Ashen Grey : Victorian Age World of Darkness

Joining the Danse Macabre

On this page you’ll find answers to the most commonly asked questions during vampire character creation, as well as a few handy guidelines for using the special rules and systems found in Vampire: The Requiem when playing the game on an online chat.

Character Creation

The basic character creation rules are presented in the World of Darkness Rulebook and Vampire: The Requiem. Be sure to read the Character Creation section of the General FAQ before going through the guidelines below.

• Do I need to find a player character sire?

Not at the moment. You can, of course, ask us about being the childe of one of the Storyteller characters or arrange being the childe of another player character, but as the chronicle opens there’s no requirement to do either. Just tell us who your sire is in your prelude. We would prefer it if your character was native to London, but even this isn’t a requirement so long as you can tell us how your vampire came to be here in your prelude.

• Can I choose a bloodline at character creation?

In some cases, yes. For example, of those defined in Appendix I of Vampire: The Requiem, the Bruja are not available (since they formed during the 1940s) and the Burakumin are heavily restricted (since Commodore Perry only recently opened Japan up to the West in 1854). The Malkovians were founded in England, though again only recently in the late 1880s, so while they are available they are also rare. However, the Morbus are entirely feasible, existing in the more squalid areas of London, and the Toreador have been spreading across the globe since middle of the last century. If you want to start the chronicle with a character from a bloodline it’s best to discuss the idea with a Storyteller first. You will also need to purchase Blood Potency 2 at character creation and you will start the chronicle minus one dot of Willpower (which will cost eight experience points to buy back).

• Can I create my own bloodline at character creation?

No. Each clan has a number of bloodlines listed (more than the five fully detailed in Appendix I of the Vampire: The Requiem), so we feel that there’ll be plenty there to be getting on with once their details are released.

• Okay, can I create a bloodline later on in the chronicle?

Yes. When your vampire character has Blood Potency 6 and wishes to found a new bloodline of your design, we’ll look into it then.

• Do I need be a member of a covenant at character creation?

No. Well, obviously we’d prefer it if you were in a covenant at the beginning of the chronicle, but you can join a covenant later on or elect to be one of the unaligned. However, to reap any of the benefits of a covenant you must purchase at least one dot of the Covenant Status Merit for that covenant. Also, remember that being an unaligned Kindred is a deliberate choice to bow out of the neofeudal establishment of vampire society, making your character either a rebel, outcast or iconoclast that freely (and often intentionally) flouts the so-called rule of the elders, or an apolitical character who only recognises their own authority, even if they don’t always make a grand show of defiance. Being unaligned isn’t about being undecided on a choice of covenant, it’s about not wishing to be a part of that system.

• Are there any restrictions on the covenants I can pick from?

Yes. Right now, you can’t join Belial’s Brood or VII. This may change as the chronicle progresses.

• Is there any restriction on Blood Potency?

No. If you really want to blow six Merit points to get Blood Potency 3, go for it.

• Are there any restrictions on Merits?

Some, yes. Depending on how many dots you put into Haven Location or Haven Size, the Storyteller may determine where your haven is. You may not purchase City Status at character creation. You can purchase up to two dots of Clan Status and/or Covenant Status, provided you can back this up in your character’s prelude, but you cannot have Covenant Status for more than one covenant at character creation.

• Can I drop dots in Humanity to gain experience points?

No. This is an optional rule that we’re not supporting. All new vampire characters start the chronicle at Humanity 7 and are assumed to have recieved the Embrace recently (i.e. within the last few months, just long enough to know the basics at most).

Special Rules and Systems

• How is Vitae handled?

We’re using the honour system for this. When your character is sanctioned you are assumed to be on full Vitae. Thereafter, you should keep track of how much Vitae your character has. Claiming that you always have your maximum allowed Vitae at all times will be regarded as suspicious; you are expected to hunt and feed during the course of play. Since this is a core aspect of the Requiem, we’ve left this up to you, the player, to determine. You might want to roleplay the hunt and play out the scenes where your character feeds, or you can make hunting rolls.

• How does Predator’s Taint work in the chronicle?

Exactly as described in Vampire: The Requiem, for the most part. Those rooms designated as being Elysium allow you to claim +3 dice to your roll, and those designated as being within the Rack let you claim +1 die to your roll. All Kindred instinctively recognise each other for what they are, but you only need to roll for Predator’s Taint when meeting a new Kindred for the very first time (it is suggested you keep notes on who you have met before). You only need one success to avoid a frenzy caused by Predator’s Taint (and spending a Willpower point on this roll to resist frenzy gains you +3 dice). If you fail this roll usual rules apply (but remember that spending a point of Willpower while in frenzy allows you one turn of self-control). Unless a Storyteller moderates otherwise, you must always roll for Predator’s Taint when meeting a new Kindred for the first time unless you are both local Kindred, or the Kindred you meet has Covenant, Clan or City Status.

• How do you treat torpor durations?

Exactly as described in Vampire: The Requiem. Obviously, this means that if your torpor duration is excessive (i.e. several months to a year or more) you’ll probably want to make a new Kindred character. Doing so automatically forfeits the character in torpor, but this may mean that you can rejoin play with a new Kindred character almost immediately (providing you don’t have another in play).

• How are you handling the increase of Blood Potency?

Exactly as described in Vampire: The Requiem. Diablerie is the surest way to increase Blood Potency, since it requires no experience points and the Storyteller will automatically award the increase if it is applicable. While you can increase Blood Potency with experience points, you can only do so once per Season and, like any experience request, the Storyteller has the right to refuse the increase if he feels it is unjustified. Since we’re not sure that the chat will be running in 50 years time, gaining Blood Potency automatically due to age is not a certainty. If you start the chronicle with more than Blood Potency 1 you will need to explain how you gained the extra dots to the sanctioning Storyteller.

• What happens if a Kindred Embraces an Uratha?

The werewolf character permenantly loses all Gifts, rites and Merits specific to Werewolf: The Forsaken (i.e. Fetish and Totem), and applies the vampire template from Vampire: The Requiem, starting with a single dot in Blood Potency regardless of their Primal Urge rating, which Blood Potency replaces. Experience points spent on any of the lost traits are not refunded and no additional traits beyond those given in the vampire template will be awarded. In other words, the werewolf becomes a vampire. Uratha can resist the Embrace with a Resolve + Primal Urge roll. If any success is achieved on this roll, the Uratha immediately enters a Death Rage.