Kindred of the East LARP
By Dave Allaster (phoenix152@hotmail.com)
"Deep knowledge is to know without going out the door, to see the way of Heaven without looking out the window."-- The Book of Balance and Harmony
Introduction
The kindred ravage the west, spreading the legacy of Caine. The streets flow red with the blood of the innocent, while the killers recline in their penthouse suites. Truly, there is no place the fanged tyrants haven't graced with their vile touch.Wrong.
The mystical land of Asia is ruled but a different breed of blood suckers. The spiritual titans of the eastern Dharmas hold sway here, and pity to the kin-jin who crosses their path.
OK, I'm not gonna try to sum up the whole Eastern book for all those who don't have it. It's gotta be the worst laid out White Wolf book of all time, but if you take the time to read it, it's also one of the best role-playing experiences you'll ever see. So basically, go buy the book and you'll know what I'm talking about. This article is simply the systems needed to play a Kuei-jin in a Mind's Eye Theatre LARP.
Note: I'm working from Laws of the Night here, so the others may be slightly different.
Character Creation
Nature: Any
Demeanor: Any
P'o Nature: see Eastern book p.92 (This will be your Beast Trait)Dharma (Like a Clan): Starts at 1. Affects your Chi level and Willpower (see chart with negative traits)
- Howl of the Devil Tiger: Virtue P'o, discipline Ghost Flame Shintai
- The Way of the Resplendent Crane: Virtue Hun, discipline Blood Shintai
- The Song of the Shadow: Virtue Yin, discipline Bone Shintai
- The Path of a Thousand Whispers: Virtue Balance, discipline Jade Shintai
- The Dance of the Thrashing Dragon: Virtue Yang, discipline Flesh Shintai
Attributes: Same, Physical / Social / Mental: 7/5/3 Abilities: 5. All the originals, plus these:
- Crafts: Everything from kite making to sword smithing.
- Martial Arts: Brawl with attitude.
- Meditation: 15 minutes alone and focused and you gain one of the following: 1 retest on a puzzle solving test, 1 retest on a Fire Soul test (Frenzy).
- Linguistics: New languages and gained cumulatively.
- Jade Talisman: You have a Jade Talisman (Can use once per night to gain one Chi point).
Influences: All the originals, plus these:
- Nushi: Like a Totem, these are guardian spirits that guard your Wu. For game mechanics, assume 1 point = 3 points in the Eastern book toward making your Nushi (p. 212-213). Laws of the Wild may have better rules in this area.
- Wu: You have Wu members (Think pack mates) which you can call on for help. 2 mates per point in this influence.
Demon Chi (P'o): Always equal to your Willpower.
Disciplines: 3, at least 1 point must be spent on a Demon Art. Usually 1 is spent in the Shintai of your Dharma, but it's not required. I'm working on translating the disciplines for LARP.
Negative Traits: Same, can spend in normal ways plus 2 to raise Dharma rating one.
| Dharma | Chi | Willpower | Max Traits
|
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 10
|
| 2 | 4 | 1 | 10
|
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 11
|
| 4 | 6 | 2 | 11
|
| 5 | 8 | 3 | 13
|
Health: Same as Western Vampires