Expect... the Unexpected...

A small variant to the V:tES game

(I hope don't have forgotten to mention anything regarding the variant!)

This is some V:tES-variant our play group "invented" sometime ago, and since that we've played this variant abouut a dozen times. IMO sometimes it is fun to play, but nothing for a group of strategist, who refuse "such kind of random intervention".

The variant consists of bringing "general" cards into play from an imaginary "third" Methusalah about once every turn, bringing an outside element of random into the game.

The variant goes as follows:

Before play shuffle a number of cards (see the list below) into one stack, and then starting with the player who first gets the full four transfers, the card cycling begins.

Before every X+1 player gets his turn, the uppermost card of the stack is drawn, and the effects of the card take place, where X is the number of players in game.

There are three type of cards:

Permanent

A "permanent" card gets into play and stays there until the card is explictely removed by one of the Methusalah (if the card states this case), or the Methusalah currently controlling the card is ousted. A permanent card may change its owner while in play. In other word treat this card as if one of the metusalahs brought them into play.

Permanent Cards are always owned by specific vampire (and thus a Methusalah), and can be removed by an directed action (if the card text states the card may be removed).

The Methuslah who gets a permanent card decided which of his vampires gets the "privilege" to own the card.

Semi-Permanent

A "semi-permanent" card stays in play until it is removed explictely by a methusalah (if the card states this case), or a second semi- permanent card comes into play, "over-ruling" the previous semi- permanent card (if any).

The semi-permanent cards are always not owned by a specfic methusalah, and can be removed from play by an undirected action (if the card text states the card may be removed) [Bureaucratic Overload can be removed, Political Flux not.]

One-Shot

A "One-Shot" comes into play, make their intented effect and leave the game. If thre is question f one, some or all of Methusalah's are affected, it is always every Methusalah in play [i.e. every players gets a threat counter from the Sabbat Threat].

Another recommendation is that you may wish to start with a slightly higher pool, say 35 to 40, in order to compensate the extra blood loss due to some these cards. Or you may want to remove those cards, which do more than one "direct" pool damage (like for example Domain Challenge).

As mentioned the list is far from complete and by style of play each game group should add or remove certain cards, but one should remember not to place an unfair disadvantage to one of the three basic strategies (bleed, vote, combat).

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