W20/V20: Under A Blood Red Moon (Recruiting)

[BananaPhone]

WEREWOLF THE APOCALYPSE
Under a Blood Red Moon





"Luna weeps a storm of blood
The red swan falls from the sky
The fanged maw opens
Many-faced beasts are loosed
We shall meet them
Under a blood red moon"
-From Prophecies of Grey Raven, 1925.


"The Dogs broke the peace. We're just defending ourselves."
-Nicolai Antonescu, Tremere Primogen of Chicago.


"The Leeches broke the peace. We're just defending ourselves."
-Luther Stepshadow Lynch, Uktena Theurge of (former) Temple of the Fanum.

Welcome, warriors of Gaia!

By request, I am running a pack of Garou through the 1993 module Under a Blood Red Moon. As written, it is a story about loyalty, about the tension between individual and collective will. The way I like to run it, it's more of a story about perspective, about how our world-view is built from available information, and then how resilient that world-view can be to new information.

Here's how it is:

• Chicago is an important city for both Kindred and Garou. The two have existed in a fragile, tense truce for decades.
• About two weeks ago, for unknown reasons, the leeches broke the peace with a series of attacks against the Garou.
• Taking advantage of the chaos and the Garou's weakened state, Black Spiral Dancers assaulted and overtook one of the City's two urban Caerns, the Temple of the Fanum.
• Aside from its spiritual and political importance, the Fanum housed (and/or imprisoned) an extremely powerful and volatile spirit, a Celestine called Jupiter. If Jupiter is freed or Wyrm-tainted, the results could be catastrophic.
• The second Caern, the Sept of the Wind Catchers, has not been heard from since the fall of Fanum (nor have any of the Fanum Garou who fled there after the assault).
• Most of the available information comes from Garou who escaped to the Ring of the Raccoon, a Shadow Lord Caern outside of Chicago. They are also the ones who have called for help.

The Shadow Lords of the Ring of the Raccoon have sent out a call for help.

You have answered.

Spoiler: THE CONSOLIDATED 16

Show

1. What kind of game is this (system, power-level, genre, tone, etc)? ("Big16" #1, 2, 4)
-Old World of Darkness, Werewolf the Apocalypse (W20 or Revised), linear one-shot, advanced characters, tone is grim and desperate with clear goals and high stakes.

2. How many players? ("Big16" #3)
-Probably three or four. Five at the absolute maximum. By ancient compact, the OP of a game request is automatically invited to play, so it'll be BananaPhone plus 2 or 3 more.

3. What are the character creation guidelines? ("Big16" #5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16)
-I don't want any sheets or dots at this stage, so I'll be giving the precise guidelines to whoever is invited to play. But, for planning purposes, characters can possibly be up to Rank 3, and will have something like 15 extra Freebies and 50 XP.
-I'm not 100% against someone playing another Changing Breed, but this is a very Garou-centric story, so anything else would have to really fit in well.

4. Are you gonna screw with the rules or the dice any? ("Big16" #12, 13)
-I tend to run World of Darkness games very 'rules lite.' I usually only involve dice when every possible result of a roll (success, failure, Botch) is more interesting than just letting the scene play out.

5. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)? ("Big16" #14)
-Nothing too intense. An Elevator Pitch and a few short-answer questions (see the "Application" section, below).

6. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above? ("Big16" #15)
-There will be a fair amount of combat, clearly, but I expect there to be a lot of tense interpersonal scenes as well. And probably some light mystery solving.

7. Is there anything else we need to know? (NEW!)
-I have a complicated and chaotic RL, so my posting rate is all over the place. I'll try to keep you informed of when I'm likely to be away for any length of time. Even under ideal conditions, my posting rate is generally around two or three updates per week.
-This is usually an unnecessary warning, but I won't tolerate any racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, queerphobia, ageism, ableism or any other sort of weaponized, systemized prejudice, either implicit or explicit; from neither the players nor the PC's.
-As a general rule, people in the game world will have no strong expectations or biases based on gender presentation, gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, race, ethnicity, or any other markers of personal identity. In-universe, people will generally accept your stated identity at face value and make no assumptions about you as a result.
-It only takes a little bit of negativity or bad blood to completely sink a PbP game. Everyone is expected to remain courteous at all times and assume good faith and best intentions with the other players. Everyone is expected to approach conflict through empathy and de-escalation. If you have a problem with someone and you don't think you can approach them with the right mindset, talk to me first.

Spoiler: APPLICATION

Show

In my experience, player chemistry is the foundation of a successful game. So the RTJ is more about you (the player) than it is about your character. As much as you can, try to give me a sense of the person behind the keyboard and an idea of what would make you (the player) a fun and interesting and constructive addition to this group project.

Also, I hate making people do a lot of work for these things. So I don't need, or want, novels for any of this. 100 words or less should do for most of them. Less is more so long as it gets the job done.

1. The "Elevator Pitch." This is a high-energy, high-intensity description of what this character brings to the table. Imagine you're in an elevator with a Netflix exec and you only have a couple of floors to sell them on a mini-series about this character. You don't have time for the whole backstory, just the essentials. The core. The real juicy stuff. Tell me that.

2a. How did you get the Call to go to war in Chicago? Where were you? Who told you? What are your motivations for answering?
2b. OPTIONAL. What was it about the Call for help that made you wary? Or suspicious? That made you think there was more to this than it seemed?


ANSWER ONE OF THESE:
3a. Tell me about the delicate, important situation you walked away from to answer the Call. Tell me something really bad that will probably happen because you did.

OR

3b. Tell me about someone your character hopes/dreads/expects to run into in Chicago, for any reason. Friend, foe, ally, villain. Tell me why you hope/dread/expect to meet them and why.

4. Tell me one way that your character exactly matches a common stereotype of their Tribe, Breed, or Auspice. And tell me one way they directly defy a common stereotype of their Tribe, Breed, or Auspice.

5. What are your preferred pronouns?

NOTE: if we've ever been in a game together, you can skip the next two questions (feel free to ask if you're not sure).

6. Imagine we've been playing together for a while and I PM you and say that one of your Gifts, Merits or other trait is causing me a problem (too powerful, clashes thematically, etc). You disagree with my assessment. You don't see the problem I describe and can't really see where I'm coming from. How would you approach this? How would your approach differ if it was something non-mechanical your character is doing that I have an issue with? What if it was something you (the player) were doing Out of Character?

7. Again, imagine we've been playing together for a while. One of the other players has a cool plan that depends on a certain rule working a certain way. The player checks with me and I okay it. You know I'm wrong. Not in a 'different interpretation' sort of way, but factually, objectively wrong. That's just not how the rule works and you know it. What do you do? How would your approach differ if it was me (the ST) whose cool plan depended on a rule that I had wrong? What if it was your cool plan?

Storyteller: truename

Spoiler: Original Post

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Under A Blood Red Moon




Mad As Hell...

This time, the Kindred have gone too far. A Blood Hunt rages and the Garou are its targets. The Black Spiral Dancers have seized the Fanum, and they threaten the gods themselves. But the Garou are fighting back. Armies are mustered and legions march. What vampire can survive the wrath of the Garou?

And Not Going To Take It!

A Werewolf/Vampire crossover, this supplement presents a multifaceted story playable by Garou, Camarilla or Sabbat characters. Garou can avenge themselves on Chicago, Camarilla Kindred can fight back to save their necks during the assault, or Sabbat can attempt to use the confusion to take over the city.

Hey-o, one and all, I am seeking a Story Teller and some fellow interest to play the Under a Blood Red Moon adventure module for either Werewolf or Vampire 20th Anniversary edition (with players either Camarilla or Sabbat). I have a personal preference for Werewolf, but either would be fine. I would prefer characters with a bit of exp under their belt who aren't rookies, so something like 40-50xp and 10-20 extra freebies at character creation (so 25-35 total), or something - just characters that aren't going to get turned into red mist in the first unfriendly encounter.


This is an adventure module written back in 1993, and it was both a critical and commercial success. It is set in Chicago during the early-to-mid 90s during the War of Chicago, when the uneasy co-existence was broken by the Werewolves launching an assault on the city's vampire population - but other factions are at work in the shadows!

It is written as to be playable by 3 different types of groups, depending on which the players want to be:
- Werewolves/Garou
- Camarilla Vampires
- Sabbat Vampires

I am seeking interest from a Storyteller who'd enjoy running a book-adventure. Almost everything is there for you. I'd be happy to help out with anything else, but history shows that I cannot ST to save my life, so I'd be one of several players.

So, any budding ST's interested in running this from the book? Anyone interested as a player?

[Kaworu]

I would be interested as a player, no matter which game we are playing :)

[Naysmith]

Potentially interested as player for Garou or Camarilla if PbP or on one of two days I can play.

[watupwithdat]

Interested as a player in the garou and sabbat variants.

[BananaPhone]

And then there were 4.

[BananaPhone]

Giving a gentle attention.

[Kaworu]

I'm still interested, in a case something happens... ;-)

[tonberryking]

Interested, possibly-- as a player/garou.

[BananaPhone]

So, 5 people are interested, and 3 are in favour of Garou players. Looks like playing Werewolves is in the lead.

[BananaPhone]

Looks like preference at the moment is Garou > Camarilla/Sabbat Vampires, in that relative order.

There's more ST's familiar with vampire, so if they'd rather do that, I'm fine with it, as long as the game gets going.

So just casting a gentle Summon Story Teller spell, out into the ether.

[Naysmith]

Looks like preference at the moment is Garou > Camarilla/Sabbat Vampires, in that relative order.

There's more ST's familiar with vampire, so if they'd rather do that, I'm fine with it, as long as the game gets going.

So just casting a gentle Summon Story Teller spell, out into the ether.

It feels like almost everyone is fine with Garou.

(interested in Ragabash/Philodox > Theurge/Galliard)

[BananaPhone]

It feels like almost everyone is fine with Garou.

(interested in Ragabash/Philodox > Theurge/Galliard)

Indeed, the Garou are in the lead atm (which I'm fine with ^_^!), but if the only prospective ST prefers vampire (because that's the more common system), I'm fine with that too, as long as the game gets off the ground.

Atm I'm thinking a Shadow Lord, probably an Ahroun, maybe Galliard.

If only there was a budding oWoD Story Teller out there who wants to run a werewolf game...

[truemane]

I remember this module quite fondly from back in the day (I might still have a physical copy). I've run it a few times, both with Garou and Camarilla Kindred, and I remember it working well for both.

(although, admittedly, I find it's way more fun with Garou)

I might be up for ST'ing this, using W20/Werewolf Revised.

One thing, though: when using experienced characters, I like to spend some extra time on backstories and histories, pre-game. I have a kind of "lifepath" system I've used before to establish some exploits and experiences, and guide increases in Renown and Backgrounds over time.

I've had a couple of WoD games fizzle on me because the players weren't into world-building and wanted to jump right into the action.

How do folks feel about extended Preludes? Get to do, or have to do?

[Naysmith]

I remember this module quite fondly from back in the day (I might still have a physical copy). I've run it a few times, both with Garou and Camarilla Kindred, and I remember it working well for both.

(although, admittedly, I find it's way more fun with Garou)

I might be up for ST'ing this, using W20/Werewolf Revised.

One thing, though: when using experienced characters, I like to spend some extra time on backstories and histories, pre-game. I have a kind of "lifepath" system I've used before to establish some exploits and experiences, and guide increases in Renown and Backgrounds over time.

I've had a couple of WoD games fizzle on me because the players weren't into world-building and wanted to jump right into the action.

How do folks feel about extended Preludes? Get to do, or have to do?

I'm fine with it. When I hosted M20 for a now-mostly-defunct group, I did some extended preludes to establish who the characters even are. Probably a blend of both get to do and have to.

Also I was looking at my copy last night... how would you feel about a member of a different changing breed? (I'll gladly keep to just Garou, but I figure it's worth asking.)

(note: my availability is a bit different from other people who may be in my area. Sunday/Monday afternoon/evening American time, or play by post. Or midnight+ USA east coast time other nights)

[truemane]

I'm fine with it. When I hosted M20 for a now-mostly-defunct group, I did some extended preludes to establish who the characters even are. Probably a blend of both get to do and have to.

Also I was looking at my copy last night... how would you feel about a member of a different changing breed? (I'll gladly keep to just Garou, but I figure it's worth asking.)

(note: my availability is a bit different from other people who may be in my area. Sunday/Monday afternoon/evening American time, or play by post. Or midnight+ USA east coast time other nights)

I'm cautiously open to the idea of one PC being a different Changing Breed, but as written, this module is deeply, deeply tailored to the Garou. So it would really have to be just the right character concept.

If I pick this up, I'll be running it play-by-post (not in real time) so individual posting time shouldn't make too much difference.

[Kish]

I'm interested in this as a player, and all for extended preludes.

[BananaPhone]

I remember this module quite fondly from back in the day (I might still have a physical copy). I've run it a few times, both with Garou and Camarilla Kindred, and I remember it working well for both.

(although, admittedly, I find it's way more fun with Garou)

I might be up for ST'ing this, using W20/Werewolf Revised.

One thing, though: when using experienced characters, I like to spend some extra time on backstories and histories, pre-game. I have a kind of "lifepath" system I've used before to establish some exploits and experiences, and guide increases in Renown and Backgrounds over time.

I've had a couple of WoD games fizzle on me because the players weren't into world-building and wanted to jump right into the action.

How do folks feel about extended Preludes? Get to do, or have to do?

I'm fine with it. I've got a Rank 1 Shadow Lord Galliard made with 40 exp/40 freebies that I could tailor.

Having been on the forum for 12 years and active in a few games that have been going on for years, I like to think I'm pretty reliable and present, even if every now and then I have my spells like the rest of us. (it helps that I have a laboratory job and I'm in writing season, so I'm often in front of a computer)

[Naysmith]

I'm cautiously open to the idea of one PC being a different Changing Breed, but as written, this module is deeply, deeply tailored to the Garou. So it would really have to be just the right character concept.

If I pick this up, I'll be running it play-by-post (not in real time) so individual posting time shouldn't make too much difference.

Second part: Yay!

First part: I'll take that as a request to shelve my idea for a Doshi Kitsune sent out to convert an area into a new Beast Court (and role-wise, trying to be a Ragabash/Theurge hybrid). I only thought of the possibility after signing up, anyway. I can fill either of those Auspices (or Philodox!), whichever isn't taken. Probably a Glass Walker, maybe Fenrir or Silver Fang.

(Actually, are any of the tribes absent?)

[BananaPhone]

How are things faring on this?

[truemane]

How are things faring on this?

I'm going to do it. Confirmed. ST found!

I'm working on the Official Pitch/Big 16 now.

Having been on the forum for 12 years and active in a few games that have been going on for years, I like to think I'm pretty reliable and present, even if every now and then I have my spells like the rest of us. (it helps that I have a laboratory job and I'm in writing season, so I'm often in front of a computer)

For sure. I know you've been around forever (like me). And I know you're a big fan of WoD games (like me). I haven't had the best luck on here lately with getting games going, but here's hoping this breaks the streak!

(also, not to look too far ahead, but I actually wrote a Werewolf scenario last year that I am still very excited about, but haven't had a chance to test-run yet, so fingers-crossed this all works out)

Second part: Yay!

First part: I'll take that as a request to shelve my idea for a Doshi Kitsune sent out to convert an area into a new Beast Court (and role-wise, trying to be a Ragabash/Theurge hybrid). I only thought of the possibility after signing up, anyway. I can fill either of those Auspices (or Philodox!), whichever isn't taken. Probably a Glass Walker, maybe Fenrir or Silver Fang.

(Actually, are any of the tribes absent?)

A Kitsune would be a difficult fit, for sure, especially with that mission. I think the best way to include a Fera would be someone who's ostensibly doing their own thing but puts it aside and gets swept up when everything goes sideways.

Or possibly a friend/travelling companion to one of the other PC's.

As for Tribes...

Tribes represented in and around Chicago are: Bone Gnawers, Fianna, Glass Walkers, Shadow Lords and Uktena (with possibly one or two Children of Gaia, Get of Fenris, Silver Fangs, Stargazers).

There are zero local (known) Black Furies, Red Talons, Silent Striders, or Wendigo.

[BananaPhone]

I'm going to do it. Confirmed. ST found!

I'm working on the Official Pitch/Big 16 now.

Awesome, looking forward to it!

[truemane]

Okay, here we go! @BananaPhone, if you could please edit this into the OP and change the thread's tag to Recruiting, I would appreciate it.

WEREWOLF THE APOCALYPSE
Under a Blood Red Moon





"Luna weeps a storm of blood
The red swan falls from the sky
The fanged maw opens
Many-faced beasts are loosed
We shall meet them
Under a blood red moon"
-From Prophecies of Grey Raven, 1925.


"The Dogs broke the peace. We're just defending ourselves."
-Nicolai Antonescu, Tremere Primogen of Chicago.


"The Leeches broke the peace. We're just defending ourselves."
-Luther Stepshadow Lynch, Uktena Theurge of (former) Temple of the Fanum.

Welcome, warriors of Gaia!

By request, I am running a pack of Garou through the 1993 module Under a Blood Red Moon. As written, it is a story about loyalty, about the tension between individual and collective will. The way I like to run it, it's more of a story about perspective, about how our world-view is built from available information, and then how resilient that world-view can be to new information.

Here's how it is:

• Chicago is an important city for both Kindred and Garou. The two have existed in a fragile, tense truce for decades.
• About two weeks ago, for unknown reasons, the leeches broke the peace with a series of attacks against the Garou.
• Taking advantage of the chaos and the Garou's weakened state, Black Spiral Dancers assaulted and overtook one of the City's two urban Caerns, the Temple of the Fanum.
• Aside from its spiritual and political importance, the Fanum housed (and/or imprisoned) an extremely powerful and volatile spirit, a Celestine called Jupiter. If Jupiter is freed or Wyrm-tainted, the results could be catastrophic.
• The second Caern, the Sept of the Wind Catchers, has not been heard from since the fall of Fanum (nor have any of the Fanum Garou who fled there after the assault).
• Most of the available information comes from Garou who escaped to the Ring of the Raccoon, a Shadow Lord Caern outside of Chicago. They are also the ones who have called for help.

The Shadow Lords of the Ring of the Raccoon have sent out a call for help.

You have answered.

Spoiler: THE CONSOLIDATED 16

Show

1. What kind of game is this (system, power-level, genre, tone, etc)? ("Big16" #1, 2, 4)
-Old World of Darkness, Werewolf the Apocalypse (W20 or Revised), linear one-shot, advanced characters, tone is grim and desperate with clear goals and high stakes.

2. How many players? ("Big16" #3)
-Probably three or four. Five at the absolute maximum. By ancient compact, the OP of a game request is automatically invited to play, so it'll be BananaPhone plus 2 or 3 more.

3. What are the character creation guidelines? ("Big16" #5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16)
-I don't want any sheets or dots at this stage, so I'll be giving the precise guidelines to whoever is invited to play. But, for planning purposes, characters can possibly be up to Rank 3, and will have something like 15 extra Freebies and 50 XP.
-I'm not 100% against someone playing another Changing Breed, but this is a very Garou-centric story, so anything else would have to really fit in well.

4. Are you gonna screw with the rules or the dice any? ("Big16" #12, 13)
-I tend to run World of Darkness games very 'rules lite.' I usually only involve dice when every possible result of a roll (success, failure, Botch) is more interesting than just letting the scene play out.

5. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)? ("Big16" #14)
-Nothing too intense. An Elevator Pitch and a few short-answer questions (see the "Application" section, below).

6. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above? ("Big16" #15)
-There will be a fair amount of combat, clearly, but I expect there to be a lot of tense interpersonal scenes as well. And probably some light mystery solving.

7. Is there anything else we need to know? (NEW!)
-I have a complicated and chaotic RL, so my posting rate is all over the place. I'll try to keep you informed of when I'm likely to be away for any length of time. Even under ideal conditions, my posting rate is generally around two or three updates per week.
-This is usually an unnecessary warning, but I won't tolerate any racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, queerphobia, ageism, ableism or any other sort of weaponized, systemized prejudice, either implicit or explicit; from neither the players nor the PC's.
-As a general rule, people in the game world will have no strong expectations or biases based on gender presentation, gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, race, ethnicity, or any other markers of personal identity. In-universe, people will generally accept your stated identity at face value and make no assumptions about you as a result.
-It only takes a little bit of negativity or bad blood to completely sink a PbP game. Everyone is expected to remain courteous at all times and assume good faith and best intentions with the other players. Everyone is expected to approach conflict through empathy and de-escalation. If you have a problem with someone and you don't think you can approach them with the right mindset, talk to me first.

Spoiler: APPLICATION

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In my experience, player chemistry is the foundation of a successful game. So the RTJ is more about you (the player) than it is about your character. As much as you can, try to give me a sense of the person behind the keyboard and an idea of what would make you (the player) a fun and interesting and constructive addition to this group project.

Also, I hate making people do a lot of work for these things. So I don't need, or want, novels for any of this. 100 words or less should do for most of them. Less is more so long as it gets the job done.

1. The "Elevator Pitch." This is a high-energy, high-intensity description of what this character brings to the table. Imagine you're in an elevator with a Netflix exec and you only have a couple of floors to sell them on a mini-series about this character. You don't have time for the whole backstory, just the essentials. The core. The real juicy stuff. Tell me that.

2a. How did you get the Call to go to war in Chicago? Where were you? Who told you? What are your motivations for answering?
2b. OPTIONAL. What was it about the Call for help that made you wary? Or suspicious? That made you think there was more to this than it seemed?


ANSWER ONE OF THESE:
3a. Tell me about the delicate, important situation you walked away from to answer the Call. Tell me something really bad that will probably happen because you did.

OR

3b. Tell me about someone your character hopes/dreads/expects to run into in Chicago, for any reason. Friend, foe, ally, villain. Tell me why you hope/dread/expect to meet them and why.

4. Tell me one way that your character exactly matches a common stereotype of their Tribe, Breed, or Auspice. And tell me one way they directly defy a common stereotype of their Tribe, Breed, or Auspice.

5. What are your preferred pronouns?

NOTE: if we've ever been in a game together, you can skip the next two questions (feel free to ask if you're not sure).

6. Imagine we've been playing together for a while and I PM you and say that one of your Gifts, Merits or other trait is causing me a problem (too powerful, clashes thematically, etc). You disagree with my assessment. You don't see the problem I describe and can't really see where I'm coming from. How would you approach this? How would your approach differ if it was something non-mechanical your character is doing that I have an issue with? What if it was something you (the player) were doing Out of Character?

7. Again, imagine we've been playing together for a while. One of the other players has a cool plan that depends on a certain rule working a certain way. The player checks with me and I okay it. You know I'm wrong. Not in a 'different interpretation' sort of way, but factually, objectively wrong. That's just not how the rule works and you know it. What do you do? How would your approach differ if it was me (the ST) whose cool plan depended on a rule that I had wrong? What if it was your cool plan?

I'm really excited to run this module again. I'm looking forward to seeing the characters who are coming along.

[Naysmith]

<condensed big 16 and application>

Self: Around 10 years ago (on another forum), I was deeply involved in a lot of Pathfinder 1 games, as well as some FATE and dabbling in Microscope. More recently on same other forum, I hosted some Mage 20 games and some Mutants and Masterminds 3e. My contribution would to look for cunning solutions where none
1) Ritchie Green, Glass Walker Ragabash. Has been helping manage Glass Walker corporate needs in grocery for a few years now as District Manager. Grandfather on mother's side was a Garou, as was Grandmother on father's side. Two siblings, one of whom probably isn't kinfolk (kin-kin pair rule...).
2a) I was managing the family businesses when a spirit discretely approached me and informed me of the situation. I was reviewing paperwork to verify the credentials of a supplier of food with the "Organic" label. I answered because of the duty. Leeches are servants of the Wyrm and must be destroyed.
2b) It happened way too quickly. It flared up too fast to be a general degradation of the truce. Someone or something is behind the suddenness.
3a) using 3b instead
3b) There's a Hunter, who I only know as Cypher, who I suspect knows my true nature. I've been trying to investigate this further and figure out ways to get rid of him. Although meeting him is always bad in some way, meeting him now would be mythic bad timing.
4 Tribe and Auspice) As a Glass Walker, I very much fit the corporate werewolf / semi-mafia theme, but from what I've seen, Glass Walkers have problematic relations with their kinfolk while I try and nurture relationships both with and between them. As a Ragabash, I play at trickery in every form I see fit, BUT I also try to take leadership (mostly of kinfolk) as if a more rage-filled Auspice.
5) I assume Ritchie's? He/him. If not him, then he/him or they/them.
6) Character: try to negotiate some compromise, such as going for an effect that still produces what I want. There's not nearly enough context though. Tweaking character personality a bit slowly to represent some development (and suggesting things that could cause that) for IC but not mechanically. ...I have no idea what would cause OOC stuff, but... try to talk it out from a different direction? Historically, that's worked often enough for me talkin with other people about other things.
7) NOTE: I saw #4 in the big 16. I consider that a house rule modification, and am fine with houserules that are known in advance. Thus, while I'm answering in a general case below, I think for this, the base for my responses will be, what is the base rule and is this something that, while not allowed by the RAW, could make sense if translated out of the rules-laden crunch.
7 continued) cool plan not in rules: In all cases where I think doing so is plausible, see if it can be modified to work. Other player: I would try to inform you before the plan was started. If I fail in this, then during some sort of break, such as after session. Your cool plan: Well, I probably won't realize the enemy just doesn't have one of the myriad ways to do something we don't have the Gift/etc. for. Since this would be my first opportunity to point it out, I'd seriously consider pointing that matter out. For my cool plan: Rules are Rules.

[BananaPhone]

Thanks for doing this truename!

Spoiler: APPLICATION

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1. The "Elevator Pitch." This is a high-energy, high-intensity description of what this character brings to the table. Imagine you're in an elevator with a Netflix exec and you only have a couple of floors to sell them on a mini-series about this character. You don't have time for the whole backstory, just the essentials. The core. The real juicy stuff. Tell me that.

"A Shadow Lord Galliard, Danica "Sings-the-Thunder" Radec, who was captain of their High School wrestling and Ice Hockey teams and now beats an electrical guitar and vocals on stage for their punk-metal band, Stormcrow. They've got the size, the presence and the charisma and **** you energy to grow the passion of a revolution right up Pentex's ass."

2a. How did you get the Call to go to war in Chicago? Where were you? Who told you? What are your motivations for answering?

They were born near the West Chicago Prairie Forest and grew up on the outskirts their whole life. Their father was a French immigrant who died early into her life in a car-crash, while her mother is a Slav and kinfolk of the local Shadow Lords. They're a native born and raised to the area and along with regular trips to Detroit, it's what they know.

3b. Tell me about someone your character hopes/dreads/expects to run into in Chicago, for any reason. Friend, foe, ally, villain. Tell me why you hope/dread/expect to meet them and why.

Sophia Doyle. She's an older ancillae Toreador who's connected to the music and entertainment industry of Chicago. As she's getting close to a hundred years old, she's a savvy businesswoman, while her Humanity 8 means she feels each tough decision and doesn't stink of the wyrm. She's also taken chances and given unknown bands chances, some of which have panned out, some of which haven't, but she's more connection to the human element and soul of music and its effect on the spirit than any corporate desk-jockey ever could be. She came up during the Jazz Age as a dancer and singer, and so her love for music and its stirring passions is still very much alive, even if her body isn't.

This Shadow Lord has encountered her before - they both know each others true nature. She's warned Sophia that she's willing to play business partners, but if they cross swords in the field or her kin come under attack from the leeches, she won't hesitate to do what must be done.

4. Tell me one way that your character exactly matches a common stereotype of their Tribe, Breed, or Auspice. And tell me one way they directly defy a common stereotype of their Tribe, Breed, or Auspice.

Matches the Common Stereotype - Galliard.
They're fantastic with a guitar and have a powerful set of lungs and if the Ahroun isn't around they're your best bet in a scrap.

Doesn't match the Common Stereotype - Shadow Lord.
Being in the music scene of both Chicago and Detroit, they've run into their share of Toreador vampires, and being a Garou, they've had to learn the best ways to 'motivate' or tip-toe around other rage-filled werewolves...so the character can be manipulative. However, they tend to rely on their natural charisma to motivate and inspire instead of deceive and sleight-of-hand, with their instincts for manipulation helping them direct where it'll best be applied.


5. What are your preferred pronouns?
Their pronouns would be she/her.

NOTE:
6. Imagine we've been playing together for a while and I PM you and say that one of your Gifts, Merits or other trait is causing me a problem (too powerful, clashes thematically, etc). You disagree with my assessment. You don't see the problem I describe and can't really see where I'm coming from. How would you approach this? How would your approach differ if it was something non-mechanical your character is doing that I have an issue with? What if it was something you (the player) were doing Out of Character?

I'd need a touch more context, and know how much of a major thing it is. As a general rule of thumb I prefer a harmonious gaming environment, as I know how easily that can gey soured online, so I'd try to accommodate as best I could, as a general rule of thumb.

Like, I've got my limits, and if so much changes are occuring the game is no longer fun to write for, I'll need to reconsider hanging around. But as a general rule, I'm fine with some alterations for the sake of harmony and having fun together.



7. Again, imagine we've been playing together for a while. One of the other players has a cool plan that depends on a certain rule working a certain way. The player checks with me and I okay it. You know I'm wrong. Not in a 'different interpretation' sort of way, but factually, objectively wrong. That's just not how the rule works and you know it. What do you do? How would your approach differ if it was me (the ST) whose cool plan depended on a rule that I had wrong? What if it was your cool plan?

I'm relatively easy going with occasional stickler to rules (because without rules there's no certainy, it's chaos), but on the whole I'd be fine with letting it slide if it just gets changed/homebrewed for future purposes. I'm a mixture of Story Trumps Rules while liking the framework that rules provide, otherwise we might as well be playing freeform, ya know?

[Kish]

1. The "Elevator Pitch." This is a high-energy, high-intensity description of what this character brings to the table. Imagine you're in an elevator with a Netflix exec and you only have a couple of floors to sell them on a mini-series about this character. You don't have time for the whole backstory, just the essentials. The core. The real juicy stuff. Tell me that.

Meghan Farbrace, "Shreds-Leeches," Child of Gaia Ahroun who experienced her First Change after growing up in New York City. She enthusiastically learned everything she could about the Children of Gaia and, when she first encountered vampires, attempted to reason with them. It did not go well and one Daryl Gilholm, a Shadow Lord who had told her that talking to the vampires was pointless, gave her her deed name, presenting it in a mockingly complimentary way that left Meghan with no polite way to disassociate herself from it.

2a. How did you get the Call to go to war in Chicago? Where were you? Who told you? What are your motivations for answering?
2b. OPTIONAL. What was it about the Call for help that made you wary? Or suspicious? That made you think there was more to this than it seemed?

None other than Daryl called her up from the Ring of the Raccoon, telling her that her skill at negotiating with vampires was needed. She hesitated to actually come to Chicago, but the situation does sound dire. She hides from herself how much she would like to actually prove Daryl wrong about his unstated-but-obvious expectation that she'll wind up carving a bloody swathe through Chicago's vampires.

ANSWER ONE OF THESE:
3b. Tell me about someone your character hopes/dreads/expects to run into in Chicago, for any reason. Friend, foe, ally, villain. Tell me why you hope/dread/expect to meet them and why.

She knows Daryl is there. She hopes to interact with him as little as possible, and also to show him up. She reconciles these contradictory desires by only acknowledging the first one.

4. Tell me one way that your character exactly matches a common stereotype of their Tribe, Breed, or Auspice. And tell me one way they directly defy a common stereotype of their Tribe, Breed, or Auspice.

A ferocious warrior, Meghan almost always tries to resolve every situation peacefully...tries. Her simmering rage is something she knows is part of her auspice and thus Gaia's plan for her, but it's hard to reconcile with Children of Gaia teachings.

5. What are your preferred pronouns?

She/her (Meghan), or any (Kish).

NOTE: if we've ever been in a game together, you can skip the next two questions (feel free to ask if you're not sure).

6. Imagine we've been playing together for a while and I PM you and say that one of your Gifts, Merits or other trait is causing me a problem (too powerful, clashes thematically, etc). You disagree with my assessment. You don't see the problem I describe and can't really see where I'm coming from. How would you approach this? How would your approach differ if it was something non-mechanical your character is doing that I have an issue with? What if it was something you (the player) were doing Out of Character?

7. Again, imagine we've been playing together for a while. One of the other players has a cool plan that depends on a certain rule working a certain way. The player checks with me and I okay it. You know I'm wrong. Not in a 'different interpretation' sort of way, but factually, objectively wrong. That's just not how the rule works and you know it. What do you do? How would your approach differ if it was me (the ST) whose cool plan depended on a rule that I had wrong? What if it was your cool plan?

Answering these two together:

The bulk of my early roleplaying background involved White Wolf games back in 2ed times, when every one of them had a heading dedicated to the concept that the rules are only suggestions for the Storyteller. So it'd be simple. In the first case, I'd say "okay" and change it. In the second case, I'd go "ah, so that's how it works in this game."

Now, if you said something like "I can't remember how that Gift works," then I'd quote the text from the rulebook. But I wouldn't be surprised, much less bothered, if you then responded, "I don't like that so it's going to do X instead."

Please let me know if you need or want more on any of these!

[Kaworu]

Elevator Pitch

Samuel Kowalski is just your regular IT guy that was born in Poland and moved with his family to America when he was school-aged boy. What’s not so regular about him is being a Glass Walker werewolf (and gay and bioinformatician, besides). He realizes that turning into a hybrid form is very easy – as is letting his wrath do things for him – but as a person of scholarship, he believes he should be seeking for others, less bloodthirsty solutions. Maybe even with vampires, but this part is questionable. Also, he is constantly running away from a dark shadow from his past, this being a homophobic teacher of Polish language and literature at a Polish Saturday school.

2a

Samuel simply lives in Chicago and is a member of local Garous, so he learned about the things by just being there.

3b

Katarzyna Roztocka, a teacher of Polish at a Saturday Polish school Samuel attended when being in Chicago (his parents wanted for him to get a good education and be aware of his roots). She was simply the best – the smartest, kindest, the most beautiful and funny, she knew herself and her goals in life… she was also a homophobe despite being a self-proclaimed “feminist”. The most tragic thing is, would she know that Samuel, her favorite pupil, is gay, she would probably stop being homophobic. However, she was not aware, and as such, said what she said, thus breaking his heart.

Now Samuel lives in constant fear of running on the street into his once greatest hero, turned into a bully. How would he reacts? Run away? Accuse her openly of spreading bigotry? Pretend she does not exists? Would be burst into tears or maybe get angry as heck? He does not know. One thing he does know is, however, this – he wanna avoid such a scenario the best he could.

4

Samuel is really technosavvy, he knows many programming languages and always have some electronic equipment with him. However, despite being really into technology, he is also deeply spiritual – to the point when he wanna avoid violence at all cost, being sure that peaceful solutions are generally preferred to werewolf’s fangs. Of course, you do not always have the luxury of peaceful solutions, especially when dealing with Wyrm, but peace is way to go, not war.

He also, despite having scientific education, strongly believes in Tarot and always have a pocked deck with him. Spirituality, remember?

5

He/Him, both as a player and as a character.

[MrAbdiel]

I have wrestled mightily with myself trying to convince myself not to apply... but I've never really gotten to play werewolf, so I ought to go for it!

I've exceeded the suggested writing limits for the application; but only out of enthusiasm. If your concern is making too much work for the players to apply, I am avoiding the work of carefully editing it down! If it hurts my chances, I'll understand. I know I chose a character that looks like it could be a bunch of stereotypes mashed together, so I've tried to show how I don't intend that to be the case.

As for me, I'm a pretty veteran storyteller and player both PbP and RL. I like to think I'm pretty easy to get along with in groups, and I'm old enough that I don't crave the IC spotlight as much as to lay-up for the other players.

Note: The character is blind, but relies pretty heavily on having certain gifts that compensate for his blindness (Scent of Sight to fight foes he can reasonably smell, and Pulse of the Invisible to step sideways without needing to gaze into a mirror). I figured a game that starts you as experienced characters was about the only chance I'd get to play that! The fact that he'll have to figure out clever ways to fight enemies with Scent of Running Water, and is completely hosed if someone nails him with a can of mace, seem like fun complications to me.

Spoiler: Application: Caliban "Finds-The-Narrow-Gate"

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1. The "Elevator Pitch."Silent Strider, Metis, Theurge. Caliban - “Finds-The-Narrow-Gate” in rites, and “Sahu” to his fellow Striders, - is an unfortunate among unfortunates, in an unfortunate world. Born of an ill advised tryst between his Black Fury mother and Silent Strider father, he came into the world cursed in body and soul - hairless and naked, and prone to seizures when panic-stricken. His delinquent father had vanished long before his birth; and his mother’s tribe famously abides no sons, forcing him to grow up lonely and bitter, tormented by his own condition and the ghosts that terrorize the Silent Striders. In a confrontation with another juvenile Metis, he provoked a fight he could not win, and had his eyes slashed out before ever he came to his first change. Deformed, tormented, haunted and blind, it may have been called a fortunate thing if Caliban had never been born. But Mole, one of the least of the animal spirits, took pity on him for the sake of the crescent moon; and the tutelage of the animal spirits gave him just enough strength and proficiency to grow and stand, if not quite thrive. And in spite of all these flaws, he has lived longer and done more than most Garou ever will - a hundred years he has walked the roads and wilds and moonbridges, hammering out his grievances with the world that wronged him by permitting him in it.

In those years, he has loved and hated, gained and lost; confronted both mother and father, and made peace; faced a brutal gradient for acceptance within tribe and nation, and made headway. He is no longer bitter. Instead, he cherishes the wisdom that only a life like his can grant, and tries to pass it on to any who will listen to a wrinkled, blind old wolf. Now the call to war has come - an opportunity to strike at the hated leeches against and perhaps, if fortune permits, to get what so few Garou ever have: a good death, after a long and storied life.


2a. How did you get the Call to go to war in Chicago? Where were you? Who told you? What are your motivations for answering? Like most Striders, Caliban was ‘between caerns’ when the call came - exchanging riddles with a cobra spirit in a penumbral glade near the Kodaya lake caern in southern India. It was much to his surprise, and the cobra spirit’s, that a child of raccoon would come all that way to find the theurge. A good war at the end of his life was something for which he had quietly hoped - though he had been made aware of the Temple of Fanum’s spiritual occupant. 2b. OPTIONAL. What was it about the Call for help that made you wary? Or suspicious? That made you think there was more to this than it seemed? If Jupiter had been badly treated, the wyrmspawn seething through the towers and streets of Chicago would not be their greatest concern…

3b. Tell me about someone your character hopes/dreads/expects to run into in Chicago, for any reason. Friend, foe, ally, villain. Tell me why you hope/dread/expect to meet them and why. Howls-In-Victory is Caliban’s opposite: a Silver Fang of the half-moon who claims numerous heroes of that tribe in her heritage and wears the purity of her breed in astonishing beauty; or so he is told. Thirty years ago, as she was poised accrue more honors still, her pack and Caliban’s were entangled in a fiasco about a botched raid on a Pentex operation (to poison Lake Peoria) that led to a total retreat in the face of the Wyrm’s forces and three Silver Fangs dead. Howls-In-Victory made an accusation against Caliban suggesting treachery, and demanding he be subjected to the ultimate punishment - Gaia’s Vengeful Teeth. But in a stunning reversal, answering her challenge before a convened panel of Silver Fang Half-Moons, the rumpled old Metis snared the purebreed in a logical trap that proved neither pack was at fault - escaping execution, and provoking a humiliation rite on Howls-In-Victory for her dangerous zeal and bad judgment. The events that followed caused the Silverfangs to lose power in the region and the Shadowlords to galvanize, and the fated daughter of Falcon who was being groomed toward House leadership suffered a disgrace from which she might never recover. Caliban had heard from one source that she died, another that she returned to europe, and another that she ended up in Chicago. He can only hope, if the latter is true, she is more forgiving now than she used to be.

4. Tell me one way that your character exactly matches a common stereotype of their Tribe, Breed, or Auspice. And tell me one way they directly defy a common stereotype of their Tribe, Breed, or Auspice.
Defies - Silent Striders - and Metis, for that matter - are famous loners, struggling to integrate into pack life and even then not for long before they must roam. These things were true of Caliban, too, but he’s had enough years to grow out of them. In truth, he has found the occasions in which he has joined a pack to be the only ones that have ever provided him with anything like family or home; but he knows he is a walking emblem of the defiance of the ancient laws, visually repulsive, socially hazardous to know. If he is alone, it is only because he is patient enough to wait for other Garou to elect him to their midst.

Matches -If Caliban does not sit comfortably in the realm of man or wolf, he is extremely natural to the spiritual element of the Garou’s threefold call. He owes his life to the mercies of animal spirits, and once they taught him the way to step sideways without needing to see (let alone find a mirror), he has spent great stretches of his life walking the umbra, negotiating with its denizens, learning their ways. He would be a great theurge elder at a respected caern if he had not had so many reversals so early in his life. Once, he overheard a conversation between theurges at a Strider moot that, if only he had been born right and lived his hundred years unencumbered, he might very well have been the tribe’s best chance at unraveling the Curse of Sutekh. It was the proudest moment of his life. But even destined for more moderate challenges, he is well molded to matters of the spirit world.

5. What are your preferred pronouns? He/Him, both IC and OOC.

6. Imagine we've been playing together for a while and I PM you and say that one of your Gifts, Merits or other trait is causing me a problem (too powerful, clashes thematically, etc). You disagree with my assessment. You don't see the problem I describe and can't really see where I'm coming from. How would you approach this? How would your approach differ if it was something non-mechanical your character is doing that I have an issue with? What if it was something you (the player) were doing Out of Character? I would probably send a reply in which I first made my counterargument, but then suggest some kind of alternative or moderation of the problem. I’ve run too many games to feel targeted or put upon by something like that, so the sooner it gets ironed out, the better. If it was non-mechanical, a theme thing, it’s much the same; I’d make my argument, but try to flex. If it felt like it was too much of a sacrifice, I’d suggest some kind of withdrawal of the character and I’d make one that fit. If it was something OOC, I’d be surprised and lose sleep over it because I consider myself very agreeable and I strive to not make problems or exacerbate them; but see above. Plead my case, offer solution. At worst case, quietly suggest a withdrawal.

7. Again, imagine we've been playing together for a while. One of the other players has a cool plan that depends on a certain rule working a certain way. The player checks with me and I okay it. You know I'm wrong. Not in a 'different interpretation' sort of way, but factually, objectively wrong. That's just not how the rule works and you know it. What do you do? How would your approach differ if it was me (the ST) whose cool plan depended on a rule that I had wrong? What if it was your cool plan? I’d probably send you a PM to make sure you were aware of your deviation from the rules. If I felt ambushed by it - if something IC the pack was doing got bamboozled because suddenly the world works different to how we thought it did - I’d probably express a little frustration about it, but I’m just not built to chew people out or make drama, so I’d get over it and try to work forward with the understanding that the rules work like this, in this game. I might ask to rejig some character points if I was building towards something that suddenly doesn’t work, but that’s it.

[Weirdling]

Any chance of allowing ONE Gangrel/Ahrimane?

[truemane]

Hey everyone, I'm working on the OOC thread now. I'll have more updates soon.

In the meantime, a couple of notes/questions:

Spoiler: @Kaworu

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I like the concept, but I don't want any of the characters being from Chicago. Because that would mean your character would know more than anyone else about locations, directions, NPC's, local history, I would basically have to write a whole second game just for you. It's just too much extra work for me.

Did you want him to be from Chicago for a specific reason? Or was it just that you couldn't think of anything fun that brought him to town?

Let me know if you think Samuel will work if he's not from Chicago, and we can tweak things.

Spoiler: @MrAbdiel

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I really like the overall concept and story frame.

Two concerns:

First, blind characters are tricky. Mainly because, like any other kind of persistent alternate sense (telepathy, Spideysense, See Aura, whatever), it effectively doubles my workload because I have to describe the world for everyone, and then a whole second time just for you.

I'm not against the idea. But I would have to really put all the 'blind stuff' in your court. I'll tell everyone what's happening, and it'll be your responsibility to make that jive with whatever his sense are at any given point.

Second, it's a bit 'busy' - blind, hairless, deformed, 100 years old, famous, respected, reviled, suicidal. It's a lot. And not because I don't think it's fun or interesting, but I worry that the narrative 'weight' of it all will naturally pull the story toward you and away from the other PC's.

This would be an excellent character for a solo game. But for a group-based one-shot, it's maybe too many things.

Can you find a version of this character who's maybe 'normal' age for Rank 2 or 3, and maybe who isn't both blind and horribly deformed? Could blindness just be his Metis deformity (thereby making it both a bigger part of his self-identity and trim the rogue story elements a bit)?

Let me know if you've got some wiggle room.

Any chance of allowing ONE Gangrel/Ahrimane?

I get where your head's at, but that won't work for this game. For a number of reasons.