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.
| Nicknames | Disciplines | Clan Bane |
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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.
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