Vampire is a game that includes mature topics, and the storyteller team recognises that some players will wish to explore these topics. However, we want everyone involved in the game - and it is only a game - to have a safe and comfortable out-of-character experience.

Subjects that will feature in our game

• Blood: Talking about drinking blood or blood as a general topic - it would be difficult to have a Vampire game without this

• Betrayal and Other PvP elements: The premise of the game includes Player-vs-Player conflict and the potential for character death

• Mental Compulsion: Supernatural mesmerism is at the heart of social vampire tropes

• Morally Dark Choices: You can’t win if you can’t lose

Banned Subjects

Subjects which are outright banned may not feature in the game at all. This includes during uptime sessions, in any downtime submissions or returns, or in any plots.

The current list of banned topics includes:

• Sexual Assault

• Violence towards or abuse of children - This includes, but is not limited to; being a child vampire, having a feeding restriction/preference for children, referring to child exploitation. While we are aware the age of majority was lower at various points in history, we define child as anyone under the age of eighteen.

Restricted Subjects

Restricted subjects have specific rules in place regarding the depiction of the subject and whether they can feature in uptime sessions, downtime and plots.

• Alcohol - Players may not attend sessions while intoxicated, or bring any alcohol into the venue. There are no exceptions to this rule. Simulation of alcohol use or intoxicated behaviour in uptime or downtime is fine.

• Blood - No actual bloodletting or bloodplay is to be performed by players. Additionally, while the ‘trickle of blood from the corner of the mouth’ or pinpoints of a “lover’s” kiss are powerful tropes of the genre and are something we do not wish to ban players from including in their character’s aesthetic, kit is often expensive and hard (or even impossible) to remove stains from, and manufacturer’s claims that something washes out with water often prove imperfect. Therefore, we do not allow in-character use of containers of fake blood (e.g. a goblet) and would strongly prefer that anyone wishing to use fake blood as make-up apply it in an OOC area. Anyone using fake blood accepts responsibility for damage caused by any accidents involving it.

• Cancer - may not appear or be discussed during uptime sessions. May appear in downtime and plots where the players involved have not expressed a wish to avoid the topic. Downtimes containing this topic should not be discussed with other players outside of those directly involved in the downtime.

• Gaslighting: This is an acceptable tactic for characters to use on other characters. However, it is not acceptable for players to use on other players, so care must be taken to ensure any attempts remain fully within the boundaries of character action.

• Genocide - may not appear or be discussed during uptime sessions. May appear in downtime and plots where the players involved have not expressed a wish to avoid the topic. Downtimes containing this topic should not be discussed with other players outside of those directly involved in the downtime.

• ‘Kooky’ behaviour - While humour is acceptable and prankishness has its place, the tone of the game is horror, not farce. Additionally, any mental disadvantages a character possesses, such as the Malkavian clan flaw or a mind-affecting Toll, must be portrayed as disadvantages rather than treated as an excuse for ‘comical’ behaviour. We expect players to handle such things with sensitivity rather than looking for cheap laughs.

• Prejudice - Mortal society is riven with prejudices, so topics relating to prejudice might feature in downtime and mean the race, gender and such that a character presents will affect some interactions with mortal society (for example, a Ghoul’s presented gender might affect their chance of convincing a priest to listen to them). However, most vampires swiftly realise that appearance is a poor indicator of ability, so vampiric prejudices centre around fief, age, and Clan rather than gender, sexuality, or similar.
  Therefore, while characters are not barred utterly from having mortal prejudices, we strongly request players don’t actively discriminate on grounds of the sex, gender, sexuality, or race of other characters. However, we understand that some players may wish to explore the dichotomy of being, for example, a female-presenting character that is respected among vampires but assumed to be a second class citizen by mortals, so storylines featuring these topics may occur.

• Props - use of the following things as part of costume, props or set dressing for uptime sessions, is not permitted. Our priority is the out-of-character health and wellbeing of all participants, so please err on the side of not including something rather than assuming it will be too unrealistic or cute to otherwise be an issue.

  • Bugs

  • Eyeballs

  • Gore

  • Harm to animals

  • Hooked crosses

  • Rats

  • Self harm

  • Shock collars and other medical electroshock devices

  • Spiders

  • Torture

• Pregnancy, Miscarriage or Abortion - may not appear or be discussed during uptime sessions. May appear in downtime and plots where the players involved have not expressed a wish to avoid the topic. Downtimes containing this topic should not be discussed with other players outside of those directly involved in the downtime.

• Religion - The following restrictions are in place as regards religion.

  • The Christian Church is a massive power in mortal politics, the myth of Caine rests on Abrahamic religions, and Clans such as the Followers of Set have religion at their core, so it is impossible to ignore religion as a social and political power. However, if True Faith does feature, it will be an aspect of the possessor’s belief and the game will not take a definitive stance on whether or not a particular religion or sect is objectively correct.

  • We ask that participants do not simulate the use of religious rites for in-game purposes beyond their intended use. For example, a priest character simulating the baptism of another character into the Christian faith is fine, however simulating a baptism to represent a character joining a secret society would not be.

  • We ask participants not to perform out-of-character religious services during the game - for example, two players becoming hand-fasted.

• Romance and Sex - Any consensual sexual behaviour a character participates in will occur out of session. We are applying a common perception definition rather than a narrow definition based on actual intercourse. Subject to this limit, participants may simulate romantic or affectionate behaviour between characters in session.
  While we want participants interested in exploring the trope of the vampire as a romantic protagonist to be able to do so, it is not a vampire trope that has driven the development of Tenebrae. Therefore, we will not be presenting romance plots to characters whose players have not indicated a positive interest in having romance be part of their story; and even where a player has indicated such an interest, we might leave it to the player to initiate the storyline.

• Torture - This covers all forms of torture, including that of animals. Depictions or descriptions of torture are not permitted during uptime sessions. These may appear in downtime and plots where the players involved have not expressed a wish to avoid the topic, and limited to the comfort level of those involved. Downtimes containing this topic should not be discussed with other players outside of those directly involved in the downtime.