. Needleteeth the Ravenous gets his name based on his sharpened teeth, and his willingness to at least taste the cooked or raw flesh of most creatures.

[Basically, the creepiest healer ever. He wants to heal you, but he also wants to cut away part of you, and eat you; and is willing to fix you back to normal afterward if you let him.]

Since stat assignment hasn't been decided on, it's blank for now

Attributes
Agility:
Strength:
Intuition:
Logic:
Charisma:
Willpower:

Special Attributes
Edge:
Power:
Potency:


Powers
- Core Discipline: Auspex -

• Aura Perception (Basic Auspex)
• Second Senses (Basic Auspex)

- Basic Disciplines -

• Touch of Darkness (Basic Lure of Destruction)
• Vigor (Basic Potence)
• Shadow Play (Basic Obtenebration)
• Hide From Notice (Basic Obfuscation)
• Revive the Flesh (Basic Fortitude)
  
• Dread Gaze (Basic Presence)
  
  -Advanced Disciplines -
  
• Spirit's Touch (Advanced Auspex)
• Earth Meld (Obfuscation / Potence Devotion)
• Cleanse the Body (Fortitude and Presence)
  
  Added Disiplines in italics

[TheVillain]

What I was thinking was very Pusher-esque but would be talking to their bodies, not their minds. So nothing could be commanded that wasn't a general command didn't have serious body chemistry tied to it, but it opened up a few more options. "Be Afraid of Me", "Be Excited to See Me", "Find Me Attractive", "Forget I was here", etc. The kill with a thought was accidentally telling organs to kill themselves.

I'm okay with that being rejected though, it was just a thought. The overall theme, a mind controller that is having problems controlling his powers, was the meat of the idea anyway. Did Pusher happen in this game world? It's been 13 years since that episode, maybe a scientist attempting to recreate the 'Push' effect does too good of a job. Or either Robert or Linda used their powers to get laid in the early days of having their powers and now a resulting kid has the power, and the tumor, as well?

[Darkforged Dove]

Well.... communication requires a conduit. So if the character isn't going to talk to get the effect that they want, then perhaps they have some other method. Pheremones are a possiblity, but would also have massive limitations, if your enemies find out how you do your thing, something as simple as a filter dipped in sweat or piss would be able to block out your character's abilities. On the other hand, your character would be able to deal with say, being gagged with no problem.

A mind controller I'm fine with, but the "having problems controlling his powers" could be more problematic in a game. I'd be more comfortable with a character who has the ability, and knows that they have it, but has more trouble controlling themself in using their ability. Like, they don't like having to use it, and hang out with the other Player Characters (PCs), because they are able to resist him (usually), so he feels like he's around people who like him for who he is, not that he tells them to like him.

This character idea makes for a pretty good "face" (diplomat/social interaction character); as it lets your character say "These are not the [monster] you are looking for", and then the Stormtroopers Police Officer who pulled you over, and noticed the van full of freaks says "These are not the [monster] we are looking for", and drives off in his cruiser.

A research neurosurgeon who has been tinkering with Robert's preserved brain, and decides to do some "testing" either by implanting part of it into someone that he has for an other type of operation, or by implanting it in himself is a possiblity, and would definitely qualify as Transhuman. The first case being "experimented upon", and the second case being "researching what man was not meant to know."

Robert or Linda having children is alright; both characters were in their late 20's, early 30's by that point; giving a 13 to 23 year time gap between now, and when they could have had a child.

[TheVillain]

Maybe you already said it, but what book are you getting this out of?

Anyway, basic character write up here. Normally I try not to write things into established worlds, but what the hell.

Dr. Charles Frenton

The following were collected from the audio-journal of Dr. Charles Frenton, age 22. Considered a "boy genius" in the fields of neurosurgery and neural biochemistry, brought in to study the preserved brain of "Subject: Push" in classified section Delta.

Day 37: After extensive study of the brain of "Subject: Push" I do believe I've finally done it. With various proteins and synthetic versions of neural chemicals unique to the brain of "Subject:Push" I do believe I've developed a serum that will spur a similar effect in the brain of any simian. I've taken to discussing the ethics of our work with Dr. Devrani Ajo, whose own work on "Subject: Soft Light" mirrors my own. Positive ethical applications seem at best difficult to find, but they do exist. "Subject: Soft Light" is rewriting laws of cosmology with the dark matter research that's come from him and with "Subject: Push" we may have a peaceful way to end all conflict. Granted, at the expense of free will in some of the more extreme members of the population- but I'd take a few mental zombies over a truck bomb in a restaurant any day.

Day 39: Finally acquired my first test subject, a young adult male monkey in good health. Named him "Bobby". The general had a fit of course, but he was under the impression I would never discover who "Subject: Push" was. The first batch of serum X-96 are ready for testing, beginning trials tomorrow.

Day 44: Bobby does not like the injections at all, I'm sad to say. Otherwise, the tests are going flawlessly- even better then I had hoped. The amount of food Bobby has "pushed" the other monkey's into giving him has increased 20%. And if I'm not mistaken, Lucy seems a little more open to Bobby's advances. God, I hope I don't have to watch monkey loving, but science marches on.

Day 47: Yep, looks like I do. Bobby and Lucy mated today. Mental note: No grad students on this project. On a side note, I'm going through X-96 faster then expected. Security system isn't registering anything foul occurring, but it's odd.

Day 54: We did some additional tests to see how much communication Bobby needs to "push" other monkeys. It appears that it's not a purely psychic phenomena. There has to be some form of communication. One-way glass proved this beyond a shadow of a doubt, though monkey vocal communications may not be capable of the intercom tests.

Day 62: Long term tests are being devised, but I think we can call X-96 a success. I think Bobby has figured out how to do something else too. I think, if he wants his subjects to remember the push they remember, but if he doesn't want them to they'll forget. Kind of neat, really. On a personal note, my relationship with Dr. Ajo has taken an interesting turn. I joked about finding a broom closet during lunch and she said yes. God, I had needed that- it's been, what? A year?

Day 63: Our vet has confirmed that Bobby has impregnated 2 of the females involved in his test group. After some deliberation we decided that testing to see if his power will diminish if the females he attempts to control are pregnant has been ordered. Personally, I don't see the point- if he couldn't control pregnant females he definitely wouldn't be able to control males. Still, science marches on. As for Dr. Ajo and I, we decided to keep it casual. She's encouraged me to meet some of her friends in fact.

Day 77: I told them it wasn't necessary, but Bobby the Push Monkey can control pregnant females just as well as he can control non-pregnant ones. Impregnated another one while he was at it in fact. And speaking of monkey business, between Dervani, Susan, Kako, Jasmine, and Angela I've gotten laid more in the last two weeks then I have all though grad school. And all of them want to keep it casual. I'm getting a little weirded out in fact, it's occurred to none of them that my work in mind control may be helping me. I know if I was an outside observer, I'd be watching me with a suspicious eye right now. Hell, I am suspicious. But I haven't taken any X-96. Have I?

Day 78: That little Bastard! Why didn't I see it before? Yes, Bobby needs to be within audio range to "push"- but body language and infliction is just as important as vocalizations. Possibly more so- I'm watching the security archive footage and it doesn't lie. With his displeased howls and angry body language, Bobby has been "pushing" me into injecting myself with X-96 for over a month! It took a bit longer because I've been getting Bobby-sized doses and I have a lot more mass then he does- but my brain is completely saturated now. Even if I quit cold turkey I think it would stay with me.

Day 79: I took the day off and asked the women to join me, careful not to push them any more. Looks like the damage I did was more thorough then I thought. After careful interviewing I think at least Devrani, Jasmine, and Susan thought I was cute for a science nerd and Devrani may have been open to a romantic relationship if I had asked- but the rest of it was all "push", at least in the beginning. At this point they're so conditioned that I don't need to push them any more to get them to do anything. I can take solace in that to them it's all good memories and great sex, what damage was done by the "push" I think will just come off as fading memories as it heals. The conditioning should wear away with time. Tomorrow I'm going to destroy my work- it's not safe even in the best of intended hands.

Day 80: I did it. Damn it all, with the "push" I did it with sickening ease. The security footage, X-96, all of it. The only hard part was Bobby, the little bastard. He was king of his world and somehow knew that I was there to take it away. Before I knew it, we were in a "Push" fight. He made me take glass to my throat, I fought him by making him pick up high voltage wiring. Fortunately, it seems the willpower of a monkey isn't much compared to that of a human. Have to hide now, have to figure out a way to undo this.

Core Discipline:
Dominate
Hide From Notice
Mask of a Thousand Faces

Basic Disciplines:
Command
Mesmerism
Second Senses
Nimble Feet
Vigor
Revive the Flesh

Advanced Disciplines
Conditioning
Touch of Shadow
Vanish From the Mind's Eye

[Darkforged Dove]

No book, it's from a project that Frank Trollman at The Gaming Den is pretty much spearheading, like he nearly always does. Link It's.... not clean, and stuff is being added as it's finished.

Charles Frenton seems fine. I finished reading the backstory; we're on Earth, so writing anything into a modern setting will usually not need any really special work to 'fit-in' to the setting.

[Quantumboost]

I'm thinking a Khaibit mystical detective character. Magical investigation, psychic impressions, talking to the dead, that kind of thing.
Also zombies. Can't go wrong with zombies.


Shelton Montgomery, P.I.

Attributes
Agility:
Strength:
Intuition:
Logic:
Charisma:
Willpower:

Special Attributes
Edge:
Power:
Potency:


Powers

- Core Discipline: Necromancy -
Summon Spirit (Basic Necromancy)
Compel Spirits (Basic Necromancy)

- Basic Disciplines -
Aura Perception (Basic Auspex)
Eyes of Night (Basic Obtenebration)
Tongue of the Serpent (Basic Lure of Destruction)
Thaumaturgical Forensics (Basic Path of Blood)
Sensory Dampener (Basic Auspex)
Patience of the Mountains (Basic Fortitude)

-Advanced Disciplines -
Solid Darkness (Advanced Obtenebration)
Reanimate (Advanced Necromancy)
Spirit’s Touch (Advanced Auspex)



It’s like they’ll turn any Luminary off the street these days.
Shelton Montgomery tightened the collar of his coat and looked over the scene in front of him. The rain was pattering down on his shoulders, though he didn’t even notice it – it was more a reflex of irritation than anything. He’d been asked by the Giovanni to handle a little indiscretion on the part of some younger vampires during their feeding time, just as he was leaving the local book repository. Getting access to decent necromancy was a real pain sometimes.

Okay, we have three bodies, currently bleeding out on the sidewalk, with giant bite marks on their necks. Like a snake bit them there. I don’t see how anyone could EVER think it was vampires.
It took some doing, but he managed to patch up the necks long enough to keep whatever was left in them from spilling out. The blood had already stained the pavement below it.

As he worked, Shelton’s subconscious began to rise, pestering him with the same old complaints. What have I done to myself, how can I work for these fiendish creatures. He pushed it back as he had countless times before – it was becoming easier and easier to ignore the voices. He'd gone too far a hundred times over by now.

The scene finally was rearranged to his liking. It was still apparent that there had been some sort of murder, but it wouldn’t be traceable to anyone in particular, especially mythical bogeymen. The only thing left was to dispose of the bodies…

And these should pay my tab nicely...
A few shoves, and the bodies were in the Gio’s getaway van. With luck, the corpses might be intact enough to reanimate… if not, at least he could sell the parts.

[TheVillain]

We can take more then two from each category? Did I miss something?

[Darkforged Dove]

Whoops, yeah, I guess that might not have been perfectly clear.

When making your character

And when I held aloft my magic sword I became .... I have the POWER!

You get all of your power that your race has. It's what defines your race.

You also get to freely choose three more Disiplines that you can qualify for. ((Note: I am pretty damned sure that no-one can 'start' with an Elder Discipline out of the door; just Basic, Advanced, and then the "special" ones that need -two- different basics to qualify for))

===========================

In the case of your character The Villain, you get:
[drum roll-ll-ll-ll-ll]

- Core Discipline: Obfuscation -

    * Hide From Notice (Basic Obfuscation)
    * Mask of a Thousand Faces (Basic Obfuscation)


- Basic Disciplines -

    * Second Senses (Basic Auspex)
    * Nimble Feet (Basic Celerity)
    * Vigor (Basic Potence)
    * Revive the Flesh (Basic Fortitude)


-Advanced Disciplines -

    * Touch of Shadow (Advanced Obfuscation)
    * Vanish From the Mind's Eye (Advanced Obfuscation)

So... you can
-hide yourself from view
-look like someone -else-
-know if weird stuff is going on around you
-run freaking fast
-are tough
-regenerate your body
-walk as if it's darktime for you, or something
-be ignored by people if you so choose

Plus 3 more powers. The Dominate powers will be handy at enforcing character your theme as a mind-bender.

Nimble Feet can be easily explained as well. "You slow the minds and actions of the world around you, making to seem as if you travel much faster"