23.1.13

What do I need to come up with an idea for a Chronicle in V:tM?


Photo Credits: ("Shh... this might hurt" by Carolyn Violet on DeviantArt)


All you need are two sentences.

This idea must establish the main character and who or what is causing trouble in her life, and perhaps alludes to some way to win. Here's a two liner for V:tM:

"On her first night on the job, a freshly graduated RN finds her first patient dead, utterly bone dry. She rushes to tell her doctor, reliving the trauma of watching both her parents waste way from their cancers and unaware that Dr. Halitz is waiting in his office, waiting for her to rush into his room and die in his hands, so that her real job may begin."   

Quickly, we establish the RN as the main character. Think a little further, an we find that a Registered Nurse is a designation of nurse with more schooling and status than a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) or a Certified Nurse's Aide (CNA). So before the game even starts you can have handful of characters, like rival RN looking for more attention, a naïve CNA that will so be a victim, a LVN that might have caught wind of what was going on, and maybe even a Head Nurse whom is closer to the Dr Halitz.

Dr. Halitz is obviously doing something bad at the hosptial. Is Dr. Halitz just using the hospital as his hunting grounds, or does he "charge admission" for other vampires to get blood (think in Kill Bill Vol. 2, where Buck sells comatose women's bodies to horny truckers). This can create a huge number of NPCs, since every "customer" has a story themsevles. What other minions does Dr. Halitz have helping him run his racket at the hospital (perhaps some meat-head orderly that help him dispose of bodies, maybe an accountant to keep track of the money). But more importantly, what kind of staff is Dr. Halitz lacking, and how can the RN be forced fill that role.  And another thing, how does the Prince of the city feel about this racket, or does he even know, or was it his idea and money (or blood) is flowing his way? What about Dr. Halitz's clan? Does he even have one?

The conflict the RN faces is obvious: will she get away from the Dr, and if she does will she be hunted down? She has obvious internal conflict too: she has a past that probably motivated her career choice (seeing cancer suck the life out of both her parents). If she becomes a vampire, how will her Vampirism conflict with this drive to help people? How quickly will her Humanity fall? (big time humanity rolling going on here), or will she have to change philosophies? What kind of vampire will she be, and how will she interact with her clan, or will she even have one?

A Vampire Doctor, a RN, a LVN, a CNA, one or two meat-head orderlies, an accountant, at least one "customer" and one prince (and his court which includes one Seneschal, at least one harpy, a few Primogen) make at least 9 characters. Man I wanna take off and run this myself...

Can you come up with more NPCs for this game? What other angles do you see coming out from this 68 word Chronicle starter?