Morrigan's guide to getting involved in plot*

[Morrigan]

Many new players of Vampire: The Requiem have told me that while they really enjoy the roleplaying, they don't know how to get involved in the storylines. If you feel this way, don't despair. Unlike other, more linear, games, Requiem can be confusing for the new player. Once you learn a few basic strategies for getting involved, the payoff in enjoyment is immense. I speak from personal experience, having been lost during my first year playing. I'm pleased I stuck it out long enough to learn how to get involved and hope some of you will benefit from my experiences.

Investigate Rumours

Each month, the Storytellers publish various rumours and news. Some of these relate to things that other players have done. Others are red herrings, interesting things going on in the city that ultimately isn’t that important for your character. And others are important clues and hints leading to interesting plotlines. The easiest way to find plot is to go looking for it.

In New Horizons, players are allowed one 'investigation' action a month during downtime. While players may use this for actions other than investigation, I would strongly recommend that you use it to investigate something every month. Investigating rumours gives you something to talk about during the next game, and leads to follow up plotlines to get involved in.

Choosing which rumour to investigate can be difficult. Which rumours will lead to plot and which are merely dead ends? Even the most experienced player can end up chasing down the wrong trail.

A few things you can do to better your chances and gain solid leads towards plot.

Firstly, communicate with other players. Vampire is a social game, and you will miss out a lot by refusing to engage with others. Often you can eliminate rumours simply by asking other characters. Suppose you hear a rumour involving a fire down in the industrial area. Asking around you may discover that the fire was the end result of a combat between another group of players and some enemy Belial's Brood. You now know not to spend downtime on this rumour but to focus on something else.

Secondly, buy the merit Contacts. Contacts allow you to find out more information about rumours. So if you have Contacts: Police, you might discover that the police believe the warehouse fire was the result of a gang war. Higher levels in police contacts might give you the gangs involved, or the names of the gang leaders under suspicion. So rather that starting your investigation in the industrial area, you can skip straight into investigation the gangs. Contacts fall into various categories, so you are unlikely to have contacts in all areas. Again, communication with other players is vital as you can share information gathered by contacts.

Next, choose a rumour that is suitable for your character. Your socialite character with links to High Society is not likely to be the best person to investigate a gang war. But he's perfect to investigate the latest hot new drug making the round amongst the rich and idle. You should be familiar with your character sheet and have a basic understanding of what you can do. If you’re new enough that you do not have this basic understanding yet, then ask the ST’s for a little help, either in person or via your personal forum. Don’t ask for this in the middle of a game, they are likely to be too busy to really help you then.

Tailor your action to suit both the rumour you are investigating and your character. The socialite might use the Persuasion and Socialise skills to convince someone that he is eager to try the new drug and to take him to the dealer. Whereas a character with Status; Police might pull over some speeding rich youngsters and use the Intimidate skill to get them to reveal the name of the dealer. The outcomes are the same (you find out the name of the dealer, but your chances of success multiply by using the right approach. Specifically, you should consider your skills, discipline and merits. Allies and Retainers can both be highly useful when investigating rumours.

It is also a good idea to avoid any really popular rumours. If you really want to investigate something that lots of others are also investigating, try and co-ordinate your efforts. It's not as much fun to turn up to the next game, full of all the information you have learnt, and then discover half the city has uncovered the exact same information. If you work with other players, you can cover more ground and discover more than if you all do the exact same thing.

Lastly, remember to follow up and share the information you have found with your friends. Too often plots end up faltering as characters die or just get involved with a new plotline and forget the first. Most plotlines won’t be solved by one investigation action, but the information you gather should lead you to the next stage.

Get Involved with Other Characters

No character is an island. No character can do everything herself. You have neither the time nor the skills to solve all the plots alone. But by uniting with others you can get involved in more plots, and successfully complete the plots you find. Most characters will have links to their Clan (vampires that share the same blood), Covenant (vampires that share the same set of beliefs), and Coterie (Vampires that have chosen to associate with each other, most often but not always, through friendship). By cultivating these relationships, you should have plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Tell people what you can do. If other characters are not aware of your talents, they don't know to get you involved when they find that perfect plot that requires exactly what you can do.

Get others involved in your plots. Vampire is a social game and the majority of plots are designed to require several people in order to successfully complete them. Attempting to solve a plot all on your own is likely to fail and frustrate you.

Failure isn’t Always Failure

If at first you don’t succeed, consider why. Have a look at the response to your action. Did you fail because you didn’t have the right skills? Were you looking at the problem from the wrong angle? Do you lack important information and is there a way to acquire that information? What did you learn? Can you exclude some possibilities now that you couldn’t before? Look at what you’ve been given and ask yourself “what next?”


Remember that Vampire: The Requiem is not a linear game. The plot is very rarely handed to players on a platter. When that makes it all the more enjoyable when you find, and solve a plotline.

Happy plot-hunting!

Morrigan

*This article is purely the personal opinion of Morrigan and is not intended to be “the only way to play the game”. Feel free to ignore any or all of it and play the game they way you prefer. The #1 rule is to have fun.