I'll have a butterscotch sundae I guess.
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
Posts: 3177
Location: Norcal, USA, Earth, Orion Arm
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We've separated the House Rules into a format that will hopefully be a little less overwhelming to go over. The first part contains the portions that are more necessary to read before applying, and the second part contains portions that aren't really necessary to read till in-game and playing.
Rules To Read Before Applying
Table of Contents:
- <a href="#playerd">Pdice rules</a>
- <a href="#multi">Multiplaying</a>
- <a href="#home">Home-Field Advantage</a>
- <a href="#mirror">Mirror-Concepts</a>
- <a href="#conduct">Conduct Rules</a>
- <a href="#rec">Recommendations</a>
- <a href="#restrict">Restricted Stats</a>
- <a href="#vtemp">Vampire Templates</a>
- <a href="#clanflaws">Clan Flaws for Vampire Characters</a>
- <a href="#nossie">Nosferatu Parachute Rule</a>
- <a href="#retainers">Retainers (Background)</a>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
<a name="playerd">Pdice rules</a>
Players may roll their own dice for everyday situations - hunt rolls, alertness rolls, empathy rolls, etiquette, subterfuge, seduction, self control, courage etc - by using the pdice command. A good rule of thumb to divide what is allowed for players to roll among themselves and what is not - a player may roll any single action which does not involve use of supernatural abilities, or inflicts violence upon another character.
Rolls to attack or use supernatural abililites must be requested to the Storytellers, who will roll for you behind the scenes and give you the result of the roll (not the successes earned, but the information gleaned or the result of the attempt). If a Storyteller cannot be reached after 5-10 minutes, players may proceed with rolling supernatural powers or single attacks with the consent of the affected players in the scene. All such incidents must be logged and sent over PM to the 'Zillah' account on the forums.
Combat scenes must be run behind the MU*-version of a Storyteller-screen by a Storyteller save in the event that a Storyteller cannot be reached for 20 minutes of attempting to find one. In that case, with consent of every player involved in the combat situation, a single player may run the combat for the scene using pdice. The entire scene including rolls must be logged and sent over PM to the Zillah account.
<a name="multi">Multiplaying</a>
Players may have up to 4 characters at one time, and any combination of these may be online at the same time. Characters belonging to the same player may not be associated in any way - not through background stories, not through role play, and most especially not by convenience when it would be handy for one of your PCs to know what another of your PCs does.
A player may have as many vampires or mages as he desires up to the 4 maximum slots, however, we run on a "one per clan, tradition, and template" rule. You can have two vampires, but not two Elders - or two Brujahs. You can have two mages, but not two Verbenas.
| Quote: |
A quick note on Multiplaying:
Players can have as many characters online and IC at a time as they can manage, so long as the two (or however many) characters don't interact with one another In-Character. |
<a name="home">Home-Field Advantage</a>
A bonus of 5 extra freebies is allotted to players who apply with a character who is from Chicago. A game tends to lose a portion of thematic feel when every person you meet within it is from Europe, Asia, Russia, Australia or some other city in the States instead of the city the game is set in. The 5 freebie advantage is given in effort to encourage building a Chicago with people from Chicago in it, without penalizing outsiders.
<a name="mirror">Mirror-Concepts</a>
In effort to make every character unique and to sustain a pbase more interesting to itself, mirror-concepts will not be classed. For example, if one player applies and is classed with a male low-end gangster ruffian, we won't approve another character of that kind until the first one is dead or retired. If someone is classed with a simple housewife, that concept is closed. This should help to prevent the unintentional problem of dozens of the same concept running around with different names, and help to make every character a stand-alone theme. Concepts must be unique to the grid. For this reason, it may be best to request in advance about your concept to make sure there it isn't already classed before putting your time and effort into that particular application.
<a name="conduct">Conduct Rules</a>
Our rule on player coduct boils down to respect for one another and for the game, and all parties striving to create a comfortable shared RP Community.
Our game environment operates on trust. We trust players to be responsible with their characters, with PrPs and with the IC theme until given reason to reconsider. Every player approved to play is given a measure of trust, by the staff, to not operate in a fashion that is potentially harmful to the game. Breach of this trust will result in relevant levels of response. We prefer to give players the benefit of the doubt from the beginning and to work with them on OOC issues to make sure that their time on the game is as enjoyable as possible. But this requires that players work with us by not betraying the trust we place in them by giving them access to our game world and our game grid.
As a whole the key word is "community." We are not concerned with the number of players, but rather, how well they work together. As a result, we reserve the right to remove players who make no effort to be a part of the community or contaminate the pleasant OOC environment. Players who make no effort to play with others, who go out of their way to make the MUD unpleasant for other people, who have consistantly bad attitudes, who spread rumors or who are involved in events that disrupt the harmony of the game will be asked (or forced) to leave at the discretion of the Administrators.
A player who displays an attitude the Administrators deem as detrimental to the adult community atmosphere will be given a temporary ban of 30 to 90 days, and where appropriate, will be required to apologize to the parties involved. All pfiles belonging to the player in question will be kept for them should they choose to return once their temporary removal period is over.
This would eliminate the permanent nature of a ban, making punishment possible without something as major as being thrown out forever. Hopefully, this makes very clear that that kind of behavior is not acceptable.
A player may be temp-removed 3 times before they are permanently banned.
<a name="rec">Recommendations</a>
After every scene of roleplay, it is customary to submit a recommendation for the other players in the scene, selecting a pose you believe to be the most worthy of an XP award from the entire scene. The recommendation system is an in-game feature used through the 'rec' command. The syntax is simply 'rec <player> <pose>'. "Help rec" in-game has more detail on what is required of recommendations, and what all may be recommended.
<a name="vtemp">Vampire Templates and XP Costs</a>
Once in-game, you will begin to receive XP once per week for the pose recommendations given to you by other players. The way this XP is spent for Vampire characters' disciplines has been altered somewhat.
Neonates - 5x current level (Level 2 disc costs 5xp)
Ancillae - 5x current level +2 (Level 2 disc costs 7xp)
Elders - 10x current level (Level 2 disc costs 10xp)
Where a Neonate's slate is literally clean, an Elder has already expanded so far within his own ability (having 10 discipline points he has already learned throughout his own eternity) that thematically, it feels appropriate that they would have more trouble absorbing new material than a brand new vampire. Otherwise, though, this is just pure balance.
<a name="clanflaws">Clan Flaws for Vampire Characters</a>
Though we figure this is self-explanatory, Merit(s) may not be taken which work to entirely negate a vampire's Clan Flaw. IE: Lasombra cannot have a reflection, Setites can't be immune to light damage, Ventrue can't feed from just anybody, Brujah can't take Calm Heart.
<a name="restrict">Restricted Stats</a>
The following are disallowed stat levels:
- More than one attribute at 5.
- More than one ability at 5.
- More than one Background at 5.
This is for the sake of plausibility at creation. Player-characters are expected to exceed these limitations in-game, due to being, by design as PCs, superior to your run of the mill every-day supernatural.
<a name="nossie">Nosferatu Parachute Rule</a>
Applicable to any character at appearance 0 (most likely Samedi or Nosferatu) at creation, players taking a dot in obfuscate may opt to buy the other two dots of obfuscate in negative xp. Note that this does not apply if the player is choosing to take appearance at 0 without being required to.
Example:
Obfuscate 1 on creation would result in -14 xp for Obfuscate 3. Buying it IC, somehow accumulating the xp without normal RP, would cost 15. You're actually getting a discount AND a purchase on credit.
Obfuscate 2 on creation results in -7 xp. It would cost 10 regularly.
The Monstrous flaw doesn't apply, and the disciplines aren't free, just cheaper and bought on credit.
This takes some of the edge off of Nosferatu-esque flaws in a particularly social environment. It applies in only the above capacity.
NOTE: The Rugged Bad Looks merit negates one's ability to use this rule.
<a name="retainers">Retainers (Background)</a>
Our template set-up for retainers in part differ from the core books. They can be found below:
- Players can use their XP in-game to buy traits on their Retainers in the same way they would the PC who "owns" him.
- Max of 3 points in Retainer for single Retainers.
- For 3 point Retainers - Neonate Vampire template if vampire, mortal template if mortal, mortal template for ghouls +1 dot of potence and additional discipline points bought through freebies. Flaw points don't add additional freebies.
- For 2 point Retainers - 6/4/3 Attr, 11/7/5 abil, WP per virtues, 6 virtues, 10 freebies (freebie count changed from 15, as if it were 15 it'd be the same as a 3 point vampire retainer). If vampire 3 discipline dots max, 12th or higher gen.
- For 1 point Retainers - 6/4/3 Attr, 11/7/5 abil, WP per virtues, 6 virtues, 5 freebies (freebie count chaanged from 10, as if it were 10 it'd be the same as a 2 point vampire retainer). If vampire 2 discipline dot 13th or higher gen.
Rules Probably Unnecessary to Read Till After Approval
Table of Contents:
- <a href="#pdeath">Character Death and Retirement</a>
- <a href="#bbond">Blood Bonds</a>
- <a href="#homes">Building Requests</a>
- <a href="#discs">Disciplines</a>
- <a href="#discsharing">Disciplines, Sharing</a>
- <a href="#diab">Diablerie</a>
- <a href="#embrace">IC Embrace</a>
- <a href="#mortplus">Mortal+ Combinations</a>
- <a href="#numina">Numina</a>
- <a href="#prp">Player-Run Plots</a>
- <a href="#rituals">Rituals</a>
- <a href="#special">Specialities</a>
- <a href="#training">Training In-Game</a>
- <a href="#naughty">MUDSex</a>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
<a name="pdeath">Character Death and Retirement</a>
In the event that one of your characters dies, you can transfer 1/2 their total XP (unspent) to your next character of that type - i.e., the XP of your dead mortal can only be used for your next mortal, the XP of your dead Vampire can only be used for your next Vampire, and so on.
You can also retire a character before their death to use them for XP. This removes them from play, permanently. Sometimes, with the player's consent, a retired character might become an NPC.
<a name="bbond">Blood Bonds</a>
A level 1 Blood Bond lasts approximately 1 week in RL time. Level 2 lasts about 1 month RL time, and a Level 3 is almost unbreakable (ST discretion).
<a name="homes">Building Requests</a>
Characters with a place to live, be it a hole in the ground or a penthouse suite, may send in the descriptions for their homes to [email protected]. The resources of the character will usually give a basic idea of how many rooms the home should be, but if you have a sweet idea for a sewer-tunnel abode that's some 20 rooms, we have no problem with it. Just use your judgement and do whatever is applicable for your character.
In addition, characters staying at an NPC's home (Allies of theirs, family, contacts, or even some random NPC acquaintance they've decided to toss into their roleplay) need only describe the home and send it in. The more detailed and personal the map, the better, so don't hesitate to desc up the box you're living in as a Bonegnawer -- We'd love to put it in-game.
Details on security measures in homes should be detailed for your character's protection, as if we don't know he has a security camera in his entry hall, we can't really say after-the-fact to somebody that has broken in that they were caught on camera after all.
There is no minimum number of hours required for a player to request a home.
Basic guideline, exceed where applicable:
Resources 0: 1 room.
Resources 1: 2 rooms.
Resources 2: 4 rooms.
Resources 3: 6 rooms.
Resources 4: 8 rooms.
Resources 5: 10 rooms.
<a name="discs">Disciplines</a>
Only disciplines from the Modern Masquerade books will be allowed unless specifically stated in the House Rules.
Caitiff or Pander characters may start off with Clan Specific Disciplines with reason. Clan Specifics are disciplines such as Protean, Obtenebration, Quietus, Serpentis, Thaumaturgy, Dementation, etc. Caitiff and Pander characters may also begin at any generation with reason. Two Disciplines are decided by the Caitiff or Pander character, and one is chosen by the Storytellers upon classing.
--Auspex
Per level of Auspex one die on all Perception based rolls is granted to the Vampire. Auspex 1 grants one bonus die on Perception rolls, Auspex 2 grants two, Auspex 3 grants three, etc.
Auspex 4 - Telepathy: When used against a vampire target, if the vampire is willing to engage in the communication there is no need to spend a WP point.
--Auspex, Reflexive Benefits
Wiki reference in use.
--Celerity
Levels 1 and 2 -- 1bp per round.
Levels 3 and 4 -- 2bp per round.
Level 5 -- 3bp per round.
A character may apply unused defensive actions (either through a full dodge or by splitting their dice pool) to attacks made in Celerity rounds ONLY if they declare the action in their normal declare.
Example:
You want to pull a lever and dodge a punch.
Since you're pulling the lever, you can't commit your entire action to dodging, which means you can't make a full dodge
So, let's say the lever is The Lever of Ending the World, and some guy doesn't want you to pull it. He's across the room, and has Celerity 1.
You split your dice so you pull the lever AND dodge one possible attack (so -2 on the lever pulling, -3 on the dodge)
But, the attack doesn't come in the normal round, because the guy is across the room. However, he makes it to you, and uses his Celerity round to punch you. The dodge you split your action into thus applies to defend against the punch, since it's in the 'same round'.
--Dominate
Unless the dominate command is suicidal or /directly/ against the basest tenement of your nature, the command must be followed.
Unless the above applies (suicidal, etc) you may not burn to resist a Dominate command unless you know you have been Dominated. If you do know that you have been Dominated, you may burn 1 WP per round till you have equaled the successes on the Dominate roll against you. At that time, you may choose to disobey.
--Fortitude
Each level of Fortitude grants the character 1 autosuccess all soak rolls. The sole exception to this is aggravated damage, which is /not/ autosoaked when the source of damage is sunlight or fire. In the case of sunlight or fire, the vampire may add 1 soak dice to his pool per level of fortitude.
--Obfuscate
Per level of Obfuscate one die on all Stealth based rolls is granted to the Vampire. Obfuscate 1 grants one bonus die on Stealth rolls, Obfuscate 2 grants two, Obfuscate 3 grants three, etc.
Nosferatu/Samedi and using Obfuscate to up Appearance: Nosferatu and Samedi cannot ever increase their Appearance rating. It's stuck at zero permanently. Most members of these two groups use Obfuscate (Particularly Mask of a Thousand Faces) to sidestep that handicap in social situations, but even that workaround has its limitations. The "face" created with Mask of a Thousand Faces defaults to an Appearance rating of 2. Even attempts to look like specific, devastatingly attractive people end up missing a certain sine qua non, and falling somehow flat. To use Mask of a Thousand faces to improve a character's Appearance requires spending two points of blood for each dot's worth of improvement in the mask's looks.
Creating a mask with an Appearance rating of 1 incurs no additional cost.
--Obfuscate and Auspex
Detecting Obfuscate users is Reflexive for Auspex users with equal or above the same level of Auspex. The logic behidn this is that Obfuscate users are mentally forcing others to ignore them - the Auspex user with the capability to do so can subconsciously detect the attempt.
--Obfuscate and Presence
To avoid nitpicking of little details, Obfuscate and Presence cannot be combined.
--Potence
On Strength-based intimidation rolls, the "attacker" must be physically intimidating the victim in order to count Potence levels as auto-successes. For example, picking up the victim by his collar without blinking an eye would count Potence auto-successes. Leering over the victim and flexing would not, and would roll Manipulation rather than Strength anyway.
--Presence
Per level of Presence one die on all Social based rolls is granted to the Vampire. Presence 1 grants one bonus die on Social rolls, Presence 2 grants two, Presence 3 grants three, etc.
--Vicissitude
The main advantage of Vicissitude in regards to Appearance is that there is an actual method to increase it. Barring plastic surgery, there's really no other method to raise it apart from going from App1 to 2 with an extreme make-over. Thus, Appearance costs XP to raise even with Vicissitude.
However, increasing one's stats by taking a downside for a benefit does not cost XP, so long as the point values balance out. For example, shifting various musculature and fat around to increase bulk, thus bolstering the Stamina Attribute while detracting from Dexterity to represent less flexibility would not cost XP.
--Vicissitude and Appearance
Vicissitude allows vampires to raise a character's Appearance rating without spending XP.
<a name="discsharing">Disciplines, Sharing</a>
In order to learn a discipline from another character we ask that either a long-term (or at the very least, very strong) bond exist between the two vampires, or, entirely more likely, for one vampire to owe a boon of suitable importance to the other vampire. We often request logs of suitable number and length to represent the strong bond between the two, or more simply a log of the boon formation proving that the teacher already received a favor of suitable import to giving the student one of his disciplines.
Additionally, VtM makes evident that a teacher must have "decent knowledge" of a discipline in order to pass it on. As that's pretty ambiguous, we use a level of 2 to be capable of teaching another vampire a common discipline (Things like Presence, Fortitude, Obfuscate, Auspex, etc. Disciplines that aren't specific to any one Clan).
For Clan-specific Disciplines a higher boon or bond must be established, enough to make it undeniably worth it to the teacher to possibly turn his entire Clan against him for the exchange. If this is not important to the vampire teacher, it must be undeniably worth it to him to exchange his primary means of individual power.
tl;dr: Disciplines must be a 2 to be passed on, the vampires must have a solid IC reason to be making the exchange, and even more solid reason to exchange a Clan-specific Discipline.
--Learning Out-of-Clan Physical Disciplines
While it does require a teacher to learn the rudiments of the Physical Discipline from another player, once the first dot has been learned it is not necessary to continue logging teaching scenes. It is assumed that Fortitude, Potence and Celerity, once the groundwork is established, may be raised without further education.
<a name="diab">Diablerie</a>
If a vampire manages to drain another vampire of their entire blood pool and continues drinking, they have begun to commit diablerie. Once a victim has been drained of their blood pool they take 2 levels of Aggravated damage per round that the attacker continues to drink. When they have taken damage enough to experience Final Death, the attacker has successfully committed diablerie. Bear in mind that a vampire with 0 blood points is torpored, so cannot defend himself against this activity. The damage inflicted per round after the victim is at 0 blood must be taken into account for any potential parties attempting to put a stop to the horrific act.
If the victim is of lower generation than the attacker, the attacker lowers 1 generation level (unless the victim's generation was 4 or lower than their own, in which case they may roll 1 d10 at difficulty 10 to determine whether or not they drop an additional generation. 2 generations is the maximum that a vampire may lower themselves through one diablerie.)
In order for a common discipline to be passed on to the attacker, the victim must have the discipline at 3 or higher. Per discipline at 3 or higher, roll 1 d10 at difficulty 8. A success means the attacker inherits the discipline at 0, and can buy up the 'shadow dot' to 1 with 10xp.
For clan disciplines to be passed on to the attacker, (which also must be at 3 or higher on the victim to roll for - Obtenebration, Chimerstry, Vicissitude, Protean, etc) roll 1 d10 at difficulty 10. Success means the attacker inherit the discipline at 0, same deal as above.
Thaumaturgy can't be inherited through blood. It has to be taught.
For merits and flaws that could be passed on through blood, roll 1 d10 diff 8 per merit and flaw. Success means they inherit it.
Always remember to check the road/path of the diablarizer and figure out if what they did contradicts it. If it does, roll their conscience at a diff of 8 to determine whether or not they degenerate. Botches on Road degeneration rolls are incredibly harsh (see below).
For each diablerie committed (for a vampire on a Road or Path which prohibits it) the attacker runs the risk of acquiring a derangement of his choosing. Roll 1 d10 difficulty 8 in the case of denegeration to determine whether or not a derangement is inherited. Success means that no derangement is gained, a failure means that one derangement is gained and may be bought off with XP or 10 willpower spent over a long period of time to suppress the effects. A botch means that the attacker gains a permanent derangement that can never be removed, not even with XP.
<a name="embrace">IC Embrace</a>
Embracees may begin on their Sire's Road, or on one more suited to their inherent morality. This will be completely up to you and your Sire, both OOC and IC. The character could remain on Humanity, for all we know. Simply do what is the most applicable for your character.
For Camarilla vampires, Humanity is the general consensus for Road upon embrace. If there is a reason that your character would not be on Humanity regardless of his sect affiliation, then he won't be on Humanity.
Basically, the end-all rule here is that nobody knows your character better than you do, and nobody will know the situation better than your character and his or her new Sire. The choice thus remains wholly with you.
Willpower is raised by one upon Embrace.
Each Flaw that could be passed on through blood will be given a single die roll (diff 8). A success means the flaw is passed on, a failure or botch means that it is not. You may acquire vampire-specific Merits on Embrace by choosing a Flaw(s) of equal points to the Merit desired - a 1:1 exchange.
Mortals must have 100 IC hours logged on their character in order to be embraced in-game. There are few exceptions to this rule, and all are up to Staff discretion.
<a name="mortplus">Mortal+ Combinations</a>
Numina and Ghouling
Though ghouls can possess numina, they lose access to their powers at 1 level for each step blood bound, starting with the highest level. For Ghouls, the powers become strained. They still possess them. If someone is unghouled, they go back to using them as per normal.
<a name="numina">Numina</a>
Currently accepted Numina can be found here: http://roaringtwenties.wikidot.com/numina
The rules for Ghouls and Numina are found under "Mortal+ Combinations".
Mortals with Numina are alotted 5 base points to spend on Numina at classing on two or more Numina abilities. All 5 points cannot be used on one ability.
Numina may be purchased at a rate of 7 freebies per dot, and cost 7x current level to raise in-game with xp.
Supernatural Mimic - Numina Ability
The abilities of Mortal+ classes may not be mimicked with Supernatural Mimic. This includes disciplines used by Ghoul characters, preternatural abilities granted to Demonic Thralls via Pacting, True Faith powers, mortal sorcery, and Numina abilities.
All Supernatural classes, outside the Mortal+ sphere, may be mimicked as per the usual restrictions laid out in the text of Supernatural Mimic.
<a name="prp">Player Run Plots (PrPs)</a>
When we talk about player-run plots and events, we are referring to any sort of small adventure or other IC event where 2 or more players aside from the one running the plot are actively involved and roleplaying. Anything from a dungeon romp to a fabulous party could count as a player-run plot. Players participating in such events will receive the same amount of xp as they would have if they had participated in a staff-run plot, and the player running the plot will also receive a similar amount. We run on an 'ask for forgiveness, not for permission' policy, to encourage people to run plots when the mood strikes. As a rule, you can assume that your plot idea is okay, so long as no nations, religions, gods, or metaphysical paradigms rise up or crumble down. However, if you run a plot, and it is truly implausible or impossible for us to weave into the game, all events in it will be officially stricken from the record, and your XP reward will be reduced, though not negated, as some of us have a soft-spot for ridiculousness.
When your event goes through, please submit the complete log of the plot/event to our forum (please list all the characters involved, along with your own) and you will be gotten back to about your rewards.
<a name="rituals">Rituals</a>
Characters with Thaumaturgy or Necromancy have an inherent number of rituals they get, based upon their current level of Thaum or Necro.
Thaumaturgy or Necromancy 1 - 2 points in rituals. Ritual level cannot exceed thaumaturgy level.
Thaumaturgy or Necromancy 2 - 4 points in rituals. Ritual level cannot exceed thaumaturgy level.
Thaumaturgy or Necromancy 3 - 7 points in rituals. Ritual level cannot exceed thaumaturgy level.
Thaumaturgy or Necromancy 4 - 13 points in rituals. Ritual level cannot exceed thaumaturgy level.
Thaumaturgy or Necromancy 5 - 17 points in rituals.
Points are issued as is to allow for at one free ritual (or numerous ones of the previous level) of the new level when the dot of Thaumaturgy is purchased. 2 gained by raising from 1 to 2, 3 gained by raising from 2 to 3, 4 gained between 3-4, 5 gained between 4-5.
Additional rituals may be purchased with the XP, but the level of th ritual can never exceed the character's current rating of Necromancy or Thaumaturgy. Rituals cost 1xp per level to learn. A level 1 ritual would cost 1xp, a level 2 would cost 2xp, etc.
<a name="intro">Specialties</a>
On the MU*, Specialties add one die to any pool that it is applicable to, as opposed to allowing us to reroll 10's.
<a name="training">Training in-game</a>
Use the Request Channel to train all traits.
<a name="naughty">MUDsex</a>
We aren't going to concern ourselves about whether or not players are roleplaying sex. Do what you want, just don't - for the love of god - submit it for Recommendations. |
Last edited by Leanna on Fri Jan 08, 2010 5:37 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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