Chapter 3
Character Generation & Progression
The persona through which a player interacts with the game world is called their character, a role created by the player in collaboration with their Storyteller. As the game’s story progresses, your character will influence that story and change and grow based on their experiences. Perhaps your character will rise to power or lay their enemy low. Perhaps they will fall in love, or be betrayed by the person they trusted the most. Their experiences, combined with the experiences of the other characters in the game, form a rich tapestry that becomes your collective Mind’s Eye Theatre story.
Step 1: Who are They?
Character creation is about building a person. That person may be good, evil, confident, anxious, morose, joyous, or any number of other things, but, at their core, they are a person with dreams, fears, and motivations. To make matters more complex, they are also a vampire. They are a monster living in a world that would destroy them if the mortal world at large understood their dangerous nature. What makes a character great are the complexities, imperfections, and motivations that drive them through the night. A character may persist through an entire chronicle or burn out and perish early, but the greatest stories come from how characters interact and influence one another.
Creating a vampire that fits in your game should be done in collaboration with your Storyteller, who can provide information about what is appropriate for their game setting. It is important for your character to fit in the game world your Storyteller has built. Building a strong foundation within the setting is important to grounding a character and giving it a good base on which to grow.
Once you know what your Storyteller’s game world is about, you can brainstorm your concept. Many players find success by starting with who their vampire was as a mortal.
- What were their passions?
- Who did they care about before their death?
- How did they catch the eye of an undying monster for the Embrace?
- Was their humanity important to them?
- What life did they leave behind?
- What were they willing to die for?
- Once they were Embraced, how did they adapt to their new existence?
By working out the details of their worldview, you will develop a character’s personality. A character’s core beliefs are essential to their story. Intrinsically tied to these beliefs are the beliefs of their culture and connections, the things that they care about enough to challenge themselves to protect. In Vampire: The Masquerade, these important items are represented by Chronicle Tenets, Convictions, and Touchstones
Chronicle Tenets
Character development starts with the setting in which that character exists. A character in a violent, splatterpunk-style war setting, where life is cheap and survival depends on one choice, should look different than the same character in a high-etiquette political thriller. Whatever style of game your troupe is seeking, the Chronicle Tenets should be designed to reflect the themes that your story is about. These Tenets provide moral boundaries to characters. When they are violated, a character faces degeneration in Humanity by gaining one or more Stains.
Chronicle Tenets are societal, not individual. Every player character in the chronicle is subject to them, even if the character has different beliefs. They provide a moral minimum to which all characters are subject. Occasionally, making decisions that violate the Chronicle Tenets are part of the struggle of being a vampire in the World of Darkness. The battle against the endless Hunger of the vampiric Beast is measured by the Humanity system is an essential part of a V:TM story as your character strives to balance the person they once were with the inhuman parasite they are now.
Each vampire character begins creation with seven dots in Humanity. Other steps in the creation process may adjust the total dots you have at the start of play.
Storytellers should explain the chosen Chronicle Tenets to their group so that every player understands what they mean and what sorts of actions would violate the Tenets. Storytellers are not required to make an exhaustive list. Rather, they should provide the principles underpinning the Tenets so that players understand the themes guiding the setting.
Some sample Chronicle Tenets follow:
- Humane: ← we are using this
- Do not kill except in self-defense.
- Do not harm the innocent.
- Act like a person, not a monster.
- Cosmic Horror:
- Do not trade in knowledge that you do not understand.
- Deny knowledge to those who are not prepared for it.
- Protect those who know the truth from those who do not
- Chivalric:
- Respect and defend the vulnerable.
- Defend your superiors.
- Those who besmirch your honor must be punished.
Convictions
Society has its core beliefs and so do characters. Each character begins with up to three Convictions of the player’s choice, which are mortal values that they continue to try to uphold after the Embrace. The player selects their Convictions in collaboration with the Storyteller.
The Convictions should reflect core beliefs that the character has. They are never vague, passive or situational. In most cases the sentence describing the Conviction should include the words “always” or “never.” These things are central to their ethics, actions, and emotions. Convictions will help inform the Storyteller of scenarios that would make a character have an intense emotional reaction or a strong opinion.
Convictions represent a shield of moral weight against the darkness. As a benefit, a character who suffers Stains against their Humanity while pursuing their Convictions receives one less Stain. However, violating a conviction may, at the Storyteller’s discretion, incur one or more Stains. Some example Convictions might include rules like these:
- Always protect the innocent.
- Monsters must always be punished.
- Never act against another member of your crew.
- Always obey the moral laws of your faith.
- Always show courage.
- Retreat is never an option.
- Kill only in honorable combat.
- Always respect your elders.
- Always honor your family
Convictions that Do Not Work for Your Chronicle
The Storyteller should feel free to reject suggested Convictions if they are unsuitable for the story being told in the Chronicle, if they are in bad taste, or simply exist to permit everything.
Players should design their Convictions with the Chronicle Tenets and setting in mind. Feel free to ask your Storyteller questions to ensure that your Convictions will actually help make a more enjoyable game for the troupe