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Pietro Tremonti was born Israel Azria in the shadow of the Venetian Ghetto's Scuola Spagnola. The Azrias were wealthy facilitators of trade at the end of the 16th century, via the scattered Ladino communities from the crypto-Jews of Spain to the Netherlands, to the Balkans and beyond. It was a prolific family, with Israel being the fifth of eleven children of the family patriarch, Abraham Azria. He didn't much like being in the middle. He didn't much like that his eldest brother, Abraham the Lesser, was by right and tradition the heir to all his family's fortunes, with the sole authority to divide up the wealth created by Israel and his six other brothers. Israel was an ambitious man. Thus when Abraham the Elder called for the family's network of trade contacts to be expanded to the Ladinos of the New World, Israel jumped at the chance to prove himself. 23 years old, with no formal or modern education outside of a Ladino yeshiva or Sarajevo custom house, Israel Azria set out for Santo Domingo on the island of Hispaniola. But he boarded the vessel not as Israel Azria the Jew, rather as Pietro Tremonti the proud Catholic Venetian trader. Learning from the crypto-Jews of Spain, he would hide his and beliefs and his background from the gentiles, especially the Spanish, in order to improve his standing among the people of the New World. Unlike the rest of his family, Israel would do business not only with the Ladinos, but with everyone who had coin for him to pocket. Pietro found the New World to be a very double-edged sword. On the one hand, it was beautiful, new and interesting. It was exotic, with plants, animals and people he had never seen before. He tasted new foods (most of them unkosher), learned new languages, and began to amass a good bit of coin. Silks, ivory, slaves, sugar, tobacco went every which way around the world, organized by Pietro's complex logistical network. By the time he was 30, Tremonti Traders was well established in a handsome townhouse in Havana. Pietro's older brother Isaac, going by Giorgio and younger brother Ezra, under the name Mario, had moved to the Caribbean to help expand the family's fortunes. Everything was going well, Pietro was on top, had the respect of Jews and gentiles alike, and had won his father's favor away from Abraham the Lesser. It is said that all good things must come to an end. A barque carrying a a king's ransom's worth of spices for Tremonti Traders was captured by pirates. Then a brig full of refined sugar. Then a slave ship bound for Port Royal. It wasn't a mere uptick in piracy. Ships contracted by Tremonti Traders were being targeted. Finally, at enormous expense, Pietro baited out the pirates and captured one of their sloops with his own privateers. Under interrogation, the pirate captain revealed that he had been contracted by a wealthy Dutch merchant named Johan van der Venne. It was a name Pietro had never heard before. In fact, it took some very expensive digging before he found anyone who had heard the name before, all while more and more traders refused to carry Tremonti cargo. Pietro's fortunes were declining both literally and figuratively. After selling the last of his land holdings, Pietro finally found Johan van der Venne. The small Ladino community in Willemstad knew him to be a reclusive trade broker, living in a well-guarded mansion on the island, from which he never emerged. With little left to lose, Pietro went directly to the home of the Dutchman who had ruined his life and announced himself at the gate. After delivering his introduction to the house itself, the gate guard told Pietro that Johan would see him, but only after dark. Confused, but determined to find his answers, Pietro spent the day in Willemstad practicing his Dutch before returning to the manor. Pietro was shown in to a warm sitting room where Johan, a surprisingly young and handsome, if round, red-haired Dutchman awaited him. A much slimmer and more venerable attendant stood at his side, an interpreter, fluent in Venetian, through whom they spoke. Johan said he was pleased to meet his rival face-to-face, while Pietro lashed out in frustration, demanding to know why Johan, a man he had never met, had so aggressively and directly destroyed his life's work. "I didn't build all of this," he said through the interpreter, gesturing to his well-appointed home, "by sitting back while young upstarts gain strength. Better to strangle an infant in the crib than wait until it's grown enough to fight back." Pietro balked, insisting that he would have been happy to work with Johan, demanding that trade is not a zero sum game. "Work with me? That would imply we are peers, which is certainly not the case." Johan waved away his interpreter, "You speak some Dutch, yes? You are the first person, first of my rivals, to track me down. I do not know if you are the first to try, but you are the first to arrive at my home. Because of this, you deserve something special. Understand? Speciale." Johan stood up and turned his back, fiddling with some items on a small desk, Pietro's view obscured from this angle, "You may work for me. Per me. Comprendere?" Being a servant to the man who tore him down from the heights of success to the deepest depths of failure was an idea that disgusted Pietro, "Bedanken... But I will go my own way. Maybe go back home to Europe..." Pietro shrugged, honestly not knowing where he would go after leaving this manor, "Thank you for your time. Good luck with your business." He offered a resigned handshake to Johan's back. In the next moment, faster than the blink of an eye, Pietro was dead. Johan took his hand, and immediately tore open Pietro's wrist with the beautiful ivory dagger he had prepared on the desk. Adding some of his own Vitae to the rite, Pietro was dead, and Embraced, childe of the wicked Dutchman he hated more than anyone. Pietro's first nights of undeath were even worse than his last months of miserable life. Not only was he seemingly enslaved to the last person he ever wanted to see, but he was a neonate learning to survive with lessons in a language he barely spoke. It took a week. A week before Pietro fled the manor into the streets of Willemstad to try unlife on his own. He didn't know if his sire would attempt to hunt him down, but he kept a low profile just in case. His first step would be to escape Curaçao; he just had to find a ship that would take him somewhere else, for free, without expecting him to do anything during daylight hours. There's the first part of a character thingy. I don't know how a vampire can be a pirate because boats need things done during daytime. I don't even know how a vampire can ride a boat with the whole not being able to get touched by sun thing. But once I figure that out I'll continue working on this character. Also I need to read more about Bloodlines because there are a lot more now since the last time I played VtR (6 years ago?).
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Sep 25, 2014 19:53
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I disagree. It's very important to have a plan for what happens when the game reaches 10,000 posts somewhere in its sixth year. A lot of games get bogged down there if the rookie GM doesn't plan ahead. Is Blood and Smoke like a whole new edition of VtR to the degree that using the book I bought in 2008 would be wrong?
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Sep 27, 2014 08:10
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Pietro wandered aimlessly around the Willemstad docks. He looked at the ships, pondering stowing away on one. The ships held his freedom from Johan's tyranny, freedom from his nonsensical Dutch vampire ramblings, and freedom from stroopwafels. He had grown to hate Dutch cuisine during his time in the Caribbean, not that cuisine mattered much to him anymore. Pietro had learned that he couldn't eat food anymore; it was one of the few things he had learned from Johan. He learned that he was now a part of some vampiric lineage called Mekket in Dutch or Mecetus in Latin and that meant he was expected to be a shadowy shut-in manipulator like Johan. Pietro's new goal in life, or unlife as it were, was to be the exact opposite of Johan. First to get off of Curaçao. Pietro gave up on the idea of stowing away. He didn't have the fortitude for it, or the faith in his sneaking skills. Instead he would rely on the Azria clan's greatest traditional skill: bargaining. He made for the flimsy shack that was Willemstad's escola, the center of Ladino Jewish life. He wondered to himself if vampires could be Jews, or if Jews could be vampires, reasoning that the latter was obviously true in his case. At this time of night, the local Sephards were enjoying their evening meal and welcomed Pietro, now shifting back into Israel, once he greeted them in their mother tongue. Reb Moses, the community's temporal leader, a boisterous and rotund butcher from Amsterdam, asked Israel if he ever found the Johan he was looking for. "I did," he answered pleasantly, "We worked through our disagreements, and I look forward to a lucrative business relationship with Messer van der Venne in the future." Israel found it easy to lie, easier than usual, "And I'm afraid I stuffed myself silly over the course of our negotiations so I'm afraid I won't be able to partake of this beautiful feast. No matter how tempting that couscous may be..." That part was only a half lie, as Israel mourned the fact that he'd never enjoy a bowl of Ladino couscous ever again. He was a slim man, but he could put away a bowl of couscous surprisingly fast. "Now I am so very thankful that you helped me locate Johan, but I'm afraid I have another favor to ask. You see," Israel removed his hat, forgetting he didn't have a skullcap underneath, "I concluded my business with Messer van der Venne considerably quicker than expected, and I haven't prepared any transport off the island. I don't suppose you can give me the name of a reliable, Jewish-friendly captain?" "Of course, my friend." Reb Moses answered, warming Israel's literally dead spirits, "Where is it you want to go, exactly?" A question to which he had not prepared an answer, stupidly, "Honestly..." Israel trailed off in thought, "It doesn't matter. I'll set up shop on the next island I come to. I go where God takes me." Good answer! "I'm on good terms with the captain of the Indefatigable," a young man on the north side of the table piped up, "I think they're bound for Port Royal next." Israel opened his mouth sheepishly, "I do have a pair of unique conditions, however," he scratched his head, "I'm rather cash poor at the moment and can't pay for passage. And although I'm a capable sailor and a more than capable navigator, I'm suffering from a rare skin condition at the moment and can't expose myself to the sun." The table fell silent for a moment. "It's not contagious, don't worry. The doctors say it'll clear up in a month or two!" Israel grinned nervously, hoping he sold the story well enough. "I didn't want to say anything about how pale you are, now it all fits." The young man shrugged, "I'll try to explain it to Captain Delaney." "Listen-" "Mordecai" "Mordecai, you're doing God's work. I'm a man in need and I'll repay you and the entire Willemstad escola ten times over!" He felt good about that one, they'd buy that for sure, "When I've settled up with Messer van der Venne, you'll have a full-blown esnoga. Mark my words." Israel suddenly remembered something important, "Oh and introduce me to the good Captain Delaney as Pietro Tremonti. It's my gentile name. Thanks." The next evening, Pietro Tremonti departed Curaçao abroad the Indefatigable as its night navigator. Its nightvigator, with a lumpy bunk in the orlop. Thus began his career reading the stars for tradesmen, until they turned to privateering, and ultimately to piracy.
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Sep 30, 2014 09:16
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Loomer posted:Moving French to Multilingual. With that Kveldulf can speak it, and with his Academic dots he can mostly read French (all but in-depth stuff and/or hilarious contextual misunderstandings). It can be swapped in later, but for now it's taking the space of Norwegian. Why get rid of Norwegian and not Danish? Norwegian and Danish are mostly mutually intelligible so I'm not sure you need to spend a language on each. I haven't started on numbers on my sheet yet but I'm thinking I won't bother making Ladino and Spanish separate since one is mostly a dialect of the other. Judging by the name of our ship, I guess we'll be speaking English onboard and Spanish would be the most widespread trade language in the Caribbean at the time. Depending on the exact date we go with, there might not even be a Danish West Indies to worry about so I'm not sure you'll get a lot of use out of your Scandinavian skillset.
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Oct 3, 2014 16:03
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You can also consider that your guy has been out of torpor for like at least a century and it doesn't take that long to learn a language. Re: novella writing, I just end up writing a bunch of stuff to develop the character. It's kinda how I sketch. I don't edit or anything after I write it. It's more an exercise for me in trying to figure out how a vampire pirate happens. Because seriously a vampire pirate is like the dumbest thing I've ever heard of and it makes no sense. I'm going to enjoy playing a vampire pirate.
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Oct 3, 2014 16:47
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Pietro's tenure with the Indefatigable lasted a solid two years. He had grown fond of the crew, who were naturally his most ready source of sustenance. Captain Delaney had grown accustomed to Pietro's "rare skin condition" and came to accept that contact with the sun would be deadly for his navigator, who had since shown himself to be an equally shrewd negotiator and increasingly accomplished sailor. Working on the ship gave his life, if it could still be called as much, purpose as he felt increasingly adrift. Pietro still had little understanding of what he was, beyond a night-cursed, blood-drinking monster. Should he try to pay his way back home, to Venice? Would his family accept him? During his short tutelage, Johan had taught him that he must not reveal his nature to anyone, and that he must abandon his family altogether. Indeed, the Torah teaches that the consumption of any blood is an abomination unto the Lord, and human blood is an especially egregious sin. Pietro's desperate consumption of bilge rats (unkosher even when properly butchered and drained), and cautious supping of sleeping cabin crewmates was grounds enough to see him outcast from his tight-knit enthnoreligious group. The crew of the Indefatigable was his family now. And yet, blood is thicker than water. Vampiric Vitae even moreso. When black sails appeared on the horizon, sixteen days out of Cartagena, Pietro was asleep in the orlop. He didn't know that the Indefatigable had been boarded. He didn't know Captain Delaney had been shot. He didn't know anything that had happened until he awoke in a box. Pietro was panicking. Why was he in a box? Who was carrying him? How did this happen? He felt like he was hyperventilating, despite not exactly needing to breathe. Eventually, the box was dropped to the ground and the lid popped off. Three men with English accents looked directly at Pietro, completely baffled. "Where did he go!?" One of them asked, "I swear he was inside. The damned thing was heavy like with a man inside, it was." Sensing he had done something good, the young vampire hastily and as silently as he could manage slipped out of the box and away from the three men. He was in a warehouse, that he very quickly left, emerging into the docklands of an unfamiliar town. Where was the Indefatigable? Where was he? And why was he invisible? They had been bound for Martinique, but he found himself now in an apparently Spanish-speaking port. A cursory investigation, made much easier by the fact that he was now visible, revealed that Pietro had been brought to Puerto Cabello, worryingly close to Johan in Curaçao. And yet, based on their daylight positioning, his kidnappers would have had to bring him past Curaçao to arrive in Puerto Cabello. Could Johan really be behind his abduction? Regardless, Pietro found himself in need of charity or, as he was more likely to call it, tzedakah. Starting at the local church, he set out to find the local Jews. When he found the escola and the small group of hatted men studying Ladino poetry, Israel felt a strange feeling. It was a sort of dread, a sort of excitement, a sort of "butterflies in your stomach" feeling that Israel had not felt since he was last with Johan. He was feeling the presence of another Beast, and he knew that one of these men was Kindred, another vampire. He was shorter than Israel, and rounder too. It answered Israel's question about whether vampires could ever get fat. "Israel Azria, from Venice," he introduced himself to the men in their native tongue, "Saul," answered the other vampire, "They call me the Serb. Because I come from Belgrade." "I've been to Belgrade many times!" Israel replied, excitedly, "Do you know Jakob Zimony?" "Jakob I don't know," the Serb itched his short beard, "But the Zimonys are accomplished traders. Ragusa, I thought? I used to study with Teodor." "Such a coincidence. My father helped Teodor build the Ragusa custom house." The two exchanged cheek kisses, and Israel joined in the poetry session. When the Kine retired for the evening, Israel and Saul sat in the escola, this one having the honor of an ark and a Torah. They spoke frankly about what they were. "You're a childe of Johan van der Venne?" Saul was shocked, "He is among the most powerful Kindred of the Spanish Main, both in influence and physical power. And you snubbed him? Bold." Israel told him his story, of how Johan had destroyed his business empire, and how he had learned nothing of what it means to be a vampire. He spoke of returning to Europe, and going back to his family. "You don't want to go back to Europe," Saul said frankly, "I left there because it's a rotten place. It's all going to melt down soon enough. Europe has peaked. But this new world, it's just getting started. I think you know that. I think that's why you came out here before your Embrace. But it's just as true for us Kindred. There is a world of opportunity here. Maybe I could have a small herd back in Belgrade and coast along. But here? I can be a king. I can be an emperor. Johan got an early start. He's a smart man. But he's gotten old and fat. I can beat him. You can beat him. You know what? I'll help you beat him." Saul became Israel's mentor, teaching him everything he had failed to learn from Johan. He taught him about the power of Obfuscation he had used to escape from Johan's privateers, "And I'll do you one better," he said, with a twinkle in his eye, "I'll show you how to really take advantage of this new world. I'll teach you about Indian blood magic." "What?" Israel looked skeptically, "This new world has Kindred too. Not like you and me. There's Indian Kindred. And they can do remarkable things. Here," Saul handed Israel a ball and pointed to an empty bottle standing on a table, "Hit the bottle with this ball." Israel cocked an even more skeptical eyebrow at Saul. The table wasn't but a few feet away. It was a trivial task. He readied the ball, "Wait a moment," Saul put a hand on Israel's shoulder for just a second, then let go, "Okay." Israel adjusted his footing in preparation for the throw, only to trip over his own feet and fall to the ground. "Ugh, clumsy," he said to himself. "That's the trick." Saul said with a wink. "You made me trip?" "I made you fail," he laughed, "and watch this." Saul grabbed the ball, tossed it at Israel's head, bouncing it humiliatingly off the young Kindred and expertly into the bottle. "Your miserable failure becomes my miraculous success. That is the magic of the new world." The new world attracted interesting characters, Israel had learned even in his mortal life. Oftentimes they were people who had failed in the old world, or who had no chance of success. Saul was already well over a century old and had the bold dream of becoming a vampire-king of the Jews. He believed that the new world had enough land to establish a new Kingdom of Israel, where Jews could live free from gentile oppression. "It doesn't bother you that blood is unkosher?" Israel asked, "That's why God gave us Yom Kippur, childe," Saul answered. But New Zion wasn't Israel's dream. "So what do you want, childe?" Saul asked, "I don't know," Israel answered, "I wanted wealth and respect for myself, for my family. But now that's beyond me. I guess I want to kill Johan van der Venne," he thought for a moment, clenching his fists, "More than kill him, I want to destroy him. I want to take everything he has, just as he took it from me," a smile grew on Saul's face, "I want to build a new business empire on the ashes of his petty trading house. More than Tremonti Traders, I'll have Tremonti Everything. Trade fleets, banks, farms, vineyards..." the young vampire began to temper his ambition, "But Johan is so powerful. He has such a lead. He has men who can kidnap me from the bowels of my ship while I sleep. How can I stand against that?" "Johan," the Serb leaned back, stretched, and popped his knuckles, "Is still in an old world mindset. He has set himself up with a feudal barony that he's transplanted to these lovely islands. But he doesn't know the magic of the new world. There is more to it than I have shown you. There is more to it than I even know. But there are Kindred who know much more than I. Kindred bolder than I. Kindred much crazier than I. And it's time you left this town and went off to join them." "What?" Israel looked into Saul's eyes with a mix of terror and disbelief. His time with Saul was the first he'd ever felt safe since his Embrace. Leaving sounded insane to him, "I'm here to build a nation. But that's not your quest. You need to do what I once did. You need to set sail, delve into jungles and caves, and get lost in the magic of the new world. You are going to join the crew of the Sanguine Dream." "I've not heard of that ship." "It belongs to the Brotherhood of the Sea, a family of insane vampires who ignore the Masquerade and prowl the seas of the Caribbean in search of mayhem. An old acquaintance of mine, the good Captain Shark, runs the outfit. He'll appreciate your assorted talents, and the little bit of new world magic I taught you." "So it's a ship run by Kindred, for Kindred?" Israel began to warm up to the idea, "That's right. No more lying about a 'skin condition.' Join up with Shark, serve him well, and I guarantee you you'll find the magic you need to end Johan and start your empire." "But what is it? More of this luck magic?" Saul sighed, "It could be anything. A severed hand that turns everything it touches to gold, a cannibal fetish that oozes infinite Vitae, a shrunken head that guides you directly to a target of your choice, these are all legends that I've heard. But they represent only a fraction of a fraction of the new world's infinite magic. You need only seize your share, and your success is guaranteed." Israel was convinced. He was ready to set sail once more. "So when and where will I meet the Sanguine Dream?" He asked, Saul smiled knowingly, "I've got a hunch she'll be making port here tomorrow." Sheet: http://sheetgen.dalines.net/sheet/37168 I didn't take the extra identity merit because all the value and effectiveness of Israel/Pietro's second identity is covered by the Allies (Caribbean Jews) merit I took one merit point for Spanish and Ladino together since a Spanish speaker could understand a Ladino speaker and vice versa. However, Ladino is written in the Hebrew alphabet, so a Spanish speaker wouldn't be able to read a Ladino letter. Likewise, I mushed Venetian and Italian together because I don't expect either to come up in the game so it shouldn't matter. If you think I need to spend more than two merit points on languages, let me know and I'll edit.
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Oct 16, 2014 23:09
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Pietro is very much the newbie, in all things related to vampire piracy. Specifically, he is a very young vampire at about three years old, and a brand new pirate (you'll see on his sheet that one dot in weaponry is his only fighting experience). It depends on where Soonmot plans to start the game, but I'd have him having been on the Red Tide for just a week. It'll be his first time being around so many vampires, having only met Saul and Johan before. Johan taught him about different clans and covenants, but Pietro barely understood any of it because his Dutch is terrible. Saul avoided teaching him anything about old world vampirism because of his obsession with new world magics and opportunities. So Lancea vampire theology will be totally new to him, as will most of the details of Invictus politics. In terms of physical appearance, I looked around at various portrayals of Shylock for inspiration. Unfortunately, Shylock is pretty old and tends to get played by dudes in their 60s. Laurence Olivier gave a good performance in the 70s, but his costume looks dumb. Patrick Stewart is neat but he was in a modernized adaptation. I quite like the Al Pacino look from 2004, which has the benefit of him being an ethnic Italian too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th7euZ30wDE Although Pietro is half his age (Pacino was 64 at the film's release, Pietro was 32 at Embrace), I do like the clothing style, the hat, the way he wears his beard and hair, his physical build. At 5' 7" (1.70m), he's certainly not physically intimidating and can play the part of an unnoticed Mekhet.   Pietro will also have a hilarious Italian accent when speaking English. Bear that in mind.
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Oct 19, 2014 22:02
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Kvedulf Older than I ever knew a creature could be, and a northman at that. I've never been to a place so cold, nor have I ever met a man so cold. He cares little for that which is outside of his immediate control, except for an apparent desire to bring it under his authority. I'll be cautious. I don't intend to become his thrall.. Renee A former slave of the sable race, I have to wonder if my traders had any hand in her human life. I have to wonder what it means. Is she still a negro? Am I still a Jew? Or does vampirism erase such human distinctions from us? Either way, she has a passion that I find attractive and a hot-bloodedness that is the closest thing I can find to human warmth on this ship. Maganda Born of a race I fail to recognize, I find this creature unnerving. She is clearly a ferocious fighter from a tradition beyond my comprehension. I won't say I am frightened of her, but I feel more comfortable standing a few extra paces back. NPC list vampires Captain Shark - More literally a monster than any of us. Saul tells me he is trustworthy, accomplished, and loyal to his men. Since I trust Saul, I will put aside my misgivings and trust the captain. Black Betty - An accomplished sea captain and a successful vampire. She commands great authority despite being a woman and for that I salute her. Lonesome Jim - I understand Jim is responsible for staffing the Sanguine Dream with trustworthy mortals who keep his ship sailing during the day. I hope our ship has been similarly prepared. Fehed - I know little about him, beyond the fact that he is something of a magically gifted surgeon. Jean Mansean - Is this the first vampire childe born to this crew of vampire pirates? I wonder what his future holds with such an upbringing. ghouls Captain Shark's: Shark has ghouled those mortals who's company he enjoys. Their time as a ghoul is serving as their audition for the embrace. Old Cully - They call him the best navigator. I have twice as many eyes as he does and a closer relationship with the night sky than a mortal could ever hope to have. We'll see who's best, Old Cully. Vincenzo Luzzato - I've heard his very Italian name but have yet to meet the man. I wonder if he's been to Venice? Sabine Detraque - Guns don't interest me much, nor do old crones. Lord Arthur Bollard - How did he get such a title? Lady Tabitha Bollard - Are they both Bollards by blood or by marriage? Lonesome Jim's: Jim sees people for what they are. His ghouls are tools and he was erased their previous identities, replacing them with one that will make the best use of their talents. The Black Priest - He must be well versed in Saul's new world magic. I understand there is little else to him, however. The Spider - I hope he can teach me some tricks of stealth. Dagger Sally - These vampire pirates seem fond of elderly mortals. The Smiler - I like smiles, but I don't much care for androgyny. Fehed's: The gangrel ghoul is an experiment in intelligence and ferocity that unnerves even the bravest of foes. Bobo - Monkeys are hilarious! Black Betty's: Betty, like Shark, is testing potential childer. However, she is much more discerning, having only 1 ghoul. Arturo Hernandez - Our lives are all in his hands as we are helpless during the day. I hope that trust is well placed.
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Oct 23, 2014 04:30
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Since Pietro is so new to the ship, his Jewish origins won't yet be known. Just to make that clear.
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Oct 28, 2014 03:15
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Are my disciplines not blood and smoke? I thought they are. Hope you're not waiting for me to post 
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Oct 31, 2014 06:54
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edit OH gently caress LOOMER JUST POSTED SUNNIKUSE WHY DID I WASTE ALL THIS TIME WITH FORMATTING I'M MAD ALSO SOMEBODY ELSE TOOK SUNNIKUSE? NOW I'M NOT SPECIAL I'M REALLY MAD Every application of Sunnikuse, whether it involves a simple touch (as with Jinx) or a momentary gaze (Evil Eye), leaves a victim with a discernible sense of doom. The victim may not always know the source of the sinking feeling (most Bohagande seek to camouflage their depredations with some justifiable charade, such as a game of billiards or Three Card Monty), but she always experiences a terrible sense of unease and impending failure. The greater the potential loss, the more powerful the impression received. Successive uses of Sunnikuse against the same subject only amplify her sensation, eventually convincing any but the most ob-tuse victim that a Jonah is somehow responsible for her bad luck. Each time Sunnikuse is used, Wits + Occult is rolled for the subject to recognize that the Jonah is somehow behind her sense of doom. A normal success suggests that there is some vague connection between the Bohagande and the bad luck. An exceptional success fully exposes the Bohagande’s complicity. Perhaps the vampire is even caught with a hand in the proverbial cookie jar, actively doing something strange near or in regard to the intended victim. There are ways in which a potential victim can protect herself from this Discipline. Most cultures believe that certain items, expressions or practices provide a measure of defense against bad luck. The more involved or complicated the charm, the greater the protection granted. It’s important that the individual truly believes in the power of the charm, however. It is this belief that staves off disaster, not the object itself. To a Bohagande’s benefit, a host of events, items and circumstances — crossing the path of a black cat, breaking a mirror, walking under a ladder — are ascribed with the power to cause bad luck. If a subject of Sunnikuse is in the vicinity of such circumstances or performs such actions, she is easier to affect with the Discipline. Some Jonahs exploit these superstitions and try to arrange for such ill omens to be present when they use this power, both to increase its usefulness and to provide sources of blame for the ill fortune that befalls a victim. The following is a list of some factors that might make it easier for a Bohagande to use Sunnikuse, as well as examples of charms that can undermine the Discipline. Suggested Modifiers +1 A black cat or broken mirror is nearby +2 Target is under a ladder +3 It’s Friday the 13th +4 A fortune teller told the victim that something terrible would happen this evening +5 The victim is already convinced he is jinxed or cursed –1 Target has a lucky rabbit’s foot or mouths a protective prayer –2 Target received a blessing from a holy authority that same day –3 Target knows the truth about what the Bohagande can and cannot do –4 Target has a rare artifact that legend ascribes with miraculous powers –5 Target knows the Bohagande’s secret name Luck stolen through use of Sunnikuse cannot come from or later be used for Humanity or degeneration rolls made for either the Bohagande or a target. In essence, while the Storytelling System may call for a dice roll to determine Humanity and degeneration, luck does not play a factor in whether a character retains his morality or sanity. • Jinx A Bohagande can snatch small amounts of luck from others that he can then use for himself. By making physical contact with another — even the lightest touch is sufficient — the character can activate this power. If successful, the victim’s next action fails, while the Bohagande’s next action automatically succeeds. The power of Jinx lasts only one scene, so if the Bohagande takes no further actions that scene, the benefit is forfeit. If a target does not resist, assume that contact can be made automatically under some context, such as through a handshake, sleight of hand or seeming to stumble. Cost: 1 Willpower Dice Pool: Wits + Subterfuge + Sunnikuse Action: Instant to touch target; reflexive to activate power Roll Results Dramatic Failure: The character’s Jinx is turned back on him. The next action the Bohagande performs in this scene is failed automatically. Failure: No effect. A successive attempt to use the power may be made, but contact is required again, as is another Willpower point. Success: A subject is jinxed upon being touched. The next roll made for the subject is automatically a failure, regardless of how improbable that might be. If the action normally calls for a chance roll, the victim automatically suffers a dramatic failure. The Bohagande fares much better. The next roll made for him is an automatic success. If he attempts no further actions for the remainder of the scene, he receives no benefit from Jinx. If the subject attempts no further actions in the scene, he is spared failure. Exceptional Success: Similar to a normal success, except the stakes are much higher. The victim’s next action results in a dramatic failure, while the Bohagande’s next action is automatically an exceptional success. A subject can be under the influence of only one use of Jinx at a time, and a Bohagande can have no more than one “unused” success at his disposal at one time. Once it’s fulfilled, this power must be activated again to acquire a new guaranteed success. •• Evil Eye This cursed ability can wreak all manner of havoc on a victim. By drawing on the power of her Vitae, a Bohagande no longer needs to touch her victim to affect him. So long as she is in close physical proximity and can see him directly, even if only momentarily, she can turn the Evil Eye on him. (Looking through a TV or at a photo doesn’t apply.) Cost: 1 Vitae Dice Pool: Presence + Intimidation + Sunnikuse Action: Instant Roll Results Dramatic Failure: The intended target is unaffected and all rolls made for the Bohagande against that individual suffer a –2 penalty for the remainder of the scene. Failure: The power has no effect, but successive attempts to use the power on the subject may be made as long as he is in direct sight. Success: The victim suffers a –2 penalty on all rolls. In addition, the 10 Again rule to re-roll 10’s doesn’t apply to the subject. Both of these effects apply for the remainder of the scene. Exceptional Success: The victim suffers a –3 penalty on all rolls for the remainder of the scene, in addition to the proscription against the 10 Again rule. A victim can be subject to only one use of this power at a time. ••• Calamity A Jonah has honed his abilities such that he may cause victims’ efforts to have tragic results. A personal possession of the victim is needed to level this curse — anything from a necklace to a comb to a lock of hair to a tooth. The Bohagande taints the object with his cursed Vitae, usually by opening a small wound in his hand. The vampire murmurs a few brief words and as long as the character holds the bloodied item in hand, the subject is plagued by disaster. Cost: 1 Vitae Dice Pool: Manipulation + Empathy + Sunnikuse Action: Activation is instant; application can be contested Roll Results Dramatic Failure: The next roll made for the Bohagande that scores even a single 1 is a dramatic failure, regardless of the number of successes actually achieved on the roll. Failure: No effect, although successive attempts to activate the power can be made if the object is still held and more Vitae is spent. Success: After the power has been activated and the item is held by the vampire, a subject’s action fails automatically if any die rolled for him ever turns up a 1, regardless of how many successes are actually rolled. Indeed, if successes rolled for the victim are lower than those rolled for the vampire when this power was activated, and a 1 turns up on a die, the victim’s action is automatically a dramatic failure. Exceptional Success: As per a normal success, except any 1 rolled for the subject indicates a dramatic failure no matter how many successes are otherwise achieved in the roll. Should the Bohagande release the possession from hand for even a moment, Calamity is dispelled. It’s possible for more than a single item to be held in order to affect multiple victims simultaneously, assuming the items are small enough. For each dot in Sunnikuse, a Bohagande can utilize one such personal item at a time. Multiple items from the same subject do not increase the intensity of this power over him. Gloved hands deny use of this power, as does merely having an object close by (in a pocket, around the neck). Rings are particularly sought after by the Bohagande. The item must have a solid connection to the subject for it to be valid. This can be due to an emotional attachment (a pearl earring given by a loved one, a dead father’s pocket watch), due to a lasting relationship (a wallet owned for a dozen years, a childhood teddy bear), or because the object was actually part of the target (a lock of hair). The Bohagande need not be able to see the victim of this power for it to be effective. The victim of Calamity does not receive any special hint as to the source of his affliction. Even if near the Bohagande, the victim does not have any overt way to identify the vampire as the responsible party. If a connection is somehow made (maybe the Jonah takes credit), the victim or anyone else can attempt to liberate the personal object from the vampire’s grasp by grappling. See “Disarm Oppo-nent” on p. 157 of the World of Darkness Rulebook. If the effort is successful, the Bohagande loses contact with the object and the effects of Calamity are terminated. •••• Twist of Fate Sometimes, no matter how great one’s odds are or how likely one is to fail miserably, the fickle hand of Fate steps in. Bohagande who excel at Sunnikuse learn to control freakish turns of events for their own purposes. Cost: 1 Vitae Dice Pool: Manipulation + Subterfuge + Sunnikuse Action: Reflexive This power effectively increases or decreases the degree of success or failure of a single action taken by the Bohagande or by any other character within direct sight. The Bohagande’s player must declare the power in use immediately after a dice pool is rolled, but before the results are declared. Roll Results Dramatic Failure: The very next roll made for any character (even one not nearby the Bohagande) that is made to cause harm or disadvantage to the Jonah is improved by one degree of success. Say, from dramatic failure to failure, failure to success or success to ex-ceptional success. This can mean a homeless man’s feeble effort to resist the vampire is suddenly over-whelming, or a Hound’s efforts across town to unearth information about the Bohagande reveals his very haven! If increasing the degree of success of the effort by category is too vague, as in a combat attack, add three to any successes rolled against the vampire. Thus, a roll of one success becomes four, and a failure be-comes three successes. Failure: No effect, although successive attempts to apply the power to other dice pools be made if more Vitae is spent. Success: The result of the roll can be made more successful or less successful by one degree. That is, a success can be turned into an exceptional success or a failure, while a dramatic failure can be changed to only a regular failure. If altering degree of success by category is too vague, as in a combat attack, add or subtract a number of successes equal to those achieved in the power’s activation roll. So, if three successes were gained, up to three can be added to or subtracted from those achieved in the affected roll. A targeted roll that is reduced to zero successes is a simple failure; it’s not made a dramatic failure with “negative successes.” Exceptional Success: The Bohagande is able to twist fate to such a degree that the result of the target’s roll can be changed two full steps in either direction. An exceptional success can be turned into a failure, while a dramatic failure can become a regular success. As with success, if altering degree of success by category is too vague, actual successes achieved in the activation roll — five or more — can be added to or subtracted from those of the affected action. Twist of Fate can be used on only instant actions. Extended and reflexive actions are unaffected. When used on a contested action, the power is directed at only one contestant, but can affect the outcome for both. Someone who should have won or lost the contest suddenly does not. This power can be used at any time during a turn, regardless of a character’s Initiative, and does not count as the action the Bohagande is normally allowed that turn. The power can be used only once per turn. ••••• Gift of the Crow Up to this point, a Bohagande is unable to hold onto the luck she steals for more than a brief time. It must be used quickly or be lost to the ever-changing winds of Fate. Now, however, the character understands how to hold onto her precious lot. Cost: 1 Willpower Dice Pool: Intelligence + Occult + Sunnikuse Action: Instant; resisted if used against another Bohagande who also uses Gift of the Crow Gift of the Crow allows a Bohagande to steal luck from others and use it to improve her chances of success on future rolls by taking advantage of the 9 Again and possibly the 8 Again rules. This benefit lasts a number of nights equal to the successes achieved on the power’s activation roll, until the Jonah suffers a dramatic failure, or until the user is rendered unconscious or falls into torpor (whichever comes first). This luck comes at a price to someone else, of course. Someone within distance to carry on a normal conversation suffers a dramatic failure on his next action, regardless of how many successes are rolled for him. One such dramatic failure is imposed for each success achieved on the activation roll of the power. So, if three successes are rolled, the next three actions performed by others are dramatic failures. These tragedies may all be heaped upon a single victim or assigned to various victims within range, as the character chooses. Three mishaps could befall three separate people, or three could plague one victim. If a Jonah is not careful with this power, he could soon be at the epicenter of tragic events or pitfalls, from which he emerges unscathed. If he comes away “lucky” too many times, others may notice. If no one is in sufficiently close proximity to steal their luck, this power cannot be activated. A valid victim must be human or humanoid, whether alive or undead. See “System Permutations” on p. 134 of the World of Darkness Rulebook for details on the 9 Again and 8 Again rules. A Bohagande cannot be subject to the effects of more than one use of this power at a time. Roll Results Dramatic Failure: The character does not steal any luck and is not subject to the 10 Again rule until the next sunset. Failure: No effect, although successive attempts to activate the power can be made if more Willpower is spent. Success: For each success rolled, the character enjoys the 9 Again rule for one night (including the remainder of the current one). So, if three successes are rolled, the 9 Again rule applies for three nights. Each 9 or 10 rolled at that point is re-rolled to improve the Bohagande’s chances of success. Exceptional Success: Similar to a normal success, except the Bohagande now has the benefit of the 8 Again rule for a number of nights equal to the successes achieved. Each 8, 9 or 10 rolled by the player is re-rolled. Deep State of Mind fucked around with this message at 12:33 on Oct 31, 2014 |
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Oct 31, 2014 12:30
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Oh well then I thank you for your considerate behavior and once again feel like a snowflake in the Caribbean
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Oct 31, 2014 13:46
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Did life get in the way? I hope life is okay. Eagerly awaiting your post! Also hoping I didn't miss a post that was already posted
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Nov 4, 2014 20:28
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Anybody seen that show Black Sails on Starz? I was thinking of watching it for some pirate-themed entertainment after replaying all the Monkey Islands and some Sid Meier's Pirates, but I haven't heard anyone talking about it or saying it was good.
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Nov 7, 2014 10:52
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I initially read that as "excuse regime" which was funny.
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Nov 7, 2014 20:08
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I want to write Pietro's part in the fight last, if that's okay. He will be very hesitant to join the fight and will want to board last, if at all. I guess he'll be hungry and that'll be his motivation.
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Nov 9, 2014 17:22
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