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Forums » RP Discussion » Thoughts on blood tablets?

In my original universe, Miss Molly, I have several blood-lusting characters that won't consume blood due to morals. However, they still crave blood because of certain reasons. There is where blood tablets comes in; this is inspired by the anime Vampire Knight. I plan for the blood tablet to temporarily quench the bloodthirst and maybe made out of blood from blood banks to prevent extra blood from spoiling and going to waste. Any opinions?
Kim Site Admin

It sounds like you know what you want. I'm confused what your question is?
Jaws Topic Starter

Just wanted to hear some opinions on it.
I see it as a way to set up tension. If they have the tablets, it creates tension when they run out of or lose them, due to their dependence on them and their need for a substitute.

However, if this does not happen, it seems like a cheap way to avoid the risk of using a vampiric character, somewhat "wrecking the concept" of using a monstrous character, such as a vampire. Blood tablets negate one of the main points of a vampiric character, which is their need for blood and the effect that need has on that character.
Jaws Topic Starter

Anakisuto wrote:
I see it as a way to set up tension. If they have the tablets, it creates tension when they run out of or lose them, due to their dependence on them and their need for a substitute.

However, if this does not happen, it seems like a cheap way to avoid the risk of using a vampiric character, somewhat "wrecking the concept" of using a monstrous character, such as a vampire. Blood tablets negate one of the main points of a vampiric character, which is their need for blood and the effect that need has on that character.

Thank you for that idea. I don't want to take away any characteristics of the characters' struggle to live their live and also the idea of needs vs morals is quite interesting.
I swear the way I talk about writing sometimes makes me feel real old.
Anakisuto wrote:
I see it as a way to set up tension. If they have the tablets, it creates tension when they run out of or lose them, due to their dependence on them and their need for a substitute.

However, if this does not happen, it seems like a cheap way to avoid the risk of using a vampiric character, somewhat "wrecking the concept" of using a monstrous character, such as a vampire. Blood tablets negate one of the main points of a vampiric character, which is their need for blood and the effect that need has on that character.
I like this, it’s what I plan to do with one of my own blood drinker characters. I see it as a form of a basic gameplay loop where you have this vital resource to be found and managed and that alone can create some interesting situations, like posing moral dilemmas when the blood substitutes run out.
It could also be the case that the blood tablets while nutritionally viable, don't have the best taste. Like it could be considered eating gruel as opposed to prime steak, so they still might grabble with their desire for blood, especially if they encounter someone with especially alluring blood.

Does because it works doesn't mean it has to be an enjoyable solution.
hmm. i once wrote a vampire character who didn't want to consume blood because he had very bad germaphobia and ocd, which heightened vampire senses only made worse.

it would have been a different story with the tablets, probably; not killing hte suspense but shifting it.

like, have you ever spoken to someone DEPENDENT on medication to stay alive? like heart meds or insulin? it's TERRIFYING. especially in a position that doesn't have easy access to medical resources (poverty or indigence, even something as simple as traveling to a different city with a different pharmacy or to a different country who might confiscate necessary meds or have red tape up in their medical systems limiting access to foreigners).

'for the sake of morals' is kind of a weak story element, i'd say. there's nothing in vampire lore that says they MUST drink their victims to DEATH (and much lore based on illness painted vampirism as a sort of returning damage that over time could weaken people and leave them vulnerable to disease, like losing your blood routinely would do).

so anything that happens between two consenting adults sounds like it shouldn't be a moral issue, and you can't tell me there wouldn't be donors / vampire enthusiasts / cultish clubs standing up to volunteer (or to get paid for the blood loss, like college kids who have to donate plasma to afford rent).

'for moral reasons' is a flat premise, leans on character subjectivity without really explaining what's behind the decision. would it be religion? veganism? a mental health issue like chronic guilt and that sort of refusal to be dependent on other people to survive (thinking of oneself as 'a burden')?

in terms of roleplay, meh. i don't like or dislike the idea, it'd just have to serve a different purpose than alleviating vampire angst, ahahaha
Jaws Topic Starter

Katia wrote:
It could also be the case that the blood tablets while nutritionally viable, don't have the best taste. Like it could be considered eating gruel as opposed to prime steak, so they still might grabble with their desire for blood, especially if they encounter someone with especially alluring blood.

Does because it works doesn't mean it has to be an enjoyable solution.

Medicine isn't the best tasting thing so I could see that working.
Jaws Topic Starter

oven wrote:
hmm. i once wrote a vampire character who didn't want to consume blood because he had very bad germaphobia and ocd, which heightened vampire senses only made worse.

it would have been a different story with the tablets, probably; not killing hte suspense but shifting it.

like, have you ever spoken to someone DEPENDENT on medication to stay alive? like heart meds or insulin? it's TERRIFYING. especially in a position that doesn't have easy access to medical resources (poverty or indigence, even something as simple as traveling to a different city with a different pharmacy or to a different country who might confiscate necessary meds or have red tape up in their medical systems limiting access to foreigners).

'for the sake of morals' is kind of a weak story element, i'd say. there's nothing in vampire lore that says they MUST drink their victims to DEATH (and much lore based on illness painted vampirism as a sort of returning damage that over time could weaken people and leave them vulnerable to disease, like losing your blood routinely would do).

so anything that happens between two consenting adults sounds like it shouldn't be a moral issue, and you can't tell me there wouldn't be donors / vampire enthusiasts / cultish clubs standing up to volunteer (or to get paid for the blood loss, like college kids who have to donate plasma to afford rent).

'for moral reasons' is a flat premise, leans on character subjectivity without really explaining what's behind the decision. would it be religion? veganism? a mental health issue like chronic guilt and that sort of refusal to be dependent on other people to survive (thinking of oneself as 'a burden')?

in terms of roleplay, meh. i don't like or dislike the idea, it'd just have to serve a different purpose than alleviating vampire angst, ahahaha

I always wanted to ask someone but I am a bit of chicken to ask. And the moral reasons, it might quite weak since vampire hunters are illegal in my original universe.
oven wrote:
'for the sake of morals' is kind of a weak story element, i'd say. there's nothing in vampire lore that says they MUST drink their victims to DEATH (and much lore based on illness painted vampirism as a sort of returning damage that over time could weaken people and leave them vulnerable to disease, like losing your blood routinely would do).

so anything that happens between two consenting adults sounds like it shouldn't be a moral issue, and you can't tell me there wouldn't be donors / vampire enthusiasts / cultish clubs standing up to volunteer (or to get paid for the blood loss, like college kids who have to donate plasma to afford rent).

'for moral reasons' is a flat premise, leans on character subjectivity without really explaining what's behind the decision. would it be religion? veganism? a mental health issue like chronic guilt and that sort of refusal to be dependent on other people to survive (thinking of oneself as 'a burden')?
It’s only flat if you’re not willing to push it in an interesting direction. People as a whole don’t like to be bled. RP characters are typically stuck in less than ideal situations, maybe there are no willing volunteers. Maybe there are no volunteers to feed on at all, or maybe the character doesn’t enjoy the close contact of having to bite someone. There are so many reasons like the ones you just listed, religion, veganism, etc, all of which involve morality, but I didn’t feel like clogging the thread with a really long post.

Imagine potentially running out of magic in a fantasy game or run out of bullets in an apocalypse, it’s the same premise with different framing that can push a vampiric character into fun scenarios (fun for the writer, anyway). I think that’s the sentiment @Anakisuto was getting at.
Jaws Topic Starter

@Lucidus, thank you for your replies too. Honestly, I get confused on ideas since when I first started roleplaying, it was already in a setted universe. I'm still learning the ropes as a writer and roleplayer, but luckily this site is full of helpful people.
Lucidus wrote:
bruh

... is that an agreement, then?

point one: morality is subjective

point two: "for morals" is a flat premise for story / character, BECAUSE of that subjectivity. the reader / other writer isn't going to know what you as the writer consider a moral quandary, so yes, yeah, you DO need to be more specific or else the worldbuilding will sound vague and handwavy and, yes, flat

point three: i... was answering the OP, i wasn't addressing you or arguing with you, there wasn't really any need to repeat all the things i said but in different words lol what

if you disagree, all right, cool? gl with your worldbuilding, then, i'm not losing any money over what you wanna do.

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