V:EKN Clan Ventrue Newsletter, May 1998

Vol. 1, No. 2 - May 1998.

In this issue:
COMMENT - V:TES Mano a Mano 

DECK BUILDING - The Price of Insanity Deck - A Ventrue/Malkavian deck
for experts

SHORT FICTION - Scratching the Itch - Kindred make strange bedfellows

Q & A - Your Comments Are Welcome

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COMMENT

V:TES Mano a Mano

"Fellow Kindred, as Ventrue Prince, I have summoned you for another
pressing matter."

"Since the Inquisition, we have had to watch carefully for those that
threaten us.  The Masquerade keeps us alive, but it also keeps us
hidden.  For centuries, this is what we have required, now a new
threat emerges, more powerful then the Sabbat, more menacing then the
Garou.  It is the Mages who threaten us, specifically, the
Gathering..."

Magic the Gathering is the life-bringer to the CCG market, and,
unfortunatly, still the only smash success.  Richard Garfield's and
Wizards of the Coast's second CCG, Jyhad (later renamed Vampire: The
Eternal Struggle) has excellent pedigree, but has been overshadowed
(and now ignored) by its big brother.

What can we do about it?  Well, we all know the charm of V:TES is the
multi-player aspect (where M:TG fails), but the lure of M:TG is the
fast pace and the ability to play against one opponent helps when many
cannot be found.  As I mentioned last month, we should try to lure
those have succumbed to M:TG into V:TES.  A good way to do this is to
play one-on-one.

Here are some rule variants I suggest you use to make V:TES more
fast-paced and balance for two-players:

The first variant is "Legacy of Darkness."  This official variant
states  the more blood a vampire currently has on it, the more base
Bleeding and Hand to Hand damage it can do.

        Curr. Blood Cap.        Bleed/HtH Damage
        11 - 12                 6
        9 - 10                  5
        7 - 8                           4
        5 - 6                           3
        3 - 4                           2
        1 - 2                           1

The base is then added by any special abilities/card effect.  Note
allies do not benefit from this.  This can cause games to go MUCH
quicker (usually placing vampires in Torpor very quickly), and since
it shortens the game, it increases the "just one more time"
possibilities of V:TES.  

The second variant is my own, and is called "Evening the Odds."  In a
two player game, it is very easy to have deck strategies are
unbalanced.  If only one player has a vote or stealth deck, the other
player can't do anything to stop him, and the game becomes
frustrating.  This variant allows the prey a fighting chance.

Any stealth or vote action from a library card is increased by +1. So,
a card that normally allows a bleed at +1 stealth is really +2, a
reaction card that gives 2 votes gets 3, and a vote card is a Voting
action at +2 stealth, worth 2 votes.  Vampire votes/ stealth abilities
and the Edge are not adjusted.

However, ANY card may be burned from either player's hand for +1
vote/interception/stealth, and it not replaced until the end of the
turn.  Now, the prey usually has a fighting chance against these acts,
but at quite a price.  Entire hands can be burned over one action!
This variant keeps the game exciting, as neither player really knows
how far the other is willing to go, since many cards in a players hand
will be more valuable played then burned.

Finally, to give players a taste of diplomacy, use my "Sacrificial
Lamb" variant.

Put 20 "Sacrifice Blood" counters in the center of the table, into a
"Sacrifice Pool."  These will be removed into the player's blood pool
during the game, and when removed from the Sacrifice Pool, they are
not replaced.

The Sacrifice Blood can be offered as a sweetener to any verbal
agreement of inaction.  "Let my vote to gain the Edge succeed, and
I'll give you 1 of the Sacrificial Blood."  The other player may
accept, where the deal is sealed immediately (and MUST be honored), or
try to negotiate for more blood.  The amount can fluctuate to any
amount still left, and he may end up with no deal at all!  Remember,
the instant a player agrees to an offer or counter-offer, the deal is
struck,

Also, when the predator makes a successful bleed against the prey, the

prey may choose to GIVE the predator the amount of the "Sacrifice
Blood" equal to the amount of the bleed, to avoid losing any himself.
In abstract, the predator has been given a sacrificial lamb by his
prey, and has benefited from the dead.

These three variants together should make two player games much more
intense, without sacrificing the balance of the V:TES rule structure.
Once your M:TG friends are hooked, you can lure them into larger group
games.

NEXT MONTH: The Art of Negotiation

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DECK BUILDING

The Price of Insanity Deck 

13 Crypt, 80 Library - Use with 4 or more players

The Ventrue have been known to ally with the Malkavians from time to
time, mostly when it serves their purposes, and usually because the
other clans can't stand them.  The Ventrue, being business-minded,
know what an asset Auspex can be, and wish to exploit it.
The focus of The Price of Insanity deck is to knock down your enemy
(Prey) via votes, directly if possible, and if not, then by helping an
enemy (your Prey's Prey, or your Predator's Predator), while
increasing your blood supply.  If you can cause enough confusion while
building enough power, you will be unstoppable.

Vamps - 

(Ventrue)
2x Heather Florent - The Opportunist
2x Jazz Wentworth
2x Melissa Barton
2x Sir Walter Nash
(Malkavian)
2x Aleph
1x Sylvester Simms
2x Victoria - DS

Every vampire has Superior Auspex or Presense (except Melissa), so we
don't need to place any extra Master Skill cards in the deck.
Victoria adds one more power play to a Crypt full of vamps who deal
with the Edge; the ability to forfeit the Edge for 2 pool.  Thus if
you have her up with Heather, Melissa and Jazz (unlikely, but
possible): 

Heather may get the Edge's blood put on her when controlled by you at
the start of your turn,

Victoria can cash the Edge in for 2 more blood to you, 
Jazz allows you to try and take the Edge back as an action, 
and Melissa gains blood when the Edge is exchanged for a vote!

Masters - 

3x Blood Doll
3x Effective Management
2x Protracted Investments
2x Uptown Hunting Ground (Uncommon)
2x Asylum Hunting Ground (Uncommon)
1x Forrest of Shadows (DS - Uncommon)
1x Ventrue Directorate Assembly (DS - Uncommon)
= 14 Master Cards 

Political Actions -

2x Archon (Vamp)
3x Consanguineous Boon
3x Consanguineous Condemnation
3x Conservative Agitation
2x Disputed Territory
3x Domain Challenge
2x Peace Treaty
4x Regaining the Upper Hand
2x Dramatic Upheaval (Vamp)
1x Ventrue Justicar
1x Malkavian Justicar
= 26 PAs

As in last month's deck, if your Predator has Obfuscation skills, he
probably has lots of Stealth, and you can't stop him from bleeding
you.  Your job is to focus on ways to make your Predator's Predator
more of a threat, or use Dramatic Upheaval. If you're down to 3
player's and you're in this position, you messed up.

Actions - 

(Auspex)
3x Precognizant Mobility (DS - Uncommon)
(Presence)
5x Enchant Kindred 
4x Social Charm
(Fortitude)
2x Restoration
= 14 Actions

Act. Mods -

3x Bribes
3x Cryptic Rider
=6 Act Mods

Combat - 

(Auspex)
5x Aura Reading 
(Presence)
5x Majesty
= 10 Combat

Reaction -

3x Political Backlash
(Dominate)
5x Deflection
(Presence)
2x Dread Gaze
= 10 Reactions

NEXT MONTH: The Ventrue get help from their Toreador friends in the
Med using AH cards.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

SHORT FICTION

Scratching the Itch

Sir Walter Nash read the report on Gideon's success in France.  The
merger was complete, and now BosTech could now begin a hostile
takeover of other smaller labs capable of producing XTC, once he could
adequately distract the Brujah Anarchs.  However, he was disturbed by
the other report his ghoul had brought him tonight.

The mages were striking against the Kindred again.  Five attacks have
occurred in the past week, and two Ventrue have been brought to Final
Rest.  No Bloodhunt could be called, no accountability could be seen,
and it infuriated the Prince.

The Sir Walter had attempted to contact other Ventrue to get more
resources to deal with the problem, but they were involved in their
own petty problems. The Prince of Chicago was often amused at the
exaggerated claims of the Ventrue being the most organized Clan.  He
was not amused tonight.

He thought about what to do, then a possibility occurred to him.  He
drafted a letter; it was only a page long, but required all of his
concentration to complete.  To anyone else, it would have appeared as
gibberish.  But a Malkavian would know what it meant.  He gave the
letter to his ghoul with orders to deliver it immediately to the
Penhall Asylum.

The next night Sir Walter entered the asylum to visit Sylvester Simms.
Simms, of course, was in high security isolation.  But the Prince had
many contacts, and could easily arrange to visit even a dangerous
lunatic such as Simms.  The trick was getting Simms to see him.
One does not become the Prince of Chicago without some amount of
diplomacy, but dealing with any Malkavian, especially one strong in
the skills of Auspex, is another matter.  Sir Walter had learned of
Simms incarceration days ago, and had suppressed this information so
he could use it for his own gain.  The Prince needed Simms' help to
put an end to this mage problem, so he could focus on the bigger
picture of the Brujah and BosTech.

Simms was strapped up tight in his straightjacket, resembling a moth
in a cocoon.  He was drooling, and staring at the corner of his cell.
Sir Walter willed the guard away.  The guard's weak mortal mind
accepted his command, and left them alone.

"Sylvester, the mages are attacking the Kindred.  I need you to help
identify them.  Who's behind this?"

Simms continued staring.  Other Venture would try their Presence
skills, attempt to assert power, then bring force against him.  All of
those ways would fail to gain his attention.  Frustration would
quickly mount, and the flustered Ventrue would storm off, stating all
Malkavian's are useless.  They would have missed the obvious.
Sir Walter removed a long, golden sewing needle he had placed into his
overcoat.  He waved it by Simms' peripheral vision.  Simms, being
quite a demented serial killer, loved to use golden needles on his
victim's necks, lapping their blood off the small spike after impaling
them.  Not only did the needle represent a memory of the good times,
it also represented freedom.  With this needle in his hands, he could
work his way out of the straight jacket, and leave this asylum any
time he chose.  Sir Walter had gained his attention.

"This, of course, is yours dear boy, once I get what I want.  I need
you to tell me, where does this outcast mage reside?  Who is giving
his orders?"

Simms' eyes never wavered from the golden needle.  Drool continued to
poor from his mouth.  He had stopped blinking, and Sir Walter could
feel Simms' psychic energy radiate outward, trying to find the answers
the Prince seeked.

This was so much easier then dealing with his last Malkavian, Raul
Suarez.  Raul had cut out his tongue, ears and eyes, then amputated
all his fingers and toes.  This hampered communication, to say the
least.  
Sir Walter had learned Raul only communicated telepathically with his
superior Auspex, and even then only if his subject had enough hate
seething in him.  It was difficult to conduct negotiations while
actively loathing everything.  Sir Walter later realized those
feelings had made it seem logical to Diablarize Raul.  After the
Prince had finished with Raul (and the Bloodhunt was squelched), Sir
Walter had clearer insight to how the Malkavian mind works.
"Tremere," Simms gasped.

Sir Walter assumed the Tremere were behind the mage attack, but who,
where?  He waited.

"Lazy covens make rocks," Simms stated.

Sir Walter thought about this, decrypting the Malkavian's words.  He
knew of a Tremere named Lazerus, and that could be Simms' "lazy."  He
assumed it meant Lazarus addressed a coven.  But "make rocks?"
"I need to know where the coven is, Sylvester, or you shan't have your
prize."  He waived the needle just a bit, to make it gleam.  Simms
head had lulled left, but his eyes remained fixed.

"The rocks are high," Simms sputtered.

The Prince smiled.  Of course.  The Rocky Mountains.  There are many
mage covens there, and a perfect place for the Tremere to make a
covert base of operations.  By secretly informing the Brujah of this
fact, he could kill two birds with one stone!

Sir Walter quickly pushed the needle down under the straightjacket's
collar, between the jacket and Simms' back.  A less enlightened
Kindred may have actually loosened Simms' restraints to give him the
needle.  But Sir Walter understood the madness drives the actions, and
what could be more maddening then having the needle so close, but
still so far?

He knew Simms would be in demented bliss for at least a week, when he
would finally work the needle down, scratch out of the jacket, kill a
guard or two, then escape and begin his strange hunts again.  And why
not, thought the Prince; he deserves it, he came through!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Q & A

Thanks for all the comments from last time.  Here are some quotes:

"Excellent job, really liked the deck. GREAT idea, which I shall copy
for my next installment" - James McClellen

"Your Ventrue Newsletter was excellent!!! (Would you like to see it
more for Beginner/Expert Players?) Perhaps a section for each" -- R.
David Zopf, V:EKN Prince of Boston

"I think it is always important to know what other players all around
the world think about our game and how they play it. This is very
important, especially when it comes the situation when a game needs
its players to support in surviving" -- Markus Schlein, V:ENK Prince
of Braunschweig (Germany)

If you could take the time to e-mail me back, I will adjust the
newsletter to match the Vox Populi (Thus, vote in typical Ventrue
fashion, and your wishes may be heard.)

Letter Grades

1) The Newsletter overall:
2) The Comment Section:
3) The Deck Building Section:
4) The Short Fiction:

Questions

5) Would you like to see it more for Beginners or Expert Players?
6) Do you like the fiction section?
7) Do you think a strong two player V:TES variant will increase player
interest?

Comments about anything to make the letter better (both positive and
negative comments welcome) or other thoughts about our fair game or
how the role of Ventrue should be presented:

Thanks for reading,

Tony Van
TonyV@TheGrid.net
Ventrue Archivist