Seeking in-print horror theme RPG

[EternalDungeonMaster]

Hi all.

I am interested in running a roleplaying game in which the characters are vampires. I'm interested in something that will allow me the flexibility to create my own vampire "canon" (e.g., do stakes kill them, do crosses repel them, can they enter homes unbidden, etc.).

The only catch is that the game must be presently in-print and available.

Thank you in advance for any information and experience people are willing to share.

 

[nightwyrm]

May I suggest WoD's aptly named Vampire?

 

[AngryMojo]

May I suggest WoD's aptly named Vampire?

This.

More specifically, pick up the World of Darkness core book and the Vampire: The Requiem book for the vampire specific stuff. Buy d10s en masse, and have a wild, angsty good time.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

Yep, Vampire: the Requiem is probably your best bet for playing as a vampire.

 

[EternalDungeonMaster]

Thanks all for the responses. I was kind of figuring that Vampire the Requiem was going to be my best bet. I was just hoping that there might be some more generic, in-print RPGs out there that I wasn't considering.

I'll likely end up using V:tR and disregarding the canon background info.

Thanks again.

 

[AngryMojo]

Thanks all for the responses. I was kind of figuring that Vampire the Requiem was going to be my best bet. I was just hoping that there might be some more generic, in-print RPGs out there that I wasn't considering.

I'll likely end up using V:tR and disregarding the canon background info.

Thanks again.

Truth be told, if you're planning on ignoring the canon background info, you can get away with just using the World of Darkness core book. It's about as generic as you can get for a horror game, and it's very well put together.

 

[dbm]

GURPS will allow you to build anything you want. The two core books should be sufficient for a fairly 'focussed' vampire-based campaign, or you could pick up Fantasy for ideas on how to build monster races if you like more support.

There was an official GURPS edition of Vampire, so many of the vampire tropes are well dedined in the game.

And GURPS is a fantastic system if you want a game which is focussed on more than just killing things and taking their stuff...

Cheers,
Dan

 

[Byronic]

Since you're going to disregard the canon behind it, I would suggest you borrow a copy of Vampire the Masquerade (revised) somewhere and look through it. While you might want to disregard all the political nonsense and clans the book is GREAT when it comes to atmosphere, advise on making the stories etc.

If anything it will give you a counter perspective for when you're remaking Vampire the Requiem and will probably inspire quite a few improvements (not a Requiem fan, although I've only browsed it)

 

[Mouseferatu]

Since you're going to disregard the canon behind it, I would suggest you borrow a copy of Vampire the Masquerade (revised) somewhere and look through it. While you might want to disregard all the political nonsense and clans the book is GREAT when it comes to atmosphere, advise on making the stories etc.

I'd actually suggest the exact opposite. Background and "canon" are far more intrinsic to Masquerade than they are to Requiem. That was actually one of the whole points of the new World of Darkness: Get rid of much of the canon, and make the game more of a "toolbox."

Both games have their strengths, but if you want a game to make "generic," it'll be far more easier to that with Requiem than Masquerade.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Personally, I would recommend a generic system that you're (all) comfortable with, or could be.

One reason is that Vampire (either edition) presents vampires as, well, superheroes and spellcasters with fangs, by and large. Now, before someone gets their back up about that statement, yes, I do know that there are many cases of vampires doing just about bloody anything (so to speak) if you take into account all myths, literature, cinema, etc. However, if you want classic vampires that most people (in your 'typical' western society at least) would instantly recognise and identify as such, then VtM and VtR are both way off the mark.

And yeah, also before someone says it, I'm sure you *can* snip off more than half the types, and so forth. But the bare bones of it is that both games are exceedingly idiosyncratic in their interpretation and presentation of vampire kind. Making this otherwise might mean a lot of work. And for what?

Several generic games give you basic starting packages, templates, whatever, that would be fine. Modding them, if necessary, would also be a good deal easier, I suspect. It's all in the very nature of the systems - wide open, and *made* for creating and modifying stuff left and right. Vampire is not made for this.