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[Rusty]

I've had an idea for a vampire setting that could be quite interesting.

So far we have always played in the United States, dark ages europe, and we had the OKC game in the midwest with all the other games being set farther west, I'm not sure where the giovanni chronicles was set.

I think I could write a NWOD setting in the caribbean. Not in Dominica, or any particular real world country, but in an entirely fictional caribbean island.

This may seem like transferrence of my condition into vampire, and it may be that to some degree, but I think that the world of darkness would be a very different experience in a place that is part of the third world, has remnants of british, french, and dutch colonialism, and is close enough geographically to major world powers to have their influence AND is potentially part of the oil infrastructure.

Certain parts of the world of darkness have been well illustrated, but are usually marginalized. creole culture, vodun, superstition, there's a lot in this part of the world that could be very interesting to play out. With the catholic influences here the Lancea sanctum might be the only covenant managing real opposition to Circle of the crone, which seems to me to be the closest match to Carib mysticism. Perhaps a small invictus presence offers the promise of transfer into the states for kindred that can bring institutions under their control.

Infrastructure is a big part of where elders control events, and depending on the attributes of the island, there might not be a whole lot of it.

Anyway, just a thought. It could make for some very interesting gaming. PCs would be part of a much smaller vampire population, probably spread out over several islands but under one mortal government, like Trinidad and Tobago or Antigua & Barbuda. Also with it not being an exceptionally stable country like european or north american cities, actual war could break out. Violence might be a much more useful tool of vampires, and helicopters and assault rifles might be a critical part of any ancilla's estate.

This proposal seems like it might be enough different that it could be a refreshing change yet still be familiar territory and a system that people are either trying to learn or are versed in.

I'm going to add it to my library of settings, it's slowly growing.

Please post reactions and ideas. If someone thinks they'd like to try running this or adding it to a game rotation then I'll include in depth notes for module style game mastering, otherwise I'll run it whenever I get a chance.

[Rusty]

a couple things occur to me as potential plot mechanisms within the setting. Perhaps the small chain of islands don't get along, and have rival factions within their governments. I've never seen vampire played in a setting of active military operations, but this would be very possible. The islands wouldn't be totally impoverished, they'd have perhaps oil resources between them and have enough money for at least aging soviet equipment. Military Influence would be a vastly important character background. Police, criminal, industry, these things would become the power with which vampires can destroy eachother, or negotiate for power. Though they are important in games set in the states, they would be so vastly important in this setting that they may as well be disciplines or attributes, protection during the day from attack helicopters and armored fighting vehicles...sounds like some nice, gritty, 3rd world vampire mayhem. Even neonates would have a lot of weight in court, a vampire embraced of only two years could still have military status and influence which makes him far more dangerous to an elder than a normal neonate, when an airstrike on a civilian target is rather unimpressive to the local and international media. "there were bad people there" would explain it away.

I'm really liking this setting idea, it has a lot of stark contrasts with the Countenance setting I'm working up, perhaps it's more attractive because it's so different from your average vamp setting.

[rydi]

i think it could be interesting, though i think the type of game would vary by location.

caribean settings would be more laid back, and aggressive conflict could be set up around gangs and turf wars.

an african game however... there is some real military action there, tons of land and poor people to abuse, leftover russian equipment and a bunch of money from diamonds and other stuff... and some of the shittiest things humanity has ever done to itself.