Frequently asked questions

The By Night Studios Vault is an online platform where supporters can access new and developing Mind's Eye Theater (MET) live action roleplaying rules, participate in playtesting, provide feedback, and engage with developers. The goal is to create a collaborative development environment where community input helps refine upcoming material before its public release.

Back the Night is the supporter membership program that funds ongoing development and provides access to the By Night Studios Vault. Your membership helps support the creation, testing, and refinement of new and converted rules while granting access to exclusive development resources and community features.

Yes. The Vault is part of a development initiative coordinated with By Night Studios through the One World of Darkness platform.

The Vault's initial development focuses on three major areas. Additional material may be introduced as development progresses.

• ▸Laws of the Night — Vampire: The Masquerade V5: new and expanded rules for the Mind's Eye Theater LARP system.
• ▸Mind's Eye Theatre 2013 Legacy: new Disciplines, Merits, Flaws, and other mechanics compatible with legacy Vampire: The Masquerade MET systems.
• ▸Mind's Eye Theater Werewolf: The Apocalypse W5: development of basic live action play systems, which bring W5 to the LARP community officially.

Absolutely not. Both new and veteran players are welcome. Experienced players can provide valuable perspectives on mechanical balance and long term gameplay, while newer players can help identify unclear language and mechanics that may be difficult to understand. Everyone has something valuable to contribute.

There are two supporter tiers. Neonate is $10 a month or $99 a year. Ancilla is $25 a month or $250 a year.

• ▸Neonate includes early access to live release waves, the ability to vote and comment on individual powers, access to The Floor (a threaded playtest discussion space with developers), access to the Vault SRD, and supporter recognition plus moderated subscriber rooms on Discord.
• ▸Ancilla includes everything in Neonate, plus a Storyteller troupe license allowing content to be shared with your troupe for playtesting, $10 per month in accumulating By Night Studios store credit, playtest credit in applicable future publications, and access to a private Storyteller Discord room.

Yes. Both membership tiers offer discounted annual options: Neonate at $99 a year and Ancilla at $250 a year.

Yes. You can cancel your subscription through your account. Cancellation ends future renewals, subject to the applicable subscription terms. Monthly membership is billed monthly and can be cancelled at any time; the annual membership is a single payment covering twelve months.

Both membership tiers are open for supporters. Memberships are open now — there is no intake and no waitlist.

Content will vary by game system and development priorities. Planned areas include new and expanded Discipline powers, Merits and Flaws, additional character options, new or revised gameplay mechanics, and supporting rules for Mind's Eye Theater LARP chronicles.

A release wave is a collection of new rules and materials made available to supporters for review and playtesting. Waves allow developers to introduce content in organized groups while gathering targeted community feedback.

We expect to release one new content wave every month. Each wave introduces new material for Vault supporters to explore, test, and review. While monthly releases are the intended cadence, schedules may be adjusted to accommodate development needs and quality assurance.

You gain access to the material currently available to your membership tier. New material becomes accessible as additional release waves are published.

Content progresses through development, testing, and refinement before being declared final. Once the development team determines that the material is ready, it is marked as Final in the Backers Vault. Vault supporters have access to that finalized material before it becomes publicly available.

Finalized rules will be published to the public SRD three months after they have been declared Final for Vault supporters. This gives Vault supporters a three-month early access period to enjoy finalized content before it becomes available to the wider community.

Previously released material remains accessible to former supporters. You will not lose access to the release material you received during your membership simply because you are no longer subscribed. Access to new release waves and active supporter benefits requires an active membership.

Not necessarily. Material released for playtesting should be treated as developmental content, subject to revision and adjustment. Once content has completed development, it is clearly marked Final in the Backers Vault.

The Vault System Reference Document (SRD) is a growing library of rules and content designed to make material easier to access and reference. Finalized material eventually becomes available through the public SRD, three months after being declared Final for Vault supporters.

Supporters can review individual powers and provide feedback through the Vault's voting and commenting features. The Floor also offers threaded discussions where members can explore rules questions, potential balance concerns, and playtest experiences with the development team.

Yes. Community participation is a central purpose of the Vault. Feedback helps developers identify confusing language, unintended interactions, balance concerns, and opportunities to improve content. While not every suggestion can be implemented, constructive playtest feedback provides valuable information throughout development.

The Vault provides opportunities for discussion and community feedback, and suggestions may be shared through the appropriate discussion channels. Submitting an idea does not guarantee that it will be developed or included in a future release.

This depends on your membership tier. Neonate members receive personal access to Vault content but are not permitted to share or distribute that content to others. Ancilla members receive a Storyteller troupe license that allows them to share Vault content with their troupe for the purpose of running and playtesting the material.

Neonate: no. Content accessed through a Neonate membership is intended for the individual supporter and may not be shared, copied, or redistributed. Ancilla: yes, with restrictions — Ancilla members may share Vault material with members of their own troupe under their Storyteller troupe license. That permission is intended for troupe use and does not authorize unrestricted public distribution.

Ancilla memberships include playtest credit in applicable future publications. Specific attribution and eligibility requirements follow the applicable publication and playtesting guidelines.

Ancilla members receive $10 in By Night Studios store credit each month as part of their membership benefits. The credit accumulates monthly, allowing supporters to save their balance toward future purchases rather than having to spend it immediately.

No. Unused monthly store credit accumulates rather than resetting at the end of each month.

No. Monthly By Night Studios store credit is an exclusive benefit of the Ancilla membership tier.

Yes. Supporters receive access to moderated subscriber rooms, along with supporter recognition and avatar benefits. Ancilla members also receive access to a private Storyteller discussion room.

The Vault includes The Floor, a dedicated threaded discussion space for playtesting and developer conversations. While developer participation is part of the experience, individual responses to every comment or suggestion are not guaranteed.

Visit the Back the Night page, choose the membership tier that best suits your needs, complete your subscription, and access the Vault using your registered account.

Choose Neonate if you want early access to developing rules, enjoy reviewing new mechanics, and want to participate in the community feedback process. Choose Ancilla if you are a Storyteller who wants to run playtest content with your troupe, share rules with your players, and take advantage of accumulating store credit and additional Storyteller benefits.