Class of ’98 is a table-top roleplaying story told using World of Darkness lore and the Fate Core mechanic. It is set in the 1994-1995 school year, and focuses on a group of incoming freshmen who all move into the same dorm at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The story takes place in at least two seasons, and is intended to give groups a taste of the various splats in the classic World of Darkness. The first season focuses on the players’ experience as college freshmen, culminating in the initiation of the characters into the supernatural side of things, by whichever route the group chooses (embrace, first change, awakening, etc.) In the version chronicled here, the group chose to advance down a Werewolf path.
Lore and Mechanics #
The lore of the game is grounded in the classic World of Darkness from White Wolf games, so it is a world fairly similar to our own except that all those things that go bump in the night are real. The World of Darkness lines are generally grouped by the kind of supernatural creature that characters are, often referred to as “splats”. There are a number of splats:
- Vampires – Undead and hungry for both blood and power, the Kindred trace their origins back to the biblical Cain, and are split into 13ish Clans based on which of Cain’s ”grandchildren” they have inherited from. In addition to political and physical struggles, they must also fight against the beastial urges lurking in their blood, lest they lose their humanity completely.
- Werewolves – The 13 Tribes of the Garou speak for the frickin’ trees, harnessing the gifts of Gaia, Luna, and the Wyld to fight back the corruption of the Wyrm and the stasis of the Weaver. Their ultimate goal, noble and doomed, is to return the Triad of Wyld, Weaver, and Wyrm to a state of balance, without falling prey to despair or their own wild urges.
- Mages – The Awakened see reality as it really is, and can impose their will to shape it as they like. Because of this, the nine mystic Traditions the five Technocratic Conventions are engaged in the Ascension War, each trying to shape the consensus that underlies our reality.
- Wraiths – Dead dead, but still kicking, and still tied to the things that had a hold over them in life.
- Changelings – Fae spirits sharing space with human souls, consisting of nine Kith and two courts, constantly vying for power amongst themselves while trying to fend off the forces of banality (and its unknowing servants the Autumn People) and stave off the Endless Winter.
There are also about a zillion other splats, scattered throughout the internet and various sourcebooks, so there is a lot of flavor and verisimilitude to be had. Lore is sourced from the following books:
- Vampire the Masquerade – 20th Anniversary
- Werewolf the Apocalypse – 20th Anniversary
- Mage the Ascension – 20th Anniversary
- Changeling the Dreaming – Second Edition
However, the mechanic… kind of blows. As such, we are using the FATE Core mechanics, which allow for a much more streamlined experience. A translation guide will be made available as it is written; fortunately, there isn’t much that needs to be done for vanilla humans.
Skill List #
The available skills are:
- Academics – Both book learning, and how to learn from books.
- Athletics – Running, jumping, climbing trees,
putting on makeup. - Burglary – Breaking, entering, and general crime-type stuff.
- Contacts – Who you know, and how willing they are to help you.
- Crafts – Knowing how to make stuff so it doesn’t fall apart.
- Deceive – Lyyyyyyyyyyyyyying.
- Drive – The next step beyond “turn key, push gas”.
- Empathy – Emotional intelligence and how to swing it.
- Fight – For swinging everything else.
- Investigate – Knowing which questions to ask.
- Lore – Knowing which questions not to ask.
- Notice – Spot hidden!
- Physique – How pumped up are you?
- Provoke – Wanna fight?
- Rapport – Wanna talk?
- Resources – Money talks
- Shoot – I mean, it’s pretty self-explanatory.
- Stealth – Sneaky sneaky!
- Will – Is your mind a fortress?
Who’s Who #
The characters are all residents of Parmalee Hall, in their freshman year of college.
- Jordan Cruiz (225) – Environmental Science major, with a distinctly unpersonable vibe. He lives in the floor’s coveted single occupancy room.
- Julie Merriman (230) – Art (photography) major, with a pseudo-hippie vibe and a camera welded to her hand. Her roommate is Heather (pH 14), a bit of a cheerleader/party girl, and much more outgoing than Julie.
- Sam(antha) Hastings (232) – Animal Sciences major, with a truck and a horse named Echo. Her roommate is Rachel, and they don’t spend a lot of time together.
- Jun-Yeong No (233) – A Linguistics major and social butterfly; he gets along with everyone, even if they don’t get along with him. His roommate is Truman, an Anthropology major, and Truman is Weird (complimentary).
- Poppy Reyes (243) – Wildlife Management major, mercurial and friendly. A bit of a troublemaker, but not necessarily on purpose. Her roommate is Shiloh, a quiet girl.
Here is a floor map of the characters’ dorm floor.
A list of NPCs can be found on the Personalities page.