Optional Extras
Clan Bane Variants
Each of the 14 Clans has a variant Bane, which you may take as an alternative to the usual one with the approval of the Storyteller. For a bit of additional challenge, with the Storyteller's permission, you may opt to suffer from both of your Clan's Banes in exchange for 5 XP. All Banes are permanent and cannot be removed. This XP must be spent by the end of your first slumber or it is lost.
| CLAN |
BANE |
CONSEQUENCES |
| Banu Haqim |
Noxious Blood |
Your corrupted Vitae is like poison. Any creature who drinks it takes Aggravated Harm equal to your Blood Potency (minimum 1) per instance. Your Vitae cannot heal mortal injuries, only create them. Creating a Ghoul or Blood Bond requires the mortal to survive this damage each time they drink (most don't). |
| Brujah |
Violence |
When you have 3 or more Hunger and you deal Harm to anyone regardless of intent or cause, the Beast demands you slay them. You must continue attacking that target until they are dead or you successfully Stay Chill to wrench yourself back. If you kill someone this way, mark 2 Stains (unless doing so aligns with your Convictions). |
| Gangrel |
Survival Instincts |
When you Stay Chill against fear (fire, sunlight, overwhelming danger, or any genuine threat to your survival), you always have Disadvantage on it, plus an Ongoing penalty to all rolls equal to your Blood Potency (minimum 1) until you are guaranteed safe from whatever freaked you out. Your particular Beast would rather run than fight, and it will drag you along with it. It knows when you're outmatched even if you don't. |
| Hecata |
Decay |
Your presence radiates entropy, corroding everything around you. When you move into your Coterie's Haven, distribute a total of −1 modifiers among the Coterie's stats (Clout, Cohesion, Charm, Claim, or Currency) for each Touchstone you have. You may stack multiple penalties into the same stat if you choose, but no Coterie stat can be reduced below −3. These penalties cannot be redistributed once assigned. If a Touchstone visits the Haven, they are horrified/disgusted by the decay; you lose that Touchstone permanently and mark 1 Stain, but the associated −1 penalty is removed. If you gain a new Touchstone during play, assign the new −1 immediately (any stat). |
| Lasombra |
Callousness |
When you make a Remorse Check, roll with Disadvantage. The Beast eats your guilt before you can feel it, and you slide toward monstrousness faster than most Kindred. |
| Malkavian |
Unnatural Manifestations |
When you use any Discipline Power at all in the presence of mortals, they become deeply unsettled for the rest of the scene. Take an Ongoing penalty equal to your Blood Potency (minimum 1) to all social rolls with those mortals except if you're intimidating them. This isn't a Masquerade breach, but they know something is profoundly wrong with you. Kindred in proximity recognize you as a vampire but suffer no ill effects. |
| The Ministry |
Cold-Blooded |
You can only use Blush of Life if you have Fed from a living vessel in the current scene, the one just before it, or within the last hour (Storyteller's discretion). When you do, make a number of Hunger Checks equal to your Blood Potency (minimum 1) instead of the usual one. If any of these Checks would bring you to 5 Hunger, Blush of Life fails and you stabilize at 4 Hunger instead. Your Beast can find another way to slither inside. |
| Nosferatu |
Infestation |
Vermin (rats, pigeons, cockroaches, fleas, mosquitoes, etc.) follow you constantly and infest any enclosed space you inhabit. Your Haven is perpetually crawling with them; everyone present there (including you) takes −2 Ongoing to social rolls and to any activity requiring patience or focus. At any other enclosed location where you spend a scene, the vermin tag along and impose −1 Ongoing to the same. Attempts to control the vermin with Animalism have Disadvantage. You are not necessarily hideous (you may or may not also carry the standard Bane), but you are never, ever alone. |
| Ravnos |
Unbirth Name |
You have a secret name from your mortal life that you literally cannot forget. Anyone who learns it immediately gains a Debt over you, whether you know about it or not. If anyone speaks your unbirth name to your face, they gain Advantage on all rolls to resist your Discipline Powers for the rest of the scene, and you roll with Disadvantage to resist theirs. Guard this name with everything you have. |
| Salubri |
Asceticism |
When your Hunger is at 2 or below, take an Ongoing penalty equal to your Blood Potency (minimum 1) to all Discipline rolls. Your Vitae resists its own power when sated; only the pangs of starvation unlock its full potential. Your third eye still bleeds when you use Disciplines regardless of which Bane you carry (and you're still tasty). |
| Toreador |
Agonizing Empathy |
Whenever your Feeding causes Harm to the vessel, you suffer the same amount as Aggravated Harm, up to a maximum equal to your Blood Potency (minimum 1). The damage manifests as vivid and obvious internal bruising at the bite location. |
| Tremere |
Stolen Blood |
In an effort to offset your bloodline's weakness, you swapped out a large percentage of your Vitae with someone else's. When you Blood Surge, make a number of additional Hunger Checks equal to your Blood Potency (minimum 1) on top of the normal one. If any of these Checks would bring you to 5 Hunger, you must choose: cancel the Blood Surge entirely (any Hunger already gained from the Checks is kept, up to a maximum of 4), or complete the Blood Surge and immediately enter a Beast Frenzy at 5 Hunger. |
| Tzimisce |
Cursed Courtesy |
You cannot willingly enter a private residence unless invited by someone who lives (or unlives) there. If you force your way in, gain +1 Hunger automatically and take an Ongoing penalty equal to your Blood Potency (minimum 1) to all Discipline rolls for the duration of your stay. Public and abandoned buildings are unaffected; individual apartments count as separate residences. You can't take the Invitations Folkloric Bane. |
| Ventrue |
Hierarchy |
You respect authority too much to raise a hand to it. When you use a Discipline Power against a Kindred with higher Blood Potency than yours, roll with Disadvantage. To directly attack such a Kindred physically, you must first successfully Stay Chill or find yourself unable to raise a hand against them. If you fail to Stay Chill, you cannot enact violence upon them for the rest of the scene unless they start the fight. |
Folkloric Banes
Folkloric Banes are entirely optional, but when creating your character, you may choose to take up to 3 that make sense (or don't at all, for entertainment purposes) for your character. As with the other varieties, taking on a Folkloric Bane is permanent — you can never be rid of it until you meet Final Death — and the XP granted by taking them on is fleeting and must be spent by the end of your first slumber or it is lost.
| BANE |
CONSEQUENCES |
GAIN |
| Noxious Garlic |
Touching garlic deals 1 Aggravated Harm to you. Eating it deals 3, but also reduces your Hunger to 0 and nauseates you, preventing you from Feeding until the next night. |
+1 XP |
| Holy Water |
Touching holy water deals 1 Aggravated Harm to you. Drinking it causes Final Death. Why would you do that? |
+1 XP |
| Pale Beasts |
When you see an all-white animal of any kind, you must Stay Chill with Disadvantage or flee the scene at once. |
+1 XP |
| Determined Detangler |
When you encounter a tied knot, tangled net, or kinked-up rope, you must Stay Chill or stop to untie it. On a failure, you cannot willingly move away from the knot until it is untied, cut by someone else, or the scene ends. Fishing nets over doors work. So do tangled shoelaces or earbuds. |
+1 XP |
| Jolly Juniper |
You cannot willingly move closer to burning juniper, and its smoke causes you to choke and retch. While within Close Range of burning juniper, you have Disadvantage on all rolls. If you touch the smoke directly, take 1 Aggravated Harm. |
+1 XP |
| Troublesome Tar |
You cannot cross a threshold smeared or dabbed with tar, pitch, or resin without spending a full turn tearing yourself free as if caught in a huge quagmire. While stuck, you're a sitting duck: anyone attacking you automatically acts first, and you can't Reposition or Slip Away until freed. |
+1 XP |
| Cock's Crow |
When you hear a rooster crow (live performances only, not recorded), you immediately take 1 Superficial Harm as your body tries to shut down for the day. If you hear it while at 4+ Hunger, you must Stay Chill or fall into involuntary Torpor until the next dusk. Roosters in the city are rare. Farms and Chinatowns, less so. |
+1 XP |
| Stressful Sunflowers |
You cannot enter a room or enclosed space decorated with sunflowers (living, dried, or depicted in number). A single painting doesn't count, but a field of them, a vase of them, or cheerful sunflower-print wallpaper does. While within Close Range of a mass of sunflowers, you take 1 Superficial Harm per round as your body protests. Look, it's close enough, alright? |
+1 XP |
| Little Pricks |
You cannot cross a threshold lined with wild roses. If a wild rose branch is placed atop your resting place during slumber, you cannot rise until it is removed. Cultivated roses from a florist do nothing. It has to be wild, thorny, and growing or freshly cut. |
+1 XP |
| Ironbound |
You cannot easily cross a threshold framed in iron (old buildings, wrought-iron gates, certain jail cells, some art galleries). For the rest of the scene after forcing your way through, you take −1 Ongoing to all rolls until you go out the same way you entered, as the iron lingers in your blood like poison. |
+1 XP |
| Invitations |
You are physically unable to enter any private building unless invited in by somebody with sufficient authority. |
+2 XP |
| Running Water |
You are physically unable to cross running water and must find a way around. This includes streams, brooks, rivers, sewer pipes, aqueducts, and loose garden hoses. Bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, oceans, etc. do not trigger this. |
+2 XP |
| Searing Silver |
Touching silver deals 2 Aggravated Harm to you. If incorporated into a weapon, all its damage is Aggravated. |
+2 XP |
| Arithmomania |
When loose small objects are scattered in your presence (seeds, beads, grains, coins, cards), you must Stay Chill or stop everything to count them. On a failure, you are frozen in place until you finish counting or someone physically moves you, whichever comes first. Enemies who know your weakness can trigger this deliberately with pocket lentils or similar. |
+2 XP |
| The Thin White Line |
You are physically unable to cross an unbroken line of salt. If salt is thrown directly onto your skin, it deals 1 Aggravated Harm. Dissolving it in water does nothing; it has to be dry and granular. Ouch! Delicious! |
+2 XP |
| Humbling Hawthorn |
Touching hawthorn wood or its thorns deals 1 Aggravated Harm to you. A weapon made from or incorporating hawthorn deals all its damage as Aggravated. Hawthorn stakes work as though you had the Stake Bait Bane, but only hawthorn; regular stakes still just incapacitate you as usual. |
+2 XP |
| Coldest Iron |
Touching wrought iron (not steel, not alloys; specifically wrought iron, the good old stuff) deals 1 Aggravated Harm. If incorporated into a weapon, all its damage is Aggravated. While any Aggravated Harm from iron remains unhealed, you take −1 Ongoing to all Discipline rolls. |
+2 XP |
| Ding-Dong Don't |
When you hear church bells or a hand-bell rung with intent to ward, you must Stay Chill or flee the sound. While the bells ring and you remain within Far Range, you take 1 Superficial Harm per round and cannot use Disciplines. Earplugs don't help, you feel it in your bones. |
+2 XP |
| Reflectionless |
You cast no reflection in mirrors, still water, polished metal, or glass. This is a persistent low-level Masquerade threat; any mortal who notices gains irrefutable proof that something is wrong with you. You also cannot benefit from any Discipline Power or effect that requires you to make eye contact through a reflective surface. |
+2 XP |
| Camera Cryptid |
You do not appear on any visual recording medium: cameras, video feeds, phone screens, CCTV, TikTok (thank Caine), etc. Live footage shows an empty space where you stand. This is a double-edged sword in the surveillance age: you can't be tracked by cameras, but you also can't prove you were anywhere, and any mortal reviewing footage of "nobody there" has a Masquerade problem on their hands. You have +1 Ongoing to Slip Away when fleeing surveillance, but −1 Ongoing to Demeanor rolls in any situation where someone might check a camera. You haven't seen yourself in years. |
+2 XP |
| Confounding Crossroads |
When you reach any junction of two or more roads (intersections and roundabouts count), you must pause for a beat to orient yourself. In combat or a chase, this costs you your Movement for the turn. If you are currently being pursued and reach a crossroads, you must Stay Chill or become disoriented, choosing a random direction to travel in. |
+2 XP |
| Smash & Shatter |
Reflective surfaces crack, shatter, or crumble in your presence. You have no control over this; it happens within seconds of proximity. Everyone in the room will probably notice — it's quite loud. This is a constant low-level Masquerade risk (you'll burn through cover stories fast), and you cannot use any Power or tool that requires an intact reflective surface. |
+2 XP |
| Land-Locked |
You are unable to willingly leave land by boat, plane, helicopter, or any other means of transport. If forced to (such as by being staked and packed into a shipping crate), you take 1 Aggravated Harm when you wake each night while in transit. This cannot be healed until you're back on solid ground again. |
+2 XP |
| Holy Symbols |
Being within 2 Ranges of a holy symbol (you select which apply to your character) deals 2 Aggravated Harm to you per round of exposure. Within 1 Range, it deals 3. If physical contact is made with the symbol, it deals 5. |
+3 XP |
| UV Light |
When exposed to UV light from sources other than the sun, you take 3 Aggravated Harm per round of contact. |
+3 XP |
| Stake Bait |
Being staked through the heart causes instant Final Death instead of incapacitating you. Oopsie-daisy! |
+3 XP |
| Stigmata |
When at 4 Hunger or higher, you bleed extensively from wounds on your hands, feet, and forehead. They never heal, and while bleeding, you have Disadvantage on all Demeanor rolls and are a walking Masquerade violation (unless it's Halloween and you're dressed as Jesus). |
+3 XP |
| Grave-Bound |
You must spend your day sleeping in the soil of your homeland, your original grave, or consecrated earth from your burial site. Sleeping anywhere else gives +3 Hunger upon awakening instead of +1. Three consecutive nights without your soil prevents you from reducing Hunger below 3 by any means until you return. |
+3 XP |
| Cruel Consecration |
You cannot intentionally set foot on land consecrated to a faith (churchyards, cemeteries blessed by clergy, temple grounds, mosques). The boundary is near-physical; you feel it like a wall of pressure. If forced onto consecrated ground, you take 2 Aggravated Harm per round until you get the hell out of there. |
+3 XP |
| Dark Betrayal |
Your shadow moves independently of you at all times. It might point the wrong direction, gesture when you're still, or loom larger than it should. You take −1 Ongoing to Slip Away in any lit environment because your shadow gives you away, but if Oblivion access would cost you 5 XP, it costs 3 instead. The Storyteller may occasionally have your shadow do something alarming in front of mortals. |
+3 XP |
| Tempestuous Temperament |
When you Frenzy while it's precipitating (raining, hailing, snowing, sleeting, etc.), your highest stat goes up by +1, but your Frenzy lasts until the weather abates. Not even reaching 0 Hunger ends it. Check the forecast. |
+3 XP |
Merits & Flaws
For even more granular character creation, you may optionally select a number of Merits and/or Flaws equal to 2 + your character's Blood Potency. Unlike Banes, many of these can be granted or removed during play. Your Storyteller might even distribute certain Merits as a fictional reward for exemplary roleplay or schemes coming to fruition.
Flaws give you XP (much like Banes), while Merits cost you XP (unless earned in-game); use your starting XP to do what you want with them. As with the other items in this section, all of these are totally optional, but you might find something that suits your character well. Take a look!
Appearance
How your body looks, functions, turns, changes, humbles, and horrifies. Covers physical beauty, deformity, Mutations, animal features, and Masquerade-adjacent traits.
Merits
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Cost |
| Famous Face |
— |
When you encounter someone who might recognize you from your mortal life (or your unlife), the Storyteller decides if they do. If recognized, take +1 Forward to your next social roll with them (they're starstruck, curious, aroused, afraid, or a little of each). However, they will remember and talk about seeing you, making anonymity in that area or subculture nearly impossible going forward. |
1 |
| Remarkable Feature |
— |
You have one unmistakable trait (scar, heterochromia, shock of white hair, full-body tattoo). When you meet someone new, they will remember your face permanently. The Storyteller can use this against you whenever someone attempts to identify, track, or describe you to others. |
1 |
| Scene Kid |
Unavailable to Scene Queen Predator Type |
You belong to a specific mortal subculture (choose at character creation: goths, punks, ravers, bikers, cosplayers, etc.). When you operate within that subculture (attending their events, seeking info from members, blending in at their spaces, Hunting among them), take +1 Forward. |
1 |
| Meat-Reek |
— |
Your flesh exudes a scent that some animals find irresistible. When you interact with carnivorous animals (luring prey, commanding a Familiar, calming guard dogs, beckoning strays), take +1 Forward. Mortals within Hand Range find you faintly nauseating; the Storyteller can and should use this against you in social situations. |
1 |
| Beautiful |
Unavailable to Nosferatu with Monstrous Visage Bane |
When you use your physical attractiveness to seduce, impress, disarm, or charm someone, take +1 Forward. This applies broadly: flirting, dazzling a crowd, leveraging your looks to get past a bouncer, putting prey at ease, getting people to follow your socials, getting away with crimes, etc. |
2 |
| Ingenue |
— |
When your strategy is to appear helpless, confused, or harmless, take +1 Forward. Works great for deflecting suspicion, talking your way out of trouble, convincing someone you're not a threat, or luring prey who think they have the upper hand. Mortals are naturally inclined to underestimate you until violently proven otherwise. |
2 |
| Naamah |
— |
Something about you grows more gorgeous as your soul rots away. While your Humanity is 5 or lower, take +2 Ongoing to any roll where seduction, allure, or dark charm is your approach. Goths are like putty in your hands. It's too easy. |
2 |
| Unblemished Rose |
BP 2 or lower |
While you have zero Harm marked on your track, your Blush of Life is always active at no cost (no Hunger Check required). The moment you take any Harm, the warmth drains from your skin and the effect ends until you heal completely, ya cutie. |
2 |
| Warrener |
Requires Protean access |
You've grown additional functional limbs (arms, tentacles, prehensile tail). When you grapple somebody, climb, or attempt to do two physical tasks simultaneously, take +1 Forward. If you can juggle, you never need to roll to nail it. |
2 |
| Leechskin |
Requires Protean access |
Your skin drinks blood on contact. When you press bare skin against any exposed wound or a mortal's flesh, you may Feed without biting. No visible marks are left. Reduce Hunger slaked by 1 (minimum 0) due to the slower absorption. |
2 |
| Tangled Horns |
Requires Protean access |
Bony protrusions (horns, spines, tusks, osteoderms) jut from your body. When you Dirty Your Claws unarmed, deal an extra +1 Harm, and when you successfully grab and hold someone, they take 1 Superficial Harm for each round they remain held. |
2 |
| Regeneratumor |
Requires Protean access |
When you make a Hunger Check to heal Superficial Harm, heal 1 additional Harm beyond what your Blood Potency would normally grant as masses of regenerative tissue bulge and writhe beneath your skin. You should probably get that looked at. |
2 |
| Mimic Predator |
Requires Protean access |
When you use voice mimicry to lure, distract, or impersonate someone, take +1 Forward. A second mouth (hidden in your torso, throat, palm, or worse) can perfectly replicate any voice you've heard that night. It's kinda sassy. |
2 |
| Brundlefly |
Requires Protean access |
You produce corrosive bile that dissolves organic matter into drinkable slurry. When you Feed on corpses, animals, or organic waste, treat them as blood bags (slake 1 less Hunger than a living vessel). Finding meals is quite easy. Finding meals actually worth eating is almost impossible. |
2 |
| Up All Night |
BP 3 or lower |
Your body holds warmth better than most other vampires. When you use Blush of Life, treat your Humanity as 1 higher than it actually is for determining what you can accomplish (maximum 10). Enjoy the evening to the fullest! |
3 |
| Blooming Mandible |
Requires Protean access |
Your jaw unhinges into a multi-hinged maw lined with hooked teeth and it looks wild. When you bite someone and a third party tries to pull you off or you need to escape a grapple mid-Feed, inflict 1 Aggravated Harm to whoever's grabbing you and Slip Away as a Free Action. |
3 |
| Stunning |
Unavailable to Nosferatu with Monstrous Visage Bane |
When you enter a scene and let yourself be seen, everyone present notices you. While visible, take +1 Ongoing to rolls where beauty opens doors (seduction, persuasion, the hot kind of intimidation, drawing attention, anything listed in Beautiful, etc.). Alas, you cannot be overlooked or forgotten. Slipping Away and any other attempts to go unnoticed have Disadvantage if anyone present has seen your face. |
4 |
Flaws
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Gain |
| Stench |
— |
You reek of death, rot, or something indescribable regardless of your hygiene habits. When anyone with a working nose is within Hand Range, take −1 Ongoing to social rolls with them. The smell lingers where you've been; the Storyteller can use this to complicate attempts to go unnoticed or leave a scene clean. |
1 |
| Transparent |
— |
Your body language betrays everything you're thinking. When you attempt to lie, misdirect, or conceal your true intentions without supernatural aid, take −1 Forward. On the upside, folks who know you tend to believe whatever you say at face value. |
1 |
| Malformation |
— |
One of your body parts doesn't work properly (choose at character creation: a twisted hand, a locked knee, a dead eye, a jaw that won't close). When you attempt any action that relies heavily on that body part, take −1 Forward. |
1 |
| Ugly |
— |
You have a face perfect for the radio. When your physical appearance is visible and relevant to a social interaction (first impressions, seduction, formal events, putting someone at ease), take −1 Forward. Doesn't apply when hidden, masked, or communicating purely by voice/text. |
2 |
| Unblinking Visage |
— |
Your body fights against the pretense of life. When you use Blush of Life, treat your Humanity as 1 lower than it actually is for determining what you can accomplish (minimum 0). |
2 |
| Peculiarly Off-Putting |
— |
Something about you specifically repels one Clan (choose at character creation). When you interact socially with members of that Clan, they react to you as if you were Repulsive. Take −1 Forward to all social rolls targeting them. |
2 |
| Animal Antipathy |
— |
One type of animal despises you on sight (choose at character creation: dogs, cats, birds, rats, etc.). They bark, hiss, scatter, or attack. They refuse to serve as prey and cannot be Bound as Familiars. When that animal type is present, the Storyteller may use their reaction to complicate your scene, alert others, or advance a Clock. |
2 |
| Mutagenesis |
Requires Protean access |
Your flesh is unstable. When you exit a Frenzy, the Storyteller describes a new minor mutation (a bone spur, a discolored patch, a vestigial digit, pulsing veins). These are permanent, cumulative, and cannot be masked by Blush of Life. |
2 |
| Monstrous Countenance |
Requires Animalism access |
The Beast writes itself onto your flesh. When you lose a point of Humanity, you or the Storyteller must describe a new permanent animal feature (furry/scaly/feathery patches, slit pupils, gnarly teeth, forked tongue, dewclaws). These accumulate and cannot be hidden by Blush of Life. |
3 |
| Demonic Countenance |
Requires Oblivion access |
Something infernal manifests in your body. When you lose a point of Humanity, you or the Storyteller must describe a new permanent demonic feature (curling horns, blackened veins, sulfurous smell, cloven hooves, glowing eyes). These accumulate and cannot be hidden by Blush of Life. |
3 |
| Purulent Nectar |
Unavailable to Banu Haqim with Noxious Blood Bane |
Your blood is viscous, discolored, and revolting. When someone drinks your Vitae, they must Stay Chill to keep it down; on a failure, they vomit and gain no benefit. Blood Bonds formed through your blood take twice as many drinks to establish. |
3 |
| Repulsive |
— |
People flinch when they see you and it feels bad, even now. While your face or body is clearly visible to others, take −1 Ongoing to all social rolls. Mortals encountering you for the first time must be given a solid reason not to flee, call for help, or alert others. |
4 |
| Theriocephaly |
Requires Animalism access |
Your head is that of an animal (wolf, rat, bat, raven, weird frog, etc.). Blush of Life cannot conceal this. While your head is visible to mortals, you have Disadvantage on all social rolls with them, and your mere presence in public is a Masquerade breach (advance the Masquerade Clock by 1). |
4 |
| Obscene |
— |
Your physical form is so far beyond human norms that you are a full-on walking Masquerade breach. Whenever an unsuspecting mortal sees you clearly and gets away, the Masquerade Clock advances immediately. The Storyteller should invoke this freely whenever you're careless in public. |
4 |
The Beast
Frenzy, Hunger-triggered effects, Compulsion complications, and all flavors of messy drama. Your relationship with the animalistic instincts inside you and others.
Merits
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Cost |
| Inhuman Advisor |
— |
While at 3+ Hunger, the Beast whispers a Desire to you at the start of each scene (the Storyteller names it: feed, destroy, overpower, own, panic, flee, etc.). When you actively pursue that Desire, take +1 Forward. The Beast rewards obedience. |
2 |
| Predatory Eloquence |
— |
While you are actively Hunting, take +1 Forward to social rolls made in pursuit of your prey (approaching, isolating, charming, cornering). You know exactly how to smile to get mortals to drop their guard. |
2 |
| Boon of Artemis |
— |
While at 3+ Hunger, take +1 Forward to Hunt. The desperation makes you efficient. However, any Hunt result of 12+ while at 3+ Hunger is treated as a 10+ instead; the Beast's eagerness robs you of perfection. |
2 |
| Capricious Purgation |
— |
When you satisfy your Compulsion and clear its penalty, heal 2 Superficial Harm. The relief is genuinely palpable (and often visible). Your body thanks you for giving in. |
2 |
| Fight or Flight |
— |
Choose one at character creation: Fight or Flight. If Fight, take +1 Forward to Stay Chill against fear and terror, but −1 Forward to Stay Chill against rage and violent impulses. If Flight, the reverse. Your Beast has a go-to response and it's non-negotiable. |
2 |
| Frenzy's Catharsis |
— |
When you exit a Frenzy, choose one stat. Take +1 Ongoing to rolls with that stat until the end of the scene. The violence cleared something loose in your head. You feel sharp, focused, almost alive. It won't last very long, though. |
3 |
| Hunger's Bargain |
— |
When you successfully Feed and reduce your Hunger by 2 or more in a single scene, the Beast settles. Take +2 Forward to your next Stay Chill roll that night. A well-fed predator is a patient one. Or is it the other way around? |
3 |
| Cold Dead Hunger |
— |
When your Hunger reaches 5 and Frenzy would trigger, you always have Advantage when Staying Chill to suppress it. Quiet, Beastie. |
3 |
| Aesthete |
— |
While in a truly beautiful or artistically significant environment (a gallery, cathedral, rooftop garden, gorgeously decorated apartment, well-tiled bathroom, etc.), take +1 Ongoing to all Resolve rolls. Ugliness and chaos offer you no such comfort, as you well know. |
3 |
Flaws
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Gain |
| Bestial Impulse |
— |
While at 3+ Hunger, the Beast demands something specific at the start of each scene (the Storyteller names it: bite that person, break something, assert dominance, flee, give the Prince the middle finger, etc.). While you resist that urge, take −1 Ongoing to all rolls until you either give in or your Hunger drops below 3. |
1 |
| Little Chew |
— |
At the start of any scene where your Hunger is 3 or higher, you unconsciously gnaw at your own flesh (fingers, wrists, lips, whatever's accessible). Take 1 Superficial Harm. You can't stop yourself. It heals normally, but it's upsetting to witness and hard to explain to mortals. |
2 |
| Doomed Romantic |
— |
You form attachments too easily and feel betrayal too deeply. When you gain Stains from actions that harm someone you have a personal connection to (Touchstone, Coterie member, Bond partner, lover, or close mortal contact), gain 1 additional Stain. The guilt is crushing. |
2 |
| Hopeless Dependant |
— |
You need your people. When you are alone and must Stay Chill (no Coterie members or trusted allies present in the scene), roll with Disadvantage. The isolation amplifies every bad impulse. Going solo can be legitimately dangerous. Hope you have your phone on you. |
3 |
Meal Deals
How you Hunt, Feed, and otherwise handle your strange appetites. Dietary decisions, Resonance interactions, diseases, substance use, and similar sundries can be found herein.
Merits
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Cost |
| Bloodhound |
— |
When you are within Hand Range of a mortal, you can smell their Blood Resonance without tasting them or rolling. The Storyteller tells you what Humor their blood carries (Choleric, Melancholic, Sanguine, or Phlegmatic) and roughly how intense it is. |
1 |
| Vessel Recognition |
— |
When you examine a mortal within Hand Range, you can tell whether they've been Fed upon recently (within the last 48 hours) and roughly how much blood was taken. No roll required. Useful for scoping out another Kindred's territory or a Blood Doll in the wild. |
1 |
| High Functioning Addict |
— |
When you Feed from a vessel who is currently under the influence of a specific substance (choose your favorite at character creation: alcohol, opiates, stimulants, cannabis, etc.), take +1 Forward. The high carries over into your Vitae. If you haven't Fed from an intoxicated vessel in the last 48 hours, the Storyteller may impose −1 Forward to one roll per scene as withdrawals kick in. |
1 |
| Out of Sight |
— |
When you Feed from a vessel without any witnesses and leave no evidence behind, remove 1 Stain (if you have any). Clean work soothes the conscience. Can only trigger once per night. |
2 |
| Iron Gullet |
Unavailable to Graverobber Predator Type |
When you Feed on rancid, spoiled, or dead blood (corpses less than a week old, tainted blood bags, embalmed bodies, morgue trash), you're fine, but you can only slake 1 Hunger in this way. Most vampires would vomit. You're built different. Better, even. Few can withstand such putrid filth. |
3 |
| Drive-Thru |
— |
When you Feed from a vessel you've spent less than one minute with (a passing stranger, someone you grabbed in an alley, a quick bite-and-run, some rando at a party), take +1 Forward. You're fast, efficient, and very unhealthy for them. |
3 |
| Prey Specialization |
— |
Choose a specific mortal demographic at character creation (students, clergy, athletes, hospital patients, sex workers, homeless folks, etc.). When you Hunt for that specific type of prey, take +2 Forward. You know their habits, their haunts, and exactly how to approach them. |
4 |
| Romantic Duet |
— |
When you and another Kindred Feed from the same vessel simultaneously or in immediate succession within the same scene, you both take +1 Ongoing to all rolls to flirt or charm until the scene ends. Something about sharing makes the blood taste twice as good. |
4 |
| Efficient Metabolism |
— |
Your Blood stretches further than it should. Your Hunger meter goes from 0–6 instead of 0–5. Treat the extra level as if it were level 1, and level 6 as if it were level 5 for all purposes. However, when you awaken each night, you gain +2 Hunger instead of +1. |
5 |
| Faith Drinker |
— |
When you Feed from a mortal who is genuinely devout (actively praying right now, regularly attends worship, sincere belief, clergy member), slake 1 additional Hunger. Their conviction tastes like the sweetest ritual wine. The Storyteller decides who qualifies. |
5 |
Flaws
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Gain |
| Prey Exclusion |
— |
Choose a mortal demographic at character creation (children, elderly, a specific ethnicity or religion, sex workers, homeless folks, business executives, anyone who isn't a cop, public defense attorneys, zookeepers, "hat guys", gamblers, or literally anything else). You cannot Feed from this group. If you do so accidentally or are forced to, mark 1 Stain regardless of circumstances. |
1 |
| Addiction |
— |
Choose an intoxicating substance at character creation (alcohol, opiates, stimulants, cannabis, etc.). When you Feed from a vessel who is NOT under the influence of your substance, slake 1 less Hunger (minimum 0). Sober blood just doesn't hit right. You need the good stuff. |
1 |
| Methuselah's Thirst |
BP 3+, unavailable to Orbiter Predator Type |
Your blood runs thick and old. You can only reach 0 Hunger by Feeding from another Kindred. Mortal blood, animals, and blood bags can reduce your Hunger to 1 normally, but the last point requires vampiric Vitae. |
2 |
| Connoisseur |
— |
You have a refined palate and it is a curse. When you Feed from a vessel whose Resonance is Fleeting or Negligible (most random mortals), slake 1 less Hunger (minimum 0). Only Intense Resonance satisfies you properly. Bland blood is barely worth the effort. |
2 |
| Narrow Appetence |
— |
Choose a specific Blood Resonance at character creation (Choleric, Melancholic, Sanguine, or Phlegmatic). When you Feed from a vessel whose Resonance does not match your selection, slake 1 less Hunger (minimum 0). Wrong flavor. You really can taste the difference between red and red. |
2 |
| Sloppy Feeder |
— |
You leave a mess every time. When you Feed, the Storyteller always applies "you leave clear evidence" as a complication regardless of your roll. There's bite marks, blood trails, torn clothing, and dazed humans stumbling around all over the damn place. Your Feeding pattern is trackable over time by anyone paying a modicum of attention. |
3 |
| Taste of the Kill |
— |
You feel something when you drain the helpless, and it's definitely not satisfaction. When you Feed from a vessel who is unconscious, restrained, or otherwise completely unable to resist, mark 1 Stain. The lack of struggle disgusts something deep inside you... but what? |
3 |
| Rapacious Appetite |
— |
The first drink of the night never quite lands, like a light beer to pregame before a night out. The first time you Feed each night, you cannot reduce your Hunger below 1 from that particular Feeding, regardless of how well you roll or any other modifiers you may have. Your body needs to "warm up" before it can process blood properly. |
3 |
| Cormorant |
— |
You just don't know when to stop, or possibly don't care. When you Feed and roll a 7–9 or 6-, the Storyteller always applies "you take too much" as a complication. On a 6-, you drain them to the point of serious injury or death automatically. The Beast relishes every sip. |
3 |
| Dead Palate |
— |
Your tongue is dead to the nuances of blood. You cannot gain Blood Resonance Advantages from Feeding. The four Humors mean nothing to you other than being the butt of a lot of bad jokes. You still slake Hunger normally, but the added benefits that other Kindred enjoy from Resonant blood simply do not apply. It's just red juice! |
4 |
| Ravenous Thirst |
— |
Your minimum Hunger is 1, not 0. You can never be fully Sated. Even immediately after Feeding to your absolute limit, one little pip of Hunger always remains. Your Beast is never quiet and constantly on the prowl. The first time each night you need to make a Hunger Check, you succeed without rolling as some kind of sick consolation prize. |
4 |
| Plaguebringer |
— |
Your bite carries disease. When you Feed from a mortal, they contract an illness (choose at character creation or let the Storyteller decide: flu-like symptoms, infection, blood poisoning, etc.). The disease manifests within 24 hours and is transmissible to other mortals. You are a vector and you cannot turn it off. Repeated Feeding in one area creates patterns that attract mortal attention, especially the CDC, and they do not fuck around. |
4 |
Blood & Bonding
Blood Bond alterations, lineage detection, Diablerie consequences, and other such delights. If it pertains to that wet red stuff they show all the time in modern moving pictures, it's probably listed here.
Merits
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Cost |
| Consanguineous Sense |
— |
When you are within Close Range of another Kindred, you can sense whether they share your bloodline (same Clan, progeny of your Sire, your own progeny, etc.), no roll required. The recognition is gentle, like a faint tug at the wrist and someone picking them out of a crowd for you. |
1 |
| Short Bond |
— |
Your Vitae's grip loosens faster than normal. Blood Bonds you hold over others decay at twice the normal rate (2 drinks per month for mortals, 2 drinks per year for Kindred). Useful if you'd rather not keep someone on a leash forever. Less useful if you would. |
2 |
| Deeper Bond |
Requires Animalism access |
When you give your Vitae to an animal, it counts as 2 drinks toward forming a Blood Bond instead of 1. A single drink Bonds a healthy animal; 2 drinks Bonds one that was dying. Very efficient for acquiring Familiars. |
2 |
| Shackle Eater |
— |
There's something indescribably lovely about drinking from the hand that holds your leash. When you Feed from a Kindred who holds a Blood Bond over you, slake 1 additional Hunger. The Bond makes their Vitae taste better to you. Whether that's a comfort or a cruelty is up to you. |
2 |
| Sin Bound |
— |
When someone with 5 Humanity or lower drinks your blood, it counts as 2 drinks toward forming a Blood Bond instead of 1. The lower they've fallen, the faster they fall for you. They probably won't even notice until it's too late. |
2 |
| Bonds of Fealty |
Requires Dominate access |
When you use a Dominate Power on someone who is Blood Bonded to you, you do not need eye contact. Your voice alone carries the weight of the Bond. Works at any distance where they can hear you (including via phone, radio, voice recorders left conspicuously lying around for environmental storytelling purposes, or any other audio medium). |
3 |
| Consanguineous Influence |
— |
Blood calls to blood. When you use a Discipline Power against a Kindred who shares your bloodline (same Clan, your progeny, your Sire's other progeny, etc.), take +1 Forward. Your Vitae resonates with theirs in ways that make supernatural manipulation easier. Fair warning: they may have the same leg up against you! |
3 |
| Sins of the Father |
Unavailable to Banu Haqim |
You know how to cover your tracks. When someone uses Auspex or similar perception abilities to detect signs of Diablerie on you, the black veins in your aura are hidden from anyone who shares your bloodline. Strangers can still spot them normally. Useful for keeping family business in the family. |
3 |
| Pack Diablerie |
— |
When your Coterie commits Diablerie together (multiple vampires draining the same incapacitated victim), you may choose which participant receives the Blood Potency increase, Discipline access, and XP. Normally it's whoever drank last and deepest. With this Merit, the group decides. Democracy manifest! |
4 |
| Unbondable |
Can't have Bondslave Flaw |
You are completely immune to Blood Bonds. Your Beast simply refuses to submit. Consuming Vitae never counts toward Bond formation, no matter how much you drink. If you're a vampire who can normally do so, you can still Bond others in the standard fashion. This is a massive political advantage and other Kindred will want to know how you do it, should the secret get out. |
5 |
| Enduring Bond |
— |
Your Vitae is, to put it succinctly, clingy. Blood Bonds you hold over others decay at a third the normal rate (1 drink per 3 months for mortals, 1 drink per 3 years for Kindred). Whether you want to keep them or not, your Beast doesn't like letting go. |
5 |
| Liberating Vitae |
— |
Your blood dissolves (figurative) chains. When someone who is Blood Bonded to another Kindred drinks your Vitae, it counts as 1 month of Bond decay for them, potentially weakening or breaking the Bond entirely. You don't need to Bond them yourself; you're just the antidote. Works on Blood Bonds held by any Kindred besides yourself. Dangerous. |
5 |
Flaws
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Gain |
| Bond Junkie |
— |
Being Bonded feels good to you. Too good. While you are Blood Bonded to another Kindred, you have Disadvantage on any roll to resist, undermine, or act against the Bond (including rolls to refuse the enhanced Debt). Most Kindred hate the leash. You lean into it. Hey, no shame here. Enjoy your 2 XP, you little weirdo. |
2 |
| Animal Vagary |
— |
Your Vitae only sticks to critters. You cannot form Blood Bonds with mortals or other Kindred. Your blood can Bond animals just fine, but human and vampiric recipients simply metabolize it (and hopefully enjoy it) without any supernatural attachment forming. No Ghouls, no Blood Weddings, no leverage through Vitae. Just you and your pack of pet pals against the world. Oh, and your Coterie. |
2 |
| Manille Inversee |
— |
Your blood betrays you. When someone drinks your Vitae, the Bond forms on you, not on them. Each drink they take counts toward you becoming Bonded to them instead. Three drinks from the same person and you're devoted. You can still be Bonded normally by drinking someone else's blood as well, and the two Bonds can coexist. |
3 |
| Polysanguinous |
— |
You can be Blood Bonded to multiple Kindred simultaneously instead of the normal limit of one; approximately as many as there are in your Coterie. How convenient. All enhanced Debts apply at full strength. If any Bond-holders give you conflicting orders or invoke their Debts at the same time, the Storyteller decides how your conflicted loyalties manifest. Probably quite badly. |
3 |
| Blatant Diablerist |
— |
You wear your sins on your sleeve, you filthy rascal. When you commit Diablerie, the black veins in your aura never fade. The normal 1-year expiration does not apply; anyone with Auspex or similar perception abilities can see what you've done for the rest of your existence. Every Diablerie adds more. It gets scary pretty quickly. |
3 |
| Inherited Bane |
— |
Someone else's curse lives in your blood! Dang it, how'd that get in there? At character creation, choose a second Clan Bane from any Playbook besides your own that also applies to you. It scales just like your other one. Work with your Storyteller to determine the source: a Sire from a different Clan, a botched Embrace, Diablerie gone wrong, or just supremely bad luck in the bloodline lottery. |
3 |
| Bondslave |
Can't have Unbondable Merit |
You are dangerously receptive to Vitae. A single drink of another Kindred's blood completes a full Blood Bond on you. No three-drink buildup, no gradual process, just love at first bite. What would your parents say if they found out? |
4 |
The Curse
Supernatural conditions of undeath. Slumber situations. The funky stuff that makes you more (or less) vampire. If you wanna get even wilder, check out the Dark Bargains below.
Merits
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Cost |
| Nuit Mode |
BP 2 or lower |
Your body still responds to deliberate cosmetic changes. Haircuts, tattoos, piercings, dye jobs, and similar modifications persist instead of reverting when you sleep. Higher-BP vamps revert to their state at the time of the Embrace, but you get to keep evolving your look. Small mercy, big deal. Go tat Shrek on your knee, I dare you. |
1 |
| Ley Line Leach |
— |
The earth beneath unfamiliar ground nourishes your Blood. When you go to sleep in a city or location you haven't slept in before, you do not gain the usual +1 Hunger upon waking. Only works the first time per location. Wander often and you'll stay surprisingly well-fed! |
1 |
| Just Like Mom Used to Make |
— |
You can consume mortal food and drink without immediately vomiting, even without Blush of Life. Congrats! It provides zero nourishment and you have to expel it before dawn (the method is up to you and your dignity), but you can sit at a dinner table, drink wine at a gallery opening, or eat a slice of pizza with friends like a person. The taste is muted, like eating with a head cold, but it's something. |
2 |
| Restful Swarm |
— |
Arthropods are drawn to you during sleep. While you slumber, a blanket of roaches, beetles, moths, or similar creatures covers your body and acts as a living alarm system. If anyone approaches within Close Range of your sleeping form, you wake immediately (no roll required). The bugs scatter when you rise. It's gross, but it works! |
2 |
| Persistent Blush |
— |
When you successfully use Blush of Life, the effect lasts for one full week instead of ending when you slumber. One Hunger Check buys you seven whole nights of appearing human. You still need to sleep, but you wake up warm and flushed every evening. How charming! |
3 |
| Finger of Darkness |
Requires Oblivion access |
Your shadow has a mind of its own and it's oddly helpful. When you make a Hunger Check for any reason and succeed, your shadow may perform one simple physical task as a Free Action (close a door, fetch an object within Close Range, tap someone on the shoulder, flip a light switch). It cannot attack, carry anything heavy, or operate complex mechanisms. Pairs well with Shade Servant if you have it. |
3 |
| Ishtar's Sweet Sap |
— |
Your Vitae carries an intoxicating quality that heightens creativity and desire in those who taste it. When a mortal consumes your blood (willingly or not), they experience a burst of artistic inspiration and/or intense romantic fixation on you for the rest of the night. Take +1 Ongoing to social rolls with them until they beg you for more. |
4 |
| Untouchable |
— |
Once per story arc (determined by the Storyteller), you may invoke this Merit to escape official Kindred punishment entirely. Summoned before the Prince? The charges evaporate. Sentenced to a Blood Hunt? Someone intervenes. The Storyteller describes how you wriggle free; the narrative must support it (a powerful patron, blackmail material, a legal technicality in Kindred law, sheer audacity). This does not protect you from informal retaliation. |
5 |
| Tempered Will |
— |
You have a sixth (or seventh or eighth) sense for supernatural coercion. When someone uses any Dominate or Presence Power on you, you feel it happening (a chill, a pressure behind the eyes, a fizzle in the air, a tingle down the spine). You don't automatically know who's doing it or what the Power is, but you always know something just hit you and have Advantage on rolls when trying to locate the source. Additionally, take +1 Ongoing to Stay Chill against all Dominate and Presence effects after the first time it happens to you. |
6 |
Flaws
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Gain |
| Living in the Past |
BP 2+ |
Your Convictions are outdated by decades or centuries. At character creation, at least one of your Convictions must reflect a moral framework that is wildly out of step with the modern world (divine right of kings, blood purity, the "proper role" of women, dueling or torture as justice, Manifest Destiny, and other such nonsense). The Storyteller should create situations where this Conviction clashes with modern morality, forcing difficult choices. |
1 |
| Corpse Flesh |
— |
Your body is dead and refuses to pretend otherwise. You cannot use Blush of Life at all. You're room temperature, no pulse, no breath, no flush of color. Touchscreens still work (barely), but anything requiring warmth, a heartbeat, or the appearance of life is off the table entirely. Medical examination would immediately flag you as pining for the fjords. Passed on. No more. Ceased to be. Expired and gone to meet your maker. A stiff. Bereft of life. Resting in peace. Pushing up daisies. Your metabolic processes are history. Off the twig, kicked the bucket, shuffled off this mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible. You are an ex-person! |
2 |
| Famished |
— |
Your Beast runs hotter than most. When your Hunger reaches 4 (instead of the normal 5), Frenzy may trigger, and you must Stay Chill to resist as usual. The −2 Ongoing penalty at 4 Hunger applies. You have a much lower tolerance for vampiric abstinence than almost anyone you know. |
2 |
| Inner Void |
— |
Using your supernatural abilities hollows you out. When you make a Hunger Check and fail, you immediately lose any stocked Blood Resonance Advantages you currently hold. The Vitae you spent on the Power burned through whatever flavor your blood was carrying. |
2 |
| Mirror Imago |
— |
When you make a Hunger Check and fail, the nearest mirror, reflective surface, or glass object within Close Range shatters. Car windows, bathroom mirrors, phone screens, puddles of water, polished silverware; anything that could show a reflection cracks, splinters, or ripples violently. You can't control it. It's loud and it's incredibly conspicuous (and funny). |
2 |
| Exanimus |
— |
Your grip on physical reality is more tenuous than it should be. You appear slightly translucent or washed-out in photographs, video recordings, and reflections. Not invisible, just noticeably phantasmagorical. Technology occasionally glitches in your presence (static on calls, flickering screens, corrupted files). The Storyteller can invoke this whenever they like. |
2 |
| Wretched Embrace |
Unavailable to anyone incapable of the Embrace |
Your Vitae carries a terrible mutation. Any mortal you Embrace becomes horrifically transformed upon rising: misshapen features, twisted limbs, or worse, regardless of your or their bloodline. The transformation is permanent and unique to each victim. This does not affect Ghouls (their changes are subtler), but anyone you turn into a full vampire is cursed to wear a monstrous form. |
2 |
| Archaic |
BP 3+ |
You cannot or will not use modern technology. Smartphones, computers, the internet, ATMs, modern vehicles, electronic locks, and anything invented after a date of your choosing are beyond you. You can learn to push buttons and swipe screens with significant coaching, but actually operating technology with any competence requires a +Wits roll with Disadvantage. Your Coterie will need to handle all your digital needs. Hope they're patient. |
2 |
| Starving Decay |
— |
Your body rots when the Blood runs thin. While your Hunger is 3 or higher, visible signs of decay appear: sunken cheeks, blackened fingertips, flaking skin, exposed tendons. This is cosmetic but extremely hard to hide. Blush of Life suppresses it temporarily, but the decay returns the moment the Blush fades. At 4+ Hunger, the smell alone could betray you. |
3 |
Mind & Will
Mental conditions, faith, Conviction/Touchstone interactions, fixations, quirks regarding your willpower, and other such things. If you have/want/like to think about it, it's probably in this category.
Merits
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Cost |
| Aesthetic-Apathetic |
— |
Beauty means nothing to you. You are immune to the mechanical effects of Appearance Merits and Flaws on other characters (Beautiful, Stunning, Ugly, Repulsive, etc.). Their bonuses and penalties simply don't apply to rolls targeting you. You judge people by their actions, not their appearance. How refreshingly egalitarian. |
1 |
| Special Attachment |
— |
You have a particular fixation you choose at character creation: a specific painting, a building, a song, a person, a smell, a place, etc. When you spend meaningful time with your fixation (at least a few minutes of genuine attention, not a passing glance), heal 1 Superficial Harm. Can only trigger once per night. Losing the fixation permanently is devastating; the Storyteller decides the consequences, but expect them to be emotionally brutal. |
2 |
| What Must Be Done |
Unavailable to Baali |
When a Coterie member or close ally would gain Stains from an action you witnessed, you may choose to take those Stains yourself instead. The guilt transfers to you; they feel nothing. You can only do this once per night, and you cannot refuse the Stains once you've claimed them. Somebody has to carry it. |
2 |
| Faceless |
— |
While your face is concealed (mask, hood, veil, Obfuscate, bandages, Groucho Marx glasses, ski mask, religious full-face or head covering, a paper bag in a pinch — plastic not recommended), take +1 Ongoing to Stay Chill. Something about hiding your identity steadies the Beast. Remove the covering and the comfort vanishes. |
2 |
| Nose for Chicanery |
— |
When someone attempts to deceive, manipulate, or trick you using a method you yourself have used before (a con you've run, a lie you've told, a social ploy you've employed), the Storyteller must warn you that something feels off. You don't get the details, just the instinct that this is a play you recognize. Takes one to know one. |
2 |
| Soothed Beast |
Requires Orbiter or Pursuer Predator Type |
Your obsession calms you. Once per night, when you would gain a Stain, you may ignore it if your obsession target is present in the scene. Their presence grounds you. Their absence does quite the opposite, and your Coterie is sick of hearing about it. |
2 |
| False Love |
Requires Orbiter or Pursuer Predator Type |
While your obsession is present in the scene, treat your Humanity as 1 higher for the purpose of Blush of Life and low Humanity consequences. Being near them makes you feel almost human again. Almost. |
2 |
| Living Empathy |
— |
You still remember some of what it felt like to be alive. When interacting socially with mortals, treat your Humanity as 1 higher than it actually is for the purpose of Low Humanity Consequences (the social penalties at 3 Humanity and below). This doesn't change your actual Humanity; you're just better at faking the warmth others have lost. |
3 |
| Tortured Artist |
Requires Toreador or Daughter of Cacophony |
Your suffering fuels your craft. While your Compulsion is active and imposing penalties, you may redirect those penalties into creative output: any roll to create, perform, or express art during a Compulsion treats the penalty as a bonus of equal value instead. The worse you feel, the better the art gets. Let the mascara run! |
3 |
| Solace of the Unseen |
— |
You do your best work when no one is watching. While no one, not even animals or your Coterie, is aware of your presence (you are hidden, Obfuscated, or otherwise utterly unobserved), take +2 Ongoing to all Discipline rolls. The moment anyone or anything sentient notices you, the bonus drops. Being perceived is your kryptonite. I get it. Really, I do. |
4 |
| Side Hustler |
— |
You always have something useful squirreled away. Once per session, you may declare that you have a useful item, piece of information, or point of access on your person or readily available. The Storyteller must agree it's plausible given your background and current situation, but the bar is low. "I know a guy" is a lifestyle. |
4 |
Flaws
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Gain |
| Phthonus Incarnate |
— |
When your Touchstone shows preference for, affection toward, or interest in someone other than you, mark 1 Stain. The jealousy is irrational and all-consuming. It doesn't matter if the Touchstone is your mortal relative, lover, friend, or your elderly neighbor; the Beast interprets any divided attention as absolute betrayal. How dare they! |
1 |
| Beacon of Profanity |
— |
Devout mortals sense the darkness in you. When you are within Close Range of a mortal with sincere religious faith (not just cultural affiliation; genuinely devout/pious), they become uneasy, suspicious, or outright hostile toward you without necessarily knowing why. The Storyteller determines the reaction, but it's never positive. Holy ground makes your skin crawl; you take −1 Ongoing to all rolls while inside a consecrated space. |
2 |
| Crisis of Faith |
— |
When you roll a Fanged Failure (all 1s on multiple dice), take 1 Superficial Harm in addition to whatever else happens. The failure shakes something fundamental in you and your body registers it as physical pain. Each Fanged Failure feels like a crisis of identity, a reminder that the person you were is somehow still losing ground. |
2 |
| Knowledge Hungry |
— |
You are compulsively drawn to forbidden or esoteric knowledge. When you encounter an opportunity to learn something hidden, occult, or dangerous (a locked archive, a whispered secret, an ancient text, a Kindred's private haven), you must Stay Chill to resist investigating immediately. On a 6-, you pursue it regardless of the risks. The Storyteller should offer these opportunities liberally, especially in crisis. |
2 |
| Lick Laughingstock |
— |
When you fail a roll in front of one or more Kindred witnesses (not mortals, and not your Coterie unless they're the judgmental type), take −1 Forward. The humiliation compounds. Failing twice in a row in front of the same audience applies the penalty again. There is no maximum. Nothing motivates quite like public shame. |
2 |
| Digital Addiction |
— |
You are hopelessly addicted to your phone, social media, or the internet. At the start of each scene, the Storyteller may ask if you've checked your feeds recently. If you haven't (or can't because the situation prevents it), take −1 Forward. You can always choose to spend your Free Action checking your phone instead, but doing so in tense situations might have its own consequences. You do you. Ooh, notification! |
2 |
| Disillusioned Dead |
— |
Unlife has killed your capacity for growth in one area. Choose a broad skill domain at character creation (creative arts, academics, physical training, social graces, technical skills). You cannot spend XP to improve stats or acquire Moves/Powers that the Storyteller rules fall primarily within that domain. You've plateaued permanently. It's a small death within the larger one. Hope you aren't a fan of books. |
2 |
| Self-Righteous |
— |
You know what's right and you act on it. When you take violent or destructive action in defense of one of your Convictions, take +1 Forward. However, on a 6-, mark 1 Stain. The certainty cuts both ways; triumph validates you, but failure means you just hurt someone for nothing. |
2 |
| Sky-Shy |
— |
The open sky makes you feel exposed and small. While you are outdoors with no roof or ceiling above you, your Compulsion penalties (if active) are doubled. If your Compulsion isn't currently active, the Storyteller should note that you are visibly uncomfortable and people may pick up on it. |
3 |
| Scopophobia |
— |
Being watched makes your supernatural abilities falter. While you are aware that a non-Coterie Kindred is observing you (watching, eavesdropping, surveilling via Auspex, potentially eating popcorn), take −1 Ongoing to all Discipline Power rolls. The scrutiny gets under your skin and into your Blood. The penalty lifts when you believe you're no longer being observed (whether or not that's actually true). |
3 |
| Prideful |
— |
You have towering pride in one specific trait (choose at character creation: your intelligence, your combat skill, your beauty, your lineage, your artistic talent, that thing you do with your tongue, or whatever else). When someone insults, dismisses, or outperforms you in that specific area, take 1 Superficial Harm from the sheer indignation and must immediately Stay Chill or Frenzy. Your ego and Beast are one. |
3 |
| Hellish Distortion |
— |
While your Hunger is 3 or higher, your senses periodically distort: shadows wiggle ominously, whispers emerge from silence, faces look ugly when you're alone. Take −1 Ongoing to +Wits rolls while at 3+ Hunger. You can't always trust what you see, hear, or smell. The Storyteller may occasionally describe false sensory input to keep you guessing. You are now breathing manually. |
3 |
| Weak-Willed |
Unavailable to Brujah and Ventrue |
Your mind is an open door. When you would roll to Stay Chill against any Dominate, Presence, or other mental/emotional supernatural effect, you automatically fail. No roll or resistance, just capitulation. You can still be protected by Coterie members using Help or Hinder or Protect the Coterie, but on your own, you fold every time. Sigh. |
4 |
Your Standing
Your place in mortal and Kindred society. Reputation, secrets, leverage, and identity. You'll find all of that nonsense (and much more) here.
Merits
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Cost |
| Chat, Help Me Out |
— |
You run a niche online community (a forum, a Discord server, a subreddit, a dark web market, a conspiracy blog, a popular Tumblr, etc.). When you use your online platform to gather information, spread rumors, recruit, or coordinate, take +1 Forward. The community is small but loyal, and they come through when you need them. The Storyteller decides if your platform is relevant to the current situation. |
1 |
| Fear Monger |
— |
Your reputation precedes you. When you successfully intimidate someone, take +1 Forward to your next social roll targeting anyone who witnessed the display. Fear is contagious. People who saw you make someone flinch are already halfway to flinching themselves. BOO! Ha, got you. |
3 |
| Check the Trunk |
— |
You've stashed useful things in places you can get to real quick. Once per session, when you need a specific mundane item (a weapon, a disguise, a burner phone, cash, a change of clothes, bolt cutters, lube for no reason whatsoever, a cold pizza), you may declare that you have one hidden nearby. The Storyteller must agree the stash location is plausible. Unlike Side Hustler, this is specifically physical objects, not information or social access. |
3 |
| Zeroed |
— |
You do not exist in any mortal database. No birth certificate, no social security number, no driver's license, no digital footprint. Background checks return nothing. Facial recognition software has no match. You are a ghost in the system. This makes institutional life impossible (no bank accounts, no legal employment, no contracts), but it also means no one can find you through conventional research. That won't deter the truly determined, just everyone else. Expect the normal amount of spam regardless. |
4 |
| Mask |
— |
You maintain a false mortal identity. When you operate under your assumed name (showing ID, accessing records, interacting with institutions that know "you"), take +1 Ongoing to rolls where the fake identity would help (avoiding suspicion, establishing credibility, accessing restricted spaces). The quality of the Mask depends on how much XP you spent: 1 XP gets you a functional but flimsy cover, 2 XP gets something that holds up to casual scrutiny, 3 XP gets a bulletproof identity with a paper trail, credit history, and a LinkedIn with a professional headshot you never sat for. |
1–3 |
Flaws
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Gain |
| Dark Secret |
— |
You're hiding something that would ruin you (but only you) if it got out. At character creation, work with the Storyteller to define the secret (a past betrayal, a forbidden relationship, a crime, allegiance to the wrong faction, etc.). The Storyteller can threaten exposure whenever it would create interesting drama. If the secret actually gets out, the Storyteller determines the fallout, and it should be significant. |
1 |
| Destitute |
— |
You own absolutely nothing of value. No money, no property, no vehicle, no phone with a screen, no wardrobe beyond what you're wearing right now. When a situation calls for money, equipment, or material resources, you simply don't have them. Your Coterie may cover for you, but every handout is a reminder of your dependence. The Storyteller should make your poverty inconvenient at least once per session. You're so penniless that you only get 1 measly XP for this. Spend it wisely. |
1 |
| Infamy |
Requires Dark Secret |
You're known by a select few for doing something truly terrible. When you encounter Kindred or mortals who know your reputation, the Storyteller may impose −1 Forward to social rolls where your infamy works against you (earning trust, making allies, asking for favors). It can also work in your favor for intimidation at the Storyteller's discretion. |
2 |
| Despised |
— |
A mortal institution (choose at character creation: the police, a hospital network, a religious organization, a neighborhood, a university, a corporation, a support group) has shut you out. When you attempt to interact with or operate within that institution, you have Disadvantage on all relevant rolls. They know your face (or your alias) and want nothing to do with you. Get off the lawn. |
2 |
| Suspect |
— |
Your sect doesn't trust you. When you interact with officials or authority figures within your vampiric faction (Primogen, the Sheriff, the Prince, Sabbat leadership, whoever), take −1 Ongoing. They constantly assume the worst about your motives. Earning back trust is possible but requires sustained effort and probably some Debts. |
2 |
| Known Blankbody |
— |
A mortal investigative body (law enforcement, intelligence agency, private Hunters, investigative journalists) has a file of indeterminate chunkiness on you. They know something is wrong with you, even if they don't know exactly what. The Storyteller can introduce complications around this: surveillance, unexpected encounters with investigators, your photo circulating in briefings, mysteriously normal vans parked outside the Haven. The file grows each time you're sloppy. Allegedly. |
3 |
| Shunned |
— |
You have been formally exiled from your sect or domain. You cannot claim the protections, resources, or social standing that organization's membership provides. Other Kindred in that sect are socially pressured to avoid you; those who associate with you openly risk their own standing. Returning to good graces requires a major favor, sacrifice, or (Lilith forbid) a devoted and emotionally satisfying story arc. |
3 |
Other Folks
People and animals in your orbit. Strange folks, mentors, rivals, and packmates; if it has to do with somebody else and their relationship to you, it's here.
Merits
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Cost |
| Pack Priest |
— |
Your Coterie (or Pack, or Flock, or whatever they are) has a spiritual anchor: you! Once per session, when you lead the group in a meaningful ritual or shared moment (a communal prayer, a Ritual/Ceremony, a collective oath, or when you all hold hands before you Sate Your Hunger), every participant may remove 1 Stain. The ritual must be genuine, unironic, and take at least 1 scene; you can't speed-pray your way through it. |
3 |
| Pack Tactics |
— |
You and your Coterie fight like a unit. When you and at least one Coterie member engage the same enemy in the same round of combat, you both take +1 Forward to offensive rolls. Requires communication and proximity. Doesn't stack with additional allies beyond the first until the bonus has been used. |
3 |
Flaws
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Gain |
| Stalker |
— |
A mortal is obsessed with you. They follow you, show up where you are, leave notes, and generally make your unlife wicked uncomfortable. The Storyteller can introduce your Stalker into any scene where their presence would be inconvenient or dangerous. They aren't necessarily hostile, but they are persistent, unpredictable, and a walking Masquerade risk. |
1 |
| Obvious Predator |
— |
Mortals sense something off about you on an instinctive level. When you interact with a mortal who has no reason to expect the supernatural, they are uneasy, evasive, or frightened from the moment they meet you. Take −1 Forward to social rolls with new mortals who haven't been warned about you, acclimatized, or supernaturally compelled. Animals may react similarly. |
2 |
| Abusive Sire |
— |
Your Sire is alive (or undead, rather) and they're quite cruel. The Storyteller controls your Sire as a recurring character who manipulates, berates, threatens, or exploits you. They may invoke your Blood Bond (if one exists), guilt trip you about not calling, show up at the worst times, or demand favors through Debt. The relationship is toxic and your Coterie probably has a lot of opinions about it. Working with the Storyteller on the Sire's personality and goals is a hard requirement. |
2 |
| Adversary |
— |
An older, more powerful Kindred (defined at character creation with the Storyteller) considers you a problem to be solved. They have at minimum 1 higher Blood Potency than you, resources you don't, and the infinite patience of the bitter undead. The Storyteller controls them as an NPC with their own agenda. They won't attack you outright (usually), but they'll undermine, manipulate, and exploit every weakness you show. |
3 |
| Compromised |
— |
Someone scary knows where you sleep. At character creation, work with your Storyteller to determine who and how knows you. This information could be leveraged against you at any time: a daylight raid, a staking while you slumber, blackmail, or simply the constant anxiety of knowing your Haven isn't safe. The Storyteller should invoke this threat at least once per story arc... or not. Whatever keeps you on your toes. |
3 |
| Mortal Enemies |
— |
A mortal group (choose at character creation: a gang, a police unit, Hunters, a corporation, a religious order, a neighborhood watch with concerning zeal, a repossession agency) actively wants you dead, captured, or ruined. The Storyteller can introduce them as a complication whenever it would be dramatically appropriate. They have resources, numbers, and grudges. The severity depends on XP gained: 1 XP is a nuisance, 3 XP is a genuine threat, 5 XP is everyone's problem. |
1–5 |
Dark Bargains
These are literal supernatural pacts and demonic curses. These each represent deals struck, inherited damnation, or infernal corruption. Don't just take these on a whim; discuss with your Storyteller about how you got yourself mixed up with the likes of them, or let it occur naturally through gameplay. I'll repeat that for the folks who are skimming this: Dark Bargains are not to be taken lightly.
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Gain |
| Ill-Fated Warrior |
— |
Something (perhaps you?) wants you to suffer. Whenever you take Harm from any source, take 1 additional Superficial Harm on top of whatever you received. Scratches cut deeper, punches hit harder, and even grazing blows leave little marks. You bruise like a peach and bleed like a fountain. Are you... into this? |
2 |
| Hollowing Curse |
— |
Your body resists mending at its core. Your last 2 HP boxes cannot be healed by normal means (end-of-scene Hunger Checks, slumber, or Feeding). Only specific Perks or Discipline Powers (Mending Touch, Valeren) or extraordinary fictional circumstances can restore them. You are permanently operating with a smaller margin for error. Tread so carefully. |
2 |
| Restless Dreams |
— |
Your day-sleep is plagued by visions. When you wake from slumber, the Storyteller may describe a brief, disturbing dream. You do not gain the usual benefits of restful sleep: no Aggravated Harm healed, regardless of your Hunger level. Superficial Harm still heals normally. The dreams may contain cryptic information at the Storyteller's discretion. |
2 |
| Diabolical Touchstone |
— |
One of your Touchstones is linked to a dark entity (define the nature with your Storyteller at character creation). When your Diabolical Touchstone takes Harm, you take the same amount and type of Harm simultaneously, regardless of distance. Protecting them is protecting yourself. If they die, the Storyteller determines what the entity demands in exchange. |
2 |
| Baleblooded |
Unavailable to Salubri & anyone incapable of the Embrace |
Your Vitae looks normal but is toxic, even by vampiric standards. You cannot Embrace mortals or create Ghouls. Any mortal who drinks your blood suffers violent illness (2 Aggravated Harm) instead of the normal effects. Blood Bonds you attempt to form on mortals automatically fail. Other Kindred can still drink from you, but you taste absolutely wretched and foul beyond belief, so why would they? |
2 |
| Swarm's Favor |
Unavailable to Nosferatu with the Infestation Variant Bane |
Arthropods follow you everywhere. At all times, a low-level swarm of flies, roaches, moths, beetles, or similar critters orbits your body. They crawl on your skin, nest in your hair, and scatter when you move. You can't dismiss them or fully ignore them. The Storyteller can use this to complicate social situations, contaminate scenes, or advance the Masquerade Clock. On the upside, they make excellent company. |
3 |
| Perpetual Liar |
— |
You are physically incapable of speaking the truth. Every statement you make must contain at least one deliberate falsehood. You can communicate truthful information through implication, omission, or leading questions, but a direct honest statement causes you to choke, gag, go mute, or spit up a foul substance of the Storyteller's choice. Your Coterie will either learn to read between your lines or strangle you. Possibly both. |
3 |
| Smoldering Decay |
— |
At the start of each scene after sunset, your flesh visibly deteriorates a bit more: cracks, smolders, or peels away. Take 1 Superficial Harm — this cannot be prevented, reduced, or healed by any means. The decay resets when you sleep, only to begin again the next night. By the end of a long evening, you look really rough. By the end of a very long evening, you look like something that crawled most of the way out of a furnace. |
3 |
| Monstrous Reflection |
Baali Only |
Your reflection in any mirror or reflective surface shows your demonic form instead of your usual physical appearance. The reflection is horrifying: twisted, burning, weirdly hot. Mortals who see it must Stay Chill or panic. Kindred who see it know immediately that something infernal is going on with you. You cannot suppress this. Covering mirrors is mandatory. |
3 |
| Chernobog's Legacy |
— |
While your Hunger is 4 or higher, your body begins a slow demonic transformation: horns curl up through your scalp, your eyes blacken, your skin cracks with inner fire. At 5 Hunger, the transformation is complete and you appear fully monstrous for the duration of the Frenzy. The appearance reverts when your Hunger drops below 4, but witnesses will remember. Each transformation risks a Masquerade breach. |
4 |
| Kiss of Mania |
— |
When you Feed from a mortal, they are immediately afflicted by your Compulsion as if it were their own for the remainder of the night. The Compulsion manifests at intensity equal to your Blood Potency. They don't understand what's happening to them. This can create chaos, Masquerade breaches, and a trail of confused, twitching mortals in your wake. Poor things. |
4 |
| Putrescent Slumber |
— |
You can only achieve restful day-sleep while submerged in or surrounded by blood, offal, grave dirt, or corpses of your preferred level of decomposition. A clean bed, a hotel room, or a friend's couch simply will not do. If you sleep somewhere "normal," you gain no healing (Superficial or Aggravated) and wake with +2 Hunger instead of +1. Finding suitable sleeping arrangements is a nightly logistical nightmare that your Coterie will learn to dread unless you brought your own pool. |
5 |
| Murderous Shadow |
Requires Dark Betrayal Folkloric Bane |
While you slumber, your shadow detaches from your body and commits whatever violent acts it desires. You have no control over it and no memory of what it does. The Storyteller determines the shadow's targets and methods; it may favor people you secretly fear or resent, or those you hold dear. You wake to find evidence of its work (blood on your hands, news reports, missing persons, horrified Coterie members). The shadow cannot be stopped by any conventional means. |
5 |
Semimortal Playbooks
Merits and Flaws restricted to BP 0 Playbooks (Ghoul & Thin-Blood). These reflect the unique weirdness of being almost-but-not-quite a vampire. Hopefully these help take some of the edge off, or put more of it on. Is that just a longer sword? Whatever, enjoy 'em, you weirdos.
Ghoul
Merits
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Cost |
| Unseemly Aura |
Only Ghouls |
Your aura reads as Kindred to anyone using Auspex or similar perception abilities, not mortal. You register as a vampire even though you aren't one. This can be useful for blending in at Kindred gatherings, but dangerous if a real vampire decides to test whether you're actually one of them. Or you're into that sort of thing. What do I know? I'm just a sassy rulebook. |
1 |
| Blood Empathy |
Only Ghouls |
When your patron is in physical danger, you feel it as a spike of adrenaline, a phantom pain, and a sudden overwhelming dread. The sensation is vague (no location, no details) but unmistakable. You always know when they're in trouble, regardless of distance. Whether you can get to them in time is another matter entirely. |
2 |
Flaws
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Gain |
| Distressing Fangs |
Only Ghouls |
You've developed small but visible fangs from prolonged Vitae consumption. When you smile, speak, or eat in front of mortals, the Storyteller may impose −1 Forward to social rolls if your teeth are noticeable. They're not as dramatic as a Kindred's, but they're definitely not normal. Four out of five dentists will text their dentist friends about it. |
1 |
| Baneful Blood |
Only Ghouls |
You carry your patron's curse in your veins. Your patron's Bane applies to you as if your BP were 1, and it scales with their Blood Potency, not yours. If your patron is a Nosferatu, you're a little uglier. If they're Ventrue, you're a little pickier about things. If they're Toreador, you like opera now. The gift that keeps on giving. |
2 |
| Crone's Curse |
Only Ghouls |
Contrary to the usual Ghoul age-stagnation, your body has aged decades beyond your actual years. You appear elderly or frail regardless of your real age, and your maximum HP is reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 4). Mortals assume you're just old and in rough shape. Kindred assume you've been a Ghoul for a very, very, very long time. Neither assumption is necessarily wrong; that's up to you to decide! |
2 |
Thin-Blood
Merits
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Cost |
| Vampiric Resilience |
Only Thin-Bloods |
You take Harm like a full vampire. Bullets, blades, and blunt trauma inflict Superficial Harm on you instead of the Aggravated Harm that normally applies to Thin-Bloods. You still take Aggravated from fire, sunlight, and supernatural sources like everyone else you try to hang out with. You're tougher than you look, which is good because you look like a soft breeze could kill you. Twerp. |
2 |
| Day Drinker |
Only Thin-Bloods |
You can walk in sunlight without taking any Harm at all. Your Blood is dilute enough that the sun can't burn you. While in direct sunlight, your maximum HP is halved (round down) and you cannot use any Discipline Powers. You are, for all practical purposes, a fragile mortal who happens to need blood instead of beef jerky and cheese. But you can watch the sun rise, so that's pretty cool. |
3 |
Flaws
| Name |
Limit |
Description |
XP Gain |
| Dead Flesh |
Only Thin-Bloods |
Medical examination identifies you as deceased, as it turns out. No heartbeat, no body heat, no vital signs, no sputum. Unlike most Thin-Bloods (who can usually pass basic medical checks), your body reads as a corpse to any trained professional. Blood tests, autopsies, and hospital visits are all off the table unless you want to become somebody's PhD. |
1 |
| Bestial Temper |
Only Thin-Bloods |
You Frenzy like a full vampire. When your Hunger reaches 5, the Beast takes over just as it would for a full-blooded Kindred. Most Thin-Bloods simply get desperate and pathetic at 5 Hunger; you get violent and dangerous like all the cool vamps do. This is a Flaw for the people around you but arguably a Merit for your survival odds. Have fun! |
2 |