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Probably one of the red flags that should have stopped me when it came to Vampire LARP was the Nazi roleplay.
Because that happened in the worldwide White Wolf fan club, back in the day. More than once. Often, even.
Because that happened in the worldwide White Wolf fan club, back in the day. More than once. Often, even.
Honestly I'm not sure how it is now, I've been away so long. I'd like to hope it was better.
Through the 2000's? Lots of chucklefucks thought it would be swell to play Nazis that got turned into vampires in WWII.
And we ... just kinda rolled with it. Like idiots.
Through the 2000's? Lots of chucklefucks thought it would be swell to play Nazis that got turned into vampires in WWII.
And we ... just kinda rolled with it. Like idiots.
It was one of those cases of, "The rules don't explicitly say I can't do this!"
Which happens a lot in roleplaying games, you'll find. Sometimes it's creativity. Sometimes it's dickery by another name.
It wasn't *expressly* forbidden, at one time. So that meant it was okay.
Which happens a lot in roleplaying games, you'll find. Sometimes it's creativity. Sometimes it's dickery by another name.
It wasn't *expressly* forbidden, at one time. So that meant it was okay.
I know right here, right now, 2019, saying "We just didn't think it was that unusual" sounds like a right stupid thing to say, but we didn't.
It was a thing that happened. Nobody stopped them, so we all just considered it explicitly okay even if we didn't join in.
It was a thing that happened. Nobody stopped them, so we all just considered it explicitly okay even if we didn't join in.
That kind of banal, thoughtless complicity happens every day.
Nobody stops them, and it's not exactly entirely illegal or forbidden, so ... we just ... roll with it?
Herd mentality, I guess. We're not the best creatures sometimes.
Nobody stops them, and it's not exactly entirely illegal or forbidden, so ... we just ... roll with it?
Herd mentality, I guess. We're not the best creatures sometimes.
Sometimes it was your typical stupid edgelord bullshit. "Hey, lookit me, I'm a Nazi! I'm breaking your mind!"
Sometimes it was one of those guys who was a little too broken and scary, but the fan club let in everybody until they broke a rule too bad.
Sometimes it was one of those guys who was a little too broken and scary, but the fan club let in everybody until they broke a rule too bad.
(One of those sorts ran for Congress. Another is a district attorney.)
(I'm dead serious.)
(I'm dead serious.)
I say guys because I don't recall a single time a woman in the club made a character with a Nazi background.
And we had lots of women, with lots of scary monster ideas ... but none of them went with "Nazi."
And we had lots of women, with lots of scary monster ideas ... but none of them went with "Nazi."
And folks ... it's not like the official printed game books were discouraging us. whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Totentanz…
It's really hard for a storyteller to say, "Look, you can't play a Nazi vampire, that's not cool" when they could just drop a White Wolf book in front of them and thumb to a profile of a Nazi vampire.
Casual complicity.
Casual complicity.
Just something to keep in mind before Vampire: Bloodlines II drops, yeah?
Not saying "rar rar boycott," but ... I'm less comfortable than I used to be, put it that way.
Not saying "rar rar boycott," but ... I'm less comfortable than I used to be, put it that way.
It was a different time. I know as many good people who worked on the books as bad.
And the fact that the recent 5th Edition debacle shut down Paradox's entire White Wolf publishing arm was encouraging.
So we'll see.
And the fact that the recent 5th Edition debacle shut down Paradox's entire White Wolf publishing arm was encouraging.
So we'll see.
Postscript:
One thing storytellers absolutely could not touch was 9/11.
They couldn't write storylines about it in game, they couldn't say it was actually done by the Technocracy or Black Spiral Dancers.
It's not like they had zero awareness, which means they has less excuse.
One thing storytellers absolutely could not touch was 9/11.
They couldn't write storylines about it in game, they couldn't say it was actually done by the Technocracy or Black Spiral Dancers.
It's not like they had zero awareness, which means they has less excuse.
Christ, I think I heard about that ...
They came *this close* to actual awareness. Like, a whisker's fart away.
Here's a *way* wacky thing:
Remember those "vampire cultist" kids in Florida ages ago?
The club and White Wolf itself freaked about that. Swooped in to do image control. Talking points and shit.
But the college kids pretending to be Nazis, nobody thought that was an issue.
Remember those "vampire cultist" kids in Florida ages ago?
The club and White Wolf itself freaked about that. Swooped in to do image control. Talking points and shit.
But the college kids pretending to be Nazis, nobody thought that was an issue.
The old "Camarilla" and the rebuilt official White Wolf club are both defunct now; I know some of the By Night people from days of old, and they're good folks.
Not surprised stuff has evolved under them, but they're not officially White Wolf/Paradox ...
Not surprised stuff has evolved under them, but they're not officially White Wolf/Paradox ...
Yeeeeeeaaaah, about that ...
Know a bloke named Grim, by chance?
He didn't do Nazis or rape (to my knowledge), but he did mock my mom on the day she died ...
Know a bloke named Grim, by chance?
He didn't do Nazis or rape (to my knowledge), but he did mock my mom on the day she died ...
There was a whole clan of Jihadist arabic vampires in the game.
No, for real.
There was also a tribe of Irish werewolves, and every. Single. American player wanted an IRA background without the slightest idea of the Troubles or their human cost.
No, for real.
There was also a tribe of Irish werewolves, and every. Single. American player wanted an IRA background without the slightest idea of the Troubles or their human cost.
(This went over swimmingly with the UK players, who were ostensibly in the same game continuity as the Americans. And this was only a relative few years after the Good Friday Agreement, no less.)
