The Social Contract

Pretentious sounding, isn’t it? This is an open statement about the goals of game we are running to help you understand where we are coming from and what style of game we’re planning, and to give us something to refer back to if we need. This will change over time as we play the game, and feedback is always appreciated.

Item #1: Fun!
We play games to have fun. This doesn’t mean there won’t be serious, sad or horrifying moments, but it does mean that we want you to enjoy the game.

Item #2: PC Primacy.
The game is about your characters: their unlives and history. The world will change depending on the actions of your PCs and their interactions with each other. There will be plot that is not player derived, and there will be NPCs, but the NPCs will not drive the game unless the players quite literally do nothing. Which is unlikely.

Item #3: The Setting.
The world does have certain defined elements of setting and plot created to allow the thirteen clans to co-exist and interract. London has a specific history, for you to discover in game and will remain a Neutral city throughout the game.

Item #4: NPCs.
The game contains NPCs to enable the world to operate and to provide adversaries as needed. NPCs are meant to be game enabling, allowing players access to information or to plot that can’t be provided in any other way. PCs make the game. There will be the odd occasion when an NPC is required to control player actions in a specific way to enable the game as a whole to continue. One such NPC is the Giovanni Arbiter. They will only ever impose the most basic rules and these will be clear, predicatable and controllable by your characters.

Item #5: Suitable PCs.
Some character concepts will be unsuitable. We may ask you to modify them or potentially reject the concept entirely. Certain concepts are more risky than others, and we will let you know if this is the case so you can decide. For example, characters belonging to Independent Clans will be less protected than those in the Camarilla or Sabbat.

Item #6: PC Death.
We believe that challenges are part of gaming. Your PC will be presented with difficulties to overcome. varying degrees of surmountability. Your PC may come out of it well, or badly. They may even die. We assume that any player taking a risky action (if players aren’t sure how risky an action is, they are free to ask) is aware of the possible consequences, even if their character isn’t. We will not particularly protect you from PC death, but neither will we drop a piano on your head for no reason.

Item #7: The System
The rules system is a version of Vampire: The Masquerade, 3rd edition (PDF copies available reasonably cheaply here). Players will be asked to use their own judgement as to inter-PC conflict resolution and to roleplay accordingly as much as possible. Feel free to consult a ref for advice or a quick ruling, but unless it is vital that dice be rolled, or there is a need for dramatic action that requires that other players around the room be notified of what’s going on, we’d rather not break the flow of your actions. We think that the system is less important than fair and balanced play. We will try and sort out any rules problems ahead of the game and please let us know if you think any big action you are planning might cause interesting problems…

Item #8: Live Action Roleplay
The game is Live Action. This means that you perform your characters words and actions. The game is not full-contact and we especially mean this with relation to violent or sexual behaviour, however, there will be some contact. Any contact that would be a normal part of acceptable social interaction between players (based on their OOC relationship, not their IC one) is fine. Anything further is not, without the clear prior consent of all parties involved.

Item #9: Acceptable Behaviour
We understand that your character may be rude, unpleasant and generally horrible. What you chose to play and how other players react to this in character is part of the game. Any OOC harassment, bullying, bigoted or just plain disruptive behaviour, either physically or digitally, will not be tolerated. Anyone who engaging in this behaviour will be given one warning, and then asked to leave. In extreme cases, the warning will not apply.