Midnight Masquerade RP
New Players
Everything you need for your first night in the city, from making a character to finding your way around.
Still taking shape. Rules, character options and application steps are subject to change as we refine the experience. Check back for the latest guidance.
Your first night, in order.
- Read the essentials. Understand the Rules and Code of Conduct.
- Join the server. Sign in with Discord and complete server admission. No prior VTM knowledge is required.
- Create your character application. Choose the available lineage and tier, add your story, and wait for concept approval.
- Build and submit the sheet. Open
/sheetin game, continue that same application, and wait for final approval before play.
Explore the setting & game guide Optional chapters, at your pace
Where are you starting from?
The World of Darkness
You know the World of Darkness already. Here is how it looks in our city.
Midnight Masquerade is set in Los Santos, but not the one you know. This is the World of Darkness: our world, a shade darker. The streets are meaner, the powerful are more corrupt, and the things people call stories are real, and hungry.
Vampires walk the city. They call themselves Kindred, and they hide in plain sight behind a law they call the Masquerade: no mortal may learn that they exist. Most people in the city never find out. The few who do rarely get to tell anyone.
Vampires aren’t alone in the dark. Werewolves hold the wild places, hunters trade whispers about what they’ve seen, and stranger things wait at the edges of the story. You’ll meet them in play, not in this guide.
Your admission comes first
The server admission is the shared player admission step. Character permissions are reviewed separately; you do not have to play a human first to request another approved starting character. Staying mortal is a full path of its own. See how admission and character permissions connect.
The mood
Our stories are gothic-punk: gothic in their shadows, old power and personal horror; punk in their anger at the people who hold that power. Expect heavy themes, real loss, and characters who don’t always win. The Code of Conduct sets the boundaries.
Kindred, in plain words
You don’t need to know everything before your first night. You do need the basics, because your character will run into them sooner than you think, usually without knowing what they are.
- The Embrace. A vampire makes another by draining a mortal and giving back some of their own blood. The new vampire is a childe; their maker is their sire.
- The Blood. Kindred live on blood, and their own blood, called vitae, fuels everything they do: healing, strength, and their supernatural powers, called Disciplines.
- The Beast. Every vampire carries a Beast inside: a hunger and a rage that want out. When it breaks loose, that’s frenzy. Fire and sunlight can set off Rötschreck, the red fear.
- Sun and fire. The two things every vampire fears. Kindred sleep through the day and are at their weakest when the sun is up.
- Humanity. How much of the person is left. Kindred who let it slip become more monster than memory. A few follow other moral codes instead, called Paths of Enlightenment.
- Generation. How many steps a vampire stands from Caine, the first of them in legend. The lower the Generation, the thicker and more potent the blood.
- Clans. Kindred inherit a lineage from their sire: a clan, with its own Disciplines, its own curse and its own reputation. A handful of clans are open on our Kindred allowlist; the rest need a specialized allowlist.
- Sects. Kindred politics splits into sects. The Camarilla keeps the Masquerade and rules through Princes. The Anarchs push against the elders’ grip. The Sabbat rejects both and wages war on them. Some clans stand apart from all three.
How a city is run
In a Camarilla city, a Prince claims the domain and enforces the Traditions, the old laws of the Kindred. Around the Prince stand the Primogen, a council of clan elders; the Sheriff, who enforces the Prince’s will; the Keeper of Elysium; and the Harpies, who trade in reputation. Elysium is neutral ground: no violence, no feeding, no displays of power.
Favors, bonds and ghouls
Kindred run on favors called boons, owed and repaid with care; breaking one ruins a reputation. Blood carries power too. A mortal fed vampire blood becomes a ghoul: stronger and longer-lived, but hooked. Drink from the same vampire on three separate nights and you are blood bound. You will feel something very like love for them, and it isn’t.
Death, and worse
Kindred are hard to kill. Grievous harm can drop a vampire into torpor, a sleep like death that can last for years. Final Death is permanent. Diablerie, drinking another vampire’s soul, is the worst crime in Kindred society, and the most tempting.
The small details
The things that give a character away, and the ones that keep them alive.
Talk like you belong
- Kindred, or Cainites: what vampires call themselves. “Vampire” is what outsiders say.
- Kine: mortals.
- The Kiss: feeding. For most Kindred, the bite brings the victim pleasure, not pain.
- Vessel: anyone a vampire feeds from.
- Haven: where a vampire sleeps. Domain: territory a vampire claims.
- Elysium: neutral ground, usually a gallery, theater or club.
- Blood Hunt: the Prince’s order to destroy someone. Anyone may take part.
- Neonate, ancilla, elder: young, established, old. Age earns respect, and elders expect it.
- The Jyhad: the ancient war the oldest vampires wage through younger pawns. Most pawns never learn they are one.
Manners at Elysium
- Present yourself to the Prince when you arrive in a city. Hunting in someone else’s domain without leave is an insult, or worse.
- Don’t feed, fight or use your powers at Elysium.
- Don’t say “vampire” where mortals might hear.
- A favor asked is a favor owed.
What you know isn’t what your character knows
Reading the books makes you a better player. It doesn’t teach your character anything. A mortal knows nothing of the Kindred until the story shows them, and even a vampire only knows what their sire, their clan and their nights have taught them. Our Code calls acting on knowledge your character couldn’t have metagaming (CC.III).
The Masquerade is everyone’s business
Breaking the Masquerade is the gravest crime a Kindred can commit, and the city answers it in character. Feed out of sight, keep powers subtle around mortals, and remember that phones record everything.
How V20 plays here
We play Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition, or V20. Where editions disagree, V20 is the one that counts in our city.
A character is measured in dots, one to five. Two is ordinary. Five is legend. Attributes (how strong, quick or clever you are) and Abilities (what you’ve learned) combine into a pool of ten-sided dice.
Each die that meets the difficulty, usually 6, is a success, and every 1 you roll cancels one. More successes, better results. No successes and at least one 1 is a botch, and botches go badly.
Your character sheet and your dice live in the city’s own tools. You’ll find them under Your controls.
Storytellers
Storytellers run the city’s larger stories, approve character sheets, and rule on how the dice and the Code apply. If a scene needs a ruling, ask for one; don’t argue it in the middle of the scene.
Where to learn more
- The Codex, in the city: our in-city reference. Check it first; it’s built for exactly this.
- The books. The Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition core rulebook, and Lore of the Clans for depth on each clan. Both are sold as PDFs on DriveThruRPG.
- Our Guidelines. The Rules and the Code of Conduct: how we play together, and why.
- Wikis are handy, but they mix editions. If something reads strangely, check it against V20.
- Ask. Storytellers and staff would much rather answer a question now than fix a scene later.
Before you install
New to FiveM? Start here. You do not need to know the controls, own a character sheet or have played GTA Online. We will get you from a fresh install to your first night in Midnight.
What each part does
- GTA V Legacy
- The base game, installed through the store where you own it. FiveM uses its game files.
- FiveM
- The separate multiplayer client that connects you to community servers. Launch Midnight through FiveM, not GTA Online.
- Discord
- Your community account, announcements and staff contact. Use the same Discord account on the website and for admission.
- Midnight website
- Your admission and saved character application. Once admitted, you can continue character work inside the game.
- Storyteller (ST)
- A member of staff who reviews character permissions, stories and sheets, and helps run the chronicle.
Before the download
- A legitimate, updated PC copy of GTA V Legacy, with access to its owning Steam, Epic or Rockstar account and the linked Rockstar account. Check which account owns the game before creating another.
- A Windows PC that meets both Rockstar’s Legacy requirements and FiveM’s requirements. These are starting requirements, not a promise of smooth performance in a busy roleplay city.
- Enough storage for Legacy, FiveM, updates and Midnight’s downloaded assets. Rockstar lists 125 GB for Legacy; leave additional free space for FiveM and unpacking updates. An SSD and 16 GB RAM are sensible starting points for this environment.
- A stable internet connection, keyboard and mouse, and a headset with a working microphone for voice scenes. If speaking or hearing presents an accessibility barrier, contact staff before arrival so you can arrange support.
You can install the software while your admission is reviewed. Installing successfully does not grant server admission or approve a character. Keep your application as the place to check your current step.
Install GTA, then FiveM
1. Install and open GTA V Legacy
- Open the launcher where you own GTA V. Select the entry specifically named Grand Theft Auto V Legacy, install it and finish its updates. If both editions are in your library, check the name rather than choosing the newer-looking one.
- Launch Legacy normally from that store. Let the Rockstar launcher install or update, sign into the account linked to your copy, and complete the game’s first-run prompts.
- Open Story Mode and let it reach gameplay. This checks that the game, ownership sign-in and initial setup work before FiveM is added. You do not need to create a GTA Online character to join Midnight.
- Exit GTA completely. Keep the game installed. You will open FiveM separately next.
About the “first-launch cache”: running GTA first completes its own setup and catches base-game problems. FiveM’s client data and Midnight’s server assets are separate downloads. Starting GTA does not download Midnight’s cache, and a FiveM error is not automatically a cache problem.
If GTA itself will not open
Fix this before installing more tools. Restart the launcher, confirm the owning account and Legacy edition, finish pending updates, then use the store’s Verify/Repair game files option. Steam normally puts this under Properties → Installed Files; Epic under Manage; Rockstar under the installed game’s settings. Follow the launcher’s current labels. If ownership is still refused, use that store’s or Rockstar’s support.
Use a clean Legacy installation. Single-player mod loaders, replacement game files or injected graphics tools can conflict with FiveM. Keep any modded single-player setup separate and follow the mod’s removal instructions; verifying files may not remove extra files a mod added.
2. Install the correct FiveM client
- Go to the official FiveM website. Choose the download for GTA V Legacy. Do not install a launcher sent in an unsolicited Discord message.
- Run the downloaded installer as your normal Windows user and read its prompts. FiveM’s installation guide explains the install location: running it in an empty folder installs there; otherwise it normally uses your local application-data folder. Choose a drive with enough spare space.
- If asked to locate GTA, point FiveM at GTA5.exe inside the Legacy installation. Find it through your store’s Browse/Open installation folder option. A desktop shortcut, the Rockstar launcher or the Enhanced folder is not the Legacy executable.
- Allow the requested FiveM/game-data updates to finish. If FiveM asks to adjust game data for the server’s supported build, read and accept that normal client prompt. Do not change update channels or replace executables to guess your way around it.
- Complete legitimate Rockstar ownership or Cfx.re sign-in prompts when requested. Cfx.re is FiveM’s account system; it is separate from your Rockstar ownership and Midnight’s Discord admission.
Keep Legacy updated, even when you usually launch straight into FiveM. You do not have to leave Story Mode running in the background.
Connect to Midnight
- Read and complete admission. Start at Start or continue, sign in with your Discord account, read the rules and submit the current admission form. Stay in Midnight’s Discord and watch for a request for changes. An application marked pending is not an entry pass.
- Use the official connection destination. After admission, follow the server connection link supplied by Midnight’s website/account area or official Discord information. This guide does not pin a server IP that might move.
- Open FiveM. Search its server list for Midnight Masquerade or use the official connection link. Check the server identity against Discord before joining. Favorite the correct server once found.
- Let the first download finish. Custom maps, clothing, interfaces and other server assets download automatically. The first connection can take substantially longer than later visits. A progress bar or changing download total means it is still working.
- Read queue or rejection messages. A full queue, maintenance message, missing admission or incompatible game edition needs a different response from a failed asset download. Save the exact message rather than repeatedly reconnecting.
- Choose the correct character. On the character-selection screen, select your existing character or create only the slot you intend to use. Do not delete and recreate a character to fix a permission or sheet problem.
Connecting with F8
If staff provide a connection address or join code, open FiveM’s console with F8 and type connect followed by that exact address or official join URL, then press Enter. Close the console with F8. The official console reference explains supported connection formats. Do not type the word “connect” into GTA Online.
Your first arrival
Let the First Night introduction finish and follow the on-screen prompts. /introstatus shows its current stage. If that introduction genuinely jams, /stuck is its recovery command; use /ticket if you remain stuck. These are not shortcuts around character review.
Once you can move, stop somewhere safe. Test your sound, open F1 for Midnight How-To, and find your character application in /sheet. Hold off on playing an unapproved character concept or using restricted powers while review is pending.
Sound, microphone & key settings
Set up voice before a scene
- Connect your headset before launching FiveM. In Windows sound settings, select the microphone and headphones you intend to use and test the microphone’s input meter. Check hardware mute switches.
- In GTA/FiveM’s Settings → Voice Chat, enable voice, select the same input/output devices, set usable volumes and configure push-to-talk. Menu wording can vary with the client.
- Allow microphone access for desktop apps in Windows privacy settings if it is blocked. Close other software that is exclusively using the device. If you hear yourself twice, check for an open Discord call or microphone monitoring.
- In a quiet place, hold N—the standard push-to-talk control—and ask someone nearby whether they can hear you clearly. Release it when finished. Your own saved binding may differ.
- Find Cycle Proximity under Settings → Key Bindings → FiveM. Assign or confirm its key, then check the voice-range indicator. Whispering, normal speech and shouting reach different distances; choose deliberately. This binding can be changed by server settings and your saved profile, so use the row shown on your machine.
Proximity voice is local. Someone elsewhere in the city will not hear a normal conversation. Phone calls and radios are separate channels. A radio needs the appropriate item and access to its channel; hold the radio-talk binding, normally Caps Lock, to transmit. A microphone working in Discord does not prove FiveM selected the same device.
Make the keys yours
Press Esc → Settings → Key Bindings → FiveM for resource actions such as inventory, phone, crouch and powers. GTA’s ordinary movement and vehicle controls have their own sections. Find an action by its name, select its binding and assign a comfortable key. Controller users should keep a keyboard available for chat, commands and interfaces without controller bindings.
FiveM remembers your personal bindings. A server update does not necessarily replace an old assignment. If two actions fire together, move one binding rather than repeatedly pressing it. Laptop function keys may need Fn or Fn Lock. Keyboard layouts can also place punctuation keys differently.
Use the game’s graphics, brightness, subtitle and audio settings as needed. Set the resolution to your display’s native size, start with moderate graphics, and test in the city before raising them. Do not judge performance only by the empty GTA benchmark. Lower expensive settings gradually; keep text readable.
Controls you will actually use
These are Midnight’s configured PC defaults and ordinary GTA movement controls. They are not universal FiveM bindings. Your saved settings, character permissions and the current on-screen prompt take precedence.
- W A S D · mouseMove and look
- Ordinary GTA movement; mouse turns the camera.
- Left Shift · SpaceSprint · jump or climb
- On foot. Watch the scene and the surface before jumping.
- Left Ctrl · Right CtrlCrouch · crawl
- Midnight emote controls. Toggle back to standing when finished.
- V · EscCamera · pause/settings/map
- GTA camera cycle and pause menu. Map markers describe available services.
- E · hold Left AltPrompt interaction · targeting
- E when prompted; hold Left Alt to target supported people or objects.
- ZMidnight radial wheel
- Tap to open and tap again to close. Self, Kin, City, Voice and Help.
- F1 · /howtoHow-To and Atlas
- In-game help and the module directory.
- T · /murmurMurmur chat
- Type speech or a slash command, then Enter. Close chat before moving.
- NPush-to-talk
- Standard nearby voice control; check Voice Chat and your saved binding.
- Caps LockRadio transmit
- Hold with the right radio item/channel access; not ordinary nearby speech.
- Check Cycle ProximityVoice distance
- Find this action in Settings → Key Bindings → FiveM; read the range indicator.
- TabQuasar inventory
- Open pockets. Your saved inventory key may override the default.
- M · /myphonePhone
- Requires the phone item. Also Z → Midnight → Self → Your Phone.
- F4 · XEmote menu · cancel emote
- Search actions, expressions and walking styles; X cancels an emote.
- H · BHands up · point
- On foot. These keys have other meanings in vehicles or phone screens.
- HomePlayer scoreboard
- Current player list where available; not a substitute for character knowledge.
- F · W A S DEnter/exit · drive
- F at a vehicle; W accelerates, S brakes/reverses, A/D steer.
- Space · BHandbrake · seatbelt
- Vehicle controls. Release the belt before trying to exit normally.
- L · YVehicle lock · cruise control
- Keys required to lock; cruise control is contextual, not autopilot.
- /sheetCharacter sheet and application
- Continue the selected character record, save and submit for review.
- F3 · /domainDomain map
- Character-appropriate city/domain information.
- F5My People
- Opens the appropriate Coterie/Cell route when available.
- F6 · /tiesCircle
- Your character connections.
- Hold F7 · /hudeditHUD readings · edit layout
- Keep readings visible or arrange the HUD.
- 6 7 8 9 0 − =Power action bar
- Assigned power slots; powers still require approved dots and resources.
- /powers · /specialtiesPowers · specialties
- Inspect available abilities and their requirements before use.
- /roll wits+alertnessRoll a sheet pool
- Example syntax. Use the pool and difficulty appropriate to the scene.
- /introstatus · /stuckIntroduction status · recovery
- Use recovery only if the First Night introduction is genuinely stuck.
- /ticketContact staff
- Questions, bugs or stuck application steps.
- F8FiveM client console
- Connection commands and error messages. F8 closes it again.
Context matters: B points on foot and fastens the belt in a vehicle; H can mean hands up, vehicle lights or a contextual vehicle action. Close chat, the console or a menu before testing movement. Never test an unfamiliar attack, feeding or power binding on another player.
A key does nothing—or opens two things
- Close the active interface using its Close/Back button or Esc. Do not click through a menu toward another player.
- Check the actual action in Key Bindings → FiveM, including old assignments carried over from another server.
- Check context: are you on foot, in a vehicle, carrying the required item, close enough, and using an approved character?
- Use the listed command alternative where available. If the command works but the key does not, fix the binding.
- If both fail, record the notification and ask through /ticket. Rebinding does not grant missing permission.
Pockets, phone & city life
Midnight combines its own World of Darkness systems with Quasar’s everyday interfaces and other city resources. Learn the interaction pattern once: get close, read the prompt, choose the action, and wait for confirmation.
Quasar inventory: Tab
Tab opens your pockets. Inspect an item before using, moving, giving or dropping it. Check the selected quantity and recipient when the interface asks. Some items are usable, some are ingredients or documents, and some need the right location or permission.
- Weight and slots both count. An empty-looking slot does not mean you have enough carrying capacity. Check the displayed weight and stack limits before a purchase or transfer.
- Quick slots: the first five inventory slots support hotbar items in the current setup. Use the bindings or hints shown in your client; the hotbar-display action may need a binding. Midnight’s power bar uses 6–0, minus and equals separately.
- Stashes and vehicles: opening your pockets is not the same as accessing storage. Use the location’s prompt or interaction, and make sure you have permission. A locked trunk or private stash is not a broken inventory.
- Transfers: wait for the interface to confirm a trade or use. If it stalls, stop repeating the action and report it; repeated clicks can make the situation harder to diagnose.
The current inventory is Quasar. Older instructions that name a second inventory key or require a special phone utility slot may refer to the previous inventory system. Use Tab and the current interface.
Phone: M or /myphone
Your character needs the phone item. Use it from your inventory, press M, type /myphone, or open Z → Midnight → Self → Your Phone. In the current inventory integration, the phone can work from an ordinary inventory slot. If it is missing after arrival, contact staff rather than creating another character to get one.
Follow the phone’s setup prompts, find your own number, add contacts and test a message with someone who agrees to help. Calls and messages are character communication. App availability, jobs and services can vary; the phone’s actual app list is the place to see what is available now.
Interactions, shops & money
Hold Left Alt to target a nearby person, object or service where targeting is supported. Look at the object and select an available option. Other Quasar interfaces use an E prompt instead. No option may mean you are too far away, targeting the wrong object, outside opening conditions, or missing a job/item/permission.
Cash and bank balance are separate. At a shop, ATM or banking interface, check the payment source, quantity, price and confirmation before committing. A displayed balance is not a promise that every shop accepts that account. Learn what a job requires through its actual job/service interface; selecting a character faction is not automatic employment or a job rank.
Vehicles, keys & garages
Press F to enter or exit a nearby vehicle when permitted. Once inside, fasten the belt with B. Use L to lock or unlock a vehicle you have keys for. Vehicle ownership, having keys, being a passenger and being able to retrieve a vehicle from a garage are different things.
Watch fuel and vehicle condition, park safely, and read the garage’s Store/Retrieve actions before confirming. If a vehicle is missing, check the correct garage or impound route before requesting another. Vehicle keys and fuel use Quasar integrations; dealership, garage and mechanic screens may use their own interfaces. Follow the screen you are actually in.
Housing, appearance & emotes
Housing and apartments have their own access and storage permissions. Being near a door does not make it yours. Check the property’s prompts and ownership information before spending money or granting access.
Follow the character-appearance screen’s Save/Finish action before leaving it. Later clothing and outfit options depend on the shop or item you are using. Appearance alone does not change your sheet’s race, clan or approved identity.
F4 opens emotes, expressions and walking styles; X cancels an emote. Shared emotes involve another player: agree to the interaction first. Seating uses its own prompt and exit hint. Read that hint rather than assuming the same key cancels every activity.
One application, one character
Keep working on the same record. You should not have to download a plan, paste a second backstory into Discord, or start over when you enter the game.
- Server admission: complete the website’s current admission step using your Discord identity. Admission lets you enter the server; it does not approve every character type. You do not have to play a mortal first to request another starting character.
- Character application: choose the intended lineage, age/tier and other available selections, then add the concept, background, goals, connections and requested permissions. Use the correct character slot. Elder and other restricted choices can be requested openly, but still need explicit approval.
- Concept review: staff review what you requested. Read any requested changes and amend that saved application. A selectable tier, Discord role or ambitious biography is not permission to use its allocations.
- Build the sheet: after the required concept/permissions are approved, continue in
/sheet. Select the creation package actually allowed for this character, follow the remaining allocation counters, save the draft and submit the completed sheet. - Final review and delivery: wait for final sheet approval and the game’s confirmation. Discord character roles follow final approval and game acknowledgement. A pending delivery is a staff/support issue, not a reason to resubmit or request duplicate XP.
The website and in-game character desk share the application. Discord remains useful for announcements, identity and staff contact; you do not need a second character application there. Check Start or continue whenever you are unsure which stage is next.
Your background and extra XP
Submit the background as part of the character application. Use the story fields for the concept, history, goals, city connections and hooks; reserve private material for the private story field. Do not publish private plot in public chat or an open support channel.
Background review can award up to 30 XP, with 0–6 XP in each category: Length, Quality, Lore Adherence, Connections to Something in City, and Reviewing ST’s purview. Thirty is a ceiling, not an automatic payment. Length alone is only one category; useful connections, a coherent person and playable hooks matter.
Creation dots, freebies, package/starting XP and background XP are different budgets. Follow the selected package and the sheet’s counters; do not add the same award yourself. Background awards are reviewed and delivered once. Later advancement goes through the sheet’s Experience requests and the applicable review.
If something does not match
A missing creation package, wrong clan, absent approved selection or unexpected role should be checked against the correct account and character record. Tell staff the application/character reference and what was approved. Permissions such as True Faith, Psychic Phenomena and Hedge Magic are separate character-bound approvals; another character’s grants or an account rank do not carry them over.
Staff use a shared review workspace on the website or in game, with the appropriate reviewer permissions. They cannot approve their own applications. Those safeguards remain even when the rest of the process happens inside the city.
Midnight’s own tools
The Z wheel’s Midnight section groups doors into Self, Kin, City, Voice and Help. It shows what your character may access. A missing door is not a reason to hunt for a command that bypasses it.
- How-To & Atlas · F1 /howto
- The in-game handbook and module directory. Start with the current chapter you need; use Atlas to discover available tools and their entry commands.
- Character sheet · /sheet
- Your dossier, approved identity, creation allocations and later Experience requests. Save before closing and wait for the server’s confirmation.
- Disciplines · /powers
- Read the powers your character has, their costs and usage before activating them. Most powers need you to assign a key; knowing a command does not grant a dot.
- Specialties · /specialties
- Inspect the specialties associated with your character. Use the relevant approval process when a change is required.
- HUD layout · /hudedit
- Arrange your on-screen readings so they remain legible at your resolution. F7 held keeps readings visible; the action bar holds assigned powers. Keep the things you need within reach.
- My People · F5
- The context-appropriate Coterie or Cell interface. A coterie is a Kindred group; a cell is a hunter group. Membership and access still matter.
- Circle · F6 /ties
- Your character’s connections. A recorded relationship is not permission to decide another player’s history without them.
- Domain · F3 /domain
- The city/domain view. Read it as your character’s available information, not a license to treat every player-facing fact as character knowledge.
- Court & other restricted doors
- Tools such as Court, Silence, Vinculum and the Link appear when the relevant nature, affiliation or power allows them. Learn their requirements through the in-game guide and staff; do not test restricted actions on strangers.
- Support · /ticket
- Questions, bugs and stuck workflows go here. Report the exact action and result so staff can help without guessing.
Speak, act and roll
T opens Murmur. Plain text is character speech. /me checks her watch. describes a visible action; /do supplies scene information without forcing another character’s response. Keep player questions in the appropriate OOC channel. IC means in character; OOC means out of character.
The roll interface draws on your sheet. For example, /roll wits+alertness requests that pool; let the Storyteller set the appropriate pool, difficulty and visibility when adjudication is needed. Do not reroll a result until it succeeds or assume a successful roll gives you control over another player.
For feeding, injury, hunger, frenzy, death, consent and supernatural consequences, read the relevant How-To chapter and server rules before the scene. A GTA animation or respawn screen does not settle a World of Darkness outcome. If the fiction and the interface disagree, pause the mechanical action and ask staff.
When something goes wrong
Match the fix to the symptom. Before changing files, read announcements, save your work if possible, note the exact error and try one change at a time.
FiveM cannot find GTA, or says the game is not owned
Check that Legacy is installed, updated and playable through the store account that owns it. Open that store’s installation folder and confirm you are choosing Legacy’s GTA5.exe. Sign into the linked Rockstar account. A FiveM reinstall cannot transfer ownership between accounts or turn an Enhanced installation into Legacy.
I cannot join, or I am being kicked immediately
Read the complete rejection: edition/build mismatch, admission, queue, maintenance and connection timeout are different issues. Verify the official server link, your approved Discord identity and the installed Legacy client. If admission is approved but rejected, send staff the exact text. Do not create another account or character to get around it.
The download or loading screen seems stuck
The first download is large and later updates can add more. Watch whether progress changes and check disk space and server announcements. If it has genuinely stopped, note the asset/error, close FiveM normally and retry once after checking the connection. Repeatedly cancelling a progressing download only delays it.
Should I delete the cache?
Not as a routine fix. FiveM downloads server assets into its own data/cache areas, separate from GTA’s first-run data. Removing them forces downloads again and will not fix an admission or permissions problem. Ask staff for instructions matched to the error before removing anything. Do not wipe the whole FiveM folder, game files, saved profiles or application data.
I can hear people, but nobody hears me
Check the headset mute, Windows input meter and desktop-app microphone permission, then FiveM’s selected input device and voice enable setting. Confirm your push-to-talk binding and proximity range. Test close to one consenting helper. Radio and phone audio are separate from nearby voice. Reconnect after changing devices if the client has not picked up the change.
I cannot hear anyone, or audio is doubled
Check output device, Windows volume mixer, game voice volume and whether the other person is within range. A Discord call can duplicate a conversation already happening in game. Headphones reduce speaker-to-microphone feedback. Test nearby voice, phone and radio separately to identify which path fails.
Low FPS, stutters, missing textures or a crash
Close unnecessary heavy applications, check free disk space and let asset loading settle. Lower graphics gradually and stay within the game’s displayed video-memory budget. Update graphics drivers from the manufacturer and verify Legacy’s files if the base game also fails. If the problem is tied to a specific location, outfit or action, record that pattern for staff. Avoid random “FPS packs,” modified executables or instructions to disable protection.
The phone, inventory or interaction does not open
Close other menus, check the assigned key and use a command alternative where listed. For the phone, confirm the phone item is present. For a target, get closer and look at the intended object; some systems use an E prompt instead. A missing job, key, item or character permission cannot be repaired by spam-clicking.
The intro, camera or cursor is stuck
Use the interface’s Close/Back button or Esc first. For the First Night intro, check /introstatus and use /stuck if it has jammed. If a different UI traps input, note which one and contact staff. Reconnect only when safe to leave the current scene; save your sheet first if possible.
My approval, XP or Discord role has not arrived
Check the application status and selected character, then allow staff to inspect the delivery state. Concept approval, background review and final sheet approval are separate. Roles wait for final approval and game acknowledgement. Do not submit the same award again, create another dossier or manually add the XP.
I disconnected during a scene or the server restarted
Check announcements, reconnect using the same character and let the involved players or staff know what happened through the appropriate channel. Do not use a disconnect to escape consequences. If you cannot return, contact staff with the time and scene context.
Send a useful support request
Use /ticket when in game, or Midnight’s official Discord support route when you cannot connect. Include: what you were trying to do; what happened instead; the exact error; approximate time and time zone; character/application reference when relevant; and what you already tried. A cropped screenshot is often more useful than “it broke.”
F8 may show useful client errors. Share only the relevant lines, with passwords, tokens, private messages and unrelated personal details removed. Never post credentials. Staff may request more diagnostics privately.
For client installation problems, see Cfx.re’s client support guide. For rules or character questions, use Midnight’s staff and current rulings; a generic FiveM tutorial does not define this server’s rules.
Your first-night checklist
You do not need to memorize the whole handbook. Get these basics working and keep F1 within reach.
- Legacy opens normally; FiveM points to the correct installation.
- You are using the same Discord identity as your approved admission.
- You have the official Midnight connection link and the correct character selected.
- Your microphone, output device, push-to-talk and voice range are tested.
- You can open F1, Z, T, Tab, M and /sheet—and close each interface again.
- You know how to crouch, interact, use your phone and fasten a seatbelt.
- Your application status and character permissions are clear. Anything pending stays pending.
- Your sheet is saved, and any required final approval is complete before character play.
- You know how to ask for help without putting private story or account details in public.
When you are ready, continue your current application. If you are already approved, take the first night slowly. Find another person, make a connection, and give the city something to remember.
Legacy setup and Midnight defaults checked 11 October 2026. Personal bindings and live service settings can differ. The current in-game prompt, your approved record and staff rulings take precedence; report a mismatch so this guide can be corrected.
Good roleplay in FiveM
You know FiveM. Read this anyway: a few common FiveM habits don’t work here.
FiveM roleplay is live, shared and unscripted. Good roleplay is anything that makes the scene better for everyone in it, including the people your character is up against.
- Stay in character. Everything your character says and does happens in the city. Keep out-of-character talk to the OOC tools, not your voice. Talking about “the angels” or “the city” to mean staff doesn’t work here (RPC.IX).
- Only know what your character knows. Nothing from Discord, streams or your other characters (CC.III, CC.XIII).
- Don’t decide for others. You can’t declare what another character feels, suffers or does (CC.IV).
- Value your life. React to threats the way a real person would. A gun in your face is a reason to comply (CC.VI).
- Build up to violence. Fights grow out of the story, with talk and warning first (CC.VII).
- Play it real. Game physics, menus and respawns are not a substitute for plausible action (CC.V).
- Take the loss. Losing, getting hurt and getting caught make stories. Don’t log off or switch characters to dodge a scene (CC.X).
- Keep grudges out of it. Out-of-character arguments stay out of the story, and the story stays out of Discord (CC.I).
The Code of Conduct has the full wording, and what happens when a clause is broken.
Your first scene
- Make your characterUse your approved character path and our custom creation framework. Save the sheet for Storyteller approval before treating the character as ready to play.
- Find a sceneGo where people are and say hello. Everyone was new once.
- Ask for helpStuck in the city? Reach staff with the command under Your controls. Unsure about a rule? Ask in Discord.
- Take it slowYou don’t need to know everything tonight. Play a person, notice things, and let the city come to you.
What comes next
Return to your next step for the next approved step. For a rule during play, use the Server Wiki; for the story so far, explore the Chronicle wheel.