The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Let me start by saying that Ran Kailie's original article, "why role-playing and real vampirism don't mix", is an excellent piece, if slightly mislabeled. I recommend others to read it, because it highlights the central problem that has plagued the on-line community in particular from the get-go. Part of my nature is to see both sides of an argument, however, so I felt it necessary to address the argument of the title, and the idea that role-playing as anthemic to a vampiric lifestyle.

From the early days of the Internet message-boards, the IRC rooms, the personal listings on the old "Red Pages", even in a few noteworthy cases the off-line communities, there has been a line drawn firmly with the words "no VtM / RPers". The problem is this: we have chosen to walk in a world that many people would point-blank refuse to believe was anything other than delusion and folly. People are very happy to go through the motions of day - to - day life, cheeseburgers for lunch and dreams of expensive cars, without contemplating the darker elements of their personalities. They CERTAINLY feel uncomfortable with the idea of seriously comparing oneself to an archetype of a monster. To do so, they reason, would be the sign of an unbalanced mind.

The manufacturers of role-playing games are no exception. Every single publication by White Wolf , the makers of the best-selling "Vampire : The Masquerade" role-playing game, has a disclaimer on the first page literally reminding the reader that they are not a supernatural character, and that if anything in the book even seems like a good idea they should seek professional help. To the writers and artists, the game is only about the stories it can produce and the subsequent "mirror darkly" that shows us things about our own natures... or simply a bit of fun.

Regrettably, as any actual mental health professional will tell you, there is no arguing with someone who is delusional. Delusion is literally false beliefs, and nothing you say will ever shake something that someone accepts as their own reality. I would have an easier time convincing you that the sky was actually red. Such people will not heed the disclaimers on White Wolf books, nor will they heed a "no RPers" header on a web-page.

Not all people who appeared on real vampirism websites claiming to be 6,000 years old with a castle in France were mentally ill, however. Some of them were simply stupid, naively believing that since such things as vampires "don't REALLY exist" then all the rest of us must be playing pretend too, and subsequently getting very annoyed when we wouldn't play along. Finally, some people just did it to get a reaction, a very elaborate form of what some call "trolling".

As a result of all this, the term "role-playing" became tantamount to a swearword, and accusing someone of being a "role-player" was intended to be a slur, suggesting that the target was a poser, a fake, a fraud or downright crazy. I personally think this is quite unfair. Let me tell you why...

For starters, the seeds of the off-line communities often began in LARP groups (or, Live Action Role Play, a sort of improvisational theater). This was because it gave people an opportunity to, as a psychotherapist would say, "wear masks". Free of limitations, they were able to explore their own psyches and discuss vampirism and related topics with people who didn't think the idea was repugnant. Further, it offered opportunities for social interaction and networking.

To a lesser extent, it offered a language for vamps to express themselves over concepts that they had no prior why of describing. For example, before it became common to refer to one's "Inner Dragon" the term everyone used was "Beast". I even recall in the days of The Coven (this would be mid 90's) people would describe their personalities in terms of the Clan options from the game. People with mental health complaints would describe themselves as "a bit of a Malkavian", whilst corporate professionals would say they were "a Ventrue". As time went by, those terms were replaced to distance the real vampires from the game.

The reality is this: Vampire: the Masquerade was discontinued several years ago, and the "bigger, faster, better" successor , Vampire: The Requiem, doesn't seem as popular. The misconception that the game itself was to blame for the crazies, the trolls and the morons continues to hover, and because it's almost a taboo in some quarters, this has never been challenged. I consider that as meaningless as scrabbling through a kid's CD collection for answers after they bring a gun to school.

The game offered a sort of amniotic framework for the community to build upon, both on and off-line. Role-playing games in any form, be it the old Dungeons & Dragons through to playing make-believe with a laser tag set all offer a chance to blow off steam and have fun with a social circle on next to no money at all. Most importantly, it offers us a chance to consider who we are, what we would do in different circumstances. It gives us a chance to shape some dreams.