L.A. by Night
An actual play web series set in the World of Darkness.
L.A. by Night is an American actual play web series that premiered in September 2018, produced initially by Geek & Sundry and later by Paradox Interactive. The series features a cast playing vampires using the fifth edition Vampire: The Masquerade ruleset, set canonically in the World of Darkness after the events of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. It focuses on Kindred society in Los Angeles and concluded its current storyline with its fifth season in 2021.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Horror · Urban fantasy · Actual play
- Based On
- Vampire: The Masquerade 5th edition
- Starring
- Jason Carl · Alexander Ward · Cynthia Marie · B. Dave Walters · Erika Ishii · Xander Jeanneret · Josephine McAdam
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 5
- Num Episodes
- 63
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
- Company
- Geek & Sundry (2018–19) · Paradox Interactive (2020–21)
- Network
- Twitch · YouTube · Alpha (2018–19)
- First Aired
- 2018-09-14
- Last Aired
- 2021-10-29
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
L.A. by Night debuted as a production of Geek & Sundry in September 2018, with the company producing the first three seasons. The show was launched under a 'Nerdoween' moniker for Halloween 2018 and was intended to promote Legendary Digital Networks' streaming platform Alpha, premiering there as well as on Geek & Sundry's Twitch channel. The first three seasons featured guest characters portrayed primarily by actors from other LDN shows, including Marisha Ray and Taliesin Jaffe of Critical Role, Jessica Chobot and Hector Navarro of Mothership, and Jason C. Miller of Starter Kit. Alpha shut down on March 31, 2019; the second season finale aired on Alpha before the shutdown, and the epilogue 'Dark Hallways' aired on Twitch exclusively on April 5. In June 2019, Geek & Sundry adapted the first two seasons as a podcast for Spotify, including a special recorded live at Wondercon set between the second and third seasons. The third season aired on Twitch from June until September 2019.
Reader's Guide
L.A. by Night is significant as an example of an actual play show sponsored by a tabletop roleplaying game publisher, created to give Vampire: The Masquerade and its community more visibility. The show has hit over a million impressions per season between streaming and video-on-demand. It was included in TNW's 'The podcasts that got us through 2020' roundup and praised as an entry point to both tabletop gaming and the World of Darkness universe. Screen Rant highlighted the show's higher production values, including detailed makeup and costume work, and noted that it functions as a sequel to Vampire: The Masquerade. With Geek & Sundry in decline and facing major layoffs in 2020, production was taken over by Paradox Interactive, owner of World of Darkness intellectual property. Seasons 4 and 5 aired exclusively on the World of Darkness Twitch channel before being added to the official World of Darkness YouTube channel. A sequel series, NY by Night, started in July 2022.
Did You Know?
- The show premiered in September 2018 as a production of Geek & Sundry.
- Alpha, the streaming platform that hosted the show, shut down on March 31, 2019; the second season finale aired before the shutdown, with the epilogue 'Dark Hallways' airing on Twitch on April 5.
- Seasons 4 and 5 were produced by Paradox Interactive after Geek & Sundry's involvement ended.
- A sequel series titled NY by Night started in July 2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is L.A. by Night?
L.A. by Night is an American actual play web series in which a cast of actors roleplay vampires navigating Kindred society in Los Angeles. It debuted in September 2018 under Geek & Sundry and was later produced by Paradox Interactive.
What tabletop rules does L.A. by Night use?
The series is built around the fifth edition of Vampire: The Masquerade, so the players handle their characters' actions, conflicts, and survival using that specific rulebook's mechanics.
Where does L.A. by Night fit in the World of Darkness timeline?
The story is set canonically after the events of the video game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, effectively serving as a narrative sequel to that game's conclusion in the broader World of Darkness continuity.
Who serves as storyteller on L.A. by Night?
Jason Carl fills the storyteller role, steering the overarching plot, voicing non-player characters, and adjudicating the rules for the cast across all five seasons.
How many seasons does L.A. by Night have?
The series ran for five seasons, with its current storyline concluding in 2021 after the arc that began in 2018 reached its natural end.
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