🩸 Vampire The Masquerade: NOLA Ruins & Ritual

Creating your character

You can create your character during Session 0 with the group, or come in with a concept you want help building out. Session 0 will be collaborative, flexible, and beginner-friendly. We’ll talk through tone, expectations, safety tools, and—most importantly—how your characters connect to each other and the city. 🩸 Your character’s goals, relationships, and decisions will actively shape how the story unfolds. If you join after the campaign starts, we’ll do a quick one-on-one session to get your character integrated smoothly. **Your Characters** You are not newly Embraced. You’ve been Kindred for a while now—long enough to survive, adapt, and learn a few hard lessons. * Most characters are **15–20 years undead** * You can go older (up to ~100 years) with approval * You are still considered **neonates**, not major power players You’re not at the top of the food chain—but you’re not clueless either. You’ve fed. You’ve made mistakes. You’ve learned what the night demands. **What You Start With** The coterie begins with: 🩸 A shared haven 🩸 Existing connections to factions, NPCs, or territory 🩸 A reason to work together (even if it’s messy or reluctant) **System & Tools** Characters use standard Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Core Rulebook rules with a bit of bonus XP to reflect your time as a vampire. No deep lore knowledge required, and you don’t need to own any books. I’ll walk through everything during Session 0 if you’re new. **Character Inspiration** If you want a starting point, here are some ideas that fit well: 🩸 A vampire who’s kept their head down for years… until now 🩸 Someone who owes the wrong Kindred a favor they can’t repay 🩸 A former professional (lawyer, journalist, medic) who adapted their skills to the night 🩸 Two characters who survived their early nights together—and haven’t let go 🩸 A cautious climber who wants status, but knows one mistake means final death Or bring something completely different—I’ll help you shape it.

Preparing for the session

Once you sign up, I’ll send you an invite to our Discord server, which we’ll use for voice chat and general communication. You’ll want a working microphone and either headphones, earbuds, or speakers so you can hear the group (and the ambient music) clearly. We’ll be using Roll20 connected to Demiplane for character sheets and play. A free account is easy to make in Roll20 and in Demiplane. When the game starts, you’ll get a direct link to the campaign. As long as you’ve got a computer that can run Discord and Roll20 at the same time and a decent internet connection, you’ll be good to go. If you ever have trouble getting set up, I’m happy to help.

What Eric brings to the table

🩸 A living city. The factions, NPCs, and power structures of the city react to your actions and evolve as the chronicle unfolds. 🩸 Memorable characters and atmosphere. Distinct NPCs, music, and scene-setting help bring the world of the undead to life. 🩸 Character-driven storytelling. Your ambitions, relationships, and decisions shape the direction of the chronicle. 🩸 Political intrigue and difficult choices. Alliances, betrayals, and shifting power dynamics are central to the story. 🩸 Support for new and experienced players. Rules and setting details are introduced naturally during play, and I’m always happy to help with mechanics or character ideas. 🩸 A welcoming and respectful table. Everyone should feel comfortable contributing to the story and exploring their character.

How Eric creates a safe table

Player comfort and trust matter to me, especially in a game like Vampire where themes can get heavy. Before play begins, I’ll share a Lines and Veils document with the whole group so we can set boundaries together and make sure everyone knows what’s on the table—and what isn’t. During Session 0, we’ll go over that document as a group, talk through tone and expectations, and make sure everyone feels comfortable with the direction of the game. This is also where we’ll cover safety tools, character connections, and anything players want me to be aware of before the story starts. We’ll use the X-Card during play, and it’s always available. It can be used digitally or verbally—whatever feels most comfortable in the moment. I’m also very open to other support tools if players have ones they prefer or have used successfully in the past. Aftercare is handled simply and respectfully. I make space after sessions for check-ins, and players are always welcome to reach out privately if something didn’t sit right or needs follow-up. The goal is a table where people feel safe exploring difficult themes because they know they’re supported.