Pandemonium Traditional & Live Action Roleplaying
Blood on the Moon Chronicle

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Introduction - "Blood on the Moon" is an ongoing Live Action Roleplaying Game (LARP) spin-off of the Pandemonium Reigns Vampire LARP game, which also hosts periodic LARP events to allow players to indulge in long blocks of uninterrupted in-character play time. The two games inhabit the same universe, which means they share a master timeline as well as the same game mechanics & rules system, but Blood on the Moon differs from the Vampire Game in several ways:

  1. The Game God who is running the Blood on the Moon LARP game is Clothos MonkeyDancing (A.K.A "Werewolf God" or "WWG") .
  2. This game is populated mainly with werecreatures and other living beings.
    1. Vampires, ghouls, and their ilk reside in Chronicles of Blood - a sort of repository for PC & NPC supporting cast members, run by VGod (Lachesis Dragonheart).
  3. Blood on the Moon takes place within a modern setting which varies from the real world only very slightly, and is focused on the greater San Francisco Bay Area region of California.
  4. As with other facets of the Pandemonium Universe players are encouraged to actively recruit new people to play the game. However, the final decision on whether to allow new players or characters into Blood on the Moon rests with Clothos. No one else is authorized to approve characters for play in this game or extend invitations to join it.

When/Where Do We Meet? - Players meet both in person and online to discuss game mechanics, further storylines, work on character development, and to enable their characters to interact with other characters. WWG posts the dates, times, & locations of these meetings to the Pandemonium Group's online calendar. After each meeting, WWG posts current event updates to the Group.

Players are responsible for keeping themselves current by regularly checking the calendar for scheduling updates and the Group for current events updates.

Regular Monthly Meetings: We have two each month. Their purpose is to provide a venue in which characters may interact and engage in actions affecting the master timeline. These will be overseen by WWG to ensure they happen in the correct order.
    1. The Saturday Meeting. Players meet in-person. Long distance players attend via chat room and/or telephone.
    2. The Online Meeting. WWG or VGod opens a chat room in which the general meeting takes place. Players may meet alone for private side conversations, but all private conversations between characters MUST take place in a chat room with WWG present.

Special Group Meetings: Arranged by WWG as needed or upon player request. They may be for historical interactions or interactions for a subset of the group which would take up too much time if conducted at a regular meeting.

Special One-On-One Meetings With WWG: Arranged by WWG as needed or upon player request, these may be conducted in person, on the phone, via email, or during pre-scheduled "WWG will be online" times. The meetings may be for God-consultations, character creation/revision, or historical interactions which would take up too much time if conducted at a regular meeting.

How To Join The Game - A process exists for introducing new players into the Pandemonium Universe. The procedure for joining Blood on the Moon is only slightly different:

  1. Accept an invitation to attend a Blood on the Moon's monthly Saturday in-person meeting or LARP event. These invitations can only be extended by a Game God or current Pandemonium Universe Player, because only they will know when and where these things are scheduled to take place.
    2.
  2. Attend more than one of Blood on the Moon's monthly Saturday in-person meetings or LARP events. While there, meet the other players and let them get a feel for your personality, gaming style, etc., and participate in group LARP scenes as an NPC (assigned by WWG).
    3.
  3. Accept an invitation from WWG to join Blood on the Moon (and the Pandemonium Reigns eList group, if not already a member) for a probationary period, the purpose of which is to allow the established and provisional players time to determine whether they can successfully LARP together, and to give WWG a chance to spot any potential personality clashes or other problems before the arrangement becomes permanent.
    4.
  4. Complete the probationary period and accept an invitation from WWG to join Blood on the Moon as a permanent player (and to join the Pandemonium Reigns eList group, if not already a member).
    5.
  5. Meet with WWG to create your character and play through historical interactions until WWG declares the character "Active."
    6.
  6. Begin playing your new Active character during in-person and online meetings, and other game-related events

Character Creation - Bring your character ideas to WWG, who will approve, modify, or veto them depending upon their appropriateness to her vision for the game and whether they'll fit reasonably well within the existing plot structures. WWG will then run your character through a series of historical interactions designed to establish your character's worldview, personality, fears, motivations, and relationships with other characters.

Historical interactions are scenes crafted by WWG that happen(ed) to your character prior to present day. This is how we give your character a past, solid memories, and emotional responses that really stick in your head during Live Action game play. These interactions are usually conducted using a carefully choreographed combination of narration and face-to-face scene-play with both PCs and NPCs. By the way, you should prepare yourself for the possibility that it may be necessary for WWG to impose minor restrictions on your characters' Free Will during such interactions.

Upon completion of these stages, WWG will declare your character to be "Up-To-Date" or "Active."

Live Action Role Play / Modern Day Interactions - Once your character has been officially declared "Active" by WWG, you are ready to immerse it in the ongoing story - which is to say that you may begin engaging in God-run interactions with any characters to whom your character has access.

In-Character vs. Narration Everyone has their own personal boundaries and styles when participating in LARP sessions, but ideally, interactions between characters should take place entirely in-character - with the players thinking and reacting as their characters would, playing out the scene rather than narrating it. The less often players break character, the more smoothly the scene or Event goes.

Character Contact Information Characters may only utilize contact information which was acquired in-character from a God or another character, or which can be found through public directories (check with WWG). Telephone numbers, email addresses, etc. posted in the Group contact list or given to one player by another player DO NOT EXIST for their characters.

**Interaction with Non-Player Characters (NPCs) is ruled by the Game Gods.** If your character tells an NPC minion to research something, either WWG or VGod (Lachesis) is the one who determines how long it takes, what is learned, how accurate the information is, and how much of it the minion reveals. Likewise, if your character instructs an NPC to deliver a message or package, the Game God to whom that NPC belongs is the one who determines how long delivery takes and whether it is waylaid along the way. So always check with the Gods when interacting with or relying upon NPCs. ...Don't know which God to ask? When in doubt, ask WWG.

How Time Flows Within The Game - A very wise person once said, "Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once." Ironically, how the passage of time is controlled and measured is especially important in an ongoing LARP game.

In the first several months of Blood on the Moon, I tried letting the game share the same master timeline as the real world. Sadly, this approach proved too much work and stress for everyone involved. Game momentum clashed horribly with Player time limitations & real life responsibilities, not to mention those of the Gods. In response, we've moved to a format wherein time flows only when WWG says it does, which means that if it didn't happen during interactions, meetings, or online IM chats run by one or both Gods, then it cannot impact the master timeline.

When In-Game Time Is Passing: Active characters (see "Character Creation," below) may interact with any active characters to whom they have access, as well as God-run NPCs.

When In-Game Time Is Stopped/Paused: Players can work on background stuff for their characters, interact with WWG, and work with other players to conduct research, plan events, coordinate attacks, etc. However, characters cannot engage in any activity that affects the master timeline without specific, per-incident permission from WWG.

LARP Events - Few players can set aside whole weekends for "big games," like we used to do in the Vampire Game. However, most can manage an afternoon or evening here and there. Therefore, the plan is to hold at least one LARP Event every 6 to 8 months.

LARP Events are pre-arranged (by Werewolf God) mass meetings simultaneously involving as many Active characters as possible for long blocks of in-character time. They may either take the place of a regular Saturday meeting or be specially scheduled in addition to the regular meetings, depending upon the nature of the Event. Their primary purpose is to provide players with regular bouts of quality Live Action gaming time. Werewolf God understands LARPing is an addiction, and is here to help you feed it.

Crossover Scenes & Events - There will be times when one or more characters crossover from Blood on the Moon to Chronicles of Blood, or vice versa. The two share a common master timeline and rules system specifically so that this can occur. However, it may happen ONLY by joint decree of the Gods Argante and Clothos. Players are welcome to present the Gods with suggestions for crossover events, large or small, at any time, but should keep in mind that once the suggestion has been made, the decision and implementation lies in the hands of the Gods.

Magic and Mysticism - Magic does exist in the Pandemonium Universe, but few natural/living characters survive long enough to become really good at it, especially when compared to undead characters who have had several centuries to perfect their arcane art. However, mystically-oriented werecreatures, humans, and other non-vampiric characters do exist.

Character interactions requiring unusual non-physical conduits - such as telepathy, telempathy, omens, or dreams - are extremely rare and remain the strict purview of God. (Players wishing to mess with such things are on their own, although WWG would be extremely interested in hearing how it goes.) Relevant "spell schools" are currently in development to handle the magical needs of this game. See WWG for updates.

Special Character Mental and Physical Abilities - These are assigned based on each character's species, history, and inclinations. Each ability comes with a card explaining its use, results, and consequences.

Combat - Blood on the Moon tends to see a lot more combat than other parts of the Pandemonium Universe, but it is seldom fatal. In-character combat is conducted using the Pandemonium Reigns Combat Sheet and rules. Out-of-character combat is strongly discouraged.

Weapons Policy - Resist the urge to bring realistic-looking weapons to game sessions.  If you fail your Will roll on this, make sure the prop is securely peace bound so neither you nor anyone else can draw it.  Never use your prop during play. ...We're not kidding about this.

Things That Will Make Werewolf God Hit The Smite Button - Your deity is only deliberately cruel when it is in your best interest. Never for fun, profit, or on a whim. She is generally a happy goddess who wants everyone else to be happy as well. ...So you have to really exert yourself to piss her off to the point that she will actually hit the Smite Button. Before it gets that far, however, WWG will talk to you about it. If that doesn't resolve the matter, your character will find herself up the proverbial creek with only an alligator with which to paddle and/or end up contemplating her new existence as a slightly bumpy, smelly smear on the pavement.

Here are some ways to achieve smelly bumpiness:
  • Fail to tell WWG as soon as you realize you are not having fun playing in Blood on the Moon - whether it is because you have outgrown your character or don't like the direction in which she is going, are unhappy with WWG about in-game decisions, find magic or other game mechanics frustrating, can't think of a way out of particular predicament, or some other unforeseen game-related problem has arisen.
  • Continue to fiercely argue, rather than discuss, a story issue, rules, or game mechanics with WWG even after she's listened to your opinion and then made a final decision.
  • Raise your voice, talk down to, deceive, refuse to defer to, snipe behind her back, or otherwise display a severe lack of respect for either God as a game deity.
  • Fail to treat other players (not characters!) with respect and at least of modicum of courtesy.
  • Malicious mischief between players (not characters!) This includes deliberately messing with established out-of-character friendships and other relationships, real world rumor-mongering, and disrupting the game with petty politics amongst the players. Such behaviors will not be tolerated. This is Pandemonium, not Grey Haven.

Access to Werewolf God - Sure, the Gods are petty and cruel, and sometimes arbitrary! That is the nature of Gods (just read Bullfinch). But your Werewolf God loves you and wants you to have lots and lots of FUN playing this game. So please don't ever hesitate to come to her with ideas, comments, questions, or complaints. Here are some ways you can go about it:

  1. Ask WWG for a moment alone during BotM game meetings, social gatherings, or before or after scheduled gaming sessions for other games.
  2. Participate in one of the group IM chat sessions or IM WWG during one of her scheduled "WWG will be online" times.
  3. Send an email request for a private conversation with WWG via the Pandemonium Reigns group eList: PandemoniumReigns@yahoogroups.com.
  4. Send an email directly to her private account: cheekymonkey@monkeymanor.net.
  5. Call WWG: 831-335-7725 (hm) or 408-807-5961 (cell phone). *Always* call the home number phone first. WWG is a starving student and the cell phone is expensive. Besides, you never know when she'll be home.

Werewolf God's Priorities - Why Werewolf God does what she does may not always be immediately apparent. Players expecting her to run the game *entirely* according to mundane rules of logic, luck, and probability are doomed to spend a lot of time being confused and frustrated. To avoid this, keep the following in mind: WWG's #1 top priority is ensuring that her players are having fun. If the game is not fun there is no point in playing it. WWG's next top priority is the story. Given a choice between any two scenarios, Werewolf God will pick the one that makes for a better story.

Always tell WWG if something doesn't seem right to you. Who knows? Maybe she missed something. It happens. It is possible, however, that you will learn you are only seeing a small portion of the dance she is choreographing. And sometimes you just need to take it on faith that everything she does is based in one of those two priorities - both of which, along with the running of this game, are her gifts to you.

The Pandemonium Reigns Group Listserve (eList) - Players are issued an invitation to this Yahoo! group upon entering any ongoing Pandemonium LARP game. The Pandemonium Reigns group is a tool by which Gods and players can communicate publicly with one another or the group as a whole. Any non-SPOILER messages posted there are "seen" by everyone. Players are expected to be mature enough to respect "**SPOILER**" warnings and refrain from reading spoiler messages not meant for them - but the Gods are not responsible for a breakdown of the honor system.

Some of the online features upon which we rely heavily in Blood on the Moon are...

 

Group Calendar: Displays current info for monthly meetings, special meetings, deadlines, and other Group-related events, and sends reminders to the group about these events on behalf of the Gods. For your convenience, the calendar may be viewed by day, week, month, year, or events list.

Database: Group members' contact info, PC and NPC affiliations (personal relationships, vampire Houses, werewolf Tribes, membership in public & secret organizations), and whatever else the Gods deem useful.

Polls: Used by the Gods and players to gauge the group's opinions on game-related topics, interest players in current storylines and game-events, and for resolving difficult scheduling issues.

Files: The Gods and players post important game-related documents and other files here, for use by either the entire group or specific subsets thereof.

Photos: Gods and players post character portraits and photos taken at game events and meetings here.

Links: Gods and players post game-related links for all group members to use.

Post: Sending email messages to the entire group using the PandemoniumReigns@yahoogroups.com eList group alias. This may be done using the online "Post" function or locally using your own email client. There are, of course, many different types of posts.
    • Messages from the Gods: Announcements and other communications to the entire group.
    • Public out-of-character messages to a group of Players: For making Players' announcements, coordinating schedules, discussing game-related topics, pondering the whims of the Gods, and other non-secret stuff you don't mind the other Players knowing.
    • Public in-character messages to a group of characters: For making in-character announcements or smart-ass comments/repartee, coordinating schedules, discussing or commenting upon current events, pondering the whims of the Gods, and other non-secret in-character stuff you don't mind the other Players knowing.
    • Spoilers: Private messages which are meant only for a specific subset of characters or players - like "all Pack Leaders," "all the Rainchildren," or "all mages in the greater Bay Area". Spoilers are an effective way to disseminate in-character information, plan, and make group decisions.

[ NOTE: When sending game-related emails by way of individual private email addresses rather than using the eList alias, PLEASE remember to "cc" WWG. ]

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