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Character Creation

To begin to create a character, it is important to first assemble a character concept. For some people this is a very simple process, but it may be difficult for others. Inspiration can come from many places, but starting simple is best. What type of personality do you want your character to have? Are they going to be an underdog fighter, or a high society manipulator? What type of powers do you want access to, or what abilities must you have? Reading through the various Clans and Merits on this website can be a source of inspiration, but settling on a specific archetype is a good start.

Once you have a concept in mind, you will need to decide what Clan or Bloodline they will belong to, as well as to which vampire sect. You can refer to the Graduation Requirements page on our Wiki for this. For brand new players, the zeros highlighted in green represent combinations of Clans/Bloodlines and Sects that are immediately playable. Ask a Narrator if you are unsure about a concept, as we are always happy to assist!

To begin assembling a character sheet, you will need to make a copy of the Dark Skylines Character Sheet Template by going to File and then Make a copy to clone it to your own Google Drive. The included Dark Skylines Functions need to remain active on the document for automation purposes. The bulk of the Character Sheet is on the Character Sheet tab at the bottom of the Google Sheets file.

Character Sheet Tab

An important note is that the sheet is very automated, and in general you should only edit Blue Boxes. Editing black or yellow boxes may break the sheet and require Narrators to repair it.

Player Information​

The first step is to fill out the Player Information section at the top of the character sheet.

  • Player Name: How we know to refer to you, such as a nickname or handle
  • Email: Not required, but just in case something terrible happens to our discord server
  • Discord Name: Your Discord username so we can identify your account
  • VRChat Name: Your VRChat Username. It must match exactly to be able to load your sheet in-game
  • BG Story: If you write a background story for your character, you can start with an additional 10xp
  • Patron: Becoming a Patron grants an additional character slot, and an additional 20xp

Character Information​

The next step is to fill out your Character Information. Select your Clan, Sect, and Bloodline if applicable. If you are missing options, you may not have the appropriate Graduations to be able to play it, or the Character Sheet may need tweaked.

  • Character Name: Every character needs a name. What's yours?
  • Alias: Any other names your character goes by? Maybe a nickname?
  • Concept: A few word summary of your character idea
  • Archetype: A one word summary of your character's archetype. Here's the full list.
  • Titles: Any fancy custom titles from your backstory? Eg: Patter of Puppers
  • Description: A description of your character to the average observers

Personal Info​

Attached to the Character Information area is Personal Info about your character.

  • IC Date: This is the current date in-game to reference. It does not need modified.
  • Birth: This is when your character was born. It must be more than 18 years before the IC Date
  • Embrace: This is the date your character became a vampire. It must be sometime after the birth date.
  • Native Language: This is the language your character was born speaking. Additional languages can be taken as a skill, but this one is free. If this is not English, you will need to take English under Linguistics later.
  • Location: These are the locations where your character was born and embraced accordingly.
  • Sire: The name of the vampire who turned your character into a vampire. It's not entirely necessary unless you are a member of the Camarilla, where it is recommended to at least have a name to provide.
  • Social Class: As a brand new player, this will likely be Neonate. If your character is a member of the Camarilla and has been a vampire in the Camarilla for 75+ years, you may be an Ancilla.

Backgrounds​

The next area to cover is a little down the page on the left side, the Backgrounds of your character. These are things such as contacts and other connections you have made through your existence and background, to help your character. You get some entries into Backgrounds for free, as the bottom of the Background box shows Remaining: 3 / 2. Your character starts with some Creation Points which go into the CP column, and one should already exist in the Generation Background in the CP column. Everything purchased after requires expending XP.

  • Allies & Contacts: Allies are mortals who are unaware of vampires, but who your character has befriended and wish to assist you. Contacts are also unaware mortals that your character has met who they can reach out to for information, generally related to the contacts line of work.
  • Alternate Identity: This is a background that gives a fake name legitimacy. At high levels, a characters fake name is strong enough to infiltrate other clans and sects, so long as nobody else is aware of it.
  • Fame: This represents how famous your character is to the mortal world, resulting in benefits at times.
  • Generation: This represents the blood strength of your character. As a new player, it can only be a zero, one, or two. If your character is going to be a vampire, it has to be at least a one. A zero is a Ghoul with very different build requirements.
  • Haven: Every vampire starts with somewhere to sleep for free, but increasing this gives the haven additional qualities that may have benefits.
  • Herd: This represents having a safe group of people to feed from. If your character has no herd, they will be feeding off of the streets and hoping nobody notices or intervenes.
  • Influence Elite & Underworld: This represents sway over local gangs, megacorps, and other things. Taking police as an Underworld influence may be corrupt beat cops, but taking it as Elite may be influence over the Chief of Police.
  • Resources: This represents how much disposable cash your character has around. It refills every two weeks.
  • Retainer: This is to purchase a chauffer, butler, bodyguard, or other type of assistant, typically a Ghoul.
  • Cybernetics: This represents Cybernetic benefits installed into your character.
  • Once you have spent your Creation Points, you can spend XP using the XP column, or come back to it later.

Merits​

Next it is a good idea to move on to Merits, as they are some of the most powerful and most in-depth changes that can be made to a character. Each character starts with 7 Merit Points to spend, with Merits ranging in price from 1 to 5. There are General Merits available to everyone, Merits that are specific to your characters Clan or Bloodline, and Merits specific to your Sect if you are in one. You can find them in the Merits section of this website, but it is recommended to spend all 7 points. Changes may need to be made to your sheet in order to facilitate certain Merits, just ask a Narrator!

Flaws​

The other half to Merits is Flaws. You can take up to 7 points of Flaws, and each Flaw point you take gives your character one additional XP. Flaw effects are generally pretty strong, but it is recommended to take at least one Flaw that will affect your character. It is not recommended to take all 7 points as a new player. You can find them in the Flaws section of this website.

Disciplines​

Just to the left of Merits is Disciplines, or the supernatural powers your character possesses. Unless you have taken a Merit that would alter your character Disciplines, your character will have 3 starting in-clan Disciplines to add to these boxes. Just like the Backgrounds section, the bottom of the Disciplines box shows the remaining creation points for Disciplines that go in the CP column as desired. Each character gets one Discipline with 2 Creation Points levels, and two Disciplines with 1 Creation Point level. Additional levels must be purchased with XP.

Attributes​

If we jump back up to Attributes, we can now properly distribute them with the knowledge of which Disciplines and Merits we've taken.

Each Attribute represents your characters aptitude in that category, and Attributes are used to build both Offensive and Defensive pools when making rolls. Each Attribute also gets a Focus, which gives additional benefits depending on the Attribute and selection, explained below.

Your character's Physical attribute represents physical fitness, and is used for feats of athletics, fighting with weapons, and dodging, essentially anything that would require a Physical fitness check. The Focus for Physical is as follows:

  • Strength: Gives an additional +2 dots to Brawl and Melee attacks, if you have at least the first level in the Discipline Potence.
  • Dexterity: Gives an additional +2 to Dodging, if you have at least the first level in the Discipline Celerity.
  • Stamina: Gives an additional 3 health levels, if you have at least the first level in the Discipline Fortitude, as well as the benefit of being unable to be knocked down by someone less Physically fit.

Each Physical Focus also grants free uses of particular Combat Maneuvers related to the Focus.

Social and Mental Attributes are similar to the Physical Attribute, but are used instead with Social and Mental powers. The Focus selected for these Attributes grant additional benefits depending on which specific power your character is using. If a power has a Focus listed, you gain the additional benefits of that section if your character has the matching Focus.

You need to select a Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Attribute for your character, and a single Focus for each Attribute. You can change your selection later, but at the cost of XP.

Skills​

These are fairly self explanatory, but it's important to understand that Skills are typically used to build dice pools, along with an attribute. If your character is attempting to Dodge a gunshot for example, the Dodge pool will be made up of the Physical Attribute and the Dodge Skill added together. Many skills also have a static benefit if your character has at least one dot in it.

  • Academics: University-type non-supernatural topics your character knows. This is used in Mytherceria Discipline pools.
  • Animal Ken: How much animals like your character. This is used in Animalism Discipline pools.
  • Athletics: How Athletic your character is. This is used in Kineticism, Quietus, and Visceratika Discipline pools, as well as general throwing and leaping tests.
  • Awareness: How aware your character is of their surroundings.
  • Brawl: How skilled your character is in hand-to-hand combat.
  • Computers: How skilled your character is with technology.
  • Crafts: How skilled your character is at a specific craft. You get to write in the craft after taking this skill.
  • Dodge: How skilled your character is at dodging physical attacks.
  • Drive: How skilled your character is at driving under stress. You get to write in the specific type of vehicle after taking this skill.
  • Empathy: How skilled your character is at reading emotions. This is used in Dementation Discipline pools.
  • Firearms: How skilled your character is with firearms.
  • Intimidation: How well your character can intimidate someone. This is used in Dominate Discipline pools.
  • Investigation: How well your character can investigate items, people, and locations. This is used in Auspex Discipline pools.
  • Leadership: How well your character can lead and inspire others. This is used in Presence Discipline pools.
  • Linguistics: Additional languages that your character is fluent in, other than their Native Language.
  • Lore: Supernatural topics your character has knowledge about, such as other Clans, Sects, or Supernaturals.
  • Medicine: How well your character can perform medical procedures. This is used in Obeah, Thanatosis, and Valeren Discipline pools.
  • Melee: How well your character can use a bat, sword, dagger, etc.
  • Occult: How well your character knows magic and occult topics. Used extensively for Thaumaturgy and Necromancy pools.
  • Performance: How well your character can perform, such as singing or dancing. You get to write in the details after taking it.
  • Science: How skilled your character is at a particular science you specify.
  • Security: How skilled your character is with locks, deadbolts, and other forms of security.
  • Stealth: How stealthy your character is. This is used in Obfuscate Discipline pools.
  • Streetwise: How skilled your character is at blending in and navigating the streets.
  • Subterfuge: How skilled your character is in lying and deception.
  • Survival: How skilled your character is at survival, or general hardiness.

Techniques​

Techniques are a specific power that is a combination of two or more different Discplines. Each Technique has a required level of one or more Disciplines before it is able to be purchased. They cost 12xp each for one or two dot Generation characters.

Rituals​

This is the final section that may apply to your character sheet. If you have a Path of Thaumaturgy or Path of Necromancy you can purchase Rituals. Before purchasing Rituals, you must select your Primary Path of Thaumaturgy or Necromancy, if you have more than one. Afterwards, the bottom of the Rituals box will inform you of the max level of Rituals you have access to, as well as how many Rituals you can purchase.