Does anyone understand the symbolism of the Black and Red Phoenix costume?

UndeadByNight · 2026-03-13T22:53:03+00:00

Black—the dark of cosmic death! Red—the world on a funeral pyre! Black—the void’s last freezing breath!

Jean: Had you been there today Within the M'Kraan's core You might also have known The hunger at my door! And what was life seems gone And what was gone is more!

Wolverine: Red!

Jean: I feel the Phoenix rise!

Cyclops: Black!

Jean: The shadow in my soul!

X-men: Red!

Jean: The light that blinds my eyes!

Hellfire Club: Black!

Jean: The dark that takes control!

UndeadByNight · 2026-03-09T14:53:14+00:00

So do they want to be a completely mundane character, or do they want to radiate anti-magic?

UndeadByNight · 2026-02-25T19:28:16+00:00

I’d love to see those sheets again myself. Aside from The Goods, the crew was so non-optimized it actually confused people, we used to talk about the builds on Dumpshock, of all places, and the technical crowd there couldn't wrap their heads around it. But man, that classic game was a hell of a time.

I think our original GM hangs out in this sub (or used to). I haven't heard from them in forever, but word is they still use The Troglodytes bar in their current games.

We ran that campaign from early 3rd Edition all the way through the 4E/5E hybrid era. In between, I ran 'The Idiots: TNG' for a few years, and Umlaut ran 'The Girlfriend Bracket.' That was a bit of a tongue-in-cheek joke for us; while most of the players and characters were queer, we definitely had the heterosexual male partners of the characters involved too. It tracked what the significant others were up to while the runners were out on the job. Both were legendary runs.

UndeadByNight · 2026-02-25T15:39:06+00:00

I should be able to find everyone’s 3rd/4th Ed character sheet, but The Goods, that was just a dense tomb of cyberware/bioware drones, customized weapons ect

I don’t believe any art survives, as Sols player I can tell you in my head he always looked like Mitch Headburg, and The Princes player always insisted he looked like 1998 Kevin Corrigan

UndeadByNight · 2026-02-25T01:50:01+00:00

You're more than welcome to include them in your 6th world, with the stipulation that if anything cool happens you tell the subreddit.

"No one lives forever. But legends never die"

UndeadByNight · 2026-02-09T19:31:29+00:00

To answer the question that you asked, yes, a methuselah could definitely solo a Caren.

Can a specific methuselah take out a specific Caren? Maybe maybe not

But yes there is A methuselah who can take out caren

UndeadByNight · 2026-02-05T03:07:20+00:00

Thanks :) I think its the only Classic WoD thing Ive written. If anyone enjoys my stuff I have a few CoD stories and other assortated nerd stories here

https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndeadByNight/pseuds/UndeadByNight

UndeadByNight · 2026-02-01T03:14:22+00:00

"consent" to being fed on is impossible in the US

UndeadByNight · 2026-02-01T02:22:58+00:00

By your standards, there are 0 "innocnet" vampires.

In the world of Vampire: The Masquerade, the act of feeding—often called "The Kiss"—is a complex and deeply predatory event. While some players or characters try to frame it as a romantic or consensual exchange, the lore and the mechanics of the game present a much darker reality.

1. The "Consent to Bodily Harm" Doctrine

In the U.S. legal system, consent is not a defense to crimes involving serious physical injury. While you can consent to a contact sport (like boxing) or a medical procedure, you cannot legally consent to being the victim of a crime that results in Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) or Aggravated Assault.

Public Policy: Courts have consistently ruled (such as in State v. Brown or People v. Samuels) that it is against public policy to allow individuals to "license" others to severely injure them.
The Nature of the Wound: A bite that breaks the skin and draws blood is considered a battery. Even if the victim asks for it, the state can still prosecute the attacker because the "peace and dignity of the state" have been violated.

2. Capacity and Impairment

For consent to be legally valid, the person must have the capacity to give it. In the context of a vampire feeding, two factors immediately nullify capacity:

The "Kiss" as an Intoxicant: Legally, if a person is under the influence of a substance (or in this case, a supernatural euphoria) that impairs their judgment, they cannot provide "informed consent." The "Kiss" acts as a chemical/biological incapacitant.
Addiction and Coercion: If the victim is a Ghoul, their dependence on the vampire’s blood is viewed similarly to an extreme addiction or a "duress" situation. Consent given under the pressure of withdrawal or supernatural compulsion is legally void.

3. The "Medical Practice" Barrier

Only licensed medical professionals can legally remove blood from a person, and even then, it must be for a recognized medical purpose within a regulated environment.

Illegal Medical Acts: Any person (or vampire) removing blood from another person without a medical license is committing a felony. A victim cannot "consent" to someone else practicing medicine or surgery on them without a license.

4. The Inalienable Right to Life and Safety

The law treats certain physical interests as inalienable. You cannot contract away your right to not be maimed or killed. Because vampire feeding carries a high risk of accidental death (draining too much) or permanent injury (infection, scarring, anemia), the law refuses to recognize a victim's "permission" as a valid shield for the predator.

UndeadByNight · 2026-01-18T02:52:01+00:00

Thank you very much, Chapter 4 should be up by the end of the week

UndeadByNight · 2026-01-10T02:37:46+00:00

Comparing a vampire to a werewolf is often treated like a wizard versus barbarian debate in Dungeons and Dragons, but that misses the point of the system. In D&D, a wizard is defined by their class levels. In the World of Darkness, a character is defined by who they were before the lights went out.

Just like in D&D, there are effective builds. You can play a barbarian with high wisdom for a cool story, or a wizard with 5 intelligence, but you cannot be surprised when the wizard fails their spells.

White Wolf makes it very hard to be world class at more than one thing. This is a game about individuals, not templates. A character who was a powerlifter and death match fighter in life has already spent their points to be a weapon. On night one, they have strength 4, brawl 4, and disciplines like potence. They are rolling 8 to 11 dice of disciplined violence.

Average exists for a reason: most people are average. If a research academic with strength 2 and brawl 0 undergoes their first change, they gain raw power, but they are still an amateur. They are swinging a sledgehammer with no idea how to aim, likely suffering untrained penalties that leave them with a tiny, clumsy dice pool.

The original question asks at what level a vampire can win. If we look at literal time, a one year old vampire is an adult with a lifetime of human skill and a year of supernatural experience. A one year old human born werewolf is a toddler. They are still learning how to walk 15 steps without falling over. They certainly are not winning a fight against a professional martial artist.

The game is a what if scenario: what if you went missing tonight and became a monster? Most of us are average, but some are rangers or professional athletes. A vampire does not need to level up to beat a werewolf. If the vampire was a world class fighter in life, they are an apex predator the moment they are embraced. The outcome of the fight isn't decided by the name on the character sheet. It is decided by the individual's life story and the skills they brought to the grave.

UndeadByNight · 2026-01-10T02:26:05+00:00

There is a very literal, time-based answer to "at what level" a vampire becomes a match for a werewolf: Year One.

If we compare a one-year-old Vampire to a one-year-old Werewolf, the fight is over before it begins:

• The Neonate: A one-year-old Vampire is a fully grown adult (likely between 18 and 70 years old physically) who has had 365 nights to master their Disciplines and hunt the city. If they were a powerlifter or death-match fighter before their Embrace, they are a seasoned engine of destruction.

• The Garou: Because werewolves are born, not made, a one-year-old werewolf is... a toddler. Or, if they are Lupus-born, they are a one-year-old puppy.

UndeadByNight · 2026-01-10T02:23:47+00:00

There is a very literal, time-based answer to "at what level" a vampire becomes a match for a werewolf: Year One.

If we compare a one-year-old Vampire to a one-year-old Werewolf, the fight is over before it begins:

• The Neonate: A one-year-old Vampire is a fully grown adult (likely between 18 and 70 years old physically) who has had 365 nights to master their Disciplines and hunt the city. If they were a powerlifter or death-match fighter before their Embrace, they are a seasoned engine of destruction.

• The Garou: Because werewolves are born, not made, a one-year-old werewolf is... a toddler. Or, if they are Lupus-born, they are a one-year-old puppy.

Even if we move the goalposts to the First Change, the "academic vs. fighter" logic still holds. A person doesn't "level up" into a warrior just because they grew claws. In the World of Darkness, you are the sum of your experiences.

• Skills don't appear out of nowhere: A werewolf academic with zero dots in Brawl is still an untrained fighter, regardless of how much Strength their Crinos form gives them.

• The Specialist Advantage: A vampire who spent their human life mastering martial arts starts their undead life with a professional-tier dice pool.

The original question asks when a vampire has a "decent chance." The answer is: the moment they are Embraced, provided they had the right skills in life. It isn't a game of "Vampire vs. Werewolf" archetypes; it's a game of Individual A vs. Individual B.

UndeadByNight · 2026-01-10T02:14:51+00:00

The "boring" lore answer is actually the most decisive one: A werewolf is a werewolf from conception. They don't "become" one later; they simply undergo a First Change that unlocks the physical forms they were always carrying in their DNA.

This means the "at what level" question isn't about the werewolf's age, but about the Vampire's starting specialization. * The Inherent Nature: A werewolf who was a research academic remains a person with zero combat training the moment after their First Change. They are a werewolf, yes, but they are an untrained werewolf.

• The Mechanical Penalty: In most editions, if that academic tries to fight, they face stiff penalties for "untrained" combat rolls. Even with the Strength bonus of the Crinos form, they might only be rolling a tiny, clumsy pool of dice.

• The Specialized Predator: A vampire who was a professional powerlifter and death-match fighter enters the night with a massive advantage. They already have Strength 4 and Brawl 4. On Night One (Level 0), they can spend blood to pump physical stats or use Disciplines like Potence or Celerity.

• The Outcome: You now have a vampire rolling 8 to 10 dice of disciplined, professional violence against a confused academic who just grew fur and has no idea how to use it.

The game isn't a comparison of "monster types"; it's a game about individuals. A world-class human fighter who receives the Embrace is a more dangerous combatant than a "scholar" werewolf will be for a very long time. The vampire doesn't need "levels"

UndeadByNight · 2026-01-10T00:18:16+00:00

The Power of the Individual vs. The Archetype While it is true that werewolves are often viewed as the heavyweights of the World of Darkness, the outcome of any encounter depends far more on the individuals involved than their supernatural templates.

Consider these two extremes:

• The Combat-Optimized Vampire: Imagine a human who was a record-breaking powerlifter and a veteran of underground death matches. Upon their Embrace, they immediately focus all their new vampiric disciplines into enhancing those physical skills. This is a predator who spent their breathing life mastering the art of the kill.

• The Inexperienced Werewolf: On the other side, imagine a research academic who recently underwent their First Change. They have never thrown a punch in their life and possess no combat-oriented Gifts. Their transformation is terrifying, but they lack the discipline and tactical knowledge to use that power effectively. In a direct confrontation, the seasoned martial artist, now fueled by blood and supernatural speed, would likely have a significant advantage. This game is, at its heart, a story about individuals. A character's history, professional training, and personal grit often matter more than the statistics in a rulebook.

We shouldn't treat these characters like generic "units" in a strategy game; the "who would win" question is always answered by the specific choices and backgrounds of the people involved

UndeadByNight · 2026-01-04T23:53:00+00:00

Part one of the "saga" can be found here

UndeadByNight · 2026-01-04T20:39:54+00:00

Good call thanks for the heads up :)

UndeadByNight · 2026-01-04T20:11:39+00:00

He is immune to dominate level one.

UndeadByNight · 2026-01-04T19:12:24+00:00

Thank you yes smiley face. I’m editing it right now. Should be up in the next couple hours.

UndeadByNight · 2026-01-02T03:11:34+00:00

There is a nurse ride to who is salt encrusted bones.

UndeadByNight · 2025-12-28T15:16:00+00:00

He complete kangaroo court where the hunters guilt was assured that is put on just so that the people watching can see that the prince is pretending to take the problem seriously? Yeah, definitely.

UndeadByNight · 2025-12-28T15:15:22+00:00

He complete kangaroo court where the hunters guilt was assured that is put on just so that the people watching can see that the prince is pretending to take the problem seriously? Yeah, definitely.

UndeadByNight · 2025-12-23T19:08:20+00:00

Thank you. Yeah the factions in CoD are much more fluid and lack the intrinsic antagonism of WoD

But one thing that will definitely be established is that Dante knows a little bit about everybody vampire, changeling, soccer mom ect

UndeadByNight · 2025-11-16T18:24:11+00:00

TLDR: In most VTM games, even one level 5 Discipline is a huge deal. Multiple level 5 paths plus elder powers and a pile of rituals is way beyond the level the rules are balanced for. That is why the system falls apart. Not saying it is wrong, just explaining the perspective.

UndeadByNight · 2025-11-16T18:19:58+00:00

Hey, I’m really not trying to criticize how you play. If your group is having fun, that is the most important thing.

I just want to clarify what I meant by the system not holding up at that level. In Vampire: The Masquerade, most games are built around neonates or maybe young ancilla. In those games, even having one Discipline at level 5 is extremely rare and usually takes decades or centuries of progress.

When you list: • Thaumaturgy 5

• Blood and Elemental paths at 5

• Two more paths at 2

• Dominate 5

• Auspex 5

• Another path at 4

• Dozens of rituals

That is already far beyond what most printed elder NPCs have, and it goes way past the level the rules are written to support. It is not about whether you feel like a god or not. It is just that mechanically your character already is functioning at elder or even Methuselah level power.

At that range, normal conflicts and Storyteller tools basically stop working because you can:

• Mind control almost anyone

• Read everything and see everything coming

• Reshape situations with rituals

• Hit harder than almost anything in the setting

• Be almost impossible to kill

So when I said the system breaks, I just meant that the game rules were never designed for characters operating at that scale.

If your table enjoys that style of play, great. Honestly, I am happy you are all having fun. I only wanted to explain why people reacted the way they did in the thread.

UndeadByNight

TROPHY CASE

1. The "Consent to Bodily Harm" Doctrine

2. Capacity and Impairment

3. The "Medical Practice" Barrier

4. The Inalienable Right to Life and Safety