V20 Ghouls: An Outline & Inspirations

Open Development, Vampire: The Masquerade

Back in September I shared the V20 Ghouls Outline Panel Recap, and since then I’ve hired a team of writers. This post gives you a quick version of the outline that we hashed out from the Outlining Panel, and what we’ve been working on since then:

Prologue: Opening Fiction

5,000 Words

– Monica Valentinelli

Introduction

1,500 Words

– Matthew Sanderson

Chapter One (Ghouls Origins & Overview)

10,000 Words

– Andrew Peregrine

Chapter Two (Ghoul Duties, Blood Bonds & Mechanics)

12,000 Words

– Dhaunae De Vir

– David Hill

Chapter Three (Clans & Sects)

14,500 Words

– Matthew Sanderson (Camarilla, Anarchs, Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavians, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, Ventrue)

– Jason Needham (Tal’mahe’Ra/Black Hand, Assamites, Followers of Set, Giovanni, Ravnos)

– Dhauna De Vir (Sabbat, Lasombra & Tzimisce)

Chapter Four (Revenants)

12,800 Words

– Jason Needham (Origins, Modern Revenants, Enrathi, Rafastio, Giovanni, Servants of Anushin Rawan)

– Jennifer Coy (Bratovich, D’Habi, Ducheski, Grimaldi)

– Matt M McElroy (Obertus, Oprichniki, Zantosa, Kairouan Brotherhood)

Chapter Five (Character Creation)

20,000 Words

– Bill Bodden

Chapter Six (Storytelling)

15,000 Words

– Jason Andrew

Chapter Seven (“Famous” Ghouls & Ghoul Orgs)

10,000 Words

– Matt M McElroy

– Monica Valentinelli

Appendix I (Template Characters)

5,000 Words

– Bill Bodden

As I mentioned above, this is the quick hit list version of the outline. My team has a more fleshed out version that they are diving into, and the chapters are really coming together. A few of the books we’ve been referencing include:

Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition

Hunters Hunted II

Ghouls: Fatal Addiction

Liber des Ghouls/The Book of Ghouls (Mind’s Eye Theatre)

Liege, Lord and Lackey

Guide to the Camarilla

Guide to the Sabbat

Transylvania by Night

The Revised Clanbooks, especially Giovanni, Ventrue, Assamite, Tzimisce

At first glance, this book is an expansion of the ghouls entry in the V20 core to offer more options for both Storytellers and Players. It can also be seen as an update to the material presented in Ghouls: Fatal Addiction and modernizes Revenant family lore presented in Guide to the Sabbat and Transylvania by Night.

I want this book to provide more than just a modern take and update on previously published material. Ghouls are an integral part of Vampire society. Not only do they help protect the Masquerade, they also guard their undead masters, acquire other mortals to feed their masters’ hunger, spy, hunt, and fight battles in the Jyhad…and yet? Ghouls often fade into the background of a story. Either they’re represented by a single dot of the Retainer Background or become an obstacle as the PC Kindred make their way to the “boss battle” in this week’s game night.

Inspirations from other media:

Reinfeld from Dracula

Blade and the various vampire Familiars from the Blade Films

Lindsey MacDonald, Eve, and Marcus Hamilton from Angel

Karl Ruprecht Kroenen from the Hellboy film

Caleb from the last season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Jacopo in the Count of Monte Cristo film

Several of these are flawed characters, but they have their own agendas, personalities and are important to the story they are in. They may not exactly be “ghouls” but we can look to them for ideas for theme/mood/style for this project. Lindsey MacDonald is at first a loyal participant in the goals and methods of the Senior Partners and wants very much to be promoted within their ranks, but eventually chooses his own path. Kroenen is highly skilled and instrumental in Rasputin’s plans. Caleb is an example of a servant to an immense power (I’m imagining an ancient Ghoul who serves a Methuselah or even one of the Antediluvians). Jacopo acts as both a bodyguard and occasionally a conscience for Edmund in the film.

I’ve got a great team on this book, and I’ll be sharing some rough draft sections in upcoming blog posts. I’ll also be using the Open Development process to get feedback on some new Merits & Flaws, and a few other bits in the coming weeks.