It frightens me that this list came from memory. As I can, I will create writeups for those disciplines that don't already have one. Please /msg me if I've forgotten anything.
That's right. Character creation. How many of us RPG players, have spent countless hours at the kitchen table with dice, a blank sheet of paper, books and a brain fart? I know I have. I also know, being a seasoned player how the game works. And that more often than not all the hand guides and source books in the world is not enough to make getting that 'perfect character' out of your head, and into the game play.
This is not going to tell you 'how' to make a character for Vampire: The Masquerade. This is just to give a basic idea how to get started. In my opinion the imagination and story behind the character makes it more fun to play. The points and stats in making the page itself other than combat to me are irrelevant.
A lot of the 'creation' has to do with the type of game you are planning on bringing your character into. It may be TT (Known as TableTop), LARP (Known as Live Action Role-Play), or even online. I as a player personally recommend playing online if you are just starting out. Many people have sites all over the net. Including White Wolf itself (Which is where I still play today, even though the other forms of play are just as much if not more fun to play). Please keep in mind that this is a personal experience write up so the following might not work for you. With that said, let me begin.
First off, if you are going to be playing online, what's the point in having paper and a pen? Having these items is a big old pain in the ass. Trust me, lost character sheets make it hard for game play. Having said this - downloading something called a 'Character Generation Program' would be high on the priority list. No this program will not make your sheets for you, rather it will keep your sheets stored on your computer. It keeps track of initial point spending; freebie spending and most importantly experience point spending. Makes for quick character reference. Not to mention it looks pretty.
Once you have the program downloaded and installed on your computer your ready to get started. It is also a good idea to at least have one source book, or hand guide by your side (Mainly Vampire: The Masquerade 3rd Edition). The more books you have, the better. Though a starting player can get by with only these items and have some fun.
After this is all said and done the rest of the creation is putting dots or points in the areas where you think the character will need them. I recommend though, by taking the information above in making your own character and using it to write a story, background, description or anything else that your heart desires. For example, below is a character description based on a character sheet and her humanity level as it stands right now. (Which is at a rating of 3 for those who want to know)
Silent steps. In addition, the form of Alandria enters the scene. The only thing giving her away, is the clicking noise that comes from her hands from time to time, a silent communication perhaps. The tell tale sound that is heard in the absence of spoken words. And an absence of words it is almost invariably. A delicate pendant draped in her hands, looking like that of a rosary. Swinging hypnotically with each step. The shimmering line, not chain but garrote you notice on closer inspection. A well camouflaged tool. Her hair is of a dark plum, streaked in silvers, pulled up into a braid or sometimes in a bun type style, held with one 'chopstick'. Otherwise, falling down thick to her waist. Upon her face, more likely than not, is a sand polished, female human skull fashioned into a mask. As if made to fit her perfectly, attuned to her flesh and with eyes sunken and hidden you can only wonder, if it is a mask at all. Her cold cruel stare glaring from behind it completely impassive at to her surroundings. Making one wonder if there is life behind that mask at all or just the grim taint of lifelessness. When not wearing the mask, her eyes are indeed sunken, sickly looking, and the dull color of lifeless gray and the same mask, is attached to her belt with two twin black pouches to each side, contents unknown. Her skin that once held the blush of health, human, but now it has taken on the same pallid pigment common to most cainites upon creation. Smooth and surreal in texture. Under the right light, looking almost as if she is made of the finest porcelain or alabaster. To the touch. If you are so lucky to get that close, her skin feels almost waxy. Almost like the feel of recycled plastics. Still retaining its own innocent softness. Most of her form is covered on the other hand, hiding most all of it. Her clothing of the finest and most beautiful of loose-fitting black silks .The perfect contrast to her flawless snow-white skin. Their folds and lightness serving to hide the variety of jagged and twisted weapons beneath while still allowing her the freedom to move, and kill with equal ease; not to mention ease of conscience.
A delicate pendant draped in her hands, looking like that of a rosary. Swinging hypnotically with each step. The shimmering line, not chain but garrote you notice on closer inspection. A well camouflaged tool.
Her hair is of a dark plum, streaked in silvers, pulled up into a braid or sometimes in a bun type style, held with one 'chopstick'. Otherwise, falling down thick to her waist. Upon her face, more likely than not, is a sand polished, female human skull fashioned into a mask. As if made to fit her perfectly, attuned to her flesh and with eyes sunken and hidden you can only wonder, if it is a mask at all. Her cold cruel stare glaring from behind it completely impassive at to her surroundings. Making one wonder if there is life behind that mask at all or just the grim taint of lifelessness.
When not wearing the mask, her eyes are indeed sunken, sickly looking, and the dull color of lifeless gray and the same mask, is attached to her belt with two twin black pouches to each side, contents unknown. Her skin that once held the blush of health, human, but now it has taken on the same pallid pigment common to most cainites upon creation. Smooth and surreal in texture. Under the right light, looking almost as if she is made of the finest porcelain or alabaster. To the touch. If you are so lucky to get that close, her skin feels almost waxy. Almost like the feel of recycled plastics. Still retaining its own innocent softness.
Most of her form is covered on the other hand, hiding most all of it. Her clothing of the finest and most beautiful of loose-fitting black silks .The perfect contrast to her flawless snow-white skin. Their folds and lightness serving to hide the variety of jagged and twisted weapons beneath while still allowing her the freedom to move, and kill with equal ease; not to mention ease of conscience.
There you have it. My opinion and encouragement for those, whom like the game, but find the sheet/point system to be foreboding. Use your imagination. Tell a tale. That's what the game is ultimately about.
Keep your mind on the words personal horror. That is the core of any good Vampire game. Games lacking this aspect degenerate into bloody horror flicks or dungeons and dragons with fangs. So when developing your plot, remember that this should be a game of personal horror.
How do you run Personal Horror? Personal horror can be found in the character realizing that s/he is no longer human being and has become a monster. This does not mean you should run a game where the characters are boogey monsters. Rather, Humanity is key and should be jealously protected by the players and it is up to the Storyteller to challenge it. You create personal horror by placing characters still attached to their humanity in situations where that ideal is challenged. Essentially, what this means in that you need to run a game that is centered around the characters rather than a game that is centered around a linear plot.
How do you get characters who would fit into this type of game? Well, not all characters will work well in a character centered vampire game. If you want to run a political game, a loner caitiff would probably be a bad idea. Similarly, if you want to run a game focused on personal horror a battle hardened Brujah would be a bad idea. You want characters who will be horrified by the fact that they are surrounded by death and have to live on blood. Basically, you want characters who have high humanity because someone who kills for a living isn't going to have many issues with being a monster.
How shall I handle Character Creation? Be extremely selective as to what concepts you will allow in the game. My advice is that you only allow the standard Camarilla clans and that you make the players adhere to the clan stereotypes. What I mean by this, is that if a player says that s/he wants to play a Ventrue then you need to make sure that character has something the Ventrue would want and like (such as a banking genius).
It would be very wise of you to ask the players to create their characters as human beings. Have them define their jobs, their families, their relationships, where they live, what their favorite food is, what they like to do on the weekends, etc etc. Try to make these characters are real and human as possible. The players should know pretty much everything about them, a few anecdotes such as a story about getting beaten up in 3rd grade go a long way into making these characters be more than sheets of paper.
How do I start the game? The most effective way I've found is to Embrace the characters in game. What this means, is that the characters begin as human beings and become Vampires during the first few sessions. This allows the characters to get attached to being humans and then be suddenly confronted with the horror of having to hide from the sun, live on blood, and be a parasite of humanity. During this period do not fast foward through anything that occurs. Describe everything they feel, hunger pangs, etc. And make them detail how they plan to feed, find shelter, and cope with their new existance. The first few nights of vampiric life will likely be the most memorable part of the game and the part where the characters (and players) really bond.
NPC's It is very important to make three dimensional non-player characters. Go through the same character generation method for each NPC that your players go through. Work out what their goals are and how they interact with each other and how they'll likely react to the player characters.
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