Sin City Chronicles
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I love talking about mechanics and shit so I'm gonna talk a little about a thing I am working on for this game. It's crunchy, and not everyone will like it, but tough titties.
One of the things I am working on for this game is the confluence of supernatural items (Fetishes, Tokens, Azothic Objects, the variety of Mage items, etc.), Familiars (or any sort of companion that characters can acquire which may use Ephemeral rules), as well as some other stuff.
At the moment, I'm putting a lot of effort into the supernatural items. One of my pet peeves is that supernatural items may be thematic when it comes to the gamelines they exist in, but when crossing over in play, they get wildly imbalanced. In particular, any of the Mage items are hilariously overpowered when compared to many Fetishes, and Azothic Objects are only ahead of the game when compared to the vampire's supernatural item, which is--oh right, they don't have one.
On the other hand, point-by-point creation of items (such as is found in first edition's Reliquary leads to so much min-maxing and abuse that it has seriously annoyed me and many others).
On the other other hand, @tragedyjones expressed concern because a unified system might remove the unique feel each item has regarding their gamelines.
I've been working on a solution that takes all this into account, more or less. The first point is addressed by creating a simple system of item creation that applies to everything. Each gameline (including Vampire) will have its own (single) Merit. (e.g. Imbued Items, Artifacts, and Enhanced Items for Mage will all be represented by just "Artifact"). Each type of item will have its own Merit, but they will all use the same system.
The second point will be handled by not making it a point-balance-cost system. You can't "stack drawbacks" to get more benefits or a lower coast. There are universal Drawbacks that apply to all items, and then each type of item has its own drawbacks. You also can't stack certain things beyond some very reasonable points. Also, any item that is a weapon costs an extra dot just because it's a weapon. Bonuses are also limited to "Equipment Bonuses", so you can't have an amulet that gives you +3 Weaponry. You can have a sword with a higher Damage or Initiative rating, but it's just that sword, not a universal bonus with any sword or any weapon. Some other limitations apply.
The last point is handled by making each type of item (so far we have Azothic Object, Artifact, Fetish, and Relic--this last for vampires) have certain effects that are exclusive to them (e.g. only Fetishes can house Numina/Influence, only Artifacts house Rotes, etc.). In addition to this, while all items have universal drawbacks, each type of item will also have specific drawbacks thematic to the game they are tied to (e.g. the destruction of a Fetish releases a pretty fucking pissed off spirit, either because it was trapped in there, or because the owner was irresponsible enough to allow the Fetish to be detroyed). Hopefully, these consequences will not just tie each item thematically to the gameline it belongs to, but also prove to be plot fodder should the item be lost or destroyed.
In addition to all this, we'll place a lot of importance on the history of the item, how it came to be, etc. We want each supernatural item to feel unique and be special to the character who owns it, and it'll be the first thing anyone wanting one will have to figure out.
I know a lot of people don't care so much about mechanics and would rather concentrate on fluff and setting and stuff, but this is one of the things I love to do with game design so I kind of gravitate towards it.
@Skew and I have been working on what the Mage Consilium and society will look like in Vegas and we've come up with something we think is pretty cool, so maybe we'll share that soon.
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Who wants some Praxis details for Kindred? Here you go!
Chairwoman & CEO (Prince) - Danielle Styles, CEO of the Conspiracy of Silence, Serpent, Matriarch of the House of the Mojave Rose
President & COO (Seneschal) - Dr. Malcolm Platt, Ascendant Dragon and Lord
Head of Public Relations (Herald) - TBD
Public Relations Team (Harpies) - TBD
Board of Directors (Primogen Council)
Carthian Movement - Kelly Frank, Daeva,
Sangiovanni - None; the Prince has forbidden anyone aligned with the Covenant from holding a city title.
Lancea et Sanctum - Emmet Lancaster, Daeva
Circle of the Crone - Joe Wild, Ventrue
Invictus - Eve Jennings, Nosferatu
Ordo Dracul - Prof. Sonya Winstead-Jones, Gangrel Superior Researcher at the Imminent Path Institute of Las Vegas and Twilight Judge.
Chief Security Officer (Sheriff) - Fredrico Giovanni
Deputies
Kindred Resources (Hounds)Invictus
Organized as a corporate structure. Head of the local Invictus is the CEO. All members are shareholders, board is composed of senior members. Originally attempting to hold power along the line of organized crime, as was in vogue among the First Estate in the early 20th Century, the Invictus could not compete with the Sangiovanni on those terms in Las Vegas. A second-rate covenant for decades, the Invictus bid its time and grew in numbers, and ambition. The entirety of the 1980s was a prolonged plot to assert their dominance. Reshaping into a ruthless corporate entity, the Invictus struck and stole power, utilizing a network of alliances, betrayals and more than one over murder, to cripple the Sangiovanni and help reshape the future of Las Vegas.Carthian Movement
The Carthians have a decent presence in Las Vegas, enjoying the atmosphere and the hands-off approach of the city government among mortals to try and inspire the rank and file among the undead to be a little more loose and democratic.The Carthian Movement was the second Covenant to establish a significant presence in Las Vegas. They moved in before the end of the 1930s, a few tight-knit coteries existing in the boom age. They attempted to rally against the Sangiovanni, who put down any hopes of Carthian rule, but then on applied a light touch. The Movement grew slowly over the decades, having a few growth spurts each decade, switching faces as time rolled on, from counterculture hippies, to punks, to rockers and grunge kids to hacktivists and 21st century antifas protestors. The Carthians have a dozen or so communal safe houses established in the metro area, and maintain influence among the youth of the city. They have never had a significant presence on The Strip.
Circle of the Crone
One of the larger Covenants in Vegas, they have numerous cults and beliefs here, ranging from Neopagan to Amerindian traditions. They are however too fractured to wield power.Never a political power in Las Vegas, there are, nonetheless, a large number of Acolytes in and around the City. At any given time, up to a half dozen different cults have gathered in Vegas, and none were so oppressed as to draw the Covenant into unity. This was a deliberate choice by the Sangiovanni, and the Invictus after them, to allow religious freedom to all groups so long as they towed the line. Groups such as the Children of the Moon, the Song of Coyote, Desert Flame, The Skull Throne, and more have come and gone.
Ordo Dracul
The Dragons maintain a quiet presence in Vegas, with a special interest in local geomancy and Wyrm's Nests. There is no unified Academy in Vegas, but two notable chapter houses.In the early 1960s, the Ordo Dracul established the Nevada Sanguinary Institute of Southern Nevada, a chapter house which was built beneath the Bishop Gorman school west of the city. A second chapter house was founded in 1988, along the Strip, concealed beneath a parking structure. This chapter, the Imminent Path, was built atop an enormous Wyrm's Nest.
Lancea et Sanctum
The Sanctified are few but proud in Vegas. They come mostly from Mormon stock, with Elders far more likely to be raised in that faith than Catholicism. Due to the secular and sinful nature of the city, those who reside in Vegas are devout and embattled, receiving support from Salt Lake City.There are thousands of so-called chapels in Las Vegas, and few of them are godly. In Sin City, the faithful are few and far between. Most Sanctified in the city are older, from the days of Mormon migration, and have infiltrated both city politics and the church of LDS to wield God's dark miracles. The Chapel and the Spear maintain a small fortified enclave in the city, but do not, as a general rule, go on crusades - they focus on the spiritual needs of the damned and the kine.
Sangiovanni
For nearly fifty years, the Sangiovanni were the dominant covenant in Las Vegas, creeping in early into the city's existence in late 1930 and holding the city by the throat. Their grasp weakened in the 60s, and was finally shattered in 1989 by the rise of the Invictus.Local Laws
- Do not reveal your true nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so forfeits you your claim to the Blood.
- Sire another at the peril of both yourself and your progeny. If you create a childe, the weight is your own to bear.
- You are forbidden from devouring the heartsblood of your Kindred. If you violate this commandment, the Beast calls to your own Blood.
- Respect the Vegas Compact.
- Keep free from the blood of the famous and keep the famous free of your blood, all Kindred bear this burden.
- Leave not a husk (exanguinated bodies lying around), all Kindred bear this burden.
- The Black Chips are valued as The Blood.
- Revenants are not to be left free, all Kindred bear this burden.
- The Draugr are not to be left whole, all Kindred bear this burden.
- If your vitae is within another, you may be held responsible for their actions.
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As a follow-up to @tragedyjones' post above on the Vampire Praxis in Las Vegas, I'm going to go ahead and foward you guys a little somethin'-somethin' on the once-premiere vampiric Covenant of Las Vegas, the Sangiovanni.
Keep in mind that, as sphere antagonists, the Sangiovanni won't be available as PCs at first; but the plan is to definitely allow for them later on, as the game progresses and things get more complicated.
SANGIOVANNI
La Cosa MortaI step out of the car and adjust my tie, leaving Julie sitting in the backseat, licking her cherry-red lips, her eyes rolling back into her head as the hit of my vitae starts to course through her system. She's the best ghoul I've ever had: cunning, sexy, and dangerous. But she's not meant for what comes next. Back in the day, she'd have been considered a moll. Now, when I say back in the day, I mean when she was just some mortal. Women have always had a place in the hierarchy behind the scenes, where it matters. But she's relatively new to the family, so she don't get to see what comes next. Not yet.
I walk the hall of the little casino we call our own. There aren't many of us left in Vegas--we got run out by the First Estate when Howard Hughes managed to run the mortal Mafia out in the 60s, and then again when the FBI screwed all our mortal interests in the 80s--but there's enough of us. We have some holdings, still, even if our proceeds and our purpose ain't so much making money, like it used to be. We like the way we do things, and some of us are willing to operate on the sidelines. We're immortal--we got time. Every kingdom falls eventually.
Frankie, one of my sire's ghouls, opens the door to the back room and I step past him with a smile. "Hey, Frankie."
"Hey, Mr. Gio." Mister Gio, because I'm part of the family. My name ain't Giovanni, but I got the blood, see, and for the people in this outfit, that's more than enough to show some respect. I descend down a set of stairs made of cement until I end up in the basement. It's a dank, dark room, with a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling above a chair. In the chair, tied up, is a man. I don't have to scrutinize him to know he's alive--he doesn't pop to my eyes, like the dead do. Behind him, my sire, Don Nico Giovanni, head of the local family and absolute authority as far as I'm concerned--and you can tell that fucking CEO bitch I said so, too.
"Massimo," he says, lifting his hands and then clapping them down on the shoulders of the man in the chair. "Finally, you are here." Nico is not as pale as me. Despite being a true Giovanni, he hasn't made the strides in the Discipline I have; his Vitae can still hide his nature.
"Sorry, boss. I got held up." I take another look at our stool pigeon--at least, he will be: white guy, rail thin, probably an addict of some sort, by the bags under his eyes and the way he holds himself, even tied down. I smile at him. I know my smile ain't pretty--none of me, really, is pretty. Even those of my kind that are pretty ain't, you know, pretty, and those that are ruin it in some way or another.
"It's all right. It's all right. But I need you to fix this problem for me, okay? Our friend Ricky here, he has decided that he is not going to talk, and if he doesn't talk--well." My sire shrugs his shoulders and lifts his hands.
"He'll talk," I tell Nico. I turn my eyes to Ricky. "You know how they say dead men tell no tales, Ricky?" I pull out a revolver from inside my jacket. His eyes go wide and his blood runs cold; I can smell it. "They're wrong." I tell him this, and then plug him twice in the chest.
Neither Frankie nor Nico try to stop me; they don't even seem to notice anything is off. Because it's not.
My revolver gets put away again and I walk towards Ricky's now hunched over corpse. Frankie's already untying him. He sprawls him out on the floor, arms at his side, legs straight--more or less, it ain't gotta be perfect.
I prepare myself, pull out a few little bags of assorted powders and dust and things, put them in the palm of my hand and fist them tight, grinding them together with vigor and will.
Once Frankie's done putting Ricky on the floor, I walk over to the corpse and hold my fist out over it. I speak the words--they're old words for new things--and I open my hand, letting the powder and dust fall on the corpse as I lower my hand a few inches. Once the powder settles, I lower my hand some more and I can feel the essence of what made Ricky an individual trying to escape. I fist it, twist it, and then I pull my hand up.
Ricky's corpse rises with it, slowly getting to its feet, blank eyes staring at me, waiting for my every command.
"Now," I say, looking into his dead eyes. "About those shipments..."
You want to join the Sangiovanni because: You were a made man or woman during life. You already have an unhealthy obsession with the truly dead. You have a penchant for violence. You like structure but don't cater to corporations or religions or revolutions. You believe that the dead can be tools to be used for your own gain. You like money and power but want to make your way up in traditional ways. You've had rough dealings with the cops or come from a long line of criminals. You lost someone and are desperate to get back in touch with them beyond the grave. You've romanticized the Mafia and have no idea what you're getting into. You owe us.
The big picture: People think criminal behavior ends when you die, and in most places and situations, that's probably true. But when it comes to vampires, that's not a given--and the Sangiovanni can make sure of it. Based essentially on the hierarchical structure and the modus operandi of the Italian Mafia, the Sangiovanni are a structured organization that ignores most of the legal means of acquiring power and wealth. In fact, whenever legalities are in the way, they embrace ways of side-tracking them. This is made all the more intriguing by their ability to both commune with and control the dead. Ghosts give them passwords, revenants sign cheques and deeds, and dead bodies become nothing but a mild inconvenience when, as far as the authorities are concerned, they aren't even dead.
One of the most terrifying aspects of the Sangiovanni is that they use their dark necromancy to their own advantage in the most ruthless ways possible, and they have the drive, dedication, and traditions to make it efficient. That, and their most powerful ceremonies seem to work on Kindred in ways that make all other vampires understandably uneasy. Of course, some of their ceremonies also work on the Strix--which makes them invaluable.
The Sangiovanni are a fiercely loyal group, either through terror, coercion, or true belief. They respect the wider Traditions of the Kindred, but aren't shy of circumventing details to make those Traditions a little more... operationally friendly.
As an organization, the Sangiovanni is a dangerous enemy to have, especially if they have a strong foothold in a location. It can be dangerous not to eradicate them entirely, although strong shows of force, and killing the wrong member of local leadership, can summon the higher ups, who believe that certain things are never to be left unresolved.
Where we came from: The Sangiovanni trace their history back a long way and across the pond to Italy. Giancarlo Giovanni was a mobster in Italy who was a bit of a necrophile, and his proclivities got him involved with a vampire. Sired into the Mekhet Clan, Giovanni wanted the same for his family--his wife, and eventually his kids--but his wife didn't fit the Mekhet mold and his sire forbade it, so he found a friend that was willing to do it, someone much more aristocratic, like hiw wife--a Ventrue. They kept their kids in boarding schools, and they kept themselves well-fed when their kids were around.
As their kids grew up, Giovanni found that his eldest--his only son--was a bit cruel, a little obsessive about his conquests, far too promiscuous--he found a Daeva willing to embrace the young monster. His middle child, a daughter, reached adulthood with a hollow look in her eyes--she made terrifying comments and, while she was attractive enough, tended to make people unsettled--and so he found her a Nosferatu sire. Last but not least, his youngest daughter was a wild child; berserk and untameable, he paid a Gangrel quite a lot of money to sire her and teach her.
Meanwhile, ol' Giancarlo's obsession with the truly dead--not undead like himself--started to affect his use of Disciplines. He found himself studying the different sorceries that certain Covenants use, and even sent spies into the Lancea et Sanctum and the Circle of the Crone to steal their secrets. Usually, this ended with the spies's deaths, but the information squarely in Giancarlo's hands. As a family, the Giovanni develop the art of Necromanzia--sorcerous control over the dead, both corpses and ghosts.
Their power in Italy skyrocketed, and eventually, they began inducting others, slowly becoming one of the most powerful Kindred organizations in southern Europe--their own Covenant--the Sangiovanni.
Giancarlo and his direct family are rumored to all be in Torpor at the moment, but no one can confirm where or since when--it's quite possible they're active, behind the scenes, watching their empire spread.
Our practices: The Sangiovanni's goal is to amass power, and to do it by using the dead as their thugs and a decent, unquestioning force of labor. When the Sangiovanni starts taking over an area, they buy businesses, often extorting the deeds out of unwilling business owners, sometimes killing them, and sometimes Embracing them not only into vampirism, but into the Covenant directly, without so much as a how-do-you-do. Many members of the Sangiovanni are in the Covenant because they were Embraced by one, and either feel they owe the necromancers, have come to like it, or are simply being held against their will, either by force, Domination, or the necromantic powers of the Covenant itself.
One thing is for sure, the Sangiovanni have a long memory, and with every corpse and restless spirit being a potential snitch and ally of the Covenant, it's very difficult to ever truly be sure they aren't waiting for their moment to strike back.
As far as hierarchical structure, they operate like the Italian Mafia. Most of the time, there is a Don, and his Capos, and their underlings, all the way down to the thugs. Their criminal methods extend to the mortal, often sequestering and converting to their cause (or at least their loyalties) high ranking members of mortal criminal organizations. They also rely heavily on the extortion and overt control of public officials both through money, magic, and of course, blackmail.
Nicknames: Necromancers; La Cosa Morta (within the Covenant); The Corpse Corps (internal/external, humorous); Deathwitches; Perverts (derogatory)
Concepts: Made Fang, assassin for hire, zombie wrangler, ghost whisperer, informant for the mob, liaison between the Covenants, business manager, mob lawyer of the dead.
When we are in power: The Sangiovanni like to own land and exert our power through it. Not only is it good business, it's also a great way to get our hands on the gates that connect the world of the living to the world of the dead. We rule Praxis with an iron fist, with the Don of the Covenant automatically being at the very top, occupying the place where a Prince might sit. The other Covenants are treated as separate "families", who answer to us, but have weight--often based on how much power they can rally individually. We keep our friends close, and our enemies under a microscope, often employing ghosts and revenants to shadow or spy on either. We extend our influences so much into the mortal world that it can be hard to weed us out--sometimes more than any other Covenant. It could take years, and help from mortal governments, before we can really be ousted.
When we are in trouble: If things get bad enough, we get scarce. We break up, split, and then rendezvous somewhere else we know it's safe. And then we plan our comeback. We're a relatively new Covenant--no older than the Carthians at most, and definitely not as large--so many people don't realize that even if they get rid of us, we're gonna come back. And we're gonna do it slow-like, so you never even notice until your dead family members are sucking the marrow from your bones.
Sangiovanni Merits
Members of the Sangiovanni have access to the following Merits. Unless otherwise noted, they have an additional prerequisite of Status (Sangiovanni) • or higher.
Wiseguy (••)
Prerequisite: Not a member of the Sangiovanni
Your character is not a member of La Cosa Morta, but is close enough to some of its members to be considered an associate that can be trusted and occasionally supported.This Merit provides a handful of advantages:
- Your character receives a +1 bonus to all Social interactions with Sangiovanni members, as if she had a single dot of Covenant Status.
- With a teacher, she may purchase the first dot of Necromanzia (for 3 experiences) and gains a free ceremony. Invictus in particular should be very careful about taking this Merit.
- Once per story, she can draw on a dot of Allies: Sangiovanni, Contacts: Sangiovanni, Mentor, or Herd. This should come at the cost of a small favor.
- If she ever formally joins the Sangiovanni, she sheds this Merit and adopts two dots of Covenant Status, becoming greater than an average newcomer to the family does.
Mortician's Appraisal (••, Necromanzia •)
With but a glance, the Necromancer can discern the cause of death of a body. On corpses and non-sentient living dead, this is automatic. To discern the cause of death of a sentient undead (such as Kindred or a possessed corpse) requires a Wits + Medicine roll, resisted by the target's Composure.Host of the Dead (•)
Prerequisite: Necromanzia •
The Sangiovanni may spend a Willpower to obtain the Open Condition pertaining to Ghosts for a Scene. Without the proper Ceremonies, however, she may not have any control over what the ghost does with that.Ghost Network (•• or •••)
Prerequisite: Necromanzia ••, Contacts: Ghosts
You've created a web of ghostly contacts much more thorough than most of your fellow Sangiovanni. Your initial ghostly contacts may have been rooted to a certain location, but now they've spread across Twilight, to the point where you can usually count on some shade having seen something of interest in any general location of the city.At two dots, the Storyteller should consider you having informants in any pertinent part of the city. If a ghost had a reasonable chance of having the information, your character can track that ghost down within a few hours and acquire it. For three dots, the network is so thoroughly built that even people who might usually be able to block ghostly Contacts can't deal with it — your ghostly connections cannot be hindered by other Social Merits unless the person attempting it also possesses this Merit.
Having this many ghostly friends can be a hassle. Your character probably spends 4-6 hours a week dealing with ghost messes around town, lest they be exorcised or worse.
Groundskeeper (••)
Your character either owns or has unlimited and easy access to one of Las Vegas' many cemeteries. He always has the very best Necromanzia sacrifices and materials on hand. Take a +1 to all Necromanzia rolls for having good ingredients always on hand. If your character has enough time to actually visit the cemetery and get fresh ingredients for the ceremony, the bonus is raised to +2.True Descendent (••)
You are a Giovanni, directly descended from Giancarlo and his children (before they were each Embraced). For starters, your actual surname is Giovanni, and you gain +1 to any Social interaction with other Sangiovanni who do not possess this Merit. More importantly, due to a quirk in your blood, you cannot be blood bound by anyone in your direct mortal family. In addition, you exhibit a resistance to the blood bond in general: if anyone in the Sangiovanni Covenant who isn't a member of your direct family attempts the bond, you add your dots in Sangiovanni Status to your roll to resist it; if anyone in your Clan attempts it, add your rating in blood sympathy. For some reason, the closer they are, the more you resist…Zombie Legbreaker (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: Necromanzia (? need to figure out what level the Ceremony will be), Retainer at a level equal to greater
You have a zombie Retainer that you've permanently reanimated. This is common for Sangiovanni ghouls and retainers that die, but their Regnants aren't ready to part with them yet.Your Retainer loses any Supernatural or Social Merits and any Social or Mental Skills. Pick a number of Physical Skills (or physical Disciplines, as per the Retainer Merit) equal to its rating in the Retainer Merit, as you reshape your new revenant to your liking.
Your Zombie Legbreaker can carry out any command it can hear you give verbally, but cannot use deductive reasoning; it is about as intelligent as a well-trained dog, though it can speak and relay basic messages (a single, simple sentence). In addition, it is immune to pain, does not need to breathe or sleep, and cannot get tired, and thus ignores any Conditions of the sort (though missing limbs and wound penalties apply, as they represent actual physical damage not just pain). It takes damage as a vampire (and thus most Lethal is actually Bashing). It is fearless and blindly loyal and immune to Dominate, Presence, and other forms of mind control or emotional manipulation. It is vulnerable to Necromanzia, but resists with a bonus equal to its rating in this Merit. Illusions such as those invoked by Nightmare can fool it, but any effects that would cause fear or panic are ignored.
Lastly, at •, the zombie gains a dot of Vigor, Resilience, or Celerity; at •••, it gains another, and at •••••, it gains a third. It cannot gain more than 1 dot in any of these Disciplines from this source (though it can have them from the Retainer Merit as normal).
Zombie Legbreakers do not heal, they must be reconstructed. Reconstructing a revenant is a long process. Roll Intelligence + Medicine or Crafts in an extended roll, with each roll representing an hour of work. Successes are used to fix damage — Bashing damage requires 1 success , Lethal requires 2 successes, and Aggravated damage 3 successes per Health Level. Damage is fixed in order: Aggravated first, then Lethal, and finally Bashing. The necromancer can pause the fixing process at any time and continue later. The more a Zombie Legbreaker is damaged and fixed, the more obvious its condition becomes.
Necromanzia
Necromanzia, itself a bastardization of the Italian word for necromancy ("negromanzia"), is a special type of Blood Sorcery available exclusively to the members of the Sangiovanni. It focuses on perceiving, controlling, and using ghosts and corpses for the necromancer's own ends. As a discipline, it operates the same way that Theban Sorcery and Crúac do, with levels restricting access to ceremonies that provide the actual effects.
Necromanzia can be a powerful tool in the hands of an experienced practitioner, and particularly powerful necromancers can even use it on Kindred themselves. This fact has caused great disturbance among the Kindred in the past: on top of being created from stolen materials and techniques proper of Theban Sorcery and Crúac, the powerful effects that can affect Kindred hint at a possible link to the Strix and their powerful dread powers that allow them to do similar things. In fact, much as with Crúac, the Strix can become quite proficient in Necromanzia, though they hardly ever see a need for it, given their own dread powers over the dead.
Learning Necromanzia
Only necromancers of the Sangiovanni with Status 1 or more (and characters with the Wiseguy Merit) may learn Necromanzia. If the vampire loses all Status in the Covenant, they can no longer learn any ceremonies but may advance in the Discipline (without the free Ceremony per level). Most Sangiovanni are not foolish enough to teach outsiders their secret sorcery, and those who have left the Covenant are even more careful not to divulge its secrets, not just for fear of being hunted by the Sangiovanni themselves, but due to the stigma that knowing Necromanzia carries in-and-of itself.
With its possible link to the Strix being far more convincing than even that which ties the owls and Crúac together, it's needless to say, knowing Necromanzia is hazardous to one's health without the weight of the Covenant's backing.
Because Necromanzia links the vampire to death and corpses on a metaphysical level (as well as the physical level they are connected to them by being both dead and a corpse as it is), the Blush of Life (and indeed, any attempt to physically imitate the living through Vitae) costs the vampire a number of points of Vitae equal to their rating in Necromanzia in addition to the usual 1. Because of this, most powerful necromancers simply forego the ruse, appearing as the pale, death-laden, ambulant corpses they are (and taking the appropriate Social penalties).
We still don't have any Necromanzia Ceremonies detailed.
Awyisssssss.
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@Coin Really like the Sangiovanni write-up and the Necromanzia stuff! This is pretty great! My only critique would be tying the Necromanzia to the Strix, which at the same time makes it too much like Crúac and makes both seem less special. Maybe tie to something else, more unique? If there is some other sort of entity capable of using Death to control vampires, and it is using the Sangiovanni to do so, that might give it the 'forbidden sorcery' vibe you want without feeling samey?
In the end, it is all great regardless!
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@SunnyJ said in Sin City Chronicles:
@Coin Really like the Sangiovanni write-up and the Necromanzia stuff! This is pretty great! My only critique would be tying the Necromanzia to the Strix, which at the same time makes it too much like Crúac and makes both seem less special. Maybe tie to something else, more unique? If there is some other sort of entity capable of using Death to control vampires, and it is using the Sangiovanni to do so, that might give it the 'forbidden sorcery' vibe you want without feeling samey?
In the end, it is all great regardless!
There really isn't anything as perfect as the Strix for that sort of thing, unfortunately. I don't think it makes Cruac and Necromanzia less special by sharing this; rather, it links them more. But that's just preference, I guess.
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@tragedyjones asked me to share something else I've worked on today, so I'm gonna do that. The following is a currency/reward system that functions both IC and OOC. Since we'll have a (slowly rising) cap on experience that can be gained, we'll no doubt eventually end up with some people who hit the cap and can't gain more experience until the cap rises, which might feel unfair when they're active, playing and running PRPs, while not getting the same rewards as other people. For that situation--a compromise! I present, the Black Chips.
Nigrum Denarius
The Black ChipsHistory
Black Chips — or nigrum denarius, as vampires originally called them — are a naturally occurring phenomenon found in and around Las Vegas and the Mojave that manifest in the rough shape of pebbles about the size of a half-dollar. When held by someone with a connection to the supernatural, the black chips synchronize to the bearer's nature.
Ever since the arrival of supernaturals in the area, the black chips have been hoarded and forged into the shape and size of actual casino-like chips and used as currency between the different supernatural creatures. They are the basis for, and have helped keep together, the Las Vegas Compact, functioning as bartering chips and payment for favors. The central bank of the Compact handles the forging and distribution of the black chips, which facilitates their supernatural use. In fact, unless forged, using the chips is rather difficult, and requires an effort of Willpower. Anyone finding the black pebbles (chips in their raw state) can take them to the Compact's bank and cash them in for a 10% payday based on the amount they bring in (e.g. if they brought in enough to make 10 chips, they would get 1 chip as payment).
The actual metaphysical origin of the black chips has eluded even the most dogged investigations, and it remains one of the most low-key mysteries of Las Vegas and the Mojave.
Anyone who discovered their true nature, regardless of how relatively mundane or unimpressive it might be, would surely be able to claim accolades across the area's entire supernatural community.
When used for one of their supernatural effects (listed below), the chips vaporize into a small cloud of dark smoke that dissipates in the wind. Studies done show that the black chips used in this matter reform as pebbles again after some time.
Functions
Supernatural creatures are not the only ones who can benefit from the black chips. Mortals can also use the chips' supernatural functions (except the first one listed, naturally). In the case of using the black chips as fuel, this does not replenish the character's pool, but rather replaces the expenditure. A vampire cannot 'feed' on a black chip, but they can fuel their Disciplines or heal with them. Although the unrefined "pebble" form still possess supernatural properties, they're too unstable for reliable use, and tend to just fizzle out when they aren't creating havoc.
Supernatural uses for the nigrum denarius:
- 1 = 3 points of appropriate fuel (vitae, essence, etc.);
- 1 = 1 Willpower point, useable alongside a character's own Willpower;
- 1 = 9-again on a single roll;
- 2 = 8-again on a single roll;
- 2 = re-roll a single roll, player picks which outcome counts;
- 3 = Rote for a single roll.
The mundane functions of the nigrum denarius are limited to the supernatural world, though in-the-know mortals who deal with supernaturals can still pay for services and favors with black chips — at their own risk, of course.
Mundane uses for the nigrum denarius:
- Black chips may be used to buy certain Merits that could be acquired with money (by ostensibly paying someone who takes black chips as payment, or buying money with them from someone with excess mortal wealth) at a Merit Rating x 5 chips per dot (so Resources ••• would cost 30 black chips). These Merits do not go on to benefit from Sanctity of Merits. Advantages bought this way tend to be either physical things that can be lost, or things that can be taken away (such as Resources), and are usually not traits that require monetary upkeep (such as Security or Staff). Merits and Merit types accessible in this manner include, but are not limited to:
Resources (trade for enough cash to invest the money wisely);
Safe Place (buy a place from another supernatural);
Supernatural Items (commission or lease Fetishes, Relics, Grimoires, etc.);
Library (buy mundane and advanced books and archives);
Alternate Identity (pay someone to create one for you);
Anonymity (pay someone to scrub you clean from databases, etc.).- Chips are typically used to pay off favors from other supernatural creatures (or even internally within supernatural societies); some people don't accept black chips as payment for favors, though those people are typically frowned upon and may get the same treatment in return at the worst possible time;
- Many supernatural societies have supernatural items that they guard or keep archived, and within those societies, black chips can often be used to rent those items for specific amounts of time (depending on the item and its power).
Acquisition
Players can acquire black chips in many different ways. Black chips are used both as an IC reward/currency system across and within supernatural societies, but also as an OOC reward system for players that either go above and beyond to help the game thrive and prosper, or for players who aren't eligible for experience rewards due to the experience cap, so that they don't get screwed while others might be getting rewards.
All supernatural characters get # black chips during chargen as payment for subscribing to and promising to abide by the Vegas Compact. This includes minor templates (e.g. ghouls, wolf-blooded, acknowledged sleepwalkers, etc.). Mortal and Mortal+ characters without ties to a supernatural society must acquire their first black chip by their own means.
Black chips cannot be acquired through "chip finding" player-run-plots. Any chips or pebbles found during player-run-plots are essentially in replacement of beats that the character isn't getting because of already meeting the experience cap (1 beat = 1 black chip). Staff may award chips (typically uniformly) during plots, or as rewards for OOC reasons. Occasionally, staff may distribute game-wide awards of black chips for special occasions and to replenish those black chips vaporized for their supernatural effects.
Drawbacks
Black chips attract the attention of a lot of creatures beyond the supernatural ones that rule Las Vegas. Strix, Pandorans, Abyssal Intruders, and even ghosts, spirits, Ridden, and Hosts have been known to be attracted to them. Carrying too many black chips on one's person can be a dangerous proposition because of this. Hostile creatures are liable to attack characters who carry too many black chips around.
Origins
The true origin of the Black Chips is your mom. Duh.
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@Coin said in Sin City Chronicles:
and can't gain more experience until the cap rises, which might feel unfair when they're active, playing and running PRPs, while not getting the same rewards as other people. For that situation--a compromise!
Apparently being either on equal footing or more powerful than every other character in the game isn't enough of a reward for MUers?
With the effects listed, these seem pretty clearly like they're just going to end up being 'combat boosters' (including things such as use of Dominate, not just brawl rolls) which feels kind of lame and seems to defeat the whole purpose of the XP cap. Characters at the XP cap will still be getting much stronger in terms of pure mechanics on account of having more of these chips. The re-roll in particular will likely be incredibly powerful in combat if you can just use it after failing a roll.
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@Tempest said in Sin City Chronicles:
@Coin said in Sin City Chronicles:
and can't gain more experience until the cap rises, which might feel unfair when they're active, playing and running PRPs, while not getting the same rewards as other people. For that situation--a compromise!
Apparently being either on equal footing or more powerful than every other character in the game isn't enough of a reward for MUers?
With the effects listed, these seem pretty clearly like they're just going to end up being 'combat boosters' (including things such as use of Dominate, not just brawl rolls) which feels kind of lame and seems to defeat the whole purpose of the XP cap. Characters at the XP cap will still be getting much stronger in terms of pure mechanics on account of having more of these chips. The re-roll in particular will likely be incredibly powerful in combat if you can just use it after failing a roll.
Kay. Have fun wherever you end up.
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@Coin said in Sin City Chronicles:
Kay. Have fun wherever you end up.
Probably somewhere that will be open and run by the same staffer for more than 2 months straight.
You and @tragedyjones are literally the scumbag used car sales men of MUing.
You get off on the attention of "making the cool new thing!" then realize it takes actual effort to maintain once you're past that stage and disappear to repeat the process 6 months later.
And with the fragile egos of 12 year old boys to boot.
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I can't speak for @coin, but i am in it for the money and pussy.
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@tragedyjones said in Sin City Chronicles:
I can't speak for @coin, but i am in it for the money and pussy.
You're a special kind of stupid, if this is true.
(Which it isn't, I know.)
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Well, -I- am hyped, anyways. Looks like it will be fun.
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Code Update: copious sobbing sounds
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Semi Code Update: I broke the server, like, seriously, like 7 times. Totally killed stuff.
But, uh, it's fixed.
To the peanut gallery: Is there any stuff that forgets to get added to a wiki that becomes exceedingly obnoxious to add later? I've already changed the address to /wiki/article (instead of /index.php/article), I've added namespaces... anything else?
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Request: If you have time, take our survey!
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Would you be willing to answer your BG questions before beginning your character sheet?
CG should be able to be done in any order the person wants. Some have an easier time doing a BG first, some like doing stats first.
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This looks pretty neat.
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Status report: Vampire is basically done, save data entry for newer material. I believe @Thenomain is working on sub-sheets right now. @skew and @Coin are crafting a unique mechanic for the Forsaken. They also have a Lex Magica written.
As for me, I have the LV metro broken up and will soon be hiring people for descmonkeying
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Tangent: Fuck sub-sheets fuck sub-sheets arrrrrgghhhh sub-sheets fuck fuck fuck!
I don't know how other coders don't yell at the top of their lungs about the things they have to code, but I feeling this explains why XKCD is so popular.