Larp:Venue Style Sheet

This is the Dark Skylines Venue Style Sheet.

Dark Skylines: A Virtual World of Darkness LARP

VRChat World: Vampire: The Masquerade - Dark Skylines
Contact: GIB Games Discord
Donate to the Patreon and get game benefits: GIB Games on Patreon

It is the year 2048.

Vampire society marches on, with new influence and new opportunity. On a New English island called Caliburn Island in the Northeast US, the divide between tradition and progress has only grown with an inpour of investment and funding into new and exciting industries. They call it the “new Manhattan”, and with new industry comes new people and new threats.

Setting

Caliburn Island

Situated off the coast of Massachusetts, Caliburn Island is hardly a domain with a distinguished past. Once the location of a coastal port town, the island might have been the first stop of many vampires coming to the New World. But in particular, is was the place vampires of the Old World sent the unruly or the mildly criminal who, by status or boon, might have been spared the Blood Hunt and instead sent across the Atlantic to expand their Elders’ reach and simultaneously be put out of the way.

From this reputation as the island of ill-fitting Kindred, house Morningstar arose, where a group of outspoken but well-lineaged Ventrue transformed it from a house of ill-fitting Kindred to a crossroads of the world. In its golden age, Caliburn Island was an emblem of industry on the East Coast, serving as a resource and transportation hub that funneled the goods of kindred and kine through its shipyards.

Today, however, that iron grip has weakened. A boom in the mortal population over time made the control and influence more difficult to retain over time; the Camarilla still claims praxis over Caliburn Island, but in practice, the they only really hold influence over most of Caliburn City, held together by a few smoldering embers of the influence of House Morningstar, whose leader, Prince Erasmus Dane, has long been out of touch with the machine of progress.

In years past, The Camarilla also had a very strong control over Cal’s immediate suburb to the south, a town called Sunset. But times have changed, and House Morningstar’s influence wore thin over time, until now the town of Sunset is a Camarilla-controlled city in the loosest of senses—the Scourge has rarely been seen patrolling these streets in recent nights, and more than one Independent or Anarch has set up some pipelines of influence on these streets since the 70’s. Rumors have surfaced that even the Sabbat roll through unimpeded every once in a while, and you’re pretty sure that a guy who drinks down at the bar is a werewolf.

The seat of House Morningstar rests in an old mansion known in sunset known as Chateau Sovreigne, where the former Prince Dane was known to conduct most of his business. But since Prince Dane’s ascension to Archon, the future of the city is in a bit of a whirlwind with the new Prince Gerald Steadhand.

The Camarilla in 2048

Change is slow with Vampire society. In general, things in 2048 are much as they were in 2022: the same Clans sit at the Justicar table, pulling the same strings and directing the same Archons, with only one exception: Tegyrus of Clan Assamite was murdered in the late 2020s by his own clan, and the seat was altered: instead of another Assamite being seated, the Justicars chose a representative to speak for not only Assamites but other clans as well whose interests are of import to the Camarilla. It would not do to seat someone of such a clan at the table, however, so the venerated former Justicar Cock Robin was recalled and seated in this place. While gossip circulated regarding the Nosferatu having two seats, the outcry from Assamites seeking to have their representation restored seemed to satisfy others.

The Olympic

Situated directly above a seldom-used subway stop, the Olympic Lounge was once a speakeasy. Now, over a hundred years later, it is a crumbling testament to the past: a brick diner surrounded on all sides by concrete and steel. This building is the Elysium of the city. As a special note: A Malkavian Archon recently called in a blood boon on Prince Dane for one very important reason: to append an emoji neon sign to the side of the Olympic and make it, in his words, “less of a fucking eysore”.

Downtown

Downtown is a rising industrial playground for investors and innovators, with growing influence in entertainment and style.

Sunset

House Morningstar’s influence is hard to miss here, from the winding roads through the neighborhood to the brick architecture. But Sunset is also home to an Anarch bar--the Hard Rock Workshop--and other independent-controlled establishments.

Play Style

This game focuses on more than just parlor politics. The history of the island and its diverse populous hold intrigue and a struggle between factions boiling beneath the surface. Expect opportunities for conflict, combat, and, yes, character death. Characters who don’t invest in even basic physical disciplines will be at a disadvantage.

Character Creation and XP

Utilize the BNS rules for character creation,  +70 XP (a total of 100 XP). Additional XP may be awarded for a good background story.

GIB Games patrons begin play with +20 XP (see below)

XP is earned by:

• Attending game (2 XP)
• Receiving a roleplay nod (1 XP)
• Filing a downtime (2 XP)

Patreon Benefits

In order to help support the cost of the world and system creation for this game, patreon supporters gain special benefits for donating to GIB Games.

GIB Games Patrons (Patreon here) receive:

• 20 extra starting XP
• 2 extra XP per game session (1 for game, 1 for downtime)
• +1 character slot

House Rules, clarifications, and setting restrictions

A note on Intolerance/Hatred/etc.

While there is certainly bigotry against real-life groups in the World of Darkness setting at-large, I do not feel that it is appropriate for that to be a part of our setting. Characters who have an intolerance, bigotry, or hatred of any kind of marginalized mortal social group (whether represented with flaw points or not) will not be approved.

Hardy Island Kindred

Kindred may teach themselves the first 2 dots of Celerity, Potence and Fortitude, at out-of-clan cost, without a teacher. They may begin play with no more than 3 of such self-taught dots.

Starting Disciplines

Characters may not begin play with any discipline above level 4.

Elders and their supporters

Without those over whom they hold influence, an Elder is nothing. It is through the oldest tradition of patronage that Vampires grow their privilege and power.

To reap the full benefits of their status, Elders must have supporters—Ancilla and Neonates who have, through boons or other connections, given some allegiance to an Elder’s position. An Elder may have any number of supporters, but a Neonate can only support one Elder and an Ancilla can support two.

An Elder with no supporters is considered, socially, an Ancilla, and only has the Abiding Status Confirmed. As long as the Elder has at least one supporter, they are considered to be socially an Elder, but they may not utilize the Passive benefits of their Abiding status unless a certain number of their supporters is present:

Supporters Present	Result
0	The Elder may only use the passive bonus of Confirmed.
1	The Elder may use the passive effect of Privileged.
2	The Elder may use the passive effect of Established.

Elders with the merits Reputation, Paragon, Prestigious Lineage, Architect of the Tower, or Social Nobility are always considered to have at least one (non-present) supporter, and are never considered an Ancilla for having no supporters.

Breaches of Elysium

An Elysium that has been breached will only lose its sanctity if the Keeper and/or Prince does lot levy an appropriate punishment upon a perpetrator within 30 days. Note the use of “a perpetrator” and not “the perpetrator”—if Elysium is breached and the person responsible is unknown, then this rule only requires someone to be punished for it.

Giovanni

Giovanni are considered a Common clan in this setting.

New Merits and Flaws

Ghoul Before Embrace (3 point merit)

Your time as a ghoul prior to your embrace gave you advantages over your fellows. Not all kindred who were ghouls prior to being Embraced have this merit, however.

You automatically learn the first dot of Celerity or Potence, and may learn the first two dots of Celerity, Potence, and Fortitude as if they were in-clan disciplines.

Shifter / Fey / Wraith / Kindred Companion (3 point Merit)

You have a supernatural friend and ally. They, for some reason, are willing to help you. It is likely they will want something in return, however…

Clan Friendship (1 point merit)

You have a special relationship with another clan, and your reputation with them is very good. Members of that clan know of your reputation, and should treat you accordingly. However, if the reputation sours, you might lose this merit.

Clan Adoption (3 point Merit)

You have, with the permission of a powerful or influential member of a clan, been accepted into that clan. You are, for all social purposes, a member of that Clan. You are welcome at those clan gatherings and beholden to that Clan’s leaders. You similarly lose the social privileges of your former clan, but still suffer their clan weakness.

Who’s Who

See Officers of Caliburn.

Dark Skylines - Player Degrees

Player Degrees are a system to allow players who have played successful basic characters to explore additional concepts over time while opening up some of the “extended” family of Vampire and add to the dynamic setting. All players start with 0 graduations.

A character who meets certain requirements, with Storyteller approval, earns that player a Degree. This opens up concepts, bloodlines, morality, and other things that were previously disallowed for that player. If a character somehow drops below the requirements, they do not earn another degree upon meeting the requirements a second time.

Character Graduation Benefits

Grads	Max Gen dots	Rarity merit discount	Max Merits/Flaws	Character slots	Free Creation Points (Attribute, Skill, Background)
0	3	0	7	1	0
1	4	1	8	2	2
2	5	2	9	3	3
3	5	3	10	4	4

Certain sects, bloodlines, or merits may also be restricted at ST discretion.

Graduation Requirements

Camarilla/Anarch

Characters may, at ST discretion, be awarded additional Innate status traits. These special traits, which may be pulled from any status trait list, can be used passively or actively like an Abiding status trait, and is restored at the beginning of each game and represent the character’s personal reputation growth. Camarilla & Anarch characters begin play with one such trait (Acknowledged or Committed respectively) which is earned upon that character’s acknowledgement by their sect leader or representative.

Upon earning a total of 4 of such Innate status traits, the player earns a Degree.

Independent

Independent characters must earn 100 XP from the time they enter play or from the time they become an Independent. Upon spending the 100th XP point, the player earns a Degree.