A Young Prince's Notes

This booklet was found in the haven of the recently killed Prince of Austin, Texas. It is believed to have been written by the Prince of Oklahoma City, who was the Prince of Austin's Sire.

We provide this for your edification.


Surviving Yourself


Form A Herd

Personally, I find this to be a smart thing to do. It slows down the spread of disease and makes it easier to feed in a hurry. The best way I have found is to simply get a lot of girlfriends (or boyfriends) and bite them in the middle of the passion of animal rutting. A little biting is common in such cases. The kiss should be a fine substitute for the best sex and they some become addicted to it or at least develop a liking so you can get them into bed easier. Drain only a little blood, just enough to keep you going. The resulting exhaustion or headache from loss of blood soon after or the next day can be written off as good sex or a hang over. While you might stick mainly to a few members of the herd always have a few secret people you can see just in case an enemy decides to kill off all your herd.


Get Some Fighting Skills

Let's face it, if you're a prince long enough, the chips are going to come down to you and somebody else eventually. Learn how to fight and survive. Get a lot of Fortitude and at least some Celerity. Learning Potence helps a lot too; guns are great, but few things are nastier than a Potence wielded baseball bat intent on beating somebody into a torpor. The best thing to do is invest in Protean and get Wolves' Claws, because nothing is better for down and dirty work than aggravated damage.


Have A Way Out

When things go wrong or you come up against somebody bigger than you, be prepared. Have a way out of were ever you haven and a way to get away to another secret bolt hole you've got ready. It's good to have a separate identity set up too. Protean is good for this too. Earth meld or Mist Form have saved the lives of many vampires and allowed them to fight another day. Unless the Justicars are around and pissed at you, you're Prince till you're dead, even if just in name. The other Princes have to recognize you in exile if needed, because if they didn't, it would mean THEY could be ousted and dethroned.


Never Be Alone

OK, if an assassination, staking, or forced blood bond is going to happen, it's going to happen while you're 'alone'. Deny your enemies this opportunity at every possible instant. If there is another person with you, then you perceived strength is doubled. Many vampires are also hesitant to act just because of the threat of witnesses. You are safer in the company of an enemy than you are 'alone'. Not to say you won't end up just as dead, however.


Controlling The City


Give Them What They Want

Ninety percent of all vampires want pretty much one thing, to be left alone. The other ten percent want your title. The best way for that ten percent to get your title is to get the other ninety percent on their side by giving them something they want. Deny this to your enemies. I run a pretty lax princedom, allowing the Kindred to do as they please so long as they keep the Traditions, or at least as long as I don't hear about it. Every now and then, some enemy will come to town or send somebody to usurp my rule (usually because of my lax policy). They go around and start offering all the vampires and especially the Primogen all those things strict Princes offer people as rewards: larger hunting grounds, permission to make progeny, recognition, forgiveness for some past slight. They usually come to me next and tell me what's up since I've already freely given them everything the usurper is offering them for being subservient. Only a fool would trade freedom for servitude. Beware of fools.


Get A Sheriff

Eventually somebody's going to cause trouble and first you're going to need to know about it and then you're going to need to deal with it. Unless you can be everywhere at once and can fight like a Gangrel on PCP, I suggest finding a sheriff to help you in this role. They're going to have to keep an eye and an ear out for you, and them act as muscle after you've made a decision. Look to your Primogen first, and then look to the rest of the Kindred. Anarchs make good sheriffs in case nobody else will do. Most intelligent anarchs are willing to listen and make compromises and so long as you're lax and give them what they want (usually meaning stay out of their business), they'll help you out. They'll help you because who ever would take your place will be worse. Less intelligent, bully like Anarchs are even easier to deal with. Despite how much they say they hate the Prince and authority, you'd be surprised how quickly they'll jump at being the Prince's man, meaning getting to beat up people in your name. Sit down with them, sympathize and agree with whatever they say, then mention you would not mind if so and so would get taken out. Most of the mindless, aggressive Anarchs are just looking for targets, they don't care who it is, and if they can do it in the Prince's name, all the better.


Control The Kine

Control, control, control. That's what everybody will tell you to do from the start. It's harder than it sounds. First off be careful about bloodbonding. It roughly correlates into love for the average Kine and a lot of them have some strange ideas about love. You don't want half a dozen cases of fatal attraction on your hands. Dominate and Presence work best, but think about getting some knowledge of Psychology first so you don't drive people insane with continuous domination that goes against their Nature. The next best thing to do is just Dominate or bloodbond all the rich and powerful people in town and let them control the rest of the city for you in a good old boy fashion. Nothing's in your name and nobody really knows who you are, but you still run the show in the long run.


Things to Do


Look For New Vampires

That new vampire who didn't present himself could be a Sabbat spy, Anarch on the run, Gangrel passing through, or any number of different things. It's your job to know he's there so you can guess at what he's up to. The first trick is finding them. Check for evidence of breaking the Masquerade, especially in feeding patterns. you've got to do that anyway. Have some ghouls watch the rack and other prime feeding grounds. Unless they've got Masquerade or Baby Face, Ghouls should be able to spot vampires at least half the time just by looks alone and without Auspex. Routinely check prime havens: warehouses, newly purchased buildings, sewers, motels, etc. You may have a lot of manpower tied up in nothing, but finding that one Sabbat haven before they're ready to act will be worth it.


Question All New Vampires

Just because a vampire presents himself to you doesn't mean he's on the level. Always ask for references and check up on them. All Sabbat spies in my territory have tried to come in and pass themselves off as Camarilla neonates. Unpresented vampires are just too obvious for them to do otherwise. Beware wandering Gangrel neonates who nobody has ever heard of. Tell them to keep wandering and watch them till they've left and look for them coming back. If they really want to reside in your Domain and can't provide references to suit your satisfaction, tell them flat out that they'll have to find some other city or relent to Domination to tell you who they are, what sect they're with and if they're going to try to disrupt your Princedom. Even most Anarchs will agree that this is not too much to ask of an unknown vampire. You may be tempted to ask more once they've been dominated, but don't. See below.


Be Honest

Build up a reputation for honesty so you can blow it on something big. Running things, making friends, and keeping from making enemies will be a lot easier if you do that. If you've got the power to hold the city by force, good for you. Otherwise you're going to need everybody to act along with what you say. A Prince without honor is a Prince without friends, allies, or credit. He also has a lot of enemies. This will also give you a card to play when all the chips are down and a turn of the tables is the difference to everything. If you don't understand this, don't go looking to be Prince.


Don't Act Stuffy

If you go around and expect everybody to bow down to you and snivel, you're going to be disappointed. They're not going to do so honestly and most neutrals will side against you simply because they won't be able to stand your attitude. You may lose a little face with your clan and fellow, older, more powerful Princes, but they don't live in your city with you. Remember, honey gathers more flies than vinegar.


Don't Play By The Rules

Now that you are a player in the vampire world, you have to learn the rules. Then you learn the loopholes, the different interpretations, and the cheats. Everybody else has. Just because you are dealing in good faith with somebody doesn't mean that you shouldn't have a sniper across the street or a Nosferatu following you just in case they aren't. Don't worry about offending anybody, if they get upset about you having backup when you said you'd be 'alone', then they're really naive or were just looking for a reason to harass you to begin with. Make deals and always prepare for them to fall through. When somebody tries to double cross you, double cross them first and twice as bad.


Act Firmly

Just because I'm telling you pretty much to act like a nice guy even if you aren't. This doesn't mean be a wuss. Always act decisively. If you can't decide on a topic tell anybody questioning you that you are thinking in a firm tone that makes it clear that you are not to be questioned and talk about how a wise decision takes time. Stand by your decisions, but don't be afraid to correct yourself if you know you are wrong. Whatever you do, never make an idle threat.


Deny Everything

If you ever get caught doing something, blame it on somebody else or say nothing. The elders, the Sabbat, the antediluvians, perhaps werewolves or mages. They all have a reason to be to blame. If you can't think of something good to say in order to blame somebody else, keep quiet. Most vampires, especially elders are very cautious and hesitant to act without hard evidence. If you have to speak the truth, stall as long as possible, then spill it all in one really quick sentence looking too eager to be telling it. If you can get them to doubt what you're telling them for just a minute even though it's the truth, you might confuse them long enough to get away.


Never Give An Order That Won't Be Obeyed

This is the first rule any army officer or Prince should learn. The easiest way to control a city is to never have one of your orders disobeyed. Just deal with the fact that you are in a world full of other people with their own thoughts and feelings and that even your most trusted servant and ally won't follow every order that you give them. As long as you never tell them to do something that they won't do, then you remain in control. One of the easiest ways to do this is to figure out what you need done and who is to do it, then go to this person and ask their opinion. If they are favorable then command them to do it. If they are not favorable, drop the subject if you feel they would not carry out your orders. Either way they feel you are following their advice and have a sense of importance and respect from you.


Remember the Second Tradition

Your word is law within your domain. No order which does not violate the Masquerade can be denied legally. This sounds good in theory but many kindred will violate this. Once somebody violates your orders, they are in violation of the Traditions. Once a member of the Kindred refuse to follow one order, rest assured that they will refuse to follow another and another. Warn them of what they are doing if you deem the situation resolvable, otherwise continue to give them other orders which they will refuse to follow with plenty of witnesses. Say nothing while you compile a physical punishment and then confront the transgressor, preferably while he is alone, with the evidence against him followed swiftly by the punishment. How reasonable the orders they did not follow out are will determine whether you will face fall out for punishing them. Be sure you have enough rope before you hang somebody.


The Prince of Oklahoma City can be reached through his ghoul, Mark17.