Goth Kids, Theatre Kids, and Vampires
I had heard of Vampire: The Masquerade some time ago, but I haven’t given much thought to buying or playing the game. Don’t get it twisted. I enjoy a good (or even a bad) vampire movie and I can certainly appreciate the history of vampire mythology and fiction. I once attended a “lunch-and-learn” at East Carolina University where a faculty member of the English department with a passion for vampires presented an educational and entertaining lecture. But I just wasn’t sold on the idea of playing in a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) as a vampire. I am generally more interested in playing the hero or the antihero. I would be more inclined to play as Blade or Van Helsing than Dracula or Lestat.
With that being said, I came across a video from the Geek Origins YouTube channel (@geekorigins) on the game. I found it interesting and informative. I was somewhat aware of the game being embraced by goth kids and theatre kids. I wasn’t aware that the game was such a hit with women. I was also aware of people playing the game as a live action role-playing (LARP) game. I can’t say that I recall encountering a group of students LARPing on campus during my college and university years, but it is entirely possible that I did and I just don’t recall the encounter. You can see diverse groups of people and individuals on a large university campus. Anyway, the video details the history of the game and the passion of its players that found a TTRPG that met their interests and desires when TTRPGs like Dungeons and Dragons and Traveller left them as cool as a vampire’s skin.
I then watched a video by the Black Lodge Games YouTube channel (@blacklodgegames) on the game. Specifically, the video encourages players to think of being a vampire in the game as being a part of the criminal underworld and a member of an organized crime family. The video made a lot of sense to me, but I would be interested in hearing the opinion of some players of the game. Like as with many other positions on pretty much any issue or topic, I would reasonably expect that some people would agree and others would vehemently disagree. In any case, I found the video interesting and thought-provoking. A lot of people enjoy organized crime or mob fiction and real-life stories about organized crime families and figures. Would they enjoy playing the role of a vampire that is essentially part of a criminal underworld? Would I?
If you are a TTRPG player that likes vampire mythology and fiction or you have an interest in vampires and have been thinking of trying your hand at playing TTRPGs, I would encourage you to click on the links below and watch the videos. Perhaps that will lead you to watch other videos about the game and perhaps seek out a group playing the game or buy a copy of the game and seek out some other likeminded would-be vampires. 🧛 🧛♀️🧛♂️
“Vampire: The Masquerade — The Game That Let You Be the Monster”
“You've Been Playing Vampire The Masquerade WRONG”
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