Vampire the Masquerade Live From The Succubus Club

A SOURCEBOOK FOR VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE SUCCUBUS CLUBLIVEfrom the

Mature Advisory: contains graphic and written content of a mature nature, including violence, sexual themes, and strong language. Reader discretion is advised.renegadegames.com9 781957 31178455000>ISBN 978-1-957311-78-4$50.00Manufacturer: Renegade Games, LLC 153 Sugar Belle Drive Ste B #166, Winter Garden, FL 34787. Importers: Renegade France 52 Avenue Pierre Semard 94200 Ivry sur Seine France. P:+33 (0)1 77 37 60 47. Renegade Games, LLC. Solar House 915 High Road London, London, England N12 8QJ.© 2025 Renegade Game Studios. All Rights Reserved.Paradox Interactive®, Vampire: The Masquerade®, World of Darkness®, Copyright 2025 Paradox Interactive AB (publ). All Rights Reserved.Made in ChinaLOT# 092225-01FAME CALLS. DAMN THE MASQUERADE.As Kindred society crumbles, many young licks turn to the mortal world for comfort and succor. Among the kine, the powers of the Blood grant them advantages in obtaining fame and fortune, if they can dodge the Second Inquisition, Sabbat, and Kindred aiming to quash every threat to the Masquerade. How far will you go to make a name for yourself? Seek out the limelight, get on stage, and make music that’ll touch the souls of the living and the dead!Live from the Succubus Club helps you portray Kindred entertainers or nomads: aspiring rock stars or any other type of vampire chasing Fame or belonging among the kine. Travel between mortal cities and Kindred domains. Open your own Succubus Club or imitate it. Play with mortals, or use them to slake your Hunger. Make a name for yourself known to mortals and Kindred alike!Live from the Succubus Club also lets you go on the road with the Sound and Fury chronicle, offering advice on creating aspiring stars, embarking on a European music tour with six major stops, and adding more gigs to the tour, relocating stops, or even moving the entire tour to a new location.• Create your own Kindred band or individual musicians, nomads, and entertainers• Rules for stage performances and running businesses• 11 new Merits, 9 new Flaws, and 7 new Discipline Powers, with 5 new and 4 collected Loresheets• Advice for using the Succubus Club, or an imitation, in any chronicle• Details on Kindred power players in the entertainment industry, including the Voerman sisters, Victor Temple, and the Kindred band: Pale Sunrise• A complete, 6-part musical chronicleLive from the Succubus Club is a sourcebook for Vampire: The Masquerade, a Storytelling Game of Personal and Political Horror./PlayRGS /renegadegamestudios.com @Renegade_Game_Studios /RenegadeGamesStudios

1A Sourcebook for Vampire: The MasqueradeLIVEFROM THESUCCUBUSCLUB

Introduction2LIVE FROM THESUCCUBUS CLUBWriters: Martin Ericsson, Jose Garcia, Freja Gyldenstrøm, and Rachel J. Wilkinson with Sharang Biswas, Emily Cambias, Søren Aske Hjorth, Chris Jones, Andrew Peregrine, Juhana Pettersson, and Kevin SchluterDeveloper: Juhana PetterssonProducer: Kevin SchluterArt Director and Graphic Designer: Sarah RobinsonCover Artist: Raquel CornejoInterior Artists and Illustrators: Elif Aydin, Raquel Cornejo, Alexander Nanitchkov, Mollie Penman, Maichol Quinto, and Pixoloid StudiosCopy Editor: Brendan RabonRules Editor: Chris JonesCultural Consultant: Stephanie XuProofreader: Megan BoatrightTest Reader: Zack SchwartzIncorporates material from: Book of Nod Apocrypha, Players Guide,Let the Streets Run Red, and Paradox promotional materialWORLD OF DARKNESS BRAND MANAGEMENTExecutive Vice President: Marco BehrmannCreative Director: Jess LanzilloHead of Business & Growth: Viktor BovalliusHead of Creative Management & IP Alignment: Karim MuammarDirector of Licensing: Nikola FilipovBrand Marketing Manager: Jason CarlBrand Art Director: Tomas ArfertCreative Producer: Martyna ZychBrand Community Developer: Debbie LanePresident & Publisher: Scott GaetaVice President of Finance: Robyn GaetaVice President of Operations: Leisha CumminsVice President Sales: Andrew LuppSenior Producer, Board & Card Games: Dan BojanowskiSr. Marketing Manager: Jordan GaetaSr. E-Commerce Manager: Nick MedingerCreative Director, Games: Jeanne TorresCreative Director, RPGs: Sarah RobinsonProducer, RPGs: Kevin SchluterAssociate Producer, Board & Card Games: Kane KlenkoProducer, Heroscape: Lee HouffAssociate Producer, RPGs: Ben HeislerSenior Game Designer: Matt HyraGame Designers: Alex Davy, Christopher Chung, Dyllan Fernandez, & Sarah RowanLead Developer, World of Darkness: Juhana PetterssonPlaytest Coordinator: Marcus E. BurchersFinance & Customer Service Manager: Jenni JanikowskiFinance Specialist: Madeline MinerviniMarketing Events Manager: Courtney FureyOrganized Play Manager: Trevor McGregorProject Manager: Rachel Del RioCreative Production: Noelle Lopez & Gordon TuckerCommunity Coordinator: Anais MorganSales & Marketing Coordinator: Sophia GambillCommunity Specialist: Rina AmaranthineCustomer Service: Bethany BauthuesRENEGADE GAME STUDIOS© 2025 Paradox Interactive® AB. Vampire: The Masquerade® – are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB in Europe, the U.S., and other countries. Visit the World of Darkness online at www.worldofdarkness.com This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.Vampire: The Masquerade creators: Mark Rein•Hagen with Justin Achilli, Steven C. Brown, Tom Dowd, Andrew Greenberg, Chris McDonough, Lisa Stevens, Josh Timbrook, and Stewart Wieck.Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition created by Martin Ericsson, Karim Muammar, and Kenneth Hite

3INTRODUCTION 7CHAPTER ONE:Among the Living 11Understanding the Mortal-Focused Chronicle 13Resonance on the Go 24Traits for a Mortal-Facing Chronicle 24The Original 31CHAPTER TWO:The Succubus Club 31Running a Business 38Fangs in the Crowd 39CHAPTER THREE:Unlife On Tour 51Performer First, Vampire Second 51The Music Industry 51Fame 55Nights on the Road 58CHAPTER FOUR:Create Your Rock Star Vampire 67Get the Band Together 67Choose A Band Type 75Set Expectations 80Create Your Coterie 80Table of ContentsCHAPTER FIVE:Sound and Fury 83Getting Ready 83The Concert as Conflict 87Berlin 90Vienna 91Copenhagen 92Brussels 94Paris 95Pale Sunrise 96Other Recurring Characters 100CHAPTER SIX:On the Road 111Prelude (Optional) 111Berlin: The Light of a Dead Star 113Music Festival: Mud and Blood 120Vienna: The I in the Pyramid 125Copenhagen: Trailed by the Enemy 132Brussels: Burn Bright 136Paris: Into the Night 140APPENDIX I:Steal These Stories 148Recurring Scenes 148Stories From the Road 153Quick Stops 154New Domains 155APPENDIX II:Loresheets 157

Introduction 4

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB5They look up at me expectantly. The adoration, the love, the worship in their eyes as they push forward in front of the stage. They want to touch me, get close to me, feel my skin.There’s a pause, a moment after our last song fades away. I wrote “Die and Die Again” about the way our mortal identities are going to fade away when it becomes apparent that we don’t age. A vampire with a mortal mask can maintain it for a decade or three, but it’s different when you’re in the public eye.Whatever we build will be destroyed by time, just as it does with mortals. The difference is that we go on, to build something new, another identity, another career, and then that too dies.Perhaps I’ll have a car accident or just disappear. Our whole band can tragically die in a plane crash. So sad.If you’re asking whether I’m going to attend my own funeral, you bet I am. Ain’t no way those bastards are going to have a funeral for Cyfrin Pariah in broad daylight. I’ve made my whole career in the darkness, and I’ll be damned if my fake corpse is going to be lowered into the ground anytime except midnight.Of course, the crowd has no idea what this song is about. They’re mortals, and they make their own interpretations. Someone at the Elysium in one of these shit little towns we have to play in asked me whether I was risking a Masquerade breach with the way I write my songs.Fuck no. There’s no breach. I could write a song called “I’m a Vampire, For Real,” and people would think it was just part of the act.But maybe there is going to be a breach once this gig is over and we get backstage. This is thirsty business, and we got to feed. Just have to make sure they won’t remember a thing. Can’t go around killing our fans, after all. This is a sensitive stage in our career—when we already have an audience but we want it to grow. Bigger venues, bigger concerts, more sales, more fame.What does it matter? I see the crowd before me, their faces, their throats, and I feel the sea of blood eager and ready to move to our sound.The first chords of the next song. The girls in the front recognize it, their faces light up. It’s almost better than the blood.Almost.- The Hecata Cyfrin Pariah,vocalist in the band Pale Sunrise, monologues to a ghoul roadie

Introduction 6

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB7The Masquerade is the single most sacred law among vampires, regardless of whether they belong to the Camarilla or the Anarchs. The undead are forbidden to reveal the secret of their existence to mortal society. They play a game of pretense, hiding in the shadows or holding a mask of mortality to their face.But there’s no reason for modesty when you construct your fake mortal identity!No, you can be a star, even if you’re already dead! Just jump on stage, strut your stuff, and let your audience worship you. Fulfill all the frustrated dreams you held when you were still alive. Make music that makes the hearts of the living beat faster. Express yourself, make money, gain fame, become a household name!Or at least, try. You may discover that becoming a star is not easy, even for the undead.Live from the Succubus Club is a sourcebook containing a chronicle about vampires and seeking fame, Kindred existing close to mortal society, moving between Kindred domains, and the cost of fulfilling dreams from a life you no longer have. It gives you the tools to play an aspiring vampire rock star. Or maybe your chosen mode of expression is rap, electro, metal, disco, pop, or something else.Whatever the case, the book gives you the tools to take the coterie on the road. Before you play at a stadium for tens of thousands of people, you may have to play at a local bar for a couple of drunken locals.Dead Among the LivingVampire: The Masquerade is set in the modern world. Its history and geography are the same as in our world, just infested with the horrific undead existing beneath a veneer of secrecy. It depends on the interests of individual players and Storytellers how much mortal life is present in the game. In some chronicles, mortals are just something to feed from while play focuses on the intrigues of the Prince’s Court or the looming threat of the Sabbat.In this book, the connection between vampires and their prey is front and center. The dream of fame operates fundamentally with a mortal logic of attention, wealth, and power. All these are gained in the world of the living. The vampire can play the fame game the same as anyone else, with some specific advantages and disadvantages. A dot or two of Presence can help your celebrity rise quickly, but you’ll need to deal with that interview request scheduled for noon tomorrow.Fame is not the only mortal dream vampires may possess. Some Kindred attempt to hold on to their families, trying to maintain normal lives with children and spouses and jobs, even though they’re dead. The question is, can a vampire truly maintain mortal aspirations, or are all among the Kindred doomed to become detached from humanity?INTRODUCTION

Introduction 8On TourFor those wishing for fame and fortune through the arts, it’s often still best to go to where the people are. For a band, undead or not, going on tour builds the audience and may even make money. For a musician, the chance to play live can be a great joy. For a vampire, each gig is an unparalleled feeding opportunity.Bands are not the only type of touring groups that may attract the Kindred. Theater troupes play festivals and engagements in other countries. A drag performer may be invited to feature at a club. A show wrestler has to travel constantly to do all the matches needed to become famous. Each variety of fame offers its own opportunities for a clever vampire to hide their true nature in plain sight.Often, it’s not just a single Kindred who has to travel but a whole coterie. Even if the whole performance turns on the fame of a single magnetic performer, they may still need band members, backup singers, roadies and others to keep the show on the road.The Succubus ClubThe Succubus Club is a Chicago nightclub run by vampires for a crowd of mortals and the undead alike. In other words, it’s a mortal-facing institution with a presence in the world of the living. A vampire can have a mask, a persona they affect when dealing with the common herd. Clubs, companies, and cults have their own masks, stories told to people who have no idea that vampires exist.For those in the know, getting to play at the Succubus Club is an important milestone for a vampire band seeking to make their name. It’s fortunate that the Chicago institution has spawned a lot of copycats that seek to hijack some of the glory of the famous name. Perhaps one can be found near you.In a book dealing with the sordid business of music, the Succubus Club stands as a symbol of the kind of vampiric existence where you go out every night to hunt, hoping that you’re cool enough to attract your prey. Perhaps you will be… if the tour is successful.Sound and Fury“It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing” is a well-known line from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It fits the empty dreams and drug-fueled drama of music and nightlife well, and it gives us the title of the chronicle featured in this book. The “it” of the quote refers to life, something that mortals have and Kindred don’t. Yet both are equal in the face of the emptiness of all striving.Live from the Succubus Club provides guidance for how to run a chronicle placing a mortal setting center stage, and the Sound and Fury chronicle acts as an example of what that can look like. For an aspiring vampire star, the Prince of the city and the boss of a big record label may be equally important, even if one is dead and the other alive.The chronicle features the players’ characters as a band just starting out on the road to fame. They begin in Berlin and go on tour of many wellknown European domains, such as Vienna and Copenhagen, before a grand finale in Paris. Along the way, they’ll have to contend with the realities of trying to eke out a mortal career when they’re no longer mortal themselves.What to do if a persistent fan breaks into your light-proof hotel room in the middle of the day? Or simply if you’re offered a chance to perform at a music festival to an audience ten times the usual, but it’s before sundown? What if there’s a fan, drained of blood and lifeless, in the bathtub of your hotel room?ChaptersLive from the Succubus Club is divided into six chapters and an appendix:Chapter One: Among the Living focuses on what it means to move among the living, pretending to be one of them. It looks at many of the elements in Vampire related to mortal life and explores the idea of the mortal-focused chronicle. What does it mean when your character has to pretend to be one of the herd?Chapter Two: The Succubus Club looks at the world of the Kindred and those of its members and institutions that have a presence in the mortal world.

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB9Individual vampires have their masks and the Succubus Club itself is an example of a mortalfacing vampiric organization.Chapter Three: Unlife On Tour looks at the realities of the music business and the challenges and issues of being on tour when you’re a vampire. After all, it’s best not to be caught in the open when you’re moving from one domain to the next.Chapter Four: Create Your Rock Star Vampire is all about your character. It details character creation for your own vampire band, for use with the Sound and Fury chronicle or otherwise. IT details working with the other players in your troupe to make sure that everyone shares in the musical creative vision.Chapter Five: Sound and Fury gives the Storyteller the essential building blocks required to run the Sound and Fury chronicle. It provides descriptions of domains and supporting characters that feature in the different sections of the story.Chapter Six: On the Road presents the chronicle Sound and Fury itself, following the players’ characters as a vampire band on tour moving from city to city. They begin in the new Anarch domain of Berlin and finish in Camarilla’s greatest European stronghold, Paris.Appendix I: Steal These Stories presents a trove of supplementary material that can be dropped into any chronicle to flesh out the setting and bring the world of mortals into sharper focus. This includes complications that can happen when the coterie is on tour and story ideas which can be used to further flesh out the chronicle.Appendix II: Loresheets lists Loresheets published in other books that are relevant for a chronicle based on travel, mortal relations and the show business, as well as presents a series of new Loresheets on the same topics. MATURE CONTENT WARNINGVampire: The Masquerade is a game of personal and political horror where you portray a blood-sucking monster in a world resembling our own. Characters routinely deal with activities typical of vampire fiction: violence, seduction, murder, and taking advantage of people.This book is about vampires infesting the music business, intertwined with the mortal communities they feed from. This means that exploitation both human and undead comes to the fore. Themes appearing in this book include addiction (to Blood, drugs, and alcohol), alcoholism, unclear consent, cults, drugs (buying, dealing, using, overdoses), drugging non-consensually, human sacrifice, kidnapping, loss of limbs, mass suicide, mental health/mental illness, Nazism/far right movements, nonconsensual sex, toxic power dynamic/age imbalances in relationships, pregnancy by unknown parent, PTSD, religious extremism/religious intolerance, self-harm, suicidal ideation, terrorism, and toxic relationships.

Chapter One: Among the Living 1 0

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB1 1Vampires cannot exist without the living. This is a basic truth even the proudest Ventrue or most isolated Tzimisce must cling to. The blood of the living sustains the dead, and the Kindred must hunt. If not every night, at least often enough that the beat of a human heart felt through warm, sweaty skin is not alien to any vampire.For the Kindred, being able to pass as a mortal is a necessity. Difficulty in maintaining a mortal identity often translates into difficulty with hunting. A mortal who believes they’re seducing a naive ingénue is an easy target for a vampire with a pretty face.What’s more, every vampire was once mortal. Some remember their days in the sun vividly, still able to draw on those memories to maintain their facades. Others have grown distant from when they still drew breath, the pretense of mortal life increasingly threadbare. This can be a risk as the most obvious vampire is the one first destroyed by Second Inquisition agencies.Chapter One:AMONG THE LIVINGDIFFICULTIES IN PASSING FOR MORTALThe various bloodlines descended from Caine are not created equal when it comes to pretending at a mortal identity, but most are able to make it work despite their various handicaps.Flaws Affecting Appearance: There are a few different Flaws which have an effect how the character looks. There’s the Duskborn Flaw Dead Flesh, as well as the Stigmata and Starving Decay Flaws (see Players Guide, 120). Although they may make interaction with mortals difficult, often it’s because the people around the vampire assume they need medical care, not because they’re undead.Folkloric Banes or Blocks: The embarrassing thing about these Flaws is that they open the character up to detection with methods known from horror movies. How do you explain that you can’t cross running water when everyone’s first thoughts go to vampires?Low Humanity: Often, the off-putting nature of vampires with low Humanity can cause more trouble than unusual physical features. If mortals instinctively consider the character a creep and a weirdo, suspicion is not far behind.Nosferatu: Many Kindred describe the Nosferatu as walking Masquerade breaches, but the truth of it is that there are a lot of deformities among the members of the clan that don’t appear particularly supernatural. If someone looks like a burn victim, the first reaction among the living is often pity, not suspicion of vampirism.Salubri: A third eye is certainly inconvenient, but the solution may be as simple as wearing a hat or a scarf.

Chapter One: Among the Living 1 2Cyfrin doesn’t like to talk about our first gigs. They don’t fit the image he’s constructed for himself. Do you think he was called that when he was born or even when he was Embraced? Of course not. He just knew that to become the star he wanted to be, the first thing he’d have to change was himself.And what the hell, I did the same.Still, those first gigs we did, man... The dark glamour of being an undead artist was nowhere to be seen. A band of vampires still needs to do all the things any band does at the beginning of their career.We played bars of course, dingy little shitholes with a stage so small we couldn’t all fit on it. There was a strip club in some tiny town in Belgium. It didn’t look like the kind of place where bands usually play, and we had four people in the audience. The backstage was just a small room where they stored cases of beer.We’d decided to play every gig we could to get experience, but I remember we were fighting about it afterwards, sitting on crates in that cramped storage space. This old man barged in, mad as hell, dressed like he was an extra from a French film about a small-town bordello. He said he was the Prince of this town and we had broken the traditions and blah blah blah.That’s the first time I saw Cyfrin do it. He got in the man’s face and said: “We’re Pale Sunrise. Who the fuck are you?”Nobody knew who we were back then, but it worked. That little Prince backed off. All you need is confidence and your bullshit becomes your legend.- The Toreador Liane “The Smile” Wind, drummer in the band Pale Sunrise, confides in an acquaintance

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB1 3Understanding the Mortal-Focused ChronicleWhile mortals should always play a significant role in Vampire chronicles, the mortal-focused chronicle pushes them further into the game’s dramatic spotlight. The Kindred society that other chronicles prioritize takes a back seat to the mortal societies players’ characters move in. The goals of players’ characters are focused primarily on human society. Some seek fame, fortune, or mortal political power with eternity and the Blood to aid them. Others cling to their mortal lives at all costs. In extreme versions of this style, the coterie might be the only vampires in the chronicle.Whether the coterie is a support group of misfits, ruthless undead political operatives, or members of a kickass vampire band, the mortal-focused chronicle lets a troupe portray the Kindred experience in unique ways.Avenues of HorrorThe mortal-focused chronicle upholds Vampire’s pillars of personal and political horror, though not necessarily in the way the game usually does. Personal horror refers to the moral agony of having to hunt for the blood of the living to keep the Hunger in check: A beast I am lest a beast I become. Political horror zooms out from the individual to the level of society and community, the monstrosities nightly accepted among the Kindred and their corroding effect on mortals. Many chronicle styles tend to be political horror first, with sharp intrusions of personal horror. This style of chronicle reverses that, using political horror to intrude on the deluge of personal horror.Personal horror is a constant presence in this chronicle style. As monsters in human shapes, the players’ characters only face true resistance from mortals with strong competency, will, or luck. Nourishment is always within reach, and loyalty is achieved with a glance. The ease of a mortal opponent compared to an undead one is seductive, inviting the characters to trample over people who are close to them. While vampiric society goads its members into greater depravities, mortal society may do the same by providing opportunities.In addition to the constant temptation to be monstrous, the consequences of their actions are immediately obvious. The loyalty a vampire instills is false or collapses in the face of the character’s undeniable cruelty. What was supposed to be a sip from an adoring fan turns into a murder your fixer can’t cover up. In a mortal-focused chronicle, the players’ characters must personally deal with the damage they cause and face the wrath of the few mortals who won’t succumb to their power.Though political horror in a mortal-focused chronicle isn’t as constant as personal horror, it’s still very present. Mortal social hierarchies are just as cutthroat as those of a vampire domain, especially if a mortal rival sees a player’s character’s preference for the night shift or avoidance of using the company cafeteria as weaknesses to exploit. A vampire influences one important person in City Hall but runs into danger when that person’s aides know what happened and decide to blackmail the player’s character.Just because Kindred society isn’t as emphasized in this chronicle style doesn’t mean it or the risks that come with it are gone. A coterie that crosses into another vampire’s domain to influence or feed on its inhabitants are still poaching, even if they don’t belong to any sect. The threat of the Second Inquisition’s forces is still omnipresent, and humans the coterie cross might end up informants or recruits.A Different Kind of CoterieSince a coterie in a mortal-focused chronicle doesn’t spend much of its time encountering Kindred society and its rules, it may include character types who don’t fit into a chronicle focused on the affairs of a single domain and its Kindred. Having one or more thin-blooded players’ characters joining forces with vampires of the 13th Generation or lower provides an immense advantage. Not only can the coterie access their strange alchemy, but the eccentricities of their half-dead nature provide the perfect mortal representative or daylight operative.Troupes using the Players Guide might want to bring in a ghoul or even a mortal players’ character. While

Chapter One: Among the Living 1 4these character types still face the challenges of working with undead predators, their direct ties to human society and freedom from most or all a vampire’s curses could prove critical to a coterie’s success.Combining characters who can go out during the day with those who can’t may pose a challenge, so it’s up to the Storyteller to make sure daytime activities don’t sideline the players of characters unable to take part in them. If that seems too much of an issue, focusing on Duskborn, ghoul, and mortal characters can also make for an interesting chronicle. For a more unusual option for daylight scenes, the Golconda Loresheet (see Vampire, p. 389) has something to offer as well.A World of ShadowPerhaps the strongest quality of a mortal-focused chronicle is in the way it creates openings for stories beyond common Vampire plot hooks. As characters focus on achieving success in the mortal world, they not only get involved with the drama of Kindred society but also in the drama of ordinary life.Stories in these chronicles can segue from a succession crisis among the city’s Primogen into a surprise visit from the health inspector at the coterie’s café. These more mundane stories get an inherent twist from the vampires’ presence and can even feed into stories set in Kindred society. Perhaps the health inspector is on the payroll of a Primogen candidate, and the surprise visit is a warning to the coterie of what they’re capable of. Even if these mundane stories aren’t tied to vampire activity, the tension between getting ahead in human society and not breaking the Masquerade is a great engine for drama and horror by itself.Mortals in ChroniclesSome stories in the World of Darkness are mostly about what happens in the shadows between monsters, others about passing as mortal among mortals.For the second type especially, mortal Storyteller characters have the essential task of supporting and challenging undead players’ characters in their struggle to pass. They also provide the baseline of what it means and looks like to be fully alive, and because they’re such an integral part of the characters’ reality, what happens to them can seriously influence the narrative.In both types of stories, mortal characters also have the fine task of reminding undead ones of the laws of the world of the living, the feelings, joys, and sorrows the vampires can no longer fully access. Without a rich world of mortal characters, the vampires can too easily forget that they are the monstrous other to a daylight realm.For this reason, even stories that center vampire politics use mortals as more than food and cannon fodder. Your average low-Humanity ancilla may not care about what happens to the family across the road, but every lick has some mortals that they care about — Touchstones, people who provide services they need, favored ghouls, enemies, and more. Make sure you know who matters and why, and you’ll be able to use them to their full potential as the story develops.Characters of ConsequenceThese are some tricks to make the mortal Storyteller characters around the players’ coterie feel like an important part of the game world, even in stories that are otherwise heavily focused on Kindred characters.FOR THE STORYTELLERGIVE THEM RESPONSIBILITYGive mortal characters weight by featuring the same characters throughout a story and give them responsibility for some of the plot. Scenes with a Touchstone whose only task is to provide support for a player’s character can feel forced. But if said Touchstone appears naturally in the narrative because they have their own part to play, they gain importance as a character and feel less like a game mechanic.MAKE THEM MEAN SOMETHINGMortal Storyteller characters become important to a story when their actions or fate influences it. Another way for them to gain importance is to make them mean something on a symbolic level that connects to some of the big themes that the players’ characters are wrangling with. For instance, if your

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB1 5chronicle is about fame versus integrity, introduce mortal characters on both sides of the spectrum. How the players’ characters interact with them will affect the tone of the story and can quickly affect their own journey — a corrupt mortal character offers corrupt deals.BUILD ATTACHMENTYou don’t need much to make a returning character mean something to your players, however small. Make them subtly attached to the mortals of their community by re-using the same mortal characters and giving them a few small quirks or habits. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of story space, but if the player’s characters have some connection to all the mortals they regularly meet, it will make it mean more when those mortals get brutally murdered or just won’t look at them the same.DEMONSTRATE CONSEQUENCESThe power of their Blood enables the Kindred to escape many of the rigors of life. Mortals can experience consequences the Kindred don’t, from many different angles. On a nightly level, perhaps being on tour has negative effects on the health or family relationships of a loyal fan. Or maybe when a Second Inquisition agency comes after the characters, they hit some of the mortals around them first.HAVE THEM SUPPORT THE SCENEYou can generally think of a story as a chain of event-, motivation-, and reaction scenes. Something happens, the characters react to it, and in so doing, cause or get pulled toward the next thing that happens. Roleplaying, like real life, doesn’t always follow this neat pattern, thus you also get a third type of scene: the slice-of-(un)life.EVENT: When action is high, make mortal Storyteller characters matter by giving them the means to change the outcome of the scene, depending how the players’ characters interact with them. They don’t all have to matter, of course, not every person you pass in the street will change your life. But some should.MOTIVATION/REACTION: Mortal Storyteller characters are a great way to underscore risk and ramifications. Use a restless crowd to signal building danger, have a contact call for help or with a warning, or use characters the players care about to motivate them into action by having them affected by the outcome of what happens next.SLICE-OF-LIFE SCENES: Slice-of-Life scenes are about establishing what’s normal. As the players’ characters go through their stories, their mortal connections live their own lives on the sidelines — which are usually much less dramatic. You can underscore the drama of the main story by sometimes contrasting the two. Touchstones are especially good for this. Spending a moonlit hour on an old swing set with someone who only thinks the best of you can really influence how the next scene feels for a player’s character.FOR THE PLAYERTALK TO YOUR STORYTELLERIf you find yourself wishing for more scenes with your mortal character connections, talk to your Storyteller. Perhaps some of those characters could get more involved with the plot in a way that makes them relevant to the whole table.MAKE THEM INFLUENTIAL FROM THE STARTA good way to make mortal connections relevant from the beginning is to make sure your character has a reason to see them often and they have the ability to influence the greater goals of the coterie, for instance through their profession.PROFILE THEMIt’s a great idea to flesh out the backgrounds and personalities of your mortal contacts as you invest in them. Spend a little time thinking about who they are, what drives them, and what their fears are. It doesn’t have to be much. If you’d like, you can make a card for each with a stock photo to represent them and a couple of lines of text about who they are. Share the cards between the troupe — you may have some contacts in common.

Chapter One: Among the Living 1 6Mortal TiesCreating a character for a mortal-focused chronicle requires more than adding a few more dots to Allies or Contacts. Each character should have goals revolving around working among mortals and some competency towards doing so. This section examines character creation through the lens of the mortalfocused chronicle style.Ambitions and DesiresIn a mortal-focused chronicle, a character’s Ambition should drive them into interacting with mortals no matter how dangerous it becomes. Sometimes this is as simple as bringing the dream the character had when alive into their newly undead state. The Embrace didn’t make getting a position on the board of directors or a show at the Budokan impossible. The path might be harder and strewn with blood, but their undead nature might ironically bring them closer to their goals than being alive ever could.If carrying over a character’s living Ambition isn’t dramatic enough, consider exaggerating it. One character who only wanted to surpass their boss might decide to dedicate their unlife to bringing the entire company under their control. Another character’s goal might change from simply achieving fame in their own time to becoming an eternal worldwide phenomenon. This is a great way to show how becoming a vampire changes a person and could signal the start of detachment from humanity.If you’d prefer to create a completely different Ambition, make sure it involves mortals or mortal society. Perhaps it’s something your character never considered to be possible before, like becoming the best at a sport or a famous social media influencer. Maybe it’s something grandiose or even Masquerade breaking, like curing a mortal disease or becoming the not-so-secret puppet master of a country or even a geopolitical region. Your character could live forever. Dream big!If Ambitions are what the vampire wants in broad strokes, Desires are things they want right now. They aren’t always connected to a character’s Ambition but should be connected to people on your Relationship Map or current Storyteller characters. Desires always have some in-chronicle context. They’re things the character would like to do to someone or would like to do with someone. They signal to your Storyteller the kinds of scenes you want to play.To determine a good Desire, consider the following questions before the session begins:▪ Is there a character that has something my character needs during this story?▪ Do I owe a character a favor during this story, and should this be the time for it to come due?▪ Is there a logical way for a character to help advance my character’s Ambition during this session?▪ Is there a character that stands in the way of my Ambition or my goals for this story? Should my character confront them now?▪ Do I already have an unfulfilled Desire from my last session? Should I carry it over into this session, or should I change it to something I think could be advanced or fulfilled in the coming scenes?▪ Is there a scene I really want to have with a character?▪ Is there a Desire another player has that I want my character to get involved with?BackgroundsBackgrounds in a mortal-focused chronicle should reflect either the connections the character has within human society or the power they wield over it. While it’s possible to start from nothing in this chronicle style, characters wanting to make a mark among mortals usually have a stake in the living world.When choosing Background dots in this chronicle style, consider the following options.Allies: As mortals in your corner willing to do things for you, Allies are the lifeblood of any mortalfocused chronicle. They’re most likely people you knew personally in life, or people you know well through your new identity or a Mask. Each character should have at least one Ally as their Background dots allow, or the coterie should pool dots for one or two very effective Allies.Contacts: In a chronicle style where the daytime world changes while most or all the coterie sleeps,

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB1 7Contacts are crucial. These are most likely cordial relationships established in life or acquaintances connected to your new identity or Mask. The coterie should have access to at least one Contact either through a single member or as Coterie Background.Fame: This Background is great if you’d like to to begin as a known entity. Fame also works as a reward in a mortal-focused chronicle. In a version of this chronicle style where fame is a goal, this Background should be both purchasable with Experience and a Storyteller reward when appropriate.Herd: If the coterie wants to make a name for themselves among mortals, hunting could be a larger risk than usual. A Coterie Herd or having one player’s character willing to share theirs when necessary could come in handy. For a Kindred band on tour, a Herd of groupies who follow from city to city could be a godsend.Influence: Influence in the right place smooths out any problems your vampires create when carving out a place in human society. Like Fame, Influence is another Background that works as an Experience purchase and as a Storyteller reward when appropriate.Mask: In this chronicle style, the Mask is the identity the character uses to make a name for themselves. Most characters have at least one strong - Now I Know -I used to think the night had teethI used to hide under the sheetsThe screamsI hidinsidemy throatThe sweatthat pooledundermy armsAnd now I know the night has teethAnd I adore the midnight teaseEmbraceme nowwithinthe darkThe tasteof youbeneaththe stars

Chapter One: Among the Living 1 8Mask, and the coterie might have one for the group. Some might have a flimsier Mask to burn at the first opportunity, and younger vampires might even use their previous mortal identity for that purpose.Resources: In a mortal-focused chronicle, the Resources Background represents wealth from a day job or an above-board source. If your character has a Mask, that job or source is most likely tied to it. If the coterie runs a business, consider taking it as a Coterie Background to represent its cash flow.Retainers: As the coterie in a mortal-focused chronicle risks making enemies among both kine and Kindred, it might be a good idea to take a two- or three-dot Retainer as a Coterie Background. This could be in the form of dedicated bodyguards or a devoted follower.Status: Status might not seem important in this chronicle style, but as a representation of respect, it can also serve as leeway for your activities in the eyes of Kindred. Members of a sect might be more willing to ignore potential Masquerade breaching activities if a character’s Status outranks them.Chronicle ElementsRunning a mortal-focused chronicle requires thinking about the traditional elements of a Vampire game in new ways. Though the gameplay loop doesn’t change, the usual assumptions about what’s in a chronicle and how it’s depicted do when much of your players’ interactions are with mortals. This section looks at certain aspects of the game and how to adjust them for your chronicle style.Mortals and Undead FactionsThe sect your player characters belong to colors how their peers could react when noticing they spend much of their time among mortals. It also colors how other sects in the chronicle see the coterie and their actions. Every sect or faction, even the most hyperlocal ones, has some kind of philosophy regarding mortals and how vampires should treat them.While this book can’t cover every possible faction, the following factions are most likely to appear in your chronicle.AnarchsAnarchs aligned with the American Free States hold a paradoxically loose but firm view on mortals: do with the kine as you will, but breaking the Masquerade will be punished severely. Beyond the Free States, Anarchs tend to develop a more lackadaisical view depending on local history and customs, with some even angling for a total lack of secrecy, hearkening back to the dream of Carthage.Because Anarchs tend to infest mortal society on a much more intimate level than other sects, they’re a natural fit for a mortalfocused chronicle.CamarillaAs the creators of the concept of “the Masquerade,” modern-day Camarilla praxis is very clear that mortals are only interacted with through proxies and low-tech means of communication when possible. A strong veil of secrecy exists for everyone’s benefit. In practice, its members keep private burner phones, make ghouls at the first opportunity, and find other

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB1 9means to get around the dictates of the Justicars without risking exposure. They take the heat off themselves by finding and revealing other vampires who do the same things they do.SabbatThe Sabbat see mortals as the ultimate underclass and treat them accordingly. They think vampires who interact with mortals as if they were people are the ultimate hypocrites and the scum of the Earth. When they’re not engaged in their endless crusade, they delight in first ripping apart a vampire’s relationships with mortals, then ripping apart the mortals.Second InquisitionThe forces of the Second Inquisition belong to two broad categories: the religious community and the intelligence community. The religious community generally considers any interactions mortals make with vampires that isn’t exterminating them anathema, and the intelligence community generally considers those interactions as resources to exploit. They compromise by attempting to turn a vampire’s close mortal allies to their side in order to either sell the vampire out or kill them.Circulatory SystemMembers of the Circulatory System spend a lot of time among mortals. It’s how they develop their keen sense for what kind of person a client wants to feed from and who wouldn’t be missed if they were kept in a harvesting warehouse somewhere in Lublin. Though they try to avoid snatching mortals involved in a vampire’s unlife, sometimes it’s unavoidable.Major Blood CultsRegarding humans, Blood cults with international presence break down into two kinds. Closed Blood cults like the Church of Caine (Cults of the Blood Gods, p. 57) tend to see mankind as little more than tools for their sacred rites. Open Blood cults like Church of Set (Cults of the Blood Gods, p. 68) invite mortals into the faith for spiritual purposes or to bolster their ranks and provide camouflage.AutarkisIn modern nights, more domains than ever fall outside of the influence of traditionally dominant sects. These autarkies range from large populations under unique governance to pockets of land ruled by a single powerful coterie. Their views of mankind diverge widely, but they tend to hold up a more permissive Masquerade than internationally prominent factions due to their obscurity. This rarely extends to outsiders; a visiting coterie might find themselves held to a hypocritical standard when it comes to breaching its secrecy.DuskbornAs vampires with Blood too weak for the curse to fully take, the thin-blooded find themselves with little political power and a lot of enemies. Those unable or unwilling to join a sect often band together to form their own political factions. They function as mutual aid societies, and the strongest ones serve as a kind of “government beneath the government.” As creatures with one foot in the daylight, flocks of Duskborn are often more sympathetic to vampires trying to peacefully exist among humans and might hide them from the bloodthirsty gaze of a Prince’s Hound or help them skip town if things get too hot.City Chronicle or Nomad Chronicle?Since a mortal-focused chronicle focuses on its vampires spending time with the living first and foremost, it can be set anywhere you’d like. In some versions of this chronicle style, such as the band on tour format of Sound and Fury (see Chapter 6), the story could even take place in multiple settings. Each kind of chronicle has unique considerations.A chronicle set in a city has the strengths of providing a recurring cast of characters consisting of its locals, and districts are ready-to-run locations. If the coterie has a domain, players can put it in one specific part of the city, allowing you to define it by where that part is and how it differs from other locations. It’s easy to show the consequences of the coterie’s actions, as they directly affect relationships with the mortals

Chapter One: Among the Living 2 0they build their unlives around. There’s also a consistent Kindred society beneath the city’s mundane life, which serves as help and hindrance.The challenge of a city chronicle is its need for depth in terms of the setting. While you don’t need to research or create a city down to the finest detail, you will need to have answers ready. Players might ask questions about a district they’ve never been in before, or they might inquire about the influence a little-explored Kindred sect might have on the mortals in a given neighborhood. If you don’t have good answers, the chronicle’s setting might feel smaller or more stifling.A nomad chronicle avoids many of the challenges of a city chronicle. If a coterie isn’t expected to stay in a location for very long, there’s less need to get into the details of how the domain functions apart from the state of its sects and governance. Hopping from place to place around a region, country, or even the whole world inherently makes the setting feel big and exciting. There are always new faces to meet, and every new location brings a unique complication for the coterie. Players might be encouraged to make bolder decisions with their characters since bailing out is always a solution to their coterie’s problems.Running a nomad chronicle requires a wider setting, which creates its own difficulties. New locations don’t have to be radically different from the last one, but they should have enough unique elements so that they stand out from the coterie’s previous stops. Since there aren’t as many regular Storyteller characters in a nomad chronicle, you end up having to invent more characters for temporary use. Coming up with reasons for supporting characters to reappear can be challenging. Finally, you’ll need to decide how difficult travel should be for the coterie on a case-by-case basis. The entire point of the chronicle is to go from location to location, so it shouldn’t be impossible, but a vampire’s limited active hours and the threat of cross-border enemies like the Second Inquisition shouldn’t be ignored.In terms of travel, there are several considerations. One is the style of your chronicle. Difficult travel makes the game feel more gritty and grounded while easier travel allows for faster action. Another is the plausibility of your setting. There’s a huge difference in travel difficulty if your game is set in central Europe where driving to the next town takes half an hour, or if it’s going to take place in Canada where distances can be huge.The Very Small DomainSince a mortal-focused chronicle doesn’t need to elaborate as much on the machinations of Kindred society, it’s possible to set the action in a domain that barely has vampires at all. Consider this kind of chronicle for a unique Vampire experience.A very small domain is most likely an isolated area, like a very distant suburb, a rural town, or an unincorporated community far from major population centers. They’re either small because they have such a tiny overall population, or they might only be small because of how few vampires call the area home. In a very small domain, the number of

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB2 1UNUSUAL DOMAIN LAWSThe Traditions are a given in Camarilla domains and some of them are followed in areas controlled by other Kindred sects too. Most domains supplement them with laws of their own, dreamed up by local Princes or other rulers to address their concerns. These can range from eccentric to draconic and influence the domain’s reputation among travelling Kindred. The problem is, you often find out what the local law is only when you’re already there.Keeping Up Appearances: Any Kindred within city limits are required to maintain the Blush of Life at all time when outside of Elysium or their own haven. Any deviation is harshly sanctioned with boons owed to the ruler, and snitching has become a bit of a sport among the locals.Oracular Visit: If you wish to remain more than a night in this domain, you must visit the local soothsayer, a blind Duskborn, who assures the Prince that you do not bring doom with you. However, as with many such traditions, the oracle is not infallible or without opinions of their own.Law of Hospitality: In some domains, the ancient customs are still being zealously observed. The three nights of hospitality are being granted in the house of the chosen host. No more, no less. Any breach of this right, from host as well as guest, is punished severely with extended torpor.Truthfulness: Among many scholarly inclined Princes, it is not unusual for a guest to be asked to relay their own story, to break the ennui and learn more about the outside world. Truth is expected and a falsehood needs to be highly entertaining unless the liar pays boons as reparations to the host.Hunt Club: Here, guests are required to join their host for hunts. The usual prey for vampires is plentiful, but the guest is also expected to hunt what their host requires before tending to their own needs. As with hunting parties among mortals, this allows for mingling as well as evaluation of the visiting Kindred’s skill.Memento Mori: The one requirement from an otherwise libertarian Baron is called the Rule of Graves. Kindred are dead, and as such, any guests to the domain are required to spend their daysleep in a derelict morgue. Both the reminder of the undead nature of the Kindred and the restless spirits haunting the building makes a prospective stay less than appealing.A Billiard Game: The locals take pride in hosting. To make the honor of hosting equitably divided, the Prince decreed that guests to his domain would be required to play a game of pool with him to determine their temporary host. Lose, and stay in hydropower station with the local Nosferatu outcasts, while a high-score would net you a stay in a Ventrue penthouse.Gifts: A domain judges anyone who does not bring a gift to their host to be a boonbreaker. The circumstance and value of the gift varies greatly depending on the host, but gifts are important and ameliorate a lot of the usual issues with vampires socializing under the same roof.vampire Storyteller characters, should you decide to have any, never exceeds the size of the coterie.Kindred society here is almost nonexistent; one vampire could declare Praxis or some equivalent but might only have brute strength and a terse congratulatory letter from some distant big shot to establish their authority. At best, those Kindred get lip service. Real power comes from control over the area’s human infrastructure, which is a perfect goal for a mortal-focused chronicle.There are many entry points into a chronicle in this kind of setting. Perhaps this domain was granted to the coterie as a “reward” to keep them out of their original domain, and they must tangle with the few vampires spending their unlives here. Maybe this was once a Sabbat-controlled domain, left to lie fallow after the start of the Gehenna Crusade and ready for the coterie to step in. The coterie might even be locals Embraced by a group of long-gone vampires and must come to terms with hunting and controlling the people they’ve known their whole lives.This setting also provides space for strong conflicts. Any vampires that exist along with the coterie here are also big fish in a very small pond, and they are more

Chapter One: Among the Living 2 2likely to be underhanded and desperate when the coterie acts against them. Such a defenseless domain might be attractive to a Sabbat pack. Even success brings challenge; a well-run tiny domain could find itself forcibly absorbed by the Camarilla or Anarchs and brought into their schemes. If the coterie are locals, their actions could force their friends and neighbors to realize what the characters have become, and then they must survive being hunted by their loved ones or even their Touchstones.Humanity and MoralityHumanity (see Vampire, p. 236) is a critical mechanic in a mortal-focused chronicle. It not only measures how a vampire sees mortals, but it can also serve as a shorthand for how mortals see them.Vampires at Humanity 10 to 8 come off as more human than most mortals. While this usually means their presence puts people at ease and might even inspire admiration for such a saintly individual, some might discern the stranglehold the vampire has on their monstrous nature and feel anxious.Humanity 7 to 4 are somewhere in the general range of how mortals see themselves and others. On the higher end of this range, mortals might see a vampire as strange, but who isn’t these days, anyway? (Assuming that the vampire has no obvious physical signs.) Depending on how well a mortal knows them, they might even be willing to brush off the actions typical of the lower end of the range. The vampire could be a burgeoning serial killer, but even the worst ones may have had cordial relationships with someone.A vampire’s monstrosity is undeniable at Humanity 3 to 1. Even here, a vampire’s mortal relationships might not yet abandon them. Perhaps they see the vampire as in need of serious help, or they just aren’t ready to accept that the person they knew is gone. Perhaps they can bring the vampire back from the brink, but most times they just become prey.For Humanity to properly work as a meter for how mortals see a vampire, you and your players need a set of Chronicle Tenets that reflect the kinds of human interactions you’d like the coterie to experience as well as the ambitions they hold in the mortal world. The Humanist and Gothic/Romantic Chronicle Tenet sets (Vampire, p. 172) are great choices, but if you’d like to create your own, consider these questions:▪ Are mortals companions or tools?▪ How strictly does your chronicle’s Kindred society keep vampires away from mortals?▪ Does your chronicle’s world approve of achieving a person’s goals no matter the cost?▪ Are family and close friends different than the people you encounter on the street? If so, how?Touchstones in ChroniclesTo make the most of Touchstones in play, they should have interests that align or compete with the goals of the players’ characters. They should be in physical proximity on a regular basis.(This means that if the characters move from town to town, Touchstones should have their own reasons to move too.) These goals can be achieved by a Touchstone working for their player’s character, like an agent or a roadie, or it can be something more involved, like an on-and-off relationship or enemies with a shared career or hobbies that make the Touchstone travel often. Such proximity allows for ongoing interactions that aren’t just about the relationship to the Touchstones, but still serve to maintain or deepen it.A rule of thumb is that scenes with Touchstones are most satisfying if they pertain to the current drama unfolding in the story, or if they provide new plot complications for the players’ characters to deal with.Victims in ChroniclesHunting scenes in Vampire have the potential to serve as horrible reminders to the players’ characters that something vile is eating them from within. These scenes can become habitualized, normalized, in the same way hiding vodka in plastic bottles under the sink is for the alcoholic, but it’s good if they sometimes grow teeth and terrify. One way to make this happen is by fleshing out victims, making them mean something, and allowing them to haunt the narrative like a guilty conscience. Another is to make the hunt itself something that affects the players’ characters long after it is over.

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB2 3FIVE VICTIMS▪ A MEMBER OF THE TOUR CREW: They won’t completely recall the encounter, but you’ll catch them staring strangely when they think no one is looking.▪ A GROUPIE TURNED BLOOD DOLL: They won’t like it when it happens, but after, they’ll keep coming back for more, almost like they wantto die.▪ A TALENT SCOUT: You don’t know who they are when you feed on them. Soon after they’ll seem impressed with you, but will they care about your art or just want to feel the Kiss again?▪ THE TOUCHSTONE OF ANOTHER: You’re not aware the singer’s childhood friend has snuck in to see the show, you just think he looks tasty.▪ SOMEONE LOVED: You choose someone at random or the meanest bastard you can find and don’t dwell on it when they seem extra weak after your encounter. You’ll later discover they were dear to someone you do care about, and very sick, and the feeding put them in critical condition.FIVE HUNTS▪ THE SUPERSTITIOUS RITUAL: Several members or the entire band have gotten stuck on having to perform certain superstitious rituals before you go on stage. The most important is the quick and dirty hunt you do together to fill up on terror-blood. It doesn’t feel as good as it once did, but what if it really does bring you luck?▪ THE SACRIFICE: Making deals with the devil is as old as dance itself. Most of the time, you try to hunt without killing. But the rumors say that a rival Kindred band has made such a deal for real, sealed with a hunt where the victim becomes the offering. If it worked for them, maybe it’d work for you? They can’t have gotten famous on talent, after all.▪ SOMETHING IN THE BLOOD: It’s a hunt like any other, except this time there’s something in the blood that makes you hallucinate violently for 40-something hours. Afterwards, you have trouble discerning what really happened from what you imagined, and you keep seeing glimpses of something moving in the shadows.TEN NEW TOUCHSTONESWhen a player’s character has lost a Touchstone, they can try to form an attachment to someone new. (For more on losing Touchstones, see Vampire, p. 240.) These are some ways it can happen naturally within the narrative, as seen below.A Child You Didn’t Know About: Did you live the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll lifestyle before you were Embraced? You fathered a child you were never told about—or a close relative did.Another Artist: You meet someone with similar or complementary artistic passions. Their presence inspires you and lifts you up.Someone Who’s Helped You Out: When you’re lost and in need of some support, and not expecting it from anyone, this person does you a favor—and now you cannot shake the feeling that you need to pay them back.Someone Who Shares Your Struggles: You meet at a low point, in a bar, a shelter, or at a support group. Something about their attitude makes you feel that helping them is easier than helping yourself. Or at least it’s less lonely to suffer in the company of someone who understands.The Partner of Someone You Lost: Being close to them makes you feel closer to the one you lost.Someone Who Has Endured Horrors and Has Become Stronger for It: Their morbid optimism makes you feel like you could tell them anything and they’d be able to handle it. You won’t. But for once, you’re not afraid of what they’d think if they knew the truth.Someone Who Shares Your Goals: You run into them mid-way through a mission to find out they share it. You might as well work together.An Industry Employee: Your contract stipulates this person has to follow you on tour and be present for all meetings and performances. At first, you are annoyed, but slowly, you realize you’ve come to rely on their presence.Someone You Can’t Kill: Everything that can go wrong does, and you should’ve seriously harmed this person, but somehow they survive.A Competitor: This person wants what you want and is going for it hard, forcing you to constantly improve.

Chapter One: Among the Living 2 4▪ THE LAZARUS EFFECT: The victim appears dead, and the players’ characters go through the harrowing process of figuring out how to get rid of their corpse. Just as they start to push them into the furnace, down the landfill, or cover them with the final bit of cold, black earth, the victim reawakens, opening their eyes.▪ THE ONE THEY DON’T WANT: It’s barely even a hunt, with a victim so easily available. Unfortunately, the victim is one of the least deserving, or the most vulnerable, someone who never had a chance. They could even be someone who reminds the characters of themselves when they still breathed.Resonance on the GoIn a mortal-focused chronicle, Resonance comes to the forefront. Humans have hopes, dreams, and complex inner lives, all of which manifest in the blood vampires drink. While standard Resonance rules work well in most chronicles, characters in a nomadic chronicle may not have time to properly feel out or manipulate emotional states. Some tables may generally prefer quicker methods for both.DetectionFor faster detection of Resonances, use one of the following options:▪ Take the Bloodhound Merit (Vampire, p. 182) to detect Resonance by smell. If Resonances are extremely important to the chronicle, the Storyteller should consider offering the Merit to all players for free.▪ The Reveal Temperament Auspex Power (Players Guide, p. 70) not only functions like Bloodhound, but also picks up on Dyscracias and Resonances other vampires recently fed on.▪ When running hunting scenes, Storytellers should consider using the margins of hunting tests to drop hints about the prey’s Resonance and Temperament. The larger the margin, the clearer the hint. Always make sure all hints are stated before the actual feeding and allow the player to decide on following through based on those hints.▪ Consider using the suggested Resolve + Insight test (Vampire, p. 228) at the beginning of a feeding scene instead of at the end. This test represents careful observation of the mortals in the environment before the hunt truly begins and has a starting Difficulty of 3.ManipulationFor changing Resonances and Temperaments when moving among mortals, try these methods:▪ Blood Sorcery, particularly Ripples of the Heart (Blood-Stained Love, p. 153) can directly influence a mortal’s Resonance.▪ At the Storyteller’s discretion, Discipline Powers that manipulate a human’s thoughts and feelings like Dementation or Entrancement (Vampire, pp. 256 and 268) may also shift their Resonance to match. This only lasts until the Power ends and may not create a Dyscracia.▪ Apply the Herd Background’s Resonance shifting test (Vampire, p. 190) to mortals in general. The vampire must do something worthy of shifting the Resonance and doing this more than once per story could mentally break victims.▪ The longer a mortal knows a vampire, the easier and faster it becomes to shift their Resonance. Any test to shift a Resonance has its Difficulty reduced by 1 if the vampire has known them for longer than a story, by 2 if they’re a character from a vampire’s Background, and by 3 if they’re a Touchstone.Traits for a MortalFacing ChronicleThese Advantages, Flaws, and Discipline Powers provide new benefits and challenges in a mortalfocused chronicle.Advantages and FlawsThe following Advantages and Flaws enhance the Fame Background, let players change the Blush of Life to a

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB2 5greater boon or make it an immense struggle, introduce a new social hurdle in Kindred society, and present two ways Resonances make a vampire’s unlife harder.Fame• Influencer (Requires Fame ••+): People don’t just love you — they take your word as gospel. You write social media posts that make or break businesses, and even high-ranking officials who should know better listen to you. Once per story, with the Storyteller’s approval, you have the equivalent of an Influence rating equal to your Fame minus one towards a single fan or a field related to your stardom.• Enduring Fame (Requires Fame •••+): As an immensely beloved figure before your Embrace, you’ve learned that the benefits — and drawbacks — of stardom remain after death. When you lose points of Fame during a story, they return to full value at the start of the next story with no effort necessary.Feeding• Drive-thru: You’ve mastered the art of feeding while on the move, grabbing what you need before getting the hell outta there. Once per session, by adding +1 to the Difficulty, you can safely complete a hunt within minutes.Flaw (•) Resonance Sensitivity: You’re sensitive to the secret flavors of blood, and one of them really messes with your head. Pick one Resonance, excepting Animal and Void. When you feed on a vessel with that Resonance at an Intense or higher Temperament, your Storyteller creates a unique Compulsion (Vampire,p. 208) based on that Resonance that must be carried out before the end of the story. This Compulsion persists even if you feed from a vessel with a different Resonance or the same Resonance with a lesser Temperament later in the story. If it isn’t resolved at the end of the story, these suppressed emotions are released in a messy, potentially violent way of the Storyteller’s choosing. You may select this Flaw again to be sensitive to an additional Resonance.Flaw (••) Resonance Mimic: The vessels you feed from have a habit of sticking around with you. You don’t just pick up the Resonances in their blood, you’re absorbing parts of their memories, personality, or maybe even their very soul. After you feed on a mortal of any Resonance at a Fleeting Temperament or higher, you experience vivid and distracting visions of your victim’s memories during the next scene, which inflicts a two-dice penalty to a test of the Storyteller’s choice. Killing someone through feeding has an additional effect: the victim’s personality and memories persist in your mind and might take over your body for a scene when your Willpower is Incapacitated. This effect lasts until your Willpower is Incapacitated or the end of the story.Flaw: (••) Sloppy Feeder: Wherever you go, a telltale pattern of attacks follows, as your feeding style leaves much to be desired. If caught feeding by the authorities, they’ll have sufficient evidence to connect you to a series of assaults (and probably murders), as well as leaking your location to Second Inquisition assets.Haven• or •• Mobile: Your haven is on wheels, wings, or the wide open sea. A one-dot mobile haven may be a car, van, or truck with a sunproof trunk or other compartment for daysleep, or pull a small trailer to carry gear. A two-dot mobile Haven could be an RV, motor coach, or bus. A massive, three-dot mobile haven could be an entire train, jet, or large ship. Coterie dots can be used for this Merit.• Armored (Prerequisite: Mobile): You’re taking no chances with your haven, taking pains to reinforce panels, locks, and tires, and swapping out the glass for something more resistant to whatever gets thrown at it. The vehicle continues running perfectly until it sustains ten points of damage, while only Critical Hits penetrate sufficiently to affect passengers. • or •• Smugglers Stash (Prerequisite: Mobile): You’ve dedicated a small section of your Haven to security, ensuring that even if accessed and subjected to a thorough search, your cargo — or you — remains safely stashed away. For one dot, this space is equivalent in size to one person, while two dots expands the space to cover your entire coterie. Searches for the compartment are made at +2 Difficulty.•• Spare Plates (Prerequisite: Mobile): Vehicles are easy to trace, and their size makes them harder to hide. To ensure your home’s reputation never trips you up, you keep a series of spare plates, stickers, and other identifiers that you can switch out with a turn’s worth

Chapter One: Among the Living 2 6of activity, giving you sufficient cover to avoid all but the most invasive searches.Flaw: (•) On the Rails (Prerequisite: Mobile): Your haven’s movement is not entirely under your control, such as on a ship or train. You might speed or delay a departure, or make an unscheduled stop, but the destinations are likely fixed. Work with the Storyteller to determine where your haven travels.Flaw: (•) Temperamental (Prerequisite: Mobile):Whether you love it despite its flaws, can’t afford the repairs, or are ignorant to your haven’s mechanical imperfections, your vehicle is unreliable and waiting for the worst moment to disappoint you. Any failed Drive test sees the vehicle grind to a halt, unable to be restarted without a successful repair test. Should you change your vehicle, this Flaw follows you unless bought off with Experience.Looks• Famous Face: You bear a passing or very close resemblance to someone very well known. Sometimes this works in your favor. Other times this results in “Charlize Theron bit that cop on the neck!” You gain two dice to social tests in circumstances where you can leverage your lookalike status, but suffer a twodice penalty whenever you try to hide in a crowd or in other areas where you want to avoid recognition.• Scene Kid: Every subculture has its trappings; you’re the unliving embodiment of its particular style. While it may not impress the masses, for those in the know, you look every inch the part. Add one die to all appropriate Social pools when dealing with that subculture.Mythic• Ley Line Leech: Whether through divination, archaic maps, or gut instinct, you follow the ancient paths of power while traveling, thus benefiting from their mystical energy. After spending more than a few hours travelling to a different city or locale, your Blood becomes positively charged, negating the need for a Rouse Check when rising the following night.••• Persistent Blush: Your dead flesh is uniquely receptive to the Blood when it’s time to imitate life. Your lifelike demeanor and biological responses last much longer than your peers, and you can walk among mortals for nights at a time without extra effort. A single activation of Blush of Life persists for one week.Flaw: (•) Land Locked: You cannot leave the land, and any journey over air or sea enrages your Beast to the point of madness. You must make a Fear Frenzy test (Difficulty 3) to board a boat or plane.Flaw (•) Resistant Blush: Your dead flesh accepts the Blood in every way save for the pretense of mortality. Blush of Life doesn’t come as naturally to you as your peers, and sometimes it won’t work without further effort. When you make a Rouse Check to activate the Blush of Life, roll twice and take the lowest result.Flaw (••) Corpse Flesh: Your body is truly and irrevocably dead, rendering you unable to use Blush of Life.StatusFlaw (•) Mortal Pretender: While all right-minded Kindred do their best to blend in with mankind , you go above and beyond to the point where you might have decided to lead a mortal life despite your new diet. It unsettles your undead peers. You suffer a two-dice penalty for all Social tests involving vampires specifically dedicated to upholding the Masquerade, such as Vehme coteries, Sheriffs and their Hounds, Archons and Justicars.Predator TypeRoadside KillerYou belong with the vagabonds, tourists, and truckers of the world — always moving, never at home. You know how to pick out the ones whose deaths are discounted as the risk of a woman hitchhiking alone, or who simply won’t be missed at all. You still have to fight to keep other vampires away from them lest the herd thins too much, though. In life, you either were one of them, or you met these vagrants as they rested at your roadside stop.▪ Add a specialty Survival (the road) or Investigation (vampire cant)▪ Add one dot of Fortitude or Protean▪ Gain two additional dots of migrating Herd▪ Gain the Flaw Prey Exclusion (locals)

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB2 7Predator Pool: Dexterity or Charisma + Drive, you feed by picking up down and outs with nowhere else to go.Discipline PowersThese Discipline powers enhance the ways vampires influence mortals, from understanding their basic needs to withstanding their social pressures.AnimalismLevel 2LEASH THE BEASTAmalgam: Fortitude 1You channel your Blood to your Beast, preventing it from awakening.Cost: One or Two Rouse ChecksSystem: When you roll a 10 (potential Critical) on a normal die, you can turn that to a 9 (Success) by Rousing the Blood to activate this power. When you roll a 1 (potential Bestial Failure) on a Hunger die, you can turn that to a 2 (Failure) if you make two Rouse Checks to activate this power.You can also use this power to turn a result of 1–5 (Failure) on a Normal die made during a test to resist Frenzy to a 6 (Success).If the Rouse Checks made for this Power would drive you above 5 Hunger, you immediately enter a Hunger Frenzy.CelerityLevel 4FASTER THAN LIGHTPrerequisite: BlinkThe Kindred’s unnatural speed protects them from the undead’s deadliest banes — fire and sunlight.Cost: One Rouse CheckSystem: When using Blink, the vampire makes an additional Rouse check, enabling them to pass through patches of sunlight or flame without sustaining damage or feeling their effects. If they end their action within this dangerous patch or trip during the passage, damage is applied as normal. This doesn’t negate any other impacts from operating in daylight or fire, such as Frenzy Checks, awakening, or dice pools.Duration: One ActionFortitudeLevel 2SELF-ASSURANCEPrerequisite: Unswayable MindWhen someone seeks to verbally cut the vampire down to size or browbeat them into submission, the unnatural power of the vampire’s ego makes their opponent falter. No matter the hurt in an enemy’s words, the vampire’s confidence remains intact.Cost: One Rouse CheckSystem: If engaged in social combat, the character can activate this Power. Once activated, the character can absorb Superficial Willpower damage equal to their Fortitude rating without it affecting their actual Willpower reserves. If a Social Combat Action would inflict Aggravated damage, the character can expend any remaining benefit from this Power to

Chapter One: Among the Living 2 8negate that attack — in this case, the Power cannot be renewed during the same sceneDuration: One scene, until depleted, or the end of a social conflict.ObfuscateLevel 1MASK OF AGESThis simple use of Obfuscate allows the vampire to disguise their apparent age, perhaps allowing them to Masquerade as their mortal identity longer than most. Police and other authorities may allow the elderly to pass without question, or mortals who knew the Kindred might not suspect they haven’t aged in decades.Cost: One Rouse CheckSystem: Upon activating this Power, the Kindred choses to project their appearance as older or younger than their apparent age, as long as they remain roughly the same size. (Generally, late teens tend to be the lower limit). The user also adds their Obfuscate rating to any tests to impersonate someone of their projected age (including themselves at that age) or when evading someone looking for them via photo or description. Storytellers may limit the bonus dice based on the number of decades the user appears different from their apparent age.Duration: Until sunrise or ended by the user.PresenceLevel 3INVIGORATING DISPLAYPrerequisite: AweAfter working an audience into a state of blissful euphoria, the vampire inhales the energy of the crowd, taking a fragment of their collective energy deep into their dead lungs to experience its unique Resonance.Cost: One Rouse CheckPool: Composure + PresenceSystem: The vampire spends a scene entertaining a crowd of mortals (a minimum of ten people are required), Rousing the Blood and making a Composure + Presence test against Difficulty 3 (Storytellers may raise or lower this depending on the quality of the performance). If successful, the crowd’s reaction is notable and the vampire absorbs a specific Resonance from the audience, leaving them drained.The Resonance absorbed is usually intense, but may be accute (a Dyscrasia) on a critical win at the Storyteller’s discretion. Affected audience members are left with a fleeting Resonance at best. This power can be used once per scene.Duration: One sceneProteanLevel 3MASQUE OF DEATHAmalgam: Oblivion 2Not all Kindred who wander rest beneath the earth. Kindred using this power can assume the appearance of true death, even appearing to withstand sunlight while in such a state.Cost: One Rouse CheckSystem: The Kindred assumes the appearance of a corpse, either freshly dead, mummified, rotting, or even a dried-up skeleton. While so transformed, the Kindred cannot move or physically communicate, but retains enough of their senses to understand what is happening around them. Disciplines can still be used at the Storyteller’s discretion. Only injuries that would cause Aggravated damage are applied to the vampire, and only once they return to their unliving state. A Kindred may also choose to enter Torpor voluntarily when activating this power, where the power’s duration extends until they wake from Torpor.Duration: Until ended by the user or the user wakes from Torpor, otherwise until sunset.Level 5FACE OF THE VICTIMPrerequisite: Vicissitude

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB2 9The Kindred assumes the shape of whoever they’ve just fed from.Cost: One Rouse CheckSystem: The Kindred must activate this power in the same scene after they’ve slaked one or more Hunger from a mortal or Kindred. The vampire assumes the physical appearance of the last mortal or Kindred they fed from, including their voice, but does not gain any clothing, artificial implants, knowledge, or items the vessel had. When attempting to pass as the person copied to somebody who knew them well, a Manipulation + Performance vs Wits + Insight test must be made to avoid suspicion.Duration: Until reaching Hunger 5, or using this power again.Blood Sorcery RitualsLevel 1BLOOD MISSIVEKindred sorcerers have learned to embed messages into their Blood, or a vessel when feeding. Though there may be difficulties in sending the messenger to the recipient, the message is much less likely to be intercepted: this old art has come into vogue since the advent of the Second Inquisition.Ingredients: A drop of mercury and one rouse check’s worth of Blood.Process: The Kindred whispers a message to the mercury, which carries it through the Blood collected in a ceremonially prepared bowl.System: The Kindred encodes about one minute of speech into one Rouse Check worth of Blood in a ritual bowl. The ritualist then designates one or more intended recipients of the message whose Blood they have tasted. As part of the ritual, a Kindred, mortal, or beast messenger must consume the Blood to transfer the message to their own body, otherwise the Blood — and message — will rapidly sour.The first person to consume the ensorcelled Blood from the messenger automatically receives the message mentally if they are the intended recipient or possess A Taste for Blood. Any other imbiber must succeed on a Wits + Occult test (Difficulty 3) to understand the message.Duration: One month plus another month for each point of the margin of successSANGUINE TIDINGSIngredients: Mirror, sufficient human blood to write the message, lightless room.Process: The practitioner designates a type of individual in their mind — e.g., mortal, ghoul, vampire, male, a child, unemployed — and suspends a mirror in a lightless room. The sorcerer writes a message on the mirror with a fingertip, using human blood as the ink. The message appears on another reflective surface (a mirror, polished glass, water) the practitioner has seen before and can mentally recall, when the designated type of individual passes by.System: The sorcerer makes the Ritual test when enchanting the designated surface. For every success the practitioner rolls, the message will repeat for each new individual of the chosen type who passes the surface. The message clears itself from the surface as soon as it’s been read once. It appears in the handwriting and language in which the sorcerer wrote it.Level 4SEEK THE GATHERED VITAEIngredients: A mixture of fine red ink and pomegranate juice, bright white paper or cloth, and a large topProcess: The ritualist sets their mind to find a strong concentration of vitae, then sets the top to spin upon the white cloth or parchment before pouring the mix of ink and juice on the spinning top.System: The sorcerer makes the Ritual test and learns of any concentration of Kindred within a one-block radius that has a total Blood Potency of over 13 or higher (a large gathering of neonates, or a few elders) within 3 miles (5km), plus one mile (1.5km) per point of the margin. For the next hour, the successful ritualist has a sense of the location and distance to any such gathering of Kindred.At the Storyteller’s discretion, ghouls count as a quarter point of Blood Potency, while Duskborn count as half a point. 

Chapter Two: The Succubus Club 3 0

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB3 1In the World of Darkness, few other locations are as synonymous with power and pleasure as the Succubus Club. It’s where Kindred plan their fortunes and plot against their enemies. Bodies, lust, blood, and sweat. There are no gods, no guilt, just the endless appetite of the undead. It is, quite simply, the place to be, and there is no other place like it on Earth.The OriginalStart at Chicago’s Navy Pier, then head west. Keep walking as the briny tang of Lake Michigan gives way to the scents of asphalt and car exhaust. In the distance ahead, the “L” shrieks against its tracks. Turn right on Michigan Avenue, where a street preacher with his Midwestern twang and megaphone shouts Jesus’ love and the city’s sins at selfie-snapping tourists. Keep moving north along the Magnificent Mile, past luxury stores and coffee chains. A bike messenger slices through traffic. A pack of smokers huddle outside a restaurant. And then, just past them, across from a busted drugstore on Chicago Avenue, is a limestone building with a neon sign that reads, “Succubus Club.”The structure, constructed before the Civil War, is a converted four-story warehouse. It survived the Great Fire of 1871, police raids during Prohibition, and riots during the Vietnam War. It hosted rock bands in the ‘60s as The Atomic Cafe, and disco fanatics in the ‘70s as Stardust. Finally, on May 23, 1982, the Ventrue Brennon Thornhill opened its doors as the Succubus Club.For the next 10 years, the club dominated the nightclub scene of the Chicago Kindred. Then came the blood-red moon in 1993. The lupines assaulted the city en masse, tearing through the Succubus Club and slaying a sizeable portion of the city’s Kindred population, including Prince Lodin. In the aftermath, the club shuttered. But after nearly 30 years and under new ownership, the Succubus Club once again invites Kindred and kine alike to enter its doors, forget their troubles, and dance the night away.A dimly lit dance floor sprawls through the club’s center, with bodies packed in tight and the violent flicker of red strobes silhouetting them against a blue neon haze. Bars along the walls churn out drinks as fast as patrons can knock them back. Balconies and raised platforms cater to individual tastes, whether as hunting perches or as pedestals for the untouchable.Chapter Two: THE SUCCUBUS CLUB

Chapter Two: The Succubus Club 3 2Hunting while on tour is dangerous. We decided that we can’t hunt where we play because that’s too obvious. Follow the victims and it’s a list of the venues on our tour. Even a cop could figure that out if we got too sloppy.I care about two things—blood and my art. The others want to look good, have fans, get famous, whatever. Cyfrin practices poses in front of a mirror, and Liane thinks that detachment is cool.It’s not.What matters is that we’re dead but we can still taste the spurt of red liquid that emerges out of the wound in a mortal’s neck. We can make that blood move, or at least the living bodies which hide it, chord by chord.There were two girls, and they had a car. We’d played another of those small town gigs, and I figured since they invited me along, might as well party. Whatever I did would happen somewhere else than the venue so it was safe, right?I ended up at this farm, one of the girls puking out of the window of the car while the other was parking next to a barn.I got worried because that car was the only way out and the sun would come up eventually, but there was something about the girls that I liked, something in the way I anticipated how they’d taste.We carried the vomiting girl inside to bed. There was nobody at the farm although people lived there, and I figured it must belong to their family or something. It wasn’t big, just a couple of buildings and fields that were just black expanses in the night.What kind of a story do you think this is? Vampire seduces girl, or...I was naked in bed when the stake came out. She was screaming about her dead mom or something, I don’t know. She’d come to the gig and somehow realized that I was a vampire, and she’d seduced me and lured me in. I don’t think the other girl even knew.I didn’t want to take my chances. I dove out the window and ran through the fields, the tall grass rough on my skin. Had to stop a car and kill the driver just to get some clothes. I don’t usually murder people casually but I lost control.A fucking embarrassment. Never told the others. They’d have laughed at me.- The Toreador Asad Seddiki, lead guitar in the band Pale Sunrise, vents to a stranger at Elysium

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB3 3But the club is more than just its main floor. Below, the basement holds the remains of wine-andbeer cellars from bygone decades. A sub-basement, which is not for public use, is a maze of storage rooms, stacked chairs, and doped-up blood dolls waiting for Kindred in need. Above the dance floor, beyond the balconies, galleries, and private whiskey lounges, is a soundproof uppermost floor complete with a glass ceiling. This space belongs to Kindred alone. Find additional details on the Succubus Club throughout Chicago by Night (primarily on p.66).Simply the Place to BeThe Succubus Club owes much of its success with the kine to a combination of real estate, old die-hard fans, restless youth, and a fresh wave of popular music. For the 40- and 50-somethings, the Suck Club (as it’s often referred to) is a reminder of simpler times. And for its youngest patrons, it’s an escape from a future circling the drain. Chicago’s residents and tourists alike come to the club in droves, sustaining both its Kindred clientele and the institution’s bottom line.For the Kindred who frequent the Suck Club, the nightspot offers a combination of easy feeding and political access. There are enough VIP lounges, private rooms, and dark corners for any two Kindred to meet publicly or privately. Akin to the neighborhood bar, the Succubus Club of Chicago is the prime place to gather, despite what Bronwyn of the Blue Velvet or Red Noº 5’s Bennet Steadman may say.HEARD AROUND THE CLUB“His name? Couldn’t say. One of Lodin’s, definitely. I mean, he had so many. Brown hair. Nice suit. He was standing right where you are now. I swear it’s true. He was standing right there when the lupine tore him in half. His blood is in the floorboards. His screams still echo through the walls. That’s why I keep coming here. This is where all the ghosts are.”—Jason “Son” Newberry, Malkavian Primogen of Chicago“All the greats pass through here, man. Freddie. Michael. Kurt. Tina. I sit in the back and watch ‘em bleed their lungs out. Don’t get me wrong. A bunch of ‘em bite it before the finish line. A few others get poached—not always by Toreador, but often enough. The few who make it, though… it’s a sight to see, man. A sight to see.”—Damien, Sheriff and lead vocalist for Baby Chorus“Strutting. Mouthing off. The Suck Club is the place to see and be seen, yeah? And every try-hard in this city uses it to make their mark. It’s all about the flex. Cut a throat. Climb over their corpse. Because it’s not enough to take someone down a peg. It’s not enough to take their turf. I mean, you can do that in the shadows, for sure. But if you can do it out in the open, for all to see? That’s real power. Dress a lick down, punk them, make them crawl across that dance floor bleeding. That’s the whole show. And there’s no point in putting on a show if nobody’s watching.”—Brett Stryker, Toreador and frequent guest of the Succubus Club

Chapter Two: The Succubus Club 3 4CopycatsFor the past 40 years, the success of the Succubus Club has propagated a series of clones, copycats, and foreign franchises. Some are genuine attempts to build on the original, while others are existing clubs that slapped “Succubus Club” on the marquee to bring in more revenue. A few intrepid entrepreneurs went as far as to create a traveling Succubus Club, popping up in cities for a few months before disappearing.Cautionary TalesMost Succubus Clubs outside of Chicago don’t last long unless they’re run by the descendants of the methuselah Helena. Many of these clubs die due to financial hardships or bureaucratic regulations strangling their success. The sheer cost of maintaining a nightclub has grown over the past half-century and includes a wide array of complications. The leasing of commercial real estate, zoning laws, health inspectors, liquor licenses, audits from the Internal Revenue Service, labor unions, and the sheer capital required to keep a business going is enough to stop most individuals in their tracks. Not to mention, nightclubs tend to attract unwanted guests, both in the form of police and the Second Inquisition.Those clubs that survive their initial launch also sometimes find themselves sabotaged by potential rivals. There is a finite number of clubgoers in a city and only so many hot spots to visit. Branding alone does not guarantee a full house, and as a result, multiple competitors will undermine their opponents. A well-placed phone call to the police, a series of spiked drinks with horrifying outcomes, and a drive-by shooting — all are noteworthy tactics in the war for the dance floor. To combat this, various Succubus Clubs employ robust security, including closed-circuit cameras, random drug and bomb sweeps, and a small army of bouncers.The final obstacle to a thriving Succubus Club comes from die-hard purists within Clan Toreador. Many Toreador, especially those tracing their lineage to the methuselah Helena, see the Succubus Club as their domain, almost like a birthright. These zealots do not tolerate imitators and take steps to warn and threaten copycats across the globe. First, they politely ask the club owner to change the brand. If that fails, surprise venue inspections, permit issues, and tax audits follow. Key suppliers refuse service. The best performers suddenly vanish. VIPs find other places to be. And finally, just as the owner is about to go bankrupt, real estate sharks offer to take it off their hands. But if that still doesn’t work? Gas leaks can be a terrible thing.Ironically, when confronted with Toreador threats, club owners often point out that Brennon Thornhill, the original proprietor of the Chicago Succubus Club, was himself a Ventrue. The Toreador shrug their shoulders and say, “And how’d that work out for him?”HOW DO YOU SAY “SUCK CLUB” IN FRENCH?While his broodmates settled for strip clubs and highend dining, Mats Devos took a shot at greatness. Some say his arrogance drove him. Others called it ambition. He claims it was a calling. As a descendant of Helena, he saw himself as the rightful heir to the Succubus Club franchise. Referencing the original Chicago blueprints, he built a Succubus Club in Brussels, which opened to near-instant success.Mats understands that cool is its own form of power. The original Succubus Club was more than blood and music. It offered proximity to the elite. It seemed to place its VIPs at the center of everything that mattered. For Kindred, that could mean the difference between relevance and death. It made people feel seen, necessary, and part of something larger. His version does the same.“Business is simple. It’s not easy, but it is simple. Preparation, investment, implementation. That’s it. But whatever it is that you’re selling, you must be grateful for it. You must honor it. You cannot allow it to be tarnished, parodied, or corrupted. When it comes to the Succubus Club, you cannot fuck with the brand.”– Mats Devos, Manager, Succubus Club: BrusselsTHE RISE AND FALL OF SUCCUBUS CLUB: MARSEILLECapucine Bellamy-Joux wanted to do something different. Not just a club but a “bespoke nocturnal experience.” And instead of obscuring its Kindred origins, she leaned in hard — fangs out, cape on, no apologies. She called herself a brand visionary and designed the local Succubus Club to reflect what she

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB3 5claimed was the true aesthetic of hunger. The result was a vampire maximalist fever dream complete with black-on-black décor, crushed velvet booths, Dracula movies projected onto the dance floor walls, blood bag cocktails, and a string quartet dressed as Victorian undertakers playing cover songs from the ‘90s.As an advertising tool, Capucine used the allure of vampirism to her advantage and marketed the hell out of it. She passed out little cards with a bat in a martini glass and the tagline Soif de Nuit or “thirst for night.” The city’s Kindred cringed in mortification. But Capucine was on to something. The club was just kooky enough to bring in the mortal crowd. They thought it was kitschy fun, and their social media posts went viral. Capucine’s Succubus Club became an overnight hit.But often, the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long. Just as people piled into the club and the local Kindred bent to Capucine’s force of personality, the Second Inquisition ripped through the city. The Succubus Club: Marseille was their first target.“The Succubus Club: Marseille was too beautiful to live. I adored that place. The kine loved it, too. The Kindred? Less so. Too serious. No sense of humor. I still believe it could have worked. I do. It was so immersive. So immersive the Vatican considered it actionable. Which, yes, who is to say who is at fault for that? People always ask what it was like — the club, before the end. I tell them, ‘It was divine. It was doomed.’”– Capucine Bellamy-Joux, former Succubus Club ownerSUCCUBUS CLUB: THE BIRTH OF THE POPUP PARTYThe night Brennon Thornhill was destroyed, most of his ghouls died or were quietly acquired by other Ventrue. But one ghoul managed to slip through the cracks. They kept their head down, cut known ties, and erased every name they’d ever answered to. Years later, the first traveling Succubus Club appeared without much fanfare — a pop-up party with all the original’s decadence and sex appeal. No one could pin down who orchestrated it, but it was so reminiscent of what Kindred remembered that some thought that Brennon Thornhill was back among the undead.The rumor gained legs when someone leaked a crew list. Most names were fake or long dead, but a familiar alias from Thornhill’s Succubus Club days raised eyebrows. A few curious Kindred started digging and got just far enough to confirm it was one of Thornhill’s former ghouls. From there, details are sketchy. Most suspect that folks in the know made sure the trail went cold. And maybe that’s for the best. The prevailing theory is that whoever it is has the backing of someone with enough clout to keep Helena’s line from interfering or pulling the plug.“Nothing permanent is safe. Permanence invites questions, ownership, and enemies. Stay in one place too long, and someone will decide it belongs to them. Or worse, that it shouldn’t exist at all. So, we move. That’s the model. It’s about knowing when to leave. You set up, you make a little noise, and then you disappear before anyone can get bored or nervous. It works for us. Listen, I’m not trying to piss in anyone’s Cheerios. I’m just trying not to get killed.”– Owner of the pop-up Succubus Club, speaking on the condition of anonymity- We Mourn the Black of Luke -Luke was a guyI think he liked vintage clothesAnd fries with shakesSkinny-dipping in lakesFirm handshakesI wish I knew more about LukeAnd then we didExactly what wehad to doThe night wasn’t kind He lost his mindHis hunger went blindWe mourn the black of Luke…

Chapter Two: The Succubus Club 3 6Using the Succubus ClubPinning down what makes the Succubus Club so iconic is more art than science. Is it the stacked layout with a labyrinth below, the dance space in the middle, or the exclusive Kindred floor above? Is it the aesthetics or the music? People across the globe have tried to recreate the vibe and replicate the original club to varying success. The ones that work tend to be in major metropolitan areas, feature multi-level design, and lean into live music. Beyond that, it’s the atmosphere that matters most.If there’s a single rule, it’s that Succubus Clubs are about style over substance. A good Suck Club promotes individual expression over power or wealth. A broke but fashionable barista stands a better chance of getting inside than a tech bro with no taste. The music, having grown beyond heavy metal and goth rock, evolves with the times. Whatever is new, popular, and innovative — hip-hop, synth-wave, Latin pop, or something else. Country music might not work in a place like New York City or Paris, but a Succubus Club: Nashville might pull it off.If You Build It…While Storytellers can use the Succubus Club for scenes in chronicles, players’ characters may want to establish a club of their own. Some groups will enjoy digging into details like permits and logistics, while other may prefer to focus on more story-driven elements. This might include the look and feel, which Kindred factions frequent the space, who controls the guest list, and whether the club operates as neutral ground or something more sectarian.Once the coterie decides what kind of Succubus Club they want to build, the next step is acquiring it. Storytellers can scale the process based on player interest and tailor the challenges to the themes of the chronicle, but generally, there are four main steps: securing permission, choosing a property, creating the aesthetic, and planning the launch.Step one is securing permission from the powers that be. Princes and Barons rarely tolerate rogue coteries setting up shop without them knowing. Local Primogen or other influential Kindred may control different parts of the city or have feeding territories they patrol. While gaining a tiny sliver of land to run a business is common enough, it’s never for free. The characters should take steps to negotiate with whoever is in control of the area and offer boons to solidify their holdings. Some landlords may even demand a percentage cut of the profits in perpetuity.Step two is the property. The characters could renovate an existing structure or build something original from the ground up. Consider nearby landmarks, foot traffic, and security risks. Is it close to a metro station or main thoroughfare? Is it across the street from a federal building or a Catholic church? A great space near public transit helps, but a great space across from a police station could be less ideal.Step three is styling the space. The coterie should agree on décor, ambiance, and mood. Is it sleek and modern or gothic and theatrical? Do they pump a particular scent into the space? Materials, lighting, furniture, and staff attire can help establish the club’s identity. And it can also be a good idea to establish which areas are Kindred only or which areas might have more or less surveillance.Step four is planning the launch. Stock the bar, hire security, and book entertainment. A band or DJ with name recognition and incredible talent may not be cheap, but with only one chance to make a first impression, a good headliner can attract the right clientele (and worthy vessels) to make or break a club opening.In Chronicles: Trouble on the Dance FloorNo Succubus Club runs smoothly. The more successful it becomes, the more attention it attracts, and not all of it is welcome. Between the mortals who come to dance and the Kindred who come to hunt, any given night can spiral into intrigue or outright violence. The following stories introduce complications the Storyteller can use to inject drama or drag the coterie into something they didn’t sign up for.HELENA SENDS HER REGARDS: A group of Toreador, descendants of Helena, arrives unannounced to criticize the club. Deeply unimpressed, they bear a message that the coterie’s Succubus Club is a cut-rate knockoff and an insult to the lineage that made the

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB3 7brand iconic. The coterie must meet their demands or risk being shut down. Demands could include replacing key staff with ghouls loyal to Helena, paying a “franchise fee,” or banning certain Kindred from entry. Refuse, and the Toreador might get their licenses revoked or turn the coterie into social pariahs. Agree, and Helena may grant them temporary protection (at the cost of independence).SHOWDOWN AT TABLE SEVEN: Two rival coteries arrive at the Succubus Club on the same night. Whether coincidence or coordination, both groups settle into opposite sides of the dance floor. That beef could be about disputed territory, an old grudge, or ex-lovers who aren’t over it. Eventually, one of them “accidentally” ends up at the other’s booth, and the coterie must choose to intervene, ignore it, or try to steer it to their advantage. If things escalate, the fight might spill into the mortal crowd or draw unwanted Kindred attention. But if handled well, the coterie could score favors from both sides.INTO THE LABYRINTH: A mortal disappears after entering the labyrinth beneath the Succubus Club. Days later, flyers go up, and a local news segment airs. A tearful parent pleads for help as the broadcast rolls grainy footage of the mortal outside the club. Now, the police want answers, the media wants interviews, and Kindred are starting to worry. Did the mortal get lost, fed on, or lured into a Kindred plot? Was it an accident or something more deliberate? The Masquerade is at risk, and the club’s future doesn’t look bright.THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT: A coterie of bratty neonates takes over the Succubus Club, partying hard, snapping selfies with the staff, hogging VIP space, and name-dropping their sires. When asked to dial it down, one responds, “You know who I’m with, right?” These kids have serious connections. One of them is the childe of an influential Primogen. Another belongs to a visiting Prince. The coterie can shut them down and risk blowback or play it smart.

Chapter Two: The Succubus Club 3 8LIVE AND LET DIE: The mayor’s son is unconscious on the bathroom floor, drained and seconds from death. Does the coterie use their vitae to save him, or do they let him die? Fallout could include a threat to the Masquerade and months of damage control with the city’s government. It could also buy the coterie access to the mayor’s office. If they let him die, the Succubus Club becomes a murder scene. The media swarms. The mayor’s office pressures the police. The Prince demands answers. In the end, the coterie learns that a court officer orchestrated the whole thing to gain leverage over both the players’ characters and the mayor.Running a BusinessPlenty of Kindred withdraw from the realities of mortal life, after all, it’s not like they can support the nine-to-five in any capacity; in any case, they quickly become capable of leeching resources other than blood from the masses.Still, plenty doesn’t mean all, and whether they do it because they need the money, don’t trust others enough to do a good job, or simply don’t have the skills (or lack of morals) to take directly from others, running a business is still a viable career choice for a vampire. With their limited daytime availability, clubs, restaurants, bars, and other forms of hospitality sit high upon their priorities list.Managing something like this can easily be extrapolated through Advantages: Fame, Haven, Herd, Influence, and Resources (Vampire, p. 184–194), or Business Establishment (Players Guide, p. 112) to give some examples. Projects (Vampire, p. 417) also make for a reasonable stand-in but don’t always cover the minutiae of the night-to-night grind.There are many ways a group can use these examples: they may offer inspiration for a scene, act as justification for spending Experience on a Background (generous Storytellers might even adjust the cost based on the success), or even as an alternative to Projects, fitting them within a similar milestone system.Attracting TalentKeeping any venue relevant is a full-time job, but when done well, the rest of the business follows suit.Example Pools:▪ Intelligence + Streetwise to predict the zeitgeist and find the “next big thing”.▪ Charisma + Politics to attract edgy, rebellious bands — and those that follow them.▪ Resolve + Investigation to uncover the obscure act to impress someone in particular.Potential Benefits: Hunting tests, gaining Herds, Fame, and Contacts.Elysium AscendentElysium represents the core of Camarilla society, and while names may differ, the Anarchs (and even Sabbat) are similarly sociable. With enough effort, your venue might be declared Elysium.Example Pools:▪ Composure + Insight to uncover what’s required without looking desperate.▪ Intelligence + Persuasion to convince with logic.▪ Resolve + Subterfuge when playing the long game.▪ Intelligence + Investigation to uncover potential blackmail.▪ Charisma + Politics to attract mortal support.▪ Manipulation + Leadership to encourage attacks on rivals.Potential Benefits: Influence, secrets, and Boons — the currency vampires thrive upon — are always circling around Elysium, and as a proprietor of one, you’d stand to uncover many of them.Feeding GroundsIt goes without saying that clubs, bars, and the like make for prime hunting grounds, and with the right preparation, a clever Kindred can carve out an easy life. A cunning Kindred might gift out temporary hunting rights to other vampires — all the better to observe their feeding patterns and collect future leverage.

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB3 9Example Pools:▪ Charisma + Streetwise to create the perfect ambiance for your choice of meal.▪ Resolve + Leadership to train your staff to maintain the environment (and ignore certain irregularities).▪ Intelligence + Medicine to reduce the risk of “injury”.▪ Intelligence + Investigation to use the venue as a honeytrap for other Kindred.▪ Resolve + Technology to watch for unwanted guests.Potential Benefits: Increased Chasse, Lien, and Portillon, and potential leverage over Kindred guests.Unchecked GrowthThe primary goal of a business is to make money, and while vampires have other desires pulling their strings, the lure of cold, hard, cash still appeals. Securing the business opens up many doors that were previously closed.Example Pools:▪ Composure + Etiquette to establish reasonable rules.▪ Resolve + Leadership to inspire your staff.▪ Manipulation + Finance to exploit financial loopholes.▪ Manipulation + Politics to exploit local laws.▪ Charisma + Politics to connect with the right people.Potential Benefits: Resources is an obvious benefit, but this growth is prime fodder for many Backgrounds: Allies, Contacts, Haven, Mask (a silent investor), and especially Influence if you line the right pockets.Under AttackIt’s not all rose gardens and rock concerts; if you make enough noise, someone’s going to want to shut you up. Kindred are notoriously envious, to say nothing of the mortal populace, so expect your success to be challenged, with everything you’ve earned earmarked for requisition.Example Pools:▪ Resolve + Streetwise keeps you abreast of any gossip.▪ Intelligence + Subterfuge extracts the right information from those with loose lips.▪ Resolve + Finance to protect assets from outside attack.▪ Manipulation + Politics to launch an back channel counterattack▪ Intelligence + Technology to detect or launch a cyberattack.Potential Benefits: Ignoring the obvious of keeping your assets safe, this provides the opportunity to launch a hostile takeover of your own.Fangs in the CrowdYour band members aren’t the only ones hiding from mortals in plain sight. The following presents mortal-facing vampires and vampire-led organizations that the players’ characters might run into or seek out as they make it through the night. The Storyteller can use them to move along pre-planned plot or take inspiration for new story elements from the plot ideas below.The AsylumYou don’t go to the Asylum because you want to have deep conversations. You go to feel hot and to exchange the nagging voices in your mind for the dark beat of the dance floor. To grind or get grinded on by some stranger who’s all sex as long as you don’t have to listen to them talk. To let the deep violet light beams bathe you as you sway and lust and drink to forget. That’s why there’s an Asylum nightclub in many American cities, and even a few in Asia and Europe. Nothing touches you in there; it’s like a dream.Behind the ScenesEvery club in the franchise is a little different, adjusted to give the local clientele a mix of what they want and what they need. The Malkavian Voerman sisters have made sure of it. The eldest sister, Therese,

Chapter Two: The Succubus Club 4 0CLUB FEATURESNight clubs, bars, pubs, bathhouses, poolhalls, coffee shops, and other late-night establishments can have a variety of features that set them apart from each other. Use one or more of these options to make a memorable location for any chronicle.▪ Multiple Bars Within a Club: A converted hotel may have different themes or musical genres on different floors. Multiple rooms (each with their own bar) can have distinct vibes based on décor, drink specials, layout, or music.▪ Speakeasies and Secret Bars: Whether it’s secret from the outside with unlabeled doors (with or without a bouncer outside) that lead into a nondescript secret establishment, or hidden on the inside such as a secret sub-bar accessible through the men’s restroom. Entire basements or upper floors may be inaccessible to most patrons.▪ Restaurant/Bar: By day, serving time-tested recipes, whether pizza, curry, chow mein, or the fare of a major immigrant community, at night the kitchen reduces service or shuts down entirely. Patrons crowd around the bar in a standing-room-only situation, or tables may even be moved to create a makeshift dance floor.▪ Rotating Bar: The circular bar and floor around it slowly rotates in an hour, leaving patrons with a slowly changing view or just wondering where the hell they are. Alternatively, bars on the upper floors of a skyscraper may take up the whole floor as a rotating gimmick.▪ Low Visibility: Strategic use of a smoke machine or dark corners conceals sexual activity, drug use, or worse. In a gay club, this is sometimes known as a dark room explicitly made for casual sexual encounters.▪ Blacklights: While it may harken back to yesteryear, a cheap way to make your décor stand out is to use blacklights to highlight particular colors. Accessories worn by staff or wristbands on customers might also benefit from the lighting.▪ Special Dance Spaces: Custom-built dance platforms so the bold, egotical, or just plain desperate can put themselves on display. Some may be motorized with lights synced to the music. They may feature stripper poles, spotlights, or other features.▪ Performances: From scantily clad dancers, to burlesque, nude shower performances, drag shows, fire acts, sword swallowers, bondage demonstrations, or more X-rated extravaganzas. Local laws may force performers into odd situations, such as being able to be naked (but not able to perform sexual activity) behind glass.▪ Location or View: Memorable clubs may be on the water leading to beach parties, on the water in the sense of being a boat, in a converted freezer with everything made of ice, hanging from a crane many stories above the ground, or under the water such as in an aquarium or a freestanding underwater structure. Rooftops are a common location (if city ordinances allow it), particularly when they have a nice view. Large patios or outdoor areas are a budget version of a unique location, and Kindred are drawn to those with great views or isolated gardens within the concrete jungle.▪ Theme Decor or Activities: Clubs or bars may leverage other features to support a theme. Some rotate themes throughout the year. Some are themed around another type of business (country club, aquarium, zoo, circus, children’s party, and adult versions of ball pits, bounce houses, etc.).▪ Themed Drinkware and Drinks: Most of these establishments serve beverages, if not food or other consumables. Notable or iconic drinkware may fit the theme well. Specialty drinks may come in a vessel that shows them off well or is a novelty in terms of shape or size. Glass boots, brandy snifters, fishbowls… anything that can hold a drink probably does somewhere.

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB4 1rules the franchise strictly from her base in Santa Monica. Every manager answers directly to her, except for her sister Jeanette, who has claimed the club in Las Vegas as her own and does as she pleases with it. When Therese isn’t around, Jeanette is the boss. Although, she usually prefers to let the managers do what they think is best.The sisters avoid each other’s company, but curiously one never seems to be far behind the other.In ChroniclesA NIGHT OF FUN: The partying is great at the Asylum as long as you don’t try to do anything stupid, like feed on the clientele. Neither Voerman has any tolerance for that. Offend, and on a good night, you get banned from the premises. On a bad night, Jeanette makes you drink a blood shot full of LSD and locks you in her reinforced office. Can the players’ characters get out of the mess in time to fulfill their other obligations?ANARCHS EVERYWHERE: They’re not here to hunt or fight, but suddenly, there are Anarchs all over the club. When they notice the players’ characters, some of them get nervous and trigger happy. They’re clearly planning something. Can the players’ characters convince them that they’re not a threat to their plans? Or will they try to find out what they are? Any information they glean here will be useful for later information trading, but ratting out the Anarchs will make enemies of the Voermans.A GIG: The players’ characters have negotiated or been invited to play at an Asylum. Unfortunately, Jeanette is around and in a playful mood. She’s gotten a good look at one of the band members and decided to seduce them. They’ll have to be careful navigating her advances. If they give in, they risk missing their shot to go on. If they reject her, she might cancel the whole gig.The Voerman SistersTHERESE VOERMANFIRST IMPRESSION: She’s put together and businesslike in her tailored suits and understated jewelry. Every hair perfectly in place, she tolerates no weakness, neither in herself nor in her employees. This is also what has made her the Anarch Baron of Santa Monica. Whenever there’s a difficult choice to be made, Therese can be trusted to put her hard-toread emotions aside to do what’s necessary. But don’t get fooled. She’s still a Malkavian. When Therese loses her temper, she can be a frightening, furious thing to face.DIGGING DEEPER: It doesn’t take a trained psychologist to realize that Therese has some issues. She hates her younger sister, claiming that it was her acting out that ruined everything. But since Jeanette is an alter Therese created years ago to deal with the abuse of her childhood, the one she really hates is herself. Therese doesn’t usually know she shares a body with Jeanette.JEANETTE VOERMANFIRST IMPRESSION: Jeanette is fun. She’s sexy, sensual, and full of original ideas. Her sister tends to look down on her intelligence, but Jeanette is bright. She just also dresses in the skimpiest outfits she can find and makes lots of decisions others would consider bad in order to challenge the ennui of her never-ending nights. Her Anarch allies appreciate her fearlessness but tend to fear her capriciousness.DIGGING DEEPER: Jeanette was created to be everything Therese thought would get her in trouble. That way Therese could stay a good girl and be safe. In reality, neither alter was safe from their father’s abuse, although Jeanette remembers less of it. Jeanette doesn’t understand why Therese hates her and wishes that she wouldn’t, just not enough to change her behavior.Clan: MalkavianGeneration: 7thBlood Potency: 4Humanity: 5General Difficulty: 6 / 4Standard Dice Pools:Therese: Physical 8, Social 8, Mental 9, Disciplines 8Jeanette: Physical 8, Social 10, Mental 8, Disciplines 8Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 9Exceptional Dice Pools:Therese: Etiquette 12 (Anarch), Leadership 11, Finance 12

Chapter Two: The Succubus Club 4 2IN STORIESBLACKLISTED: One way or another, the band has managed to disappoint Therese Voerman, who’s told her extensive network of club promoters not to book them. Not only that, they’re telling everyone else they know the same. Unless the band wants to be stuck playing in small shithole towns for the rest of their undoubtedly short careers, they better sort this out.LILY VOERMAN: The Voermans have a third sister, Lily. She’s only about 17 and full of teenage curiosity. Lily doesn’t own an empire, she’s no one of consequence to the Anarchs of Los Angeles, and she thinks playing in a band is the coolest thing that you can do. When she seeks out the band, it’s with all the bright-eyed enthusiasm of a hopeful groupie. Unless the band figures out that Lily isn’t someone they should mess with, they’re going to be in for a nasty surprise once either of the older sisters returns.In reality, Lily is an old alter without knowledge of any of the trauma her sisters went through. She knows very little of what they get up to or of her own abilities, and they may only be vaguely aware of her. Perhaps they think of her as their childe, if they think of her at all. Lily gets surface time when Therese and Jeanette cannot handle the pull of the Beckoning. She’s had so little time in their body, she doesn’t feel it at all.Clan: MalkavianGeneration: 7thBlood Potency: 4Humanity: 8General Difficulty: 4 / 3Standard Dice Pools: Physical 6, Social 7, Mental 7, Disciplines 6Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 7Exceptional Dice Pools: Streetwise 8, Insight 8, Persuasion 8Disciplines: Auspex 3 (Heightened Senses, Sense the Unseen, Premonition)The Temple of BoomThe Temple of Boom is an independent, LA-based record label with a focus on hip-hop. The City of Dreams is home to some of the most prominent labels in the music business, but the Temple’s Jeanette: Brawl 11 (Bar Fights), Etiquette 12 (Anarch), Persuasion 11Disciplines:Therese: Auspex 4 (Heightened Senses, Sense the Unseen, Premonition, Scry the Soul), Dominate 3 (Cloud Memory, Compel, Mesmerize), Obfuscate 3 (Cloak of Shadows, Unseen Passage, Doubletalk*)Jeanette: Auspex 4 (Heightened Senses, Sense the Unseen, Premonition, Scry the Soul), Dominate 4 (Cloud Memory, Compel, Dementation, Forgetful Mind), Obfuscate 2 (Cloak of Shadows, Unseen Passage)*Blood-Stained Love, p. 152

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB4 3founder, the nightlife mogul Victor Temple, still regularly manages to go toe-to-toe with the biggest in the fight to sign local talent and take home awards. Some say the Temple’s success can only point to connections in the criminal underworld. Others say that it’s all thanks to the label’s willingness to push boundaries and challenge industry norms to amplify the voices of their artists.Behind the ScenesVictor Temple has a hand in several enterprises in the Los Angeles nightlife, meaning that a signing with his label also usually means gigs at the clubs he is invested in, a place to crash at the casino hotel a few blocks from the recording studio, and meeting a whole lot of locals pretty quickly. If a band of vampires sign with Temple, it probably will not come as a surprise to them that he’s a vampire. After all, the label owner is the Baron of the Valley. This fact also means that the Temple of Boom isn’t just a record label — it’s also a front for the founder’s real nightlife activities. Sometimes recording plans, concerts, meet-and-greets, and other music industry concerns get pushed to the side when Victor needs his resources for other things.In ChroniclesTHE TEMPLE’S FAVOR: Victor Temple offers to sign the band, but only if they can prove to him that they’re in the game to win it. Music isn’t just what you play but the message you send out, and that message is going to ring hollow unless it’s reflected in your actions, too. In short, Victor needs the band to declare for the Anarch cause and kick some Camarilla invaders to the curb if they want that record deal.Victor TempleFIRST IMPRESSION: A former professional basketball player, Victor Temple towers over most people, making his piercing eyes and usually stern expression that much more intimidating. However, the Ventrue also has the ability to soften his edges completely, making whomever he is speaking to feel like a special friend — which means he has a lot of allies.Victor is the founder of the Temple of Boom and has his talons in many pies in the Los Angeles nightlife. A few years ago, his main investment, Club Maharajah in Hollywood, burned down, a temporary setback that led to the creation of his new flagship nightclub, the Maharani. Through a combination of his nightclub business, entertainment label, and Kindred connections, Victor manages to stay ahead of the many vampires who would love to see him fall — so far.DIGGING DEEPER: The Baron of the Anarch territory of the Valley and a stout defender of his city, Victor is a known Anarch and someone important to work with. As a Ventrue, he can only feed from people who idolize him, making him continually motivated to maintain his fame and success.Clan: VentrueGeneration: 12thBlood Potency: 1Humanity: 7General Difficulty:Standard Dice Pools: Physical 4, Social 6, Mental 5, Disciplines 5Secondary Attributes: Health 8, Willpower 4Exceptional Dice Pools: Persuasion 7, Intimidation 7, Finance 6Disciplines: Dominate 3 (Cloud Memory, Mesmerize, Submerged Directive), Fortitude 3 (Resilience, Unswayable Mind, Toughness), Presence 4 (Awe, Daunt, Entrancement, Summon), Potence 1 (Soaring Leap)

Chapter Two: The Succubus Club 4 4IN STORIESTHE GOLDEN GUN: Victor owns two gold-plated Raufoss guns from the FBI Special Affairs Division that have been modified to fire incendiary rounds. The players’ coterie is present when one is used in a music video, and when it disappears after the shooting, they’re high on Victor’s list of suspects.Madison “Maddy” GoldFIRST IMPRESSION: This blond bombshell has a body she’s no doubt had to kill for. It has Tzimisce shenanigans written all over it if you know what to look for. To the untrained eye, she looks like hot yoga, private chef, blessed by Aphrodite old-money beauty. She’s an actress, a lifestyle influencer, the girl every rich boy wants to get with. She’s Hollywood royalty, too. She keeps her private life private, as a woman of her standard should, but she’s related to the Thorn family, which has spat out actress after actress since the 1920s silent film era. Maddy wants it all, so now she wants to be a singer, too.DIGGING DEEPER: Maddy’s tasteful mansion in the Hollywood Hills used to belong to the undead actress known as Karen Anatos, aka Ophelia Vine, Rose Thorn, and before all that, Lily Thorn. Addicted to fame, she’d reinvent herself every 20 or so years to be able to continue in the spotlight. Despite this trick, she still got into trouble with her Kindred neighbors, and as far as anyone knows, she was destroyed in the 2010s. If pushed, Maddy claims to be Karen’s childe and has a whole sad story ready about how she was created to fulfill her sire’s broken dreams and become what she never quite could be. She delivers it with a subtle German accent.Clan: GangrelGeneration: 8th, according to hers, but maybe it’s 7thBlood Potency: 3Humanity: 6General Difficulty: 6 / 5Standard Dice Pools: Physical 9, Social 10, Mental 9, Disciplines 9Secondary Attributes: Health 8, Willpower 9Exceptional Dice Pools: Drive 11, Etiquette 12 (celebrities), Persuasion 11Disciplines: Animalism 1 (Bond Famulus), Celerity 2 (Cat’s Grace, Fleetness), Dominate 2 (Cloud Memory, Mesmerize), Fortitude 2 (Resilience, Unswayable Mind), Potence 2 (Soaring Leap, Relentless Grasp*), Presence 3 (Awe, Lingering Kiss, Entrancement), Protean 3 (Weight of the Feather, Vicissitude**, Fleshcrafting**)*Players Guide, p. 79*Players Guide, p. 81In StoriesSPOTLIGHT FEVER: Maddy revived one early evening when the sky still wore the after shimmers of sunset and decided she wanted to be the front woman of a band. Whether she’s heard about the players’ characters or just happens to run into them while they’re touring one of her favorite vacation haunts, she likes them and wants them to be her band. Now. Maddy of course has no desire to share the spotlight for long, so even if she starts out wanting to sing duets with the front singer, she’ll quickly just want to replace them. The band will have to find a way to deal with the starlet or find themselves in deep trouble.THE ITCH: There’s nothing in the world Maddy Gold wants as much as to be adored. That’s how it’s always been and how it should be. She’s got everything going for her. She even has her own skincare line and gets hot stone massages with Heidi Klum every Thursday. So, it’s very inconvenient that she’s got this itch to pack up and run off to Eastern Europe. It’s almost like she’s been possessed. Sometimes she zones out completely, and when she comes to, it’s almost morning… and she’s somewhere in Sheep Hole Valley and has to dig herself down not to get fried.Maddy doesn’t know a lot of other vampires. If she happens to meet the players’ characters, she’ll try to get them to help find a cure. Or come with her East, toward the war.Jayne JonestownFIRST IMPRESSION: Everybody who hasn’t lived in a cave the last 30 years has heard about

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB4 5Jayne Jonestown, the American shock-rocker who became the idol of maladjusted teens worldwide and freaked their good Christian parents out so much it prolonged the satanic panic by a good five years. If indeed, it ever ended. Jayne, born Billy, has been the hard rock Antichrist of the new millennium, waking his fans to fury by providing them with sickly-sweet disgust as he sings hoarsely of devouring the flesh of the world. Say what you want, but shock value sells.DIGGING DEEPER: Jayne’s songs are so full of references to gore, murder, and blood drinking that only a few Kindred suspect that he’s one of them. It’s too over the top to be true. But his youthful looks aren’t plastic surgery and magic pills, and his fascination with evil isn’t at all pretend. He was Embraced in the early ‘90s by a Sabbat Cainite who found a certain ironic satisfaction in making the dark fantasies of Jayne’s songs a reality. The whispering of the Beast in his Blood has kept Jayne at the top of the charts ever since.Over the years, several Princes have called Blood Hunts on Jayne for his repeated disrespect of the Masquerade. In 2017, he got badly burned backstage at a concert in New York and had to withdraw from public eye for an extended period. Perhaps forces within the Camarilla were behind it. Perhaps he finally managed to piss off his Sabbat contacts enough they decided to take him out. Perhaps it was hunters. But no other attacks on Jayne’s unlife have been anywhere near as close to successful since. It’s not that he’s particularly strong. The star has simply risen too high to be shot down. Where Jayne goes, his security detail, ghouls, groupies, and paparazzi photographers follow. Not to mention Jayne’s four mortal band mates, who are usually somewhere in his vicinity. If anything’s going to manage to kill the rock star, it’ll probably be his own self-destructive behavior.Clan: BrujahGeneration: 12thBlood Potency: 1Humanity: 6General Difficulty: 4 / 3Standard Dice Pools: Physical 5, Social 6, Mental 7, Disciplines 5Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 7Exceptional Dice Pools: Intimidation 8, Performance 8 (shock rock), Occult 8Disciplines: Dominate 1 (Cloud Memory), Potence 1 (Lethal Body), Presence 4 (Awe, Lingering Kiss, Entrancement, Irresistible Voice)In StoriesDON’T WORRY, YOUR GIRLFRIEND’S WITH JAYNE: The band’s got free tickets to a Jayne Jonestown concert. Maybe one of their roadies got a good deal, or maybe they’re a gift from their agent. Either way, it’s not just them, it’s a huge group of their crew that gets to go, including one of their Touchstones. If the band didn’t know in advance that Jayne’s a vampire, it’s possible they get taken in by the sheer overtness of his performance. Surely an actual vampire wouldn’t do all this on stage? Perhaps they become excited. After all, he’s probably everything they hope to be. The concert is electric, the crowd is going wild, and everyone pushes closer and closer to the stage.After the concert, the Touchstone is nowhere to be found. Asking around, the players’ characters discover that they were last seen with Jayne’s crew disappearing backstage. But even if they make it backstage, Jayne’s long gone. He’s taken their Touchstone and is partying it up in a five-star hotel at the other end of the city. Late at night, the character whose Touchstone has been taken gets a message “No worries, your friend’s with Jayne.” If Jayne’s songs are anything to go by, the characters better get the Touchstone back before Jayne Jonestown gets creative with their entrails.OPENING ACT: The players’ characters have been asked to open for Jayne Jonestown! This could be the breakthrough that takes them to the top. But when they’re standing ready backstage, the sullen stage manager tells them plans have changed and they’re not going on. Jayne doesn’t like what they’re bringing to the table or just wants to go on because the schedule is running late and the fans are getting antsy. Will the players’ characters let their one shot pass them by or find a way to go on anyway?Ashflower ManagementAshflower Management is a global talent management company with offices in Nashville,

Chapter Two: The Succubus Club 4 6Austin, Miami, Los Angeles, and London. The company is owned by tech billionaire Rob Florell but run by his CEO Keaton Allen, who is known for his uncanny ability to propel artists from relative obscurity to GRAMMY nomination with absolute efficiency. Ashflower has a handful of talent scouts on the lookout at all times, and the company’s influence stretches across music publishing, recording, and multimedia entertainment, meaning it can be a short journey from discovery to success once Keaton takes you on.Behind the ScenesBeneath its polished exterior, Ashflower Management is thoroughly corrupt on every level. That’s part of what makes the company so successful. Keaton and his crew know whom to push to get what they want and when to sweeten the deal. It helps, of course, that Keaton is a vampire and can influence his contacts and clients to conform when they don’t want to. But he does prefer to do things the old-fashioned way, with money, favors, or threats. Former clients in show business tell rumors of blackmail, sudden career-ending scandals, and artists disappearing never to be heard from or of again.In ChroniclesA DEAL FOR FAME: A member of Ashflower’s talent acquisition team offers the band a lucrative representation contract in return for 20% of their earnings and a three-year exclusivity deal. The band gets a manager with connections to all the best venues, record companies, and the music supervision department at HBO Max. It isn’t until the band signs, or refuses to sign, that they get introduced to Keaton and learn that Ashflower won’t just be managing their careers but controlling their undead existence.JUST ONE SMALL DETAIL: Having signed with Ashflower, the band’s schedule is filling up with exciting-sounding venues, but over time, the demands become relentless. Ashflower’s stylists have suggestions for how to optimize their appearance. The personality coach wants to rewrite their personalities for the camera. And Keaton insists one band mate stop associating with their Touchstone in favor of a new relationship more in line with their brand. How far will they go to keep their representation happy? And are they ready for the consequences of pushing back?IT’S JUST A LITTLE HUMAN SACRIFICE: The music industry isn’t evil, just fast-paced and opportunistic. Oh, the human sacrifices? Those are just in case. When Keaton was Embraced, it was by someone with old-school ideas. He’s aware that not all vampires kill pure-hearted virgins in satanic rituals, it’s just how he was brought into the night. Since it worked at the beginning of his career, when he didn’t know any better, it would feel wrong to stop now. When the band attends a shindig at Keaton’s mountain home and it devolves into a gruesome gorefest at the end of the evening, do they take part?Keaton AllenFIRST IMPRESSION: The face of Ashflower Management has the appearance of a man in his mid‑30s but the bearing of one in his 50s. The charcoal grey virgin wool suits, the slicked-back hair, and the tasteful five o’clock shadow make him look like he just stepped out of a Forbes cover shoot. In other words, men want to be him and women want to be with him — or so he makes you believe.DIGGING DEEPER: Keaton has always known that anything worth having is bought, from peace of mind to happiness. Anyone who says different is full of shit. He met Rob when they both studied mathematics at Harvard. Rob wasn’t very socially gifted, but he had a real knack for numbers and systems, and Keaton liked being his only friend. When Rob got into computer programming, Keaton quickly saw the potential. He takes pride in the fact that it was thanks to his support Rob managed to develop the code that made him his first billion in the dot-com bubble. And boy, the two of them did a lot with that money. Their first business ventures didn’t work out, but then Keaton got Embraced, and their luck turned. Keaton’s did, anyway. He gets everything he wants, and his business deals always work out, one way or another.Clan: Ventrue

LIVE FROM THE SUCCUBUS CLUB4 7Generation: 13thBlood Potency: 1Humanity: 5General Difficulty: 4 / 3Standard Dice Pools: Physical 5, Social 6, Mental 5, Disciplines 5Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 7Exceptional Dice Pools: Etiquette 8 (the music industry), Persuasion 8, Subterfuge 8, Finance 7Disciplines: Dominate 3 (Compel, Mesmerize, Submerged Directive), Fortitude 1 (Resilience), Presence 2 (Daunt, Melpominee*)*Players Guide, p. 80In StoriesMODEL TROUBLE: Keaton’s third mortal wife, Maryna, is a 24-year-old former high fashion model from Belarus. She happily retired to make cooking content for social media once she got the 5 carat rock from Keaton, but a few years in, she realized that marital life wasn’t everything she’d hoped for. Keaton keeps her isolated, like a rare species of bird, from anyone who might tell her something he’d rather she not know. When she gets alone time with a member of the band, she does everything she can to get close to them, hoping that they’ll help her get away from Keaton.The talent manager will not, of course, react well if the band does decide to help his wife and he finds out. But maybe she is also their chance to escape.EYES LIKE KNIVES: Keaton Allen doesn’t take chances; he makes informed decisions. That means that he’s always got someone doing background checks and gathering information on his clients. When the band discovers a Ashflower employee reporting on them, they must decide whether to stop them and risk confrontation or play along and hope to outmaneuver Keaton later.ROB FLORELL: The 50-something owner of Ashflower Management is rotting in a private retirement home, his mind scrambled from years of Keaton’s vampiric influence. Keaton has to keep him around, because once Rob dies, or is declared legally incompetent, the company will pass to his relatives, and the Florell family is unfortunately still a bit too much for Keaton to take on.Rob can provide leverage against Keaton if the band manages to find him. His adult children, bills from the retirement home, or Rob himself in a rare moment of lucidity can provide the clues that lead them to him.The Lunar Bloom InitiativeLunar Bloom is an exclusive, membersonly club dedicated to empowering its members by centering female energy and wisdom. The handful of clubhouses provides members with safe and warm spaces for self-exploration and growth, an impressive catalog of wellness and self-care activities, and an optional seven-level coaching journey that takes them from novices to leaders in their own right. Those who train as coaches often describe tapping into deep, primal instincts — a transformation some find freeing, others unsettling.For the rich and famous, associations like Lunar Bloom appear plentiful. They’re a relaxing way to socialize with people of your own level, away from the press and the rabble. Members of the creative industries meet here to recharge, and sometimes the ideas for new movies or albums are birthed here before they’re presented to the world. That the coaching elements can appear a little cult-like is just par for the course.

Chapter Two: The Succubus Club 4 8Behind the ScenesLunar Bloom is more than just beautiful mosaic steam rooms, tropical conservatories, and softspoken, overpriced therapists. The Initiative has a strong undercurrent of dark feminine rebellion, concerned with recruiting and empowering members who have suffered losses and personal setbacks by teaching them to embody the powerful primal energies of the Dark Mother, Lilith, who can teach her children the forbidden knowledge of nature, the rhythms of the earth, and the mysteries of life and death.The highest echelon of Lunar Bloom are Bahari: vampire worshippers of Lilith. They seek her guidance, her pain, and to carry out her revenge on her enemies. Below them are several circles of mortal worshippers who do not (yet) know Lilith fully but hope to be let into the secrets once they’ve reached their full potential. However, the majority of Lunar Bloom members are the uninitiated.In ChroniclesEASY GETAWAY: Thanks to one of their more influential connections, the band gets an invitation to spend some time at one of the Lunar Bloom clubhouses. Their contact informs them that Lunar Bloom has other select undead clientele, and they’ll be able to find safety and rest at the premises. They make it sound almost like an Elysium for Kindred who are particularly influential among mortals. To make the getaway particularly tempting, present it as a safe harbor in a time of danger or as the favored spa of a character the band wants to get closer to.The getaway presents a chance for the band to network with creatives, to stop and take stock of their current situation. It’s also a chance to introduce contacts who will turn out to be Bahari.THE NIGHT GARDEN PARTY: Every month, Lunar Bloom throws extravagant midnight parties for their prospective initiates. The players’ characters are hired to play. But while they’re waiting in the backstage lounge, a bewildered young mortal stumbles in, fear and shock in their eyes. They’re struggling to string a proper sentence together, but it becomes clear that they’re convinced something terrible is about to happen.If the band goes digging, they’ll discover that it’s initiation night at Lunar Bloom and time for a group of chosen mortals to become ghouls and, in some cases, childer. One of the chosen doesn’t want to go through with it but is in too deep to leave. Will the band help them get away before — or after — their Embrace, or will they do as they were hired to and mind their business?LolaFIRST IMPRESSION: There’s something irresistible in the way Lola carries herself, a combination of vulnerability and confidence that’s hard to look away from. It shines through in her poetry as well. She’s written songs for a mid-sized rock band for some decades, and the band has a small dedicated following of fans, who are mostly unaware that it’s Lola’s art they love. She could probably go far if she found the confidence to really go for it. Her long strawberry blond hair and sultry contralto makes her obvious lead singer material.She’s found sisterhood within Lunar Bloom. To Lola, the Bahari and her music are different expressions of the same thing — a way to connect with something deep and true.DIGGING DEEPER: Lola was Embraced by the Bahari in the late 1980s. It’s always been natural for her to express herself through music, and once her eyes were opened to the revelations of the Dark Mother, it was clear that her task in unlife would be to use her music to spread the message. Lola is the kind of woman it’s easy to fall in love with and impossible to forget, but her own dead heart doesn’t stir easily. What Lola wants is to be the vessel of Lilith, to grow ten feet tall with the power of her goddess, to see flowers bloom at midnight at her touch. She wants the sparks of miracles, the ecstasy of real change. So, beneath the shy sweetness of the poetess is a dedicated witch who will transgress any boundary to grow more powerful.