May I Enter: A Vampire Game
May I Enter?
You are a vampire, and you are Bound.
The world of May I Enter is loud, crowded, and brimming with life. You can feel it pulsing in every hurried step, every whispered laugh, every heartbeat that echoes just a little too loudly in your ears. It’s all so close, so tempting. But that’s not why you’re here. You are no simple predator. You’ve traded pain and horror for an oath, hunger for restraint, power for a promise. You have survived in the wake of the Binding, and now you strive to bring change.
May I Enter is a game of shadows and honor, where you are not just a vampire, you are a guardian. In this world, power doesn’t come from domination but from the strength to restrain yourself. You are bound by rules older than the stones beneath your feet, rules carved into your very soul. Every choice you make is a delicate balance between the monster within and the humanity you strive to protect.
This is a game of consent, of connection, of trust. Vampires here don’t steal. They ask. They don’t rule. They serve. The myths of velvet cloaks and whispered threats are just that: myths. The truth is far more complicated and infinitely more dangerous.
The Game
May I Enter: A Vampire Game is a tabletop roleplaying game that uses a heavily modified version of Powered by the Apocalypse (PbTA), a game system created by Meguey Baker and Vincent Baker. This is the same system used in games like Apocalypse World, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Devil Dice Island. We have also been inspired by Blades in the Dark and Old School Renaissance TTRPGs like MÖRK BORG. We’re right on the edge of considering this game something slightly more than a ‘standard’ PbTA game, but that’s up to you to decide.
Our game takes inspiration from various vampire genre movies, tv shows, books, video games and roleplaying games. We acknowledge our love and appreciation for games like Vampire: The Masquerade and its influence on our creation. We acknowledge our love of Forever Knight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the Lost Boys, and we’ll even admit to liking Once Bitten.
May I Enter is designed for groups of 3-6 players and 1 Narrator. Sessions usually run for 3-6 hours. Like any good tabletop game we know it’s easy to run this game online or with your friends in person.
As vampires in May I Enter you are members of a loose society of supernatural beings who believe they can change the world for the better. In the Wake of the Binding, a magical ritual led by Helen of Troy near the end of the Trojan War, vampires have become Bound by several magical rules they must follow. Your characters must have active consent to feed, to call upon your powers, and to change the world.
Night to night you will build bonds with various NPCs because those bonds help to empower you. You will also be in conflict with humans who have no desire to see the world change for the better. Your characters will push back against these oppressive forces and work to save those you care for.
There are other supernatural forces you must also combat, including the Primordials, vampires who have somehow escaped the power of Helen’s Binding. These monsters are ancient and have no interest or kindness toward humanity. Some of them even pre-date humanity as we know it. There are also predatory fae, ghosts, and other horrors. No werewolves though, they are truly a myth.
As well as fighting monsters, your characters will need to explore ancient vaults used as lairs and laboratories by long-forgotten vampire masters who once ruled the world. You must delve deep into these vaults to secure their secrets and prevent them from falling into the hands of the Primordials and other supernatural villains. These secrets are best kept far from mortal hands as well, lest they be corrupted by their power.
Our goal with May I Enter is to make space for anyone who likes tabletop roleplaying games. There are exploration elements, politicking elements, and epic fights against monsters who wish to dust you. In the end, humanity is both the most dangerous force to stand against you and the source of your hope, joy, and drive to craft a better future. The game will frequently center around the power of humanity shaping your nightly existence.
Bindings of the Ancient Pact
The Bindings are arch-magical restrictions laid upon vampires, limiting their actions and restraining the remnants of their primal nature. These rules reflect the mysterious and often paradoxical origins of vampirism. They serve as reminders of the vampires’ dark past and the tenuous line they walk between power and weakness.