NPCs are a big part of LA in Anarchy, as much of what takes place in the setting is player-run. To streamline this, we have a handful of different guidelines when it comes to playing such characters.

Anyone can decide to pick up and play a random store clerk, mugger, or Sabbat shovelhead. Of course, you can’t just claim the Mayor of LA has strolled into a scene, or that a werewolf has just slaughtered 20 people in the middle of a busy street. As such, as general rule, you don’t need to ask to play an NPC as long as it adheres to the following guidelines:

• They aren’t a notable figure
• They aren’t doing anything that impacts the setting
• They make use of one of the stat blocks below

If it would end up as a news headline (in mortal or Kindred spheres), then it’s probably best to run by a Storyteller before enacting. This allows us to give your plots the attention they deserve, while keeping everyone on the same page as to what’s going down. Unsure if your idea would qualify? Ask anyway!

• Some concepts that would require Storyteller oversight include:
• Sabbat infiltration
• Mortal government officials/politicians
• Large riots/shootouts
• Incorporation of other splats (Werewolf, Wraith, Changeling, Mage, etc).

Stat blocks are designed to keep things quick and easy for players, allowing them to focus more on the narrative they’re telling than the mechanics behind it. Minor adjustments can be made to better fit context, but they should remain unmodified for the most part. This will allow everyone to be on the same page when mechanical situations arise, and allow for easy Storyteller intervention should it become necessary.

Want to play something more involved than a stat block? See Antagonists below.

[STATBLOCKS HERE]

Not all plotlines can be wrapped up in a single scene with a stat block. This is why players are eligible to make their own Storyteller-sponsored antagonists to run plots that otherwise would be impossible within the bounds of normal character creation.

An Antagonist is a special type of NPC that allows players to run characters that deviate from the normal character creation rules for the sake of specific plots they wish to run.

Because they don’t adhere to normal character creation rules, Antagonists are only limited by your imagination. They can be of any clan, sect, age, or Generation. They might not even be vampires at all, whether mortal hunters, rabid werewolves, or stranger still.

However, this creative freedom comes with some limitations.

• Antagonists are ineligible to claim weekly experience for activity.
• Unlike normal NPCs, Antagonists cannot be mechanically related to a PC. This includes flaws (Enemy, Rival Sires, Hunted, etc.) and backgrounds (Ally, Contacts, Mentor, etc.).
• Antagonists don’t benefit from Consent for Death protection, and will always be at risk of death when engaged in combat.
• They’re unable to mechanically contribute to events (such as in the case of an extended roll), or claim event rewards.
• They can’t feature in solo scenes except for those required by a Project.

Antagonists aren’t going to be sitting idle. In order to represent their threat to the setting, they’ll be working on extended rolls in an effort to realize their overarching goal.

Projects don’t need to be some machiavellian scheme. They can be as simple as “spark a riot downtown”, but they can also be as complex as “coax a slumbering eldritch entity out of the sea to consume the city whole”. Whatever their goal, it should be well defined in the Antagonist’s pitch to the Storyteller.

Once an Antagonist is Approved, the Storyteller will help determine the specifics of their Project. It can be one extended roll, or several, each with their own pools, difficulties, and success goals. Each time a pre-established goal is met, a scene of the Antagonist making headway is required. Their Project can’t continue until this scene is logged.

Throughout the course of a Project, identifiable/traceable plot hooks are going to be left for the cast to pick-up on. These need not be obvious, but it shouldn’t be completely impossible for characters to engage; your goal is to tell a compelling narrative and provide a fun plot, not maliciously nuke the setting. The Storyteller will be available to assist crafting these beats as necessary.

Example: Golem the Baali wants to summon the terrible Leviathan from the sea. His Project might include researching ancient texts (Intelligence + Investigation), rounding up gullible souls to sacrifice (Manipulation + Subterfuge), and painstakingly preparing his ritual site (Intelligence + Occult). As he nears his goal, the cast might see news articles of museums being broken into, hear reports of Kindred going missing, notice changes to the weather and tide, and other events with increasing severity. If left completely unchecked, upon his Project’s completion, Golem can very well have summoned Leviathan to terrorize the city.

To be eligible to play an Antagonist, players must have a PC that’s been consistently active for the last 6 months, and must not already be playing an Antagonist. In other words, you can only play one Antagonist at a time.

Before any character sheets can be made, all Antagonists will need to have their concept pitched to the Storyteller for consideration. At a minimum, pitches will require the following information:

• Who they are
• What they are
• What they want
• How they’re going to get it
• Why you want to run this plot

Beyond this, pitches can take any form. While it’s not expected an entire essay will be written up for an Antagonist, the effort put into a pitch should reflect the complexity and power of the character you’re interested in playing. A single Sabbat trying to organize a shovel party won’t warrant much more than a paragraph or two, but someone like Golem the Baali in the Projects example above would need considerably more thought put in.

Ultimately, the more you consider an idea and impress the Storyteller with your pitch, the more likely they’ll allow you to play something on a grander scale.

Once a concept is Approved, Antagonists can be sheeted with the normal character sheet, and follow standard Vampire creation rules. Mechanical adjustments from the normal guidelines include:

• There is no freebie tax for Paths of Enlightenment.
• Viscosity can be taken with freebies at a cost of 2 points per dot. The flaws from Viscosity don’t award extra freebies or count towards the 7-point flaw total.
• There is no maximum for starting experience. They can claim 1 XP per year as long as they were active.
• Banned Merits/Flaws can be taken at Storyteller discretion.
• Adjustments for groups/coteries/packs as opposed to individual Antagonists will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
• The summarized pitch should take the place of a proper biography.
  • A biography can also be supplied if desired.

Once complete, they can be submitted to Caine for review like normal. Submission cooldowns apply to Antagonists as if they were PCs.

How do I pitch a concept to a Storyteller?

Send a Storyteller a DM with your pitch. It can be in a message, a linked document, a slideshow, a video of an interpretive dance; whatever you feel best gets your message across and sells the concept.

So I can’t have an Antagonist connected to another character at all?

They can’t be connected mechanically. Meaning, your character’s sire can show up as an Antagonist as long as they aren’t represented by a flaw or background on their character sheet. The reason for this is to discourage the creation of exclusive Antagonists.

I want to make an Antagonist, but they’re mechanically represented. Do I need to do a rework?

Not at all! Go head and pitch your Antagonist anyway. If the idea is cleared, a Storyteller can assist you in reassigning the associated flaw points or background dots.

I only want a few characters to fight my Antagonist. How can I restrict them?

You can’t. Antagonists need to be created with the understanding that anyone might want to investigate/pursue them. Individual plotlines should instead be explored through other means. If you want to do something crazy for your PC specifically, ask a Storyteller!

Can multiple players combine their Antagonists to work towards a single Project?

Yes, though each player involved will need to pitch their Antagonists separately. This is to make sure everyone participating is on the same page, and pulling their own weight.

How long can I play an Antagonist for?

However long it takes for their Project to come to fruition, if they aren’t thwarted before then.

Do I need to have a Project?

Yes. All Antagonists will need a Project, as defining their Project will be required for Approval. Remember that not all Projects need to be grandiose or involved; sometimes you want to summon Cthulhu, but other times you just want to bomb a gas station.

How will we roll for Projects?

Once an Antagonist is approved, the Storytellers will create a private channel dedicated to them for discussion and Project rolls.

Can part of my Project be the claim roll for Domain?

👀

No Consent for Death? Won’t they be instantly murdered?

They won’t be if you play smart! Storytellers will watch for any potential metagaming on behalf of those interacting with Antagonists, but much of the work at obfuscating their intentions will fall to their player. After all, you can’t introduce yourself as “Golem the 6th Generation Baali, harbinger of the destruction of Los Angeles” and expect zero resistance.

But if my Antagonist only works through pawns, they’ll never be caught!

Antagonists shouldn’t be created with the intention of being infallible. That simply isn’t good design, narratively or for a game with other players.

Can my Antagonist kill/harm/affect other PCs?

They can, but all the normal protections for PC death and discipline consent still apply, unless the scene has already been established as requiring Consent for Death (such as during a climactic boss fight). Ultimately, if you think it would be compelling to severely antagonize a PC, communicate with their player and use common sense.

Can Antagonists participate in events?

They can certainly show up and appear to be involved, as it’s a great way to socialize with the cast, but they won’t be able to mechanically contribute (such as through extended rolls). However, Antagonists may be able to attempt sabotaging events as Storyteller discretion.

My Antagonist has infiltrated a Domain. Do they count as a supporter?

They don’t.

Can I really play a werewolf? Or one of the Imbued?

Absolutely, provided your pitch proves you’ve done your research.

…I don’t know how to make or play a werewolf/Imbued though.

Then it’s probably best you stick with V20 until you feel confident pitching an idea for another splat.

How can my Antagonist be lower than 8th Generation?

You’ll need to put all 5 background dots into Generation, and then take Viscosity on top of it.

What’s the lowest Generation my Antagonist can be?

Hypothetically? 3rd, if you take Generation 5 and Viscosity 5. Realistically? Viscosity isn’t very playable beyond the 2nd dot, unless you want your Antagonist perpetually starved of vitae.

Wait! I got attached to my Antagonist! Can we make an exception?

Nope. Don’t get attached to these characters, as they’re ineligible to be made into PCs even if they would qualify mechanically.

Can I submit an Antagonist when I have a PC in the queue?

No. Antagonists are considered PCs for the purposes of submission cooldowns, so you’ll need to choose between one or the other.

Wait… Aren’t Antagonists just events?

Yes! Looking at Antagonists as the focal point of a miniature, player-run event is the best way to frame it.

Antagonists are a powerful narrative tool, and as such are expected to be handled maturely. Players who seem to be using an Antagonist incorrectly (treating them like a glorified PC, violating player boundaries, making them infallible, metagaming) will risk having them revoked by the Storyteller.