We probably do need to actually eventually focus on the more mystical side, especially since we're chasing Golconda now. But a third dot of Resources could help, it's true.
 
We probably do need to actually eventually focus on the more mystical side, especially since we're chasing Golconda now. But a third dot of Resources could help, it's true.
Let's save up to 20 XP, so we can spend it wisely. I have a plan to further out schemes, though I'm not sure what's a good way to make progress on Golconda. We can talk about details later on if you don't want to right now.
 
I've just realized that I accidentally gave the Charisma + Persuasion option a +1 bonus instead of a -1 penalty, and have edited the last update accordingly. While the Presence Discipline mitigates the effect of Artie's Nosferatu curse, it doesn't completely negate the malus to Social rolls. @Andres, @Kebarton, would you like to change your votes in light of this new information?
 
I've just realized that I accidentally gave the Charisma + Persuasion option a +1 bonus instead of a -1 penalty, and have edited the last update accordingly. While the Presence Discipline mitigates the effect of Artie's Nosferatu curse, it doesn't completely negate the malus to Social rolls. @Andres, @Kebarton, would you like to change your votes in light of this new information?
I think we'll have to, with this correction we'd be rolling 5 dice instead of 7. Our chance of success is very low.
Not letting her get involve would obviously succeed and we have a pretty good chance of try to be intimidating. But I don't know.

[] [CONNECT] "Naomi Stewart." She might be willing to take on Eleanor as another student in her academy.

[] [ELEANOR] I'll appeal to my hostess's maternal instinct. "I need your help protecting another family who lives here."
-[] I'll make a Rouse check to add two dice to my roll.
-[] I'll spend a point of Willpower to reroll up to three dice unaffected by my Hunger.

[] [BOOST] Words mean nothing. I'll sweeten the deal and lower the Difficulty by offering Eleanor something of substance.
-[] I'll pay her a dot of Resources to keep an eye on the Kathys.
-[] I'll feed Eleanor a Rouse check's worth of vitae. After all, it's what she came here for.
-[] Warn Eleanor about the blood bond.


If we make this change we risk increase hunger by two but we'll be back up to 5 dice with a DC of 3.
 
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I think we'll have to, with this correction we'd be rolling 5 dice instead of 7. Our chance of success is very low.
Where are you getting those numbers from? Artie only has one dot in Charisma, and three dots in Persuasion. Even with Presence, Artie's Nosferatu curse removes a die from the pool. In other words, Artie's only rolling three dice.
 
Where are you getting those numbers from? Artie only has one dot in Charisma, and three dots in Persuasion. Even with Presence, Artie's Nosferatu curse removes a die from the pool. In other words, Artie's only rolling three dice.
I was counting the +2 bonus from the Blood and Money for the 5. The 7 was from the forgotten -2 from Clan Bane.

Unless…does the bonus give us more dice or a lower DC?


Edit: Nevermind.
 
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The BOOST options lower the Difficulty of the ELEANOR rolls. They don't give you more dice.
My mistake. I just found that post.

So to clarify the DC will change from 5 to 3. We will be rolling 3 dice, because of a typo Andres and I thought we'd be rolling 5 dice.

Now your checking to see if we want to stay with our choice or change our votes.
 
So to clarify the DC will change from 5 to 3. We will be rolling 3 dice, because of a typo Andres and I thought we'd be rolling 5 dice.

Now your checking to see if we want to stay with our choice or change our votes.
Precisely. The penalty makes the Charisma + Persuasion roll less likely to go smoothly compared to the Manipulation + Intimidation option, so I wanted to let you guys know.
 
[X] [ELEANOR] Let's play on Eleanor's fears as a mother. "A bloodsucking monster is stalking the neighborhood."
-[X] I'll make a Rouse check to add two dice to my roll.
-[X] I'll spend a point of Willpower to reroll up to three dice unaffected by my Hunger.

[X] [BOOST] Words mean nothing. I'll sweeten the deal and lower the Difficulty by offering Eleanor something of substance.
-[X] I'll pay her a dot of Resources to keep an eye on the Kathys.
-[X] I'll feed Eleanor a Rouse check's worth of vitae. After all, it's what she came here for.
-[X] Warn Eleanor about the blood bond.


Honestly if we want to keep on being the "not actually charismatic, but surprisingly charming if you account for the handicap" Nosferatu, we should probably raise Charisma to 2. Just chalk it up to more experience being social, even if we're never going to have it be that high.
 
[X] [ELEANOR] Let's play on Eleanor's fears as a mother. "A bloodsucking monster is stalking the neighborhood."
-[X] I'll make a Rouse check to add two dice to my roll.
-[X] I'll spend a point of Willpower to reroll up to three dice unaffected by my Hunger.

[X] [BOOST] Words mean nothing. I'll sweeten the deal and lower the Difficulty by offering Eleanor something of substance.
-[X] I'll pay her a dot of Resources to keep an eye on the Kathys.
-[X] I'll feed Eleanor a Rouse check's worth of vitae. After all, it's what she came here for.
-[X] Warn Eleanor about the blood bond.


Honestly if we want to keep on being the "not actually charismatic, but surprisingly charming if you account for the handicap" Nosferatu, we should probably raise Charisma to 2. Just chalk it up to more experience being social, even if we're never going to have it be that high.
I'll make it a priority next XP purchase. When we try to make a good impression i think we use Charisma+Persuasion, when we try to convince people to our way of thinking I think we use Manipulation+Persuasion.

Right now here are the increase costs.
— Charisma 2, 10 XP
— Persuasion 4, 12 XP
— Presence 2-Daunt, 14 XP
 
[X] [ELEANOR] I don't want to risk Bruno losing a parent. "The less you know, the safer you and your family will be."

Other options are too risky or too costly for not enough pay-off.
 
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[X] [ELEANOR] I don't want to risk Bruno losing a parent. "The less you know, the safer you and your family will be."

Y'know what, yeah, we can bring her in later. Oh, wait, who were we gonna rec as her guide?
 
[X] [ELEANOR] I don't want to risk Bruno losing a parent. "The less you know, the safer you and your family will be."
Other options are too risky or too costly for not enough pay-off.
Fair enough.

Y'know what, yeah, we can bring her in later. Oh, wait, who were we gonna rec as her guide?
Naomi Stewart.

[X] [CONNECT] "Naomi Stewart." She might be willing to take on Eleanor as another student in her academy.
 
[X] [CONNECT] "Naomi Stewart." She might be willing to take on Eleanor as another student in her academy.
[X] [ELEANOR] I don't want to risk Bruno losing a parent. "The less you know, the safer you and your family will be."


Forgot about the connect vote. Good catch.
 
Family Ties 10.06
Sorry for the long wait, you guys. Tax season here in the US has kept me in the office for some time now, but as we get further into April, I'll have more time to devote to writing the installment of this Quest. I thank you all for your patience.

"Naomi Stewart," you reply after a moment's thought. "She teaches classes for new Kindred like you at the Stewart-Freeman Academy in Bronzeville. Tell her I sent you, and she'll show you the ropes."

"Naomi Stewart…Stewart-Freeman Academy," Eleanor repeats in a low murmur, committing the names to memory. Her lips press together upon finishing the last syllable, forming a determined line. Her eyes blaze as she gives you a hard stare, and despite your size advantage, you can't help but feel as though you're suddenly inside a too-small cage with a too-big mama grizzly. "Just one more question, then. Why are you here?"

You hesitate for only a moment, but that's all Eleanor needs to pounce. "I may not know much about Kindred, but I doubt they rent rooms in Chicago suburbia for fun. I repeat: what are you doing in my home?"

You raise your palms in a placating gesture. "I promise I'm not up to anything nefarious, nor am I a danger to you or your loved ones." However, suspicion still lingers on Eleanor's face, so you hasten to explain further. "However, I am looking for another Kindred stalking another family that lives on this street."

"Who?" The suspicion on Eleanor's face is gone, and now her eyes shine with genuine concern for the safety of her neighbors. For a few moments, your mind oscillates like a pendulum. Do you let this fledgling in on what you're up to and appeal to Eleanor's better nature? Will you frighten her into taking action to safeguard the Kathy family?

However, unbidden images then flash through your mind. In one moment, you see Eleanor lying in a pool of her own vitae. In the next, Bruno and Margaret are weeping as their loved one's coffin descends into the grave. Several other unsettling thoughts pass through your mind's eye like a gust from a bitterly cold Chicago winter.

In the end, you shake your head. "The less you know, the safer you, Margaret, and Bruno will be. If the vampire I'm looking for figures out you're helping me, it won't be just you that they'll go after. They'll target your wife and son too. Are you prepared to risk their lives to help me?"

You take grim satisfaction in seeing Eleanor freeze in place at the thought of endangering Margaret and Bruno. Without fear of interruption, you press on. "The best way to protect your family is to let me do my job. So long as you continue to shelter me during the day, I promise I'll do my best to keep all this vampiric crap from landing on your doorstep. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Yes, I understand." Eleanor breathes out, finally finding her voice. She then steps away from you, turning her head so you can no longer see her face. "Good night, Artie. I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Good night, Eleanor," you reply as your hostess exits your room. While nightfall may signal the end of the day for Eleanor; for you, it marks the beginning of your troubles.

You have earned one Experience Point for discovering Eleanor Chang's true nature as a thin-blood.

Available Experience: 2 3

-​

If there's one thing Clan Nosferatu excels at, it's spying. While it's true that High Clans like the Toreador and Ventrue may have the ear of those in the highest echelons of power, the Nosferatu pull the strings of the janitors with keys to the high offices, the file cabinets, and the beating hearts of cities across the globe. Sooner or later, any tidbit of information witnessed or overheard by someone waving a tin cup on a street corner falls into the hands of the Sewer Rats. While you might not play the intel game on the same level as Calhoun or Wauneka, that's not to say you haven't picked up a thing or two about surveillance. In any case, keeping an eye on a single-family home in the middle of Chicagoland suburbia is well within your capabilities.

The most straightforward option would be the tried-and-true stakeout. Your ability to sense the unseen allows you to detect things indiscernible to the five senses. So long as you keep an eye and ear out, you might get a good look at whoever is stalking Kathy Glens' mortal relatives.

Of course, the Auspex Discipline is not the only supernatural trick you have up your sleeve. While you mainly use your Animalism powers to issue orders to your famulus, your ability to communicate with animals is hardly limited to just Courage. With your faithful companion enjoying a well-deserved rest from the injuries she received at the hands of the wight formerly known as Zachary Forge, perhaps it's time to ask around the neighborhood to see if a local stray saw someone unusual.

Setting up surveillance cameras around the Kathys' home is another possibility worth considering. While those with access to the Obfuscate Discipline can trick the living into missing what's right in front of them, only the more advanced users can fool electronics. Another point in this approach's favor is the possibility of recording evidence you can present later to the Prince. Convincing Prince Jackson to handle this as a violation of the Second Tradition would be a lot easier with proof catching the perpetrator red-handed.

Your last option would be to set up an ambush inside the Kathys' home, using the power of Oblivion to conceal yourself. Of course, the risks of such an approach would be enormous. If you cannot deal with any would-be burglars quickly and quietly, you risk breaching the Masquerade by having Kathy's niece witness Kindred-on-Kindred violence. On the other hand, this could be your best chance of ending the threat to Kathy's family for good. The other options allow the possibility of the danger to reemerge, but this route would allow for a more permanent solution to Kathy's problem.

In the end, the choice is yours. How will you protect Sravya and keep your promise to Kathy Glens?

[ ] [SCOUT] I can sense the unseen, which makes sticking with the classic stakeout even more effective.
-[ ] I'll roll a Rouse check to add two dice to my roll.
-[ ] I'll spend a point of Willpower to reroll up to three dice unaffected by my Hunger.

Resolve + Auspex (Difficulty: 3)

[ ] [SCOUT] Let's see if the local wildlife saw anyone suspicious walking down the street at night.
-[ ] I'll roll a Rouse check so the roll automatically succeeds.
-[ ] I'll spend a point of Willpower to reroll up to three dice unaffected by my Hunger.

Manipulation + Animalism (Difficulty: 3)

[ ] [SCOUT] Let's see if the cameras I set up recorded evidence of an Obfuscated vampire up to no good.
-[ ] I'll roll a Rouse check to add two dice to my roll.
-[ ] I'll spend a point of Willpower to reroll up to three dice unaffected by my Hunger.

Intelligence + Technology (Difficulty: 3)

[ ] [SCOUT] I'll lurk inside the Kathys' house to get the jump on any burglar who breaks in.
-[ ] I'll roll a Rouse check so the roll automatically succeeds.
-[ ] I'll spend a point of Willpower to reroll up to three dice unaffected by my Hunger.

Composure + Stealth + 2 (Difficulty: 4)
 
Welcome back!

[X] [SCOUT] I'll lurk inside the Kathys' house to get the jump on any burglar who breaks in.
-[X] I'll roll a Rouse check so the roll automatically succeeds.


Auto-success and it's the strongest tactic in our arsenal? That's pretty good!
 
[X] [SCOUT] I'll lurk inside the Kathys' house to get the jump on any burglar who breaks in.
-[X] I'll roll a Rouse check so the roll automatically succeeds.


Auto-success and it's the strongest tactic in our arsenal? That's pretty good!
A word of caution: this roll only determines whether the mysterious Kindred stalker (or the house's inhabitants) detects you. Should you go this route, the difficulty of the next roll will be set to one, but the dice will still be a factor for subsequent rolls.
 
Glad you're back, taxes are never fun to deal with but I'd rather start a fist fight with Hardestadt the Younger and the Elder, than get on the bad side of the IRS or the Secret service.

[X] [SCOUT] Let's see if the local wildlife saw anyone suspicious walking down the street at night.
-[X] I'll roll a Rouse check so the roll automatically succeeds.

Manipulation + Animalism (Difficulty: 3)

I'm advocating for talking with the local animals. They typically have a strong reaction to Kindred nature and when they don't that's still insightful. Setting an ambush inside the home is obviously risky to us and the family. It means we are acting in a defensive and reactive way, since we are literally waiting for the enemy to feel confident enough to make their move.
 
[X] [SCOUT] Let's see if the local wildlife saw anyone suspicious walking down the street at night.
-[X] I'll roll a Rouse check so the roll automatically succeeds.
 
Alright, the majority has voted in favor of utilizing Artie's Animalism powers, so allow me to roll a Rouse check.

Also, can you guys believe it's been almost a year since we started this Quest? Even now, I'm still amazed that this project hasn't yet fizzled out. Since we'll be hitting the one-year anniversary mark in five days, I'd like to commission some artwork for our favorite soldier-turned-starving artist-turned-vampire to celebrate. If you guys have any artist recommendations or ideas for Artie's appearance, post them in the thread.

EDIT: We rolled an 8, so Artie's Hunger does not increase.
Rogue Attican threw 1 10-faced dice. Reason: Rouse Check Total: 8
8 8
 
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