Post by Kevin K on Sept 30, 2005 16:23:36 GMT -8
Dustin asked a very good question as I was pestering him about his travel plans. He asked,
"Speaking of that, why is it such an issue to get out of the city? Was easy to get in."
I just wanted to post the reply here as well, since it kind of gets to the heart of all this hullabaloo about travel:
We do ignore the getting in part. Mostly because dying before you even start to play sucks.
Beyond that, it's an important part of the setting. Kindred don't travel much, largely due to the dangers involved. Those that do (Gangrel) are respected for it. Travel being arduous reminds us as players that it isn't the world that we live in. You can't just drive down to Portland, even if you can make it during the night. The WoD setting tells us that there's a reason Kindred live in cities, and it isn't because they're allergic to trees.
That said, while travel is always dangerous, it's only impossible if you're not well prepared for it, and we want to confer appropriate advantages on those who are. Most Gangrel are a half-step there because of the advantages that Animalism and Protean provide, hence their reputation. Uber-wealthy characters who can simplify their travel plans have an advantage. So do characters who have the Transportation Influence. The Survival and Stealth skills also come into play, as do secondary abilities like Lupine Lore, Hunter Lore, Sabbat Lore, Masquerade, etc. If your story says you're a traveler, and your skills reflect that, then you have a very real thing, a very dangerous thing, that you can accomplish that others can't.
The scary thing about the dangers of travel is that even if you're stacked up for it, things can go wrong. And when they do, you're often in a desparate situation that involves one or more of the following things that want to kill you and have little motivation for anything else:
mortal hunters
lupines
sabbat
sunlight
rogue ghouls
Does that help?
"Speaking of that, why is it such an issue to get out of the city? Was easy to get in."
I just wanted to post the reply here as well, since it kind of gets to the heart of all this hullabaloo about travel:
We do ignore the getting in part. Mostly because dying before you even start to play sucks.
Beyond that, it's an important part of the setting. Kindred don't travel much, largely due to the dangers involved. Those that do (Gangrel) are respected for it. Travel being arduous reminds us as players that it isn't the world that we live in. You can't just drive down to Portland, even if you can make it during the night. The WoD setting tells us that there's a reason Kindred live in cities, and it isn't because they're allergic to trees.
That said, while travel is always dangerous, it's only impossible if you're not well prepared for it, and we want to confer appropriate advantages on those who are. Most Gangrel are a half-step there because of the advantages that Animalism and Protean provide, hence their reputation. Uber-wealthy characters who can simplify their travel plans have an advantage. So do characters who have the Transportation Influence. The Survival and Stealth skills also come into play, as do secondary abilities like Lupine Lore, Hunter Lore, Sabbat Lore, Masquerade, etc. If your story says you're a traveler, and your skills reflect that, then you have a very real thing, a very dangerous thing, that you can accomplish that others can't.
The scary thing about the dangers of travel is that even if you're stacked up for it, things can go wrong. And when they do, you're often in a desparate situation that involves one or more of the following things that want to kill you and have little motivation for anything else:
mortal hunters
lupines
sabbat
sunlight
rogue ghouls
Does that help?
