1. Talk to each other a lot privately. If you don't have really much to say (or, more likely, you're plotting against each other), make it a point to exchange pleasantries and look nonchalant. This will drive people nuts and make them think you're planning something.

2. HOW TO BE SMARTER THAN YOU IS...er.....ARE
   

   a) There's hints for this in the Amber RPG, in the section on playing the Elder Amberites. Some are applicable. Some ain't.
   

   b) Minor retrofitting. This one involves a Storyteller. Basically, retrofitting is making events correspond to an "overall plan" after the events occur. So when a minor event occurs, maybe one that the ST didn't plan on, take them aside and offer to "take responsibility" for the event and work it into your overall plan. As one player said, "It's easy to be Machiavellian. All you have to do is do the opposite of what you really want to...and then justify it."
   

   c) Speak learnedly. Take your time and pick the words you want to say. Those word-a-day calendars are a good investment for the Tremere LARPer. If you can't think of a learned way to say what you're thinking, ponder for a while. People will think you're really pontificating the weighty issues, whereas you're trying to think of another word for "horse."
   

   d) If you want to be subtle about it, you can pretend to be denser than you really are. Imagine! The Brujah are secretly calm, the Gangrel secretly associate more with suburbia than animals, the Malkavians are coldly sane, the Nosferatu ham it up on the street every night, the Toreador have the taste of an insane magpie in an aluminum recycling plant, the Ventrue are losers who couldn't lead a Little League team, and the Tremere are dumb as posts. It could happen!
   

3. Rarely volunteer information. When you do, make sure that it is small and crucial. A very little planning will help take care of this one.
   

4. Occult props? You may feel stupid wearing them, but let's be honest---you can't have too many. After a while, you'll forget they're there and you'll act like you've had 'em all your life.
   

5. Magic? You have three choices:
   

   a) "I have seen things that you will never see. Leave it to memory me." The look that says "you have no clue what's going on." The attitude that the most aloof Mages have towards Sleepers. The manner that informs the other Kindred that haven't earned your respect that you can change reality and you know it and it ain't pretty.
   

   b) "Power tools! Ruff ruff ruff!" Magic is a tool to get what you want, but it isn't intrinsically important. It's possible, however, that it's the best tool. Move with that knowledge of power. You could take them. You could take them all. And you will. And the company that'll bring it to you?
   

   c) "Naah, not important." Blow off any mention of it. Wave your hand and say things like "Piffle" and "Tchah!" Act like it doesn't interest you at all and imply that you've spent your time on better things than sitting around reading old fusty tomes of things man was not meant to know. Do it right, and you'll quickly get the reputation as the baddest magician in town.
   

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