Genre: Modern Horror/Fantasy Difficulty: Literate to Advanced Space Available: Forthcoming In-Character Thread: Bloodletting: New Orleans by Night
When using forums for role play, too many rules and systems really hurt the role play, so the idea of having character sheets and dice rolling really doesn't work quite so well, especially without a virtual table top program.
However, I'm a huge fan of the original World of Darkness Storyteller System series that White Wolf put out, and would like to do forum RPs with it. Rather than using full on character sheets and all of the d10 system that White Wolf has for it's prior setting, I have re-written it into what I think is a more usable format with forum role play.
Quite a lot of content has been left out, as I drew mainly from the core rulebooks for each line of the Storyteller System series, with small bits of information pulled from their Players Guides. The general conversions should give players an idea of how to translate additional Disciplines, Paths, Backgrounds, Merits and Flaws from the other books included in this extensive series.
One might notice that I've picked Changeling: the Lost over Changeling: the Dreaming. While I dearly loved the Dreaming when it was the standard, I feel the Fae have been better represented in the Lost. There just seems to have been a lot more love and care put into the new version, and it's a lot closer to folkloric Fae in the way the other supernaturals of the World of Darkness have been for some time.
I do ask that if you wish to bring in something that's not in this basic ruleset, PM me and I'll get it converted over and posted in the appropriate section.
Table of Contents
Setting Lexicons Basic Overview Vampire: the Masquerade – First Forum Edition Kindred of the East – First Forum Edition Werewolf: the Apocalypse – First Forum Edition Mage: the Ascension – First Forum Edition Wraith: the Oblivion – First Forum Edition Changeling: the Lost – First Forum Edition Humans: the Underdogs – First Forum Edition Demon: the Fallen – First Forum Edition
Many of you may or may not be familiar with the general World of Darkness setting, and so I have decided to include a bit of information on such, which will have some of my own general twists on it for use in these forums. Much if it has been taken from the various core Storyteller books from the series, meshed together as best as possible so that it is not specific to any one race.
From the Storyteller System descriptions:
Quote:
The world of the White Wolf Storyteller System series is not our own, though it is close enough for fearsome discomfort. Rather, the world is like ours, but through a looking glass darkly. Evil is palpable and ubiquitous in this world; the final days and nights are upon us, and the whole planet teeters on a razor's edge of tension. It is a world of darkness.
Superficially, the World of Darkness is like the “real” world we all inhabit. The same bands are popular, violence still plagues the inner cities, graft and corruption infest the same governments, and society still looks to the same cities for its culture. The World of Darkness has a Statue of Liberty, an Eiffel Tower and a CBGB's. More present than in our world, though, is the undercurrent of horror – our world's ills are all the more pronounced in the World of Darkness. Our fears are more real. Our governments are more degenerate. Our ecosystem dies a bit more each day. And the supernatural exist.
Many of the differences between our world and the World of Darkness stem from these supernaturals. They manipulate our societies for their own enjoyment, or to guard against their rivals, or to fulfill ancient prophecies that have long been forgotten, or because they have nothing better to do.
The greatest difference between our world and that of the Storyteller System is the presence of various kinds of monsters pulling the strings of humanity. Violence and despair are more common here, because they need to be in order for the supernaturals to continue their existences. The world is bleak, but escape is an ever-present commodity – perhaps too present. The setting of the World of Darkness is a composite of its populace and their despair.
“Gothic-Punk” is perhaps the best way to describe the physical nature of the World of Darkness. The environment is a clashing mixture of styles and influences, and the tension caused by the juxtaposition of ethnicities, social classes and subcultures makes the world a vibrant, albeit dangerous, place.
The Gothic aspect describes the ambiance of the World of Darkness. Buttressed buildings loom overhead, bedecked with classical columns and grimacing gargoyles. Residents are dwarfed by the sheer scale of architecture, lost amid the spires that seem to group toward Heaven in an effort to escape the physical world. The ranks of the Church swell, as mortals flock to any banner that offers them a hope of something better in the hereafter. Likewise, cults flourish in the underground, promising power and redemption. The institutions that control society are even more staid and conservative than they are in our world, for many in power prefer the evil of the world they know to the chaos engendered by change. It is a divisive world of have and have-not, rich and poor, excess and squalor.
The Punk aspect is the lifestyle that many denizens of the World of Darkness have adopted. In order to give their lives meaning, they rebel, crashing themselves against the crags of power. Gangs prowl the streets and organized crime breeds in the underworld, reactions to the pointlessness of living “by the book”. Music is louder, faster, more violent or hypnotically monotonous, and supported by masses who find salvation in its escape. Speech is coarser, fashion is bolder, art is more shocking, and technology brings it all to everyone at the click of a button. The world is more corrupt, the people are spiritually bankrupt, and escapism often replaces hope.
Taken from the Wikipedia entry about the old World of Darkness setting:
Quote:
The World of Darkness resembles the contemporary world, but darker, more devious, more conspiratorial. Humanity is losing hope as it is secretly preyed upon and controlled by supernatural creatures such as vampires, werewolves and wraiths. One facet that sets the World of Darkness apart from most other horror fiction is that these creatures are not solitary predators to be hunted down and destroyed, but they are numerous and intelligent; enough so to form secret societies, develop various factions and allegiances, and use humans as pawns in power struggles and murderous games often lasting centuries or millennia.
However, the rising power and strength of human civilization has started to restrict their power, and an atmosphere of gloom resides over many of the games as once-almighty supernatural beings, the dark Princes and Lords of previous eras, in their turn face the bleak and unbearable prospect of a future spent struggling and shrinking under the ever-more powerful gaze and control of a worldwide technocratic cabal, which intends to stamp out mysticism - and their supernatural rivals in the same course - by making reason and science paramount. In the meantime, normal humanity, tool or prey of all factions, is oppressed and hounded in this hidden, all-encompassing conflict, barely capable of fighting and for the majority not even aware of their enemies.
Interlocking conspiracies, some mirroring those said to exist in our own world, some unique, can be found throughout the setting. Cabals of powerful mages, coteries of cunning vampires, and other, stranger powers vie within their own cultures and with each other for control of the world. The dichotomy between rich and poor, influential and weak, powerful and powerless, is much more pronounced than in our world. Decadence is common and corruption is everywhere. This dark reflection is seen everywhere: gargoyles and gothic construction influence architecture, while the leather look and punk atmosphere crowd the streets. Everything is as gloomy in the WoD as the most pessimistic tabloid headlines present it.
The game uses both historical (Wild West, Dark Ages, and Victorian) as well as a modern setting. Any games played in modern settings use the world we know, but with an underlying supernaturals influencing it. While the game is fictional, players should be aware that the game takes place in the "real world" Real world consequences will follow if you break the human's laws, also humans will respond in the way they would normally. The game does not rewrite human society, rather it uses human society as the backdrop for the secret lives of the supernaturals.
The time frame for the role plays I will be running on Menewsha is during the lead up to the Final Days/Final Nights/End of the Storyteller System. Anything that happened during events like the Week of Nightmares, etc, has not yet happened and will not be usable in this particular set of campaigns. In other words, disregard anything on any of the linked websites that occurred shortly after the release of Demon: the Fallen.
Race – Essentially, what type of being a character is, based on the Storyteller series they come from. Races include Vampires, Mages, Were-creatures, Changelings, Demons, Humans, Hunters, Wraiths, and Kindred. Each race will have variations, called “sub-types”, typically with their own race specific name.
Sub-Type – A racial variation. For example, the primary Vampire sub-type is known as Clan, while the Changeling sub-type is known as Kith.
G.O.D – Anagram for Game Operations Director. I did not invent the term, however it is what was used by the table top RPG groups I was in for a very long time, because we played with more than one game system. Each game system had its own name for the person running the role play, so the group had made their own term that blanketed all of them yet was directly associated with none of the systems. It also made for fun jokes about not pissing off G.O.D unless you wanted your character to die...
Power Set – A generalization used for the supernatural powers that denizens of the World of Darkness may have, including but not limited to Disciplines, Spheres, Arts and the like.
Vampire Lexicon
Below are some general terms from Vampire: the Masquerade that may not be familiar to everyone. This is but a slim selection of the huge lexicon one gets when you combine all the lexicons from each book that had them.
SPOILERX
Anarch: Camarilla Term. A Kindred rebel who opposes the tyranny of the elders. Anarchs wish to redistribute the wealth and resources of a city equitably among the vampires therein. Naturally, the elders oppose this, having cultivated their influence for centuries.
Ancilla: A “proven” vampire, between the elders and the neonates in 'rank'.
Antediluvian: A member of the dreaded Third Generation, one of the eldest Kindred to exist.
Beast, The: The inchoate drives and urges that threaten to turn a vampire into a mindless, revening monster.
Caitiff: A vampire of unknown clan, or of no clan at all. Caitiff are typically of high generation, where Caine's blood dilutes to greatly to pass on any consistent characteristics.
Camarilla, The: A sect of vampires devoted primarily to maintaining the Traditions, particularly that of the Masquerade.
Childe: A vampire created throught the Embrace --- this childe is the progeny of her sire. This term is often used derogatorily indicating inexperience. Plural childer.
Clan: A group of vampires who share common characteristics passed on by the Blood. There are 13 know clans, all which were reputedly founded by members of the Third Generation.
Coterie: A group of Kindred who work together under a common purpose, whether this be clan, gang, wartime or even diplomatically related.
Dark Mother, The: Lilith.
Diablerie: The consumption of another Kindred's blood, to the point of the victim's Final Death. Vampires of high generation may lower their generation through this practice; particularly old Kindred have such ratified tastes that mortal blood no longer sustains them, and the must consume vampire blood.
Domain: Camarilla Term. An area of a particular vampire's influence. Princes claim entire cities as their domains, sometimes allowing lesser vampires to claim domain within.
Elder: A vampire who has experienced three or more centuries of unlife. Elders are the most active participants in the Jyhad.
Elysium: Camarilla Term. A place where vampires may gather and discourse without fear of harm. Elysium is commonly established in open houses, theatres, museums and other locations of culture.
Embrace, The: The act of transforming a mortal into a vampire. The Embrace requires the vampire to drain her victim and replace that victim's blood with bit of her own.
Fledgling: A newly created vampire, still under her sire's protection.
Frenzy: When the Beast takes over the vampire's personality, usually a result of extreme stress such as starvation or public humiliation or violating the tenets of one's Path.
Generation: The number of "steps" between a vampire and the mythical Caine; how far descended from the First Vampire a given vampire is.
Gehenna: The imminent Armageddon when the Antediluvians will rise from their torpor and devour the race of Kindred and the world.
Ghoul: A minion created by giving a bit of vampiric vitae to a mortal without draining her of blood first (which would create a vampire instead).
Golconda: A fabled state of vampiric transcendence; the true mastery of the Beast and balance of opposing urges and principles. Rumored to be similar to the mortal Nirvana, Golconda is greatly touted but rarely achieved.
Haven: A vampire's “home”; where she finds sanctuary from the sun.
Inconnu: A sect of Vampires who have removed themselves from Kindred concerns and, largely, the Jyhad. Many Methuselahs are rumored to exist among the Inconnu.
Jyhad, The: The secret, self-destructive war waged between the generations. Elder vampires manipulate their lessers, using them as pawns in a terrible game whose rules defy comprehension.
Kindred: The race of vampires as a whole or a single vampire.
Masquerade, The: The habit of hiding the existence of vampires from humanity, Designed to protect the Kindred from destruction at the hands of mankind, the Masquerade was adopted after the Inquisition claimed many Kindred unlives.
Methuselah: A vampire who has existed for a millennium or more; an elder who no longer exists among the greater whole of Kindred society. Methuselahs are rumored to hail from the Fourth and Fifth Generations.
Neonate: A young kindred, recently Embraced.
Prince: Camarilla Term. A vampire who has claimed a given expanse of domain as her own, particularly a city, and supports that claim against all others. The term can refer to a Kindred of either gender.
Rötschreck: "The Red Fear" is a fear-based Frenzy. Rötschreck can be caused by pain caused by fire, sunlight. The sight of these sources may also cause great fear on vampires. It is very similar to Frenzy though Rötschreck is a term especially given to state of fear against Fire or Sunlight which are one of the few source of injury that can destroy a vampire.
Sabbat, The: A sect of vampires that reject humanity, embracing their monstrous natures. The Sabbat is bestial and violent, preferring to lord over mortals rather than hide from them.
Sect: A group of Kindred arguably united under a common philosophy. The two most widely know sects currently populating the night are the Camarilla and the Sabbat.
Sire: A vampire's "parent"; the Kindred who created her.
Torpor: The deathlike sleep common to the undead. particularly among ancient vampires. Torpor may be entered voluntarily (certain undead, weary of the current age, enter torpor in hopes of reawakening in a more hospitable time) or involuntarily (though wounds or loss of blood).
Each “race” has a few innate powers and weaknesses that players will be expected to use, that are clearly defined so the players know precisely what anyone of that race can and can't do on an OOC level – whether or not they know that ICly is up to the players themselves, of course. They will also have a few variations in general information used on the character sheet, but all will be similar for the more part.
Each “race” will have their own distinct Merits and Flaws on top of the General Merits and Flaws. Players may use a combination of racial and general merits and flaws to add depth to their characters and to balance their characters out.
Each “race” will also have their own distinct Backgrounds, which are essentially types of resources they can draw off of. This is one of the few actual “stats” on the character sheet, which will provide the Game Operations Director (G.O.D.) with an idea of what the character has access to in general.
Each “sub-type” of a race will have their own distinct features, and will determine what starter/innate power sets are available to a character.
Each power set will give a description of what the power does, and a series of five example power levels; some levels will give multiple options, not all of which are available to every "sub-type". Every race has their own name for their power sets, but they are generally the same thing – supernatural abilities. This is one of the few actual “stats” on the character sheet, which will provide the Game Operations Director (G.O.D.) with an idea of what the character is capable of as far as powers go.
There will also be a variety of lores available, from general race lore, to sub-type specific lore and even location lore. Lore can be bought using freebie points, and the more levels of lore a character has, the more information they are given about that particular race, sub-type or location.
One thing that will not be ported over from the table top games are the attributes and abilities. Players will be allowed to use their own judgment on what their character knows and how well they know it, and what that character's raw physical aspects are capable of. Be warned that anyone who takes advantage of that and begins to fall into any of the Munchkin categories will be warned only once before being removed from the role plays.
Experience will be granted at a number of different points during the progression of the thread. Each conversion of the Storyteller System sets will include a chart for spending EXP, though all sets will earn EXP the exact same way.
One point of experience will be given for every post you make as your character. If you have more than one character in a thread, experience will be counted towards the primary character of the post; with that in mind, anyone playing more than one character is encouraged to make separate posts for each character.
At the end of each "scene", another point of experience will be awarded. When a scene ends, the Narrator (Sukasa) will clearly post that the scene has ended. Scenes typically end when the characters leave their current location for another, or when dawn arrives, for example.
At the end of major story arcs, players will receive an additional five points of experience. Story arcs contain several to many scenes, and can take weeks to months to complete. An example of completing a story arc would be the characters putting Mariline's ghost to rest in the Vampire game. The Narrator will again post clearly that the story arch was completed.
Based off of Vampire: The Masquerade 3rd Edition Storyteller Series
There will come a time, when the curse of the One above will not be tolerated further, when the Lineage of Cain will end, when the Blood of Caine will be weak and there will be no Embracing for these Childer for their blood will run like water, and the potence in it will wither. Then, you will know in this time that Gehenna will be soon upon you.
The Book of Nod
From Vampire: The Masquerade 3rd Edition core rulebook:
Quote:
Vampires.
Bloodsucking corpses returned from the grave to feast on the blood of the living. Monsters damned to hell who avoid their punishment through life unlawfully stolen. Erotic predators who take their sustenance from innocent, struggling – or, perhaps, willing? – men and women.
Since time's beginning, humanity has spoken of the vampire – the undead, the demonic spirit embodied in the human flesh, the corpse risen from its grave possessed of a burning hunger for warm blood. From Hungary to Hong Kong, from New Delhi to New York, people throughout the world have experienced chills of delicious terror contemplating the deeds of the night-stalking vampire. The vampire has haunted novels, movies, TV series, video games, clothing, even breakfast cereal.
But these stories are mere myths, right?
Wrong.
Vampires have walked among us from prehistoric times. They walk among us still. They have fought a great and secret war since the earliest nights of human history. And this eternal struggle's final outcome may determine humanity's future – or it's ultimate damnation.
Character Creation
There are a number of websites that still provide in-depth information on how to create a Vampire: the Masquerade character that may or may not help you with this creation, as there is a difference in systems here. I strongly recommend taking a look at one of these websites, or the actual books if you have them, even though we're not using the same system as you can still find a great deal of help with role playing your character in this setting. Basically, you can get more in-depth with your sparse character sheet.
Below is a copy of the First Forum Edition vampire character sheet – just copy and paste this form into a private message to the Game Operations Director (Darkfae), and save a copy of it for yourself on your computer.
Choose your clan, and a basic personality and concept for your character.
Step Two: Select Advantages
Choose your Disciplines based on your clan (3 points), and Backgrounds (5 points). Individual Disciplines and backgrounds cannot exceed 4 points each, even after freebie points are spent.
The in-clan/bloodline Disciplines of each clan are listed below:
Daughters of Cacophony: Fortitude, Melpominee, Presence
Gangrel: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean
Gargoyle: Fortitude, Potence, Visceratika, Flight
Followers of Set: Obfuscate, Presence, Serpentis
Giovanni: Dominate, Necromancy, Potence
Harbingers of Skulls: Auspex, Fortitude, Necromancy
Kiasyd: Dominate, Mytherceria, Obtenebration
Lasombra: Dominate, Obtenebration, Potence
Lamia: Fortitude, Mortis, Potence
Malkavian: Auspex, Dementation, Obfuscate
Nagaraja: Auspex, Necromancy, Nihilistics
Nosferatu: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence
Ravnos: Animalism, Chimerstry, Fortitude
Salubri: Auspex, Fortitude, Obeah
Samedi: Fortitude, Obfuscate, Thanatosis
Toreador: Auspex, Celerity, Presence
Tremere: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy
True Brujah: Potence, Presence, Temporis
Tzimisce: Animalism, Auspex, Vicissitude
Ventrue: Dominate, Fortitude, Presence
Step Three: Finishing Touches
Record your Humanity or Path (5 – 7 points), select Merits and Flaws. Spend freebie points (7 points).
If you take a Path instead of Humanity, a special kit will be sent to you detailing the changes made to that Path for this version of the Storyteller System.
Merits and Flaws do not give or deduct freebie points, however you are limited to 3 – 5 Merits and 7 – 10 Flaws, depending on how powerful or detracting they are.
Freebie Point Costs
Clan/Bloodline Discipline – 3 points per additional point
Other Discipline – 5 points per additional point
Background – 1 point per additional point
Humanity/Path – 1 point per additional point
Clans (Descriptions taken from White Wolf Wikia pages, linked for each):
SPOILERX
Assamite– Independent Clan. Based in their hidden fortress Alamut in the Middle East, they are traditionally seen by Western Kindred as dangerous assassins and diablerists, but in truth they are guardians, warriors and scholars who seek to distance themselves from the Jyhad. Throughout their history, they have remained self-sufficient and independent.
Brujah– Camarilla Clan. Quick to anger and always passionate in the Modern Nights, they have fallen from their former position as a clan of lofty philosophers and activists and are often painted as merely a rabble of "angry young Kindred" and revolutionaries. Despite their rebellious nature, the Brujah were one of the founding clans of the Camarilla, and they have remained a pillar of that sect throughout its history.
Followers of Set– Independent Clan. A clan of vampires who believe their founder was the Egyptian god Set. Orthodox Setite belief dictates that Set will one day return to rule or consume the world, and devout Setites prepare the way for his resurrection. To this end, the clan remains independent of the Sects of other Kindred, and practice with great skill the arts of corruption, deceit and ancient sorcery.
Gangrel – Technically Independent Clan. Nomads who hold closer ties to the wild places than most of their city-bound cousins, they are also closer to the animal aspect of the Beast, and are masters of the Protean Discipline. They were one of the seven founding clans of the Camarilla, but became disillusioned with the sect in the Final Nights, its elders eventually deciding to sever its ties and become an independent clan.
Giovanni – Independent Clan. The usurpers of clan Cappadocian and the youngest clan of Caine, the Giovanni are both a clan and a family. They Embrace exclusively within their family (one of many things kept within the family), and are heavily focused on two goals: money and (necromantic) power.
Lasombra – Sabbat Clan. The leaders of the Sabbat, clan Lasombra are Darwinists, predators, elegant and inhuman. Firm believers in the worthy ruling and the unworthy serving, the Lasombra have maintained their traditions even as they have turned the Sabbat to their own purposes.
Malkavians – Camarilla Clan. A clan of Kindred cursed with insanity. Every Malkavian is in some fashion insane; in game terms, they have at least one derangement they can never remove. They are one of the original seven clans of the Camarilla and, strangely enough, a pillar of the organization. Throughout history, the Malkavians have been the seers and oracles of the Kindred, bound by strange compulsions and insight.
Nosferatu – Camarilla Clan. The most visibly cursed of all Kindred, the Embrace warps each Nosferatu into a hideously deformed creature; the archetypal Nosferatu resembles Max Shreck's Count Orlok, though the curse has any number of variations. The Nosferatu are the spymasters of the dead, collecting information and selling it for a dear price. They are also the masters of the underground, living in the sewers for protection.
Ravnos – Independent Clan. Nobody in the west understood the Ravnos, and now in the Final Nights, its too late to do so. Misunderstood as a clan of gypsies and tricksters, the western Ravnos are a minor and heretical branch of the undead lords of India. Gifted with the power to manipulate maya, the Ravnos saw themselves as tempters and avengers, replacing the fallen Kuei Jin in the scheme of the universe.
Toreador – Camarilla Clan. Some of the most beautiful and glamorous of the Kindred. Famous (and infamous) as a clan of artists and innovators they are one of the bastions of the Camarilla, as their very survival depends on the facades of civility and grace on which the sect prides itself.
Tremere – Camarilla Clan. One of the youngest vampire clans, having just come into existence during the dark ages. In the little time since then they have made incredible inroads within vampiric society and are arguably the most powerful clan in the modern nights. This is due in no small part to their strict hierarchy, secretive nature, and mastery of Thaumaturgy, all of which elicit suspicion, fear, and respect from other Cainites. The Warlocks stand as a pillar of the Camarilla and are one of its main defenders, despite the fact that they exist almost as a subsect. Some even go so far as to consider themselves the evolution of vampirism, citing their extreme versatility of blood magic and lack of a true clan curse. The Final Nights have many things in store for the Tremere, however, and the more powerful they grow the more their enemies gather.
Tzimisce – Sabbat Clan. If you described a Tzimisce as inhuman and sadistic, it would probably commend you for your perspicacity on the inhumanity, and then demonstrate that your mortal definition of sadism was laughably inadequate. The Tzimisce have left the human condition behind gladly, and now focus on transcending the limitations of the vampiric state. At a casual glance or a brief conversation a Tzimisce appears to be one of the more pleasant vampires. Polite, intelligent and inquisitive they seem a stark contrast to the howling Sabbat mobs or even the apparently more humane Brujah or Nosferatu. However on closer inspection it becomes clear that this is simply a mask hiding something alien and monstrous.
Ventrue – Camarilla Clan. One of the proudest lines of vampires. Its members work hard to maintain a reputation for honor, genteel behavior, and leadership. A sense of noblesse oblige has long pervaded the clan, accompanied by the genuine belief that the Ventrue know what's best for everyone. They not only consider themselves the oldest clan, but see themselves as the enforcers of tradition and the rightful leaders of vampire society. Unsurprisingly, they have long been chosen from the ranks of nobility and privilege, whether kings or merchant princes, but they have also been known as knights and warlords who sought to live by the laws of chivalry and duty. If anything, the Ventrue have adopted to fill the roles of leadership over the ages, and in the modern nights are more politician than noble warrior, more CEO than baron lord. They remain the largest supporters of the Camarilla and the Masquerade, believing both institutions to be the surest means of protecting vampires from the growing mortals masses, and of guarding their own power.
Bloodlines (Descriptions taken from White Wolf Wikia pages, linked for each):
SPOILERX
Ahrimanes – Sabbat Bloodline. The Ahrimanes are a rare, all-female bloodline of Kindred from the southern United States who share an unusual bond with spirits . They are an offshoot of the Gangrel antitribu. A link to a player written Clanbook will be included once I transpose and upload it.
Baali – Independent Bloodline. Extinct. The Baali are a bloodline of vampires associated with demon worship. Some versions present the true purpose of the Baali as keeping demons sleeping by feeding them with carnage and destruction. Most presentations show them as Infernalists, using demon worship to gain additional power.
They have a somewhat complex heritage, appearing at times as a bloodline and at times as a clan. There is some indication that they may be a bloodline of the Salubri, but their exact origin is as descendants of the Gangrel line. They also recruit vampires from other clans to become Baali, further confusing the issue.
Historically the Assamites, Followers of Set, and Salubri have fought wars against the Baali. The Salubri and Assamites in particular have a deep seated hatred for the Baali. The Assamite warriors current blood addiction can be traced to a curse leveled by the Baali.
Blood Brothers – Sabbat Bloodline. The Blood Brothers are a rare Kindred bloodline of the Sabbat, created by a group of Tremere antitribu and Tzimisce sorcerers. Designed to function as perfect combat units, Blood Brothers possess a sort of shared consciousness, working exclusively with the "circle" of Blood Brothers with whom they share their "hive mind". The members of a circle will often be fleshcrafted by Tzimisce to appear identical, an outward reflection of their lack of individuality. They lack personal desires and considered ideal servants by their creators, though opinion of them differs among other members of the Sabbat who are aware of their existence...
City Gangrel – Technically Independent Bloodline. The City Gangrel most likely split from the main Clan sometime during the mid-to-late 1800s. Certainly no Gangrel before then evinced the same combination of Disciplines as the City Gangrel do - Celerity, Obfuscate, and Protean.
Daughters of Cacophony – Independent Bloodline. The Daughters are the choralistes par excellence of the undead, and hosting a gathering of them is worth high prestige for the Toreador.
Believed to have origins in both the Malkavian and the Toreador clans, the Daughters are very few in number and reject association with either the Camarilla or the Sabbat. As their nickname "Sirens" suggests, the Daughters are known for their ability to deliver emotions through a form of song.
Only female vampires number among the Daughters of Cacophony. In nights past, there were male members of this bloodline, though why they disappeared from the ranks of the clan is unknown.
Gargoyles – Enslaved Camarilla Bloodline. The Gargoyles are a bloodline created by the Tremere as servitors. Although technically not a Tremere bloodline, the bloodline is largely under their control.
The Gargoyles were created using the blood of three different clans: the Gangrel, the Nosferatu, and the Tzimisce. The blood was combined to form three specific types of Gargoyle: scouts (Gangrel-Nosferatu), warriors (Gangrel-Tzimisce), and sentinels (Nosferatu-Tzimisce).
Harbingers of Skulls – Sabbat Bloodline. A rare bloodline who surfaced in the Final Nights. While few Kindred suspect the truth, they are the last remnants of the Cappadocian clan.
Kiasyd – Nominally Sabbat Bloodline. A bloodline of the Lasombra founded after a mysterious "accident" involving the Lasombra Marconius of Strasbourg. The "accident", involving faeries and the blood of "Zeernebooch, a god of the underworld", resulted in Marconius gaining several feet in height, turning chalky white and developing large, elongated black eyes.
The Kiasyd are a very sedate clan, noted primarily for their fascination with ancient lore, their solitude, their impeccably good manners, and the fact that they look like 7 foot tall space aliens. Kiasyd are also in some way connected with changelings; they are vulnerable to cold iron and have an inherent understanding of fae tricks.
Lamia – Servant Camarilla Bloodline. More than likely extinct (variation from the official canon, as I've always felt if the Cappadocians survived, some unknown Lamia who were with them could have). Founded when Lamia, a descendant and high priestess of Lilith, was Embraced by Lazarus, childe of Cappadocius. While they are loyal to their parent clan, the Lamia are forever separate, and Lamia's childer worship the Dark Mother as she did in life. More physical and sensual than their studious parent clan, they are also great warriors, and bolstered the defenses of the Cappadocians.
As worshipers of death in the form of the Dark Mother, the Lamia carry a curse they call "The Seed of Lilith". This is a virulent disease that can infect those from whom they feed, especially men, and is invariably fatal; other Kindred who feed from Lamia are also infected, but they become carriers only.
According to the Giovanni, when Lamia herself was diablerized, she passed on the curse to the Giovanni, which manifested as the Giovanni's extraordinarily painful Kiss.
Nagaraja – Sabbat Bloodline. Long, long ago the mages of the Euthanatos Tradition experimented with the blood of the Kindred. Some of the most foolish actually managed to turn themselves into vampires without being directly Embraced. Their own manipulations of the blood, combined with their innate magickal natures, produced the Nagaraja, a bloodline of cannibals, Necromancers and feared servants of the Black Hand. The Nagaraja are unlike other Kindred in that they must consume flesh, making them among the most reviled and "unnatural" of the bloodlines. To add to this disgust, they are masters of Oblivion, the nothingness of the Underworld. The Nagaraja are also masters of Necromancy -- an art learned from the Euthanatos and Inauhaten, the Mummy. The Nagaraja engage in many strange and terrible Thaumaturgical and Necromantic experiments. They are even believed responsible for the creation of the Samedi, though they refuse to take credit, or guilt, for their awful kind.
True Brujah – Independent Bloodline. A bloodline of Clan Brujah that claim to be descendants of the original Antediluvian founder of the lineage and not his diablerist/childe Troile. The True Brujah are noted for their cool detached behavior which puts them in contrast to the main lineage which is known for their rather short violent tempers.
They are believed to descend from the original progenitor of the Brujah clan, Ilyes, who was diablerized by one of his own descendants, whose name was allegedly Troile. Vampires who call themselves Brujah are believed to descend from this usurper, while the True Brujah claim lineage leading directly to the original clan founder, Ilyes himself.
True Brujah often hide within the ranks of the Modern Brujah. It is said that they are biding their time till they can bring the "usurpers" back into the fold.
Unlike their cousins, the True Brujah are said to be dispassionate and cold even to the point where they find summoning emotions to be difficult. Many True Brujah are supposedly members of the Sabbat sect called the True Black Hand, though there is some confusion on this matter.
Salubri – Independent Bloodline. Nearly extinct. Rare throughout history, in the Final Nights, the Salubri are barely a bloodline. Composed of seven vampires at any time, the Salubri search for Golconda, enacting a bloody ritual of cannibalism when they achieve that state or despair of ever doing so.
Samedi – Independent Bloodline. Originating most likely in the Caribbean, the bloodline's members all seem to resemble a zombie or a corpse. Unlike the Nosferatu, who merely become disfigured, the body of the Samedi appears to be in a constant state of decay. Social interactions often fail miserably, as do attempts to integrate into mortal society. Rotting chunks of flesh fall off of their bodies with increasing frequency as they age, and the smell of death clings to them wherever they roam.
Disciplines (Descriptions taken from VtM 3rd Ed books):
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Animalism – Supernatural affinity with and control of animals.
Auspex – Extrasensory perception, awareness and premoitions.
Visceratika – Discipline possessed solely by the Gargoyles Bloodline, an extension of the Gargoyles' natural affinity for stone, earth and things made thereof.
Common Backgrounds(Descriptions taken from White Wolf Wikia):
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Allies - Close companions who could be called on for most anything. Receive one ally for each point taken.
Contacts - Those willing to help for a favor in return. Receive one contact for each point taken.
Fame or Noteriety - How well-known the character was in society; Noteriety generally carried negative connotation, however.
Influence - A character's ability to affect mortal society.
Mentor - An experienced guide through the supernatural or everyday world.
Resources - How much a character had to live on.
Status - Where a character ranked in a particular social structure.
Vampire Specific Backgrounds (Descriptions taken from White Wolf Wikia):
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Generation - How many generations a kindred is removed from Caine. Subtract one generation for each point taken; remember that starting generation is 13th.
Herd - A group of mortals from whom the vampire may regularly feed with relative ease.
Retainers - Mortals servants. Receive one retainer for each point taken.
Path of Enlightenment (Descriptions from the White Wolf Wikia, 3rd Edition core rule book and Guides):
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Path of Blood – Practiced almost exclusively by Clan Assamite. The path seeks to convince other Kindred of their flawed, cursed nature, and thus convert them to the service of those on the Path. They believe that only by upholding Haquim's righteous code can they redeem themselves.
Path of Caine – Quite literally, the Followers of Caine. Cannite scholars concluded that only Caine, as the first vampire, is the paragon of vampiric nature; they seek to become like Caine, in order to discover the limits and powers of the undead form. They believe that by learning from Caine's example, one can understand the true nature of vampirism and how vampiric existence differs from one's mortal life.
Note: Anyone playing this path should read The Book of Nod, which is a “book” from the World of Darkness, compiled by a vampire scholar, so the perspective is as though it were a real book rather than a role play guide. Many selections from this book are used by followers of this path for their Sermons of Caine.
Path of Cathari – A dualistic philosophy based on the idea that the world was created in equal parts by a good (“light”) creator responsible for virtue and spirit, and an evil (“dark”) creator who acted as the counterpoint, fashioning the material world and its vices. Followers of this path believe the undead are minions of the evil creator, given eternal existence to tempt others with the lures of the material world. They seek to spread evil and corruption, seeing iniquity as their natural state.
Path of Death and the Soul – Practitioners of this path study the process of death and its logical antecedent...the fate of the soul. They believe that to understand the purpose of existence, one must develop a comprehension of the soul and its nature, as well as the means by which the soul interacts with the body...especially the means by which the soul is freed from it's mortal coil, the passage into death; the transition from flesh to spirit is ultimately the greatest key to understanding the soul, and these vampires engineer experiments to carefully watch and learn from that transition.
Path of Evil Revelations – Followers of this path believe that all vampires are but pawns to the demons of the Inferno, and the proper place of the vampires is to acknowledge the supremacy of these infernal masters. All practitioners claim one or more infernal “patron”, spreading the specific brand of vitriol espoused by their demonic lords; they claim to be given great power and a place in the infernal hierarchy, in exchange for absolute servitude and the sacrifice of their own souls. Ultimately, this path embraces inward evil as a tool for outer darkness.
Path of the Feral Heart – Followers of this path believe that the Beast is a natural part of being a vampire and that its needs must be satiated, however it is important to strike a balance between Beast and Man...the feral cunning and viscous instincts of the vampire are excellent tools, tempered by the reasoning and insight of the mind. Vampires on this path have very little use for the trappings of civilization or education. Modern transportation and weapons are unnecessary, as the unliving form provides all of the tools to stalk and kill. Subterfuge and politics are trivial concerns, as vampires are made to hunt and kill, and the followers of this path excel at both.
Path of Honorable Accord – Unlife must be given direction and purpose; the followers of this path choose honour as their guiding hand. By focusing on firm rules and personal boundries, they keep the rage of the Beast at bay. Many beliefs of the followers of this path mirror the feudal codes of chivalry or the bushido of the samurai, however they also uphold the policies of their sects and organizations with fanatical zeal.
Path of Humanity – Default path. The ethics of Humanity uphold what constitutes as humane behavior: Humanity warns against stealing, killing, harming others or behaving selfishly.
Path of Lilith – The Bahari practice the ancient ways handed down by Lilith herself in the fragments erroneously referred to as the Lilith Cycle. Lilith is the architect of Caine's power, the creator of magick, and the mother of gods, Lilith watered the seeds of wisdom with her own blood, which empowers anyone to walk through fire and swim through the frost to come to the revelation of ultimate freedom and self-empowerment. Like a parent disciplining an errant child, Lilith passes on a legacy of pain that teaches, and so the Bahari seek to overcome the weakness of their blind, helpless births, ascending to understanding and power. They are, however, considered heretical by most members of the Sabbat, and are in direct contention with the Path of Caine.
Note: Anyone playing this path should read Revelations of the Dark Mother, which is a “book” from the World of Darkness, compiled by a vampire-turned-Bahari, so the perspective is as though it were a real book rather than a role play guide.
Path of Metamorphosis – Practiced primarily by Tzimisce, followers of this path believe that changing the flesh may pave the way towards changing the soul, and that true comprehension of unlife requires a broad range of experiences. The path focuses mainly on the self, and is largely solitary due to the cold, utterly inhuman and exactingly scientific nature of its followers.
Path of Night – Followers of this path wholly accept their damnation; indeed, they believe that, as vampires, it is their preordained role to act as agents of damnation. One who received the curse of Cain is bound by fate and duty to wreak vengeance upon the Children of Seth.
Path of Paradox – Upheld exclusively by the Ravnos, this path concerns itself with the vampires' karmic duty to continue the grand cycle of ages. Whereas most beings are reincarnated through samsara, a continual entanglement in the cycle of rebirth, Kindred have eluded that cycle and instead of the dharma they once followed, vampires must now try to advance maya, hopefully understanding it in the process and finally penetrating the great illusions that shroud the Ultimate Truth from their eyes.
Path of Power and the Inner Voice – The followers of this path see the exercise of power and control as the best reason for vampires existence. Control of the self and of the external world is the only goal worth pursuing. The followers of this path are rightly feared and respected. No adherent to this path tolerates weakness or failure; punishment is swift and often fatal. Indeed, punishment serves not only to remonstrate the offender, but as an example to others. Thus, they have no mercy nor compassion whatsoever.
Path of Self-Focus – This path draws heavily on the Eastern philosophy of wu wei, or concious inaction. The followers of this path believe that deliberate attempts to change the world around them result in misery and failure; they also believe that the answers to all moral and spiritual questions can be found within oneself. They also place a great deal of emphasis on existing in the moment rather than planning too much for the future. Members of nearly any clan or sect can follow this path, provided they can find a willing teacher.
Path of the Bones – Vampires who follow this path seek the knowledge of precisely what death is. They seek to define not only what death is, but also its meaning to those who have escaped it.
Path of the Scorched Heart – Followers of this path prize observation and logical thought over all. Strong emotion is for the flawed, and it ultimately clouds judgment. Only hard data can be trusted, and this means data that is observed first hand. All emotions, negative or not, are tainted by the Beast's touch and so, therefore, were the actions of any Cainite ruled by her emtions. In cutting off the mind and soul from emotion - “scortching the heart” - they hope to find respite from the Beast. Needless to say, they detest the Beast.
Path of Typhon – Practiced almost exclusively by the Followers of Set. Vampires who follow this path have a truly sinister purpose in mind – they seek the resurrection of their patron and father, Set.
Merits:
Physical Merits
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Acute Sense – One of your senses is exceptionally sharp. This Merit can be combined with the Discipline Auspex to produce superhuman sensory acuity.
Ambidextrous – You have a high degree of off-hand dexterity and can perform tasks with the “wrong” hand without any penalties.
Eat Food – You have the capacity to eat food and even savor its taste. Of course, you can't digest what you eat, there will be a point during the evening when you must force yourself to heave it back up.
Catlike Balance – You posses an innately perfect sense of balance.
Blush of Life – You look more hale and hearty in appearance than other vampires, allowing you to blend with human society much more easily. Your flesh retains the color of a living mortal, and your skin feels only slightly cool to the touch.
Enchanting Voice – There is something about your voice that others cannot ignore, making it easier to use your voice to persuade, charm or command others.
Efficient Digestion – You are able to draw more than the usual amount of nourishment from blood, allowing you to drink less often.
Huge Size – You are abnormally large in size, at least 6'10” and 300 pounds in weight. There are a number of innate advantages to being a giant.
Mental Merits
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Common Sense – You have a significant amount of practical, everyday wisdom. Whenever you are about to act in a way that is contrary to common sense, G.O.D. can make suggestions or warnings against said action (if possible).
Time Sense – You have an innate sense of time and are able to accurately estimate the passage of time accurately without using a watch or other time keeping device.
Eidetic Memory – You remember, with perfect detail, things seen and heard. Documents, photographs, conversations, etc, can be commited to memory with only minor concentration and be recalled with uncanny detail.
Light Sleeper – You can awaken instantly at any sign of trouble or danger, and do so without any sleepiness or hesitation.
Natural Linguist – You have a flair for languages, and can learn or decipher new languages with greater ease.
Clam Heart – You are naturally calm and do not easily fly off the handle, making it easier for you to resist Frenzy. Brujah may not take this Merit.
Social Merits
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Prestigious Sire – Your sire has or had great status in her sect or clan, and this has accorded you with a certain amount of prestige. Though your sire may no longer have any dealings with you, the simple fact of your ancestry has marked you forever. This prestige might aid you greatly in dealings with your elders or other neonates, or it might engender jealousy and contempt.
Debt of Gratitude – An elder owes you gratitude because of something either you or your sire did for her. The depth of the gratitude may very, even unto the elder owing the character her very unlife. All Debts must be approved by G.O.D and you may be requested to modify the Debt presented.
Supernatural Merits
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Medium – You posses the natural affinity to sense and hear spirits, ghosts, and shades. Though you cannot see them, you can sense them, speak to them and, through pleading or cajoling, draw them to your presence. You may try to call upon them for aid or advice, but there will always be some sort of price.
Magic Resistance – You have an inherent resistance to the rituals of the Tremere and the spells of the mages of other creeds and orders. You may never learn any part of the Discipline of Thaumaturgy, however.
Oracular Ability – You can see and interpret signs and omens. You are able to draw advice from these omens, for they provide hints of the future and warnings of the present. These omens and signs will be revealed during game play, and if you wish to interpret them, you must send a private message to G.O.D to receive guidance.
Spirit Mentor – You have a ghostly companion and guide, in the form of a G.O.D controlled NPC. You may call upon this spirit in difficult situations for help and guidance.
Unbondable – You are immune to being Blood Bound.
True Love – You have discovered, perhaps too late, a true love. He or she is mortal, but is the center of your existence, and inspires you to keep going in a world of darkness and despair. Whenever you suffer, the thought of your love gives you the strength to persevere. This can be a great gift and also a hindrance, for you true love may require protection and occasionally rescue.
True Faith – You have a deep-seated faith in and love for God, or whatever name you choose to call the Almight. You begin your character with a single point of the True Faith advantage. You must have a Humanity of nine or higher to chose this Merit, and if you lose a single point, all your Faith points are lost and may only be regained when the lost Humanity is recovered. You may spend your True Faith point to perform magical acts akin to miracles, but the exact nature and results of those acts are up to G.O.D.
Flaws:
Physical Flaws
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Smell of the Grave – You exude an odor of dampness and newly turned earth, which no amount of scents or perfumes will cover. Mortals in your immediate presence become uncomfortable, making social interactions with them more difficult.
Short – You are well below average height – four and a half feet tall or less. You have difficulty reaching or manipulating objects designed for normal adult size.
Hard of Hearing – Your hearing is defective, making it more difficult for you to notice many sounds.
14th Generation – You were created five or few years ago by a member of the 13th generation. Though you consume just as much blood, you are unable to use it as effectively as other Kindred. You may not take any points in the Generation background if you have this flaw, nor may you start with the Status background. Most 14th generation vampires should also take the Thin Blood flaw.
Infectious Bite – You lack the enzymes that allow most Kindred to seal the wounds caused by their feeding. You may not automatically lick the wounds of your feeding closed. In fact, your bites have a one in five chance of becoming infected and causing mortal victims to become seriously ill. The precise nature of this infection is determined by G.O.D.
Bad Sight – Your sight is defective. This condition may be corrected with contacts or glasses if it is not to severe, however some conditions may be too severe to be corrected.
One Eye – You have only one eye – which eye is missing is up to you.
Disfigured – A hideous disfigurement makes your appearance disturbing and memorable, making many social interactions more difficult.
Child – You were a small child, between the ages of five and ten years of age, at the time of your Embrace, leaving your body underdeveloped and making it difficult to interact with some aspects of mortal society. Characters with this flaw must also take the Short flaw.
Deformity – You have some kind of deformity – a misshapen limb, hunchback, clubfoot, etc – which affects your physical abilities and interactions with others.
Lame – Your legs are damaged, which prevents you from running or walking easily. You are forced to walk with a cane or possibly leg braces, and have a pronounced limp to your stride. Your walking speed is slower than a normal human's, and running is impossible.
Monstrous – Your physical form was twisted during the Embrace, and now reflects the Beast that rages inside you. Characters with this flaw appear to be savage monsters with absolutely no physical beauty. Even Nosferatu have difficulty interacting with such individuals.
Permanent Wound – You suffered injuries during your Embrace which your transformation somehow failed to repair. At the beginning of each night, you rise from sleep with this injury oozing, however you may use your blood to heal it, though it will only heal into a pronounced scar.
Slow Healing – You have difficulty healing wounds. Some damage can take you days to heal, depending upon the degree and how much access you have to more blood to use.
Addiction – You suffer from an addiction to a substance, which must now be present in the blood you drink. This can be alcohol, nicotine, hard drugs or simple adrenaline. This substance always impairs you in ways similar to its effects on humans.
Mute – You cannot speak, however you are still capable of writing what you wish to say, or learning sign language to communicate even though few would understand ASL.
Thin Blood – Your blood is thin, weak and does not sustain you well. You use more of your blood to power your abilities, and you are unable to create a blood bond or sire a Thrall. Furthermore, efforts to sire progeny succeed only 20% of the time.
Disease Carrier – Your blood carries a lethal and highly contagious disease. The disease can be anything from rabies to HIV, and Kindred who drink your blood have a 10% chance of becoming a carrier as well. You must use a little blood every night to avoid manifesting symptoms of the disease.
Deaf – You cannot hear. While you may ignore some applications of Dominate, you may not listen to electronic of vocal media, and are innate unaware of much around you that is not within your direct line of sight.
Flesh of the Corpse – Your flesh does not fully regenerate itself once it's been damaged. While you are able to heal yourself to regaining full functionality of your body, your skin still retains the cuts, tears, bullet holes, etct, which you have incurred. Depending upon the nature of the damage, this Flaw will make social dealings exceedingly difficult.
Blind – You cannot see. Characters can compensate for the loss of vision by becoming more sensitive to other sensory imput, but visual cues and images are lost to them. Actions involving hand-eye coordination are very difficult to perform, especially under stressful conditions.
Mental Flaws
SPOILERX
Deep Sleeper – When you sleep, it is very difficult for you to awaken, especially during the daytime. When you wake during the day, your coordination and concentration suffer.
Nightmares – You experience horrendous nightmares every time you sleep, and memories of them haunt you during your waking hours. Sometimes, you may awaken and still believe you are experiencing the nightmare you were having, tainting your perceptions of the interactions for that day.
Phobia – You have an overpowering fear of something. Snakes, spiders, crowds and heights are an example of common phobias. Coming into contact with the object of your phobia makes everything much more difficult for you, until you are able to rid yourself of the object of your fear.
Prey Exclusion – You refuse to hunt a certain class of prey. You might refuse to feed upon drug dealers, or policemen, or accountants, or rich people – if you accidentally feed on such an individual, you immediately frenzy and may lose some of your Humanity. Witnessing another Kindred feeding on the object of your exclusion may also provoke a frenzy. Ventrue may not take this Flaw.
Speech Impediment – You have a stammer or other speech impediment that hampers verbal communication, making some social situations difficult.
Short Fuse – You are easily angered, and succumb to frenzy more frequently because of this. Brujah cannot take this flaw.
Territorial – You are extremely territorial, staking out a particular area as your hunting ground and reacting aggressively to trespassers. If another vampire enters your territory uninvited, you have a chance of frenzying; should you frenzy, you will attack the interloper and continue to attack them until the intruder is dead or has left your hunting grounds. You are reluctant to leave your territory for long, except in desperate circumstances.
Vengeful – You have a score to settle, incurred either during your mortal days or after the Embrace. You are obsessed with taking your revenge on an individual or group, and it is your overriding priority in any situation where you encoutner the object of your revenge.
Amnesia – You are unable to remember anything about your past, yourself, or your family, though your past might well come back to haunt you.
Lunacy – You are affected by the phases of the moon, increasing your chances to frenzy. You frenzy more often under the crescent moon, even more so under the half or gibbous moon and frenzy at the drop of a hat under a full moon.
Conspicuous Consumption – It is not enough for you to draw nourishment from the blood of mortals – you believe you must also consume your victim's heart, liver and other blood-rich tissue. Of course, this will necessitate the deaths of all your victims, which might lead to problems with the Masquerade and maintaining Humanity. Characters with this Flaw must additionally take the Eat Food Merit.
Social Flaws
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Dark Secret – You have some sort of secret that, if uncovered, would be of immense embarrassment to you and would make you a pariah in the local Kindred community. This could be anything from having murdered an elder to being a member of the opposing faction.
Infamous Sire – Your sire was, and perhaps still is, distrusted and disliked by many of the city's Kindred. As a result, you are distrusted and disliked as well.
Mistaken Identity – You look similar to descriptions of another Kindred, which cause cases of mistaken identity. This can prompt numerous awkward or even dangerous situations, especially if your “twin” has a terrible reputation or is wanted for some crime.
Sire's Resentment – Your sire dislikes you and wishes you ill. Given the smallest opportunity, she will actively seek to do you harm. Your sire's allies also work against you, and many elders may resent you.
Enemy – You have an enemy, or perhaps a group of enemies, who seek to harm you. The power of the enemy may vary depending upon the severity of the flaw, with some of the more powerful enemies consisting of Methuselahs, archmages or other potent supernatural foes.
Hunted – You are pursued by a fanatical witch-hunter who believes that you are a danger to humanity. All those with whom you openly associate with may be hunted as well.
Probationary Sect Member – You are a defector. You turned traitor to the Camarilla, or the Sabbat, Followers of Set or some other vampiric order, and you still have much to prove before you are accepted by the Kindred you have defected too. Elders, ancillae and even neonates treat you with distrust and even hostility, and your reputation might even sully those whom you regularly associate with.
Supernatural Flaws
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Touch of Frost – Plants wither as you approach and die at your touch. Your touch leeches heat from living beings as though you are made of ice.
Repulsed by Garlic – You cannot abide garlic, and the smallest whiff of its scent will drive you from a room most of the time.
Cursed – You are the recipient of a supernatural curse. The strengths and pervasiveness of the curse depends upon how severe of a Flaw you wish this to be.
An example of a minor curse: if you pass on a secret you were entrusted with, your betrayal will come back to harm you in some way.
An example of a moderate curse: tools break or malfunction when you try to use them.
An example of a severe curse: Every one of your accomplishments or triumphs will eventually become soiled or fail in some way.
Cast No Reflection – You actually cast no reflection, just like the vampires of legend. This can have a very detrimental effect when trying to pass as a human. Lasobmra automatically have this Flaw, and you may be mistaken for one of them if you possess this.
Eerie Presence – Mortals have an unconscious awareness of your undead nature, which makes them anxious and ill at ease in your presence.
Repelled by Crosses – You are repelled by the site of ordinary crosses, believing them to be symbols of holy might. When confronted by a cross, you quickly begin to lose your ability to remain in it's presence, often fleeing from the symbol. Sometimes, the touch of a cross can cause actual damage to your body, and cannot be mitigated in any manner.
Can't Cross Running Water – You believe in the old folklore, and cannot cross running water unless you are at least fifty feet above it. Running water is considered to be any body of water at least two feet wide in any direction and not completely stagnant.
Haunted – You are haunted by an angry or tormented spirit, most likely one of your first victims. This spirit actively attempts to hinder you, especially when feeding, and does its utmost to vent its anguish upon you and anyone in your presence. The exact nature, powers and details of the spirit are determined by G.O.D, as well as whether or not the spirit can be laid to rest.
Grip of the Damned – There is no ecstasy in your Embrace – only terror and pain. Mortals upon whom you feed struggle and shriek all the while as you attempt to feed, requiring you to grapple with them for as long as you wish to take their blood. For vampires with high Humanity, feeding may lead to the loss of your humanity.
Dark Fate – You are doomed to experience Final Death or, worse, suffer eternal agony. No matter what you do, you cannot avoid this terrible fate. At some point during the chronicles, your dark fate will come upon you. Even more ghastly is the fact that you occasionally have visions of this fate, and the malaise theses images inspire may cause you great difficulty with all of your actions for a time after the vision. It is up to G.O.D to determine this fate, and when it will occur. This is a difficult Flaw to roleplay; ironically, though it may seem as though it removes all free will, the knowledge of one's death can be quite liberating.
Light-Sensitive – You are even more sensetive to sunlight than other vampires. Sunlight causes extreme amounts of damage faster than normal, and the light of the moon can cause damage the way the sun causes damage to normal vampires, though it must shine directly upon you. Even bright lights hurt your eyes, requiring the use of sunglasses, even at night.
More on Generation
Generation directly relates to how high you can raise your disciplines and other traits, and will continue to do so in the free form, forum based ruleset. The scale will be exactly the same as it is in the 3rd Edition core rulebook. Below is a table displaying the max rating each generation grants.
Generation -- Max Trait Rating
Third ---------------- 10
Fourth -------------- 9
Fifth ---------------- 8
Sixth --------------- 7
Seventh ------------ 6
Eighth ------------- 5
Ninth -------------- 5
Tenth -------------- 5
Eleventh ---------- 5
Twelfth ------------ 5
Thirteenth + ------ 5 Max Trait Rating: This indicates the highest permanent Trait rating (excluding Path scores) a vampire of the given generation can have. This is especially important with regard to Disciplines.
More on Paths of Enlightenment
It would take so many additional pages to really put even a moderate understanding of each Path into this ruleset, and unfortunately the majority of them do not have any sort of wiki page to reference to.
Characters, by default, are on the Path of Humanity. Players are welcome to use other Paths, either at character creation or through role play (planned or otherwise) later on. If a player is interested in a path, please send a private message to the Game Operations Director to get a full overview of the Path's beliefs and practices, along with their hierarchy of sins, unless you happen to have a copy of the table top book they came from.
I did my best to capture the basic essences of each path, summarizing, rearranging and creatively editing the descriptions from a number of books from the 3rd Edition family. I did not, however, use any clanbooks for the list, so there are some missing; I also excluded the few obscure Paths, due to the difficulty of working with the material for them.
More On Disciplines
A few disciplines require a little bit of changes to them, since we are not using a dice system, and they were designed around a dice system – needless to say, any die rolls mentioned on the wikia pages for the discipline to work will not actually need to be made. We also have eliminated the blood pool, allowing players to enact their powers with discretion at any time, as many times during a scene they wish to.
Many powers, however, remain unchanged. On each of the linked wikia pages, players will find that each Discipline level has a specific name and effect, though some do have multiple effects possible with many of the sixth level or higher abilities. In our game, these work exactly like the description says they do, and should be role-played out as such.
For Discipline levels that have more than one effect, please check the sources listed for that effect, and do not use any effects that come from a Clanbook that is not related to your clan - those are Clan specific effects and are rarely (if ever) taught to people outside of that clan. If during play a member of that Clan teaches you the effect, however, you are more than free to us it in game.
To use a power during role play, you must include the discipline name and/or the level name of the power involved if there is one associated with it, in bold type so it is noticeable. They can be cleverly disguised in well written actions, or disclosed as an OOC note after they are activated.
Example One: Raquel squinted into the pitch black void of the unlit cave, red glinting from her eyes, like they were of the Beast, allowing her gaze to pierce the darkness in an attempt to gauge the size of the cave and if it was inhabited.
Example Two: Raquel squinted into the pitch black void of the unlit cave, eyes glowing red as her gaze pierced the darkness in an attempt to gauge the size of the cave and if it was inhabited. ((Protean, level one))
In the examples, Raquel used the level one Protean of Eyes of the Beast, which allows a vampire to see perfectly in total darkness, a skill that causes they eyes to glow red. The action was left open, allowing the cave's owner or G.O.D to respond and inform Raquel of what she found.
If a power affects another player's character, it is up to that character's player whether or not that power succeeds, however the player must take the initiating character's overall discipline level and generation into consideration. A fledgling might be able to resist the Domination of an Ancilla on a rare occasion, however it is not something that would happen consistently or frequently. Players who allow their characters to resist directed disciplines constantly and consistently will be warned once before being removed from the role play for god-moding.
Generally, shooting off a quick PM before directing the discipline at another character, and discussing the desired outcome with that character's player can avoid a lot of problems and unnecessary drama. For combat between player characters, such discussions must be done before a battle begins, and an outcome agreed upon even though the actions taken to get there do not need to be discussed. Consensual role play is always the best kind of role play.
Three disciplines do require some special attention – Celerity, Fortitude and Potence.
SPOILERX
Celerity – Typically, the activation of levels one through five of Celerity grant an extra action per round without penalties. The free form version of this is that when Celerity is active, instead of only being able to make a single action per post, the character may make additional actions within the post for each level of Celerity possessed, though they do not have to make all of the actions if they do not wish to. These actions must still be open-ended and allow the parties they are directed at to make a counter-action if they can, if the actions are actually targeted on a specific character.
From levels six through nine, each level has a few different types of actions that can be performed that are more focused than general speed increases. These will be treated as normal, using the above posting format.
You must clearly state in your post that you are activating Celerity for levels one through five! If you do not include some sort of indicator that you have activated Celerity, your additional actions beyond the first are ignored.
Fortitude – The first five levels of this discipline are typically granted as being able to take an additional point of damage without losing actual health levels. Since we are not using numerical damage or actual health levels here, these levels of Fortitude are expected to be role played out with discretion. The amount of damage one can take via Fortitude can be guesstimated from the descriptions of the level six through nine powers, so please use cautionary judgment when using the first five levels of this power.
Potence – In the original rules, each level of this discipline granted an automatic success on rolls involving the Strength attribute. We are not using attributes, nor are we using a dice system, so we have to get a little creative when it comes to a power scale for this discipline.
In a number of books and house rules used the following scale to give players an idea of exactly what their Potence was capable of, where each dot represented the ability to lift an additional 150 pounds per dot. This scale is outlined below for fast referencing.
● - lift an additional 150 lbs
●● - lift an additional 300 lbs ●●● - lift an additional 450 lbs ●●●● - lift an additional 600 lbs ●●●●● - lift an additional 750 lbs
More on Backgrounds
Some backgrounds do not provide a direct one item/person for one point benefit, and so they have been re-listed below with their appropriate level descriptions as they appeared in the original 3rd Edition core rulebook.
SPOILERX
Fame
● - You're known to a select subculture of the city – local clubgoers or the Park Avenu Set, for instance.
●● - A majority of the populace recognizes your face; you're a local celebrity such as a news anchor. ●●● - You have statewide renown; perhaps you're a state senator or a minor star of local interest. ●●●● - Nationally famous; everybody knows something about you. ●●●●● - You're an internationally famous media icon.
Influence
● - Moderately influential; a factor in city politics.
●● - Well-connected; a force in state politics. ●●● - Position of influence; a factor in regional politics. ●●●● - Broad personal power; a force in national politics.
●●●●● - Vastly influential; a factor in global politics.
Mentor
● - Mentor is an ancilla of little influence.
●● - Mentor is respected; an elder, for instance. ●●● - Mentor is heavily influential, such as a member of the primogen or bishop. ●●●● - Mentor has a great deal of power over the city; a prince or an archbishop, for example.
●●●●● - Mentor is extraordinarily powerful, perhaps even a justicar or Innconu.
Resources
● - Small savings: a small apartment and maybe a motorcycle. If liquidated, you would have about $1,000.00 in cash. Allowance of $500.00 a month.
●● - Middle class: an apartment or condominium. If liquidated, you would have at least $8,000.00 in cash. Allowance of $1,200.00 a month. ●●● - Large savings: a homeowner or someone with some equity. If liquidated, you would have at least $50,000.00 in cash. Allowance of $3,000.00 per month. ●●●● - Well-off: a member of the upper class. You own a very large house, or perhaps a dilapidated mansion. If liquidated, you would have at least $500,000.00 in cash. Allowance of $9,000.00 per month.
●●●●● - Ridiculously affluent: a multimillionaire. Your haven is limited by little save your imagination. If liquidated, you would have at least $5,000,000.00 in cash. Allowance of $30,000.00 per month.
Status
● - Known: a neonate
●● - Respected: an ancilla ●●● - Influential: an elder ●●●● - Powerful: a member of the primogen or a bishop
●●●●● - Luminary: a prince or archbishop
Frenzy and Rötschreck
As mentioned in the Lexicon, there are two losses of self control that are common in a vampire's existence – frenzy and Rötschreck. These losses of control in the original rules occur when one fails specific rolls, the first typically involving Self Control or it's equivalent stat while the second involves Courage rolls. Since we are eliminating the need for dice with this version of the Masquerade, it will be largely up to the players on whether or not they go into frenzy or Rötschreck during the course of a scene, however G.O.D may step in and require either if a player continuously avoids losing control during situations where they really should.
Being able to determine whether or not it is appropriate for a character to enter frenzy or Rötschreck requires a good understanding of what the two states actually are and what they are caused by, on top of taking into consideration things like Path sins, Flaws and innate weaknesses that make a character more susceptible to these states.
I'm pulling the definitions/explinations from the White Wolf Wikia, which are condensed version of the ones in the various 3rd Editions books.
Frenzy
Frenzy is when the Beast takes over the vampire's personality, usually a result of extreme stress such as starvation or public humiliation. In Vampire the term only applies to the "fight" half of the "fight-or-flight" response, though Rötschreck (the "flight" half) is a similar experience in many respects. The primary purpose of the frenzy is to kill or otherwise neutralize the stimulus responsible for it, so a vampire driven to frenzy will attempt to feed on anything she can catch whereas a character entering frenzy in combat will attempt to kill all nearby combatants. The Kindred of the Camarilla consider frenzy dangerous, beastial and a sign of weak will and try to avoid it whenever possible. Sabbat vampires may resist or embrace frenzy (or "ride the wave") depending on their Path of Enlightenment.
Brujah are known for their short tempers and have a harder time resisting the urge to entering frenzy. Gangrel gain a physical feature characteristic of an animal as a sign of their closeness to the Beast after some frenzies.
Rötschreck
"The Red Fear" is a fear-based Frenzy caused by a character failing to have Courage against an attack using or sometimes just the sight of Fire or Sunlight. Characters under Rötschreck will hysterically flee from whatever caused the frenzy in the first place. Rötschreck can be caused by pain caused by fire, sunlight. The sight of these sources may also cause great fear on vampires. It is very similar to Frenzy though Rötschreck is a term especially given to state of fear against Fire or Sunlight which are one of the few source of injury that can destroy a vampire. In mythological speaking Vampires have been cursed not only by weakness to Flame but also cursed to fear from it. In Book of Nod, Archangel Michael clearly states while cursing Caine that he and his children will fear the flame and it will hurt them deeply, causing unbearable agony and pain.
A vampire under the spell of this Rötschreck is completely controlled by their inner Beast, instinctively driven to a flight-or-fight mentality and forced to flee blindly from the source of fear while they remove any obstacle or person in their way regardless of their personal attachments with them. Difficulty to resist Rotschreck varies depending on the source of the material.
Name: Adrian Silver Clan: Brujah Generation: ?? Status: Prince
Disciplines: Adrian is known for his amazing grasp on the Presence Discipline, although it is suspected that he is also quite powerful with Celerity and Potence. Rumors abound about the Prince, including accusations that he knows some form of Necromancy and that his powers of Celerity are quite a bit more advanced than he lets on.
Backgrounds: Powerful not only in vampiric society, Adrian is a force to be reckoned with in the mortal society as well. He is well known in the local area by mortals, their perceptions of him as an eccentric millionaire that lavishes his attention on programs that improve the region. Adrian has many well-placed allies and contacts within local and regional agencies, and he has a number of retainers and willing blood dolls at his beck and call.
Humanity/Path: Honorable Accord
Merits: Blush of Life, Enchanting Voice, Spirit Mentor (and no, these are not all of them, just the obvious/well known ones)
Flaws: Hunted, Eerie Presence (and no, these are not all of them, just the obvious/well known ones)
So that people don't get confused between my player character and the various NPCs and narrations that will appear in any WoD threads, I will be doing all of my storyteller work from Sukasa. Any Gold earned by Sukasa will go towards NPC costuming (since the MAC is incomplete) and a forethcoming rewards program for WoD players.
There are several types of formatting I will be using as a storyteller: pure narration, hidden element narration, and NPC narration.
Pure Narration will appear in dark blue Century Gothic size 3 font, and this type of narration describes your basic setting that everyone can see if they look around the area the characters are in. This can include anything from weather, to furniture, to wallpaper designs and lighting.
Hidden Element Narration will appear in dark sky blue Century Gothic size 3 italic font, and this type of narration describes elements that are not visible to the naked eye. Certain abilities, merits and flaws can allow a character to see these elements, and the more abilities used, the more indepth these can get. This can include ghosts, spirits, characters using abilities that make them "invisible", and anything physical that is in an extremely dark room. Using the information in this type of narration without the appropriate abilities, merits or flaws is considered meta-gaming.
NPC Narration will appear in a variety of colours using the Comic Sans size 3 font. Standard Comic Sans is something everyone can see and hear, while italic font will denote thoughts or non-visible ability use that can be seen/heard/felt by using certain abilities, merits and flaws. This type of narration includes everything from the NPCs' actions to their words and thoughts. Using any information in italics without the appropriate abilities, mertis or flaws is considered meta-gaming.
This concludes my mini-guide to formatting, however I'm sure once the thread is rolling well, it would have been obvious. If you have any questions at any time, feel free to send a PM to this mule account or to my main account.
Q: Why are there so many hidden sections? A: Largely, it was to make the documentation look less intimidating. When you have the entire lists of lexicon words, clans, bloodlines, powers, etc visible, the document triples in length and someone just glancing at it may not realise that there's not really all that much to it.
Q: Why did you pick Vampire: the Masquerade over ___________? A: First of all, V:tM was the most successful of the Storyteller System and most people who have touched on the World of Darkness started in or eventually played V:tM.
Secondly, while it's not my absolute favourite of the Storyteller System, it is the one that I know the best due to thousands of hours I spent in table top and LARP games that used V:tM as it's primary setting/system.
Q: Why can't I play an Antediluvian? A: I'm the Game Operations Director, and I'm not even going to be playing any of the Antediluvians. They're just too damn powerful to be used for anything but legend, myth and the Week of Nightmares.
Q: Okay, so why can't I play a Methuselah? A: There is just too much room for a person to Munchkin as a Methuselah. They are exceedingly hard to role play because of how dramatically different their mindset is, and they have some of the more amazing powers. Perhaps later on your character can reach that stature, or if your character is killed off, you may be able to bring in a Methuselah character after demonstrating that you can play the game without being a Munchkin.
Q: I don't like vampires. When are you going to have ________ converted?
A: Right now, I'm testing the ruleset using the V:tM rules. If that goes well, I will start converting over other systems. Once I begin working on a new conversion, I will post an ETA in it's reserved thread.
Q: Who is Sukasa, and why does he get to play multiple characters, and why are some of them so powerful?
A: Sukasa is my mule character. Since I wanted to play a normal character along with the rest of you (that's right, I wanted my personal character to be the same general power level as everyone elses), all of the NPCs actions/responses will be posted by my mule account.
World of Darkness content & materials is copyright 1990-2009 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
This page is an entirely unofficial use of the Vampire: The Masquarde and A World of Darkness gaming materials published by White Wolf Publishing, Inc. and not intended as an official or profit making venture in any way, shape or form. Although the use of these concepts, rules, etc., is unauthorized, no infringement is intended. This page is not affiliated with White Wolf Publishing, Inc. in any way and should not be viewed as such. This page are freely available for viewing and personal use, but are, under no circumstances whatsoever, to be sold for profit.
This system was developed based on the Storyteller System series of books, which belong entirely to White Wolf Publishing. While I have converted this system to a free form, forum based system, the creative rights still belong to White Wolf Publishing.
Basically, I am not the one who came up with the World of Darkness, and I did not write the books that were published as part of that system. All I did was convert it for forum based play.
Credits
Darkfae - conversions
Sources The White Wolf Wikia White Wolf Publishing - The Storyteller System is no longer printed by the company, however this is their main website. Most of the conversions were done from hardcopy books or from the newer PDF files that were released via DriveThruRPG's site.
11-20-09 @ 8:00 PM EST - Added in the Lore ability to the general overview. 11-07-09 @ 7:31 PM EST - Added in genre, difficulty, availability and space for link to an IC thread.
If you're itching to make one, go ahead. I'm still getting the thread put together, and updating the New Orleans by Night setting. I'm hoping to have it ready within a week or two, though I may have to pause it around the 17th for my disability hearing.
Awesome! I've got most of the IC thread finished, though I had to take a small break from it due to my disability hearing. I should have it finished up within the next week, and the opening narrative added. ^.^
If you're familiar with the World of Darkness, and want something from one of the supplements that's not already converted, let me know and we can work on getting it into the ruleset. =)
Ah... I might join. I'm not certain really. I've played WoD for years on sites like yahoochat and other sites. Though I'm not very fond of V:tM, never could really get into roleplaying the characters... However if I get around to it I might like to roleplay an Assamite. Hnn... I've always played Werewolf or Bastet. Speaking of which- I'm going to assume that you're going by the Before Apocalypse/Gehenna storyline?
