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Okay folks,

I have a quandary and I figured I would turn to you wonderful folk here for some thoughts.

What would make the typical monsters that we have (Vampires, Werewolves, etc) try to fit into normal society en masse.

I had thoughts that it could be something like there's a realization that people aren't the same as they were, and technology is the ultimate leveller. It's hard to be that kind of predator when it isn't a farmer and a pitchfork but instead a murder that draws attention of the police who have guns and so on and so forth.

Is that enough? Should there may be something that happened that caused some of them to learn to have some guilt, something that causes them to pause and consider?

I don't know, this is why I ask for help.

I would argue some sort of disaster. Either an actual devastating (super?)natural event that make everyone profound and profane work together to recover, or a political one where we see a communist/fascist government force everyone to be equal. Either utility, or force is required to get past the expected problems of integration.

For the past fifty years now, the X-Men series of comics have been asking this sort of question. Often they use the analogy of civil rights, but unfortunately - that comparison has a bit of a problem. Gay/Black/Latino/etc. can't actually move things with their minds or blow up cars with a wave of their hands. The whole point of the civil rights movement is to get the majority to stop treating these people like they're dangerous.

Marvel Comics mutants or supernatural creatures - even the good intentioned ones - really do present actual threats. At least in the case of vampires, there is a good chance that people with hold the belief that at some point the vampires have committed assault to acquire blood. Depending on the world's background, this might not be true, a bad reputation from stories would still be an obstacle to overcome.

A long time ago, I read a science fiction story about contacting a race on another planet and setting up a line of communication. However, they had evolved from dog-like creatures and didn't particularity like apes. Fortunately, there were people in the human population with lycanthropy who stepped forward to be intermediaries.

While I certainly would hope for a society that is based on more than simply what utility a person has - that would be a good "foot in the door" for these creatures. Strange biology immune to radiation and toxins would be a boon to cleaning up certain environmental hazards. Combined with unnatural longevity, vampires might prove to be excellent candidates for long duration astronauts - barring difficulties with food supply (can't grow blood hydroponically yet). There are numerous stories of dogs in combat saving lives - running messages, sniffing out enemies, or giving an early warning about incoming artillery due to excellent hearing - no imagine the advantage if they could talk as well.

Like just about everything else, I've worked on a setting that integrates humans and vampires to the point where the McDonsalds' Drink Menu lists blood - right after coke and diet coke. (Well, hemoglobin is probably more expensive than high fructose corn syrup , so its probably separate but you get the idea...)It was more or less a variation on "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" - replace replicants with Raiders and criminal vampires, and Los Angeles with a 1950's styled but somewhat abused domed arcology. (Massumune Shirow's "Appleseed" was also an inspiration - it was written up for a BESM game.) So there is fallout and mutual threats getting everyone to work together even if a percentage of the populace is (in/suc)cubuses.

I do think that there has to be some kind of outside force that's making this happen.

Now, part of my goal is to have this be a secret. A bit masquerady, but I like the fact that you have to keep what you're doing away from people because they're going to freak out and you'll have to deal with that. It makes for having secret cabals, and various organizations that are out to get you be that much more annoying.

Maybe there should be a mechanic like that, not only does using your abilities move you towards your Wyrd (the thing that's going to mess you up) but it should possibly give you some exposure which means that there's going to be a new set of "bad guys" on your tail.

Anyway, just watched the first episode of Being Human.

I'm going to give it a couple more episodes, because it's got some of the vibe I'm looking for. Not too sure I like the whole "this is our master plan" kind of thing.

I think I just have to start with that conceit. You're playing a monster that wants to integrate into society, the reasons are your own.

(No offense intended, I just haven't finished that post properly)

There's still something needed to make it a game, e.g. a good mechanism to portray integration/disintegration. You hinted at it in one of your posts.

As far as driving forces are concerned, the most obvious one (for me) is memories - a vampire used to be a human, so she might miss it.

Civil rights and mutants continue to be a flawed analogy - but likening it to something like HIV/AIDS (or other stigmatized disease) would be fairly apt. Much like HIV being a vampire it constrains activities and needs expensive medicines to control. Getting to the advanced/AIDS stage means loosing control, or at least greatly increased danger to those around you. Many vampires might find them in wage slavery to various corporations to acquire the needed medications, and end up presented with problems about what to do if the supplier asks them to commit unethical acts. (Sabotage isn't going to be legal, or do vampire-human relations any good, but I do need those drugs...) In turn a larger struggle is something akin to healthcare reform (National Health Service - the game!).

Taking that indentured concept a little farther - how about a cyberpunk world where instead of mechanical augmentations, people get grafted with bits of demon or magical tattoos replacing wetware? Or perhaps a multiple-tiered society where you have the usual augmented on top and commoner on bottom - but in between are people who have taken less stable paths to power. Mechanical augs you can fix, improve, are backed by years of R&D - but being a vampire is kind of random.

Perhaps the game begins a few days after the big secret breaks. One night the sun either just doesn't come up for 24 hours longer than usual, or it appears as a strange color - and all supernatural beings are revealed. Ragnarok comes, the gods are dead, and what is left of their power is absorbed by some people turning them into semi-monsters. They didn't have a chose, and everyone is aware of this, but at the same time - but people given superpowers overnight will invariably cause a few problems while adjusting - leading to some distrust.

To draw on another mythology and oppressed group - what if the werewolves were the original inhabitants of the land, much like the Irish Sidhe, and now like the American Indian Movement they're trying to get off reservations, and into mainstream society, while keeping some sense of identity.

Does this have to be on Earth? What if sometime in the future, Humanity conquers a planet of vampires. Of course the invaders with interstellar travel have better tech and weapons, but that doesn't give them moral authority to liquidate the original inhabitants by changing the environment with teraforming solar mirrors - right?

For a more personal story - blood-drinking/anthroprophagia are serious eating disorders amongst supernatural creatures. The better care they have, and the more friends/life attachments - the less it comes up, but when ostracized or stressed, the hunger begins.