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The Old Country
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Добавлен 19 июл 2021
Hello, roleplaying people! Welcome to The Old Country!
I'm trying to make this channel my "main base" of RPG resources for Old World of Darkness (and maybe other games), addressing various topics from storytelling and player technique to full on roleplay theory.
Expect me to slowly and fragmentedly walk you through my experiences with this hobby over the last decade, sharing character ideas and builds, campaign/chronicle ideas, telling you stories and interesting little happenings from our table, and hopefully, giving good advice on how to play one thing or another.
Though my most played is undoubtedly Vampire: The Masquerade, I have also enjoyed games like Call of Cthulhu, Pathfinder 1st edition, D&D 5th edition and other systems, my favorite being oWoD. From this line of games I find myself in unexpected love with Demon: The Fallen and Wraith: the Oblivion (though I like all of them).
Take care, have fun and don't forget to play!
I'm trying to make this channel my "main base" of RPG resources for Old World of Darkness (and maybe other games), addressing various topics from storytelling and player technique to full on roleplay theory.
Expect me to slowly and fragmentedly walk you through my experiences with this hobby over the last decade, sharing character ideas and builds, campaign/chronicle ideas, telling you stories and interesting little happenings from our table, and hopefully, giving good advice on how to play one thing or another.
Though my most played is undoubtedly Vampire: The Masquerade, I have also enjoyed games like Call of Cthulhu, Pathfinder 1st edition, D&D 5th edition and other systems, my favorite being oWoD. From this line of games I find myself in unexpected love with Demon: The Fallen and Wraith: the Oblivion (though I like all of them).
Take care, have fun and don't forget to play!
Demon: the Fallen - Factions revisited - The Factions as responses to trauma
In this episode we're revisiting the Factions of Demon: the Fallen and observing them though the lens of collective trauma and different responses to that trauma. It's easy to say Raveners are the bad guys while Reconcilers are the good guys, but ultimately, none of the Factions really are good or bad, because these "prison gangs" of Fallen weren't designed with moral tags attached to them, but rather seem to have been designed with the intention to create tension, conflict and drama for protagonists. If anything, the Factions will probably actively get in the way of whatever the individual character hopes to achieve, especially if they are trying to better the world and elevate humanity ...
Просмотров: 426
Видео
Age of Torpor - Spasms in a Dream
Просмотров 259Месяц назад
Hello, roleplaying people! I'm back with another ambient track, one that was created quite spontaneously, yesterday, serving as more of a diary page in audio format, which is what I'm going to do with Age of Torpor from now on. I'll just let the muses guide me and record what may, no planning, no writing the song from top to bottom, just improvising and letting myself be carried by the mood, cr...
Vampire: the Masquerade - solo RP - Setite tempter shares insights into the Revelation of Desire
Просмотров 5052 месяца назад
In this episode we're taking on the role of an initiate/pupil on the Path of Typhon, as we try to answer our mentor's question and inevitably listen to his insights on the Revelation of Desire, his favorite Revelation. We're in a glass booth, on the highest floor of one of our mentor's clubs, "Plot-twist", pleasantly sinking into the silky tapestry of restored antique furniture, while mortals d...
Vampire: the Masquerade - Akhu - Lector Priests, Theophidian ethics, Setite culture and practices
Просмотров 7932 месяца назад
In this episode we're taking a look at the blasphemous practice of Akhu, the sorcery of Setite Lector Priests, passed down from their dark god himself, Set, who was cast down into Du'at and ate Apep's black heart. It goes without saying the lore found in the books doesn't always align with the real life myths and beliefs of ancient Egyptians, nor does it dive too deeply into the nuances and det...
V:tM - The Sabbat - episode 6 - Misconceptions and notes on playing Paths of Enlightenment
Просмотров 6983 месяца назад
Eratta: 26:05 - Reproductive, not reproductory :D In this episode we're talking about some general things (misconceptions and portrayal ideas) regarding Paths of Enlightenment, both within the Sabbat and outside of it. I'm interested in what it means to switch to a Path of Enlightenment, how and why that change is produced (either due to internal or external factors), what the Hierarchy of Sin ...
V:tM - The Sabbat - Episode 5 - Political Factions within the Sword of Caine
Просмотров 6734 месяца назад
In this Sabbat episode we're continuing our exploration of Sabbat culture and practices, looking at the political factions of the Sword of Caine. I absolutely love the way the V20 write-up carries forth and clarifies the ideas originally presented in the Revised Guide to the Sabbat, and I hope... so shall you. My main sources for the making of this episode are only 2 this time: www.drivethrurpg...
Demon: the Fallen - Infernal Glory - Setting, chronicle types, conflicts, stories and plot
Просмотров 4835 месяцев назад
In this episode, which is a reply to Mandrake9to5, we're trying to understand what that "Infernal Glory" D:tF wants us to play into is like. How do we keep a Demon game from being just a reskinned V:tM with angels instead of vampires? What are some stories or elements that illustrate Infernal Glory? Though I haven't managed to properly define the terms as presented by the book, we are looking a...
Demon: the Fallen - Notes on current edition and thoughts regarding a 20th Anniversary Edition
Просмотров 4855 месяцев назад
In this episode I'm sharing some notes and thoughts on what is currently the one and only edition of Demon: the Fallen, along with ideas for how a new edition (let's say 20th Anniversary) would look like, what it would keep from the previous edition and what it should remove. As you will hear in the episode itself, most of the things I'd see removed are insensitive, judgy segments of writing th...
Vampire: the Masquerade - Non-threatening evil antagonists for authentic societal horror chronicles
Просмотров 1,9 тыс.6 месяцев назад
In this episode we're exploring a type of character I like to call the "non-threatening" evil antagonist, which is based on a real abuser archetype (the sadist) and brought into the context of Vampire: the Masquerade, with suggestions on how to run this silent, discreet monster. We're used to villains having clear goals, grandiose evil plans and, of course, a memorable evil laugh, presenting as...
Performing vs portraying the protagonist - why portrayal is essential in a storytelling game
Просмотров 5428 месяцев назад
In this episode we're considering the distinctions between performing the protagonist (predominantly utilizing the tools of an actor) and portraying the protagonist (predominantly utilizing the tools of a writer). From my point of view, portrayal is essential for a good, immersive game which features complex, deep protagonists, but portrayal without any sliver of performance will inevitably see...
Demon: the Fallen - Defiler Lores - Lore and Visage of Storms
Просмотров 5248 месяцев назад
In this episode we're diving into the Lore of Storms, the ability to summon water and assume its form, to manipulate and create meteorological phenomena and finally, to invoke and fully control a storm of varying size along with all of its manifestations - be they rain, or winds or lightning. The descriptions of each dot/evocation and apocalyptic form features are read from the Core Rulebook, w...
Vampire: the Masquerade - The Fall of the House of Dracon and the destiny of the Obertus Tzimisce
Просмотров 1,7 тыс.9 месяцев назад
Errata: 13:50 - "Gesu rises from torpor in 701..." - No, Gesu entered torpor in 701, and embraced Symeon shortly after rising, in 703. I got my dates mixed up :D In this episode we're looking into the history and downfall of both the Dracon and his entire line, the status of the Obertus revenant family over the centuries, and the tense relations between whoever remains of the Dracons and the la...
Demon: the Fallen - Blizzards and Balefires - Chronicle recap ep. 2 - Burning questions
Просмотров 2589 месяцев назад
In this episode I continue the recap of a lovely little Demon Chronicle I enjoyed a lot. Avgrundiel (in the body of Terrell Stone) arrives in Toronto, discovers everything she's been told is contradicted here or doesn't apply, nothing make sense, and during a summoning-like burst of faith, she meets her new allies, the Cryptic Fiend M'tharth (aka Marcus Smith) and the enigmatic, disgraced (some...
Demon: the Fallen - Devil Lores - Lore and Visage of Flame
Просмотров 66810 месяцев назад
In this episode we're taking a look at the Lore of Flame, which is supposed to grant Heralds control over the "primal, purifying fire of creation", but instead allows them to control regular, mundane fire... The descriptions of each dot/evocation and apocalyptic form features are read from the Core Rulebook, which you can find right here: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/636/Demon-The-Fallen The ad...
Vampire: the Masquerade: How a Tzimisce settles in a Camarilla city (a reply to Tadds)
Просмотров 3,8 тыс.10 месяцев назад
This episode is a quick reply to one of our listeners who asked for tips or lore on playing a Camarilla Tzimisce. Though there are no known Tzimisce in the Camarilla, the Independent Factions of Fiends (like Dracons - marginally Sabbat, but not by choice-, the Oradea League - anti-Sabbat all the way-, the Inconuu of Hunedoara -interested in Golconda, not the Jyhad - or some the old-school Trans...
Vampire: the Masquerade: Tzimisce lore and culture in Romanian folklore and literature
Просмотров 1,1 тыс.11 месяцев назад
Vampire: the Masquerade: Tzimisce lore and culture in Romanian folklore and literature
Demon: the Fallen - Blizzards and Balefires - Chronicle recap ep. 1 - The Malefactor's backstory
Просмотров 31611 месяцев назад
Demon: the Fallen - Blizzards and Balefires - Chronicle recap ep. 1 - The Malefactor's backstory
Vampire: the Masquerade - Saulot: Redeemer and Destroyer - sides of the same coin landing on edge
Просмотров 1,5 тыс.Год назад
Vampire: the Masquerade - Saulot: Redeemer and Destroyer - sides of the same coin landing on edge
Demon: the Fallen - Scourge Lores - Lore and Visage of the Firmament
Просмотров 536Год назад
Demon: the Fallen - Scourge Lores - Lore and Visage of the Firmament
Vampire: the Masquerade - solo RP - Brujah Primogen schools Neonate on the meaning of knowing a city
Просмотров 674Год назад
Vampire: the Masquerade - solo RP - Brujah Primogen schools Neonate on the meaning of knowing a city
Demon: the Fallen - Bastions of the Fallen and High Cities of the Host
Просмотров 586Год назад
Demon: the Fallen - Bastions of the Fallen and High Cities of the Host
Demon: the Fallen - a recap - scenes from an introductory short chronicle (a reply to 88Grabarz)
Просмотров 391Год назад
Demon: the Fallen - a recap - scenes from an introductory short chronicle (a reply to 88Grabarz)
Vampire: the Masquerade - Dur-An-Ki - history, culture, core principles, mechanics, rituals
Просмотров 1,2 тыс.Год назад
Vampire: the Masquerade - Dur-An-Ki - history, culture, core principles, mechanics, rituals
Vampire: the Masquerade - The smallest, oldest, sentient Vozhd (Lair of the Hidden ending spoilers)
Просмотров 1,1 тыс.Год назад
Vampire: the Masquerade - The smallest, oldest, sentient Vozhd (Lair of the Hidden ending spoilers)
Demon: the Fallen - Malefactor Lores - Lore and Visage of the Forge - part 2
Просмотров 507Год назад
Demon: the Fallen - Malefactor Lores - Lore and Visage of the Forge - part 2
V:tM - The Sabbat - Episode 4 - High Holidays, Oases, Stealth, Nomadic Pack Protocols/ Edition talk
Просмотров 795Год назад
V:tM - The Sabbat - Episode 4 - High Holidays, Oases, Stealth, Nomadic Pack Protocols/ Edition talk
Demon: the Fallen - A Few Familiar Faces - signature characters (novels/ short stories spoilers!)
Просмотров 595Год назад
Demon: the Fallen - A Few Familiar Faces - signature characters (novels/ short stories spoilers!)
Demon: the Fallen - Malefactor Lores - Lore and Visage of the Forge - part 1
Просмотров 566Год назад
Demon: the Fallen - Malefactor Lores - Lore and Visage of the Forge - part 1
Vampire: the Masquerade - How and why to use downtime (pacing/ spending xp/ chronicles of ages)
Просмотров 1 тыс.Год назад
Vampire: the Masquerade - How and why to use downtime (pacing/ spending xp/ chronicles of ages)
V:tM - The Sabbat - Episode 3 - Ritus - Vaulderie, Binding, Monomachy, Contrition and Blood Feast
Просмотров 933Год назад
V:tM - The Sabbat - Episode 3 - Ritus - Vaulderie, Binding, Monomachy, Contrition and Blood Feast
could you make a video going deeper into courts and ministries. thank you
Sure can and will do! 🥰 Having just ran some Demon recently, I feel quite excited about making some more Demon episodes 🤩
@@theoldcountry Nice I want to run demon now but i got myselt into running a requiem group first as well as mummy the curse :p
could you please make a video on why various types of raveners can make great antagonists? thanks
Yeeeeees 😎
Hello, Dear Old Country. So much has happened since the last demon video. Some are about sad experiences with rol playing, and the good one is I jumped into the dark water and will start narrating my own little campaing, not with the WOD setting or system, but it will still have some demons. I really love them, so your videos are always pretty helpfull in giving me perspective. Thanks you very much as always. ¡Abrazos!
Regardless of the system you're using, I'm always happy when someone starts a campaign! Sorry to hear about sad experiences with roleplaying, but it's great that you're not letting that discourage you from running a new game 😎 I'm happy you still find the videos helpful and give them a listen. I wish you nothing but the best ☀ And if you, by any chance, want to detail those sad experiences you've mentioned and unload, I'm listening 😌 Îmbrățișări!
@@theoldcountry It could be nice, thank you! althought my english is not the best hehe and i'm a little short of time 'cause my new campaign so idk how we could manage to do so.
What a great analysis. Thank you for your perspective and material for thought. ♥️
Good vid, I really enjoyed getting more context on the factions! Seeing more of the motivations for the demons' existence is great!
@@DominusDiabolik Glad you enjoyed! I really wanted to talk about how factional allegiance can coexist with the character's own distinct goals, albeit in a state of tension and conflict... Like when I lived with my parents! *ba dum tsss* We coexisted in the same space, but our goals didn't align, and there was conflict 😁
I really like the ruleset of V5. I love the predator types and the hunger dice system and I do actually like the streamlining and opening up of the disciplines. I'm perfectly fine with Vicissitude as an amalgam. Long before V5 was a thing I was already contemplating why this discipline was not considered to be in the same family as Protean along with Serpentis. Same with Obtenebration (arguably my favourite discipline) and Necromancy into Oblivion. It refines the disciplines into a cohesive whole, each representing one of the fundamental and classical powers of vampires in various lores, and it expands upon each by offering options and alternate paths of advancement in each discipline. The issues with V5 come in the form of the lore and the discarding of much of the best aspects of VtM lore, as well as the arbitrary removal of elders which destroys many of the games foundations and lastly the notion that any discipline power is available to any kindred who meets the level requirements. I don't subscribe to any of these. I'm firmly in the camp of running a V5 engine using V20/Revised lore and slapping bloodline based restrictions on discipline powers that are heavily tied to those bloodlines. Doesn't matter if you have Dominate 2/Protean 2, you're not picking up Vicissitude unless you're of a Tzimisce bloodline or you have been taught such powers by a Tzimisce and involving the consuming of that vampires blood. There's no reason you cannot add in your own discipline powers for any aspects you feel are missing in V5. Vicissitude as written in V5 works well to represent the entirety of the previous discipline but in 3 power choices instead of 5 and all while allowing further options to be taken. The only things really missing are the elder powers but they're easy to add in with your own homebrewed powers. There's no need for an elder power that few PC's could ever take that allows you to transform into blood when you can simply create a Protean/Blood Sorcery amalgam that a non elder character could actually learn and use instead. Unfortunately for all the excellent lore of previous editions discipline bloat is a thing and it was always strange seeing the inconsistencies such as Thanatosis not simply being a part of Necromancy. At times the disciplines were all over the place and often poorly fleshed out such as Spiritus having to stretch a single concept out over 5 discipline levels. Or Sanguinus that was just shallow.
You should write Demon supplements
@@ΜαρίνοςΛούρος Thank you for the vote of confidence 😄 I would, but I'm not patient enough to write a whole book first and then release it. Doing these episodes is a really good format for me. Not to mention I have no editing skills. My book would probably look pretty bad for a game supplement 😶
The humanitarian branch of the Faustians and Senivel in the books seems about as close to "Genuinely hoping to help humanity" that I can see.
@@dawn4383 Yup, we need more Faustians like them! 🥰 Goes to show, there are Fallen trying to make the world better place indeed, even within a Faction or another, so it really leaves me confused the way a lot of players say Reconcilers are the only good guys 😐
Another great video!!! I hope someday we will have 20 edition of demon
🤞I won't hold my breath, but I will keep my fingers crossed for that!
Love this video, it is exactly what I needed right now
@@antuanyammine1537 I'm glad it hit the spot 😁 Perhaps revisiting the Factions wasn't such a bad idea 😌
So you *shouldn't* try to immediately undo your mistake and be forgiven by your abuser? *mind blown* Great video, man!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed 😌 I mean, they can certainly try, but this kind of mistake has a stubborn tendency to stick around and not be easily undone 😁 This reminds me of a little story: When I was little I used to play with this German kid named Thomas, really nice fellow. We just loved playing around my uncle's garage and he had one of those garage pits/ vehicle inspection pits which was pretty deep. I cannot remember what we did, pushed or pulled, because we were just goofing around, but the next thing I see is Thomas falling backward into the pit, his head hitting the side wall as his back hit the bottom, knocking the air right out of him and busting his head. He laid there for a few seconds, inert, and I gasped in horror. Please, move! Please, move! Thomas moved, he got up and though there was a bit of blood, his mom quickly took him to the doctor and he came back all fine that afternoon. I apologized endlessly. Heavens, I didn't want to hurt him. We were playing and he fell. I felt so guilty. Though he forgave me for an accident during play, which could have happened to anybody, I still felt that guilt for a long time. Ultimately, I learned from that experience. I couldn't undo it even if I wanted to, but I learned a lot from it. Ultimately, only he who does nothing at all is immune to making mistakes (unless you count doing nothing a mistake in its own rite). Some mistakes we can apologize for, some small mistakes can be overlooked, but we can never really undo the past. Now, when you consider the Reconcilers want to enlist the aid of the very entities which imprisoned them and threw them away like trash... yeah, it gets even weirder 😂
finally some more demon :)
@jackmalin2528 I missed it a lot, really, but I've been so focused on running my own game, I just didn't have enough fight left in me to also give the episodes the attention they deserve. And Demon always deserves my complete attention! I'm not currently running it anymore, so I can get back to writing my heart out to the best of my ability! The Demoning resumes! 😈 It might seem strange, but when I'm playing Vampire (unless something really interesting gets lodged into my brain Vampire-wise), I can write Demon stuff. When I play Demon, I write Vampire stuff 🥴 Weird brain...
@@theoldcountry I run a chronicle with this weird intersection between vampires and demons and thus loving both sides of your creative coin. :D
You know, that's why I would always put Renegade as a faction. You were able to verbally express why I could never find a faction I liked.
@@uselessfamiliar I feel you! So far, I've played a Cryptic and a Ravener and being part of the Cryptics has quite a few advantages 😁, but I never really worked towards furthering the agendas of those Factions. Renegade definitely has it's own appeal 🥰
You could draw loose (and I do mean LOOSE) connections between the Factions and the Five Stages of Grief driven to their worst extremes: Luciferians = Denial Raveners = Anger Faustians = Bargaining Reconcilers = Depression Cryptics = Acceptance
Oh wow, I did NOT see that before! I'll keep this in mind! 🥰🤔
@@theoldcountry To elaborate a little more. Luciferians are a Denial (with some Anger) in the sense of their belief that their cause was noble and righteous, while the Anger part manifests as righteous fury at The Giver and The Host for the perceived injustice forced upon them. Reconcilers are Depression spiced with Bargaining. Bargaining in their futile attempt to find redemption in the eyes of The Giver, and Depression in their overall feeling of lamentation and regret. A lot of potential for self-loathing and self-pity. Raveners are Anger with some Depression, Behind their aggressive rage and eagerness to find the end as soon as possible, there is the hopelessness that nothing can be fixed, so it's better to just euthanize the cosmos already, an extremely sad view wrapped in burning destruction. Cryptics have elements of other extra stages of grief in more diverse charts, like Shock, Fear, Uncertainty and Reclusion. They could also be interpreted as a negative form of acceptance, one that leads not to healing, but a numbing of the soul, giving up and becoming distant.
there appears to be a faint hum sound in the background of the audio
😔 How annoying is it? I guess my computer is getting old and noisy 🥲 Hopefully the hum is bearable EDIT: oh, wow, I hear it now. I switched headsets and the warbly hum is so annoying. Well, guess I need to use another device for recording for now 😳
My very first action in my very first DTF game was as a Malefactor who had just taken on a host of a street-racer who, having achieved pretty much everything his culture expected him to achieve by the age of 30, flew to America, rented the fastest car he could, and went off to neck himself. After assuming direct control of my street-racer, I stop his suicidal act and instead pull up to a red light. A cadillac full of gang-bangers appears beside me. I rev the engine, demonstrating I want to race- I want to test out this machinery mankind's cooked up, see how fast it can go- and they misinterpreted the act as me challenging them to a fight. The driver raised up a MAC-10 submachine gun to intimidate me. Lore of the Forge: Activate Object, MAC-10. The driver blew his own dick off, mag-dumped into his engine block, and left the entire car a screaming bloody mess while I casually drove off. What might take a Mage weeks or a Vampire months of gameplay to do, I pulled off in my first DTF scene. I was immediately hooked on this splat thanks to this specific Lore. Also, creating and imbuing an artifact with Lore of the Forge 4, Enchant Object, with a Lore of The Forge 2, Activate Object, can and will cause an entire police station full of Hunters to end up shooting each other in pitch blackness while all their firearms negligently discharge and all their server fans stop running- if that artifact is used correctly. I recollect making a telescope which was meant to scry and find the faithful (with the help of a conspiracy member's lore,) but I accidentally obtained a High Torment conclusion on the final roll- so anyone who was observed through the telescope began to act out their deepest Sin and desire, instead. I may or may not have destroyed the local cop shop /and/ started a city-wide riot on the same day as a result. Oh well, I'll leave it to the Camarilla to clean up- I'm a Demon, what the fuck do I care about a Masquerade? More Faith for me.
Okay, I love this. Sorry-not-sorry I am stealing some of these ideas for my Bahari Garden. That sounds like something right up their alley to investigate, given they just went through a lot of city-politics turmoil and could use a quiet, relaxing, stress-free gardening. >:)
💮🥀🌻 Well, I'm glad this episode provided some "idea-seeds" which you can plant in your own garden 😎 Ahi hay Lilitu! Quick rhetorical question, though: Is feeding a member of the Clan of the Rose to a Bloodrose bush an act of cannibalism? It's a Rose devouring a Rose. Mwhahahahaha 😈
@@theoldcountry Did said Rose had it coming? (Also rhetorical, since most Toreadors in Philly have been pretty damn awful in our setting).
God, these are simply fantastic. Honestly this might be the best "in the mind of a Setite" I've seen so far. Marvelous work!
@@Jasina85 Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun making this episode 😁
Thank You for going into insane depths of VTM magic systems. Been binging your Magic related Stuff it is the only stuff in youtube that goes into insane depths of said ideas. Out of pocket question but will you ever touch Tzimisce Titles or their own equivalent of Dignitas? I have looked through it myself and it is not as comprehensive as Ventrue Clan Titles but there seems to be something there.
Hey there! Glad you're enjoying the sorcery series 🥳I still have Thaumaturgy and Necromancy to cover, and I will do them justice, applying the same attention and care I gave the other ones. I'm really happy you say it's a deeper presentation that other channels did, because I am really hoping to help anyone who might be watching with the portrayal of these magic practices, not just to present lore. I'm hoping I can make the lore... a bit more accessible and comprehensive, as it were 🙂 I could totally do a little list of Tzimisce titles, that's for sure! 🥰I'll take not of this and get to writing it as soon as possible
@@theoldcountry Thank you for your response Old Country, will be patiently waiting for your next vids!
I have the impression that no selfish character can be half as monstrous, or half as dangerous, as an altruistic character. The scale, the range, of abhorrent things a selfish character reaches is a drop in the ocean of those violations that feel natural for the selfless saviours of the world. Those who wish to "free everyone" and the scary monsters. The channel plays beautifully with that element.
The text is good, but somehow the interpretation feels in another level. Great work with the pace, the pauses and half-silences. Makes me wish I could be turned into a Setite, to study this seriously and deeply. Of course, the logic chain is not entirely well connected. For instance, I am in 14:28, when our spiritual mentor and theology professor mentions that he was pursuing money, "and when I reached the top...". Money has that rare virtue, that is being a infinite goal, no one ever reaches "the top". If I am not mistaken only two goals provide that guarantee of infinite durability: money and knowledge. If our wise priest had said he was obsessed by success in a sport, or in politics, then there is a "top" he could have reached. The Presidency of his Country, or its equivalent, or braking a record and stablishing a new mark unachievable still to any other sportsman. If he was aiming for success as an actor, there is the Oscar (or there was, I am not sure if it remains relevant, but if not something else will replace it). Even academic prestige can be measured in titles, the Nobel Prize (again, not as relevant today as it was up to recently, but still...). Only academic prestige, not the knowledge it is supposed to represent. That is like money. No matter how much you got so far, you remain infinitely poor. By comparison to what you could and should be. If your disease is to be obsessed by those things. That said, I thank you for not make this Setite more persuasive than what he already is. Since being embraced by Setite clan is an unachievable goal, once we do not live in The World of Darkness. Besides, I am more a Tzimice kind of person and one cannot be embraced by two clans at once.
I admit, I was thinking about making a demon reconciler who saw his own flaws and the flaws of the other fallen for what they truly are and wish to make amends for the lord so that they could fix creation together. But seeing this video... Now I'm not sure what demon to make. I get there are the other factoons but... The raveners are nihilists, the faustians are more akin to abusers, the cryptics are just constantly stuck in a quest for knowledge they may never achieve or understand, and the luciferians are just delusional nutcases, the earthbound are just plain monsters, but all in all, the demons were just idiots who screwed everything over.
I'm glad you left this comment because I think it illustrates a very valuable point! You can always play a Renegade, a Demon who is on the outskirts of the Court, if courtly politics don't appeal to you or your group. You can always play someone who acknowledges that factional allegiance is, ultimately, subservience to a set of goals others set for you, and it is what is going to prevent ALL Fallen from making a genuine choice or seeing their own flaws. The Faction tenets and goals aren't easy to follow, they don't have to fit the character like a glove, rather, they are there to create tension. Factional devotion keeps Fallen in this constant state of competition and paranoia over who gets the cheese, who can acquire more worldly power, while the world keeps suffering and rotting like a backdrop everyone talks about, but no one has enough wisdom and perspective to actually observe as a whole and start improving. "We'll save the world AFTER we put ourselves in power" seems to be the approach, and I think we can both agree it's a poor approach. We can be the change we want to see in the world every day, at our best, or at our worst. See, despite Reconcilers' good intentions, they also compete for power in the game of Factions. While they are engaged in that, they spend less energy on the things that actually matter to them (on a declarative level, at least): observing the current state of the world as objectively as possible, discovering what lurks in it's dark corners finding the flaws, protecting mortals, working towards healing and finding redemption. I think Demon encourages the player character not to see the world for what it truly is (because, objectively, how could anyone see that?), but to view it through the lens of a deep trauma. To see your own flaws and to see the flaws of others for what they truly are, implies an cognitive and emotional clarity or awareness that only those who reach Torment 1 (or even 0, if such a thing is possible) might gain. The characters of Demon don't see things clearly. However, the character can work towards fixing creation regardless of Factional allegiance. You can play someone who serves a Faction not because of devotion to Faction goals, but out of fear, because they were intimidated, because they see no other option, because they see it as the "lesser evil" and so on. No single Faction has a monopoly on trying to fix the world, but each goes about it in a different way, prioritizing different things. Certainly, Raveners no longer want to fix anything, but the other Factions, they totally include benevolent, empathetic Fallen who want to fix things. That being said, you can still play a character who is wise, takes their time, sees important or quite urgent flaws in other Fallen's behaviors and ideals. That part is totally doable, but no Faction is going to "help" the character with their goals. The Factions will be there to create tension and conflict, to check if the character can STILL hold on to their values and goals despite external expectations and their "duty" to a certain Faction. Hmmmm, let me just throw this out there: Nowhere does it say new Factions can't arise 😁 Your character might start off unwillingly doing their duty to one Faction or another, but maybe they can create their own community of like-minded Fallen, who don't adhere to any of the preestablished ideals and seek to break free from these oppressive Factions which won't let them go freely. Now, go forth and make the world a better place, my friend! 😎
Honestly, this lore is a pretty big miss for me after the first two dots. The 5 dot ability inexplicably being completely unrelated to social skills, and excluding the physical also feels like a big miss to me, and I agree that obsession feels... Way too restricted in its extremity. But it has so much potential.
Agree, and I think it's to be expected since Demon is only a First Edition so far (and I fear this is how it's going to stay). This really could have used more playtesting and just... more time in the oven, as it were. It's like someone wanted to bake this absolutely amazing cake, they considered the ingredients carefully, they prepped each and every one, really got a clear view of what the cake should feel, smell and taste like, knowing full well the combination should be fantastic, and when they put it in the oven... they got impatient, really wanted to have the cake out already, so they undercooked it. That's what Demon feels like to me: insane amounts of potential, really solid writing, but not enough care for the game mechanics, you know, the ACTUAL systems player characters use to interact with the darn game world 🤣 This part is really frustrating 😔 Fortunately, with a little homebrew here and there, it's very playable and surprisingly enjoyable 🥰
Just woke up, half awake. Slightly groggy and this is the mood of how I feel. Thanks for the treat.
God's shit, that is adorable and deep as hell. I like it. Hi from Ukraine
@@judas.whispers Hey! Whooohooo! Glad you enjoyed 😉
I was just enjoying the music until I opened the description and another layer of meaning was revealed. Very straight forward premise, but bold in how heartfelt it comes across as.
❤️❤️❤️
bv tată mare artist <3
Nice
Ah hi Morkeoth (fizban)
@@eccoeco3454 Hi Fiz' !
❤ În brațele tigrului, doarme o pisică
@@infernal_tulip Intotdeauna! Si le e cald si torc fericiti 😌🥰
Ohh very changeling
@@thomastakesatollforthedark2231 Hmmmm... didn't think of Changeling, but you do have a point 🤔
These places can also be visited by mages! Imagine a Chorister entering the city of Open Gates and speaking with a true angel! Last time i played Mage my players got lost when walking to a destination through the branches of the world tree. They were investigating an umbral trouble and finally found the disturbance of the Grand Maw (that was the "enemy" of this game), and as they left the Tree, they got into the border of the Dreaming: picture a sprout, away from the world tree, turning into a yellow golden path into the land of the fairies and the Dreaming. The suction of the Grand Maw stirred up the abyss, so this land of fairies ended abruptly in a long fall into the mists of Oblivion, and a maelstrom in the distance. Behind all that frontier of worlds, the broken wall of grey nothing from where, from time to time, a spirit in their apocalyptic form escaped. In the intersection, on the dreaming's border, a lone figure withstood the clash of the maelstrom with an orange hue. On his knees, he had built a fence with his armor and weapons, and he was hunched over the orange glow. WHen the mages got close (they have found some fairies and they were in friendly terms so they wanted to see what he was doing in the middle of a soul breaking storm and try and help) they saw this elderly man, blinded and withered, his chest cut open by himself, and his own heart in his hand, used to keep a stubborn little amber faintly giving some radiance: They had found the Guardian of the Marks. The Guardian was stalwartly protecting the whole of the fairy realm from the maelstrom, and protecting the balefire he had been entrusted eons ago. My players sent spirits and messages, slowed local time, invested all their resourses in this random encounter i just have used to show the grandmaw was a problem to all supernaturals to build a quintessence watchtower to repel the maelstrom and fight off the decay, giving warmth back to the Guardian. Imagine what a group of Demons could do if they found a sole angel, their house long forgotten and divinity all but lost, name a single naked sylable, EL, keeping a Human alive, feeding the human from their angelic patron and the angel from this human's faith, resisting against the maelstrom to prevent the last of the Great Library, to be swallowed by nothingness. Maybe the name of God, their whereabouts or how to find Lucifer. All open to them, if they can save EL and their human.
Daaaaaamn, that's quite the idea 🤩 Thank you for sharing that and thank you for sharing the Mage recap! 🥰 *hungers for some Mage*
I feel one of the problems with broadening/abstracting Demon too much away from the Abrahamic framework is it will make it even more like the "reskinned Changeling" people sometimes accuse it of being. The war-in-heaven/fall-myth is pretty core to DtF's entire deal I feel, and it is also something that is very specific to Christianity, other religions inspired or influenced by Christianity and some other Gnostic and such religions that sprung up around the same area and time as Christianity. Even 'heretical' reinterpretations like in Days of Fire are still playing with that concept as it's basis. And applying that concept on other religions and beliefs that do not share such a concept can get messy and possibly even strip what would make those distinct in the first place by making it fit into an Abrahamic mold. IIRC DtF already plays with that a bit with some of the Earthbound, but that's more playing on Christianity's tendency to absorb the older Gods of peoples it assimilated as demons, and if you don't play of that specific Christian/Abrahamic framework and instead just blanket apply that to polytheistic Gods things get even messier in the ways I described before. You could maybe do the same thing Shin Megami Tensei does and have it exist as just everything smushed together, with what is metaphysically true being somewhat up for grabs, so the reason God is the creator of the world and a part of his angels rebelled *is* because God is the one who happen to be on top, but also at the same time many of his angels and those who rebelled are from their perspective old gods who had been around since before God and he usurped them, with some siding with him and some fighting him. And both of these can kinda co-exist as potential truths until one truth wins out. But then we get back to the problem of what fundamentally then makes a Demon different from a Changeling, and why would something from folklore be one or the other. Is an Oni a Demon or a Changeling? I guess another possibility is just to embrace the Changeling similarities and accept the fan-theory that Changelings are the 1/3 of demons who didn't side with God or Lucifer and just make them technically the same thing, just with conflicting possible backstories, so an individual Oni can be either a Demon or a Changeling. On the other hand this will make accepting the Abrahamic fall narrative be the thing that sets Demons apart from Changelings, so I'm not sure that changes much in the end... In some way this makes me think about Changeling: The Celtic Cycle, an old unofficial supplement made by White Wolf writers that felt trying to make Changeling kiths universal erased too much of the individual culture that surrounds the specific sources they were from and instead tried to make sets of kiths specific to those cultures (in the end they only got around to, as the name suggests, the Celtic ones, but they had more planned). I guess this was less an argument for anything and more just an reflection. Fundamentally I agree; for a D20 or whatever I'd just incorporate the stuff that should have been in the core-book into it and clean-up some mechanics, maybe take some cues from Devil's Due and leave it mostly at that. Also add some neat art (I'd want more and wilder art of Apocalyptic forms please). And then let players go where they want from there (not that there would be anything stopping them from either way). If we are going to make it "less Christian" I'd suggest take even more inspiration from things like Gnostic religions, historical Christian heresies and fringe Abrahamic mysticism and maybe some early-modern period Norwegian and Icelandic folk-Satanism.
Oh, on this matter I couldn't agree more. So, hear me out: what I'm thinking about isn't to completely break the game from its roots, but to sort of... hint towards archetypal events and biblical myth without using that exact terminology. It's to suggest towards biblical events and characters as opposed to naming them directly as such. It's one thing to refer the Creator deity of Demon: the Fallen, that Giver of everything, and another thing altogether to call it "God", the implication being that it IS the Abrahamic God. I mean, we can certainly call it as such, but it's not necessarily that. That is what humanity referred to it at some point, and that is what we refer to it now after hmmm... countless millennia of conflict, and the weight of a responsibility and conscience humanity struggled to accept and understand. The knowledge the Rebel awakened humanity to... kinda broke humans. It frightened and made them want to pull back, some maybe even craving a return to an Edenic state of lack of awareness. Demon cannot dispense with its influences and origins because it would, quite frankly, stop being the Demon: the Fallen we know and love, but it can encourage a wider range of perspectives. They don't even need to be directly in step with or directly reference any one real life culture or another, because, again, Creation in this setting happens in a time beyond time, before humans can observe and understand it. Basically, it just needs to leave enough room for players to bring in more varied input, character concepts and sources of inspiration, while definitely reminding players of its influences and... personality, for lack of a better term. The influences will still be very visible and enjoyable for those who are curious enough to seek them out and research them. Oh, and the ongoing and very traumatic conflict of the war in heaven is absolutely central to Demon, like you say, but I cannot help seeing it as an archetypal event that is found in the myths of many cultures. I mean... what myths don't have a conflict between a primordial darkness and a consciousness which attempts to create order (through various means)? Which pantheon of deities doesn't have everything from internal squabbles which resemble internal familial conflicts to outright wars or political machinations which are resolved using humans as pawns - as an external means brought into the internal conflict between the gods? Which myths don't tell stories of destruction, various falls and hurts, but also reestablishing order or redemption, or ascension to a higher state? I do agree it can be messy when such conflicts aren't central to other myths, but are found in various tales and divine... "origin stories" if we can call them that. I still think these elements are there, they are still found worldwide, and like you said, Abrahamic myth does show both similarities and differences, with Christianity later incorporating elements of various "pagan" cultures into itself. I mean, in Romania, we still have so many pre-Christian celebrations that endure to this day, it's silly. On certain occasions you find people walking around in strange masks, or carrying bear hides, or got totems, dancing like mad, while banging drums you can hear for blocks and blocks, on certain nights young girls believe it's possible to perform something akin to romantic divination using flowers and such and then... they still go to church and read their bibles and try to be good monotheistic Christians. Arguably, these pre-Christian celebrations were... assimilated into the local perception of Christianity and no one thinks they are out of place or... "sinful" in any way, but their origins are clear for those who do just a modicum of research, and they are rooted in paganism, so it's this strange blend between folklore and Christianity that includes more than just one set of myths that reside in the collective consciousness or imagination of the people (or ceremonies/celebrations). And... I think Demon could benefit from the same approach. Don't name it as one thing or another, but instead, show similarities, show influences, make a suggestion and let the player fill in the rest. Anyhow, loved your comment, it really got the little hamster in my head running and spinning the wheel 😁 Glad you enjoyed the episode! 😉
Command the wild on a plant, give it intelligence, make a pact and give it the ability to bleed, force it shut so it can't speak, offer it to the vampire prince of the city in a pack and become the patron of all vampires who drink from the golden apples.
I mean, those Blood Roses must've come from somewhere, right? 😁 Command the wild alone is enough to grow the plant, but it doesn't allow you to modify said vegetation beyond that. With Mutate plant you could alter its essential characteristics, the way it... feeds and absorbs nutrients, tailoring the plant to a certain environment, and maybe even give it some semblance of intelligence, but you can never make a pact with it. Intelligence alone is not enough to enter a pact. When it comes to the plant producing blood... I mean, even if it can't produce it on its own, perhaps it can store it in delicious fruit or petals 😁I think a fruit-bearing plant that "feeds" vampires is quite doable 😎
Love your channel for the passion and interest you put into the sabbat games
@@muhammadedwards8425 I really like this Sect, what it brings to VtM, and WoD overall 🗡🩸 Glad you're enjoying these episodes 😉
I still play old style sabbat and I will never stop or "dumb down the lore". Humanity vs the beast is not as engaging or profound as the self vs the beast, Jyhad due to generational politics, and sect war as a war of Paths. Those 3 are how I run my games
Here are a couple more atmospheric music pieces to get yourself in the mood: ruclips.net/video/iM34tVi7Ajo/видео.html ruclips.net/video/QY33uXip_eY/видео.html
@@M-CH_ Oh wow 😁 I'm saving these for Call of Cthulhu too 🥰
I can see this type of vampire convencing many Toerador to the path of Set. I realy like it, you are a very good Storyteller, Old County.
@@mateuscoutinho5260 Thank you so much 🥺🙏 That's so great to hear 🥰
Dam I would be a aesy Setite snack cuz this character was kinda hot😳
It is very interesting to think about how jaded the Setites must be, how desire becomes just a means to an end. I really like this format of video, and look forward to seeing what others you have ply! 🦇🦇🦇
When all your wishes are granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed 😢 I find the Setites' nonconformity quite refreshing. A pitty their agenda is literally against creation 😅 There is nothing they won't use to further their agenda
I should've mentioned it on your video on Saulot, but I noticed similarities between Theophidian teachings and your version of his journey. He acts most piously because he is expected to by Caine, acts most monstrously as he defines himself against Caine, and then achieves balance by helping others go through their own journey of enlightenment. Was that your intention, or have I just been indoctrinated fully into the Church and am looking for patterns everywhere now?
Hey, that is actually a very nice observation 😁They both have a somewhat similar journey, but Saulot eventually released himself from the invasive emotions of his community and his initial indoctrination, or rather, the violent reaction to the realization that he had been indoctrinated. As you know, at some point he defined himself IN OPPOSITION to Caine, at the same time behaved in a very similar manner to Caine (with him wanting to become the master of the world), but he eventually let go of the enmity and the need for revenge/destruction, because he understood he is no one's victim unless he accepts that role. He doesn't need to follow Caine's example, he doesn't need to be validated by anyone or any thing, because he is, ultimately, the only arbiter of his own actions, and he already has all the power he needs - power over himself. If you master yourself, you don't need the world at your feet. Set is like the still immature version of Saulot. And do consider the lore says Saulot and Set and Malkav had a pretty brotherly relationship, all 3 of them, they exchanged gifts and teachings and so on, which I find fascinating. But back to Set. So, if there is any notion of morality to Set (I doubt there is, though), and if we believe the Setite version of the myths, he is reacting very emotionally to what he perceives as deception and a lack of justice. Like Saulot, he says: ah, Ra deceived me, my family betrayed me, and I will have my revenge by becoming the ultimate master of everything and doing whatever I want with them. I will undo their creation, show them all the error of their ways and put them through the same hurt they put me through - which is, really, a very human and understandable reaction, but Set doesn't think beyond this emotinal phase. What? You're going to tear everything down and stick it to the man? Sure, but what happens next after the dust settles and the world is in ruins? What do you replace that corrupt order with? For Set, we don't know, but we can assume total destruction, throwing the world into the void. He doesn't think about the next step, he just wants to obtain the power, and the brainwashed Theophidians can also see the "symptoms" of the corrupt society/reality and think: oh yeah, Set has a point! This is all bullshit and we need to tear it down. They are also not thinking about what happens next, naively gambling everything on some mythical resurrection of their God, their idol, which is going to make everything work. They, who believe themselves to be nonconformists, are actually conforming and relying heavily on Set. They believe the resurrection of Set is everything, a colossal event which... is external to them :) In opposition, Saulot went waaaay past this emotional stage. He no longer craves destruction OR worldly power, he is no longer satisfied just to say: "the world is wrong, it needs to change", but he is already taking steps to healing that corrupt world. He doesn't want to rule, but to teach, because he understands one single entity cannot and SHOULD NOT be the savior of the world. THe world does not belong to one entity, but to all of us. WE need to make it better. In light of that, he doesn't need anyone's servitude or admiration, or even their forgiveness, and he is no one's god. He is a true benevolent mentor, because he encourages his pupils to look inward, to look to themselves and make peace with THEMSELVES first and foremost. Saulot never presents himself as "the way" or "the light", as the only savior of this corrupt world. Instead, he simply reminds everyone that the road is there, and they are the ones who need to walk it, if they so choose. The fact that he DID hurt himself and others, immensely, undeniably, shows his scars, the fact that he too had battles and it wasn't easy, he too "had nails hammered into his palms and feet" (if you will allow that comparison) or... he "crucified" other for his pains, but, eventually, he transcended that pain. His example shows us that a model exists, the path is open, now we can do it too, if we so choose. Hmmmm, ultimately, I see both characters as nonconformist challengers of ways and breakers of the status quo, but where one seeks to better the world, one is satisfied with merely lifting a mirror and saying: "behold, behold how hideous you are, World of Darkness!" Ah, maybe I can explore this further in another episode, there's so much to talk about 😭
@@theoldcountry Thanks so much for this immensely detailed write up! I can't speak for others but I'd love to watch that video if you ever feel like making it (although I'm always happy to see you post videos, so not much would be different lol). Theres alot of parallels between the Mesu Bedshet and the Brujah defining themselves by rebellion and tearing things down, without care for what comes after (with nebulous goals such as recreating an illdefined concept of Carthage or, as you said, divine intervention from Set) which is both frustrating and immensely compelling. I so desperately wish that the relationship between Malkav, Set and Saulot was explored more, as the potential discussions would be fascinating. Ultimately I don't believe Saulot ever answered the question Set and Malkav posed for him about truth, and after he returned from the east would've been the best time to give that answer, but alas, what can we do. In place of an actual answer, I'll simply spread Theophidian propoganda and claim that Saulot had passed through the Gates of Revelation, and has joined the fight against the Aeons!
@@conorkerlin5928 It is only fitting 🐍😈 The resurrection is nigh 🐍🖤 "Absorb all their fears, collect all their minds We'll be the snakes wherever they'll play And we'll be the demons wherever they'll pray It' will be the greatest fight on earth" - Deathstars, The Greatest Fight on Earth
Another font of inspiration....I love how you give such character to these monsters. And never deviate from the fact that they are, truly, monsters. Even if they lie to themselves about it.
Mwhahahaha, well, I think insightful, wise monsters are the best. My players, at least, really love interacting with such antagonists because a lot of the times they have something to learn or at least think about after the interaction. This, and also taking them down requires considerably more effort than grabbing your stakes and planning a basic ambush 🤔 These are kinds of villans who can keep coming back, they can trick you and stay in the game/Jyhad
Slight English correction, plateau is a type of geological formation, platter is the big plate you put food on. Great video tho, I always loved these solo RPs
Oh yeah, good observation! In the heat of recording, my Romanian-isms came forth on that one. In Romanian we borrowed that word from French, so in every restaurant, if you want a seafood platter it's going to be called "platou de fructe de mare" (from "plateau de fruits de mer"). Oh wow, I wasn't even aware I'd switched languages there 😂 Glad you liked! I will try to make more solo RPs, since quite a few listeners said they enjoy these 🥰