Wow! Months gone by and nothing posted. I started this thing to network a little bit but also to learn how to do it so I could instruct my lady on how to get her much more interesting thing out there. However, keeping a Blog certainly doesn't come naturally to me! Actually, to be honest, uptake of "new" media of all kinds doesn't come naturally. Case in point: I obtained my first smart phone towards the end of 2015, and I wasn't comfortable enough to admit that I liked the bloody thing until quite recently!
My oldest friends have been known to joke about my dislike of change. I don't like to admit it, but the evidence is quite clear that they are right...
Anyway, my productivity on a number of projects has dropped off of late. For the most part I've been concentrating on a few work projects that ate my time and left little room for faffing about and taking a serious shot at this Blog or for recreational and developmental writing. On that front, I've also struggled with a few minor tweaks to my Obsidian Portal site that have left me impatient to relearn simple web tools. I usually deal with frustration by withdrawing into apathy and seeking simple entertainments.
'
At this point, I'd like to add that we do indeed live in a Golden Age of TV. Not that awful bloody Reality stuff. Oh no. As a happy nerd, weaned on cheesy horror films and comic books, I am singularly impressed by nearly all iterations of both of those genres currently kicking about in TV land. In my apathy I have recently become acquainted with more than a few of them. Nice darts, Netflix. Nice darts.
Also, computer games. Lots and lots of Crusader Kings lately. Great game that.
And so, hopefully I'm over the bump and off and running again. I aim to take another shot at Blogging and actually produce something useful here, so if you are reading I am happy to take advice on how to make it work more effectively.
I'm currently of a mind to hook Gravid Musings up with our Dark Ages Vampire game, the Concord of Ashes. Hosted by Obsidian Portal, the game has run more or less continuously for some years now, fleshing out and adding to the Transylvania Chronicles and Constantinople by Night. At this stage I've added a link and picture to the infamous Marelle, the Sculptor of Wolves. If you're into that sort of thing, do check it out and let me know what you think...
Tuesday 6 September 2016
Tuesday 17 May 2016
The Trouble with NPCs #1 (Mithras of London)
Like many gamers, I eagerly collect new books within my genre to keep up with the "world meta-plot" and satisfy my curiosity regarding any given Non-Player Character (NPC). I can still recall the first time I read the stats for Mithras in the old World of Darkness, 1st edition, or those of the Circle of Eight in the City of Greyhawk boxed set. Part of me worries that I am something of a slave to canon, but that voice is almost instantly drowned out by a chorus of enthusiastic whispers that just likes to know what they can do, and what vision the author had for how they can do it.
The trouble is that in most respects, I can usually think of a score of ways that that particular character ought to be "better." Not just more well-rounded or less vulnerable, but more believable. Obviously, only my fellow pedants would agonise over this, while those more prone to ignoring canon would simply change it and laugh at my folly. And yet, those Gamemasters (GMs) are the ones who will more than likely run Chicago by Night without the likes of Lodin, Maxwell or Ballard.
The notion of doing that kind of makes me vomit in my mouth a bit...
There are some excellent, even ground-breaking examples of throwing out canon and starting anew. It's just not my bag. Instead, I tend to think a canon source can be updated to correct what is wrong rather than throw the baby out with the bathwater. And again, speaking for my fellow pedants, it gives me a warm, toasty glow to make connections between the work of disparate authors. It might be a blood lineage in common for a Vampire character, or the name of a spell in D&D, or the creator of an ancient holocron in Star Wars. It doesn't even matter whether they are professional writers working for the company or just inspired authors creating their own take on Obsidian Portal. I just dig it. And I know that plenty of you dig it too.
Now, to return to my contention that canon stats are often in need of revision, this isn't just a conviction that I can do it better, although I do fancy that much of the time I can. It is more of a sense that a given character simply couldn't have achieved what they did, and maintain what they have, with the stats as given. So, how do we justify that? Quite often, stats are provided in an early iteration of the game that ought to be officially updated or ret-conned but instead the later editions just kind of stumble over inconsistencies or, more likely, refuse to revisit the stats at all. There is nothing wrong with the latter approach, mind you, but it fails to fulfill my pedantic need for revision.
For my part, I think a middle ground can be found. Surely we can do honour to the original source material while making a modest revision to make the character more believable. And so, in order to find a happy compromise between the the canon and create a carefully-constructed revision for my fellow gaming pedants, I have elected to start a new project. I intend to revise a number of NPCs for my own game and post them here for the edification of those who might care to use these stats ready-made for their own games.
My current playground is the Classic World of Darkness in general, and Dark Ages Vampire in particular. The website of our chronicle, the Concord of Ashes, can be found here. With that in mind, I have chosen to start with ret-conning NPCs pertinent to the game world and game era but not necessarily pertinent to my game (sorry, guys!). I'll start with Mithras, a character that I tend to think is the most recognisable and problematic of the World of Darkness. Note that stat blocs are provided in my game shorthand, and may include a number of Abilities and Secondary Abilities (yep, I still use some of them!) common to my chronicle. Please message me for clarification or check the wiki here if you require elucidation.
The Trouble with Mithras
#1: His lineage and origins- as many folks have glaringly pointed out over the years, his sire is listed as Veddartha rather than Ventrue. This can be resolved one of two ways. Either Veddartha was a name that the Ventrue Antediluvian used in antiquity or, more interestingly, Mithras is a diablerist! It is worth noting that there is a 5th generation Ventrue by the name of Balthazar (Embraced c.1425 BCE) who also names his sire as Veddartha. Unless Balthazar's sire named himself in honour of the Antediluvian, the evidence seems to point towards Mithras committing the most grievous sin in Cainite society at some point in the distant past. In my view, this is also supported by the background story provided a World of Darkness, 1st edition, page 31:
He had been a soldier in the army of a king, sent into the mountains to deal with a rebellion. The rebels were backed by magic, and it took many days and many lives before he could prepare to return with the heads of the leaders -- all but one, who had escaped.
The night before the expedition was to return, he (Mithras) received a visitor. He tried to cry out, but was unable to move or speak. He could only listen as the stranger spoke.
The stranger, he soon discovered, was the rebel leader who had escaped. But far from wanting revenge, he was impressed with Mithras and wanted to make him an offer. Those who had died in the fighting were inferior, he said -- made to be thrown away in a greater cause. But he could give Mithras the gift of everlasting life, and a place of honour in an army such as he had never dreamed of. Or, he could kill him where he lay.
Does it occur to anyone else that the Ventrue Antediluvian, with all his glorious powers of Presence and Dominate, would have no need to hang out in the mountains with a rebellion when he could just walk in to any court in any city of any nation in the world and just take what he wanted (excepting intervention from his peers, of course). Possibly, he was there because he had heard of the mortal warrior who would become Mithras and wanted to test his mettle, but it just doesn't seem like his style, given what we know of Ventrue's legend and methods. A 4th generation Ventrue might be driven to such circumstances, but I doubt the Ventrue progenitor would...
For my part, I run him as an early diablerist who has not transgressed again for thousands of years...
#2: His stats- Note that the stats I will provide here are intended for the 13th century rather than the years before World War II. However, given that he was almost 2500 years old in 1240, his stats would tend towards falling to the calcification common to an elder of his years. Therefore, short of learning the use of Firearms and whatnot, they should be fairly age appropriate to his latter years incarnation.
Firstly, his stats appear to be suitably awesome (in the actual rather than popular sense). His Physical Attributes are close to maximum potential for a Cainite of the 4th Generation, and his Brawl, Dodge and Melee scores are well beyond maximum human potential. He ought to be a god on any battlefield, and indeed he is described as such on pp. 26-27 of Dark Ages: British Isles. His Social and Mental Attributes, paired with his supernal mastery of Intrigue, Subterfuge and Politics, also appear to justify his extraordinary ability to manage the Jyhad of the British Isles so masterfully for so long.
The character is suitably overwhelming in almost every way. As he should be. And then you get to his Disciplines and... the illusion is shattered.
This legendary monster completely lacks Auspex and Celerity!
He can't read auras or minds, nor even sharpen his senses to see better in the dark. He is documented as single-handedly destroying multiple packs of werewolves, and yet (notwithstanding his 7 Dexterity) he moves like a slug next to a typical Ahroun.
Now, I have heard it said that in the early editions of the game it was harder for characters to learn out-of-clan Disciplines, but that doesn't wash with me. Plenty of NPCs in a World of Darkness, 1st ed. have middling to high levels of Disciplines that are uncommon to their clan.
Not only that, for all his incredible power he has only 32 points of Disciplines, albeit at very high levels in some cases. To give you a useful (if somewhat over-powered) comparison, Maxwell of Chicago is one tenth of Mithras' age but he boasts more raw Discipline power at 36 points. Menele, a contemporary of Mithras, has 59 points.
Is this just an oversight, or were the authors hoping to communicate that a Cainite can be amazing without necessarily being well-rounded? I tend to think the former, as no provision has been made to demonstrate how. So, let's "fix him".
I have elected to ret-con Mithras in the following manner. I have docked him 1 dot each of Dominate and Presence, as in my game he will come into those over the next 500 years or so. I have then added 3 dots in each of Auspex and Celerity, just to make him believable in these respects. It is likely that someone who manages to achieve a Dexterity of 7 and a Perception of 9 might just have taken the time to learn the early levels of the Disicplines that naturally compliment such incredible scores. Indeed, with a Perception in excess of 6 a Cainite could just stumble onto Auspex 1 and 2. Finally, I've also elected to give him a 3 dots of Protean, to reflect his ancient friendship with the Gangrel known as Canis, and his reputation for wandering. Fighting tooth and claw and resting beneath the earth just seem to fit.
#3: Explaining high levels and a small spread- It is well-established that a Cainite of sufficient generation can buy multiple levels of Disicplines beyond level 6. Allowing for the extra 9 dots of Disicplines I have already given Mithras (Auspex 3, Celerity 3, Protean 3), he now boasts 41 points. Still a little low, in my opinion. With that in mind, I have decided to award him multiple levels of his strongest Disciplines. My version of Mithras has 3 dots of Level 6 Dominate, 1 dot of Level 7 Dominate, and 1 dot of Level 8 Dominate. He also has 2 dots of Level 6 Fortitude (granting him a power in addition to the extra soak die), 2 dots of Level 6 Presence and 1 dot of Level 7 Presence.
This rounds him out at a more respectable 45 dots of Disciplines. In addition, I have added a few Discipline techniques that ought to be common to a Ventrue of his pedigree who has numbered Assamites among his friends. Long March and Lifesong both seem to be an interesting place for his Auspex and Celerity interests to expire, whereas Aura of Inescapable truth and Denial of Aphrodite's Favour seem to fit for a Cainite that matched wits and powers with the best in the prime of the Eternal Senate of Ancient Rome.
#4: Road Score- Nearly all the Dark Ages sources quote him as belonging to the via Regalis (the Road of Kings), and his general behaviour throughout all the sources would seem to fit with that road's ethics. I have chosen to present him with a score on that path that I feel is appropriate for a Cainite so jaded by war, politics, betrayal and weariness. In my game, his infrequent wanderings are symptomatic of his need to get away from his duty before his Beast erupts, but he cleaves quite strongly to his antiquated notions of honour the rest of the time.
________________________________
Observant folks will note that he has more Retainers than the 8 dots should allow. I have yet to update my wiki on Concord of Ashes, but the general idea is that beyond level 5, the progression of the Background increases at twice the normal rate. Therefore, 6 dots= 7 Retainers, 7 dots= 10 Retainers, 8 dots= 13 Retainers and 9 dots= 21 Retainers.
A basic trouble-shooter for my shorthand: numbers in parentheses are dice pools. I award extra Specialisations for supernally high levels of Abilities. Under Gear, the number following the + symbol refers to either Fortitude or Potence, while b stands for bludgeoning damage and l for lethal damage.
Okey dokey. Without further ado, here is the monster himself! Enjoy...
Mithras, Prince of London and Monarch of the Fiefs of Avalon (c. 1240 CE)
This man has very pale olive skin and the very muscular physique of a warrior. His eyes are very dark and intense. Though he is not
especially tall, he carries an aura of invincible strength,
over-whelming age and absolute authority. An arming sword is worn at his
side, and he wears the well-crafted leathers of a noble prepared for
the hunt.
Presence- He can awe an audience (Presence 1, 7 dice), cow them with his gaze (Presence 2, 13 dice) or charm them into thinking him their friends (Presence 3, 7 dice). Mithras can also summon a person from afar (Presence 4, 13 dice), cow an entire audience with his majesty (Presence 5, difficulty 9 to resist) or, If he so chooses, the power behind his awful gaze can paralyse instead of frighten (Presence 6, 13 dice). Finally, he can incite those around him to either love (as Entrancement) or fury, perhaps even causing Frenzy rolls (Presence 6, 13 dice) and make his audience engage in the spirit of great cooperation, putting aside their differences while he is present (Presence 7, 15 dice).
Shrugging it off- To start with, Mithras has a Willpower (WP) of 9. With his Iron Will Merit, he adds 3 to the difficulty of any mind-altering Dominate, Dementate, Thaumaturgy or magick roll made against him. Against Level 6 powers and the equivalent, he must spend a WP and the difficulty is only 2 higher. Against Level 7 powers and the like, he must spend a WP and the difficulty is only 1 higher. Likewise, he is completely immune to Presence powers of Levels 1-3 from Cainites of 5th generation or weaker.
Soaking- Mithras has a Stamina of 8 and a Fortitude of 6, giving him 14 soak dice even before armour is applied. Furthermore, with the expenditure of a Blood Point (BP), he automatically wins any standard attempt to move him, whether that be a grapple, a tackle maneauver, a full heavy cavalry charge or a pack of enraged Werewolves. Against aytpical force (such as a being of like power), he gains 6 automatic successes on his roll to resist being moved.
Giving it back- Assuming Mithras feels the need to physically contend at all, he will likely amplify his physical characteristics to 10 in the first round, and spend BP to gain automatic successes on Fortitude and Potence rolls and extra attacks with Celerity. That makes his Brawl rolls 17 dice (specialising in grappling, punching and biting), his Dodge rolls 16 dice (specialising in multiple opponents and sidestep), his Archery rolls 15 dice (specialising in rapid shot) and his Melee rolls 18 dice (specialising in swords, spears, stakes and daggers). He likes to keep his knowledge of Protean and Quietus a secret, so he will likely use Celerity then grapple and bite (11 dice + 5 automatic successes of Aggravated damage) or draw his sword and strike (14 dice + 5 automatic successes).
__________________________________________________
What do you guys think? I would humbly submit that he is now the Cainite Blood God he was always supposed to be!
The trouble is that in most respects, I can usually think of a score of ways that that particular character ought to be "better." Not just more well-rounded or less vulnerable, but more believable. Obviously, only my fellow pedants would agonise over this, while those more prone to ignoring canon would simply change it and laugh at my folly. And yet, those Gamemasters (GMs) are the ones who will more than likely run Chicago by Night without the likes of Lodin, Maxwell or Ballard.
The notion of doing that kind of makes me vomit in my mouth a bit...
There are some excellent, even ground-breaking examples of throwing out canon and starting anew. It's just not my bag. Instead, I tend to think a canon source can be updated to correct what is wrong rather than throw the baby out with the bathwater. And again, speaking for my fellow pedants, it gives me a warm, toasty glow to make connections between the work of disparate authors. It might be a blood lineage in common for a Vampire character, or the name of a spell in D&D, or the creator of an ancient holocron in Star Wars. It doesn't even matter whether they are professional writers working for the company or just inspired authors creating their own take on Obsidian Portal. I just dig it. And I know that plenty of you dig it too.
Now, to return to my contention that canon stats are often in need of revision, this isn't just a conviction that I can do it better, although I do fancy that much of the time I can. It is more of a sense that a given character simply couldn't have achieved what they did, and maintain what they have, with the stats as given. So, how do we justify that? Quite often, stats are provided in an early iteration of the game that ought to be officially updated or ret-conned but instead the later editions just kind of stumble over inconsistencies or, more likely, refuse to revisit the stats at all. There is nothing wrong with the latter approach, mind you, but it fails to fulfill my pedantic need for revision.
For my part, I think a middle ground can be found. Surely we can do honour to the original source material while making a modest revision to make the character more believable. And so, in order to find a happy compromise between the the canon and create a carefully-constructed revision for my fellow gaming pedants, I have elected to start a new project. I intend to revise a number of NPCs for my own game and post them here for the edification of those who might care to use these stats ready-made for their own games.
My current playground is the Classic World of Darkness in general, and Dark Ages Vampire in particular. The website of our chronicle, the Concord of Ashes, can be found here. With that in mind, I have chosen to start with ret-conning NPCs pertinent to the game world and game era but not necessarily pertinent to my game (sorry, guys!). I'll start with Mithras, a character that I tend to think is the most recognisable and problematic of the World of Darkness. Note that stat blocs are provided in my game shorthand, and may include a number of Abilities and Secondary Abilities (yep, I still use some of them!) common to my chronicle. Please message me for clarification or check the wiki here if you require elucidation.
The Trouble with Mithras
#1: His lineage and origins- as many folks have glaringly pointed out over the years, his sire is listed as Veddartha rather than Ventrue. This can be resolved one of two ways. Either Veddartha was a name that the Ventrue Antediluvian used in antiquity or, more interestingly, Mithras is a diablerist! It is worth noting that there is a 5th generation Ventrue by the name of Balthazar (Embraced c.1425 BCE) who also names his sire as Veddartha. Unless Balthazar's sire named himself in honour of the Antediluvian, the evidence seems to point towards Mithras committing the most grievous sin in Cainite society at some point in the distant past. In my view, this is also supported by the background story provided a World of Darkness, 1st edition, page 31:
He had been a soldier in the army of a king, sent into the mountains to deal with a rebellion. The rebels were backed by magic, and it took many days and many lives before he could prepare to return with the heads of the leaders -- all but one, who had escaped.
The night before the expedition was to return, he (Mithras) received a visitor. He tried to cry out, but was unable to move or speak. He could only listen as the stranger spoke.
The stranger, he soon discovered, was the rebel leader who had escaped. But far from wanting revenge, he was impressed with Mithras and wanted to make him an offer. Those who had died in the fighting were inferior, he said -- made to be thrown away in a greater cause. But he could give Mithras the gift of everlasting life, and a place of honour in an army such as he had never dreamed of. Or, he could kill him where he lay.
Does it occur to anyone else that the Ventrue Antediluvian, with all his glorious powers of Presence and Dominate, would have no need to hang out in the mountains with a rebellion when he could just walk in to any court in any city of any nation in the world and just take what he wanted (excepting intervention from his peers, of course). Possibly, he was there because he had heard of the mortal warrior who would become Mithras and wanted to test his mettle, but it just doesn't seem like his style, given what we know of Ventrue's legend and methods. A 4th generation Ventrue might be driven to such circumstances, but I doubt the Ventrue progenitor would...
For my part, I run him as an early diablerist who has not transgressed again for thousands of years...
#2: His stats- Note that the stats I will provide here are intended for the 13th century rather than the years before World War II. However, given that he was almost 2500 years old in 1240, his stats would tend towards falling to the calcification common to an elder of his years. Therefore, short of learning the use of Firearms and whatnot, they should be fairly age appropriate to his latter years incarnation.
Firstly, his stats appear to be suitably awesome (in the actual rather than popular sense). His Physical Attributes are close to maximum potential for a Cainite of the 4th Generation, and his Brawl, Dodge and Melee scores are well beyond maximum human potential. He ought to be a god on any battlefield, and indeed he is described as such on pp. 26-27 of Dark Ages: British Isles. His Social and Mental Attributes, paired with his supernal mastery of Intrigue, Subterfuge and Politics, also appear to justify his extraordinary ability to manage the Jyhad of the British Isles so masterfully for so long.
The character is suitably overwhelming in almost every way. As he should be. And then you get to his Disciplines and... the illusion is shattered.
This legendary monster completely lacks Auspex and Celerity!
He can't read auras or minds, nor even sharpen his senses to see better in the dark. He is documented as single-handedly destroying multiple packs of werewolves, and yet (notwithstanding his 7 Dexterity) he moves like a slug next to a typical Ahroun.
Now, I have heard it said that in the early editions of the game it was harder for characters to learn out-of-clan Disciplines, but that doesn't wash with me. Plenty of NPCs in a World of Darkness, 1st ed. have middling to high levels of Disciplines that are uncommon to their clan.
Not only that, for all his incredible power he has only 32 points of Disciplines, albeit at very high levels in some cases. To give you a useful (if somewhat over-powered) comparison, Maxwell of Chicago is one tenth of Mithras' age but he boasts more raw Discipline power at 36 points. Menele, a contemporary of Mithras, has 59 points.
Is this just an oversight, or were the authors hoping to communicate that a Cainite can be amazing without necessarily being well-rounded? I tend to think the former, as no provision has been made to demonstrate how. So, let's "fix him".
I have elected to ret-con Mithras in the following manner. I have docked him 1 dot each of Dominate and Presence, as in my game he will come into those over the next 500 years or so. I have then added 3 dots in each of Auspex and Celerity, just to make him believable in these respects. It is likely that someone who manages to achieve a Dexterity of 7 and a Perception of 9 might just have taken the time to learn the early levels of the Disicplines that naturally compliment such incredible scores. Indeed, with a Perception in excess of 6 a Cainite could just stumble onto Auspex 1 and 2. Finally, I've also elected to give him a 3 dots of Protean, to reflect his ancient friendship with the Gangrel known as Canis, and his reputation for wandering. Fighting tooth and claw and resting beneath the earth just seem to fit.
#3: Explaining high levels and a small spread- It is well-established that a Cainite of sufficient generation can buy multiple levels of Disicplines beyond level 6. Allowing for the extra 9 dots of Disicplines I have already given Mithras (Auspex 3, Celerity 3, Protean 3), he now boasts 41 points. Still a little low, in my opinion. With that in mind, I have decided to award him multiple levels of his strongest Disciplines. My version of Mithras has 3 dots of Level 6 Dominate, 1 dot of Level 7 Dominate, and 1 dot of Level 8 Dominate. He also has 2 dots of Level 6 Fortitude (granting him a power in addition to the extra soak die), 2 dots of Level 6 Presence and 1 dot of Level 7 Presence.
This rounds him out at a more respectable 45 dots of Disciplines. In addition, I have added a few Discipline techniques that ought to be common to a Ventrue of his pedigree who has numbered Assamites among his friends. Long March and Lifesong both seem to be an interesting place for his Auspex and Celerity interests to expire, whereas Aura of Inescapable truth and Denial of Aphrodite's Favour seem to fit for a Cainite that matched wits and powers with the best in the prime of the Eternal Senate of Ancient Rome.
#4: Road Score- Nearly all the Dark Ages sources quote him as belonging to the via Regalis (the Road of Kings), and his general behaviour throughout all the sources would seem to fit with that road's ethics. I have chosen to present him with a score on that path that I feel is appropriate for a Cainite so jaded by war, politics, betrayal and weariness. In my game, his infrequent wanderings are symptomatic of his need to get away from his duty before his Beast erupts, but he cleaves quite strongly to his antiquated notions of honour the rest of the time.
________________________________
Observant folks will note that he has more Retainers than the 8 dots should allow. I have yet to update my wiki on Concord of Ashes, but the general idea is that beyond level 5, the progression of the Background increases at twice the normal rate. Therefore, 6 dots= 7 Retainers, 7 dots= 10 Retainers, 8 dots= 13 Retainers and 9 dots= 21 Retainers.
A basic trouble-shooter for my shorthand: numbers in parentheses are dice pools. I award extra Specialisations for supernally high levels of Abilities. Under Gear, the number following the + symbol refers to either Fortitude or Potence, while b stands for bludgeoning damage and l for lethal damage.
Okey dokey. Without further ado, here is the monster himself! Enjoy...
Mithras, Prince of London and Monarch of the Fiefs of Avalon (c. 1240 CE)
This man has very pale olive skin and the very muscular physique of a warrior. His eyes are very dark and intense. Though he is not
especially tall, he carries an aura of invincible strength,
over-whelming age and absolute authority. An arming sword is worn at his
side, and he wears the well-crafted leathers of a noble prepared for
the hunt.
Role-Playing
Hints: The
seasoned veteran of 100 wars, you are usually a straight-forward man.
You are plain spoken and have little patience for needless subtlety
or prevarication. Always look others in the eye and try to hold their
gazes long enough to make them feel uncomfortable. Speak with quiet
authority and in a tone that brooks no disagreement. You enforce the
Silence of the Blood vigorously, not out of a sense of fear of the
kine, but because it is the most useful and expeditious manner of
conducting Cainite affairs. Behind closed doors and in front of your
peers and servants, you act the god that you are.
You
have gathered the Cainites of the British Isles into the Baronies of
Avalon, and you rule with an undisguised iron fist. You see yourself
as a plain soldier, a small conceit you know for you are in fact an
extraordinary one. You have few equals, and no superiors beneath the
Antediluvians and Caine himself. None can be higher than you on your
land. Brook no behaviour that contradicts this simple truth.
Haven:
A
large, opulent manor in the Strand, over-looking the Thames.
Secrets:
Mithras
is expert at intrigue, and in the use of spies and informants. Little
that happens in the Baronies of Avalon escapes his notice for long,
even without any great skill at Auspex.
Influence:
He
has his fangs sunk into just about everything that happens in his
demesnes. Everyone from the King, the Chancellor and the Archbishop
down to petty nobles are affected in some way by his power. In
Cainite circles, very few elders can match his reach indeed, and none
surpass it.
Clan:
Ventrue
Sire:
Veddartha
Nature:
Autocrat
Demeanour:
Architect
Generation:
4th
Embrace: 1258
BCE (born 1235 BCE)
Apparent
Age: mid 20's
Physical:
Strength 8 (strong
grip) Dexterity 7
(graceful) Stamina
8 (invincible)
Social: Charisma
7 (imperious) Manipulation
7 (authoritative) Appearance
7 (divine)
Mental: Perception
7 (paranoid) Intelligence
8 (analytical) Wits
6 (clever)
Talents:
Alertness 7 (ambushes,
crowds & details),
Athletics 7 (climbing,
leaping & throwing),
Brawl 7 (grappling,
biting & punching),
Dodge 6 (multiple
opponents & sidestep),
Intimidation 6 (aura
of authority & staredown),
Intrigue 5 (divide
and conquer),
Leadership 8 (commands,
military, Conditioning & oratory),
Seduction 5 (powerful),
Sense Deception 5 (half-truths),
Subterfuge 6 (betrayal
& hiding motives)
Skills:
Archery 5 (rapid
shot), Carousing 3,
Commerce- mercenaries
3, Etiquette 6 (military
structures & Cainite),
Hunting 4 (tracking),
Melee 8 (swords,
spears, stakes & daggers),
Ride 4 (controlling
the beast), Stealth 5
(crowds),
Survival 5 (finding
shelter), Warfare
5 (massed
battle)
Knowledges:
Academics 3, Area Knowledge- London 5 (secret
ways) & British
Isles 5 (Bolt-hole
Havens), Bureaucracy
6 (Roman
& feudal),
Heraldry 3, Kindred Lore 6 (Antediluvians
& Gehenna), Law
2, Linguistics 4 (specialised
in military terminology; speaks Phrygian, Persian, Aramaic, Ancient
Greek, Latin, Western Norse, Langued'oc French & English),
Occult 5 (Cainites),
Politics 6 (Cainite
& feudal),
Seneschal 4 (great
estates)
Disciplines:
Auspex 3 (-,9,9),
Celerity 3, Dominate 8 (13,15,12,15,13,15
& 13 & 8,-,13),
Fortitude 6 (-), Potence 5, Presence 7 (7,13,7,13,-,13
&13,15), Protean 3, Quietus
4 (-,9,8,-)
Discipline
Techniques: Aura of Inescapable
Truth (15),
Denial of Aphrodite's Favour (immune
to Presence 1-3 from Cainite's of 5th
generation or weaker),
Lifesong (8),
Long March (-)
Backgrounds:
- Allies 6 (the King of England, Archbishop of Canterbury, several powerful nobles of the Realm and a couple of talented soldiers and merchants);
-
Clan Prestige 7 (Ventrue; awesomely powerful and influential with inestimable dignitas, he is seen by much of the clan as the paragon to which they ultimately aspire);
- Contacts 6 (Thomas Camden, Alexander of Paris, Hardestadt, Julia Antasia, Ursula of Iberia and Tegyrius; his minor contacts are elders among the Ventrue, particularly those who remember his role in Rome or now owe him their fealty. Also, he has a legion of informants among the mortal nobility and soldiery of England);
- Elder Status 7 (considered one of the most powerful and influential Cainites active in the Dark Medieval world)
- Herd 5 (his cult, which currently numbers about 90 soldiers and nobles);
- Influence 5 (pervasive throughout England and significant parts of Wales, Scotland & western France as well as a few small areas of the Holy Roman Empire);
- Military Force 5 (260 elite warriors of his cult, many of them knights and sergeants of great skill that serve as officers beneath his retainers and Cainite vassals)
- Resources 5 (centuries of accumulated treasure, plus investments through his mortal allies, tithes from his clients and the hard work of his seneschals);
- Retainers 8 (six very skilled ghoul knights that accompany him or run his errands, a number of highly placed nobles that influence the king, three seneschals that see to details of his commerce activities and correspondence, and two ghoul German mastiffs that he is very fond of);
- Status 6 (Prince of London and Monarch of the Baronies of Avalon)
Virtues:
Conviction 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 5
Path/Road:
Kings 4
Willpower:
9
Blood Pool: 50/10
Health:
Bruised
, Hurt-1 , Injured-1 , Wounded-2 , Mauled-2 ,
Crippled-5 , Incapacitated
Gear:
He
typically goes armed with a sword of extraordinary craftsmanship
(12+5a).
He is a true master of combat, whether armed or unarmed, and he is
just as dangerous punching (8+5a), grappling (8+5a), grappling and
biting (9+5a agg) or using his Wolf Claws (10+5a agg). He favours
the use of leather armour (9b+6a b/10l+6a).
Merits:
Concentration,
Early Riser, Iron Will
Flaws:
Overconfident,
Clan Enmity (Tremere)
Feeding
Restriction- Mithras can only
feed on members of his own cult
Lineage:
Childe
of Veddartha (d?), Childe of Ventrue (d?)
(d?)= presumed or rumoured to be deceased
High
Level Disciplines
Level
6 Dominate- Fealty:
allows
Mithras (with a charisma + leadership roll, difficulty of recipient's
willpower) to ensure the loyalty of those who voluntarily swear
allegiance to her. Whenever a mortal or Cainite freely makes an oath
to him, the subject is locked into fulfilling the oath to the best of
his ability. Whether the subject has false intentions or is sincere
but later changes her mind, the oath is binding once it's uttered and
Fealty is invoked. The subject is unable to resist upholding the
oath, though he may act against the vampire in any matter not covered
by the oath.
Duration:
1
success- 1 week.
2 successes- 1 month.
3 successes- 1 year.
4 successes- 10 years.
5 successes- 100 years.
2 successes- 1 month.
3 successes- 1 year.
4 successes- 10 years.
5 successes- 100 years.
Level
6 Dominate- Rationalise:
with a Manipulation + Subterfuge roll (difficulty of Wits +
Self-control), Mithras can make a victim of Dominate believe that
they are acting of their own accord.
1 success- The target won’t suspect she has been dominated... at first.
2 successes- The target will suspect something... eventually.
3 successes- The target can only be convinced by others that the action was not her idea.
4 successes- The target will only suspect something if shown hard evidence.
5 successes- The target will ignore all evidence, and may become angry if the point is pressed.
1 success- The target won’t suspect she has been dominated... at first.
2 successes- The target will suspect something... eventually.
3 successes- The target can only be convinced by others that the action was not her idea.
4 successes- The target will only suspect something if shown hard evidence.
5 successes- The target will ignore all evidence, and may become angry if the point is pressed.
Level
6 Dominate-
Autonomic Master: Mithras
(with a Perception + Medicine roll, difficulty of target's Willpower
+2; strong-willed individuals prove impervious if the difficulty
exceeds 10) can use this power to incapacitate his victim with a
glance. This power allows the Cainite to manipulate the target's
basic mental functions. The mental suggestions are powerful
enough
to kill, by commanding his victim's heart to stop beating. The effect
lasts for a number of turns equal to the number of successes on the
roll. The player must choose the exact effect that will be created
before she rolls. She may choose to affect any of the basic functions
of the body, including heartbeat, breathing, eyesight, hearing or
even perspiration. The vampire is capable of starting or stopping
such functions, or can cause them to fluctuate wildly. The
Storyteller determines the actual effects on the target. For example,
a mortal stricken blind for three turns will panic, while one whose
heart stops will probably die. This power works equally well on
vampires, though the effects may differ: Manipulating a vampire's
heart will have no affect on him, but a blind vampire is almost as
helpless as a blind mortal.
Level
7 Dominate- Command
the Legion: allows
Mithras to affect masses of people as if they were one consciousness.
For each success above and beyond that required to Dominate the first
individual, one additional person may be affected by the same
command. If the first individual cannot be affected, then none of the
group can be.
Level
8 Dominate- Command
the Puppet King:
Mithras can use his singular will to give weight to the commands of
another. In this way, he may rule from behind the throne, but still
demand absolute compliance from her subjects. The puppet may not even
be aware of the vampire's influence. Mithras must roll roll
Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty equal to the recipients
Willpower). If the roll succeeds, he may use any of his Dominate
abilities through the pawn. The vampire attempts to Dominate any
additional subjects as usual, though she may do so only through the
eyes of her "puppet." In this way a puppet monarch can be
made to condition subjects with Lure of the Subtle Whispers,
commanding guards with Murmur of the False Will, or the vampire may
transfer her mind into another's body with Vessel. The player must
make the Manipulation + Subterfuge roll each time her character uses
a new ability through the puppet.
Level
6 Fortitude- Stand
Against All Foes: Mithras
can spend a blood point and effectively root himself to the spot
where he is standing. He automatically wins any grapple, tackle or
other typical force that attempts to move him and for the purposes of
atpical force used to move him, he may add his fortitude rating as
automatic successes to the contest.
Level
6 Presence- Paralysing
Glance:
He
must make eye contact with his intended victim, then Mithras rolls
Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty equal to the target's
Willpower). Success renders the victim so terrified that he falls
into a whimpering catatonic state, unable to take any actions except
curling into a fetal position and gibbering incoherently. The
condition lasts for a length of time determined by the number of
successes rolled. If the victim's life is directly threatened (by
assault, impending sunrise, ect.), the poor wretch may attempt to
break out of his paralysis with a Courage roll (difficulty of the
character's Intimidation + 3). One success ends the paralysis. A
botch sends the victim into a continuous state of Rotschreck for the
rest of the night.
Duration:
1
success- 3 rounds
2 successes- 5 minutes
3 successes- the remainder of the scene
4 successes- the rest of the night
5 successes- a week or more (at ST discretion)
2 successes- 5 minutes
3 successes- the remainder of the scene
4 successes- the rest of the night
5 successes- a week or more (at ST discretion)
Level
6 Presence- Passion:
Successful
use of this power (Manipulation + Subterfuge, difficulty of the
target's WP) allows Mithras to create wild passions within an
individual or group. It is usually used either to inspire love or to
incite the victim to rage. When inspiring love, the power works
similar to Entrancement, but is much more compelling. This power
duplicates the effects of a Blood Oath for as long as the target is
in the presence of the character. Alternatively, the vampire may
induce feelings of irritation and hostility in those around him. The
slightest spark provokes arguments and fights. If this power is used
to incite rage, all vampires who are affected must spend a WP or
immediately fall into a frenzy. If the character again rolls
successfully, another Willpower point must be spent each turn in the
character's presence. The only way to avoid the need to spend a
Willpower point is to leave the vampire's presence.
The
number of victims affected is as follows:
1 success- two people
2 successes- four people
3 successes- eight people
4 successes- twenty people
5 successes- everyone in the vicinity
1 success- two people
2 successes- four people
3 successes- eight people
4 successes- twenty people
5 successes- everyone in the vicinity
Level
7 Presence- Cooperation:
By
rolling charisma + leadersip (difficulty 8), Mithras can use this
power nudge those affected by it into a fragile spirit of
camaraderie. The number of individuals affected is determined by how
many successes the player rolls. Cooperation lasts for the remainder
of the scene in which it is invoked, though he may extend the
duration by spending Willpower. While this power is in affect, all
those under its influence are more favorably disposed toward one
another and are more willing to extend trust or make cooperative
plans. Self-Control difficulties to resist frenzy in response to
insults from within the target group are decreased by three. The game
effects of appropriate Intolerance Flaws are removed, and Hatred
Flaws are treated as if they were Intolerance.
Discipline
Techniques
Aura
of Inescapeable Truth
Required: Dominate 4, Presence 4
Mithras can ensure only the truth is spoken in his presence. All beings who speak within earshot of the Cainite are incapable of telling a deliberate untruth while this power is active. Those who attempt to lie will choke on their own words, unable to speak. Those affected by this power may impart mistaken information if they are not aware that they are telling the truth. Once the target is no longer in the presence of the vampire, she is no longer affected. If this is used on Cainites, it affects only those of a lesser generation than its user.
Required: Dominate 4, Presence 4
Mithras can ensure only the truth is spoken in his presence. All beings who speak within earshot of the Cainite are incapable of telling a deliberate untruth while this power is active. Those who attempt to lie will choke on their own words, unable to speak. Those affected by this power may impart mistaken information if they are not aware that they are telling the truth. Once the target is no longer in the presence of the vampire, she is no longer affected. If this is used on Cainites, it affects only those of a lesser generation than its user.
System:
Roll Charisma + Leadership with difficulty equal to the highest
Willpower points among all the targets. Use the below table for
results. A character with five successes breaks the limitation on
range; a character leaving the vampire's presence can only speak the
truth for the entire night, regardless of where he goes.
Effect:
1 success- The next statement made by those affected must be
truthful.
2
successes- Those affected must speak only the truth for the next
minute.
3
successes- Those affected must speak only the truth for the next ten
minutes.
4
successes- Those affected must speak only the truth for the remainder
of the scene.
5
successes- Those affected must speak only the truth for the remainder
of the night.
Denial
of Aphrodite's Favour
Required: Dominate 3, Fortitude 3
Developed centuries ago, this power protects the Ventrue from the skills at which they and the Toreador excel. While the powers of Presence may be more subtle than those of Dominate, they are no less effective. Denial of Aphrodite's Favor allows the Ventrue to protect himself from emotional manipulation with the efficacy that his generation affords him against Dominate. Once learned, this power negates the effects of Presence Levels 1 through 3 used by any Kindred of higher generation.
Required: Dominate 3, Fortitude 3
Developed centuries ago, this power protects the Ventrue from the skills at which they and the Toreador excel. While the powers of Presence may be more subtle than those of Dominate, they are no less effective. Denial of Aphrodite's Favor allows the Ventrue to protect himself from emotional manipulation with the efficacy that his generation affords him against Dominate. Once learned, this power negates the effects of Presence Levels 1 through 3 used by any Kindred of higher generation.
Lifesong
Required: Dominate 1, Presence 1
This power allows the Ventrue to assess any single statement made by the subject and look for the essence of that subject's being beneath the words she speaks. The Ventrue needs to speak no words himself; he simply interprets the statement offered to him.This power works only upon living creatures--Kindred lack the spark of life that colors the words they speak.
Required: Dominate 1, Presence 1
This power allows the Ventrue to assess any single statement made by the subject and look for the essence of that subject's being beneath the words she speaks. The Ventrue needs to speak no words himself; he simply interprets the statement offered to him.This power works only upon living creatures--Kindred lack the spark of life that colors the words they speak.
System:
The vampire rolls Intelligence
+ Empathy (difficulty of target's Manipulation + Expression). With
even a single success, the Ventrue can determine the subject's
Demeanor from the statement. At the Storyteller's discretion, more
successes might reveal the target's nature, or some insight into the
secrets they carry or the emotional scars they bear.
* House ruling- extra information is above and beyond the scope of this vanilla power.
Long
March
Required:
Celerity 2, Fortitude 2
The
Long March can be used any time the character is making an extended
bout of travel. Its benefits stop any time the character must take
unexpected, jarring actions, such as in combat. To activate The Long
March, the character spends one blood point. For the next hour,
multiply the character's full running speed by her Celerity dots plus
one. She travels at this speed for the entirety of the hour. She may
only use The Long March for a number of hours equal to her Fortitude
in a given night. Therefore, by spending 1 blood point/hour, Mithras
can travel at 8 miles/hour for up to 5 hours each night.
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Summary
That's an awful lot of information, yes? This quick primer might assist you in game.
Perception- In addition to his 14 dice on Perception + Alertness rolls (specialised in ambushes, crowds and details), Mithras can sharpen his senses, has a danger sense in some cases, is prone to the odd vision (all Auspex 1), read auras (Auspex 2), read psychic impressions off of objects (Auspex 3) and gain speedy general impressions of another's Demeanour and perhaps even Nature. With his Aura of Inescapable Truth, it is difficult indeed for people to lie in his presence...
Compulsion- In addition to his Charisma and Manipulation scores of 7, Mithras has Intimidation 6 (aura of authority and staredown), Leadership 8 (specialised in commands, military, oratory and Conditioning*), Carousing 3, Intrigue 5 (specialised in divide and conquer), Seduction 5 (specialised in powerful) and Subterfuge 6 (specialised in betrayal and hiding motives). Don't ride rough-shod over PCs with his Disciplines. That's clumsy. Use his social dice pools instead... ;-)
Dominate- He can issue one word commands (Dominate 1, 13 dice), post-hypnotic suggestions (Dominate 2, 15 dice) and alter the memories of others (Dominate 3, 12 dice). He can also condition others to obey his commands without question, as well as more ably resist the Domination of others (Dominate 4*, 15 dice and specialised). He can possess mortals (Dominate 5, 13 dice), bind others into fulfilling their freely given oaths (Dominate 6, 15 dice) and then force them to rationalise their obedience as natural (Dominate 6, 13 dice). He can also take command of someone's bodily functions (Dominate 6, 8 dice), causing blindness, deafness or even stopping their heart if he wishes. Mithras can Dominate more than one target if he chooses (Dominate 7), and can also use his powers of Domination through a favoured mortal thrall (Dominate 8, 13 dice). His most recent habitual use of this last power ensured the continued reign of Henry II for much of the 12th century...
Presence- He can awe an audience (Presence 1, 7 dice), cow them with his gaze (Presence 2, 13 dice) or charm them into thinking him their friends (Presence 3, 7 dice). Mithras can also summon a person from afar (Presence 4, 13 dice), cow an entire audience with his majesty (Presence 5, difficulty 9 to resist) or, If he so chooses, the power behind his awful gaze can paralyse instead of frighten (Presence 6, 13 dice). Finally, he can incite those around him to either love (as Entrancement) or fury, perhaps even causing Frenzy rolls (Presence 6, 13 dice) and make his audience engage in the spirit of great cooperation, putting aside their differences while he is present (Presence 7, 15 dice).
Shrugging it off- To start with, Mithras has a Willpower (WP) of 9. With his Iron Will Merit, he adds 3 to the difficulty of any mind-altering Dominate, Dementate, Thaumaturgy or magick roll made against him. Against Level 6 powers and the equivalent, he must spend a WP and the difficulty is only 2 higher. Against Level 7 powers and the like, he must spend a WP and the difficulty is only 1 higher. Likewise, he is completely immune to Presence powers of Levels 1-3 from Cainites of 5th generation or weaker.
Soaking- Mithras has a Stamina of 8 and a Fortitude of 6, giving him 14 soak dice even before armour is applied. Furthermore, with the expenditure of a Blood Point (BP), he automatically wins any standard attempt to move him, whether that be a grapple, a tackle maneauver, a full heavy cavalry charge or a pack of enraged Werewolves. Against aytpical force (such as a being of like power), he gains 6 automatic successes on his roll to resist being moved.
Giving it back- Assuming Mithras feels the need to physically contend at all, he will likely amplify his physical characteristics to 10 in the first round, and spend BP to gain automatic successes on Fortitude and Potence rolls and extra attacks with Celerity. That makes his Brawl rolls 17 dice (specialising in grappling, punching and biting), his Dodge rolls 16 dice (specialising in multiple opponents and sidestep), his Archery rolls 15 dice (specialising in rapid shot) and his Melee rolls 18 dice (specialising in swords, spears, stakes and daggers). He likes to keep his knowledge of Protean and Quietus a secret, so he will likely use Celerity then grapple and bite (11 dice + 5 automatic successes of Aggravated damage) or draw his sword and strike (14 dice + 5 automatic successes).
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What do you guys think? I would humbly submit that he is now the Cainite Blood God he was always supposed to be!
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