[Original Supernatural/Vampire MUSH] Houses of the Blood MUSH

Rook

"Instead, you come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married, and you ask me to do murder for money."

Ominous

@Bobotron That's a shame. Houses of the Blooded is an interesting system and setting that I could easily see being shoved into a vampire setting.

Tempest

@Bobotron

How 'tightly knit' are you aiming for the Houses to be in theme?

Like, will there be some 'House Aurelia' mansion/whatever in the city where the 'core' of the House lives, sort of thing? Will it be frowned on to come into conflict with other house members?

Or will it be more like the Clans in nWoD where everybody's generally off doing their own thing? There's usually some level of say 'familial ties' amongst Gangrel or Nossies, and yeah, you have a Clan Priscus usually, but...I've never really gotten a terribly strong sense of 'unity' from any of the Vampire Clans in WoD.

Bobotron

@Tempest
The plan is:

The houses are roughly aligned with each other, insofar as a night predator can be. Conflict within is not frowned upon, though there are laws against murder without reason, etc. ala Roman law. A document of laws is being prepped.
Each House typically, if they have a large enough population, has a central 'gathering place' maintained by the House itself.
Within the house, interaction is very much familial ties ala Roman house hierarchy, as loose or as tight as needed based on the character. John Q Aurelius and Mary M Aurelia may hate the hell out of each other, while John Q Aurelius and Henrietta J Aurelia may love each other like brother and sister. The strongest familial lines are in the lines of descent and broods within the lineages (like, John Q and Taylor G and Nathan F are a brood; they are all turned by Silas J, and may have a father/child or patron/student relationship.
The Houses typically would want to put on a unified front, mostly because presenting 'weakness' to the supernaturals that aren't vampires is a bad game plan.

Tempest

@Bobotron

So, with your House being both your 'lineage' as well as your 'political organization' of sorts, I was curious about something.

Would 'switching teams' ever be allowed, thematically?

Say I make an Octavius because I like the theme for my character's history and why she was chosen to be a vampire, blah blach whatever.

Six months into playing the character, maybe she doesn't agree with the political decisions/direction of the House at all, or whatever.

Is there any way in which that character could go more fully align herself to some other house? Or are you expected to be loyal to your House, flat out the end, and doing something like that would just get you cast out as a pariah or something since you can't be trusted?

Bobotron

@Tempest
That's more where things like covens (groups of like-minded vampires) come in, but you bring up an interesting point for me to ponder on, so than you!

Theoretically, a vampire could shun their house and try to get adopted into another, though that's rare (like a Peregrinus getting adopted), or just say 'Fuck you and your couch' and diassociate themselves (which would then be reason for political strife and potential expulsion and reduction to Peregrinus/houseless caste). Most of the 'political affiliation' is meant to be the jockeying for position in the hierarchy of the Republic of Blood in general, while most houses will have their own internal politics (like House Claudius and the recent spiritual spreading from Roman deity worship to other deity worship in newer vampires in the past hundred years causing some internal political strife).

Bobotron

My own thread necro.

I'm working on stuff still. Thanks to @SunnyJ and others who gave me some input. Things are going slow due to RL stuff picking up, but I'm still hammering away. Got the much longer than I thought 'origin of the vampire' done, got some stuff on Attributes and Skills in.

If anyone cares to look, its https://www.hotbmush.com, click news files on the left and go to town. Tear it apart. I want to hear your honest opinions!

ETA: If you see things referencing Masquerade, they're newsfiles written for the WoD game I was going to make that I'm repurposing. Nothing is finalized (and completely ignore that Blood file, it's being totally replaced).

Bobotron

@Bobotron
Continuing development, now that I'm not shoulders-deep in the End of the World for my LARP.

Going to try to knock out the rest of the Setting document tonight:

The founding of the Houses - In which the nine Founders are turned by Titus and Licenia in an attempt to stave off their ennui, and save impressive mortals (or in Licenia's case, murder people who venerate Apollo and desecrate women)
The Reckoning - When Titus and Licenia have their mythical falling out, and Licenia leaves along with Houses Leilia, Asinius and Fabia.
The Modern Republic - The overall 'here's what happened when the vampires spread out with the Roman Empire and beyond', focusing on why they settle, what they do and the concepts in NYC.

Wish me luck!

Tempest

@Bobotron Good luck!

Bobotron

Still working. I didn't get as much done as I was wanting; some info was lost (apparently I didn't save some of my timeline stuff like a big moron). The first of the Genitors, Aquilia Fabia Severa (who will become a Blood Traitor) is written, though I am afraid that the Setting section is getting too long... Thinking about paring down each of the founders to a more succinct (and appropriately mythical) paragraph. I did upload 7 of the 9 pieces of art and stuck them in a gallery for reference, though...

Bobotron

alt text

Long time since an update. A number of things came up, including a bout of 'Why am I doing this again?' Finished up the LARP I was running though, so I don't have that eating up most of my development time.

So...

I lost some things due to DB corruption. I lost a large chunk of my NYC build. Which I think, became better in the long run. I have moved back to a west coast original city, mid-California, with a number of opportunities and what I hope will be fun features to play with. The build is done, with about... 8 main hangouts, six House centers, an Arena and a couple of other things.
Stat system is done. I'm rejiggering a thing with supernatural powers.
Working on taking the long form of the history file and paring it down as better bullet points for the main file, with a link to the expanded one.
Decided to not allow the Traitors to be playable; too much potential would be squandered.
Combat System is being tinkered with, will need playtesting once I get things done.

Overall, still working. Anyone have any questions, thoughts, etc.?

Deleted

@bobotron You go girl.

SunnyJ

Hi @Bobotron !

First off, awesome to see you working on the project again! I have some questions!

Do you plan on having any territory gimmicks?
What about blood?
If you are using WoD, are you controlling Willpower too?
Are there Minor Templates? What is their role? Do you really need them?
Are there going to be NPCs? Who is going to ST them?
How do you plan on handling non-combat characters? Are they a viable template? If so, why? Are there systems for Mental/Social person peoples?
Can I be the world's first vampire assassin?
Is there anything like Prestations? Is it coded?
Is there any sort of loot box system? We need one, Bobo.
Are the vampires in your game more civilized, or are they the good ol' rawrrawrrawr, post pictures of your naked ghoul on the "Elysium" board and ride bikes all day long? You know, classic Requiem stuff.

Arkandel

To add to the long list of questions, something more fundamental.

What's cool about your Vampire game? If you could have coded, built and impemented 100% of what you can feasibly and open it tomorrow, what would people love it for? How does it stand out, other than not being WoD (which if memory serves it's not)?

Bobotron

@admiral
Uh, thanks? Not sure what to read from that.

@SunnyJ
Hi! To answer your questions...

I am working on those; I was not going to go into great detail, but it's built around what things an area would offer. Right now, my 'beta' version offers a particular bonus in an Asset: an Influence bonus appropriate to the area (own territory in a ritzy area? You are treated as having Society Influence if you don't already, or you get a bonus if you do); a Contact appropriate to the area; or an Ally from the area. Territory also factors into your Blood Bank, granting some free noms in addition to any of your Vessels or Downtime used to hunt.
Blood is important, and does have some limitations. I went through a couple of different setups before I decided to do three things with blood: 1. have a system in place for Downtime hunting that, if characters use it, represents 'passive hunting off-screen' a vampire does, to inhibit minutiae, 2. have options such as Vessels (people/things you can reliably feed on) to get reliable, instant blood, and 3. allow for instant hunting, handling it in a general 'overfeeding' concept, rather than 'this space has 18 blood to eat'. I can/will link the Blood wiki file once I'm done with the last revisions.
We are not using WoD, so Willpower isn't a spendable stat. It is one of the four core Attributes, alongside Physical, Social and Mental (Willpower represents more metaphysical force of will, mental resistance and capability to 'push through').
The only 'Minor Template' is a Servus, a human who has been given vampire blood and exists in a state of half-vampirism. They are a viable option, there's a file being written based on the origins of the Servii (they are a following of Roman slave methodology) in order to prevent/temper some of the stuff that goes on with ghouls, as Roman slave rules and laws were pretty complex. Otherwise, just vampires and servii are playable.
There will be NPCs. I have stable of 'core' NPCs representing vampire city leadership, a few major humans and some of the 'leadership' of the other supernaturals like the therians and Bygones that are in the city. Right now, they will be staff run, though I'm debating the concept of treating the vampire leadership in a 'roster' fashion, with concepts of having them be responsible to push the game and overseen by staff in a bit heavier method.
There will be options for non-combat characters. There are non-combat powers, there are buffs and debuffs for non-combat in mental and social powers. I plan for plot to give a lot of angles, as I really enjoy running mystery/investigation plots. I'm fiddling with a bid-based 'social combat system' where, instead of just rolling stats, you have points to 'bid' on social 'maneuvers' for lack of a better term, acting and counteracting and essentially making social dynamics into a 'bidding to get what you want/counterbidding to angle away from what the aggressor wants' angle, with strategy behind it, based on the social stat and skills.
I don't see why you can't play an assassin. There's a couple of Houses you could do that with, but House Gaius is your best bet. ETA: I looked at your clip. Probably not the most appropriate variable, but a vampire assassin would be as viable as the setup/background was written for them).
I'm cribbing heavily from the MET Vampire the Masquerade system for our prestation. Recognition and Status aren't just number dots, but are 'titles' or recognition in descriptive words (Noble, Acclaimed, Courteous, etc.) that have social effects when used appropriately. There will be a file written on proper etiquette and using Status appropriately; it'll be coded to a point (like someone giving someone else a Warned Negative Trait), or expending your Loyal Status to immediately offset a Warned, for example), but there are some things that I can't code (like, one of the Status Traits boils down to 'The bearer of this Status can't be publicly (IE: in gathering) be accused of lying; doing so immediately imposes Warned on the accuser.' and you can't really code that) I'm hoping to 'lead by example' with play on that.
Loot box? Clarify?
They can be both. The default setting is a decadent society based on the height of Rome's decadence, crumbling in places while being held up by their own social intrigues and etiquette. Many areas of vampire society may also be beset from outside forces, including Traitor House vampires trying to destroy the society and the vampire lineages. I can't really say much about 'posting naked servii pictures on poster boards at gathering places,' other than 'Well, the current NPC leader wouldn't really go for that stuff...' People can be bikers and such, but I'm hoping to have a good amount of things for people to do other than 'be killy badasses'. Because, all vampires can do that if they try.

@Arkandel
That's a good question. I feel like it could stand out because of the things I'm writing and planning, including...

From a code standpoint, as much automation as I'm planning/have written. Where a lot of games have issues with 'RAW vs. RAI', a lot of the 'OMG YOU CHEATED!' stuff is pushed by the wayside when the code is automated and does heavy lifting.
A game that tries to put a focus on a cooperative play experience; while this will never be perfect, I hope to push an example of 'cooperative non-consent' play, and have written some pretty extensive files on some of my desires for things like IC actions and such.
A game that is not just a Sandbox by Night game. I plan on having some ongoing 'meta plot' that will be there, and will be explored in staff-run stuff (and bits given out to be run by players or tie into PrPs if they like), and hopefully not be too invasive to people doing their own thing as well. And I, personally, am totally open to pitches and PrPs that can affect the world in major ways. I have always been a 'Yes, and...' or 'Yes, but...' storyteller.
Lastly, not being WoD. I'm trying to angle with some of the WoD defaults (supernatural mystery, fighty fighty, political intrigue) and add some things that don't get done on the normal WoD game. Focusing on single 'sphere' in WoD terms, and trying to present a viable political angle is one thing I am hoping will draw individuals. And having code and a staff mindset to support that (though not in the intensity of, say, RfK, because that is untenagle) is a bit step for it.

I would hope people would love it for the setting and story and opportunities; I feel like what I'm writing/have written as far as backdrop and setting, while playing on vampire tropes and admittedly being set up in a 'people familiar with VtM or VtR can look and go 'Okay, yeah, I get this...', I want to push beyond that, and give prospective players some meat to play with. Want to go kill werewolves with my Superstrength and Superspeed powers? That's totally viable. You might run into other, unintended things (I mean, I wouldn't want to fight the equivalent of The Crow, but it could happen.) Want to investigate spooky mysteries? Totally up for that (and this is one thing I really love running). Want to play Lords and Ladies? There's room for that too. It may LOOK, to many, like there's some overreaching there... but I feel like, once I get done, and I get more 'deep' info ready to go, I can drum up some staff help. Because that's my one stumbling block right now... it's just me.

Arkandel

@bobotron said in [Original Supernatural/Vampire MUSH] Houses of the Blood MUSH:

It may LOOK, to many, like there's some overreaching there...

It's good to be ambitious. In fact if Vampire games (and nWoD ones in general) had one common issue in the last couple of years, IMHO, is that they weren't ambitious enough; they were way more concerned with simply existing than innovating or doing anything new and cool. So good for you.

but I feel like, once I get done, and I get more 'deep' info ready to go, I can drum up some staff help. Because that's my one stumbling block right now... it's just me.

You probably already know better but I'll offer my usual advice... don't let too many cooks into your kitchen. Having some cospirators will of course keep you share the burden and not burn out, but you probably want to keep it to a small group of people you know and have worked with well in the past.

You can always get more help in the stuff you can't automate (such as plot running) through XP and similar incentives. People don't need to be staff to run those, and player PrP runners are much easier to control - and 'fire' if needed.

But you're not at that bridge yet, so have fun building it.

Bobotron

@arkandel

Good to be ambitious

Well, I like to think so. I just don't want to bite off more than I can chew, but even if I get 20-40 people me plus a couple of others can do it.

Too many cooks

True. But right now it's like being just Gordon Ramsay with no kitchen staff, and less cursing sometimes. But yeah, I get you. I prefer smaller staff anyway, more easy to make sure everyone is on the same page and such.

Arkandel

@bobotron Not to derail your thread but the problem I've seen has to do with staff politics and diluting the vision.

If you have ten people staffing someone will not be getting along with someone else as well as you'd hope, and you'll need to mediate; that's more work generated from something you hoped would take work away from you.

And in a game like yours where there's no pre-written material the hard part to find the creative balance where you still end up running what's locked in your head right now but also allow creative input to add finishing touches that enrich it. If you have ten voices in your ear it's easy to end up running TR before you realize it, with people rolling werewolf PCs and PrPs of UFOs landing in your town square at noon.

Bobotron

@arkandel

I wouldn't call it a derail, not completely anyway. And I agree with your sentiment. I've always worked with small staff in the MUSHes I've run in the past, and the LARPs I've run. I find that it makes it easier for all staffers to run plot if they want, have a consistency to theme and ease of spreading information, and makes it easy to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

And you're so right; I haven't put down to paper everything that's in my head, and there are things that, when I put them down I'm like 'Ugh, why did I write that?' But I'm hoping to have a good layout.

ETA: There's also stuff that can be easily automated on my game that many games don't. XP spends, for example. So it cuts down a lot on the 'need a staffer dedicated to X, Y and Z'. Or I hope it will.

Arkandel

@bobotron said in [Original Supernatural/Vampire MUSH] Houses of the Blood MUSH:

And you're so right; I haven't put down to paper everything that's in my head, and there are things that, when I put them down I'm like 'Ugh, why did I write that?' But I'm hoping to have a good layout.

Yep, writing it down also helps you remember what the vision was a few weeks/months down the line. Basically we all have our own ideas of what a game should be like, and especially on MSB even in the most well meaning of ways we'll bombard the fuck out of you telling you what we would want to see; give us enough time and we'll dilute your ideas . Having them all in a document helps you keep things a bit more pure.

I remember arguing with @Coin when Eldritch launched about everything having to be his way or the highway because I was - and still am, naturally - sure what I was suggesting was better. But here's a funny thing - even if it was he was still right (and it hurts me to type it) because that's what makes a game stand out more than anything else; a creator excited to be doing their own thing.

Too many games, IMHO, are missing that spark and just settle for the generic brand name instead.