Live-Action Role-playing, our style, is very different than playing Table-top. We do not use dice to move, and we do not do damage rolls. My friends and I act it out. The three storytellers (Charles, Caryn, and I) usually talk a try to establish good story-lines that be able to last for more than two nights of playing it out. We are not the only ones who make the story-lines though. All the other players are allowed to make their own story-line for them or a couple of other people together. We don't usually discourage them unless the idea is really outrageous. In order for a story-line to carry out, there should be good characters. When you make a character, don't just copy a template out of a book and just start playing it. You should actually take the time to get to know the character that you're going to play. Get used to using your Disciplines, and know how far your character can go. What I mean by this is that you should know the limitations of your character. Nobody is a superman. In a group game like Vampire, it helps that everybody gets along.    (from the left: JR, Peter, Latisha, Stephanie (Midget), and Emily)  At the beginning of our group, not everybody got along, and we eventually broke up (for a little while). When we got back together, the game was much easier and funner, because everybody got along with each other. It's not any fun when people can't stand to be around each other. In our game, when we fight, we use rock-paper-scissors. We don't actually "fight." Role-players are not allowed to do hand-to-hand combat with each other until they are 18 years old. Anyway, the only reason that some of are friends are allowed to play is that we don't use hand-to-hand combat. When fighting, the first thing we do is get a Story-teller around.  No fighting is allowed without at least one Story-teller present to see what happens. Next, the characters fighting decide what they are going to use against the other person or persons (ex. I am going to use my Strength + Stamina , and the other person decides to choose the same thing). After they fighters have chosen what they are going to use, we then add all the points from the category chosen (ex. I have 6 strength and 4 stamina, so I have 10 points. The other person has 4 strength and 7 stamina, so he has 11 points). Now, if you have a greater number of points than the other person, then you can use the difference as a bonus round. The fighters play best 3 out of 5. If the person who had the least amount of points had 3 wins, and you (person with the greater amount of points) have only 2 wins, then you can use the 1 point difference as an extra round. If you win it, then you have to do a tie-breaker being that both of them had 3 wins. If you both had the same amounts of points in the beginning, then no one has an advantage. I know it sounds a little complicated, but it's really not.  Now onto costumes. You should make your costume according to your character, not what you want. If the character is a Brujah that has a Punk Concept, then of course, you'd probably wear slashed jeans, chains, color your hair (doesn't have to be permanent), and whatever else. Now, if you had a Ventrue with a Traditionalist Concept, you wouldn't dress in leather and chains. You have to consider the Concept of the character. The character's Generation and Age also effect the costume. Generally, if you have an 8th Generation character, common sense tells you that this vampire is old. This is where Concept comes in again. If the vampire was an 8th Generation Ventrue Traditionalist, then the person who dress accordingly to their time period.    (from the left: Charles and Caryn)  Take Charles for instance. He is playing a Tremere (Caitiff posing as a Tremere). His character was dark and sinister, and so he dressed it. He also got creative and used a hockey stick for a cane. Charles is one of the people who really got into his character. He would get the costume down perfectly, and then add to it with the make-up.  Caryn is also one of our players that gets into her character. She dresses according to her character, and then adds to that with the make-up. With mention of face make-up, I guess I'll go ahead and get into that. The make-up depends entirely on you. You can just put the white base on to make you look paler, or you can do what Charles did (below).    (Charles) Some people used clan symbols and stripes, while others just got really creative with their own ideas. It's amazing what the white base and eye-liner pencils can do. Now, during the game, as you're playing, if you just happen to be killed or injured, don't be a bad sport and start bitching about it. Characters come and go. You can always make new ones. If that ever happens to you, just shrug it off, sit down, and make a new one. On the nights that we play, we generally bring the Vampire:The Masquerade book and the Player's Guide. A lot of the times, some people think ahead and make a back-up character. If you didn't do this, you can always come back as a mortal or a Vampire/Witch Hunter. At one time, we had about three in the same game. This game has been really fun for us. =).   (From the Left Front: Laura, Emily (rose vest), Charles, Ben, JR, Caryn, Sylvia (me), Stephanie, and Janet (on floor))  This is our original group. This was also the beginning of our best group. I miss them very much...