Running a Business
Plenty of Kindred withdraw from the realities of mortal life, after all, it’s not like they can support the nine-to-five in any capacity; in any case, they quickly become capable of leeching resources other than blood from the masses.
Still, plenty doesn’t mean all, and whether they do it because they need the money, don’t trust others enough to do a good job, or simply don’t have the skills (or lack of morals) to take directly from others, running a business is still a viable career choice for a vampire. With their limited daytime availability, clubs, restaurants, bars, and other forms of hospitality sit high upon their priorities list.
Attracting Talent
Keeping any venue relevant is a full-time job, but when done well, the rest of the business follows suit. Example Pools:
- Intelligence + Streetwise to predict the zeitgeist and find the “next big thing”.
- Charisma + Politics to attract edgy, rebellious bands — and those that follow them.
- Resolve + Investigation to uncover the obscure act to impress someone in particular.
Potential Benefits: Hunting tests, gaining Herds, Fame, and Contacts.
Elysium Ascendent
Elysium represents the core of Camarilla society, and while names may differ, the Anarchs (and even Sabbat) are similarly sociable. With enough effort, your venue might be declared Elysium.
Example Pools:
- Composure + Insight to uncover what’s required without looking desperate.
- Intelligence + Persuasion to convince with logic.
- Resolve + Subterfuge when playing the long game.
- Intelligence + Investigation to uncover potential blackmail.
- Charisma + Politics to attract mortal support.
- Manipulation + Leadership to encourage attacks on rivals.
Potential Benefits: Influence, secrets, and Boons — the currency vampires thrive upon — are always circling around Elysium, and as a proprietor of one, you’d stand to uncover many of them.
Feeding Grounds
It goes without saying that clubs, bars, and the like make for prime hunting grounds, and with the right preparation, a clever Kindred can carve out an easy life. A cunning Kindred might gift out temporary hunting rights to other vampires — all the better to observe their feeding patterns and collect future leverage.
Example Pools:
- Charisma + Streetwise to create the perfect ambiance for your choice of meal.
- Resolve + Leadership to train your staff to maintain the environment (and ignore certain irregularities).
- Intelligence + Medicine to reduce the risk of “injury”.
- Intelligence + Investigation to use the venue as a honeytrap for other Kindred.
- Resolve + Technology to watch for unwanted guests.
Potential Benefits: Increased Chasse, Lien, and Portillon, and potential leverage over Kindred guests.
Unchecked Growth
The primary goal of a business is to make money, and while vampires have other desires pulling their strings, the lure of cold, hard, cash still appeals. Securing the business opens up many doors that were previously closed.
Example Pools:
- Composure + Etiquette to establish reasonable rules.
- Resolve + Leadership to inspire your staff.
- Manipulation + Finance to exploit financial loopholes.
- Manipulation + Politics to exploit local laws.
- Charisma + Politics to connect with the right people.
Potential Benefits: Resources is an obvious benefit, but this growth is prime fodder for many Backgrounds: Allies, Contacts, Haven, Mask (a silent investor), and especially Influence if you line the right pockets.
Under Attack
It’s not all rose gardens and rock concerts; if you make enough noise, someone’s going to want to shut you up. Kindred are notoriously envious, to say nothing of the mortal populace, so expect your success to be challenged, with everything you’ve earned earmarked for requisition.
Example Pools:
- Resolve + Streetwise keeps you abreast of any gossip.
- Intelligence + Subterfuge extracts the right information from those with loose lips.
- Resolve + Finance to protect assets from outside attack.
- Manipulation + Politics to launch an back channel counterattack.
- Intelligence + Technology to detect or launch a cyberattack.
Potential Benefits: Ignoring the obvious of keeping your assets safe, this provides the opportunity to launch a hostile takeover of your own.