[VtM] Now for something completely unexpected.

[Narazil]

Hi Playgrounders.
I'm a player in a VtM campaign centered in Poland. The ST brought me in to basicly cause cool scenes in the game: The rest of the players are rather unexperienced, and I'm there to cause great scenes, while the ST tells the story.

We're currently in the middle of a warzone between two factions: Fascists and "free-spirited" Brujah. Tonight, we're having a meeting with the leaders of both factions, and I'm going to kill them and have the group take their place.

Now, for my question: What would be the coolest way to kill both the leaders and assume control of both factions? I know the fascist leader is semi-old and powerful, with heavy investments in Fortitude, so a direct assault would take forever.

My money's either on having the leaders show up, then blow up the meeting place, or hitting them both with Presence and making them slaves to the group.

[Zen Monkey]

It's VtM, so think subtlety, and about where the blame will lie afterwards.

Turn the two groups against each other, and then pounce on the wounded winner. Brujah sometimes have short fuses anyway. Bonus points for you if they each think you'll be on their side before it starts. That way, you don't have to fight anyone at full strength, and you didn't instigate the fight (or at least that's how the story will be told later) so nobody is coming after you for retribution. You're just filling the power vacuum created by them killing each other off, you know, out of your obligation to the masquerade/community/etc.

Yeah, my first character was a Ventrue, maybe it shows.

[Fenix_of_Doom]

So uhm, I don't know a lot about VtM, but I'll try to help anyway. Your opponents will be semi old vampires, one probably ventrue and one probably brujah, both have presence as a discipline, I assume they know their own tricks. So unless your vastly more powerful then they are, I doubt it will work.

Now what I do know about vampires is that most of them are paranoid as hell, especially when meeting dreaded enemies, both of them will be prepared for a trap. So you'll probably have to get the explosives at the meeting after it is searched or hide it really good, under the ground perhaps? or you could just crash a small remote-controlled air plane loaded with explosives into wherever the meeting will take place.

Lastly, how are you going to assume control? are you passing your group of as the leaders, or are you going to assume control by brute force?

[Satyr]

What are your ressources and how much time do you have for the takeover? With enough time, you could track the Ventrue's drinking preference, and find a fitting vessel to ghoul and spike with something nasty. Your blood may be one idea, it won't be enough to bind him, but perhaps mess up his loyalties. A bit radioactive isotopes in the blood and you can track him with a geiger counter, find his lair, and let the Brujah - or a pack of Ghouls at noon - lose at it.

The Brujah are probably a bit more passionate about their key issues. Give them the feeling you care about their agenda, and lead by example. Let their leader look bad in comparison. Challenge him openly so thathec was to either back down or face you openly -and pretty much unprepared. Have fun with a little public execution disguised as a duel.

Presence work in the long run, if you don't have really much of it.

[Fenix_of_Doom]

A bit radioactive isotopes in the blood and you can track him with a geiger counter, find his lair, and let the Brujah - or a pack of Ghouls at noon - lose at it.

I somehow have the feeling that radioactivity does not work that way.

[Satyr]

Since radioactive isotopes are used to mark migrating animals and follow their movements per helicopter, it works that way. Not with a Geiger Counter alone, though.

[Tsotha-lanti]

Frame the other party (who are the fascists, exactly?) for a dire, personal insult on as many of the Brujah leaders as possible - preferrably make the "big reveal" of this insult at a meeting between the two parties. The ill-tempered punks will go characteristically nuts and attack the others.

[tsuuga]

Radiation seriously doesn't work that way. Yes, scientists do use radioactive isotopes to track animals. They take samples of an animal's flesh or blood and analyze the isotopes present to figure out where it's been eating.

You can, however, make a serviceable tracking device out of a cell-phone.

[Narazil]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.
The two factions were already at war, and we're seeking a way to stop it - and we took the direct approach and chopped the head off the beast, so to say.
Group did some research, and got some information on the sides: One leader lead through love and respect, while the other was a tyrant - needless to say, we went after the tyrant.

The entire affair ended with the group approaching a neutral location (an empty warehouse, very classic) with an Entranced mortal wearing a vest wired with C4, and a large hoodie. We watched from an overview room while the mortal shook hands with the faction leader, and then exploded as my character flicked the switch. The faction leader barely survived the explosion (damn Ventrue Fortitude), but dusted as my two hired Assamites broke their Obfuscates with two large "Booms!" from their respective sniper rifles.
There were a few witnesses, and we made sure they were happy with the turn of events before passing judgement.

Two hours later we met with the other faction's leader, convienced her to join our cause, and placed my childe as the head of both factions..

.. She now runs the streets of Prag.

Now, we have an enraged Arch Bishop Tzimisce, who'll love to see us either dead or join his cause.


Edit: Best thing is; no one expected it. Not even the ST. He was a bit flabbergasted when I passed him a note saying "I call my childe and tell her to get a chopper, and fly in with a kidnapped mortal, a vest wired with explosives, a hoodie, plus two Assamites-4-hire."
Even more so when he had prepared the mortal's lifestory and pleads. "Oh God don't sell me to slavers! I have a wife and kids! They're going off to high school next month, please have mercy!" and I just respond "Presence dot 3, Entrancement. I tell him to put on the vest and hoodie".
.. Group actually got to like Bob the Mortal.. Before he blew up, that is.

[Fenix_of_Doom]

Good to hear you had fun, but seriously, your opponents were so dumb they deserved to die. showing up at meeting with strangers, alone, without too much protection, while being the leader of a large faction. You might as well try to sunbathe(as vampire that is).

[Narazil]

He wasn't without protection. They were just dumb enough to try their own skills too much. I assume one of them had Auspex, and all they'd read from the mortal was Ghoul - I'd given him a bit of blood on purpose, exactly for this.

[comicshorse]

Er... I'm pretty sure Entrancement just makes the mortal like you, it doesn't turn them into suicidal idiots. How did you persuade the mortal to kill himself ?

For that matter if your targets had Auspex how did you know thwy weren't going to spot the Assamites ?

For that matter how the hell are you paying for TWO of the finest killers in existence ?

[Fjolnir]

For that matter how the hell are you paying for TWO of the finest killers in existence ?

That's easy, they now control Prag, so they can use their newly more substancial wealth to, TADA! pay the assimites

[Tyrmatt]

Er... I'm pretty sure Entrancement just makes the mortal like you, it doesn't turn them into suicidal idiots. How did you persuade the mortal to kill himself ?


I would reason that the mortal could either be told simply "Wear this vest" and to not question it or be convinced it was simply a bluff device, in order to ensure that the vamps don't attack him.
Or even better, give him the "detonator". If he thinks he's in control of the boom, he'll be fine with it.

[comicshorse]

That's easy, they now control Prag, so they can use their newly more substancial wealth to, TADA! pay the assimites

I believe Assamits make money by taking mortal contracts for their much more dangerous vampire hits their requirements are usually much more.....complex. Usually high Gen. vampire blood but if the P.C.s don't have that well for 2 Assamites I'd imagine they'd be paying off the Prestation for decades

[Oracle_Hunter]

I believe Assamits make money by taking mortal contracts for their much more dangerous vampire hits their requirements are usually much more.....complex. Usually high Gen. vampire blood but if the P.C.s don't have that well for 2 Assamites I'd imagine they'd be paying off the Prestation for decades

Well, they do have the corpse of the Venture they assassinated. That's one to diablerize for sure. :smallamused:

I'm more curious about why the Ventrue didn't have a security team on site. Some fellows with Auspex and heavy weapons to take care of assassins - before or after an attack.

Still, bravo! It was a scene, to be sure.

[Narazil]

Well, my character's a smooth-talker, and a very good one at that. Getting the Ventrue to trust me enough to meet with me wasn't hard; I can, offgame, be very manipulating and persuasive when I want to, and that was enough to convience the ST.

On the subject of Entrancement: ST ruling on it. As it is now, it's ridicously overpowered. Read the wording: Due to what these individuals see as true and enduring devotion, they heed the Vampire's every desire.
Ruling was, that while it works super-effecient on Mortals with low Willpower, it's useless in combat and has a lesser effect on Vampires. While succes can convience a mortal to strap on a wired vest, you can't ask a Vampire to go into Torpor for you, for example.


Edit: Also, Assamites were actually not that costy. They were fledgelings, more or less. Paid them in cold hard cash: Amazingly, money isn't hard to come by with Entrancement and meetings with CEOs. >_>


And, on the Auspex / Assamites thing: I did mention they were armed with sniper rifles, they were fledgelings with Celerity and Quietus, meaning they *probably* hadn't invested heavily in their Obfuscate. Hiding magically doesn't work? Stay the heck away with a big honking gun.