Spoiler: Clan Salubri dies off.
Sorry about that.
So it really sucks to play them, right? Because that puts the Salubri in the role of metaplot vehicles with a foregone future. That’s kind of contrary to the point of a roleplaying game, isn’t it? Roleplaying games are about choices and consequences. As a player, you make the choices, and you play to see the consequences.
When designing the V20 Dark Ages Salubri, we wanted to make them completely playable, and we wanted to present nothing as inevitable. They’re a clan on the downswing. They could be gone tomorrow, but they could ascend again. We don’t know in 1243, because we can’t see the future.
This is the first draft of the Salubri clan spread. For each of the “clans” (I use this term loosely, because what is or is not a clan is up for debate in this time of great change), we’re also adding an additional two page “esoterica” entry. Basically, I told the writers, do whatever you want with the clan. Add bloodlines. Add minor Paths. Add Noddist lore. Add whatever. I think Neall is going to develop some of the Code of Samiel, which as a huge Salubri fan, I’m excited to see. We’re also talking about the possibility of a short bit detailing what you might do if you wanted to tell a story where the Salubri returned to prominence in the modern nights.
Anyway, here’s that draft. If you want to reference it, go ahead and share the link because it’s a live document.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fBmuSaf3vxrzWknVHhwpJphh5Y5AUCz8-4tu-MgORkM/edit?usp=sharing
Comments
26 responses to “V20 Dark Ages: Salubri”
Loving this so far. How many writers are working on this? Seems like it’s going to be sucha long wait before it is out. Any idea on the art direction? I loved the cover of V: the dark ages vs Dark Ages Vampir. And Bolton just had killer art.
Right now, we have about fifteen different writers currently. That’ll change a little bit because of a sort of nontraditional, organic process I’m using.
And no, I have no idea about the art and art direction. I just develop the text side of the book. The amount of say I have on the art direction is limited to offering over art notes offering up what I (and my writers) would like to see. Those notes will often influence some of the art that goes into the book. Final say on that all goes to whomever ends up doing the art direction, probably Mike Chaney.
Are the Watchers going to be addressed? They were hinted at on one page of the Clanbook then never talked about ever again.
Also, love the refinement of the Clan Flaw, it now actually gives the Flaw some continuity within the Clan. It’s also nice that they have effectively been Cursed, not by Caine, but actually by Saulot.
I’m going to touch on them. Very briefly.
Great, I’d love to hear more about them.
Thanks for your dedication, nonetheless.
You have no idea how gratified I am to see the Salubri being made more playable. It’s always good to have more options while adding more depth to the setting. Well done!
WTH not a Kiasyd Clanbook or a v20 companion ONLY for bloodlines? If this is about make more playable options, We need info to play them. Again, more info about Daughters, Kiasyd and many others. We are progressing over the v20 line of books, If you read this, think about it and spread the idea, would be a sucessful KS for sure.
I’d really like to see a book especially for the bloodlines. In my Playgroup are a lot fans of the different bloodlines.
I love it – great job!
Really love the handling of the Salubri Flaw(s). I would suggest kicking the difficulty up to 7, though.
Hate the extra third eye crap you have added, the crying blood would be fine flavor but forcing the eye open for Auspex? That is terrible and it means that a Salubri trying to hide its nature has two clan disciplines it can’t use without revealing it is just too much.
I love the third eye thing, but I wouldn’t extend it to auspex. I always saw valeren connected to the third eye, as if you couldn’t have one thing without the other. Extending the third eye opening to auspex doesn’t provide playabillity, it rather goes the opposite way.
[…] Onyx Path Publishing has posted their latest V20 Dark Ages preview, taking a look at Clan Salubri. “Spoiler: Clan Salubri dies off. Sorry about that. So it really sucks to play them, right? Because that puts the Salubri in the role of metaplot vehicles with a foregone future. That’s kind of contrary to the point of a roleplaying game, isn’t it? Roleplaying games are about choices and consequences. As a player, you make the choices, and you play to see the consequences. When designing the V20 Dark Ages Salubri, we wanted to make them completely playable, and we wanted to present nothing as inevitable. They’re a clan on the downswing. They could be gone tomorrow, but they could ascend again. We don’t know in 1243, because we can’t see the future.” Download the preview here. […]
May I suggest a section to choose how Saulot himself could fit in a chronicle?
Like: “Saulot as a diablerized martyr”, “Saulot as a evil mastermind”, “Saulot desire to be diablerized”, “Saulot as caught in surprise”…
These little things who could give a tool to the Storyteller ways to explore the “Tremere/Salubri” relationship as a plot hook.
Plus 1 on that
I really love the dedication and time spent on giving the Salubri more playability and how the clanflaws were adressed by combining and streamlining them. I think alot of the different design choices that have been made are really great and am looking forward to read how one is able to implement them as a united and whole clan in the final nights. Clan Salubri have always been my top favorite vampire clan and I love the entire concept of “Good” or Holy vampires that have remained very humane and moral while constantly fighting the beast, as all vampires does. I also really like the caste system and would love to see more about the watcher caste added, I always imagined them to be the mystics, scholars and perhaps even magicians capable of using semidivine bloodsorcery with Salubri unique paths and rituals that emphasises their connection to the divine and holy, channeled through their third eye and using it to smite the infernalist Baali but also the Tremere. Dont know how much we will get on the watcher caste but any information is good to have. I also found another nickname for the Salubri witch isnt mentioned in the designdocument but which I really think fits them: Luminaries, emphesising their role as enlightened vampires that tend to the wounds of mortal and vampire alike and also their role as moral guides and mentors to other vampires. Sorry for rambling on about how much I love them but this project (V20 Dark Ages) is my top one favorite Onyx Path Publishing project this far and after seeing this document I have really high hope about this book. Your all doing a fantastic job, keep it up and this book will surely become a great success. Really looking forward to reading more about the Salubri and the project in its entirety.
Btw: I have two questions, will the Dark Ages unique clans get their own clanbooks, (Baali, Cappadocian and Salubri)? Thats the one thing I missed the most in Dark Ages Vampire since they never made revised clanbooks for these clans but just had the old Vampire: Dark Ages books that wasnt just thin but also outdated by the time Dark Ages came out. Would gladly pay for a deluxe version of these three clanbooks if they were made for the V20 Dark Ages line.
Question two: Will there be a heavy metal deluxe edition for V20 Dark Ages? Would easily by one if they were made since Dark Ages: Vampire was my favorite version of Vampire the Masquerade and this V20 version of Dark Ages looks extremly promising 🙂
1) I can’t say for certain. I’d really like to redo those books for V20. I have ideas. But, who knows? If V20 Dark Ages does well, that opens up the possibility for supplementary material.
I know I did pitch a handful of books for Dark Ages. Let’s see if they get greenlit.
2) I don’t know. I know the going plan is to Kickstart V20 Dark Ages. I’d really like to see a special edition. I don’t know that metal’s necessarily perfect for Dark Ages. But then again, I have very little say on those matters. We’ll see what works and doesn’t. I imagine the likely plan would be to make it like the deluxe V20 books.
Thanks for the quick reply, I really hope V20 Dark Ages becomes a large success and that we get a lot of new books for it. I also understand what you mean with metal perhaps not being ideal for a super heavy deluxe, on the other hand they made wonderful additions to W20 and Exalted 3ed so I suppose it all comes down to design. As I said before, I will definitely back this project and think all of you developers are doing a wonderful job. Really looking forward to see more posted about V20 Dark Ages.
Another question that hit me, Do you think it will be possible to get stretchgoals that adds extra content to the book? I know this worked very well for the Exalted 3ed kickstarter so it might not be completely out of the question, right?
I would LOVE to add more content to the book. I will be asking to include those sorts of stretch goals. It’s too early to speculate, but I don’t see why it’d be completely out of the question.
Thats Awesome news, I really hope you get a positive answer, Will definitely bump up my kickstarter bid if it means we get more great content. Good Luck to you 🙂
Vellum could be interesting for the V20 Dark Ages.
Mmmm…
I like the ‘generic’ clan Flaw, with the Third Eye opening up when you use Valeren or Auspex. Being a Salubri means you are okay with playing against -all- odds, and that you cannot achieve anything great or meaninful without sacrificing yourself a lot. I picture a Warrior Salubri relying on his Perception, Melee and Physical Disciplines much more than Valeren for the most of the game (much like Scatha-Columbkille puts it in the Salubri Clanbook, a true warrior doesn’t even use Valeren against an unworthy foe).
I don’t really dig the other ‘can’t focus on the bigger picture’, at least with how you worded it. If it’s something of a curse -Saulot- forced into his children (so they would be more like lambs, which would be ironic given their moniker of Shepherds), I could get behind it. They would be like his obedient children, maybe something he did to keep them from corrupting themselves like -all- other clans, out of fear, and it somehow ends up dooming them. If that’s why, like their father ‘forcing’ them into being focused, I dig. The words you chose came off as something psychological, not too supernatural in origin, which I didn’t enjoy too much.
I know, what a bitch, but what can I do =( I have super high expectations for Salubri! -Especially- the Code of Samiel bits.
Also, as my friend put up there, I don’t think it would be a nice thing to waste pages on their section with ‘Saulot as Martyr’ or ‘Saulot as Evil’, those things. We had -tons- of books that go on about all the possibilities of Saulot being -every- kind of man a vampire can be. I like to play it in the shadows. If we are trying to make the Salubri more playable, give us the Road of Samiel (aka: True Blooding), unique traits like their mastery of Enochian language, their proximity with holy themes, artifacts we can hunt ingame that could ‘change the war’, anything we can apply to our characters.
I am a strong, VERY strong suporter of the Code of Samiel as a Path of Enlightment, and god damn… not a fan of Salubri can’t say he hasn’t dreamt about it once at least T___T (I think).
Also, I would like to see a bit of their distant, holy ‘aura’ and practices being written in ALONG with their arrogance (which I think it’s a Warrior thing, but that’s just me). Otherwise they just look like, well… asses. I think?
For Watchers, I would like to see them implemented ingame. You don’t even have to say who or what they are, but I would advise writting in their Clan Flaw (like you did for the other 3 Castes). That would be the greatest info we could ever get for them without spoiling anything -and- it could make a crafty player excited about them. It’s jsut me tripping, though.
Good work, trusting you in this! Go Salubri!
Reading this I wanna play Salubri right now! It’s one of my favourite clans and you just have do it too well with them.
Well, i’ve translated the Salubri Outline here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WYQasuzKMwtq7MY3ZKBjsweg8C6O4vAROBp_xSGRzac/edit
While I’m not a huge Salubri fan, I am wondering why there still isn’t anything on the Watcher Salubri
Sorry, just realized two others mentioned the Watchers. My only request is just not to say the Asian Salubri are the Watchers as they seemed more an adaption of the other two.
Love the Salubri. They present in a lot of ways the game at it’s best. Between the smoke and mirrors of if they (as a whole and their founder) are good or the worst of the worst of evil, the struggle against not just their darker selves, but so much of the world, etc. . . I’m very happy to hear that the intent is to make them fully playable (and probably for the first real time, honestly).
However, the write up does seem to kind of contradict the intent, as everything about it does kind of read like the inevitable future is most certainly written in stone, even for the time period. They kind of lacks an sense of direction or spark of hope (as a counter to the horror of their station), presenting as less underdog and more they are already defeated and worthless, so why bother?