Thantos

Black Cross, Red Beast: A Transylvanian Affair (OWoD VtDA)

Itll take me some time till but if youll give it to me i promise you it shall be done.

Seeking Old World of Darkness Storytellers and Players for Vampire: the Masquerade or Vampire: the Dark Ages.

so far a leader, scholar and warrior, but its how they cross paths is the interesting detail, maybe the scholar and leader met before they found the warrior on further note, maybe the leader found the warrior in a fight with Roman soldiers when they met and he was basically tearing them apart, and once the blood shed had been finished, covered and dripping with blood and slowly leaving a blood filled fury, they could approach, dont wanna walk up to a gangrel when he is at the peek of his blind rage, but anyways, and they discuss matters at hand and he joins their group, after he was convinced of course, gotta remember he was a gladiator, not really trusting of any form of authority, it was authority that made him become a ruthless killing machine, if you send him into fight and it happens to be in a small village, might as well burn the village to the ground like it had the plague, he will slaughter everyone, he is going to be brutal and savage, well he was in the romans eyes before he became a Creature of the Night, a barbarian or savage, so his outlook, is pretty much a muscle bound brute with no care for pain, plus that is one problem with him, its his pain tolerance, but you look at most vampires when it comes to the sun and it hurts, him on the other hand, he had the meaning of pain beaten out of him his hole life, from his family, parents and older siblings since he was a small boy, and the training he partook in as a gladiator, pain was beaten out of his body, he could put his hand over a flame and instead of saying "ouch this hurts" he will look at you without a care in the world, he is also fearless, he could look at say, the scholar, summoning undead minions, or the leader with his authority and sent his best guards, he would basically laugh and fight till he was ash or they were, no means of fear or pain, he was made into the perfect killing machine

Seeking Old World of Darkness Storytellers and Players for Vampire: the Masquerade or Vampire: the Dark Ages.

sweet, looks like we have our characters set, we just need the character sheet to make the characters

Seeking Old World of Darkness Storytellers and Players for Vampire: the Masquerade or Vampire: the Dark Ages.

Your list of path's is incomplete i believe as I will be using the path of Bones. I think i've settled upon a cappadocian necromancer. Atleast for my first character. If we're allowed to do more than one

@Themerlinhawk

It's all a direct lift from the chapter on character creation in the Vampire the Dark Ages core book. The Road (they are only called paths in modern nights) of Bones is introduced in Clanbook Cappodocian. I also didn't include the Road of Tears, The Road of Metamorphosis (which the core book hints at in the section on Tzimisce), or The Road of the Hive. Nor did I include any of the revised Roads or Paths fro Dark Ages: Vampire. That book tries to make the roads into a series of guilds like it's a dnd game. I tell you it loses the whole point of the Dark Medeival World. Now, as a Necromancer, I'm guessing you're going to be a Giovanni? @Howler said she might include character restrictions, so I'd run my ideas by her before starting on too much back story.

@Alchemical Chimera

cappadocians were the original necromancers, the necromancy discipline was originally used by them to raise corpses as opposed the giovanni penchant for spirit necromancy which i find lacking. Although I guess technically they use the mortis discipline. and okay i didnt realize it was a direct lift XD For a second there I thought you were hella cool and had just wrote that shit out like a badass

good choice merlin, im choosing the Path of the Beast, i thought about it and looked at his nature and demeanor, he is a monster after all and willing feeds the beast within, with out a care in the world, he has the need to feed on anything that still has a heartbeat, even a little sparrow, i am thinking that this gangrel would need a daylight guardian though, see how i was thinking his reputation alone should catch the attention of the group, a ruthless blood thirsty monster, he was originally a Gladiator in the Roman coliseum hence his animal like behavior and fighting skills, retreat leads to death, so he lets the beast within have its fun, when he was bit it was while he was escaping from rome, so, i have some of his story there, and his age, romans and the roman coliseum are old, old world times, so if that works for the group then im happy with my choice

@Thantos

maybe our characters have met before then, since Either my necromancer or one of the other characters i have in mind (assuming i can play more than one) is going to have been from rome before the fall

@Themerlinhawk

maybe, that could work and with the description that was provided about the questions rome could be their feeding ground, well split in half maybe, either they are rivals in rome, brute force versus magic, or they are allies and he swore to be a bodyguard for your character because he saved his life when it came to escaping from the coliseum it works either way, but the only thing that would be tricky is the feeding habits, my gangrel doesnt really care how much blood as shed as long as he quenches his thirst and his need to feed

Seeking Old World of Darkness Storytellers and Players for Vampire: the Masquerade or Vampire: the Dark Ages.

good choice merlin, im choosing the Path of the Beast, i thought about it and looked at his nature and demeanor, he is a monster after all and willing feeds the beast within, with out a care in the world, he has the need to feed on anything that still has a heartbeat, even a little sparrow, i am thinking that this gangrel would need a daylight guardian though, see how i was thinking his reputation alone should catch the attention of the group, a ruthless blood thirsty monster, he was originally a Gladiator in the Roman coliseum hence his animal like behavior and fighting skills, retreat leads to death, so he lets the beast within have its fun, when he was bit it was while he was escaping from rome, so, i have some of his story there, and his age, romans and the roman coliseum are old, old world times, so if that works for the group then im happy with my choice

Seeking Old World of Darkness Storytellers and Players for Vampire: the Masquerade or Vampire: the Dark Ages.

It's neither. The first two parts are summaries (quite the opposite of details. These are the undetailed versions). The third part is a series of things to think about in order to make a character that works well in game.

@Alchemical Chimera

ok i got it now, well it will help in the long run with the character creation, specially for me since i get into my character, i had a character in Whitewolfs game, Scion, son of Hades character and i really got into character with him when i reached go with him and before hand as well but other things aside, what is the time frame we are gonna be in, i was hopping for the time of the black plague

Seeking Old World of Darkness Storytellers and Players for Vampire: the Masquerade or Vampire: the Dark Ages.

Alright, so these are some very basic resources. I wanted to add more. But there just isn't enough time in the day.

Archetypes (Nature and Demeanor)

Autocrat: Stability requires order, bring it about. Barbarian: Civilization is a joke, honor is everything. Caretaker: Suffering is everywhere you must temper it with love. Celebrant: Something fills you with joy and you cannot hide that pleasure. Child: You're young, or at least appear to be. Defender: The meek must be protected from the wicked by the strong. Fanatic: Your cause is everything to you. Gallant: Grace is all that counts, romance is your ideal and God's (or the Devils) will your pleasure. Innovator: There is always a better way to do something. Your task is to bring it about. Jester: There is too much pain in the world to endure without laughter. You make a mockery of sadness. Judge: You seek justice for everyone Loner: You've never fit in and never will Monster: God has demanded you play the beast, who are you to argue? Penitent: Your sins can only be forgiven after you've proven your true worth. Rebel: You re sick of being ordered around. Hide your feelings well and work for the time of change. Rogue: To hell with the rules, to hell with everyone. Life and unlife is yours to plunder. Survivor: No matter what storm sweeps through, you will always prevail. Tyrant: The only way to get things done is to do them your way. All other paths are folly.

Roads

Road of the Beast: Feed the Beast, that it will not break its chains.  Road of Blood: Vampiric blood grants the power for revenge. Road of Chivalry: Treat your equals within honor and your betters with respect.  Road of the Devil: We are created evil and must play our part.  Road of Heaven: God made us vampires to exact His wrath.  Road of Humanity: The struggle to maintain one's humanity.  Road of Paradox: Existence is a lie; change reality for its better. Road of Typhoon: Sin and corruption are the keys to understanding.

Questions and Answers

Described below are some questions that should be answered by the end of the prelude. If there is no time for a full prelude, you should at least make an effort to answer these questions. It often helps to write out the answers, even if you have undergone a full prelude. With each question we list things the player should ask herself, as well as some advice on how to shape the prelude in relationship to the question.

- How old are you?

More specifically, when were you born, and when were you embraced? How old do you look? A good history book can do wonders for giving you appropriate or interesting dates for your character's life.

- What was your mortal life like?

Think about your  childhood and how quickly you had to grow out of it. Could you remain innocent, or were you forced into adulthood even earlier than usual? Who were your parents, and how did you fit into your social class? Did you stay in one pmace throughout your life, or did you travel? Were you patriotic or apathetic? Although humans in the Dark Ages had few opportunities to change their lot, the complications of your human life are worth considering. Rare is the vampire who forgets or ignores everything before her embrace.

- When did you first meet a vampire?

When did the superstition become reality for you? Was your sire the first vampire you met, or was there another? Were you expecting the embrace? (If so, you need to explain why.) Vampires usually spend considerable time stalking their prey before they attack. The suspense of the hunt, the tension of being watched - these scenes should evoke great dread in a character (and player as well, hopefully).

- Who was your sire?

Your sire, usually the first vampire you meet, strongly colors your perceptions of vampires. What was your relationship like? Did you part on good or bad terms? Was he prejudiced? Did he describe certain clans according to his personal belief? Did he abandon you, or were you released when he felt you ready? Roleplaying a scen or two with a character's sire is an excellent way to establish the feel of how vampires deal with one another.

- How do you feel about mortals?

Some Cainites consider themselves superior to mortals, citing their undead powers as evidence. Do you still think of yourself as a person, as the same person you once were? Very few vampires of the time see themselves in such a light. Are you protective of your former fellows, or do you intend to use your new powers to avenge yourself upon them? Do you think of them as only a food source, or do you love a mortal? Although not as individually powerful as Cainites, mortals are still the major force shaping the World of Darkness. How you interact with them says a great deal about yourself.

- How did you begin to look at yourself?

Do you believe yourself to be damned, or do you think vampirism is an improvement? Why did you chose to fight the Beast? Do you believe the myths of vampiric society, or do you have your own theories? Obviously, no Cainite can deny her new nature for long. Even the maddest Malkavians have a gut knowledge that something has changed. Your self-image is central to understanding your character and how you will relate to other vampires.

- How did you meet the rest of your coterie?

Were you brought together by chance or design? Do you get along with the others? Do you have common enemies, allies or purpose? How long have you been together in the city? If you don't trust each other, the stories will be doomedto failure. During the prelude you should work out how each of you met the others. Each meeting should be somehow unique, to better cement your interpersonal relationships before the pressure starts to build.

- Where is your territory?

What are your feeding grounds, and how often do you visit them? What is a typical hunt like for you? Where is your haven for the day? You need to detail what sort of vampiric existence you have carved out for yourself. A well-conceived territory has several bonuses, including possible lowered difficulties on hunt rolls. If you have a particularly well-organized territory, you can feed without roleplaying or making rolls. Your territory is one of your most important resources - give it some thought.

- What drives you?

Do you have any outstanding enemies? What are your goals? How do you intend to spend the rest of your long existence? No real person lives without motivations. Your goals, hopes and fears are essential to your character. By fleshing out your ambitions and priorities, you understand better exactly who you are. Look to your Nature, Demeanor and Road for ideas, but feel free to add appropriate motivations that transcend thise guidelines.

@Alchemical Chimera

is this the character sheet or details how to make the character?

Seeking Old World of Darkness Storytellers and Players for Vampire: the Masquerade or Vampire: the Dark Ages.

so the question is how are we gonna play this

Seeking Old World of Darkness Storytellers and Players for Vampire: the Masquerade or Vampire: the Dark Ages.

i might do road of the devil though, reason being, he embraces the beast within and doesn't care about letting it unleash, i can either have him, as occupation as a nomad, who appears to a lone wanderer if not worker, so that way i can keep his nature of accepting that he is a monster

Seeking Old World of Darkness Storytellers and Players for Vampire: the Masquerade or Vampire: the Dark Ages.

its just a suggestion, but maybe have it where the vampires have to fight certain things other than hunters, like maybe rogue clans or members of a werewolf pack or something, but have the werewolves affected by their actual curse, only the full moon turns them, just a suggestion. all i know is my gangrel is gonna be a brutal character, not taking any BS, example: The gangrel having cornered the now defenseless hunter, grabs him by the throat and lifts him up off the ground with his brute strength and smiles happily at the badly injured hunter, and he slammed him against the wall and then started to brutally punch the hunter in the ribs till he broke them and then he dug his fingers in his side and in a swift motion dropped the hunter and caught him by the jaw and ripped out his bottom jaw, "You will lead by example, you pathetic welp" the gangrel smiled and he dragged the now dead hunter into the town square and crucified him up side down with his destroyed weapons below him and his heart ripped out, the following morning the public would see the hunter, the hero that slayed werewolves, beaten into a bloody mess and crucified in their town square, by that time the gangrel had vanished, unseen, but not fully gone; this is just a example of what my gangrel is like, with his temper and his no BS attitude

@Thantos

Hey, if you're playing a Gangrel, you should check out the Road of the Beast. Most Gangrel in the dark ages are at least familiar with it. Keep in mind that the Road of Humanity hasn't caught on yet and is just one of many possible means to keep oneself from degenerating in to a mindless thing. The Road of Humanity is available, for sure, but many vampires are forced to rationalize their undead state in other ways. Some see themselves as predators (The Road of the Beast), some as cursed monsters (The Road of the Devil), some as being tested, blessed by or even raised up to join the divine (The Road of Heaven), still others cling to courtly ideals and notions of honor and duty (The Road of Chivalry) while others envision themselves as agents of chaos (The Road of Paradox), corruption (The Road of Typhon), or the teachings of Haqim (The Road of Blood). Also keep in mind that these are ideals that your character should have to try to live up to. They don't describe how a character should always behave. They describe how your character believes the ultimate vampire should behave, and therefore, what they, themselves, should strive for. Even a vampire on the Road of the Devil might not want to do evil, but he believes that it is his purpose in the greater scheme of things. And without this way of justifying his lust for blood by believing that he must strive to oppose the forces of goodness in the world, he would fall into a state of being a mindless, pathetic beast, driven only by the thirst for blood, and utterly incapable of forming the complex strategies that make one a true hunter.

@Alchemical Chimera

Road of the beast you say. Well then. Im interested in that. And the road will be helpful. Cause in the long run he knows what he is and has no problem adapting to it.