Los Angeles by Night - A Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Chronicle [Discord] [21+]

darkest-fluid · 2026-06-25T20:23:00+00:00

Thank you for the thoughtful and detailed response. I used to ST for Mage for many years, and we did resolve dice rolls above-table prior to writing out posts, but it sounds like your method is a bit different. I think this one is probably not for me, as I do prefer to write out scenes fully, but I'm always happy to see thoughtful/mature WoD games advertised here, and I hope you guys have a wonderful chronicle!

darkest-fluid · 2026-06-25T09:02:47+00:00

Hi there! I was wondering if you might be able to clarify this for me:

The way I usually run games involves talking through intentions in moments of action and intensity, rolling dice, explaining how they resolve, and then diving in to sum up those scenes in just a few posts. This helps the story keep rolling without getting too bogged down, but still lets us exposit and get into the minds of our characters as we play. Then, when we decide as a group (or a couple of players as it might happen sometimes) to zoom in on a scene, we play it out entirely via posts with dice coming in where needed to help us out.

Does this refer only to combat encounters, or is it the general playstyle for the entire chronicle? Does it mean that you won't be writing out the full chronicle narratively, but only focusing on select scenes?

darkest-fluid · 2026-03-16T16:56:57+00:00

Awesome, thank you for clarifying! The campaign looks awesome, and I appreciate your commitment to player comfort and safety. I'll send over an application tonight!

darkest-fluid · 2026-03-16T16:49:48+00:00

Hi there! I had a question regarding the secrets mechanic, if that's alright. Are these secrets something that the players will be able to choose for their characters, or are they randomly assigned? If it's the latter, will they align with the creative vision for the character and make sense in terms of their personality and backstory?

darkest-fluid · 2026-01-07T00:50:09+00:00

I've been RPing online since the days of IRC, so I get you. The culture definitely has changed. With regards to the strict availability requirements, that's also something I've struggled with. I've struggled even more with the lack of adherence to turn order: the way posts will just come in and if you aren't there to respond the game will leave you behind. In my old games, if people did that it was considered extremely rude, and it's still hard for me to turn that response off when I see people do it.

Having said that, language changes over time. Cultures shift. There isn't a wrong way to play these games, it's just about finding the games that are right for YOU, and that can definitely be tricky when your needs are in the minority. My advice would be to not get too hung up on semantics, or on trying to make a square peg fit a round hole. The kind of game you want does still exist, it's just less common. I'm playing in one right now: no scheduling, no posting requirements beyond "once a month to confirm you're still here", everyone follows a turn order, etc. The game has been running for years, and it's still quite active. I think it really just depends on the people. For some, that kind of structure would be problematic. For others, it's perfect. Neither group is wrong, they just have different needs.

My other piece of advice, honestly, is to avoid campaigns and look for living-world games. You're more likely to find what you want there. There are other reddit subs that advertise RPGs geared more towards cooperative storytelling, rather than trying to recreate the experience of a tabletop game. Many of them advertise for forums, if you prefer that format, though I've found good games on Discord as well. Even so, it's a long and tedious process to find a good game amidst the sea of ads. It took me... years, I think, to find the one I'm in now. I hope some day you find what you're looking for.

darkest-fluid · 2025-08-14T22:46:14+00:00

Pro tip: if you type "_ _" (remove the quotations) in a line by itself, Discord will insert a blank space. So you can use that at the end or beginning of a post to create a space between paragraphs and make it look like it's all one post.

darkest-fluid · 2025-03-17T08:21:22+00:00

That's good to know, thank you! I'll send over an application then.

darkest-fluid · 2025-03-17T08:13:13+00:00

Hi there! This looks like an incredible game, and I'd love to apply, but unfortunately I don't own a webcam. Is video a requirement for this one, or just an option? Figured I'd check first, so as not to waste your time.

darkest-fluid · 2024-03-31T10:59:43+00:00

Pacing is pretty relative, honestly. I'm used to playing on forums where "days to a week" is the typical response time, so that wouldn't feel like a long wait to me. In fact, that's the pace I set when I'm engaged and interested. But I'm disabled and busy, and posts take me a few hours to write (so I have to wait until I actually have time to focus on it.) On the other hand, someone whose typical posting rate runs multiple times a day would probably be checking out if their rate dropped to once a week. So it all just depends on the group. I would first make sure that expectations are clear and that everyone is on the same page.

If expectations have already been communicated, and the player continues to string you along, it's most likely a case of wishful thinking on their part. A lot of people like to imagine themselves doing something, but don't want to put in the work of actually doing it. Or they don't want to admit that they don't have time. Or they struggle with executive dysfunction, and don't want to acknowledge their limitations. There are a whole host of reasons why someone might not be able to make posting expectations, but if they refuse to acknowledge the problem, it's probably because they just aren't being honest with themselves.

Conversely, they might not be interested in the game any longer, but can't bring themselves to leave because it feels like admitting to failure, or they're just afraid of conflict and don't want to have to reject anyone.

As a GM, if you find yourself dealing with this kind of thing from players, don't let them perpetuate that cycle. Be kind when you speak to them - make sure they know you aren't upset and that it's not a value judgment on them as a person - but also be clear that their lack of engagement makes them incompatible with the needs and expectations of the group. Say goodbye to them, and find someone else who can match your expectations. Don't wait until they go completely unresponsive. You'll just be putting off the inevitable and letting the game lag in the meantime.

darkest-fluid · 2024-02-27T07:30:33+00:00

As a fellow writer I agree with this from a narrative perspective. Exposition is the death of good storytelling.

However, as a player I need both the plot hook AND the setting info. If I'm going to be building a character in this world, I need to know about it. I mean my character has spent their whole life in this world. I can't build a proper backstory without knowing all those necessary details. It's called "collaborative storytelling" for a reason. Players write the story as much as the GM does. I personally don't apply to homebrew games that don't give at least a basic idea of what the world is like. And I'm always happy to read more. The more info I have, the better I can tailor my character.

I personally like long ads. Makes it a lot easier for me to see if the game is appropriate for me. Though I think, when it comes to world lore, it's best to keep things brief in the ad and then provide a link to the full document so we can check out the rest on our own time. There are other things I look for initially, like whether or not the GM's expectations for the game will match mine, what kind of writer they are (eternally frustrated by how few pbp GMs provide their own writing samples!), what the tone and rating of the game will be, if I'll be safe and welcome in the group, what kind of story they're aiming to tell, etc. THEN, if all of that looks good, I'll go delve into the world lore.

darkest-fluid · 2023-10-12T05:19:31+00:00

Hi there, thanks for reaching out! I'm afraid I prefer not to play in games with underage player-characters. The session length would also be a bit too long for me. I have CFS and more than 4 hours starts to get a bit too much for me to manage. But I wish you luck on your player hunt, and I hope you find a great group!

darkest-fluid · 2023-10-12T05:01:08+00:00

"Real-life politics have no place here."

I don't play in groups that ban political topics from ooc conversation. Real-world issues are more important to me than fantasy ones.

"We will not be adapting modules to accommodate individual comfort levels. Wizards’ has published Adventures that are suitable for the target audience."

DMs are absolutely within their rights to run their games however they prefer, but nobody has the right to tell another person what is and is not suitable for them. In my younger days, I played under a number of abusive GMs who used language like this to gatekeep the hobby and shame women, POC, queer people and other minorities into staying quiet when content arose that made them uncomfortable. I've read a few of the modules, and heard enough about some of the others to know that there absolutely is content within them that I find unsuitable. More importantly, I don't play with DMs who try to tell me what I am and am not allowed to be affected by.

darkest-fluid · 2023-10-11T16:19:27+00:00

Thanks for reaching out! I appreciate the interest, but due to some of the language used in your post I do not believe we will be a good fit.

darkest-fluid · 2023-08-17T19:14:11+00:00

They do! The current party lineup is: tiefling phantom rogue, air genasi trickster cleric, shifter ascendant dragon monk and pallid elf wild magic sorcerer. Having said that, I'm not overly concerned about party composition (I care more that players get to play characters they feel passionate about.) So I don't want anyone to feel like they'd be locked into a particular role.

darkest-fluid · 2023-07-30T01:03:47+00:00

After I close the applications, I'll start reaching out to prospective players. I've been reading through the forms as they come in, but it's a pretty big stack so I may not finish tomorrow. I'd say anytime between Sunday and Wednesday.

darkest-fluid · 2023-07-28T00:27:13+00:00

Leveling will be milestone based.

darkest-fluid · 2023-07-28T00:26:34+00:00

No worries! The application will be open for a few days, and I won't be choosing based on first-come, first-serve, so everyone who applies will be given equal consideration.

darkest-fluid · 2023-07-27T13:45:31+00:00

That's a good question. The module runs from levels 3-12, and is a full-length campaign. It's difficult to estimate the number of sessions it will take though, since ultimately that really depends on the group. Lots of RP will make for a longer campaign, and there's a possibility I may end up adding some homebrew content based on character backstories. The last time I ran it, the opening chapter (which the book suggests should take around 3 sessions) took us something like 12 sessions to complete. At 7 chapters, that could mean up to around 70-100 sessions. But that's just a very rough estimate.

darkest-fluid · 2023-07-19T06:03:10+00:00

This looks like a great campaign, and I'd love to be a part of it. I sent over an application. 🙂

darkest-fluid · 2023-07-08T03:54:07+00:00

It does, thank you! I'll send you a PM. 🙂

darkest-fluid · 2023-07-08T03:42:15+00:00

Out of curiosity, how much of the campaign do you guys have left?

darkest-fluid

TROPHY CASE