Vampire: the Eternal Struggle in the Dark Ages, expansion set idea.

Hello you fellow creatures of the imaginary night!

Finally I was able to rouse and upgrade myself from a random non-present lurker status to actually registering onto the forum. My first message is somewhat pompous in scope, but do not let that fool you, it's (in my opinion at least) if not good at least a passable idea. I've been fiddling with the idea for some years and recently a visit to the local RopeCon tournament reinvigorated my torpid thoughts regarding the matter. But what's it about?

I've been tinkering with the idea of adapting V:tES to the Vampire: the Dark Ages setting. The xXLazarusXx posted a question regarding this to the forum at 16.5.2015, but I could not find anything else related to the subject with a quick search, so please accept my apologies if this has been discussed before in depth, I'm not trying to force my ideas on others

The setting in question would be a few years past the original setting of 1197, approximately at the year 1200, before the destruction of Constantinople etc. (V:tDA being my personal favourite setting, so the decision-making process was obviously biased ). The vampires and other cards are created according to canon timeline (Michael is still, if not "well", at least somewhat operational, the Drum of Xipe Totec and Codex of the Damned have not yet been brought from beyond the seas, the Ancestor's Talisman is quite the hoot among the Assamites, guns are banned etc. you get the picture). Some vampires are taken from the V:tDA, and some are taken from the DAV, and even some from the Giovanni / Transylvania chronicles, and I have tried to approximate their disciplines/other details as what they could have been around the year 1200.


Most cards from the original V:tES that can believably work, the concept existing around the year 1200, are playable with the set. For some other cards, the functionality of the card in question can exist, but it has to be modified according to the theme (so no stopping on anyone's dime, but something similar could exist ). Some cards are unfortunately not included, if e.g. the power/other thing in question has not yet been invented (some Thaumaturgy cards, combo disciplines, Aaron's Feeding Razor etc.) and vice versa, some other powers/other things forgotten in modern nights are still operational. Some other design choices have unfortunately been made, against the 1197 canon, for purely gamistic/balance reasons, e.g. some Obe cards adjusted to the non-rarity of Salubris and some powers being a separate discipline in the V:tDA (I'm looking at you, Mortis among others) and being a branch of a general overall discipline (necromancy) in the DAV 1230. If we want to change things, there's still time, and who am I to stand against a well-founded argument Regarding this, some disciplines / powers etc have also been taken from the DAV version, since the powers "have existed" already during the V:tA, and snatching the powers also from DAV makes more interesting cards for us to browse..


The cards with the same functionality and modified theme, or wholly new cards would both be released here as templates, without the pictures, since I am not that gifted with graphics but of course the working cards from V:tES can be played as such. The players could stamp a picture they want onto the empty template (I am not sure whether this is against the design rules of new cards) and the cards could be rereleased as graphically-endowed versions according to the artists. If I have the spare time, I could also do some horribly ugly pictures that people could stand to play with, but don't count on this


The good news is that the reinvigoration was more energizing than I expected - the
process is now almost complete (what! go summer vacation 8) ) and in its final scope atm would contain the following:


Heaps and heaps of new old vampires, pulled from source material to the best of my ability and at least trying to preserve the overall balance of the game.
New discipline cards, single and combo.
Wholly new powers, not disciplines (see below)
A slightly modifed political system (see below)
Some other slight tweaks and modifications (see below, more to be announced later)



The main points quickly referenced:


Clans represented, with approx number of vampires:

Assamite (18-20)
Baali (4-5)
Brujah (18-20)
Cappadocian (18-20++) (ooh yes 8) and some Cappadocians have a curious set of disciplines..)
Followers of Set (18-20)
Gangrel (18-20)
Gargoyles (4-5)
Lasombra (18-20) (with the recent addition of the prince of Strasburg, if I've understood the somewhat obscured canon timeline correctly.. )
Malkavian (18-20)
Nosferatu (18-20)
Ravnos (18-20)
Salubri (18-20) (yes, a proper clan!)
Toreador (18-20)
Tremere (18-20)
True Brujah (4-5)
Tzimisce (18-20)
Ventrue (18-20)

So, altogether something close to 280 new and old vampires? Phew!

The Baali, Gargoyles and True Brujahs are somewhat support clans in their scope, and the Salubri are still a proper clan with lots of vampires. The number of Gargoyles could be increased, of course, if people think they would be a worthwhile addition. Some of the powers of the Gargoyles are unfortunately only available as Tremere rituals and not Visceratika powers during this period, so I have steered clear of this design choice for the time being and concentrated on easier stuff..


New discipline cards:
Single and combo disciplines according to the source material (e.g. old Mortis from V:tDA done Necromancy-style, some

interesting combo disciplines from clanbooks etc etc)

Wholly new powers and effects:
Abyss Mysticism (teaser trailer below, of course )
Koldunic Sorcery cards
Something else I am tinkering with (well thanks for the clarification)




And now to the crüx part IV: A slightly modified political system (still in alpha stage), also including the aforementioned "tweaks and modifications":

The political system would be centered around Domains. There would be the following 7 domains in existence:

Arabian Peninsula, including Jerusalem
British Isles & nearby areas
Byzantium & its vassal states
Iberia & some parts of France & some parts of North Africa
Italy & Alps & some parts of surrounding lands
Northern / Eastern Europe
The infamous Transylvania with its surroundings


For every domain, there would be a unique respecting title Lord / Lady of the Domain. This vampire would have 3 votes. This title would be contestable, if the contester would have the strength to back up their claim
(contrast with justicar/cardinal)

Other vampires in the same domain would hold smaller areas, e.g. cities, some land areas etc. and would have a title worth 2 votes. These titles would also be constestable.
(contrast with prince/archbishop/baron)

Further on, some vampires in the same domain would have a title worth of 1 vote due to some personal influence. These would not be contestable. (contrast with primogen/bishop)

Every Lord/Lady of the Domain could change the votes of lesser vampires of the same domain to xer liking if need be. This would require burning a blood for every such vampire. If the lesser vampire wants to cast xer votes as xe pleases, the lesser vampire could counter this by taking one point of unpreventable damage. This would symbolise the control of the Lord / Lady of the Domain over xer subjects and the repercussions of not obeying the boss

(but why then belong to a domain at all? see below)

Every vampire would have a designation "Domain: X" in addition to the all other abilites the vampire might have. This would be the general area that the vampire exists at the time the Methuselah (player) decides to impose xer will upon the said unfortunate vampire. The designation would be one of the aforementioned seven or an eight possibility, Autarkis. Some sneaky vampires could have two different domains, trying to answer to two lords.

A vampire could change one or the only of xer domains as an +2 stealth action that costs 1 blood (to simulate the actual moement of the vampire around Europe to arrive to the new location). If a vampire changes one or the only of xer domains to Autarkis, all the titles of the vampire are relinquished and only +1 vote -effects and such remain. If a vampire is Autarkis, the vampire cannot change xer domain back to the basic seven without any cards.

And what would be the mechanics of these?

0: Some votes are such that only vampires who share a domain with the caller of the vote can vote in the referendum.

1: Some of the votes only affect the vampires of the same domain or Methuselahs that control vampires who share a domain with the vampire calling the vote.

2: Some of the votes only affect the vampires of other domains than the vampire calling the vote / the Methuselahs other than the one controlling the voting vampire.

3: If a vampire is diablerized, only the vampires sharing a domain either with the destroyed vampire or the diablerist can cast votes in the blood hunt referendum. If the diablerized vampire is Autarkis, the only vampires that can cast votes in the blood hunt referendum are the vampires sharing a domain with the diablerist. (without an effect of some kind.. ) if you don't have friends in the Dark Ages, unlife can be quite dangerous!

4: Some of the vampires have nifty effects that work only against the vampires in their domain or outside their domain.

5: The targeting of other effects can depend on the domain of the actor etc.

6: More to be added later!



Hopefully you have withstood my random mumblings so far. This is quite a big project, and I have probably overlooked a thousand things and forgotten to mention the other thousand. Feedback and encouragement is welcome, if you should choose so I will post more in the coming week.

Last but not the least, because you have borne with me here, I will gift you with some tidbits about the planned cards stay tuned for further releases!

best regards
Mika from Finland








Teaser trailer: Abyss Mysticism



Name: Abyss Mysticism
Cardtype: Master
Cost: 0
Capacity: Not applicable
Discipline: Not applicable
Clan: None


Master: trifle.
When you play this card, you may burn 2 pool to search through your library, hand or ash heap for an Abyss Mysticism card, show it to all players and put it in your hand. Shuffle your library and discard down to your hand size afterwards.
Put this card on a vampire with Obtenebration. This vampire may play cards that require Abyss Mysticism [aby] (not a Discipline). With two of these cards, he or she may play cards that require superior Abyss Mysticism [ABY]. Burn this card if this vampire does not have Obtenebration.

Flavor text: None yet

Art notes: A small figure in a stone-walled room, standing on the edge of a gaping black chasm, some lights burning in the background.

World of Darkness reference: Players Guide to High Clans Pg. 175-182

How does this card address a compelling game need?: It is an enabler for other Abyss Mysticism cards. Rather than creating a new discipline, I chose the Striga/Maleficia template, and added the burn 2 pool option for an opportunity cost for those moments or strategies when one needs to have the superior ability available NOW. Using the burn option also makes the said vampire cost 2 more pool in total, which roughly translates as one additional superior discipline. The trifleness enables superior ability in the same master phase.


Created by: Mika Nurmikolu




1:
Name: Pierce the Mask
Cardtype: Minion
Cost: 0
Capacity: No requirement
Discipline: Not applicable
Clan: None

Reaction / action

Obt: reaction: This vampire burns 1 blood to get +1 intercept for the current action.

aby: This is a +2 stealth action. Put this card on the acting vampire. When this vampire is blocking, the acting minion has -1 stealth. A vampire can have only one Pierce the Mask. Abyss Mysticism is not a discipline.
ABY: As above, and this vampire is not affected by action modifiers that require Obtenebration.

Flavor text: None yet

Art notes: A medieval city at night, but darkness and light are reversed, lanterns etc. emitting globes of blackness while the unlit areas (alleys etc.) appear to be illuminated quite nicely.

World of Darkness reference: Players Guide to High Clans Pg. 175-182

How does this card address a compelling game need?: By being the first staple of Abyss Mysticism

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu

2:
Name: Feed the Darkness
Cardtype: Minion
Cost: 0
Capacity: No requirement
Discipline: Not applicable
Clan: None

Action

obt: This is a +3 stealth hunt action. Gain 1 blood.

aby: This is a +2 stealth hunt action. Steal 1 blood or life from any minion. This vampire can burn a blood to untap after the action. Abyss Mysticism is not a discipline.
ABY: As above, but steal 2 blood or life.

Flavor text: None yet

Art notes: A sleeping human, black shadowy tentacles approacing xer.

World of Darkness reference: Rites of the Blood Pg. 38

How does this card address a compelling game need?: By being the second staple of Abyss Mysticism


Created by: Mika Nurmikolu



Ta ta! More later !

The cappadocians should just be independent harbingers of skulls, no point adding a new clan that has exact same discplines as an existing one, when they are effectively same clan anyway, just from different time period.

Mr. wrote:

The political system would be centered around Domains. There would be the following 7 domains in existence:

Arabian Peninsula, including Jerusalem
British Isles & nearby areas
Byzantium & its vassal states
Iberia & some parts of France & some parts of North Africa
Italy & Alps & some parts of surrounding lands
Northern / Eastern Europe
The infamous Transylvania with its surroundings


...

Every vampire would have a designation "Domain: X" in addition to the all other abilites the vampire might have. This would be the general area that the vampire exists at the time the Methuselah (player) decides to impose xer will upon the said unfortunate vampire. The designation would be one of the aforementioned seven or an eight possibility, Autarkis. Some sneaky vampires could have two different domains, trying to answer to two lords.

A vampire could change one or the only of xer domains as an +2 stealth action that costs 1 blood (to simulate the actual moement of the vampire around Europe to arrive to the new location). If a vampire changes one or the only of xer domains to Autarkis, all the titles of the vampire are relinquished and only +1 vote -effects and such remain. If a vampire is Autarkis, the vampire cannot change xer domain back to the basic seven without any cards.

And what would be the mechanics of these?

0: Some votes are such that only vampires who share a domain with the caller of the vote can vote in the referendum.

1: Some of the votes only affect the vampires of the same domain or Methuselahs that control vampires who share a domain with the vampire calling the vote.

2: Some of the votes only affect the vampires of other domains than the vampire calling the vote / the Methuselahs other than the one controlling the voting vampire.

3: If a vampire is diablerized, only the vampires sharing a domain either with the destroyed vampire or the diablerist can cast votes in the blood hunt referendum. If the diablerized vampire is Autarkis, the only vampires that can cast votes in the blood hunt referendum are the vampires sharing a domain with the diablerist. (without an effect of some kind.. ) if you don't have friends in the Dark Ages, unlife can be quite dangerous!

4: Some of the vampires have nifty effects that work only against the vampires in their domain or outside their domain.

5: The targeting of other effects can depend on the domain of the actor etc.

6: More to be added later!

I would be cautious about doing this.

Thematically, it sort of makes sense. Why would vampires in Jerusalem know anything about the goings on in Iberia, and so on. Even if they know, why would they care? And lots of people have asked similar questions about this in V:TES too - why can a Laibon in Africa vote in a Praxis Seizure in Seattle, and so on? But, based on the functioning of domains as you've outlined it so far, you run into the same thematic issue at one remove. For example, blocking. My vampire in Iberia can't influence your activity in Jerusalem (suggested function 0) - but he can block the action? My British vampire can't vote in the referendum, but he can play a card like Scalpel Tongue that changes another vampire's votes? My vampire can Ambush you, even though one's in Finland and one's in Egypt? Can a vampire in the Celtic fringes really do an era-appropriate equivalent of Arson on the Lighthouse at Alexandria? It remains a little awkward thematically.

Of course, you can try to deal with that thematic concern by being very resolute in your handling of domains. But then I get on to my mechanical concern.

Richard Garfield has written in the past about, as a theory of multi-player games, that you need a balance between totally free interaction and isolation. If players can freely gang up on each other, the game turns into a heavily (or almost entirely) social game - first, convince everyone to gang up on D and oust him, then let's gang up on B, and I need to convince you that I'm not the threat and E's the threat you silly billy etc. If there isn't enough friction between players, games turn into 5 simultaneous games of Patience - who can do their 'thing' first and win, with little to no way of interfering.

I'd fear that the domain system would tend more towards the isolation end of the spectrum. Too easy to find vampires in the 'wrong' domain, and with your titled vampires you don't want to change domain because you lose your titles to pass your own votes. Also, consider untap cards, like Freak Drive, or a similar Dark Ages card. If changing domain is a good thing to be doing, 'normal' vampires have to waste a turn doing it, slowing the game down, but a vampire who can untap with Freak Drive etc. can get into the 'right' domain and call a referendum in the same turn, or similar.

It's this sort of thing that means I'm happy with V:TES's system whereby a Primogen in France has a vote in deciding who the Archbishop of Mexico City, even though it breaks immersion somewhat.

Having a scattering of little perks seems fine, but I'd be wary of making it a central pillar of the setting, in case you end up with three political decks on a table running their own strategies in parallel with very limited friction points.

Mr. wrote:

Name: Abyss Mysticism

I quite like the 'draw another copy of this card' mechanism, but is it really worth the master phase action? In V:TES, at least, master phase actions are often central to a deck - Villein, Blood Doll etc. can be crucial to a deck's survival. It's not clear from your suggested cards that it would be worthwhile using up quite a few master card slots to power this.

Hello!

A last-minute addition - thanks jamesatzephyr for the latest comments! The interaction of the domains is true, there has to be some kind of mechanic for that. I'll have to think about it or to scrap the Domain concept altogether if a suitable interaction balance is not found. Gonna answer in-depth later, saw your message just when I was about to post the reply below



Klaital, thanks for the feedback! Some counter-points - firstly about the "Independent"-tag - there are yet no sect affiliations (if Inconnu, Ashirra etc do not count) because at the year 1200, the Camarilla and Sabbat had not yet formed. Therefore, every vampire in this Dark Ages setting is technically Independent.
The Seven Domains are intended to be somewhat "sectish" in scope, but they can be changed quite easily via the aforementioned +2 stealth action that costs 1 blood.

Then to the point of the name of the clan - the Cappadocians are, of course, the vampires that existed in the middle ages and who became to be the progenitors for the Harbingers. The effects and concepts of the cards that require the Harbinger clan (Crematorium, The Slaughterhouse, Ghost-Eater etc.) do not exist yet during this time period (of the Shaal Fragment, I am not sure, so if someone can clear that up, it'd be appreciated ) so the requirement for the Harbinger clan is not relevant for playing the stuff in this setting.

Furthermore, the clan Cappadocian is thematically wholly different from the clan Harbingers. The Cappadocians are studying the process of dying and death and trying to understand what happens after it, and to further this intention they have just brought the Giovanni family into undeath. The Cappadocians do not have the necessary skills to deal with wraiths; their necromantic skills are centered upon the corporeal, whereas the Harbingers of today have been in the Shadowlands for quite some centuries, and thus are rather well versed in the wraithly aspect of Nigrimancy.

In addition to this, the Cappadocian clan has a few bloodlines, mainly the Giovanni and the Lamia, and labelling those vampires as "Harbingers of Skulls" would be extra weird, since they are of Cappadocian blood in the year 1200. All the cards released in this set are not compatible with the modern nights setting of normal V:tES. The vampires of the Dark Ages are what they were at the year 1200, and the modern vampires can stay as they are in the modern ages.

My apologies if I was unclear in my post before: this is supposed to be a complete, stand-alone set for the world of the Dark Ages, played with the mechanics of V:tES, and with some cards, but not all, usable in both settings. This is a separate world in itself, and to that end the ~280 or so vampires will be released. The vampires of the modern setting are not playable in the Dark Ages, and vice versa (unless somebody from the DA has been in torpor for 800 years and just woken up.. ). The DA version will be a complete game in itself, using slightly tweaked mechanics from the V:tES, and containing enough stuff to make this world stand on its own two feet. Freely downloadable and printable by everyone (pending the arrival of graphics, of course :d) when it is ready.


To that end, some vampires, sourced from the literature (can you spot the original vampires ) and modified according to the age by the random decision-making process of myself.



Name: Justinian
Cardtype: Vampire
Clan: Gangrel
Level: Basic
Group: DA
Capacity: 6
Discipline: ani FOR PRO
Domain of Byzantium. Justinian can prevent 1 damage each combat. If he would go into torpor in combat, he will not go into torpor until combat ends. (He is still considered wounded and can be burned normally.) Justinian cannot perform D actions targetting or block vampires with 0 blood. Justinian cannot commit diablerie.

Art notes: An extremely large, somewhat handsome man in his twenties. Bristling moustache, long wavy brown hair. Weathered travelling clothes, feral stride, but very jovial and friendly (for a vampire). Booming laugh.

World of Darkness reference: Leaving this out for the time being for not to spoil the fun of searching

How does this card address a compelling game need?: It's (hopefully) an interesting mechanic that has not yet been explored in another vampire. A midcap Gangrel for the Dark Ages clan, hopefully will see some play. Furthermore, I've tried to balance the vampire correctly, but comments and criticism is welcome

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu


Name: Theophana, thy Friend
Cardtype: Vampire
Clan: Malkavian
Level: Basic
Group: DA
Capacity: 4
Discipline: aus DEM
Domain of Eastern Lands. During your untap phase, if Theophana is ready, another ready vampire you control without dementation and sharing a domain with Theophana takes 1 unpreventable damage and until end of your turn has inferior dementation and -1 stealth.

Art notes: A tall, average-looking slender woman in her mid-teens. Waist-length blond hair, torn, soiled silken gown and a decaying floral arrangement in her hair. Creepy, looks like she could burst in a mad laughter at any moment.

World of Darkness reference: There's one, but keeping it in the dark for now

How does this card address a compelling game need?: Some annoying bleed tech for the DA setting. The ability tries to reflect the personality of the vampire, and has not been explored either in another vampire. Theophana could be too good for swarm bleed decks, but the ability is mandatory and works only on the same domain, so the strength remains to be seen in the playtest phase.

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu



Sorry for the quick reply, more later! Ta ta and thanks for reading this!


best regards
Mika Nurmikolu

Hi again!

Thanks jamesatzephyr for the comments, and sorry I did not have the time to answer properly yesterday! The political / cross-table interaction of V:tES is quite integral to the game and thus must be preserved. The Domains would somewhat be akin to the Sabbat/Camarilla/Independent/Anarch -sects in the modern V:tES, and mirror some of the functionalities. Closed session / private audience - types of effects would always require a card.

Domains would confer some small perks and bonuses (+1 intercept when blocking a vampire of the same domain, rushing vampires of the same domain etc.), but not restricting the vampires an sich from interacting with each other.

Some examples of vampires with domain interactions:

("sharing a domain" means that the vampires in question have at least one common domain with each other, Autarkis counts too )


Name: Baron Thomas Feroux
Cardtype: Vampire
Clan: Gangrel
Level: Basic
Group: DA
Capacity: 6
Discipline: ANI FOR PRO
Domain of Byzantium. Baron Thomas Feroux can enter combat with any ready minion that shares a domain with him as a action. +1 intercept against actions that target a Tzimisce that shares a domain with him.

Art notes: Slender man in his early 20's. Large scar running the length of the face and over his right eye. Suit of mail armour with the crest of Byzantine Empire. Catlike eyes, slightly tufted ears, medium-length golden hair.

World of Darkness reference: Constantinople by Night, p. 94

How does this card address a compelling game need?: Another midcap Gangrel, well suited for defensive purposes in a Tzimisce deck could be with more disciplines and a larger cap, but Thomas is quite young in the year 1200, so it's debatable.

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu


Name: Gutka, the Salt Queen
Cardtype: Vampire
Clan: Nosferatu
Level: Basic
Group: DA
Capacity: 8
Discipline: ANI cel for OBF POT pro
Domain of Eastern Lands. Gutka cannot have or use equipment or retainers not requiring animalism. She cannot attempt political actions. Gutka cannot hunt as normal. She may hunt by stealing two blood from another ready vampire as a action. She may enter combat with any ready minion controlled by another Methuselah as a action. These actions are at +2 stealth if the minion shares a domain with Gutka.

Art notes: Wizened, stooped body, twisted by athritis, dovered by thousands of wrinkles. Sickly greenish-gray, a few strands of long, white hair hang from the scalp. Rheumy eyes, but with good eyesight. Skin permanently encrusted with salt crystals.

World of Darkness reference: Transylvania by Night, p. 87

How does this card address a compelling game need?: A larger cap Nosferatu with combat options for the more pugilistically inclined players!

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu


Name: Lord Camden, Chamberlain of Mithras
Cardtype: Vampire
Clan: Cappadocian
Level: Basic
Group: DA
Capacity: 8
Discipline: AUS dom FOR NEC PRE
Domain of British Isles, +1 vote. Minions who do not share a Domain with Lord Camden cannot target him with actions. Lord Camden may burn a blood to reduce the cost of a location you or a minion you control plays with 1 pool or blood.

Art notes: 12-century London, seen from a slightly uphill location. Tall, deathly-pale man with fine suit of a nobleman or a wealthy trader in the foreground, surveying the city. In a nearby bush, a hidden heap of bodies can be seen as a collection of shadowy forms.

World of Darkness reference: Clanbook: Cappadocian, p. 64

How does this card address a compelling game need?: A large-cap Cappadocian, more to come. Fits e.g. in a Ventrue vote deck.

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu




Name: Magnus, Custodian of Orthodoxy
Cardtype: Vampire
Clan: Lasombra
Level: Basic
Group: DA
Capacity: 9
Discipline: aus DOM OBT pot PRE
Domain of Byzantium. 1 vote. During an action, Magnus may burn 1 blood to give an acting minion that shares a domain with Magnus + 1 stealth, or burn 2 blood to give any acting minion +1 stealth.

Art notes: Haggard and old, overweight, has sickly pouches beneath his tiny eyes. Peppered beard, a moustache that hides most of the jowls. Rich garb of the Orthodox Church.

World of Darkness reference: Constantinople by Night, p. 96

How does this card address a compelling game need?: Lasombra vote deck, with an additional stealthy sneakiness option.

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu






About the Abyss Mysticism, two more enabler versions and then two cards for it:

The enabler for the Abyss Mysticism could also be like the following:

Name: Abyss Mysticism
Cardtype: Master
Cost: 2
Capacity: Not applicable
Discipline: Not applicable
Clan: None

Put this card in play. Every minion you control with Obtenebration can burn 1 blood or life to permanently acquire inferior Abyss Mysticism, or 2 blood or life to permanently acquire superior Abyss Mysticism. Abyss Mysticism is not a discipline.

Flavor text: None yet

Art notes: A small figure in a stone-walled room, standing on the edge of a gaping black chasm, some lights burning in the background.

World of Darkness reference: Players Guide to High Clans Pg. 175-182

How does this card address a compelling game need?: Another enabler version for Abyss Mysticism, this time remaining on the board and letting every vampire (or perhaps some other minions too ? I'll have to go thru this option) to obtain Abyss Mysticism permanently.

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu



Or perhaps the following:

Name: Abyss Mysticism
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 1
Capacity: Not applicable
Discipline: Not applicable
Clan: None

+2 stealth action. Requires a minion with obtenebration. Put this card on the acting minion. You may search through your library for another copy of the Abyss Mysticism. Discard down to your hand size afterwards. A minion can have only 1 Abyss Mysticism card. The minion with this card gains inferior Abyss Mysticism. The minion with this card can burn a blood or life to permanently gain superior Abyss Mysticism. Burn this card if the minion does not have obtenebration. Abyss Mysticism is not a discipline.

Flavor text: None yet

Art notes: A small figure in a stone-walled room, standing on the edge of a gaping black chasm, some lights burning in the background.

World of Darkness reference: Players Guide to High Clans Pg. 175-182

How does this card address a compelling game need?: Another enabler version for Abyss Mysticism, requiring only an action to do so. Also enables the fishing out of other Abyss Mysticism cards for other minions, i.e. the player has to draw only one Abyss Mysticism card to fetch out the rest and get them on xer minions.

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu





And then some preliminary reasons to play the Abyss Mysticism in the first place.




Name: Reflections of Hollow Revelation
Cardtype: Reaction / Action
Cost: 0
Capacity: Not applicable
Discipline: Not applicable
Clan: None

obt: Reaction, +1 intercept.

aby: This is a +2 stealth action. Put this card on the acting vampire. This vampire gets +1 intercept. A vampire can have only one Reflections of Hollow Revelation. Abyss Mysticism is not a discipline.
ABY: As above, but +2 intercept for actions against you.

Flavor text: none yet

Art notes: A vampire gazing into a head-sized, translucent shadowy sphere, and inside the sphere, visions from faraway places and actions are seen.

World of Darkness reference: Players Guide to High Clans Pg. 175-182

How does this card address a compelling game need?: Another intercepty card for the Abyss Mysticism, letting Methuselahs stack intercept.

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu



Name: Whispers in the Dark
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 0
Capacity: Not applicable
Discipline: Abyss Mysticism (not a discipline)
Clan: None
+3 stealth action. Unique.
Put this card on the acting vampire. This vampire enters torpor.
aby: You gain +2 hand size as long as this card is on the vampire. Abyss Mysticism is not a discipline.
ABY: As above, and this vampire untaps and can attempt a leave torpor action as a +3 stealth action that costs 2 less blood.

Flavor text: Nothing yet, probably something from the Gathas.

Art notes: A sleeping vampire, looking slightly pained, the eyes weeping shadows instead of blood.

World of Darkness reference: Players Guide to High Clans Pg. 175-182

How does this card address a compelling game need?: A good reason to gaze into the Abyss, hopefully.. with the superior version, I don't know if it's overpowered, but the inferior perhaps is in order.

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu



Thanks for the feedback, keep it coming !

best regards
Mika Nurmikolu

Some example Cappadocians, all lifted from Transylvania by Night:



Name: Garinol Cappadocius, Abbot of Petrin Hill
Cardtype: Vampire
Clan: Cappadocian
Level: Basic
Group: DA
Capacity: 5
Discipline: AUS for NEC
Domain of Eastern Lands. Recruit ally actions cost Garinol 1 less blood if the ally is a Zombie. In this case, the action gets -1 stealth.

Art notes: Medium height, monk robes. Black monk hair, wide black eyes. Pale, translucent pallor on the skin, sorrowful air around him.

World of Darkness reference: Transylvania by Night, p. 64

How does this card address a compelling game need?: Cappadocians for the win!

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu


Name: Kazimierz the Silent
Cardtype: Vampire
Clan: Cappadocian
Level: Basic
Group: DA
Capacity: 6
Discipline: AUS for NEC qui
Domain of Transylvania, If Kazimierz successfully hunts, he gains an extra blood.

Art notes: Benedictine monk with a deathly pallor. Ascetic but somewhat handsome features. Heavy-lidded eyes that seem to continually be in prayer.

World of Darkness reference: Transylvania by Night, p. 66

How does this card address a compelling game need?: Cappadocians for the win!

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu


Name: Amalia of Thrace, Penitent
Cardtype: Vampire
Clan: Cappadocian
Level: Basic
Group: DA
Capacity: 8
Discipline: AUS for NEC POT PRE
Domain of Eastern Lands. 1 vote. When a minion is burned, Amalia gains 1 blood.

Art notes: Pallid face, the beauty of a marble statue. Dark, zealous eyes, black hair coiled on top her head. Simple, Thracian draped robes of the 5th century.

World of Darkness reference: Transylvania by Night, p. 67

How does this card address a compelling game need?: Cappadocians for the win!

Created by: Mika Nurmikolu


I am replying to my own message, I am not sure whether it is against the forum etiquette..