Clans
Brujah
Description:
The Brujah have a reputation as fierce warriors; their affinity for war is carried in their blood. Because their weakness is their rage, they are much more vulnerable to frenzy. Quick to anger and always passionate, they have been steadily regaining their position as a clan of lofty philosophers and activists, and are known for mysterious knowledge and power.
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The Blood of the Brujah simmers with barely contained rage, exploding at the slightest provocation. Subtract dice equal to the Bane Severity of the Brujah from any roll to resist fury frenzy. This cannot take the pool below one die. |
Clan Affiliation: Anarchs
Archetypes:
Cancer in the system
This Kindred exists as a cog in a corrupt system. They may be a night worker for a mortal corporation known for treating its employees like dirt, a staffer in a broken political party, or one of the remaining Brujah in the Camarilla. They work to bring the system down from within, maybe hoping to replace it with something better, but often having the process of rebuilding as the last of their priorities.
Voice of the people
The Brujah have always strived for progress in Kindred society. Many of them were progressives in life and follow the same path in undeath. The voice of the people might be a former feminist activist, eco-warrior, or an anti-capitalist protester who channels their passion into speaking out against the Ventrue and Toreador or fomenting political unrest among mortals. Their ambitions may come back to hurt their clan, but sometimes they form the core of revolutionary movements.
Blood worshiper
The Brujah were once considered a High Clan, superior to most and respected by all. Some Brujah still believe their Blood is stronger than that of other clans, and that they have the right to apply their doc-trine on others. Brujah who uphold this form of blood idolatry often come from fundamentalist back-grounds, right-wing groups, and the academic elite.
Trolling punk
Clan Brujah includes many vocal and physical activists who follow the zeitgeist uncritically, revelling in their righteousness. The trolling punk cares about the fight, not the cause. They are an aggressor who provokes confrontation with minority groups, a squatter who just wants to party to piss off the police, or a fourth-wave token “feminist” who spent more of their mortal time attacking other feminists and their allies than coordinating responses to oppression. Short-term action yields massive results, but does not always benefit the Brujah.
Monster in disguise
The Brujah claim there is no clan closer bonded to humanity than their own, which is why they exhibit such fiery passions. But some take it further than that, and strive to live like mortals by keeping up to date with modern culture, forming relationships, and building families. The payoff for this behaviour is a startling duality of dream and reality. The Beast will not be denied for long, and undead family men and working women must slip away from their fake lives ever so often to avoid seeing red, returning only after they have satiated their dangerous urges
Caitiff
Description:
While Caitiff are Embraced normally by existing clans and bloodlines across the gamut of Kindred existence, they do not exhibit the tell-tale signs of their clan’s curse. When other Kindred talk of the Caitiff, they tell tales of Nosferatu abandoned for weeks on end without ever developing any hideousness, painfully sane Malkavians, and young Ventrue able to feed from whomever they want. Unwilling to accept such a childe as one of their own, the clan abandon them. Or the childe senses in their Blood that they do not belong, despite their sire’s protests. Caitiff are stereotypically young, thin-blooded (generally 8th or higher generation) and considered persona non grata. Staunch traditionalists are known to send the Scourge after them.
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Caitiff characters have access to three Disciplines of your choice following the Embrace. These are not considered in-clan for the purposes of Experience cost and the Caitiff can learn any Discipline at the same price assuming they taste the Blood of a wielder at least once and fulfil the standard conditions for that Discipline. |
Untouched by the Antediluvians, the Caitiff share no common bane. Caitiff characters begin with the Suspect (•) Flaw and you may not purchase positive Status for them during character creation. The Storyteller may always impose a one or two dice penalty on Social tests against fellow Kindred who know they are Caitiff, regardless of their eventual Status. Further, to improve one of the Disciplines of a Caitiff costs six times the level purchased in experience points. |
Clan Affiliation: Anarchs
Archetypes:
Raised on the streets
This Caitiff is was brought up in the worst part of their city by parents who either did not care or were not able to protect them – if they had parents at all. It is likely they never had hope for a meaningful, prosperous life. For them, the Embrace was an escape, and their sire performed it out of respect for their perseverance against the odds.
Abuse survivor
Caitiff habitually target abuse victims for the Embrace. The survivor caught the attention of their sire by attending a support group, appearing in the papers as the prosecuting victim in an aggravated assault case, or perhaps by writing a particularly striking blog post on the subject of their experiences. As the street kid, the survivor was “rewarded” with immortality and a chance to fight back against their abusers. Having been through terrible experiences already, they are judged to make a fine member of the clan-less.
Helplessly overestimated
This Caitiff was Embraced by the clan-less for all the wrong reasons. Perhaps they threw off a cruel boss’ yoke once, or dumped an abusive partner, but this behaviour was an exception in their life. They were chosen for their perceived strength, and now they are hopelessly lost and overwhelmed by their existence as one of the Kindred.
Secret caitiff
This Kindred awoke as a Caitiff, but they managed to hide it from their sire. They are now a full member of their ancestral clan, attending the rituals and obeying the traditions of their kin in return for the protection of their elders. They have no desire to go through eternity alone, and they will do whatever it takes to keep their secret hidden.
Unwanted childe
The unwanted childe was Embraced into one of the clans, but cannot remember their sire and never bonded to the Blood. As the curse of their ancestors never manifested in their body, they avoided the bane of their clan. Without this marker, the Blood of their brothers and sisters rejects them – and they, it.
Gangrel
Description:
Gangrel, like the Brujah, are among the best vampire fighters. Unlike the Brujah, their ferocity stems from their animalistic instinct and rage, rather than anarchic anger. Gangrel are loners and prefer solitude; they're also the closest to nature and the beast than all the other vampire clans.
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In frenzy, Gangrel gain one or more animal features: a physical trait, a smell, or a behavioural tic. These features last for one more night afterward, lingering like a hangover following debauchery. Each feature reduces one Attribute by 1 point – the Storyteller may decide that a forked tongue or bearlike musk reduces Charisma, while batlike ears reduce Resolve (“all those distracting sounds”). If nothing immediately occurs to you, the feature reduces Intelligence or Manipulation. The number of features a Gangrel manifests equals their Bane Severity. If your character Rides the Wave of their frenzy (see p. 219) you can choose only one feature to manifest, thus taking only one penalty to their Attributes. |
Clan Affiliation: Anarchs
Archetypes:
Uncaged Jailbird:
This Kindred spent most of their mortal life in prison or was once incarcerated for a severe crime. Such a past conveys a reputation and a jaded attitude toward authority leavened with a desperate taste for freedom and opportunity to exercise liberties formerly denied them.
Adventurer:
The Gangrel are no strangers to the wild, spending much of their time beyond city limits and communing with creatures and clans outside those in the Camarilla. In life and undeath, the adventurer has seen and experienced something few could comprehend. They have walked from place to place, spending their life on the road, living only by wits, a stranger’s kindness, and a rich curiosity. This wolf has no fear of the path ahead, wherever it might lead.
Folk Favourite:
Clan Gangrel practice the traditions of storytelling around the fire, although they are the furthest from boy scouts. Whether around a burning barrel, tire fire, or at a great convocation, this animal knows the songs and the stories to celebrate the names of fallen heroes and enemies who must never be forgotten. In their mortal lives they might have been singers, entertainers, or independent artists.
Director of the board:
This Gangrel believes in power wielded not merely with physical blows, but through social presence, authority over others, and command of a group of people such as a club or a corporation. The boardroom Gangrel is an alpha who thrives on causing fear and respect, who does not play by the rules, and who is capable of commanding others to perform the most unethical actions with threats of personal and professional losses. They stalk their prey through office corridors at night and in five-star hotels paid by company card.
Unrepentant beast:
The Gangrel relish their animal features and feral natures, and many behave as wild beasts do, leading unlives dominated by immediate physical drives and desires. The unrepentant beast behaved like an animal already before the Embrace. Perhaps they were a predatory criminal or an individual who used legal means to let out their dangerous desires. As a vampire, they are little better.
Malkavian
Description:
Psychologists would diagnose the children of Malkav with schizophrenia, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Sometimes all at once. In reality, they have all of these things and none. Like the “wise madmen” of poetry their derangement stems from seeing too much of the world at once, from understanding too deeply, and feeling emotions that are too strong to bear. They self-medicate with blood, but that is just a temporary solution.
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Afflicted by their lineage, all Malkavians are cursed with at least one type of mental derangement. Depending on their history and the state of their mind at death, they may experience delusions, visions of terrible clarity, or something entirely different. When the Malkavian suffers a Bestial Failure or a Compulsion, their curse comes to the fore. Suffer a penalty equal to your character’s Bane Severity to one category of dice pools (Physical, Social, or Mental) for the entire scene. This is in addition to any penalties incurred by Compulsions. You and the Storyteller decide the type of penalty and the exact nature of the character’s affliction during character creation. |
Clan Affiliation: Camarilla
Archetypes:
Influencing presence
This visionary is addicted to the thrill of reinventing and presenting themselves in different ways, thriving on the attention they get through the stories they tell. They seek to influence others through words, images, or the use of their Disciplines – whether it be for the purpose of pleasure, to forget their problems, or to comply with the whispers of the cobweb. As a mortal they might have had an extended network of followers on social media or led the destructive life of the mythomaniac.
Medium
The ability to sense and register more than any other Kindred afflicts the members of Clan Malkavian with its infamous instability but it can also reward them with great insight. Some find ways to use and benefit from their curse openly without breaching the Masquerade, such as the medium who reveals fictitious or existing spirits attached to objects, areas, and individuals – to help the grieving or for personal gain.
Bad analyst
Some Malkavians instinctively know how to pick apart and reassemble minds, whatever state they are in. Maybe the analyst was a therapist in life, excelling in helping others through personal crises. Or maybe they use the experiences of their own agonized psyche as a guiding light, prying open the minds of their patients and victims with the purpose of finally healing themselves. The analyst is respected as well as feared for their ability to travel the labyrinth of the mind – and trap another inside it.
Fanatic
Malkavians are prone to fanaticism fueled by mental instability. Fanatics each have one purpose that consumes most of their existence. This could be anything from a strong religious or political convictions to an immense passion for detective novels or 9/11 conspiracy theories. Devoted to this one passion, it is safe to say the fanatic knows almost all the details and information there is to obtain about it.
Pure blood addict
Defined by bizarre insight and fringe beliefs, many Malkavians feel that certain blood calms their symptoms or derangements. For the blood addict, this has become a constant goal and all they think of. In life, they abused prescription drugs, had hypochondria, or was perhaps a gourmand, and now they cannot help but drink and drink until the gnawing noises quiet down or the anxiety lessens. They know which vessels to pick to obtain the best, most filling blood, and they take every meal seriously.
Nosferatu
Description:
For the Nosferatu the Embrace is a journey through abjection, as the Blood of the horror gradually deforms the struggling tissues of the human body into grotesque abominations. Weeks of pain result in deformities similar to terrible birth defects, cancer growths, crippling injuries, and leper-like sores. Those who endure it find themselves as monstrous echoes of Murnau’s silver-screen vision. But perhaps pain and humiliation teaches compassion. The Nosferatu, as they jokingly call themselves, are the most humane of the Kindred, wearing their curse on the outside rather than the inside. To blend in, some call on the Blood to wear the borrowed faces of their victims or disappear from sight, while others rely on prosthetics and heavy make-up.
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Hideous and vile, all Nosferatu count as having the Repulsive Flaw (-2) and can never increase their rating in the Looks Merit. In addition, any attempt to disguise themselves as human incur a penalty to your dice pool equal to your character’s Bane Severity (this includes the Obfuscate powers Mask of a Thousand Faces and Impostor’s Guise). |
Clan Affiliation: Camarilla
Archetypes:
Information hub
When the Second Inquisition found SchreckNET, many of the Toreador secretly proposed a toast to the collapse of Clan Nosferatu. The clan lost credibility and many members, but those who endured and flourished had mastered the arts of secure archiving, physically and online. They bolstered their existing bonds with contacts and clients, and steadily regained the trust of Kindred who value a central information hub for research and the exchange of secret messages. In an era when contact and movement between domains grow more precarious by each night, Nosferatu like these have become invaluable. If they can guarantee privacy, they can name their price.
Domain gumshoe
Nosferatu make superb investigators as long as they stick to the shadows and wear plenty of layers. The gumshoe is comfort-able stalking the streets, darting from doorway to doorway in the rain, and shows no qualms about breaking into homes, havens, or vaults for that precious last piece of the puzzle. Sometimes recruited as domain sheriffs, this Nosferatu emphasizes research and investigation, preferring to take the thinker’s route to most answers over violent means. The domain gumshoe likely comes from law enforcement, was an amateur sleuth, or has an academic background.
More animal than man
This Nosferatu identifies more closely with the creatures scurrying beneath the city or flying through the suburbs at night than with the kine wandering the streets. Maybe a former pest controller, vet, or simply an antisocial individual this Kindred speaks to animals, controls them, and likely acts like one. Some Nosferatu do not limit their animalistic urges to behaviour but become literal hives for bugs and nests for rats. They reason that their stomach and lower abdominal cavities were being used for little before, and at least the infestation benefits from the vitae.
Hunter of monsters
Having for so long been associated with animals and isolation, many forget that the Nosferatu can smash through a wall, break a spine, or rip a door off its hinges with minimal effort. With many of the Brujah and Gangrel gone from the Camarilla, Nosferatu now exercise their capacity for brutality at much higher rates. Often Embraced from criminal or survivalist stock, such Nosferatu suffer little conscience over beating an enemy to ash.
Rat
The comparison of Nosferatu to rats goes further than sewer-dwelling and extended incisors. History reveals repeated instances when horrors turned on their masters for their own preservation, betrayed their own for a little extra, or attempted to play both sides of a conflict. The rat may be involved in corporate espionage or claim to be Anarch but scurry to their Camarilla prince at the first sign of trouble. Some rats do what they do just to stay alive and are not beyond sympathy.
Thin-Blooded
Description:
A deteriorated breed, a portent of the end times, or a vampire for a brave new world? Balancing at the midpoint between life and death, the everchanging nature of the Duskborn evokes pity, jealousy, and fear in equal measure. Survivors of the last decades of pogroms, prejudice, and ostracization, the thin-blooded are here to stay. Their messy street-alchemy and ability to pass as human makes them uniquely suited to thrive outside Kindred society and make their own fate in the post-modern nights.
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Clan Affiliation: Anarchs
Additional Traits:
Blood Bonds:
Thin-bloods cannot create Blood Bonds or perform the Embrace with any certainty. A Rouse Check worth of thin-blood vitae imbues a mortal with ghoul-like powers, but only for a single night. Thin-bloods always have Blood Potency 0 (see p. 215).
Clan:
A thin-blood is always considered clan-less and never suffers any specific clan bane or compulsion.
Damage:
Most thin-bloods sustain damage like mortals but mend like vampires. In game terms, they take Aggravated damage not only from fire, but also from slashing and piercing weapons. Impalement with a stake does not paralyze them but instead causes massive physical trauma, likely sending them into torpor. Once damaged, thin-bloods heal according to the rules for other vampires.
Hunger and Frenzy:
A thin-blood suffers hunger just as any vampire. However, the Beast is far less overt, and a thin-blood never frenzies unless provoked by supernatural means (such as Ani-malism, p. 244).
Life-Like:
A thin-blood always counts as having used Blush of Life (se p. 218), the exact effects dependant on their Humanity rating.
Sunlight:
Thin-bloods take only one level of Superficial damage per turn in direct sunlight. Less direct sunlight causes damage with less frequency. For example, under heavy clouds or if masked and protected by clothing or thick sunscreen, the thin-blood might only sustain damage every third turn or once per minute.
Thin-Blood Merits:
Thin-bloods often display additional variations. See Thin-Blood Merits and Flaws (p. 183) for details.
A way out:
A thin-blood who manages to commit diablerie on a “true” Kindred absorbs not only their power and spirit but also their lineage, turning them into a 13th generation Kindred of their victim’s clan. Conversely a thin blood can end their curse by clinging to their humanity until they hunt down and end their sire.
Archetypes:
Live one:
This thin-blood is deeply connected to the mortal world, perhaps more so than the Kindred one. They still maintain a family and attempt to hold a job; paying the bills is more important than the whim of some baron they have never met. Ironically, to maintain their human façade, they likely have to lean heavily on the powers in their Blood.
Weapon of convenience:
A former occultist, ghoul, or blood doll, they were close to the Kindred before joining their ranks and knew some of their secrets. This thin-blood was embraced out of their sire’s desperation when backed into a corner, and they were meant to take part in some war or pursue a vengeful dream. Whether they choose to do so or not is up to them. The Embrace released them from their former slavery, and now there is nothing forcing them to do their sire’s bidding.
Guilty embrace:
This thin-blood was not Embraced as part of some elaborate plan. A party-goer, a late-night worker walking home alone, or just someone in the wrong place at the wrong time – a vampire fed from them and drank a little too much. Perhaps the Embrace was performed by the drinker as an act of desperate guilt, or perhaps their sire was an onlooker who couldn’t bear to watch them die.
Natural vampire:
This thin-blood was destined to become one of the Kindred. As a mortal hunter or a member of Arcanum, they studied the lore of the clans and the myth of Caine and became too fascinated for their own good. Meaning to kill, question, or request the Embrace, they tracked down one of the Kindred. But their sire was a not what was expected by the childe, who is now bitter at the weakness in their veins.
Redemption seeker:
This thin-blood was turned against their will and refuses to accept a place in a world of streetlights and blood. They are recently turned and desperately look for a way to cure their “condition,” seeking out rumours of others who have done it as well as weird legends of Golconda and blood transfusions. There is indeed a way, but before they figure it out this thin-blood will try anything and is easy to manipulate by callous Kindred.
Toreador
Description:
Cursed by their unbridled sensuality, the divas are obsessed by aesthetic perfection. A fashion model overdosing on a bad batch of heroin, a YouTube clip of a perfectly executed beheading, the dazed eyes of a child who has seen too much, or the reflection of the moon in a pool of blood – these are the kinds of things that make a Toreador lose themselves. They say the first diva finally died in front of their looking glass, unable to tear their gaze away from the image of their face touched by the reflected dawn. But, to dismiss the Toreador as wanton perverts or shallow artists is the last mistake a Kindred will ever make. Beauty is power, and love can make anyone do just about anything. And that is the promise of the Toreador. They can make even the dead feel something raw, something real.
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Toreador exemplify the old saying that art in the blood takes strange forms. They desire beauty so intensely that they suffer in its absence. While your character finds itself in less than beautiful surroundings, lose the equivalent of their Bane Severity in dice from dice pools to use Disciplines. The Storyteller decides specifically how the beauty or ugliness of the Toreador’s environment (including clothing, blood dolls, etc.) penalizes them, based on the character’s aesthetics. That said, even devotees of the Ashcan School never find normal streets perfectly beautiful. This obsession with aesthetics also causes divas to lose themselves in moments of beauty and a bestial failure often results in a rapt trance, as detailed in the Compulsion rules (p. 208) |
Clan Affiliation: Camarilla
Archetypes:
L'artiste
The Toreador indulge in the beauty of all art forms and strive to be creators themselves. Whether competent on the strings of the violin, weaving notes as lustrous as the subtle glow of the crescent moon, or wielding a spray-can to form harsh prismatic lines on back-alley walls, this Kindred is an artist revered intensely by their clan.
Stage manager
Without a puppeteer to pull the strings, the puppet would not know how to dance. This diva’s finger is constantly on the pulse of the night. They know every happening at every club and bar worth a visit, and likely has great influence over several such places and the people who go there. Deeply connected to a city’s social atmosphere, they have the knowledge to help others gain or lose the spotlight as they please.
Gadabout
With charisma, social intellect, and a cunning smile, the world is yours to conquer. The gadabout hedonist masters the art of manipulation, attraction, and empathy so well that even shy Cainites desire their attention or take pleasure in watching as they effortlessly mingle into every clique and category. This Toreador fits into any profession in which handling customers, patients, or clients is key, and they use every trick in the book to get their targets exactly where they want them.
Patron of the arts
The patron is a collector of raw talent and promising beauty that just needs a guiding hand. They shape not clay or glass into intricate forms but people, and they see it as their gift to the world to pick out the best before they wither. The patron may pose as an eccentric heiress whose home is open to struggling poets and painters or they may take on the role of the talent scout or critic, aiding their pupils with funding and guidance in return for their blood.
Thespian spy
The Toreador love a performance, and the one who plays at being a spy knows how to pry valuable chunks of information from a tar-get, often taking more time than they need to properly enjoy the game. Perhaps over-dramatic, yet rarely suspected due to an affable nature, the thespian spy inserts themselves in multiple domains to entertain, observe, and compile libraries of information to exchange for other pleasures.
Tremere
Description:
A Hermetic mage in eighth century Romania, Tremere was the leader of cabal of magick users rightfully feared for their obsession with knowledge and power. Able to prolong his life unnaturally for centuries, his powers eventually lessened and his grip on youth became shaky. Unable or unwilling to accept his own mortality, Tremere cast his eyes on the hallowed secret of immortality. In his greed, the mage instigated the most terrifying magickal experiments ever conducted, damning himself and his followers to a hell of their own making. Thousands of mortals were murdered and hundreds of Kindred vivisected and drained in ritual circles before Tremere and his cultists thought they had found the elixir of life. How surprised they were to have discovered the curse of Caine. Terrified, they died and woke again to an eternity of un-life and hunger, cut off from their craft. In a mockery of their former magickal rituals, now only fresh blood allows the Tremere to cast their thaumaturgic spells to twist reality.
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Once the clan was defined by a rigid hierarchy of Blood Bonds reaching from the top to the bottom of the Pyramid. But after the fall of Vienna, their Blood has recoiled and aborted all such connections. Tremere vitae can no longer Blood Bond other Kindred, though they themselves can be Bound by Kindred from other clans. A Tremere can still bind mortals and ghouls, though the corrupted vitae must be drunk an additional number of times equal to the vampire’s Bane Severity for the bond to form. Some theorize this change is the revenge of the Antediluvian devoured by Tremere, others attribute it to a simple mutation. Regardless, the clan studies their vitae intently to discover if the process can be reversed, and, indeed, determine if they would want to do so. |
Clan Affiliation: Camarilla
Archetypes:
Pyramid loyalist
Until recently, the Pyramid hierarchy made the Tremere one of the most rigid clans. They still include a number of conservative loyalists, fiercely bound to the clan’s original order by will, if not by blood. A Pyramid loyalist might still adhere to the customs of responsibility between sire and childe, uphold the ranks and tutelage of a formal chantry, and seek to rebuild the clan’s prestige and notoriety. Some Pyramid loyalists wish to search Vienna for the remains of their clan’s information trove, though Tremere elders have declared the domain out-of-bounds.
Eternal scholar
This Tremere was a dedicated researcher before their Embrace, and death does nothing to stop them from their obsessive pursuit of knowledge. Even if the clan has always looked to the arcane, the scholar does not need to be a former occultist, but might as well have been a ground-breaking surgeon, a theologist with a taste for sacrilegious texts, or a collector of rare books. Often this Kindred is preoccupied with understanding their own nature, and it is possible they have become an expert on the history of their kind.
Pagan nonconformist
Other Kindred often style Tremere followers of Carna as “new agers,” failing to understand the depth of magical exploration, feminine worship, and liberty these warlocks practice. Whether actually a former Wiccan or Satanist, a prior member of Clan Tremere who has aligned with Carna’s rebellion, or just someone who in life was downtrodden and longed for personal autonomy and authority over those who would hurt them, something about this blood witch goes against the grain of the clan’s traditions. They speak of change, and excitedly pursue their dreams of forbidden magick.
Ambitious outsider
The new willingness to Embrace from outside the traditional ranks of academics and occultists brings forth an array of individuals with ideas for the clan and the practice of Thaumaturgy. The ambitious outsider may be a white witch or a rebel destined for the Anarchs. It is likely such a Tremere would struggle to gain respect in the clan, but with a lot to prove and the nominal support of House Carna, the ambitious outsider could go far.
Chief of security
The Tremere are more than scholars and librarians. The gifts they possess allow them to identify threats, manipulate minds, and destroy aggressors – even after the dissolution of the Pyramid, many other Kindred still regard the usurpers with mistrust, remembering them as the clan of killers and torturers. The Tremere sheriff or chief of security likely inherited their specialized skills from a former life as an enforcer of some kind.
Ventrue
Description:
Clan Ventrue has long been the leaders of the Camarilla, holding more positions of power than any other clan, and they are loath to give that up. The Ventrue believe in the strength of tradition and lineage. The Embrace is one of the their most important rituals, and the choice of childe affects the way other members of the clan treat the sire. Ventrue therefore aim to Embrace overachievers, politically or financially powerful kin, or those with a talent that sets them apart from the masses. They tend to blend in with humanity as bankers, shadow directors, reclusive moguls, and chiefs of staff. No longer can a Ventrue openly lead a board or take a prominent position in a mortal community. Their critics consider them tyrants or the jailers of other Kindred. The uncomfortable truth is that without them, the Masquerade, and the Camarilla with it, would have fallen long ago.
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The Ventrue are in possession of rarefied palates. When a Ventrue drinks blood from any mortal outside their preference, a profound exertion of will is required or the blood taken surges back up as scarlet vomit. Preferences range greatly, from Ventrue who can only feed from genuine brunettes, individuals of Swiss descent, or homosexuals, to others who can only feed from soldiers, mortals who suffer from PTSD, or methamphetamine users. With a Resolve + Awareness test (Difficulty 4 or more) your character can sense if a mortal possesses the blood they require. If you want your character to feed from anything but their preferred victim, you must spend Willpower points equal to the character’s Bane Severity. |
Clan Affiliation: Camarilla
Archetypes:
Cold blooded corporate director
This Ventrue controls a successful corporation, perhaps as the eccentric and reclusive CEO or maybe as an influential silent partner involved in guiding the firm. This Ventrue is always several steps removed from dirtying their hands but will rarely hesitate over ethics if it means getting ahead of the competition.
Member of the order
The Clan of Kings are well suited visitors in secret societies such as the Freemasons and Rosicrucian's. This Ventrue knows how to spin their words. They act as the reclusive leader or an important member of their society, whether it be an informal gentlemen’s club, a ladies’ guild, an alumni society for magnates and millionaires, or a gathering of concerned citizens clandestinely seeking to control their neighbourhood.
Conservative politician
The kings have always favoured conservatism and maintenance of the status quo. The politically inclined blue blood acts as the untouchable spin doctor, lurks in the wings of the party, or advises pundits and newsmen on how to dictate the story. Manipulating the media, they suppress Masquerade breaches with ease.
Godfather
The so-called godfather wields their power through organized crime, manipulating gangs and the path of cash that runs from the streets to the bankers and politicians. Other Ventrue may turn their noses up at such a shady character, but the godfather knows that to get things done, blood sometimes needs to be spilled.
High priest
The Ventrue have ever venerated their ancestors, both mythical Kindred such as Mithras, Tinia, and Tiamat and historical personages nearly as eminent. This ancestor worship ranges from a historian’s thorough study to leading a cult in the ancestor’s name. Seeing the touch of their forebears in all that they do, the high priest seeks to repeat history, fulfil the goals of their ancestors, and spread the knowledge of their glory.
Hecata
Description:
Hecata sires favor mortals either from their own mortal families, or who provide links to outside families from whom the Hecata would benefit. They prefer kin of a morbid, black-humored, or pragmatic bent, due to the clan’s death-dealing nature. They have little need for the compassionate or empathetic, unless it serves to satisfy a gap within the clan. The family must always come first, so it’s the Hecata versus everybody else. The Necromancers describe their Embrace tradition as “gifting the truly exceptional with membership in the most exclusive of households.” Spontaneous Embraces are very much frowned upon by the wider clan, the members of which favor the ritualistic approach of observing, grooming, and voting on which mortals deserve immortality. Kingpins, self-starters, individuals who have faced or dealt death, and those with medical or occult knowledge all appeal to the Hecata. Anyone with a true, scientific interest in death, the afterlife, and religion stands a chance of being approached for the Embrace, though academic theologians are more likely recipients of the bite than the blindly faithful. Different fledglings set to work handling the living, the dying, the dead, and the rotting, in the form of nurses and carers, morticians, and of course necromancers. Though they do not control any widespread mortal crime empires, the clan appreciates the practiced killer, the cold-blooded money launderer, and the charming con artist. Their roles continue on once they receive the Embrace, complementing the clan’s legitimate businesses investment banks, trading conglomerates, and private hospitals and care facilities with a steady flow of illicit cash and bodies.
| Nicknames | Disciplines | Clan Bane |
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Steeped in death, the fangs of the Hecata bring not bliss, but agony. Victims caught unawares will violently resist unless restrained, and few people submit willingly to the torture that is the Hecata Kiss. When drinking directly from a victim, Hecata may only take harmful drinks, resulting in blood loss (Vampire: The Masquerade, p.212). Unwilling mortals not restrained will try to escape, and even those coerced or willing must succeed in a Stamina + Resolve test against Difficulty 2 + Bane Severity in order not to recoil. Coerced or willing vampire victims of the Hecata bite must make a frenzy test against Difficulty 3 to avoid falling into a terror frenzy. |
Clan Affiliation: Independent
Archetypes:
Champion Bullshitter
The Hecata may wave the banner of independence, but they still require vampires who can break bread with Camarilla courts and Anarch packs. This character could have been anything from a con artist to a diplomat in life, but the crucial thing is they know how to sell a deal without showing their entire hand to the outsiders. The champion bullshitter was Embraced for their ability to charm the doubters and present a believable façade for the clan’s activities.
Forensic Specialist
The Clan of Death lives up to its title, with a great many of its members schooled in the passage of life to death. In the last century there’s been an upsurge in nurses, surgeons, and laboratory staff being Embraced, with a special place set for medically trained individuals in law enforcement. This character was always one of the first to crime scenes, and was able to alter evidence, misfile reports, or spin a narrative of death that protects the family, all while coming face-to-face with death on a regular basis
Natural Necromancer
Necromancers are pretty uncommon among the ranks of mortals, even those with blood connections to Clan Hecata. When a vampire from the Clan of Death finds a mortal with a genuine interest in, and aptitude for, death magic whether through practice of seances, ghost hunting on vlogs, exorcisms, or study of occult rituals they rarely go without long-term observation and the potential for an Embrace. These individuals sometimes harbor deviant practices, or an ethical remove when it comes to handling corpses and treating with the dead. The Hecata see this kind of behavior as ripe blackmail material, so if the necromancer is unfit for the Embrace, they’ll serve as a mortal retainer.
Prodigal Child
The Hecata have a blind spot when it comes to their mortal descendants, sometimes Embracing inept family members simply because they share the same name. However, characters such as this one stand out, prove themselves to the clan, and end up with multiple prospective sires fighting for the right to Embrace. The prodigal child is often seen as a rising star, fit for important responsibilities within the family and clan. Growing up in such a twisted family has a way of fucking up such a mortal’s sensibilities and boundaries, however.
Unscrupulous Banker
As far as the rest of Kindred society is concerned, the Giovanni and more broadly, the Hecata are the bank. They’re Switzerland. They act as the neutral party, perfect for mediation and guaranteed to protect assets due to their unswerving dedication to non-involvement in the Jyhad. This character would be targeted for their willingness to do anything to cut a profit, whether that means investing in unethical concerns, accepting laundered funds, or playing guard to investments most banks wouldn’t touch including blood, special kine, or torpid Kindred.