Clans and Bloodlines
The Camarilla
Clan Brujah - Respecting no authority and acknowledging no leaders, the “rabble”
consider themselves free.
Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Presence
Advantage: Brujah Call (described in Laws of the Night)
Disadvantage: Negative Mental Trait: Violent
Clan Gangrel- Loners and rustics, the “outlanders” are the only Kindred who dare
venture outside the city.
Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean
Advantage: Leeway on Rite of Presentation. Decreased Wyrm Taint
Disadvantage: Gains an additional Negative Trait Bestial or Repugnant, animalistic features,
after three frenzies.
Clan Malkavian - Commonly perceived to be insane, the “kooks” possess an
uncanny vision and wisdom.
Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Obfuscate
Advantage: Ignore a use of status once per cycle.
Disadvantage: Start with one Derangement.
Clan Nosferatu - Ostracized and misunderstood by others, the hideous “sewer rats”
live out their sordid existence in hiding.
Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence
Advantage: “Fair Escape” with sewer access
Disadvantage: Flaw: Monsterous
Clan Toreador - Known for their hedonistic ways, the “degenerates” prefer to think
of themselves as artists.
Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence
Advantage: Use of Performance Ability to gain additional blood from Herd influence
Disadvantage: Toreador have a fine appreciation for artistic and natural beauty.
This appreciation can reach epic proportions when it concerns truly captivating
subjects. Any medium that the Storyteller decrees is sufficiently enthralling, or the
successful use of the Performance or Crafts Ability at levels three or higher, entrances a
Toreador and they become absorbed in the task of examining and understanding the work,
lost in a fugue state.for half an hour unless he spends a Mental Trait. While in this state,
the Toreador ignores (but is not unaware of) his surroundings and avoids other responsibilities,
even to the point of endangering himself. In this condition, any reasonably unobtrusive foe
can surprise the distracted Toreador
Clan Tremere- Wizards of an ancient house, the “warlocks” work together to spread
their influence and power.
Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy (Path of Blood)
Advantage: Paths of Thaumaturgy are in-clan cost
Disadvantage: Clan members are all 1/3 blood bound to Clan Tremere
Clan Ventrue - Aristocrats of rarefied tastes and manners, the “blue bloods” are
fiendishly cool and cunning.
Disciplines: Dominate, Fortitude, Presence
Advantage: Influence: Finance (Can never be destroyed, striped or traded)
Disadvantage: Flaw: Selective Digestion
The Sabbat
Clan Lasombra - Puppetmasters in the darkness, the Lasombra rule the Sabbat and
control the shadows.
Disciplines: Dominate, Obtenebration, Potence
Advantage: One Influence Trait: Church, Politics or Underworl. +1 Social Challenges vs. other
Sabbat in challenges involving Status.
Disadvantage: Flaw: Cast No Reflection
Clan Tzimisce- Called Fiends for good reason, the Tzimisce are noble yet cruelly inhuman.
Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Vicissitude
Advantage: Ghoul Retainer Merits, animal or human, cost one less xp
Disadvantage: A Tzimisce must sleep within at least two
handfuls of soil from his grave or his native homeland. Each day that a Tzimisce fails to get
such rest, he suffers a one-Trait penalty on all challenges. These penalty Traits are removed
on a one-for-one basis as the Tzimisce regains rest in a safe haven with the appropriate
earth. For this reason, many Tzimisce keep multiple havens, and they are loath to travel.
A Tzimisce whose haven is compromised is in dire straits indeed.
Ahrimanes –
Disciplines: Animalism, Presence, Spititus
Advantage: The sect does not watch the Ahrimanes carefully, leaving its
members essentially free to do what they want. Free Ability Trait: Subterfuge
Disadvantage: Cannot Embrace or create a blood bond, though they can be bound.
Arachnids –
Disciplines: Arachnidia, Auspex, Celerity
Advantage: The Discipline Presence has no effect on an Arachnid. (Toreador Merit: Blasé)
Disadvantage: Web of Death
If an Arachnid is kill, then all childer it embraced instantly meet Final
Death, and the childer’s embraces, and the grandchilder’s, etc.
The whole line will be destroyed, and if the founder is kill, the bloodline
will be gone.
Panders - The Caitiff of the Sabbat.
Disciplines: Any they have been taught (Dementation, Obtenebration andVicissitude are restricted)
Advantage: Discipline Selection (Limited)
Disadvantage: Starts Character Creation at 15th Generation instead of 13th.
Assamite Antitribu
Disciplines: Celerity, Obuscate, Quietus
Advantage: Assamite antihibu are not bound in any way to their former clan. Two free Ability traits
due to training.
Disadvantage: Assamite antinibu can easily become addicted to the blood of other
vampires. Each time they engage in the Vaulderie, the character must engage in a Static
Challenge to determine if she gains an addiction to the blood. If she loses the challenge,
she gains the addiction and must attempt to drink that same blood mixture at least twice
more during the night. One Willpower Trait may be spent to prevent the addiction.
Brujah Antitribu
Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Presence
Advantage: Brujah Antitribu blend in well with other non-Sabbat Brujah and are
very persuasive. They can be extremely subtle recruiters, their genuine natures leading
others to believe they are correct in opinion and philosophy. +1 in non-combat Social challenges
with non-sabbat Brujah
Disadvantage: -2 on all test to avoid frenzy
Serpents of Light
Disciplines: Obuscate, Presence, Serpentis
Advantage: Free Influence Trait: Finance, Politics or Underworld. Any liquid, mixed with Setite
blood, includes blood itself, adds a +2 to any addition test.
Disadvantage: Flaw: Light Sensitive
Gangrel Antitribu
Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean
Advantage: Decreased Wyrm Taint
Disadvantage: Gains an additional Negative Trait Bestial or Repugnant, animalistic features,
after three frenzies.
City Gangrel
Disciplines: Celerity, Obfuscate, Protean
Advantage: Can attempt to “fair escape” in densely crowdly area of people
Disadvantage: Gains an additional Negative Trait Bestial or Repugnant, animalistic features,
after three frenzies.
Malkavian Antitribu
Disciplines: Auspex, Dementation, Obuscate
Advantage: (Same as parent Clan) Start with Ability: Madness Network x1
Disadvantage: Two starting Derangements
Nosferatu Antitribu
Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence
Advantage: The Nosferatu are potent information gatherers, managing to gain access to just about everything.
Their cordial ties with their Camarilla counterparts allows them more freedom than other Sabbat experience with regard to travel behind enemy lines. “Fair Escape” with sewer access
Disadvantage: Flaw: Monsterous. -3 additional Social Traits when in “natural” form
Ravnos Antitribu
Disciplines: Animalism, Chimerstry, Fortitude
Advantage: Free Ability Trait x2: Larceny, Survival or Stealth
Disadvantage: Start with the Derangement: Criminal Compulsion
Toreador Antitribu
Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence
Advantage: Free Ability Traits: any combination of two Traits from the following:
Expression, Crafts, Performance or Subterfuge
Disadvantage: While art and beauty mesmerize the Toreador, the
Toreador antitribu have come to be fascinated by pain and displeasure.
Whether their own or that of others, discomfort veritably
hypnotizes the Sabbat Toreador. When confronted with a scene
of pain or the opportunity to do harm (no matter how inconsequential),
the Toreador antitribu must indulge the dark passion,
or else spend a Mental Trait to free herself from the temptation.
This may be as simple as making a callous remark or as grave as
torture or murder.
Tremere Antitribu
Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy (Path of Blood)
Advantage: Paths of Thaumaturgy are in-clan cost
Disadvantage: Mark of the Betrayer (Described in Laws of the Night 2nd)
Venture Antitribu
Disciplines: Dominate, Fortitude, Presence
Advantage: Free Ability Trait x2: Finance, Leadership, or Politics
Disadvantage: Flaw: Selective Digestion
The Independents
Clan Assamites- Assassins and silent killers in the night, the childer of Hassam take
payment for their services in blood.
Disciplines: Celerity, Obfuscate, Quietus
Advantage: Two free Ability traits due to training. Assamites are closely bound and extremely
supportive of one another; many Kindred fear the retribution of their clan. Because of this, few
Assamites are ever challenged outside of a contract.
Disadvantage: Assamites have two blood-related disadvantages. The first is the
clan requirement that all its members give a 10 percent blood tithe to their sires. The
second is that they are unable to imbibe the blood of other Kindred, and if it is forced
into them it acts as a toxin. Each Blood Point from another Kindred that somehow
enters an Assamite’s system inflicts one Health Level of non-aggravated damage.
Clan Followers of Set- Dedicated to spreading corruption, the Sand Snakes prepare
for the day when their forefather returns to lead them.
Disciplines: Obfuscate, Presence, Serpentis
Advantage: Free Influence Trait: Finance, Politics or Underworld. Any liquid, mixed with Setite
blood, includes blood itself, adds a +2 to any addition test.
Disadvantage: Flaw: Light Sensitive
Clan Giovanni - The closest-knit of the clans, the Giovanni seek to control the
dead even as they manipulate the living.
Disciplines: Dominate, Necromancy, Potence
Advantage: Influence Trait: Finance or Health. Merit: Medium
Disadvantage: Lamia’s kiss: (Flaw: Grip of the Damned, plus additional damage for each blood
trait drained.)
Clan Ravnos -Tricksters and thieves, the Ravnos are masters of deceit.
Disciplines: Animalism, Chimerstry, Fortitude
Advantage: “Better One Then Them All” Free Influence: Street or Transportation
Disadvantage: Start with the Derangement: Criminal Compulsion
Caitiff - Those with no clan: the outcasts and the dishonored.
Disciplines: Any (except Thaumaturgy)
Advantage: Discipline Selection (Limited)
Disadvantage: Starts Character Creation at 15th Generation instead of 13th.
Children of Osiris
Disciplines: Bardo, (two non-clan/bloodline specific from “mother” clan)
Advantage: Start with one additional Willpower Trait added to maximum, not starting pool.
Disadvantage: Bloodline is Infertile.
Daughters of Cacophony/ Sons of Discord - Heralds of song and voice, the Sirens’
music leads others to enlightenment or madness
Disciplines: Fortitude, Melpominee, Presence
Advantage: Free Ability: Performance: Singing (Generally), Free Influence: Herd or High Society
Disadvantage: The Daughters of Cacophony are so caught up in their music that they hear it constantly.
As a result of this distraction, they are one bid down on all Mental Challenges involving Perception.
Additionally, a Daughter's Mental Traits dealing with Alertness and Perception can never exceed four.
Kiasyd –
Disciplines: Dominate, Mytherceria, Obtenebration
Advantage: Merit: Faerie Affinity
Disadvantage: Flaw: Cold Iron Vulnerability
Samedi - Rotting and monstrous, the Stiffs claim terrifying control over the processes of
death and the secrets of immortality
Disciplines: Fortitude, Obfuscate, Thanatosis
Advantage: Can learn Necromancy at out-of-clan cost without instructor
Disadvantage: Flaw: Monstrous (Decay/Corpse Traits)
Megronin -
Disciplines: Animalism, Daphneism , Fortitude
Advantage: They may call for a “Fair Escape” while entering or inside of a wooded area.
Disadvantage: Cannot learn the Protean Discipline. Also, as per the Gangrel Clan disadvantage,
they gain feral or bestial features after they frenzy, but the features are plant related.
Nephilim -
Disciplines: Celerity, Fortitude, Luminas da Dea
Advantages: Nephilm have the ability to "sense" whether there is In fernal or Sacred energies in a given area. The sense does not pin-point the source of the energies, but allows the Nephilim to determine if there is the presence of such energies in their vicinity. The type of energy that the Nephilim senses is dependant on the Nephilims alignment; IE: An infernal Nephilim senses holy energy. Static challenge determined by narrator may be required.
Disadvantage: Nephilim are two traits down on all Dominate challenges.
Isogyre -
Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Shadow
Advantage: Every Isogyre starts with a three point special gift, which is their weapon. No one is to ever touch the weapon which returns to the Isogyre each night, and when the Isogyre dies it will crumble to dust.
Disadvantage: Avenger
Isogyre play the roles of bodyguard, assassin and soldier with disturbing tenacity, developing an intense connection to those they call Master, Prince, Primogen, Ductus, or even a very close friend. (Storyteller gives final say on said connections). This bond is as fragile as any life it’s connected to however, and an Isogyre will go to the ends of the earth to protect it, or if it is broken forever, to avenge its loss.
As stated, the storyteller decides for whom the bonds are made with, and Isogyre can have multiple bonds at the same time. The avenging factor will override a current bond in the cases that the two are the same individual. The storyteller places temporary flaws and or derangements onto the character such as driving goal, hatred, and obsession, etc. to show the mindset of the character, which are removed once the subject is safe or fully avenged.
Xanthian -
Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Rodentia
Advantage: With the knowledge bestowed upon them by the Nosferatu, they have an uncanny sense of direction in the sewer and may call a “Fair Escape” when standing near a manhole or sewer grate.
Disadvantage: All Xanthians have a firm dislike of humans from their past conflicts. They start with the Flaw: Intolerance (humans). Also, with every 3 frenzies a Xanthian enters, they receive an additional bestial negative trait.
Experience Points
Experience Points make the world go around. Here are some ways of earning xp and giving you a leg up on others.
Playing – You showed up, you’re here, and thanks for being a body.
Excellent Roleplaying – Impressive actions and acting in situations and playing out ideals of a character
Involvement – Interactions between characters, movement of plots, and even starting of personal plots; just some examples of Involvement.
New Players – Bringing new players grants a short-lived extra xp for a time to the referring player per game attended.
Game Locations – Finding new locations, setting up games, securing game sites, etc will net the player with xp based on the effort needed for what is accomplished. Each time game is held at said location , xp is rewarded to the referring player.
Character Journals – Written and journal and giving it to me or posting it in a character webpage or forum
Character Background or Event Stories – Stories of the charcter’s life before starting the game or if player has reason to be out for a while, an approved tale of in-character happens during such lost time.
Webpages – Websites and pages for characters and the larp
Health Levels and Healing
A character in The Masquerade has five Health Levels that represent the
amount of injury the character has suffered: Healthy, Bruised, Wounded, Incapacitated
and Torpor. If a Healthy character loses a combat challenge, she becomes
Bruised. If she loses two, she becomes Wounded, and so on.
Bruised - When a character is Bruised, she is only slightly injured, having
perhaps suffered a few scrapes and bruises, but little more until she is healed. In order
to enter a new challenge, she must risk an additional Trait. Thus, to even have a
chance in a challenge, a Bruised character must bid at least two Traits.
Wounded - When a character is Wounded, she is badly hurt. She might be
bleeding freely from open wounds and may even have broken bones. She must bid two
Traits to have a chance in a challenge. In addition, her current defense rating is cut in
half, rounded down. If she has fewer Traits then her opponent, her opponent gets a
free additional test.
Incapacitated -When a character is Incapacitated, she is completely out of
play for at least 10 minutes. After 10 minutes has passed, the character is still immobile
and may not enter into challenges until she has healed at least one Health Level. At
the mercy of other characters, she is only capable of whispering and is barely aware of
her surroundings while incapacitated.
Torpor - When a character is in Torpor, she is in a deathlike state. Effectively
out of play until another character revives her, she is completely at the mercy of other
characters and the environment around her. Only the blood of another vampire at least
three generations lower than the Kindred inTorpor can revive her. The Storyteller may,
of course, allow other exceptional circumstances to rouse a vampire from this state.
Starting Health Levels
Vampire: (6) – Healthy, Healthy, Bruised, Bruised, Wounded, Incapacitated – Torpor/Final Death
Were-Creature: (6) – Healthy, Bruised, Bruised, Wounded, Wounded, Incapacitated - Death
Fae: (5) – Healthy, Bruised, Bruised, Wounded, Incapacitated - Death
Wraith: (5) – Healthy, Healthy, Bruised, Wounded, Incapacitated - Harrowing
Human/Ghoul: (4) – Healthy, Bruised, Wounded, Incapacitated - Death
Healing with Blood
Vampires require blood in order to heal wounds. Blood Traits must be expended to restore Health Levels;
-Non-weapons/Bashing Damage are healed at two wounds for one blood.
-Weapons/Lethal Damage is healed on a one-for-one basis.
-Aggravated Damage is described below.
Aggravated Wounds
Vampires cannot heal aggravated wounds with blood alone. Exposure to sunlight,
fire and the claws or teeth of a vampire or werewolf cause aggravated wounds and
require the expenditure of three Blood Traits and a Willpower Trait to heal.
Additionally, only one such wound may be healed per night, representing the gradual
regenerative properties a vampire possesses. Kindred can completely heal extreme
injuries, such as broken or severed limbs, but they require blood and time to do so.
Combat
This brief section will go over three new aspects of involved in the combat system. Any additional questions regarding combat can be referenced in the 2nd edition Laws of the Night or simply ask a narrator or storyteller.
These three aspect are based off of the character’s maximum starting traits and can not be purchased beyond spending experience points towards traits. Some Merits, Disciplines, etc. are ways of increasing these aspects beyond their standard maximum
.
Initiative
In order to determine who gets to act before whom in combat, and to resolve combatants’ actions, you use a system of Initiative. Characters with strong mental composure and high perception of their social environment excel greatly with Initiative.
A character’s Mental and Social Traits are added together and divided by three to find a character’s Initiative total, which is used to place the character’s action in turn with other characters during combat and other initiative related challenges.
During combat, characters can hold their initiative to join others with lower initiative in attempts to initiate a mass challenge vs. a target.
Movement
Simply enough, Movement is the distance in which a character may move in an action or round. In normal circumstances, Movement comes before an action is done, but that’s not always the case. If no movement is required to before action, the player may move half their movement rounded down after their action, but they’re one trait down for being off balanced until his next round action. If multiple actions occur and this is done, the negative stacks until an action in the following round in which it doesn’t.
A character’s Physical and Social Traits are added together and then divided by two to find a character’s Movement total. Each point in Movement is a “casual” step, ruled by narrator if necessary, the character may take during their action.
Defense
Only someone caught completely by surprise, a fool, a masochist or a martyr stands still and takes whatever an enemy has to dish out. Most combatants seek to avoid getting hit and hurt. A character’s Physical reactions and Metal alertness to their situation are the factors in their defense.
A character’s Physical and Mental Traits are added together and divided by five to find a character’s defense rating. Initially, A character’s current Defense is used to add to a defender’s traits during actions where they are being targeted. Secondly, a narrator may give characters bonuses based on their defense rating due to events, powers, surroundings, roleplaying, etc. Thirdly, Defense is the retest used vs. an attacker in an initiative combat action. You may only use one per action and limited to current rating per combat round. These traits are not risked during the retest, unlike Abilities and Willpower.
Combat Styles
There are three types of combat that may come into play. At times the player or players will have the choice to decide on which style they’d like to use for an action, round or combat.
Direct Style Combat – (Old School)
Win or Lose, one side has victory and the other side fails, just as simple as that. Usually between two combatants that directly want to stop the others action, though more can of course be added. No Defense Rating bonus is added into the combat, which might be another benefit for some combatants.
Initiative Style Combat – (New School)
The new default for combat, Initiative style uses player’s Initiative Ratings and places them along a turn system based on said rating within an action. Attacks are done normally, but defenders risk no traits between attackers and add their Defense Rating to Traits in case of ties. For every attack a target endures though, they are subtract one trait for their starting pool for that action. This does stack, so the first attack is defended at normal pool, yet the 3rd attack on the same target within one action is at a negative two to the defender.
Relenting Style Combat – (Que Sera Sera)
This old yet rarely practiced form of combat is completely optional and can happen at anytime, with anyone in the combat. Mainly used in non-combat situations to allow powers or other means to automatically succeed or fail, it’s main use in combat is to keep the game moving, especially useful in long combats. Sometimes players believe a surprise attack would’ve worked on their character or that there would be no way their character shouldn’t get hit. Definitely a stable of roleplaying in a combat scene.
Specialties
Specialties are part of the Ability creation of a character, and represent the training and
focus someone specifically has for similar aspect of an Ability.
Specialties add bonus traits to bid on ties during challenges and can be purchased up to five
levels in a Specialty. Only one specialty per Ability and you may never have a specialty level
higher then it’s “mother” Ability Trait level.
The cost is one experience point per level rating, ex: 1 xp for level 1 and 3 xp for level 3, etc.
It is no cost to be rid of a specialty to go for another of the same Ability, but you would pay the
Standard cost for the new specialty, in other words, the experience points are lost, so choose wisely.
