--- **System Foundation** This campaign departs from traditional D&D reward structures. The systems below support the tone and intent of _[[Hexa Landing]]_ — a social, faction-driven, morally fraught game of political survival. --- **1. Strip Out Leveling as Core Progression** Characters do not level by killing monsters or hoarding gold. - **Progression** is tied to **influence**, **boons**, **titles**, and **access** to vampiric disciplines, rituals, and secrets. - Gaining favor from a faction leader may increase a character's level or grant unique abilities, contacts, or resources. --- **2. Humanity vs. Hunger: The Vampire's Inner Struggle** Track morality and inner struggle with a single continuum — the **Humanity-Hunger Track (0–10)**. - Characters begin at **Score 5** — torn between Beast and Compassion. - Certain actions increase or decrease this score. - A score of 10 means deep empathy; 0 means surrender to the vampire's predatory nature. **Note:** This does **not** replace alignment. Instead, it reflects how your vampire nature conflicts with your chosen ideals. A Lawful Good vampire may still struggle with dark urges — and must fight harder to maintain their code. There is no risk of permanent character loss. Even at 0, your PC retains agency unless they willingly submit to the Beast. Frenzy is temporary and thematic — a chance to reflect consequence, not remove control. **Humanity-Hunger Track Table:** |Score|State|Description|Mechanical Effects| |---|---|---|---| |10|Saintlike|Clings to mortal ideals, restrains beast|Advantage on Persuasion with mortals, Disadvantage on Frenzy checks| |8–9|Grounded|Ethical, values life, resists urges|Bonus to Insight checks; may avoid feeding in tense scenes| |6–7|Conflicted|Balances survival and conscience|No penalty or bonus| |5|Dual-Natured|Torn between empathy and instinct|Vulnerable to temptation; DM may call for Wisdom saves| |3–4|Slipping|Self-serving, practical, predatory|Advantage on Intimidation, Disadvantage on Empathy-based rolls| |1–2|Near-Bestial|Rationalizes cruelty, embraces power|DC 15 Wisdom save to avoid frenzy when insulted, starved, or provoked| |0|On the Brink|Fully consumed by hunger, but not lost|Must pass a Wisdom save (DC 17) to resist feeding urges or frenzy in high-stress scenes| **Shifting the Track (Examples):** - Feed from a willing mortal with care: +1 Humanity - Kill or enthrall a mortal: –1 to –2 - Betray an ally for political gain: –1 - Protect a mortal child from court judgment: +1 - Sacrifice yourself for a faction rival’s redemption: +2 - Use forbidden magic that harms innocents: –2 **Key Mechanics:** - PCs can raise or lower their score through decisions, rituals, or experiences. - Alignment remains intact — but your actions may challenge it. - Humanity and Hunger are narrative tools that help drive conflict, status shifts, and dramatic evolution. - NPCs react to your visible moral compass — monsters are feared, saints are manipulated. This track isn’t just flavor — it shapes dialogue, status, Vein Trial outcomes, faction trust, and your character's arc in the bloody theater of [[Hexa Landing]]. --- **3. Social Rolls Are as Important as Combat** Every social conflict is a battlefield. - Use **contested skill checks** for duels of wit, status, persuasion, intimidation, or manipulation. - Track **reputation shifts** like hit points: each failure in a high-society event is damage to your standing. - Rely on **Insight, Deception, Persuasion, Performance, History, and Arcana** regularly. **Examples of Social Roll Conflicts:** - **Debate Duel:** Two nobles argue over [[Vein Law]] interpretation before an Ebonclaw judge. PCs roll contested Persuasion vs. Insight to win favor with the court. - **Masquerade Dance:** PCs must maintain composure while being interrogated through metaphor and flirtation. Performance vs. Deception rolls track whether they reveal too much. - **Courtroom Testimony:** PCs advocate during a Vein Trial. Use History (to cite precedence), Deception (to discredit), and Insight (to expose lies). - **Status Standoff:** PCs and a Whisper Court agent try to outmaneuver each other in a salon. Use Intimidation vs. Insight and Persuasion vs. Deception in a layered exchange. - **Blood Market Bargain:** Haggling with a masked broker over a memory glass. Arcana vs. Deception or Persuasion vs. Insight determines who walks away with the better end of the deal. These rolls are not just about success — they shape perception, define faction trust, and ripple outward in the web of vampire politics. --- **4. Faction Standing = XP** Favor or infamy with a faction is your path to advancement. - Maintain a **Faction Reputation Tracker (0–5)** per faction. - Gaining rank unlocks unique resources: access to protected locations, minor titles, invitations, favors, or magical training. - Betrayal drops reputation drastically and may mark you for retribution. **Faction Reputation Table:** Faction reputation is gained by completing meaningful favors, secrets, or missions for a faction. Each rank requires accumulating **Reputation Points**, which are tracked individually per faction. Points do not reset but can be lost through betrayal or disgrace. | | | | | |---|---|---|---| |Reputation Score|Required Points|Title or Rank|Benefits Gained| |0|0|Unknown|No access to faction resources. Cannot attend faction events. Treated with suspicion.| |1|3|Useful Pawn|Allowed into faction-specific spaces. May receive minor errands or tests.| |2|8|Trusted Agent|Eligible for favors, minor magic items, blood boons. Can request sanctuary.| |3|15|Enforcer or Voice|Assigned missions of influence. May speak on faction’s behalf in public. Gains contact or retainer.| |4|24|Named Figure|Given political protection. Access to rituals, shadow libraries, or noble gatherings.| |5|36|Powerbroker / Heir|Can claim territory, give orders to lower members. May inherit a title, seat, or initiate political upheaval.| **Reputation Gain Guidelines:** - Minor Favor / Message / Escort: +1 point - Blackmail Delivered / Secret Exposed: +2 points - Public Service to Faction: +3 points - Major Risk / Betrayal of Other Faction: +4–5 points - Divine or Forbidden Action on Faction’s Behalf: +6+ points **Reputation Loss:** - Breaking faction law: –2 to –5 points - Betraying a faction publicly: Immediate drop to 0 or worse - Killing a ranked member: Faction may mark you for death Reputation scores are slow-earned and hard-kept. Advancement must be earned through shrewd play, risk, and loyalty — or artful betrayal. Reputation scores are fluid — players may rise or fall based on choices, betrayals, and how well they perform in the web of power. --- **5. Hierarchical Society Ladder** The social order is real — and climbable. - Titles: **Thrall, Runner, Fang, Agent, Lord, Shadow Minister**, etc. - Roles: **Sheriff (enforcer), Harpy (gossip broker), Whip (recruiter), Primogen (elder advisor)** - Characters can **gain, inherit, or usurp** these roles. --- **6. Feeding and Blood Hunger** Blood is need, power, and weakness. - Characters must feed to maintain control. Failure may increase Hunger. - Feeding scenes are **risk vs. reward:** cause scandal, gain vision, or lose control. - Mortals with rare bloodlines or cursed traits may affect characters long-term. --- **7. Secrets, Blackmail, and Memory** Secrets are the currency of survival. - Characters can **gather, steal, or trade secrets** to gain favor or destroy others. - Keep a **Blackmail Ledger** of information gathered. - Some secrets are protected by [[Vein Law]]; exposure has consequences. **Examples of Secrets and Blackmail:** - **Hidden Lineage:** A noble vampire is not truly of royal bloodline — exposing this could destabilize a faction. - **Forbidden Feeding:** A high-ranking Conclave judge feeds on divine blood, breaking [[Vein Law]]. - **Secret Alliance:** A Night Guild official is secretly aiding the [[Crimson Sigil]]. Proof of this could trade for sanctuary or favors. - **Stolen Memory Glass:** Contains a vision of a Whisper Court Harpy begging for mercy — embarrassing, and deadly if public. - **Unrecorded Turning:** A mortal was turned without sanction. Revealing it could shame or bind their creator. **Using Secrets:** - Trade them for favors or reputation. - Use them to manipulate NPCs or shift political power. - Sell them at the Blood Market — or destroy them to protect an ally. Secrets can elevate a pawn into a player — or paint a target on your back. Trust no one to keep your name out of the ledger. --- **8. Gothic Tone and Moral Decay** This is not a hero’s journey. - Lean into **themes of moral compromise, beauty hiding corruption, power tainting loyalty**. - Encourage characters to question their path. Reward internal conflict. - There is no true good — only useful, feared, or forgotten. **Examples:** - A character protects a mortal lover by sacrificing a fellow lowblood to political scapegoating. - A courtier’s kindness masks their obsession with cataloging forbidden memories from victims. - The party is asked to testify at a Vein Trial — but the outcome is decided before they speak. - A noble offers the PCs sanctuary, but only if they swear a blood oath to lie for her in public. - A ritual reveals one PC's greatest sin to the party in vivid hallucination, forcing them to confront shame or twist it into leverage. - A vampire offers the gift of undeath to a dying mortal child — and dares the PCs to stop them. Gothic decay is about choices made in shadows, masked mercy, and how close salvation resembles damnation in [[Hexa Landing]].