"Denver by Night"
You have an opportunity to enter the Court of Denver and mingle with powerful Kindred ... but you must be tested first. Gold must be purified in fire.
About the adventure
In the Mile High City, in the blood-red shadows of a Rocky Mountain sunset, a new coterie of fledgling vampires awakens. Cursed with an endless hunger for the pulsing veins of the living, and blessed with incredible abilities beyond your ken, you must band together if you are to survive your new life in this World of Darkness. You have been given a message, told by your ailing Sire to deliver it to a high-ranking member of an obscure group of occult researchers. But there are dangers in following such orders ... As you explore the lamplit streets and dark alleys of Denver, you must satiate your vampiric Hunger while carefully maintaining The Masquerade, the closely guarded veil of deception and manipulation that keeps the world at large from knowing of the presence of the undead. The vampire clans of Denver are at constant war with one another for control of the city, and every decision you make and relationship you foster will affect the balance of power between those clans. The World of Darkness is, by its very definition, a dark and dangerous place. Vampires must feed on human blood in order to survive, and they are not typically "heroic" figures. Playing a game of Vampire: The Masquerade means exploring the darker sides of society, but we will do so with respect and care for our fellow players. Safety measures such as consent checklists and openly discussing our boundaries will be of utmost importance, but rest assured this will allow us to explore the darkest corners of vampire society as powerful creatures of the night.
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
About me
There are an infinite number of stories to be told, so let's tell some of them together! TTRPGs are such a wonderful way of building a tight community and having a wildly imaginative time doing it. Whatever universe you'd like to play in, I can make that happen! I have experience in a wide variety of game systems, and come prepared to set up an even wider variety of homebrew settings as well.
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Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Inclusive
Teacher
World Builder
Paul is an intuitive, inclusive, and creative storyteller and Game Master who works with people of all different backgrounds, gender identities, personalities, ages, and skill levels. I had never played an RPG before, and Paul is always patient and kind. He instantly made me feel a part of the amazing world filled with diverse characters he created.
Paul's creativity amazes me. Being in his campaign has been a fun and expanding experience for me as we have entered the world he has created. We have worked through puzzles, we have laughed together, we have had moments of deep meaning. Our adventuring group came together with varying levels of experience, and Paul has been a patient coach for the newbies. He has created a welcoming and safe environment for us to play with our own creativity.
Character creation
Creating your character
- Character creation will happen together during our Session 0, though I encourage players to think through their character's backstory and personality as much as they'd like beforehand. What role did they play in society before becoming a vampire? And how did accepting the Embrace change them? - All players will start as fledgling vampires, though there will be plenty of opportunities for your characters to gain more power and abilities as the chronicle progresses. You have many ways to move upwards in the ranks of the vampire clans ... but there are also ways you can be punished if you step out of line of your elders' wishes, so be careful not to anger the wrong people!
What to expect
Preparing for the session
- A webcam and mic are needed to join the game and participate in sessions. - Download the free Discord app, and I will provide a log-in link to join the session. - Depending on what the players decide, going forward from Session Zero we may expand into the Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop, though that is by no means necessary to join and play the game. - It's not necessary to have a complete grasp of the rules, as we will be discussing many of the finer details of the rules as they come up in the story. Instead, come with an open mind and a desire for a dark adventure! - I can answer any questions players might have, and I welcome players of any experience level.
What Paul Willis brings to the table
- Custom-made maps will be provided via a shared screen for both exploration and combat so that all players can see. As a resident of Colorado myself, I know the city of Denver well and will be using real locations from around the area. - Maps and combat can be run either on a shared Discord screen or through the Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop, so I am flexible to use either depending on the group's wishes. - This adventure has a multitude of approaches, and many solutions will focus on roleplaying and embodying aspects of vampiric society. - I lean more toward Rule of Cool than abiding to the rules by the letter. But I will stick to Rules as Written in situations where the gameplay calls for it (i.e., combat). - I am incorporating things like music and sound effects into the campaign, and will be introducing those as we go forward. - I am no voice actor, but I enjoy a good accent from time to time! I encourage my players to roleplay and adopt things like accents to the level they are comfortable with. - I run a very honest and expressive table, and I will always encourage my players to tell me their highs and their lows to me in an "open door" sort of way. We are playing through a dark game in a dark world, and our characters may have to do dark things in order to survive. But it's important in a world like this to talk to one another about the things we're roleplaying through in a respectful way.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Paul Willis creates a safe table
- In Session 0 we will discuss our characters, their backstories if applicable, and go over a few guidelines and rules for sessions going forward. - I'll provide a link to a Lines/Veils document that players can fill out and send back to me. - I have a full open door policy and I encourage all my players to speak up if they have questions or concerns about anything, and I will be available before and after every session if any players need to talk over an issue with me one-on-one. - X, N, and O cards can be texted to me over chat or phone privately and I will immediately honor that feedback. - After our sessions end we'll spend a few minutes debriefing and going over whatever Stars/Wishes might have come up.