Downtimes Guide
There are a series of ways to participate in the chronicle between games that will help you develop your character and participate in good role-play.
Character Goals Update
We're moving away from the current downtime format to one that focuses more heavily on role-playing and long-term development than individual actions. Between games you will now be submitting a character goals update that includes a summary of game, the actions desired, and what you hope to accomplish next game.
Rationale for the Change
The current format doesn't encourage people to describe their rationale. I hope to see here more of the context for why these things are happening and how it fits into the larger narrative both for my benefit and theirs. I expect this to be especially useful for characters who do a lot of their play online or at other games.
Unlike our current downtimes, this is available to non-local characters that play in the game. In their case their local chronicle will need to approve the award. I'm hoping this helps bridge a participation gap between local characters and non-local characters.
I'm hoping that this format will draw in more characters that aren't very downtime oriented. I wrote two examples that are not related to traditional Background activities at all in the hopes of giving those characters a template too. Essentially, even if you have nothing to do in the downtime, we're going to award you XP just for giving us insight into your plans and character's goals.
I think this format will also help people focus on why they play, or, perhaps, reveal when they're done with their character. If you have no character goals worth describing, then why are you doing this? Time to find something to describe, pick a new one, switch characters, or -- hopefully not -- stop playing altogether.
Description
Each character needs goals both short-term and long-term. These should inform and be informed by your character's motivations. They give you a reason to go to game and interact with other PCs or NPCs. Each vampire should have multiple things they've set their sights on otherwise the call of torpor will become too strong.
Character Goals Updates are sent to Stolen Hours Downtimes.
Formatting
The format for each individual character goal update will be as follows.
# Clever Title
A short description of the goal
## What did you accomplish at game for this goal?
Description of at game events and how they affected your progress towards this goal
## What do you want to accomplish over the downtime?
Description of desired outcomes and the methods your character will use to accomplish them
## What do you want to accomplish next game?
Description of intended actions at game to further this goal
Example: Cell Phones and Helicopters
# Cell Phones and Helicopters
McMillan wants to own all of the airports and helipads in Atlanta so his feet never have to touch the ground again.
## What did you accomplish at game for this goal?
Convinced the Sheriff that the Sabbat pack living near Dekalb-Peachtree Airport was a major threat to the city. The Posse and I went and cleared them out.
## What do you want to accomplish over the downtime?
Own the warehouse they were hiding in and cover the Masquerade. Using Ability: Masquerade x5, Inf: Industry x4, Inf: Finance x5, and Inf: Bureaucracy x3 to accomplish it. All of the actions will be proxied through my Retainers: Jessica x5 for cover.
## What do you want to accomplish next game?
Going to have the next meeting of the Posse in my newly owned warehouse in a private lier 3. Clandestine in style.
Example: Clan Ownership
# Clan Ownership
Corn Dog wants to be the Primogen of Clan Brujah
## What did you accomplish at game for this goal?
The whole clan hated my name, so I took the least offensive one that Johnny Truant gave me. He always pretends to be above politics, but I know if I can get him on my side then I'll get the support of Sebastian's Brood and the resentful Brujah.
## What do you want to accomplish over the downtime?
I would like to purchase Academics: Political Theory, Politics, and some skill to represent British Punk Bands. Corn Dog is going to spend time at the library, sneak into college lectures, and find pirate BBC broadcasts from the 70s and 80s at the library. He has Research x3 and Scrounge x4 to help with this.
## What do you want to accomplish next game?
Going to pick a fight with Truant where I slightly misunderstand a British Punk band and get him going on a rant. I'll fight just enough to look hard but let him win. Hopefully this'll start to build camaraderie.
Example: This Magical Key is Cursed? Who knew?
# This Magical Key is Cursed? Who knew?
Habeus is trying to make the best of being cursed to open any door. Maybe using it to help a bunch of people will garner enough favor to survive the times he pisses somebody off with it.
## What did you accomplish at game for this goal?
I tricked Sandra into telling me the general region of the Chantry.
I got a list of things Zimmerman actually likes since he wouldn't take boons as payment for teaching me about the Camarilla.
## What do you want to accomplish over the downtime?
I'm going to make it out with just a ridiculous amount of gems. I'm using the Skeleton Key to get access to stores of gems and stones. Stealth x3, Larceny x5, and Pitiable x4 if I get caught. Zimmerman didn't seem to care about the quality of the gems so I'm not going for the most valuable ones first.
## What do you want to accomplish next game?
Actively going to avoid following Sandra towards any of those places. I don't need to accidentally walk through the doors of a Chantry.
Give Zimmerman the gems and see if he beams in a fatherly, yet confused manner. If I can keep Mr. Chaaaaaiiinnns on my side then the Ventrue *may* leave me alone.
After-Game Feedback Survey
After each game we'll submit a form to the Facebook group for you to fill out. You have a week to do so for this to count. It should be a straightforward questionnaire. This is your chance to tell us how you think we're doing.
Narratives
Narratives should be written from your character's perspective. They should not be more than one page in length. If you have that much to write then please break it up into multiple submissions.
Public
Public narratives will be submitted to the website and Facebook group if accepted. A submission of a public narrative comes with an implicit grant of a copyright license that allows usage for the chronicle on its public pages.
Private
Private narratives are only submitted to us. They're used to help you develop your character and to help give the storytellers insight into the inner workings of your character.