Where Everybody Knows Your Name
With populations of 50,000 or fewer people it’s said that in a small town a new resident will know just about everyone within two years. Unlike a city, anonymity and solitude are much harder to maintain. For a newly turned vampire, word might spread of their recent changes in attitude or habit. And word is likely to spread quickly through the handful of bars, restaurants, and places of worship. In small towns gossip is more than a hobby, it’s a primary source of news and entertainment.
Large Area, Small Politics
While a small town may not measure up to the area in square miles of a city, the overall lack of density can make a small town feel large—especially when considering the homes on the outskirts of the towns or the “micropolitan statistical area.” A mile surrounded by buildings does not feel as long as a mile through the wide open. For some small towns the “big city” an hour or more away may little more than a larger town with a slightly larger population. For small towns, the politics of the Camarilla will be more personal and any Prince or Baron will likely be more a daily acquaintance than a lofty figure who works through intermediaries.
Keeping the Masquerade
With a small population and news that travels fast, keeping the knowledge of vampires will be a challenge. Feeding on the locals will require the utmost discretion. Blood dolls may exist even in the smallest of towns, thanks to the barrage of media presenting sexy and/or sparkly vampires. Most feeding, though, would be better performed on travelers and transients. Instead of bars and clubs being the popular feeding ground, seeking prey will be more successful at gas stations, rest stops, and motels. While hospitals might seem like an option, if there is a presence of the Inquisition, it will almost certainly exist there.
Just Passing Through
The Vampire campaign that takes vampires on road trips is rare, but there may be times when a city-based campaign requires the characters to visit or pass through a small town. For the “city vamps,” it may be a greater struggle to protect the Masquerade as their actions will be under greater scrutiny from locals—vamps, hunters, and general populace alike. Navigating new politics is always a challenge, but there will be a greater feeling of being an outsider for city vampires in a small town than were they in another city, given the lack of anonymity and possible increase in initial distrust.
Adventure Seed: There’s A New Sheriff In Town
In an effort to better protect the Masquerade, the local sheriff was recently turned. However, instead of working with the ruling vampires to protect their society, the officer has begun to abuse their power to their own gain. It’s believed that at least half of the deputies are now ghouls and law enforcement arrests a larger number of people traveling through the town than ever before—travelers who are never seen or heard from again. In town, the civilians believe law enforcement is cracking down on illegal immigrants and city crime and is largely supportive of the recent change to their once “lazy” civil servant. The player characters must now deal with the sheriff and their deputies before a hunter or the Inquisition is made aware of the situation. Can they do so without further endangering their way of life?
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