Vampire: The Masquerade is a roleplaying game. It is a beautifully illustrated, hardcover book that details the passions and powers of mythic vampires. It gives you rules for creating your own vampire character, and describes the dark and compelling world in which your vampire exists. What happens next is up to you. This booklet is a simplified version of Vampire: The Masquerade. It gives you the highlights of the Vampire setting and rules, the information you need to play a game. Try it out. If you like it, the rulebook is available in most book, hobby and comic stores. When you're ready, we'll be there - waiting for you to invite us in.
The rules pamphlet you hold provides an introductory look at Vampire: The Masquerade, a storytelling game from White Wolf Publishing. With the rules in this kit, you and your friends are able to take the roles of night-stalking vampires and tell stories about the characters' triumphs, failures, dark deeds and glimmerings of goodness.
In a lot of ways, storytelling resembles games such as How to Host a Murder. Players take the role of a character - in this case, a vampire - and engage in a form of improvisational theatre, saying what the vampire would say and describing what the vampire would do.
In a storytelling game, players take their characters through adventures, called (appropriately enough) stories. Stories are told through a combination of the wishes of the players and the directives of the Storyteller (see below).
Most people who play Vampire are players. They create vampire characters - imaginary protagonists similar to those found in novels, films and comics. In each group, however, one person must take the role of the Storyteller. The Storyteller acts as a combination director, moderator, narrator and referee. The Storyteller creates the drama through which the players direct their characters. The Storyteller also creates and takes the roles of supporting cast - both allies with whom the characters interact, and antagonists against whom the characters fight. The Storyteller invents the salient details of the story setting - the bars, nightclubs, businesses and other institutions the characters frequent. The players decide how their characters react to the situations in the game, but it is the Storyteller (with the help of the rules) who decides if the characters actually succeed in their endeavors and, if so, how well. Ultimately, the Storyteller is the final authority on the events that take place in the game.
Example: Rob, Brian, Cynthia and Alison have gathered to play Vampire. Rob, Brian and Cynthia are players: Rob is playing Baron d'Havilland, a Ventrue aristocrat; Brian is playing Palpa, a Nosferatu sewer-dweller; and Cynthia is playing Maxine, a Brujah street punk. Alison is the Storyteller, and has decreed that the characters have been brought before the vampire prince of the city to face judgment. The players may now decide what to do: Rob, speaking as Baron d'Havilland, may try to smooth-talk his way out of the prince's ire; Cynthia, as Maxine, may angrily denounce the prince as a "fascist"; and Brian, as Palpa, may simply decide to use magical invisibility to flee the situation. Ultimately, though, it is Alison, the Storyteller, who determines the prince's reaction to the characters' words or acts; it is Alison, speaking as the prince, who roleplays the prince's reaction; and it is Alison who determines whether the characters' actions, if any, succeed or fail.
Storytelling and roleplaying games may feature many kinds of protagonists. In TSR's Dungeons & Dragons, players assume the roles of heroes in a fantasy world. In Hero Games' Champions, players take on the roles of superheroes. In Vampire, appropriately enough, players assume the personas of vampires - the immortal bloodsuckers of the horror genre - and guide these characters through a world virtually identical to our own.
The vampires who walk the Earth in modern nights are both similar to and different from what we might expect. It is perhaps best to begin our discussion of the undead as if they were a separate species of being - sentient, with superficial similarities to the humans they once were, but displaying a myriad of physiological and psychological differences.
In many ways, vampires resemble the familiar monsters of myth and cinema. (There is enough truth in the old tales that perhaps they were created by deluded or confused mortals.) However - as many an intrepid vampire hunter has learned to his sorrow - not all of the old wives' tales about vampires are true.
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 sustain 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 theatres - 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 down lonely nocturnal alleys and empty lots.
Vampires also value power, for its own sake and the security it brings - and vampires 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 for vampires. The wilds are the home of the Lupines, the werewolves, who are vampires' ancestral enemies and desire nothing more than to destroy vampires outright.
Vampires are created through a process called the Embrace. The Embrace is similar to normal vampiric feeding - 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 an undead. 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.
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 clan and the line.
Vampires - or Kindred, as they call themselves - exist for centuries and often seem unchanging to mortal eyes. Even Kindred society, however, has undergone evolution, upheaval and strife. Let us look at history as the Kindred view it, that we might better understand their actions tonight.
According to Kindred myth, the first of their kind was Caine, the first murderer. For his crime, Caine was cursed by God and thereby transformed into a vampire. Exiled from his people, Caine was forced to stalk the fringes of civilization, fearful of the sun and ravenous for blood.
In his loneliness, Caine came upon a mighty witch named Lilith, who had been Adam's first wife. Lilith taught Caine how to use his blood for mighty magic (indeed, a few heretics claim that Lilith, not Caine, was the First Vampire). Lilith taught Caine many things, including how to use his blood to evoke mystic powers - and how to create others of his kind.
At first Caine refused to beget, believing it wrong to curse the world with others of his kind. But eventually he grew lonely and brought three others into the vampiric fold. These three in turn begat 13 more, and these voracious monsters went among the early peoples of the world, carelessly feeding and using mortals as puppets in their sibling feuds. Caine, outraged by this behavior, forbade the creation of any more progeny. Gathering his childer and grandchilder to him, Caine built a great city - the First City in the world - and here vampires and mortals coexisted in peace.
It could not last. Caine's childer squabbled for their sire's affections, and once again the mortals were used as pawns in the feud. Finally the city was thrown down - some say a natural disaster was the cause; others, that a spurned childe's vengeful sorcery precipitated the cataclysm. Caine vanished into the wastes, never to be heard from again. The three vampires of the Second Generation likewise disappeared into the mists of legend. But Caine's 13 grandchilder, free from restraint, began breeding new vampires with abandon. The 13 vampires became known as Antediluvians, and their childer, created in their images, inherited the Antediluvians' magical gifts and curses. Thus were the clans formed.
The clans spread across the world, sowing discord and misery. Though each successive generation of vampires proved weaker than the last, they made up for it with greater numbers. In the ziggurats of Babylon, in the palaces of Crete, in the tribunals of Rome, vampires ruled as shadowy tyrants, forever using mortals as food and unwitting soldiers. Vampire warred with vampire, clan with clan, and thus - from the ancient rivalries of the First City - was born the great Jyhad, which is still fought today.
The Kindred reached their worst excesses during the early Middle Ages. During this period, many vampires ruled openly, smothering peasant and lord alike beneath their nocturnal grip. The vampiric population reached unhealthy numbers, and it seemed that the Earth would belong to the Kindred forever.
Again, it could not last. The Children of Caine, in their hubris, began to flaunt their power flagrantly. Terrified peasants whispered of the monsters in their midst - and the Church began to listen. The reports of a few horrified priests spawned a frenzied Inquisition, and vengeful mortals rose up in a tide of fire and blood. Though individually much more powerful than mortals, even the mightiest vampires could not stand against the humans' sheer numbers; vampire after vampire was dragged from its lair and hurled into fire or sunlight.
In the throes of the Inquisition, a current of revolt gripped the Children of Caine. Younger vampires, who were being deployed as sacrificial lambs by terrified elders, began to rise up against their sires and masters. In Eastern Europe, a group of vampires learned how to sever the mystic bonds through which sires controlled their childer. Soon all of Europe seethed beneath a nocturnal revolt, as rebellious childer threw off the yoke of their masters. Between the Inquisition and the revolt of the vampire "anarchs," it seemed as though the Kindred would not survive.
And so, in the 15th century, a council was called. Seven of the 13 clans united in an organization called the Camarilla. With its advantage of numbers, the Camarilla suppressed the anarchs and agreed to exist behind a great Masquerade.
The Six TraditionsCamarilla vampires swear to uphold the legendary Six Traditions of Caine, the laws which Caine supposedly passed to his progeny. Like any other laws, the Traditions are commonly ignored, bent or violated outright. The First Tradition: The MasqueradeThou shall not reveal thy nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so shall renounce thy claims of Blood. The Second Tradition: The DomainThy domain is thine own concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None may challenge thy word while in thy domain. The Third Tradition: The ProgenyThou shall sire another only with the permission of thine elder. If thou createst another without thine elder's leave, both thee and thy progeny shall be slain. The Fourth Tradition: The AccountingThose thou create are thine own childer. Until thy progeny shall be released, thou shall command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure. The Fifth Tradition: HospitalityHonor one another's domain. When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shall present thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing. The Sixth Tradition: DestructionThou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destruction belongeth only to thine elder. Only the eldest among thee shall call the blood hunt. |
Never more shall vampires rule openly, the lords of the Camarilla decreed. We shall hide among the mortals, and conceal our natures from our prey, and in a few decades the mortals will know vampires only as myths.
Thus, the Masquerade was born, and the Inquisition gradually forgot its original target. Those anarchs who would not join the Camarilla were driven into the wastes, from which they would later emerge as the dread Sabbat cult. With the discovery of the New World and the dawn of science, humanity gradually forgot about the Kindred, relegating them to the status of childhood legends.
But, though hidden, vampires were still quite real. The wars of the Jyhad raged on, though the nights of open battle were replaced by sudden ambushes and maneuvering of human pawns. Weaving their webs throughout the ever-expanding cities, the Kindred eschewed their previous games for more methodical but no less deadly ones.
And the wars continued down the centuries, and continue still. The Jyhad rages as it always has - though skyscrapers take the place of castles, machine-guns and missiles replace swords and torches, and stock portfolios substitute for vaults of gold, the game remains the same. Kindred battles Kindred, clan battles clan, Camarilla battles Sabbat, as they have for eons. Vampiric feuds begun during the nights of Charlemagne play themselves out on the streets of New York City; an insult whispered in the court of the Sun King may find itself answered by a corporate takeover in Sao Paolo. The ever-swelling cities provide countless opportunities for feeding, powermongering - and war.
Increasingly, vampires speak of Gehenna - the long-prophesied night of apocalypse when the most ancient vampires, the mythical Antediluvians, will rise from their hidden lairs to devour all the younger vampires. This Gehenna, so the Kindred say, will presage the end of the world, as vampires and mortals alike are consumed in an inexorable tide of blood. Some vampires strive to prevent Gehenna, some fatalistically await it, and still others consider it a myth. Those who believe in Gehenna, however, say that the end time comes very soon - perhaps in a matter of years.
The Camarilla is a great sect of vampires that formed in the late medieval period. A vampire "United Nations" of sorts, it was formed to protect vampires from the purges of the Inquisition, to uphold the Traditions of Caine, and to enforce the great Masquerade. Many Camarilla vampires, remembering the nights of fire when vampires were uprooted and destroyed, uphold the Masquerade fanatically. Camarilla vampires reject the idea of vampires as monstrous predators, instead preferring to live clandestinely among mortals and feed cautiously.
The Camarilla is the most populous sect, and (in theory) the most powerful. But it comprises seven clans of vampires, each with its own culture and agenda, and this renders it prone to discord. Ruled as it is by a fractious sort of parliamentarianism, the Camarilla is slow to act and often indecisive in the face of threats; when it brings its combined might to bear, however, the Camarilla is virtually unstoppable.
Beginning characters are assumed to be Camarilla vampires, and to belong to one of the seven clans. The clans are:
The Camarilla's bitter rival is the dread sect called the Sabbat. Originally the remnants of the shattered anarch packs, the Sabbat has evolved - or devolved - into something much deadlier. The Sabbat would "liberate" all vampires from the chains of the Camarilla and their sires. The ultimate Social Darwinists, the Sabbat espouses the tenet of vampiric supremacy - the doctrine that, because vampires are highest on the food chain, they should not hide from mortals, but instead dominate them outright. This attitude toward humans often manifests itself in actions that appear horrific and cruel by mortal standards; accordingly, the Sabbat is often branded a sect of violent evildoers by outraged Camarilla vampires.
Two clans lead the Sabbat. The Lasombra clan is the most prestigious clan and is dreaded for its members' control over the stuff of shadow. Its ally and occasional rival is the Tzimisce, a clan of twisted scholars and sorcerers infamous for cruelty. Tzimisce are said to have the power to warp and mold their own and others' flesh and bone.
Some younger vampires strive to remain free of both Camarilla and Sabbat control. These vampires style themselves "anarchs" in homage to the warriors who led the great revolt of the 15th century. For the most part these modern anarchs are ragtag bands of Brujah and Caitiff predators, though all clans are represented in their ranks. The Camarilla treats them as it would termites - individually insignificant, but potentially crippling if allowed to breed and fester.
Four clans choose to remain neutral in the great Jyhad, bartering their services to (and jockeying for power with) Camarilla and Sabbat indifferently. These are: the Assamites, a deadly clan of vampire assassins based in the Middle East; the Followers of Set, a dark cult of vampires devoted to the worship of the snake-god Set; the Giovanni, an insular family of incestuous necromancers and financiers; and the Ravnos, a nomadic line of Gypsy charlatans and thieves.
Finally, certain ancient vampires withdraw from the sects' games altogether, seeking solitude amid the wastes. These old ones, called Inconnu, reject the power-games of the clans and sects, instead seeking self-mastery and enlightenment. Some whisper of a darker purpose behind the Inconnu's withdrawal from the Jyhad, but most vampires think of Inconnu as nothing more than deluded recluses.
The JyhadSince the nights of antiquity, the Children of Caine have struggled for supremacy. Leaders, cultures, nations and armies have all been pawns in the secret war, and vampiric conspiracies have influenced much (though by no means all) of human history. Few things are as they seem in the vampires' nocturnal world; a political coup, economic crash or social trend may be merely the surface manifestation veiling a centuries-old struggle. Vampire elders command from the shadows, manipulating mortals and other vampires alike - and the elders are often manipulated in turn. Indeed, most combatants may not even realize for whom they fight, or why. |
Vampires are very hierarchical creatures. The vampires of the Camarilla, in particular, have created an elaborate structure to ensure order among the undead.
Vampiric territory (generally consisting of cities and outlying suburbs) is divided into fiefdoms. Each fiefdom is ruled by a prince, a mighty vampire elder. This figure may grant lesser vampires hunting territories within his (or her; "prince" is used unisexually) fiefdom; these territories are referred to as domains.
The ruling vampire of a Camarilla-held territory is called the prince. This powerful vampire is usually of Clan Ventrue or Toreador; however, Brujah, Nosferatu or even Malkavian princes are not unknown. The prince has absolute power to establish, grant or strip domains, and to declare certain areas off limits for hunting. The prince may declare certain areas as Elysium (neutral ground where violence is prohibited), and may call blood hunts on rebels and malcontents who violate the Six Traditions.
Princes tend to control city-sized regions; thus, there is a Prince of Paris, a Prince of Chicago, a Prince of Atlanta, etc. Because a city's prince has often lived in the area for centuries, she has had ample time to build a power structure, and usually knows far more about the workings of "her" city than rebellious anarchs give her credit for.
The prince is often served by a council of advisors chosen from powerful elders of the various clans. These elders are collectively called primogen. Though, in theory, a prince's rule is absolute, a prince who fails to heed her primogen often finds herself deposed or killed in short order. The primogen are formidable forces in their own right, and ceaselessly intrigue against each other and the prince.
Elders are vampires who have existed for 300 or more years. They have mastered many magical powers during this time; most elders are deadly and formidable creatures. Elders tend to be scheming, ruthless and paranoid beings; they will do anything to hold onto their power structures, oppress or manipulate the younger "upstart" vampires, and destroy their rivals.
Below the elders are the ancillae. Ancillae are most often vampires who have lived from 100 to 300 years of unlife, though certain ambitious younglings may achieve the rank prematurely. As their name suggests, ancillae often serve as aides and agents for elders or the court; they usually play their own power-games as well, though these are of lesser consequence than the manipulations of the elders.
Lowest in rank are the neonates, those vampires created less than a century ago. Though occasionally cherished, neonates are often deployed as pawns by scheming elders. This callous treatment, combined with the value recent generations place on individuality, often causes neonates to resent their elders. After all, when one came of age during the Summer of Love, it is hard to empathize with a reactionary old tyrant who grew up amid feudal oaths and Divine Rights.
Most beginning characters are presumed to be neonates. Vampire elders are usually far more powerful than the characters created through the rules in this kit.
Now that you know a little bit about the world of the undead, it is time to create a character. Character creation consists of three basic choices: choice of clan, ranking of Traits, and choice of Disciplines. Additionally, every vampire starts with 10 Blood Levels and seven Health Levels; Blood and Health Levels can increase or decrease as the character injures or heals herself, feeds or grows hungry.
Creating a character is easy, involving just a few simple choices. It is a good idea to have a general concept of what you want your vampire to be like (Was he a gangbanger abducted off the street? A rich boy chosen at a society ball? A computer specialist picked for expedience by an ancient vampire who knows nothing about "those infernal contraptions"?). Even this is not necessary, however; a concept can be created as you go.
The first thing to do is pick the character's clan; this provides a lot of details about the character's strengths, weaknesses and general outlook on existence. Do you want to be an angry Brujah punk? A loathsome, sewer-creeping Nosferatu? A gorgeous, immaculate Toreador? Once a clan is chosen, write down the listed Aptitude, Advantage and Weakness. Make a note of the Disciplines as well, so you'll have them handy during the Discipline-choosing phase.
Next, you get to decide your character's Trait levels. Characters have four Traits: Physical, Mental, Social and Psychic. Rank these from 1 to 4; 4 is the best, 1 is the worst. (Each number may only be assigned to one Trait; you can't give your character a 4 in everything!) So, if you decide your character is really bright, in good shape, fairly self-disciplined, but abrasive and introverted, you might decide the character has Mental 4, Physical 3, Psychic 2, Social 1.
The MethuselahsAsk a mortal to name the most dangerous predator on Earth, and he might mention a Bengal tiger, a Nile crocodile or a great white shark. Ask the same question of a vampire, and often one will hear the word "Methuselah" leaving those cold lips. Simply put, Methuselahs are ancient vampires - beings that have survived for over a millennium. Having been undead for so long, Methuselahs often undergo profound physiological and psychological changes. From a vampire's point of view, the most horrible of these is a predilection for vampire blood - just as vampires stalk mortals, so they are occasionally stalked in turn. Most vampires prefer to ignore the existence of the Methuselahs, considering them near-extinct aberrations akin to dinosaurs. It is ironic, then, how many of the plots of the Jyhad can ultimately be traced to these ancient, shadowy progenitors. |
Now, pick your character's Discipline Levels. Each clan teaches three Disciplines - magical powers - to its members, but some vampires are more adept with some Disciplines than others. Disciplines come in two levels: Basic and Advanced. A beginning character may choose one of three "Discipline schemes":
That's about it. Write down your character's Blood Levels (10), Health Levels (7), and make up some further details about your vampire. What is her name? What does she look like? Does she still have mortal friends? Does she hate vampires of another clan? What outstanding personality traits does she have?
Once this is done, your character is ready to enter the world of the eternal night.
Details about clans, Traits and Disciplines can be found on the following pages.
The Brujah are inheritors of a majestic and ancient legacy, which is unfortunate. Tonight's Brujah seem less like a clan and more like a mob. Punks, terrorists, revolutionaries, criminals, gangbangers and the like make up the Brujah; the clan seems to be united in nothing save its contempt for the institutions of vampire and mortal society. Well, this is not entirely true; Clan Brujah are among the most savage vampires, and the most trivial slight or annoyance may trigger a howling Brujah frenzy.
The Brujah's disunity keeps the clan tenuously in the Camarilla, but Brujah thugs routinely defect to the anarchs, the better to strike against their hated elders. Even the "tamer" Brujah annoy the elders and princes routinely through acts of defiance and rebellion. Despite their recalcitrance, however, Brujah are valued as warriors; they are perhaps the most dangerous vampires in a straightforward battle. To anger a Brujah is nigh suicidal - and Brujah are notorious for their tempers.
Aptitude: +1 with combat. Brujah are natural fighters; when in combat, a Brujah may add one die to any one action taken per turn.
Advantage: Blood Rage. A Brujah may spend a Blood Level to enter a semicontrolled form of frenzy. While under the Blood Rage, the vampire may ignore the effects of pain, but must attack foes directly, without missiles or non-Physical Disciplines (no firearms when one has the opportunity to tear one's foe apart with bare hands!).
Weakness: Blood Madness. Brujah anger much more quickly than other vampires do. All difficulties to resist frenzy increase by one (maximum 6).
Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Presence
Of all vampires, the Gangrel are perhaps closest to their inner nature. These nomadic loners spurn the constraints of society, preferring the comfort of the wilderness. How they avoid the wrath of the werewolves is unknown; perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the Gangrel are themselves shapeshifters. When a mortal speaks of a vampire changing into a wolf or a bat, she is probably speaking of a Gangrel.
Like the Brujah, Gangrel are fierce warriors; unlike the Brujah, Gangrel ferocity does not stem from anarchic rage, but from animalistic instinct. Gangrel have a keen understanding of the Beast in their souls, and prefer to spend their nights in communion with the animals whom they so emulate.
Aptitude: +1 in the outdoors. When in natural surroundings (a park counts; a city street doesn't), a Gangrel may add one die to any one action taken per turn.
Advantage: Hunter's Instinct. Gangrel are natural predators; by spending a Blood Level, the Gangrel may automatically gain the initiative next turn, even against foes with Celerity. Alternatively, the Gangrel may apply his instinct to hunting; by spending a Blood Level, he will automatically succeed in a hunt, unless there is absolutely no prey to be found in the vicinity.
Weakness: Bloodlust. Gangrel are tainted by the Beast Within. Over time, many Gangrel develop animal features, such as catlike eyes, fur, or batlike snouts and ears. In any event, Gangrel often find it difficult to spare wounded or beaten foes; to do so, the Gangrel must make a Psychic roll (difficulty 4).
Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean
At first glance, the members of Clan Malkavian do not appear to be a clan at all; they are chosen from all races, creeds and social strata. But Malkavians, regardless of mortal standing, bear one disturbing commonality: They are all quite mad. Whether from the clan's choice of victims, the circumstances of the Embrace, or some property in Malkavian blood itself, all Malkavians go insane shortly after the transformation (if they were not insane to begin with).
Accordingly, many Malkavians find themselves pariahs, ostracized by a vampiric society fearful of their random urges and capricious whims. Wiser Kindred, however, prefer to keep the madmen close at hand: Behind the Malkavians' lunatic cackling and feverish rantings lie smatterings of insight, even wisdom.
Aptitude: +1 with trickery. When attempting to deceive (or avoid being deceived), a Malkavian may add one die to appropriate rolls.
Advantage: Lunatic's Insight. Once per story, the Malkavian may make aMental roll (difficulty 4); if she succeeds, she may ask the Storyteller one yes-or-no question about the current situation, which must be answered truthfully.
Weakness: Mad Fits. At the beginning of the game session, the Storyteller rolls a six-sided die. The number rolled is the number of times he may ask the Malkavian's player to make a Psychic roll (difficulty 4). The Storyteller may call for this roll at any time. If the player fails, the Malkavian falls into a frothing, gibbering fit for one turn. While in the fit, the Malkavian may do nothing except writhe, babble and twitch; she may not even defend herself if attacked.
Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Obfuscate
Caine's childer are called "The Damned," and no vampires embody this more than do the wretches of Clan Nosferatu. While other vampires still look human and may travel in mortal society, Nosferatu are twisted and deformed by the curse of vampirism. To put it bluntly, the Embrace transforms them into hideous monsters. Unable to walk among humans, Nosferatu must dwell in subterranean sewers and catacombs. Other vampires revile Nosferatu, considering them disgusting and interacting with them only when they must.
Because of this stigma, however, Nosferatu are survivors par excellence. Few creatures, mortal or vampire, know the city's back alleys and dark corners like the Nosferatu do. Additionally, Nosferatu have refined the crafts of sneaking and eavesdropping to fine arts; if anyone or anything has the latest dirt on mortal or vampiric society, it is the Nosferatu. Finally, millennia of shared deformity and abuse have fostered strong bonds among the monsters. Nosferatu forego the squabbling and feuds ubiquitous to the other clans, preferring to work in unison. You mess with one, you mess with 'em all - and that can get messy indeed.
Aptitude: +1 with stealth. Nosferatu are natural sneaks and may add one die to all situations involving hiding, moving silently, or other stealth-related feats.
Advantage: Horrid Visage. Nosferatu are hideous creatures, but this can actually serve them in good stead. When first confronting potential opponents or prey (appearing from invisibility, stepping out in front of them, etc.), the Nosferatu may roll six dice (difficulty of the target's Psychic +2). If this roll succeeds, the opponent is so stunned with terror and disgust that he may take no action for one turn.
Weakness: Loathsome. As has been mentioned, Nosferatu are horrifically foul to look at, and not overly pleasant to boot. A Nosferatu's Social Trait is considered to be zero - though when intimidating others, he may substitute his Physical Trait for a Social Trait.
Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence
The Toreador are called many things - "degenerates," "artistes," "poseurs," and "hedonists" being but a few. But any such mass categorization does the clan a disservice. Depending on the individual and her mood, Toreador are alternately elegant and flamboyant, brilliant and ludicrous, visionary and dissipated. Perhaps the only truism that can be applied to the clan is its members' aesthetic zeal. Whatever a Toreador does, she does with passion. Whatever a Toreador is, she is with passion.
To the Toreador, eternal life is to be savored. Many Toreador were artists, musicians or poets in life; many more have spent frustrating centuries producing laughable attempts at art, music or poetry. Toreador share the Ventrue's love of high society, though not for them the tedium of actually running things - that's what functionaries are for, darling. Toreador know that their place is to captivate and inspire - through their witty speech, graceful deeds, and simple, scintillating existence.
Aptitude: +1 to perception. Toreador are natural critics; while irritating, this trait occasionally serves them in good stead. Toreador add one die to any task involving observation or alertness (for example, detecting an ambush or spotting a hidden wall safe).
Advantage: Herd. Toreador glide elegantly through nightlife and are invariably at the center of whatever social scene they choose to grace. Accordingly, Toreador attract a following of friends, acquaintances, lovers, ex-lovers, sycophants and other hangers-on. Most of these mortals are unaware their "charming friend" is a vampire. The majority are relatively worthless, but some might know useful information or have useful skills. In any event, they are useful sources of blood; once per story, a Toreador with access to his herd may completely replenish his Blood Levels.
Weakness: Rapture. Toreador are lovers of the aesthetic and beautiful. When a Toreador views, hears or even smells something that is (in the Storyteller's opinion) truly beautiful, he must make a Mental roll (difficulty 4) or become entranced by the sensation. The Toreador will stand in rapt fascination for a scene or until the beautiful thing withdraws. Enraptured Toreador may not even defend themselves if attacked, though being wounded allows them to make another Mental roll to "break the spell."
Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence
Even among vampires, the insular Clan Tremere bears a reputation for treachery. This reputation is well earned; the Tremere were formerly a cabal of human wizards who, hungering for immortal life, wrested the secrets of vampirism from unwilling Kindred. Such vile deeds earned the clan a sinister reputation; even today, certain vampire clans would love nothing better than to destroy the entire Tremere line.
Nonetheless, Clan Tremere holds a place in the Camarilla, for its members were instrumental in suppressing the Inquisition and supporting the Masquerade. Then, too, the Tremere have proved themselves dangerous enemies - and powerful allies. Tremere still practice a version of the arcane arts they studied in life, and so these "warlocks" use their sorcerous powers in service to the Camarillaalmost as much as they use the Camarilla in service to themselves.
Aptitude: +1 with scholasticism. Tremere are studious creatures; they add one die to all Mental tasks involving scholarly knowledge (research, occult lore, science, deciphering languages, etc.).
Advantage: Wizard's Familiar. All Tremere are taught a ritual to create a familiar. A familiar is a small creature alchemically created from the vampire's blood. Some familiars look like black cats, others look like bats, and still others resemble grotesque little horned gargoyles. A familiar is usually about the size of a cat; it has ratings of 1 in all Traits, but when dodging or sneaking, its Physical is considered to be 4. It has four Health Levels and takes one die of pain penalties per Health Level lost. A familiar can telepathically communicate with its master when within 50 feet of her. Familiars are most commonly used as spies. If slain, a familiar can be re-created via a five-night ritual and the expenditure of five Blood Levels (one per night).
Weakness: Hierarchy. All Tremere are expected to be loyal to the Seven Elders who rule the clan - but just in case, all Tremere are required to drink the blood of the Seven Elders. This ingestion creates a mystic link among all members of the Tremere, but particularly between elder and younger Tremere. A Tremere character must make a Psychic roll to resist a direct command from a Tremere elder (difficulty varies, depending on the absurdity of the command - for example, refusing a request to deliver a message would be difficulty 5 or 6, but refusing a command to kill oneself would be difficulty 2). Additionally, Tremere elders need spend one fewer Blood Level than usual when using Dominate powers against recalcitrant younglings.
Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy
Elegant, aristocratic and regal, the Ventrue are the lords of the Camarilla. It was Clan Ventrue that provided the cornerstone of the Camarilla, and it is Clan Ventrue that directs and coaxes the Camarilla in its darkest hours. Even in the modern age, the majority of princes descend from Clan Ventrue. The Ventrue would, of course, have things no other way. In the tradition of noblesse oblige, the Ventrue must lead the other clans for their own good.
In ancient nights, Ventrue were chosen from nobles, merchant princes or other wielders of power. In modern times the clan recruits from wealthy "old-money" families, ruthless corporate climbers, and politicians. Although Ventrue move in the same social circles as the Toreador, they do not fritter away their existences in frivolity and idle chatter. The Ventrue proudly wear the privileges of leadership, and stoically bear its burdens. Thus has it always been; thus shall it always be.
Aptitude: +1 with commands. Ventrue are nothing if not charismatic; they add one die to all Social rolls to lead or command others. This includes many uses of the Dominate Discipline.
Advantage: Wealth. Most Ventrue are filthy rich; even those who aren't may call on the financial aid of their clanmates. Once per story, the character may access a large source of funds (perhaps a Swiss bank account, perhaps laundered money, perhaps a trust fund or a stipend from her sire).
Weakness: Rarefied Tastes. Ventrue are elegant and discriminating, even when it comes to blood. Not just any blood will do for a Ventrue; the player must pick a certain type of blood on which her character feeds (only from musicians, only from virgins, only from royalty, only Shriners, etc.). This blood, and only this blood, will satisfy the Ventrue's palate; she will drink nothing else, even if starving.
Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Fortitude, Presence
The power and skill of a vampire are measured by her Traits: abilities possessed by all humans to some extent. These four Traits are:
Physical: This Trait measures a vampire's physical prowess - her raw strength, agility and stamina. This Trait is used to resolve all tasks involving fighting, lifting things, running, etc.
Mental: This trait measures a vampire's brains, reasoning ability, wits and cunning. This Trait is used to resolve all tasks concerned with trying to notice something, puzzle out a clue or think quickly.
Social: This Trait measures a vampire's charm, attractiveness and presence. Social is used to resolve all tasks concerned with trying to coerce, seduce, convince or con someone into doing something.
Psychic: This Trait measures a vampire's inner strength: her willpower, inner discipline and self-mastery. In many ways it is a measure of a vampire's soul. Psychic is used to resolve all tasks concerned with resisting intimidation, mind control or frenzy.
Traits are rated from 1 to 4; a rating of 1 indicates a mediocre level of ability, while a rating of 4 indicates a Trait at peak human ability (an Olympic athlete, a genius, a great statesman, or a near-Buddha). It is possible to have a zero in a Trait, reflecting a crippled or decrepit character (most characters do not start out with any zeros, though Nosferatu characters do have zeros in their Social Traits, reflecting their hideous appearance). It is also possible for vampires to attain superhuman scores - 5 or even higher (again, most characters do not start with such might, but vampire elders and those close in blood to Caine often have such Traits).
Most humans possess ratings of 1 or 2 in their Traits; beginning vampire characters, however, are considered the cream of the crop.
0 Abysmal
1 Mediocre
2 Pretty good
3 Really good
4 Human perfection
5+ Superhuman (vampires only)
Players creating new characters rank these Traits from 1 to 4. So, a player creating a stereotypical high-society Toreador might place a 4 in Social (she's absolutely fabulous, dahling), a 3 in Mental (of course she knows the difference between Post-Modernism and Abstract Expressionism), a 2 in Physical (those ballet lessons weren't a complete waste), and a 1 in Psychic (how dare you criticize her taste in vessels? What kind of Philistine are you? Ohhhh, the pain).
Vampires are miraculous - or horrific - by dint of their very existence. One might think that the spectacle of a corpse rising from death to live again is wondrous in itself. But Caine's curse bestowed other dark gifts on its victims. Though the Blood itself makes vampires formidable creatures, the Disciplines are what truly give the undead their power.
Disciplines come in two levels: Basic and Advanced. Each level gives a vampire access to a number of supernatural powers. A Blood Level must be spent for each power activated (two Blood Levels to use an Advanced Discipline power). Obviously, a vampire with an Advanced Discipline has mastered the Basic Level as well. Mastering a Discipline level gives access to all the powers listed under that Discipline.
Vampires with the Discipline of Animalism find themselves with greater control over both the animal world and the Beast Within.
Basic
Advanced
The Discipline of Auspex bestows telepathic and extrasensory perception powers on its practitioners.
Basic
Advanced
Vampires with Celerity are dangerous foes, for this Discipline enables them to move and attack at superhuman speeds. A character with activated Basic Celerity always gains initiative (the first move) over a character without such enhancement. Likewise, a character with activated Advanced Celerity always gains initiative over a character without Advanced Celerity. (The only exception is a character using the Gangrel Advantage Hunter's Prowess; such a character gains initiative over everyone else.) If two characters have the same level of Celerity, defer to the normal initiative process (see "Initiative," below).
Basic
Advanced
Vampires with Dominate may mesmerize others, or even control their minds outright. Use of this power requires eye contact.
Basic
Advanced
Vampires with Fortitude prove unnaturally resistant to damage. They must often be literally hacked apart, like the walking corpses they are. Fortitude is always on (no Blood Levels need be spent to use it).
Basic
Advanced
Obfuscate is the ability to mystically cloak oneself in illusions or shadows, thereby disguising or concealing oneself.
Basic
Advanced
Vampires with Potence are terrifying opponents, for they possess the strength of several humans. Potence is always on (no Blood Levels need be spent). When resolving any feat of strength (arm-wrestling, tug-of-war, etc.), a character with Basic Potence always beats a character without Potence. Likewise, a character with Advanced Potence always beats any character without a similar level of Potence. Two vampires with the same level of Potence resolve such Physical rolls normally.
Basic
Advanced
All vampires are impressive, scary creatures, but those with the Discipline of Presence are particularly captivating. Vampires with Presence can manipulate others' emotions, becoming their victims' dream lovers - or most terrifying nightmares.
Basic
Advanced
Protean is the purview of the shapeshifting Gangrel, though they have taught their secrets to a few other vampires. Vampires with Protean may shapeshift into a variety of forms.
Basic
Advanced
The study of Thaumaturgy is largely restricted to the Tremere, although certain vampires among the Sabbat are rumored to employ the Discipline. Thaumaturgy is vampiric sorcery: ritual spellcasting and blood magic. Unlike other Disciplines, Thaumaturgy requires both blood expenditure and a Psychic roll (difficulty 4) to use successfully. If the roll fails, the Blood Level is lost.
Basic
Advanced
Besides the four Traits already mentioned, vampires are measured via two other criteria: Blood Levels and Health Levels.
Vampires can use ingested blood to perform various supernatural feats.
Characters have 10 Blood Levels, representing the different stages of satiation. Vampires spend Blood Levels to power Disciplines, boost Physical Traits, and heal wounds. They regain Blood Levels by feeding on mortals.
Each night, when a vampire awakens, she expends a Blood Level. She may expend additional Blood Levels to perform supernatural feats.
A vampire with no more Blood Levels in her body enters torpor (see below). Vampires regain blood by feeding on humans. Each turn, a vampire may suck one Blood Level from a human. Humans have 10 Blood Levels in their bodies. When a human is reduced to five or fewer Blood Levels, he is in need of hospitalization. If all blood is drained from him, he dies. More merciful vampires try to restrict themselves to one or two Blood Levels from a given victim.
Hunger: When a vampire has five or fewer Blood Levels, she is hungry. If she sees or smells blood, she must make a frenzy check to avoid immediately seeking to feed. A vampire at two or fewer Blood Levels is ravenous; merely being in the proximity of a blood source (i.e., a human) is cause for a frenzy check, and actually seeing or smelling blood increases the difficulty of the check by one.
Other Creatures: Vampires may feed from animals, but this is unsatisfying. Animal blood is not nearly so nourishing as human blood. Assume that a cow (or similar-sized creature) has five Blood Levels, a dog two, and a cat one.
Vampires may drink from other vampires, and even drain them outright. This is called diablerie, and it is the greatest crime a vampire can commit - at least among Camarilla vampires. It is rumored that if a vampire drinks the blood of an elder vampire, she gains all his power. And, of course, the Methuselahs are known for being able to feed only on other vampires.
Vampires have seven Health Levels, representing various stages of wounding. These are: Light, Light, Medium, Medium, Serious, Serious, and Critical. As wounds are accumulated, check off the wound boxes on the character sheet. Blood Levels may be spent to heal wounds. When all Health Levels are gone, the character goes into torpor (see below).
Though undead, vampires do feel pain. When a vampire reaches the Medium Health Level, she suffers -1 die to all actions. When she falls to the Serious Health Level, she suffers -2 dice to all actions. A minimum of one die is always rolled, no matter how wounded a vampire is. Vampires in frenzy (or Brujah in the throes of Blood Rage) may ignore pain penalties.
When a vampire has lost all her Health and/or Blood Levels, she enters a state called torpor. She is still "alive," but is effectively catatonic, incapable of movement or action. To recover from torpor, a vampire must be fed at least one Blood Level.
If a vampire falls into torpor and takes one more injury from an aggravated wound (fire, sunlight, claws, etc.), she dies again - this time permanently. This is called the Final Death, and no vampire may come back from it. A vampire may also be sent to Final Death if, after entering torpor, the vampire is dismembered (decapitated, limbs chopped off, body hacked into pieces, etc.). Dismemberment takes five turns to accomplish.
A character who has been sent to Final Death is out of the game forever; the player must create a new character.
This document is modified by Bastian Dornauf. The original version was found on the Internet and is copyrighted by WhiteWolf. Primary I did some layout, so the document is easier to print, further I cutted the Chapter about the rules and the adventure. There are no other modifications.