UNIVERSAL APPENDIX: CROSS-VENUE INTERACTION

Last Updated: 15 December 2008

I. OVERVIEW

The Camarilla Global Chronicle is set in the World of Darkness, not the Isolated Venues of Darkness.  Interaction between the various supernatural denizens of this world does occur, for a variety of reasons.  While a somewhat xenophobic attitude toward other kinds of supernatural creatures is the norm, exceptions can and do occur both in the canon material and in the Global Chronicle.

This is not to say that vampires and werewolves regularly get together at the local bar to hang out.  By and large, the various supernaturals avoid each other as both competitors for resources (both mundane and supernatural) and potential risks to the secrecy each group tries to maintain.  A combination of fear of the unknown, avoiding the appearance of weakness, and concerns unique to each creature (vampire politics, Seers of the Throne, policing the spirit borders, fear of the Keepers, etc.) all conspire to keep supernaturals from interacting more than is necessary or accidental. 

However, canon does note the existence of cross-venue acquaintances, allies and even the rare cross-venue lover; these are exceptions to the rule, of course, but they can and do happen.  Just as often, supernaturals will interact for altogether less friendly reasons:  to secure territory against each other, to undercut each others’ connections and resources within the mortal world, or even to make a direct strike against a perceived threat.

Players and Storytellers should strive to remember that while mistrust, suspicion and even fear of other kinds of supernaturals is common, outright hatred is relatively rare.  This is not the Old World of Darkness, and nothing is “wyrm-tainted”.  Nor is it the League of Extraordinary Supernaturals; permanent cross-venue working groups should be rare.

II. CROSS-VENUE APPROVAL LIMITATIONS

A. Low Approval

1. Character Activity:  Brief cross-venue soft RP that has no significant consequences on PCs (e.g. a mage PC contacts a werewolf PC to ask permission to enter the werewolf’s territory for some transitory reason).

B. Mid Approval

1. Character Activity:  One-time cross-venue participation in a game of a different venue (e.g. a changeling PC attends a local Mage gathering to see if they are somehow associated with the Keepers; a werewolf PC stalks in the darkness outside Elysium in hopes of killing the vampire that enslaved his wolf-blooded cousin, etc.).  This includes hard RP.

2. Character Background:  Cross-venue background (e.g. a vampire PC with a background tie to a werewolf character).

3. Storyteller Authority: Use cross-venue NPCs that appear at a game or directly interact with player characters.

4. Storyteller Authority: Storylines that include repeated use of cross-venue NPCs.

C. High Approval

1. Character:  Permanent Venue Change – attaching a PC to a VSS of a different supernatural genre (e.g. a vampire PC attached to a Forsaken VSS).  This is High Approval with Top Notification.  It is rare for a supernatural to win this degree of acceptance (or even tolerance) by another genre’s supernaturals.  A very good reason should be given for such an exception.

a. Travel:  When traveling outside of the character’s home VSS, it should be noted that, as with any character, the presiding ST may determine that the character is not in keeping with the local game and refuse to allow the character to be played.  Also, it should be noted that there may be severe IC ramifications for travel to other cities; acceptance for a Permanent Venue Changed character is hard enough to win locally, let alone when visiting other cities.

b. List Access Restrictions:  A Permanent Venue Changed character does not gain automatic access to IC e-mail lists of the attached venue (e.g., while a Gangrel may be accepted enough to run with a Forsaken Pack, that doesn't mean that the werewolves will give the vampire access to the Forsaken lists; doing so requires a good deal more trust than a mere willingness to associate).  Nor does the Permanent Venue Changed character retain access to IC e-mail lists from its native venue (e.g., that same Gangrel is simply no longer trusted by his clan-mates, or by vampire society as a whole).  Access to IC e-mail lists of the attached venue or of the native venue is Global Approval (see below).  Isolation is the price paid for joining a society other than one's own.

2. Storyteller Authority:  One-time cross-venue game, with permitted venues specified in the application (e.g. a game that permits both werewolves and changelings to attend in order to resolve a plot that involves both venues). 

D. Top Approval

1. Character IC Knowledge: Specialty from different venues (e.g. a werewolf PC understanding the Free Council).  Supernatural creatures are notoriously protective of the secrets of their kind; extremely good reason should accompany an application for a cross-venue knowledge specialty.

E. Global Approval

1. Character:  Access to IC e-mail lists for Permanent Venue Changed characters.  Each IC e-mail list requires a separate Global Approval.

2. Character Activity:  Permanent cross-venue participation between two venues (e.g. a Mage who regularly visits the Lost in addition to dealing with his fellow Mages).  This kind of dual acceptance is extremely rare; it is incredibly difficult to maintain concurrent associations with two supernatural societies, due to trust, loyalty and security concerns.

3. VSS:  Mixed-venue, permitting supernatural creatures of more than one genre to attach to a single VSS (e.g. a VSS that includes both werewolf and changeling PCs).  While it is possible for two or more supernatural genres of a given locale to decide to work together, it is extremely rare for this to happen to such a degree as to justify a mixed-venue VSS.  Characters attached to a mixed-genre VSS may when traveling only play in VSSs native to their supernatural genre (or similarly mixed-venued).