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point of view, to go through an NPC at this stage takes the
that any hangers-on follow this character around
action out of the players' hands, leading to a feeling of
obediently. When the action becomes intense, an
anticlimax and inevitably breaking the tension that has
inexperienced player can sometimes be a little
built up in the Story so far.
overwhelmed by the strain of having to look after three or
One solution to this problem is to have each player create a four lesser characters as well as the main one. The
Storyteller can overcome this by handling the lesser
character from a different clan, so there is at least on e
Ventrue, one Tremere, one Toreador, and so on. But then characters most of the time, and only handing control of
them to the player upon request, or when one of the lesser
again, this can lead to tensions within the group -
especially if the characters are played to the full - which character has something important to do or some critical
could lead to the whole Story breaking down. What decision to make.
Toreador would be seen in the company of Nosferatu?
A greater problem is the cannon fodder syndrome, where
What Ventrue would trust his or her life to the
the lesser characters take all the risks, and are generally
companionship of a Brujah - or worse, a Malkavian?
pushed around and thrown away for the benefit of their
The problem might be solved if each player were allowed to Cainite master. Unless the Kindred has them sufficiently
Dominated to turn them into mindless slaves, this is not
create a number of characters. From this pool of
characters, it would then be possible to put together a only unbelievable, but it is not using the lesser characters
to their full potential. In the end, it devalues the whole
party with the appropriate skills and background for
almost any situation. Intrigue in high places? Leave the game.
Brujah at home and bring out the Ventrue, Tremere and
There are various ways to deal with this. One is for the
Toreadors. Tough fight ahead? Load up on Brujah, with a
Storyteller to insist on some kind of loyalty check for lesser
couple of Nosferatu scouts and
characters whenever they are required to do something
perhaps a Tremere for supernatural coverage. A foray into life-threatening, against their nature (remember, these
the Barrens? Concentrate on Gangrels, with Nosferatu and lesser characters should be created with as much detail as a
main character), or just plain unpleasant. This dice roll
Brujah for support.
11
Vampire Storytellers Handbook
should take into account things like Domination, how well want to cover every possible scene live, or only use live play
the master has treated the lesser character in the past, when it is particularly easy or appropriate to do so? Do you
potential rewards, and so on. A good roll would be the want to get involved with scenery, props, costumes - or
Vampire's Manipulation + Leadership vs the servant's would
Intelligence + Courage (it takes a certain amount of nerve you rather keep these in the imagination, and concentrate
to refuse a command from a Vampire), but the Storyteller on the words and deeds of the characters? Do you want to
can vary the Traits used to reflect the situation. seek out suitable locations, or adapt the space you
normally use for gaming? How much extra work do you
Another way to prevent the abuse of underlings is to have
want to put into things? What resources do you have to
the Vampire character make a Conscience roll to avoid loss
devote to setting live play up? This is a decision that each
of Humanity each time a lesser character is knowingly sent
group will have to make for itself, according to its own
into a dangerous situation. This tends to make even the
preferences and resources.
most autocratic of Kindred think twice, and is, after all, one
of the things that the rules mechanism of Humanity is
Props
intended to cover.
I'm putting on my top hat
Tying up my white tie
Live-Action
Brushing off my tails
Just a game that you like to play
- Fred Astaire, Top Hat
Sleepwalking through a world of pain
Props can add a great deal to a live-action play session, and
Just another pretty face in the romeo rain
some players like to use props as a part of their characters.
Now you're wide awake in dreamland Something like a silver -topped cane, a monocle or a certain
item of clothing can quickly become a trademark,
-Pat Benatar, Wide Awake in Dreamland
identifying a character as much as an attitude or a catch
The Vampire rulebook makes some mention of live-
phrase. Groucho simply isn't Groucho without the tailcoat
action roleplaying in the game as a means of bringing
and cigar, no matter how well you do the walk. Where
certain scenes more vividly to life. Live-action roleplaying
would Obi-Wan Kenobi be without his hooded robe and
is where the distinction between game and improvised
lightsaber, or Darth Vader without his mask? Or Don
theatre almost v anishes altogether, and with the right
Corleone without his ring? Or Ripley without an enormous
scenes, characters and players a live-action session can be
gun? What would Stan and Ollie do if they didn't have their
very effective indeed. Like troupe play, live action is not for
hats and ties to fiddle with? You get the idea.
everyone, and should always be considered as optional.
This is just as true of NPCs - it's normally just a figure of
speech when people say the Storyteller wears a number of
Choosing Scenes
hats during the course of the game, but it can become
Just as some scenes in a Story might be particularly
literally true in live action! A prop, a mannerism or a style
suitable for a live-action treatment, so some scenes might
of speaking can all help bring an NPC to life and separate
be particularly unsuitable. When preparing to play out a
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