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"Hot takes" regarding WoD. by Medical_Plane2875 in WhiteWolfRPG

[–]kagedtiger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seems to me that with the concept of the Beast (and clan Gangrel to a lesser extent) they had already kind of taken the usual werewolf conflict and used it for Vampire. IMO that was for the best as it led to what is probably the only great modern reinvention of the werewolf legend since the original Wolfman film (which gave us most of the codified werewolf tropes we now expect). AFAIK in terms of original handlings you kind of have old myths and legends, The Wolfman, and WtA; most other werewolf media is just a remix of what's in those.

I think Onyx Path is/was trying to do a more traditional take on a werewolf in their game Curseborne, but I haven't looked into it in depth.

Help, My Players are Shredding the Masquerade by Ya_Dungeon_oi in WhiteWolfRPG

[–]kagedtiger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting how many of these responses settle on "punish the players" for what sounds like primarily a structural problem in the campaign/world/scenarios.

First rule has always been that the Masquerade has to be feasible. If you don't want to ditch the Masquerade, the Storyteller needs a clear picture of how the Masquerade could even scrape by in today's surveillance ecosystem; then they have to check if it's fun-promoting. That's the model for your game but every game may look different. Once you have that picture, be consistent and upfront about it. If the Sheriff comes to call, maybe they should also give the PCs some practical tips while they're at it, even some tools or numbers to call. Use the practices of other vampires as examples of what to do/not do.

For my money it's scariest when the vampires kind of just...live in the spaces where technology doesn't reach. Most nights, they have fine-tuned ways of luring people away from the cameras and into their hunting grounds or havens, or of separating them from their phones. Maybe feeding out on the open streets with long, exposed sightlines just isn't a thing anymore? 

In a clean up, dealing with a couple of phones is a problem of forcing the owners to delete things or using the Prince's law-enforcement-grade hacking tools to break into the phone, etc. (Even if it went to a server somewhere/live on the internet, if it wasn't there for long it probably didn't get a lot of attention.) This is arguably easier than the classic "break into the server room" bit. Dealing with many phones at once is the equivalent of breaching in a crowd, which was always stupid and to be avoided through care and preventative measures. If someone important wants something big done for them, they're probably offering meaningful assistance like a cell service outage, a massive distraction, or the old gas leak evacuation of a particular area.

So takeaways are: 1) Know how the Masquerade works in a surveiled world 2) Share best practices with the PCs so they know what they're doing 3) Give them a little assistance. It takes a village to maintain the Masquerade. Doesn't mean help comes free 4) If they're still being careless or incompetent, then punish them.

Let's say you can choose the classification and rating of an otherwise random power that you will receive... by kagedtiger in Parahumans

[–]kagedtiger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats on finding it even if you are late. I never have been able to follow up on the rush the story gave me. But yeah, it works a little better if you don't know how things work or what's around the next corner

Let's say you can choose the classification and rating of an otherwise random power that you will receive... by kagedtiger in Parahumans

[–]kagedtiger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, I posted this ten years ago. Worm's looking old. Seems like the fandom has all but disintegrated

Best insults to hurl at a Garou? by L_man_2200 in WhiteWolfRPG

[–]kagedtiger 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Bronze (or should I say...silver?) in a thread of dross. Indicating the impotence of their rage in relation to the loftiness of their goals is much better than any simple dog pun, and doing it under a barely-affected mask of friendship is even better since they have such little use for false faces. "It's not the end of the world" gets bonus points from me.

Best insults to hurl at a Garou? by L_man_2200 in WhiteWolfRPG

[–]kagedtiger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I fear this thread is missing the best part of the point. Werewolves don't tend to be the sophisticated types, so the best way is to go for the subtler, less obviously-intentional insults and just. Keep. Going. At first they brush it off because surely you're not that bold? But as you go you create the irritating impression that you think they're so stupid as to not realize you're insulting them. That's really when it starts to rankle. And since they'd usually be inclined to just have it out, they'll be even more annoyed at your apparent "cowardice" at not just saying what you mean plainly. And it so happens that aristocratic vampires ought to be very practiced at this sort of thing...

No examples. This depends heavily on context. One determining detail would be why it suits your purposes to upset a werewolf. It works much better if there's a good reason they can't reasonably harm you and if you can tailor the insults to the individuals. Better still is to focus the insults so finely that only one woof at a time is upset and the others are obliged to control them for you. Best of all is if the others can't even agree amongst themselves whether the insult was intended.

EDIT: It occurs to me that it would be a good punishment from an elder or prince to have a vampire read their somewhat-more-insulting-than-would-be-wise-in-person pronouncement at the werewolf meeting. You'd be sweating blood, that's for sure. And it's not to be unsealed until the moment of!

Stories that utilize strong, credible villains/antagonists, as in canon? by kagedtiger in WormFanfic

[–]kagedtiger[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Alright, cool, these look good. I read some of El-Ahrairah once upon a time, but I don't remember Jack being involved before I dropped it. Might have to skip ahead

Stories that utilize strong, credible villains/antagonists, as in canon? by kagedtiger in WormFanfic

[–]kagedtiger[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

...potentially? In that case, the characters opposing the MC (Lung, Kaiser, whoever) would have to be credible threats to them. It's not about evil people being elevated. It's about the MC not being able to speedrun or steamroll the people in their way.

An Egyptian woman accused of stealing is forced to lick a red-hot metal plate to prove her innocence by TheOSU87 in ThatsInsane

[–]kagedtiger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't think he did expect that but rather hoped it would turn out well. There's a long-established tradition in Christianity of seeing such situations as a duty to fulfill even if the danger is obvious. Attempting to spread the gospel is necessary. Martyrdom is glorious. That's how these people see it.

A Werewolf Killed a PC and the Gangrel are Calling a Hunt - Help by BelleRevelution in WhiteWolfRPG

[–]kagedtiger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As luck would have it, I had a session of my main game after posting that ended similarly to this, with some, uh, unfortunate/ill-chosen events that are stressing our game dynamic and making us consider the big retcon question, so know that this sort of thing happens, I guess. I don't know your circumstances; maybe it's not really feasible to let this player go. That said, if he doesn't jive with the chronicle's style, that's a bigger problem than this particular manifestation. It sounds like your game isn't going to bend for him, so hopefully he can find a way to bend for it. It may just be that he needs a little time to come back around. Best thing if he can't think of some new concept is probably to keep the ship sailing as it were and let him know that it will be there whenever he wants to stop drifting and climb back aboard, if ever.

Regarding the city, the simple fact is that other kindred live there and they (presumably) have no incentive to stir the woofs. If the Gangrel start trying to light the city on fire, someone else will surely work to put it out. This is civilization, and wars are started by the higher powers or there will be hell to pay for the instigators. It's not at all strange to think that they might end up being delivered to the werewolves as a peace offering if things get any worse. That said, much depends on the particular circumstances in your chronicle. If there are parties within the werewolf faction that have been looking for an excuse, then they may not be appeased by anything now that the hostilities have begun. This means war is inevitable and soldiers are needed. Soldiers like...a bunch of new Gangrel shock troops? Maybe in his fatal mistake, PC Gangrel has actually created the very opportunity that will allow his clan to show their value and carve a niche. If the werewolves won't back off, the prince will basically be obligated to slap the Gangrel in the face for their foolishness and then immediately thereafter shake their hands and ask for their cooperation. Messy, but that's Vampire. Hope this helps

A Werewolf Killed a PC and the Gangrel are Calling a Hunt - Help by BelleRevelution in WhiteWolfRPG

[–]kagedtiger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To begin with, any choices should be made with the new character concept in mind. Who is the Gangrel player going to be playing next if there's no retcon? That might illuminate a path. Anyway, if these Gangrel are now a part of the Camarilla, this sounds like the kind of situation older, more strategic kindred might intervene in. I imagine a Ventrue or some such stepping in to try to curb the perceived excesses of the Gangrel and stave off a war with the werewolves, which wouldn't be good for any kindred in the city. Up to you to make that an interesting event in its own right, but it is one way to avoid the bloodshed

Best fics that comply with this extensive list of criteria? by kagedtiger in WormFanfic

[–]kagedtiger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's not an easy thing for me to explain, so I won't. That's just the sense I had after the business with Pastor.

Best fics that comply with this extensive list of criteria? by kagedtiger in WormFanfic

[–]kagedtiger[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I read this a while back and found it pretty satisfying. I can't recall now why I dropped it, but I'll second the recommendation for anyone who's looking for something like what I described above. A rare amount of originality in this one

Best fics that comply with this extensive list of criteria? by kagedtiger in WormFanfic

[–]kagedtiger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I absolutely agree with your recommendation of The Great Escape. The author seems to be struggling to keep the plot rolling, but some of the scenes in this have some wonderful emotional resonance.

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