Villains is a Vampire: The Masquerade Fifth Edition Chronicle set in the Sonoran Desert that covers large parts of the southwestern United States. The cast is all different Kindred, calling Jodorowsky, California, their home. Jodorowsky, also known as The Row, is a Kindred Commune in the desert's center off Highway 85.
Villains follow along a coterie of Vampires (Kindred) across 12 Episodes on the run from destruction as they arrive in Jodorowsky. At the same time, interconnected vignettes featuring a cast of various Kindred split up the story. The only goal is to ensure you quench your thirst, cage your beast and avoid the sun at all costs.
The series takes inspiration from the album Villains by Queens of the Stone Age and the Stoner Rock prevalent in the area.
In the landscape of Actual Plays on the internet, only a few series are produced without highly relying on the Meta-lore of Vampire: The Masquerade. I aim to take a cast of professionals and introduce the game system in an easy-to-digest and highly compelling way.
The Setting
Jodorowsky is a tent city, RV park, and an anarchist commune with only one rule: No Mortals Allowed (with few exceptions). There are no Camarilla. There are no Anarchs. There is no Sabbat. The Row thrives off of any tourists on their way to Sonoma, Blood Bank deliveries organized by Kusto, a Dusk Born who handles most of the daytime activities of The Row, and any animal that stumbles near the town limits.
I have always wanted to see a story where the vampires were villains in an oppressive environment. That's why the Sonoran Desert is the perfect local for our story. It's abeautiful, dangerous with things living beneath the surface of the sand. It's home to Slab City, the last free city in America. But also strip clubs, cave systems and stretches of nothing. The Sonoran Desert is filled with as much beauty as death, it has a surprising amount of flora and fauna that has found a way to survive in the worst conditions possible and I wanted to reflect that in the story I was telling.
The System
Vampire: The Masquerade and the World of Darkness is a system that I deeply love, but it can be a big ask to get people into. There is meta-lore that can be tough to dive into and some that even makes people uncomfortable. I wanted to craft a story that could be free of that. But, not just free of the lore in a way that completely disregards it. There are hints and references woven into the game, but at the heart, the story is always a focus on the characters and the struggle it is to live by night I'm a place that is devoid of life, the desert. This way, those that are new to the system can enjoy the series and find it a perfect entry point if they wish to dive into the greater World of Darkness.
The Soundtrack
Stoner rock, psychedelia, mariachi, ranchera, ambient hip-hop and the soundtracks of David Lynch's work all hold a special place in the region's heart. They are all going to be referenced and evolved in the soundtrack. The primary inspiration of the series, Villains by Queens of the Stone Age, embodied this setting I was crafting perfectly. An album about loss, longing and debauchery provided a backdrop for the show that was too good to pass up and its essence is in the soundtrack. What the composers,
Jordan Fries (@UpgradedMoon on Twitter) and The Phasing Octopus ( @PhasingOctopus on Twitter)are going to be creating for the show will be one of a kind and next level. Complete with character themes and soundscapes that can be enjoyed outside of the series. They deserve so much recognition and more.
What Your Contribution is Providing:
- Roughly $4000 for cast pay
- Roughly $500to Jordan Fries and The Phasing Octopus for original music for the series.
- Roughly $1000 for character art and a Jodorowsky Map.
- $500 for Post-Production costs, such as editing and Sound Design
- $500 Crowdfundr Fees if not Covered inContributions
- Looking at$6000 total.
The series is expected to be only for one "season" but with major contributions and enough interest, Villains could be become a long running experience that could set TTRPG Actual Play series standards. Meet the CastLast year I put out a call looking to cast a show set in the Sonoran Desert of the US Southwest. It would be a tale of isolation, desperation and dastardly deeds, but with a twist: all the characters are vampire. So I poured through close to 80 different responses for cast members. Some I already had in mind, but others took me by surprise. After a few months I had finally found a group of 15 people that could professionally embody the theme of the show. They are all 5 Star performers ranting from different comfort levels of the system, Vampire: The Masquerade. From people who know the lore like the back of their hand to people who are brand new. I wanted to have a variety of perspectives in the cast I got it in spades.
Main Cast
April Ray (She/Her)
April is a queer Atlanta-based TTRPGer and an organizer for Games for Change. April focuses on helping create more diversity in gaming and bringing representation to the games she plays. Find her work on Table Goth as Dusa (Hades High School), Carrion Comfort as Lysora (Camp Halfblood) and Hana (Fables: Once & Future), and Ampistrano D&D as Oria.
Bully (He/Him)
Bully (he/him) and his work can be found at TableGoth in its various forms. He is a queer biracial TTRPG content creator, performer, writer, and designer who aspires to tell stories that stay with you. Compelling shows and useful tools for running and playing games can be found on the TableGoth Youtube. If you want to be involved in the drama directly, he is available for hire at StartPlaying.
Hamnah Shahid (Any/All) 
Hamnah is a Queer, agender, Pakistani TTRPG performer and producer specializing in high-emotion, character-driven narratives. Their characters explore themes of tendervicious love and the complexity of morals. Hamnah is currently a cast member of Higher Education, Transplanar RPG, Itaewon by Night, and the Mythic Initiative. He is also a setting writer for Emerald Templars, a forthcoming TTRPG.
Pherin Bailey (She/Her)
Pherin is a Queer, Black TTRPG Actual Play performer that is an absolute delight to witness. Pherin brings resolute and passionate characters to life from all walks of life, no matter the genre. Since 2019, Pherin has pushed to make the TTRPG Actual Play landscape a more inclusive and diverse one, having been a part of such shows as Ampistrano DnD as Diadora Shadesun, Philly By Night (Rollin' Deez 20s) as Keturah Baptiste, and as Narine Wallace in Reflections, A Delta Green series over with Waffles Maple Syrup. You may also find her featured in Women of DnD, Episode 334 of DragonTalk, and she is a coordinator for Games for Change.
Wes Franks (He/They)
Wes is a queer, nonbinary streamer whose been working on Twitch for five years. They are the founder and creative director of Carrion Comfort Studios, which produces innovative, kind, and ultimately weird TTRPG streams that punch up, not down. You can see featured series Wes has led, like Fables: Once & Future, Camp Halfblood, Iron City by Night, and many more, on Carrion Comfort’s YouTube page. They aren't just talent behind the Storyteller Screen, but as a player in Hades High School as Thanatos, The Between: Monstrous Business with Critical Failsafe Studios as "Grapplin'" Ross Fontenot, and as Blue in Never Coming Home, a Hunter: The Reckoning Chronicle with TableGoth.
Featured Cast
Sea (They/Them)
Vyn Vox (He/They)
Sea (they/them) is an agender TTRPG actual-play performer, lore-keeper, and digital artist. You can find them making very trans very gay art across the internet, but most of the time they're working on TransplanarRPG, Higher Education, the Mythic Initiative, or guesting in a variety of different projects.
Vyn Vox (he/they) is a Voice Actor and TTRPG Performer with a heavy penchant for blood, horror, and drama. He’s made various appearances media and channels from How i Died to World of Darkness. More information can be found at vynvox.com.
Maria Moore (They/She)
Maria (They/She) is a Non-binary Puerto Rican Twitch streamer, voice actor, and TTRPG content performer. They focus on creating spaces where folks can be their most authentic selves and support each other loudly and proudly. Maria is a cast member of WafflesMapleSyrup and OnlyPlayWizards. They are a Co-founder of Goblin Society Games, a TTRPG company focusing on creating unique TTRPG board game and card game content.
Paula Hawthorne (She/Her)
Paula Hawthorne (she/her) is an Indie TTRPG GM and player who specializes in safety, communication, and accessibility at the table. Paula is passionate about making smaller games available to a wider audience of excited players through demonstrations, online tools, and safety training.
Zachary Vaudo (Any/All)
Zachary Vaudo is your local bisexual Jewish-Domari TTRPG streamer, playing and running games for various channels since 2020. You may know him from his Carrion Comfort appearances in Crack The Sky: Alpha, Kingdom Hearts: The Interstitial War, and Fables. He has appeared as a player, guest player, or GM on Carrion Comfort Studios, Gehenna Gaming, The Facility Productions, Martlet Games, Vancouver By Night, The Bard's Playhouse, TheHypeGoblin, and more. Currently, Zak is Lorekeeper for the ongoing Vampire: The Masquerade chronicle, ATL By Night. Additionally, he produces music for live performances and stream productions, as well as writes on occasion.
Prince (He/Him)
Prince (he/him) is a TTRPG Performer, Twitch Streamer and Producer that you can find telling dark, hilarious & emotionally deep stories over on Rollin' Deez 20's and his own home channel, Dimples 'n Dice.
Rachel (She/Her)
Rachel (MsPettyDreadful) is a variety streamer trying to make her corner of the world a whimsical place. She spends her time playing games, tending to her various creatures, and keeping as cozy as possible. You can find her playing tabletop games over at TableGoth on YouTube and streaming every Tuesday for ESGaming, a nonprofit working to make the gaming industry a more equitable space.
Diana Dimicco (She/Her)
Diana DiMicco is a professional GM, Writer, and Dicemaker. Most recently helming the World of Darkness content released from Renegade Game Studios including The Nightlife (VtM) the Day Shift (HtR) and their Month of Darkness specials, New Blood, and High Stakes. She has two self-published TTRPGs releasing in 2023, on the site she owns with her partner: Bard & Barbarian ( @BardnBarbarian ). Find her across the internet wherever games are being played- usually for charity!
Syriinx (She/Her)
Syriinx (she/her) is a queer cosplayer and TTRPG streamer, with an obsession for all things vampire. She likes a good narrative-driven character arc, high emotional roleplay, and encourages other players to let their characters shine. You can find her in shows such as Blood on the Grand Strand, La Terreur et La Vertu, Mage: Somnambulist, Lord Blackbird, XII: Occult Eye, The Toreador Only Party, The Old City, and The All Night Society.
Leslee Wombat (She/Her)
LesleeWombat is a Queer, femme TTRPG performer, and streamer who, in her day-to-day works in STEM. She was previously featured on Carrion Comfort every Tuesday for Comfortscicle (yes, the spelling was wrong on purpose). Otherwise, Leslee has been on Gehenna Gaming, Martlet Games, and many other channels!
Noordin Ali Kadir (He/Him)
Noordin Ali Kadir (he/him) is a TTRPG designer, writer, consultant, and performer based out of Ontario Canada. You can find him on the podcasts The Atomless, Planet Arcana, and Missing Annie Lee, as well as previous actual plays on TableGoth, Roll4It, and LoadingReadyRun, among others.
