So ladies and gentlemen, I know I talk a lot about GMing and my experiences in doing so, however I've never actually given examples of it, so without further ado on my blog, I'm going to be putting up recordings for games that I've run, including the premise and the players (or at least the ones I can remember). This first one is a game I ran about 3 months ago, a one shot for a con called Go Play. I ran it using the New World of Darkness system, and it was a straight up sequel to the movie Ghostbusters. A bit of a warning, the audio quality isn't incredible, but you should be able to make it out. These files work mostly on iTunes.
Ghostbusters - Spook Central
Featuring:
Martin Brown (That's me) - as the GM
Jack Pressley - as the Rich Kid, the heir to the stay puft marshmallow empire.
Samantha Travis - as the True Believer, ghost sympathizer extraordinaire.
Ben Johnson - as the Thrill Seeker, the promoted fanboy of the Ghostbusters that gets a chance to live his dreams.
Brendan Garett - as the Skeptic, a determined scientist who wants to take down the Ghostbusters from within.
The Scenario
It's 2014, 13
years since the last ghostly activity on record. The Ghostbusters'
proton packs and their vehicle, Ecto-1, has been consigned to dusty
warehouses; weapons from a war long won.
Egon Spengler, now age
70, is still runing the Spengler Paranormal Investigation Society,
which after years of work and lobbying, has brought the paranormal to
public knowledge. As far as he’s concerned, his Ghostbusting days are
long behind him.
Without warning, however, PKE readings spike
and ghostly activity is reported around the city. It feels like the city
is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions. You know Old
Testament, real wrath-of-God type stuff: fire and brimstone coming down
from the sky, rivers and seas boiling, forty years of darkness,
earthquakes, volcanoes, the dead rising from the grave, human sacrifice,
dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!
The people are
clamouring for the Ghostbusters to reform and save them. But will your
team of rookies be prepared to step into their shoes and save the city?
Who ya gonna call?
The Audio File
Enjoy!
- Kephn
Sunday, 20 July 2014
Sunday, 13 July 2014
Infernalism for Dummies: The Baali Survival Guide
Greetings neonate.
If you've survived this long, then clearly someone thinks you're worth something, so welcome. The First Tribe accepts only the greatest of initiates. Far too many wind up selling away their souls to demons for minor trinkets, being devoured by the barbaric Sabbat, or executed by the Ivory Tower.You have proven yourself worthy to know the secrets, and claim the legacy of our great clan, but first, you must know our history, and know of what we want. It goes without saying that you are never to show this document to anyone else, mortal or immortal. Guard it with your unlife. The secrets of the First Tribe are not for the uninitiated, and if we find out you have betrayed us, Final Death will be the kindest of mercies compared to what we do to you. You have been warned.
The Baali. That name has haunted the kindred for centuries, and with good reason. Many think of us as an urban legend. Many think us extinct, or powerless, or a mere fairy tell of the elders to keep their childer in line. We are real, and wherever the kindred have claimed power, we have been there, slowly corrupting from within. We are kindred, you see, but it is our destiny to rule. The Ventrue, the Lasombra, the hated Salubri, the Tremere....these weaklings would style themselves as 'high clans.' Praising themselves for their connection to their humanity or their beasts. Baali know what it truly means to hold power. The Baali know what it really means to have a secret that no one must know. The Baali know what it truly means to be a beast. You see, from our inception, we have been in contact with powers beyond the mortal ken, powers that the unenlightened may refer to as demons. True, these powers are unpleasant, perhaps even malicious, but they are controllable. The Baali, more than any other clan in the history of Cainites, understand the power of the underworld, and know exactly how to manipulate it.
A little history lesson. We were founded eons ago, when the Tribe of First Men had first made contact with the outer dark. They found beings, known as the Children, buried beneath the crust of the earth, and realized that they could draw power from their true names. Unfortunately, this practiced caused the Children to begin awakening, something that would spell doom for all mankind, and so we placated them. The Children loved carnage, they loved war and death, and so we fed them carnage. We created sacrifices and rituals so brutal and bloody that they lulled the Children to sleep like a babe in a cradle, and thus we learned how to work our magic safely.
It couldn't go on forever. An antediluvian, one of the dreaded third generation, some say Saulot, some say Set, came upon our tribe and tore them apart. He was offended by our practices, you see, not truly understanding them, and deigned to show us what true evil was. Only three survived the massacre, and they were hurled to the bottom of the well, and the vampire dripped his blood into it, that they might know true damnation. Three methuselahs rose from that well. Nergal, Moloch and Ashur.
To this day, the Baali are divided. The methuselahs preach a different system, each, with Nergal supporting an ethos of absolute destruction, and Ashur bringing forth an insane sermon of blanketting the world in ghouled flies. They are dreamers and madmen, and if you are reading this, you are of Moloch's brood. Moloch is the only true Baali, and followers of the other two are nothing more than distractions, weaklings to draw the ire of the Camarilla and the Sabbat. Molochian Baali know how to blend in. Molochian Baali know that demons are not to be worshipped or praised, but to be broken and bent to the will of the vampire. It is the Baali of Moloch that will one day lead the Cainites into a new era, where mortals shall be as our food, and the sky shall burn with clouds of brimstone, forever obscuring the hated sun. That day is coming, very, very soon. Read on acolyte.
Enough apocrypha. Time for some practical advice. If you wish to provide a useful service to the clan, you need to learn how to blend in. Baali must never walk openly, even the fools of Nergal and Ashur know that much. The kindred must believe us an urban legend, or an extinct line, and fortunately, much of our work has been done for us. The Camarilla refuse to believe in the history of our race, and openly refute the Caine myth. Our hated rivals and fiercest opponents, the Salubri, have been wiped out by Clan Tremere, due in no small part to our machinations in leading the warlocks to Saulot. The Setites and Assamites, the only other two clans that suspect us and have fought us in the past, refused to join the Camarilla and are hated and hunted as well. Our old friends, the Brujah, have long benefited from our service, and we believe they can be subverted again. The Camarilla is all about want. They desire power, they lust for humanity, and they hunger for blood. All these are ours to give, but remember, the Camarilla is very good at outplaying its opponents when it comes to making deals. Tread very carefully, acolyte. A single misstep around them could easily mean your final death.
The Sabbat are both easier and harder to infiltrate. Unlike the Camarilla, they see no need to cling to the lie that is humanity. Unlike the Camarilla, they indulge their basic nature, and this attitude makes it very easy for one of our kind to get away with our......predilictions. The Sabbat, however, are built on unity, and loyalty. The Sabbat, will not give you the privacy you need to study your demonology. Worse, they will bond you to their sect, in a disgusting perversion known as the Vaulderie, and their elders watch for Infernalists within their ranks. They do not understand that we do not bow to demons, however, it is a forgivable attitude, given our less-subtle compatriots. To be a true Baali is to make the demons bow to you.
The easiest way to insinuate yourself within the so-called kindred is to pretend to be another clan, preferably one that tolerates eccentricities and is beneath the notice of most kindred. Your disciplines, Obfuscate, Presence and Daimoinion will help you in this matter. Brujah, Toreador and Malkavian are the easiest to infiltrate, as we share one discipline with each, and all of them are stereotyped among their peers for being flighty, aloof, idiotic and easily distracted. Despite your lordly stature, do not attempt to infiltrate the Ventrue or the Tremere. Both of these clans have a level of unity that will make it difficult to answer awkward questions about one's lineage, and despite their denial, both of these clans are no stranger to diablerizing imposters in their midst. Equally so, though we share disciplines with them, you would be foolish to pretend to be a Caitiff or the rare Setite antitribu, as those are almost as distrusted as us, in both the Camarilla and the Sabbat.
To serve your clan well, one must keep up with one's rituals. Demons need to be bound, and made to serve, and this is equally your greatest strength and weakness. Daimoinion is a powerful discipline, especially when one is unprepared for its effects, however, it requires an upkeep that can be difficult. Sacrifices are fairly easy to obtain, especially in Sabbat domains, but remember that no one must catch you in the act. It is easy to endure the stigma of being an inhumane kindred than to be an infernalist. If someone suspects you, arrange for them to die via politics or accident. Never simply send a demon after them, because it will look suspicious. Be 'loyal' to your sect. Never betray them. Do not rock the boat, and if you are talented at hiding, try to slip beneath the radar of your elders. If you cannot, then be upstanding. Be beyond reproach, and be the strong left hand of the Prince. People will think twice before questioning your loyalty. As much as they deny it, the Sabbat works in essentially the same way, and the Inquisition are unlikely to seek out the Archbishop's favored packmate. Remember that the Vaulderie will induce the blood-bond to make this easier, but don't worry, it won't make you stray from your mission. Remember, what we do is for the good of all the childer of Caine, and when they see our great works, they will thank us.
When choosing childer, remember the teachings of your elders and be sure to pass them down. Psychopaths and other broken kine are useless as true childer, and good only for distractions. Seek out the holy man, the esoteric scientist and the magician. Seek out the thinker and the philosopher. Those who are passionate, and dedicated to a cause. It is those childer that will divine the mysteries of the universe, and those childer that will usher in a new age of blood, and bind the dukes of hell into our service. We Baali are not mere slaves to the infernal, and only those who are brave and strong can look into the abyss without being corrupted or losing our immortal souls. Only those who are strong enough to look into the face of the devil, spit in his eye, and bring him to his knees are worthy. But the other clans must not know this. They must think us stooges, fools who sell our immortal essence for the ability to command small glamors and charms of hell, and ultimately shall be damned for our hubris. This belief serves us more than anything, and if there is any reason that the Cainites will be unprepared for us, is that they truly believe we are weaklings.
If only they knew the truth. But fear not, little acolyte, they will. Soon.
- Kephn
If you've survived this long, then clearly someone thinks you're worth something, so welcome. The First Tribe accepts only the greatest of initiates. Far too many wind up selling away their souls to demons for minor trinkets, being devoured by the barbaric Sabbat, or executed by the Ivory Tower.You have proven yourself worthy to know the secrets, and claim the legacy of our great clan, but first, you must know our history, and know of what we want. It goes without saying that you are never to show this document to anyone else, mortal or immortal. Guard it with your unlife. The secrets of the First Tribe are not for the uninitiated, and if we find out you have betrayed us, Final Death will be the kindest of mercies compared to what we do to you. You have been warned.
The Baali. That name has haunted the kindred for centuries, and with good reason. Many think of us as an urban legend. Many think us extinct, or powerless, or a mere fairy tell of the elders to keep their childer in line. We are real, and wherever the kindred have claimed power, we have been there, slowly corrupting from within. We are kindred, you see, but it is our destiny to rule. The Ventrue, the Lasombra, the hated Salubri, the Tremere....these weaklings would style themselves as 'high clans.' Praising themselves for their connection to their humanity or their beasts. Baali know what it truly means to hold power. The Baali know what it really means to have a secret that no one must know. The Baali know what it truly means to be a beast. You see, from our inception, we have been in contact with powers beyond the mortal ken, powers that the unenlightened may refer to as demons. True, these powers are unpleasant, perhaps even malicious, but they are controllable. The Baali, more than any other clan in the history of Cainites, understand the power of the underworld, and know exactly how to manipulate it.
A little history lesson. We were founded eons ago, when the Tribe of First Men had first made contact with the outer dark. They found beings, known as the Children, buried beneath the crust of the earth, and realized that they could draw power from their true names. Unfortunately, this practiced caused the Children to begin awakening, something that would spell doom for all mankind, and so we placated them. The Children loved carnage, they loved war and death, and so we fed them carnage. We created sacrifices and rituals so brutal and bloody that they lulled the Children to sleep like a babe in a cradle, and thus we learned how to work our magic safely.
It couldn't go on forever. An antediluvian, one of the dreaded third generation, some say Saulot, some say Set, came upon our tribe and tore them apart. He was offended by our practices, you see, not truly understanding them, and deigned to show us what true evil was. Only three survived the massacre, and they were hurled to the bottom of the well, and the vampire dripped his blood into it, that they might know true damnation. Three methuselahs rose from that well. Nergal, Moloch and Ashur.
To this day, the Baali are divided. The methuselahs preach a different system, each, with Nergal supporting an ethos of absolute destruction, and Ashur bringing forth an insane sermon of blanketting the world in ghouled flies. They are dreamers and madmen, and if you are reading this, you are of Moloch's brood. Moloch is the only true Baali, and followers of the other two are nothing more than distractions, weaklings to draw the ire of the Camarilla and the Sabbat. Molochian Baali know how to blend in. Molochian Baali know that demons are not to be worshipped or praised, but to be broken and bent to the will of the vampire. It is the Baali of Moloch that will one day lead the Cainites into a new era, where mortals shall be as our food, and the sky shall burn with clouds of brimstone, forever obscuring the hated sun. That day is coming, very, very soon. Read on acolyte.
Enough apocrypha. Time for some practical advice. If you wish to provide a useful service to the clan, you need to learn how to blend in. Baali must never walk openly, even the fools of Nergal and Ashur know that much. The kindred must believe us an urban legend, or an extinct line, and fortunately, much of our work has been done for us. The Camarilla refuse to believe in the history of our race, and openly refute the Caine myth. Our hated rivals and fiercest opponents, the Salubri, have been wiped out by Clan Tremere, due in no small part to our machinations in leading the warlocks to Saulot. The Setites and Assamites, the only other two clans that suspect us and have fought us in the past, refused to join the Camarilla and are hated and hunted as well. Our old friends, the Brujah, have long benefited from our service, and we believe they can be subverted again. The Camarilla is all about want. They desire power, they lust for humanity, and they hunger for blood. All these are ours to give, but remember, the Camarilla is very good at outplaying its opponents when it comes to making deals. Tread very carefully, acolyte. A single misstep around them could easily mean your final death.
The Sabbat are both easier and harder to infiltrate. Unlike the Camarilla, they see no need to cling to the lie that is humanity. Unlike the Camarilla, they indulge their basic nature, and this attitude makes it very easy for one of our kind to get away with our......predilictions. The Sabbat, however, are built on unity, and loyalty. The Sabbat, will not give you the privacy you need to study your demonology. Worse, they will bond you to their sect, in a disgusting perversion known as the Vaulderie, and their elders watch for Infernalists within their ranks. They do not understand that we do not bow to demons, however, it is a forgivable attitude, given our less-subtle compatriots. To be a true Baali is to make the demons bow to you.
The easiest way to insinuate yourself within the so-called kindred is to pretend to be another clan, preferably one that tolerates eccentricities and is beneath the notice of most kindred. Your disciplines, Obfuscate, Presence and Daimoinion will help you in this matter. Brujah, Toreador and Malkavian are the easiest to infiltrate, as we share one discipline with each, and all of them are stereotyped among their peers for being flighty, aloof, idiotic and easily distracted. Despite your lordly stature, do not attempt to infiltrate the Ventrue or the Tremere. Both of these clans have a level of unity that will make it difficult to answer awkward questions about one's lineage, and despite their denial, both of these clans are no stranger to diablerizing imposters in their midst. Equally so, though we share disciplines with them, you would be foolish to pretend to be a Caitiff or the rare Setite antitribu, as those are almost as distrusted as us, in both the Camarilla and the Sabbat.
To serve your clan well, one must keep up with one's rituals. Demons need to be bound, and made to serve, and this is equally your greatest strength and weakness. Daimoinion is a powerful discipline, especially when one is unprepared for its effects, however, it requires an upkeep that can be difficult. Sacrifices are fairly easy to obtain, especially in Sabbat domains, but remember that no one must catch you in the act. It is easy to endure the stigma of being an inhumane kindred than to be an infernalist. If someone suspects you, arrange for them to die via politics or accident. Never simply send a demon after them, because it will look suspicious. Be 'loyal' to your sect. Never betray them. Do not rock the boat, and if you are talented at hiding, try to slip beneath the radar of your elders. If you cannot, then be upstanding. Be beyond reproach, and be the strong left hand of the Prince. People will think twice before questioning your loyalty. As much as they deny it, the Sabbat works in essentially the same way, and the Inquisition are unlikely to seek out the Archbishop's favored packmate. Remember that the Vaulderie will induce the blood-bond to make this easier, but don't worry, it won't make you stray from your mission. Remember, what we do is for the good of all the childer of Caine, and when they see our great works, they will thank us.
When choosing childer, remember the teachings of your elders and be sure to pass them down. Psychopaths and other broken kine are useless as true childer, and good only for distractions. Seek out the holy man, the esoteric scientist and the magician. Seek out the thinker and the philosopher. Those who are passionate, and dedicated to a cause. It is those childer that will divine the mysteries of the universe, and those childer that will usher in a new age of blood, and bind the dukes of hell into our service. We Baali are not mere slaves to the infernal, and only those who are brave and strong can look into the abyss without being corrupted or losing our immortal souls. Only those who are strong enough to look into the face of the devil, spit in his eye, and bring him to his knees are worthy. But the other clans must not know this. They must think us stooges, fools who sell our immortal essence for the ability to command small glamors and charms of hell, and ultimately shall be damned for our hubris. This belief serves us more than anything, and if there is any reason that the Cainites will be unprepared for us, is that they truly believe we are weaklings.
If only they knew the truth. But fear not, little acolyte, they will. Soon.
- Kephn
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