THE SCENARIO
The Premise
You all work at Best Tofu, a struggling delivery service in Belleville. On this fateful night, your ancient boss Jiangshi sends you on an urgent delivery to La Bellevilloise during what turns out to be a Camarilla summit - and an Anarch attack.
Themes
- Class struggle & gentrification
- Immigration & belonging
- The price of survival
- First nights horror
Tone
A mix of social realism, body horror, and noir thriller as you navigate the treacherous nights of Belleville's Kindred underworld.
SCENE BREAKDOWN
Scene 1: The Last Delivery
PrologueBest Tofu, 10:45pm. Jiangshi gathers you for an unusual late-night delivery to La Bellevilloise. The neighborhood is unusually lively for a weeknight. Her half-blood children Lamia and Adze seem agitated.
Key Elements:
- Jiangshi's cryptic warnings about "important guests"
- Lamia and Adze's whispered arguments in Cantonese
- Unusual clientele in the shop - too well-dressed for Belleville
- Police blockades on Rue de Menilmontant
Player Objectives:
- Navigate the blocked streets to reach La Bellevilloise
- Deliver the special tofu package to the kitchen
- Obtain the receipt and return package from the host
Scene 2: Behind the Velvet Rope
DiscoveryLa Bellevilloise, 11:30pm. The club is hosting an exclusive event with heavy security. As you deliver to the kitchen, you catch glimpses of the gathering in the main hall - something isn't right about these guests.
Key Elements:
- Overhearing snippets of conversation about "the Prince's decree"
- Noticing servers with unusual pallor and sharp canines
- Seeing reflections missing in mirrored surfaces
- A tense exchange between a man in a leather jacket and security
Player Objectives:
- Complete the delivery without drawing attention
- Optionally investigate the strange occurrences
- Find a way back through the now heavily guarded streets
Scene 3: Blood and Concrete
ClimaxMidnight. As you exit, an explosion rocks La Bellevilloise. In the chaos, you're mortally wounded by debris. A mysterious figure offers salvation through the Embrace - but at what cost?
Key Elements:
- The rooftop explosion and ensuing panic
- Mortal injuries from falling debris
- The stranger's offer: "I can save you, but you won't be human anymore"
- First taste of blood to survive
Player Objectives:
- Survive the initial explosion and chaos
- Choose to accept or refuse the Embrace
- Experience your first Hunger and feed
Scene 4: Waking Up Dead
EpilogueThree nights later. You awaken in an abandoned cellar, changed. The Hunger gnaws at you. Belleville's streets now reveal their true nature - and your first nights as Kindred begin.
Key Elements:
- Discovering your new abilities and limitations
- First encounters with other Kindred and supernatural beings
- Navigating the Masquerade while dealing with the Hunger
- Deciding what kind of vampire you'll become
Player Objectives:
- Learn basic Disciplines through instinct
- Find safe shelter from sunlight
- Make your first feeding without breaking the Masquerade
- Determine your next steps in this new existence
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
10:30pm - The Request
Jiangshi gathers the team for an unusual late delivery with bonus pay.
10:45pm - Street Navigation
Players must find a way through police blockades to reach La Bellevilloise.
11:15pm - Club Arrival
Players deliver to the kitchen while strange events unfold around them.
11:45pm - Overheard Secrets
Players may discover this is a Camarilla summit about the Second Inquisition.
12:00am - The Explosion
Anarch attack rocks the club, mortally wounding the players.
12:10am - The Embrace
A mysterious Kindred offers salvation through vampirism.
Night 3 - Awakening
Players awaken as Kindred in an abandoned Belleville cellar.
CHARACTERS OF THE NIGHT
PRIMARY NPCS
Jiangshi
Princess-Archon of Belleville • Toreador • Elder
The ancient Chinese owner of Best Tofu, secretly the vampire ruler of Belleville. She maintains a careful balance between tradition and survival in the changing neighborhood.
Appearance:
A small, hunched Chinese woman in her 70s, always wearing an apron. Her eyes betray an ancient intelligence when she thinks no one is looking.
Behavior:
Speaks in cryptic proverbs and stories. Tests people constantly. Her "bumbling old lady" act is carefully maintained.
Objectives:
- Maintain control of Belleville against Camarilla centralization
- Protect her mortal descendants without revealing her nature
- Test potential new childer through the delivery mission
Lamia
Jiangshi's Daughter • Ghoul • Malkavian Blood
Jiangshi's half-blood daughter, inheriting her mother's psychic gifts without the full Embrace. She sees visions of impending doom.
Appearance:
Late 20s Chinese-French woman with wild black hair and intense eyes. Dresses in thrift store chic with many layered necklaces.
Behavior:
Twitchy, paranoid, prone to sudden outbursts. Alternately protective and cruel to the delivery crew.
Objectives:
- Protect her mother from the coming storm
- Warn the delivery crew without breaking the Masquerade
- Find a way to survive her incomplete vampiric nature
Adze
Jiangshi's Son • Ghoul • Gangrel Blood
Jiangshi's half-blood son, inheriting his father's bestial traits. He runs the delivery operations with barely contained rage.
Appearance:
Hulking mixed-race man in his 30s with scars and a permanent scowl. Wears a leather biker jacket regardless of weather.
Behavior:
Growls more than speaks. Constantly cracking his knuckles. Protective of "his" delivery crew in a possessive way.
Objectives:
- Prove himself worthy of the full Embrace
- Keep the delivery crew in line and ignorant
- Prepare for the coming fight he senses in his bones
The Stranger
Anarch Saboteur • Brujah • Revolutionary
The vampire who Embraces the players during the explosion. A radical Anarch who sees potential in the working-class delivery crew.
Appearance:
Androgynous figure in a black trenchcoat with red lining. Face obscured by a scarf and sunglasses even at night.
Behavior:
Speaks in rapid-fire revolutionary rhetoric. Moves with unnatural speed. Alternately compassionate and ruthless.
Objectives:
- Strike a blow against the Camarilla elite
- Recruit new Anarchs from the working class
- Disappear before the Prince's wrath finds them
SECONDARY NPCS
Inspector Moreau
Second Inquisition • Human • Suspicious
A police inspector who notices too much about the strange events around La Bellevilloise. Has a file on Best Tofu's "irregularities."
Madame Zhou
Jiangshi's Rival • Ventrue • Entrepreneur
A recent immigrant (or so she claims) opening trendy fusion restaurants that threaten Best Tofu's business. Secretly Kindred.
Koffi
Street Dealer • Ghoul • Nosferatu Blood
A local dealer who knows all the back alleys. His "special product" is actually vampire blood cut with heroin.
Le Vieux
Hobo King • Malkavian • Prophet
An ancient homeless man who rants about "the blood tide rising." Actually a powerful seer who's been in Belleville since the Commune.
Sophie
Bar Owner • Human • Informant
Runs a dive bar that serves as neutral ground. Knows everyone's business but keeps her mouth shut - for a price.
The Twins
Anarch Couriers • Gangrel • Pack
A pair of motorcycle delivery riders who are actually vampire couriers for the Anarchs. They might recognize the players as "competition."
RANDOM NPC GENERATOR
Generate a Random Belleville NPC
Click the button to create a unique character the players might encounter on the streets.
LOCATIONS OF BELLEVILLE
Belleville District Map
Interactive map showing key locations in the story
KEY LOCATIONS
Best Tofu
A struggling tofu delivery service and restaurant on Rue de Belleville. The front is a small storefront with a kitchen in back, and a cellar that extends deeper than municipal records show.
Features:
- Storefront with 4 small tables
- Industrial kitchen with woks and steamers
- Delivery bikes and a refrigerated van
- Hidden cellar with Jiangshi's true haven
Story Significance:
The players' workplace and where the story begins. The cellar may become their first haven after the Embrace.
La Bellevilloise
A historic concert hall and event space hosting the Camarilla summit. The rooftop terrace offers panoramic views of Paris - and was the site of the Anarch attack.
Features:
- Grand ballroom with crystal chandeliers
- Industrial-chic rooftop terrace
- Multiple service entrances and stairwells
- Hidden Kindred-only areas behind false walls
Story Significance:
Site of the Embrace and the players' first exposure to Kindred society. May be heavily guarded in subsequent nights.
Parc de Belleville
A terraced park with stunning views of Paris. By night, it becomes a hunting ground for Kindred and a meeting place for illicit deals.
Features:
- Multiple levels with hidden alcoves
- Abandoned maintenance tunnels
- Popular with nighttime joggers and lovers
- Gangrel territory after dark
Story Significance:
Potential feeding ground and place to encounter other Kindred. The tunnels may provide shelter from sunlight.
Sophie's Bar
A dive bar that serves as neutral ground for Belleville's night creatures. The owner knows more than she lets on.
Features:
- Sticky floors and dim lighting
- Back room with a heavy door
- Regulars who notice too much
- Blood bags in the freezer for discerning customers
Story Significance:
Source of information and potential safe space. The back room hosts secret meetings.
RANDOM LOCATION GENERATOR
Generate a Random Belleville Location
Click the button to create a unique location the players might discover while exploring.
RULES FOR THE NIGHT
QUICK REFERENCE
Dice Mechanics
Standard Check
Roll d10s equal to Attribute + Skill. Count successes (6+). 1 success needed for basic tasks.
Difficulty
Increase difficulty by requiring more successes (2-5) for harder tasks.
Hunger Dice
Replace regular dice with red Hunger dice. 1s cause messy criticals or bestial failures.
Combat Basics
Initiative
Dexterity + Composure roll. Higher goes first.
Attack
Strength + Brawl/Melee/Firearms vs Defense.
Damage
Weapon damage + extra successes. Soak with Stamina.
Vampire Systems
Hunger
Starts at 1. Increases when using powers or failing rolls. Feed to reduce.
Disciplines
Supernatural powers. Cost blood points to activate.
Humanity
Track morality. Breaking Tenets causes stains.
DISCIPLINE CHEATSHEET
| Discipline | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auspex | Heightened Senses | Sense the Unseen | Scry the Soul |
| Celerity | Cat's Grace | Rapid Reflexes | Lightning Strike |
| Fortitude | Resilience | Unswayable Mind | Toughness |
| Obfuscate | Cloak of Shadows | Silence of Death | Ghost in the Machine |
| Potence | Lethal Body | Soaring Leap | Prowess |
DETAILED RULES
The Hunger System
Hunger represents the ever-present need for blood that defines vampiric existence. It's measured on a scale from 1 to 5.
- Start with 1 Hunger after the Embrace
- Gain 1 Hunger when you fail a Rouse check (using Disciplines or healing)
- Critical failures on any roll increase Hunger
- At Hunger 5, you're at risk of frenzy
- Feed to reduce Hunger (1 Hunger per full drink from a human)
Hunger dice replace regular dice in your pool (starting with 1 at Hunger 1). These can lead to messy criticals (success with collateral damage) or bestial failures (failure with vampire instincts taking over).
The Humanity System
Humanity measures how much of your human morality you retain. It starts at 7 for new vampires and can degrade to 0.
- Breaking a Chronicle Tenet or personal Conviction causes a Stain
- At the end of the session, roll Conscience + Resolve for each Stain
- Each failure reduces Humanity by 1
- At Humanity 3 or below, you risk becoming a wight (mindless beast)
- High Humanity helps resist frenzy and maintain relationships
Sample Tenets: "Do not kill," "Protect the innocent," "Maintain the Masquerade." Players should establish 1-2 personal Convictions as well.
Combat Sequence
- Determine Initiative: All combatants roll Dexterity + Composure. Highest goes first.
- Declare Actions: Starting with lowest Initiative, players declare their actions (to represent slower characters acting more deliberately).
- Resolve Actions: In Initiative order:
- Attack: Roll Attribute + Skill (usually Strength + Brawl/Melee/Firearms) minus target's Defense
- Damage: Weapon damage + extra successes from attack roll. Target soaks with Stamina (half for aggravated damage)
- Healing: Vampires can spend blood to heal at end of turn
- Repeat: Continue until combat ends or one side flees/surrenders.
Special Notes: Vampires take half damage from most attacks (except fire, sunlight). Aggravated damage (from fire, claws, etc.) is harder to heal.
MEET YOUR BEAST
THE BEAST WITHIN
Every vampire carries a Beast - the primal, predatory instinct that threatens to overwhelm their humanity. Your Beast is shaped by your personality, fears, and the circumstances of your Embrace.
Manifestations
The Beast shows itself in different ways:
- The Hunger: The constant need for blood that clouds judgment
- Frenzy: Uncontrollable rage or fear that leads to violence
- Compulsions: Irresistible urges tied to your nature
- Nightmares: Visions of your worst self when torpid
Resisting the Beast
Ways to maintain control:
- Humanity: Holding onto mortal morals and connections
- Discipline: Mental and physical training to master urges
- Touchstones: Mortals who remind you of your human self
- Rituals: Personal habits that maintain your facade
Generating Your Personal Beast
Answer these questions to define how your Beast manifests:
BEAST GENERATOR
Generate a random Beast manifestation based on your character's traits.