Post by Magic Rob on Aug 14, 2014 13:25:10 GMT -8
I would like to start this off with an expression of gratitude at how much bead trading is going on. I admit that I had expected people to hold onto their items and covet everyone else’s stuff. However, pulling something cool and handing it to another player that wants it for a concept cus it doesn’t fit yours? That’s just magic, right there. I feel all warm and glowy just thinking about it.
I just wanted to spend a minute talking about Rarity and how that works. This is the most abstract of the beads, has invited the most questions, and has the greatest potential of being game breaking or unbalancing. When I’ve posted about this in the past, I said ‘let’s make a deal’, and this has been oft quoted at me as some sort of reason why you should be allowed to have something outlandish.
Let’s make a deal isn’t an invitation to grocery shop and put as much stuff as you want on your sheet. Let’s make a deal is my willingness to listen to whatever it is that you want. Here, however, are some guidelines.
Rarity can be spent on Uncommon and Rare Merits and Clans. Assuming the slots are available, there isn’t much of a conversation here: if there is a Rare Ravnos slot open and you pull a Rare bead, you can have that Ravnos. Done. However, if that Rare slot isn’t open, and you pull a rare bead, I am willing to hear how awesome your concept is and maybe let another one in if I find it appropriate. Let’s make a deal doesn’t mean that you can just ask for a thing and be told yes when you are against my stated demographics.
Rarity can also be broken up a bit if that’s what your concept needs. A rare bead could probably be exchanged for a City Gangrel with an Uncommon merit, probably, depending on concept. That would be me making a deal. This, however, doesn’t invite a grocery shopping visit. A rare bead does not entitle you to multiple rare items. You get one, or the possibility of a few lesser items, but not all the awesome ever on one sheet.
Rarity can be spent to begin play with an otherwise unavailable discipline. This, however, like everything else, is a conversation with Staff. Saying ‘Dude, of COURSE my gangrel should have Temporis because I drew a Rare bead!’ is an invitation to ending that conversation quickly. Can you talk me into Thaumaturgy? Probably. Mytherecria? Probably not. This, however, can never be used to further bend the character creation rules, for example, taking Additional Clan Discipline: Protean on your Brujah is still unacceptable, even if I would let you start with a few dots.
Rarity can be spent to ‘bend’ the rules of creation. Want to come into game with Influence 5 where no one else is allowed to purchase any at all? Sounds pretty rare to me. Or maybe you want to have a Business perk that we find just a little bit too powerful; drop some Rarity on that and you’re suddenly cooking with fire. Starting on a Path? Pretty f-ing rare in the Camarilla, isn’t it? See where I’m going here?
Rarity can be spent on history or concept stuff. A Camarilla Ventrue having powerful friends in the Sabbat is pretty rare to me. Maybe you want to have weird exposure to another type of Supernatural? That’s pretty rare. Maybe you want your history to include meeting your Clan Founder? Rare a hell right there.
Rarity can be spent to open up otherwise restricted Lores. Playing a Gangrel who was mortally descended from the Get of Fenris and want to have the Lores to make that work? That’s pretty Rare. Starting out as a Noddist? Not terribly common for a Camarilla member, is it (and might get you killed if you aren’t careful)?
When I said “Let’s Make a Deal”, I meant every word. I want you to be able to play what it is that you want to play. However, we still need to enforce game demographics as I have stated them. It can invite a lot of richness to your story and give you distinct advantages both sheet wise and story wise. But, it’s not a free for all.
Here are some things that are NOT acceptable to ask for in regards to your Rarity beads:
A bloodline not listed in the demographics page. I don’t care if you have a Rare bead, that doesn’t buy you a Samedi or True Brujah.
Something well outside the scope of the game that I want to play. You won’t be able to be a part of the Inconnu no matter what your rarity is.
Something well beyond the game that I want to run. This is a Canon Camarilla game; Rarity beads won’t let you play an active sabbat trying to tank the city. Ever.
I won’t ever post what has been taken and what is still available. Ever. Nor will I answer ‘fishing’ questions designed to suss out what might still be available. We will generally answer direct questions politely, but part of having a staggered demographic and rarity scale is to keep some of what’s out there a secret from IC folks.
While we are discussing what isn’t acceptable, let’s talk about this waiting list for the super-secret bloodline waiting list. At the moment, I will not be allowing anyone on this list into play for quite some time. I’m looking at opening this up 6 months down the road at the earliest, which isn’t to say that you can’t get on their and wait forever, you’ll just be waiting forever. This also doesn’t guarantee that your concept is what I find acceptable, even in such a controlled way, for the game that I am trying to run. Expect these slots to fall under incredibly scrutiny. If you put yourself on the list and stop attending game, I'll take you right off that list. These bizarre one-offs are designed to reward players putting stuff into game, not sitting on the sidelines waiting to have something they shouldn't.
You don’t have to pull a bead to get this, you need to impress me. Game needs to be mature enough to allow something like this. And the general rarity of the game needs to be slanted away from wonky clans. If every Uncommon/Rare clan is currently in play, I feel some of those character fill the same ‘exotic’ flavors that a bloodline would.
Anyway, these are my guidelines. You are free to ask for anything, but don’t get snippy if I reject something out of hand. I’ll explain myself if you give me a minute, but not if you inspire me to anger. The game is going to be brand spankin’ new. We’re all starting over. No one is entitled to bizarre off the wall stuff. No one has ‘put in time’ to earn off the wall stuff. No one has any sort of claim to anything beyond what I have posted, and even then your concepts are still subject to Staff approval.
I will, and have, said ‘no’ to Common things if I feel you aren’t going to play what you’ve ask well or if I think it doesn’t quite fit into game just yet. Character approval is a dance; you need to feel the pulse of game I’m trying to run and step in time with me. Dance with me and we’ll all have a blast.
-Rob.
I just wanted to spend a minute talking about Rarity and how that works. This is the most abstract of the beads, has invited the most questions, and has the greatest potential of being game breaking or unbalancing. When I’ve posted about this in the past, I said ‘let’s make a deal’, and this has been oft quoted at me as some sort of reason why you should be allowed to have something outlandish.
Let’s make a deal isn’t an invitation to grocery shop and put as much stuff as you want on your sheet. Let’s make a deal is my willingness to listen to whatever it is that you want. Here, however, are some guidelines.
Rarity can be spent on Uncommon and Rare Merits and Clans. Assuming the slots are available, there isn’t much of a conversation here: if there is a Rare Ravnos slot open and you pull a Rare bead, you can have that Ravnos. Done. However, if that Rare slot isn’t open, and you pull a rare bead, I am willing to hear how awesome your concept is and maybe let another one in if I find it appropriate. Let’s make a deal doesn’t mean that you can just ask for a thing and be told yes when you are against my stated demographics.
Rarity can also be broken up a bit if that’s what your concept needs. A rare bead could probably be exchanged for a City Gangrel with an Uncommon merit, probably, depending on concept. That would be me making a deal. This, however, doesn’t invite a grocery shopping visit. A rare bead does not entitle you to multiple rare items. You get one, or the possibility of a few lesser items, but not all the awesome ever on one sheet.
Rarity can be spent to begin play with an otherwise unavailable discipline. This, however, like everything else, is a conversation with Staff. Saying ‘Dude, of COURSE my gangrel should have Temporis because I drew a Rare bead!’ is an invitation to ending that conversation quickly. Can you talk me into Thaumaturgy? Probably. Mytherecria? Probably not. This, however, can never be used to further bend the character creation rules, for example, taking Additional Clan Discipline: Protean on your Brujah is still unacceptable, even if I would let you start with a few dots.
Rarity can be spent to ‘bend’ the rules of creation. Want to come into game with Influence 5 where no one else is allowed to purchase any at all? Sounds pretty rare to me. Or maybe you want to have a Business perk that we find just a little bit too powerful; drop some Rarity on that and you’re suddenly cooking with fire. Starting on a Path? Pretty f-ing rare in the Camarilla, isn’t it? See where I’m going here?
Rarity can be spent on history or concept stuff. A Camarilla Ventrue having powerful friends in the Sabbat is pretty rare to me. Maybe you want to have weird exposure to another type of Supernatural? That’s pretty rare. Maybe you want your history to include meeting your Clan Founder? Rare a hell right there.
Rarity can be spent to open up otherwise restricted Lores. Playing a Gangrel who was mortally descended from the Get of Fenris and want to have the Lores to make that work? That’s pretty Rare. Starting out as a Noddist? Not terribly common for a Camarilla member, is it (and might get you killed if you aren’t careful)?
When I said “Let’s Make a Deal”, I meant every word. I want you to be able to play what it is that you want to play. However, we still need to enforce game demographics as I have stated them. It can invite a lot of richness to your story and give you distinct advantages both sheet wise and story wise. But, it’s not a free for all.
Here are some things that are NOT acceptable to ask for in regards to your Rarity beads:
A bloodline not listed in the demographics page. I don’t care if you have a Rare bead, that doesn’t buy you a Samedi or True Brujah.
Something well outside the scope of the game that I want to play. You won’t be able to be a part of the Inconnu no matter what your rarity is.
Something well beyond the game that I want to run. This is a Canon Camarilla game; Rarity beads won’t let you play an active sabbat trying to tank the city. Ever.
I won’t ever post what has been taken and what is still available. Ever. Nor will I answer ‘fishing’ questions designed to suss out what might still be available. We will generally answer direct questions politely, but part of having a staggered demographic and rarity scale is to keep some of what’s out there a secret from IC folks.
While we are discussing what isn’t acceptable, let’s talk about this waiting list for the super-secret bloodline waiting list. At the moment, I will not be allowing anyone on this list into play for quite some time. I’m looking at opening this up 6 months down the road at the earliest, which isn’t to say that you can’t get on their and wait forever, you’ll just be waiting forever. This also doesn’t guarantee that your concept is what I find acceptable, even in such a controlled way, for the game that I am trying to run. Expect these slots to fall under incredibly scrutiny. If you put yourself on the list and stop attending game, I'll take you right off that list. These bizarre one-offs are designed to reward players putting stuff into game, not sitting on the sidelines waiting to have something they shouldn't.
You don’t have to pull a bead to get this, you need to impress me. Game needs to be mature enough to allow something like this. And the general rarity of the game needs to be slanted away from wonky clans. If every Uncommon/Rare clan is currently in play, I feel some of those character fill the same ‘exotic’ flavors that a bloodline would.
Anyway, these are my guidelines. You are free to ask for anything, but don’t get snippy if I reject something out of hand. I’ll explain myself if you give me a minute, but not if you inspire me to anger. The game is going to be brand spankin’ new. We’re all starting over. No one is entitled to bizarre off the wall stuff. No one has ‘put in time’ to earn off the wall stuff. No one has any sort of claim to anything beyond what I have posted, and even then your concepts are still subject to Staff approval.
I will, and have, said ‘no’ to Common things if I feel you aren’t going to play what you’ve ask well or if I think it doesn’t quite fit into game just yet. Character approval is a dance; you need to feel the pulse of game I’m trying to run and step in time with me. Dance with me and we’ll all have a blast.
-Rob.
