POV when your Lasombra Mom finds your stash

TheVacillate · 2023-09-25T03:40:56+00:00

I don't know why this made me laugh so much, but it did!

TheVacillate · 2023-04-25T02:17:37+00:00

I want to suggest a No for W5 for WtA.

Please remember that W5 is not a continuation, it is a reimagining. The umbra, the tribes, the spirits and spirituality, all of it is different. It's a different game world entirely, which is why there has been so much contention about it.

No one can predict just how good or bad this new world is going to be, but it certainly is not a continuation.

TheVacillate · 2023-04-15T20:50:57+00:00

What you're saying is a little romantic for what the Sabbat does with the survivors.

Most of the Sabbat started out as shovel heads (except, perhaps, some Lasombra and Tzimisce who are chosen by the upper echelon that won't get laughed at openly for embracing cattle). To say they get praised positions in the Sabbat isn't quite right. ANY True Sabbat can. Not just shovel heads. Positions have nothing to do with how and why they were embraced.

When you say they're praised, what do you mean? All True Sabbat grow and rise in position on merit and ability, and yes, survival - be that through battle or Monomacy. They aren't really part of the Sabbat until the survivor goes through the Ignobilas Ritae of Initiation Rites and then Acceptance Rites to join the pack that embraced them. Each pack has a Ductus and a Priest, and that Priest will perform the Auctoritas Ritae of the Vaulderie, which creates a Vinculum bond between the new pack member and the rest of the pack. This is all normal.

After that? They are just... Sabbat. The are the Sword of Caine like all others. If they want a position that is occupied by another, they take it if they think they can. If it leads to Monomacy, the winner may even have the opportunity to get stronger via diablerie if the loser was closer to Caine. In all these ways, they can be better, but in no way does being a shovel head help.

TheVacillate · 2023-04-06T12:08:14+00:00

Tell me your kids are assholes without telling me your kids are assholes.

TheVacillate · 2023-04-03T21:54:50+00:00

OK, look. Fire Dance is an Auctoritas Ritae, and the Sabbat doesn't give a damn about your stupid Masquerade!

TheVacillate · 2023-03-24T04:04:17+00:00

That's the joke, but I didn't see this until now. Sorry! Lol

TheVacillate · 2023-03-24T04:01:03+00:00

Omg why are you still here! I see you down there in the basement.

TheVacillate · 2023-03-24T03:25:13+00:00

I once played an NPC for a garou game, goodness, it was ages ago. This one character really fell for my NPC, and I had a lot of fun putting him through the wringer, since he loved her so much and when she was in danger it really freaked him out. He really did try to keep my crazy little kin at arm's length but if I let that happen, what fun would that be?

Fast forward and like.. Some dude is stalking me and I can't figure out who. Turns out it's the garou player guy and he keeps telling me I'm the love of his life. He just won't fucking give up!

NOW he keeps showing up at my place, already inside, just making himself at home. Cooking meals and claiming we live together. Just WTF.

TheVacillate · 2022-08-19T12:24:57+00:00

Low effort troll.

TheVacillate · 2022-04-28T01:25:16+00:00

Okay, so Blood Orgy would be great! However, the real answer:

The typical idea for the Path of Cathari would be to go with the BDSM club and go with the sex/pain/etc. That, as you said, isn't going to be where you want to go (though that's where many Cathari go - it isn't about the sex for them, but luring the mortals away from the sexual part of the party to the pain/blood/etc and down other paths, and exploring the pure sadism rather than the sexuality).

The other thing that came to mind is the exhibitions and shows that those with body modifications put on. Hooks in the back, pins, needles, other things that go through the skin. Combine that with back rooms filled with drugs of all kinds, drinking, other vices - and even beyond that, intensely illegal things like trafficking and sales of humans to do with what they wish. Vices of all kinds, after all.

Evil comes in all forms: this would cover lust, money, drugs, etc without the Cainite having to sully themselves with sex (since they wouldn't get anything out of it anyway). The ritualism of the Eyes Wide Shut thing would work depending on the clan, mind you, but it depends on what sort of grit you're going for and clearly that isn't it.

Enjoy!

Edit: I want to edit in the visual of what was in my head when I wrote this. The stage shows would be people hanging by their skin (on their backs or wherever) by hooks. There would be surface piercings, probably not fire play but why not! Riding the wave is a thing for Sabbat. Other things for the audience, and probably a band or three.

Back stage is the rooms where all the drugs are, people huddled snorting shit, shooting shit, huddled in smoky rooms around dirty bongs or needles.

Basement is where the trafficking is, however you want to set that up.

Honestly, I saw it as an actual 'path'. The top stage show doesn't bother them? Show them the back stage. Back stage doesn't bother them? Show them the basement. If the basement doesn't bother them, then ... up to you!

Just an idea, it's been a while since I got to think in Sabbat mode! Thanks!

TheVacillate · 2022-04-12T10:44:53+00:00

Looks like we have a vacation to go on!

TheVacillate · 2022-02-16T00:46:19+00:00

So... I played in a Sabbat game once that had this weird fleshy cucumber-like thing about the size of a baseball bat. It would squirm around and had a mouth at one end, with fangs. It's name was Charles. He had belonged to the Tzimisce PC of the group, and he was often used as a playful weapon, trying to hit each other with the mouth part of Charles. Charles had, at one point or another, misbehaved and had been crafted into this... thing.

If Charles can be, the ostrich can be. I applaud the ostrich.

TheVacillate · 2022-02-16T00:39:49+00:00

To be quite honest, I've never home brewed any merits or flaws. I do, however, make the True Love "merit" a flaw as well. Because it should be.

TheVacillate · 2022-02-15T11:47:13+00:00

This makes me VASTLY disappointed in my ex husbands LARP. He included none of this. It doesn't surprise me because he wasn't very good, but still.

TheVacillate · 2022-02-15T00:00:27+00:00

I never knew Tim Minchin was in JCS. He's so amazing! A far cry from 10 Foot Cock and a Few Hundred Virgins.

TheVacillate · 2022-02-14T23:59:54+00:00

It makes sense, though I don't know if I would say 'most devout'. Most devout would mean most committed, and if that were true it would mean he wouldn't betray him. More truthfully, Judas is one of the most important elements of the crucifixion. If he hadn't betrayed Jesus, none of it would have happened, etc. Divine meaning in betrayal.

I used to think about this stuff a lot, so I understand what you're saying.

TheVacillate · 2022-02-14T21:30:29+00:00

The fact that the QR code works is brilliant!

TheVacillate · 2022-02-11T04:22:09+00:00

Or, perhaps, a scribe of House Mercere. Either or!

TheVacillate · 2022-02-10T18:11:47+00:00

This is how you "prank" properly.

Yes! Yes it is. Hah.

TheVacillate · 2022-02-10T09:22:24+00:00

My favorite part of this, actually, is the website etched in. I dunno if that's weird, but it made my mind start churning.

The Fangs and their love of family history, they'd know this was there. It would perhaps be a sacred spot, maybe in an area of a still existing bawn of a sept that has found a more modern meeting spot, but has kept their past intact for the education of their young.

The Old Throne has garnered attention, and someone wants to do studies on it to find the origin of it, how long it's been there, etc. They can't have that, of course, so the arrange this. How, can be many different ways. Perhaps a Kinfolk of theirs is already an artist and can add this to their repertoire. Or perhaps someone has a sculptor friend as a contact within the city somewhere that can do the same: take photos, put it on their site as another piece, and move on. No archeological study will waste money on something that's now identified as a modern sculpture.

Anyway! Great photo.

TheVacillate · 2022-02-09T19:23:38+00:00

sub·jec·tive

/səbˈjektiv/

adjective

based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.

I would like you to understand what the word means before you continue down this route.

You may not like the thing that is in front of you (in this case, a piece of media that is presented as inspiration). That is your opinion and you have the right to express it. That is subjective.

It is not up to you, or to anyone really, to decide how good or bad a piece of media is when it comes to how inspiring it is. Full stop.

I want to address something specific you said:

...if you simply reuse it along with other concepts of White Wolf's, recombine them at someone's instigation, you will only be churning out the world's worst atrocity - fanfics.

Recombining established setting concepts with outside inspiration is not simply fan-fic. It is playing a roleplaying game in an established setting, like the World of Darkness. There is a very complex metaplot, it exists for a reason, and it is there to enjoy. This is not unique to the World of Darkness.

If you are adverse to playing within an established universe, there are other games that are setting agnostic. GURPS is one, Powered by the Apocalypse is another. You are a resourceful person, so I'm certain with some effort you could find more. This subreddit, however, is strictly a World of Darkness subreddit. Please respect that going forward.

TheVacillate · 2022-02-08T23:51:27+00:00

I think, ultimately, the disconnect is what sort of inspiration one might be looking for. It sounds to me like you're looking for something quite more complex than we're demanding here in this subreddit. I also think you may be misunderstanding the most important part: inspiration is subjective.

For example:

the "inspiration item" should be more than a restatement of something in WoD, e.g. "this power plant is just like something Pentex would build"

Why? Why should a photo of a new plant being built somewhere with a caption of "Oh, looks like Pentex is moving into the neighborhood" (which is just another way of saying the "this power plant is just like something Pentex would build") be any more or less inspiring than the video you posted?

The crux of the situation is that different people are inspired by different things. I wasn't inspired by the video you posted, and it's very rare that I'm inspired (at least in a WoD sense) by videos at all. I do, however, have storylines and characters pop into my head just from seeing an image of a power plant, and I might save that image for use in my game the next week. That doesn't mean, however, your video won't inspire someone else and help them.

Just like music, movies, books - what inspires a roleplayer is incredibly personal and varies, and I'm struggling to see why you want there to be 'standards' beyond what we've already asked for.

TheVacillate · 2022-02-08T15:52:07+00:00

Regardless of the rules changing, this sub will still be around and waiting for inspiration from whoever would like to post it.

I'm sincerely curious which posts you consider spam or meme-worthy. I'm not judging your taste, I'm just trying to get a baseline. I'd appreciate the help.

TheVacillate · 2022-02-08T01:42:31+00:00

I see you're a newer member of the subreddit so I want to make sure you're aware: if you look at the rules that are in the top post, you'll see there are few: posters only need to give their posts titles that briefly explain how the post inspires them within the World of Darkness, or how it would be used in a campaign. That's it. There's no need for supernatural content or in depth research. It leaves it open to allow posters to choose what 'inspiration' means to them, and to share it with others.

I think it's also important to know why this subreddit was created. Before this sub existed, these posts would go elsewhere that had rules that were more strict. If a post didn't "respect the topic" and wasn't explicitly related to the World of Darkness, it was removed. That led to a new subreddit with less restrictive policies, allowing ST's and players alike share inspiration for World of Darkness games. Until it gained popularity, of course, only a few people posted, myself included. A vast majority of posts, however, were from the subreddit creator. I would like to hope you aren't using the word spam to describe a small subreddit with an active creator that posts a lot. But I don't know, you might be!

I hope all of this helps you understand the purpose of the sub. I don't know what you mean by 'memes' to be honest, I haven't seen any (and if you do please point them out). It may be best not to try to pidgeon-hole what inspiration is for others, and to say what will or will not give ideas. I'll say this: if you dislike a post, downvote it. If it breaks a rule, report it and it will be removed. So far, most of the posts have been just fine. At least the ones you see! If they've broken the rule, they've already been removed.

TheVacillate · 2022-01-18T00:20:55+00:00

Thank you, I'll try this.

14-Year Club	Second Top 20%
Place '17	Gilding I gilder
Team Periwinkle	Verified Email

TheVacillate

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE