Friday 4 March 2011

Losing my Vampire: The Requiem virginity


It doesn't take the most observant person to notice that vampires are enjoying a comeback. Done with luring buxom Victorian women into their boudoirs for a nightcap followed by good old fashioned jugular penetration, the once dark stalkers of the night have now become just plain old stalkers. The ever-maligned Stephanie Meyer rocked the worlds of teenage girls with her pensive vegetarian daywalkers who shine like emotionally unsteady disco balls in the daylight while offering some garbled message derived from Mormonism. Afterwards the bloodgates opened and there was the inevitable slew of angsty vamp dramas bathing our screens, from highschooley Vampire Diaries to the political raunchfest that is Anna Paquin's nipples, err, I mean True Blood.

So it was nice to sit down on Thursday night with my regular group minus one and get back to some proper gritty vampire action in my first ever game of Vampire: The Requiem. We played the first chapter of the introductory mini-campaign that is included with the rules. My character was a botanist who worked at the University of New Orleans and the other player rolled up a barkeep from a local club. After getting a brief lowdown on the rules we were off on one of the best adventures I've experienced on any system.

For those who came in late, Vampire: The Requiem uses White Wolf's storyteller system, utilising D10s as the core mechanic. It works well, making the focus more on story and character development than seeing how many civvies you can relieve of their mortality. Like a pair of silk briefs the experience was smooth and comfortable and I look forward to diving back into the New Orleans night for another taste of Vampire.

3 comments:

  1. I've had limited experience with Requiem, though I do own a copy. Vampires are one of my closet delights. I do hope you enjoy your next outing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Why don't you send the vampires to the local hospital to raid the blood bank? Could be fun especially if there are LOADS of security guards with dogs who just happen to have loads of garlic in their pockets, or a priest could be ill in the room next door.

    You've go me thinking of vampires now.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've played in a campaign for Vampire once. It was run by a self-described expert on the game, and our grand campaign lasted all of four sessions before falling flat.

    I've always wanted to try it again, but that won't happen anytime soon. That's a shame because I think that game has a lot to offer.

    ReplyDelete