Legend of Krystal Forums

This is mainly for those that were interested and/or in the last one. It's also my apology for it's and my failure in keeping it running. Unlike my last attempt to do this where I started with brand new vampires this one will be starting with more powerful vampires that have reached the ancilla status of vampire society, have branched out of their own away from their sires to gather their own in search of their own power base to set up. because of this, more information about vampire society, their sects and the ranks and titles within them will be available from. Also will be using more of the expanded skills, talents and level up progression system from the P&P rule book as well as its character creation. So a lot more work for me to get this started and for you as players I suppose but I'll be here to help out each and every step of the way of character creation for those unused to it. The core stuff will be posted on here as well as most of the lore I believe you will need in order to get by and act like Ancilla vampires within the setting rather than the fresh fledgling just risen from the kiss. This will also mean you'll be starting out more powerful, the setting will be different, as will the player count and the characters that are acceptable.

To stop wasting of time and reading long lists to find out if this RP is for you I've left this here to give you a better idea beyond the title. This game will be based off the world of Vampire the Masquerade. To those that heard of it and/or liked the games/pen and paper I won't need to explain everything too much to give you an idea into the world, to the rest of you. The game is set in the modern world with gothic punk elements to the setting as vampires/ghosts and other hunters of the night linger. The game starts with all players being Establish vampires that have reached the rank of Ancilla with vampire society.

All players will select a clan and base their CS around that clan, the clans have guidelines certain weaknesses and different abilities open to them. Now while I appreciate artistic flare and unique off the wall ideas for how a character is created if you character is so far out from the norm for their clan to accept i will refuse your character until the reason why I refused is corrected. There are no accidental vampires. When creating a character I will want you in your bio/background to explain who your character was before they were sired as I will need to this to determine if your character is acceptable or not. I'm not asking for an essay one to two paragraphs about your life as a vampire and their accomplishments within vampire society.

There will be more in depth Lore on the world the vampire clans and the vampire sects in there own little spoilers. The lore is to give you an indepth insight into the world, the people in it and how your character would fit in with your chosen clan and which sect you decide to be apart of.

If you wish to return your vampire from that last one as a returning player bear in mind to be an ancilla it would be at least 20 years as a vampire if not longer and after an achievement within the sect to establish yourself fully within the vampire community. So PM me with your idea for how that is possible and your idea about it and we'll talk about it and see if we can make it work together. bare in mind this isn't set centuries in the future so the timeline from your old character will have to be changed but that's something we could discuss together.

The Camarilla holds up the Traditions as the highest authority, with a figure known as the Prince acting as the ultimate authority to both interpret and enforce those laws in each domain. First and foremost, the Camarilla sees its role as maintaining the Masquerade, but in domains with accomplished Kindred, the conflicts between them regularly bring the rest of the Traditions into consideration as well. The Camarilla considers itself a well-heeled Sect of genteel vampires, and the term Kindred originates with it, in the idea that all members of the Camarilla are peers in the same august organization. Of course, the social hierarchy of the Camarilla is an elaborate construct, and vicious interpersonal politics and ancient grudges shape the nightly affairs of the “Ivory Tower.”

The Sabbat holds an apocalyptic outlook, believing that the time for Gehenna is nigh, and the Ancients will soon rise from their graves and devour their errant get. It has little regard for the Traditions other than immediate self-preservation, and its domains are hellish urban warzones where people may well have seen vampire activity but simply chalk it up to the weirdness and horror of the World of Darkness. The Masquerade (or “The Silence of the Blood,” as they call it) is tenuous in Sabbat domains, and much of its poor relationship with the Camarilla owes to its recklessness and short sighted brand of fiery fanaticism. The Sabbat believes that ultimately, vampires must assert their place over the mortal world instead of hiding from it, if they are to survive the fangs of their creators. Part fanatical death worshippers, part millennial doomsday cult, the “Sword of Caine” is neither subtle nor tolerant.

The Anarch Movement is localized and sporadic, without any real central organization outside the individual cities where it establishes itself. In fact, the Camarilla considers the “Anarchs” under its own purview. The central tenet of the Anarchs is that rule by elders is an outmoded concept, and that Kindred domains should be governed by merit, with a fundamental respect for the individual Kindred. Effectively, the Movement seeks to redistribute the power in domains from the hands of the old elite into a more equitable arrangement. While this may seem modern and reasonable, that’s not how Kindred society works in most domains, and those who already benefit from consolidated power find the idea laughable at best and treasonous at worst. As well, many Anarchs style themselves as revolutionaries, willing to do whatever it takes to strip power from the corrupt old guard who hoard it. These are no utopian domains of happy Kindred-kine relationships. These are petty kingdoms ruled by individual undead lords of whatever territory they can seize.

The childer of Haqim, known as Assamites to the rest of the Kindred, are a silent knife in the dark, an order of bloodthirsty assassins who participate in the secret wars of the undead by operating as killers for hire. Outside the purview of the Sects, the Assamites are true independents and mercenaries, hiring out to whoever can pay their blood-price and ungoverned by the will of Prince or Priscus. By the time a mark realizes that he’s being hunted by an Assamite, it’s often far too late. Needless to say, this makes the Assamites both feared and reviled by many of the other Clans. In truth, the Assamites are more than simple thugs and killers. Theirs is a complex but insular Clan predicated upon the three principles of wisdom, sorcery, and diablerie. Most Assamites that other vampires encounter are members of the warrior caste, however, so Kindred society has painted them all with that brush. For their part, the Assassins have done nothing to stop this misunderstanding, if it helps them acquire contracts and it occludes the true nature of their Clan, the better for them. Long ago, the Assamites were brought to heel by a powerful curse to curb their bloodlust, levied by the Tremere at the behest of the Camarilla. They cannot taste the vitae of vampires without it causing them harm. In their ongoing quest to lower their Generation and bring themselves closer to their holy figure, Haqim (whom some outside scholars claim was of the Second Generation, while others insist he was a judge appointed by the other Antediluvians), the Assamites must refine the blood of Kindred into an alchemical solution. Were it not for this mystical yoke, the Assamites would surely be unchecked on a crusade of unholy diablerie.

Appearance: Older Assamites often come from Middle Eastern and North African cultures, though more and more young Assamites come from a wider demographic. In traditional environments, the Assamites prefer garb appropriate to religious or Clan custom. When in public, however, Assamites wear whatever the locals do, allowing them to fulfil their contracts without anyone noticing anything amiss. An Assamite’s skin grows darker with age (as opposed to other vampires, whose skin gets paler); particularly ancient Assamites are almost ebony in complexion.

Sect: For the most part, the Assamites tend to be independent, letting the Sects hire them to operate on their own terms. That said, some Assamites believe an allegiance with the Camarilla or the Sabbat would allow the entire Clan to stand more strongly.

Haven: Assamites often share communal havens with others of their local cell, remote structures that allow the Assassins to watch the larger domain from a distance. These havens are generally well appointed, but not so lavish that the whole place can’t be moved on short notice. Individual Assamites also tend to keep personal hideouts of a much more humble nature, for when they need a place to lay low.

Background: Those Embraced into Clan Assamite tend to fall into two distinct types: The “provincial” members of the Clan fit whatever their locality is, and can blend seamlessly in with the people around them. The higher-profile “jet-setters” transcend cultures, bolstered by their ability to handle interpersonal and intellectual challenges

Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Obfuscate, Quietus

Clan Weaknesses: Due to the Tremere blood-curse, should an Assamite consume the blood of other Kindred, she suffers one automatic level of unsoakable lethal damage per blood point imbibed. The would-be diablerist gains no benefits (including Generation reduction) if he survives the process. In addition, Assamites must tithe some of the profits from their contracts to their sires or superiors (generally around 10 percent of all such earnings).

The legacy of the Brujah is one of halcyon greatness, marred by their fiery natures. Theirs was the glory of ancient Carthage, but Ventrue treachery in ancient Rome brought the dream to an end. Since then, the Brujah have borne a grudge. Tonight, the Brujah are rebels and provocateurs, bat swinging hooligans and agents of change in a society long crippled by stasis. As rebels, it’s in their nature to challenge the status quo — though sometimes, without adequate opposition, they embody the status quo themselves. It works out fine, because there’s always a hot-blooded Brujah waiting in the wings to bring down an uppity Clan mate grown too comfortable in the role of rebel-turned-dictator. More so than any other Clan, the Brujah still feel the flames of the passions that once inspired them as mortals. Clan Brujah loves a cause and is quick to act on a stirring speech, accusation of injustice, or a call to arms. This connection to passion can be a blessing, but inspiration can also yield to the madness and hunger of the Beast. No wise Prince turns his back on the Brujah, and rare is the Brujah who would allow them to be manipulated or pandered to. A Brujah is her own master, first and foremost, and those who would bring her to heel face a terrible task. A Brujah who thinks she’s getting the short end of the stick will tear an enemy to ribbons first and maybe remember to ask questions later, no matter if he’s a Primogen or a mortal authority. Some Kindred historians claim that the Brujah have parlayed their ancient betrayal into a role as agitators against the very order that they help support. Others claim the Brujah have long since submitted to the will of that same order, being little more than loyal opposition rendered impotent. Most Brujah don’t care either way, as long as someone needs a good ass-kicking and they can be the ones to deliver it.

Appearance: Many Brujah affect styles and mannerisms that reflect an attitude of rebellion. Multicoloured hair, shaven heads, spikes, rivets, fetish gear, and t-shirts with bold slogans might appeal to a Brujah. While not every Brujah wears the “uniform,” the Rabble often enjoy adorning themselves in outfits intended to provoke. Some young Brujah prefer mobile devices as their tools of resistance, and can summon a riot at the touch of a screen.

Sect: For all its rebellion, Clan Brujah generally considers itself a member of the Camarilla. Young Rabble sometimes looks to the wildness of the Sabbat, but elders assert that the Ivory Tower provides a fine structure against which to rage.

Haven: Brujah may feel kinship to a city, but they rarely develop such ties to individual locations. Thus, at any given time, a Brujah probably has a half-dozen or more hideouts, safe houses, and flats available. These are often shabby and ill-kept until the Brujah needs them. Brujah havens might also have mortals who follow the Brujah’s ideology or his cult of personality. This works out fine: It never hurts to have a spare vessel in an emergency.

Background: As creatures of passion, Brujah often embrace without really thinking much about it, and their childer tend to be a disparate lot. Sometimes, the Rabble Embrace those who share a similar outlook or enthusiasm for a cause as the prospective sire. Other times, they inflict the Embrace on those of opposite ideology, cursing a rival with vampirism as punishment.

Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Presence

Clan Weaknesses: The same passions that inspire Brujah to greatness or depravity, left unchecked, can send them into incandescent rages: The difficulties of rolls to resist or guide frenzy are two higher than normal.

Addiction, debasement, corruption, and desperation strike fear into many Kindred who worry that theirs will become an unlife of ruin, but to the Followers of Set, these and more are the tools of the trade. Pimps, pushers, and priests, the Setites cater to the needs of the desperate, and convert them to a nihilistic cause in doing so. Whether one needs flesh, money, drugs, or dark secrets, the Followers of Set can provide it, and when they do so, they all but guarantee themselves a return visit from those who seek them. The Followers of Set are as much a chthonic religion as they are a Clan, though the faith includes the Clan. Its mythology is complex and convoluted, an impenetrable pantheon of god-monsters. At the apex of this worship stands a syncretism of the Egyptian Lord of the Underworld Set and the Greek hydra Typhon, as much spiritual guardians of secret places as they are the “liberators” of other’s souls. To outsiders, this is all blasphemous religious affectation, but to devout Setites, the cult and cause are real, and their dark lord works his will through them. Needless to say, the politics of desperation and the placation of evil gods place the Serpents on the outside of Kindred society. The Setites are fine with this. The Kindred can often find themselves in need of what the Followers of Set purvey, and the extra “service” of secrecy is one the Setites are happy to provide at a premium. The Setites offer a devil’s deal, but on their own terms. That way, when they collect their due and feed blood and souls into the maw of the Typhonic beast, all of its sacrifices have been given willingly.

Appearance: Many older Setites hail from the North African and Mediterranean ethnicity native to the Serpents’ historical territory, but they freely embrace from among the mortals of their adopted homes. Some long-standing Setite temples are tied to locations where “Egyptian” Serpents might seem out of place, but where some aspect of serpent mythology is present, as in Mesoamerica or even far-flung Nordic locales, and thus draw their membership from local populations. Red hair is considered a mark of Set’s favour.

Sect: Externally, none of the Sects will have the Followers of Set. Internally, the Setites sometimes describe themselves in terms of both Sect and Clan. They have no real impetus to join either the Camarilla or Sabbat, and their goals are different from those of the Anarchs

Haven: Where their hidden temples stand, the Setites make their havens, either individually or communally. These may be anything from “churches” with never-before-heard-of denominations or they may be outright cults that have to hide their existences. The secretive Serpents sometimes hide individual havens in places where other Kindred don’t often go, such as insular ethnic neighbourhoods, abandoned domains, “the rough part of town,” and so forth. Some Setites also haven in secret mystical places that have value to the Clan, guarding them from outsiders

Background: Prospective childer for the Followers of Set often spend some time involved with a Setite cult, so they’re indoctrinated in the mysteries of the Clan before becoming one of its Kindred. They may come from any cultural origin, though many are outsiders, loners, or otherwise marginalized by society, which is often what led them to the forbidden fruits offered by the cult of Set in the first place.

Clan Disciplines: Obfuscate, Presence, Serpentis

Clan Weaknesses: Given their origins in darkness, the Serpents react negatively to bright light: Add two health levels to damage caused by exposure to sunlight. Setites also lose one die from dice pools for actions taken in bright light (police spotlights, stage lights, flares, etc.)

A glint of red eyes in the darkness, the scent of a predator’s musk, a flash of fangs, the sound of flesh tearing: These mark the presence of the Gangrel. More than any other Clan, the Gangrel resemble the beasts associated with the legends of vampires: bats, wolves, and other creatures of darkness. Indeed, the Outlanders may develop the ability to transform themselves into these and other, more primal forms. The Gangrel have other characteristics in common with animals as well. Many shun the elaborate social constructs of both Kindred and kine. A number of them prefer to move alone or as a member of small packs or coteries. Most are tough and, when pressed, ferocious. And when Gangrel succumb to the depredations of the Beast, they are left with some feature redolent of the animal kingdom. As a Clan, the Gangrel are wary and aloof. Most would prefer to spend their nights stalking prey or wilding on the rooftops than minding Princely edicts or lobbying for recognition of domain. Theirs is a tense relationship with vampire society, and Outlanders are among the most frequent to turn Anarch or Autarkis. In some localities, the Gangrel have collectively abandoned membership in any Sect insofar as the Gangrel truly ever do anything collectively. The Jyhad seems less pronounced among the Gangrel than it is among other Clans, and the Outlanders have little regard for the eternal conflict. Differences between Gangrel more often fall along the lines of domain and feeding rights than they do on generational mistrust, and the things that concern young Outlanders are matters that concern Gangrel ancillae and even elders. Still, one would be hard-pressed to consider the relationship among Gangrel of different generations amicable, except in isolated sire-childe situations. The Beast is ever suspicious of those who would take sustenance from it.

Appearance: Personal presentation is often not high on the list of many Gangrel priorities, and a Gangrel’s appearance is often more a matter of circumstance than it is of active decision. The Clan’s weakness can contribute a great deal to their appearance, as does an extended unlife in the places where they make their havens, which are frequently short of modern conveniences

Sect: The Gangrel at least nominally belong to the Camarilla, but the Clan has always had a vocal faction that spurns membership in any Sect. They claim that political games and social structures do nothing for the primal Gangrel.

Haven: Gangrel often lair where they can, taking refuge when the sun threatens to rise. Those who do maintain permanent havens often lean toward the utilitarian: Everything from a cave to a covered alley to an illegal squat may serve as a Gangrel haven, usually with little demarcating them as any sort of personal territory (until it’s too late for the unfortunate interloper).

Background: Gangrel sire childer like they seek prey: after long hunts during which the prospective childe doesn’t even know she’s being followed. Creating a fledgling means sharing limited resources, so each sire childe relationship is unique and significant. Outlanders embrace because they choose an individual, not out of whim or recklessness. Those who earn their attention are hardy, whether physically or emotionally

Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean

Clan Weaknesses: Every time a Gangrel frenzies, she acquires a temporary animal characteristic (which may replace an existing temporary one). A patch of fur, a brief torpor after feeding, or skittishness around crowds — all of these may mar an Outlander after frenzy. Characteristics acquired in Gangrel frenzies need not only be physical – they can be behavioral as well. Players should work with the GM to determine what new animal trait is acquired (whether the frenzy involved the fight-or-flight impulse may be relevant). Over time, or in an exceptional situation, a particular animal feature may become permanent, with the next frenzy adding a new feature. A good guideline is to require each frenzy-gained trait to have some effect grounded in system terms (such as the temporary reduction of Social Attribute dots or a permanent loss of Humanity).

Achieving prominence during the Venetian Renaissance, the Giovanni family built their fortune on the rise of the middle class and the ready profit of banking and Mediterranean trade (and the criminal enterprise that came with it). However, with the family’s rise came hubris, as its paterfamilias sought ever more power, and with that hubris, horror. With his earthly power at its apex, Augustus Giovanni turned to the arts of controlling the dead, and in doing so, gained the Embrace from a forgotten Antediluvian. With a conclave of conspirators, the Giovanni plunged a now-forgotten Clan into oblivion and built their own legacy on its corpse. Since those first nights, the Giovanni have accepted no limits on their ambitions, despite opposition from Kindred outside their Clan and a well-deserved reputation as “Devil Kindred.” They studied forbidden arts, becoming formidable in the nigrimancy that allowed them power over the spirits of the departed, and degeneracy followed in the wake of unclean ritual. To this night, the Giovanni are known for the insular nature of their Clan and the incestuous practices by which they populate it. A few outside families and factions fall under Giovanni auspices, but the vast majority of the Clan comes from the debased mortal family. The family remains successful despite all of their ghastly peccadilloes, and has amassed a vast wealth through crime, politics, and the secrets of the dead that keeps them in their position of degraded opulence. In public view, the Giovanni make a great show of humility and respect. Part of this gentility is a habit of centuries, still in place from when the other Clans hunted the usurping Necromancers (and to preserve their hard won neutrality from the conflict between the Camarilla and the Sabbat). Another part of it is the velvet glove hiding the iron fist of their nature, remarkable for forcing ghosts, minds, and bodies alike to bow to their needs. To hear the Giovanni tell it, Princes and Archbishops alike owe those favours, and anyone with something to offer may earn their patronage. For the most part, the Giovanni participate little in the Jyhad, pursuing their own agenda of cultivating wealth and building a foundation of power in the lands beyond the veil of death. Outsiders rarely comprehend the goals of the Necromancers, but only the most trusted of the Giovanni know that the Clan wants to plunge the world into a state where the dead and the living commingle. And with their mastery of Necromancy, the Giovanni would be positioned to rule it all.

Appearance: Outwardly, Giovanni dress with subtlety and taste. Much of the Clan comes from the original mortal family, and have not only olive Italian complexions, but some amount of inherited family features. Those outside the immediate family often appear “of a type,” and in the traditional garb of their regional family branch.

Haven: The family wealth of the Giovanni is evident in their havens, which may take the form of villas or lavish estates. The Necromancers often have valuables invested in their havens as well, such as galleries of fine art or displays of jewelry. Many Giovanni also maintain secondary havens, where they may have elaborate necromantic crypts or just flats where they can lie low if necessary.

Background: Giovanni of the main family branch have usually spent some amount of time as a ghoul in a practice known as the Proxy Kiss. During this time, the Kindred-to-be learns about the treacherous and jealous reality of the vampire family. She learns ambition and an unhealthy dose of duplicity, in addition to the family history and customs. Giovanni rarely see much of the outside world on their own terms during the Proxy Kiss period, and often become insular and alienated, while at the same time eager to stand out among the other family ghouls.

Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Necromancy, Potence

Clan Weaknesses: The Kiss of a Giovanni vampire causes excruciating pain in mortal vessels who receive it. If the Giovanni isn’t careful, her vessel may die of shock and agony before being wholly exsanguinated. When a Giovanni feeds upon a mortal, she does twice as much damage as the Kiss of another vampire would inflict. For example, if a Giovanni takes one point of blood from a mortal vessel, that victim would suffer two health levels of damage. As a result, they tend to use blood banks and other means of feeding that don’t fight as much.

To the mind of a Lasombra, it is better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven. Fear, frenzy, and the power to determine whether another lives or dies: these are at the root of the power that the Lasombra hold dear. Whereas other vampires try vainly to hold the Beast at bay or give themselves wholly to it, the Lasombra beat the Beast into submission, invoking it when it suits them but leaving it trapped inside when they wish to govern themselves. It is with these predilections that the Lasombra style themselves“dark nobility,” an aristocracy of the night that chose the supremacy of the Cainites over veneration of the Masquerade. Their regard for such ideas as redemption and salvation are cynical at best, and much of the pomp that shaped the Clan’s pre-Sabbat outlook remains only with a sense of blackest irony or open mockery. The grandeur and rituals of the Church and aristocracy remain dear to the Lasombra, however, and the Clan was instrumental not only in establishing many of the rituals of the Sabbat, but in the institutions that keep it from descending into chaos each night. Whether they see themselves as God’s instruments or as outcasts from His creation, the Lasombra believe they have a duty (whether to Sect, Clan, pack, or even just themselves), and obligation to their responsibilities gives them a wicked sense of purpose. Even a Lasombra shovelhead may consider them self a cut above the rest; a surprising number of Lasombra mass Embraces survive, perhaps owing to the intervention of their sires. While the night belongs to all Kindred, the Lasombra are truly born to darkness, to the degree that their very Clan name reveals their tie to shadow. Theirs is the Discipline of Obtenebration, and it allows them to wield the stuff of shadow and darkness, and even reach beyond the darkness of the physical world into the abyss that lies beyond.

Appearance: The Lasombra are frequently attractive. Whether through the Spanish, Italian, and Moorish stock associated with the Clan, or due to more cosmopolitan modern backgrounds, the Keepers cut a striking figure. Their dress is often conservative or religious, drawing on years of ceremony and faithful ritual. Rare is the Lasombra who cannot at least manipulate shadows to affect a dramatic entrance or enigmatic pose.

Sect: The Sabbat would be very different without the influence of the Lasombra, and they remain its most prominent Clan. Young Lasombra often make auspicious starts as Sabbat Ducti or Priests, leading their fellows by charging into the fray or demonstrating mastery of the Beast.

Haven: The obligation of their leadership leads many young Lasombra to maintain communal havens with other members of their pack. Wealthier Keepers and those who predate the Sect often maintain their own havens, whether sinister penthouse suites or sprawling Old World villas.

Background: Prospective sires of Clan Lasombra seek both erudition and ambition in their potential childer. As such, many Lasombra come from professional backgrounds, and display outgoing and even aggressive personalities. Merit in their sires’ eyes takes fledgling Lasombra far, and the Keepers do not hesitate to cull their ranks of flawed, lazy, or boorish childer.

Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Obtenebration, Potence

Clan Weaknesses: Lasombra vampires cast no reflections. Whether in a mirror, in a body of water, on a polished surface, or in the rear-view of a taxicab, the image of the Keeper does not reflect.

Clan Malkavian is twice damned: once by the curse of being Kindred, and again by the turmoil that disturbs their hearts and minds. Upon the Embrace, every Malkavian is afflicted with an insurmountable insanity that fractures her outlook for every night thereafter, making her unlife one of madness. Some consider this a form of oracular insight, while others simply consider them dangerous. Make no mistake: Malkavian insanity is a painful, alienating phenomenon, but it occasionally provides the Lunatics with bursts of insight or heretofore unknown perspective. Madness for the Malkavians may take the form of any clinical form of insanity, or it may be a hyper acuity of senses others don’t know they have; a supernatural puppeteer pulling the Malkavian’s strings, or a sense that the Malkavian is somehow ahead of evolutionary schedule. A Malkavian may believe herself to be an idea given physical form or an avatar of some concept the World of Darkness has yet to encounter. She may be a nonstop ravening psychopath, or may be a mostly lucid individual sometimes rendered catatonic by fear of an impending cosmic cataclysm. Their precarious stability makes it hard for other Kindred (or, indeed, any vessels with whom they may meet) to interact with Malkavians. The Clan sometimes indulges in elaborate, terrifying, and dangerous “pranks” which do little to endear them to other vampires. These incidents are nominally meant to educate the target, but the lesson can often be lost between the vampire’s scramble for safety and the inability to parse the Malkavian’s inner logic. Common pranks might be to replace a vain Toreador’s haven door with a guillotine or to redistribute a Brujah elder’s wealth while he’s at Elysium, or it might take the form of giving a hunter the location where the Nosferatu gather. Kindred both dread and resent the word “prank” almost as much as they do the Lunatics themselves.

Appearance: While Malkavians can come from any culture, the madness following the Embrace tends to lead them to extremes of self-presentation. Malkavians may appear dishevelled, injured, or simply dirty. They could still be wearing the same clothes from the night of their Embrace or they may have stolen clothes from a Laundromat or a department store during a fit of confusion or fugue. Of course, Malkavians are just as likely to be meticulous and exacting in their appearance, trying obsessively to appear as normal as possible.

Sect: In their moments of lucidity, the Malkavians offer their unorthodox perspectives and Devil’s advocacy to the Camarilla, offering their visions and unique insights to cut through the webs of deceit. Princes and Primogen tolerate the Lunatics to varying degrees, but the Clan as a whole has always been a supporter of the Ivory Tower.

Haven: Consistency is rare among Malkavians. Quite simply, they establish havens where they think to, where they can, and where they can recall. A significant number of Malkavians have literally no home, spending each night where exhaustion or the sun’s rays leave them. Others may permanently have the presidential suite in a posh hotel, a squat in the Barrens, the dispensary at a county jail, or a broom closet in a historical landmark.

Background: Malkavians Embrace with all the caprice one would assume from them. Lunatic childer come from all economic and cultural strata, though most have some sort of hard-luck story or black secret behind them that caused their sire to take note. Truly damaged Malkavians who are unaware of the meanings of their actions may not even be aware that they have sired childer, which makes for very difficult entry into Kindred society for these castoffs, many of whom end up among the Caitiff.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dementation, Obfuscate

Clan Weaknesses: All members of Clan Malkavian suffer from a permanent, incurable derangement. They may acquire and recover from other derangements, and may spend Willpower to ameliorate the effects of the derangement for a scene, but they can never recover from their original derangement(*and this is why)

Those who doubt that the Embrace is a curse need look no further than the Nosferatu. Twisted by the mark of Caine, members of Clan Nosferatu are warped by the Embrace into hideous monsters. As such, they skulk and keep to the shadows, and they often rouse the ire and mockery of other Kindred for their nightmarish appearances. Still others are so terrified or revolted by the Nosferatu that these warped Kindred have little social interaction at all. To their credit, the Nosferatu come to possess many of the whispered secrets of their reluctant fellows. The Sewer Rats enjoy a grudging respect as the information- brokers of the Kindred, given their supernatural acumen at stealth and the fact that many Kindred would rather ignore them than acknowledge them. Savvy Nosferatu exploit this for all it’s worth, turning the hypocrisy of other vampires to their own profit. On the whole, the Nosferatu condition is lonely and alienating. How they react to the Curse of Caine varies with their outlook and mental stamina, but it’s hard to be an object of utter revulsion and not let it shape one’s disposition toward one’s “Kindred” in some way. Some of the Sewer Rats are cruel, as blighted on the inside as they are on the outside, while others are tragic, wretched creatures who have been cursed with eternal outsider status through no choice of their own. A few of the Sewer Rats even position themselves as prophets or avatars of the Damned, physically embodying the haunting riddle, “A Beast I am, lest a Beast I become.”

Appearance: Physical horror is the lot of the Nosferatu, and their unsettling deformations are countless. No two Nosferatu share the exact same malformation, and the Clan is a freakshow of snarled limbs, fanged protrusions, hellish countenances, serpentine spines, ruined faces, spasmodic appendages, and even features not usually seen on the mortal stock from which the Nosferatu are drawn. The Sewer Rats often hide these disfigurements under shapeless robes and rags, but some exult in the discomfort their presence causes, and don’t bother disguising them. They may even emphasize them.

Sect: Clan Nosferatu belongs at least nominally to the Camarilla, though many of its members become Autarkis or support the Anarchs rather than navigating the Ivory Tower’s vicious social labyrinth. Some even contend that the Nosferatu need the Camarilla, because without them they have no buyers in their economy of secrets.

Haven: Nosferatu Kindred often make their havens far from the scorn and spite of other vampires. Whether they construct warrens in the sewers suggested by their nickname or they sculpt a sprawling nightmare-nest in the spire of a condemned church, Sewer Rats value secrecy and distance from rivals in their havens. Nosferatu of humbler means may well squat in an abandoned tenement or a disused alley. So long as it’s away from other Kindred, it’s a good haven.

Background: The Sewer Rats mostly fit into one of two categories. Some Nosferatu Embrace the damaged, flawed, outcast, or vile, feeling some degree of kinship with them. Other Embrace spitefully, dragging the beautiful or privileged into an immortal hell of disfigurement and monstrosity.

Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence

Weaknesses: All Nosferatu have an Appearance score of zero, and they may never improve it. Cross it off the character sheet. Dice pools that use the Appearance Trait are inherently difficult for these hideous Kindred.

The Ravnos move like the rumours that surround them. They are the thief in the night, the raksha chased by the wind, the nightmare-dream too fearful to be real. Whether associated with the Romani folk of Europe or the grave-robbing ghûl of Western Asia, Kindred society burdens the Ravnos with prejudices of foulness, uncleanliness, and wickedness. With reputations like these, the Ravnos are considered outsiders even among those Kindred who do not ally themselves with Sects. Many young Ravnos tend toward nomadic unlives, moving from one domain to the next or hiding on the fringes of established territories where they can escape if local Kindred sentiment turns against them. This exacerbates their reputations as transients, gypsies, and vagrant scourges, but Ravnos vampires adapt well, thriving in their marginalized role. In fact, many choose to make themselves into the ravening terrors that other Kindred believe them to be. The more enlightened among the Ravnos follow a Clan ideology inspired by the cycle of reincarnation espoused by many Indian faiths. Among some young and unprincipled members of the Clan, however, this philosophy becomes a penchant for capriciousness or an excuse for chaos. It is these latter Kindred who give so many Ravnos a bad name, but even the devout seem bizarre to many vampires. The Ravnos practice a unique Discipline known as Chimerstry that convinces their enemies that they see things that do not exist. Chimerstry does much to convince Kindred that the Ravnos trade in lies and misdirection, but it can also prove to be a Deceiver’s

Appearance: Young Ravnos often come from Eastern European Romani stock, with a relative paucity of “non-gypsy” gadje in the ranks. What few elders of the Clan may remain are presumed to come from Indian or Middle Eastern origins. Given that the Clan is widely spread and holds no traditional central domain, no consistent look can be said to be predominant, and any mendicant Kindred might be of Ravnos origin.

Sect: Clan Ravnos often has a difficult time heeding the rigorous order of many Camarilla cities, and has no inherent love for the violence of the Sabbat. Thus, the Deceivers find themselves independent for lack of a more suitable option.

Haven: Many Ravnos take to the road instead of establishing permanent havens, dwelling temporarily among itinerant communities, at roadside rest stops, or even in vehicles. When a Deceiver does put down roots in a domain, his permanent haven is often away from high-profile Kindred territories. Havens in ethnic ghettos, industrial outskirts, and isolated geography are safest and most easily cultivated for the Ravnos.

Background: The Ravnos are scattered and suspicious, and those childer who don’t have the tendency toward self-sufficiency don’t last long. In many cases, a Ravnos will either never sire, or sire for companionship or safety, with little concern for how well a childe will fare as a vampire. Ravnos rarely seek out childer actively, instead drawing from those whose paths they cross on any given night. As such, the hardluck drifter reputation tends to follow the Deceivers

Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Chimerstry, Fortitude

Weaknesses: A turbulent history makes the Ravnos slaves to their vices. Each Ravnos has a penchant for some sort of vice — lying, cruelty, or theft, for example. When presented with the opportunity to engage in that vice, the Ravnos must indulge it unless her player succeeds
on a Self-Control or Instincts roll

From the Toreador perspective, when the sun fades, darkness gives rise to an eternal and wondrous world. Everything is fraught with wonder and terror, low politics and sensual glories, the profound and the profane, and an undeniable undercurrent of the sanguinary. These Kindred are the Toreador, and they spend unlives ensconced in pleasure. Of course, for vampires of this disposition, it’s easy to become jaded and bitter. More than the other Clans, Toreador often succumb to ennui, or fight the eventual boredom of unchanging immortality by playing at rivalries. An excess of stimulation turns them into slaves to the sensations they seek. The most debased Toreador can become true monsters, sinking to unimaginable levels of depravity in order to feel anything at all. The Kindred of Clan Toreador often involve themselves greatly in the world of mortals. They have any number of reasons, whether enjoying proximity to the blush of life, cultivating veritable cults of doting followers, or influencing and following the trends that their own kind simultaneously mock and venerate. To hear the Toreador tell it, they are the Muses of a desperate mortal world, inspiring through their beauty or patronage. Toreador culture is a mixture of sybarites, dilettantes, and visionaries. Some Toreador, with echoes of mortal passion, Embrace lovers or “project” progeny who seem to fly in the face of every Toreador custom. These either don’t last long or rise to great prominence as subversives and individualists. Ideas, trends, and “the next great thing” spread through the Clan, and other Kindred often look to the Toreador to guide them. The Degenerates know this, and many become Harpies, Princes, and other key figures in vampiric society.

Appearance: Almost to the last, they are attractive in some way, whether the traditional beauty of a runway model or the dangerous allure of something more predatory. The Degenerates augment their physical beauty with a sense of personal style, which may take the form of expensive couture, avant-garde street wear, or classical fashions designed to emphasize their appealing qualities. This isn’t to say that ugly Toreador don’t exist. Indeed, those gifted with less physical beauty often go that much further with their choice of accouterments.

Sect: The Camarilla would not have survived in the nights following the Anarch Revolt without substantial participation from the Toreador, and they remain among its most ardent supporters.

Haven: The Degenerates spare no expense in appointing their havens in luxury, often with many original works of art. It is a point of pride among Toreador to have an unconventional (and thus memorable) haven with modern comforts; thus, many have striking lofts and penthouses, while the bolder among them renovate or repurpose everything from abandoned aquariums or deconsecrated churches to rooftop gardens or converted warehouse-galleries in fashion-forward neighborhoods. Share a communal haven? How déclassé.

Background: Many Toreador hail from high-society or “bohemian” backgrounds. Indeed, many are themselves artists or influential among local art scenes or other subcultures. Actors, singers, musicians, sculptors, poets, playwrights, authors, and creative folk of any stripe may well find a home in the Clan, as do those who serve as patrons to (or travel in the entourages of) those artistic types.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence

Weaknesses: When a Toreador experiences something truly remarkable — a person, an object of art, a lovely sunrise — the player must make a Self-Control or Instincts roll. Failure means that the Kindred finds herself enthralled by the experience. The dazzled Toreador cannot act for the duration of the scene aside from commenting on or continuing their involvement with whatever has captured their attention. If the experience no longer affects her (whether by moving, being destroyed, or whatever is appropriate to the situation), the captivation ends. Enraptured Toreador may not even defend themselves if attacked, though being wounded allows them to make another Self-Control or Instincts roll.

In nights long lost to the passage of time, the Tremere existed, though they were something else. Those early Tremere then made a bargain — or wrought a spell, or any number of other harrowing methods attributed to the Clan — that changed them from what they had been into the vampires they are tonight. Some claim they stole the Curse of Caine from a torpid Antediluvian, or that they concocted the flawed immortality of the Kindred from the stolen vitae of other vampires. Such mysterious origins, which some describe as treacherous or even blasphemous, haunt the Tremere, as the other Clans look upon them with mistrust and suspicion. The history and, indeed, the modern legacy of the Tremere is one marked by Clan war, centuries-old grudges, and the stain of unwholesome mysteries long left unsolved. Tonight, Clan Tremere is a Clan shaped by its practice of blood sorcery. A flexible Discipline, Thaumaturgy is heavily entrenched within the Tremere, and they maintain cultic havens known as chantries to study its uses and share secrets among each other. To the Tremere, blood is both sustenance and the source of mystical power; they gather in their witch houses to further their understanding of the vitae that is such a focal point of their unlives. Beyond the practice of Thaumaturgy itself, the Warlocks are known for their close-knit hierarchy. They hail from the Old World, with an established power base in Vienna to which all members of the Clan answer to some degree. Although they may be one of the youngest Clans in the terms with which deathless creatures like vampires measure time they are as adept at the Jyhad as any Kindred. Beset by enemies who call them usurpers and backed by allies who may or may not defend the alliances they force, the Tremere have evolved to be self-sufficient. Indeed, many who eye them warily think they possess too great an edge, with their flexible Discipline and protective Clan and chantry structure, and move against them both secretly and overtly.

Appearance: Tremere often have two distinct presentations: a traditional and severe public aspect and a much more eldritch mien better suited to wielding their blood sorceries. When out in public or at Kindred events, the Tremere favor conservative suits and dresses and muted tones. When in their chantries or convening with others of their Clan, they often prefer robes decorated with subtle occult symbols or garb with various folds and pockets for their bizarre ritual ingredients.

Sect: Clan Tremere considers itself one of the pillars of the Camarilla. It is rumored that they once performed a ritual that all but eradicated those of the Clan not loyal to the Ivory Tower (and thus the Tremere’s pyramidal hierarchy).

Haven: Many Tremere rely on a central chantry the Clan maintains in cities where it has a notable presence. More solitary Warlocks develop private havens, with all of the trappings one might expect from an occult scholar, from libraries to alchemical laboratories to moonlit balcony observatories and even more sinister oubliettes where vivisected “research subjects” bleed according to experimental Tremere-controlled stimuli.

Background: The Tremere draw from a fairly narrow pool of potential acolytes. Those who have an awareness of the supernatural, who are driven to succeed, who seek answers that elude less inquisitive individuals, yet who also have the discipline to heed the edicts of the hierarchy make good Tremere. This isn’t to say that individualists don’t have room in the Clan; rather, those who go their own way may well find themselves leading a chantry — or greeting the sun if their interests don’t align with those of the pyramid.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy

Weaknesses: Tremere dependency on blood is even more pronounced than that of other Kindred. It takes only two draughts of another vampire’s blood for a Tremere to become blood bound instead of the normal three — the first drink counts as if the Tremere had taken two drinks.. The elders of the Clan are well aware of this, and seek to impart loyalty to the Clan by forcing all neonate Warlocks to drink of the (transubstantiation) blood of the seven Tremere elders soon after their Embrace.

A blood moon casts a crimson light over the land beyond the forest and something fearsome howls its agony into the night. The Tzimisce call these lands their ancestral home. Since time out of mind the Fiends have been masters and lords of the domains of much of Eastern Europe. But theirs is a proud, selfish Clan for which tradition goes only so far despite their aristocratic origins. In fact, the Clan claims to have destroyed its Antediluvian, and in the wake of that momentous event, helped establish the foundations of the Sabbat. Tzimisce practice a strange Discipline known as Vicissitude that allows them to twist the skin and bone of their victims. In many cases, they refine their fleshly arts by practicing upon themselves, but they just as frequently use it upon their lackeys and retainers, turning their boyars and szlachta into monstrous thralls. Vicissitude itself is a much misunderstood Discipline, and debates over its origins occasionally plunge the Clan into vicious partisan rivalries. Clan Tzimisce is a Clan of extremes, and long, cold nights spent in remote castles have turned the Fiends’ perspectives both greatly inward and outward. Mystics of the Clan study a philosophy of metamorphosis, seeking to discover what lies beyond the state of vampirism. An alien attitude of spiritual secularism characterizes many Tzimisce. Young members of the Clan often find themselves detached from the historical role of the Fiends as terrifying landed lords, and throw themselves wholly into a cause of their own choice, whether as Sabbat zealots, flesh crafted horrors, or transcendental koldun sorcerers.

Appearance: Given their ability to manipulate their physical appearance with Vicissitude, Tzimisce look however they want, and they often want to provoke or frighten. Some prefer extreme modifications and experimentation with their bodies that leave them looking only vaguely humanoid. Others seek to redefine and even transcend the limits of their forms, rebuilding themselves in the images of angels, monsters, nightmares , and things even less recognizable.

Haven: Young Tzimisce are often Sabbat Priests or Ducti ,and prefer to maintain communal havens with their packs. They encourage the pack to live in fearsome locations, such as beneath a hospital or morgue, or in the dank recesses of a mausoleum. Elders of the Clan sometimes have ancestral holdings in the Old World, and the image of the vampire on the craggy mountain in a crumbling castle owes much to Tzimisce lords. Rarely are these ancient holdings kept to any modern standards of comfort, but their lords are strangely hospitable to invited guests (and terribly intolerant of uninvited bores).

Background: Elder Tzimisce, particularly those of the still-landed nobility in hoary old domains, may have family lines from which they Embrace, or they may restrict their occasional siring to the terrified villages suffering in thrall beneath their estates. New World and younger Tzimisce aren’t as discriminating and are more practical. Indeed, many Tzimisce fledglings are little more than shock troops, Embraced and warped to the limits of their frames to cause revulsion and revel in bloodshed until put down.

Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Vicissitude

Weaknesses: The Tzimisce are inextricably tied to their domains of origin, and must rest in the proximity of at least two handfuls of “native soil” — earth from a place important to her as a mortal, such as the soil from her birthplace or the graveyard where she underwent her Embrace. Each night spent without this physical connection to her land limits all of the Tzimisce’s dice pools to one-half, cumulatively, until she has only a single die in her pool. The penalty remains until she rests for a full day amid her earth once more.

Throughout history, while the other Clans have skulked about their petty intrigues, the Ventrue have curried favour with Caesar, whispered into the ear of Charlemagne, bankrolled the Age of Exploration, and even swayed policy in the Holy See. Theirs is a legacy of ruler ship, from Ventrue fledglings starting their climb to the top to the mightiest elders whose influence spans the world. Long have they played kingmaker in the shadows in the mortal world, and long have they been the Clan of Kings among the Kindred. Other Clans, of course, find all this insufferably pompous at best, punishably tedious at worst. Someone has to lead, surely, but why does it always have to be some long-winded, self-aggrandizing Ventrue? The Blue Bloods try to bear the criticism of their lessers with a sense of noblesse oblige ever heavy hangs that head that wears the crown but even the most munificent of Kindred leaders occasionally succumbs to tyranny and bloody rage. Tonight, the Ventrue are a synthesis of the modern and the ancient, often in stark contrast within the Clan and among one another. Theirs is money of old, from the vaults of Croesus, but their young manipulate stock markets and influence currencies. Elders may command armies or even whole governments, while neonates conjure their assets from a website or Smartphone app. But for all their wealth, their distinguished history, and their status among the Damned, each and every Ventrue must still seek that one resource that makes Kindred society egalitarian: precious blood.

Appearance: The Ventrue favor conservative clothing and reserved presentation, unless they’re making a point about power or money. Ventrue Princes may well wear a circlet or carry a scepter as symbols of office, while young Blue Bloods display their own achievement via suits, ties, dresses, and accessories that are easily overlooked singularly but add up to a stunning total effect. If a Ventrue has so much as a hair out of place, it’s because he spent all night running down the Society of Leopold and demanding the Sabbat menace retreat.

Sect: To hear the Ventrue tell it, the very idea of the Camarilla originated with them. Every other Clan realized what an invaluable proposition it was and flocked to their banner.

Haven: A Ventrue’s haven displays both her great power and distinguished tastes. Opulent, grandiose, even baroque — these may all apply to Ventrue havens. They shun the gaudy displays of other Kindred, and their style tends less to the avant-garde than it does to the classical and traditional. To the Blue Bloods, a well-maintained haven is an extension of oneself, and for someone to see it in less than flawless state implies weakness, distraction, or even madness.

Background: Anyone who has “made something of herself” may attract the attention of the Ventrue, who judge their childer based on their prominence and success even before they start to groom them for the Embrace. Socialites, moneyed family, corporate wunderkinds, military leaders, and even untested newcomers who show great promise are keenly valued among the Blue Bloods.

Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Fortitude, Presence

Weaknesses: The Ventrue have rarefied tastes, and they find only one specific type of mortal blood palatable and vital for them. When a player creates a Ventrue character, he should decide with the GM what specific type of blood suits the character, and this choice is permanent. Blood of other types (even animals) simply offers the vampire no blood pool increase, no matter how much he consumes — he simply vomits it back up. This refined palate may be very narrow or very broad — say, the blood of younger sisters, or virgins, Vampiric blood is exempt from this restriction.

A fledgling is a newly-Embraced vampire who has not yet been introduced to Kindred society and formally emancipated from her sire. To this end, a sire is responsible for the actions of his childe until he deems her able enough to handle Cainite culture on her own. Some Clans shelter their fledglings for years or decades, like the Tremere, while others, like many Gangrel and Brujah, figure that once you’re a vampire, you’re on your own — tough shit if you can’t hack it. The Sabbat — who sometimes calls their hastily-Embraced fledglings “shovelheads” due to their bizarre Embrace rituals — is usually much more pragmatic: If the fledgling survives and does something worthwhile, she’s not a shovelhead anymore.

A neonate is a young vampire, one who has not been Kindred very long. The main difference between a neonate and a fledgling is that the neonate has been emancipated from her sire and otherwise is seen as an “adult” in vampire society. The line between fledgling and neonate is incredibly subjective, but usually once Kindred society stops thinking of a vampire as her sire’s appendage and more on her own merits and actions, then she’s become a neonate.

Those Kindred who have a few decades or centuries under their belts generally fall into the loose, subjective category known as the ancillae. They have paid their dues, understand (mostly) how Kindred society works, and have probably accomplished something. Ancilla is the rank between neonates and elder, implying some degree of achievement in what local Kindred society deems appropriate. Of course, what counts as “achievement” can vary wildly from Sect to Sect. A Camarilla ancillae would be considered soft and effete by the Sabbat, while a Sabbat Ancilla would probably be described as a raging maniac by Camarilla standards.

What constitutes an “elder” is similarly subjective, but it generally corresponds to a rough age distinction of anywhere from 200 to 1000 years of being Kindred, with appreciable claims to domain and a variety of other assets to bring to bear in the Jyhad. Typically, elders of Europe are much older than those across the Atlantic Ocean. Elders are typically the oldest active vampires in undead society.

When a vampire reaches a particular age, somewhere between 1000 and 2000 years of undeath, a profound change invariably overtakes him. It has long been debated whether this change is mystical or biological. Regardless, by the time a vampire reaches this age, the weight of millennia sets in, as well as an increased paranoia. Those who are weak or take risks do not survive to this age — only the most indomitable attain the station of Methuselah. As a means of self-preservation, Methuselahs retreat from the world. The constant struggle of facing the young who seek power through the blood of their elders grows numbing. Eventually one of the hungry whelps will get lucky. Thus the only option is to retreat fully from society, and go into torpor. Some Methuselahs remain involved in power struggles and the Jyhad of the Kindred, but do so from a position of complete anonymity. Still others do so from the cold sleep of torpor, moving their minions with mental commands, dream-visions, or centuries of conditioning. The fear of Jyhad, that no Kindred may truly call his actions his own, stems from the inexorable dread spawned by the terrible potential of the Methuselahs.

Literally “before the flood,” the Antediluvians are believed to be those vampires of the Third Generation who are descended from Caine’s original childer. Rumoured to be the last vampires “with mastery over life and death,” the Antediluvians are almost certainly in the grip of millennial torpor, assuming they still exist at all. If these Biblical monsters still dwell on earth, they cannot possibly still resemble humans in anything more than physical form. They have been vampires for so long that their urges and desires are wholly alien to human sensibilities, and even to those vampires who have been Kindred for “only” a thousand years or fewer. Some Kindred philosophies prophesy that the Antediluvians will rise from their unquiet slumber and devour their wayward childer during an apocalypse known as Gehenna. Radical, perhaps suicidal believers in this prophecy advocate destroying the sleeping monsters where they lie, if they can be discovered and destroyed at all.

This is the most important Tradition, for its observance protects the race of Caine from discovery by a mortal world that would unite against them in fear and hatred. Many Princes and other Kindred authorities spend a great deal of time using their influence or wealth to cover up breaches of the Masquerade, for the greater good of the Damned who may not even understand the peril in which they place themselves when they breach it. The Camarilla tends to err on the side of the pragmatic, cultivating its power from the shadows, but the Sabbat longs for a time when the Masquerade is no longer necessary, when mortals are little more than blood-thralls born into the shackles of their vampiric masters.

Of all the Traditions, Princes often employ the widest range of interpretations when it comes to the Second Tradition. Some Princes maintain that the Second Tradition applies only to those of their station, that a given city is entirely a Prince’s domain and that everyone in it owes him fealty and perhaps tribute. Other Princes are much more liberal, granting each (acknowledged) Kindred in her domain the power of sovereignty over their own territory. Most Princes fall somewhere in the middle, acknowledging that each Kindred makes his own fortune and has a right to authority in areas accepted as his, but not complete autonomy.

Many if not most Princes require that prospective sires seek their permission before performing the Embrace to create fledglings. However, some domains interpret “thine elder” to signify either the elder of one’s own Clan, or even one’s own sire. Note that such liberal domains are often the ones with the greatest Kindred populations, and often ones that come closest to jeopardizing the Masquerade due to Kindred overpopulation.

This Tradition imposes a twofold rule. First, a sire effectively owns her progeny until such a time as she deems them fit to face Kindred society on their own. Second, a wayward childe brings trouble upon his sire’s head, for the sire is responsible for the actions and consequences of her childe until the point at which she is emancipated. This Tradition is simultaneously at the center of some Kindred’s policy of making their childer earn their freedom through a long and arduous process, and other Kindred’s policy of, “Fuck it; you’re a vampire now. Don’t ruin it for the rest of us or I’ll tear your heart out myself. Good luck.”

A Prince has the right to dictate who may stay in his domain and who must leave or suffer punishment. This Tradition also imposes the responsibility on a travelling or relocating Kindred to present herself to the local Kindred authority and make herself known and accountable for any missteps. Again, this Tradition’s enforcement falls to the whim of individual Princes. Some are iron-fisted dictators who demand to know the comings and goings of all the Kindred in their cities, while others don’t mind so much as everyone heeds the other Traditions and doesn’t disturb the social order.

The Blood Hunt — the Lextalionis — is the Princely decree that declares another vampire persona non grata. The right of Princes (or “elders,” depending upon the interpretation of the Tradition) to call the Blood Hunt effectively forfeits the hunted Kindred’s unlife; it is the ultimate punishment levied for the most grievous of crimes. Indeed, it is used so sparing and so severely in most domains that many Princes will even pardon those Kindred who perform diablerie on a vampire under the Lextalionis.

I. The Sabbat shall remain united in its support of the Sect’s Regent. If necessary, a new Regent shall be elected. The Regent shall support relief from tyranny, granting all Sabbat freedom.
II. All Sabbat shall do their best to serve their leaders as long as said leaders serve the will of the Regent.
III. All Sabbat shall faithfully observe all the auctoritas ritae.
IV. All Sabbat shall keep their word of honor to one another.
V. All Sabbat shall treat their peers fairly and equally, upholding the strength and unity of the Sabbat. If necessary, they shall provide for the needs of their brethren.
VI. All Sabbat must put the good of the Sect and the race of Cainites before their own personal needs, despite all costs.
VII. Those who are not honorable under this code will be considered less than equal and therefore unworthy of assistance.
VIII. As it has always been, so shall it always be. The Lextalionis shall be the model for undying justice by which all Sabbat shall abide.
IX. All Sabbat shall protect one another from the enemies of the Sect. Personal enemies shall remain a personal responsibility, unless they undermine Sect security.
X. All Sect members shall protect Sabbat territory from all other powers.
XI. The spirit of freedom shall be the fundamental principle of the Sect. All Sabbat shall expect and demand freedom from their leaders.
XII. The Ritus of Monomacy shall be used to settle disputes among all Sabbat.
XIII. All Sabbat shall support the Black Hand. Addenda to the Code of Milan
XIV. All Sabbat have the right to monitor the behavior and activities of their fellow Sect members in order to maintain freedom and security.
XV. All Sabbat possess the right to call a council of their peers and immediate leaders.
XVI. All Sabbat shall act against Sect members who use the powers and authority the Sabbat has given them for personal gain at the expense of the Sabbat. Action shall be taken only through accepted means, approved by a quorum of Prisci.

The preeminent vampire of a Camarilla city and probably the most numerous position of ultimate authority among Western Kindred, Princes are the rulers of given cities. Some Princes are tyrants or absolute monarchs of the Damned while others are politically feeble puppets propped up by more powerful supporters, but the position of Prince is one acknowledged and even (grudgingly) respected by all vampires, even those not of the Camarilla.

With many of the same powers as the Prince, the Archbishop is the closest analog the Sabbat has to that position. An Archbishop is different, though, in that the Sabbat is less concerned with enforcing the Traditions and more concerned with waging its holy war against the Antediluvians and everyone else. Thus, the Archbishop is part spiritual leader and part warlord, advancing the Sword of Caine’s agenda and establishing Cainite primacy. This last is a difficult task to undertake, as it’s not simply a question of turning a Sabbat city into a living hell and declaring that vampires rule; the fundamentals of the Masquerade and the sheer weight of the mortal population means that is a war to be waged in stages. Too many Sabbat fail to understand this, especially among the young, and lose faith in their leadership because they’re too impatient to play out the long-game Jyhad. This subversion of ignorance is perhaps the Archbishop’s greatest challenge to overcome.

Much of Anarch philosophy decries the tyranny of Princes, but despite their name, the Anarchs often recognize that leadership in a domain is necessary. Thus, the Baron: a Prince in all but name and reputation. Many Barons take great pains to avoid Camarilla-style autocracy, but power can corrupt even the most zealous freedom fighter. A Baron forever straddles a fine line between being a wise leader and a power-mad autocrat, and the impractical nature of revolutionary ideology dooms many of them when the nightly affairs of the domain need attention.

Harpy
Harpies are the opinion leaders and the trend-setters to whom other Kindred look when it comes to matters of taste, style, philosophy, or politics. A Harpy’s word influences the domain’s attitudes and can be a powerful supporter of the status quo or a force for insidious change. Harpies are rarely appointed directly (and Kindred rarely trust those who are). Instead, a Harpy paradoxically becomes so by acting as a Harpy. The Harpy’s role is often intertwined with domain politics, and it is a bold or foolish Prince who neglects those vampires who represent the cutting edge of popular opinion in her domain.

Keeper of Elysium
This is a largely honorific title, though it has many practical responsibilities. The Keeper of Elysium assures that the customs of Elysium are observed, and is a caretaker of sites declared Elysium by a Prince.

Scourge
In this time, which many elders believe to be the Time of Thin Blood, the Scourge is responsible for destroying those vampires of 14th and higher Generation. This is a position most often found in paranoid domains where elders believe that fighting the symptoms of the Final Nights will stave off the coming of Gehenna.

Sheriff
The Sheriff is the Prince’s right-hand Kindred, responsible for the physical enforcement of Princely decree. Some Sheriffs are diligent masters-atarms while others are thuggish, bloody fuckheads who abuse their authority to torment those beneath their station. A Sheriff may appoint Hounds to assist him (or the Prince may appoint them, in the interests of curtailing a Sheriff’s overt power).

Primogen
Primogen is a flexible title. In some domains, a Primogen is simply the eldest and most influential Kindred of a given Clan. In others, a Primogen is a member of a council of advisors to the Prince. In some domains, Princes appoint the Primogen (and they may even appoint multiple Primogen of the same Clan, to keep that Clan divided) while in other cities, Primogen arise from among the most powerful members of that Clan or as a result of popular Clan politics. This is perhaps the most difficult of Camarilla titles for a new Kindred to understand.

Justicar
These are the judges appointed by the Inner Circle to be the Camarilla’s eyes, hands and, if necessary, fists. It is the Justicars who decide the punishment for those who have violated the Traditions on a widespread level. A Justicar serves for 13 years, and her actions may be challenged only by another Justicar.

Archon
Each Justicar selects a number of minions, known as Archons, to act in his name as suits his purposes. Archons are typically chosen from the upper ranks of ancillae and occasionally elders of lesser station. Justicars occasionally choose Archons to carry out specific missions, and prefer political savvy, insight, and skill over standing and clout. An Archon’s position typically lasts for as long as a Justicar wishes to retain her, but no longer than the Justicar’s tenure.

Alastor
If the Archons and Justicars are the law enforcement agencies of the Camarilla, the Alastors are the secret police. Moving unseen and unnoticed through the Camarilla, they serve a variety of purposes at the Inner Circle’s command. Mostly, however, the Alastors hunt the most dangerous criminals to the Camarilla — those on the so-called “Red List.” While the anonymous existence of the Alastors can be a difficult one, it does have its rewards, specifically a more-or-less universal immunity to prosecution from local Princes.

The Inner Circle
The true hub of the Camarilla, this group meets once every 13 years to plan out the business and direction of vampire society — as much as any group can presume to dictate the doings of a race of immortal predators. Every Clan is permitted one representative, usually the eldest member of the Clan, as only the eldest may cast the Clan’s vote.

Ductus
Leaders of individual packs, Ducti attend to the operation matters of their charges, resembling gang leaders or chiefs of small tribes. The title of Ductus is largely honorific, according recognition to the most accomplished member of a pack. Some authority accompanies the title, but the Ductus who throws his weight around is likely to find his ass dumped unceremoniously in a trash bin, if not staked out to welcome the next sunrise.

Pack Priest
Priests bear the responsibility for the spiritual wellbeing of their packs. Second in command to the Ductus, the Pack Priest officiates all the rituals observed by the pack, and often creates a few for the sole use of the pack. All packs have at least one Pack Priest, though some rare and large packs have two. In the event that the Ductus is eliminated, the Pack Priest becomes a temporary leader until a new leader can be appointed by the Bishop, Archbishop, or (in autonomous packs) the pack itself.

Templar
Also known as Paladins, the Templars are an elite force of bodyguards appointed by a Bishop or greater leader. Templars serve a variety of duties, always in a martial capacity. Most Archbishops keep a cadre of Paladins in their retinues to handle delicate matters best solved by a judicious application of violence.

Bishop
Bishops are those immediately below the Archbishop in Sabbat domains, with the same highlevel duties but much narrower scope. A Bishop maybe in charge of a single aspect of Cainite unlife in the domain, or she may be a more general spiritual leader, inquisitor against diabolism, military general, or any other specific aspect of Sabbat agenda. Some Sabbat domains have no Archbishop, but are instead ruled by a council of Bishops.

Priscus
Superficially, a Priscus is similar to a Primogen, but is never appointed by an Archbishop or Bishop; Prisci rise to the rank over time and according to no specific criteria. A Priscus, politically, is an advisor to the local Sabbat authority figures, with no formal role in Sect politics but great practical influence.

Cardinal
Cardinals oversee Sabbat affairs in large geographical regions. As the superiors of the Archbishops, Cardinals coordinate the Sabbat in their cities and direct them in the Jyhad. Further, it is their direct duty to bring any cities within their territory under the Sabbat’s sway. Most Sabbat see their Cardinals no more than once per year, if at all, as the duties of the office keep them in constant communication with Bishops, Archbishops, Prisci, and the Regent herself.

Regent
The Regent is the ultimate authority over all of the Sabbat, ruling the Sect from the Sabbat stronghold in Mexico City. Each of the Archbishops or councils of Bishops is ultimately accountable to the Regent.

Vampires are immortal
True. While they can be killed (a very difficult process), they do not age or die from natural causes. They don’t need food such as humans eat, and they don’t need to breathe.
Vampires are living dead and must sustain themselves with the blood of the living.
True. A vampire is clinically dead its heart doesn’t beat, it doesn’t breathe, its skin is cold, it doesn’t age and yet it thinks, and walks, and plans, and speaks… and hunts and kills. To sustain its artificial immortality, the vampire must periodically consume blood, preferably human blood. Some penitent vampires eke out an existence from animal blood, and some ancient vampires must hunt and kill others of their kind to nourish themselves, but most vampires consume the blood of humanity. Our blood. Vampires drain their prey of blood through the use of retractable fangs, which Cainites develop as soon as they first become undead. Each vampire can also mystically lick closed the wounds made by their fangs, thus concealing the evidence of their feeding. Blood is all-important to the Kindred, for it is both the crux of their existence and the seat of their power. Mortal food, mortal air, mortal love — all of these things are meaningless to a vampire. Blood is the Kindred’s only passion, and without it, they will quickly wither and fall dormant. Moreover, each vampire can use its stolen blood to perform amazing feats of healing, strength, and other supernatural abilities.
Anyone who dies from a vampire’s bite rises to become a vampire. False. If this were true, the world would be overrun with vampires (and not just in our media). Vampires do feed on human blood, and they do sometimes kill their prey — but most humans who die from a vampire’s attack simply perish. To return as undead, the victim must be drained of blood and subsequently be fed a bit of the attacking vampire’s blood. This process, called the Embrace, causes the mystical transformation from human to undead.
Vampires are monsters demonic spirits embodied in corpses.
False and true. Vampires are not demons per say, but a combination of tragic factors draws them inexorably toward wicked deeds. In the beginning, the newly-created vampire thinks and acts much as she did while living. She doesn’t immediately turn into an evil, sadistic monster. However, the vampire soon discovers her overpowering hunger for blood, and realizes that her existence depends on feeding on humanity. In many ways, the vampire’s mindset changes — she adopts a set of attitudes less suited to a communal omnivore and more befitting a solitary predator. At first reluctant to kill, the vampire is finally forced into murder by circumstance or need — and killing becomes easier as the years pass. Realizing that she herself is untrustworthy, she ceases to trust others. Realizing that she is different, she walls herself away from the mortal world. Realizing that her existence depends on secrecy and control, she becomes a manipulator. And things only degenerate as the years turn to decades and then centuries, and the vampire kills over and over, watching the people she loved age and die. Human life, so short and cheap in comparison to hers, becomes of less and less value, until the mortal “herd” around her means no more to her than a swarm of annoying insects. Vampire elders are among the most jaded, unfeeling, and paranoid in short, monstrous beings the world has ever known. Maybe they are not demons exactly
Vampires are burned by sunlight
True. Vampires must avoid the sun or die, though a few can bear sunlight’s touch for more than a very short period of time. Vampires are nocturnal creatures, and most find it extremely difficult to remain awake during the day, even within sheltered areas.
Vampires are repulsed by garlic and running water
False. These are myths, and only a very small fraction of vampires are even inconvenienced by them.
Vampires are repulsed by crosses and other holy symbols. This is generally false. However, if the wielder of the symbol has great faith in the power it represents, a vampire may suffer ill effects from the brandishing of the symbol.
Vampires die from a stake through the heart
False. However, a wooden stake — or arrow, crossbow bolt, etc. — through the heart will paralyze the monster until it is removed.
Vampires have the strength of 10 men; they can command wolves and bats; they can hypnotize the living and heal even the most grievous wounds.
True and false. The power of a vampire increases with age. Young, newly created vampires are often just a little more powerful than humans. But as a vampire grows in age and understanding, she learns to use her blood to evoke secret supernatural powers, which vampires call Disciplines. Elders’ powers can often rival those of the fictional Lestat or Dracula, and the true ancients — the Methuselahs and Antediluvians who have stalked the nights for thousands of years — often possess literally godlike power.
Vampires have sex.
True. It’s a great way to feed, but carnal pleasures don’t mean as much to the Kindred. Feeding, which vampires call “the Kiss,” is an incredibly intoxicating and erotic experience for Cainites and their victims. Sex is great, but nothing truly replaces the ecstasy of feeding for a vampire.

Vampires are created through a process called the Embrace. Some vampire Clans Embrace more casually than others, but the Embrace is almost never given lightly. After all, any new vampire is a potential competitor for food and power. A potential childe is often stalked for weeks or even years by a watchful sire, who greedily evaluates whether the mortal would indeed make a good addition to the society of the Kindred. The Embrace is similar to normal vampiric feeding as the vampire drains her chosen prey of blood. However, upon complete exsanguination, the vampire returns a bit of her own immortal blood to the drained mortal. Only a tiny bit — a drop or two — is necessary to turn the mortal into a new vampire. This process can even be performed on a dead human, provided the body is still warm. Once the blood is returned, the mortal “awakens” and begins drinking of his own accord. But, though animate, the mortal is still dead; his heart does not beat, nor does he breathe. Over the next week or two, the mortal’s body undergoes a series of subtle transformations; he learns to use the Blood in his body, and he is taught the special powers of his Clan. He is now a vampire.

When all is said and done, the most fundamental difference between humans and vampires lies in their methods of sustenance. Vampires may not subsist on mortal food; instead, they must maintain their eternal lives through the consumption of blood — fresh human blood. Vampires acquire their sustenance in many fashions. Some cultivate “herds” of willing mortals, who cherish the ecstasy of the vampire’s Kiss. Some creep into houses by night, feeding from sleeping humans. Some stalk the mortals’ playgrounds — the nightclubs, bars, and theaters — enticing mortals into illicit liaisons and disguising their predation as acts of passion. And yet others take their nourishment in the most ancient fashion — stalking, attacking, and incapacitating (or even killing) mortals who wander too far into lonely nocturnal alleys and empty lots.

Vampires value power for its own sake and for the security it brings, and they find it ridiculously easy to acquire mundane goods, riches, and influence. A mesmerizing glance and a few words provide a cunning vampire with access to all the wealth, power, and servants he could desire. Some powerful vampires are capable of implanting posthypnotic suggestions or commands in mortals’ minds, then causing the mortals to forget the vampire’s presence. In this way, vampires can easily acquire legions of unwitting slaves. More than a few “public servants” and corporate barons secretly answer to vampire masters. Though there are exceptions, vampires tend to remain close to the cities. The city provides countless opportunities for predation, liaisons, and politicking and the wilderness often proves dangerous. The wilds are the home of the Lupines, the werewolves, who are the Kindred’s ancestral enemies and desire nothing more than to destroy vampires outright.

Once a vampire is Embraced, her looks are frozen in time. Her skin will be unnaturally cold to the touch and become paler as she ages, but she will look the same in a thousand years as she does on the night of her Embrace. However, her body does not work like it used to. As mentioned previously, nearly all Kindred are unable to eat food after the Embrace, vomiting it up almost immediately — only blood will sustain them. Over time, most of the vampire’s bodily fluids will be replaced by blood — the Kindred sweats a thin sheen of blood when nervous, cries tears of blood when sad, and makes a god-awful mess during sex. Blood has other, unique uses for vampires. Besides needing it for sustenance, Cainites can mentally direct the blood to various parts of her body, “spending” it to perform a variety of feats. She can heal herself, mending scrapes, cuts, and slashes in moments. She can also enhance her physical capabilities, making herself stronger, hardier, or more agile for a short period of time, and fuel the mystical powers at her command. Her blood can also create new vampires through the Embrace, and enslave the minds of mortals and even other Kindred. Some vampires can also spend blood to appear human once again: make their skin rosy and warm, mimic breathing, and even allow her to have sex once again

Upon the Embrace, the fledgling’s senses sharpen, displaying to her a richness of visual colors, auditory distinction, tactile fineness, and olfactory alertness that mortals senses are too limited to discern. The most important of all, however is taste — taste becomes the new Kindred’s primary sense, and with it she engages the pursuit of a single taste to the exclusion of all others: vitae. Mortal blood. The mortal dies, and in her places rises a member of the undead, a Kindred. With this unholy rebirth comes a host of new potential, from the mystical powers known as Disciplines that Kindred possess to the quintessential vampiric ability to use blood for a variety of supernal purposes. Thereafter, nothing is the same for the fledgling. She’s no longer mortal, but a new member of an elaborate society of the Damned, who have their own complicated codes of behavior, their own customs, and seemingly endless rules and protocols that dictate who is subservient to whom and under what circumstances. Even for those who rebel against the system — Anarchs, ungovernable Autarkis, and any number of other rogues — a pecking order must exist. The only place it doesn’t is when only one vampire claims the domain… and if that vampire just performed the Embrace, well, there’s no longer only one vampire there. The trappings of the fledgling’s mortal life can no longer support her. In the short term, the new vampire now requires blood to sustain herself, and surrounding oneself with vessels of sustenance whom one loves will inevitably result in bloody ruin. In the long term, while the new vampire will remain deathless, unchanged by time, those around her will age, wither, and die. The easiest course, most sires agree, is simply to turn one’s back on the mortal life that no longer offers anything but tragedy and a reminder of the damned state of the undead.

Of course, there’s a downside as well. Inside every vampire lurks an impassioned, hungry creature that is the opposite of the Man. It is the Beast, and the Beast knows only three activities: kill, feast, sleep. It is the roiling, inchoate desire every Kindred feels to slay her prey rather than taking just enough. It is the inevitable urge to be what the vampire is — a predator who doesn’t answer to the will of men or hide from their numbers. When the Beast takes control over a vampire, she is said to enter a state of frenzy, directing the Cainite into a response of fight or flight. But the Beast isn’t a simple animal soul; it can be sophisticated. It knows that the war against the Man is one that, given time, it will inevitably win. Thus, in young vampires, the Beast is often a savvy creature, willing to take small victories here and there because in the long term, they lead the Kindred down the path of greater degradation and subservience to the Beast. Tonight the Kindred destroys property, tomorrow she kills with reticence, the night after that she kills with relish. By the time the Man has eroded and the Beast holds sway, there is little rational consciousness left to the Cainite in question. Kill, feast, sleep is all that remains in a vampire dominated entirely by her Beast.

What remains of the Inquisition — the post-medieval “hammer of witches” endowed by the Church with the means and authority to stamp out heresy and diabolism — still exists tonight, albeit in a much changed format. Tonight, the Inquisition and other vampire hunters hunt the creatures of the night with firearms as well as faith, and with an uncanny insight that makes underestimating these individuals very dangerous. Government agencies also keep an eye on the movements of the undead, and even unaffiliated groups have a keen interest in the supernatural occupants of the world they share. These agents are all mortal — at least, so the Kindred hope though some possess knacks or abilities that can only be described as supernatural.

One of the reasons the Kindred keep to their urban domains is that the wilderness beyond the glow of the city lights harbours the Lupines. These savage creatures appear to be mad with rage, changing into their wolf form seemingly at will and lashing out violently when someone rouses their ire. Some even believe they can step wholly out of the world and into a realm of moonshadow, where vampires may not follow. They wage an ages-old war with the Damned that few Kindred understand tonight, though they certainly comprehend the catastrophic violence the wolf-men are able to inflict. Indeed, even a young Lupine seems to be at least a match for an entire coterie or pack of vampires, so wild are they in combat, and so resilient. A few bold groups of vampires hunt Lupines for thrill or duty, but when the prey is something that has the ability to strike down even a potent elder, wiser Kindred choose the path of avoidance.

As Shakespeare once said, “there are more things in heaven and earth… than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” So it is with the magi, exceptionally gifted mortals who have the ability to simply will their desires into being. In simplest terms, the magi wield “magick,” but there is more to it than that: They possess a cosmic understanding and acumen that eludes even the sorcerous Tremere and the seekers of secrets among the Followers of Set. As Kindred understand it, the magi are mortal and thus comparatively fragile, but few wish to put to the test the incomprehensible wiles of an enlightened witch who has the power to slay a Cainite with a thought or who can summon a gout of holy fire to scorch a vampire to cinders from within. The magi seem to have various orders and schools of magick among themselves, but these distinctions are largely irrelevant to vampires, who feel that the witches see them as a sort of commodity to be collected or as a mystery to be dissected and mastered.

Nature spirits, faeries, the Good Folk, the Others. Whatever the local term for them is, they are the alien outsiders who have claimed dominion over the strange corners of the world since before Man was sophisticated enough to sense their passing. They are a strange confederation of legends, possessed of inscrutable goals and unknowable desires. A Kindred who crosses paths with one may depart with only a vague sense of good fortune, while the next time he earns the attention of the fae, he may lose his very identity. If any general statement may be made about the Others, they seem to belong to two different courts of philosophy, but neither of them has any consideration for vampires, so dealings depend entirely on each creature’s caprices. Fortunately, the faeries have no overarching interest in vampiric affairs. If, by some tragedy, they take an interest, the vampires may well find

Vampires aren’t the only denizens of the World of Darkness to persist beyond the event of death. There is a Veil between the worlds of the living and dead, and any number of ghosts, spirits, shades, wraiths, and other remnants of the unquiet departed attend to their unresolved matters this side of it. Some Kindred comprehend the mysteries of wraiths, such as the necromantic Giovanni and perhaps a few macabre Tremere or enigmatic members of the True Black Hand, but even these vampires deal with the restless dead on their own terms rather than those of the ghosts themselves. Sages, scholars, and eschatologists among the race of Caine believe that the ghosts have a complex and immortal empire of their own beyond the Veil, and that those with whom the Kindred come in contact are those somehow exiled from the realms of the Underworld. Certainly, Cainites kill enough of their vessels to create no few ghosts of their own, and it’s often a cold confrontation with reality when one discovers that he’s haunted by the shade of his last bloody conquest.

Demons. Devils. Mummies. Shapeshifters. Golems. Creations of abused science or perverted natural law. These and more might occupy some tenebrous corner of the World of Darkness, wielding powers heretofore unseen by the Kindred or perhaps known only to cults or secret societies. Whatever nightmare form a horror takes, it’s probably out there, seething, hating both the world of the living and the shadow world of the Damned. Tread carefully, Kindred.

Anarch: 1) A member of the Anarch Movement. 2) Any Kindred rebel who opposes the tyranny of elders.
Anarch Movement, The: The Sect within the Camarilla comprised of Anarchs who want to reform or overthrow the rule of the elders.
Barrens, The: The areas of a city unfit for life, including graveyards, abandoned buildings, industrial wastelands, and areas of irreversible urban blight.
Becoming, The: The moment one passes from being a fledgling into “full” vampire status as a neonate. In the Camarilla, one may not Become until her sire deems her ready and gains the Prince’s approval.
Book of Nod, The: A collection of Kindred legend and history.
Beast, The: The inchoate drives and urges that threaten to turn a vampire into a mindless, ravening monster.
Blood: A vampire’s heritage; that which makes a vampire a vampire. Usage: I doubt her claims to such esteemed Blood.
Blood Bond: A mystical power over another individual engendered by partaking of a particular vampire’s blood thrice; accepting blood from a vampire is an acknowledgment of her mastery.
Caitiff: A vampire of unknown Clan, or of no Clan at all. Caitiff are typically of high Generation, where Caine’s blood is too diluted to pass on any consistent characteristics.
Camarilla, The: A Sect of vampires devoted primarily to maintaining the Traditions, particularly that of the Masquerade.
Childe: A vampire created through the Embrace — the childe is the progeny of her sire. This term is often used derogatorily, indicating inexperience. Plural childer.
Clan: A group of vampires who share common characteristics passed on by the blood. There are 13 known Clans, all of which were reputedly founded by members of the Third Generation.
Coterie: A small group of Kindred, united by the need for support and sometimes common interests. In the Sabbat, coteries are called “packs.”
diablerie: The consumption of another Kindred’s blood, to the point of the victim’s Final Death. Vampires may lower their Generation permanently through this abhorrent practice.
Domain: The area of a particular vampire’s influence. Princes claim entire cities as their domains, sometimes allowing lesser vampires to claim domain within.
Elder: A vampire who has experienced at least two or more centuries of unlife. Elders are the most active participants in the Jyhad.
Elysium: A place where vampires may gather without fear of harm (although some Sects, such as the Sabbat, respect Elysium less than the Camarilla does). Elysium is commonly established in opera houses, theaters, museums, and other locations of culture.
Embrace, The: The act of transforming a mortal into a vampire. The Embrace requires the vampire to drain her victim and then replace that victim’s blood with a bit of her own.
Final Death, The: When a vampire ceases to exist, crossing the line from undeath into death.
Fledgling: A newly created vampire, still under her sire’s protection.
Gehenna: The rumored Armageddon when the Antediluvians will rise from their torpor and devour the race of vampires and the world.
Generation: The number of “steps” between a vampire and the mythical Caine; how far descended from the First Vampire a given vampire is.
Ghoul: A minion created by giving a bit of vampiric vitae to a mortal without draining her of blood first (which would create a vampire instead).
Haven: A vampire’s “home”; where she finds sanctuary from the sun.
Hunger, The: The urge to feed. For vampires, the Hunger replaces all other drives with its own powerful call.
Inconnu: A Sect of vampires who have removed themselves from Kindred concerns and, largely, the Jyhad. Many Methuselahs are rumored to exist among the Inconnu.
Jyhad, The: The secret, self-destructive war waged between the Generations. Elder vampires manipulate their lessers, using them as pawns in a terrible game whose rules defy comprehension.
Kindred: The race of vampires as a whole, or a single vampire. According to rumor, this term came about in the 15th or 16th century, after the Great Anarch Revolt. Sabbat vampires scorn the term, preferring the word “Cainite” instead.
Kiss, The: To drink blood, especially from a mortal. The Kiss causes feelings of ecstasy in those who receive it.
Lupine: A werewolf, the natural and mortal enemy of the vampire race. Plural Lupines.
Lush: A vampire who typically feeds from drugged or drunk mortals in order to experience their inebriation.
Life, The: A euphemism for mortal blood. Many Kindred regard this term as affected and effete.
Man, The: The mote of humanity that a vampire maintains; the spark of mortality that distinguishes him from the Beast.
Masquerade, The: The habit (or Tradition) of hiding the existence of vampires from humanity. Designed to protect vampires from destruction at the hands of mankind, the Masquerade was adopted after the Inquisition claimed many Kindred unlives.
Prince: A vampire who has claimed a given expanse of domain as her own, generally a city, and supports that claim against all others. The term can refer to a Kindred of either sex. In the Sabbat, this Cainite is called the “Archbishop,” and in Anarch cities she is called the “Baron.”
Rogue: A vampire who feeds upon the vitae of other Cainites, out of necessity or depravity.
Sabbat, The: A Sect of vampires that rejects humanity, embracing their monstrous natures. The Sabbat is bestial and violent, preferring to lord over mortals rather than hide from them.
Sect: A group of vampires arguably united under a common philosophy. The three most widely known Sects currently populating the night are the Camarilla, the Sabbat, and the Anarch Movement.
Sire: A vampire’s “parent”; the Kindred who created her.
Vessel: A source of vitae for sustenance or pleasure, primarily mortal.

Amaranth: The act of consuming another Kindred’s blood, q.v. diablerie.
Ancilla: A “proven” vampire, between the elders and the neonates. Plural ancillae.
Antediluvian: A member of the dreaded Third Generation, one of the eldest Kindred in existence.
Antitribu: An “anti-Clan,” or one who has turned her back on the Sect that her Clan has founded (usually by joining the Sabbat). Some antitribu have evolved into new bloodlines.
Autarkis: A Kindred who remains outside the larger vampire society of a given city and often refuses to acknowledge the claim of a Prince, Archbishop, or Baron.
Blood Oath: See blood bond.
Cainite: A vampire; a member of the race of Caine.
Canaille: The bovine masses of humanity, especially the uncultured and unsavory. The Canaille are viewed primarily as a source of sustenance.
Cauchemar: A vampire who feeds exclusively on sleeping victims.
consanguineous: Literally, “of the same blood,” generally denotes lineage.
Cunctator: A vampire who avoids killing when delivering the Kiss; one who takes so little blood as to avoid bringing about her prey’s death.
Domitor: A ghoul’s master; one who feeds her blood and issues her commands.
Footpad: One who feeds from derelicts and other chaff of society. Footpads may not maintain permanent havens.
Gentry: A Kindred who preys at nightclubs, bars, and other establishments of the “red-light district.”
Golconda: A fabled state of vampiric transcendence; the true mastery of the Beast and balance of opposing urges and principles. Rumored to be similar to mortal nirvana, Golconda is greatly touted but rarely achieved.
Humanitas: The extent to which a Kindred still maintains her humanity.
Kine: A term for mortals, largely contemptuous. The phrase “Kindred and kine” refers to the world at large; everything.
Leech: A human who drinks vampire blood, yet acknowledges no master.
Lextalionis: The code of the Kindred and the system for punishing transgression; the blood hunt. It suggests Hammurabian or Biblical justice — an eye for an eye, and punishment in keeping with the grievance.
Lineage: A vampire’s bloodline; the Kindred’s sire, sire’s sire, etc.
Methuselah: A vampire who has existed for a millennium or more; an elder who no longer participates in Kindred society. Methuselahs are rumored to hail from the Fourth and Fifth Generations.
Neonate: A young Kindred, recently Embraced.
Papillon: The red-light district; the area of town punctuated by drinking establishments, brothels, gambling houses, and other locales of ill repute. The prime hunting grounds of a city, where the disappearance of mortals goes hand in hand with the area’s general seediness.
Progeny: All of a given vampire’s childer, collectively.
Praxis: The right of Princes to govern; the Prince’s claim to domain. This term also refers to the Prince’s matters of policy and individual edicts and motions.
Regnant: A Kindred who holds a blood bond over another.
Retainer: A human who serves a vampiric master. This term is almost archaic, referring to a time when vampires kept vast entourages of mortal servants as part of their estates.
Siren: A vampire who seduces mortals in order to drink from them, and then only takes a small quantity of blood, so as to avoid killing them.
Suspire: The rumored epiphany experienced just prior to the attainment of Golconda.
Third Mortal, The: Caine, who was cast out and became the First Vampire.
Thrall: A vampire under the effects of a blood bond, having drunk another Kindred’s blood thrice.
Vitae: Blood.
Whelp: A derogatory term for a young Kindred, originally used with exclusive reference to one’s own progeny.
Wight: Human; man; a mortal.
Witch-hunter: A mortal who searches out and destroys vampires.
Whig: A contemptuous term for a vampire who possesses an interest in mortal trends and fashions.

Alleycat: A vampire who keeps no permanent haven, but sleeps in a different location each night. This term also refers to a vampire who feeds exclusively from the homeless, vagrants, and other elements of low society.
Banking: The practice of “withdrawing” blood from blood banks and hospital reserves. This blood has little taste, though it will sustain a vampire, and elder Kindred eschew this base indulgence. A Kindred who engages in this practice is known as a Banker.
Black Hand: A mistaken misnomer for the Sabbat as a whole used by Camarilla vampires (the Black Hand is actually a faction within the Sabbat).
Blister: A vampire “Typhoid Mary” who contracts a mortal disease and spreads it to each vessel upon whom he feeds.
bloodline: 1) A vampire’s heritage (see lineage). 2) A pedigree of vampires similar to a Clan, but that cannot trace their creation back to one of the Third Generation.
Blood Doll: A mortal who freely gives her blood to a vampire. Most blood dolls gain a perverse satisfaction from the Kiss, and actively seek out vampires who will take their vitae.
Butterfly: One who mingles among the mortal highsociety element and feeds exclusively from the famous and wealthy.
Casanova: A vampire who seduces mortals to take their blood, but does not kill them. Casanovas typically erase the memory of their presence from their vessels’ minds (see Cauchemar).
Change, The: The moment an individual ceases to be a mortal and becomes one of the Kindred.
Damned, The: The race of Cainites; all vampires.
Donor: A sarcastic term for a vessel, typically human.
Farmer: A term of mockery for vampires who refuse to feed on human blood, instead taking sustenance from animals.
Fief: A sarcastic term for a vampire’s domain or claim thereof, most commonly used in reference to a Prince.
Head: A Kindred who feeds upon those who have imbibed alcohol or drugs, so as to vicariously experience the same sensations. Those Kindred who prefer individual drugs have their “poison” prefixed to the term head (e.g., methhead, dopehead, smackhead).
Headhunter: A vampire who hunts and feeds from other Kindred (see Rogue).
Juicebag: A contemptuous term for mortals, indicating that their sole use is for sustenance. Also “juice box.”
Lick: A vampire; one of the race of Kindred.
Rack, The: The hunting ground of choice, including bars, nightclubs, drug dens, whorehouses and other bacchanalian locales, where mortals go missing all the time (see Papillon).
Rake: A habitual visitor to the Rack, especially in the interests of feeding (see Gentry).
Sandman: A vampire who feeds only upon sleeping victims.
slumming: The practice of feeding from derelicts, the homeless, and other dregs of society; one who does this regularly is known as a Slummer.
Stalker: A mortal who hunts down and destroys Kindred (see Witch-hunter).
Tease: A term for a female Casanova. turf: 1) A modern affectation used in reference to a domain. 2) The area under a given gang’s influence.
Vegetary: A term of contempt for one who drinks exclusively from animals (see Farmer).

The Beast resides within all creatures, from scuttling cockroaches to scabrous rats up through untamed wolves and even powerful Kindred elders. Animalism allows the vampire to amplify his intensely primordial nature. He can not only communicate with animals, but can also force his will upon them, directing such beasts to do as he commands. As the vampire grows in power, he can even control the Beast within mortals and other supernaturals. Beasts grow distinctly agitated in the presence of a vampire who lacks this Discipline or the Skill of Animal Ken, often to the point of attacking or running from the vampire. In contrast, vampires possessing Animalism exude a dominant vibe to lower creatures, which attracts them. Animalism is commonly found with vampires of the Gangrel and Nosferatu Clans. Manipulation and Charisma are important for the use of Animalism powers; the stronger the vampire’s personality, the more influence he has over animals.

Auspex gives the vampire uncanny sensory abilities. She starts with the capacity to heighten her natural senses significantly, but as she grows in power, she can perceive psychic auras and read the thoughts of another being. Auspex can also pierce through mental illusions such as those created by obfuscate However; a vampire with Auspex needs to be careful. Her increased sensory sensitivity can cause her to be drawn in by beautiful things or stunned by loud noises or pungent smells. Sudden or dynamic events can disorient an Auspex-using character unless her player makes a Willpower roll to block them out (difficulty of at least 4, although the more potent the source of distraction, the higher the difficulty). Failure overwhelms the character’s senses, making her oblivious to her surroundings for a turn or two. While the Malkavians and Toreador are more prone to these kinds of distractions, the Tremere and Tzimisce aren’t immune. Dots in Perception are very useful for using Auspex powers, as more successes help the character gain more sensory information.

Not all vampires are slow, meticulous creatures. When needed, some vampires can move fast — really fast. Celerity allows Assamites, Brujah, and Toreadors to move with astonishing swiftness, becoming practically a blur. The Assamites use their speed in conjunction with stealth to strike quickly and viciously from the shadows before they are noticed. The Brujah, on the other hand, simply like the edge that the power gives them against overwhelming odds. The Toreador is more inclined to use Celerity to provide an air of unnatural grace to live performances or for an extra push to complete a masterpiece on time, but they can be as quick to draw blood as any assassin or punk when angered.

The Ravnos are known as masters of illusion, although the reason why is lost to history. Rumours abound of Ravnos ghûls, rakshasas, and shape shifters, but whatever its origins, Chimerstry remains a potent and powerful weapon for the Deceivers. The Discipline is, fundamentally, an art of conjuration that converts the vampire’s will into phantoms that confound the senses and technology alike. Even vampires fall under the sway of the Ravnos’ illusory world, unless they have a strong enough grasp of Auspex. The Ravnos often use this power to swindle and seduce their victims into acts that work out badly for the victim (but great for the Ravnos). Illusions created by Chimerstry can be seen for what they are by a victim who “proves” the illusion’s falsehood (e.g., a person who walks up to an illusory wall, expresses his disbelief in it, and puts his hand through it effectively banishes the illusion), and explicitly incredible illusions are seen as false immediately (e.g., dragons breathing fire or gravity working in reverse). Sometimes, frequent targets of Chimerstry end up attempting to disbelieve everything around them, leading to derangements (and, quite often, to the amusement of the Ravnos).

Dementation is the Discipline that allows a vampire to focus and channel madness into the minds of those around him. Though it’s the natural legacy of the Malkavians, practitioners of Dementation need not actually be mad to use the Discipline… but it helps. Disturbingly, Dementation doesn’t actually make their victims mad, but rather it seems to break down the doors to the hidden darkness of the target’s mind, releasing into the open whatever is found there. The Malkavians claim that this is because insanity is the next logical step in mental evolution, a transhumanist advancement of what modern people consider consciousness. Other Kindred scoff that this reasoning is an outright justification for the chaos that Dementation brings. They don’t scoff too loudly, however, lest the Malkavian advance their consciousness next.

Dominate is one of the most dreaded of Disciplines. It is a vampire’s ability to influence another person’s thoughts and actions through her own force of will. Dominate requires that the vampire capture her victim’s gaze; as such, it may be used against only one subject at a time. Further, commands must be issued verbally, although simple orders may be made with signs for example, a pointed finger and forceful expression to indicate “Go!” However, the subject won’t comply if he can’t understand the vampire, no matter how powerful the Kindred’s will is. Perhaps unsurprisingly, vampires to whom Dominate comes naturally tend to be from wilful, domineering Clans. The Giovanni, Lasombra, Tremere, and Ventrue all consider an iron will to be a boon, and are eager to impose that iron will on any who would move against them.

Although all vampires have an unnatural constitution that makes them much sturdier than mortals, Fortitude bestows a resilience that would make an action movie hero envious. Vampires with this Discipline can shrug off agonizing trauma and make the most bone-shattering impact look like a flesh wound. The power even offers protection against the traditional banes of vampires, such as sunlight and fire, and the Gangrel, Ravnos, and Ventrue all find that edge incredibly useful.

Necromancy is both a Discipline and a school of blood magic devoted to the command of the souls of the dead. It’s similar to Thaumaturgy in that it has several “paths” and accompanying “rituals” rather than a strict linear progression of powers. The study of Necromancy is not widespread among the Kindred and its practitioners — primarily the Giovanni — are shunned and despised for their foul practices (until those practices become useful, of course). Over the centuries, the various schools of vampiric Necromancy have evolved and diversified from an earlier form of death magic, leaving several distinct paths of necromantic magic available to Cainites. Nearly all modern necromancers learn the Sepulchre Path first before extending their studies to other paths. The primary Necromancy path increases automatically as the character increases her overall Necromancy rating. Other paths must be bought separately, using the experience costs for secondary paths. Like Thaumaturgy, Necromancy has also spawned a series of rituals. While not nearly so immediate in effect as the basic powers of Necromancy, Necromantic rituals can have impressive long-term effects. Unsurprisingly, the elements of necromantic ritual are things like long-buried corpses and hands from the cadavers of hanged men, so obtaining suitable materials can be quite difficult.

Obfuscate is the uncanny ability for Kindred to conceal themselves from sight, sometimes even in full view of a crowd. An Obfuscated vampire doesn’t actually become invisible, however — rather, he is able to delude observers into believing that he has vanished. Obfuscate also allows Kindred to change their features and conceal other people or objects. Typically vampires using Obfuscate must be within a short range of their witnesses (approximately five yards or meters per dot of Wits + Stealth) for their power to be effective. Unless the Kindred choose to make her seen, she can remain obscured for as long as she wills it. At higher levels, the vampire can actually fade from sight so subtly that those nearby can’t actually recall the moment at which she left. Usually, few mortals or supernaturals (even those trained in Awareness) can pierce through the fog of Obfuscate. Animals, that rely more on their instincts than their normal senses, can sometime perceive (and be frightened by) the vampire’s presence. Children and those to whom deception is foreign may also be able to pierce the illusion, at the Storyteller’s discretion. Finally, the Auspex Discipline enables Kindred to see through Obfuscate. Even that is not guaranteed, how, for more details. Since Obfuscate clouds the mind of the viewer, vampires can’t use it to hide their presence from electronic or mechanical devices. Video and photo cameras, for example, capture the vampire’s image accurately. Even so, the person using, say, her cell phone to record an Obfuscated vampire will still have her mind impacted by the power, and she won’t see the Kindred’s image until she views the video at a later date (if even then). Several Clans cultivate this power the Assamites, Followers of Set, and Malkavians, for example but the Nosferatu are particularly known for this Discipline. Some elder Kindred believe that Caine, or perhaps Lilith, bestowed the Clan with this Discipline to compensate for the hideous physical deformities its members suffer. Most Obfuscate powers last for a scene or until the vampire cease maintaining them. Once evoked, they require very little mental effort to keep in place.

The signature power of the Lasombra, Obtenebration grants the vampire power over darkness itself. The nature of the darkness invoked by Obtenebration is a matter of intense debate among Kindred. Some believe it to be merely shadows, while others feel that the power gives control over the stuff of the vampire’s soul, coaxing it tangibly outward. Regardless, the effects of Obtenebration are terrifying, as waves of darkness roil out from the Cainite, enveloping those in their path like an infernal wave. As Obtenebration is mostly known as a Sabbat Discipline, any Camarilla vampire caught using the power had better have a damned good explanation. Note: Vampires using Obtenebration can see through the darkness they control, though other vampires (even those that also have Obtenebration) cannot. Dreadful tales of rival Lasombra struggling to blind and smother each other with the same wisps of darkness circulate among young members of the Clan, though no elders have come forth to substantiate these claims.

Kindred endowed with Potence possess unnatural strength. This Discipline enables vampire to leap massive distances, lift tremendous weights, and strike opponents with brutal force. Even low ranks of this power can give Kindred physical power beyond mortal bounds. More powerful Kindred can leap so far that they appear to be flying, toss cars like soda cans, and punch through walls like cardboard. While the more subtle mental Disciplines can be awe-inspiring, the brutal effectiveness of Potence is formidable in its own right. The Brujah, Giovanni, Lasombra, and Nosferatu are naturally gifted with this Discipline, but members of other Clans often make a point to find someone who can teach them the awesome power of Potence.

Presence is the Discipline of emotional manipulation. Vampires with this power can inspire passionate fervour or unreasoning terror in mortals and Kindred alike. In addition, unlike most Disciplines, some of Presence’s powers can be used on entire crowds at one time. Presence can transcend race, religion, gender, class, and (most importantly) supernatural nature. As such, this subtle power is one of the most useful Disciplines a vampire can possess. Anyone can resist Presence for one scene by spending a Willpower point and succeeding on a Willpower roll (difficulty 8), but the affected individual must keep spending points until he is no longer in the presence of the vampire (or, in the case of Summon, until the effect wears off). Vampires three or more Generations lower than the wielder need only spend a single Willpower to ignore the Presence for an entire night and need not roll Willpower to do so. The major drawback of Presence is that it controls only the emotions. It causes others to feel a certain way toward the vampire, but does not give her outright control over them. While people weigh strongly the orders that the vampire declares, their minds are still their own. Suicidal or ridiculous directives don’t sound any more sensible just because the person giving them is unusually fascinating. Still, inspired eloquence or significant wealth used in combination with this Discipline can enable the vampire to urge others along a desired course. The Brujah, Followers of Set, Toreador, and Ventrue Clans are all adept in this Discipline. The Ventrue are arguably the most skilled with its application, however, due to their ability to use Presence and Dominate in efficient combination.

Protean allows the Kindred the mystical ability to manipulate his physical form. Some vampires believe the power stems from a heightened connection to the natural world, while others consider it to be a magnification of the mark of Caine. Whatever its basis may be, those that develop this Discipline can grow bestial claws, take on the forms of bats and wolves, turn themselves into mist, and even meld into the very earth itself. Transformed Kindred can generally use other Disciplines vampires in wolf form can still read auras and communicate with other animals, for example. However, the Storyteller may rule that certain Disciplines may not be used in specific situations. The Kindred’s clothes and personal possessions also change when he transforms (presumably absorbed within his very substance), although armour and the like do not provide any benefit while transformed. Vampires cannot change or transform large objects or other beings; Protean is a personal expression of power. Kindred who have been staked (thereby trapping his soul within his body) cannot transform. Some vampires believe that those who have mastered the highest levels of Protean can deny this limitation, however. The Gangrel Clan is well known for their mastery of Protean, although other Kindred have learned some of this Discipline’s secrets from these bestial Cainites.

The Discipline of silent death, Quietus is practiced by those of Clan Assamite. Based on elements of blood, poison, vitae control, and pestilence, Quietus focuses on the destruction of a target through a variety of means. This Discipline doesn’t always cause a quick death, but the Assamites rely on its lethality to hide their involvement with their victims.

Serpentis is believed to be the legacy of Set himself, a gift to his children. The Followers of Set are very careful to guard this Discipline’s secrets, only teaching the art to those who they deem worthy. Most vampires fear the Setites because of the powers of Serpentis and its connection to snakes and reptiles; this Discipline can evoke a primordial fear in others, particularly those who recall the tale of Eden.

Thaumaturgy encompasses blood magic and other sorcerous arts available to Kindred. The Tremere Clan is best known for their possession (and jealous hoarding) of this Discipline. The Tremere created Thaumaturgy by combining mortal wizardry with the power of vampiric vitae, and as a result it is a versatile and powerful Discipline. Although there are whispers of the existence of Tremere antitribu in the Sabbat, other Clans in the Sword of Caine have also researched and developed access to such mystical might. Nevertheless, the Tremere of the Camarilla remain this Discipline’s masters. Like Necromancy, the practice of Thaumaturgy is divided into paths and rituals. Thaumaturgical paths are applications of the vampire’s knowledge of blood magic, allowing her to create effects on a whim. Rituals are more formulaic in nature, most akin to ancient magical “spells.” Because so many different paths and rituals are available to the arcane Tremere, one never knows what to expect when confronted with a practitioner of this Discipline. When a character first learns Thaumaturgy, the player selects a path for the character. That path is considered the character’s primary path, and she automatically receives one dot in it, as well as one Level One ritual. Thereafter, whenever the character increases her level in Thaumaturgy, her rating in the primary path increases by one as well. Additional rituals are learned separately, as part of a story; players need not pay experience points for their characters to learn rituals up to the level equal to their overall rating in Thaumaturgy, though they must find someone to teach the rituals in question. Path ratings never exceed 5, though the overall Thaumaturgy score may. If a character reaches a rating of 5 in her primary path and increases her Thaumaturgy score afterward, she may allocate her “free” path dot to a different path. Many Kindred fear crossing the practitioners of Thaumaturgy. It is a very potent and mutable Discipline, and almost anything the Kindred wishes may be accomplished through its magic.

Vicissitude is the signature power of the Tzimisce, and is rarely shared outside the Clan (though it is known to some other Cainites of the Sabbat). Similar to Protean in some ways, Vicissitude allows vampires to shape and sculpt flesh and bone. When a Kindred uses Vicissitude to alter mortals, ghouls, and vampires of higher Generation, the effects of the power are permanent; vampires of equal or lower Generation can choose to heal the effects of Vicissitude as though they were aggravated wounds. A wielder of Vicissitude can always reshape her own flesh. The wielder must establish skin-to-skin contact and must often manually sculpt the desired result for these powers to take effect. This also applies to the use of the power on oneself. Tzimisce skilled in Vicissitude are often inhumanly beautiful; those less skilled are simply inhuman. There are rumours that Vicissitude is a disease rather than a “normal” Discipline, but only the Fiends know for sure, and they aren’t talking. Note: Nosferatu always “heal” Vicissitude alterations, at least the ones that make them better-looking. The ancient curse of the Clan may not be circumvented through Vicissitude. The same applies to physical deformities from the Gangrel Clan weakness.

Feral Whispers Description - This power is the basis from which all other Animalism abilities grow. The vampire creates an empathic connection with a beast, thereby allowing him to communicate or issue simple commands. The Kindred locks eyes with the animal, transmitting his desires through sheer force of will. Although it isn’t necessary to actually “speak” in chirps, hisses, or barks, some vampires find that doing so helps strengthen the connection with the animal. Eye contact must be maintained the entire time; if it’s broken, the Kindred must re-establish contact to continue communication. The simpler the creature, the more difficult it becomes to connect with the animal’s Beast. Mammals, predatory birds, and larger reptiles are relatively easy to communicate with. Insects, invertebrates, and most fish are just too simple to connect with. Feral Whispers provides no guarantees that an animal will want to deal with the vampire, nor does it ensure that the animal will pursue any requests the vampire makes of it. Still, it does at least make the creature better disposed toward the Kindred. The manner in which the vampire presents his desires to the animal often depends on the type of creature. A Kindred can often bully smaller beasts into heeding commands, but he’s better off couching orders for large predators as requests. If the vampire successfully uses the power, the animal performs the command to the best of its ability and intellect. Only the very brightest creatures understand truly complex directives (orders dealing with conditional situations or requiring abstract logic). Commands that the animal does understand remain deeply implanted, however, and guide its behavior for some time.
Feral Whisper Mechanics - No roll is necessary to talk with an animal, but the character must establish eye contact first. Issuing commands requires a Manipulation + Animal Ken roll. The difficulty depends on the creature: Predatory mammals (wolves, cats, vampire bats) are difficulty 6, other mammals and predatory birds (rats, owls) are difficulty 7, and other birds and reptiles (pigeons, snakes) are difficulty 8. This difficulty is reduced by one if the character speaks to the animal in its “native tongue,” and can be adjusted further by circumstances and roleplaying skill.

The Beckoning Description - The vampire’s connection to the Beast grows strong enough that he may call out in the voice of a specific type of animal — howling like a wolf, shrilling like a raven, etc. This call mystically summons creatures of the chosen type. Since each type of animal has a different call, Beckoning works for only a single species at a time. All such animals within earshot are summoned, and some percentage of them will heed the Beckoning if it is successful. While the vampire has no further control over the beasts who answer, the animals who do are favorably disposed toward him and are at least willing to listen to the Kindred’s concerns. (The vampire can then use Feral Whispers on individual animals to command them, which may be at a decreased difficulty at my discretion.)
The Beckoning Mechanics - The player rolls Charisma + Survival (difficulty 6) to determine the response to the character’s call; consult the table below. Only animals that can hear the cry will respond. If the Storyteller decides no animals of that type are within earshot, the summons goes unanswered. The call can be as specific as the player desires. A character could call for all bats in the area, for only the male bats nearby, or for only the albino bat with the notched ear he saw the other night.
Successes Result
1 success A single animal responds.
2 successes One-quarter of the animals within earshot respond.
3 successes Half of the animals respond.
4 successes Most of the animals respond.
5 successes All of the animals respond.

Quell The Beast Description - As the supreme predators of the natural world, Kindred are highly attuned to the bestial nature that dwells within every mortal heart. A vampire who develops this power may assert his will over a mortal (animal or human) subject, subduing the Beast within her. This quenches all powerful, strong emotions hope, fury, love, fear within the target. The Kindred must either touch his subject or stare into her eyes to channel his will effectively. Mortals who lack the fire of their inner Beasts are quite tractable, reacting to even stressful situations with indifference. Even the most courageous or maddened mortal becomes apathetic and listless, while an especially sensitive individual may suffer from a phobic derangement while under the power’s influence. Different Clans evoke this power in different ways, though the effect itself is identical. Tzimisce call it Cowing the Beast, since they force the mortal’s weaker spirit to shrivel in fear before the Kindred’s own inner Beast. Nosferatu refer to it as Song of Serenity, since they soothe the subject’s Beast into a state of utter complacency, thus allowing them to feed freely. Gangrel know the power as Quell the Beast, and force the mortal spirit into a state of fear or apathy as befits the individual vampire’s nature.
Queel The Beast Mechanics - The player rolls Manipulation + Intimidation if forcing down the Beast through fear, or Manipulation + Empathy if soothing it into complacency. The difficulty of the roll is 7 in either case. This is an extended action requiring as many total successes as the target has Willpower. Failure indicates that the player must start over from the beginning, while a botch indicates that the vampire may not affect that subject’s Beast for the remainder of the scene.

Subsume the Spirit Description - By locking his gaze with that of an animal, the vampire may mentally possess the creature. Some elders believe that since animals don’t have souls but spirits, the vampire can move his own soul into the animal’s body. Many younger vampires think it a matter of transferring one’s consciousness into the animal’s mind. In either case, it’s agreed that the beast’s weaker spirit (or mind) is pushed aside by the Kindred’s own consciousness. The vampire’s body falls into a motionless state akin to torpor while his mind takes control of the animal’s actions, remaining this way until the Kindred’s consciousness returns. Some haughty Tzimisce eschew this power, considering it debasing to enter the body of a lesser creature. When they do stoop to using it, they possess only predators. Conversely, Gangrel revel in connecting to the natural world in this way. They delight in sampling different animals’ natures.

Subsume The Spirit Mechanics - The player rolls Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty 8) as the character looks into the animal’s eyes. The number of successes allows the character to employ some mental Disciplines while possessing the animal, as noted below.
Successes Result
1 success Cannot use Disciplines
2 successes Can use Auspex and other sensory powers
3 successes Can also use Presence and other powers of emotional manipulation
4 successes Can also use Dementation, Dominate, and other powers of mental manipulation
5 successes Can also use Chimerstry, Necromancy, Thaumaturgy, and other mystical powers

Drawing Out The Beast Description - At this level of Animalism, the Kindred has a keen understanding of the Beast Within, and is able to release his feral urges upon another mortal or vampire. The recipient of the vampire’s Beast is instantly overcome by frenzy. This is an unnatural frenzy, however, as the victim is channeling the Kindred’s own fury. As such, the vampire’s own behavior, expressions, and even speech patterns are evident in the subject’s savage actions. Gangrel and Tzimisce are especially fond of unleashing their Beasts onto others. Gangrel do so to stir their ghouls into inspired heights of savagery during combat. Tzimisce care less about who receives their Beast than retaining their own composure.
Drawing Out The Beast Mechanics - The player must announce his preferred target (since it must be someone within sight, Drawing Out the Beast cannot be used if the vampire is alone), then roll Manipulation + Self-Control/Instinct (difficulty 8). Refer to the table below for the results:
Successes Result
1 success The character transfers the Beast, but unleashes it upon a random individual.
2 successes The character is stunned by the effort and may not act next turn, but transfers the Beast successfully. Alternatively, the character may act normally during the turn, but must spend a Willpower point or suffer a single level of lethal damage.
3+ successes The character transfers the Beast successfully.

Heightened Senses - It takes a reflexive action to activate this ability, but no roll or other cost is required. In certain circumstances, dice rolls associated with using the character’s sense (such as Perception + Alertness) decrease in difficulty by a number equal to the character’s Auspex rating when the power is engaged.This power does not let characters see in pitch darkness, where as Eyes of the Beast does, but it does reduce difficulty penalties to act in such darkness from +2 to +1, and the character may make ranged attacks in pitch darkness if she can hear, smell, or otherwise detect her foe.

Aura Perception - System: After the character stares at the subject for at least a few seconds, the player rolls Perception + Empathy (difficulty 8); each success indicates how much of the subject’s aura the character sees and understands (see the table below). A failure indicates that the play of colors and patterns yields no prevailing impression. A botch indicates a false or erroneous interpretation. Rolls are not shared to hide the accuracy of your divination
Successes Result
1 success Can distinguish only the shade (pale or bright).
2 successes Can distinguish the main color.
3 successes Can recognize the color patterns.
4 successes Can detect subtle shifts.
5 successes Can identify mixtures of color and pattern.
Aura Colors
Afraid - Orange
Aggressive - Purple
Angry - Red
Bitter - Brown
Calm - Light Blue
Compassionate - Pink
Conservative - Lavender
Depressed - Gray
Desirous or Lustful - Deep Red
Distrustful - Light Green
Envious - Dark Green
Excited - Violet
Generous - Rose
Happy - Vermilion
Hateful - Black
Idealistic - Yellow
Innocent - White
Lovestruck - Blue
Obsessed - Green
Sad - Silver
Spiritual - Gold
Suspicious - Dark Blue
Anxious - Auras appear scrambled like static or white noise
Confused - Mottled, shifting colors
Diablerist - Black veins in aura
Daydreaming - Sharp flickering colors
Frenzied - Rapidly rippling colors
Psychotic - Hypnotic, swirling colors
Vampire - Aura colors are pale
Ghoul - Pale blotches in the aura
Magic Use - Myriad sparkles in aura
Werebeast - Bright, vibrant aura
Ghost - Weak, intermittent aura
Faerie - Rainbow highlights in aura

The Spirit's Touch - The player rolls Perception + Empathy. The difficulty is determined by the age of the impressions and the mental and spiritual strength of the person or event that left them. Sensing information from a pistol used for a murder hours ago may require a 4, while learning who owned a bloodstained puppet fashioned a century ago might be a 9. The greater the individual’s emotional connection to the object, the stronger the impression he leaves on it — and the more information the Kindred can glean from it. Events involving strong emotions (a giftgiving, a torture, a long family history) likewise leave stronger impressions than short or casual contact do. Assume that each success offers one piece of information, as per the chart below.
Successes Information
Botch The character is overwhelmed by psychic impressions for the next 30 minutes and unable to act.
Failure No information of value.
1 success Very basic information: the last owner’s gender or hair color, for instance.
2 successes A second piece of basic information.
3 successes More useful information about the last owner, such as age and state of mind the last time he used the item.
4 successes The person’s name.
5+ successes A wealth of information: nearly anything you want to know about the person’s relationship with that object is available.

Telepathy - The player rolls Intelligence + Subterfuge (difficulty of the subject’s current Willpower points). Projecting thoughts into the target’s mind requires one success. The subject recognizes that the thoughts come from somewhere other than his own consciousness, though he cannot discern their actual origin without a successful Perception + Awareness roll (difficulty equal to the vampire’s Manipulation + Subterfuge). To read minds, one success must be rolled for each item of information plucked or each layer of thought pierced. Deep secrets or buried memories are harder to obtain than surface emotions or unspoken comments, requiring five or more successes to access.

Psychic Projection - Journeying in astral form requires the player to expend a point of Willpower and make a Perception + Awareness roll. Difficulty varies depending on the distance and complexity of the intended trip; 5 is within sight, 7 is nearby or to a familiar location, and 9 reflects a trip far from familiar territory (a first journey from North America to the Far East; trying to shortcut through the earth). The greater the number of successes rolled, the more focused the character’s astral presence is, and the easier it is for her to reach her desired destination. Failure means the character is unable to separate her consciousness from her body, while a botch can have nasty consequences, flinging her astral form to a random destination on Earth or in the spirit realm, arriving in a place where the sun is active (necessitating a frenzy roll, although the sunlight doesn’t do any damage), or hurtling toward the desired destination so forcefully that the silver cord snaps. The player may spend a point of Willpower to activate this power, and an additional point of Willpower to gain the success necessary to perform the jaunt. This is an exception to the normal rule where a player may not spend more than a single point of Willpower per turn.

Each point of Celerity adds one die to every Dexterity-related dice roll. In addition, the player can spend one blood point to take an extra action up to the number of dots he has in Celerity at the beginning of the relevant turn; this expenditure can go beyond her normal Generation maximum. Any dots used for extra actions, however, are no longer available for Dexterity- related rolls during that turn. These additional actions must be physical (e.g., the vampire cannot use a mental Discipline like Dominate multiple times in one turn), and extra actions occur at the end of the turn (the vampire’s regular action still takes place per her initiative roll). Normally, a character without Celerity must divide their dice if she wants to take multiple actions in a single turn. A character using Celerity performs his extra actions (including full movement) without penalty, gaining a full dice pool for each separate action. Extra actions gained through Celerity may not in turn be split into multiple actions however.

Ignis Fatuus - The player spends a point of Willpower for the vampire to create this illusion. The volume of smells, ambient lighting, smoke clouds, and the like are limited to roughly 20 cubic feet (half a cubic meter) per dot the vampire has in Chimerstry. The illusion lasts until the vampire leaves its vicinity (such as stepping out of the room) or until another person sees through it somehow. The Cainite may also end the illusion at any time with no effort.

Fata Morgana - The player spends a Willpower point and a blood point to create the illusion. These static images remain until dispelled, in much the same way that an Ignis Fatuus illusion does.

Apparition - The creator spends one blood point to make the illusion move in one significant way, or in any number of subtle ways. For example, the vampire could create the illusion of a lurking mugger lurching at her victim, or she could create the illusion of a desolate street, down which a chill wind blows trash while a streetlamp flickers and hums. Taking complicated actions besides maintaining the illusion — that is, anything that would require a dice roll — first requires success on a Willpower roll, resulting in the dissolution of the false construct if the roll fails. Once the creator stops concentrating on the illusion, it can continue in simple, repetitive motions – roughly speaking, anything that can be described in a simple sentence, such as a guard walking back and forth in front of a steel door. After that, the vampire cannot regain control over the illusion – she can either allow it to continue moving as ordered, or let it fade as described under Ignis Fatuus.

Permanency - The vampire need only spend a blood point, and the illusion becomes permanent until dissolved (including “programmed” illusions like those created by Apparition).

Horrid Reality - A Horrid Realty illusion costs two Willpower points to set in motion and lasts for an entire scene (though its effects may last longer; see below). If the vampire is trying to injure his victim, his player must roll Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty of the victim’s Perception + Self-Control/Instinct). Each success inflicts one health level of lethal damage on the victim that cannot be soaked — the Cainite assaults the victim’s mind and perceptions, not his body. If the player wishes to inflict less damage or change it to bashing, he may announce a maximum amount of damage before rolling the dice. Secondary effects (such as frenzy rolls for illusory fire) may also occur. The victim heals all his damage instantaneously if he can be convinced that the damage he took was illusory, but convincing him may take some doing, such as with at least two successes on a Charisma + Empathy roll (difficulty equal to the Manipulation + Subterfuge of the Cainite using Horrid Reality). The target must be convinced of the attack’s illusory nature within 24 hours of its taking place, or it becomes too well established in his memory, and he will have to heal the damage using blood (if a vampire) or over time (if mortal). This power cannot actually kill its victims (though a target with a heart condition may well die from fright). A victim “killed” by an illusory attack loses consciousness or enters torpor.

Passion - The character talks to her victim, and the vampire’s player rolls Charisma + Empathy (difficulty equals the victim’s Humanity or Path rating). The number of successes determines the duration of the altered state of feeling. Effects of this power might include one- or two-point additions or subtractions to difficulties of frenzy rolls, Virtue rolls, rolls to resist Presence powers, etc.
Successes Result
1 success One turn
2 successes One hour
3 successes One night
4 successes One week
5 successes One month
6+ successes Three months

The Haunting - After the vampire speaks to the victim, the player spends a blood point and rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty of his victim’s Perception + Self- Control/Instinct). The number of successes determines the length of the sensory “visitations.” The precise effects are up to me, though particularly eerie or harrowing apparitions can certainly reduce dice pools for a turn or two after the manifestation.
Successes Result
1 success One night
2 successes Two nights
3 successes One week
4 successes One month
5 successes Three months
6+ successes One year

Eyes of Chaos - This power allows a vampire to determine a person’s true Nature, among other things. The vampire concentrates for a turn, then her player rolls Perception + Occult. The difficulty depends on the intricacy of the pattern. Discerning the Nature of a stranger would be difficulty 9, a casual acquaintance would be an 8, and an established ally a 6. The vampire could also read the message locked in a coded missive (difficulty 7), or even see the doings of an invisible hand in such events as the pattern of falling leaves (difficulty 6). Almost anything might contain some hidden insight, no matter how trivial or meaningless. The patterns are present in most things, but are often so intricate they can keep a vampire spellbound for hours while she tries to understand their message.

Voice of Madness - The player spends a blood point and makes a Manipulation + Empathy roll (difficulty 7). One target is affected per success, although all potential victims must be listening to the vampire’s voice. Affected victims fly immediately into frenzy or a blind fear like Rötschreck. Kindred or other creatures capable of frenzy, such as Lupines, may make a frenzy check or Rötschreck test at +2 difficulty to resist the power. Mortals are automatically affected and don’t remember their actions while berserk. The frenzy or fear lasts for a scene, though vampires and Lupines may test as usual to snap out of it. The vampire using Voice of Madness must also test for frenzy or Rötschreck upon invoking this power, though his difficulty to resist is one lower than normal. If the initial roll to invoke this power is a failure, however, the roll to resist the frenzy is one higher than normal. If the roll to invoke this power is a botch, the frenzy or Rötschreck response is automatic.

Total Insanity - The Kindred must gain her target’s undivided attention for at least one full turn to enact this power. The player spends a blood point and rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty of her victim’s current Willpower points). If the roll is successful, the victim is afflicted with five derangements of the my choice. The number of successes determines the duration.
Successes Result
1 success One turn
2 successes One night
3 successes One week
4 successes One month
5+ successes One year
On a botch… well, the Storyteller can decide what a vampire inflicts upon herself by attempting to incite the primal hells lurking within the darkest recesses of a victim’s mind. The victim (or the target of a botch) can spend a number of Willpower points equal to the successes rolled to end the duration prematurely. The Storyteller decides when such Willpower points can be spent (such as after a therapy session or after a friend has managed to prove a particular delusion to be false).

Command - The player rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty equals the target’s current Willpower points). More successes force the subject to act with greater vigor or for a longer duration (continue running for a number of turns, go off on a laughing jag, scream uncontrollably). Remember, too, that being commanded to against one’s Nature confounds the use of this power. Being told to “sleep!” in a dangerous situation or “attack!” in police custody may not have the desired effect, or indeed, any effect at all.

Mesmerize - The player rolls Manipulation + Leadership (difficulty equal to the target’s current Willpower points). The number of successes determines how well the suggestion takes hold in the victim’s subconscious. If the vampire scores one or two successes, the subject cannot be forced to do anything that seems strange to her (she might walk outside, but is unlikely to steal a car). At three or four successes, the command is effective unless following it endangers the subject. At five successes or greater, the vampire can implant nearly any sort of command. No matter how strong the Kindred’s will, his command cannot force the subject to harm herself directly or defy her innate Nature. So, while a vampire who scored five successes could make a 98-pound weakling attack a 300-pound bouncer, he could not make the mortal shoot herself in the head.

The Forgetful Mind - The player states what sorts of alteration he wants to perform, then rolls Wits + Subterfuge (difficulty equal to the target’s current Willpower points). Any success pacifies the victim for the amount of time it takes the vampire to perform the verbal alteration, provided the vampire does not act aggressively toward her. The table below indicates the degree of modification possible to the subject’s memory. If the successes rolled don’t allow for the extent of change the character desired, the Storyteller reduces the resulting impact on the victim’s mind.
Successes Result
1 success May remove a single memory; lasts one day.
2 successes May remove, but not alter, memory permanently.
3 successes May make slight changes to memory.
4 successes May alter or remove entire scene from subject’s memory.
5 successes May reconstruct entire periods of subject’s life.

Conditioning - The player rolls Charisma + Leadership (difficulty equal to the target’s current Willpower points) once per scene. Conditioning is an extended action, for which I secretly determines the number of successes required. It typically requires between five and 10 times the subject’s Self-Control/Instinct rating. Targets with more empathic Natures may require a lower number of successes, while those with willful Natures require a higher total. Only through roleplaying may a character discern whether his subject is conditioned successfully. A target may become more tractable even before becoming fully conditioned. Once the vampire accumulates half the required number of successes, the Storyteller may apply a lower difficulty to the vampire’s subsequent uses of Dominate. After being conditioned, the target falls so far under the vampire’s influence that the Kindred need not make eye contact or even be present to retain absolute control. The subject does exactly as she is told (including taking actions that would injure herself), as long as her master can communicate with her verbally. No command roll is necessary unless the subject is totally isolated from the vampire’s presence (in a different room, over the phone). Even if a command roll fails, the target will still likely carry out part of the orders given, simply because her master wishes it. After the subject is fully conditioned, other Kindred find her more difficult to Dominate. Such conditioning raises others’ difficulties by two (to a maximum of 10).

Possession - The vampire must completely strip away the target’s Willpower prior to possessing her. The player spends a Willpower point, then rolls Charisma + Intimidation, while the subject rolls his Willpower in a resisted action (difficulty 7 for each). For each success the vampire obtains over the victim’s total, the target loses a point of temporary Willpower. Only if the attacker botches can the subject escape her fate, since this makes the target immune to any further Dominate attempts by that vampire for the rest of the story. Once the target loses all her temporary Willpower, her mind is open. The vampire rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty 7) to determine how fully he assumes control of the mortal shell. Similar to the Animalism power Subsume the Spirit, multiple successes allow the character to utilize some mental Disciplines, noted on the chart below. (Vampires possessing ghouls can use the physical Disciplines the ghoul possesses, but not the mental ones.)
Successes Result
1 success Cannot use Disciplines
2 successes Can use Auspex and other sensory powers
3 successes Can also use Presence and other powers of emotional manipulation
4 successes Can also use Dementation, Dominate, and other powers of mental manipulation
5 successes Can also use Chimerstry, Necromancy, Thaumaturgy, and other mystical powers

A character’s rating in Fortitude adds to his Stamina for the purposes of soaking normal damage (bashing and lethal). A character with this Discipline may also use his dots in Fortitude to soak aggravated damage, though Kindred cannot normally soak things like vampire bites, werewolf claws, magical effects, fire, sunlight, or massive physical trauma.

Witness of Death - The player rolls Perception + Awareness (difficulty 5). Success allows the vampire to perceive ghosts as described for the rest of the scene (in the mortal world — seeing ghosts in the land of the dead requires Shroudsight, on p. 163). Failure has no special effect, but a botch means the vampire can see only the dead for the scene; everything else appears as shapeless, dim shadows. While the vampire’s other senses remain attuned to the living, he is all but blind in this state and suffers a +3 difficulty to most vision-based Perception rolls and attacks. Ghosts notice the glowing eyes of a vampire using this power only with a successful Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 7).

Summon Soul - The player spends one blood point and rolls Manipulation + Occult (difficulty equal to 7 or the ghost’s Willpower, whichever is higher). The vampire must know the name of the ghost and have on hand an object the ghost had contact with in life. Provided that the target has died and become a ghost, success means the shade appears before the necromancer as described above. Not everyone becomes a ghost it requires a strong will to persevere in the face of death, and souls that have found peace pass on to their eternal rewards. Moreover, it is possible for the dead to suffer spiritual dissolution and destruction after they become ghosts. The Storyteller should consider all these factors when deciding whether a particular ghost exists for a vampire to summon.

Compel Soul - The vampire locates and approaches the intended ghost or calls it to his presence with Summon Soul. As with the previous power, he must have the ghost’s name and an object it handled in life. His player then spends one blood point and rolls Manipulation + Occult in a resisted roll against the ghost’s Willpower (difficulty 6 for both rolls). If the vampire wins, the number of net successes determines the degree of control he has over the ghost (as described below). Moreover, the vampire’s control keeps ghosts that have been called with Summon Soul from returning to their original locations at the end of the scene. If the ghost wins, the vampire loses a number of Willpower points equal to the ghost’s net successes. On a tie, the roll becomes an extended contest that continues each turn until one side wins. If the vampire botches at any point, the ghost is immune to any use of the vampire’s Necromancy for the rest of the scene. If the ghost botches, it must obey as if the vampire’s player had rolled five net successes.
Successes Result
1 success The ghost must perform one simple task for the vampire that does not place it in certain danger. It must attend to this task immediately, although it can delay the compulsion and pursue its own business at a cost of one Willpower point per scene. The ghost may not attack the vampire until this task is complete. It is possible to issue the task of answering one question, in which case the ghost must answer truthfully and to the best of its knowledge.
2 successes The vampire may issue two orders or ask two questions as outlined for one success. Alternatively, the vampire may demand a simple task with a real possibility of danger, as long as the danger is not certain. The ghost may delay this compulsion with Willpower.
3 successes The vampire may issue three orders as outlined for one success. Alternatively, he may demand the ghost fulfill one difficult and dangerous task or a simple assignment that has an extended duration of up to one month. The ghost may delay such orders with Willpower.
4 successes The vampire may issue four orders, as outlined for one success, or assign two tasks, as for two successes. Alternatively, the vampire may command the ghost to perform one complex assignment that puts the ghost at extreme risk, or perform any number of non-threatening tasks as the vampire’s slave for up to one month (or, if the necromancer spends a permanent point of Willpower, for a year and a day). It is possible for ghosts to delay individual tasks, but not put off enslavement.
5+ successes The vampire may issue multiple orders that have a sum complexity or danger of five successes’ worth. Instead, the vampire may order the ghost to perform any one action that it is capable of executing within one month. Such a task can place the ghost in immediate peril of destruction, or even force it to betray and assault loved ones. It is not possible for ghosts to delay a task of this magnitude with Willpower they must obey.

Haunting - The player spends one blood point while standing at the location for the haunting or touching the intended prison. She then has the ghost brought to her by whatever means she desires, though Summon Soul is quickest and most reliable. Her player then rolls Manipulation + Occult (difficulty is equal to the target’s current Willpower points if resisted, to a minimum of 4; otherwise it is 4). The difficulty rises by one if the vampire wishes to place the ghost in an object. As usual, the difficulty decreases by one if the necromancer has a part of the spirit’s corpse in addition to knowing its name (minimum difficulty 3). Each success binds the ghost within the location or object for one night. This duration extends to one week if the player spends a Willpower point or a year and a day for a dot of permanent Willpower. A wraith attempting to leave the area of a haunting must make an extended Willpower roll (difficulty 9, four cumulative successes necessary in a single scene) or take a level of aggravated damage for each roll. If the wraith runs out of health levels, it is hurled deep into the Underworld to face destruction.

Torment - The player rolls Stamina + Empathy (difficulty equal to the wraith’s current Willpower points), and the vampire reaches out to strike the wraith. Each success inflicts a level of lethal damage on the wraith. Should the wraith lose all health levels, it immediately vanishes into what appears to be a doorway to some hideous nightmare realm. Ghosts “destroyed” thus cannot reappear in or near the real world for a month.

Cloak of Shadows -At this level, the vampire must rely on nearby shadows and cover to assist in hiding his presence. He steps into an out-of-the-way, shadowed place and eases himself from normal sight. The vampire remains unnoticed as long as he stays silent, still, under some degree of cover (such as a curtain, bush, door frame, lamppost, or alley), and out of direct lighting. The immortal’s concealment vanishes if he moves, attacks, or falls under direct light. Furthermore, the vampire’s deception cannot stand up to concentrated observation without fading.
No roll is required as long as the character fulfills the criteria described above. So long as he remains quiet and motionless, virtually no one but another Kindred with a high enough Auspex rating will see him.

Unseen Presence - No roll is necessary to use this power unless the character speaks, attacks, or otherwise draws attention to himself. A Wits + Stealth roll under any circumstances that might cause the character to reveal himself. The difficulty of the roll depends on the situation; stepping on a squeaky floorboard might be a 5, while walking through a pool of water may require a 9. Other acts may require a certain number of successes; speaking quietly without giving away one’s position, for instance, demands at least three successes. Upon success, the vampire, all her clothing, and objects that could fit into a pocket are concealed.

Mask of a Thousand Faces - The player rolls Manipulation + Performance (difficulty 7) to determine how well the disguise works. If the character tries to impersonate someone, he must get a good look at the subject before putting on the mask. The Storyteller may raise the difficulty if the character catches only a glimpse. The chart below lists the degrees of success in manufacturing another appearance. Vampires wishing to mask themselves as a person more attractive than they are must pay additional blood points equal to the difference between the vampire’s Appearance rating and the Appearance of the mask (which means that younger vampires may need to take longer in order to spend the blood necessary).
Successes Result
1 success The vampire retains the same height and build, with a few slight alterations to his basic features. Nosferatu can appear as normal, albeit ugly, mortals.
2 successes He looks unlike himself; people don’t easily recognize him or agree about his appearance.
3 successes He looks the way he wants to appear.
4 successes Complete transformation, including gestures, mannerisms, appearance, and voice.
5 successes Profound alteration (appear as the opposite sex, a vastly different age, or an extreme change of size).

Vanish from the Mind’s Eye - The player rolls Charisma + Stealth; the difficulty equals the target’s Wits + Alertness (use the highest total in the group if the character disappears in front of a crowd). With three or fewer successes, the character fades but does not vanish, becoming an indistinct, ghostlike figure. With more than three, he disappears completely. If the player scores more successes than an observer’s Willpower rating, that person forgets that the vampire was there in the first place. Tracking the character accurately while he appears ghostlike requires a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 8). A successful roll means the individual can interact normally with the vampire (although the Kindred looks like a profoundly disturbing ghostly shape). A failed roll results in a +2 difficulty modifier (maximum 10) when attempting to act upon, or interact with, the vampire. The Storyteller may call for new observation checks if the vampire moves to an environment in which he’s difficult to see (heads into shadows, crosses behind an obstacle, proceeds through a crowd). When fully invisible, the vampire is handled as described under Unseen Presence, above. A person subject to the vanishing makes a Wits + Courage roll (mortals at difficulty 9, vampires at difficulty 5). A successful roll means the individual reacts immediately (although after the vampire performs his action for that turn); failure means the person stands uncomprehending for two turns while her mind tries to make sense of what she just experienced.

Cloak the Gathering - The character may conceal one extra individual for each dot of Stealth he possesses. He may bestow any single Obfuscate power at a given time to the group. While the power applies to everyone under the character’s cloak, his player need only make a single roll. Each individual must follow the requirements described under the relevant Obfuscate power to remain under its effect; any person who fails to do so loses the cloak’s protection, but doesn’t expose the others. Only if the vampire himself errs does the power drop for everyone.

Shadow Play - This power requires no roll, but a blood point must be spent to activate it. Shadow Play lasts for one scene and requires no active concentration. Kindred cloaking themselves in shadow gain an extra die in their Stealth dice pools and add one to the difficulties of ranged weapon attacks against them. Vampires who use the darkness to make themselves more terrifying add one die to Intimidation dice pools. Opponents plagued by flapping shadows and strangling darkness subtract one die from all Stamina dice pools (including soak). Mortals, ghouls, and other air-breathers reduced to zero Stamina by strangling shadows begin to asphyxiate; vampires lose all appropriate dice but are otherwise unaffected. Only one target or subject may be affected by this power at any given time, though some modicum of concealment is offered to a relatively motionless group

Shroud of Night - The player rolls Manipulation + Occult (difficulty 7). Success on the roll generates darkness roughly 10 feet (three meters) in diameter, though the amorphous cloud constantly shifts and undulates, sometimes even extending shadowy tendrils. Each additional success doubles the diameter of the cloud (though the vampire may voluntarily reduce the area she wishes to cover). The cloud may be invoked at a distance of up to 50 yards/meters, though creating darkness outside the vampire’s line of sight adds two to the difficulty of the roll and requires a blood point’s expenditure. The tarry mass actually extinguishes light sources it engulfs (with the exception of fire), and muffles sounds until they are indistinguishable. Those within the cloud lose all sense of sight and feel as though they’ve been immersed in pitch. Sound also warps and distorts within the cloud, making it nearly impossible to accomplish anything (+2 difficulty). Even those possessed of Heightened Senses, Eyes of the Beast, Tongue of the Asp, and similar powers suffer the penalty for blindness due to the unnatural darkness. Additionally, being surrounded by the Shroud of Night reduces Stamina-based dice pools by two dice, as the murk smothers and agitates the victims. This effect is not cumulative with Shadow Play, although targets asphyxiate as per Shadow Play if they reach 0 Stamina; more than one unfortunate mortal has “drowned” in darkness. Mortals and animals surrounded by the Shroud of Night must make Courage rolls per Shadow Play, above, or panic and flee.

Arms of the Abyss - The player spends a blood point and makes a simple (never extended) Manipulation + Occult roll (difficulty 7); each success enables the creation of a single tentacle. Each tentacle is six feet (two meters) long and possesses Strength and Dexterity ratings equal to the invoking vampire’s Obtenebration Trait — Potence and Celerity dots are added to these Strength and Dexterity ratings, respectively. If the vampire chooses, she may spend a blood point either to increase a single tentacle’s Strength or Dexterity by one or to extend its length by another six feet or two meters. Each tentacle has four health levels, is affected by fire and sunlight as if it were a vampire, and soaks bashing and lethal damage using the vampire’s Stamina + Fortitude. Aggravated damage may not be soaked. Tentacles may constrict foes, inflicting (Strength +1) lethal damage per turn. Breaking the grasp of a tentacle requires the victim to win a resisted Strength roll against the tentacle (difficulty 6 for each). However, tentacles cannot be used for any kind of manipulation, such as typing or driving.

Black Metamorphosis - The player spends two blood points and makes a Manipulation + Courage roll (difficulty 7). Vampires of lower Generation may have to take two turns to make the transition. Failure indicates the vampire cannot undergo the Black Metamorphosis (though he spends the blood points nonetheless). A botch inflicts two unsoakable health levels of lethal damage on the vampire as darkness ravages his undead body. While under the effects of the Black Metamorphosis, the vampire possesses four tentacles similar to those evoked via Arms of the Abyss (though their Strength and Dexterity ratings are equal to the vampire’s own Attributes, including dice from Celerity and Potence). These tentacles, combined with the bands of darkness all over the Kindred’s body, subtract two dice from the Stamina and soak dice pools of opponents physically touched in combat, for as long as the vampire remains in contact with the victim. This is not cumulative with other powers in Obtenebration, although targets can asphyxiate at Stamina 0, as per Shadow Play. The vampire may make an additional attack without penalty by using the tentacles (for a total of two attacks, not one additional attack per tentacle). Additionally, the vampire can sense his surroundings fully even in pitch darkness. The vampire’s head and extremities sometimes appear to fade away into nothingness, while at other times they seem swathed in otherworldly darkness. This, combined with the wriggling tentacles writhing from his body, creates an unsettling sight. Mortals, animals, and other creatures not accustomed to this sort of display must make Courage rolls (difficulty 8) or succumb to a panic that amounts to Rötschreck (though it is inspired by the darkness rather than fire). Many Kindred cultivate this devilish aspect, and the Black Metamorphosis adds three dice to the invoking Kindred’s Intimidation dice pools.

Tenebrous Form - The transformation costs three blood points (which may need to occur over three turns, depending on the vampire’s Generation). The vampire is immune to physical attacks while in the tenebrous form (though she still takes aggravated damage from fire and sunlight), but may not herself physically attack. She may, however, envelop and ooze over others, affecting them in the same manner as a Shroud of Night, in addition to using mental Disciplines. Vampires in Tenebrous Form may even slither up walls and across ceilings or “drip” darkness upward — they have no mass and are thus unaffected by gravity. Rötschreck difficulties from fire and sunlight do increase by one for vampires in this form, as the light is even more painful to their shadowy bodies. Mortals (and others not used to such displays) who witness the vampire transform into unholy shadow require Courage rolls (difficulty 8) in order to avoid the debilitating terror described under Black Metamorphosis.

Each dot that the vampire has in Potence adds one die to all Strength-related dice rolls. Further, the player can spend one blood point and change his Potence dice into an equal number of automatic successes to all Strength-related rolls for the turn. In melee and brawling combat, successes from Potence (either rolled or automatic) are applied to the damage roll results.

Awe - The player spends a blood point and rolls Charisma + Performance (difficulty 7). The number of successes rolled determines how many people are affected, as noted on the chart below. If there are more people present than the character can influence, Awe affects those with lower Willpower ratings first. The power stays in effect for the remainder of the scene or until the character chooses to drop it.
Successes Result
1 success One person
2 successes Two people
3 successes Six people
4 successes 20 people
5 successes Everyone in the vampire’s immediate vicinity (an entire auditorium, a mob)
Those affected can use Willpower points to overcome the effect, but must continue spending Willpower every scene for as long as they remain in the same area as the vampire. As soon as an individual spends a number of Willpower points equal to the successes rolled, he shakes off the Awe completely and remains unaffected for the rest of the night.

Dread Gaze - The player rolls Charisma + Intimidation (difficulty equal to the victim’s Wits + Courage). Success indicates the victim is cowed, while failure means the target is startled but not terrified by the sight. Three or more successes means he runs away in abject fear; victims who have nowhere to run claw at the walls, hoping to dig a way out rather than face the vampire. Moreover, each success subtracts one from the target’s action dice pools next turn. The character may attempt Dread Gaze once per turn against a single target, though she may also perform it as an extended action, adding her successes in order to subjugate the target completely. Once the target loses enough dice that he cannot perform any action, he’s so shaken and terrified that he curls up on the ground and weeps. Failure during the extended action means the attempt falters. The character loses all her collected successes and can start over next turn, while the victim may act normally again. A botch at any time indicates the target is not at all impressed perhaps even finding the vampire’s antics comical and remains immune to any further uses of Presence by the character for the rest of the story.

Entrancement - The player spends a blood point and rolls Appearance + Empathy (difficulty equal to the target’s current Willpower points); the number of successes determines how long the subject is Entranced, as per the chart below. (Subjects can still spend Willpower to temporarily resist, like any other Presence power.) The Storyteller may wish to make the roll instead, since the character is never certain of the strength of her hold on the victim. The vampire may try to keep the subject under her thrall, but can do so only after the initial Entrancement wears off. Attempting this power while Entrancement is already in operation has no effect.
Successes Result
Botch Subject cannot be entranced for the rest of the story.
Failure Subject cannot be entranced for the rest of the night.
1 success One hour
2 successes One day
3 successes One week
4 successes One month
5 successes One year

Summon - The player spends a blood point and rolls Charisma + Subterfuge. The base difficulty is 5; this increases to difficulty 7 if the subject was met only briefly. If the character used Presence successfully on the target in the past, this difficulty drops to 4, but if the attempt was unsuccessful, the difficulty rises to 8. The number of successes indicates the subject’s speed and attitude in responding:
Successes Result
Botch Subject cannot be Summoned by that vampire for the rest of the story.
Failure Subject cannot be Summoned by that vampire for the rest of the night.
1 success Subject approaches slowly and hesitantly.
2 successes Subject approaches reluctantly and is easily thwarted by obstacles.
3 successes Subject approaches with reasonable speed.
4 successes Subject comes with haste, overcoming any obstacles in his way.
5 successes Subject rushes to the vampire, doing anything to get to her.

Majesty - No roll is required on the part of the vampire, but she must spend a Willpower point. A subject must make a Courage roll (difficulty equal to the vampire’s Charisma + Intimidation, to a maximum of 10) if he wishes to be rude or simply contrary to the vampire. Success allows the individual to act normally for the moment, although he feels the weight of the vampire’s displeasure crushing down on him. A subject who fails the roll aborts his intended action and even goes to absurd lengths to humble himself before the vampire, no matter who else is watching. The effects of Majesty last for one scene.

Eyes of the Beast - The character must declare his desire to call forth the Eyes. No roll is necessary, but the change requires a full turn to complete. While manifesting the Eyes, the character suffers a +1 difficulty to all Social rolls with mortals unless he takes steps to shield his eyes (sunglasses are the simplest solution). A vampire without this power who is immersed in total darkness suffers blind-fighting penalties

Feral Claws - The claws grow automatically in response to the character’s desire, and can grow from both hands and feet. The transformation requires the expenditure of a blood point, takes a single turn to complete, and lasts for a scene. The character attacks normally in combat, but the claws inflict Strength + 1 aggravated damage. Other supernaturals cannot normally soak this damage, although a power such as Fortitude may be used. Additionally, the difficulties of all climbing rolls are reduced by two.

Earth Meld - No roll is necessary, although the character must spend a blood point. Sinking into the earth is automatic and takes a turn to complete. The character falls into a state one step above torpor during this time, sensing his surroundings only distantly. The player must make a Humanity or Path roll (difficulty 6) for the character to rouse himself in response to danger prior to his desired time of emergence. Since the character is in an in-between state, any attempts to locate him (catching his scent, scanning for his aura, traveling astrally, and so on) are made at +2 difficulty. Astral individuals cannot affect the vampire directly, instead meeting with a kind of spongy resistance as their hands pass through him. Similarly, digging in the material world encounters incredibly hardpacked earth, virtually as dense as stone. Attempts at violence upon the submerged vampire from either side return him to his physical nature, expelling the soil with which he bonded in a blinding spray (all Perception-based rolls are at +2 difficulty for the turn). The character himself subtracts two from his initiative for the first turn after his restoration, due to momentary disorientation. Once expelled from the earth, the vampire may act normally.

Shape of the Beast - The character spends one blood point to assume the desired shape. The transformation requires three turns to complete (spending additional blood points reduces the time of transformation by one turn per point spent, to a minimum of one). The vampire remains in his beast form until the next dawn, unless he wishes to change back sooner. While in the animal’s shape, the vampire can use any Discipline he possesses except Necromancy, Serpentis, Thaumaturgy, or Vicissitude. Furthermore, each form gives the character the abilities of that creature. In wolf form, the vampire’s teeth and claws inflict Strength + 1 aggravated damage, he can run at double speed, and the difficulties of all Perception rolls are reduced by two. In bat form, the vampire’s Strength is reduced to 1, but he can fly at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour, difficulties for all hearing-based Perception rolls are reduced by three, and attacks made against him are at +2 difficulty due to his small size.

Mist Form - No roll is required, although a blood point must be spent. The transformation takes three turns to complete, although the character may reduce this time by one turn for each additional blood point spent (to a minimum of one turn). Strong winds may buffet the character, although Disciplines such as Potence may be used to resist them. Vampires in Mist Form can perceive their surroundings normally, although they cannot use powers that require eye contact. The vampire is immune to all mundane physical attacks while in mist form, although supernatural attacks affect him normally. Also, the vampire takes one fewer die of damage from fire and sunlight. The character may not attack others physically while in this state this includes encountering another vampire in mist form. He may use Disciplines that do not require physical substance however.

Silence of Death - This power (which costs one blood point to activate) maintains a 20-foot (6-meter) radius of utter stillness around the Kindred for one hour.

Scorpion’s Touch - To convert a bit of her blood to poison, the Kindred’s player spends at least one blood point and rolls Willpower (difficulty 6). If this roll is successful, and the vampire successfully hits (but not necessarily damages) her opponent, the target loses a number of Stamina points equal to the number of blood points converted into poison vampires attempting to drink the blood of the Kindred with Scorpion’s Touch are automatically considered to be “successfully hit.” The victim may resist the poison with a Stamina + Fortitude roll (difficulty 6); successes achieved on the resistance roll subtract from the vampire’s successes. The maximum number of blood points a Kindred may convert at any one time is equal to her Stamina. The number of successes scored indicates the duration of the Stamina loss.
Successes Result
1 success One turn
2 successes One hour
3 successes One day
4 successes One month
5 successes Permanently (though Stamina may be bought back up with experience)

Dagon’s Call - The vampire must touch her target prior to using Dagon’s Call. Within an hour thereafter, the vampire may issue the call, though she need not be in the presence or even in the line of sight of her target. Invoking the power costs one Willpower point. The Kindred’s player makes a contested Stamina roll against the target’s Stamina; the difficulty of each roll is equal to the opponent’s permanent Willpower rating. The number of successes the vampire using Dagon’s Call achieves is the amount of lethal damage, in health levels, the victim suffers. For an additional point of Willpower spent in the next turn, the vampire may continue using Dagon’s Call by engaging in another contested Stamina roll. So long as the Kindred’s player continues to spend Willpower, the character may continue rending her opponent from within.

Baal’s Caress - Baal’s Caress does not increase the damage done by a given weapon, but that weapon inflicts aggravated damage rather than normal. No roll is necessary to activate this power, but one blood point is consumed per hit. For example, if a Cainite poisons his knife and strikes his opponent (even if he inflicts no damage), one blood point’s worth of lubrication disappears. For this reason, many vampires choose to coat their weapons with a significant quantity of blood. If the vampire misses, no tainted blood is consumed.

Taste of Death - The vampire may spit up to 10 feet (3 meters) for each dot of Strength and Potence he possesses. Hitting the target requires a Stamina + Athletics roll (difficulty 6). Each blood point spewed at the target inflicts two dice of aggravated damage, and there is no limit (other than the vampire’s capacity and per-turn expenditure maximum) to the quantity of blood with which a target may be deluged.

The Eyes of the Serpent - This power grants the vampire the legendary hypnotic gaze of the serpent. The Kindred’s eyes become gold with large black irises, and mortals in the character’s vicinity find themselves strangely attracted to him. A mortal who meets the vampire’s beguiling gaze is immobilized. Until the character takes his eyes off his victim, the person is frozen in place.No roll is required, but this power can be avoided if the mortal takes care not to look into the vampire’s eyes. Vampires and other supernatural creatures can also be affected by this power if the Cainite’s player succeeds on a Willpower roll (difficulty 9). If attacked or otherwise harmed, supernatural creatures can spend a point of Willpower to break the spell.

The Tongue of the Asp - The vampire may lengthen her tongue at will, splitting it into a fork like that of a serpent. The tongue may reach 18 inches or half a meter, and makes a terrifyingly effective weapon in close combat. The lash of the tongue’s razor fork causes aggravated wounds (difficulty 6, Strength damage). If the Kindred wounds her enemy, she may drink blood from the target on the next turn as though she had sunk her fangs into the victim’s neck. Horrifying though it is, the tongue’s caress is very like the Kiss, and strikes mortal victims helpless with fear and ecstasy. Additionally, the tongue is highly sensitive to vibrations, enabling the vampire to function effectively in the darkness the Clan prefers. By flicking his tongue in and out of his mouth, the vampire can halve any penalties relating to darkness.

The Skin of the Adder - The vampire spends one blood point and one Willpower point. Her skin becomes scaly and mottled; this, combined with the character’s increased flexibility, reduces soak difficulties to 5. The vampire may use her Stamina to soak aggravated damage from claws and fangs, but not from fire, sunlight, or other supernatural energies. The vampire’s mouth widens and fangs lengthen, enabling her bite to inflict an extra die of damage. Finally, the vampire may slip through any opening wide enough to fit her head through. The vampire’s Appearance drops to 1, and she is obviously inhuman if observed with any degree of care, though casual passersby might not notice, if the vampire is in darkness or wearing heavy clothing.

The Form of the Cobra - The vampire spends one blood point; the change is automatic, but takes three turns. Clothing and small personal possessions transform with the vampire. The vampire remains in serpent form until the next dawn, unless he desires to change back sooner. I may allow the Setite bonus dice on all Perception rolls related to smell, but the difficulties for all hearing rolls are increased by two. The cobra’s bite inflicts damage equal to the vampire’s, but the vampire does not need to grapple his victim; furthermore, the poison delivered is fatal to mortals.

Heart of Darkness - A Kindred with mastery of Serpentis may pull her heart from her body. She can even use this ability on other Cainites, although this requires several hours of gruesome surgery. This power can only be invoked during a new moon. If performed under any other moon, the rite fails. Upon removing her heart, the vampire places it in a small clay urn, and then carefully hides or buries the urn. While her heart is hidden, she cannot be staked by any wood that pierces her breast. Moreover, because the heart is the seat of emotion, the difficulties of all her rolls to resist frenzy are two lower while this power is in effect. Cainites are careful to keep their hearts safe from danger. If someone seizes her heart, the vampire is completely at that person’s mercy. The heart can be destroyed only by casting it into a fire or exposing it to sunlight. If this happens, the Kindred dies where she stands, boiling away into a blistering heap of ash and blackened bone. Plunging a wooden stake into an exposed heart drives the vampire into instant torpor.This power requires no roll. Those who witness a vampire pull his heart from his breast (or cut the heart from another vampire) must make Courage rolls. Failure indicates anything from strong uneasiness to complete revulsion, possibly even Rötschreck.

A Taste for Blood - This power was developed as a means of testing a foe’s might — an extremely important ability in the tumultuous early nights of Clan Tremere. By merely touching the blood of his subject, the caster may determine how much vitae remains in the subject and, if the subject is a vampire, how recently he has fed, his approximate Generation and, with three or more successes, whether he has ever committed diablerie. The number of successes achieved on the roll determines how much information the thaumaturge gleans and how accurate it is.

Blood Rage - Each success forces the subject to spend one blood point immediately in the way the caster desires (which must go towards some logical expenditure the target vampire could make, such as increasing Physical Attributes or powering Disciplines). Note that blood points forcibly spent in this manner may exceed the normal “per turn” maximum indicated by the victim’s Generation. Each success gained also increases the subject’s difficulty to resist frenzy by one. The thaumaturge may not use Blood Rage on herself to circumvent generational limits.

Blood of Potency - One success on the Willpower roll allows the character to lower his Generation by one step for one hour. Each additional success grants the Kindred either one step down in Generation or one hour of effect. Successes earned must be spent both to decrease the vampire’s Generation and to maintain the change (this power cannot be activated again until the original application wears off). If the vampire is diablerized while this power is in effect, it wears off immediately and the diablerist gains power appropriate to the caster’s actual Generation. Furthermore, any mortals Embraced by the thaumaturge are born to the Generation appropriate to their sire’s original Generation (e.g., a Tenth-Generation Tremere who has reduced his effective Generation to Eighth still produces Eleventh- Generation childer).

Theft of Vitae - The number of successes determines how many blood points the caster transfers from the subject. The subject must be visible to the thaumaturge and within 50 feet (15 meters). Using this power prevents the caster from being blood-bound, but otherwise counts as if the vampire ingested the blood herself. This power is spectacularly obvious, and Camarilla princes justifiably consider its public use a breach of the Masquerade.

Cauldron of Blood - The number of successes gained determines how many blood points are brought to boil. The subject suffers one health level of aggravated damage for each point boiled (individuals with Fortitude may soak this damage using only their Fortitude dice). A single success kills any mortal, though some ghouls with access to Fortitude are said to have survived after soaking all of the aggravated damage.

Malleable Visage - The player must spend a blood point for each body part to be changed, then roll Intelligence + Medicine (difficulty 6). To duplicate another person or voice requires a Perception + Medicine roll (difficulty 8), and five successes are required for a flawless copy; fewer successes leave minute (or not-so-minute) flaws. Increasing one’s Appearance Trait has a difficulty of 9, and the vampire must spend an additional blood point for each dot of Appearance increased beyond their natural total. A botch permanently reduces the Attribute by one.

Fleshcraft - After spending a blood point, the vampire must grapple the intended victim. The player of the Flescrafting vampire makes a successful Dexterity + Medicine roll (difficulty variable: 5 for a crude yank-and-tuck, up to 9 for precise transformations). A vampire who wishes to increase another’s Appearance Trait does so as described under Malleable Visage; reducing the Attribute is considerably easier (difficulty 5), though truly inspired disfigurement may dictate a higher difficulty. In either case, each success increases or reduces the Attribute by one. A vampire may use this power to move clumps of skin, fat, and muscle tissue, thus providing additional padding where needed. For each success scored on a Dexterity + Medicine roll (difficulty 8), the vampire may increase the subject’s soak dice pool by one, at the expense of either a point of Strength or a health level (vampire’s choice).

Bonecraft - The vampire’s player must spend a blood point and make a Strength + Medicine roll (difficulties as above). Bonecraft may be used without the fleshshaping arts, as an offensive weapon. Each success scored on the Strength + Medicine roll (difficulty 7) inflicts one health level of lethal damage on the victim, as his bones rip, puncture, and slice their way out of his skin. The vampire may utilize this power (on herself or others) to form spikes or talons of bone, either on the knuckles as an offensive weapon or all over the body as defensive “quills.” If bone spikes are used, the vampire or victim takes one health level of lethal damage (the vampire’s comes from having the very sharp bone pierce through his skin — this weaponry doesn’t come cheaply). In the case of quills, the subject takes a number of health levels equal to five minus the number of successes (a botch kills the subject or sends the vampire into torpor). These health levels may be healed normally. Knuckle spikes inflict Strength +1 lethal damage. Defensive quills inflict a hand-to-hand attacker’s Strength in lethal damage unless the attacker scores three or more successes on the attack roll (in which case the attacker takes no damage); the defender still takes damage normally. Quills also enable the vampire or altered subject to add two to all damage inflicted via holds, clinches, or tackles. A vampire who scores five or more successes on the Strength + Medicine roll may cause a rival vampire’s rib cage to curve inward and pierce the heart. While this does not send a vampire into torpor, it does cause the affected vampire to lose half his blood points, as the seat of his vitae ruptures in a shower of gore.

Horrid Form - The Horrid Form costs two blood points to awaken. All Physical Attributes increase by three, but all Social Attributes drop to zero, except when dealing with others also in Horrid Form. However, a vampire in Horrid Form who is trying to intimidate someone may substitute Strength for a Social Attribute. Damage inflicted in brawling combat increases by one due to the jagged ridges and bony knobs creasing the creature’s hands.

Bloodform - The vampire may transform all or part of herself as she deems fit. Each leg can turn into two blood points worth of vitae, as can the torso; each arm, the head, and the abdomen convert to one blood point each. The blood can be reconverted to the body part, provided it is in contact with the vampire. If the blood has been utilized or destroyed, the vampire must spend a number of blood points equal to what was originally created to regrow the missing body part. A vampire entirely in this form may not be staked, cut, bludgeoned, or pierced, but can be burned or exposed to the sun. The vampire may ooze along, drip up walls, and flow through the narrowest cracks, as though she were in Tenebrous Form. Mental Disciplines may be used, provided no eye contact or vocal utterance is necessary, although the vampire can perceive her surroundings just fine (but the perceptions are always centered on the largest pool of blood). If a vampire in this form “washes” over a mortal or animal, that mortal must make a Courage roll (difficulty 8) or fly into a panic.

• A player may spend one of her character’s Willpower points to gain an automatic success on a single action. Only one point of Willpower may be used in a single turn in this manner, but the success is guaranteed and may not be canceled, even by botches. By using Willpower in this way, it is possible to succeed at a given action simply by concentrating. For extended rolls, these extra successes may make the critical difference between accomplishment and failure. Note: You must declare that you are spending a Willpower point before you make an actual roll for a character’s action; you can’t retroactively cancel a botch by spending a Willpower point at the last minute. Also, I may declare that a Willpower point may not be spent on a given action (such as attacking in combat).
• Sometimes, I may rule that a character automatically takes some action based on instinct or urge — for example, stepping back from a chasm or leaping away from a patch of sunlight filtering through a window. The Storyteller may allow a player to spend a Willpower point and avoid taking this reactive maneuver. It should be noted that the impulse may return at the Storyteller’s discretion; a player may need to spend multiple Willpower points over the course of a few turns to stay on task. Sometimes the urge may be overcome by the force of the character’s will; at other times, the character has no choice but to follow his instinct (i.e., the character runs out of Willpower points or no longer wishes to expend them).
• A Willpower point may be spent to prevent a derangement from manifesting, with the Storyteller’s permission. Eventually, if enough Willpower points are spent (as determined by the Storyteller), the derangement may be overcome and eliminated, as enough denial of the derangement remedies the aberration. Malkavians may never overcome their initial derangement, though Willpower may be spent to deny it for a short period of time.
• By spending a Willpower point, wound penalties can be ignored for one turn. This allows a character to override pain and injury in order to take one last-ditch action. However, an incapacitated or torpored character may not spend Willpower in this manner.

• Characters’ Willpower pools replenish fully at the end of a given story (That's Key/Main)Quest). I may restrict this by requiring that the characters achieve (or partially achieve) a goal or otherwise boost their self-esteem. For example, if the characters didn’t destroy a powerful and corrupt elder but did manage to obstruct his immediate plans, allow them to replenish their Willpower pools.
• (Gm Opinion) Characters regain one Willpower point each night when they first rise. This is easy on the bookkeeping, and allows a steady stream of Willpower replenishment (not to mention the fact that players are already writing on that part of the character sheet when they mark off their nightly blood consumption).
• (GM Opinion) If a character attains some extraordinary goal or fulfills an outstanding objective, the Storyteller may reward her with a point of Willpower. For example, if a character manages to deter a team of vampire-hunters from her sire’s haven, the Storyteller may award a Willpower point to that character.
• (GM Opinion) If a character behaves in a manner that fulfills her Nature Archetype, the Storyteller may reward the character with one to three Willpower points (as stated in the Archetype descriptions). For example, if a Rebel character rabidly opposes a powerful elder, and that elder is later revealed to be a Sabbat spy, that character may be given a point of Willpower.

• A vampire may spend one blood point to heal one normal (bashing or lethal) health level of damage. Characters must be resting and relatively inactive for this healing to take place, though this recovery is rapid: One blood point per turn may be spent to heal one health level, though vampires of lower Generations may heal as many health levels per turn as they can spend blood points. Note that blood expenditure is the only way that vampires can heal wounds. Just as their immortality prevents the Kindred from aging and dying naturally, so it also inhibits the recuperative processes natural to a living body.
• A player may spend one blood point to increase a single Physical Attribute (Strength, Dexterity, Stamina) by one dot for the duration of the scene. The player must announce at the beginning of the turn that he is doing this. A player may spend as many blood points on increasing Physical Attributes as the vampire may use in a turn (based upon Generation), but may only freely increase these Traits up to one higher than their generational maximum (i.e., a Tenth-Generation vampire may increase Traits to a maximum of 6). With effort, a character may increase a Physical Attribute to above this limit, but each dot above the limit lasts for only three turns after the character stops spending blood. This enables vampires to perform truly amazing physical feats, such as throwing cars, moving preternaturally quickly, and withstanding blows that would fell trees. Note: No character may increase Physical Attributes above 10.
• A vampire may give a number of blood points to another Kindred, thereby enabling the recipient to use the blood as if it were her own. This is often a grisly prospect, as the “donor” must open his own vein and physically deliver the blood to the needy Kindred. Of course, if a vampire is ever in a situation in which she needs blood, she’s likely all out of it herself, and may frenzy and take too much from the donor. Blood gifts should be given with care. If a vampire (or mortal) partakes of another Kindred’s blood three times, she becomes bound to that vampire through the mystical properties of vitae. This is known as the blood bond.
• A vampire may gift a mortal or animal with a dose of his vitae, allowing the mortal in question to inject or ingest it. For so long as the mortal retains the Kindred vitae in her system, she is considered a ghoul (see the Appendix, p. 496, for more on ghouls).
• Though most vampires (with the exception of Nosferatu) appear much as they did in life, they still display certain corpselike features; for example, their skin is unnaturally cold and grows more ashen with age, and they do not breathe. By spending a variable number of blood points, a vampire may will himself to appear more human for a scene: flushing his skin, drawing breath, even becoming capable of engaging in sexual intercourse (this last, while helpful in certain types of feeding, in no way means that the vampire may inseminate a mortal or become pregnant; a corpse is still a corpse, after all). Performing these actions for a scene requires an expenditure of blood points equal to (8 minus Humanity); thus, Kindred with Humanity ratings of 8 or higher may accomplish these feats automatically, while vampires with low Humanity find the process exceedingly arduous. Only vampires with Humanity may use blood in this manner; vampires on a Path have forsaken their human sides entirely.
• Blood may be spent to fuel certain vampiric Disciplines. Consult Chapter Four or Chapter Ten to see which individual powers require blood expenditure.

Vampires replenish blood pool by taking it from others. “Others” need not be human, though a vampire who is too squeamish to take sustenance from the kine is often ridiculed by his peers vampires are predators, after all, no matter how unnatural. Drinking blood is a risky proposition. As vampires gorge on the vitae of their victims, there is always the chance that they may take too much. Unhygienic vampires may communicate disease by exposing a vessel to bacteria and viruses carried in other blood that still stains their fangs. A vampire may take only 20 percent of a vessel’s blood (2 blood points for a normal human) and leave it relatively safe. Taking half of a vessel’s blood necessitates hospitalization for that vessel. Taking all a vessel’s blood will kill it. A vampire may take up to three blood points from a given vessel in a turn. The shorter the turn, the more forcefully the Kindred steals the vitae. It is generally impossible to take more than three blood points from a vessel in three seconds (the shortest a turn gets), though some Nosferatu with hideously distended mouths are able to take more through sheer surface area bleed. Most vampires drink their victim’s blood slowly, so as to savor the luscious fluid and draw as much pleasure as possible out of the experience. Once the Kindred breaks her vessel’s skin with her fangs, that vessel no longer resists the vampire (if he did in the first place). Indeed, the ecstasy caused by the vampire’s bite is called the Kiss, and it engenders as much exquisite, subtly painful pleasure in vampires as it does in mortals. Exceptionally strong-willed mortals (9+ Willpower) may continue to resist, but even these vessels eventually succumb to the pleasure. Some Kindred and kine even develop lusts for the Kiss and actively seek out those who will drink their blood. Note: While Kindred find the Kiss pleasurable, they may resist it more readily than mortals can. Any Kindred, regardless of Willpower, may make a Self-Control/ Instincts roll (difficulty 8) to avoid succumbing to the Kiss. This enables vampiric victims of diablerie to have a chance at fighting back. Wounded characters typically have less blood than healthy characters. Assume that a normal-sized human has one fewer blood point in his system for each health level of damage he currently suffers. Mortals regain one blood point per day (unless, of course, they are infused with vitae from some other source). Vampires do not lose blood points to wounds in this manner, though they often spend blood to heal wounds they have suffered. The blood of animals is not as nourishing as the blood of humans. Though an animal may physically have a greater volume of blood than a man, vampires draw less sustenance from it. Hence, animals have fewer blood points, even if they have more blood. Old blood is never as nourishing as fresh blood. In fact, many vampires refuse to drink old blood, whether it comes from human corpses, blood banks, or a vampire’s private reserve. However, the blood of other vampires, particularly elders, is quite potent. When drinking from elder vampires, each blood point taken may be so concentrated that it is actually worth two or more normal blood points in use. Thus it is possible to obtain a vast amount of blood points by partaking of elder blood, though such prized vitae is rarely available to neonates or even ancillae. Essentially, elders have greater blood pools not because they are bodily larger than younger vampires, but because the blood they ingest is more concentrated in their ancient veins. Werewolf blood is similarly potent.

Vessel - Blood Pool
Vampire - 10+
Werewolf - 20
Human - 10
Child - 5
Cow - 5
Dog - 2
Cat - 1
Plasma bag - 1
Bird - 1/2
Bat/Rat - 1/4

Generation-----------Max.Trait Rating--------Blood Pool Max.--------Blood Points/Turn
Third -------------------------10-----------------------???--------------------------???
Fourth-------------------------9------------------------50--------------------------10
Fifth---------------------------8------------------------40--------------------------8
Sixth---------------------------7------------------------30--------------------------6
Seventh------------------------6------------------------20--------------------------4
Eighth--------------------------5------------------------15--------------------------3
Ninth---------------------------5------------------------14--------------------------2
Tenth--------------------------5-------------------------13--------------------------1
Eleventh-----------------------5-------------------------12-------------------------1
Twelfth------------------------5-------------------------11--------------------------1
Thirteenth---------------------5------------------------10--------------------------1

Stage One: Initiative
• Roll initiative (or add 6 to the initiative rating). Everyone declares their actions. The character with the highest initiative performs her action first. Actions can be delayed to any time later in the order of initiative.
• Declare any multiple actions, reducing dice pools accordingly. Declare Discipline activation and Willpower expenditure.
Stage Two: Attack
• For unarmed close-combat attacks, roll Dexterity + Brawl.
• For armed close-combat attacks, roll Dexterity + Melee.
• For ranged combat, roll Dexterity + Firearms (guns) or Dexterity + Athletics (thrown weapons).
• A character can abort to a defensive action (block, dodge, parry) at any time before her action is performed, as long as you make a successful Willpower roll (or a Willpower point is spent).
Stage Three: Resolution
• Determine total damage effect (weapon type or maneuver), adding any extra dice gained from successes on the attack roll.
• Targets may attempt to soak damage, if possible.

• Aborting Actions: You can abandon your character’s declared action in favor of a defensive action as long as your character hasn’t acted in the turn. Actions that can take the place of a previously declared action include block, dodge, and parry. A successful Willpower roll versus difficulty 6 (or the expenditure of a Willpower point) is required for a character to abort an action and perform a defensive one instead. When spending Willpower for an abort maneuver, a character may declare the Willpower expenditure at the time of the abort. A Willpower roll to abort is considered a reflexive action. (See “Defensive Maneuvers,” below, for descriptions of block, dodge, and parry.)
• Ambush: Ambushes involve surprising a target to get in a decisive first strike. The attacker rolls Dexterity + Stealth in a resisted action against the target’s Perception + Alertness. If the attacker scores more successes, she can stage one free attack on the target; she then adds any extra successes from the resisted roll to her attack dice pool. On a tie, the attacker still attacks first, although the target may perform a defensive maneuver. If the defender gets more successes, he spots the ambush, and both parties determine initiative normally. Targets already involved in combat cannot be ambushed.
• Blind Fighting/Fire: Staging attacks while blind (or in pitch darkness) usually incurs a +2 difficulty, and ranged attacks cannot be accurately made at all. Powers such as Heightened Senses and Eyes of the Beast mitigate this penalty.
• Flank and Rear Attacks: Characters attacking targets from the flank gain an additional attack die. Characters attacking from the rear gain two additional attack dice.
• Movement: A character may move half of her running distance and still take an action in a turn. Other maneuvers such as leaping or tumbling may be considered separate actions, depending on their complexity.
• Multiple Actions: If you declare multiple actions, declare the total number of actions you wish to attempt and determine which of the dice pools is the smallest. Then, divide that number of dice between all of your actions. If a character performs only defensive actions in a turn, use the appropriate block, dodge, or parry system.
• Targeting: Aiming for a specific location incurs an added difficulty, but can bypass armor or cover, or can result in an increased damage effect. The Storyteller should consider special results beyond a simple increase in damage, depending on the attack and the target.
Medium +1 Sifficulty (limb, briefcase)
Small +2 Difficulty. +1 Damage (hand, head, cellphone)
Precise: +3 Difficulty. +2 Damage (eye, heart, lock)

It’s a given that your character tries to avoid being hit in combat — that’s why everyone makes attack rolls to try to hit you. Sometimes, though, all your character wants to do is avoid attacks. You may announce a defensive action at any time before your character’s opponent makes an attack roll, as long as your character has an action left to perform. You can declare a defensive action on your character’s turn in the initiative, or can even abort to a defensive maneuver. You must make a successful Willpower roll (or may simply spend one point of Willpower) to abort. If the Willpower roll fails, your character must carry out the action that you declared originally.

There are three types of defensive actions: block, dodge, and parry. Your character can defend against virtually any kind of attack with these three maneuvers. However, your character may not be able to avoid every single attack that’s directed at her. She can’t dodge when there’s no room to maneuver, and she can’t block or parry if she doesn’t know an attack is coming. Each defensive maneuver uses the same basic system: The defensive action is a resisted roll against the opponent’s attack roll. Unless the attacker gets more total successes, he misses. If the attacker gets more successes, those that he achieves in excess of the defender’s successes, if any, are used to hit (the attacker doesn’t necessarily use all the successes he rolled). So if the defender has fewer successes than the attacker does, the defender’s maneuver can still reduce the effectiveness of the attack, even if the maneuver can’t counteract it completely.

• Block: A Dexterity + Brawl maneuver using your character’s own body to deflect a hand-to-hand bashing attack. Lethal and aggravated attacks cannot be blocked unless the defender has Fortitude or is wearing armor.
• Dodge: A Dexterity + Athletics maneuver useful for avoiding attacks of all types. Your character bobs and weaves to avoid Melee or Brawl attacks (if there’s no room to maneuver, she must block or parry instead). In gunfights, your character moves at least one yard/meter and ends up behind cover (if there’s no room to maneuver or no cover available, she can drop to the ground). If your character remains under cover or prone, cover rules apply against further Firearms attacks
• Parry: A Dexterity + Melee maneuver using a weapon to block a Brawl or Melee attack. If a character makes a Brawl attack and the defender parries with a weapon that normally causes lethal damage, the attacker can actually be hurt by a successful parry. If the defender rolls more successes than the attacker does in the resisted action, the defender rolls the weapon’s base damage plus the parry’s extra successes as a damage dice pool against the attacker.

Block, dodge, and parry can be performed as part of a multiple action in your character’s turn (punching then blocking, shooting then dodging, parrying then striking). Using a multiple action to act and defend is advantageous because your character can still accomplish something in a turn besides avoiding attacks. Rather than having to divide your dice pool among multiple defensive actions, you may declare that your character spends an entire turn defending. The normal multiple-action rules are not used in this case. Instead, you have a full dice pool for the first defensive action, but lose one die, cumulatively, for each subsequent defense action made in the same turn. It is still difficult to avoid several incoming attacks, but not as difficult as trying to attempt multiple things at once. Remember that any actions, including defensive ones, versus multiple attackers still suffer difficulty penalties.

• Bite: This maneuver is available only to vampires (or other supernatural creatures with sharp teeth, such as werewolves). A bite maneuver is a “combat” bite, intended to cause damage rather than drain blood. Bite damage is aggravated. To use a bite attack, the vampire must first perform a successful clinch, hold, or tackle maneuver (see below). On the turn following the successful attack, the player may declare the bite attempt and make a roll using the modifiers below. Alternatively, a player can declare her vampire’s bite to be a “Kiss” attack. A Kiss is resolved in the same way as a normal bite, but inflicts no health levels of damage. Upon connecting with a Kiss, the vampire may begin to drain the victim’s blood at the normal rate, and the victim is typically helpless to resist. Following the Kiss, a vampire may, if she chooses, lick the puncture wound of the Kiss closed, thereby removing any evidence that she has fed.
Traits: Dexterity + Brawl
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: +1
Damage: Strength +1
• Claw: This attack is available to vampires with claws, such as those from the Protean power of Feral Claws or bone spurs constructed with the Vicissitude power of Bonecraft. A few other supernatural creatures, such as werewolves, also have claws. A claw attack inflicts aggravated damage (if Feral Claws) or lethal damage (if a Vicissitude-constructed weapon).
Traits: Dexterity + Brawl
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength +1
• Clinch: On a successful attack roll, the attacker goes into a clinch with the target. In the first turn, the attacker may roll Strength damage. In each subsequent turn, combatants act on their orders in the initiative. A combatant can inflict Strength damage automatically or attempt to escape the clinch. No other actions are allowed until one combatant breaks free. To escape a clinch, make a resisted Strength + Brawl roll against the opponent. If the escaping character has more successes, she breaks free; if not, the characters continue to grapple in the next turn.
Traits: Strength + Brawl
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength
• Disarm: To strike an opponent’s weapon, the attacker must make an attack roll at +1 difficulty. If successful, the attacker rolls damage normally. If successes rolled exceed the opponent’s Strength rating, the opponent takes no damage but is disarmed. A botch usually means the attacker drops her own weapon or is struck by her target’s weapon.
Traits: Dexterity + Melee
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Special
• Hold: This attack inflicts no damage, as the intent is to immobilize rather than injure the subject. On a successful roll, the attacker holds the target until the subject’s next action. At that time, both combatants roll resisted Strength + Brawl actions; the subject remains immobilized (able to take no other action) until she rolls more successes than the attacker does.
Traits: Strength + Brawl
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: None
• Kick: Kicks range from simple front kicks to aerial spins. The base attack is at +1 difficulty and inflicts the attacker’s Strength +1 in damage. These ratings may be modified further at the my discretion, increasing in damage and/or difficulty as the maneuver increases in complexity.
Ability: Dexterity + Brawl
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength +1
• Multiple Opponents: A character who battles multiple opponents in close combat suffers attack and defense difficulties of +1, cumulative, for each opponent after the first (to a maximum of +4).
• Strike: The attacker lashes out with a fist. The base attack is a standard action and inflicts the character’s Strength in damage. The Storyteller may adjust the difficulty and/or damage depending on the type of punch: hook, jab, haymaker, karate strike.
Traits: Dexterity + Brawl
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength
• Sweep: The attacker uses her own legs to knock the legs out from under her opponent. The target takes Strength damage and must roll Dexterity + Athletics (difficulty 8) or suffer a knockdown The attacker can also use a staff, chain, or similar implement to perform a sweep. The effect is the same, although the target takes damage per the weapon type.
Traits: Dexterity + Brawl/Melee
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength (Knockdown)
• Tackle: The attacker rushes her opponent, tackling him to the ground. The attack roll is at +1 difficulty, and the maneuver inflicts Strength +1 damage. Additionally, both combatants must roll Dexterity + Athletics (difficulty 7) or suffer a knockdown. Even if the target’s Athletics roll succeeds, he is unbalanced, suffering +1 difficulty to his actions for the next turn.
Traits: Strength + Brawl
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength +1
• Weapon Length: It is difficult to get in range with a punch or knife if someone else is wielding a sword or staff. A character being fended off with a longer weapon must close in one yard/meter before striking, losing a die from her attack roll in the process.
• Weapon Strike: A slashing blow, thrust, or jab, depending on the weapon used.
Traits: Dexterity + Melee
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Weapon type

• Aiming: The attacker adds one die to her attack dice pool on a single shot for each turn spent aiming. The maximum number of dice that can be added in this way is equal to the character’s Perception, and a character must have Firearms 1 or better to use this maneuver. A scope adds two more dice to the attacker’s pool in the first turn of aiming (in addition to those added for Perception). The attacker may do nothing but aim during this time. Additionally, it isn’t possible to aim at a target that is moving faster than a walk.
Automatic Fire: The weapon unloads its entire ammunition clip in one attack against a single target. The attacker makes a single roll, adding 10 dice to her accuracy. However, the attack roll is at a +2 difficulty due to the weapon’s recoil. Extra successes add to the damage dice pool, which is still treated as equivalent to one bullet. An attacker using automatic fire may not target a specific area of the body. This attack is permissible only if the weapon’s clip is at least half-full to begin with.
Traits: Dexterity + Firearms
Difficulty: +2
Accuracy: +10
Damage: Special
• Cover: Cover increases an attacker’s difficulty to hit a target (and often the target’s ability to fire back). Difficulty penalties for hitting a target under various types of cover are listed below. A character who fires back from behind cover is also at something of a disadvantage to hit, as he exposes himself and ducks back under protection. Firearms attacks made by a defender who is under cover are at one lower difficulty than listed below. (If a listed difficulty is +1, then the defender suffers no penalty to make attacks from under that cover.) If your character hides behind a wall, attackers’ Firearms rolls have a +2 difficulty. Your character’s attacks staged from behind that wall are at +1 difficulty. Note that difficulties for combatants who are both under cover are cumulative. If one combatant is prone and one is behind a wall, attacks staged by the prone character are at +2 difficulty, while attacks staged by the character behind the wall are also at +2 difficulty.
Cover Type = Difficulty Increase
Light (lying prone) +1
Good (behind wall) +2
Superior (only head exposed) +3
• Multiple Shots: An attacker with a fast firearm may try to take more than one shot in a turn. The attacker can divide his attack dice pool by how many shots she wants to fire at a similar number of targets, up to the weapon’s rate of fire (multiple attacks against
the same target are covered under maneuvers like “Automatic Fire” and “Three-Round Burst”). Each attack is then rolled separately.
Ability: Dexterity + Firearms
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Special
Damage: Weapon type
• Range: The Ranged Weapons Chart (p. 281) lists each weapon’s short range; attacks made at that range are versus difficulty 6. Twice that listing is the weapon’s maximum range. Attacks made up to maximum range are versus difficulty 8. Attacks made at targets within two meters are considered point blank. Pointblank shots are made versus difficulty 4.
• Reloading: Reloading takes one full turn and requires the character’s concentration. Like any other maneuver, reloading can be performed as part of a multiple action.
• Strafing: Instead of aiming at one target, fully-automatic weapons can be fired across an area. Strafing adds 10 dice to accuracy on a standard attack roll, and empties the clip. A maximum of three yards/meters can be covered with this maneuver. The attacker divides any successes gained on the attack roll evenly among all targets in the covered area (successes assigned to hit an individual are added to that target’s damage dice pool, as well). If only one target is within range or the area of effect, only half the successes affect him. The attacker then assigns any leftover successes as she desires. If fewer successes are rolled than there are targets, only one may be assigned per target until they are all allocated. Dodge rolls against strafing are at +1 difficulty.
Ability: Dexterity + Firearms
Difficulty: +2
Accuracy: +10
Damage: Special
• Three-Round Burst: The attacker gains two additional dice on a single attack roll, and expends three shots from the weapon’s clip. Only certain weapons may perform this maneuver; see the Ranged Weapons Chart for particulars. Attacks are made at +1 difficulty due to recoil. As with automatic fire, the damage dice pool is based on one bullet from the weapon in question.
Ability: Dexterity + Firearms
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: +2
Damage: Weapon type
• Two Weapons: Firing two weapons is considered performing a multiple action, complete with dividing the dice of the lowest pool between two different targets. Additionally, the attacker suffers +1 difficulty for the attack with her off-hand (unless she’s ambidextrous). Each attack is rolled and resolved separately multiple attacks made against the same target are covered by maneuvers such as “Automatic Fire” and “Three-Round Burst.”
Ability: Dexterity + Firearms
Difficulty: +1/off-hand
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Weapon type

The following are common combat complications.
• Blinded: Add two dice to attack rolls made against a blinded target. Furthermore, blind characters are at +2 difficulty on all actions.
• Dazed: If, in a single attack, the attacker rolls a number of damage successes greater than the target’s Stamina (for mortals) or Stamina + 2 (for vampires and other supernatural beings), the victim is dazed. The target must spend her next available turn shaking off the attack’s effects. Only damage successes that penetrate the defender’s soak attempt count toward this total.
• Immobilization: Add two dice to attack rolls made on an immobilized (i.e., held by someone or something) but still struggling target. Attacks hit automatically if the target is completely immobilized (tied up, staked, or otherwise paralyzed).
• Knockdown: The victim falls down. After suffering a knockdown, the subject makes a Dexterity + Athletics roll. If successful, she may get back on her feet immediately, but her initiative is reduced by two in the next turn. On a failed roll, the subject spends her next action climbing to her feet, if she chooses to rise. On a botch, she lands particularly hard or at a severe angle, taking an automatic health level of bashing damage.
• Stake Through Heart: A vampire can indeed be incapacitated by the classic wooden stake of legend. However, the legends err on one point: A Kindred impaled through the heart with a wooden stake is not destroyed, but merely paralyzed until the stake is removed. To stake a vampire, an attacker must target the heart (difficulty 9). If the attack succeeds and inflicts at least three health levels of damage, the target is immobilized. An immobilized victim is conscious (and may use perception powers, such as those in the Auspex Discipline), but may not move or spend blood points.

Class One - Bonus: 1 Penalty: 0 (reinforced clothing)
Class Two - Bonus: 2 Penalty: 1 (armor T-shirt)
Class Three - Bonus: 3 Penalty: 1 (Kevlar vest)
Class Four - Bonus: 4 Penalty: 2 (flak jacket)
Class Five - Bonus: 5 Penalty: 3 (full riot gear)

Sap - Damage: Strength +1(Bashing) Concealment: P
Club - Damage: Strength +2(Bashing) Concealment: T
Knife - Damage: Strength +1(Lethal) Concealment: J
Sword - Damage: Strength +2(Lethal) Concealment: T
Axe - Damage: Strength +3(Lethal) Concealment: N
Stake - Damage: Strength +1(Lethal) Concealment: T

Concealment: P = Can be carried in the pocket; J = Can be hidden in a jacket; T = Can be hidden in a trenchcoat; N = Cannot be concealed on the person at all.

Type-------------Damage--------------- Range---------------- Rate-----------------Capacity-------------------Conceal

Revolver, Lt. -------4 ---------------------12 --------------------3 ----------------------6 ---------------------------P

Revolver, Hvy. ------6 --------------------35 --------------------2 -----------------------6 --------------------------J

Pistol, Lt. -----------4 --------------------20 --------------------4 ----------------------15+1 -----------------------P

Pistol, Hvy. ---------5 --------------------25 --------------------3 ----------------------13+1 ------------------------J

Rifle ----------------8 --------------------200 --------------------1 ----------------------3+1 ------------------------N

SMG, Small* -------4 ---------------------20 ---------------------3 ----------------------17+1 -----------------------J

SMG, Large* -------4 --------------------50 ---------------------3 -----------------------30+1 -----------------------T

Assault Rifle* ------7 -------------------150 ---------------------3 ----------------------30+1 ------------------------N

Shotgun ------------8 --------------------20 ----------------------1 ----------------------5+1 -------------------------T

Shotgun, Semi ----8 ---------------------20 ----------------------3 ---------------------6+1 --------------------------T

Crossbow** --------5 ---------------------20 -----------------------1 ---------------------1 -----------------------------T

*Indicates the weapon is capable of three-round bursts, full auto, and sprays.
**The crossbow is included for characters who wish to try staking an opponent. Crossbows require five turns to reload. Unless
the crossbow is aimed at the head or heart, it inflicts bashing damage on Kindred. It inflicts lethal damage versus mortals.
Damage: Indicates the damage dice pool. Against mortals, firearms are considered lethal damage. Versus vampires, firearms are considered bashing damage unless the head is targeted, in which case the damage is considered lethal
Rate: The maximum number of bullets or three-round bursts the gun can fire in a single turn. This rate
does not apply to full-auto or spray attacks.

The Health chart on the character sheet helps you track your character’s current physical condition. It also lists the penalty imposed on your dice pool for each level of injury that your character sustains. As your character suffers more injuries, her health declines until she becomes incapacitated or dies. Every character has seven health levels, ranging from Bruised to Incapacitated. Characters can also be in full health (with no health levels checked off), in torpor, or dead. When an attacker scores a success on a damage roll, your character takes one health level of damage. This is marked on your character sheet in the appropriate box, although the mark you make depends on the type of damage inflicted. The number to the left of the lowest marked box indicates your current dice penalty. As your character gets more and more battered, it’s increasingly difficult for him to perform even the simplest of tasks. The dice penalty is subtracted from your dice pool for every action (except reflexive actions such as soak) until the wound heals. The penalty also indicates impaired movement.

Health ----------------------------------------------------------------Level Dice Pool Penalty
Bruised ---------------------------------------------------------------------------0
Hurt -----------------------------------------------------------------------------(-1)
Injured --------------------------------------------------------------------------(-1)
Wounded ------------------------------------------------------------------------(-2)
Mauled ---------------------------------------------------------------------------(-2)
Crippled --------------------------------------------------------------------------(-5)
Incapacitated-------------------------------Incapacitated vampires with no blood in their bodies enter torpor.(no action bar spending blood to heal)
(Vamp Only)Torpor -------------------------------------Character enters a deathlike trance. He may do nothing until a period of time has passed.
Final Death ---------------------------------------------------------Character is killed permanently.

Trapped within the false civility of the Camarilla and the forced camaraderie of the Sabbat, there is a hidden truth: Vampires are monsters, possessed of an inner Beast. Though, like humans, they have the capability to overrule their baser instincts, sometimes they fail. When this occurs, the Hunger and the Beast become uncontrollable, and no one is safe from their excesses. Older vampires refer to the ensuing savage fits as “succumbing to the Beast Within.” Younger Kindred refer to these outbursts simply as frenzies.

Provocation ---------------------------------Difficulty
Smell of blood (when hungry) ------------3 (or higher in extreme cases)
Sight of blood -----------------------------(when hungry) 4 (or higher in extreme cases)
Being harassed ---------------------------------4
Life-threatening situation --------------------4
Malicious taunts -------------------------------4
Physical provocation ---------------------------6
Taste of blood (when hungry) -----------------6 (or higher in extreme cases)
Loved one in danger ---------------------------7
Outright public humiliation -------------------8

Though there are few things that can kill a vampire and though many among the Damned claim to loathe their immortality — certain sources of injury frighten all vampires. Sunlight and fire can bring about a terrified flight-or-fight mentality. While under the spell of this Rötschreck, a vampire flees in blind panic from the source of her fear, frantically lashing out at anything in her way regardless of any personal attachments or affiliations. Rötschreck is in most ways similar to any other frenzy; just as the Beast sometimes seizes control in times of anger, so it does in times of great fear. Relatively innocuous stimuli, or stimuli directly under the character’s control, are unlikely to induce Rötschreck. For example, a character who sees a lit cigarette in a nightclub, or a screened-in fireplace in an ally’s home, might grow uneasy, but is unlikely to succumb to the Red Fear. If that same cigarette is pointed threateningly at the vampire, though, or the fireplace suddenly flares up… A vampire seeking to avoid Rötschreck requires a Courage roll. As with frenzy, five successes must be accumulated to ignore the Beast completely, though fewer successes enable the vampire to overcome her fear for a greater or lesser period of time. Failure means the vampire flees madly from the danger, making a beeline for safety and tearing apart anything or anyone that gets in her way. Any attempt to restrain a vampire suffering from Rötschreck results in an immediate attack, just as if the character were in frenzy. One Willpower point may be spent to maintain control for one turn. A character who is the victim of a botched Courage roll immediately frenzies and remains in a frenzy until I otherwise.
Provocation ----------------------------Difficulty
Lighting a cigarette -----------------------3
Sight of a torch ----------------------------5
Bonfire --------------------------------------6
Obscured sunlight --------------------------7
Being burned --------------------------------7
Direct sunlight ------------------------------8
Trapped in burning building ---------------9

The Architect has a sense of purpose even greater than herself. She is truly happy only when creating something of lasting value for others. People will always need things, and the Architect strives to provide at least one necessity. Inventors, pioneers, town founders, entrepreneurs, and the like are all Architect Archetypes. A Kindred Architect might seek to create new laws that affect her fellow undead, or she might aim to establish a new Anarch domain. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you establish something of importance or lasting value.

The Autocrat wants to be in charge. He seeks prominence for its own sake, not because he has an operation’s best interests at heart or because he has the best ideas (though he may certainly think so). He may genuinely believe others are incompetent, but ultimately he craves power and control. Dictators, gang leaders, bullies, corporate raiders, and their ilk are Autocrat Archetypes. A Kindred Autocrat may crave a title, or he may wish to be recognized as the leader of a coterie. Regain a point of Willpower when you achieve control over a group or organization involving other individuals.

The Bon Vivant knows that life and unlife is shallow and meaningless. As such, the Bon Vivant decides to enjoy her time on Earth. The Bon Vivant is not necessarily irresponsible. Rather, she is simply predisposed to having a good time along the way. Most Bon Vivants have low Self-Control ratings, as they are so given to excess. Hedonists, sybarites, and dilettantes are all examples of the Bon Vivant Archetype. A Kindred Bon Vivant may sire a brood of fawning childer, or he may spend his time gorging on the blood of drug abusers for the contact high. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you truly enjoy yourself and can fully express your exultation. At the Storyteller’s option, a particularly fabulous revel may yield multiple Willpower points.

The Bravo is a tough and a bully, and often takes perverse pleasure in tormenting the weak. To the Bravo’s mind, might make right. Power is what matters, and only those with power should be respected. Naturally, physical power is the best kind, but any kind will do. The Bravo sees overt threats as a perfectly reasonable means of gaining cooperation. The Bravo is not incapable of pity or kindness; he just prefers to do things his way. Robbers, bigots, and thugs are all Bravo Archetypes. A Kindred Bravo may abuse authority the system has granted him, or he may violently or otherwise force other Kindred out of his way to get what he wants. He’s almost certainly an asshole. Regain a point of Willpower any time you achieve your agenda through brutishness or intimidation. This need not be physical, as many Bravos verbally or socially cow their victims.

You are the ultimate mercenary, realizing that there is always a market to be developed anything can be a commodity. You have a keen understanding of how to manipulate both kine and Cainites into thinking that they need specific goods or services. Appearance and influence are everything when it comes to the big sale, though you’ll use anything to your advantage. Sales men, soldiers of fortune, and bootlickers all adhere to the Capitalist Archetype. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you make a successful “sale” of any commodity. Commodities need not be physical items; they may be bits of information, favors, or other intangibles.

Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on. A Caregiver takes her comfort in consoling others, and people often come to her with their problems. Vampires with Caregiver Archetypes often attempt, as best they can, to protect the mortals on whom they feed. Nurses, doctors, and psychiatrists are examples of potential Caregivers. Caregiver Kindred are often the type who tragically Embrace mortal loves they’ve left behind in hopes of softening their loss, or even those who create situations of grief in order to ease it and thus validate themselves. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you successfully protect or nurture someone else.

The Celebrant takes joy in her cause. Whether the character’s passion is battle, religion, foiling her rivals, or reading fine literature, it gives the Celebrant the strength to withstand adversity. Given the chance, the Celebrant will indulge in her passion as deeply as possible. Unlike the Fanatic, the Celebrant pursues her cause not out of duty, but out of enthusiasm. Crusaders, hippies, political activists, and art enthusiasts are Celebrant Archetypes. Celebrant Kindred may cleave to mortal ideologies that are incongruous with their new Damned conditions, or they may be the advocates of new trends and causes that move through undead society. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you pursue your cause or convert another character to the same passion. Conversely, lose a point of temporary Willpower whenever you are denied your passion or it is badly lost to you.

Independent and self-reliant, you carefully study the behaviour and mannerisms of everyone you come in contact with so you can pass yourself off as someone else later. You spend so much time altering your mannerisms and appearance that your own sire may not even recognize you. Spies, con artists, drag queens, and impostors’ best represent the Chameleon. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you fool someone into thinking you’re someone else for your own (or your pack or coterie‘s) benefit.

The Child is still immature in personality and temperament. He wants what he wants now, and often prefers someone to give it to him. Although he can typically care for himself, he would rather have someone cater to his capricious desires. Some Child Archetypes are actually innocent rather than immature, ignorant of the cold ways of the real world. Actual children, spoiled individuals, and some drug abusers are Child Archetypes. Kindred with the Child Archetype might have not yet fully reached an understanding of the world and have some characteristic such as cruelty, entitlement, sympathy, or hunger that is out of balance with their other personality aspects, as they haven’t yet reached the “rounded” state of adulthood. Note that a Child Archetype need not be a physical, literal child at the time of Embrace. Some people simply never grow up. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you manage to convince someone to help you with no gain to herself, or to nurture you.

The Competitor takes great excitement in the pursuit of victory. To the Competitor, every task is a new challenge to meet and a new contest to win. Indeed, the Competitor sees all interactions as some sort of opportunity for her to be the best the best leader, the most productive, the most valuable, or whatever. Corporate raiders, professional athletes, and impassioned researchers are all examples of Competitor Archetypes. Kindred Competitors have any number of resources and accomplishments over which to assert themselves, from mortal herds and creature comforts to titles and prestige in Kindred society. Regain one point of Willpower whenever you succeed at a test or challenge. Note that a test or challenge is more than just a dice roll; it’s an entire dramatic situation. Especially difficult victories may, at the Storyteller’s discretion, allow you to regain multiple Willpower points.

The Conformist is a follower, taking another’s lead and finding security in the decisions of others. She prefers not to take charge, instead seeking to throw in with the rest of the group and lend her own unique aid. The Conformist is drawn to the most dynamic personality or the individual she perceives to be the “best.” Being a Conformist is not necessarily a bad thing every group needs followers to lend stability to their causes. Groupies, party voters, and “the masses” are Conformist Archetypes. Conformist Kindred can take many forms, from the ardent Sabbat pack member, to the Kindred who follow the Clan-first agenda, to the trusted supporters of a titled vampire or rising star. Regain a point of Willpower whenever the group or your supported leader achieves a goal due to your support.

Why work for something when you can trick somebody else into getting it for you? The Conniver always tries to find the easy way, the fast track to success and wealth. Some people call him a thief, a swindler, or less pleasant terms, but he knows that everybody in the world would do unto him if they could. He just does it first, and better. Criminals, con artists, salespeople, urchins, and entrepreneurs might be Connivers. Some would argue that all Kindred are Connivers in some sense, but those that have the Conniver archetype may be abusive to their childer and ghouls, or they may be more persuasive in gaining support for their machinations. — Regain a point of Willpower whenever you trick someone into doing something for you, or when you convince someone to help you against their own best interests.

You strive to shock and disgust those around you with gratuitous acts and ostentatiously “evil” mannerisms. You realize, of course, that it’s all show and merely a way to intimidate and control others. Outsiders, on the other hand, think you are the Devil incarnate, and you revel in this image. Shock-rockers, rebellious teenagers, circus freaks, and the attention-starved exemplify the Creep Show Archetype. Regain a point of Willpower whenever someone recoils from you in horror or otherwise reacts in fear.

A Curmudgeon is bitter and cynical, finding flaws in everything and seeing little humour in life or unlife. He is often fatalistic or pessimistic, and has very little esteem for others. To the Curmudgeon, the glass is never more than half-full, though it may be damn near empty when other people are involved. Many Internet junkies, pop-culture fans, and Generation Xers are Curmudgeons. Kindred Curmudgeons see elder oppression or spoiled neonates running amok behind every development in undead society, and may or may not rise beyond acerbic grumbling to change any problems they perceive. Regain a point of Willpower whenever someone does something specific and negative, just like you said they would. You must predict and quantify this failure aloud, such as by warning, “The Prince is going to fuck us on this one,” or “Just watch that Malkavian’s ghoul is going to do something really reckless.” You may simply whisper your prophecy of grief to the Storyteller if you wish, instead of announcing it to the whole troupe.

The Dabbler is interested in everything but focuses on nothing. He flies from idea to idea, passion to passion, and project to project without actually finishing anything. Others may get swept up in the Dabbler’s enthusiasm, and be left high and dry when he moves on to something else without warning. Most Dabblers have high Intelligence, Charisma, and Manipulation ratings, but not much in the way of Wits or Stamina. Toreadors are often Dabblers, particularly those afflicted with the derisive sobriquet “Poseurs.” — Regain Willpower whenever you find a new enthusiasm and drop your old one completely.

The Deviant is a freak, ostracized from society by unique tastes or beliefs that place her outside the mainstream. Deviants are not indolent rebels or shiftless “unrecognized geniuses”; rather, they are independent thinkers who don’t quite fit in the status quo. Deviant Archetypes often feel that the world stands against them, and as such reject traditional morality. Some have bizarre tastes, preferences, and ideologies. Extremists, eccentric celebrities, and straight-up weirdoes are Deviant Archetypes. Kindred deviants may observe heretical or outlawed habits like diablerie or deference to elders, and they may well go Anarch or Autarkis instead of having to constantly defend their subversion of Traditions or Sect customs. Regain a point of Willpower any time you are able to flout social mores without retribution.

To the Director, nothing is worse than chaos and disorder. The Director seeks to be in charge, adopting a “my way or the highway” attitude on matters of decision-making. The Director is more concerned with bringing order out of strife, however, and need not be truly “in control” of a group to guide it. Coaches, teachers, and many political figures exemplify the Director Archetype. Kindred Directors may be simple advocates of established codes, or they may prove instrumental in tearing down corrupt existing orders to make way for new leaders or factional movements. Regain a point of Willpower when you influence or aid a group or influential individual in the completion of a difficult task.

Your actions are bizarre, puzzling, and inexplicable to everyone except yourself. Your strangeness may be a residual effect from your Embrace, or the most effective way for you to carry out your work. To the rest of the world, however, your erratic actions suggest that you’re eccentric if not completely crazy. Conspiracy theorists, deep-cover agents, and Jyhad fanatics all live up to the Enigma Archetype Regain a point of Willpower whenever someone is completely perplexed or baffled by one of your actions that later turns out to be a fruitful endeavor

Despite your calm appearance, chaos and havoc seems to follow you. From burning cities to emotional upheaval, death and destruction circle you like albatrosses. For you, unlife is a never-ending trial with uncertainty around every corner. Gang leaders, political figures, and other influential individuals exemplify the Eye of the Storm Archetype. Regain a point of Willpower whenever a ruckus, riot, or less violent but equally chaotic phenomenon occurs around you.

The Fanatic has a purpose, and that purpose consumes his existence. The Fanatic pours himself into his cause, and he may even feel guilty for undertaking any objective that deviates from his higher goal. To the Fanatic, the end justifies the means — the cause is more important than those who serve it. Players who choose Fanatic Archetypes must select a cause for their character to further. Revolutionaries, zealots, and sincere firebrands are all examples of Fanatic Archetypes. Kindred Fanatics are often champions for or against a particular aspect of undead society, such as equality among all vampires, the extermination of Anarchs, or stamping infernalism out of the Sword of Caine. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you accomplish some task that directly relates to your cause.

Gallants are flamboyant souls, always seeking attention and the chance to be the brightest star. Gallants seek the company of others, if only to earn their adoration. Attention drives the Gallant, and the chase is often as important as its end. Nothing excites a Gallant so much as a new audience to woo. Performers, only children, and those with low self-esteem often embody the Gallant Archetype. Kindred Gallants may be Harpies, or they may have enormous herds of doting thralls. — Regain a Willpower point whenever you successfully impress another person. Ultimately, the Storyteller is the arbiter of how much you dazzle someone, even in the case of other players’ characters.

Your enlightenment draws others to you. You may be a mentor of a particular Path of Enlightenment, a priest with the Church, or merely an idealist. Whatever the case, your presence motivates and moves others to engage in spiritual or ideological pursuits. Your peers view you as calm, centred, and “with it,” even when you are preaching violence as a means to an end. Cult leaders, Zen masters, and Pack Priests are examples of Gurus. Regain a point of Willpower whenever someone seeks out your help in spiritual matters and your guidance moves that individual to an enlightened action that he normally would not have taken. Also, regain a point of Willpower whenever you achieve an epiphany that relates to your personal philosophy.

The Idealist believes; truly, madly, and deeply in some higher goal or morality. The object of his idealism may be something as pragmatic as the Camarilla’s eventual triumph or as amorphous as the ultimate good, but the belief is there. Idealists are frequently either very new to the Blood or very old, and many seek Golconda as the final expression of their idealism. In the meantime, an Idealist tries to reconcile his beliefs with the demands of vampiric existence, often acting contrary to his self-interest in doing so. Regain a point of Willpower any time an action in pursuit of your ideals furthers your goals and brings your ideal closer to fruition.

The Judge perpetually seeks to improve the system. A Judge takes pleasure in her rational nature and ability to draw the right conclusion when presented with facts. The Judge Respects justice, as it is the most efficient model for resolving issues. Judges, while they pursue the “streamlining” of problems, are rarely visionary, as they prefer proven models to insight. Engineers, lawyers, and doctors are often Judge Archetypes. Kindred Judges might gravitate toward enforcement roles in local society, or they might be a voice of reason in an otherwise radical coterie. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you correctly solve a problem by considering the evidence presented, or when one of your arguments unites dissenting parties.

Even in a crowd the Loner sticks out, because he so obviously does not belong. Others view Loners as pariahs, remote, and isolated, but in truth the Loner prefers his own company to that of others. For whatever reason, the Loner simply disdains others, and this feeling is often reciprocated. Criminals, radicals, and free thinkers are all Loner Archetypes. Kindred Loners often hail from one of the rugged individualist Clans like the Gangrel or Ravnos, and they have a proclivity for ending up Autarkis by dint of not giving a shit what some up-his-own-ass Prince or Archbishop says is a law. Regain a point of Willpower when you accomplish something by yourself, yet which still benefits the coterie in some way.

The Martyr suffers for his cause, enduring his trials out of the belief that his discomfort will ultimately improve others’ lot. Some Martyrs simply want the attention or sympathy their ordeals engender, while others are sincere in their cause, greeting their opposition with unfaltering faith. Many revolutionaries, staunch idealists, and outcasts are Martyr Archetypes. Kindred Martyrs are often associated with reform movements among Kindred society, but rarely as figureheads and they need not necessarily be on the pro-reform side of the issue. Regain a point of Willpower when you suffer some amount of damage or loss of a definable

The Masochist exists to test his limits, to see how much pain he can tolerate before he collapses. He gains satisfaction in humiliation, suffering, denial, and even physical pain. The Masochist defines who he is by his capacity to feel discomfort he rises each night only to greet a new pain. Certain extreme athletes, urban tribalists, and the clinically depressed exemplify the Masochist Archetype. Kindred Masochists might be overtly self-mortifying horrors who play to their Beast’s self-destructive whims, or they may be ambitious taskmasters, as with a coterie leader who refuses to accept failure and pushes his own limits in his exacting schemes. Regain one point of Willpower when your own suffering leads to some tangible gain for you and two points of Willpower whenever you experience pain in a truly unique way.

The Monster knows she is a creature of darkness and acts like it. Evil and suffering are the Monster’s tools, and she uses them wherever she goes. No villainy is below her, no hurt goes uninflicted, and no lie remains untold. The Monster does not commit evil for its own sake, but rather as a means to understand what she has become. Unstable individuals, those who have been greatly wronged or harmed, and those defined as sociopaths may come to display characteristics of the Monster Archetype. Kindred Monsters include many Sabbats, degenerate Kindred elders, and those who never adjust properly to what they have become after the Embrace. Malignant deeds reinforce the Monster’s sense of purpose. Monster characters should pick a specific atrocity, regaining Willpower whenever they indulge that urge. For example, a tempter regains Willpower for luring someone into wickedness, while an apostate earns back Willpower for causing another to doubt her faith. Pick a destiny and fulfil it. Storytellers, be careful with how you reward this Archetype. For example, a player who chooses violence as an atrocity shouldn’t recoup Willpower in every combat, but perhaps only in those that involve wanton destruction, or even cause degeneration checks due to their gruesomeness. Monster is a difficult Archetype for which to offer rewards, and those rewards should come as a result of the character challenging his own descent into the Beast, not rampaging ungovernably because he gains an ever refreshing pool of bonus dice.

The Pedagogue knows it all, and desperately wants to inform others. Whether through a sense of purpose or a genuine desire to help others, the Pedagogue makes sure his message is heard — at length, if necessary. Pedagogue Archetypes may range from well-meaning mentors to verbose blowhards who love to hear themselves talk. Instructors, the over educated, and “veterans of their field” are all examples of Pedagogue Archetypes. Kindred Pedagogues include watchdogs of the Traditions, ideological Anarchs, and perhaps even that rare soul seeking Golconda who wants company on the journey. Regain one point of Willpower whenever you see or learn of someone who has

The Penitent exists to atone for the grave sin she commits simply by being who she is. Penitents have either low self-esteem or traumatic past experiences, and feel compelled to “make up” for inflicting themselves upon the world. Penitent Archetypes are not always religious in outlook; some truly want to scourge the world of the grief they bring to it. Repentant sinners, persons with low self-esteem, and remorseful criminals are examples of the Penitent Archetype. Penitent Kindred include those who scourge themselves of the Beast like medieval monks, vampires who stand up for the rights of mortals, and those who subsist entirely on the vitae of animals. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you feel that you have achieved absolution for a given grievance. This redemption should be of the same magnitude as the transgression the greater the crime, the greater the penance. The Storyteller is the ultimate arbiter of what constitutes a reasonable act of reparation.

Perfectionist Archetypes demand flawless execution. A half-hearted job gives the Perfectionist no satisfaction, and she expects the same degree of commitment and attention to detail from others that she demands from herself. Although the Perfectionist may be exacting, the achievement of the end goal drives her, and often those for whom she is responsible. Prima donnas, artists, and architects exemplify the Perfectionist Archetype. A Perfectionist Kindred might be a zealous Sabbat member who expects more than his pack can consistently deliver, or she may be a moralist who sometimes applies her own high standards of Humanity to others in her coterie. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you accomplish your goal without any demonstrable flaw or impediment, and regain a Willpower point whenever you motivate another character to succeed as a result of your own shining example.

The Rebel is a malcontent, never satisfied with the status quo or the system as it is. He hates the very idea of authority and does everything in his power to challenge and undermine it. Perhaps the Rebel truly believes in his ideals, but it is just as likely that he bears authority figures some ill will over a “wrong” done to him in the past. A Rebel may hate institutions categorically, or she may be consumed with opposition toward a single particular authority. Teenagers, insurrectionists, and nonconformists all exemplify the Rebel Archetype. Rebel Kindred certainly include the Sabbat, Anarchs, and temperamental Brujah, but also have room for Tremere who chafe at the rigid Clan hierarchy or neonates who deplore their sires. Regain a point of Willpower whenever your actions adversely affect your chosen opposition. Rebels may oppose the government, the Church, a vampire Prince, or any other holder of authority. The player should choose whom or what his character rebels against when he adopts this Archetype. Storytellers should take rebellion against “all authority” with a grain of salt, and apply the Willpower reward for such a broad concept to only greater and greater actions of insurgency.

Only one thing matters to the Rogue: herself. To each his own, and if others cannot protect their claims, they have no right to them. The Rogue is not necessarily a thug or bully, however. She simply refuses to succumb to the whims of others. Rogues almost universally possess a sense of self-sufficiency. They have their own best interests in mind at all times. Prostitutes, capitalists, and criminals all embody the Rogue Archetype. Kindred Rogues include diablerists, Autarkis, and a Primogen who puts his Clan’s opportunities before the supremacy of the Kindred as a whole. Regain a point of Willpower when your self-centred disposition leads you to profit, materially or otherwise. At the Storyteller’s discretion, accumulating gain without exposing your own weaknesses may let you regain two points of Willpower. As well, you may regain a point of Willpower when your efforts benefit the group to which you belong when that benefit comes at the expense of another group.

You exist to inflict pain and suffering upon others. Killing is too easy; torture is the best way to truly harm a person, and you seek the slowest, most painful means to push others to the ultimate limits. Pain others’ pain gives you immense pleasure. Drill sergeants, jilted ex-lovers, and some of the terminally deranged may all embody the Sadist Archetype at one time or another; sadism is rare enough to appear only in aberrant cases, rather than reliably in any type or class of person. Regain a point of Willpower whenever you inflict pain upon someone for no reason other than your own pleasure.

To a Scientist, existence is a puzzle which she can help to reassemble. A Scientist logically and methodically examines her every situation and maneuver, looking for logical outcomes and patterns. This is not to say that the Scientist is always looking for a scientific or rational explanation, but rather she examines her surroundings rigorously and with a critical eye. The system a Scientist attempts to impose on the world may be completely ludicrous, but it is a system, and she sticks by it. Regain Willpower any time a logical, systematic approach to a problem helps you solve it, or information gathered logically is of use in another, similar situation.

All inferior beings both living and undead should be exterminated in order to bring about a harmonious existence. You likely feel no remorse when you kill (depending upon your Humanity or Path). On the contrary, you are doing a glorious deed for society. Some vampires are critical of your violent nature, but you sometimes manage to sway them with arguments like, “Darwin would agree that I’m only helping nature along!” and, “Only the strongest shall survive!” Regain Willpower whenever you are the greatest contributor to a body count after everything has settled down. This count includes times when you are the only killer, and it needs not result from a massive combat like killing every member of a movie audience or gunning down defenseless patrons in a bank robbery.

The Soldier is not a blindly loyal follower. While she exists for orders, she does not adhere to them unquestioningly. More independent than a Conformist but too tied into the idea of command to be a Loner, the Soldier applies her own techniques to others’ goals. While she may seek command herself someday, her ambitions lie within the established hierarchy and structure. The Soldier has no compunctions about using whatever means necessary to do what needs to be done, so long as the orders to do so came from the right place. Regain a point of Willpower when you achieve your orders’ objectives. The more difficult the orders are to fulfil, the better it feels to accomplish them. At Storyteller discretion, pulling off a spectacular success or fulfilling a lengthy mission may well be worth additional Willpower points.

No matter what happens, no matter the odds or opposition, the Survivor always manages to pull through. Whether alone or with a group, the Survivor’s utter refusal to accept defeat often makes the difference between success and failure. Survivors are frustrated by others’ acceptance of “what fate has in store” or willingness to withstand less than what they can achieve. Outcasts, street folk, and idealists may well be Survivor Archetypes. A Kindred Survivor might be a renegade under a Prince’s edict of Blood Hunt, an erstwhile Bishop forced from power, or a lowly Nosferatu who finds himself kicked from hunting ground to hunting ground with no acknowledged claim of domain. Regain one point of Willpower whenever you survive a threatening situation through tenacity, or when your counsel causes someone else to persist in spite of opposition.

The Thrill-Seeker lives for the rush of danger. Unlike those of arguably saner disposition, the Thrill- Seeker actively pursues hazardous and possibly deadly situations. The Thrill-Seeker is not consciously suicidal or self-destructive he simply seeks the stimulation of imminent disaster. Gangbangers, petty thieves, and exhibitionists are all examples of the Thrill-Seeker Archetype. Kindred Thrill-Seekers might habitually break the Masquerade just to see if they’ll get caught, they might maintain contacts in a rival Clan or Sect, or they might actively plot a Prince’s overthrow just to see if they can pull it off. Regain a point of Willpower any time you succeed at a dangerous task that you have deliberately undertaken. Thrill-Seekers are not stupid, however, and the Storyteller may choose not to reward a player who heedlessly sends her character into danger for the sole intent of harvesting Willpower.

The orthodox ways satisfy the Traditionalist, who prefers to accomplish her goals with time-tested methods. Why vary your course when what has worked in the past is good enough? The Traditionalist finds the status quo acceptable, even preferable, to a change that might yield unpredictable results. Conservatives, judges, and authority figures are all examples of Traditionalist Archetypes. Traditionalist Kindred unsurprisingly look to the Traditions as a behaviour model, though a few Anarchs and elders may espouse a “traditionalism” that predates both Camarilla and Sabbat. — Regain a point of Willpower any time the proven ways turn out to be the best. Also, regain a point of Willpower any time you adhere to one of your previously espoused positions and it proves to be a wise course of action.

The Trickster finds the absurd in everything. No matter how grim life (or unlife) may become, the Trickster always uncovers a kernel of humour within it. Tricksters cannot abide sorrow or pain, and so they strive to lighten the spirits of those around them. Some Tricksters have even higher ideals, challenging static dogma by exposing its failures in humorous ways. Comedians, satirists, and social critics are examples of Trickster Archetypes. Kindred Tricksters may call attention to the flaws in a leader’s policy, they may be glib-tongued devil’s advocates who question the Traditions or ritae of their Sect, or they may simply have an acute sense of the ironies of a world that makes vampiric predator and mortal prey almost indistinguishable physically. Regain a point of Willpower any time you manage to lift others’ spirits, especially if you are able to assuage your own pain in the process.

The Visionary is strong enough to look beyond the mundane and perceive the truly wondrous. Visionaries test accepted societal limits, and seek what few others have the courage to imagine. The Visionary rarely finds satisfaction in what society has to offer; she prefers to encourage society to offer what it could instead of what it does. Typically, society responds poorly to Visionaries, though it is they who are responsible for bringing about progress and change. Philosophers, inventors, and the most inspired artists often have Visionary Natures. Kindred Visionaries may want to plunge all mortals into vampiric thrall, they may adapt technologies that other, more static Kindred fear or overlook, or they may have a “better way” to coexist with other vampires than all of this Prince-and-Regent nonsense. — Regain a point of Willpower each time you are able to convince others to have faith in your dreams and follow the course of action dictated by your vision. Note that gaining support is the key to a Visionary regaining Willpower. Success need not come to a Visionary, at least not with every step in changing the structures in question. Her greatest successes may indeed come after her Final Death.

Self-Control defines a character’s discipline and mastery over the Beast. Characters with high Self-Control rarely succumb to emotional urges, and are thus able to restrain their darker sides more readily than characters with low Self-Control. Self-Control comes into play when a character faces her Beast in the form of frenzy. Self-Control allows the character to resist the frenzy. Note: A character may never roll more dice to resist or control a frenzy than she has in her blood pool — it’s hard to deny the Beast when one’s mind clouds with hunger. As with Conscience, Self-Control can be replaced, in this case by the Virtue of Instinct. Again, unless the Storyteller specifically says it’s all right to do so, assume Self-Control is used.
• Unstable
•• Normal
••• Temperate
•••• Hardened
••••• Total self-mastery

All characters have a Courage Trait, regardless of the Path they follow. Courage is the quality that allows characters to stand in the face of fear or daunting adversity. It is bravery, mettle, and stoicism combined. A character with high Courage meets her fears head-on, while a character of lesser Courage may flee in terror. Kindred use the Courage Virtue when faced with circumstances they endemically dread: fire, sunlight, True Faith.
• Timid
•• Normal
••• Bold
•••• Resolute
••••• Heroic

Conscience is a Trait that allows characters to evaluate their conduct with relation to what is “right” and “wrong.” A character’s moral judgment with Conscience stems from her attitude and outlook. Conscience is what prevents a vampire from succumbing to the Beast, by defining the Beast’s urges as unacceptable. Conscience factors into the difficulty of many rolls to avoid committing a transgression. Additionally, Conscience determines whether or not a character loses Humanity by committing acts that do not uphold her moral code (see “Degeneration,” p. 309). A character with a high Conscience rating feels remorse for transgressions, while a character with a lower Conscience may be more callous or ethically lax. Some vampires replace the Conscience Virtue with the Virtue of Conviction (p. 314); unless your Storyteller tells you it’s OK to do this, assume Conscience is used.
• Uncaring
•• Normal
••• Ethical
•••• Righteous
••••• Remorseful

Willpower measures a character’s inner drive and competence at overcoming unfavorable odds. Unlike other Traits, Willpower has both a permanent rating and a temporary pool of points. The rating is rolled or tested, while the pool is spent. When a player spends a point of a character’s Willpower, she should cross off the point from the Willpower pool (the squares), not the Willpower rating (the circles). The rating stays constant — if a character needs to roll Willpower for some reason, she bases the roll on the permanent rating. The pool is used up during the story. A character’s Willpower pool will likely fluctuate a great deal during the course of a story or chronicle. It decreases by one point every time a player uses a Willpower point to enable his character to do something extraordinary, like maintain self-control or gain an automatic success. Eventually, the character will have no Willpower left, and will no longer be able to exert the effort he once could. A character with no Willpower pool is exhausted mentally, physically, and spiritually, and will have great difficulty doing anything, as he can no longer muster the energy to undertake an action or cause. Willpower points can be regained during the course of a story, though players are advised to be frugal with their characters’ Willpower pools. The Willpower Trait is measured on a 1-10 scale rather than a 1-5 scale. At character creation, a character’s Willpower is equal to his Courage Virtue.
• Spineless
•• Weak
••• Unassertive
•••• Diffident
••••• Certain
••••• • Confident
••••• •• Determined
••••• ••• Controlled
••••• •••• Iron-willed
••••• ••••• Unshakable

Allies are mortals who support and help you — family, friends, or even a mortal organization that owes you some loyalty. Although allies aid you willingly, without coaxing or coercion, they are not always available to offer assistance; they have their own concerns and can do only so much for the sake of your relationship. However, they might have some useful Background Traits of their own, and could provide you with indirect access to their contacts, influence, or resources. Allies are typically persons of influence and power in your home city. They can be of almost any sort(Subject to my approval). You may have friends in the precinct morgue, at a prominent blog, among the high society of local celebrities, or at a construction site. Your Allies might be a clan of nomads who move their mobile home camp around the area, or they might be a family of generations of police officers. You may even count the mayor himself among your friends, depending on how many dots you spend on this Trait. Your Allies are generally trustworthy (though they probably don’t know that you’re a vampire, or even that vampires exist). However, nothing comes for free. If you wind up drawing favors from your friend in the Cosa Nostra, he’ll probably ask you to do him a favor in kind in the future. Leave a note in the Mythweaver sheet under friends/contacts about who they are)
• One ally of moderate influence and power
•• Two allies, both of moderate power
••• Three allies, one of whom is quite influential
•••• Four allies, one of whom is very influential
••••• Five allies, one of whom is extremely influential

You maintain an alternate identity, complete with papers, birth certificates, or any other documentation you desire. Only a few may know your real name or identity. Your alternate persona may be highly involved in organized crime, a member of the opposite Sect, a con artist who uses alternate identities for her game, or you may simply gather information about the enemy. Indeed, some vampires may know you as one individual while others believe you to be someone else entirely. Make note on Mythweaver sheet of what your Alternate identity is in the other note box)
• You are new at this identity game. Sometimes you slip and forget your other persona.
•• You are well grounded in your alternate identity. You are convincing enough to play the part of a doctor, lawyer, funeral salesman, drug-smuggler, or a capable spy.
••• You have a fair reputation as your alternate persona and get name recognition in the area where you have infiltrated.
•••• Your alternate identity has respect and trust within your area of infiltration.
••••• You command respect in your area of infiltration, and you may even have accumulated a bit of influence. You have the trust (or at least the recognition) of many powerful individuals within your area.

This Background is for Sabbat characters only. You are a member of the feared Black Hand, the body of soldiers and assassins that serves the Sabbat fervently. Having this Background indicates that you are a full-fledged member of the organization, and you have all the responsibilities and benefits that accompany membership. You may call upon members of the Black Hand to aid you, should you ever need it. Of course, this ability is a two-way street, and other Hand members may call upon you to aid them. Thus, you may find yourself assigned to perform assassinations, lend martial aid, or even further the political ends of the Hand as a diplomat or spy. You may also be required to attend crusades that take you away from your pack. All members of the Black Hand must heed the call of another Hand member, especially the superiors of the faction. Being a member of the Black Hand is a prestigious matter, and other members of the Sabbat respect the organization. When dealing with other Sabbat, should you choose to reveal your affiliation with the Hand, you may add your rating in this Background to any Social dice pools, even after Status or other Abilities have been taken into account. Most Hand members, however, choose not to reveal their allegiance. The Black Hand is also remarkably adept at hunting down Sabbat who claim membership in the Sect but do not truly belong — liars, beware.
• You are a grunt; you may call upon one Black Hand member once per story. (make note in Allies/friends section on MW sheet)
•• You are known and respected in the Black Hand; you may call upon two Black Hand members once per story.
••• You are held in the Black Hand’s regard; you may call upon five Black Hand members once per story.
•••• You are a hero among members of the Black Hand; you may call upon seven Black Hand members twice per story (but you’d better have just cause — if it seems you’re becoming soft, you may lose points in this Background). You may also lead large numbers of Hand members into action should it ever become necessary.
••••• You are part of Black Hand legend; you may call upon 12 Black Hand members twice per story (but see the preceding caution). You may also lead large numbers of Hand members into action should it ever become necessary. The Seraphim may even seek your counsel on matters of import.

You know people all over the city. When you start making phone calls around your network, the amount of information you can dig up is impressive. Rather than friends you can rely on to help you, like Allies, Contacts are largely people whom you can bribe, manipulate, or coerce into offering information. You also have a few major Contacts — associates who can give you accurate information in their fields of expertise. You should describe each major contact in some detail before the game begins. In addition to your major contacts, you also have a number of minor contacts spread throughout the city. Your major contact might be in the district attorney’s office, while your minor contacts might include beat cops, DMV clerks, club bouncers, or members of an online social network. You don’t need to detail these various “passing acquaintances” before play. Instead, to successfully get in touch with a minor contact, you should roll your Contacts rating (difficulty 7). You can reach one minor contact for each success. Of course, you still have to convince them to give you the information you need, assuming they can get it. Note in MW sheet under contacts/friends)
• One major contact
•• Two major contacts
••• Three major contacts
•••• Four major contacts
••••• Five major contacts

This Background represents your Generation: the purity of your blood, and your proximity to the First Vampire. A high Generation rating may represent a powerful sire or a decidedly dangerous taste for diablerie. If you don’t take any dots in this Trait, you begin play as a Thirteenth Generation vampire.
• Twelfth Generation: 11 blood pool, can spend 1 blood point per turn
•• Eleventh Generation: 12 blood pool, can spend 1 blood point per turn
••• Tenth Generation: 13 blood pool, can spend 1 blood point per turn
•••• Ninth Generation: 14 blood pool, can spend 2 blood points per turn
••••• Eighth Generation: 15 blood pool, can spend 3 blood points per turn

You have built a group of mortals from whom you can feed without fear. A herd may take many forms, from circles of kinky clubgoers to actual cults built around you as a god-figure. In addition to providing nourishment, your herd might come in handy for minor tasks, though they are typically not very controllable, closely connected to you, or particularly skilled (for more effective pawns, purchase Allies or Retainers). Your Herd rating adds dice to your rolls for hunting.
• Three vessels
•• Seven vessels
••• 15 vessels
•••• 30 vessels
••••• 60 vessels

This Trait represents a Kindred or group of Kindred who looks out for you, offering guidance or aid once in a while. A mentor may be powerful, but his power need not be direct. Depending on the number of dots in this Background, your mentor might be nothing more than a vampire with a remarkable information network, or might be a centuries-old creature with tremendous influence and supernatural power. He may offer advice, speak to the Prince or Archbishop on your behalf, steer other elders clear of you, or warn you when you’re walking into situations you don’t understand. Most often your mentor is your sire, but it could well be any Cainite with an interest in your wellbeing. A high Mentor rating could even represent a group of like-minded vampires, such as the elders of the city’s Tremere chantry or a Black Hand cell. Bear in mind that this Trait isn’t a “Get out of Jail Free” card. Your mentor won’t necessarily arrive like the cavalry whenever you’re endangered (and if she does, you’re likely to lose a dot or more in this Background after rousing her ire). What’s more, she might occasionally expect something in return for her patronage, which can lead to a number of interesting stories. A mentor typically remains aloof, giving you useful information or advice out of camaraderie, but will abandon you without a thought if you prove an unworthy or troublesome protégé. Note In Contacts/Friends on MW Sheet
• Mentor is an ancilla of little influence, or a Ductus or Pack Priest.
•• Mentor is respected: an elder or highly-decorated veteran, for instance.
••• Mentor is heavily influential, such as a member of the Primogen or a Bishop.
•••• Mentor has a great deal of power over the city: a Prince or Archbishop, for example.
••••• Mentor is extraordinarily powerful, perhaps even a Justicar or Cardinal.

Not precisely Allies or Contacts, your retainers are servants, assistants, or other people who are your loyal and steadfast companions. Many vampires’ servants are ghouls, their supernatural powers and blood bond-enforced loyalty make them the servants of choice. Retainers may also be people whom you’ve repeatedly Dominated until they have no free will left, or followers so enthralled with your Presence that their loyalty borders on blind fanaticism. Some vampires, particularly those with the Animalism Discipline, use animal ghouls as retainers. You must maintain some control over your retainers, whether through a salary, the gift of your vitae, or the use of Disciplines. Retainers are never “blindly loyal no matter what” — if you treat them poorly without exercising strict control, they might well turn on you. Retainers may be useful, but they should never be flawless. A physically powerful ghoul might be rebellious, inconveniently dull-witted, or lacking in practical skills. A loyal manservant might be physically weak or possess no real personal initiative or creativity. This Background isn’t an excuse to craft an unstoppable bodyguard or pet assassin — it’s a method to bring more fully-developed characters into the chronicle, as well as to reflect the followers for which the Kindred are notorious. Generally, retainers are more like Renfield than Anita Blake. (If the player and Storyteller agree, a player may create a more competent single Retainer by combining more points in this Background, putting more eggs in one basket, as the saying goes.) Note in MW sheet
• One retainer
•• Two retainers
••• Three retainers
•••• Four retainers
••••• Five retainers

This Background is for Sabbat characters only. You know the ritae and rituals of the Sabbat, and you can enact many of them. This Background is vital to being a Pack Priest — without this Background, ritae will not function. This Background is actually a supernatural investment, drawing on the magic of the eldest Tzimisce sorcerers. Sabbat vampires who are not their pack‘s priests should have an outstanding reason for acquiring this Background, as Pack Priests are loath to share their secrets with more secular members of the Sect.
• You know a few of the auctoritas ritae (your choice).
•• You know some of the auctoritas ritae (your choice) and a few ignoblis ritae (your choice).
••• You know all of the auctoritas ritae and some ignoblis ritae (your choice). Also, you may create your own ignoblis ritae, given enough time (consult your Storyteller for development time and game effects).
•••• You know all the auctoritas ritae and many ignoblis ritae (your choice). You may create your own ignoblis ritae, given enough time (consult your Storyteller for development time and game effects). You are also familiar with the functions of numerous regional and pack-specific ignoblis ritae, even if you cannot perform them.
••••• You know all the auctoritas ritae and dozens of ignoblis ritae (your choice). You may create your own ignoblis ritae, given enough time (consult me for development time and game effects). You are also familiar with the functions of almost all regional and pack-specific ignoblis ritae, even if you cannot perform them; if it’s been written down or passed around in lore, you’ve heard of it.

Resources are valuable goods whose disposition your character controls. These assets may be actual cash, but as this Background increases, they’re more likely to be investments, property, or earning capital of some sort — land, industrial assets, stocks and bonds, commercial inventories, criminal infrastructure, contraband, even taxes or tithes. Remember that vampires don’t need to arrange for any food except blood and their actual needs (as opposed to wants) for shelter are very easily accommodated. Resources for vampires go mostly to pay for luxuries and the associated expenses of developing and maintaining Status, Influence, and other Backgrounds. A character with no dots in Resources may have enough clothing and supplies to get by, or she may be destitute and squatting in a refrigerator box under an overpass. You receive a basic allowance each month based on your rating, so be certain to detail exactly where this money comes from, be it a job, trust fund or dividends. (Storytellers, decide for your locality and any relevant time period what an appropriate amount of cash this monthly allowance is.) After all, a Kindred’s fortune may well run out over the course of the chronicle, depending on how well he maintains it. You can also sell your less liquid resources if you need the cash, but this can take weeks or even months, depending on what exactly you’re trying to sell. Art buyers don’t just pop out of the woodwork.
• Sufficient. You can maintain a typical residence in the style of the working class with stability, even if spending sprees come seldom.
•• Moderate. You can display yourself as a member in good standing of the middle class, with the occasional gift and indulgence seemly for a person of even higher station. You can maintain a servant or hire specific help as necessary. A fraction of your resources are available in cash, readily portable property (like jewelry or furniture), and other valuables (such as a car or modest home) that let you maintain a standard of living at the one-dot level wherever you happen to be, for up to six months.
••• Comfortable. You are a prominent and established member of your community, with land and an owned dwelling, and you have a reputation that lets you draw on credit at very generous terms. You likely have more tied up in equity and property than you do in ready cash. You can maintain a one-dot quality of existence wherever you are without difficulty, for as long as you choose.
•••• Wealthy. You rarely touch cash, as most of your assets exist in tangible forms that are themselves more valuable and stable than paper money. You hold more wealth than many of your local peers (if they can be called such a thing). When earning your Resources doesn’t enjoy your usual degree of attention, you can maintain a three-dot existence for up to a year, and a two dot existence indefinitely.
••••• Extremely Wealthy. You are the model to which others strive to achieve, at least in the popular mind. Television shows, magazine spreads, and gossip websites speculate about your clothing, the appointments of your numerous homes, and the luxury of your modes of transportation. You have vast and widely distributed assets, perhaps tied to the fates of nations, each with huge staffs and connections to every level of society through a region. You travel with a minimum of three-dot comforts, more with a little effort. Corporations and governments sometimes come to you to buy into stocks or bond programs.

You enjoy widespread recognition in mortal society, perhaps as an entertainer, writer, or athlete. People may enjoy just being seen with you. This gives you all manner of privileges when moving in mortal society, but can also attract an unwanted amount of attention now that you’re no longer alive. The greatest weapon fame has to offer is the ability to sway public opinion — as modern media constantly proves. Fame isn’t always tied to entertainment: A heinous criminal in a high-profile trial probably has a certain amount of fame, as do a lawmaker and a scientist who has made a popularized discovery. This Background is obviously a mixed blessing. You can certainly enjoy the privileges of your prestige getting the best seats, being invited to events you’d otherwise miss, getting appointments with the elite but you’re sometimes recognized when you’d rather not be. However, your enemies can’t just make you disappear without causing an undue stir, and you find it much easier to hunt in populated areas as people flock to you (reduce the difficulties of hunting rolls by one for each dot in Fame). Additionally, your Storyteller might permit you to reduce difficulties of certain Social rolls against particularly star-struck or impressionable people.
• You’re known to a select subculture local club-goers, industry bloggers, or the Park Avenue set, for instance.
•• Random people start to recognize your face; you’re a minor celebrity such as a small-time criminal or a local news anchor.
••• You have greater renown; perhaps you’re a senator or an entertainer who regularly gets hundreds of thousands of YouTube hits.
•••• A full-blown celebrity; your name is often recognized by the average person on the street.
••••• You’re a household word. People name their children after you.

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1198467 a link to a blank sheet before anything has been done so you know where your starting point is.

Nature/Demeanor -

Attributes -
All Vampire characters start with one dot in each Attribute, reflecting the basic capabilities of the mortals from which they’re drawn. (There are exceptions, such as the Nosferatu and the Samedi, who have zero dots in their Appearance Attribute.) A character’s priorities determine how many dots the player may allocate to that cluster of Attributes. A player may distribute seven additional dots to his character’s primary group, five additional dots to the secondary group, and three dots to the tertiary group

Abilities -
Like Attributes, Ability groups are also prioritized during character creation. Players should select primary, secondary, and tertiary groups for their Abilities. The primary group receives 13 dots, the secondary group gets nine, and the tertiary group receives five. Note that, unlike Attributes, characters do not begin the game with automatic dots in any Ability. Further, no Ability may be purchased above three dots during this stage of character creation — even among the undead, experts in a field don’t grow on trees. You may raise Abilities higher with freebie points later.

Disciplines -
Each character begins with three dots of Disciplines, which may be allocated as the player chooses. For example, she may spend all three dots on one Discipline or spend a dot each on three Disciplines. Disciplines purchased with Advantage dots must be from the three Clan Disciplines all Clans possess

Backgrounds -
A starting character has five dots worth of Backgrounds, which may be distributed at the player’s discretion. Background Traits should fit the character concept; A destitute Gangrel street preacher isn’t likely to have Resources, for example

Virtues -
Every character starts out with one dot in Conscience and Self-Control, and zero dots in Conviction and Instinct. The player may then distribute seven additional dots among the Virtues as she sees fit. These Virtues play instrumental roles in determining a character’s starting Humanity (or Path) and Willpower levels, so be careful how you spend the points.

Feebie Points
The player may now spend 75 freebie points to purchase additional dots in Traits. These points may be spent however the player chooses — thus the term “freebie” — though the Storyteller is the final arbiter of what she chooses to allow in the chronicle. Each dot has a variable freebie-point cost based on which type of Trait it is — consult the chart for freebie point costs of Traits. Remember that Disciplines purchased with freebie points need not come from the character’s Clan Disciplines (though purchase of some Disciplines may require explanation about how you acquired them).

Freebie Points Chart
Trait ---------------Cost
Attribute --------5 per dot
Ability -----------2 per dot
Discipline -------7 per dot
Background -----1 per dot
Virtue ------------2 per dot
Humanity/Path -2 per dot
Willpower ------ 1 per dot

CS to Post here
Name:
Gender:
Appearance:
Link to Mythweavers:
Bio:

Name: Lucrezia
Gender: Female
Appearance:

Link to Mythweavers: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1202925
Bio: The Dark Priestess, a flower as beautiful as it is deadly. A woman who was once a human noble in the court of royalty, now an undead creature with great ambitions propel herself and the Sabbat to supreme positions of power. As a huntress of the night, Lucrezia can only see humans as food, entertainment and occasionally something useful. From the beginning, once she was turned, she saw the Camarilla's way and their Masquerade as preposterous; why should the superior race hide from their food? Why should they allow the humans to think they didn't exist instead of taking their rightful mantle as the rulers of the earth? The Camarilla wanted to play this game and let it drag out, whereas the Sabbat wanted to finish it so they could focus on preparing themselves for the reemergence of the Ancients.

Personal views aside, Lucrezia has dutifully served the Sabbat ever since she was turned, but never allowing herself to be taken advantage of. Her sire ended up being the first to learn this once his hands and demands passed what she felt was owed to him. It could have been said that the stake she embedded in his chest and hours of torture through Obtenebration did him in, but Lucrezia would have said a lack for respecting boundaries was the true culprit of his downfall. With her Sire dead, another vampire stood up to take control of the pack that she was the priest for. The first successor did a far better job at reducing Camarilla influence in their area while expanding their own reach and got along quite well with Lucrezia, acting as a better mentor than her own Sire ever had. She didn't last long before the Sabbat recognized her potential and promoted then relocated her elsewhere to serve their needs. It was the next successor that brought ruin to the pack. He didn't listen to any of Lucrezia's advice; overextending their reach into areas they didn't fully own, picking bad recruits, not utilizing the humans under their control. She did her best to mitigate all the damage he was doing to the pack, but in the end the best she was able to do was be out of the city when the Camarilla's dogs, made up of Gangrels cornered her entire pack and put them down. With no pack left to serve Lucrezia left, in search of a new way to climb the social ladder and this time, have no one to answer to.

Name: Sheena Duval
Gender: Female
Appearance:

Link to Mythweavers: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1211050
Bio: Sheena was one of the first colonists born in what would become Canada, in the mid 1800's. Her upbringing was as tough as could be expected for a frontier colonist, but with the help of her family she was able to survive into adulthood, where she sought a way to survive the colonial conflicts by getting employed at an inn. While it was technically against the established precepts of society for a woman to have any kind of income at the time, her intellect and natural financial skill had her starting to run the place from the shadows. This took the interest of a Vantrue who had been passing through the area, but her place in that clan was snatched away by a Malkavian who thought is would be "quite the prank".

So, following her embrace, she entered the world of the vampire, leaving most of her mortal life behind, apart from an amalgamation who started to appear with increasing rapidity, who she called "Marie". Marie had a rather irritating habit of talking to Sheena and demanding her attention whenever it suited her - be it in a quiet office or in meetings - and would be insistent on being listened to. Thankfully, Sheena was able to mostly get to grips with the voice (who eventually also assumed the form of a young woman) while simultaneously immersing herself in the growing technological revolution of the 1900's. Eventually, her sire deemed her ready to go out on her own (another jest of his, maybe? She found it hard to tell), and so with a small number of retainers she had gathered, was boxed up and shipped over to England for a purpose not entirely explained to her. Still, it would give her the opportunity that she desired - to be able to bring people from all walks of life, mortal, immortal, fantastical and more, to stand together in mutual peace and brotherhood... piss drunk around her bar and spending their money at her gaming tables!

Name: Sorrell Alexis Allaire
Clan Toreador
Appearance
Character Sheet
https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1221736

Background
Sorrell Alexis Allaire was born as Nadine Renee Durant in the late 1700’s in France. Her father was a nobleman serving as one of the King’s counsel, when the French Revolution began. Around the time of her 16th birthday, her father feared the worst and sent her and her mother away to England. Unfortunately, her mother fell ill during the journey and the family’s servants, sent with them, absconded with their valuables and left Nadine penniless and alone.

For a few years, Nadine tried to eke out a living for herself, working in taverns, but it was never enough. She was always left hungry and exhausted. One night, one of the regulars came in and groped at her in his usual fashion. But this time, when he asked if she wanted a toss in the hay, she asked how much. Nadine had gone from the daughter of a nobleman to a whore in a few miserable years. The tavern’s owner found her out and stated he couldn’t let her whore out of his tavern, in good conscience. But after a few late night blow jobs, he changed his tune.

Nadine eventually left the tavern and started working at a brothel. And that is where she met her sire. He was a lewd man who forced her to do the most degrading things, but she found herself looking forward to his visits. He embraced her and for a while they had an odd duality about their relationship. He made sure she kept one foot in the gutter, but made sure that her other foot was firmly in high society. After her sire embraced her, he changed her name to Sorrell Alexis Allaire. This allowed her to leave her old life behind and begin a new one with her sire.

Once he had taught her all he care to about unlife and debauchery, her sire left London and tasked her to establish herself. Over the years, Sorrell made herself useful to the local London kindred. She has sleazed her way into the hearts and minds of the Camarilla and made them love her. Through part luck and part determination, she found herself an ex-KGB agent that made an excellent information gatherer. This allowed her to predict and warn the Camarilla of a Sabbat onslaught that would have been a massacre. Her intel had been so accurate that the Camarilla was able to avoid casualties and decimate the Sabbat forces.


The Temple of the Sun God: Sorrell’s Rack (Yeah yeah…. laugh it up)

Note: A "Rack" is slang for vampire feeding grounds.

After things calmed down, Sorrell found time for her art and also took on several business ventures. She opened a night club ironically called “Temple of the Sun God” or just “Sun God”, which was decorated in sexualized Aztex style trappings. The building is sectioned off and secured at various points. The Sun God has quite a good reputation with the night life of London and it is known by the kindred as an open Rack that they can feed from, as long as they are in good standing with Sorrell.

The outermost section, called the Aurora is the night club area where people can dance, drink or order food. This is the most public section that entertains the most people, however there are bouncers at the door to facilitate the safety of the patrons. The Aztex decorations vary from wall murals to statues to sacrificial alters for people to rest drinks on or to eat meals off of nude models. All of the employees are fit, attractive, and scantily clad. A center stage allows for live music and the occasional burlesque dancer, but this section still has a somewhat classy feel to it.

The second section, called the Halo, is more restrictive. To get in, a background check must be made or they must be accompanied by one of the Halo’s members. The Halo section is essentially a sex club. Members come there to meet people and to swap partners, or to indulge in more exotic tastes. This section also has a longue area but the music here is more subdued. There are rooms that may be used for hookups, and some have BDSM type furniture in them. These rooms aren’t open for reservations.

The third section is called Outer Temple. This entire section is for private rooms. These rooms can be reserved but they are usually kept for kindred who frequent this Rack. Kindred can pay for a private room and bring their prey back to feed from. There is a side entrance that Nosferatu and other private kindred can use to come through, but only after cleared by security. These side security doors are meant to repel kindred and are reinforced in the same manner as the doors entering the Inner Temple.

The fourth and last section is called Inner Temple. This section has the most security and is where the heavily armed security resides. This is also where all of the security camera feeds are displayed. There are rooms back in Inner Temple that can be used to entertain guests or have a private meal. Kindred are not allowed into this area unless they have explicit approval from Sorrell.


Helios Art Gallery

Sorrell owns a small private art gallery where she sells her own art and helps talented artists sell their art. It shares a Sun theme, just like The Temple of the Sun God, except Helios is decorated in more of a Greek style. It is large, open, and tasteful. And for these reasons, the Prince has occasionally held a temporary Elysium in Helios for special celebrations and a change of venue.


The Alley’s End Pentecostal Church

Literally at the end of an alley is “The Alley’s End Pentecostal Church”. It has a very small congregation and Sorrell helps keep the place alive with cash infusions now and then. She seems to consider this a “feel good project” and doesn’t expect a return on investment. It is rumored that this may be descendants of a congregation that originally helped Sorrell and gave her shelter when she first arrived in London, as a mortal.

Name: Maria Cabanilla
Gender: Female
Appearance:

Link to Mythweavers: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1202917
Bio: Life prior to her new one was rather simple. Education wasn't too difficult and understanding the simplistic necessities of investigation and academics would lead her to understand the techniques and processes of law enforcement. Maria assisted the precinct of her home town to apprehend many criminals during her time. Despite the day and age of her era she was keen and determined to become and officer of the law. Living through certain struggles not many would dare to confront in their times such as shoot outs and other mentally and emotionally straining paths. A human life was all she was concerned and aware about until a fateful night where a lonely individual of the Ravnos clan thought to take her in embrace. A rather small time thief she had caught a few times for simply stealing to feed some pets he kept with him. Having a soft spot for the man led to a sexual encounter which ended in a way she never could have originally have foreseen.

The transition was far more difficult for her given how strongly attached she was to her duty. Despite this she focused on how she would learn to live in this new world. Abandoning her old life to travel with the one had caused her transformation. His name was Alistair Cain, but despite his knowledge within the world of the vampire he rarely kept the resources to maintain a consistent home until recently. Alistair was the first friend of hers, but wouldn't be the last for sure. In their travels they eventually made a new home with the aid of a Toreador who introduced them to the Camarilla. Alice, was often her means of interacting with the Camarilla and gave the opportunity to allow her to continue such work. Learning much more deeply of the community she was apart of she began to work within the Camarilla to make use of her knowledge and skills as a detective. Being given resources and another identity that aided her in providing her connections most others wouldn't have access to. With her new position as a private detective she worked on her own hours and often times worked with the local law enforcement to gain information as well gain more connections within the police. This eventually led to making friend of the department chief of the precinct. Her role to maintain the masquerade is enhanced and made easier with a friend such as the chief of police. Having a rather casual relationship also has its benefits with the Chief Santos. Fortune seemed to favor her as her expertise was put to use within the Camarilla ensuring that the masquerade was maintained in the public eye. Despite his ignorance to her nature, he was very willing to parse information to her as it made her role far more easier to succeed in. Within her new career Maria had to build up a new network of individuals that could pass on information to her. A kindred drinking buddy who passed on information to her about rumors that may concern her or the Camarilla that goes by the name of Jenna. With her relationship with the police department she finds a lot of information from a local beat cop who maintains vision on the darker neighborhoods known to her as officer Giovanni. While another ally of hers is another kindred working within morgue of the local precinct. Providing her with details of unnatural kills and aiding in covering it up from mortal concerns.

Those that interact with her alternate identity only refer her as Carmen Lassiter as her mentor Alistair is known by the name of Ash while associating with her. As for Alistair, he comes and goes as he pleases occasionally providing assistance in the form of advice or a direction. With her role she kept herself limited on the funds make sure to keep what she would need, but maintain their work hours at night. With this life and line of work she hopes to maintain the peace that has remained within the masquerade.

Name: Louise
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Link to Mythweavers: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1199790

Bio:

Louise was born in the Second French Republic, prospect of a small town unreceptive to much exciting happening, something that the troublemaking young girl found to be very dull. She often daydreamed about running away to adventure, but ultimately she found out that she couldn’t leave her mother behind, who was often left alone due to her father’s job as a sailor. As such, she didn’t get to see him much, but the money he sent from abroad paid the bills and let them live another month. But one day the money stopped coming and soon enough they were informed that Louise’s father had died at sea. Her mother was heartbroken, but Louise was more practically concerned about how are they going to live. They obviously didn’t make enough with the shop her mother ran and women didn’t exactly have that many career opportunities. Loathing the idea of getting married and putting a cork on the hope of adventure that was still a kindle in her heart, she discreetly suggested them to try something more illicit, but her mother’s beliefs made her be appalled at the thought, leaving the young girl to have to try this herself in secret if she wanted to. It didn’t take that much to unleash Louise’s concealed wild side, deciding one drunken night to try prostitution, finding out it wasn’t that bad, nor was making off with more than what the customers had in mind to pay. Shiny smiles and pretty faces win hearts, and soon enough Louise found herself spending more time in the town’s seedy underbelly, scouting the less reputable locales for a quick fling or an easy prey or a sharp gamble.


Her life had already begun to change, but it would not have been complete without what happened on a seemingly ordinary night in an inn, where she spotted an inhumanly gorgeous couple who looked all young and ripe and well clothed. The jewelry they were wearing was enough to get Louise and her mother out of this town and maybe even make sure they don’t have to work again for a long time. Finding the appeal too hard to resist, she introduced herself to them, finding out they were named Marcus and Gretta. To her surprise, they were all too eager to receive her in their room. What was even more surprising was that these two refused the drinks she had offered them, not because they figured out the drinks were drugged (or did they?) but on account that they didn’t drink at all. Her plan broken with foolishly no backup in place, Louise decided to just run with it, diving head-first into one of the wildest threesomes she has had so far, screaming all night from pleasure before passing out between two sexy bodies. She hadn’t even known she was into women until that point, but that would be the least of her surprising finds about her nature. She woke up covered in sweat and blood, peering at the world with alien eyes, her senses superhuman, her throat aching with thirst, her lovers still clutching her as if nothing had happened. It was difficult for her to understand what had happened, more so with the peculiar attitudes of the couple and their confusing explanations, but her first taste of blood stirred something deeper in her already dark mind, a greed for more than just the red fluid, deeply primal yet curiously sophisticated. She learned that Marcus and Gretta were already criminals in their own hidden society, that they had high ambitions and that they decided on a whim to take Louise into their fold after observing her for several long minutes. Apparently they saw potential in her, treating her more like an asset, unclear as to whom she was the ‘property’ of as they didn’t know who really turned her in the midst of the lustful frenzy. So they decided treat her as a partner, inviting her to join them but not before pointing out with mirth that her very turning wasn’t done with any approval that Kindred law required, and that she could be hunted down and killed at any moment. Being left with little smart choice, she accepted, though also finding out that she no longer cared about leaving everything behind, including her mother, as she fled into the night with her two newfound ‘parents’, first to England and then boarding a ship to the New World in a successful attempt to get away from her past.


Louise spent many years in the United States, her new life fully cut off from the old, the two spread apart by a vast ocean. She grew in age and power, learning the intricacies of the world of darkness and of her place in it. She soon discovered that her clan was viewed with distrust and fear, seen as lunatics by most and seers by a few. Granted, most Malks that she met were quite so but to her, she felt her hunger for gain as an extension of the self that was her all along, relishing the numerous opportunities that such a world was offering in plenty. Making a name for herself in the criminal world was second nature to her, as she would run the high and low life with Gretta and Marcus, happy in an insane kind of way, never seeming to make it too far up the ladder of wealth and influence, at least not for very long as fortunes came and went, moving from one place to the other always looking for the next scheme to pull, keeping up with the times as everyone else did, technology opening up new ways for criminals and lawmen, Kindred and humans. When Gretta was killed during a botched train robbery, Marcus grew more and more unstable and paranoid, straining the relationship between him and Louise as the young Ancillae sought to split and operate on her own.. or at least she attempted to, finding out that Marcus tried to kill her soon after, being overly hurt by the parted ways, wanting her all for himself it would seem. She ended up setting him aflame and killing him. She felt less troubled about it than she thought she would be.


Striking it out on her own, Louise eventually found her way to Chicago, where her activities ended up making her quite unwelcome, enough so that she figured she had pushed the proverbial envelope so she took whatever money she had made and flew back to Europe, rather eager to spend more time there after so long, though the UK wasn’t really on top of her list she thought it a good starting point, not intent on staying there for too long. After all, she had heard there was this place in Finland where it’s night almost all the time, and she thought It’d be fun place to hang out for a while.

Name: Brianna Conley
Gender: Female
Appearance:

Link to Mythweavers: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1215921
Bio:
Bee is a basically still the same but has been a vampire since the mid-fifties. Bri's story is still pretty close. Her mother and father are separated as she grows up. Her father pulls some strings and gets some sort of special permission to observe military training and is possibly trained in secret as she gets older, or she cross-dresses while her father is deployed in Vietnam so she can train anyway (she would still need some sort of assistance from a superior because she would be found out quite quick). She lives a bit of a double life during the military academy and when she id ready to deploy overseas herself she is turned by Bee. Bri still wants to go fight the good fight but the whole not going outside during the day really puts a damper on that. Bri comes around to the idea of the biker club that Bee is running in LA. Bri works for Bee for the better part of 30 years, running guns, selling drugs, killing sabbat thugs, whatever criminal activity they could get up to. Eventually, Bee thinks that Bri can hold her own and cuts her loose. But she can't have someone cutting in on her LA profits, so she sends Bri off to London to start a new charter and expand the business.

Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c7/45/de/c745dea5f8755dc4cbf022c33ab7cf75.jpg

Bee is a basically still the same but has been a vampire since the mid-fifties. Bri's story is still pretty close. Her mother and father are separated as she grows up. Her father pulls some strings and gets some sort of special permission to observe military training and is possibly trained in secret as she gets older, or she cross-dresses while her father is deployed in Vietnam so she can train anyway (she would still need some sort of assistance from a superior because she would be found out quite quick). She lives a bit of a double life during the military academy and when she id ready to deploy overseas herself she is turned by Bee. Bri still wants to go fight the good fight but the whole not going outside during the day really puts a damper on that. Bri comes around to the idea of the biker club that Bee is running in LA. Bri works for Bee for the better part of 30 years, running guns, selling drugs, killing sabbat thugs, whatever criminal activity they could get up to. Eventually, Bee thinks that Bri can hold her own and cuts her loose. But she can't have someone cutting in on her LA profits, so she sends Bri off to London to start a new charter and expand the business.

3- resources
14- protean
14-celerity
7-potence
8-humanity
2-willpower
8-brawl
4-stealth
5-Dex
10-Str