• Dracula Must Die (IC Thread)
  
• PM me for information on the Google Document for the Dracula Dossier.
  
• Spreadsheet
  
• Realtime Board (For Adversary Mapping below)
  
• IRC: #draculamustdie (irc.synirc.net)
  
• Dice Roller: orokos.com (please use the Dracula Must Die campaign tag)

• Sessions to Episodes: The concept of a Session is replaced with an Episode, which is more just when I open the episode, and then when I close it. Generally I'll use it to shift the narrative slightly, open up to a new scene, and I'm also fond of "cut-aways" to give the players a glimpse at what's happening elsewhere, that their characters may not be privy to (yet). After all this is a thriller, not a mystery. An Operation is still an Operation, spanning from 1-5 episodes in an arc.
  
• Refreshes: Related to above, you will refresh Investigative Abilities in between each operation, so they will be in a large way how I'll gauge the ramping up of action. The more you spend, the closer you'll get to the climax, as a general rule. As a reminder, you refresh General Abilities the following ways: Fully refresh in between each operation, physical abilities (Shooting, Weapons, Hand to Hand, Driving, Athletics, Piloting) refresh 24 hours after your last use of that ability, Health refreshes 2 per day of rest (unless seriously wounded) or from Medic spends, Stability refreshes according to your Sources of Stability or from Shrink spends, you may earn a 1- or 2-point refresh from following your Drive (your real one) into danger or story complication, from spending Investigative Abilities on Tactical Fact-Finding Benefits, fully refresh 2-4 abilities when you attempt your escape from being captured and interrogated, resting at a haven one per Episode for three full refreshes, by qualifying for an "Achievement", and finally once per Operation per General Ability at 8+ you can perform a "stunt" where you go into elaborate detail about your action in an impressive and genre-savvy way (you should actively say you are performing a stunt) and earn a 3- or 4-point refresh. This is a catch-all replacement to Technothriller Monologue and the rest, and applies to all General Abilities except Cover, Network, Health and Stability, but you still follow the general guidelines in the ones published (for example, a Preparedness stunt is reacting to an unexpected event as if you had planned for it all along).
  
• Player Facing: As a general rule there will be no contested rolls save between players, and very rare cases against potent NPCs. I will try and provide the Difficulty for all tests except Sense Trouble (which is always unknown) so you can both roll and then post the basic result, and add your narrative twist (see Agency below). Hit me up on IRC or Skype or PM if you have an idea in mind you want a Difficulty for, or just suggest it in your post and I'll provide. When against Opposing Forces, I'll provide you their basic stats as well, to keep things well oiled.
  
• Initiative: This is more a general rule than the actual mechanics of initiative, but whenever I provide a prompt, it's fine to continue posting and expanding on each other but general don't take more than one major action (that would constitute a test or Investigative spend) until everyone else has taken an action, or 48 hours has passed after the prompt at which point I'll generally move on to keep things rolling. Thrillers are about sharing the spotlight where everyone should strive to contribute fully to the group, though it's fine to actively take a backseat sometimes. In combat, at the end of each Round I'll usually provide a recap so please wait for that. As well, unless given prior notice, or myself getting delayed, your turn will be skipped after 24 hours. Be aware of Jumping In and the use of Trust and other mechanics: I'll usually give at least 12 hours after a post before I respond so people can add their Trust or Jump In or whatever.
  
• Clues: Here's a big one though it's a simple rule: You will find the clues you need to in GUMSHOE, but it does require you be active. Include in brackets the Investigative Ability you are wanting to use, either as an OOC aside or amid your posts, and please bold it as a preference. As per above, unless there's really good reason otherwise, each post should be for just one ability to give everyone a chance to explore an angle. If your ability pings a clue, you'll get it, unless it requires a spend, after which you'll get some flavor and you folks can decide who wants to spend to "finish it." Finally, spending for TFFB or the like I leave very much open. If you want ideas, I am glad to give them, but this is ample ground for you to exercise creativity. Just give me an idea of what you are looking for and I'll give you an idea of what it would be before you commit to spend.
  
• Agency: I'm a "yes, and" Director when I can help it, and I fully encourage you to add details to scenes, spin up stories and connections, and draw things together. If you want to recognize the elite Vulturii commando as an old nemesis, give him a name and a bit of personality if it hasn't been established already, please do. The only limit is that if it gives your character an advantage, it should be a spend of the proper Investigative Ability as a Tactical Fact-Finding Benefit. As well, take care to not contradict what has already been established already, not just myself, but more especially other players. Everyone should get an equal chance at making the story.
  
• Bibliomancy: So a big core of this game in particular comes with the Dracula Dossier proper. I have begun the process of creating a collaborative document for everyone to share and comment on, and I encourage very much everyone to participate and draw clues from it. A big deal in this game is that while I have a map of setting details and plots, the story is entirely driven by the clues and connections you folks focus on and follow. The Dossier provides a basis for a good amount of that. That being said, don't feel pressured to contribute any more than you like. I tried to set the expectation that it'll be a important part, but you don't have to fully map out a pinboard of conspiracy connections. That being said, there is a mechanical advantage to doing so on those. See Adversary Mapping and Dracula Dossier below.
  
• Experience: You'll get 1 XP at the end of each Episode. You will get a bonus 2 XP at the end of each Operation. These may be spent as build points for General or Investigative Abilities. Remember that Cover and Network can only be refreshed with XP, and you can only earn more Trust than your starting 5 points by spending XP. Additionally, consider Tag-Team Tactical Benefits, or Special Weapons Training. You may spend the XP any time in play, though if it's not between operations, it may be best as a flashback, but it should be incorporated in-character. Further, you may 'retrain' 1-2 points in between each operation and switch them around. Similarly, you may shift 1 point of Trust in between each operation as well.

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 08:52 on Feb 29, 2016

• Spending a pool point of Trust can give you +1 bonus to a roll. You should explain how the other's trust gives you this advantage.
  
• Spending a pool point of Trust can give you a 2-point refresh in a single General Ability, including Stability but not Health. This should be flavored as their trust giving you some reassurance or personal strength.
  
• When someone assigns you a rating point of Trust, you may gain either of the two advantages for free, tied to them doing so, without spending the accompany pool point.
  
• If all characters engaging in Cooperation or Piggybacking share positive Trust ratings (above 0) the roll gets an additional +1 without any spend required.
  
• You must each have 1 Trust rating point to get a Tag-Team Tactical Benefit with someone. For every Investigative spend the winger uses, the striker gains a pool of 2 + Trust rating.
  
• You may "wager" a point of Trust for a +2 bonus on a test. If you succeed the test, the point is kept. If you fail, you lose the rating point completely, and the giver cannot reassign it until after the current Operation. This represents you putting someone that trusts you at risk for an advantage.
  
• Finally, you may betray someone who Trusts you. You can target multiple people at a time who Trust you when you betray them. Every rating point of Trust you have with those you betray is lost, replaced with a 3-point (for each Trust rating point) Betrayal pool that you can spend to harm or hinder those you have betrayed. Unlike in the RAW, you can gain Trust again with those you have betrayed, but its up to them whether they want to give it. Also anyone you betray who you Trust lose the Trust points as well, and cannot use them, but you lose those points forever. That means if you betray one person in particular, others might betray you, and create a chain of bloody betrayal that is a fitting climax for a season of Night's Black Agents. Please speak to me first before you consider using this option as it will likely require a bit of finesse, but this is a Mirrors game. And not every Betrayal is final.
  

potatocubed fucked around with this message at 10:03 on Mar 9, 2016

potatocubed fucked around with this message at 10:18 on Mar 9, 2016

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 19:34 on Mar 9, 2016