Brisbane | X CofD · Forsaken CofD · Lost CofD | Camarilla

Brisbane X Cross Genre VSS

1.0. ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1.1.0. Venue Details

Domain Name: Twilight Alliance (Brisbane)
Domain Code/Number: TA/AUD08
Venue Name: Brisbane X
Venue Code:
Approval Number: [TOPAUS2014] [Requiem majority with option for other minority (All but Hunter)], [COFD-NST-BNE-2018003] [VSS update]

1.2.0. Venue Personnel

Venue Coordinator: Morgan Morgens - 2016020007
Venue Storyteller: Daniel Jagganath - 2015010001

Domain Coordinator: Hayden Black - 2013080002
Domain Storyteller: Bec P. - 2009030004

1.3.0. Game Location, Time and Fees

Game Location: Junction at Annerley, 60 Junction Terrace Annerley QLD 4103
Game Time: 1st Saturday of every month
Game Fees: N/A, gold coin donations requested.

1.4.0. Mailing lists, websites and other online resources used

Information about our games can also be found on our facebook group page.
For out of character mailing lists, please go to ooc.brisbane.

The official addenda should be referred to for in-game content at Global Addenda, please refer to Chronicles of Darkness (NWoD 2nd Edition), Vampire: the Requiem 2e for the appropriate content and their approval levels.

2.0. GAME INFORMATION

2.1.0. Genre

Brisbane X Genre: Take Back the Night

Disclaimer & Reasoning: This will be a primarily Requiem genre but with the option for minority other genre participation. Other genres are specifically written in as minority participants and will remain as such socially and politically. An open genre offers the safety of familiarity of the popular and familiar Requiem setting, but allows with the scope for other genre’s to participate in the Chronicle.

The game will be run with the VII.A (Universal Addenda Section VII.a) rules light version of the story with a Play for Drama collaborative style of game. This will support and reward a narrative high immersion,‘what's best for the story’ approach. The aim is for everyone to have an immersive experience.

2.2.0. Setting

Brisbane, Queensland.

2.2.1. The City

The Setting Brisbane, the city of the spike, is a thriving metropolis of chrome and steel; a 200km by 100km giant monolith stretching from the Gold Coast in the South to Caboolture in the North and encompassing all of Ipswich. Reminiscent of Gotham City, or Megacity 1 from Judge Dredd, It’s a sprawling, energized metropolis fuelled by the hopes and dreams of the ten million people who live in the shadows of the glittering skyscrapers- always looking forward too afraid to look backwards.

Fear of the Dark It is an unspoken acceptance that below the façade of iron control lies fear. Fear of the dark. Fear of what came before. Fear of what cannot be contained by zoning, or by population, or by designated zones. Beneath the zoning of “green zones” for environmental protection, heritage and sacred spaces, lies the fear of the unknown- permeating everything and lying like an ignored splinter in the mind. For the most part it is contained by the structures, zones, roads and social control that fill the city… for now. Perhaps this explains the sudden surge in construction throughout the region?

One Tree Hill, Boggo Road Jail, the Mayne heritage, Mt Gravatt, and the Place of the Echidna are among many places that have been zoned as ‘sacred sites’ or ‘areas of historical importance’ and then studiously avoided by a population that feels the connection to the unseen, but fears it. Time will tell what truly lurks within these places of power.

2.2.2. The Economy

Organised - Efficient - Industrial

Those were the slogans that put Brisbane on the map in the 70’s and continue today. A sprawling, well organised industrial capital city designed and built on crushed dreams and held together with bands of commerce flowing from industry. Designated business hubs serviced by efficient public transport to nearby high density housing alongside old growth forest and protected green and sacred spaces, and pulsing entertainment precincts revitalize the population and add a shimmer to the chrome and steel. It’s an industrial city that has not lost touch with her soul.

2.2.3. The Infrastructure

Big Brother is Watching

Yet beneath the glitz and the perceived powerhouse capital lies another city, one of iron control, and fear. Starting in the 70’s the city embraced an era of ‘reconstruction’ under progressive governments, the shattering of dreams, the crushing of hope, and the building of the bright new future. Three decades of ‘restructuring’ under various governments always towards an Organised, Efficient, Industrial city has seen Brisbane become a stratified city. There are designated social zones and their immediate area of employment that contain all but the most determined. Swaths of defined zones struggle for funding for maintenance beyond the bare minimum, while others fight against rezoning. Amid this are still large swaths of land zones ‘for future development’ that are the battleground for industrialists, environmentalists, entertainment and real estate alike. The city is layered socially, bound with red tape of zoning and transport. An efficient police force keeps the peace with swift brutality, and everyone knows that Big Brother is always watching- and that someone is watching Big Brother. People disappear, just don’t think too hard about it. Ask too many of the wrong questions and suddenly you don’t have a job and rent is due. Then you are on the unemployment queue, then shortly on a train or a flight to a new job in an internet black spot- or worse, a mining job on a 12 month contract somewhere. If you like your comfortable apartment and a normal life, don’t ask too many questions or dig too deep.

2.2.4. Brief Supernatural History

The first western supernaturals arrived in the fledgling city in 1860 and the vampires were the most successful in establishing themselves and integrating themselves into the framework of the new city. Other supernaturals exist in minority numbers but never achieve the same amount of success or prolificity as the kindred. Searching through the scattered annals of those who have visited Brisbane comes the disturbing pattern that few care to think about, blinded as most seem to be by the promise of the glittering tomorrow. Bad things happen in Brisbane. The higher the mountain you climb, the harder the wind blows.

Brisbane has hosted three powerful kindred courts, each more powerful than the last, each built from the ashes of the previous one. In a disturbing parallel the other supernaturals if not directly tied to the Kindred courts for convenience, seems consistently tied to the same cycle of success and ruin the kindred, and indeed the city itself.

The first court of the Invictus (1860-1899) saw the rise of kindred to prominence and cement themselves into the social structure of the city from which they have never been dislodged. Indeed to this day the City itself seems to favour kindred activity over any other. This was when the theme of Safety in Numbers was imprinted on the city and kindred yet remain the most populous to date. Other supernaturals existed in tiny packs or master/apprentice or mentor/student group.

The second court of Acolytes (1900-1959) ruled uncontested with savage brutality and instilled the ingrained fear of the night into the city itself. During this time came the practice of paying the blood price to the Dark Mother, to the Land itself as tithe paid by the supernaturals. Then for a decade the Acolyte court tore itself apart with Owls emerging from the most powerful vampires, and kindred turned on kindred and echoed in the mortal world through riots and gangwar while the streets ran with blood. Other supernaturals suffered and were broken, plagued by their own demons, tied as they were to the fate of the kindred, though the kindred always have more to lose. The decade of violence cause Fear of the dark, and of the unknown to be imprinted upon the city, and remains a theme even today.

From the ashes the third Invictus Court (1969-2010) vowed never to be caught unprepared. With a tentative agreement from the other supernatural beings, the city moved forward towards a bright new tomorrow and never looked back. The Brisbane Plan, that set the path for the city ever since, was part supernatural agreement, part industrial development, part social control, part preservation act. Was it the kindred, or other supernaturals, or the mortals who desperately sought the safety of predictability and mundane banality? No-one knows but it forever shaped the city and remains today in the themes of Organised, Efficient, Industrial.

2.2.5. Recent Supernatural History

In 2011 after forty years of power and decadence, a kindred called Vernon Sawyer laid damming evidence, obtained from a Master Mage that capitulated to his cause, that the cycle of destruction was linked to the other supernaturals. Vernon Sawyer called for kindred security to be placed first, with greater accountability and restrictions be placed on other supernaturals and any kindred sympathizers. Dissent and then rebellion ripped through the kindred and supernatural courts as the river flooded and proverbially washed away the old structures. Kindred fought Kindred, and in the wake Vernon Sawyer wrested power from the ashes of Prince Catherine. However all of this activity, all the turmoil alerted the hunters. They arrived well-armed, well-trained, and with what appeared to be government backing. The sundered court of was insufficient to deal with the threat.

Under Vernon Sawer kindred governance was brutally reformatted into a vampire supremacist Parliament, with restrictions declared on kindred and other supernatural, most especially requiring registration and a greater blood price to be paid to avoid the hunter threat. Supernaturals were banned from holding any position in the city governance, except as advisory and permanently restricted to only ever being acknowledged. As with kindred endeavours, the city enforced the will of the ruling junta and tensions were high before supernatural news from the city went inexplicably dark. No Kindred or supernatural have left the city since, and those that enter are not seen or heard from again. The hunters, well nobody knows what happened to them.

2017 Select Kindred receive invitations to resettle Brisbane and arrive to find Brisbane an organised industrialised efficient machine called the Sovereign Secular Democratic Peoples Parliamentary Republic of Brisbane [The Parliament for short] under the iron Rule of Chairman Sawyer, who has no need of extra mouths unless they wish to toe the party line. Some visitors join as minions determined to undermine and change the court from within, others set up in defiance as the rebel or shadow court.

2017 Brisbane kindred the request assistance from other denizens of the night and see who will answer.

2.3.0. Themes & Mood

Cycle of Hubris: A self fulfilling prophecy, are all people tied to this theme?

Paranoia: Big Brother is watching. Always watching. Bad things happen to people and kindred and supernatural alike that seldom have a palatable reason.

Fear: A better tomorrow (don’t think about the past...). The city is focused on the future, building a brighter future, and few wish to dwell on the past. It is an aversion that none can understand. In the past there was uncertainty, terrible crime, rampant corruption. Now there is fear of returning to the past, of losing the protective insulating structure that keeps out the things that we cannot know or understand.

Safety in Numbers: There is safety in numbers, events inexplicable seems to reinforce the status quo and gives added potency to the declarations of the ruling junta so long as it is in alignment with the themes of the city. The kindred have been firmly ensconced as the dominant supernaturals.

Blood Price: Everything has a cost, be it actions and consequences, or the more tangible tithe that needs to be paid by supernaturals. The city demands a tithe from each group of supernaturals. The price is steeper for non kindred and scales exponentially with the amount of supernaturals of a group. Not paying the tithe causes a condition to manifest that can be removed as per normal.

Social Control: The city zoning creates control- a vigilant police force keeps crime down but also regulates entertainment, transport charges to the closest business hub are minimal and travelling further is exponentially more expensive. The majority of housing serves one industry hub, and the population does not flow freely. And of course, everywhere, Big Brother is watching; it’s so ingrained that people accept it as normal.

Tall Poppy Syndrome: The more powerful, the more unique. the more different you are, the more you stand out, the more interesting your life will be. The City has to focus on someone, and these are the leading cast... and there is so much drama and tragedy to play out. Tall Poppy is the special theme for to players who fulfil certain conditions (see below). This comes with high drama, high rewards, and higher risks. Tall Poppies are expected to be playmakers, people who actively generate plot and drama for others.

2.3.1 Game Play Terminology

Game Modes VIIA: (Universal Addenda Section VII.a) is a rules light version of the story with a Play for Drama collaborative style of game. If you are in VII.A mode you are in complete negotiated, consent-based play. In VII.A mode, before anyone can do anything to you, you must consent to it. The flip-side is that the only way for you to do something to someone else is to negotiate for it (with them able to opt-out). You don't roll dice and you probably get better compliance from your (consenting) 'victims'.If you are not in VII.A mode you can negotiate but also can fall back on regular dice mechanics. If two players in different modes interact VII.A trumps regular mode.

Live in Interesting Times™: This will be the theme and mode for when interesting things happen or conspire to make drama and involve lots of people. Drama is where there is lot of excitement and appropriate scenes/story will be crafted and dropped on you either by personal request or as ‘reward’ for being a playmaker. If you want a show down with a werewolf at midnight on an airplane, ask and you’ll probably get one.

Tall Poppy Syndrome™ is explicitly manifest: the older, the more unique, the more powerful, the more influential you are- the wind blows harder at the top of the mountain. Tall Poppies are expected to be playmakers, king makers, social spiders who actively generate plot and drama for others. Prepare for lots of challenging plot and play. If you don't like big scary plot, don't draw it's attention.

RTFM™ There are areas/items mentioned that specifically favour or hinder some clans/covenants, discovering them is part of the fun. Unique aspects, benefits and downsides of covenants will be unravelled as the story continues. This is story that the player can unravel faster and for their own benefit if they so wish.

Flaws: Please, make your character a flawed being, give them weaknesses that are great role playing opportunities. Have a preferred surrender or loss scenario so that In any given situation, the VST should be able to ask, “How could a random person defeat you, or change your mind right now?” and you should have an answer. Make it a flaw you’ll enjoy playing, knowing it’ll set you back and create more good drama.

Play for Drama: This is opposed to play-to-win. It is also known as play-to-lose but play-for-drama is a more accurate description. When playing for drama players aim to put their characters in situations that are the most interesting. They also respect and reinforce the interesting aspects of other players situations. ‘Interesting’ situations are not always safe or comfortable for the character.

Bad Things Happen™: There is something big and bad out here, or maybe it’s chance or the city itself is hostile. Create a character with areas that you want to go wrong and for bad things to happen. This links with Play for Drama…. Go for character concepts that lead to more drama.

Standing Order 3425: The institutionalized licence of kindred NPC’s to be nasty to undesirables viz PC’s, to be unfair, bigoted and generally remind people that the NPC;s are the bad guys currently in charge.

2.4.0. Character Creation

General:

Limited Starting Information: Information on recent supernatural activity in Brisbane is non existent. Any supernatural that visited the city longer than a month after 2010 has disappeared. Information can be gleaned and (mis)interpreted from the city history section.

Status, Allies, Contacts (local) are limited by the number of districts controlled by the Players to a minimum of 1.

Status City: Can only be modified by a relevant position holder including the NPCs. At the start of the chronicle this will be NPC Kindred until they are replaced or a different system invented.

Status City: Non Vampires can have a maximum of 1 status (under the NPC court)

Status: Status 1-3 raises is at the discretion of the VST with justification provided. Note there are no status altering positions in Requiem 2.0

Status: For status 4 and 5, the NPC court counts as part of the requirement for local agreement.

PC Survivors: Survivors from Brisbane are exceedingly rare (1 per 10 players) and subject to VST approval. These will be playmakers and fit into the Tall Poppy Category. There are very very very few surviving other supernaturals in the city at the start that anyone is aware of.

Leaders/Key individuals from the Past: There are no current leaders in Brisbane at the start of game. At the start no characters will start with city status. There are no ‘leaders’ from the past left, however there could be the rare pc/npc that existed as the ‘special guy’ or key person responsible for something. Contact the VST for how this could work in the story.

For Requiem

Age: Brisbane chronicle is aimed to be a young and dynamic city, and most characters will be younger kindred coming to carve out power. Try to keep you age under 100, read the VTR2.0 core book on how age reflects on things like humanity and torpor as they will be used. Older character concepts will require a background that supports the lower XP at creation. 150 + age will automatically move you into the “Tall Poppy” Category- please read what this entails.

Elders: Elder (200+) is a title that means something, there will be a limited amount of Elders in the game at the start of 1:10 ratio. Elders do not risk their unlives, that’s what minions are for. Elders will be expected to actively create and drive plot. Being an Elder is also opting in to the high risk game and the Tall Poppy category, there is no opting out of this category for Elders.

Bloodlines: Bloodlines will automatically move you into the “Tall Poppy” Category- please read what this entails. Bloodlines are volunteering to get hit with the Plot Stick ™ and to Live in Interesting Times ™. This is not a bad thing, but it is volunteering to be part of high risk plot. There will be a limited amount of Characters belonging to a bloodline at start, 3 in 10 characters may possess a Bloodline.

For Awakening

Minority Genre: Playing a minority faction means that the setting will not be fair, you will be discriminated against, and the consequences will be more severe and abrupt. You are volunteering for the Live in Interesting TimesTM and Tall Poppy SyndromeTM Prepare for lots of challenging situations and play. If you don't like challenging play and want to be treated equally/fairly IC, don't play a minority.

Vampires are on Top: Deal with it. The Department of Security [Seers of the Throne sub section] requires supernatural registration for all non vampires, and all non acknowledged kindred. Mortal assets may also be registered and chipped if so desired. Failure to register will result in public branding if discovered.

Population: Brisbane is not a friendly city. There is no concilium, no orders are left here other than Seers of the Throne. Numbers are small and isolated, you are on your own. And Brisbane since it’s change in the 70’s has had less and less people awaken within it. Masters: Master means something, and in a city with such a low population of mages, you will have attention drawn to you both positive as a role model and teacher, and negative as a rival..

Power: Something is watching and power attracts. It is attracted to both excessive power and excessive displays of power. Gnosis 5 is opting in to the high risk game, there is no opting out of this category once you hit this level of power.

Paradox: As with Power, Paradox attracts the sight of something. Being careless and throwing around your might in ways that reality objects to has potential to draw you into the high risk game and the Tall Poppy category. Unlike other situations you can work to mitigate this but be aware that there are consequences.

For All Non Requiem Genres

Minority Genre: Playing a minority faction means that the setting will not be fair, you will be discriminated against, and the consequences will be more severe and abrupt. You are volunteering for the Live in Interesting TimesTM and Tall Poppy SyndromeTM Prepare for lots of challenging situations and play. If you don't like challenging play, don't play a minority.

2.5.0. Location of Venue history information

Brisbane Requiem CofD History.

2.6.0. Transport In/ Out Information

3.0. EXTERNAL FACTORS INFORMATION

3.1.0. Experience Awards

3.1.1. Creation

All primary characters receive their MC x 1 + 30 in experience points as per the Universal Addenda.

In addition, characters may also receive experience points at creation for the following, at the discretion of the VST:

4XP (20 beats) for completion and submission of the relevant Character Development Document
1xp (5 beats) for completion of wiki page
1 beat for each character tie (Max 5 beats)
Variable beats/XP for assisting the VST in world building
Other tasks for the VST as approved and only with final say by the VST

These XP bonuses are considered Creation XP, and are not subject to the Incremental Maximum.

3.1.2. Monthly Experience

The conversion rate is 5 beats = 1 exp.
Speciality Beats will be awarded as per referenced in appropriate genre book

All following awards are to be approved by VST or VC responsible for the claim.

Game related awards do not currently have a cap.

Venue related awards via the VC have a monthly cap of 5 beats/month that may be used over any character within CofD. Players are required to add all VSTs that they have characters under into one email that is sent within one month of the VC awarding the beats to claim said beats, which may then be spread over any of their characters to the maximum they have earned that month in total over all characters in the character log.

3.1.3. Game Attendance

3 beats - for attending the game as PC, as recorded on sign on sheet.
2 beats - for playing an NPC for the VST or aVSTs for a portion of the game.
4 beats - for playing an NPC (s) for the VST or aVSTs for a full game.
3 beats - VST discretionary award
3 beats - for Proxy play
1 beat - for exceptional costuming, as per VSTs discretion.
1 beat - for exceptional roleplaying, awarded by VST according to Circle of Love.

3.1.4. Venue and Game Assistance Awards

All to be awarded or approved by appropriate assistant or full position holder.

1-2 beats - for providing assistance to (a)VC or (a)VST during game + month, at appropriate position holder's discretion.
2 beats - for introducing new players to venue, must stay for at least 3 months to be awarded on the 4th month of attendance.

All to be awarded or approved by VC only.

1 beat - for Venue maintenance (set up/pack up), at VCs discretion.
1 beat - for providing resources to venue (e.g. props, food and drink, etc), at VCs discretion.

All to be awarded or approved by VST only.

1-2 beats - for providing a simple plotkit to VST for other players/characters.
3-4 beats - for providing a well thought-out/in depth plotkit to VST for other players/characters.
1-2 beats - for maintaining game resources, such as updating maps, venue wiki information for court members, venue wiki information for city locations or services.

3.1.5. Downtime Period Awards

All to be awarded or approved by VST unless marked otherwise.

1 beat - for report/diary included in downtime.
3 beats - for on-time downtime submission using provided template or 1 beat when using a different template or submitting a late downtime.
1 beat - per meaningful IC interaction between games including RTRs (must include date, summary or log, VST or aVST where appropriate, be listed in email separate to downtime form at the time the downtime is sent in) or Forum interaction, with a max of 3 per month.

3.1.6. Game Mechanic Awards

All to be awarded or approved by VST only.

2 beats - for fulfilling a mid-term aspiration.
4 beats - for fulfilling a long term aspiration.
1 beat - for buying a new dot using experience in any asset skill when character possesses Professional Training ●●●● and up.
Group Beats - The following actions award beats into a communal pool which is awarded equally to all attending players: Opting to dramatically fail (1), Taking Lethal damage in one of your last 3 health boxes (1), becoming beaten down and surrendering (1), fulfilling a short term aspiration (1), Resolving a condition (1), having a persistent condition interfere with resolving an aspiration (1). This is only used at games, in all other situations beats are awarded to be individual.
Specialty Beats - Specialty beats are awarded as per http://jessilaurn.com/Global-Addenda/Specialty_Beats.pdf

Chronicle Cap is increased by 4xp per month until the Chronicle's end in 2022. The current beat rewards listed above are in place to average approximately 1xp-2xp per month.

3.1.3 Circle of Love

3.2.0. Expendable Renewable Resource

Monthly Starting Expendable Resource and Willpower Starting blood/mana/glamour/whatever is based on the state of the city, herd, haven location, and downtime feeding actions. The VST will have these on your sheet ready for game.

Willpower regenerates at a rate of 1 per week.

3.3.0. Downtime Handling Procedure

Downtimes

[Changeable at Low Approval]

There will be a Downtime Form available for submitting downtimes here. . These are due on the third Sunday of each month and downtimes submitted after this date will be responded to at the ST’s discretion. Responses should be sent out by the 4th Sunday of the month.

Downtimes are for interaction with the world at large in between games, as well as for spending XP.

Acquiring new devotions is done by using a number of actions equal to half the total dots of prerequisites rounding up (minimum of 2). The number of actions is halved rounding down if you have a teacher.

Precasting spells: You may cast a number of spells equal to your Gnosis as a single action. Please ensure to have the correct rules written because the VST will not have the time to chase you to address mistakes (which will be treated as failed casts).

Generally each xp spend requires a separate action. Understand that some XP expenditures will require significant character development before being approved.

here.

0. THE GOLDEN RULES
- A. LARP is not a “shoot-em-up”. You don't get notches in your belt for killing other PCs. You don't win by making the game miserable for everyone else. This is a storytelling game, and you win by telling a good story with others. If you do insist on making the game miserable for everyone else, the presiding storyteller has every right to tell you, in plain and simple terms, “No. Not here, not today.”

3.4. Crossover limitations

Brisbane X is sanctioned as a cross genre game. Please note that it is predominantly Requiem with the option for other persecuted minorities. Each genre can freely visit its own native genre, or other similar cross genre games, however visiting Brisbane is considered Cross Genere. Crossover between genres is considered the same as listed in the Cross Genre Appendix for Chronicles of Darkness (NWoD 2nd Edition) as found at http://wiki.shadowplayinternational.org/index.php/Global_Addenda_and_Settings_Documents Where there is no prelisted crossover limitation by the Appendix, crossover is considered to be Mid Approval.

4.0. NEW/INTERSTATE PLAYERS

4.1.0. Information for New Players

New characters should use the standard rules for character creation, extra notes from this VSS, and refer to the Global and Australian Addendas where appropriate. New players are encouraged to email the VST at VST Requiem CofD while considering their concept for assistance in developing their idea.
For the new member guide, please follow this link.

4.2.0. Information for Transferring Players

For characters transferring VSS, please forward character sheets, CDD, and any Approvals to the DST and VST for clarification and integration into the local domain and venue. Please also submit the last three months of downtimes and responses from your previous domain where possible to understand more about the character and how they act in their between periods. Also, note that transferring characters may be subject to some alterations to their sheets to account for the change in VSS or to make them more consistent with the new VSS, all alterations will be done after consultations with the player.

4.3.0. Information for External Players

Proxies are recommended to be sent two weeks prior to the arrival of the character to give the supervising VST an opportunity to discuss with the visiting player anything they need to know. Visiting characters may be subjected to temporary alterations to their sheets (with consultation) if their sheet is deemed inappropriate to the tone of the local game. Character sheets for a character outside Australia should be sent through the relevant story teller channels at least two weeks before the proxy commences in case any conversion need to be made.

Brisbane X CofD VSS