Character Creation Rules & Example

Kakita_Gokumoro · Post by **Kakita_Gokumoro** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 9:01 pm

Okay.

I'm going to go step through step through the character creation process for Vampire: the Masquerade, to give those of you who are unfamiliar with the system an idea of how this works.

Along the way, I'll be making up a character of my own, to let you see how the system is implemented.

And here goes!

Kakita_Gokumoro · Post by **Kakita_Gokumoro** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 9:30 pm

The first thing is to figure out who this character is going to be. During this stage of creation, players choose their character's Concept, Clan, Nature, and Demeanor.

Concept is who the character is or was before their Embrace (turned into a vampire). Was the character a gang banger, an office temp worker, sorority coed, police officer, or something else? The possibilities are pretty much endless here.

Clan is basically which of the 13 antediluvians your character is descended from. The clans available for this game are the Brujah, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue.

Nature is the character's core personality trait. Does your character love to be in charge, or is he a follower at heart? Character's regain Willpower points (which I'll explain later) by acting in accordance with their Natures.

Demeanor represents the type of person you present to the world. Is your character truly a sensitive kind of guy who puts up a tough exterior to overcompensate for a perceived weakness? Or are you a control freak at heart who acts like an artistic type to pick up the chicks?

Some examples of Natures and Demeanors (called Archetypes) are:

Architect: You build a better future
Autocrat: You need control
Bon Vivant: Unlife is for pleasure
Bravo: Strength is all that matters
Caregiver: Everyone needs nurturing
Celebrant: You exist for your passion
Child: Won't somebody be there for you?
Competitor: You must be the best
Conformist: You follow and assist
Conniver: Others exist for your benefit
Curmudgeon: Nothing is worthwhile
Deviant: You exist for no one's pleasure but your own
Director: You oversee what must be done
Fanatic: The cause is all that matters
Gallant: You're not the showstopper, you're the show!
Judge: The truth is out there
Loner: You make your own way
Martyr: You suffer for the greater good
Masochist: You test your limits every night
Monster: You're Damned, so act like it!
Pedagogue: You save others through knowledge
Penitent: Unlife is a curse to atone for
Perfectionist: Nothing is good enough
Rebel: You follow no one's rules
Rogue: Those who can, win. Those who can't, lose. You can.
Survivor: Nothing can keep you down
Thrill-Seeker: The rush is all that matters
Traditionalist: As it has always been, so shall it be
Trickster: Laughter dims the pain
Visionary: There's something beyond all this.

Kakita_Gokumoro · Post by **Kakita_Gokumoro** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 9:46 pm

Next, we choose attributes. Vampire, like all the other Storyteller games, relies on a point-based system for character creation.

Attributes, specifically, are separated into three different categories:

Physical Attributes determine how strong, hardy, and dexterous your character is (Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina).

Social Attributes determine how likable, manipulative, or attractive your character is (Attributes: Charisma, Manipulation, Attractiveness).

Mental Attributes determine how smart, perceptive, and how quick on the uptake your character is (Attributes: Perception, Intelligence, Wits).

All attributes are rated from 1 - 5, with 1 being the worst, 2 being average, and 5 being the absolute best a human can achieve. All attributes begin at 1. From there, you pick one category to be your Primary Attributes. For these, you get 7 additional points to distribute between the three specific attributes within that category.

Next, you choose your Secondary Attributes. For these, you get 5 additional points to distribute between the three specific attributes within.

Finally, you choose your Tertiary Attributes. For these, you get an additional 3 points to distribute between the three specific attributes within.

Note: Nosferatu Characters, in following with their clan weakness, receive no points in Appearance, and may not ever increase their Appearance score above 0.

Kakita_Gokumoro · Post by **Kakita_Gokumoro** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:44 pm

Like Attributes, Abilities are broken down into three separate categories, Talents, Skills, and Knowledges.

Talents are intuitive Abilities that are inherent or could be "learned in the field", so to speak. There are 10 Talents in Vampire. They are:

Alertness
Athletics
Brawl
Dodge
Empathy
Expression
Intimidation
Leadership
Streetwise
Subterfuge

Skills are learned Abilities that are obtained through rigorous training or determination. They may also be learned through careful practice. There are 10 Skills. They are:

Animal Ken
Crafts
Drive
Etiquette
Firearms
Melee
Performance
Security
Stealth
Survival

Knowledges are just that - "book learning" and such. These Abilities are typically mental pursuits or studies learned through studies and books. There are 10 Knowledges. They are:

Academics
Computer
Finance
Investigation
Law
Linguistics
Medicine
Occult
Politics
Science

Like Attributes, a character's Abilities are separated into Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary categories. Primary Abilities have 13 points to distribute between the 10 specific Abilities therein. Secondary Abilities have 9 points to distribute, while Tertiary Abilities have 5.

Abilities are ranked from 0 - 5, with 0 meaning a character has no skill in that Ability and 5 meaning that the character is one of the best in the world at that particular thing. Unlike Attributes, each Ability starts at 0. Players may not put more than 3 points into any one Ability at this point in character creation.

Kakita_Gokumoro · Post by **Kakita_Gokumoro** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 12:05 am

Advantages are the things that make a vampire a contender in the power struggles that go on night after night in the world of the undead. These are separated into three different categories, they are not prioritized.

First are Disciplines. These supernatural powers are inherent to the undead, although some are specific to particular Clans. Each Clan has 3 "in clan" Disciplines. The Disciplines pertinent to this Chronicle are:

Animalism: supernatural affinity with and control of animals
Auspex: extrasensory perception, awareness, and premonitions
Celerity:supernatural quickness and reflexes
Dementation: the ability to pass madness on to a victim
Dominate: mind control practiced through the piercing gaze
Fortitude: unearthly toughness, even to the point of resisting fire and sunlight
Obfuscate: the ability to remain obscure and unseen, even in crowds
Potence: the Discipline of physical vigor and strength
Presence: the ability to attract, sway, and control crowds
Thaumaturgy: the study and practice of blood sorcery

Characters receive three points to distribute between their in clan Disciplines. Like Abilities, Disciplines are ranked from 0 to 5. Some Disciplines are not available to all Clans, as they are the specific property of one Clan. For Example, only Malkavians have access to Dementation, while the secrets of Thaumaturgy are known only to the Tremere.

The next set of Advantages is Backgrounds. These are mostly intangible things a character might have, like money, friends, influence, and so on. The types of Backgrounds are:

Allies: human confederates, usually family or friends
Contacts: the number of information sources the character possesses
Fame: how well known the character is among mortals
Generation: how far removed from Caine the character is
Herd: the vessels to which the character has safe and free access
Influence: the character's political power within mortal society
Mentor: the Kindred patron who advises and supports the character
Resources: wealth, belongings, and monthly income
Retainers: followers, guards, and servants
Status: the character's standing in undead society

Like Abilities and Disciplines, Backgrounds are ranked from 0 - 5. A player has 5 points to buy Backgrounds for his character.

Finally, the lasat set of Advantages are a character's Virtues. These shape the character's ethical code and describe his commitment to his chosen morality. The Virtues are:

Conscience: this Virtue allows the character to evaluate his conduct with relation to what is right or wrong. High Conscience characters feel remorseful for their moral transgressions while low Conscience characters are more callous or ethically lax.

Mechanically, Conscience is used to determine if a character loses Humanity when committing acts that do not uphold that moral code.

Self-Control: this Virtue defines a character's discipline and control over the Beast. Characters with high Self-Control rarely succumb to emotional urges while characters with low Self-Control more easily give in to their baser desires.

Mechanically, Self-Control is used to determine whether or not a character goes into an involuntary Frenzy, either when enraged or when suffering from hunger.

Courage: this Virtue is the quality that allows a character to stand firmly in the face or overwhelming fear or daunting adversity. Characters with high Courage meets their fears head on, while characters with low Courage may flee in terror.

Mechanically, Courage is used when a character is faced with circumstances they endemically dread: fire, sunlight, True Faith, and so on.

Virtues are also used to determine two other character stats. Conscience and Self-Control combined determine a character's Humanity (a moral code that allows Kindred to retain their mortal sensibilities in the face of their transformation into parasitic monsters), while Courage determines a character's base Willpower (a measure of a character's inner drive and competence at overcoming unfavorable odds).

Like Attributes, Virtues are ranked from 1 - 5. A player has 7 points to distribute between the three Virtues. Like Attributes, each Virtue starts with 1 point in each.

Kakita_Gokumoro · Post by **Kakita_Gokumoro** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 12:22 am

Finally, we put the finishing touches on the character and get ready to play!

We've already determined the character's Humanity and Willpower. All that's left is to determine Blood Pool and spend those Freebie Points. It should be noted, however, that unlike Attributes, Abilities, and Advantages, Humanity and Willpower are rated from 1 - 10.

Blood Pool is determined by how many generations removed from Caine (the first vampire) a character is. Unless a player puts points into the Generation Background, all starting characters begin the game 13 generations removed from Caine. This gives the character a Blood Pool of 10 points, maximum (certain Disciplines, healing wounds, or temporarily improving Attributes can deplete a character's Blood Pool. Feeding from mortals or other sources of blood replenishes it). Also, as a member of the 13th generation, the character can spend 1 Blood Point per turn.

Now we are ready to spend Freebie Points. Each player gets 15 points to customize his character with. These points are spent in the following fashion:

Attribute: 5 freebies per point
Ability: 2 freebies per point
Discipline: 7 freebies per point
Background: 1 freebie per point
Virtue: 2 freebies per point
Humanity: 1 freebie per point
Willpower: 1 freebie per point

It should be noted here that with Freebie Points, Abilities can now exceed 3. Buying Virtues also increases either Humanity or Willpower, depending on the Virtue bought.

Fellowship of the Dice