Before You Start - The Newbie Book

Before you start your character, read this.

I) WHO IS YOUR CHARACTER?

A character is more than simple statistics. Who is/was your character in his/her Mortal Life? Where/when did your character grow up, and how did this early stage affect his/her development? What did your character believe in politically and morally, and how is/isn't this belief system similar or different from your own? Does your character's position within the social schema of their background have any relevance to the environment/time period that the game will take place in? Does the character have any living/known relatives or friends...even rivals? Why would they have been allies/rivals in her mortal days?

2)How much do you know about the background social environment?

A little research goes a loooong way. If you choose, for example, "Skinhead" as your base character concept, read up a little on them (try to find something that expresses what they think in their own words ...remember, whatever the concept, you're supposed to be imitating the world through the eyes of the character), or maybe talk to one or two about their views on things, if you happen to be able to (in the specific example above, that would be a risky proposition, but not if one were dealing with, say, a hair stylist); get a general feel for the world as your concept perceives it. If the model is historical or outside of your own specific environment (another country, say), then check out a couple of books and read through them; you don't have to be an expert, just have enough of a feel to try and seem legitimate and multidimensional.

3) How does the embrace/ghouling/exposure to the kindred world affect the character?

The exact circumstances under which the character experiences her entrance into Cainite paradigms is vital. Let's take the above "Skinhead" model, assuming that the character is constructed to be of young, brash White-Supremacist variety.

• Exposure to the existence of Cainites: Depending on the circumstances, the character could become frightened (run away), vengeful (they killed my buddies) or intrigued the leader of my gang is a Servant to a Vampire, and he gets super-strength and eternal youth...how do I get in on this?)
• Ghouling: Who would Ghoul a Neo-Nazi Skinhead? And why your character in particular?
• Embrace: What if the Cainite that embraced you had motives other than the raising of a childe? What if the Cainite was a former Gestapo Agent? What if the Sire was Black or Jewish? How would the character treat the Gift under any of those circumstances?

II). CHOOSING A CLAN

Usually, the Clan or Bloodline will suggest itself once the above part of the process is completed. There are, however, other questions that are raised:

1) I'd like to play this or that clan, but my concept doesn't fit the usual stereotype. Should I just chuck the whole idea?

Not necessarily. Stereotypes are just that: surface impressions of a group that do not reflect every member OF that group. Let us return to mister skinhead. One's first reaction might be to say "Brujah", but it is the character's background and personality that would attract his Sire, not just a simple label. If the character is also a musician or just comes across as really full of "animal magnetism" he might end up a particularly unusual Toreador or even a Daughter of Cacophony (although I'd be careful about the latter); if he was heavily into Norse-oriented Paganism, he might attract the Gangrel, or (in the case of an extremely talented Pagan) even the Tremere. An effective and charismatic leader or tactician might find himself in the loving Embrace of a Ventrue, Lasombra or Setite. The possibilities, while not limitless, are certainly greater than they appear. Just make certain that you can balance the Clan tendencies with the persona.

2) I really like the powers of a clan or the raw power of a low-gen character, but I can't number-crunch enough to make my character effective.

If this is a problem, then you need to rethink your motivations for the character in the first place.

A) The Masquerade's Character Generation System assumes that the character has been active as a Kindred for 50 years or less. This means, by definition, that the character shouldn't be THAT powerful. If you want to play an Older or more powerful Cainite, then you're after an Elder, which requires Storyteller permission.

B) Don't allow yourself to become so entranced by the potential power of a Kindred that you lose sight of the character's actual role-playing aspects. It IS possible (in our experiences, probable ) to keep up with, or even run rings around, characters with superior stats. Relying on the numbers on your character sheet is no substitute for good, old-fashioned focus of intent and motivation.

C) A character that is at the equivalent of "first level" is less likely to give you a conniption if something happens that dramatically changes it than one that you spent a lot of time building up. When you're on the bottom, any change is a step up.

D) Each and every Clan has its own advantages and disadvantages. Just because Toreadors don't have Feral Claws doesn't mean that you still can't design a combat monster, and just because Brujah are, uh, emotional doesn't mean they can't be creative and have a high aesthetic sense.

3) So, ultimately, what kind of clan is best for my first character? my fourth character?

This goes right back to the first set of questions. Who are you playing, and what do you hope to get out of it? It's less a matter of Clan than it is concept.

Another thing to consider is that MOST players do not consider the true theme/heritage of the Clans/Bloodlines; they understand what they have and what they usually look like, but rarely do they address what they mean. This is evidenced (the meaning, that is) by their signature Disciplines and Weaknesses. Many people either don't address the signature aspects or assume that the wrong Disciplines represent them. For example:

• The signature Discipline for the Toreador is Auspex; so is the signature Discipline for non-Antitribu Malkavians. Their weaknesses are equally based around perception. This means that one should ALWAYS bear this in mind when utilizing these Clans; they see the exotic where others see the mundane. And the line between them is very, very thin....
• The signature Discipline for Brujah is neither Potence nor Celerity, but PRESENCE! Although they are called Rabble, the Brujah are, in fact rabble-rousers, those who have the capacity to generate a militant, fanatical fervor in others, due to the intensity of their own convictions. In fact, conviction and righteous indignation are the Brujah's true asset; it's flip-side is headstrong militarism, which often manifests as a violent streak when mixed with the dark passions of the Beast. They are, in their own way, leaders...but charismatic ones rather than administrative.
• The Lasombra manipulate shadows because they are shadowy. If properly reflective of their tendencies, the Lasombra should come across as being manipulative as the Giovanni, mysterious as the Tremere or Nosferatu and stoic as the Ventrue. Their inability to cast reflections is very appropriate; they probably don't leave paper-trails, either.

When choosing a Bloodline, remember that there is a larger theme, and that your character must, by definition, reflect this theme in order to be effective...even they "break the stereotype," they must still be constructed so that the break itself somehow illustrates a little-noticed aspect of the larger theme.


Before You Start - The Newbie Book