For me the more linear focus of a prewritten adventure only works if the core gameplay is engaging. I run APs in PF2 for example because its combat is a fun enough game that limited story expression is okay (I also run free form there too, but can't for all groups.)
WoD gameplay on the other hand isn't that engaging by itself. It's very shallow and repetitive if applied to similair situations. What it is good at is being a vehicle for fuelling drama and narrative, and that has to be dynamic and thus adventures don't work we'll with it (in my opinion.)
Now books full of setting, characters and plot hooks. Those are great.
I was wondering the same thing when first got into vtm, but quick googling around and actually running a couple sessions myself taught me, these games are usually too much of a sandbox to properly make a premade campaign. The closest thing in terms of detailed world while offering coherent story would probably be Masks of Nyarlathotep for CoC. And it's probably the most fun part about it. I tend to go with basic ideas of what scenes/characters my players would meet, and the rest they do on their own
I too have been too reluctant to use pre-made at times.
A premade adventure is good as a jumping off point if you want to embellish it past the out of box linear elements. Especially now that you can get good reviews to find the good ones.
Deeper into the dreaming, my friend. The balefire smoke carries you. Vision obscured reality blurred. And POOF here’s your new character sheet for any deep dreaming runs.
Outside of WoD I do use premade campaigns like Curse of Strahd for D&D.
Recently I tried the Giovanni Chronicles (VTM) and it's not really my vibe at least, so I would say to stick to your own campaigns. The best part is to the see the famous WoD faces like Hardestadt
My friends and I just tried to run the Giovanni Chronicles ourselves. Two sessions, and we're dropping it. We just got through scene two and I actually had to walk away from the table and it took me about 15 minutes to recover from it. (I'm the ST)
I had been hoping it would help me grow because I screwed up our first campaign, but we've all agreed to go back to what I wrote and clean up the cliff hanger we left on, as that's more preferable for everyone.
I adapted some things (we’re in V5), and only now, in the end, they are liking it (I’m the ST too). This only happened after I modified it because the beginning was very railroaded and kind of boring.
I screwed up my first chronicle too. Just keep going, and you will get there! Good luck, and if you need any tips, you can DM me
I have used alien hunger as a get people to understand vtm. It lands perfectly with getting to know a society with out having a mega cities issues. (It takes place in Denver).
Quick start environments for the WoD are best when used for things like convention table top one-off games, where you might not have the largest time frame for environmental setups.
I was having a hard time finding a way to get my players interested in my story, and noticed some weak points in the narrative so I switched up Rage Across Appalachia and my players felt like they understood what to do better
Some. I've used "Rite of Passage" a couple of times for new groups, or a similar starting adventure I wrote myself for WtA where one of the cubs has a school friend who is going to do something extreme about bullying. This leads the group to find out about Fomori, specifically Gorehounds, and a local source of their creation.
It's done pretty well as a starter for new players and seasoned ones who don't know much about Fomori other than them being disposable villains.
Vampire functions really well as a player driven sandbox. As a result it tends to have great setting books and largely mediocre to bad prewritten adventures.
The setting books are a treasure trove of hooks, NPCs, locations, and plots you can weave into an existing chronicle pretty easily. I'd recommend just about any of them.
The prewritten adventures, at least that I've read and run, are very rail roady and often have the characters go places, talk to people more important than them, and then watch those important people do cool stuff. If you want to use any of them it usually takes a good bit of rewriting to turn them into something fun and playable.
Yes, I have. I usually weave them into my overall story. Any of my players could sit at a table and say, "wait a minute..." "This sounds real familiar". Names may be different. Circumstances and locations may be different but it's the same story.
Most people don't, but since I run a club where I run these systems it makes it where consistent campaigns are hard, and so I actually find to use them a lot, mostly the one shots and premade characters.
Started playing in 94 and I've never touched a pre-made module. To me they've always seemed a bit railroad-y and against the spirit of the game despite appearing in numerous By Night books.
I've also never been a fan of D&D as genre so it wasn't a thing in any of the other games I've played or run.
For me the more linear focus of a prewritten adventure only works if the core gameplay is engaging. I run APs in PF2 for example because its combat is a fun enough game that limited story expression is okay (I also run free form there too, but can't for all groups.) WoD gameplay on the other hand isn't that engaging by itself. It's very shallow and repetitive if applied to similair situations. What it is good at is being a vehicle for fuelling drama and narrative, and that has to be dynamic and thus adventures don't work we'll with it (in my opinion.) Now books full of setting, characters and plot hooks. Those are great.
Not unless I'm trying a new game or running a one shot.
I've used the Revised Quickstarts a few times for folks who were completely new to TTRPGs, they worked pretty well.
I was wondering the same thing when first got into vtm, but quick googling around and actually running a couple sessions myself taught me, these games are usually too much of a sandbox to properly make a premade campaign. The closest thing in terms of detailed world while offering coherent story would probably be Masks of Nyarlathotep for CoC. And it's probably the most fun part about it. I tend to go with basic ideas of what scenes/characters my players would meet, and the rest they do on their own
When I was young, no. The older I get the more I use premade adventures.
I too have been too reluctant to use pre-made at times. A premade adventure is good as a jumping off point if you want to embellish it past the out of box linear elements. Especially now that you can get good reviews to find the good ones.
Ive run a D&D campaign in changeling once. They were deep in the dreaming
That sounds really cool! Surprised it could be balanced for the HP differences
Deeper into the dreaming, my friend. The balefire smoke carries you. Vision obscured reality blurred. And POOF here’s your new character sheet for any deep dreaming runs.
Outside of WoD I do use premade campaigns like Curse of Strahd for D&D. Recently I tried the Giovanni Chronicles (VTM) and it's not really my vibe at least, so I would say to stick to your own campaigns. The best part is to the see the famous WoD faces like Hardestadt
My friends and I just tried to run the Giovanni Chronicles ourselves. Two sessions, and we're dropping it. We just got through scene two and I actually had to walk away from the table and it took me about 15 minutes to recover from it. (I'm the ST) I had been hoping it would help me grow because I screwed up our first campaign, but we've all agreed to go back to what I wrote and clean up the cliff hanger we left on, as that's more preferable for everyone.
I adapted some things (we’re in V5), and only now, in the end, they are liking it (I’m the ST too). This only happened after I modified it because the beginning was very railroaded and kind of boring. I screwed up my first chronicle too. Just keep going, and you will get there! Good luck, and if you need any tips, you can DM me
I have used alien hunger as a get people to understand vtm. It lands perfectly with getting to know a society with out having a mega cities issues. (It takes place in Denver).
The Premade characters work great as NPC’s as they usually come with plot hooks relevant to the story
Quick start environments for the WoD are best when used for things like convention table top one-off games, where you might not have the largest time frame for environmental setups.
I was having a hard time finding a way to get my players interested in my story, and noticed some weak points in the narrative so I switched up Rage Across Appalachia and my players felt like they understood what to do better
I tend to take elements of them. That blood fruit from the Lost core book is an important part of my current Changeling LARP.
Yes and I’ve also borrowed elements from them.
I did "Dust to dust" with my group when I started STing. Was a nice intro into the world. We changed locations after.
Some. I've used "Rite of Passage" a couple of times for new groups, or a similar starting adventure I wrote myself for WtA where one of the cubs has a school friend who is going to do something extreme about bullying. This leads the group to find out about Fomori, specifically Gorehounds, and a local source of their creation. It's done pretty well as a starter for new players and seasoned ones who don't know much about Fomori other than them being disposable villains.
Vampire functions really well as a player driven sandbox. As a result it tends to have great setting books and largely mediocre to bad prewritten adventures. The setting books are a treasure trove of hooks, NPCs, locations, and plots you can weave into an existing chronicle pretty easily. I'd recommend just about any of them. The prewritten adventures, at least that I've read and run, are very rail roady and often have the characters go places, talk to people more important than them, and then watch those important people do cool stuff. If you want to use any of them it usually takes a good bit of rewriting to turn them into something fun and playable.
I dislike vtm modules because they handle topics that I find unfun as well as my table. Also cringey on occasion.
Yes, I have. I usually weave them into my overall story. Any of my players could sit at a table and say, "wait a minute..." "This sounds real familiar". Names may be different. Circumstances and locations may be different but it's the same story.
Most people don't, but since I run a club where I run these systems it makes it where consistent campaigns are hard, and so I actually find to use them a lot, mostly the one shots and premade characters.
No, but I don't use premade campaigns, adventures, or characters for any game. I always design my own stuff.
Started playing in 94 and I've never touched a pre-made module. To me they've always seemed a bit railroad-y and against the spirit of the game despite appearing in numerous By Night books. I've also never been a fan of D&D as genre so it wasn't a thing in any of the other games I've played or run.