Pandemonium Traditional & Live Action Roleplaying |
How to Get and Exploit Power in the Pandemonium Universe
So much for getting in the mood. Let us move on to the subject of ruthlessly destroying all of your enemies and laying waste to the innocent rabble who just happened to be in the way at the time. (Yes, this is the violence part.) Speaking as someone who has GMed in many universes and directed for film and stage, I can tell you that there are distinct differences between how characters screw each other over in the more common normal role-playing settings as opposed to how they do it in our Pandemonium universe.
Keep in mind as you play a vampire that your kind are not the only monsters out there. But don't sweat it too much, 'cause this is the vampire genre after all, and as such, I have made vampires the coolest and most powerful creatures in the universe. On paper, what makes a character powerful is its points value. Vampires are definately the top dogs when is comes to points allocation. For example: a 20 year old, 10th generation vampire will receive a minimum of 34 points towards their attributes. A 20 year old human, on the other hand will get a maximum of 17 points.
Ah, this discussion finally brings us to The 2 Kinds of Power! I love them so!
The first kind of power is very easy to demonstrate...
You turn a corner and are confronted by the sight of several kindred in an otherwise deserted corridor. As you begin to step backward their leader, an "old friend" of yours, looks towards you then beyond you, smiling as he makes eye contact over your sholder and nods.
Popular opinion would dictate that, at this moment, the most important thing on your character sheet is your Brawn Pool. And they would be correct. Points, My Friend! It's what separates you from the rabble.
Points are the most obvious and concrete form of power. They allow you to thump someone over the head so they have to respect you! In most games points are the be all and end all of character power. In Pandemonium points are merely the power you have. A far, far more important thing is the second kind of power - the power that others think you have. This wellspring of ruthless domination is based on the fact that most characters have absolutedly no idea how powerful their opponents really are. If you are clever (i.e. you keep your mouth shut about what your real generation and age are), then the only clue your enemies will have about how powerful you are is how powerful you act.
This concept segways us directly into the next topic, Nostradomus's Law of Conservation of Information. The law which states; what they don't know will hurt them, they only know what you tell them, and lie your ass off buddy-boy.
It works like this; fear is a very potent tool, and fear, because it comes from within, need not be justified by anything outside the fearer. You only need to give them a reason to fear you. Cultivating large friends, a following of fawning groupies, and a confidant demeanor will all give you the illusion of great physical power. The effect of all your posturing and social machinations will be to give you a tangible aura of power, regardless of whether that power truely exists or not.
Another good point to remember is that real power never comes to a character without a price. GM's have this nasty little spectre hanging over their heads called "game balance". No character is going to get really big power without some really major disadds.
What this all is leading up to is the fact that Pandemonium is a game of social interaction and intrigue. It's what you say and how you act, not how big a club you have, that determines how well you do.
Let us take another look at your predicament...
You turn a corner and are confronted by the sight of several kindred in an otherwise deserted corridor. As you begin to step aside their leader, an "old friend" of yours, looks towards you, the fear in his eyes is exillerating. You finish stepping aside as he looks beyond you, terror creaping onto his face as he notices the others approaching from behind you. You make eye contact with the kindred standing next to your enemy. You nod, he smiles, and raises the stake into the air.
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