on which I rant about prestigious sire and phantom status. hint: it's not real status

Work has been kicking my ass these past two weeks

Yes, I am aware of the Cam Yahoogroup. Yes I am aware that more often than not, people seem to be playing the Candyland I can do whatever I want with with status because my mommy said I was special and could do no wrong version of Vampire.

Two things to remember, and I've said it before and I'll say them again:

1) From the Status Packet (and this is the part of the Status packet that really needs to be updated):
Merits & Flaws: The Merits: Prestigious Sire and Reputation act as “phantom” Status Traits. They do not count toward the maximum 6 Personal Status Traits (see OWBN By-Law Section 8: Status Regulation), nor may they be bid or spent in a challenge. The Kindred with either of these Merits is simply perceived as having one higher Status than she actually does, and will gain a bit more respect in social situations. *Modifiers do not get logged with the Harpy, nor are they considered to be Personal Status Traits.* No Harpy can strip these Merits, but they can be lost through game play should a Kindred fail to keep up her Reputation, or should her Sire fall into disgrace or obscurity (storyteller discretion).

Read the bit between the asterisks. Read it a few times until you've memorized it.

What does that mean? "nor are they considered to be Personal Status Traits" means "they are not status traits." Means they're not counted. Means you can't bid them. Means in a challenge, you don't include them. Means that saying you have 8 status because you're counting your reputation of "I can kill a lot of things and I'm a fucking sociopath" and "Prestigious Sire: this asshole that no one likes but is totally scared of his 2000 point typhonic beast powerz" means one thing: cheater. I've posted that to Cam Yahoo Group, I've cc'd it to the STs and Council. You agree, go forth. You disagree, you explain it to me and get your CM to prop that they get treated as extra unremovable status (because don't kid yourself, they are harder to get rid of than the stink of a catpiss gamer in your car) that let a PC go above the status cap.

2) Prestigious Sire – Note: just as it is possible to become Prestigious and well known, it is possible for childer to eclipse their Prestigious Sires, or for the Sire to fall into disfavor, thus removing the Merit.

In the event that the Childe character becomes famous in his own right and earns the Reputation Merit, the character’s Storyteller or the Camarilla Coordinator may remove the Prestigious Sire Merit, as it may no longer be appropriate for the character to lean on their Sire’s prestige. This is especially true if the Sire in question is deceased or no longer holding a prestigious position.


On the Prestigious Sire, sure, it's nice to think your OOC friend's PC is the main man and want to ride those coat tails. You've seen him or her in action and you've heard all the "no really, there I was war stories", and you begin to think maybe they are that awesome.

That's great and all, but do you really need to waste points on a merit? Does your PC really need the achievement "Prestigious Sire"? The benefit to the PC prestigious sire is that you get a player that you can point at and say "that's my sire, be nice to me, or she finds out." That doesn't need a merit, that's roleplay. The point of the merit is when it's an NPC that no one knows because it only exists to you and your STs and lives in that piece of fanfic you called a background.

Here's a story, and this is how prestigious sire should work, before he became an archon, Jack had a couple of vendettas he was carrying out while he was seneschal of San Francisco. Some guys cut him open and staked him, the why is another, maybe I'll tell it later. Anyway, one of the stakers he wrecked politically. I mean, just destroyed socially to the point the PC was bloodhunted in domains he'd never even been too, and did it mostly through other people.

So, it came time to get revenge on Staker number two, and Jack went to Sue Green, childe of Griffyne Lake, Jack's Prince and major ally, for assistance. Jack said "Sue, I need to kill this guy, I need your help."

Sue said "no Jack, don't do it. He's a fool, but he's useful and the clan in the Valley need him."

Now, Jack would normally have ignored that and gone off on his own, but because Sue was Griffyne's kid, he didn't. He turned around and let it go, because he respected Griffyne, and therefore that translated to the Childe. That's how this merit should work, not some phantom unloaned status from another PC. Want them to loan you status? Do it IC, get a harpy to record it, and go get it stripped from both you and your sire. But phantom status? You only need that if I'm about to slaughter you and your sire is an NPC. Then I can talk to your STs, have my STs talk to your STs and get council involved.

The goal of the game is to play a shitty vampire. Not stack social merits to replicate FAP.