Joelle Dickerman's White Wolf Code Page

This is my White Wolf RPG Code.

I designed this in a moment of bored inspiration, with some reference to the Geek Code and the Ars Magica Code. After all, why should the ArM players get one and us WoD types not have our own? Everybody should have a code, if they want one. I spent about 10 minutes mucking about in my 8:00 am English class with pencil and paper following this epiphany, and worked out some basic ideas. So, with all due fanfare, and the warning that this is a very 'beta-test' version which is evolving rapidly, here is the. . .

WoD Code Version 1.3

The basic idea is to have a way to readily identify one's favorite games, character types, style of roleplaying, and, following the late reshuffles, which edition one is using, plus some neat addenda like whether or not one is looking for other players or for a Storyteller. Essentially, it's just a bunch of descripters. I am totally open to suggestions, rants, corrections, or additions at this point, so if there's something you just have to say about this, e-mail me or put it in my guestbook, which gets checked about once a week. Also, a helpful suggestion sent in to me already: If you put the code in your sig file, it might be nice to attach the address of this page, so people can figure out what you're talking about. Thank you.

Code version. News Flash! We are now up to version 1.3! I added a few optional bits of information and corrected an error someone caught.

Game systems. There's a separate section following each game system, where you can list how often you play that particular game, ect. The code here is "Ga/(coded name)".
V:tM = Vampire: The Masquerade
W:tA = Werewolf: The Apocalypse
M:tA = Mage: The Ascension
W:tO = Wraith: The Oblivion
C:tD = Changeling: The Dreaming

If there's any real demand, I'll work out codes for the 'sub-games' like Mummy and Project Twilight promptly, but otherwise, I'll save that for another rainy day. Also, I've gotten a recent suggestion that one might want to include LARP or TT in parenthesies after the name of the game, should you play only one type. Totally optional, of course.

Now, the gribbly stuff. Read carefully, 'cause I'm not sure how clear all of this is yet. After eachgame listing, you get to do all of the categories in the next section if you want to. You do not have to use all the categories for the code to read correctly. You don't have to use the same cateories for different game, if you've chosen to omit some of them. On the other hand, the stuff following each game system ID will be assumed to apply only to that game. So you're gonna be repeating this section down here for each game that you play, and separating each group with a carriage return. Got it? I'll have an example later, so you can see what it looks like. Also, here are some special modifiers for use where applicable.
* = I hate this and won't do it any under conceivable circumstances.
! = I love this and would never stop if it weren't for needing sleep.
# = I want to do this, but I don't have the money/time/books/players/Storyteller to do so right now. If you're using this code with another one telling what you're actuallydoing now, put the "I wanna do this" one in brackets, okay? It'll make it a bit clearer.

Pl. How often you play a game, as player or Storyteller.

Pl 1 = I almost never play.
Pl 2 = I play sometimes, maybe once or twice a month if I'm having a good month.
Pl 3 = I play pretty often, maybe once a week.
Pl 4 = I play daily. I probably have no life, and all of my friends can tell my characters apart by their subtle physical mannerisms.
Pl 5 = Is it still called roleplaying if you never stop?

St. How often you Storytell games.

St 1 = I almost never run the game.
St 2 = I sometimes run games, if I really feel like it or nobody else wants to.
St 3 = I run about half of my troup's games.
St 4 = I run just about every game we play. I can count the number of actual PC's I've ever been able to play on my toes.
St 5 = . . . Without taking my shoes off.

Pc. How often you run a Player character in a game.

Pc 1 = I don't usually get to have a PC.
Pc 2 = I sometimes play one.
Pc 3 = I get to play one about half the time.
Pc 4 = I usually play a PC.
Pc 5 = I have never not had a PC in play. Ever.

Kn. How much you know about your chosen game system.

Kn 1 = I like vampires! (werewolves, changelings, mages, ghosts)
Kn 2 = I own and/or have read at least one supplement in addition to the core rules for this game.
Kn 3 = I can make a basic character for this system without needing a rule book to get most of the stats straight.
Kn 4 = I own and/or have read just about every book pertaining to this system. I could do an obscure character type in my head. (Salubri have Obeah, Fortitude, and Auspex. The first five levels of Obeah are. . . )
Kn 5 = I bloody wrote the rules for this game! (note. If you've written extensive houserules for this game, and your troupe plays by them, you can use this.)

Gr. Group Size.

Gr 1 = On a good night there are two of us.
Gr 2 = Maybe four or five when we get together.
Gr 3 = Well, if Tammy brings this new person she found, there'll be nine or ten people here.
Gr 4 = 11-15
Gr 5 = 16+

Ms. Are you still looking for new members?

This one's not nearly so complicated as the last set, really.
Ms Y = Yes! I want people in my area to come play with me!
Ms N = No! I already have all the players/co-players I can handle!
Ms C = I wanna play by e-mail/chat/instant message! If you feel likewise, talk to me!
Ms ? = I don't really know. . . If you live near here and want someone to play with, I might be interested, but I'm not really looking. . .

Ed. Edition number.

Not even gonna dignify this one with an example. You just write Ed, then follow it with the edition of the game system you're using. If you feel like being cute with this, you could always claim to be using, say, Ed 2.5, if you've adopted some 3rd ed and some 2nd ed, or if you have a whole bunch of house rules written in. You'll probably just confuse people if you do that, though.

Cr. Chronicle Style

This will, of course, be an approximation at best. . . I'm inclined to suggest picking more than one, if you feel like it, and preceding them with numbers, 1= primary theme, 2= secondary, ect.
Cr C = Combat heavy. We sally forth and kill big nasties, or little nasties, or just whoever gets in our way.
Cr R = Romantically themed. PC's and NPC's stand a better than 33% chance of getting involved in one another's romantic lives, Tragic Angst (tM) optional.
Cr P = Political intrigue. Everybody's out to get everybody else, and there's probably at least one Nossie spying on you right now.
Cr M = Magic heavy. Sorcery most foul, either by or for the PC's. Maybe it's just a heavy supernatural influence, maybe you're all Tremere with nothing better to do. Or maybe the whole Chronicle's about that nasty Oracle you ticked off last year.
Cr S = Social intrigue. This may be just a subset of Political intrigue, but sometimes there are enough Toreador to make it matter. (or enough Sidhe. . .)
Cr G = Religiously themed. Golconda/Ascension/ect. is the major goal, or you're playing something based on the characters's religious ideals.
Cr E = Exploratory. "To seek out strange new worlds, and discover new civilizations. . ." Maybe everyone got bored with earth and decamped in favor of the Deep Dreaming or the Tempest.
Cr X = Conspiracy based chronicle. They really are all out to get you. And something huge is working behind the scenes. . .
Cr I = Epic chronicle. The characters are borne along by their joint destinies, to what final end?
Cr T = Tragically themed chronicle. At least one key person is doomed by their own nature to suffer and fail, no matter how heroic their struggle. Note: Just having someone with the appropriate Flaw does not necessarilyput you into this category. Only if that's a central part of play.
Cr V = Revenge! Someone nailed you hard in the past, and you (and/or your buddies) are going to make them pay for that. This may be most common in Wraith games. I mean, when you have your own death to avenge. . . .

Example Code thus far.

Wod Code v.1.2
Ga/V:tM Pl4 St1 Pc4 Kn3 Gr2 MsY Ed 2 Cr1 G Cr2 X
Ga/M:tA Pl2 St2 Pc3 Kn3 Gr1 Ms? Ed 2 Cr M .
Ga/W:tA*.
Ga/C:tD Pl2 St1 Pc4 Kn2 Gr2 MsY Ed 2 Cr1 I Cr2 R.
Ga/W:tO Pl1 St1 Pc4 Kn2 Gr1 MsN Ed 2 Cr1 X Cr2 V.

Now, of course, you don't have to list all the games. I just happen to play all but one of them, and to feel strongly enough about the one that I don't play to warrant it's inclusion.

Next Section

It occurs to me that it might be nice to have some way to say what your favorite character type is. For some more rabid gamers, this might serve as a warning label of sorts. (what-ever you do, don't diss the Harbingers in my presence!) So. . . .

Character type codes!

For Vampire: Asm = Assamites, Brh = Brujah, Cat = Caitiff, Cap = Cappadocian, Gan = Gangrel, Gio = Giovanni, Las = Lasombra, Mal = Malkavian, Nos = Nosferatu, Rav = Ravnos, Sal = Salubri, Set = Setites, Tor = Toreador, Trm = Tremere, Tzm = Tzimisce, Ven = Ventrue.
You can tack a 'at' on to the front of the code if you want to designate a whatever antitribu. So a Brujah antitribuwould be coded atBrh. Got it? Now, I know this isn't all of them, so if there's a bloodline you've just gotta have, write me and tell me about it, and I'll write it in and add it to the lineup, okay?

For Mage: AB = Akashic Brotherhood, CC = Celestial Chorus, CE = Cult of Ecstacy, DS = Dreamspeakers, EU = Euthanatos, HO = Hollow Ones, MA = Marauders, NP = Nephandi, OH = Order of Hermes, OR = Orphans, SE = Sons of Ether, VB = Verbena, VA= Virtual Adepts. Until I can find a good source for the Conventions, you'll just have to make do with TC = Technocracy.

For barabbi, use a 'b' as a prefix. I have recently been informed that widderslaint are a category unto themselves, rather than simply a mage of any Tradition with the misfortune to have a Nephandic Avatar. Oops. Widderslaint are now coded WS. My bad.

For Changeling: Beas = Beastie, Bogg = Boggan, Bogr = Boggart,Bogi = Bogie Eshu = Eshu (suprise!), Gobl = Goblin, Nock = Nockers, Ogre = Ogre (Suprise again!), Pook = Pooka, Redc = Redcaps, Saty = Satyrs, Sidh = Sidhe, Slua = Sluagh, Trol = Trolls.

I've decided not to include the Gallain or the Nunnehi at this time. If people really want them, I'll go ahead and plug them in, but to start with? I have better things to do. On the other hand, if you want to know more about them or any of the kiths listed, try this page! Changeling: The Dreaming Page

Also, if you want to refer specifically to the Seelie or Unseelie branch of a kith, or to Sidhe of a specific house, see the following.
s = Seelie whatever,
us = Unseelie whatever. So sSlua is a Seelie Sluagh.

And finally, ai = Ailil, ba = Balor, do = Dougal, ei = Eiluned, fi = Fiona, gw = Gwydion, le = Leanhaun, li = Liam, and sc = Scathach. Like the Seelie/Unseelie modifiers, just tack them on to the front.
Example. I only like Unseelie Trolls who are also members of House Dougal, so I would list us/doTrol in my code.

For Wraith:

ART = Artificers, CHA = Chanteurs, HAR = Harbingers, HAU = Haunters, MAS = Masquers, MON = Monitors, ORA = Oracles, PAR = Pardoners, PRO = Proctors, PUP = Puppeters, USU = Usurers.

For Werewolf:

Bf = Black Furies, Bg = Bone Gnawers, Cg = Children of Gaia, Fi = Fianna, Gf = Get of Fenris, Gw = Glass Walkers, Ro = Ronin, Rt = Red Talons, Sl = Shadow Lords, Ss = Silent Striders, Sf = Silver Fangs, Sg = Stargazers, Uk = Uktena, We = Wendigo.

A pretty good basic site for all of the above but Changeling: The Dreaming: World of Darkness

Now, on to the modifiers for the characters. Just 'cause I like them, I'm going to use Sal for the examples that follow.
Sal+ = I love ______! They are the best thing that ever happened to me!
Sal = I play one sometimes. They're pretty cool . . .
Sal- = I don't really like these critters. Can't you find something else to play?
Sal* = I refuse to play one, talk to one, think about them, ect. I hate them all. In a world with a merciful God, they should never have been spawned.

Next Example Code:

Wod Code v.1.2
Ga/V:tM Pl4 St1 Pc4 Kn3 Gr2 MsY Ed 2 Cr1 G Cr2 X (Asm- Sal+ Trm+ atSal*)
For the sake of clarity, I'm only putting one game system's code in here. But any of the others would work just the same.

Back to the Main Page.

Please note! Just about all the preceeding stuff is copyrighted by White Wolf! I'm not trying to swipe it or challenge their right to it, just to help people talk about it. They made up the names, the system, ect. They're all really cool people who ought be worshiped as gods, okay? (I may make an exception for Justin Achilli. I'm still ticked off about the sabbat Salubri. But, you can't please all the people all the time.)

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