Venue Name: The Watchers
Genre: LARP World of Darkness (Mafia)

Contacts:
VST : Josh Rebmann
AVST : Nic Collinsworth

Place/Time:
Timbercreek Apartments, Recreation Room

Directions from South:

From I-69:
Take I-69 north to M-27 north. Take the first Mount Pleasant exit which is a left-hand exit. This will turn into Mission Road. Before the first stoplight will be a turn lane and a road to the left. Turn left onto Old Mission Road, then turn right onto East Deerfield Road (just after the bridge, before the party store on the right). You will pass several Apartment complexes on the left side of the road. A large brown sign marks Timbercreek Apartments, game is located in the (large brown) building closest to the road. Take either driveway around to the door marked "Leasing Office." Game is held in the Rec Room just off the main lobby.

From I-75:
Take I-75 north to US-10 West (exit 162). Take US-10 to the Business 10 exit from Midland, which is a left hand exit. Follow Business 10 through Midland to M-20. Turn left where indicated for M-20 and follow M-20 into Mount Pleasant, where it will become Pickard Road. Turn Left onto Missions Street. Take Mission past Bluegrass Road (the eigth light) and turn right onto Old Mission Road (There will be a turn lane directly after the stoplight). Take Old Mission and turn right onto East Deerfield Road (just after the bridge, before the party store on the right). You will pass several Apartment complexes on the left side of the road. A large brown sign marks Timbercreek Apartments, game is located in the (large brown) building closest to the road. Take either driveway around to the door marked "Leasing Office." Game is held in the Rec Room just off the main lobby.

Directions from North:

From M-27:
Take M-27 south to the Mount Pleasant exit which turns into Mission Road. Take Mission past Bluegrass Road (the eigth light) and turn right onto Old Mission Road (There will be a turn lane directly after the stoplight). Take Old Mission and turn right onto East Deerfield Road (just after the bridge, before the party store on the right). You will pass several Apartment complexes on the left side of the road. A large brown sign marks Timbercreek Apartments. Take either driveway around to the door marked "Leasing Office." Game is held in the Rec Room just off the main lobby.

Directions from East:
Follow the same directions as from I-75. Get on US-10 west and follow directions as above.

Directions from West:
From M-20: Take M-20 East into Mount Pleasant and turn right on Mission. Follow directions as above.

GENERAL OVERVIEW

The World of Darkness Mortals venue is a game filled with dark mystery and tragic personal horror. The mortals game is that of normal men and women who struggle to come to terms with the fact that the world that they inhabit is not the world as they have known it. Each and every character will bring with it a personal story of how their rose covered glasses were ripped from them. Such personal history will direct these characters down a path of self discovery to find ones place in this world of darkness. However in this world a quest for purpose and direction brings one into contact with the dark forces that wander the boarders of man's domain. The characters search for personal answers and understanding yet as they find hints and answers they are met with more questions, mysteries, and enigmas.

This White Wolf supported Camarilla venue is different from others because of its unique tie to the domain story as a whole. All venues interact with the mortal world in some way, be it directly or though story transference. Not only will this venue explore the personal development of mortal characters and their paradigm but also the stories that bleed over from the other venues. Such bleed over and meta-plot stories combine with this venue to tell an aspect of the Mount Pleasant World of Darkness Story.

THEME

This mortals venue brings with it a variety of Themes. The first of which is “to find oneself and your place you must delve into the dark recesses of this world”. Another is that “as one watches, chronicles and hunts those that exist in darkness one must be careful not to let the darkness become part of you”. And for simplicity sake the last one to be stated here is “The greatest power is knowledge, and to know how and when to utilize it”.

MOOD

The atmosphere that we would like to encourage and portray with in this mortals venue is that of justifiable paranoia and hope. Threat lurks around every corner, and one must be ever cautious because as you watch those who exist in darkness you never know who may be watching you. This stage is orchestrated and controlled by forces beyond your control and you must fight and sacrifice to save others from your tragic fate. You have been chosen to take up this clandestine struggle for the good of all humanity. Will you answer their call?

SETTING

Mt Pleasant, Michigan

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

No major travel restrictions are in effect, except as noted below.

PROXY RULES

PCs must gain VST approval to be simultaneously present both in the jurisdiction of the storytelling staff and outside of it. Characters that come into the game with effects cast on them by other characters will be required to provide the name of the casting character, the name and contact information for the player of the casting character and the name and contact information of the ST who supervised the casting; this information should be provided at check-in. All such effects must also be approved by the VST before the characters upon whom such effects are cast may enter play.

SUPPLEMENTARY STYLE INFORMATION

Brand new player characters begin the game with a full Willpower pool. Willpower pools for subsequent days will depend entirely on actions taken during the game or during downtime. Acquiring more Willpower is possible during the game, but must be supervised and approved by a VST. Custom Powers or items may only be used if accompanied by a copy of the printed approval page from the database detailing the exact approved mechanics of the item in question.


ITEMS FOR ADVANCE VST APPROVAL:

PCs should pre-check in the following items with the VST by email prior to midnight on the day of the event if they wish to have access to them during game. Restrictions on these items may be set by the VST. If a PC should acquire one of these things before game begins, it is acceptable to email the ST as soon as this occurs and get a late permission.
-Anything requiring a Top or Master approval
-Any custom Merits
-All custom Rituals
-Level 5 in Secret Society Status

MASS DESTRUCTION EFFECTS

Those effects which are designed to destroy the IC Site, cause mass-flight of the characters, or that will tie up large areas of game play space with a combat will be moderated as follows: Effects will be carefully monitored by VST. Characters freely using such damaging powers may expect swift and severe repercussions. Mechanical effects causing mass damage or destruction: bombs, rockets, grenades, gasoline arson etc. will not be allowed without VST approval and an appropriate approval number for items requiring an approval number. All other effects which disrupt large areas of the game-site will require the prior approval of the VST.

ON-SITE vs. OFF-SITE

Players who are on the physical location of the game site yet off-site in terms of play represent a breakdown in the continuity of the game and will be limited as much as possible. All hard RP occurring off site will need to have a staff ST present and be approved by the VST to be sanctioned as part of the Camarilla chronicle. Off-site locations must be approved with the VST before role-playing begins at that location.

ECONOMY

Willpower will be tracked through downtimes and game play. At character check in before game willpower will be recorded, as well as any expenditures throughout game play.

VENUE SUMMARY

Intrigue (Politics and Negotiation):  2
Manners (Social Etiquette and Peer Pressure): 3
Action (Combat and Challenges): 3
Mystery (Enigmas and Investigation): 4
Drama (Ceremony and Characterization): 3
Darkness (Probability of Character Death/Corruption): 4
Pace (Speed that Stories Emerge): moderate
Cross venue  1-2

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

-Challenges involving the use of Custom mechanics or powers from Second Sight require the approval of the VST.
-No Custom item that affects a target without allowing a resistance draw will be allowed at this Mortals Venue.
-The World of Darkness is full of all manner of creature roaming the day and night. This could lead to travel risks.



MI-015-D Universal VSS

This VSS contains rules applicable to all Venues in MI-015-D “Mt Pleasant by Night”

Contact Information

Domain Storyteller – DST.MI.015.D@gmail.com

Domain Coordinator – DC.MI.015.D@gmail.com

Contributions

Andrea Boog, Gillian Twining, Jayson Turner, Jim Lai, Joe Auerbach, Jon Herrmann, Joshua Rebmann, Joshua Tourangeau, Kelly Pohl, Kevin Millard,  Lawrence Egbert, Luke Hill, Matthew Cooper, Nicko Demeter, Randy Ochs, Ree Soesbee, Todd Nagle and Wade Jones.

Storytelling Standards

"Camarilla Storytellers, by taking on the office, agree to do their best to advance the cause of the entertainment of the players throughout the Camarilla. All Storytellers are accepting the responsibility to help build a living history, player-centered plotlines, sound policy and meaningful, documented non-player characters. Storytellers promise, by taking on the job, to help run enjoyable scenes, help players develop interesting characters, and report on their games for the education of others. Storytellers are giving their word to the players that while in office they will make decisions ethically and promote fair play, as well as mentor and educate their assistants and players. All Storytellers represent their players to senior Storytellers, and senior Storytellers to their players. Being a Storyteller is a promise to promote the continuity of the chronicle, coordinate with fellow Storytellers for the good of the club, and always strive to focus on this club as a group of friends who share the game as a common ground for fun."

Place/Time

This VSS is applicable to all sanctioned games, either ST-moderated or in non-challenge role-play, being run in MI-015-D. Specific game times and locations vary; consult the schedule for specific information or visit our website http://www.mpbynight.org/

Theme/Mood

Each venue will focus on the greater challenges facing the World of Darkness, the powers beyond, the forces of nature, and the gods- or demons- within oneself. Supernatural, and those humans with the will to stand tall in the World of Darkness, are taking on a world that is inclined to harm them- sometimes directly, but sometimes by giving them what they really want in a way that they never expected or desired. What happens when your dreams turn into nightmares? What happens when your dreams are someone else's nightmares- and they want to wake, and you want to dream on? What happens when beings of such power face each other, in arenas ranging from ballrooms to boardrooms to bedrooms?

It will be possible to never get involved directly in any plot-kit, but still be affected by player driven action as a result of the ongoing plot-kits and player originated plans. This could be without attending a single scheduled event, and without realizing that your character is acting as a result of pressures in play as a result of these elements. Story is inter-woven everywhere.

Venue Rules

MI-015-D uses the Camarilla rules supplement, the appropriate supplements for each individual venue, the primary White Wolf MET and World of Darkness books contained therein, and the most current version of the US rules addenda published at the time of the event.

Make sure at character check-in to bring all character records required per Camarilla rules. Current rules can be found in the Global and U.S. Rules Addenda, as well as any special approvals granted or requirements levied by the individual Venue Storyteller for each venue.

For on-site IC check-in, please be certain to bring at least two printed copies (neatly handwritten ink is acceptable, but pencil is not) of all character sheets and item cards. All items should include, at a minimum:

    * Your name
    * Your Camarilla Number
    * Your Region
    * Primary Storyteller's name, their contact information, and Camarilla number.

Character sheets must have a complete XP log as well. Every single approval MID or higher must have an approval number listed either in the XP log or on the character sheet. Do not add approvals that are pending onto your character sheet. Only approved items should be listed on your character sheet or XP log.

Members of Camarilla may be required to strike items from their character sheets, alter supernatural powers or effects, or otherwise work with the Storytellers to make sure their characters are in compliance with these rules.

Each venue may have its own clarifications and additional rules, as allowed by its individual VSS for MI-015-D.

Character Restrictions

Each game will have venue-specific restrictions for things requiring prior approval or that are not allowed in that game. See the VSS for each game for more specific information. Regardless, there are some things that require prior approval and/or are not allowed for all games at MI-015-D. Approvals for these items will be accepted via e-mail no later than 48 hours prior to the event. A confirmation e-mail from the Venue Storyteller will be returned with the acceptance. Players will be responsible for producing this approval at character check in at MI-015-D.

Character Retirement

As per the Camarilla Addendum, with the following addenda: Storytellers may retire any character from their VSS with MID approval. This should only be done in situations where the player has made no attempt to contact the Storyteller to ensure continued interest in the character. It is the player’s responsibility to ensure that periods of inactivity are approved by the Storyteller. If documentation does not occur, the character can be removed from the VSS after 2 months of inactivity with MID approval. The Storyteller is empowered to explain the character’s retirement in whatever way best suits the story from the Storyteller’s perspective. This includes the death of the character or the character being transformed into a NPC.

The items that require prior approval by the appropriate VST are as follows:

    * Top- or Master-level approvals: Any character type, item, supernatural power, etc., requiring Top- or Master-level approval must be sent in prior to arrival at MI-015-D to the individual venue leads, no later than 48 hours prior to game. Players must include on the character sheets presented at MI-015-D a typed description of that power, ability or item, and its game mechanics, otherwise it will not be available for use at MI-015-D. See the specific game VSS for contact information.
    * High Approval Bloodlines, Disciplines, and Devotions must be cleared through the Venue Storyteller through notification, either on-site or via email prior to the event. The Venue Storyteller may be very busy; we highly recommend email clearance prior to the event. Trying to obtain Venue Storyteller approval on-site may mean delays of several hours, so if you wish to enter play in a timely manner, pre-approval is strongly advised.
    * Weaponry other than what is allowed by the approved World of Darkness books requires prior approval by the Venue Storyteller. Special note: Any weapon or effect, from any source, that can deliver damage to more than one target, such as automatic weapons and explosives, will be Venue Storyteller approval for all venues. This applies to any device or effect which may cause the mass flight of characters or that will tie up large areas of game play space within a combat. Information on how these items were obtained should be included, as well as reference numbers if it is in the Camarilla approvals database.
    * Magical Items, to include holy or unholy items with mechanical effects require Venue Storyteller approval.
    * Gadgetry: Things that belong in a James Bond movie will generally not be allowed. If the effect is a material or item intended to duplicate existing abilities in game (such as miniature hand-held cameras to spot those using Obfuscate, etc.), they will also generally not be allowed. Some venues have character types (Iron Masters, Forge Masters, etc.) that may use such devices. Consult the Venue Storyteller to see if the items you have are considered exceptions to this rule. Otherwise, non-standard "gadgets" are generally disallowed.
    * Cross-venue characters require the approval of the Venue Storyteller for both the home venue and the intended venue to be visited, as well as the Domain Storyteller. Such cross-venue should be cleared prior to the event, not later than 48 hours. It is extremely unlikely that cross-venue authorization will be granted on-site.
    * NPCs not affiliated with authorized MI-015-D Plot-kits require Venue Storyteller approval. Storytellers may petition to incorporate their plotlines and/or NPCs into the MI-015-D plots; approval of both the Venue Storyteller and the Domain Storyteller is required to do so; however, we want to encourage integration of outside plots into MI-015-D events, and will try to work with you to get your plot involved in MI-015-D.
    * Prepared actions: Player characters will be able to enter each game session with a number of preparations no higher than their unmodified Resolve. Examples of prepared actions include potions (created by Spoiling, alchemy, or other means), prepared spells or rituals, etc. Every 5 points of stored "expendable" trait (see below) brought into play constitutes one prepared action. This includes Vitae Reliquaries, preserved blood, Tass, etc. Pre-cast spells in Awakening may not total more than the character's unmodified Stamina, and may not exceed (Resolve x Gnosis) in total Potency. Players must have an Item Card for prepared actions. Item Cards must have the relevant Player, Character and Storyteller information, including an Event Date and Domain Code (MI-015-D).
    * "Expendable" traits: PC's may enter game at less than their full capacity of their applicable "expendable" trait (Vitae in Requiem, Mana in Mage, Essence in Forsaken, Pyros in Promethean). The same may apply too other traits, such as Willpower. Please consult the Venue VSS for more information.
    * Player characters enter the event with full Willpower. Expenditures and recovery must be handled by a Narrator or Storyteller. For more information on spending and regaining Willpower, see Mind’s Eye Theatre page 109-110.
    * In character "off-site" locations for use in play must be approved by the Domain Storyteller, and may be subject to travel risks and out-of-game time requirements for travel.

In all cases, anything requiring prior approval must be accompanied by a full character sheet, experience point log, and a separate list of all high- and top-level approvals on the character.

On-Site vs. Off-Site

Players who are on the physical location of the game site yet "off-site" in terms of play represent a breakdown in the continuity of the game and will be limited as much as possible. Those events that have been designated as off-site will be clearly marked on the schedule or by Storyteller Announcement. In some cases participating in these events may limit your ability to participate in the regular venue, as well as be subject to travel risks and/or additional time requirements.

Proxy Rules  

Though proxy play is permitted by the Camarilla rules supplements, proxy characters are not allowed for MI-015-D without Domain Storyteller approval due to the difficulty in finding players and Storytellers to run them. This approval must be secured not later than 48 hours prior to event. On-site approvals will be extremely unlikely.

Request of proxy play should include at a minimum:

- Character sheet and Experience log
- Character’s reasons and motivations to be here  
- Character’s personality and attitude
- Character’s actions in possible situations  
- Character’s travel arrangements to and from the area
- Character’s security measures

Travel Risks

Travel in the World of Darkness is not without risks, but the risks are specific to each individual game and the travel methods used. Consult the VSS for each game for more specific information.

Experience

The standard experience award in MI-015-D will be 2-5 XP per session, in accordance with the Camarilla and U.S. national addenda. Earned XP may be divided between characters if more than one character is played during a session, but the total remains the same (ex: if 4 XP are earned, they may be split between two characters 2/2, 3/1, etc, but each character does not receive the full 4 XP). Determination of an over-the-cap XP award will be made following the game, with the recommendation of the Venue Storyteller to the Domain Storyteller based on the quality of role-play. Experience for a good death may be awarded by players' home Storytellers in accordance with the Camarilla supplements, or by the Venue Storyteller or Domain Storyteller for character deaths occurring during play in MI-015-D. Players who seek Good Death awards must contact the Venue Storyteller, who will recommend Good Death awards to the home Storyteller. Good Death XP will not be awarded on-site.

Narrator and Venue Storyteller Empowerment in Mass Combat Scenes

Mass combat, because of its easy opportunity to escalate into sessions of challenges that tie up characters for long periods of time, will be carefully monitored. Any Storyteller may pull a combat out of the main gaming area and into one of any number of side rooms, including the designated Controlled Challenge Room ("CCR"). The chief Storyteller on-scene or designated Combat ST is empowered to determine when and how other characters are allowed to enter such combats. If any players argue or otherwise disrupt the flow of combat rounds with unnecessary discussion, the designated Combat ST has the power to declare the player's character knocked out of the combat, and the Domain Storyteller or Venue Storyteller has the option to declare that the player's character has been killed during the combat, without reference to test, challenge or other game mechanics. The Domain Storyteller or Venue Storyteller also has the right to script events in combat scenes to ensure that the events do not negatively impact the larger setting. Attendance at MI-015-D equates to express agreement to these rules, including acceptance that scripted scenes may be considered 'mediated' (i.e., acceptance of this VSS constitutes acceptance of the mediation, with details being stated in the scripting of the scene), and therefore are not required to strictly follow the letter of the rules so long as they uphold the spirit of the rules in a fair and equitable way with enjoyment and story for the Chronicle as a whole as the primary concerns. Appeals to the scripting of a scene, or any other ruling made in any combat situation, may be made as per the Camarilla Membership Handbook, but must be filed, in full, no more than 30 days following the incident appealed to be considered valid.



The following document titled “… And Action!” was created by Jim Lai specifically for the Forsaken Venue; however, within the boundaries of MI-015-D, all Storytellers are permitted to use Jim’s document during mass combat scenes:

… And Action!
Faster Action Sequences in Mind’s Eye Theater
Created by Jim Lai (us2002021214, GL ARST Forsaken)

For some context, one of the concerns that we have been seeing in Forsaken is that violence, which is an important part of the game, takes forever to adjudicate.

1. Mooks (the Stormtrooper Rule)

Let's face it, in any story involving combat, there are antagonists and mooks. Antagonists are important characters with motivations and history. They are important parts of the setting who have recurring roles. In the Matrix, the Agents are Antagonists. The soldiers and guards in the lobby shoot out scene are Mooks.

Mooks aren't as tough as antagonists. Maybe they have a lower pain threshold, or they're just not as motivated. But generally, one good shot and they go down. They may not be dead, but they're effectively out of the fight.

Using Mooks is a great way to speed up combat and make it come across as faster and more furious. They all go at the same time, they come in, do their thing, and usually go down like a good faceless horde.

This is how I use Mooks in my games.

As a VST, I have every right to do this because it's simply a form of guided mediation that I offer to my players. We make occasional tests to help determine what the result of a mediated encounter. It's just something that you and your players need to agree on ahead of time. This is the first time I have written this stuff down. Until now it's pretty much existed solely in my head. When I use this I just ask my players "do you mind if we mediate the action?" and this is how I do it. Maybe I'll put this into my VSS as "this is a form of combat mediation that I use to speed up fight sequences and to encourage descriptive RP."

1. Mooks have two status levels: up and down. They don't suffer from wound penalties (drama is wasted on them). If a player succeeds in taking a Mook down, then they should explain what they did. "I claw him" is boring and it takes away from the ability to visualize the scene. "I grab his arm as he stabs at me and rip out his ribcage" lets everyone know exactly what's happening when werewolves fight. If the player doesn't do it, then I feel free to make up what happens for story purposes.

2. Mooks don't have complete character sheets. They have three test pools: a primary test pool that takes care of their primary role (for example, a human thug might have a primary test pool Combat: 9), a secondary test pool that covers things that help them accomplish their primary role (for example, the same thug might have a secondary test pool for stuff like Climb/Jump/Run/Drive: 7), and a tertiary test pool that covers everything else (for example, Everything Else: 5). They have a single Resistance value that covers everything from Defense to Resolve + Composure to anything else (face it, it doesn't matter if you knock a Mook out or scare him away, he's out of the picture either way).

3. Mooks don't make tests. If a Mook is supposed to resist a pull (i.e. both people test and compare successes), just subtract his Resistance value from the player's pool. If the player makes a success, then the Mook loses. If not, the player inflicted a flesh wound or the Mook managed to break eye contact before the mind control could take effect or whatever. When Mooks attack, they just add six (an average pull) to their relevant test pool. If they succeed, apply successes as normal. If not, then they just suck that round. If a Mook fails to affect a player, the player should explain why. Note that Mooks can still help each other so a bunch of Mooks in large groups teaming up can still threaten even powerful characters.

4. Players can take out Mooks in groups. If a player wants to devote a series of actions to dealing with a group of Mooks, then he can declare that series that he could conceivably perform in six seconds and make a single pull. Storytellers should err on the side of the player and chalk any discrepancies up to “bullet time.” The main thing to look out for its that the player should not use a series to maneuver himself to a spot he couldn’t otherwise reach in a round. If he succeeds, then accomplishes all of his actions in one round. For example, if a character is going to square off with five Mooks and decides to hit Mook One with a flying kick that knocks him into Mook Two, then uses Mook Two as a human shield to take a bullet from Mook Three, then vault over Mook Two's falling body to tackle Mook Three, using the fall to duck shots from Mooks Four and Five, who then shoot each other. If he makes a pull at -5, he succeeds! Fighting more Mooks at once imposes a penalty to the player's pull, but coming up with cool narration that helps move the story along adds a bonus.

2. “Single Camera” Roleplaying (The Cinematics Rule)

For some context, one of the concerns that we have been seeing in Forsaken is that violence, which is an important part of the game, takes forever to adjudicate.

In a previous post, I described how I use Mooks in my game to help characters wade through faceless hordes much faster using mediation guided by limited use of tests. Now I'm going to address something that I've heard described to me as "Single Camera" roleplaying. Again, the Camarilla does make allowance for ideas like this through its mediation rule. As long as the players and I agree that this is something we are going to use, then the Camarilla allows us to do so as a form of structured mediation.

The premise is that a roleplaying game is governed by rules of timing and story flow similar to those that govern a movie. We all know when the pacing of a movie is good or bad. Likewise, we all know when the pacing of a roleplaying game is good or bad. The underlying assumption I'm making here is that a storyteller has one "camera" to use when putting together what his scene is going to look like. Therefore, he has to prioritize events and use his narrative skills to control the pacing of the story. Players want to breeze through the unimportant parts of a scene to get to the dramatic ones.

Let's take a fairly typical narrative sequence from a movie and break it down into component parts. In The Matrix: Reloaded, Trinity breaks into a power plant with the help of a motorcycle and her mad kung fu skills, fights her way to the control room, and then proceeds to hack the system, thus enabling Neo and Morpheus to get to their goal. The sequence has three basic parts: (1) the entrance; (2) making her way to the computers; and (3) the hack. Of these, the hack is the most important to the story because it has the greatest impact on the outcome. The entrance is of secondary importance because it's how Trinity gets to where she needs to be and because it has some effect on character development in the future. The fight to get to the computers is of tertiary importance because it's just window dressing.

If we played the scene out with standard rules, it would take forever. Every guard would be a full-blown sequence and we would be pulling cards all night. We don't want that. So as a storyteller, you use your mediation power to get players to agree to change from a task-resolution paradigm to a goal-resolution one. Here's the difference:

Task Resolution: OK, I want to jump the bike, flip off it midair, and land it on the guard shack. That's a Dex plus drive to make the jump, a Dex plus athletics to make the flip, another Dex plus athletics to stick the landing the next round, and a Dex plus drive to make the bike land on the shack. Then I spend a round standing up, a round pulling the helmet, and then I fight the two guards.

Goal Resolution: OK, my goal is to jump the bike, flip off it midair, and land it on the guard shack. Landing it on the shack is gravy and it's part of my attack plan, so clearly the most important part is making the jump and landing safely. So the pull is going to be Dex plus athletics. This is a hard maneuver so let's impose a -1 penalty for the flip, a -1 for making the landing, and a -1 for hitting the shack. Then I want to take out the guards. They're two mooks, so I'm going to use my helmet as a club and do some cool spin moves to confuse them. Let's call that a single Strength plus weaponry pull with a -1 for fighting a mob.

Under the task resolution paradigm, you make a ton of tests, especially when you get to the fight sequence. Under a goal resolution paradigm, the focus is on the outcome of the scene, not the individual steps it takes to get there. So you accomplish the whole thing in two pulls.

The goal resolution paradigm relies on the storyteller's ability to change the amount of time that a particular test represents. When something is important, you can compress time so each test represents a much smaller action where the individual parts of it are dramatically important. When something is less important, you expand time so that the player achieves a subsidiary goal faster and moves on to the meaty stuff.

For example, when you are dealing with mooks, the important thing isn't each individual blow, but the end result of the fight. Going back to the Matrix, look how little time Neo and Trinity spend with each soldier in the lobby shootout. On the other hand, when you are dealing with important characters, each individual punch and kick becomes extremely important because you are dealing with a much more powerful opponent. Look how much time the camera spends on Neo's subway fight with Agent Smith. Every single shot is critical because it is part of the character development and the story progression. This comparison demonstrates how storytellers can make use of both task resolution and goal resolution in the same session in order to take control over the flow of the story.



Player Advisory

The World of Darkness is not a happy place. From time to time, the Storytellers in a venue may use adult themes, vivid descriptions, and contentious social issues to bring the World of Darkness to life. For those familiar with the White Wolf tabletop material, some plot elements or themes could be considered "Black Dog" material. Such themes and issues may include racism, sexism, bigotry, prejudice, sexual assault, and extreme violence. If, at any time, a player feels uncomfortable with a scene, the player should immediately inform the Storyteller running the scene. The Storyteller will either tone down scene so that the player is once again comfortable participating in it, or will excuse the player from the scene and hand the PC to a Narrator or other designated representative to finish out the scene without breaking continuity. These disturbing elements will not be used lightly, and players that leave due to comfort issues will be treated with compassion and courtesy. Storytellers will take reasonable steps to ensure that players who must leave a scene for this reason are not put at a disadvantage by their departure.



Influence (Allies, Contacts, Retainers, Status)

Influence requires one success to accomplish a goal that is of equal or lesser level on the following reference charts. Attempting higher level actions requires additional successes.

Influence (Challenges and Pre-set Difficulties)

The levels above are samples of what can be done with an equal number of successes within this domain. However, the level of Influence your character has also has an effect upon what you are planning to do with your Influence. Storytellers are empowered to deny any use of Influence that directly interferes with the greater story. The rank of the Influence provides the starting point for which the character with the Influence begins challenges with the Storyteller. Hence, a character with Status 1 requires five successes to achieve a rank 5 effect, four successes to achieve a rank 4 effect, etc. A character with Status 3 requires only one success to achieve a rank 1-3 effect, two successes to achieve a rank 4 effect and three successes to achieve an effect of rank 5.

Academia
1)  Know layout and policies of local schools; obtain records up to high school level
2)  Have minor access to facilities; fake high school records; obtain college records
3)  Call in faculty favors; cancel a class; fix grades; discredit a student
4)  Organize student protests and rallies; discredit a faculty member
5)  Falsify and undergraduate degree

City Hall
1)  Trace utility bills; minor lobbying; Identify real platforms of politicians and their parties; be in
             the know
2)  Fake birth certificate or Driver’s license; disconnect single small residences utilities; Close small
             road or park; meet small time politicians; Garner inside information on laws and the like
3)  Fake death certificate, passport, or green card; close a public school for a day; Shut down a
             minor business for a day on a violation; sway or alter political projects
4)  Initiating a phone tap; fake land deeds; initiate a department wide investigation; Enact minor
             legislation; dash careers of minor politicians
5)  Start, stop, or alter a city-wide program or policy; reroute major modes of travel; Shut down a
             big business on violation; rezone areas; Obliterate records of a person on a city or county
             level

Corporate
1)  Learn about major transactions and financial events; Learn about general economic trends;
            Learn real motivations for many financial actions of others; Learn about industrial projects
            and movements
2)  Trace an unsecured small amount; raise capital to purchase a small business; Have minor
            projects performed; arrange small accidents or sabotage
3)  Purchase a large business; organize minor strikes; Appropriate machinery for a short time
4)  Manipulate local banking; ruin a small business; close down a small plant; Revitalize a small
            plant
5)  Manipulation of an aspect of city-wide banking; ruin a large business; Purchase a major
            company; manipulate large local industry

Criminal
1)  Open an ear for the word on the street; Identify most gangs and know their turf and habits;
             locate minor contraband
2)  Keep a contact or two in most aspects of street life; access small time contraband; Obtain
             pistols and stolen cars; hire muscle to ruff someone up, fence stolen loot;
3)  Get insight into other areas of influence; Arrange some service from street people and gangs;
             Obtain uncommon melee weapons; obtain rifle, shotgun, or SMG; arrange a minor hit;
4)  Mobilize groups of homeless; have a word in almost all aspects of gang operations; Make
             white collar crime connections
5)  Control a single medium sized gang; arrange impressive protests by street people; Arrange
             gangland assassinations; hire a demolition man or firebug; Supply local drug needs,
             smuggle with impunity

Health
1)  Access a person’s health records; fake vaccination records and the like; Use public functions
             of health centers at your leisure; Get a single blood trait of mortal blood
2)  Access some medical research records; have minor lab work done; Get a copy of a coroner’s
             report; instigate minor quarantines
3)  Corrupt results of tests or inspections; alter medical records
4)  Need a cadaver, you got one; completely rewrite medical records; Have minor medical
             research performed on a subject; institute large scale quarantines; Shut down businesses
             for “health code violations”
5)  Commission special research projects; have people institutionalized or released

High Society
1)  Learn what is trendy; obtain hard to get tickets for shows; Learn about concerts, shows, or
             plays well before they are made public
2)  Track most celebrities and luminaries; be a local voice in the entertainment field; Travel locally
             quickly and freely
3)  Crush promising careers; hobnob well above your station; Arrange passage that is safe and
             concealed from mundane threats
4)  Minor celebrity status; avoid most supernatural threats while traveling
5)  Making a brief appearance on a local talk show; Ruin a new club, gallery, festival or other
             posh gathering

Media
1)  Learn about breaking stories early; submit small articles
2)  Suppress small articles or reports; get hold of investigative reporting information
3)  Initiate news investigations and reports; ground minor local stories and projects; Submit large
              articles
4)  Ground major local stories and projects; Kill minor local stories and articles completely
5)  Broadcast fake stories locally; kill major local articles and reports completely

Occult
1)  Contact and make use of common occult groups and their practices; Know some of the move
              visible occult figures
2)  Know and contact some of the more obscure occult figures; Access resources for most
              rituals/rites/powers
3)  Know general vicinity of certain supernatural beings and possibly ways to contact; Access vital
              or rate material components; access occult tomes and writings; Research a common
              ritual/rite/power
4)  Research a more advanced ritual/rite/power
5)  Research advanced/rare ritual/rite/power

Police
1)  Learn police procedures; hear police information and rumors; Avoid traffic tickets; get free
            representation for minor cases
2)  Have license plates checked; Avoid minor violations; get “inside” information; Avoid bail for
            some charges; have minor charges dropped
3)  Get copies of an investigation report; have police hassle, detain or harass someone; Find
            internal police secrets; get representation in most court cases
4)  Access confiscated weapons or contraband; have some serious charges dropped; Start an
            investigation; issue subpoenas; have most legal charges dropped; Cancel or arrange parole
5)  Institute major investigations; arrange sting operations; have officers fired; Close down all but
            the most serious investigations; Have deportation proceedings carried out against someone

Religion
1)  Identify most secular members of a given faith in the local area; Pass as a member of a
            particular faith; peruse general church records
2)  Identify higher religious members; track regular church members; Suspend lay members
3)  Open or close a single church; find the average church associated hunter; Access private
            information and archives of the church
4)  Discredit or suspend high level church members; Manipulate regional branches of the church;
5)  Organize major protests; access major church lore and knowledge

The levels of influence under each area are not the “be all, end all” for what can be done under a given area.  They are just meant as guidelines to give you an idea of what can be done under each area for a given level.  Ultimately it is up to the residing ST to determine what you can and can’t do at each level under each area and whether there will have to be a draw to do or get the information you want.

Allies

Allies indicate a group of people in one of the areas above that you can call on to do you favors.  In some cases they may requires something from you in return depending on what you are asking of them.  If they are used too often or are put into danger one too many times they may stop giving you any aid.  In some circumstances a Manipulation + Persuasion + Allies draw may be required when asking for aid.  If you are calling on help, for example asking for some police to show up, you will need to make a Manipulation + Persuasion + Allies to determine how many answer the call (One per success).  These actions can also be done in game and downtime is done the same as with status except it is not your character specifically doing the actions but you asking a group of people in the area of influence you wish to use to do it for you.

Contacts

Contacts indicate a group of people you can contact to get information from one of the areas above.  Contacts can only provide you with information on something, they won’t get directly involved.  To gain information from a contact need to make a successful Manipulation + either Persuasion or Socialize depending on the situation.  Penalties may arise depending on the difficultness of the information wanted, i.e. confidential.  These actions can be done in game or during downtime and downtime is done just like with Status and Allies except you can only gain information from them, they won’t do any other type of action.

Retainers

Retainer indicates someone that you have that you can call on to help you out.  This could be by having been friends, blackmail, close work associate, etc.  This person will generally help you out in many circumstances as long as it doesn’t offend him or her in some way.  In some cases the retainer may be in a position to do something along the lines of and ally or contact but depending on the retainer the information may be skewed in some way based on their point of view.  Retainers don’t have character sheets per say, their stats are determined by the storyteller depending on the number of dots you have in him/her and what type of retainer you were looking for.

Status

Status indicates the level of your standing in one Specific Area (as detailed above).  It allows you to directly affect things from that area of influence without really having to make any challenges except in extreme situations.  If you choose to have an underling from the area you have influence in (the underling is the one with the status) do something, a check of Manipulation + Intimidation, Persuasion, or Socialize may be required, depending on the situation.  These actions can be done in game or as a downtime action. Each area of status (or underling with status) necessitates an appropriate action. You may only use one status per action, though you may split the amount of the status used.  Example:  You have Status: Religion 4 and Police 3. In one downtime action you could enact one level 4 action or two level 2 actions, or one level 1 and one level 3, etc.  To then use your other area of status would take another downtime action.

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