[nWOD] Campaign advice

[STsinderman]

I will premise this by pointing out that i have not run or really played in any campaigns set in modern times, always fantasy or sci-fi.

Just started a new campaign in which the pc's have been recruited by an anti supernatural pro-humanity organisation. One of the long term goals is for the team itself to over time become more supernatural itself, one is wolf blooded who will soon be experiencing his first change. As we will be touching on many of the setting it need only be a light touch.

I have been planning out some of the sessions and have been struggling to come up with some plot points that do seem like direct sci-fi or fantasy transplants. Just thought id fish here for some good modern session ideas, the first session was based around a basic intro to their new organisation and a simple task to stop a local drug dealer from dealing in vampire blood.

(i am not going to mention the overall plot here because there are two of the pc's also on this forum)

Thx in advance.

[ToySoldierCPlus]

So, you've got a group of mortals, inducted by a hunter organization, and going to become supernaturals over the course of the game? Okay, that's a good start.

There's all kinds of things you can do for modern plots that don't feel like fantasy/sci-fi transplants, though there's nothing inherently wrong with using those tropes as a basis. After all, this is a world where mages, vampires, werewolves, and fairies, amongst other things, all exist. Anti-fantasy it ain't.

That said, some basic ideas include a serial killer in the area, who may turn out to be a werewolf, or a ridden human, to play into your wolf-blooded's first change. You could do a series of disappearances; children go missing, often in broad daylight, nobody sees anything. The culprit is an old woman who makes dolls for a living. These dolls are ultra-realistic; now we know why.

A simple haunting is always fair game, but perhaps you'd prefer a slightly different twist. A children's author, who just moved into the neighborhood with his wife, begins acting strangely. At the same time, children from the neighborhood begin to disappear from their beds. The man can be overheard muttering about a key, and how he needs to find it.

Or how about, playing up possession again, word comes down to your players that a strange group is holding meetings, some might call them recruitment sessions, in their part of town. These people aren't real people at all, but rather hostile spirit-things, that take over dead or willing bodies, ride around in them for a while, and then abandon them. They're difficult to kill, because they can just abandon the body thy're in if it's about to die. Oh, and one character's significant other has become one of their playthings.

If any of this sounds familiar, it's because I took most of it out of the Horror Recognition Guide. It's a companion book for Hunter the Vigil; a collection of vignettes about the (mis)adventures of a hunter cell in Philadelphia. It's great leisure reading material, and each vignette can be used wholesale or as inspiration for your own games. Perhaps you could confront your players with the cat lady, and have them try to figure out what she is. Lord knows I couldn't.

[STsinderman]

Thank you, there are lots of good suggestions there and could lead to some quite interesting plot lines.

For clarification the organisation is part run by a mage faction and VII. Hence the reason that they will not really have much of an objection to the team becoming supernatural. Though should any of them not wish to become part of that world, giving the opportunity to become a hunter.

[Dingle]

One thing is that werewolves get easy access to a lot of combat power early on.
It might be a good idea to make it a bit harder to control or less reliable until they get some actual werewolf renown.

[STsinderman]

One thing is that werewolves get easy access to a lot of combat power early on.
It might be a good idea to make it a bit harder to control or less reliable until they get some actual werewolf renown.

My intention was to play it that he would only be able to shift around a certain moon phase and it to be a painful, unpleasant experience. Not to mention needing to have someone to teach him his gifts.

Though combat is not the major worry, as it is somewhat of a more rp heavy game (for the first half of the chronicle).

[Kesnit]

My intention was to play it that he would only be able to shift around a certain moon phase

This severely limits a werewolf, as they can only their shift about 6 or 7 days a month (depending on how you define "around a certain moon phase.")


Not to mention needing to have someone to teach him his gifts.

Is there going to be an NPC available for this? If not, why actually have the PC Change (especially with the limit on shifting)? If so, then this isn't really a limitation.

[ToySoldierCPlus]

My intention was to play it that he would only be able to shift around a certain moon phase and it to be a painful, unpleasant experience. Not to mention needing to have someone to teach him his gifts.

Though combat is not the major worry, as it is somewhat of a more rp heavy game (for the first half of the chronicle).

Combat being a concern or not, werewolves are meant to shift. At really high Harmony levels, not shifting for three days straight is a violation, and most of their combat ability depends on being able to shift. You can play it that way if you like, but be warned, your werewolf player won't have much fun with a werewolf that can't shift.

As for the gifts, the spirits teach werewolves gifts. The ones that come with the template were taught by spirits that are either loyal to other Uratha or were coerced into doing so at the werewolf's induction. So yes, that part stands, but it's important to remember that werewolves don't teach others of their number gifts; only spirits can do that. That's what a gift is, after all.

[STsinderman]

This severely limits a werewolf, as they can only their shift about 6 or 7 days a month (depending on how you define "around a certain moon phase.")

Well dependent of the tribe ect chosen it will alter which phase of the moon he has a connection to, as in core book. The Lunar month is separated as i recall into four phases with regards to game mechanics in nWod.



Is there going to be an NPC available for this? If not, why actually have the PC Change (especially with the limit on shifting)? If so, then this isn't really a limitation.
Of course there will be otherwise it wouldn't be a limitation, it would be an out rite ban.


Combat being a concern or not, werewolves are meant to shift. At really high Harmony levels, not shifting for three days straight is a violation, and most of their combat ability depends on being able to shift. You can play it that way if you like, but be warned, your werewolf player won't have much fun with a werewolf that can't shift.


As mentioned this will be a sort term state for the wolf to be in until he has leaned to control that aspect of himself. Also he is not much of a power player so might enjoy the rp opportunity over the combat down.



As for the gifts, the spirits teach werewolves gifts. The ones that come with the template were taught by spirits that are either loyal to other Uratha or were coerced into doing so at the werewolf's induction. So yes, that part stands, but it's important to remember that werewolves don't teach others of their number gifts; only spirits can do that. That's what a gift is, after all.

Indeed but it does say that for those unaware of the entire process, it is often others who are helping them through it that arrange such things.

[The Glyphstone]

Well dependent of the tribe ect chosen it will alter which phase of the moon he has a connection to, as in core book. The Lunar month is separated as i recall into four phases with regards to game mechanics in nWod.



That doesn't solve the problem at all though, just affects which 3/4 of the month he's crippled in. If you're going to do that, the player deserves at least extra XP per session if not more once he becomes a werewolf and get slapped with this extra curse, because unless you go for the "all action happens during that week, then three weeks of downtime" plan, you're basically making him revert to mortalhood for 75% of your campaign.

[MiniMan]

You may want to explore the motivations of this mage-seven influenced organization. What motivates them to want to recruit potential supernaturals for their selfish uses? What are they attempting to trick the neophytes into and why?

As an example, perhaps there is a prophecy that provides clues on finding an bone eyeglass that when used, is capable of showing a path to the supernal realms. perhaps the same prophecy speaks of a map that was separated from the eyepiece and lost. the final part of the prophecy speaks of a mixed group of supernaturals finding the eyepiece or map or both. The organization suspects that the player characters are the mentioned ones in the prophecy who will lead them to the that which they seek through means of manipulation.

is the organization paying off rogue mages and ghostwolves and to befriend each member of the group and show each one in a direction that eventually brings them together to serve the organization? You get the idea.

[LemuneSD]

The way these organizations treat the players may heavily influence what missions you can send the party on, and even start paving the end-game path if you didn't have one already set up.

Does the anti-supernatural organization make exceptions for the players, who have proven themselves capable over the course of the campaign?

Does the organization enslave the party, still hating the existence of supernaturals, but knowing that having a group chained up is a powerful tool against the darkness? (Weapon X style)

Does the organization not only kick the players out, but begin to actively hunt them as well?

[Pigkappa]

This advice is going to be most likely useless now, but I think it's still necessary to write this down.


Unless the party is already really experienced in all supernatural factions of nWod and wants to try something different, I think it's much better to play by-the-rules instead of doing something so different.
Different supernatural species aren't supposed to mix together. Most mages, werewolves and almost all vampires hate all the others supernatural species, and they have good reason to do so.

Starting from D&D or other games, it is easily to see "Mage", "Vampire", "Werewolf" as classes. This is not how it works in nWoD. They are not balanced to be in a party and forcing them to be in one will result in a great stretch of in-game realism, balance problems (at high experience levels, a Mage can do absurd things, much more than a Vampire) and other annoying issues (the vampire character won't be there whenever they do something during daylight).

You can already have really different characters in a single faction; a Mekhet in the Lancea Sanctum who's been studying theology and the rites of its covenant has little in common with the non aligned Nosferatu who lives in a corner of a graveyard feeding to death from whoever finds funny visiting the graveyard after midnight.

[NichG]

This advice is going to be most likely useless now, but I think it's still necessary to write this down.


Unless the party is already really experienced in all supernatural factions of nWod and wants to try something different, I think it's much better to play by-the-rules instead of doing something so different.
Different supernatural species aren't supposed to mix together. Most mages, werewolves and almost all vampires hate all the others supernatural species, and they have good reason to do so.

Starting from D&D or other games, it is easily to see "Mage", "Vampire", "Werewolf" as classes. This is not how it works in nWoD. They are not balanced to be in a party and forcing them to be in one will result in a great stretch of in-game realism, balance problems (at high experience levels, a Mage can do absurd things, much more than a Vampire) and other annoying issues (the vampire character won't be there whenever they do something during daylight).

You can already have really different characters in a single faction; a Mekhet in the Lancea Sanctum who's been studying theology and the rites of its covenant has little in common with the non aligned Nosferatu who lives in a corner of a graveyard feeding to death from whoever finds funny visiting the graveyard after midnight.

Two separate points here I think. One has to do with the types getting along - I think in the campaign the OP is talking about thats not an issue, since different types not getting along is a matter of history and organizational philosophy/indoctrination, rather than something fundamental to the types themselves. Since he's talking about humans who are already part of a 'we hate all supernaturals' organization becoming supernatural themselves (ostensibly in the we-steal-their-powers sort of way, rather than a going native sort of way), the Mage in the group won't think like a Mage, the Werewolf probably won't necessarily have a care for Werewolf concerns, etc. This does dilute the types to power-sets, but it'd make for interesting friction when the party actually meets traditional members of the type who say 'What the heck are you doing cooperating with them? They're going to end the world!'.

The second point is harder to overcome, namely the power gap between types. I'm in a mixed oWoD campaign right now that works only because the ST is very adaptable at making sure those without raw power end up getting secular power, items of power, or just plain weirdness to keep things roughly equal. So far the party has a mix of werewolf/vampire abomination, Abberant, Exalted, Wraith, Adventure, and Mage, as well as a weird things and ST-homebrew. I'm pretty sure Genius was an option at one point, as was Street Fighter. It only holds together because of homebrew, system tweaks, and that we sort of take the fact that the vampire/werewolf doubles the combat ability of the rest of the party as an indicator that we should just leave fights to him and focus more on our characters' actual interests.

[Lamech]

That doesn't solve the problem at all though, just affects which 3/4 of the month he's crippled in. If you're going to do that, the player deserves at least extra XP per session if not more once he becomes a werewolf and get slapped with this extra curse, because unless you go for the "all action happens during that week, then three weeks of downtime" plan, you're basically making him revert to mortalhood for 75% of your campaign.
I was under the impression that the other people were still all mortal at this point. So the other guy isn't crippled 3/4ths of the time. He is uber 1/4th of the time. So I think the limit is a good idea, just slowly remove it as the game progresses.

I don't think hunter meshes particularly well with the other games though... they get their own special XP, a big part of their mechanics is "tactics" which require a team of hunters essentially, and quite a few of the conspiracy powers don't play nice with others.

[Pigkappa]

One has to do with the types getting along - I think in the campaign the OP is talking about thats not an issue, since different types not getting along is a matter of history and organizational philosophy/indoctrination, rather than something fundamental to the types themselves.
[...]
This does dilute the types to power-sets, but it'd make for interesting friction when the party actually meets traditional members of the type who say 'What the heck are you doing cooperating with them? They're going to end the world!'.

However, since fluff is arguably most than 50% in nWoD books, they're playing it in a way that's seriously different from the regular one. And since the regular nWoD games are really nice (well, V:tR and M:tA are, I'm not familiar with the other ones), my advice is to play them the way White Wolf made them.

That kind of "friction" you speak of can be interesting to the players if they know what is going on, that is, if they know how traditional members usually think. If this is their first time playing a nWoD chronicle, they are likely going to think that having a mixed party isn't an abomination.

[STsinderman]

However, since fluff is arguably most than 50% in nWoD books, they're playing it in a way that's seriously different from the regular one. And since the regular nWoD games are really nice (well, V:tR and M:tA are, I'm not familiar with the other ones), my advice is to play them the way White Wolf made them.

That kind of "friction" you speak of can be interesting to the players if they know what is going on, that is, if they know how traditional members usually think. If this is their first time playing a nWoD chronicle, they are likely going to think that having a mixed party isn't an abomination.

Firstly it is not an abomination, and why bother role playing if you will only ever play it straight out the book? Some of the more interesting things that will arise from this will be when they interact with their native counterparts and are forced to question certain aspects of what they do and believe.



I was under the impression that the other people were still all mortal at this point. So the other guy isn't crippled 3/4ths of the time. He is uber 1/4th of the time. So I think the limit is a good idea, just slowly remove it as the game progresses.

I don't think hunter meshes particularly well with the other games though... they get their own special XP, a big part of their mechanics is "tactics" which require a team of hunters essentially, and quite a few of the conspiracy powers don't play nice with others.

Yea that's the plan, as the others are progressing then he will gain access to being able to transform during other auspices.
I looked over the Hunters and they wont really work within a group thats not all Hunter.

[NichG]

That kind of "friction" you speak of can be interesting to the players if they know what is going on, that is, if they know how traditional members usually think. If this is their first time playing a nWoD chronicle, they are likely going to think that having a mixed party isn't an abomination.

I'd actually say the opposite. In the campaign I'm in, I had zero WoD experience or background, and several of the other players had a significant amount thereof. Not having the background let me basically find out things about supernatural types 'as I discovered them', so I could actually make that discovery a genuine part of play, whereas for the other players there was a big component of 'yeah, we know (or think we know) what's going on OOC, so I have to try to keep things separate' (which showed a lot in predispositions certain players had to certain groups/situations that we had never encountered before IC). Our characters were mortals who became supernatural on their own terms, following lives with zero supernatural experience, so there was a lot of 'find out what the others like me are like' that drove exploration and character development, but it helped a lot if you couldn't just say 'okay, I know I'm going to like faction X so I'll just talk to them'.

For example, the experienced players had a strong negative reaction when we first encountered the Technocracy, but I had no prior experience and figured 'hey, these guys are pretty cool', and ended up gaining significant aid from them for the party, as well as a sort of non-aggression pact with us despite us containing what would normally be considered people too dangerous to live (i.e. we had a Marauder in the party). If I had been WoD savvy at the time I probably would have sought out the Sons of Ether instead, as having a world-view closer to the party's, but instead we had to negotiate and compromise and make the Technocracy connection work.

[Pigkappa]

why bother role playing if you will only ever play it straight out the book?
Because, since the game has been made to be played that way, it's likely that way is the best one to play it. Of course any party can play the game however the players want to, but the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear of a mixed party is that most of the line-specific themes are lost.

To make an example, one of V:tR's most interesting part is the complicated politics you can find in any domain (just look at what's happening in the New Orleans appendix). The game was designed for the PCs to act inside this intrigue of affairs and eventually unravel some of them, and it works very nicely when played that way. This is a part of the game which is lost with a mixed party, since it's already difficult to do it right with a vampires-only group.

[STsinderman]

Because, since the game has been made to be played that way, it's likely that way is the best one to play it.

Well the game is designed for the systems to coexist and be used with one another.


the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear of a mixed party is that most of the line-specific themes are lost.

To my mind they are not lost they just have a different point of entry and more actual uses as plot hooks.