PAtRON`S GUidE - Underground Theater

Patron’s
Guide
2014
version 2.1
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2014 Patron’s Handbook
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Table of Contents!
Chapter One: Welcome!
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Chapter Two: Getting Started!
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Chapter Three: Patrons of the Underground!
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Chapter Four: Troupes!
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Chapter Five: The Organization!
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Chapter Six: Underground Theater Administration!
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Chapter Seven: Rules Errata! !
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Appendix A: Quick Start Guide!
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Appendix B: Underground Theater FAQ!
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Appendix C: Contacting Underground Theater!
The Underground Theater!
2014 Patrons Handbook!
Version 2.1; July 2014!
UndergroundTheater.org
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Chapter One
Welcome
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Underground Theater is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a global
network of interactive Live-Action Role-Playing (LARP) troupes and an administrative
presence to our Patrons. While the world of LARPing has grown to encompass a great
number of amazing, immersive and interactive game settings, Underground Theater
bears a single-minded devotion to the World of Darkness series of games. Titles such as
Vampire: the Masquerade, Werewolf: the Apocalypse and Mage: the Ascension have
captivated the imaginations of thousands of gamers from all across the world in a way
that no other setting has. For this reason, we have chosen to dedicate ourselves to the
advancement of the Mind’s Eye Theatre editions of the Classic World of Darkness
games, as presented in the current rules published by By Night Studios.!
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Underground Theater enters the field under extremely auspicious circumstances. There
are currently several creative, vibrant, successful World of Darkness LARP
organizations at a time when our hobby stands poised to experience a multifaceted
renaissance. The presence of an increased common public interest in the subject matter,
masterfully crafted new mechanics and a vast stable of talented veteran LARPers who
continually give their all to their craft make this the most fertile ground in decades for
the hobby.!
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Patrons of the Underground create characters using Mind’s Eye Theatre: Vampire: The
Masquerade by By Night Studios to create characters which they will then portray in
their local troupes. Patrons will also have an opportunity to portray their characters on
the regional, national, and global stage as they interact with other patrons from around
the world, weaving a rich and unique story alongside one another. Interactions outside
of the local troupe will take place by means of online communication forums, traveling
to nearby troupes or joining hundreds of other patrons in attending one of
Underground Theater’s sponsored official event games.!
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Humble Beginnings
Underground Theater began with a group of friends who discovered that they were all
very impressed by the new rules system for Vampire: The Masquerade being developed
by the folks at By Night Studios. Furthering their excitement, they began discussing the
possibility of making an organization based on this new gaming system. From those
discussions came a foundation of ideas synthesized from a great deal of brainstorming. !
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As the elements of Underground Theater began to fall into place, the founders began to
realize that in the nearly 15 years since the Classic World of Darkness MET books were
printed, times – and gaming – have changed a great deal. Since the mechanics system
and genre details of the game were being updated, it seemed time to also update the
organizational structure of networked LARP troupes. It was time to bring LARPing into
the 21st century and integrate technology, such as a universal database, into the
experience.!
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Underground Theater became the first organization to utilize By Night Studios’ Mind's
Eye Theater rulebooks. The online database will allow for a flawless gaming experience
that is quick and easy for both patron and storyteller to access from anywhere. Finally, a
focus on player agency and full immersion into the shared world will allow patrons to
feel completely in control of their characters’ existence. !
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With friendship, respect, dedication, love for the game and an eye to the future, The
Underground Theater has become a gaming success! !
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The Underground Theater Mission
The Underground Theater mission is to provide a consistent, vibrant, modern and
patron-empowered Live-Action Role-Playing game experience in an international
network of games. Four guiding principles will be at the core of the organization:!
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Minimalism!
The only overarching staff will be administrative in nature. Underground Theater
believes an overly complex bureaucracy takes away from the gaming experience,
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distracts players from focusing on the game and can create a secondary “game” of
power and privilege that most gamers wish to avoid. !
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Player-focused ecosystem!
Underground Theater will make every effort to keep the game focused on the players,
their characters and actions. The best mentors, adversaries and allies are portrayed by
fellow patrons, not omnipresent and omnipotent NPCs. NPC use will be focused on
efforts to enrich player characters’ stories and not dominate it. !
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Rules uniformity!
If our organization is going to grow and thrive then people need to be confident that
they understand the rules and that those rules apply equally to everyone. With that in
mind we will not be allowing house rules or instituting a large number of
supplementary organizational rules. We recognize that nothing is without flaws or
oversight, and we will most likely have to make a few rulings along the way to prevent
game breaking combinations of mechanics, but we will weigh every decision heavily
and endeavor always to ensure that we focus on clarification rather than customization.!
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Emphasis on growth!
LARPing works best with a critical mass of players. At 10 players, immersion can be a
struggle. With 40 players, you are far more likely to have a vibrant game. At 100 players,
LARPs become perpetual motion machines of player motivated action, freeing the
Storytelling Staff to concentrate on innovation. The Underground Theater
administration will work with local troupes to promote attendance through social
media, marketing materials, advice and direct assistance in recruitment events.
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Chapter Two
Getting Started
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Getting started in Underground Theater is simple. First, understand that participation in
Underground Theater in any capacity requires a person to be the legal age of majority in
their location. In most instances, this is 18 years of age. If you meet this requirement,
then the next steps in your Underground Theater experience are easy.!
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Read the book. !
You can find the rulebook used by Underground Theater online for purchase at
DriveThruRPG. “Mind's Eye Theatre Vampire: the Masquerade” is published by By
Night Studios. While your local troupe will have a reference copy, don’t assume you
will have access to it. There will be many other players also sharing it.!
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Find the game nearest to you. !
Use the Underground Theater website to find the troupe located closest to you. Go to
UndergroundTheater.org and click on the Join Us link. There, you will find a link to all of
the troupes in the organization.!
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Sign up to be a Patron. !
Our organization asks for a yearly patronage donation of $20. While playing in our
organization does not require this donation, advancing your character through earning
and spending experience points does. This donation helps to pay for administration
costs such as incorporation and nonprofit status fees, insurance, web servers, domain
name costs, database development, website hosting and other expenses. Instructions for
becoming a patron are found at UndergroundTheater.org under the Join Us button.!
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Reach out to your local game. !
If you haven’t already been in touch with your local troupe, use the website to find the
contact information for it and send an email to the storyteller or leave a Facebook
message on their game’s page. Let them know you’re coming, ask for tips on what kind
of character would be a best fit and get a rundown of the local scene.
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Create your character in the database. !
Using the rules found in Mind's Eye Theatre: Vampire: The Masquerade, published by By
Night Studios, create your character. Use the online database on the Underground
Theater website to enter your character (see Appendix A: Quick Start Guide). Once it is
complete, make sure you assign it to the troupe nearest to you and set it as your Primary
character. Your storyteller will go over it with you to make sure it fits in your local
game. !
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Costume up and get to game.!
Find a suitable costume for your character, carpool with your friends and come to game!
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Chapter Three
Patrons of the Underground
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Patrons of the Underground Theater are individuals who have registered online and
made their donation to the organization. Patrons receive benefits and privileges within
the organization. They can use the online database to its full capacity, vote on certain
changes the Board of Directors will make and be able to make changes to their
characters, as just a few examples. Patrons also have the ability to create games in their
local area. Full privileges of patrons include:!
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• The ability to join an existing Underground Theater troupe in your local area.!
• The ability to create characters and play them in games held both by your local Troupe
and in any Underground Theater troupe worldwide.!
• The ability to create an Underground Theater troupe if none currently exists within
your local area and troupe creation requirements are met.!
• The ability to attend patron-only event games and conventions where you may play
your Underground Theater characters.!
• Access to a number of online tools created and maintained by Underground Theater
such as email lists, the Underground Theater online character database, the
Underground Theater website and other future apps and utilities.!
• The right to vote in certain elections, referenda and other matters as defined by the
Underground Theater Board of Directors.!
• The ability to apply for or nominate yourself or another patron for any elected or
appointed office, subject to any minimum qualifications established.!
• From time to time the Board of Directors may call for an all-patron vote on a specific
issue. You will be able to engage in discussion of that issue and vote through our
database. !
• All patrons have the right to bring any issues they have with other patrons,
Storytellers or Administrators to the Ombudsman’s office for mediation.
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Who Can Be a Patron?
Anyone of the legal age of majority in their state of residence may offer their support to
Underground Theater and play in regular Underground Theater games. To advance
their character through earning and spending experience points, to participate in any
Underground Theater sponsored events or access any other patron privileges,
individuals must meet ALL of the following requirements:!
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• All patrons must be of the legal age of majority (usually 18) in their state of residence
in order to be eligible as a Member.!
• Patrons must be registered and have paid their donation through the Underground
Theater online database. !
• Patrons must use their legal first name and at least the first initial of their legal
surname in all official Underground Theater correspondence. Exceptions to this rule
will be made on a case by case basis by the quorum decision of the Board of Directors.!
• Individuals banned from Underground Theater by the Board of Directors may not be
patrons.!
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Any non-patron who is of the legal age of majority in their state of residence may make
or play a character in order to participate in Underground Theater troupes on a trial
basis. However, that character will not benefit from earning or spending experience or
any other patron privilege. If, after playing in this fashion, a person becomes a patron,
they will then gain Floor XP on that character and will receive some XP for games they
attended during their trial period at the discretion of their Lead ST in their home troupe.
The maximum XP awarded for previously played games is ten.!
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Underground Theater reserves the right to prevent or terminate the patronage benefits
of any individual who is expelled or banned from Underground Theater or another
LARP organization, or who has been convicted of a violent felony, any sex crime or any
crime against a child. In addition, the Board of Directors may remove and ban any
patron from Underground Theater for any reason. In most cases, removal of patronage
in this manner will not grant the patron a refund of their $20 patronage donation.
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Resigning Patronage
Any patron who no longer desires to support Underground Theater may resign their
patronage by giving notice by email to the Board of Directors at:!
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[email protected]!
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The notice must clearly state the patron’s intention to cease participation in
Underground Theater. Upon resignation, all of that individual’s sanctioned
Underground Theater characters are considered permanently retired. Refunds for
resigned patronage donations will only be issued if the resignation date is within 90
days of the date the donation was made.!
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Characters
When you create and have your LST approve your Underground Theater character and
you set it as your Primary character, you will be given an amount of XP equal to the
Floor XP. The Floor XP is 4 XP per month for every month since the beginning of the
chronicle, awarded at the end of the month. This amount will increase each month,
meaning no matter when you join Underground Theater, you will not be at a
tremendous experience point disadvantage. Games joining Underground Theater will
have to start their primary characters at the Floor XP level as if you were generating a
new primary character.!
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Players may not create a character that is, or is connected to, any character that appears
in any Vampire: The Masquerade book. In addition, historical figures or otherwise
fictional characters not of the player’s own creation are also not allowed.!
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NPCs will not be able to teach any characters of our patrons Disciplines as we feel that it
takes away from the spirit of the game and undermines the player agency that we strive
to achieve.!
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You may have only one Primary character at any given time and as many Secondary
characters as you like per setting.
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Once your Primary character is approved by your storytellers, experience points are
distributed with the following guidelines:!
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• Your primary character gains five XP per game you play or are storyteller for!
• The monthly maximum you can gain is 10 XP per month!
• Characters may be awarded up to the monthly maximum of XP by your game’s
Storyteller for any reason they determine is worthy of such an award, from
exceptional RP to assistance with securing a game site!
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You may have only one Primary character at any given time and as many Secondary
characters as you like per setting. Secondary characters have the following restrictions:!
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• Secondary characters may only gain the Floor XP from the time of creation!
• They may not teach any discipline.!
• They may not gain any XP from playing, storytelling, or any additional XP gaining
mechanism!
• Secondary characters may be converted to a Primary character on the death or
permanent retirement of the existing Primary character in the same setting. At that
point any additional Floor XP is gained!
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Floor XP
It always is rough losing a character. Because of this, Underground Theater has created a
concept called Floor Experience Points, or Floor XP. Floor XP is a lump sum of
experience points that a character will receive when it is created and set as Primary.!
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Floor XP is 4 XP per month for each month since the beginning of the current
Underground Theater chronicle (see Chapter 5: The Organization). If you have a character
in the organization die, this XP will be automatically added onto your new replacement
character once a storyteller marks your old Primary character as Dead in the database
and your new character is marked Primary.
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The Inigo Montoya Clause
No player will be allowed to portray a character related to their previous character in
any way, nor may they play a character that pursues the cause or perpetrator(s) of or in
anyway shows interest or initiative in the death or life of their previous character. !
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In Character Twitter Accounts
Underground Theater operates an in character Twitter account. The account represents a
rather connected, gossipy Nosferatu known as Trudy. The account can be found by
searching Twitter, and the username is @UT_Trudy.!
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Patrons may create Twitter accounts for their own characters, but should remember a
few things. Patrons should be aware that their in character accounts are public and free
to be monitored in character by other characters in the organization. The Masquerade
obviously applies, and violating it will have in character consequences. As a general
rule, vampires play very conservative over social media, and consider even mentioning
a clan name or calling someone “Prince” to be questionable as a violation.!
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Patrons must also remember that social media is a public space. We are playing a game
that most of the social media universe is not a part of. Do not post or interact with or
towards non-patrons in ways that will create an unsafe situation or cause actual public
harm, confusion or problems.!
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Because of the in character Masquerade, the difficulty in ST management and the out of
character safety of all of our patrons, Twitter accounts for characters may only be
created provided the following four criteria are met:!
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1.) The LST of the character’s home troupe approves.!
2.) The character has at least one dot of the Computer skill.!
3.) The patron understands that the social media accounts are in character and are easily
traced back to their character unless they have one dot of Alternate Identity.!
4.) The Twitter account username should be preceded by “@UT_.” For example,
@UT_JohnDoe.
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For a character to read the social media accounts of another character ICly, that
character must also have one dot of the Computer skill. We also strongly recommend
that the bio of the Twitter account note it is a fictional character in a role-playing game
in some capacity.!
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Player Issues
When a player has an issue with another player, the first step that player should take is
to speak with their Lead Storyteller and attempt to resolve the issue locally. If the
problem continues, the player is then encouraged to contact the Ombudsman !
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When a player has an issue with one of their storytellers, they should first attempt to
rectify the issue with their Lead Storyteller. Should the player feel that they cannot work
this out in that manner, they are then encouraged to contact the Ombudsman.!
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The Ombudsman is an appointed office of the Board of Directors that acts as a third
party to resolve issues. The Ombudsman has direct contact with the Board, should
resolution require it, and is empowered to help players and storytellers resolve issues
throughout the organization.!
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The Ombudsman can be reached at:!
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[email protected]!
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Questions about the Patron’s Handbook
Any questions about the Patron’s Handbook can be directed to the Underground
Theater Facebook group, your LST or the Board of Directors (see Appendix C: Contact
Information).!
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Chapter Four
Troupes
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An Underground Theater troupe is the local game made up of patrons and storytellers.
The Underground Theater chronicle is the overall story and universe that all of the UT
troupes combine to produce. Patrons within a given area, usually a city, are considered
to be a member of their local troupe. All characters must be based out of a troupe.!
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Troupes may be created by any patron of Underground Theater. To create an
Underground Theater troupe, the following requirements must be met:!
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• There must be one person willing to fill the role of Lead Storyteller (LST) for your
troupe in the Camarilla/Anarch setting or Sabbat setting.!
• You must have a minimum of 10 players who are, or are willing to become,
Underground Theater patrons in good standing within the area of your troupe,
willing to join your game.!
• The area of your troupe is defined by the boundaries of your city or local area. Patrons
who reside outside of that area, but who live closer to your troupe area than to any
other, may join your troupe.!
• All new troupes should be in different metropolitan areas from any other
Underground Theater troupe of the same setting. As a guideline, we suggest a
minimum distance of 30 miles between troupes, but we also understand not all cities
are created equally, and a hard distance cap will not be used.!
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Creating a Troupe
Any patron may create a troupe provided they meet the above criteria. To create a
troupe, visit undergroundtheater.org and select Troupes from the Patrons drop down
menu. Once that page has loaded, you will see a button labeled, Form A Troupe.
Clicking that button will take you to the instructions and online admission form.
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The online admission form basically requests your Troupe Style Sheet. The Troupe Style
Sheet is suitable for sharing with other troupes and should provide a good idea of what
your game is about along with any information that might be pertinent. The following
information is found on a Troupe Style Sheet:!
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• Lead Storyteller name and email!
• City the game takes place in!
• Camarilla/Anarch or Sabbat game!
• Number of players hoped for!
• Game site location!
• Any site fees required to play there!
• Game schedule!
• Game map – Explain where the game’s boundaries are located. This is usually the
city itself, and a few of the surrounding counties!
• Game theme – The theme or themes of the game, such as, “a city under siege” or
“Camarilla cold war”!
• Game mood – The general tone and feel of the game!
• Game premise – Explain your game to the world. What is the history of your setting?
Remember, UT is utilizing the entirety of the metaplot history presented in the By
Night Studios book Mind’s Eye Theatre: Vampire: The Masquerade!
• General conceits – What players should know about the location and game!
• Information for travelers – Are there IC issues travelers should be aware of before
driving to your game, such as an unwelcoming prejudice against a certain clan
because of your game’s history!
• Proposal for growing the game!
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Patrons may also submit this information to the Board of Directors at:!
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[email protected]!
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or to the Storyteller Liaison at!
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[email protected]
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Game Map
The events of your troupe game must physically occur within the Game Map you
provide in your Troupe Style Sheet. No troupe will be admitted to Underground
Theater without providing a Game Map. If you have claimed Nowheresville, and the
surrounding counties of Larry, Moe and Curly, then you can write plots and story
elements taking place in those areas. You may also fill them with NPCs. Areas outside
of your Game Map which are not currently part of your Game Map or that of another
troupe’s Game Map are to be considered “Dark Places,” and fall under the authority of
the Storyteller Liaison.!
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Does this mean that you can’t use them? Not at all! It just means that you need to
contact the STL at:!
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[email protected]!
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Explain to the STL what you are planning for that area and the STL will work with you
to make it work and keep a record of what has happened there in case another troupe
should join the organization and claim that area one day. !
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Staff
Ideally, the person submitting the request for the troupe will be the Lead Storyteller
(LST), but not necessarily. The LST will need at least one Assistant Storyteller (AST) to
help run plots, play NPCs or keep up with whatever bookkeeping might be necessary.
You might also find it advantageous to enlist the aid of a Narrator or two. Narrators are
simply individuals who are intimately familiar with the rules and setting and can assist
with rules adjudications in a pinch.!
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Lead Storytellers are the lifeblood of Underground Theater. Storytellers are one part
creative, one part teacher, one part enforcer and one part servant. LSTs have to balance
what’s best for their game with what will give their players a fun time ,while also
ensuring their own vision for the game still shines through. They love their games and
their players, and they give blood, sweat and tears to ensure everyone has a great time.!
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Being an ST is a lot of hard work, but it’s also rewarding. In addition to running games,
storytellers will need to create their game’s history and NPCs, care for players, manage
characters in the database and file reports to the Underground Theater storyteller list so
that their fellow LSTs and the STL know what’s going on in their local game. !
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The LSTs responsibilities are:!
• Run stellar games!
• Manage downtimes!
• Create and keep currant an updated Troupe Style Sheet!
• Manage characters in the database!
• File reports to the UT storyteller list!
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Due to the relatively new status of Underground Theater, LST reports are currently “as
needed.” LSTs will be notified once UT is prepared to begin receiving regular LST
reports. The report will be uniform and simple, and will be either submitted via email,
an online form or possibly through the online database.!
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LSTs might also find it advantageous to enlist the aid of a Narrator or two. Narrators
are simply individuals who are intimately familiar with the rules and setting and can
assist with rules adjudications in a pinch.!
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Game Site and Player Recruitment
For a game to happen, two things are necessary: a place to play and players. When
searching for a good site to hold your game, it is important to consider cost, privacy,
amount of space needed and bad weather/temperature considerations (does the site
have air conditioning or is it outdoors?).!
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Great places to look for game sites include apartment complex community rooms,
warehouses or band practice spaces, local parks and universities.While some of the best
spaces can be found at universities, you’ll typically have better luck with community
colleges and state universities than you will with private schools. Some other possible
game sites include comic and game stores, theater practice spaces and dance studios
that finish their last classes in the early evening.
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Truthfully, any space you can have good access to in which you won’t bother or
confuse the neighbors is a good space. Some spaces will charge, and if you need to
charge something like a $5 fee for each player to play that goes towards site fee, that’s
acceptable.!
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Also, be aware that the adult themes of Vampire: The Masquerade may not be
appropriate for all spaces. Some costumes may make non-gaming neighbors
uncomfortable or confused about what’s going on. In addition, some types of venues,
such as common rooms rented from a church, may not view the game favorably if they
don’t fully understand the fiction of the genre. On the same note, some players may be
uncomfortable playing blood-sucking monsters while in a church, so be certain your
players and your site owners fully understand what the game is and are all comfortable
with your relationship playing in those spaces.!
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While you are searching for a good site, you will also want to be considering player
recruitment. If your game is going to thrive, then you will need a strong player base.
Game and comic stores, universities, coffee shops, live music venues, community
centers, music stores, local pizza shops, community theater houses and the like are all
excellent examples of places to advertise.!
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You are welcome to create your own flyers, but if you aren’t able to, our Director of
Communications can assist you with marketing ideas and materials to suit your needs.
The Director of Communications can be contacted at:!
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[email protected]!
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Props and Supplies
There are lot of little items that can help make a troupe game run more smoothly. Some
items, like copies of Mind’s Eye Theater: Vampire: The Masquerade, are practically
required, but other things simply add to the feeling and mood of a game.!
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Rule book – Have at least one copy of Mind’s Eye Theater: Vampire: The Masquerade at
game for rules reference and to help new players make characters.
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Blood and Willpower tokens – To help players track spending Blood and Willpower,
supply tokens for them to carry and turn in when they expend those traits. Raffle
tickets, colored beads or poker chips work great for this.!
Status – Status has a game mechanic and can be expended to cause an effect. Some
games have created cards that list the status trait and what it does, so that these cards
can be carried by players and handed in when the status is expended.!
Item cards – Things like guns, knives and armor are represented by item cards. It’s
always smart to keep a stack of index cards at the storyteller desk to use for these
items.!
Game stamp and ink pad – To help ensure weapons, supplies and rare or unique items are
approved for play, many games require cards to be stamped, dated and initialed by a
storyteller. This is especially helpful since players may travel to other troupes.!
Pens or pencils – Players will need to mark things on their sheets, such as health levels
when they receive damage. Make sure writing utensils are handy.!
Paper – New players will need paper to create their characters on, and other players or
storytellers may need to make notes.!
Music – Background music can really set the mood for a game. Be careful to not pick
something too distracting or to play it too loud, though.!
Props – Important items that show up in a story are always great to have a physical
representation for. If the story involves an old, creepy, possessed candlestick, go to a
thrift store and buy one. These little touches will thrill your players and emphasize
the importance of the item.!
Costumes – Recurring NPCs are common in games. Pick an item that represents each one
and wear or carry it when you play that NPC. Maybe it’s a scarf, a hat, a glove or
even an old T-shirt you pull over your own clothes. It helps players quickly tell who
they are seeing in the scene.!
Setting pieces – Candles, dim lighting, tablecloths and other items that add mood and
character to make your game site feel more like an Elysium are wonderful for helping
set the tone of a vampire game.!
Blank name badge stickers – Some traits, Flaws or costuming necessities are just not
physically possible for some players. Blank stickers for players to write things like,
“Stone skin” or “Eerie Presence” and then stick to their shirts are great to have.!
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Clan Limitations
Limitations on clans are left up to each troupe’s LST. One of the benefits of
Underground Theater is the lack of rare and unusual limitations outside of those
provided in the Mind’s Eye Theater: Vampire: The Masquerade rule book.!
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While LSTs may choose to not approve a character or to limit the number of characters
allowed from any given clan in order to accurately represent the history, politics or
situation in their game’s story, the Merit costs to play any rare clan are dictated by the
book based on the sect the character would belong to.!
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Custom Powers
Custom Disciplines, player- or character-created rituals, nonstandard combat items and
the like are forbidden in Underground Theater. !
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NPCs
LSTs are in charge of all local NPCs. Signature and canon NPCs, as well as clan and sect
leadership larger than local level authority are controlled by the office of the Storyteller
Liaison. A library will be kept with these NPCs for use by request of storytellers. All
questions or requests for these NPCs can be sent to:!
!
[email protected]!
!
In addition, before any canon or named NPCs from Vampire: The Masquerade are to be
used, the LST must first contact the Storyteller Liaison. Players may not create a
character that appears in any By Night Studios, White Wolf or Onyx Path book, that is
an historical figure or that is otherwise a fictional character not of their own creation. !
!
Finally, no NPCs will be able to teach player-characters any disciplines, as we feel it
takes away from the spirit of the game and undermines the player agency that we strive
to achieve.!
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House Rules
The Underground Theater does not allow house rules. While there may be some minor
setting modifications made so as to facilitate gameplay in a large gaming organization,
UT strives towards a fully consistent and uniform use of the printed rules as written.!
!
Underground Theater concedes that no book is perfect, and it is only a matter of time
until the perfect combination of character actions or decisions may be found that may
disrupt the game, and the Board of Directors holds the right to implement any rules
addendum as needed if patrons feel that the change is necessary to create the best
possible gaming experience. These rule addendum, as well as any errata published by
By Night Studios, will be found in the Player’s Handbook (see Chapter 7: Rules Errata).!
!
Frequency of Game
A troupe may run as many games each month as they would like, but it is important to
remember that characters can only earn a maximum of 10 experience points each month.
Characters will automatically earn 5 experience points per game session, meaning that
anything beyond two games in a single month will not earn a character XP.!
!
Storyteller Issues
In the event a storyteller has an issue with a player, the LST is empowered to issue local
disciplinary actions as he or she sees fit, up to and including a local ban of a patron from
their troupe. Local discipline is just that – local. In the event a patron is banned from a
troupe, the LST is required to notify the Storyteller Liaison of the name of the patron
and the reason for the ban. This is only so that the Board of Directors can make sure the
ban does not need to be made an organization-wide ban.!
!
Storytellers should be aware that players may contact the Ombudsman if they disagree
with local discipline. While the Ombudsman may attempt to mediate and help resolve
any issues, the final decision for local discipline remains the LST’s.!
!
In the event a storyteller has a major issue with a player, they are encouraged to bring it
before the Board of Directors through the Ombudsman to ensure that any discipline that
needs to be handled at the organizational level can be dealt with by the board.
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When a storyteller has an issue with another storyteller, the storyteller with the issue
has two options. They may either contact the Storyteller Liaison, or if they see it as
needed for mediation, they may contact the Ombudsman. If necessary, the grievance or
issue will be handled by the Board of Directors if the Ombudsman feels that it is
warranted or could not come to a reasonable resolution for all parties. !
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Patron’s Handbook
!
!
Chapter Five
The Organization
!
The Underground Theater is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a global
network of interactive Live-Action Role-Playing (LARP) troupes that work together to
form one universe and story, along with an administrative presence to our patrons. UT
is dedicated to the advancement of the Mind’s Eye Theatre editions of the Classic World
of Darkness games, as presented in the current rules published by By Night Studios,
Mind’s Eye Theater: Vampire: The Masquerade.!
!
The overarching, continuous story that the troupes in Underground Theater collectively
participate in is called the chronicle. The chronicle will run for five years before reaching
a reset – a start-over point where all stories, Floor XP and characters will end and a new
chronicle will begin. This allows the play experience to remain fresh as players are able
to create new characters, tell new stories and forge all new relationships with each other.
This also prevents administrative issues such as characters becoming too large in terms
of XP from becoming an issue. Lastly, this length of time will give our plot teams the
time they need to deliver a truly spectacular reset year and will allow storytellers to
wrap up any plots they have running with full notice and expectation of the end. !
!
Settings
Currently, there are two possible settings playable in Underground Theater. The first is
Camarilla/Anarch. The second is Sabbat. These two settings will be held in separate
“universes,” which means that there cannot be any cross over character interaction
between these two worlds. It also means that events that happen in one setting have no
impact on the other. !
!
Camarilla and Anarch characters can switch sects between the two, but must reformat
their sheets in the database according to their new setting.
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This does not mean that there cannot be converts from Camarilla/Anarch over to Sabbat
or vice versa, but these “double operatives” will remain in their original setting. These
PCs will also have to modify their sheets to accommodate for the Merits and Flaws!
!
Structure and Geography
For the purposes of providing statistical data and allowing for the appropriate
assignment of Regional Assistant administrators, Underground Theater is divided into
regions. These Regional Assistants will serve to facilitate regional event games,
recruitment and retention, mediation, and other patron outreach projects which may
become necessary or desirable over time. Regions are not intended to separate members,
but rather to allow UT to adequately disperse customer service utilities and points of
contact to fulfill the various needs of the patrons. At the simplest level, one only needs
to know what region one lives in for the purposes of contacting the appropriate
administrators to facilitate the fulfillment of their needs in relation to the Organization.!
!
The United States is divided into eight regions, according to general geographic
position. All non-US nations are treated as regions in and of themselves for the purposes
of disbursement.
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Midwest
Mideast
Northwest
South Central
Illinois!
Delaware!
Alaska!
Arkansas!
Indiana!
Maryland!
Idaho!
Louisiana!
Iowa!
Pennsylvania!
Oregon
Oklahoma!
Kentucky
Wash., D.C.!
Washington!
Texas!
Michigan
West Virginia!
Minnesota!
Virginia
!
!
Missouri!
Ohio!
Wisconsin
Southeast
Southwest
Northeast
Mountain
Alabama
Arizona!
Connecticut!
Colorado!
Florida!
California!
Maine!
Kansas!
Georgia!
Hawaii!
Massachusetts!
Montana!
Mississippi!
Nevada!
New Hampshire! North Dakota!
North Carolina!
New Mexico!
New Jersey
South Dakota!
South Carolina
Utah
New York!
Wyoming!
Tennessee!
Rhode Island!
Vermont
Canada
Brazil
United Kingdom
Israel
Underground Theater is international and welcomes any game that wishes to join the
organization. All should be advised that the official language of Underground Theater is
American English. All of our resources are in English and we have no method to
translate any of those materials. In addition, most role-play will happen in English, so
worldwide interactions should occur using the common language of English. !
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Local Stories in a National Chronicle
It’s recommended that storytellers avoid plots or events in their games that would
dominate the national news as it could be damaging to the continuity of the chronicle.
Storytellers should strive to perpetuate the gray area of the World of Darkness and
avoid themes like martial law, aliens, egregious use of demons, angels, science fiction
elements or other setting-inappropriate concepts. Varied and multifaceted themes are
enticing and fun to explore in role-playing games, but the organization has chosen to
play Vampire: The Masquerade. Troupes should stay true to that source. !
!
In addition, Underground Theater recommends that storytellers work in conjunction
with their players to build local clan hierarchies without relying on NPCs. The
administration of Underground Theater has no desire to micromanage local clan
hierarchies or clan politics and strives to create an atmosphere where the player is
empowered to claim as much clan authority as they can hold. !
!
National Plot
Patrons are the driving force of Underground Theater plot, and we encourage players to
be active, take action or cause effects that create national plots. For this to happen often
requires national-scale NPCs to become involved. To facilitate this, an office under the
Vice President was created specifically with the goal of generating mild plot that can be
interacted with on a national level. This office, the Storyteller Liaison, has the authority
and responsibility to create and support interesting plots without using a heavy hand.!
!
Most other plots occurring above the troupe level will be the result of an LST submitting
their plot to be considered for distribution on a larger scale, the Event Coordinator office
setting up story that leads to a national event game or the Storyteller Liaison taking
notice of a local plot which has organically gained traction on a regional or national
level. Elevation of local plots will be handled as delicately as possible, and every
attempt will be made to involve the LST from the plot’s origin troupe to make it as
streamlined and satisfactory as possible. It is our desire to make such plots as organic
and viral as possible.!
!
Any LST with an idea for a national or regional plot should post to the Underground
Theater storyteller list or contact the Storyteller Liaison.
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Events
Underground Theater is dedicated to providing quality and entertaining event games to
its patrons. Some events will be at a relatively fixed location and time every year, while
others may rotate geographically to ensure that patrons across the organization will
have the ability to access them. UT is currently striving to hold two major events each
year, with the possibility of additional minor events as the organization grows. Major
events will be sponsored by Underground Theater and the event space will be paid for
from its funds. Minor events will typically be sponsored by individual troupes.!
!
All events will have support from Underground Theater’s administrative team. !
!
Reset Referenda
Underground Theater’s chronicle will run for five years before it is reset. The reset is a
start-over point where all stories, Floor XP and characters will come to an end and a
new chronicle will begin. UT understands that some of our patrons may be concerned
with the idea that their character’s story could possibly come to a close at the end of the
fifth year. The administration would like to remind patrons that a scheduled, anticipated
reset allows players to really push the limits of what their characters can accomplish in a
time of dwindling consequences.!
!
Recognizing that events may transpire that lead our patron base to want to extend the
chronicle for additional time. To account for this, there will be a vote of all patrons at the
start of the fourth year, giving the option of pushing the reset back one year. If the vote
to push back the reset passes with a 2/3 margin, then all settings will continue to
advance another year beyond the fifth. At the beginning of the fifth year, there will be
another vote to push the reset back one year or allow the reset to occur at the end of
year six. This process will repeat each year until the the vote fails to reach the necessary
margin, and the reset schedule is finalized. !
!
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Database
Our database is the main hub of our out-of-character patron experience. All character
sheet maintenance is done through the database portal. From XP spends to approvals to
game attendance sign in, all gameplay modifications can be done through the online
database.!
!
Behavior and Code of Conduct
The Underground Theater Code of Conduct is a series of guiding principles which are
expected of all participants in all aspects of Underground Theater. These are the general
expectations laid out by the board of directors and are by no means exhaustive. There is
no way to predict or anticipate every situation that may arise, and in situations that are
not easily identified through these guidelines, the board of directors will be the final
adjudicators.!
!
The Code of Conduct applies to all Underground Theater events and games, as well as
all online resources, including but not limited to blogs, wiki, email lists, forums,
database support forms and social media outlets.!
!
The guidelines of the Code of Conduct are not to supersede any law or statute
governing individuals or areas in which Underground Theater operates. Underground
Theater does not condone violations of the law and will cooperate fully with any
investigations made by legal authorities. The Code of Conduct should not be used as a
substitute for legal action or criminal prosecution, but it may be applied in addition to
such action.!
!
This code of conduct may change at anytime but the most current version will always
available at UndergroundTheater.org.!
!
Code Of Conduct
We are a group of adults and agree to behave honestly and responsibly. !
!
We will use common sense and maturity when involved in organization matters. !
!
We understand the spirit of the rules is more important than the letter of the rules.
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We will be honest with the board of directors, administrators, storytellers and other
patrons at all times.!
!
We will make the club a safe and welcoming community. Harassment or discrimination
of any type is not tolerated.!
!
We adhere to all applicable laws when involved in club matters. Actions during
organization functions that violate the law may be grounds for club disciplinary action
as well as appropriate legal action.!
!
Real life responsibilities always take precedence over organization matters. We
understand our games are works of fantasy. If the line ever begins to blur, we must
speak with an organization administrator and take whatever time off is necessary to put
things back in proper perspective.!
!
For safety, real weapons, stunts, blood drinking and other activities an organization
officer deems likely to cause physical harm are not allowed at organization functions. !
!
All physical contact must be consensual and kept to a minimum and non-sexual nature. !
!
We will not cheat, metagame or otherwise undermine the authority of the
administration, storytellers or the rules. !
!
Other behaviors and activities may also be prohibited or regulated by this code at the
discretion of the board of directors.!
!
Code of Conduct Violations
Underground Theater understands that there are multiple sides to every story and that
the “truth” is often something misunderstood. If a patron is accused of violating the
Code of Conduct, they will be given every reasonable opportunity to respond to that
accusation, as well as understand the process of how determinations of guilt or
innocence will be made.!
!
Reasonable time will be granted to gather any necessary evidence and to provide a full
defense in those situations where it is necessary. Any determinations of guilt and
appropriate disciplinary actions will be decided by the Board of Directors.
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It should be noted that all possible ways to violate any Code of Conduct are too
numerous to anticipate or list in full. Instead of laying out a specific sentence for each
behavior, Underground Theater instead pledges that breaches of the Code of Conduct
will be addressed swiftly and any punishment will be appropriate to the infraction
committed. Possible punishments include, but are not limited to: administrative death
of a character, suspension from organizational activities for a given time period,
temporary removal from organizational communications, temporary or permanent
expulsion from the organization or loss of administrative or storyteller position. UT also
wishes to emphasize the importance of responsibility. None of us are perfect and
mistakes (knowing or accidental) are always possible. Owning up to those mistakes and
pledging to change actions or behavior is a mark of growth and maturity, and one that
will always be received positively in disciplinary scenarios. !
!
Volunteering
Underground Theater is an Organization founded, comprised, and supported entirely
by Patrons who give their time, talent and energy to make this the best hobby it can be.
Volunteerism is foundation of this club. Each of us are volunteers, from the Board of
Directors to the Administrators, from storytellers to patrons, we all work together
directly and indirectly to provide a shared continuity that we can all enjoy. This fact
makes us each uniquely indebted to each other, and with that debt comes responsibility.!
!
We acknowledge that all of the responsibility of the organization is carried by
volunteers. There may be a time when one of these volunteers is unable to put in the
kind of effort that their role requires. When real life responsibilities become too much, or
when a person just needs to take a break for awhile, we understand and there is no
stigma in doing so gracefully.!
!
Patrons interested in volunteering should contact the Board of Directors at:!
!
[email protected]!
!
Underground Theater volunteers must understand that all work, ideas, concepts,
products and authorship created for or granted to the organization during their time
serving in a position for the organization remains the property of the organization.
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License
Underground Theater is a member of the Official Camarilla Fan Club. This is an
umbrella organization that manages the licensing for CCP products, copyrighted
materials and trademarks for free use in fan clubs. This does not affect our
administration, policies or game play in anyway. This allows our marketing team to
utilize CCP resources in its materials, which will be available to patrons in a restricted
capacity.!
!
Underground Theater’s marketing materials will be required to undergo a thorough
review by the Camarilla Fan Club before they may be offered for distribution to troupes
for use. This does not, in any way, license any patron or troupe to use any aspect of
CCP’s trademarked and or copyrighted materials in any way shape or form, with the
exception of those delivered to that patron or troupe directly from the Underground
Theater’s marketing team. Because of this agreement, using CCP’s licensed materials in
an unofficial capacity is grounds for immediate expulsion from the club.!
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!
!
Chapter Six
Underground Theater Administration
!
Underground Theater has three general levels of authority. The Board of Directors are
the top level. Local storytellers are the base level overseeing local troupes, and a team of
administrators coordinate operations between the storytellers and the board. For more
information on storytellers, see Chapter Four: Troupes.!
!
All Board members and administrators will have his or her patron membership
extended by one year on their normal renewal date provided:!
1. The individual is performing his or her duties in good standing at the time their
renewal date passes.!
2. The individual has served in the position for greater than six months.!
This renewal is compliments of the organization as an acknowledgement and thank you
for extended volunteerism.!
!
!
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors deal with the day to day operations of the nonprofit corporate
entity known as Underground Theater, Inc. They are also responsible for setting rules
and policies for the organization, creating administrator positions, appointing
administrators and facilitating communication across the entire organization. The Board
of Directors is also responsible for final determinations in disciplinary issues that
escalate beyond the Ombudsman.!
!
The Board of Directors is made up of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer
and Director of Communications, as well as non-voting positions of Chief of Technology
and Ombudsman. These individuals volunteer their time to complete much of the
administrative duties to facilitate a healthy collection of interactive games.
Underground Theater adopted this model from the desire to build a streamlined
administrative system built only for facilitating gameplay. !
!
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President
The President presides over all board meetings, may recommend committee members
and perform any other duties as required of the office. The President is the primary
contact of the organization for official and legal purposes, and oversees the daily needs
of the overall management of Underground Theater as an organization. While most
decisions are made through board vote or consensus, the President is the highest
ranking official in Underground Theater. He or she may install administrators at his or
her leisure under the office of President. The Board Member occupying the office of the
President is deemed a Voting Member of the Board.!
!
Vice President
The Vice President is responsible for the administration of the day to day operations of
troupe and patron management. Events, national plots and storyteller coordination fall
under the Vice President’s office. The Vice President will also temporarily assume the
duties of the President in the event the President is absent. Due to the limited duties of
this position, the Vice President may hold an additional administrator title if appointed
by the voting board. He or she may also install administrators at his or her leisure under
the office of Vice President. The board member occupying the office of the VicePresident is deemed a Voting Member of the Board. !
!
Secretary
The Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes of the board meetings, keeping all
approved minutes in a designated minute book and providing copies of minutes to all
on the board. The Secretary will be the designated record keeper for all reports made to
the board. The Secretary shall perform any additional duties as may be required of the
office. He or she may also install administrators at his or her leisure under the office of
Secretary. The board member occupying the office of the Secretary is deemed a Voting
Member of the Board.!
!
Treasurer
The Treasurer keeps record of the organization’s budget and financial records, prepare
financial reports as needed (including governmental requirements), issue payments,
oversee monetary deposits and perform any additional duties as may be required of the
office. He or she may install administrators at his or her leisure. The Board Member
occupying the office of the Treasurer is deemed a Voting Member of the Board.
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Director of Communications
The Director of Communications conducts all official communications from the board,
thereby representing the face of the board to the patronage, media and external
individuals or organizations, and also represents the organization to the public. The
Director of Communications shall be responsible for the writing of copy and the
marketing and branding of the organization, and shall perform such additional duties
as may be required of the office. He may also install administrators at his leisure under
the office of Director of Communications. The Board Member occupying the office of the
Director of Communications is deemed a Voting Member of the Board.!
!
Chief of Technology (non-voting)
The Chief of Technology shall administer, update and improve the organizational
database of Underground Theater, and provide these tools to the patronage. He or she
will also administer any technological needs or requirements of the board, such as
website domains and hosting, email services and information storage methods. He or
she may also install administrators at his or her leisure under the office of Chief of
Technology. The Board Member occupying the office of the Chief of Technology is not a
Voting Member of the Board.!
!
Ombudsman (non-voting)
The Ombudsman shall work as an independent neutral party to assist patrons and
groups in the resolution of conflicts and concerns. The Ombudsman will act as the
board contact for patrons throughout Underground Theater. The Ombudsman will also
help identify issues in policies, processes and procedures that need attention, including
their implementation and documentation. He or she will serve as an instrumental piece
of the arbitration process, and shall perform such additional duties as may be required
of the office. He or she may also install administrators at his or her leisure under the
office of Ombudsman. The Board Member occupying the office of the Ombudsman is
not a Voting Member of the Board.
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Administrators
Underground Theater utilizes a number of Administrators to assist in the day to day
operation of the organization and to service our patrons. Administrator positions are
appointed. This list of Administrator positions is always a work in progress, as the
number of administrators and their specific roles may change based on the
organizations needs at any time.!
!
Admissions Director
The primary role of the Admissions Director is to ensure troupes have all of the tools
and guidance necessary to be Underground Theater troupes with robust patronage
levels. The Admissions Director is responsible for developing and maintaining the
process of admitting new troupes to Underground Theater. The Admissions Director
facilitates the transition of independent troupes into Underground Theater troupes,
from application process to troupe style sheet submission to approval of troupes to
begin play as full member troupes. The Admission Director also assists storytellers in
recruiting patrons and helping them remain satisfied participants of Underground
Theater. The Admissions Director reports to the Ombudsman.!
!
Event Administrator
The Event Administrator is responsible for all out-of-character coordination of
Underground Theater national event games. The EA acts as the point of contact when
dealing with event and convention representatives, coordinating information and needs
between the Board of Directors, the event or convention planners and the event’s LST.
The EA also coordinates with hotels and other event/convention peripheral planning
necessities and oversees communications with the patrons concerning event games. The
Event Administrator reports to the Vice President.!
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Social Media Administrator
The Social Media Administrator maintains the social media presence of Underground
Theater, including Twitter, Facebook and blogging. Any LST may contact the SMA to
request that their local game or event be publicized on Underground Theater social
media outlets. The SMA posts content regularly so as to keep the UT patronage engaged
in public discourse regarding the organization and the hobby in general. The Social
Media Administrator reports to the Director of Communications.!
!
Storyteller Liaison
The Storyteller Liaison serves as the primary point of contact for all Lead Storytellers in
Underground Theater. Any LST may reach out to the STL to receive clarification on rules
questions or for assistance in plots. The STL works with LSTs to prepare selected plots
for elevation to a regional, national or organizational level story. The STL is also
responsible for the management and implementation of all canon NPCs, as well as
NPCs or institutions whose actions have a massive effect above the city level of the
troupe (such as The President of the United States, The Chancellor of Germany, the FBI,
or the CIA). The STL may create plots or setting elements with the approval of the Board
of Directors. The Storyteller Liaison reports to the Vice President.
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Patron’s Handbook
!
!
Chapter Seven
Rules Errata
!
Underground Theater follows the rules set forth in By Night Studios’ Mind’s Eye Theater:
Vampire: The Masquerade. As such, UT also accepts any official errata published by By
Night Studios, as well as any of their official rules clarifications. All of these will be
reproduced here in their entirety without edit or addition for reference, unless they are
part of a secondary publication sold by By Night Studios. Patrons would instead be
encouraged to purchase such products from By Night Studios or their vendors.!
!
!
Errata - March 26, 2014
Chapter One: Introduction!
• Terminology, In-Character Lexicon, Promise, page 22: Alter the text to read: “Promise,
the: A specific bargain made between the Giovanni clan and the Camarilla in 1528.”!
!
Chapter Two: Introduction to the World of Darkness!
• The Red Star and the Week of Nightmares, page 34: Update the reference to Al-Ashrad
leaving the mountain to read: “One of the clan’s foremost sorcerers, Al-Ashrad, took a
!
splinter faction composed mostly of Viziers and escaped the mountain.”!
Chapter Three: Character Creation!
• Quick-Start Character Creation Guide, page 85: Under Step Nine, spend initial XP:
Move the list of disciplines after “Purchase additional dots of your in-clan disciplines”
to follow “Purchase up to 3 dots in common out-of-clan disciplines.” That list is not
meant to define your in-clan disciplines.!
• Herd background, page 103: In the sentence “Characters with the Herd background
do not have to spend a downtime action feeding each month,” replace “month” with
“game.”!
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• Retainers background, Discipline Specialty, page 105: Remove the word “ghoul” from
this sentence: “Ghoul Retainers may use one (and only one) of their specialties to learn
a discipline that is in-clan for their domitor.” Characters who have access to vampiric
or ghostly retainers may give their underling a discipline specialty.!
• Generation background, pages 100-101: Change all references to “…and can spend
that Blood at a rate of…point[s] per round” to read “…and can spend that Blood at a
rate of…point[s] perturn.” Similarly, change the header of the fourth column in the
Generation Chart to read “Blood/Turn.”!
• Retainer background, Retainer Finishing Touches, page 105: Change “…can spend 1
Blood per round,” to read “…can spend 1 Blood per turn.”!
• Step Ten: Finishing Touches, page 108: Change “…Blood per round” to “…Blood per
turn.”!
!
Chapter Four: Disciplines!
• Horrid Reality, page 125: Update the phrase “Spend 1 Blood and expend your
standard action…” to read “Spend 1 Blood and a simple action…”!
• Fear the Void Below, page 127: Modify the following line: “If the effects of Fear the
Void Below remove a character’s last point of Willpower, leaving her at 0, …” to read
“If the effects of Fear the Void Below cause a character to lose Willpower when she has
no remaining Willpower, …”!
• Mesmerism, page 133: Insert the following text above the last paragraph as follows:
“Mesmerism cannot be used to prevent a character from using a discipline, although it
can be used to prevent a victim from acting in certain ways. For example, you cannot
use Dominate with the command ‘Stop using Celerity,’ although you can Mesmerize a
target by saying ‘Stop attacking me.’”!
• Shape of the Beast, Focus [Wits], page 155: Add the following text to last paragraph
before the bullet points to read: “When you choose your fight form, you may apply
one of the following templates as appropriate for the animal you choose, in addition
to the standard bonuses and detriments of the wolf template.”!
• Thanatosis, Necrosis, page 165: Add the following line to the end of the power’s
description, before the focus: “Necrosis cannot be used with other powers that require
you to touch or grapple your target.”
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• Necromancy, Bone Path, Death’s Puppetry, page 176: Add the following line: “While
possessing a zombie, you cannot spend Blood points, but can use the zombie’s
Fortitude and/or Potence.”!
• Necromancy, Ash Path, Ex Nihilo, page 178: Add the following sentence, after the last
paragraph: “While in the Shadowlands, you cannot use powers (including
Necromancy powers) on targets in the real world.”!
• Level 4 Necromancy Rituals, Bastone Diabolico, page 184: The line “The Bastone
Diabolico deals 2 normal damage” should be changed to “The Bastone Diabolico deals
1 normal damage”.!
• Thaumaturgy, Path of Blood, Blood of Potency, page 188: Change the following text:
“…your Blood pool increases to half again its normal size (rounded up)” to read: “…
your maximum Blood pool increases to half again its normal size (rounded up).”!
• Thaumaturgy, Path of Blood, Theft of Vitae, page 189: Add the following line to the
end of the power’s description: “You may use Theft of Vitae on consecutive turns even
if you fail a challenge. This is an exception to the rule that prevents you from
immediately reattempting a Mental challenge on the same target.”!
• Thaumaturgy, Path of Conjuring, Reverse Conjuration, Focus [Perception], page 190:
Modify the first line under “Focus [Perception]” to read “You can use a simple action
to determine if an object within your line of sight is natural or conjured by
Thaumaturgy.”!
• Thaumaturgy, Movement of the Mind, Flight, page 197: Add the following sentence to
the end of the System section: “Because Flight is a Mental power, it cannot be used to
move during Celerity rounds.”!
• Level 2 Thaumaturgy Rituals, Machine Blitz, page 205: Change “Use your standard
action…” to “Spend 1 point of Blood and use your standard action…” In addition,
change “…stops any machine more complex than a rope and pulley” to read “stops
any machine more complex than a standard firearm.”!
• Level 5 Thaumaturgy Rituals, Blood Contract, page 209: Replace the word “implicitly”
with the word “explicitly.”!
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• Elder Dominate, Tyrant’s Gaze, page 216: Add the following sentences at the end of
the System section: “Tyrant’s Gaze cannot reverse permanent physical alterations. For
example, Tyrant’s Gaze may be used to rob a target of the ability to use Heart of
Darkness or Fleshcraft, but it cannot undo existing instances of Fleshcraft or return a
removed heart.”!
• Techniques, Animal Swarm, page 225: Replace the entirety of the text in the System
section with:!
! “When you activate Shape of the Beast, you may choose to turn into a swarm of
animals instead of one creature. You transform into slightly smaller versions of the
same animal you would normally become by using Shape of the Beast. If your
Shape of the Beast allows you to turn into a bat, you can turn into several smaller
bats using Animal Swarm.!
! This swarm consists of one animal for each dot of Celerity you possess. Elder
powers and Celerity-based techniques do not increase the number of animals
created by Animal Swarm. Each animal can act independently and can take one
simple and one standard action each turn. While using Animal Swarm, you cannot
spend Blood and lose access to all other powers. Even powers that were activated
before using Animal Swarm stop functioning while in this form. Activating Animal
Swarm does not reverse permanent physical alterations. For example, if your heart
is removed it will not reappear when you activate this power.!
! Each of your animals has your Mental attribute, Social attribute, focuses and
skills. By default, these animals inflict 1 point of aggravated damage with a
successful Brawl attack. If your character possesses any Potence powers, your
animals’ attacks are armor-piercing and inflict 2 points of aggravated damage. Each
creature has 5 health levels (1 Healthy, 2 Injured, and 2 Incapacitated). Your merits,
flaws, and powers do not affect the health levels of your animal swarm. If your
character possesses any Fortitude powers, each of your animals automatically
negates 1 point of normal or aggravated damage each time they suffer damage. If
your animals attempt to retest in combat, each animal must spend Willpower
separately; they use your Willpower pool to do so.!
! While swarming in your flight form, each animal gains a +1 bonus to Dodgebased defensive test pools and can fly at your normal movement speed. In flight
form, your Physical attribute is considered 1 when you are attacking.
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! While in fight form, each of your animals has a Physical attribute equal to half of
your own Physical attribute (round up). Other bonuses from Shape of the Beast do
not apply while using Animal Swarm.!
! Animals created by Animal Swarm can separate and perform individual tasks,
but must remain within one mile of each other. You can use a standard action to
return to your human form at the location of any animal created by this power.
When you revert to human form, you automatically reabsorb any of your animals
that are within your line of sight. Animals not within your line of sight crumble at
the same moment, turning into ash. When Animal Swarm ends, you take 2 points of
aggravated damage for each animal that was destroyed, 1 point of aggravated
damage for each animal that was injured or incapacitated, and you lose 2 Blood for
each animal that was outside of your line of sight when you reformed. Damage
taken from reverting to human form cannot be reduced or negated, but may not kill
your character (although it may result in torpor). If all of the animals in a swarm are
destroyed, the power’s user dies.!
! Animals created by this power are considered to be one entity for the purpose of
powers that modify an individual’s behavior. If one animal is Dominated, all of the
animals in the swarm suffer the effects of that power. If one animal cannot break an
individual’s Majesty, none of the animals in the swarm can attack that individual.”!
• Techniques, Echo Psychosis, page 227: Add the following line to the end of the System
section: “Using Passion or Haunting through Echo Psychosis does not break your
Majesty.”!
• Techniques, Retain the Quick Blood, page 231: Change “Blood recouped with Retain
the Quick Blood does not count toward your maximum Blood expenditure per round”
to read “Blood recouped with Retain the Quick Blood does not count toward your
maximum Blood expenditure per turn.”!
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Chapter Five: Merits!
• Overview, page 235: Add the following paragraph at the end of the Overview section:
“Any merit effect that requires the expenditure of Blood counts as a supernatural
power. For the purpose of powers like Possession, clan-specific merits count as 1-dot
in-clan powers; general merits are not considered in-clan. It is possible to lose access to
part of a merit without losing access to the entire merit. For example, while using
Possession, a Giovanni’s wraith Retainer will not disappear, but without the proper
focus, the Giovanni may not be able to spend Blood to summon it.”!
• Overview, page 235: Add the following paragraph at the end of the Overview section:
“Merit effects that alter a character’s physical form (permanently or temporarily) are
not available while that character is not in her real body. For example, while using
Possession, a character loses access to merits such as Rugged, Unnatural Adaptation,
and Shape of Beast’s Wrath.”!
• Rarity Merits, Restricted Clan, page 237: Change the last sentence to read: “…would
otherwise total more than 6 points of merits.”!
• Brujah Clan Merits, Scourge of Alecto, page 239: Add “and does not break your
Majesty” to the last line of the merit’s description.!
• Cappadocian Clan Merits, Necromantic Insight, page 246: Add the following sentence
to the end of the merit’s description: “Members of the Samedi bloodline who purchase
this merit may select Mortis Path.”!
• Morality Merits, Path of Night, page 257: Modify the sentence “…you lose Morality as
though you’ve committed a level 1 sin.” to read “…you gain Beast traits as though
you’ve committed a level 1 sin.”!
!
Chapter Six: Core Systems!
• Complex Scenarios, Step Three: Order of Action, Surprise Action, page 278: Alter the
phrase “…is resolved before else can respond…” to read “…is resolved before
anyone else can respond…”!
• Combat Maneuvers, Grapple, page 280: Add the following text to the end of the
description: “With the right equipment or supernatural power, it is possible to
Grapple at range, but a Grapple cannot be used as a prerequisite for a supernatural
attack unless you Grapple with your hands. For example, you can’t throw a net at
someone and then use Cauldron of Blood, because you have not grappled the target
with your hands.”
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• Blood, page 294: Change “Note that the amount of Blood a character can spend per
round…” to read “Note that the amount of Blood a character can spend per turn…”!
• A Ghoul’s Embrace, Step Five: Revise Finishing Touches, page 298: Change “Also,
write down your vampire’s total Blood pool, Blood expenditure per round, and…” to
read “Also, write down your vampire’s total Blood pool, Blood expenditure per turn,
and…”!
• A Ghoul’s Embrace, Step Six, Example, page 299: Change “…a Blood expenditure per
round of 1…” to read “…a Blood expenditure per turn of 1….”!
!
Chapter Seven: Dramatic Systems!
• Blood Bond, Third Drink, page 295: Add the following line to the end of the
description: “Additionally, the vampire is immune to other blood bonds until her
three-point bond drops to a two-point bond or less.”!
!
Chapter Nine: The Camarilla!
• Setting-Specific Flaws, Forgiven Diablerie, page 405: Add the following line to the end
of the flaw’s description: “Members of the Camarilla with this flaw suffer the sect’s
Greater Status Ban, but cannot be openly executed, banished, or given negative status
for their forgiven diablerie.”!
!
Chapter Ten: The Sabbat!
• The Vaulderie, Vinculum Ratings, page 434: Add the following text at the end of the
first paragraph under System: “False Sabbat who drink but do not contribute blood
receive Vinculum ratings to others without those characters developing a Vinculum
rating to the false Sabbat member in return. This is an exception to the rule that
Vinculum ratings are always mutual.”!
• The Vaulderie, Vinculum Ratings, page 434: Add the following line after the last bullet
point: “Anyone who participates in a Vaulderie automatically has all her blood bonds
lowered by one step. This reduction cannot occur more than once per night.”!
!
Chapter Twelve: Allies and Antagonists!
• Methuselah Generation NPCs, page 503: Change the header of the fourth column in
the chart at the bottom of the page to read “Blood per Turn” instead of “Blood per
Round.”
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• Werewolf NPCs, page 494: “Werewolves automatically heal 1 point of normal damage
per turn.”!
!
Chapter Thirteen: Influences and Equipment!
• Equipment Generation System, Protective Gear, Ballistic, page 519: Alter the
description to read: “Ballistic: This type of protective gear applies a +3 bonus to your
defensive test pools when resisting ranged attacks from firearms. Further, it applies a
+1 bonus to your defensive test pools when resisting Brawl, Melee, and thrown
weapon attacks.”!
• Equipment Generation System, Protective Gear, Hardened, page 519:Alter the
description to read: “Hardened: This type of protective gear applies a +3 bonus to
your defensive test pools when resisting Brawl, Melee, and thrown weapon attacks.
Further, it applies a +1 bonus to your defensive test pools when resisting firearms
!
attacks.!
Index:!
• B, Blood, page 538: Change “Per Round 101″ to read “Per Turn 101″!
!
!
MET:VTM Frequently Asked Questions - March 2014
The following list provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the rules
published in Mind’s Eye Theatre: Vampire: The Masquerade from By Night Studios. These
answers offer clarification and guidance regarding the material found in that book. For a
current list of corrections and changes to the printed rules, please see the most current
version of the Errata document, available for free from DriveThruRPG.com.!
!
General!
Question: Will you look at our house rules?!
Answer: We can’t comment on house rules for legal reasons.!
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Chapter Three: Character Creation!
Question: What happened to the Mentor background?!
Answer: The Mentor background can diminish roleplay opportunities in a LARP
environment— we encourage players to participate with each other for the benefits
typically provided by this background. For more information, see “Writing Plots
Suited for the LARP Experience: The Economy of Cool,” on p. 341 of Chapter 8:
!
Storytelling in MET: VTM.!
Question: Are the attribute bonuses provided by the Generation background actually
added to the rating, or do they only increase the potential maximum?!
Answer: Attribute bonus points from the Generation background only increase the
potential maximum for the attribute where they are assigned. You must still spend
!
experience points to purchase attributes up to the new maximum. !
Chapter Four: Disciplines!
Question: How does Majesty’s Appearance focus work once I attack another character
with Majesty?!
Answer: Majesty’s Appearance focus allows you to ignore the Majesty of other
characters while your Majesty is active. If you choose to attack someone, your
Majesty breaks for that character, but your Majesty is still considered active,
allowing you to continue taking advantage of its Appearance focus.!
Question: Page 216 states: “Tyrant’s Gaze can be used to lock down a discipline power,
elder power, technique, or ritual.” As written, the Countermagic merit is none of
the above. Can Tyrant’s Gaze prevent its use?!
Answer: Some merits, specifically merits that require the expenditure of Blood points,
are considered powers, but they are not considered “discipline powers,” since they
are not part of a discipline. With that in mind, Tyrant’s Gaze is unable to affect a
merit power.
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Chapter Five: Merits!
Question: Am I really limited to only 7 points of merits?!
Answer: Yes. The merit system is designed to allow every character to be unique by
forcing players to make choices about their characters’ special qualities. The merit
limitation allows for wide character diversity and prevents power creep in long-
!
term chronicles.!
Question: Do I really need to buy a merit to learn Thaumaturgy/Necromancy?!
Answer: Yes. This requirement is an important aspect of the game’s design. Blood magic
is potentially unbalancing, and the merit cost forces players to make hard choices
!
about their characters, rather than simply collect powers.!
Question: When a merit offers “…an additional Thaumaturgy/Necromancy path of your
choice,” does that simply mean a character can learn the path? Does the character
still need a teacher? Do you purchase the path at in-clan or out-of-clan costs?!
Answer: Yes, the character can learn the path without a teacher. The costs are listed in the
merit’s description. For example, Necromantic Expertise and Thaumaturgic
Expertise allow a character to learn an additional path of blood magic at in-clan
!
costs.!
Question: I am playing a Samedi. Can I purchase the Necromantic Expertise merit?!
Answer: Yes. A character of a bloodline has the ability to purchase any merit from the
!
parent clan, unless expressly forbidden.!
Question: Can I achieve an exceptional success with Aura of Command?!
Answer: Aura of Command grants a Ventrue an automatic success against mortals.
Should the player want to try for an exceptional success, she may elect to engage in
the appropriate challenge as normal. However, this introduces the possibility of
failure, as with any normal test.!
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Chapter Six: Core Systems!
Question: Assist Defender: If I have been subject to two physical attacks during mass
combat, can I use the assist defender action to completely negate a physical attack
on someone else, because I am not a valid target?!
Answer: If you choose to accept an attack from another attacker, exceeding the normal
!
two physical attack limit, then you can be damaged.!
Chapter Seven: Dramatic Systems!
Question: Can you explain the design behind your Humanity system?!
Answer: Several people have commented on the Morality system, so here’s an in-depth
!
explanation of its design:!
Theme and Roleplay!
Previous Morality systems (both in LARP and in tabletop) attempted to represent
two separate ideas: the struggle between a vampire and her Beast, and whether or
not the vampire is a good or bad person. While both of these elements are
important, it is difficult to represent both of these ideas with the same mechanic.
After considering the most important aspects for mechanical design, we decided to
focus almost entirely on representing the vampire’s struggle to keep the Beast at
bay and allowing players to self-determine whether their characters are “good or
evil.” After all, the fight against a vampire’s Beast is not a true indicator of good
and evil; a good person can be forced to do bad things (feeding the Beast each
time), and an evil person can use intermediaries or find political methods to enact
her schemes without directly strengthening her Beast.!
!
This struggle is one of the central themes of Vampire: The Masquerade. We
centered on the effort against the Beast, because it is an abstract concept: this semiself-willed creature acts outside of the character (player’s) intention. Conversely,
the concept of being a good or bad person is something we can all easily
understand and is entirely in the control of the player.!
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In previous systems, plateaus existed where the mechanics of the struggle against
the Beast no longer mattered; a character’s actions no longer provoked the Beast,
and the player could all but ignore the danger of wassail. The system mechanically
encouraged a character to drop to Humanity 2, where she would no longer have to
deal with this aspect of the vampiric condition. In our design team’s opinion, there
should be no such plateaus. A vampire’s struggle with her Beast should always be
a major consideration of her existence, and we chose to reflect this ideal in the
MET:VTM Morality mechanics.!
!
Reducing Random Chance!
In order to heighten drama and provide tangible risks (and consequences), most
systems provide for a certain amount of random determination within their
mechanical designs. However, hinging huge, persona-changing (and possibly
ultimately destructive) moments on a single test can make a game feel arbitrary,
and losses seem anticlimactic. Instead, we built a system where a character must
deal with Morality and the Beast in a form of give-and-take, letting the character
risk herself and feed the Beast in small ways, but knowing when to slow down or
stop before risking permanent Morality loss. This further encourages a player to
act out the Beast’s current strength as it grows stronger over the course of a night,
lending to better all-night roleplay.!
!
When a vampire commits a sin, she makes her Beast stronger, rousing it from
dormancy. An awake and alert Beast has better capacity to take control of a
vampire’s actions. Before a character commits sins, her Beast is asleep and there is
no chance the vampire will frenzy. Every time the vampire sins within a single
night, her Beast gets more powerful. A character’s odds of frenzy go up, and she
gets closer to a permanent loss of Morality. Vampires can feel their Beasts rousing,
and they know how strong it is within them due to their actions. This means that a
vampire must carefully plan out her sins, avoiding those that will cause a
permanent loss and actively working to restrain the Beast’s rage over the course of
a night.!
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Gaining Beast traits can cause a character to change her desired actions during a
game. The character may have to avoid killing a hated enemy —tonight — because
she already has Beast traits and does not wish to risk losing Morality. On the other
hand, the vampire can make long-term plans to kill her enemy on a night when she
is not inflicted with Beast traits (or has prepared some way to soothe the Beast
despite the killing). These Beast management strategies are part of vampiric life;
they are a fundamental consideration for a character living night-to-night with a
!
ravening, hungry, enraged spirit permanently infecting her soul.!
Question: Do I automatically receive negative status when I break the rules?!
Answer: Generally speaking, status isn’t magic. If you violate the rules, you’ll gain
negative status when your deeds become common knowledge, either through
direct observation or when your actions are described by an important vampire
(like a Harpy).!
!
Chapter Ten: The Sabbat!
Question: Some text suggests that non-faction members can cast ritate, if the ritae
expressly says so, but none of the ritae expressly say so. Was this a teaser or error?!
Answer: Some ritae require the expenditure of a status to enact. You’ll notice that such
status is only given to individuals with certain titles. For example, Blood Feast
states: “You must have the Sabbat status Sacrosanct to initiate this ritus,” and the
Wild Hunt requires Sacrosanct or Glorious status. Sacrosanct is held only by the
Regent, Cardinals, and Prisci. Glorious is only held by Cardinals and Archbishops.
Therefore, the individuals who can enact those rituals must hold those titles (and
spend the correct status).!
!
Question: Do you have to be a member of a faction in order to benefit from that faction’s
ritae, or do you just have to participate in a successful casting of that ritae?!
Answer: By default, Faction Ritae do not benefit individuals of another faction. Some
Faction Ritae’s descriptions specify that they are exempted from this rule.!
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Question: Is it possible for a character to have genuine beliefs in the tenets of two
factions (say a Loyalist who believes in the Orthodox push for more spirituality
and faith in the sect), or is it an all-or-nothing situation (for gaining a ritae’s
benefits, let alone casting it)?!
Answer: It is possible for an individual to have personal beliefs that cross faction.
However, an individual cannot be a member of more than one political faction at a
time. Belonging to a political faction includes formally joining that political group,
publicly declaring loyalty, and being confirmed as a member of the faction by its
members (including swearing any oaths the faction may require, such as the Ultra
Conservative’s Oath of the Renunciation). This process requires that the character
cannot be a member of any other faction when she joins. A Sabbat member trying
to join two factions would be considered a traitor to both (much like trying to join
two packs).!
!
Question: Is it possible for packs (depending on their faith and uniformity of beliefs) to
have Ignoblis Ritae with effects similar to the Faction Ritae? Or is an Ignoblis
Ritae’s power determined by the faction’s size, limiting a pack’s Ignoblis Ritae
benefit to a +1 wild card bonus?!
Answer: Yes. The power of a Faction Ritae results from the faction’s size and overall
belief; Ignoblis Ritae benefits are limited to the +1 wild card bonus.!
!
Question: Can the Orthodox Faction Ritae overcome a Pander’s inability to teach a
discipline?!
Answer: The Panders’ inability to teach disciplines is based on the general thinness of
their blood, which is what makes the vampire a Pander. This quality specifically
means the Pander doesn’t have clan strengths (including disciplines) or
weaknesses — therefore, there’s no “clan flaw” to remove. The inability to teach
disciplines would not be alleviated by Atra Sacramentum!
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Question: How did the Volgirre use the Severed Hand ritual to sever their ties to the
Sabbat, as described on page 413!
Answer: There are two rituals named Severed Hand in White Wolf canon. A previous
version of the Severed Hand (the Thaumaturgy ritual in MET: VTM on page 209)
can be found in Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy, on page 98. The ritual
referenced in the Volgirre description can be found in Archons and Templars, on
page 147.!
!
Chapter Eleven: The Anarch Movement!
Question: Can a Baron declare a new Elysium?!
Answer: No.!
!
Question: Can Dhampirs buy disciplines beyond their starting dots?!
Answer: No. Dhampir cannot buy any more dots of disciplines. Ever. Just like ghouls
cannot buy any more dots of disciplines. Ever. Dhampir can allocate their 7 dots in
any discipline, but cannot allocate those dots above the 3rd dot of any single
discipline.!
!
Question: How do Dhampir get Blood points, and how often do they refresh?!
Answer: Just like ghouls who also do not feed, a Dhampir’s Blood points come back
through healing and resting. However, Dhamphir Blood points automatically
refresh in the form of 5 vampire Blood and 5 mortal Blood, whereas a ghoul on her
own only refreshes mortal Blood (without drinking from a vampire again).!
!
Question: For the purpose of determining if a power effects a Dhampir, do they count as
ghouls or vampires?!
Answer: They count as ghouls.!
!
Question: What does a Dhampir’s aura show for creature type?!
Answer: It is recognizably a Dhampir. However, a character who does not know what a
Dhampir is might think it is a strange ghoul aura (like a revenant’s).
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!
!
Appendix A
Quick Start Guide
!
Joining Underground Theater is simple. First, understand that participation in
Underground Theater in any capacity requires a person to be the legal age of majority in
their location. In most instances, this is 18 years of age. If you meet this requirement,
creating your Underground Theater patron account is easy.!
!
• Go online to UndergroundTheater.org!
• On the homepage, click Underground Theater Database!
• You will see a sign-in screen. Just below the Username and Password text boxes, click
Register Here!
• Select a username!
• Enter your email address!
• Type your desired password and then reenter it to confirm it!
• Enter your real name (Note: Patrons must use their legal first name and at least the
first initial of their legal surname in all official Underground Theater correspondence)!
• Enter a description if desired (Note: Your city of residence is a helpful addition to this
field)!
• Click on the link to view the Underground Theater Code of Conduct!
• If you agree to abide by the UT Code of Conduct, then check the box next to the words
“I Agree” and then click Submit!
• You should find yourself back at the initial Login screen. Enter your new Username
and Password into the provided fields and click Login!
• You are now on your account Dashboard. Click the link labeled Donate. This will take
you to a page with a PayPal “Donate” button. Read all of the instructions on this page
before clicking the “Donate” button to be forwarded to PayPal!
• Follow the steps provided by PayPal to make your payment to UT!
• Once provided with a confirmation number, click the Return to Underground
Theater, Inc. button
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After creating your Underground Theater account, it’s easy to enter your character
sheet. While it’s mostly self-explanatory, there are a few things you need to know.!
!
• Go online to undergroundtheater.org!
• On the homepage, click Underground Theater Database!
• You will see the sign-in screen where you need to enter your Username and Password,
clicking Login!
• On the home screen (the Portal), select My Characters!
• Select New to view the first character entry screen!
• Enter the Name of your character!
• Select the character Type – the only choice currently is Vampire!
• Select your home Troupe – Make certain that you are choosing the correct genre
(Cam/Anarch or Sabbat) as well as the city of the troupe, as it will affect the rest of
your character recording process!
• In Public Description, you may write what anyone else who looks up your character
may see if they look for your character in the database, or leave it blank (you can add
or change this at any time)!
• In Private Description, you may enter things that only you or the LST and their staff
can see, such as unique background points, status, notes about rituals or other effects,
or leave it blank (you can add or change this at any time)!
• Click the Create button at the bottom of the page and you will be returned to the
Characters page. Select the character you just created!
• Your character’s State should be New. Beside that entry is the Creator button. Click
this to enter the character creator system!
• On this screen, you will see the button Reset Character which will clear all entries and
return you to entering the name of your character!
• The Reset to Here button resets all entries back up to where that button is located,
allowing you to redo sections of your character!
• Note that in each section or character entry, additional fields only appear after each
successive field is entered and confirmed!
• Choose your Sect and Archetype!
• Next it will show you that you have the base 30 experience points and when you
make this character your Primary character once your LST has approved it for play,
you will receive any Floor XP based on UT rules
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• Choose your Clan – be certain your LST and staff are ok if you are playing something
uncommon or rare!
• Select your Bloodline, choosing None if you do not have one – again be certain that
you check with your LST and staff before selecting a bloodline!
• Assign your initial Attributes to Physical, Social and Mental!
• Choose your Focus for each of your Attributes!
• Assign your initial Skills based on skill level!
• Be aware that there are some abilities that requires specialization to be listed - Lore,
Crafts, Performance, Science, etc!
• You can place these specializations into your private description after you are done!
• Assign Initial Backgrounds based on levels – remember that you must choose at least
one point in the Generation background to begin game as a vampire!
• Assign your character’s Initial Disciplines based on levels!
• Choose your Merits. Be aware that some merits may be restricted by your LST and
staff and you may never have more than 7 points of merits. Note: If you wish to
purchase a Morality Path, you will want to skip down to Step 9: Spend Initial XP and
select Path. You can then choose the appropriate Path if your LST and staff have
approved it!
• Choose Flaws. Flaws are not required but do give extra experience. Check with your
LST and staff when choosing Flaws, and just like Merits, 7 points is the most you can
ever receive from flaws!
• Spend your 30 Initial XP by simply opening the drop down menu and choosing what
you would like to purchase with your remaining experience. If you intend to buy
more Generation, be sure to purchase it first – it could affect your other purchases!
• The system will automatically calculate experience for you!
• If you end up with any XP left over, up to 5 points can be stored on your character to
spend later!
• Click Finalize to complete your character and be brought back to the main page of the
!
Character screen!
And you’re finished! Now you should communicate with your LST and wait for them to
approve your character.
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Once your character is approved, you will need to set your character as your Primary
character so that you can gain XP from playing it. This is very important if you want
your character to ever earn or spend XP.!
!
• From the main database screen (the Portal), select the My Characters button!
• Select your character!
• Your character will be set Priority: Secondary. Beside that, there is a button labeled
Upgrade. Clicking this button and confirming will change your character to a Primary
character and award Floor XP. Note: You can only have one Primary character in each
!
game setting (Camarilla/Anarch and Sabbat) !
On the main page for your character, there is a row of buttons across the top that each
perform a different function.!
!
View Sheet – Allows you to view your character sheet!
Print – Prints your character sheet!
XP Log – Shows you the XP you have earned and how you have spent it!
!
Set your Favorites so that you can easily use the database later to sign in to games and
earn XP. From the main page of the database (the Portal), click Favorites. You will need
to set your Favorite Characters and your Favorite Troupes.!
!
When you attend a game, you will need to use the database to “sign in” to earn XP for
your attendance. This is done from the main page of the database (the Portal), click
Game Sign-in. There you can select your home Troupe, the Game and your Character.
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!
!
Appendix B
Underground Theater FAQ
!
What is LARP?
LARP is an acronym for live-action role-playing. LARPing is a mixture of
improvisational acting, cosplay and the popular mystery dinner theaters. Players have
characters that they dress as and behave like while working together to experience a
story.!
!
Is it like other tabletop/online role-playing games?
LARP is very much like tabletop role-playing games, but with the ability to support a
larger game environment in a network of local games. With the help of a game leader,
called a storyteller (in some games, the Game Master or Dungeon Master), players
create an alternate persona, or character, which they then assumed for the game. Players
pursue their character’s goals while interacting with other players who may help,
hinder or anything in between, creating conflict and drama. Unlike many other roleplaying games, LARPs can support enough players that the game becomes truly playerdriven, with characters creating and solving plots, conflicts and battles.!
!
What is Vampire: The Masquerade, and what is it like?
Vampire: The Masquerade is a game of personal horror and tragic drama within a
setting of ruthless political intrigue, all the while hiding the existence of vampires from
the human world. Players typically assume the role of a vampire character struggling
for power amidst other vampires in a harsh political structure. Underscoring these
machinations is the possibility of personal redemption and forgiveness, a hard and
difficult journey which is opposed by vampires with authority as a threat to their power.!
!
What is your organization and why do I need to join to play?
Underground Theater (UT) is a role-playing community which supports a network of
games that offer consistency of play, a code of conduct and the ability for players to
travel to other games, becoming involved in the stories of games in other cities, states
and even countries.
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While there is a donation fee to join UT as a full member, they are a nonprofit, so these
funds are used for administrative expenses and organizational events. Anyone
interested in joining can make a character and play in UT games without purchasing a
membership, they just cannot earn or spend experience points for character
advancement.!
!
How many games are a part of your organization?
There are many different cities which host Underground Theater troupes from all over
the world, and other cities can join as players form new troupes.!
!
How do I join/create a character?
The first step is contacting a nearby Underground Theater game, where a storyteller can
help you make a character using the rules found in Mind’s Eye Theater: Vampire: The
Masquerade. If you feel that you’d like to become a patron and receive the full benefits of
membership, the donation fee is only $20.00 per year. For more information, please
visit: undergroundtheater.org!
!
What are characters like?
Characters can be like anything any real person might be like, from the most vile
murderer to the greatest saints. Further, there are many different types of vampires,
grouped into clans, which can help support and accentuate a PCs story and concept
with background and supernatural powers. !
!
What can I do with my character?
A character can be built to do just about anything imaginable in the modern world,
using a combination of mundane abilities and resources and supernatural powers
purchased through the initial creation of your character and where you spend your
experience points, which are used to improve the character in play. !
!
Can I dress up for my character?
You can dress up as much or as little as you desire. As with any movie or play, dressing
for your character’s part can help enhance your gaming experience, though it isn’t
required. Be aware that weapons of any kind are not allowed at UT games.!
!
Is there anything that is required of me to have for this game?
Other than an Underground Theater troupe to play in, you may want to have a copy of
Mind’s Eye Theater: Vampire: The Masquerade for rules and setting material. !
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Can I have more than one character at a time?
Underground Theater allows for a Primary PC and as many Secondary PCs as you’d
like. The Primary PC is meant to be the character you will usually portray in the game,
while Secondary PCs are useful as backups and side-characters.!
!
What are clans and sects?
Clans are the great families of vampires who, with a few exceptions, have existed for
thousands of years. Each clan has characteristics that set them apart from one another,
and, with 13 clans and a variety of small lineages called bloodlines, just about any
concept can be supported in play.!
!
Sects are groups of vampires with particular political agendas and goals, working
together (or fighting each other -- it is a game of intrigue, after all) to promote their
vision and ideals and gain power. These sects create the social environment that the
players operate in, establishing the rules for society.!
!
Some sects, such as the Machiavellian Camarilla and liberty-seeking Anarchs, can also
work together even though they are politically opposed, while the monstrous Sabbat is
inimical to anyone who is not a member of the sect. For this reason, the Camarilla and
Anarch game venue is separate from the Sabbat game venue. !
!
Certain clans have traditional sect affiliations, and others abstain from sects entirely, but
most clans can be found in any sect in different numbers. !
!
How do I keep updated on events/games?
Your Storyteller and the Underground Theater website are excellent resources for
keeping up to date with games and events. !
!
How do I get involved with the game?
Starting with something new can be discouraging, but don’t worry. Your storyteller and
their staff, as well as other players, will be happy to help. Underground Theater is
producing documents, such as this one, to help acclimate LARPers, both new and
experienced, to the setting and rules. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions if anything
seems confusing. !
!
How do I find out more about the world of Vampire: The
Masquerade?
Everything you need to begin is in the Mind’s Eye Theater: Vampire: The Masquerade book.
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!
!
Appendix C
Contacting Underground Theater
!
As a large, international organization, Underground Theater maintains a number of
individuals in leadership positions, from the Board of Directors to Administrators. As
these roles are all volunteer, it is requested that any official correspondence be handled
primarily over email.!
!
!
!
Board of Directors
Board of Directors!
!!
!
All members!!
!
[email protected]!
!
[email protected]!
!
[email protected]!
!
[email protected]!
President!
!!
Bob Spircoff! !
Vice President!
!!
Criss Walker! !
Treasurer!
!!
Joseph Schuster!
Director of Communications!
!!
Ryan Faricelli!
!
[email protected]!
!
[email protected]!
!
[email protected]!
!
[email protected]
Secretary!
!!
Katherine King!
Chief of Technology!
!!
Michael King!!
Ombudsman!
!!
Spencer Castile!
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Administration
!
Admissions Director!
!!
Erin McCandless!
!
[email protected]!
!
[email protected]!
Event Administrator!
!!
Open! !
!
Social Media Administrator!
!!
Open! !
!
!
[email protected]!
James Davey!!
!
[email protected]
Storyteller Liaison!
!!
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