Aspirations
Well, this is a question thats alredy been theoreticaly (if not for practicaly reasons) voiced, so here goes...
On the surface, Aspirations do two major things:
They tell a Storyteller what you want to see in the game, and they give you a motivation even when your character might not have an immediate hook to the story. As it stands, they’re mostly open-ended — players can do with them what they please.
However, the Storyteller can use minor focuses to deeply influence a chronicle.
A couple of notes on Aspirations:
• It’s important to remember that grander Aspirations can award Beats any time the character takes meaningful steps toward resolution; don’t punish players for taking lofty goals.
ST's note: In no way are we required to spam out beats when a "step" have no impact or was of consequence, effort or otherwise made it worth it either.
• Players can shift Aspirations between game sessions. Nothing forces them to keep Aspirations that have become useless or are no longer fun to pursue.
ST's note: The Aspiration change should be -between- game sessions, not in a short break mid events. Also your new Aspiration needs to be known to the ST for it to be relevant. Dosnt matter what you scribe on your own paper if we dont have a copy.
• Aspirations should help to guide the chronicle. If you can’t find a dramatic way to introduce the players’ presented goals, ask them how they’d like to see them addressed.
• Aspirations can be “meta.” The player knows them; the character doesn’t have to.
• Particularly early on in the chronicle, Aspirations change. As the players feel out their characters, and begin to understand the chronicle’s direction, they’ll want to shift goals. This is fine.
Negativity
Remember that Aspirations don’t have to be positive. Ultimately, Aspirations express what you — the player — want to see in play.
Vampire is a game of gothic horror; tragedy is par for the course.
Its very unlikely (though I supose for a Machocist character, possible) for a Character to want to get humiliated infront of his peers (class mates, work place friends etc), but it could be a part the player would want to come to pass in order to build the character concept. So its a perfectly fine example of a negative aspiration to put down.
