GURPS Vampires

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LordBelial

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Game Information

Created Jul 14 '10
Last Post Sep 2 '10 at 7:25pm
Status Aborted
System GURPS

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Thread: GURPS Vampires

Game Description

Description
This is a vampire campaign. You are newly made vampires in a city lousy with vampire factions and other creatures. You know little of what is going on - you certainly aren't big fish and for the past year you have been focusing on living a fairly normal life with your vampire nature only being a part of it. Vampirism does have its advantages in many jobs - from computer programmers and lawyers, since you are more perceptive, to independent investigators, to night-time bouncers and security, to mobsters and hitmen (for obvious reasons).
But you have been hearing rumors; there is unrest in the various supernatural factions since the old Executioner -the city's supernatural sheriff- was killed and the new Executioner is both a political problem and not as good at her job. And then one night you suddenly find yourself in a dark alley, standing over a decapitated vampire along with some other people you don't know, with no memory of what happened or how you got there.
With little knowledge of the supernatural side of the city and appearing very guilty for murder from the evidence at hand, you must find out what is going on - if you can survive long enough.

Setting
The city of San Francisco is a crossroad of several supernatural factions. Vampires have ruled its supernatural night life since the city was built -there are even rumors the vampires had it built themselves- but they are not alone and they are not united. Several sorceror families have retreated in their own "mage quarters" within the city's wealthier neighborhoods and shapeshifters frequent the shiftier parts of town.
The vampires themselves are having problems. The city is nominally led by Georgius Tzul, an 11th century warlord and very powerful millenial vampire. But the world is changing too swiftly for him to catch up and there are quite a few vampiric factions that oppose him. The Executioner, the city's supernatural sheriff and nominally the Master's right hand, has been slain by the vampire that replaced him. Even worse, said vampire is pushing for reforms in the system more in line with modern society and not the archaic feudalism that is the norm. And that is only the beginning...

System
Vampires in this system belong to several ancient "bloodlines" that appear in legends around the world. Some may fit the dark and sexy stereotype of today -such as the Lamias- while others may be bloated corspes (Strigoi), classic Dracula-like vamps (Nosferatu), or terrifying demon-posessed skeletal horrors (Lilim). They aren't all the same type of creature. "Vampire" is the name that applies to all creatures in the setting that are humanoid undead, drink blood, can create spawn and have both intelligence and supernatural power. The base supernatural template is pretty flexible to cover all of them and they can develop other powers based on their type.

Making a vampire:
You have 250 points plus 100 points of disadvantages-disadvantages from the template do not count agaisnt that limit. You are stronger than human but still young as a vampire. To make a character do the following:
1) Choose a Bloodline; the power modifier will modify all powers but not the template, skills or advantages you gain as a human.
2) Apply the template, usually choosing the advantages/disadvantages that fit your bloodline (but not always-be creative)
3) Choose one to three powers from the power list. These are powers common to new vampires and are intended as example powers of the low tier. Treat each as a single advantage. Modify the cost of the powers you chose depending on your bloodline.
4) Calculate how many points you have left. Use some of these points plus any non-supernatural disadvantages to create a base human to which the template is applied. If you use lots of points here, it means you were an exceptionally talented human but you are going to end up with less powers.
5) Use any points you have left to modify powers, remove disavantages or take new powers. Modifying powers means you have an improved version of the base power which ends up costing more but is more powerful. For example, one vampire may be extremely strong (add more arm ST) but only by spending blood (add a HT cost) while another may be strong even by day (remove the "night only" modifier). Removing disadvantages you had to take due to the template means spending points to remove vulnerabilities instead of taking new powers. You can't remove vampiric or undead traits but you can buy off the other disads.
New powers and advantages can be added as usual.

Choose a bloodline from the following. Each bloodline originated in a different land and have different powers and weaknesses. They get a bonus for taking powers of that bloodline but a penalty to powers not on that bloodline. (this is a power modifier of -20% in what you're good, +20% in what you're bad.)
This is not a comprehensive list of bloodlines in the world, only the most prominent. You can be creative if you want and try to describe another vampiric myth through one.

Nosferatu "Traditional" vampires from the north of the Black Sea, prominent in Romania during the middle ages. They are usually vulnerable to living wood and require coffins with soil from their homeland. They are especially adept with "traditional" vampire powers; any power increasing strength (including telekinesis), does direct mind control or transformations. They lack ability in either speed powers or magic.
Strigoi Living corpses from central Europe and the Balkans. They are usually vulnerable to fire and must sleep in graveyard soil. They are especially adept at toughness abilities and necromantic abilities (including necromancy spells) but lack social abilities and transformations . They can't have advantages that enhance their appearance.
Mara Demonic tricksters originating from the Far East, Maras are usually vulnerable to silver and must sleep underground. They are adept at all mind attacks and illusions (including mind/illusion magic) but lack strength and destructive magic.
Hags Hags are blood-witches (and blood-wizards) from the North and West. They're usually vulnerable to fire and must rest in a specially prepared ritual circle. They are especially adept at all magic spells and may eventually develop sensory abilities (-20%) but lack social powers and speed powers.
Lamias Lamias are the "charming" vampires. They originated around the Mediterranean, in both Greece and Egypt. They're vulnerable to living wood and must sleep with someone attracted to them in order to "rest". They get a bonus in social and mind-influencing powers (including enhanced appearance) plus speed powers but tend to lack strength powers and toughness powers. Lamias can never take an appearance penalty disadvantage.
Lilim Lilim come from ancient Sumeria and are undead animated by demonic power. They are usually vulnerable to silver and must sleep in a specially prepared ritual circle. They get a bonus in strength, toughness and black magic but lack mind-affecting abilities and social abilities - except Terror to which they get a bonus. While they can get improved appearance at no penalty, when in combat or bloodlust their faces shrivel so that the skull shows beneath the flesh and demonic features grow such as jagged teeth, fire burning in their eye sockets and the like: they have the "Horrific Appearance" disadvantage limited to "combat and bloodlust only" for -10 pts