Prestation is one of the most important aspects of a good vampire LARP but it is also one of the most poorly understood and poorly played aspects of the game. This article is meant to help clear things up for people and provide a common ground and understanding. To begin this clarification we need to clear up some misconceptions about prestation.

Common Myths about Presentation

Myth #1 – Only the Camarilla practices Prestation

Prestation pre-dates any of the great sects. Look at your Dark Ages books if you don't believe me. Favour trading is done by all vampires. It is really the only useful currency. Over time people, countries and empires all rise and fall. Vampires are truly eternal.

Myth #2 – My character doesn't participate in favour trading

If you are an established and accepted member of society and you routinely participate in said society then you participate in prestation. That means, if you are playing an appropriate character for a LARP, your character participate in prestation. It is a key feature of the game and the society. You want to play Vampire the Masquerade then you must play the game within the game.

Myth #3 – If they don't ask for something in return I don't own them

Wrong. Vampires are creatures of tradition and custom not contract law. If you accept the favour you own a boon to the favours granter. It is part of how the society works. The only way you do not owe someone for a favour being done for you is when they are paying off a debt or they specifically tell you otherwise and this is a very, very rare thing; even amongst friends. Vampires understand that allies will become enemies and enemies will eventually become allies so they always hedge their bets.

Myth # 4 – You never want to be in debt

This is a huge fallacy. Being in debt is a good thing. It means that people have an active interest in seeing you stay alive. They want to be paid. Having a few powerful people or a number of small people wanting to see you live long enough to pay them back ensures that if anyone comes after you there are plenty of people who will come after them afterwards. If enough powerful people holding debts on you they may be able to convince the Prince not to have you destroyed if you seriously screw up. This will likely cost them boons to the Prince which they will want pass along to you by adding to the debt you own them. The cycle continues but you are still alive.

Myth #5 – It is forgiveable to renege on a boon

This is never, ever the case. The moment you renege on a boon your word is now worthless. Your status in the city will come crashing down and people will stop willingly deal with your character. Payment for services rendered will have to be given up front before others will do anything for you. The debts you hold on others will become worthless – eye for an eye is a big thing in kindred society. Essentially, you have put yourself out on a island all by yourself and there is no one there who will help you. You are pariah. It is a scary, scary place. Lone vampires are easy targets.

Myth #6 – Favours are only traded within sect

Another fallacy. The trading of boons can be done with anyone that your character deems trustworthy. It is riskier to trade favours outside of your sect as the person you are dealing with does not have the social constraints and repercussions that dealing within your society does. However, there are often other factors that will ensure they deal fairly and honour their agreements. For example, in a Camarilla city Giovanni exist solely at the sufferance of the Camarilla so they will deal fairly since they don't really want the might of dozens of angry vampires turned directly towards them.

What a Boon Buys

Now that many of myths about the nature of prestation and boons have been settled we need to have a solid understanding of what the different levels of boons actually mean. Far too often people undervalue or overvalue the favour that is being done. Given how boons are the economic life blood of cainite and kindred society it is important for everyone to understand the value of favours. Simply put, there are basically two types of boons. One category is based on time and effort and the second is based on risk. Within those two broader categories there are different values of boons.

Trivial Boon

A Trivial Boon is any favour that can be reasonably accomplished in one evening. Laws of the Night suggests acting as a body guard for an evening but anything that is easily accomplished can qualify as a trivial boon. Access to another's herd or bail money for ones ghoul could all easily qualify.

Minor Boon

The next step up from a Trivial Boon is a Minor Boon. These are requests that will take more than a nights work but not tie up a portion of the granter's resources for a prolonged period of time. For games that run in real time a good rule of thumb is something that can be accomplished and completed in between sessions. For games that don't run in real-time I would suggest tasks that can be completed in a month or less are examples of minor boons. Most expenditures of influence fall into this category though more hands on actions like surveillance or translating an ancient text are also good examples of a minor boon.

Major Boon

Major Boons are the boons that most often take the longest time and the largest expenditures on influence and other resources on the part of the granter of the boon. Anything that takes more time than the period between two sessions for a real-time game or tasks that take longer than a month to complete fall into this category. Also, acts that grant the receiver something permanent should fall into this category – such as discipline instruction or the training of most skills. Disciplines and skills permanently enhance a character and, from an in game perspective, the receiver may eventually become an enemy who will be able to bring to bear whatever you taught against you. Simply put, a major boon is required to make the risk worthwhile.

Blood Boon

The blood boon is the first of the risk type boons. The requester of a Blood Boon is literally asking someone to spill blood for them. The time it takes to do so is less relevant than the associated risk to the granter. Injuring or killing someone, be they mortal or vampire, is a dangerous affair. The death and injury of mortals tends to be noticed by friends and associates who, more often than not, are willing to bring the police in to search for those responsible. Even those that can not bring the police in may have different resources they may be able to call in. Street gangs and organize crime are a good examples of this type or protection. Not only is this a potential threat to the masquerade if an attack on a mortal is not properly handled but the target very well could be a pawn of another kindred who would likely not appreciate the destruction of one of his resources. Kindred targets offer their own issues. The death of a vampire is a violation of the Traditions. Even if you are playing Sabbat, there are prohibitions on the slaughter of loyal soldiers. Vampires are often much better at defending themselves. They know what you are and they know how to hurt you back. And finally, they are likely in debt to other kindred. Kindred who want to see them pay off those debts.

Life Boon

The rarest of all boons, a life boon means that the granter has literally saved the receivers life. Quite often there is no negotiation. It is as simple as someone interceding in a do or die situation to ensure you life. Pulling a torpid kindred out of a burning building or jumping into a fight against a hunter when the other kindred is losing are great examples but there are others. A revised time-line example quotes a Prince to his Primogen reminding them that they owe a life boon to an Assamite who captured a clan mate who had become addicted to diablerie and was hunting the Camarilla down. There is some flexibility but if it is commonly acknowledged that the person saved your life through direct action you own them a life boon. The other thing to remember is that life boons are rarely ever paid back all at once. They are paid back over time. As the granter of the boon you must remember this and know that eventually you will have call the boon paid off. There is no hard and fast rules on timing and what will be done. But remember to be reasonable. A dozen or so trivial boons, two or three major boons or a blood boon & a minor are all possibly acceptable. Try putting yourself in the other player's shoes. If what you are asking would be unreasonable if you were in their position then you should probably let them off. When in doubt when it comes to paying off a life boon take it out of game for a while to work out the details with the other player involved and a Storyteller.

Principles of Favour Trading

Now that we have covered the basics it is time to get into application. The first thing you need to do is ensure you have something worthwhile to buy or sell. This means advertising. Yes, I am serious. Not full page ads or TV and radio spots but by letting people know what you can do or what you know. Word of mouth or demonstration of ability is usually the best options.

Buying and Selling Favours

Demonstration is probably the easiest option though it is often hard to arrange a demonstration. Generally you just need to be willing to act when the situation arises to show what you have to offer. If another kindred frenzies, take them down physically or talking them out of it are great ways to show your ability as a combatant or skills as a diplomat. Arrange to talk to your ghouls in a foreign language is a great opportunity to let people see you can speak different languages. In all of these situations people can physically see what you can do. In other instances you need to set things in motion and let people know what you have done. This is easily accomplished if you have domain but if you can arrange to get someone a pistol when they need one – or better yet get rid of a dirty one – people will remember that you did that. Word of mouth is the pay for a good demonstration. People will remember a good demonstration in the same way you and I will remember a good commercial or brand. It will stick with the other players and they will start to turn to you when they need something done in your realm of expertise later on. When you first start down this road you may need to spread the word yourself but eventually, over enough time and assuming you follow through on your deals, your reputation will be spread for you. Besides advertising what you can do, be sure you listen for people complaining about situations affecting their characters. These are opportunities to offer your services and, if they accept, garner some prestation. Even if you can not help them directly there maybe people who owe favours already. This may allow you to upgrade your boon. Even if you are simply trading on major boon for another it maybe more powerful kindred who owes you as the boon you called in was a weaker one. Do not miss the chances to upgrade.

Negotiating Limitations

With clearly defined boon values, the negotiation is often of terms and conditions of the favour being done instead of the size of the boon. These are basic limiters like the conditions in a bank loan for a mortal. They tend to be quick and easy to take care of with common restrictions being that the boon will not be used to harm the granter or that the favour can not be passed off to a specific person at a later date. One or two limiters should not affect the boon value but a large number of complicated limitations very well could change the size of the boon in either direction depending on who is asking for what. Use common sense and, when that fails, ask for either in game or out game mediation depending on whether the disagreement is in game or out of game.

Cashing in Boons

The whole fun of having boons owed is cashing them in. But like all currency, you want to get the most bang for it. So here are some simple rules. 1. When cashing in a favour make sure that the person is actually capable of doing what you are going to ask. In the above example of having one person do a favour for another, more powerful character it does you no good asking for something that they can not provide. If they can't you look stupid. Though this has no direct, mechanical effects it does strain your credibility this hurting your reputation. Since all vampires really have is their reputation don't go around harming yours. 2. Make sure you are not overpaying. Understand what the boon is actually worth. Hell, try to low ball them if you can. 3. Don't sound desperate. When you sound desperate prices go up. Characters may develop sudden hindrances that they simply can not be pulled away from easily that will delay them acting on your request. State what needs to be done politely but firmly. If it needs to be done more quickly ask them to take care of it as quick as possible. Just don't beg. 4. If you really are desperate don't be afraid to overpay if it is really worth it. In the long run it will probably be cheaper. Just don't ignore point three. 5. Lie. Embellish. Hook-wink. Call it what you will but reveal no more than you have to get what you want.

Giving the Devil His Due

Of course, the flip site to the boon game is having to payback the debt you owe. It will come up and there isn't a lot you can do about it. But like there are rules to calling in your boons there are rules, tips and tricks to ease the pain of paying them back. 1. Have someone else pay it back. If someone lower down on the totem pole can do what is being asked of you and they already owe you a favour call it in. You get to pay off a bigger debt with no effort and little currency. 2. Don't be afraid to sub-contract. This is especially true if y paying back the favour directly will leave you vulnerable. A debt owned to a weaker kindred is better than one owed to a more powerful one. Keep this in mind when trading. 3. Operate at your speed. This does not mean do not work on paying back the debt but if you have the option of using less resources immediately but increasing the time they are ties up that is likely the best option. It leaves you flexibility to adjust to anything unforeseen thus lowering your exposure to risk. 4. If time is of the essence, do whatever you can to do the work as quick as possible. Again, this is a way to reduce your exposure to risk when you do not have the option of moving slow and being guarded. 5. If you sense desperation, exploit it. In the right situation even a trivial act maybe major favour. Keep that and make sure you get as much value for your effort as possible None of these concepts are earth shatteringly new. Businessmen have been doing stuff like this for years. But as a player you need to keep aware of these very simple principles. They will make the difference between succeeding and failing.

Role-playing Prestation

Everything that has been discussed is all well and good but the joy of learning is in applying what has been learned. And that is what this section is about. The big thing with role-playing prestation is to make it stylish and not mechanical. Vampire is a game of elegance and tradition so make sure you get involved in that tradition and embrace what vampire is suppose to be. Make sure what you are saying and doing adds to the atmosphere whenever possible. Simply put, if you find yourself saying I will do X for Y boon then you are doing it wrong, plain and simple. It is better to work the request into a conversation in a more elegant way. The person you are speaking to already knows what the favour is worth and you already know what you are willing to play. Instead of making the transaction sound like a game of “Go Fish”, just ask the person in a respectable manner to do the favour you need done. If they agree to do the favour for you, you then owe them the appropriate boon. If they do not, you owe nothing. And, if there are going to any restrictions put on the favour, the person asked will be able to get into that. If you are trying offering to pay more than a standard rate for the favour, make sure you let the person you are asking in a way that flows into the regular conversation. “I consider this to be more than a minor favour” sounds a helluva lot better than “I will give you a major boon instead of a minor.” The latter method breaks the mood and texture of the game. As a player or Storyteller it is your duty to do everything you can to foster and improve the mood, not damage it. Trying to talk down a boon should be done with same kind of style. Saying some like “I am sure for someone of your esteemed position this would just be a minor inconvience” layers the atmosphere and beauty of the World of Darkness on more thickly. Do this whenever you can.

Reneging on a Debt

This should be one of the rarest things to ever happen in a game. Breaking your word when prestation is involved should no more common the violations of the Masquerade or committing violence in Elysium. (No, I will not comment on the gross negligence on the part of some games.) In Kindred terms, not paying back a debt is the exact same thing as a country devaluing its currency. It causes massive shock waves throughout society. The immediate effect of you reneging on a debt will be a loss of status. This is pretty much impossible to avoid. Other consequences could be ostracism, a number of people calling other boons you owe them and the requirement that you pay up front for all other favours in the future. How this plays out in-game is through word of mouth alone. The wronged party MUST spread the information around. It is part of how the society of the damned works so it becomes imperative that the wronged party play the game as intended. The society will back the wronged party. Mechanically, besides the the loss of Status, the Storyteller should immediately apply a penalty on all social interactions. I would suggest a permanent one trait penalty on all non-discipline social challenges. If the boon reneged on was a Blood Boon or Life Boon the penalty should be increased to three with a further loss of Status beyond a single level. The Storyteller should also apply an XP penalty of some type. While it is bad enough when a character reneges on a debt, there is the reverse effect of a character crying wolf. This should be more rare and be met with equally severe sanctions on the lying party. The accuser will have no proof and this fact should show up in game. Some of you likely believe what is being advocated here to be excessive. Though severe, I do not believe it to be excessive. Prestation is one of the conceits of the game. It is the foundation of the Kindred economy and needs to be taken as seriously in game as the real world protects its economy. Along with the Traditions, the Code of Milan and Elysium, Prestation should be considered sacrosanct. Just like you don't piss on the Pope during mass, you do not violate your word when it comes to prestation. To do so makes the game worse more often than not.

Out of Game Accounting

The out of game management of prestation can be a headache but it does not need to be. Having a book with a page for each character where the players log the info in and out should suffice. An accounting ledger book is probably your best bet but even a full page version of the “Boon Section” from the table top Vampire: the Masquerade character sheets. As a Storyteller, allow the players to manage their own boons out of game. So long as they are told what to do and how to do it, trust them to do it. All you should need to do is review it.

One Boon, Two Boon, Three Boon, Four...

One common issue that arises regularly is converting smaller boons into larger or vice versa. Simply put, there are no hard and fast rules. For time based boons, generally you just keep adding the smaller time-frames together until you hit the next bench mark. This means that a Minor Boon would be worth around two to five Trivial Boons approximately. A Major Boon could be worth two or three minor boons depending on the specifics of the Minor Boons while a Major Boon being paid back in Trivial Boons might take fifteen or more. For Blood Boons and Life Boons it is very much at the discretion of the characters involved. This will require the players to be respectful of each other and the Storyteller should make sure he is in a position to intervene and moderate out of game if need be. Alternately, it is also possible to take the character's case to the game at large as an in game forum. The Primogen's Council has some suggestions If you are looking for something more mechanical, a Blood Boon could equal 3 Major Boons while a like would represent 5 Major Boons. Though not as role-playing based, this option might be more suitable for larger games. So there you have it. Prestation made easy. Hopefully you will be able to use this information to enrich your MET experience for yourself and the rest of your troupe.