1991 - Vampire The Masquerade

Live-Action
provoke roleplaying between the players (intrigue, distrust,
debate and acrimony).
The dynamic principle offantasy is play.
- C.G. Jung Vampires

Vampire was designed to allow for the easy inclusion Butfirst, on earth as Vampire sent.
of Live-Action roleplaying. It includes instructions and hints on Thy corpse shall from its tomb be rent;
how to run parts of the game using Live-Action roleplaying, Then ghastly haunt thy native place.
where players physically play out the actions of their characters And suck the blood of all thy race.
as an actor would (though without weapons or combat of any
sort and always within the home). These periodic episodes will - Lord Byron
be played when the characters are at "home base" orin situations
where inter-character roleplaying is at a premium. In Vam pire, you roleplay one of those denizens of the
night who suck the blood of their victims and then throwaway
Essentially, instead of sitting down and telling every­ the drained corpses. You roleplay a Vampire. Though you may
one what your character says and does, you stand up and act it have great courage, compassion and self-control, ultimately you
out, actually saying what your character says and doing (for the will not be able to resist doing evil, for you have gained both the
most part) what your character does. Advice is given to the instincts and needs ofa predator. The Beast is strong within you.
Storyteller on how to stage and guide these episodes, with Though you will regret what you are and the things you do, you
particular emphasis on how to introduce plot elements that cannot deny it or excise it from your soul. But resist you must,
lest you slip away into complete degeneration and chaos.
Shelzza awakens to find a trio of visitors who smell of an
Elder Blood. They bid, nay command her to accompany It isdifficult to be good, for so many of your urges drive
them. you toward sin, but if you falter, you will lose your essential
Humanity all the more quickly. You will become overwhelmed
by the Beast within ifyou do not constantly strive to maintain the
veneer of culture and civilization. You must master the Beast,
lest the Beast master you. Evil tends to provide its own reward.

Players in Vampire take on the role of a newly created
Vampire,aFledgling, only recently "released" by the Sire. They
must struggle to survive, and begin to understand the strange
world in which they have been thrust - most likely against their
will. In the end, they may persevere, for a lucky few are able to
escape the curse and return to their human life. Others may seek
Golconda so as to find stability and power as a Vampire, but
most will never know that it exists.

It is assumed that all of the characters will be friends,
and that during the game they will operate as a group. That is not
to say that they will always get along, but they will watch each
other's backs and will share a few common ambitions. Such
groups of Vampires are not uncommon, indeed there are names
for such gangs. Though "Brood" once only meant the progeny
ofa Vampire, the brothers and sisters born of a single Sire, it has
also come to mean any group of young Vampires who have
banded together for self protection. The Elders call Broods
"Coiteries," but usage of this tenn is not as common. Whatever
the name, it is this group that each and every character will come
to depend upon. It is the Brood that unites the characters and
enables the players to work together throughout the story.

Detailed discussions of Vampires may be found
throughout the game (naturally enough), but most infonnation
can be found in the Setting Chapter (page 167).

24 Book One: The Becoming















































Now it is no longer rare for many Kindred to live within the same have lost so much Humanity that they are unable to maintain
Domain. discourse with any other creatures. They know only survival,
and live from day to day in search of food. Eventually they will
A large city such as San Francisco or Frankfurt nor­ die, but it may take many years. The Caitiff are the homeless of
mally supports a Vampire population of anywhere from twenty the Kindred. (Status 0)
to fIfty, depending on circumstances in that city. Larger cities
like New York or greater London hold a proportionately larger Childe: Vampires of this class have not yet been
population and smaller cities much less. introduced to the Prince, nor have they been released from their
Sire. They are not considered to be full members of Vampire
As a rule of thum b, assume that at the maxim um there society and are thus afforded no respect. They are in shon,
is one Vampire for every 100,000 mortals. Thus, the greater treated as children. The term is sometimes used out of contempt.
Chicago metropolitan area, a region of 7 million mortals, can Kindred who have committed especially stupid acts, may be
suppon nearly 70 Vampires. Often a Prince will artificially called and considered Childer. (normally have a Status of 0)
regulate how many Kindred reside within the city, thus ensuring
the sanctity of the Masquerade. Neonate: These Vampires have been newly released
and presented to the Prince, though they have not yet made lheir
The cities could certainly hold more Kindred, but there mark. The Neonate is the caste of youngest Vampires who have
are legitimate concerns over discovery. The Masquerade is been released by their Sire. Ifthey behave themselves and do not
always primary in the minds of the Elders - better that some seek the status of Anarch, they eventually will become Ancilla,
Anarchs die than all be extinguished in another Inquisition. usually after 50 to 100 years. (normally have a Status of 1)
Every care is taken to insure that the existence of Vampires is
kept secret from the mortal population. Strict controls are kept Anarch: The Anarchs have status because they are
over the creation of Neonates. Too many Vampires would noticed and respected for what little power they have achieved.
increase the probability of discovery dramatically. The popula­ They are recognized for their energy, drive, and consistency.
tion is also restricted by the simple fact that few potential Though they are the enemies of the Elders and especially the
Vampires survive their Becoming, many are driven mad by it Prince, they are still respected - especially by the younger
and put down by their Sire. Kindred. By rebelling against society, they have given them­
selves an identity. (normally have a Status of 1-2)
Social Distinctions:
Ancilla: These Kindred are still young, but they have
Most musical o/mourners. weep again! proven themselves to the Elders. This is the middle age between
Lament anew. Urania! - He died. Neonate and Elder, where the Vampire is given increasing
respect and power. Often the Brood of a Prince will be consid­
Who was the Sire 0/ an immortal strain. ered Ancilla, though they may be younger than the average
Ancilla. Anarchs are never considered Ancilla, no matter what
Blind. old and lonely. age they become. (normally have a Status of 2)
- Percy Shelley, Adonais
Elder: When Vampires reach a certain age, there are
There are a number ofdifferent social castes among the few who stand above them who still hold power in Vampire
Kindred. For the most part, Vampires are distinguished by their society. The Elders are the Kindred who are in control and who
age (indeed social status is designated by descriptions of age), seek to dominate all the others. The Elders are normally between
but there is some social mobility other than the privileges gained 200 and 1000 years old, but like all things undead, this can vary
by age. The Elders only trust those who have proven themselves, immensely. In Europe, you have to be much older and more
and the best way to prove oneself is to survive a few hundred powerful to be considered an Elder, than you do in the "New
years. It is the Elders who hold the power, so it is the Elders who World." (normally have a Status of 2-5)
determine who is accorded respect and status.
Methuselah: When a Vampire reaches an age,
The highest status is that accorded to the Antediluvians, somewhere between 1000 and 2000 immortal years, a profound
the Third Generation. The lowest is that afforded the Childer change invariably comes over him. It has long been argued
and the Autarkis. whether it is a mystical or biological change, or if somehow it is
a social change brought about by changing needs and motiva­
Caitiff: Though many Caitiff are Clanless but are tions. Certainly, by the time a Vampire reaches this age, a
otherwise "normal" Vampires, others have become so degener­ boredom or even melancholy sets in, as well as an increased
ate that they feed only off the weak and the dying. Some Caitiff desire to prolong her existence. All those who are weak, take
live apart from Vampire society on purpose, but most have been risks, or unconsciously desire suicide do not survive to this age
cast out. Some Caitiff were once a part of Kindred society. but - only the very strongest survive. Thus, as a means of self­
protection, they retreat from the world and those younger than
them. The constant struggle of facing the young reckless ones,

Chapter Seven: Setting 169

who seek power through the blood of their Elders, grows cided to formally acknowledge what had already been fact for
numbing. Eventually one of the Anarchs will get lucky and many centuries - the power of the Prince.
dispatch the Elder. Thus the only option is to relfeat fully from
society, and enter the Inconnu. Some Methuselahs remain In formal terms, a Prince holds the power of Domain
involved in power sougglesand theJyhadofthe Kindred, butdo and is the one who can make the laws and is responsible for
so from complete anonymity. (normally have a Status of 5-9) keeping order. In practical terms, the Prince is merely the one
who is dominant and best able to keep the Anarchs in their place.
Antediluvian: These are the oldest of the Vampires, In the beginning, the most dominant Vampire of each city
and they are the most powerful creatures in the world (excepting simply claimed Domain. Over time, however, Traditions have
Caine). When they do involve themselves in the affairs of grown around the making and keeping of that claim. The
Kindred, they seldom leave things untarnished by their touch. Camarilla has codified and enforced these Traditions.
The mere word of an Antediluvian is enough to provoke enor­
mous strife and conflict among the Kindred. Their eternal The term "Prince" is simply that, a term. It is not a
struggle, the Jyhad, affects all the Kindred . (Status of 10) titular holding, nor a hereditary position of any kind. In fact,
many Kindred object to the use of the term Prince for those very
The Prince reasons. It is simply the name and the assumption of rights that
a powerful Vampire might assume. Not all cities even have
Is this a dagger which I see before me, Princes, indeed some are ruled by councils. The modem term of
The handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee : Prince is a throw-back to the age when each Kindred was the
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. secret ruler over the city in which she lived, a practice most
Art thou not,fatal vision , sensible common in medieval Italy. In some places, terms such as Duke,
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but Baron or Count (in their culturally coiTe,i forms) are used.
A dagger of the mind, afalse creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? The Prince does not truly reign over a city, rather she
oversees it. Above all else, the Prince is the final arbiter of
- William Shakespeare, Macbeth disputes between the Kindred in her city and responsible for
ensuring that the Masquerade is preserved. To the minds of the
The modem age, the last half-thousand years by Kin­ Elders, this means that the Prince must suppress and persecute
dred reckoning, has produced a new form of rulership. Once the the Anarchs. The Kindred in the city owe the Prince no oath of
Third Generation ceased to rule, the Kindred accepted no rulers fealty and must obey only as much as their cowardice demands.
- each ruled their own city and did not try to dominate the When the rule of a Prince is questioned or thwarted, the Prince
others. They may have given themselves titles and honors, but must use force to maintain control. If he does not have enough
it was not important for there was none but mortals to impress. power, then his rule is at an end. There are some Princes who do
However, with the growing size of the cities and the coming of not understand the informality of their position; they believe
true power among the Elders has come the Princes - the rulers themselves Kings and hold to much protocol and regal ritual.
of the most independent and solitary of all creatures. The term The arrogance of some Princes is more than can be borne, but it
Prince, though often used with contempt, is used to refer to the is understandable - who but the insane or the truly egotistical
Elders who hold Domain over any urban, metropolitan area. would want such a dangerous position?

In the days of old there were no Princes, for there was Many Kindred in fact ignore the Prince, just as they
no need of them. Each Kindred would live alone in a city and ignore all Vampires. The Caitiff do not have anything to do with
make it their private Domain. As cities grew larger, it became other Kindred. Though some Princes considered them little
possible for them to support more than one Vampire - many more than Autarkis, most Kindred leave Caitiffs to their lonely
could live in the same place. After the Inquisition, the impor­ lives. As long as they do not break the Traditions or the laws set
tance of the Masquerade had been imprinted in the minds of the by the Prince, the Caitiff are left strictly alone.
Elders, and they increasingly distrusted the younger Vampires,
whom they called Anarchs. The revolt of the ones called the The powerful beings who together comprise the
Sabbat was the source of much of their distrust, for they feared Inconnu, and many of the Elders, are not impressed by such idle
that it could happen again. The Neonates being created by the pronouncements of power. They see the title as representative
18th century were the children of a modern age, and alien to the of the arrogance of one still young enough to lust for power. The
minds of the Elders. After an incident in London in 1743 where Prince is not an authority to whom they would bow. When they
the Masquerade was broken by an Anarch, the Camarilla de­ visit a city, it is to them that the Prince would bow, if the Prince
is wise.

Selection

The Prince is traditionally the eldest of the Kindred in
the city, though this is no longer common. The method of the

170
Book Three: The Riddle