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Book Review: “Live from the Succubus Club:

image: Renegade Game Studios

“Fame calls. Damn the Masquerade.”

That’s the central premise to this new sourcebook for Vampire: the Masquerade fifth edition. Given the focus on maintaining the Masquerade (that’s the idea that humans can never find out that vampires exist and walk amongst them that the entire game hinges on), this might seem like the antithesis of the setting and system. So let’s dive into why this sourcebook is a great addition to your VtM games.

But first, some history…

The Succubus Club is a well-known feature of Vampire the Masquerade. It first landed in front of Vampire fans in 1991 with it’s own sourcebook, aptly titled “The Succubus Club”, for first edition. It detailed the Kindred-run night club in Chicago. It offered maps for each level, an overview of the services on offer to other vampires, the types of kine or humans the venue attracts, where Elysium lies within its walls, and no less than 7 scenarios featuring the venue, completed with character sheets for key figures the coteries might meet. In short, it is an incredible source of game material in its own right.

It was then followed in 2003 by “The Succubus Club: Dead Man’s Party” for revised edition. This work built on the previous book, adding more social machinations within the venue, and detailed breakdowns of what each clan might utilise the space for. It went to great lengths to detail appropriate behaviour in the location, what was or was not considered appropriate, and offered some ideas to incorporate into your running chronicles before delving in to secrets from behind the curtain that a Storyteller might want to pull on when using the setting. It didn’t specifically offer a story to run using the setting though, which is why it is not perhaps as frequently reached for when modern storytellers look to add the Succubus Club into the chronicles.

The Succubus Club in modern nights

image: Renegade Game Studios

“Live from the Succubus Club” brings the beloved location into a more modern setting, and offers guidelines on how to utilise its many rooms, services and secrets. Most notably, it also incorporates guidelines and rules on how “Lestat”-ify your kindred character. If you’ve been watching, or are an existing fan of, Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, you will be familiar with the Brat Prince himself, Lestat de Lioncourt and his musical career. Well, if you’re intent on giving your kindred character a moment in the spotlight like Lestat, then this book will be a must-have. Not only does it give guides on how to run a business for both kindred and kine, it also gives incredible insights on how to build a band of musical vampires. It shares the trials and tribulations you might face when touring, and how to navigate building a coterie of musicians, including how you might want to spend coterie XP.

The book details how The Succubus Club has syndicated across the globe – now a franchise of sorts, with clubs in locations all over the world. Each is a little different, due to the culture and society is resides in, but all still feel familiar enough to a travelling kindred looking to party with friends, both fanged and free of Caine’s curse.

It also sheds some light on how the Second Inquisition, the name given by vampires to the collective hunters who hunt them, might track and intercept them, interrupting shows, tours and even attempting to take them down with a stake to the chest.

Location information for settings across the world really helps to bring the idea of a touring band of kindred to life. The retinue of NPCs (or SPCs as they are known in this setting), is a gold mine for any Storyteller.

Chapter six gives us an incredibly well thought out chronicle we can use for our talented and fanged musicians, with Appendix 1 offering charts and tables for any storyteller to add elements into existing stories they may wish to spin. The Loresheets at the back of the book provide ties to the wider World of Darkness for characters looking to delve into this setting.

Fancy five minutes of fame?

“Live from the Succubus Club” is a great addition to your book collection if you’re a player or storyteller of fifth edition Vampire:” the Masquerade, and looking to add some fame, fortune and fickleness to your chronicle. I would highly recommend it is you are looking to add some ambition, international travel, music and cutthroat business in to your Vampire: the Masquerade chronicle.

You can get “Live from the Succubus Club” from Renegade Game Studios (affiliate link), your local friendly game store, or digital platforms like Roll 20 and Demiplane.

How to promote your TTRPG Actual Play

You’ve gathered the players and GM. You have a story to tell and are about to start recording.

Stop.

How are you going to get your actual play in front of the right people?
Sure, you’ve probably got social media accounts and probably a Discord. You might have even got some artwork for your player characters done by one of the amazing artists in the community, but unless people know about your AP, where to find it, when to watch it, and what they can do to support your efforts, you’re going to be just another voice in the void.

So, how do you get your work in front of the right people to grow your audience?

Find the right audience

Having a good idea of who would be the right audience is the first step. Fans of the game system you’re playing is a good start, as is the genre of story you’re playing.

Use the right language

This will help you word things correctly for them. For example, using “D&D” if you’re playing Call of Cthulhu might attract some people, but it’s not going to bring your primary audience – those people who will come to see what you’re doing differently.

Find the right platform(s)

It’s no good putting your work on one platform, if no one is there. This is where diversifying your publishing becomes important. Live playing on platforms like Twitch is great for initial views if your audience is awake and ready to watch at the same time, but if they want to go back and watch later, you’re going to need to think about somewhere like YouTube where videos can live on in posterity. Long tail views account for a large portion of your overall audience viewership in APs, and YouTube works really well in conjunction with a website to get visibility of your group in search.

Be strategic

Not unlike heading into a lair of some eldritch being, going in with all guns blazing might bag you a few hits, but ultimately it’s going to lead to more misses. By the same token, if a strategy isn’t working, you and your team might need to adapt and change tactics mid-battle. Knowing what you’re doing to spread the word of your work is vitally important, and having everyone on the same page (liking and resharing posts on social media for instance) means more people to help build momentum behind your project.

Planning what you’re going to post out on social media ahead of schedule allows you ensure continuity of messaging. Take a look at the 2025 Social Media Planner if you’re looking for an easy planning tool.

Community is golden

The TTRPG community is a goldmine of connections and cheerleaders. There are many avenues to share what you’re working on with people who are actively invested in the thing’s you’re making,s o be active int he community – not just to share what you’re doing but to support others in the community too. Positive sentiment is rocket fuel for creatives, and reciprocity is rife amongst TTRPG players and writers, so get involved!

My top tips

  • Make a stand-alone website as a home for your project or group. It doesn’t hve to be fancy but it has to help folks find you in search.
  • Have a unified, branded look for your website and all social media. Logo, name, handle, links all help people recall you and your project.
  • Use a link aggregator like Beacon or Linktree to share links in social media profiles, etc. It’s way easier to update links in one place and have it roll out.
  • Be an active part of the TTRPG community. We all want this community to thrive and you might find your next superfan amongst them!
  • Make sure your players and crew are all sharing any posts. It’s an easy way for them to support the work everyone is doing.
  • Don’t sweat the small stuff. It takes time to build an audience and time to make an impact. Focus on having fun and telling the story in your heart.