Why isn't my vamp/ "furry"/
slayer/ elf/ wizard/ whatever character accepted here?
You've got character types
like that in the rules - I want to play my character here!
Quite simply, the reason you "can't" just bring a particular character from
Ayenee into is that it most likely doesn't have a sheet, and is entirely likely
to be a character type that isn't found in the World of Darkness. If you don't
know what types are allowed, the "what is WoD?" page goes into detail about the
game systems that WoD role-playing uses as a model for the characters allowed.
People are sticklers about others having sheets, particularly if they have any
sort of special abilities at all, and thus are very prone to jump down the
throat of others who wander in, looking for role-play but unwilling to play by
the rules that everyone who's already there plays by, enjoys, and make WoD a
unique setting.
As for the character types that superficially resemble some
things found in WoD, I'll handle a few of those in particular, explaining why
they just don't fit.
Furries - while a crinos garou can
possibly look very much like a wolf "furry" there's a reason furries as they're
known in Ayenee don't exist in WoD. All the supernaturals hide that they are
supernaturals from the normal population. While I or anyone who knows about the
setting and the various powers of the various "splats" (supernatural character
types) could come up with a reason for someone coming to look like a "furry" in
pretty well each and every game system that does not mean that
someone can wander into a WoD room with a "furry" who has no character sheet
(hell, even if they DO have one), walk into a bar, and get served without
causing a stir. One that was created by a vampire would be considered a walking
breach of the masquerade, and subject to being hunted down and killed. One
created by mages would be undone by Paradox after a short while as their body
quite literally fell apart. A crinos were-creature causes delerium in normal
humans, either turning them into gibbering fetal balls, or making them run in
terror. Makes getting a drink damn hard. A fae "furry" just would not be seen by
the banal populace, because they'd be disbelieved right out of existence. And so
on, and so forth. Furries are damn cool - but they do not suit the
setting of WoD, at all.
Vampires: regular, half bloods, daywalkers, and all
their relatives - There are specific rules in WoD for vampires, and they're very
specific about weaknesses and strengths and powers. If your character has a
power that isn't in the books, or even if you have one that's similar, but
doesn't use the same rules, then sooner or later you'll run into a rules lawyer
(or rules Nazi, who are much worse) who will take issue with those powers.
There's an incredibly vast range of powers (called Disciplines) available - but
if you aren't familiar enough with the rules to explain why your character can
fly, people are going to give you trouble.
What's that you say? Daywalkers? ummm - no. There's some vampire-associates that
drink blood and are active during the day - but they're not vampires themselves.
Vampirism is an all-or-nothing kind of thing. There's a couple of character
types that violate that rule - but unless you have the books and make a
character sheet by the rules (Yes, I'm harping on the rules - but guess what -
we who play WoD like our rules. Don't take them away from us, they give
our pointless rp lives meaning *grin*) then you'll get laughed at very fast.
What's that you say? your character's mother was bitten while pregnant with the
character, so you get the advantages of being a vampire without the
disadvantages? Umm... there's a technical term for what happens to the unborn
child of a mother who's embraced. Its called "death". No ifs, no ands, no buts.
While I'm on the topic, no, regular vampires cannot get
pregnant and have children in WoD. There's a few who can - they're called "thin
bloods" for a reason, and it's not a good one. Now, if you really want to
play a character who has all the disadvantages of a vampire, without access to
anything resembling the strengths of the vampires of WoD, then by all means, go
ahead, make a sheet, and play a character who's considered a harbinger of
the end of the world for the vampires. Oh, didn't I mention that? The thin
bloods are considered a sign of the "beginning of the end" for vampires, and
thus more hard-line-conservative types amongst vampire kind tend to hunt them
down and slaughter them out of hand.
There are no hereditary vampires in WoD, you have to be turned into one, even if
you're made by Kindred of the East rules. (side note - there is a whole
different type of vampire, from the Kindred of the East rules, who are not
bitten-and-transformed - they're closer to being ghosts with bodies, because
they die with "Unfinished business" and unbalanced souls. There is a lot of
variety in WoD - but we only accept the characters within the specific rules
that are set out)
Slayers and other hunters: Monster
hunters in general are allowed - if they're of the specific types we have rules
for. What we don't have rules for in general are the ones like Blade, or Buffy.
(Already sorta covered Blade-like vamp/human hybrids in Vampires, up above)
Buffy's cool, the show is good - but the character itself doesn't exist by our
rules. If you want a hunter type character, there's a few routes you can go. One
is normal human, without any sort of supernatural powers at all - just weapons
and quick reflexes. Another is the hunters from the book Hunter: the Reckoning,
who are very close to normal humans - they just have a few minor abilities (some
of which are called "edges") that allow them to hold their own against the
supernaturals. No, not all humans are automatically imbued, nor are the Imbued
gifted with madd powerz that you make up on the spot. There's some abilities
they have - and quite a few they just wish they had...
There's a few others from different books, for instance the Asian "Shih" who
hunt "demons" - but they're rare, and making them without having the appropriate
book is rather foolish. You can do it - but if you do a specialized character
without having the books you're likely in for getting nailed by someone who
does have and know the books - and you won't last long.
I can go on and on, and probably will add to this page as people
argue specific examples with me - but for now, I hope this works, simply to give
you all examples of how Ayenee characters and WoD ones don't necessarily mesh,
though they might superficially resemble each other. If anyone has problems with
this page (I did try to be polite-but-honest, I swear) then email me at
world0fdarkness@yahoo.com and
I'll do my best to either clarify or correct the page.
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