DECEMBER 19, 1998

THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Well, Saskatoon by Night has had a rather interesting year; we've gone through a change in Storytellers last summer, we became and Independent game when we left the Shared Universe, and are in the process of completing a fairly substantial rules revision with the nearly complete SbN Manual v2.0.

At this point, and especially before the release of the new Manual, we’d like to get some player feedback first.  Please take the time to fill out one of the SbN Player Surveys, and return it to the Storyteller or Narrator this evening.  There are a number of questions regarding things that have happened with SbN over the last year, and we would like to know what the players think.  Please complete the forms with as much detail about your concerns as you can; the more feedback we get, the better job we can do in the future.

SBN MANUAL OUT IN THE NEW YEAR
Well, after much debate on a number of issues, the SbN Manual v2.0 is near completion.  We were hoping to have it out by December, but the holiday season got REAL busy.  We should have the rest of the stuff done over the holidays, which will be posted on the SbN Rules Listserver, as well as several drafts circulated for the non-computer people.  January should herald the new manual!  Huzzah!

STUPID PLAYER TRICKS FOR MIND’S EYE THEATRE
Players are amazing creatures. We love them and hate them. When we expect them to puzzle over a situation for hours, they come to a logical and complete solution in minutes. When we present them with a little difficulty intended as a five minute speed bump, they spend the rest of the night on it. And throughout all of this, they do the most amazingly stupid things. Some legal, some not, all unbelievable.  Working on the theory that sharing makes the pain go away (or at least gives everyone else a good laugh), I'm going to share what stupid player tricks Madison By Night has suffered. Go ahead, add your own and share. It'll help. Really.

• Spending Willpower to regain blood traits. ('But it says that I regain one area of traits.')
• Bidding Mental traits in a fist fight ('I'm determined to hit you')
• Wanting to play: A Gargoyle, A Wraith, A Transvestite Daughter of Cacophony, a Garou, a Black Spiral Dancer, a Methuselah, or Mage. Especially after it has been made very clear that we only are accepting vanilla, basic 7 clan Vampires.
• Using Cloak the Gathering to make 10 people look like Werewolves.
• Engaging in protracted fire fights less than three blocks from the police station.
• Attempting to convince the staff that an 'acrobatics' skill is needed, but not bothering to mention that you intend to use it to dodge gunfire.
• Submitting a character history that makes you an 8th Generation Anarch.
• Submitting a character history that makes you close personal friends with Meerlinda (Tremere what-cha-ma-call-it for North America)
• Deciding that 1 Occult skill means that you know everything about the Umbra and how a werewolf can enter and exit it.
• Attempting to acquire fully-automatic shotguns at all, let alone with a mere 3 Underworld.
• Insisting that despite what the errata says, because it's in the book, they can have Military.
• Complaining that because you have 'Submissive' and 'Earth Meld' you must be a coward who runs from fights, ignoring the fact that the character in question has 9 Physical Traits.
• Bizarre character histories that involve that character being 'rescued' from the Sabbat after receiving training in some Sabbat discipline.
• Clustering around in dark, bizarre costumes, and wondering why the police investigate.
• Talking about vampiric affairs in an clearly over-hearable voice in public.
• Complaining that executing a blood hunt shouldn't be cause for a Beast Trait test.
• Applying for a character from a broken home. (Not inherently stupid, but it seems that none of our characters had normal lives.)
• Suggesting that 'according to White Wolf' each player should receive two or three experience per night in an on-going game.
• Calling two or three bloodhunts a week.
• Applying for a character created in AD 1,200.
• Complaining that a character was modified by the staff to remove out of clan disciplines.
• Complaining that $5.00 per semester is too much.
• Wearing a dirty jacket and jeans and insisting that you're wearing a formal suit.
• Playing a character of a different ethnic background and making no attempt at costuming, make-up, or accent.
• Not getting a ruling on a problem that you like, finding another narrator and attempting to get the opposite ruling. Upon getting that ruling, announce, "Then maybe you should tell the other narrators!" and storm off. Then wonder why you don't receive any experience.
• Complaining that the organizers won't allow WWII Panzier tanks in the Edmonton sewers. Claiming your character did it anyway.
• Diablerize an Archon. Attempt and fail to diablerize another one. Wonder why your character is being hunted.
• Bring a crystal decanter filled with red Barbarian Cooler/Kool-aid/whatever and expect to receive 3 blood-trait chits for the prop.
• Claim that your character went Garou-hunting in silver plate-mail with chain guns (spitting silver bullets, of course) mounted to the shoulders.
• After the Prince extends the Right of Progeny (-one- progeny), sire every human in an insane asylum and whine incessantly when the Prince orders them all destroyed, their creator with them. Claim that being Malkavian means that you're allowed to do stuff like that.
• Hold a Brujah rant that ends in 27 human deaths in a normally rather quiet neighborhood, and wonder why the Prince is charging you with breaking the Masquerade.
• Playing a Toreador who specializes in "Living Art" and wonder why the prince is charging you with breaking the Masquerade.
• Playing a Toreador who sires someone -obviously- onstage in front of a human audience, and wonder why the Prince is charging you with breaking the Masquerade.
• Breaking the masquerade and wondering why the prince is charging you with breaking the Masquerade.
• Deciding that your Obsession beast trait is with a player of the preferred sex that you're chasing out-of-game. Especially if that player has made it very clear that he/she is not interested.
• Deciding that Vampire LARPS are Fun Singles Clubs. Deciding that this means all of the other players are only there to meet prospective partners.
• Setting up medical clinics that specialize in detox; use your Discipline: Conditioning to ensure all the humans that visit these clinics kick their habits forever. Wonder why the police are investigating. Wonder why the media is investigating. Wonder why the Prince is charging you...
• Deciding that any information that you hear, your character also hears, even/especially if you're eavesdropping on the organizers talking plot.