GST Masquerade Review of Chronicle setup

This is a quick dump from my several iterations of a GST in setting up Chronicles, dealing with Addenda's, and other rule set ups.

This page's observations related to Masquerade - but many observations can be applied in any Chronicle set up.

Rules Addenda

Absolutely Critical that this be finalised before chronicle start!

Thaumaturgy: A solid review of the Thaumaturgy source books and exactly what will be sanctioned is a must, along with rituals.

• • Potential to assign a couple of “aGST: Thau review” to sort this.
    • Obviously these aGST’s must be solid in Thau knowledge

Notable changes in the 2014-2017 addenda to previous editions, and the GST’s opinion on them:

• Background - Influence: initially not using Dark Epics rules – the loss of attack/conceal/boost did appear to detract from the influence game.
  • Whilst Dark Epics has too many actions available, loss of the entire set was a negative impact, particularly the “grow” function… which is critical to the influence game not being an xp sink.
• Influence levels x2 seems balanced – both in this and previous chronicles.

• Discipline – Fortitude: Intermediate Fortitude was changed from downgrading damage on a win, to downgrading damage on a win or a tie. This is a far stronger and robust change, and puts the Intermediate Fortitudes far closer in parity to Celerity and Potence. Recommend for future iterations.

• Discipline approvals – Protean: Keeping Protean at High approval is sound, and stops it being abused by player cliques.

• Discipline interaction – Obfuscate vs Auspex: This change made the powers both far more dynamic and valuable. I’d err on keeping this type of mechanic.

• Disciplines – General: Overall, the changes and clarifications to the disciplines I thought were very solid. I’d be reticent to change any that are in the current addenda, though I’d feasibly add some further clarifications.

• Negative Traits – Auto bid on applicable challenges: Not exactly a popular introduction, but one that I felt was still positive. Stopped negative traits being a gravy train of free xp, and people heavily considered if they were going to take negs at all.
  • As stated – not popular, with some players feeling it overpowered the worth of negatives, or neutered powers that uncovered negative traits. Some players didn’t take negs for this reason, which I feel is a bit “twinky” sheet focussed.
    • Overall, I feel better about that though, than having a gravy train of xp with little to no impact on the characters.
      • Other alternatives are:
        • Remove the xp gain, and penalties, from Negative Traits. Having them solely as a roleplay reflection of the character. Not to be applied to weapons, for obvious reasons.
        • Limit negative trait xp gains to a maximum of 3.

• Background – Free Lores with justification during play: Seemed suitable and didn’t notice any rampant abuse of the policy. Approval levels probably helped curtail any abuse.

• Camarilla Status:
  • Acknowledged: Clearing up the difference between a Prince granting hospitality/acknowledgement in the Domain to that of Acknowledgement in the sect is crucial imo.
  • Having a mechanic to strip/increase Social Class was a valuable addition and something I’d recommend in future iterations.
  • The range of generations able to branch across Social class I’m less certain of. Even though it wasn’t common, I’m not sure it was the right feel for the genre. Players tended to go as old as possible, with a prevalence towards 10th Gen (either neonate or ancilla).
  • Justicars: Justicars should have a defined set status traits, just as every other position in the Camarilla. Having them open just creates ambiguity. The camarilla is not about ambiguity. It is about structure.

Character sheets

The game needs workable character sheets at Chronicle start that contain ONLY approved items/powers/rituals available to select