This chapter gives general guidelines for playing Houses in a live action environment. The rules are a little different, but basically the same. Let’s take a look at those basics.
Style
The most important change in the system is how players use style. Instead of using dice to determine random elements, we use style.
Before we get using style, let’s talk about how you bank it.
Like the table top game, you can bank a certain amount of style. The base for your style bank is, of course, the things you own.
Every ven can carry style based on what they are wearing.
• If you show up to the game in regular old mundane clothes—a t-shirt and jeans, for example—you can carry a base of five style.
• If you show up to the game with even part of a costume—a cool hat, boots, a sword, whatever—you can carry a base of seven style.
• If you show up to the game in full costume, I’ll let you carry ten style.
That’s your base. When you show up to the game, I give you that much style, based on what you come to the show with. Full costume, ten style. Half a costume, seven. No costume five.
You can also bank the same number of style. In other words, if you get more style during the night, at the end of the game, you have to surrender any excess style.
As usual, items and Art can bank additional style for you. You have a rank 2 hat, you can bank two additional style at the end of the game. You have that same hat and a rank 1 Sword, I’ll let you bank three additional style.
And, of course, if someone tags or compels an aspect, you get one style.
A Liege’s Demand
At the beginning of each game session, your direct Liege can demand 1 style from you and each of your fellow Vassals. There’s really nothing you can do about it. Learn to live with it.
He doesn’t have to make the demand, but the option is always open. Also, if you are a Liege over other ven, you may make the same demand. Once per game, once per vassal.
Risks
To determine the outcome of risks, players still gather dice as usual, but instead of “dice,” we use the term “points.” Each die you would normally gain for a risk becomes a point.
Simple Risks
So, for a usual simple risk, gather points at you would check the following.
1. Is your Name appropriate to the risk? If so, gain one point.
2. Do you have the relevant Virtue? If so, gain a number of points equal to your rank in that Virtue.
3. Do you have an appropriate Aspect? If so, gain three points.
4. Can you tag another Aspect? If you can, gain two points.
5. Can you invoke or tag any free Aspects? If so, gain another three or two points, as appropriate.
6. Do you have any other bonuses? Romance, Items, etc. If so, gain an appropriate number of points.
7. Once you’ve gathered all your points, you may now spend style to add to your total.
As long as your points beat the standard target number, you get to narrate the outcome of your risk. If you do not, the Game Master gets to narrate the outcome. Often times, a simple risk is a binary question. Yes or no. Did I unlock the lock? Did I jump the rooftop? Did I decode the cipher? These questions are answered by simple risks.
Any style you use for a risk are spent. Gone for the rest of the game.
Wagers
Using wagers is still pretty much the same. Each wager you make gives you more narrative control, adding an additional “yes, and…” to the outcome.
You can exchange four points for one wager. Any points you set aside for wagers do not apply to your total points.
Now, because live action games are generally player vs. player, you cannot use wagers to say something true about another player character ven. Just can’t do it. I already see people making endless Wisdom risks at their enemies, piling on irrelevant and damaging “facts.” Bad form.
Contested Risks
Contested risks are a little more complicated.
Use the same procedure as above. The ven with the most points wins the risk and may narrate the outcome. Also, the victor keeps all his wagers and the defeated keeps only half, rounded up.
Any style you use for a risk are spent. Gone for the rest of the game session.
Violence
Having been in a few live action clubs before, I’ve got an opinion on how to handle violence. Here’s how it works in my game.
Unapproved Violence
First, I assume most—if not all—games take place in a noble’s home or castle. That means a few dozen armed guards surround every scene. That means, if anybody starts any violence that is not approved by the owner of the house, the characters who start the violence get themselves killed.
As in die. No test. No risk. Nothing. Die.
The characters die at the hands of a few dozen armed guards specifically trained to kill anyone who starts unapproved violence.
So, just in case you didn’t hear me, this is the system for a character or a group of characters jumping someone else inside a castle where they do not have the approval for violence.
They die. That’s the mechanic.
Approved Violence
Now, approved violence is another matter. If you have the lord of the manor’s approval to whack someone on his own grounds, by all means go ahead and do so. You can use the very same rules for duels or Mass Murder you found in the Violence chapter, with a couple of modifications.
Duels
One on one fighting is pretty much the same.
1. Gather points.
2. Strike bid. Giving up points to go first.
3. Secretly make wagers.
4. Reveal remaining points. The highest total wins, keeping all his wagers. The defeated keeps half, rounded up.
Use the Maneuvers as usual, requiring two wagers each. Injuries are the same: aspects your opponents can tag.
Mass Murder
Like duels, Mass Murder uses pretty much the same mechanic, just substituting points for dice. Maneuvers still cost two style points from the ven using the Maneuver. Failure to dodge a successful attack results in a rank 5 Injury.
Other Rules
All the other mechanics in the game operate as usual. Anything that gives you more dice gives you more points. But a couple more rules for the “official” Houses of the Blooded live action game.
No Pets
Game Masters are forbidden from playing any characters, PCs or NPCs.
The most a GM can do at a game is create the illusion of servants. When players need to address a servant, they can turn to the GM, make a demand, and the GM responds accordingly.
Likewise, any assistants the GM may have may not have PCs of their own, but may only play inconsequential NPCs. Scenery. Backdrop characters. Servants and common folk.
The Heinig Rule: Everyone Helps
At every game, every player should have the opportunity to play an NPC, important or inconsequential. A bandit. Duke Xyvrost. An ork. The Lady of Shadows. Doesn’t matter. Every player can expect the GM to tap them on the shoulder and request you spend at least one fourth of the game as an NPC. Four hour game means you spend one hour playing an NPC.
The GM should assign a Goal to each NPC. Something the character needs to accomplish, either that night or down the road. Short term and long term Goals. If the player accomplishes the Goal for the NPC, great! He gets rewarded at the end of the game. If not, that’s okay. We still thank you with a lesser reward for putting aside your own character to help the GM run his game.
Rewards
At the end of a game session, players are rewarded with style points.
1 style point for playing your character.
1 additional style point for good sportsmanship.
1 style point for playing an NPC.
1 additional style point for obtaining an NPC’s short term Goal.
1 additional style point for obtaining an NPC’s long term Goal.
