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DEDICATED IN LOVING MEMORY, PAUL KRAAIJVANGER SR.

Vampire Manual

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Page 1: Vampire Manual

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DEDICATED IN LOVING MEMORY, PAUL KRAAIJVANGER SR.

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REDEMPTIONREDEMPTION

TABLE OF CONTENTSSHORT STORY:REDEMPTION ..................................................................3CHAPTER ONE: INSTALLATION AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT............10Installing Vampire: The Masquerade Redemption ........................................................10

CHAPTER TWO: HOW TO PLAY VAMPIRE..........................................12Game Control Overview Sheets ..................................................................................17Game Menus................................................................................................................19Main Game Screen.......................................................................................................24Some General Notes about Combat .............................................................................30

CHAPTER THREE: TRAITS AND DISCIPLINES .....................................32

Character Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Disciplines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Common Disciplines . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Animalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Auspex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Celerity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Dementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Dominate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Fortitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Mortis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Obfuscate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Potence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Presence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Protean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Thaumaturgy - General . . . . . . . . . . . 41Thaumaturgy - Blood Magic . . . . . . . 41Thaumaturgy - Lure of Flames . . . . . . 42Thaumaturgy - Hands of Destruction . 42Thaumaturgy - Blood Rituals . . . . . . . 43Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Numina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

CHAPTER FOUR: ENEMIES AND EQUIPMENT......................................45Enemies........................................................................................................................45Equipment and Treasure...............................................................................................48Weapons.......................................................................................................................48Armour.........................................................................................................................50Other Equipment .........................................................................................................50Artifacts........................................................................................................................51

CHAPTER FIVE: MULTIPLAYER AND STORYTELLING ......................52The Haven and Character Creation..............................................................................53Creating A New Character ...........................................................................................53LAN Games: Lobby and Chat......................................................................................55Internet Games: The WON Lobby and Rooms............................................................56Create A Game.............................................................................................................57Playing in a Multiplayer Game.....................................................................................58Storytelling a Multiplayer Game...................................................................................59

CHAPTER SIX: THE WORLD OF DARKNESS.......................................64CREDITS....................................................................................................98CUSTOMER SUPPORT............................................................................101SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT .......................................................102

A sliver of moon broke through the greyclouds as Christof reached the top of the hill.The night wind cut through his batteredarmour, chilling his overheated body. Hislimbs ached as they never had before andcried out for rest. But he had not prayed allday and would not let his body collapse untilhe had done so.

The Crusaders of the Order of theSwordbrethren had been on a forced marchsince dawn, chasing the faster, lighter-armoured barbarians. Sir Cuthbert hadreluctantly allowed them to stop only whennightfall made further travel impossible.

After pitching their tents, the Crusadersgratefully collapsed onto their straw mats.But Christof did not. He had a need greaterthan sleep. Friar Bertrand’s energetic orationsagainst the barbarians were stirring, but hisperfunctory prayers gave little consolation tothe eighteen-year-old Crusader. The Saviourhad decreed that Christians pray alone, intheir private chambers, and Christof haddiligently followed that stricture every daysince childhood. But there were no privatechambers in the wastelands of Moravia, sothe desolate, windswept hilltop would haveto suffice.

Christof paused at the peak of the hill andlooked down. From his perch he could seethe entire Crusader camp etched in coldmoonlight. A dozen watch-fires glowedreassuringly around the perimeter, wardingoff the terrors of the night. Most of theCrusaders slumbered, bone-weary from theday’s forced march. Even some of the watchdozed fitfully at their posts. All was quiet,except for a few unarmoured serfs whoscurried about the camp, hauling sacks ofgrain, digging a shallow cesspit and preparingfor the morning meal.

For the first time that day, Christof feltsafe. He pulled off his heavy, battered helmetand let it clatter to the ground. The coldnight air lashed his long, brown hair, whichwas matted and dripping wet. He rubbed hiseyes with a mailed fist, wiping away rust andsweat mingled with the grit of the road. Hisarmour was battered and in need of repair.The white cloth over his mail hauberk wastorn in many places and streaked with dull,brown dried blood. But the crimson crossacross the chest was still as bright and proudas the day he first wore it. His limbs achedfrom weeks of marching. But Christof wasnot ready to rest.

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The massive pig wheeled to survey thedamage it had done. It snorted withsatisfaction and lowered its yellowed tusks tocharge the screaming child again. Then itnoticed Christof, now very alone on the green.It charged in Christof ’s direction, testing thelone, impudent creature who did not fly fromhis wrath. Christof quickly stepped sideways,toward a hut, narrowly evading the creature.The boar sped pasthim and hurtled backaround the green.Satisfied that Christofno longer defied him,the boar returned hisattention to thesqualling child.

Christof grabbed asharpened tent polefrom the hut andapproached the child.The boar snorted withrage, stomped thegrass and chargedChristof, determinedto punish this act ofdefiance. Christofcrouched low, plantedthe butt end of thespike in the groundand braced against it.He faced the beastand lowered thetoward its onrushingjaws.

The spike snappedlike dry kindling asthe boar toppled Christof and gored his rightshoulder. The beast snarled a blast of hot, foulbreath in frustration as it realised that it hadcharged, open-mouthed, right into the tentspike. It stomped its hooves and ripped atChristof ’s chest, tusks inches from Christof ’sface. But the spike had torn though the boar’sgaping mouth and shattered its neck bone. Itsmonstrous head glowered with impotent,

disbelieving rage as the light slowly faded fromits eyes.

The villagers poured into the green,cheering. They hauled the monster off thegasping and bleeding Christof. The villageelders held a week-long festival in Christof ’shonour, and for those seven days, he was greatas King David. “Christof, God hath given theea great gift of courage,” the elders said. “Thou

art meant for greaterglory than life as afreeman baker orcobbler! Perhaps thoushalt become theyoungest village elder.”The vainglory feltsweet but alsoembarrassed him. Thelasses adored him andlavished him withhoneyed praise.“Christof, thou art thebravest man inChristendom! Blessedis she thou takes towife!” The lads alsoadmired him.“Christof, thoushould’st fight for theglory of God! Gothou! Go far from St.Claire! Join theCrusade, and bringfame to our village!”But Christof barelyheard any of them. All he could see was

the massive, oppressive face of the beast inchesfrom his face. Angry. Hateful. Fire in its dead eyes.

***

Christof shook his head to dispel thememory and focused again on his prayer. Hewas anxious to finish and eager to sleep. He

He drew his broadsword from itsscabbard, plunged the tip into the crust ofthe dry earth and knelt before it. He pressedhis feverish brow into the handle, closed hiseyes and prayed quietly.

“Our Father who art in Heaven....” But his mind did not stay on the prayer.

The tension that had coiled around hiswarrior’s spine slowly melted away. And asthe tension ebbed, a flood of memories roseup, unbidden. And unwelcome.

***

In his sixteen years, Christof had neverstruck a blow in anger. In the little Frenchvillage of St. Claire, he had raced against,wrestled and mock-duelled every lad and able-boded man. He won most of his bouts

and always emerged unscathed, as ifprotected from on high. Until the day a wildboar had thundered across the village green.

The boar charged the villagers, whoscattered before it like geese, jabbering interror as the boar snorted and slashed. Twowatchmen panicked and fled, dropping theirhatchets as they ran past slower-movingvillagers. Christof easily outran the massivepig, but a scream more piercing than all theothers cut through him like a razor. Heturned and saw that the boar had trampled asmall child, who lay crying on the green. Awhite-hot fury ignited in Christof ’s chest. Hestopped, and held his ground as the slowervillagers ran past him. In a moment, thevillage green was empty except for the child,the boar and Christof.

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backward, nearly toppling into Sir Cuthbert’stent. But the short serf effortlessly pulled thelarge man away from the tent and quietlylowered his body to the ground. Then the serfdarted toward the guard at the opening of SirCuthbert’s tent.

Christof pulled the sword from the groundas he leapt to his feet. He tried to cry out butno sound emerged from his mouth. Hecharged down the hill as the small serf gentlylowered the second guard to the ground.Weary Crusaders glowered at Christof as hestormed past them. Only when the serfdisappeared inside Sir Cuthbert’s tent didChristof finally find his voice.

“Alarum! Alarum!” he shouted breathlessly,bursting into the tent. The serf was alreadycrouching over Sir Cuthbert, who lay atop hisstraw palette, dead to the world. Christofsword flashed in the torchlight and crasheddown on the serf ’s head, where it bit deeply,with a satisfying crunch. The skull caved in,and a chunk of bone and gristle flew acrossthe tent. But the serf did not fall. Instead heturned and glowered at Christof with eyes thatwere black pools of hate. Christof froze. For amoment, all was still in the tent as the serflocked eyes on him. Dead eyes. Full of hate.

Then the serf snarled and clawed atChristof with long, cracked fingernailsencrusted with filth. Christof dimly noticed hissword bouncing silently off the hard earth athis feet, and his right arm suddenly felt coldand faraway. The serf paused to wipe his eyesclean of the blood that flowed freely from thegaping head wound Christof had delivered.The serf crinkled his ashen face into a wickedleer. His thin dry lips peeled back to reveallong, glistening yellow teeth. The yellowedfangs flashed in the torchlight as he silentlylunged toward Christof ’s unarmoured head.

The stillness abruptly shattered with a roar,as shouting men in clanking mail burst intothe tent. The serf unlocked his grasp onChristof ’s arm and pushed him toward thecharging Crusaders. Christof stumbled

backward, blocking their path. The serfhowled a hideous, high-pitched snarl andturned, shredding the back of the tent with asweep of his razor-sharp talons. He boundedthrough the hole and ran, toppling a Crusaderwho stood in his path.

Christof found he could suddenly moveagain and charged after the serf. He ranheadlong through the dark, past groggy troopsrising from their deep and troubled sleep. Anuproar swept through the camp. Finally,Christof slowed. He peered into the darknessbut to no avail. The creature had vanishedinto the chill of the night.

Fear replaced exhaustion in the hearts ofthe Swordbrethren and banished all hope ofsleep as word of the blood-mad devil racedfrom man to man. Two of Sir Cuthbert’sofficers found the shivering Christof and ledhim back to Sir Cuthbert’s tattered tent,which flapped in the night wind despite theefforts of several serfs to mend it. The tent wasnow ringed with a barrier of Cuthbert’sretainers, who muttered angrily to oneanother, debating the most fitting punishmentfor the serf, once they caught him. SirCuthbert’s steward parted them and beckonedfor Christof to enter. The retainers steppedaside to admit Cuthbert’s officers, but theyscowled suspiciously at Christof, whoappeared indistinguishable from any otheryoung, front-line soldier.

Inside the tent, the white-haired companyempiric was examining a pale Sir Cuthbert,who looked weary, but solid as granite. Atlength, the old man gruffly announced, “’Tisthe will of God that Sir Cuthbert be deliveredfrom the devil’s grasp! He is whole.”

The officers roared with relief and toastedhis health. But an impatient Sir Cuthbertpushed past them and strode out of the tent.Outside, the anxious troops erupted incheers. With an abrupt wave of his hand, SirCuthbert cut them off, and the camp fellsilent. Sir Cuthbert surveyed his men for along moment before speaking.

continued quietly, “Forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us....”

***

In his seventeen years, Christof had neverkilled a man. The hot sun beat down on himand a roaring filled his ears, drowning outthe angry clash of steel on steel. Sparks flewbefore his eyes, and his head spun around asthe barbarian’s axe struck his helmet fromthe right.

Christof was certain he was dead. Heprayed that the Lord would find his soul inthe midst of the battlefield wasteland andblindly gave his sword one final thrust. Thepommel rattled painfully in his hand as hisblade bit deeply into flesh and struck hardbone. The barbarian collapsed like a strawman at a harvest festival and lay still.

The ringing in Christof ’s ears subsided,and his visionslowly cleared.He tugged athis sword,which hadpierced thebarbarian’sheart. But theweapon did notbudge. It wascaught on thebarbarian’s ribs,and would notdislodge.Christofgripped the hiltwith both handsand yankedfuriously. Thebarbarian’scorpse vaultedupwards, as if rising from the dead. Theshattered chest bones groaned like the hingesof Hell and snapped open as the sword burstfree. The broken body crashed back to the

earth, shuddered and lay still. But one handstuck straight up, as though begging Christoffor absolution.

Christof stared down into the dead man’shollow eyes. The piercing black pupils staredback with the same accusing, disbelievinglook as the boar. Christof looked away butknew the sight would never leave him for allhis days.

***

Again Christof tried to shake off thememory and focused on his prayer. But hefelt ill at ease, and the prayer brought him nocomfort. “Lead us not into temptation, butdeliver us from-”

His attention drifted from the prayer butnot to another memory. He opened his eyesand peered down the hill to the troopsslumbering below. The camp was quiet,

except for a fewserfs finishingtheir chores.Though theycarried heavypacks thatweighed asmuch as aCrusader’s armsand armour,they wereexpected tolabour while thetroops slept. Allseemed well.

Christof wasclosing his eyesagain when herealised that aguard outsideSir Cuthbert’s

tent was swaying drunkenly at his post.Christof opened his eyes and watched as asmall serf in a hood and tunic whispered intothe ear of the tall guard. The guard fell

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“What is your name, boy?” asked SirCuthbert.

“Christof Romuald, of St. Claire.” “Thou art a brave lad, and true, Christof

Romuald of St. Claire. Dost thou love God?”“Aye, my liege.”“Seek ye salvation of thy sinner’s soul?”“With all my heart, my liege.”“Art thou prepared to die for the

Kingdom of God?”“Aye, my liege.”“No longer shall thou fight upon the line.

Thou shalt join my retinue and smite all whowould kill me.”

Christof felt light-headed. Almost giddy.“I obey, my liege,” he said, breathlessly.

“Thou hast cleft the devil’s skull in twainand lived to boast of it.”

Christof nodded slowly. “God has smiled upon thee. He spared

thee from certain death because He hasconceived a higher purpose for thee.Therefore, fear not in battle, but give thedevil his due, for thou art blessed!”

“Aye.” Chirstof replied, though he was farfrom reassured.

Christof slept deeply that night, draggedunder by weariness and wine. For the firsttime, the hateful, hollow eyes of the deadboar and the dead barbarian no longerhaunted him. Instead, all he could see werethe hateful, living eyes of a dead man.

“Saved,” he hoarsely bellowed, “by thegrace of God!” The troops cheered again,louder.

Christof tried to follow Sir Cuthbert outof the tent, but the empiric blocked his path.The old man peeled back the blood-soakedmail from Christof ’s right forearm andgripped his bicep to stanch the blood flow.He forced Christof to sit on a barrel.

“The demon unleashed a torrent of bloodfrom thy arm,” the old man scolded, pouringwine over the jagged claw marks. “Thy verylife leaks out upon the uncaring soil!” Hegently rinsed grit from the wound andwrapped it tightly in fresh linen. “Disturbnot this dressing,” he said sternly. When hefinished, the empiric retrieved Christof ’sbroadsword from the ground. The old manscowled as he handed Christof the weapon,saying, “When next thou are inclined tochase the spawn of Hell... pray remember tobring thy sword!” And just for a moment,Christof thought he saw a hint of smile onthe sour face of the old man who hadwitnessed so much suffering and death.

Outside the tent, Friar Bertrand intoned,“In the name of our Lord and God JesusChrist, for His glory and for the exaltation ofHis holy faith. Amen. The barbarian dogsfelt the sting of God’s wrath in our swords,and they fear us. They flee our wrath likecoward’s! They cannot win by honest force ofarms, so they have sent a devil to our campto slay your lord and master, Sir Cuthbert.But the Lord was with us this day and drovethe devil from the sight of righteous men!”

The Crusaders cheered again, louder. AsFriar Bertrand continued his litany, SirCuthbert stepped back into the tent. Heapproached his steward and said, “Give themen an extra tot of brandy tonight, or theywill never rest.”

“But is that wise?” the steward asked. “Wemust rise before dawn! If we should delayfurther, that barbarian hoard shall surely-”

“We’ve lost those jackals,” Sir Cuthbertsnapped. “We could wander these hills forweeks and not find their trail. The filthybarbarians wear armour of fur so that theymay run like deer and hide like mice. But itwill protect them no more than it did thebeast they skinned!” He paused andcomposed himself. “No. Let the men sleeppast sunrise. We’ve pushed them hard enoughfor one week.”

“Whither do we go after sunrise?” thesteward asked.

“To the barbarian supply camp! We shallseek for it here in these Moravian hills. It wasdoubtless the hoards destination. And we areclose, by God, or their demon master wouldnever have risked entering our camp, even bynight!”

“Yes, my lord!” the steward replied. “Butthey will continue to seek thy murder!”

“Aye. My retinue will protect me, if Godwills it. Now fetch the men their brandy.Tomorrow we scout these hills. I want themen full of vigour when we find thebarbarian camp.”

“It shall be so,” the steward nodded,turning to leave.

Sir Cuthbert glanced at Christof.“Who is this boy?” he snapped at

the steward. “The very one who smote the demon and

drove him from this tent!”Cuthbert studied Christof a moment and

then motioned him to approach. Christofstepped forward, trying to conceal thetrembling in his knees. He had never beenthis close to the great Crusader before.Christof fumbled as he clumsily sheathed hissword and knelt.

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and you will have to restart this process.This method may be easier for those whoknow an area well and wish to run quicklythrough it without clicking repeatedly.

Depending on the distance to yourdestination, your character will eithercarefully walk towards the spot or runtowards it. If the destination is near thecharacter, s/he will walk carefully to it. Ifit is further away, then the character willrun to the location. If you want to makethe character run to a desired spotregardless of the distance, then hold downthe shift key and left click with the cursorover the spot. Also, if you have a three-button mouse, you can use the thirdmouse button instead of clicking andholding down the shift key.

Please note, if your character is badlywounded, s/he will limp for several stepsbefore resuming his or her normal walking speed.

To operate doors and other portals, you must place your cursor on the portaland left click. When you first place yourcursor on the portal, it will highlight toshow that it has been targeted. After youleft click on the portal, your character will move toward and interact with it (e.g. open the door.) If the portal cannotbe opened, then a message will appear inthe text box in the middle of the screen.

ATTACKING

In order to initiate an attack, move yourcursor over an enemy, and the Attack iconwill appear. When you left-click on thetarget, the character you are controllingwill then attack the target using whateverweapon is in his or her hand at the time. Ifyou continue to hold the left mouse buttondown, your character will continue to autoattack your target until the target is killedor until you are damaged. Pressing thethird mouse button or holding the shiftkey while attacking, will cause yourcharacter to perform a secondary attack.

This is normally a slower, yet moredamaging attack.

Next to the standard melee weapons,there are a variety of ranged weapons in thegame. Unlike melee weapons, rangedweapons will require ammunition, whichcan be found by defeating enemies orpurchasing it from a store. On some of theranged weapons (e.g. pistols, revolvers,bows, crossbows, rifles, etc), the secondaryattack will fire rounds with a higheraccuracy, however this will be at theexpense of a slower firing rate. As youprogress through the game, you will alsoencounter certain guns (e.g. machine guns,chain guns) with which you can hold downthe ALT key and point at the locationwhere you would like to fire. You can thenfocus your fire on an entire group ofadversaries in the distance instead of onesingle enemy.

To use a throwing weapon (e.g. grenadeor holy-water vial), you will first have toselect the item by either right or leftclicking on the item when it is in yourinventory. If you have selected the item,then your icon will change into the imageof the item that you have selected. Also, ifitem the is in your quick items slot, thenyou can hit the corresponding quick itemkey to use the item (For moreinformation, please see Chapter Two:Main Game Screen). To use the item onan enemy, you will simply have to leftclick on your target, and the item will bethrown and it will then disappear fromyour inventory. If you accidentallyequipped an item and wish to return it toyour inventory, you can left click on anopen spot in your inventory or right clickanywhere on the in-game screen and theitem will be automatically returned toyour inventory. Special targeting modessuch as ALT+Left Mouse click will workfor thrown weapons as well as projectileweapons.

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The following chapter explains the basicinformation needed to play Vampire: TheMasquerade Redemption®. In V:TMRedemption, you will take on the role ofChristof Romuald as he makes his journeyfrom the world of mortals to the world ofthe undead. Travelling through fourdifferent cities across the span of time, youwill venture into the dark underbelly of theworld in your undying quest for love.Choices will be made that will affect yourfuture, and you must learn to temper yourunending thirst for blood brought on by theBeast raging inside you. You will encounterall of this as you journey into the world ofVampire: The Masquerade Redemption.

GAME CONTROLS

In this section, you will learn thevarious controls and commands used toplay V:TM Redemption. To interact withanything in the game, position your mousecursor over the desired object, which willhighlight to show that it is being targeted,and then press one of the mouse buttonsto trigger a command.

When you put your cursor over anobject that highlights, the cursor willchange shape to show what action will beperformed if you click on the highlighted

item: The cursors are Talk, Attack andPickup/Use. Rollover text will also appearin the text window, giving you moreinformation about your target.

CHARACTER MOVEMENT

To move your character around thegame world, position your mouse cursorover the spot you wish your character tomove towards, and then left click on thatspot. If your character can move there, amovement target icon will appear on theground, and your character willimmediately move towards it. If yourcharacter cannot move to that spot, then alarge red X icon will appear, and yourcharacter will stay where s/he is.

If you do not wish to click on thedestination for your character, there isanother method of moving him as well.You can click on your destination and, asyour character begins to move toward it,hold down the mouse button and begin tomove it to a new destination point. Aslong as you hold down the mouse button,your character will redirect himself towherever you place the mouse cursor.However, if your character runs into a wallor you leave you cursor in an area wherehe cannot walk, then he will stop moving

CHAPTER TWO:HOW TO

PLAY VAMPIRE

CHAPTER TWO:HOW TO

PLAY VAMPIRE

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the entire coterie to return to the leadcharacter. If you want the entire party tomeet at a specific point, move the cursorto that point and hold down the CTRLkey and left click on that location. Note,when a coterie member is separated fromyour group, s/he will not come to the leadcharacter’s aid if he is damaged nor willthis character engage any enemies at all.

If you want to focus all of the coterie’sattacks on one enemy, then highlight theenemy with the cursor and hold down theCTRL key on your keyboard as youattack. The entire coterie should thenfocus their attacks on this enemy as longas you continue to hold down the CTRLkey while you attack.

BLOOD

As a human, blood courses throughyour veins in order to sustain life. As avampire, blood no longer courses throughyour veins, but it is still as important asever in sustaining your unlife. In order tobe able to use your Disciplines, as well asto prevent your character from frenzying,you will require blood. In your character’sstatus bar, there is a red bar, whichindicates your Blood Pool. As you useDisciplines, blood will be used from yourBlood Pool, and this bar will go down. Inorder to replenish your Blood Pool, youwill need to Feed (for information onusing the Feed Discipline, please seeChapter 3: Traits and Disciplines) on othercreatures throughout the game. However,not all creatures can be fed upon, andthere are many that will attempt to resistyou. Failure to catch someone in yourgrasp will leave you in a vulnerableposition, and you will be open for acounterattack. It is commonly known thata creature under your powers can be moreeasily fed upon than creatures that stillhave the use of their own free will.

If you are unable to find a suitable

vessel of blood, there are other ways ofobtaining blood in the game. Rats thatyou can find scurrying around the city arealways good for a small supply of blood.However, there is always a chance thatthey will infect your character with anydisease that they may have. Also, bottles ofvitae can be found scattered throughout arival vampire’s haven and are excellentsources of blood. In certain cases, somebottles of vitae may not only replenishyour Blood Pool but even hold somespecial powers when ingested.

FRENZY

Vampires are monsters, possessed of aninner Beast. Though, like humans, theyhave the capability to overrule their baserinstincts, sometimes they fail. When thisoccurs, the Hunger and the Beast becomeuncontrollable, and no one is safe.

In the game, there is an orange bar,which monitors your Frenzy level. As youtake damage from enemies, your Frenzylevel will increase until you can no longercontrol your actions, and friend and foealike must be wary of you, since you willbegin to attack indiscriminately. The rateat which you frenzy does depend on a fewvariables including the clan type (someClans frenzy more quickly than others),Blood Pool level (if your character isstarving for blood, then he is more likelyto frenzy), and the type of damage (sometypes of Aggravated damage such as firewill increase the Frenzy level faster).

Certain Disciplines will also cause acharacter to frenzy faster, and there are alsoa few Disciplines that will lower the Frenzylevel as well. Eventually, your character willnaturally become unfrenzied. However, ifyou are on the verge of frenzying, the useof the Heal Discipline has been known tosubside the need to rage.

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Using a scroll is done in a similarfashion as well. To prepare a scroll for use,right click or left click on the scroll whenit is in your inventory. Your cursor shouldnow become the image of the scrollindicating that you are now ready to usethe scroll. To use the Discipline, place theimage of the scroll over the intended targetand press the Right Mouse button. Yourcharacter will then use the scroll on theintended target (which may be an enemycharacter, a friendly character, an item inyour inventory, or comrade depending onthe purpose of the scroll) and the scrollwill then disappear from your character’sinventory. If you choose not to use a scrollwhich is being held, simply left click on anempty inventory slot, and the scroll will beplaced there.

DISCIPLINE USAGE

To attack a target with a Discipline,make sure that you have the correctDiscipline selected and then right-clickover the highlighted target. If your placeyour cursor over the Discipline icon in theDiscipline window, a small description ofthe Discipline, which includes the targettype, will appear in the status window,which is located in the bottom middle ofthe screen. Note: if you have selected aDiscipline that does not require a target,for example Blood Healing, that Disciplinewill activate even if nothing is highlightedby the cursor. Also, if you right click on atarget and cannot use the Discipline, thenyou may not have enough blood to use theDiscipline or the selected target may notbe affected by the selected Discipline.

COTERIE CONTROL

In your travels through the World ofDarkness™, your party of vampires,which is also known as a coterie, willencounter a variety of enemies. In order tosurvive in this world, you will need to

carefully control the attitudes and actionsof your coterie members.

By default, the characters in a playercontrolled coterie are set to a Neutralstance, meaning that they will follow yourlead character and engage in combat asneeded and directed by their leader. Toswitch characters, click on the head of thecharacter that you want to control in themiddle bottom of the screen. Thischaracter will then become the leadcharacter that the others take their cuesfrom, and a red border will surround thestatus bar of this character to indicate thatyou are currently controlling him. Also,you can hit the Tab key to cycle throughthe characters until you find the one thatyou want to control. Another keyboardshortcut that you can use is the F6-F9keys. Hitting F6 will allow you to takecontrol of Christof, F7 will allow you totake control of the character to the right ofChristof, F8 will let you take control ofthe character two slots to the right ofChristof, and F9 will let you control thecharacter in the fourth slot.

When you control a character, you canchange the stance of the coterie membersby clicking on the Offensive/Defensivebuttons, which are located in the lower lefthand corner of the game interface. Acharacter set to offensive will seek outenemies to fight on his or her own andwill be freer in their use of Disciplines andblood. A character set to defensive willconserve his or her resources and avoidcombat wherever possible. You can returna character to neutral stance by clicking onthe Neutral button at any time.

To gain more control over individualcoterie members, you can separate themfrom the group by clicking on the greenlight next to their character portrait. Oncea character is “out of the group” s/he willno longer follow the lead character.Clicking the Regroup button will cause

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AWAKEN

If one of your characters is damageduntil s/he no longer has any Health, thenthat character will fall into a state of torpor,which is a death like sleep. In order tobring your character out of torpor, you willneed another character to use the AwakenDiscipline on the fallen comrade. TheAwaken Discipline is available for use byacquiring scrolls or learning the Disciplineby spending experience. When you have theAwaken Discipline selected, simply rightclick on the portrait of your fallen comrade,and your character will use this Discipline.If your character is successful, then yourfallen friend will Awaken with a low bloodsupply and a minimal amount of Health.For more on Disciplines, please see ChapterThree: Traits and Disciplines.

If all of your characters fall into a stateof torpor, then the game is over, and youwill need to load from an older saved game.

SAVING/LOADING A GAME

In V:TM Redemption, there are twopossible ways of saving a game.

First of all, you can choose to let thegame autosave for you. Every time youenter a new area (this occurs when the“loading” screen appears), all of yourcharacter’s information and status will beautomatically saved. The autosave isparticularly useful when you are goingfrom one level of a dungeon to anotherand you do not wish to travel back to theHaven in order to save the game.

Second, you can save the game byclicking on a save cross (if you are human)or a save ankh (if you are a vampire),which are located in your Haven. Whenyou clicking on the save cross/ankh, thiswill bring up the save game screen. Simplyclick on the slot, where you wish to savethe game, and then click on ok.

To load a saved game, just go to SinglePlayer, and then click on “Load a SavedGame.” When the Load game screenappears, you can then click on Autosave (toload an autosaved game) or click on aspecific game slot. In the game slots, thename of the level and the time, which yousaved, will be listed here. Once you havechosen the game that you wish to load, justclick on “OK”, and the game will load it up.

GAME CONTROLS OVERVIEWThe following is a summary of the game controls in both Single Player and

Multiplayer. Generally speaking the controls will do the following:

Left Click Walk to Location, Talk to Person, Attack an Enemy, Pickup Item

Left Click + Alt Fire at Ground (clicking on the ground), Pickup to Cursor (clicking on an item)

Left Click + Ctrl Party Attack (clicking on enemy), Party Regroups to Location (clicking on the ground)

Left Click + Space Hold Attack (enemy), Turn in Place (ground)

Hold down Left Click Automatic Attack

Right Click Use Discipline or held scroll. Store held item back into inventory.

Right Click + Space Use While Stationary

Third Mouse Button Acts like Shift + Left Click

For users with a Mouse with more than two buttons:

Button 3 (middle) Acts like Shift-Left Click

Button 4 Zoom to first person view/Acts like “Z”

Button 5 Party Attack (clicking on enemy), Party Regoups to Location (clicking on the ground), Group Toggle (clicking on the UI head ) / Acts like Ctrl + Left Click

+ Space Stationary cast

The specific combination controls for single player and multiplayer are the following:

MOUSE CONTROLS (SINGLE PLAYER)Select current character Left click on character portrait

Autowalk Hold down Left click on desired target location

Attack Left click on highlighted enemy to attack

Secondary Attack Third mouse button click on enemy to attack

Activate door/switch Left click on door/switch

Talk to NPC Left click on NPC if talk cursor is present

Pick up item Left click on item if pickup cursor is present

Use current Right click on target to use DisciplineDiscipline/Numina (different powers have different targeting requirements)

Use inventory item Right click on item to use from inventory

Set current Left click on Discipline from quick-list or from the Discipline PaneDiscipline/Numina

Feed/Kiss Press “F” or select “Feed” Discipline from list and use as normal

Display Statistics Pane Left click on “Character” button

Display Inventory Pane Left click on “Inventory” button

Display Discipline Pane Left click on “Disciplines” button

Display Map Left click on “Map” button

Display Quest Log Left click on “Quest” button

Change Coterie stance Left click on desired stance from coterie controls icons

Take gold/money Left click on gold display, type in amount (defaults to half total). from inventory Gold/money drops to the floor.

Remove stake from Left click on character to de-stake, the current character will approach and remove coterie member the stake

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MAIN MENU

The main menu offers the mainoptions to the game. You may chooseSingle Player, Multiplayer, Options, ViewCredits or Quit.

SINGLE PLAYER

This will start a Single Player game.You will be prompted to Start A NewGame or Load A Saved Game.

MULTIPLAYER

This will start a Multiplayer game. Youwill be prompted to connect over the LANor the Internet.

OPTIONS

This brings up the Options Menu.

VIEW CREDITS

This will bring up the list of all thepeople who have contributed to this game.

QUIT

This will exit the program.

SINGLE PLAYER MENU

NEW GAME

This option starts a new game of V:TMRedemption. After selecting this option, thegame transitions into the openingcutscene, and the game begins. Warning:Clicking on New Name will erase thecurrent autosave.

LOAD GAME

You can use this option to loadpreviously saved games. A list is presentedcontaining the save game names. The firstitem on this list is always your autosave.The names of the other saves consist of thesave location, game date and time (e.g.“Convent,” 3:54am). By selecting one ofthese options and hitting ‘Ok’, the gameloads and begins from the point at whichyou saved. Selecting ‘Cancel’ on thisscreen returns you to the Main menu.

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KEYBOARD CONTROLS (SINGLE PLAYER)Pause game/display in-game menu Esc

TAB Cycle current character s, release Possession of character

Stop action Spacebar

Force run to destination Shift + Left Click on destination

Display Character Pane “C”

Display Inventory Pane “I”

Display Discipline Pane “D”

Display Map “M”

Display Quest Log “Q”

Close all Panes Backspace

Use quick item F1 – F5

Quick Character Selection F6 – F9, F6 for Christof, F7 for character in slot two, etc.

Toggle Status Bar Display F11

Take Screenshot F12 (saves shotxxx.bmp in current directory)

Select active Discipline from quick list 1 – 6

Zoom Camera +/-

Regroup coterie R

In/Out coterie toggle G

Switch to First Person View Hold down Z

Swivel View Toggle X or Numpad 5

Fire at the ground (missile weapons only) ALT + Left click on the ground

Party attack CTRL + Left click on target

Party Regroup to Locations CTRL + Left click on destination

Secondary attack Shift + Left click on target

Force run Shift + Left click on the destination

Turn in place Space Bar + Left Click on the ground

Stationary Discipline casting Space Bar + Right Click on the target

Skip current conversation line Space

Abort/End current conversation Esc

Exit shop/conversation bar Esc

KEYBOARD CONTROLS(ADDITIONS/CHANGES FOR MULTIPLAYER GAMES)

Talk Enter

Toggle between Storyteller and Player Mode \

Toggle Possession (ST only) “P”

ST Actor Pane Toggle “A”

ST Object Pane Toggle “O”

ST Controls Pane Toggle “V”

ST Locations Pane Toggle “L”

ST Scenes Pane Toggle “S”

Emote commands Type “wave,” “bow,” “menace,” etc. in talk prompt

Scroll Text Display Page Up / Page Down

Place ST Head (ST Only) Right click on target position

Jump to Location (ST Only) ALT+Right Click

GAME MENUS

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OPTIONS SCREENS

Select Options from the Main Menu tobring up the Game Options Screen. Thereare four options to select from the GameOptions Screen. From any of the optionsscreens hit OK to accept the changes youhave made or CANCEL to return to theprevious screen making no changes.

DISPLAY

The Display Options Screen allows youto optimise the look and performance ofthe game based on the video card in yoursystem. The options are broken down intobasic and advanced options.

BASIC SETTINGS

DEVICE: Shows the current displaydriver installed on your computer, andallows you to change drivers betweenprimary and secondary cards (if you have asecondary card installed.)

VIDEO MODE: Shows the currentdisplay resolution and colour depth. Notall video cards will support all resolutions,and colour depths and settings that are toohigh may severely impact performance.

DETAIL LEVEL: This allows you toraise or lower the graphics detail tooptimise performance on your machine.Detail level ranges from Very Low to Highand can be adjusted by clicking the arrowsnext to the box.

BRIGHTNESS: This slider controlsthe brightness of the game display. Slidethe arrow to choose a setting that iscompatible with your monitor’s settings

ADVANCED DISPLAY OPTIONS

The Advanced Display Options allowyou to customise the graphics settings forthe game on your machine. If a featuredoes not have a check box in it, then it ismost likely that your video card cannotsupport this particular feature. Some ofthese options are very video carddependent and may cause the game tofail to run properly if they are enabled.Non-advanced users are cautionedagainst any changes of these settings!

DRIVER INFO: This box displaysinformation about the video card currentlyused by the game.

DRAW SKY: This box turns the sky onand off.

3D UI HEAD: This enables theanimation of the 3D User Interface Head.

REFLECTIONS: This will togglewhether the game displays reflections ornot.

TEXTURE BIT DEPTH: This allowsyou to switch between 16-bit and 32-bitcolour depth.

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MULTIPLAYER MENU

LANLAN games are played over a Local

Area Network. You will not need to login(assuming your computer is constantlyconnected) and will be taken directly toyour Crypt when you choose this option.In a LAN game, you will only be able tochat and play with other users that are onthe same LAN as you are.

Should you wish a wider range ofgames and players, you will need toconnect to the Internet via WON.

INTERNET GAMES

Internet Games connect your computerto WON, where you can chat, find gamesto play and connect with users from allover the world. You can connect to WON from any machine that has directInternet access.

From here, you can log onto WONwith an existing account or create a newaccount. To use an existing account,simply enter in your Username andPassword, and click the OK button.Remember, both your User Name andPassword are case sensitive.

FOR ALL NEW USERS TO WON:To create a new account, click on theCreate Member button. Your InternetBrowser will open, taking you to the WONpages that allow you to create an account.Please follow the onscreen instructions inorder to create a new account. If you arehaving problems creating a new account,please contact WON.

The panels on the right-hand side ofthe login screen will take you to thewebsites of WON, Activision, NihilisticSoftware and White Wolf.

GAME MENUS GAME MENUS

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AUTOLOAD QUICK SLOT FROMBACKPACK: This option toggles whetheritems on the Quick Inventory Slots arereloaded from the character’s backpack ifthe same item, e.g. a Blood Vial, exists inboth places.

Coterie AI Options

USE QUICK DISCIPLINES ONLY:This sets the AI to only use the Disciplinesin their Quick Discipline Slots.

USE QUICK ITEMS ONLY: This setsthe AI to only use Quick Inventory Slotitems and not to reach into their backpack

AUTO-DISCIPLINE USE:

AUTO-USE HEALING: This toggles ifyou allow AI controlled characters to usehealing Disciplines, e.g. Blood Healing

AUTO-USE BUFF: This toggles if youallow AI controlled characters to usebuffing (enhancing) Disciplines, e.g.Fortitude

AUTO-USE DAMAGE: This toggles ifyou allow AI controlled characters to usedamaging Disciplines, e.g. Fireball.

AUTO-USE SPECIAL: This toggles ifyou allow AI controlled characters to usespecial Disciplines, e.g. Earth Meld

GAME OPTIONS

The Game Options screen allows youto turn blood and subtitles on or off.

NO BLOOD: Use this option to turnthe appearance of blood off in the game.

SUBTITLING: Use this option to turnsubtitling during cutscenes on and off.

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TEXTURE FILTERING: This allowsthe selection of bilinear or trilinear texturefiltering. Filtering reduces jitter and“sparkling” of textures as they move intothe distance and smoothes them when theyare close.

STATIC LIGHTING: This togglesbetween the use of lightmap or vertex-based lighting. Lightmaps provide moreaccurate shadows but are slower. Vertexlighting is faster but less detailed.

STYLED LIGHTS: This turns styledlights on or off.

DYNAMIC LIGHT BLOBS: Thisenables dynamic lighting (from fireballs,muzzle flashes, torches).

MODEL LOD: This slider sets the levelof detail for character models.

UI HEAD LOD: This slider sets thelevel of detail for the character portraits.

PARTICLE LOD: This slider sets thelevel of detail for particle effects in the game.

DECALS: This slider sets the numberand frequency of decals in the game.

AUTOMATIC MIP LEVELS: Thisdetermines how many mip levels of atexture the engine will auto-generate.

MIP SELECTION: This will allowusers, who have 3D cards with lowmemory, to select a default mip map levellower than the default. This causes texturesto appear blurrier, but uses less texturememory and increases performance.

CHARACTER DYNAMIC LIGHTS:This slider sets the level of dynamiclighting on character models.

CHARACTER SHADOWS: This slidersets the number of shadows that eachcharacter in the world casts.

SHADOW DETAIL: This slidercontrols the appearance of shadows fromsimple blobs to detailed character silhouettes

SOUND

This options menu allows you to adjustthe in-game sound settings. The followingoptions are available:

3D SOUND DRIVER: These selectionsallow you to set the best sound driver foryour hardware should you have 3D soundavailable.

SPEAKER SETUP: These buttons allowyou to chose the configuration of thespeakers that best describes yourcomputer’s setup.

MUSIC VOLUME: This slider allowsyou to adjust the volume of the in-gamemusic.

SOUND FX VOLUME: This sliderallows you to adjust the volume of gamesound effects.

CONTROL

The Control Options menu allows you to set some of the basic control optionsof the game relating to the mouse andcoterie AI.

Control Options

ENABLE MOUSE PITCH: Thisoptions toggles whether moving the cursorto the edge of the screen will move thecamera or not.

AUTO CAMARA SLEWING: Thisoption sets the camera to automaticallyswing into position behind your leadcharacter

AUTO REPEAT ATTACK: This optionallows you to repeat attacks by holdingdown the mouse button.

GAME MENUS GAME MENUS

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COTERIE COMMANDS

These buttons allowyou to issue commandsto the rest of your groupand are very useful indetermining how yourcharacters will reactwhen not directlycontrolled by you.

The first series of buttons, Aggressive/Neutral/Defensive, set the stance of the AIfor each character in the coterie.Characters set to Aggressive stance will bemuch more proactive, seeking out anddestroying enemies on their own initiative.Also, they will burn a lot of blood,choosing to use powerful Disciplines inorder to eradicate the opposition.Characters in the Neutral stance willfollow the main (player-controlled)character’s lead, conserving their resourcesand staying closer together. Characters setto the Defensive stance will protectthemselves from harm and will show littleinitiative even in dangerous situations.

Beneath these buttons is the Regroupbutton. Pressing this will cause all coteriemembers to rejoin the group and gatherclose to the main character. Next to theHealth, frenzy and blood bars, there is asmall green light. If you wish to separate aparticular character from your coterie (i.e.have the character ignore the playercharacter’s actions), then simply click onthe green light of the character that youwant to separate. To have the characterresume taking orders from the playercharacter, then click on the green lightagain. When the light is on, then thatparticular coterie member will follow theorders of the leader, and if the light is off,then that coterie member will beindependent of the player’s coterie.

In addition to these specific tools, youcan influence the coterie AI in subtle ways:Items such as Blood Vials that you place in

the Quick Inventory Slots are available forAI use; and the Disciplines you place inthe Quick Use Slots are more likely to beused by the AI than any other powers. Inthis way, you can influence the actions ofthe characters that you are not directlycontrolling. You can set many optionsrelating to coterie AI control from theControl Options menu.

QUEST PANE

This button opens the Questpane, which lists all the questsyour coterie has undertakenand whether they have beensuccessfully completed or not.

When a new quest is available, the QuestButton will have a flashing red border toindicate this. Also, when you complete aQuest, the red flashing border will appearas well. After bringing up the Quest pane,if you leave your cursor over a specificquest, more description about that questwill appear in the text box.

MAP PANE

This button opens the Mappane, displaying a map of thecity you are currently in. Youwill notice that specificlocations are identified by name

on this map and that your coterie’s currentlocation is also displayed. While the Mappane is open, the game is paused.

The separate locations within a hub aremarked with diamonds on the map. Theone that is highlighted in green shows thecurrent location of your character. Themap only shows the outside of the areas –you will have to explore the interiors ofbuildings and dungeons without a guide.

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IN-GAME SCREEN The 3D view shows the environmentfrom a third person perspective, with thecamera view being behind the currentlyselected character at about a 45’ angle. Youcan alter the perspective by moving themouse cursor to the edges of the 3Dwindow. Thus, you can tilt the camera upor down slightly, so you may look at thehorizon, cityscape and sky.

If you press and hold-down the Z key,you can shift into first-person mode for abetter look at your surroundings. While infirst-person mode, your cursor is disabled.

MAIN GAME SCREEN

The Main Game Screen contains the In-Game Screen, Coterie Commands, Questwindow, Map window, Text box, Portrait box, five Quick Items slots, six Quick Disciplineslots, Character window, Inventory window, Discipline window, Conversation box,Purchase window, Advancement Screen and the In-Game Menu.

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CHARACTER WINDOW

The character’s Traits are shown in thiswindow: Their name, clan, rank andgeneration followed by their Attributes,Health, Blood Pool, Humanity and Frenzylevels.

The character’s Attributes are shownwith the current level, influenced bywounds, Discipline use or magic, firstfollowed by their base level. This allowsyou to gauge the effect of differentequipment and powers on your character.

Another important Attribute that islisted is your Humanity level. Your actionswithin the story will change yourhumanity, and if your Humanity falls tozero, then your character will go mad, andthe game will end.

The range for the character’s currentlyequipped weapon is displayed along withthe damage type. Also, the soak totals forall of your armour (including helms,shields and body armour) against bothnormal damage and elemental attacks areclearly shown here as well.

All of these character Traits areexplained in their own sections later inthis manual.

INVENTORY WINDOW

This window shows all of the items andmoney that the character is carrying. Agraphical icon, which takes up a certainnumber of inventory slots, represents itemscarried by the character. Characters arelimited to how much they can carry intheir inventory by having a finite numberof inventory slots. You will receive anaudio cue if your character isoverburdened and cannot carry any moreitems. If a character is unable to use acertain item, then it will highlight in red,and there will be an audio cue if youattempt to use it.

To equip an item, simply drag it to theappropriate spot on your characterportrait. Items can only be placed in aspecific location on the character portrait.Weapons (e.g. bows, swords, guns) canonly be placed in the slot with the “sword”icon, and shields or utility items (e.g.footman’s shield, torch, flashlight) canonly be placed in the slot with the “shield’icon. To equip armour, simply drag thepiece of armour to the “chest” slot, andhelms can be equipped by dragging it tothe “head” slot. Finally, necklaces can beplaced in the slot to the left of the “head”icon, and items such as rings can be placedin the “hand” slots.

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TEXT BOX

Below the In-Game Screen, but abovethe Portraits Box, is an area where you willsee various text messages displayed. Thesetext messages cover a variety of situationsbut usually appear when you attempt anaction or something happens to one ofyour characters. In multiplayer games, thisarea is also used to show text messagesfrom other players (refer to the Multiplayerand Storytelling chapter for moreinformation on multiplayer games).Extended rollover text will appear in placeof the character portraits.

PORTRAIT BOX

An animated head on the bottom of thescreen represents each person in yourcoterie, including the main character, andthis portrait is used to show what state, orcondition, each character is currently in. Afew of these conditions are listed below:

Damaged: The portrait will show thecharacter is under pain when taking damage.

Unconscious: The character’s head willroll back and stop moving when he isunconscious/dead.

Frenzy: The portrait will flash red; thecharacter’s portrait will show a frenzied look.

The Kiss: As the character feeds, his orher portrait is displayed with fangs bared.

Animal: If you change into an animalform (e.g. a wolf ), the portrait will changeinto that animal’s head.

Below the portrait are three bars ofdifferent colours, representing the status ofthe characters Health (Blue), Blood (Red)and Frenzy (Orange) statistics. A full barmeans that the character is at his or hermaximum for that character Trait. As thelevel falls, the Trait is correspondingly lower.This is very useful information as it providesquick access to a character’s overall state of

being and whether or not s/he is about todie, run out of blood or enter into a frenzy.

If you place the cursor over a character’sportrait you will receive a numerical displayof his or her Health, Blood Pool andFrenzy levels (Health, Mana and Faith forhumans.) You can transfer inventory itemsbetween characters by dragging an itemonto the character portrait. If thecharacters are close enough to each other,the item will be transferred.

QUICK ITEMS

Within the status bar are five slots forquick use items. These items can be usedby either right clicking on them or bypressing the function keys F1-F5. Itemsmay also be dragged/dropped from theinventory screen into these slots.

QUICK DISCIPLINES

The status bar also displays six slots forquick selection of Disciplines. Any of theseDisciplines can be selected as active byeither left clicking on them or by pressingthe numeric keys 1-6. You can set upwhich Disciplines are housed in the QuickDiscipline slots by opening your DisciplineWindow and left-clicking on the desiredDiscipline’s icon and dragging/dropping itinto the correct slot.

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When buying, you are presented with alist of the merchant’s wares with prices. Ifyou highlight an item you will see it’s iconand be able to hit the Buy button topurchase it if you have sufficient money.The cost of the item will then be deductedfrom your cash reserves. If you do nothave enough money to buy an item, thenthat item will be greyed out. Also, if anitem is listed in red, then your characterdoes not currently have the Attributes towield the weapon or wear the armour. Youcan still purchase the item, however youwill not be able to equip it until you meetthe item’s minimum Attributerequirements. When selling, you can selectany of the items that your character iscarrying, and the price you are beingoffered will appear on the merchant’s sideof the screen. If you accept the offer, hitthe Sell button, and the money will beadded to your total.

On a side note, the price your characterpays for items and the money they receivefor selling can be higher or lowerdepending on the Manipulation Attribute.Thus, a Manipulation of 90 will garner amuch better buying and selling price thenif your character has a manipulation of 10.

ADVANCEMENT SCREEN

Between completing quests in thesingle player chronicle, you will have theopportunity to spend the experience

points you have earned on the variouscharacter Attributes. In certain missions,an advancement window willautomatically pop up after the mission iscomplete. You can also visit your Haven atany time to spend experience points forany of your coterie. To do this, when youare at your Haven, just click on the coffinin your Haven to bring up theAdvancement Screen. In multiplayergames, you can click on the coffin in yourHaven to bring up the advancementscreen, however it is also up to theStoryteller’s discretion to award extraexperience points for a well playedscenario or completing a quest.

The Advancement Screen shows yourcharacter sheet with the current levels ofAttributes and Disciplines, and crossesnext to each item that you may advance.To increase the level of your Attribute orDiscipline, simply click on the cross tospend your experience points in exchangefor the increase. If you place your cursorover an Attribute or Discipline, theexperience point cost will appear in thedialogue box at the bottom of the screen.You can cancel or reverse changes in orderto tweak things as desired by hitting thereverse arrow below your character sheet.Once you are satisfied, hit the OK button.

As you gain experience from yourbattles, your ranking will go up as well.Starting as a Fledgling, your character willclimb the ranks as more experience isgained. As your character’s rankingincreases, the character’s Health will alsoincrease, as well as the Blood Pool. Thus,the Blood Pool and Health level of anAntediluvian will far exceed a character,who is merely a Neonate.

The Storyteller has access to anAdvancement Screen similar to this,although s/he has the capability ofmodifying the experience you receive,along with what new Disciplines areavailable to you. There is an Advancement

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Please note, if the sword or weaponthat you are equipping is a two-handedweapon (this can be seen by rolling yourcursor over the weapon and seeing “2H”appear in the item description), then youcannot equip a shield or utility item. Ifyou have a shield or utility item equipped,then you will have to first remove thisitem, prior to equipping the sword. Also,some weapons and armour have aminimum requirement to equip them.Some items may require a certainStrength, Humanity or even Faithrequirement before you can equip them. Ifyou cannot equip an item, please roll yourcursor over the item to bring up the itemdescription. Verify that you have therequisite characteristics, if any, in order toequip this item.

DISCIPLINE WINDOW

A list of the character’s currentDisciplines is displayed, including thecurrent level of proficiency in each,indicated by the number of filled dots.You may set up the Quick Discipline slotsby dragging and dropping the Disciplineicons into one of the six slots in the statusbar. You may also left-click to select aDiscipline from this list (and later right-click to use it) or right-click on anyDiscipline in this list from this pane toactivateit immediately.

CONVERSATION BOX

During some conversations betweenyour characters and non-player characters,you will be given the option to choose oneof several responses. Your response has anaffect upon how the non-player characterresponds back to you and, in some cases,the state of the game. When these responseoptions appear, you must select one byclicking on it with your cursor.

PURCHASE WINDOW

When dealing with merchants, apurchase menu will appear, allowing youto buy or sell items. The merchant’s wareswill be displayed on the left-hand side ofthe screen, while your character’s inventorywill be on the right. To switch thecharacter that is purchasing or selling tothe merchant, just hit TAB or click on thecharacter’s portrait.

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SOAKING

Before damage is applied, the victimhas the chance to absorb part or all of thedamage before it affects the character’sHealth. This ability to absorb damage isalso known as “soaking.” Soaking accountsfor the existence of armour and othernatural and preternatural abilities to resistdamage. As indicated above, there arespecific requirements for soaking certaintypes of damage. The factors involved insoaking are:

ARMOUR

Armour allows soaking of all threeforms of damage, except for the specialisedAggravated types of fire, sunlight, holy,electrical and cold (some exceptions existhere, like special grounding armour,magically enhanced items or heateddevices.)

STAMINA

Humans may soak only Bashingdamage using their Stamina. Vampires usetheir Stamina to soak both Bashing andLethal damage but not Aggravated.

FORTITUDE

Fortitude is a specialised Discipline thatallows soaking of Aggravated damage. Ithas an advantage over items and armourswhich normally only defend against alimited number of Aggravated damagetypes. Fortitude also adds to the soakvalues for Bashing and Lethal damage.

STAKING

When a vampire is impaled in the heartwith implements of wood, it renders themcompletely immobile until the stake isremoved. If one of your characters is staked,another member of the coterie can removethe stake by selecting the available characterand then left-clicking on the stakedcharacter. Also, if you do not have acharacter that can unstake you, a stakedcharacter will be able to expel the stake fromhis or her body after some time has passed.

Staking can occur with actual stakes(used as a melee weapon) or with rangedweapons such as crossbows and stake-guns.If the stake hit is considered critical, astaking occurs.

COTERIE COMBAT AIDuring play, all coterie members, other

than the ones you have selected, will moveand attack on their own, but in accordancewith any coterie commands you haveselected. AI controlled characters canperform a wide range of tasksautomatically, including reloading theirweapons, switching from a ranged attackto a melee weapon, as well as healing andreplenishing their Blood Pools. Also, byholding down CTRL and left-clicking onan enemy, you can tell the rest of yourcoterie to concentrate their attacks on thatone opponent.

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Screen for each character (showing the 3Dhead and other stats of the character) fromwhich the Storyteller can assign and spendexperience points for each coterie member,thereafter returning to the game

IN-GAME MENU

You can press ESC at any time to bringup the In-Game Menu. This pauses thegame in single player and allows you toresume the game, exit the game, load asaved game or adjust options.

SOME GENERAL NOTESABOUT COMBAT

DAMAGE TYPES

There are three main types of damagethat can be suffered in the game: Bashing,Lethal and Aggravated. These types aredistinguished in order to allow for certainresistances that vampires may have and toshow how human and Kindred alike cansoak them.

BASHING

These attacks include punches, kicksand any other kind of blunt trauma, whichare less likely to kill a victim instantly(especially a vampire). All characters(including humans) can use Stamina tosoak Bashing damage.

LETHAL

These are attacks meant to causeimmediate and fatal injury to a victim.Vampires can soak Lethal damage withtheir Stamina Attribute, but humans haveno natural resistance to it.

AGGRAVATED

Attacks that are deadly even to theundead, including fire, sunlight, the teethand claws of vampires and werewolves andcertain Holy attacks, are considered to beAggravated attacks. Aggravated damagecan only be soaked with the FortitudeDiscipline.

In addition to these three main types ofdamage, the game supports resistance orsensitivity to the following specialisedforms of damage:

ElectricalIncludes lightning bolts, high-voltage traps, etc.

ColdFreezing attacks, ice weapons,freezer traps, etc.

FireFireballs, fire traps, lava, hotrooms, etc.

SunlightDirect sunlight or sunlight-casting artifacts. Only damagesvampires.

HolyPrayers, attacks with holy wateror holy ground. Only damagesvampires.

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WitsWits is the ability to maintain your cool

and think on your feet, especially in intensesituations. Most importantly, characterswith high Wits will have a slowerprogression towards becoming frenzied.

SOCIAL ATTRIBUTES

CharismaCharisma measures your character’s force

of personality and command. Characterswith a high Charisma are better able tooverwhelm the minds of their foes withDisciplines such as Dominate and Presence.

ManipulationManipulation is the ability to lie,

connive and convince others of your pointof view. It is an insidious Attribute thatallows you to influence others.Manipulation grants you success at somemental Disciplines and also lowers pricesat shops.

AppearanceAppearance is the measure of the

character’s physical attractiveness, poiseand natural beauty. This becomesextremely important as you use thePresence Disciplines.

RANK

Based on a character’s experiencepoints, they are given a Rank. This can bevery useful in quickly determining howancient, powerful and dangerous aparticular character is. Refer to the“Generations of Caine” section in ChapterSix for detailed information on each Rank.In the game, a character’s rank will applybonuses to his or her Blood Pool andHealth as s/he gains experience.

BLOOD POOL

A Character’s Blood Pool measures howmuch blood (a.k.a. vitae) the vampire hasin his or her body, and it is from theirBlood Pool that characters draw energy touse their supernatural powers. Most

Disciplines drain anywhere from a small toa large amount of your character’s BloodPool when activated (the rollover text willlist each Discipline’s specific cost.)Vampire characters may replenish theirBlood Pool by drinking blood from anynumber of sources including bottles ofvitae or humans.

HEALTH

Health measures a character’s physicalcondition, from perfect health to torpor orFinal Death. As characters are woundedtheir Health level goes down and they havea harder time performing actions. Themore a character’s Health diminishes theharder it will be for him or her to do thethings you want him or her to do. As acharacter loses Health, s/he will moveslower and suffer penalties to his or herAttributes. Once a vampire’s Healthreaches zero, s/he will collapse into acomatose state know as torpor. Withoutthe intervention of an ally with theAwaken Discipline, this sleep of the agescan lead to Final Death.

Note: Characters in frenzy ignore allHealth-related penalties.

FRENZY RATING

The Frenzy rating is the character’stendency to frenzy and speed at which s/hewill reach it. As a character takes damageor loses blood, s/he becomes more proneto frenzy, eventual falling into anuncontrolled rage. While a character isfrenzied, s/he will attack anyone withoutany discretion. Over time, the Frenzy levelwill subside and the character will regainhis senses.

HUMANITY RATING

The Trait of Humanity is an integralpart of the underlying theme of any V:TMgame. It is a moral code that allowsvampires to retain their mortal sensibilitieseven though they’ve been transformed into

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Much of a character’s life comes from theway in which you describe and roleplayhim. However, certain aspects of a character,his physical prowess, looks and specialpowers, are described in numerical termsand used in conjunction with the mechanicsof the game. These features are called Traitsand Disciplines.

CHARACTER TRAITSMost Traits are based on a 1-100 scale

for player characters, though there is noupper numerical limit. Disciplines are theexception, as they utilise a system of dots(•) to represent levels of power. The moredots, the more power a character has inthat particular Discipline, with themaximum being five dots.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

StrengthThe raw brute power the character can

use for lifting, pushing and inflictingmelee attacks. Strength allows thecharacter to be able to move large objectsand also modifies the amount of damageinflicted by melee weapons. Some items,such as armour, have minimum Strengthlimitations you must meet before you canutilise the equipment.

DexterityDexterity modifies the base movement

and attack speeds for the character and alsoincreases the aiming ability for projectileweapons. A high Dexterity will also increasea character’s chance of making a critical hit,which causes an enormous amount ofdamage. Also, some weapons have aminimum Dexterity for usage.

StaminaStamina is the character’s constitutional

ability to soak damage. Humans useStamina to soak only Bashing damage,while Ghouls, Vampires and somemonsters can soak Bashing and Lethaldamage with their Stamina Attribute.

MENTAL ATTRIBUTES

PerceptionPerception is the ability to observe one’s

environment. IntelligenceIntelligence is the character’s grasp of

facts and knowledge and ability to reasonand solve problems. A high Intelligence isrequired for the most advanced Disciplines.

CHAPTER THREE:TRAITS ANDDISCIPLINES

CHAPTER THREE:TRAITS ANDDISCIPLINES

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COMMON DISCIPLINES

Note that in V:TM- Redemption allvampiric characters automaticallystart with the Feed and Blood

Healing Disciplines. This represents theinherent ability of all vampires to feed and healthemselves. In multiplayer games, all vampiresand ghouls will start with these abilities.However, human characters will not have anyinherent Traits.

FEED

Various levels of this Disciplineindicate the ability to effectivelydrain a creature of its’ bloodwithout killing the victim.Feeding is remarkably important

for a vampire, as it is the best way to replenishyour Blood Pool. As your level increases, yourability to feed without killing your victim willincrease as well.

BLOOD HEALING

This allows a vampire to convertBlood Pool points into Healthpoints, in order to heal his orher wounds. The various levelsof the Discipline dictate how

fast you can heal and how much Health isregained and may enable healing ofextraneous things like disease.

BLOOD STRENGTH

This Discipline grants atemporary increase of thecharacter’s Strength Attribute,which can be used to increasemelee damage or for any

Strength-related puzzles.

BLOOD DEXTERITY

This Discipline grants atemporary increase of thecharacter’s Dexterity Attribute,which can be used to increasecombat effectiveness.

BLOOD STAMINA

This Discipline grants atemporary increase of thecharacter’s Stamina Attribute,which can allow for the soakingof more damage than normal.

It does not grant you the ability to soakAggravated damage.

AWAKEN

This Discipline is normallyused to awaken, or reanimate,another Vampire who hasnearly been killed and lies intorpor. Unless a character has

died an unequivocal Final Death, the use ofthis Discipline allows the subject to beawakened. Such characters will awakenwith little blood or Health and will need tofeed very soon, since they are quite prone tofrenzy with their need for blood.

WALK THE ABYSS

This dark power draws on theconnection between a vampireand its Haven, opening amystical portal between the two.When this Discipline is used, a

two-way gate opens between the coterie’scurrent location and its Haven. To be able toopen such a portal, you must know thelocation of your Haven and the abyssalportal can be blocked by mystical means.

Key Attributes: Intelligence and Wits.

ANIMALISM

Vampires with the Discipline ofAnimalism find themselves withgreater control over both the

animal world and the Beast Within. Whilethe Gangrel are known to be the masters ofthis Discipline group, other clans, such as theNosferatu, have shown skill in Animalism as well.

Key Attributes are Charisma andManipulation.

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parasitic monsters. In essence, it is whatkeeps a vampire from becoming a mindlessanimal, enslaved by his or her thirst forblood. In game terms, the lower a character’sHumanity is, the more monstrous s/heappears to others. If a character’s Humanityrating reaches zero, then that character haslost all sense of reason and becomes nothingmore than a mindless beast of evil overwhich you no longer have control.

Certain events during the chronicle mayraise or lower your Humanity: Killing theinnocent will almost always cause it to drop, while protecting the weak may causeit to rise.

INCREASING TRAITS

Between completing quests in thesingle player chronicle you will have theopportunity to visit your Haven to spendthe Experience Points (XP) you haveearned. In multiplayer games you receivethis opportunity after each scene in thestory (or whenever the Storyteller decides.)To spend your characters’ experiencepoints, you must go to your Haven andclick on the rest coffin.

HUMAN CHARACTERS

Mortal characters, who are available inmultiplayer games, differ from theKindred. They do not use blood, cannotfrenzy and use Numina and Holy Powerinstead of Disciplines.

The Faith Trait, which is unique tohumans, empowers any holy powers theypossess. The Faith Trait can be raised withexperience and can also be temporarilyboosted by the possession of holy objects.Many holy powers have a minimum Faithrequirement.

Instead of blood, human characters relyon Mana, which is used to fuel the spellsand abilities of Holy Power and Numina.Unlike vampires, who need to feed to gainpower, humans naturally regenerate theirMana pools over time.

There are certain items in the game,which may only be used by humancharacters. Likewise, humans may not useKindred Disciplines or mystical items.

DISCIPLINESThough vampirism is a curse, the Blood

of Caine grants great mystical powers tothose with the insight and dedication topursue them. These powers are known asDisciplines.

Following is a list of the more commonDisciplines wielded by vampires and othersupernatural creatures. Rare vampires andstranger creatures may have powers not onthis list, as there are mysteries that remainhidden within the World of Darkness. Theterm Discipline refers to both theDiscipline group (Animalism, for example)and the powers within that group (FeralWhispers.) Each clan possesses a group ofDisciplines that are common among theirranks. However, it has been whispered thatvampires can learn Disciplines outside theirclan’s strengths but at a much higher cost.

Most Disciplines are linked to a keyAttribute and will be resisted if used uponan enemy. There is also a chance of failingto use a Discipline based upon thecharacter’s Attributes and power in theDiscipline. Almost all Disciplines haveminimum Attribute requirements; forexample, you cannot use HeightenedSenses unless you are already perceptive orFireball unless you are very intelligent.

As you gain more experience throughyour battles, you can use this experience inorder to increase your specialty in yourDisciplines. As you increase in power, yourmastery over the Discipline will allow youto cast the Discipline more effectively andat a lower blood cost. Thus, if you have aDiscipline of five dots, then you are truly amaster, while a vampire with a Disciplinelevel of one dot will be casting it a veryrudimentary level.

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THE SPIRIT’S TOUCH

Allows the caster to determinethe nature of an object – its basestatistic limitations, its abilities/curses, its “true” name, etc. Asuccessful use of this Discipline

will give an enhanced description of thatitem from then on. When this effect isactivated, you will need to click on anunidentified object in your possession toreceive information about it.

Key Attribute: Perception.

PSYCHIC PROJECTION

Psychic projection allows you tocontrol a “ghost” object, muchlike the ST ghost, to moveunseen through areas for a brieftime. No interaction with objects

is possible in this state. Key Attribute: Perception.

CELERITY

Those with Celerity are dangerousfoes, for this Discipline enablesthem to move and attack at

superhuman speeds. To mortals, they appearto be nothing more than a blur. As the levelsof this power increase, so does the speed ofthe vampire and the duration of theDiscipline.

DEMENTATION

This Discipline is the speciallegacy of the Malkavian clan, amental sickness that allows those

infected with it to channel madness, focusit and pour it into the minds of thosearound them.

Key Attributes: Charisma,Manipulation and Perception.

PASSION

The character may stir his victim’semotions, either heightening theirfear or stirring them into a crazedfrenzy.

Key Attribute: Charisma.

THE HAUNTING

This power is used to disturb thesensory centres of the target’sbrain, flooding them withvisions, sounds, scents or feelingsthat aren’t really there. In effect,

the victim will believe himself to be underattack from a host of nightmarish apparitions.Most mortals will flee in fear, whilesupernatural creatures will be momentarilydistracted as they fend off their imaginedghostly assailants.

Key Attribute: Manipulation.

EYES OF CHAOS

This peculiar power allows theuser to take advantage of thefractured wisdom hidden ininsanity. With it, the charactercan detect the aura of another.

Key Attribute: Perception.

VOICE OF MADNESS

With this power, the charactercan speak to another and pullforth the madness that resides inthe deepest recesses of thevictim’s mind, focusing it into an

overwhelming wave of total insanity. Thispower has driven countless victims, mortaland supernatural alike, to unfortunate ends.

Key Attribute: Manipulation.

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FERAL WHISPERS

Makes the targeted animaltemporarily fight for the player’scoterie.

Key Attribute: Manipulation

BECKONING

Allows the caster to temporarilyenlist the assistance of an animalally, possibly lasting beyond the scope of a single combat. The animal is summoned to the

action by the vampire’s will and disappearswhen finished. The summoned animal actslike a temporary member of the character’scoterie, fighting with and travelling alongsidethe caster until the effect wears off. (For clansthat have separated themselves from thenatural world, the creature thus summonedmay be distinctly unnatural; for example,Cappadocians summon a skeleton to fight attheir side, and the Tremere a homunculus!)

Key Attribute: Charisma

QUELL THE BEAST

Has the effect of calming thetarget. When cast upon a coteriemember, this reduces his or herfrenzy amount, bringing him orher out of frenzy faster or indeed

stopping it altogether. Key Attribute: Manipulation.

SUBSUME THE SPIRIT

Allows temporary possession ofan animal. You will have fullcontrol over the creature,perceiving the world through itseyes until the effect ends or you

hit TAB to return to your own body.Key Attribute: Manipulation

DRAWING OUT THE BEAST

Dumps the caster’s Frenzy levelonto another. This causes afrenzy mode on enemies(frenzied enemies would attackeach other, flee or generally

behave erratically, with all the advantages/disadvantages frenzy offers). In mortals, ittriggers the fear mode. Use of this should belimited to times when the Frenzy level isnearly full, but at the highest level, a fullFrenzy level is not required to cast this.

Key Attribute: Manipulation

AUSPEX

The Discipline of Auspex bestowstelepathic and extrasensoryperception powers on its pract-

itioners. As the vampire’s powers grow, he willnot only be able to sense the psychic aura andflow on creatures and objects, but he will alsobe able to project his or her body into an astralform in order to see what is around him orher. The death-loving Cappadocians, as wellas the Toredor and Tremere clans, allspecialise in the Auspex Discipline.

Key Attribute is Perception.

HEIGHTENED SENSES

This allows the character to seeinvisible or hidden enemies andobjects.

Key Attribute: Perception.

AURA PERCEPTION

The user of this Discipline may sense the invisible “aura”surrounding all living creatures,allowing the caster to gaininsight into the true nature of

the target. The user will learn informationabout the creature including the target type,Health and Blood Pool.

Key Attribute: Perception.

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VIGOUR MORTIS

By feeding a corpse some of hisblood, the character mayreanimate the body, creating anundead servant that serves itsmaster until it falls completely

into decay. To employ this power, thecharacter must find a corpseto target.

Key Attribute: Wits and Intelligence.

SUMMON SOUL

With this power, the character isable to summon a wraith beyondthe shroud that separates theworld of the living from that ofthe dead. The wraith can only

exist in the world of the living for shortperiod of time, but while there, it will do thecharacters bidding. A wraith can only besummoned at the scene of a recent death.

Key Attribute: Perception.

PLAGUE WIND

An advanced Mortis effect, thispower conjures up a whirlwindof decay and chaos. Any caughtwithin this cloud of destructionwill suffer massive amounts of

damage, as the full effects of Death’s coldbreath are unleashed upon them.

Key Attribute: Intelligence.

BLACK DEATH

This power turns the character’shand into the hand of Deathitself. By touching an individual,the character can cause thevictim to experience an early

death or, in the case of vampires, to entertorpor. This power inflicts massive damageon a single target.

Key Attribute: Intelligence.

OBFUSCATE

Obfuscate is the ability to mysticallycloak oneself in illusions orshadows, thereby disguising or

concealing oneself. With Obfuscate, you canattack an enemy and then mystically fall backinto the shadows. At higher levels, this abilitywill becomes more effective, and you will beable to strike your enemy before they canrealise it. Obfuscate can be defeated by the useof other Disciplines, most notably HeightenedSenses. If a creature has a Heightened SensesDiscipline higher than your Obfuscate level,then he will be able to detect you with ease.While there are several clans that use thispower, it is the Nosferatu that has trulyperfected its use.

Key Attribute: Wits.

CLOAK OF SHADOWS

The vampire may disappearfrom plain sight. The lowest levelof this power allows the user toremain effectively invisible ifstanding still within shadow.

Higher levels of Obfuscate allow the user toremain invisible even while moving.

Key Attribute: Wits.

CLOAK THE GATHERING

This Discipline is similar toCloak of Shadows, save that itaffects the entire coterie. Thelevel of this Discipline indicatesduration, and the effectiveness

is equal to the equivalent level of the Cloakof Shadows power.

Key Attribute: Wits.

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DOMINATE

Those with Dominate maymesmerise others or even controltheir minds outright. Many of

the powers of Dominate are resisted by thevictim’s Wits Attribute. Kindred whospecialise in the use of Dominate include theGiovanni, Lasombra, Tremere and Ventrue.

Key Attributes: Manipulation, Wits andCharisma.

COMMAND

This power allows the vampireto seize control of another’smind for a short time. Whilethe effect lasts, the victim isunder the total command of

the vampire who used the power. Key Attribute: Manipulation.

MESMERISE

Use of this Discipline puts thetarget into a trance-like state,whereby they cease all actionand stand still. At higher levels,the target will dreamily walk

towards the character that mesmerised himor her. The effects of Mesmerise arecancelled if the target is attacked by onewho used the Discipline.

Key Attribute: Manipulation.

THE FORGETFUL MIND

This power sends the target intoa dazed state and causes them toforget about what they weredoing. This will make enemiesignore you and return to their

normal routine.Key Attribute: Wits.

POSSESSION

The user of this Discipline forcestheir will upon the target andtakes total control of them. Thisgives the player total control overthe enemy character, seeing the

world through his or her eyes and forcinghim or her to perform any action until theeffect expires.

Key Attribute: Charisma.

FORTITUDE

Characters with Fortitude proveunnaturally resistant to damage.They must often be literally hacked

apart before they can be stopped, as even themost devastating wounds prove nothing morethan a nuisance. This Discipline also helpsprotect against damage from sources such assunlight and fire. The Cappadocian, Gangreland Ventrue clans all have a naturalpredisposition to this Discipline.

MORTIS

This Discipline was developed bythe Cappadocians in an attemptto uncover the secrets of death. It

seeks to explore many aspects of death,from outright cheating it, to causing it witha single touch.

Key Attributes: Wits and Intelligence.

SHAMBLING HORDES

This power allows a characterto call forth the dead from theirgraves to fight alongside him orher. Though weak and notparticularly adept, these undead

allies can still be of great aid in battle. Touse this power, target a fresh corpse close tothe character.

Key Attribute: Wits.

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EARTH MELD

Using this Discipline, thecharacter can burrow into theearth and remain there,basically safe, until he or shechooses to emerge. The frenzy

reduction rate is doubled when buried, andthe character also gains Health back slowly(without further blood usage.)

SHAPE OF THE BEAST

The character may transforminto a wolf; gaining increasedmovement speed and the abilityto cause Aggravated damage withhis or her bite. The character may

not use any items or most other powers whilethis Discipline is active.

MIST FORM

The character transforms into a cloud of misty vapour. Thecharacter may not attack while inmist form but can be damagedonly by sunlight or fire.

THAUMATURGY- GENERAL

Thaumaturgy is a form of vampiric sorcerythat is divided into a number of Paths, eachwith its own focus and special range of spells.These Disciplines are largely restricted to theTremere, although certain other clans arerumoured to employ them as well, such as theAssamite viziers and the Koldunic sorcerers ofthe Tzimisce.

THAUMATURGY- BLOOD MAGIC

The Blood Path is based upon the manipulation of blood, bothmortal and Kindred vitae.

Key Attribute is Intelligence.

BLOOD RAGE

This power allows the characterto force another to spend bloodagainst his or her will. This acthas two effects; it reduces theamount of blood the target has

in him or her, and increases the likelihoodthat the target will lose control of the Beastand enter frenzy.

Key Attribute: Intelligence and Wits.

BLOOD OF POTENCY

The character gains such controlover his own blood that he mayeffectively concentrate, or focus it,making his or her blood morepowerful for a limited time.

While this power is active, all other Disciplineswill cost less blood to use.

Key Attribute: Intelligence.

THEFT OF VITAE

A character using this power can siphon blood from a distanttarget, effectively feeding from the target without any physicalcontact. This power can cause

serious harm to mortals and enrage vampires.Key Attribute: Intelligence.

CAULDRON OF BLOOD

This dreadful power causes theblood within the target’s body toboil and burst into flame. Itcauses Aggravated fire damageand “burns off ” a large portion

of his or her Blood Pool. Few beings cansurvive even a single attack with this dreadfulpower.

Key Attribute: Intelligence.

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POTENCE

Characters with Potence areterrifying opponents, for theypossess the strength of several

humans. The higher the level of Potence is,the stronger the character. The Giovanni ,Brujah, Lasombra and Nosferatu clans havesuperhuman strength through the use ofthis Discipline.

PRESENCE

All supernatural creatures areimpressive, scary monsters, butthose with the Discipline of

Presence are particularly captivating.Characters with Presence can manipulateothers’ emotions, becoming their victims’dream lovers - or their most terrifyingnightmares. Vampires must learn to be waryof their feelings when they are in thecompany of a Brujah, Malkavian, Toreadoror Ventrue as these clans are known for theirskills in this Discipline.

Key Attribute is Charisma.

AWE

The character gains a charismaticaura, becoming a natural leader,seducer and orator. This powerdraws mortal victims near andstops enemies from attacking.

Key Attribute: Charisma.

DREAD GAZE

The character, by hissing andbaring fangs, instills anunnatural terror in foes. Thispower instills fear in those whoare targeted by it.

Key Attribute: Charisma.

ENTRANCEMENT

The character becomes super-humanly fascinating and thevictim becomes convinced thatthe character is his friend, loveror whatever - a figure to be

protected and adored. Key Attribute: Appearance.

MAJESTY

Characters with Majesty arequite literally awesome. Majestybestows an almost godlike auraupon the vampire; mortals fall totheir knees in worship or terror,

and even other supernatural creatures muststruggle with themselves to attack, insult orbe anything other than respectful anddeferential to the character. This powerallows the character to do anything withoutfear of reproach.

Key Attribute: Charisma.

PROTEAN

Protean is the Discipline mostclosely associated with the shape-shifting Gangrel, though they

have taught their secrets to a few outside oftheir clan. Characters with Protean mayshape-shift into a variety of forms.

EYES OF THE BEAST

This power increases a character’svisual senses. In some instances ithas been known to cause fear inmortals that see it in action, asthe user’s eyes turn a sinister red

in colour.

FERAL CLAWS

The character’s nails transforminto long, bestial claws. Thesetalons are wickedly sharp, able torend flesh with ease and evencarve stone and metal with little

trouble. These talons cause Aggravateddamage and are feared by all in combat.

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TURN TO DUST

This fearsome power acceleratesdecrepitude in its victims.Mortals literally crumble to dustat the mere touch of a skillfulpractitioner of this Discipline.

When used on supernatural creatures, thispower causes massive damage. If a vampiredies from this damage, they too will crumbleto dust, leaving nothing behind to Awaken.

Key Attributes: Intelligence and LowHumanity.

THAUMATURGY- BLOOD RITUALS

Rituals are unique thaumaturgicalformulas, meticulously researchedand prepared, that create powerful

magical effects. Rituals are less versatile thanPaths, as their effects are singular andstraightforward, but they are better suitedtowards specific ends.

Key Attributes: Intelligence and Wits.

HEART OF STONE

While it lasts, this ritual protectsthe character from being staked.

Key Attributes: Intelligenceand Wits.

PRISON OF ICE

This power engulfs the target inan icy prison, immobilising himor her for a short period, duringwhich time s/he suffers from afreezing form of Aggravated

damage. Key Attributes: Intelligence and Wits.

CALL LIGHTNING

The character calls forth a bolt of lightning from above,obliterating the intended target.

Key Attributes: Intelligenceand Wits.

IGNORE THE SEARING FLAME

This power temporarily makesthe caster immune to the effectsof fire and, at higher levels,sunlight.

Key Attribute: Intelligenceand Wits.

SUMMON ELEMENTAL

The caster summons forth asupernatural creature of theelements that will remain underthe character’s control for a shortperiod of time. Use of this power

has its dangers, as sometimes the summonedelemental will attack the one who called it forth.

Key Attribute: Intelligence and Wits.

FAITH

Faith is one of the few trulypowerful personal weapons amortal has against his or her

supernatural foes. With Faith, a hunter cancause a Vampire to turn away or be unable toapproach any further. Although the charactermay believe that this power comes from ahigher power, it is actually the strength of hisor her belief that protects him or her.

HEAL

This power draws on a mortal’sinner strength to repair damageto his or her body.

Key Attribute: Faith

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THAUMATURGY- LURE OF FLAMES

The Path Lure of Flames is basedupon the manipulation of fire;through it, a traditional bane of

vampiric existence has been harnessed by thesorcery of the Tremere.

Key Attribute is Intelligence.

TORCH

This power allows the characterto call forth a small magical flamethat floats near his or her head.The light from this flame issimilar to that of a hand-held

torch. Though this flame provides light, itdoes not generate any heat.

Key Attribute: Intelligence.

FIREBALL

The character may hurl mysticalfireballs that engulf their target ina fiery conflagration. This spellmay hurt friends as well as foesand so should be used with care.

Key Attribute: Intelligence.

FLAME RING

The character generates a pulseof heat and flames that surroundshim or her for an instant,incinerating any nearby enemies.The mystical nature of the flames

means that neither the caster nor those theyally with can be harmed.

Key Attribute: Intelligence

IMMOLATE

This power calls a bolt of fire intoexistence that strikes a singleenemy, doing extreme damage.

Key Attribute: Intelligence

THAUMATURGY- HANDS OF DESTRUCTION

This Path is practiced almostexclusively by the thaumaturges ofthe Sabbat. Though it is not widely

seen outside of that sect, a few non-Sabbathave managed to learn its secrets.

Key Attributes: Intelligence and lowHumanity.

DECAY

This power accelerates thedecrepitude of its target, causingit to wither, rot or otherwisebreak down. Key Attributes:Intelligence and Low Humanity.

ACIDIC TOUCH

The caster secretes a bilious,acidic fluid from any portion ofhis body. The viscous acidcorrodes metal, destroys woodand causes horrendous chemical

burns to living tissue. In combat, this powerprovides the user with an attack causingAggravated damage.

Key Attributes: Intelligence and LowHumanity.

ATROPHY

This power withers a victim’slimbs, leaving only a desiccated,almost mummified husk of bone and skin. The effects areinstantaneous; in mortals, they

are also irreversible. Enemies so afflictedsuffer a long-term reduction in their physicalAttributes.

Key Attributes: Intelligence and LowHumanity.

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In your travels, you will encounter manyfoes – both living and dead – and be able tofind many treasures ranging from weaponsand armour to artifacts of ancient power.

ENEMIES

GHOULS

Ghouls are mortalKindred servants thathave been fedvampiric blood bytheir masters. Theghoul does not ageas long as it issupplied with vitaeand gains somelimited vampiric

abilities (mostnotably level onePotence). Since

they aren’t affectedby sunlight as Kindred are, they makeuseful servants and protectors during thedaylight hours. Most ghouls appear asnormal kine, but some long-term ghoulsdevelop side effects resembling theirdomitor’s clan weakness (i.e. a Nosferatughoul may begin sprouting unsightly boils

and buboes.) Some ghouls may also learnone level of a Discipline their masters arefamiliar with, but this is very uncommon.Ghouls have use of any kind of weaponryusable by humans, along with their learnedDisciplines.

KNIGHTS OF ST. JOHN

Led by Grand Prior Pierre de Varreau,the Knights of St. John patrol the streetsof Prague, especially the Little Quarter(Mala Strana), and keep the peace. Usuallyheavily armed with armour,shield and sword, thesemortals are formidableenemies, especially whenpatrolling ingroups. If theKnights witnessan illegal act, theywill attack.

CHAPTER FOUR:ENEMIES ANDEQUIPMENT

CHAPTER FOUR:ENEMIES ANDEQUIPMENT

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TRUE FAITH

True Faith is belief in a power,entity, consciousness that isgreater than oneself, and as such,it is not limited to any particularreligion. A character with True

Faith is able to surround him- or herself witha protective field that causes damage to anysupernatural creature coming into contactwith it.

Key Attribute: Faith

PRAYER

This power allows the characterto focus his or her Faith anddirect it in a ranged attack todamage an enemy. Those withparticularly high levels of this

power can affect several targets within agiven area.

Key Attribute: Faith.

NUMINA

Numina consists of those strangeand amazing powers which somefew mortals have possessed

throughout the ages, powers such as psychicabilities, spells and complete faith in a higherpower. Numina and Faith are unique tomortals. Humans power these abilities withMana instead of blood.

INVISIBILITY

This power allows the mortal tohide from plain view, effectivelyturning invisible. Higher levelsof this power allows thecharacter to remain invisible

while moving about and performing actions. Key Attribute: Wits.

FLASH

The character can create a flashof light that temporarily stunssupernatural creatures and mayeven trigger frenzy in vampires.

Key Attribute: Intelligence.

TRUE SIGHT

Mortals with this power cansee through the effects ofpowers that hide others fromnormal sight, as long as thecharacter’s True Sight is more

powerful than whatever power is keepingthe other hidden.

Key Attribute: Perception.

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and is the focus of several rituals, afterwhich a horrific transformation takes placewith great black wings sprouting from thevictim’s back and the addition of largeclaws and a demonic visage. Gargoyles areparticularly dangerous opponents andeasily capable of killing a careless vampire.

DEMONHOUNDS

These demon-possessed dogs turnnight-black and grow to disturbingproportions. Further evidence of theirpossessed nature is the sizzling saliva thatdrips from their massive fangs and the wayshadows seem to come alive in theirpresence. They can be found in packsguarding infernalist worship sites orprivate chambers, and they attack withvicious bites.

WEREWOLVES

Werewolves are the mortal enemies ofvampires and will normally

attack them on sight.They can be found inforested areas, where

they roam huntingwild beasts and

seeking torestore the landto its rightful

natural beauty.Their claws and

teeth makedeadly weapons, and

some werewolves will“rage” when highly

damaged, which results in quick, sporadicattacks with great fury.

PREMYSL REVENANTS

Revenants are families of ghoul servantsthat have been fed vitae for so manygenerations that they are now born with atiny amount of vampiric blood already intheir system. This allows them to exist as

ghouls without needing to drink avampire’s blood; something all otherghouls must do in order to retain theirsupernatural powers.

SOCIETY OF LEOPOLD MEMBERS

The members of this order aresworn to kill any creature of thenight. They arm themselvesheavily with the weaponry of thetime, also including weaponsdesigned to fight vampires such asholy water, stakes, torches and holysymbols. They wear the dress ofscholar-priests and soldiers.

GHOUL-SPIDERS

Immense arachnids created by thefeeding of vampiric vitae.They attack with a

venomous bite and leavesticky traps of web in

attempts to snarepassers-by to appease

their hunger for blood.

WRAITHSThe wraiths in Redemption

can harm Kindred usingstrange life draining spells.Seen as translucentapparitions, the wraithsnormally occupy desertedplaces of worship or areaswhere scenes of torment ordeath have occurred.

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SZLACHTA

The Tzimisce use their VicissitudeDiscipline to mould the flesh and bone of

their ghouls into horrificshapes, most of whichserve the purpose of being

“war-ghouls”, withpointed boneserupting from theirarms and great mawsfilled with razor-sharpteeth. The Tzimiscealso create Szlachta

from animals whenuseful, including

grotesque forms based on wolves, dogs,horses, etc. Szlachta use a variety of meleeattacks, involving the use of their craftedclaws/teeth.

GHOUL-RATS

These ghouled rodents grow to largesize, with horribly extruded fangs andclaws. They create large tunnelsthroughout their underground lairs, andare in constant search for blood. Theynormally travel in packs.

ZOMBU

The Cappadocians create Zombu fromcorpses and fuel them with vampiric vitae.They usually crumble to dust after threedays but, while animated, are mindless andcapable of only simple labour oraggression. Their saving grace isan utter absence of fear; theywill battle any opponent untildestroyed.

DARK AGESCAPPADOCIAN KINDRED

These vampires can be foundsomewhere in medieval Prague,where they pursue their endless

research of death. Dressedin black robes and bearing

a deathly white visage, theyattack using variousDisciplines, mostlydeath spells.

HOMUNCULI HOPPER

Homunculi Hoppers are small creatures,similar to a witches ““familiar,”” createdfrom a sacrifice of blood and flesh fromtheir Tremere master. They are simple-minded and mischievous and requireregular feedings of blood from theircreator. These tiny homunculi are usuallyno larger than a rat, having large, staringeyes and opposable thumbs. They attack byclawing and biting their razor-sharp teethinto an unsuspecting enemy.

GARGOYLESThe Tremere created the

Gargoyles from the unlivingflesh of capturedTzimisce, Nosferatu andGangrel. A “base”Kindred is givenvarious potions

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is added to your base dexterity, whencalculating the chance of you hitting anenemy. If a weapon has an Accuracy of 10and you have a Dexterity of 20, then thegame will assume that you are attackingwith a Dexterity of 30. Certain weaponswill have an accuracy bonus while otherswill not, and this usually depends on thetype of weapon, it’s size, ability to bewielded easily, etc. Finally, speed is theamount of time it takes for your characterto swing the weapon again. If the weaponthat you are wielding has a high number,then you will be able to swing thisparticular weapon faster than one with alow number, which indicates that theweapon cannot be swung as easily.

BLADED WEAPONS

Bladed weapons includeanything with a sharp edgeand are primarily found inthe Dark Ages, but theycontinue to be used by someeven in the modern nights.In game terms, these sharpbladed weapons do Lethaldamage.

One-handed blades include anythingwith a sharp edge or pointy tip. One-handed weapons come in a great variety ofshapes and sizes and are the most commonarmaments found in the Dark Ages. Theyoccupy the weapon slot on your characterand can be used with a shield. Examples ofone-handed bladed weapons include theDagger, Hand-Axe, Broadsword and thefeared Wooden Stake.

Two-handed weapons are less commonand usually found in the hands ofprofessional soldiers. Due to their size, theseweapons occupy both the weapon and shieldslots on your character. Heavy, unwieldy,and quite dangerous examples include theGreat Sword, Battle-Axe and Spear.

BLUNT WEAPONS

Any weapon without abladed edge or sharp pointis considered to be a bluntweapon. Instead of cuttingtheir targets, these weaponsdeliver their damagethrough hard, crushingblows. Painful bruises,broken bones and ruptured

internal organs are the result of attacksfrom these weapons. In game terms, bluntweapons cause Bashing damage.

One-handed blunt weapons include anyblunt weapon that can be held in onehand. They occupy only the weapon sloton your character and can be used with ashield. Common examples include theClub, Mace and Flail.

Two-handed blunt weapons are slowerthan their one-handed cousins but arecapable of delivering much more damagein any given attack. These weapons occupyboth the weapon and shield slots on yourcharacter. Examples of these weaponsinclude the Quarterstaff and Warhammer.

RANGED WEAPONS

In both the Dark Agesand modern nights, thereare many weapons that caninflict damage from afar.These weapons arecollectively referred to asranged weapons. Someexamples from the DarkAges include the Short Bow

and Crossbow. Modern examples includeeverything from a simple Pistol to suchheavy weapons as the Rocket Launcher. Aunique component of ranged weapons isAmmo, each ranged weapon uses a certaintype of Ammo and becomes useless oncethat supply has been exhausted. SpecialAmmo types can enhance, or even alter, aranged weapons affect.

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VIPERS

A powerful Setite (usingthe Serpentis Discipline)

may disgorge from hismouth a large

poisonous serpent.The Setites usethese creations as

guards, patrollingtheir temples. Most

are individually markedwith a pattern representing their creator.They attack with a fierce poisonous bite.

GHOUL-ALLIGATORS

Within the sewers of NYC, theNosferatu have drawn all sorts of beasts totheir lairs through the use of Animalism.The most dangerous of these is the smallnumber of alligators in the sewers, flushedthere by those in the city who won themat Coney Island. They’ve since beentransformed by Nosferatu blood intohorrendous creatures of great size anddisfigurement, having enormous maws andextruded points of bone.

EQUIPMENT ANDTREASURE

Throughout your adventures, thecoterie will find many items – some ofthem mundane, others concealing secretpowers. You may also find unique itemssuch as a Discipline Tome, which will giveyour character the ability to learn a newset of Disciplines that would normally notbe available to him.

Most items need to be equipped inyour inventory to prove useful, and eachhas a specific place to go. Other itemsrequire activation, which can be done witha right-click on the object or by using theQuick Slot inventory hot-keys.

A few items that you find will requireidentification to reveal their secrets. To

identify an item, you must use the Spirit’sTouch Discipline (which can also be foundas a blood scroll). When you activate thisDiscipline, your cursor will change intothe identify icon. Then, bring up theInventory Pane of your character, and leftclick on the item that you wish to identify.The item should now be identified, and adescription will appear when you leaveyour cursor on top of the item.

WEAPONSThere are many weapons to be found

and used in V:TM Redemption, rangingfrom medieval swords to modern assaultrifles.

Weapons’ statistics fall into threecategories: Damage, which determines howmuch hurt you can inflict with theweapon; Accuracy, which adds a bonus toyour chance-to-hit and increases thechances of a critical strike; and Speed,which determines how fast your charactercan wield his or her weapon. Thisinformation will appear in the rollover textfor each weapon.

Not all weapons are created equal: Youmay find rusty and other poor qualityitems on your travels as well as fine andeven exquisite weaponry. The quality ofthe weapon adds bonuses to the baseweapons statistics. Even modern firearmscan be modified to increase their powerwith laser sights and other adaptations.

Some weapons have minimumAttribute requirements representing aparticular difficulty in using those items:For example, a Great Sword requires ahigh score in your Strength Attribute towield. Likewise, characters with lowStrength cannot wear some heavy armour.

All weapons also have three differentstats: Damage, Accuracy and Speed. Thedamage number is quite simply theamount of damage that you will inflict onan enemy. Accuracy is the amount, which

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POTIONS AND VIALS

Ranging from witches brews to modernpharmaceuticals, potions can save acharacter’s life. Humans can use a range ofsalves and cures ranging from HerbalSalves (which restore lost Health) toDisease Vaccines (which cure infections.)Vampires scorn such mortal concerns,carefully hoarding vials of vitae and otherstranger blood with which to restore theirstrength. Kindred can find vitae in manyforms, including simple bottles andmystically created Bloodstones. Not allvitae is simple blood, and you may findstrange blood vials with unpredictableeffects such as Fae Blood or Elder Ichor.

To use a potion, vial or stranger sourceof blood, right-click on the item in yourinventory or use the Quick Slot hot-keys.

SCROLLS

Scrolls are another product of sorcerousresearch – the essence of a Discipline orNumina encoded onto paper, their powerstored to be released at a later time.Human mages have created Numina scrollsthat temporarily awaken the power ofhuman potential, and Kindred alchemistshave made Discipline scrolls (also knownas bloodscrolls) that unlock powerfulDisciplines to any Cainite.

To use a scroll, either activate it from aQuick Slot or right-click on it from yourinventory. The power’s icon will appear inyour Active Discipline slot. You can usethat power once, activating it as youwould any other Discipline (right-clickingon an appropriate target). Using a scrollcosts neither blood nor Mana, and yourequire no ability in the power beingactivated, so these items are greatly prized.

DISCIPLINE TOMES

These rare books contain the Cainitewisdom of the ages, revealing secrets of theblood that unlock great power. Each fabledtome is named after a specific Discipline

so, according to legend, there is one foreach Discipline group. The character thatstudies such a tome will unlock itsDiscipline group and be able to developpowers from it.

TREASURE

In addition to items that you canequip, you can find many forms oftreasure in the game: Such treasures rangefrom negotiable currency (silver coins tomodern cash), precious stones and evengold bullion. All of this treasure can besold to merchants to allow your charactersto buy the equipment they need.

ARTIFACTSUnique and extremely rare, artifacts are

handcrafted items with mystical powers.Every artifact is a one-of-a-kind creation.There are a number of artifacts scatteredthroughout the world, but examplesinclude the Ainkurn Sword, the Monocleof Clarity and any number of Holy Relics.

AINKURN SWORD

An ancient Cainite relic, this blade isrumoured to have been quenched in theblood of an Antediluvian during itsforging. The blade is entirely black, with amatte look.

MONOCLE OF CLARITY

This device, created by the Tremere forthe purpose of unmasking Nosferatu spies,appears a heavy glass monocle framed ingold and silver filigree.

HOLY RELICS

Items imbued with the venerated powerof Faith, the use of these weapons is limitedto mortals, as simply being in the presenceof one of these relics causes pain anddiscomfort to most supernatural creatures.

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THROWN WEAPONS

Thrown weapons are a special class ofranged weapons. These items are allindividually thrown at an opponent anddisappear after one use. These weaponscan be activated by equipping them in thecharacter’s hands or by using the QuickInventory slots. Examples include GreekFire, Holy Water, Concussion Grenadesand Satchel Charges.

ARMOURThere are many types of armour

available in V:TM – Redemption, rangingfrom simple leather clothing through fullGothic plate and modern tailored Kevlar.Just like weapons, certain types of armourmay require your character to have aminimum level in an Attribute (normallyStrength) to be able to equip them.

Each piece of armour provides soakbonuses against Bashing, Lethal andAggravated damage. Some special armourwill also provide protection fromenvironmental damage and even True Faith.Such special armour is very rare indeed.

PIECES OF ARMOUR

Sets of armour usuallycome in individual piecesthat can be equipped in thedifferent slots of yourinventory. Helmets need toplaced on the character’shead; gloves and gauntletson their arms and hands;and large sets onto the

character’s body slot: Thus, a charactermay have a metal chest plate, leathergloves and no headgear at all as hisarmour. Examples of armour includeChain and Plate Mail, Tailored Armour,Full Helms and Motorcycle Helmets.

SHIELDS

Shields are a special classof armour that is equippedin the character’sshield/utility slot. If youwant to use a weapon thatrequires both hands, such as

the Halberd, you will not be able to equipa shield. Likewise, you may have to choosebetween equipping a shield and equippinga utility item such as a torch. Shields aremore common in the medieval period thantoday, with the exception of police riotshields. Example shields include theBuckler and the Footman’s Shield.

OTHER EQUIPMENTYour character can find many other

pieces of equipment in the World ofDarkness. Some of these items are merelycosmetic, others can be powerful indeed.Most of these items need to be equippedin the appropriate inventory slot for theirpower to take affect. Others requireactivation by right clicking on the objectin question or activating them from aQuick Item slot with keys F1 – F5.

UTILITY ITEMS

The most common utility items thatyou will find are sources of light. Suchitems can be equipped in your character’sutility/shield slot thus negating the use ofa shield or two-handed weapon. Examplesinclude a Torch and a Flashlight.

RINGS AND JEWELLERY

Rings and jewellery are often merelycosmetic, but many conceal hiddenpowers. You will need to equip rings onthe character’s hands, bracelets on his orher arms and a necklace about his or herneck. You may find magic jewellery thatalters your character’s Attributes, makesthe use of Disciplines easier and manyother powers.

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THE CRYPT ANDCHARACTERCREATION

Whether you intend to be a Storytelleror player, the first screen you visit will bethe Crypt, where you can select a previouslycreated character or create a new one.

On the right-hand side of the Crypt willbe a list of all your available characters:listed by name and clan affiliation. If youhighlight one of the character names, asummary of his or her abilities as well as afull-body character portrait will appear onthe left-hand side of the screen. If you havea lot of characters in your Crypt, use thescroll bar to peruse the list of names untilyou find the one that you are looking for.

Should you wish to play that character,highlight it and hit OK.

If you wish to permanently remove acharacter from your Crypt, hit DELETE.

To begin creating a new character, hitCREATE.

To return to the Main Menu, hit CANCEL.

CREATING A NEWCHARACTER

There are several stages to creating a newcharacter, most of which are fairly self-explanatory.

Should you decide you do not want tocreate a character right now, hit the CANCELbutton to return to the Main Menu.

NAMING YOUR CHARACTER

Your character’s name is important inthat it will be how you are identified toothers. The name you choose will colourpeople’s initial expectations of yourcharacter; for example other players willtreat you differently if you call yourselfPlayer*Killer rather than Lady LilianD’Arcy.

Choose a name that you arecomfortable with and that suits the style ofplay you most enjoy.

SELECTING A TYPE OFCHARACTER

The type of character you playdetermines your supernatural status andwhat powers and vulnerabilities you mighthave. You can play either as a Vampire, aHuman or a Ghoul.

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To begin a Multiplayer game, select theMultiplayer option from the Main Menuand then choose your method ofconnection: LAN or Internet.

LAN GAMESLAN games are played over a Local

Area Network. You will not need to login(assuming your computer is constantlyconnected) and will be taken directly toyour Haven when you choose this option.In a LAN game, you will only be able tochat and play with other users that are onthe same LAN as you are.

Should you wish to find a wider rangeof games and players, you will need toconnect to the Internet via WON.

INTERNET GAMESVampire: The Masquerade – Redemption

supports Internet play exclusively throughthe World Opponent Network (WON). Byselecting Internet from the Multiplayerscreen, you will be taken to the WON loginscreen. Here, you are asked to input a nameand password. Currently registered WONplayers may use their existing account infoto log in. New players not yet registeredwith WON must click on the CreateMember button to create a new WONaccount, which is free of charge. Theprocess of creating a new WON accounttakes place with your Internet browser,which will open automatically should youselect this option. You must select a WONname, password and provide (optional)information to create an account.

Remember: Both your User Name andPassword are case sensitive.

The panels on the right-hand side ofthe login screen will take you to thewebsites of WON, Activision, Nihilisticand White Wolf.

CHAPTER FIVE:MULTIPLAYER AND

STORYTELLING

CHAPTER FIVE:MULTIPLAYER AND

STORYTELLING

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The character creation screen functionsexactly the same as the characteradvancement screen, which is used inSingle Player (See Chapter Two).

Next to each Attribute or Disciplinethat you can spend experience to increasewill be a cross; clicking on that crossspends the experience necessary to raisethat Trait to the next level. The rollovertext will provide full details of the costand, for Disciplines, the minimumrequirements.

Once you have spent your initialexperience point allocation, hit OK tocontinue.

LAN GAMES:LOBBY AND CHAT

When you join a LAN game, you willbegin in the LAN lobby. At the top left ofthe screen will be a list of all the playerson the LAN, and to the right will be a listof all the games currently up. The twowindows at the bottom of the screen arefor general (Lobby) chat and in-game chat.To chat with other players on the LAN,enter your text in the window to the left,and to chat to only the other players in thesame game as you enter type the text inthe window to the right. You can use TABto switch between the two boxes.

The Create Game button allows you tocreate your own game.

The Player Setup button takes you backto the Haven.

The Join Game button allows you tojoin a game that is running. First highlightthe name of the game in the window tothe top left, and then click this button.

The Start Game button allowsyou to launch a game you havecreated or joined.

The Game Options button will showyou additional details of the game youhave joined.

The Cancel button takes you back tothe main menu.

STARTING AND JOINING ALAN GAME

To join a LAN game that is already inprogress, highlight the name of the game,and click the Join Game button. After afew seconds, you will have joined the gameand be able to chat to the other players.When you are ready to start a game, clickon the Start Game button.

Note: The Start Game button will begreyed out until the host/Storyteller hasstarted a game.

To create your own game, click on theCreate Game button to go to the gamecreation screen.

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Vampires begin play with the mostbasic vampiric abilities (Feed and BloodHealing) but are able to spend startingpoints on three Discipline groupsaccording to their clan.

Ghouls are caught in the no-man’s landbetween vampires and the mortal herd.Gifted with blood and power by theirmasters, they can use basic vampiricDisciplines, according to their master’sclan, but cannot feed like a true vampire.They must rely on stored blood (vials,etc.) to restore their dark power.

A Human is one of the herd, but nocommon mortal. Through faith,dedication or strange events, you canaccess the awakened powers known asFaith and Numina. Lacking the greatsupernatural powers of vampires, or evenghouls, a human character has to rely onequipment for many tasks, such as healingor defending themselves. A humancharacter does not have a Blood Pool but,instead, relies on Mana that regeneratesslowly over time. One major advantage ofa human character is that he will notfrenzy when damaged. As a result, thefrenzy bar is replaced by your Faith level,which indicates the level of strength andbelief that you are crusading for the goodforces in the world.

SELECTING A CLAN

If you are a vampire or a ghoul, yourchoice of clan is very important. (Humansmay not choose a clan.) Your clandetermines your character’s blood lineagefrom Caine and defines his or hersupernatural abilities: As a ghoul, you areselecting the clan of your domitor(vampire master) whose blood defines yoursupernatural abilities. Nine of the greatCainite clans are available to play inmultiplayer games.

STARTING CLAN DISCIPLINES

Brujah - Celerity, Potence and Presence

Cappadocian - Auspex, Fortitude and Mortis

Gangrel - Animalism, Fortitude and Protean

Giovanni - Dominate, Mortis and Potence

Malkavian - Auspex, Dementation and Obfuscate

Nosferatu - Animalism, Obfuscate and Potence

Toreador - Auspex, Celerity and Presence

Tremere - Auspex, Dominate and Thaumaturgy

Ventrue - Dominate, Fortitude and Presence

Caitiff - Any

Each blood lineage defines itselfthrough the Disciplines its members excelin. Each clan has immediate access tothree Discipline groups in addition to thecommon powers of vampires, and you mayonly spend your starting points on thesepowers. Choose your clan wisely, as it willdetermine your character’s future progress.

There are also the Caitiff, clanlessvampires, who can chose from the full-range of Disciplines but pay greaterexperience costs due to the lack ofrefinement in their blood. The startingDisciplines that come with the blood arealways the cheapest for you to learn andenhance, other Disciplines will always toharder for you to master.

More details on the vampire clans canbe found in Chapter Six: the World ofDarkness.

DEFINING YOUR TRAITS

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CREATE A GAME When you create your own game, you

have access to several options. First, you should choose the chronicle

you want to play from the list of availablelevels. Two of the chronicles areprescripted, which means that all of theevents and story line have been setup priorto the game launch. This makes it easierfor the Storyteller, since s/he will merelyhave to maintain the story or embellish itif s/he so chooses. The two chronicles thatare prescripted are “To Curse theDarkness,” which is a Dark Ages tale, and“Leaves of Three,” which takes place inmodern day New York. For the moreseasoned Storyteller, we have also includedblank chronicles, which can be filled andaltered to the Storyteller’s imagination.These empty levels are “London byNight,” “New York by Night,” “Prague byNight” and “Vienna by Night.” Also, ifyou simply wish to chat with other playersin one of the game levels, we have alsoincluded empty salons. These are smallone-room areas, where players can enterand interact as their vampiric characters.The salons that we have included are DarkAges Inn, Prince’s Mansion and the RaveClub. Finally, if you have a chronicle thatyou have saved previously, you can chooseto load this at this time as well.

You can also password lock your gameby entering a password in the window nearthe middle of the screen. To enable apassword only game, click on the box untilit is red. You can give this password toyour friends so that only they can joinyour games.

In this screen, you can set toggles thataffect the game as a whole:

The Co-op/Combative toggle setswhether the players in your game will beable to attack one another or not. Thedefault “on” setting is cooperative.

The Track Humanity toggle setswhether you want the players in your gameto suffer Humanity loss for evil actions ornot. The default “on” setting means thatHumanity will be lost for evil acts.

The ST Moderation setting allowswhether or not the host can switch to STmode during the course of the game.Thus, the host can choose to either play asone of the players or as the ST/Player. Thedefault setting of “on” allows the host tobecome the ST at any time.

Finally, the Automatic Storytelleroption will enable java scripts that arebuilt into the chronicle. The host canchoose to either have complete control ofall story events in the game or allow javascripts to play out and sit back and watchthe game events transpire. With thedefault setting of “on,” all scripts will beenabled.

When you are ready to begin, click onthe Create Game button. You will bereturned to the chat room you were in, andyour game will be visible to other players.

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INTERNET GAMES: THE WON LOBBY AND ROOMS

After logging in to the WON network,you will be taken to the Creating andChoosing a Room screen. Here there willbe a list of the rooms currently open toplay Vampire in. The first room is alwaysthe Lobby, which is a permanent roomthat is always available. The other roomson the list are all player created.

CHOOSING AND CREATINGYOUR OWN ROOM

To join a room, highlight it’s name,and then click on the Join Room button.

To create your own room, click on theCreate Room button. You will be asked toname your room and can create apassword for it should you choose.

Note: The Vampire Lobby is alsoaccessible from your Internet browser, go tohttp://vampire.won.net/ and select ElysiumChat, and you will be able to chat withother players without launching Vampire.

CHATTING, STARTING ANDJOINING A GAME

Once you have joined a room, you willbe able to chat with other players andcreate or join a game.

The windows at the top of the screenshow the name of the room you havejoined, the players in that room and anygames that are currently running.

The two windows at the bottom of thescreen are for general room chat and in-game chat. To chat to other players on theLAN, enter your text in the window to theleft, and to chat to only the other playersin the same game as you, enter text in thewindow to the right. You can use TAB toswitch between the two boxes. You canonly use in-game chat for a game that youhave joined.

The Create Game button allows you tocreate your own game.

The Player Setup button takes you backto the Haven.

The Join Game button allows you tojoin a game that is running. First highlightthe name of the game in the window tothe top left, and then click this button.

The Start Game button allows you tolaunch a game you have created or joined.

The Game Options button will showyou additional details of the game youhave joined.

The Cancel button takes you back tothe main menu.

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PLAYING IN AMULTIPLAYER GAME

The controls for a multiplayer game areessentially the same as those used in thesingle player chronicle. You move thecursor around the screen, clicking onselected targets to take an action. The coredifferences arise from interactions withother players and the Storyteller.

CONTROLS

The core controls for your character areidentical to the ones used in singleplayer games

Your character portrait has been movedto the left-hand side of the screen. In placeof the portrait window in the centre of thescreen is the in-game chat window. Thisarea will display messages from otherplayers and the Storyteller.

CHAT/TEXT INTERFACE

Replacing the character portraitwindow is the new chat window. Heremessages from the other players and theStoryteller will be displayed along withrollover text. To chat to other players, hit“Enter” or click in the text box below thechat window, type your message and hitenter to send it. The message will appearas being spoken by your character.

There are several special chat commandsthat you can use in multiplayer games.

CHAT CONTROLS FORMULTIPLAYER GAMES

(you must first hit “Enter” before doingany of these commands)

Whisper /Whisper to ST . (fullstop)Team Say , (comma)Emote : wave, bow, menace,

tauntST Emote ; (doesn’t show name)Shout !Roll one % (then hit Enter)10-sided DieRoll multiple %X (roll X d10s 10-sided Dice where the outputs will

be comma delimited)

ROLLING DICE

For those that are used to the pen andpaper game, the ST can use the 10-sideddie commands in order to make it easier tomake a roll. To use this command, bringup the chat window, type “%,” and hit“Enter” to roll one 10-sided die, or type“%X,” where X is the amount of dice thatyou want to roll (e.g. if you type “%5”and then hit “Enter,” you will get fivedifferent rolls shown on your screen.)

GAME MENU

Hit Escape to bring up the GameMenu: This does not pause a multiplayergame. The Game Menu has many of thesame controls as the single player menu.

Resume: This returns you to the gamein progress.

Save As: As a player, this forces a saveof your character (to protect it from acrash or power surge, for example.) As aStoryteller this saves the current state ofthe chronicle into your multiplayer savedgames folder. As the ST, you can then loadthis chronicle up in the future if you wishto continue the game over another gamingsession.

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Revive: If your character dies duringthe course of the game, you can choose torevive, which will place you at the start ofthe chronicle.

Options: This brings up the gameOptions menu.

Quit: This exits the game you are in.

STORYTELLING AMULTIPLAYER GAME

The Storyteller has great power as wellas great responsibility. As a Storyteller, youhave great control over the game, being ableto alter events, add or delete objects oractors and basically control the game world.

CORE STORYTELLER TOOLS

In Storyteller mode, you have adifferent set of controls over the gamethan do players. All objects in the worldwill highlight under your cursor. Click onan object to centre your camera view overit; then you can use your Storyteller toolsto alter, delete or otherwise affect it.

To follow players through thechronicle, you can either click on theircharacters to attach your camera view tothem or use TAB to switch your viewbetween all the characters in the game.Thus, if you happen to lose a playercharacter, simply hit TAB, and you willeventually find him.

There are several controls which areexclusive only to the Storyteller in amultiplayer game:

STORY TELLER CONTROLS

End Possession TabPlace ST Head Right click on

target positionToggle Player and \ST hudActor Pane Toggle AObject Pane Toggle OControls Pane Toggle VLocations Pane Toggle LScenes Pane Toggle SJump to location ALT+ Right

ClickToggle Possession P

OBJECT PANE

The Object Pane gives you the abilityto add new objects, props or actors to theworld. You can highlight an item from anyof the Object Pane lists and create it in theworld at your current location. The itemwill immediately be apparent to anyplayers present and will interact with theworld normally.

Create Object: Hitting this buttoncreates the selected item at your currentlocation. The item you have selected appearsin a text box above the main display.

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LOCATIONS PANE

The Locations Pane shows all thelocations available in the current chronicle.The one you have selected appears in atext box above the main display.

The list shows all the locations in thegame, the one you are currently in ismarked with a star (“*”).

Go To: This instantaneously movesyour character to the selected location

Jump All Players: This command movesall the players in the game to the selectedlocation.

SCENE PANE

The Scene Pane shows the pre-scriptedscenes in the chronicle. Scenes govern theplayers’ quests, as well as unlocking certainlocation in the chronicle.

Advance Scene: This advances thecurrent scene to the next and makes allnecessary changes to the game world.

Skip to Scene: This jumps the chronicleto the selected scene, skipping anyintermediary scenes.

CONTROLS PANE

The Controls Pane gives you meta-controls over access to the game.

AUTOMATIC STORYTELLERCONTROLS

AI Enabled: This toggle turns enemyAI on or off.

Lock Game: This locks the game fromany new players who attempt to join.

Lock Outside Communication: Thislocks any messages from outside the game(i.e. from the chat room) from beingdisplayed.

Elapsed Time: This shows the currentlength of time you have been in the game.

Player List and Kick: This displayshows all the players in the game. The kickbutton to the right allows you to ban theselected player from your game.

In addition to these windows, there areseveral controls available from the mainStoryteller UI.

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Short/Long List: This toggles thedisplay between short (list of necessaryitems in a particular chronicle) and long(all the items in the game).

Show Only Objects: This sets theObject Pane display to show only objects –items that can be picked up and used bycharacters such as weapons and armour.

Show Only Actors: This sets the ObjectPane display to show only actors – NPCsthat can move and interact with the world,for example enemies.

Show Only Props: This sets the ObjectPane display to show only props – thebackground objects that add details to theworld, such as trees.

ACTOR PANE

The Actor Pane shows all the actors(NPCs) at your character’s current location.The item you have currently selectedappears in a text box above the main display.

In the main window, all the actors thatare in your current location will be shown,along with the current state of their Health.

Go To: This button shifts your camerapoint-of-view to the currently selectedactor. To do this, click on the actor’s namethat you want to view, and then click onthe “go to” button.

Possess: This button allows you topossess an actor so that you have access tohis or her abilities. Once you havepossessed an actor, any text messages youtype will appear to come from thatcharacter, not your own. To possess anactor, click on the actor’s name that youwant to possess, and then click on the“possess” button.

Revive: This button instantly revives acharacter from death or torpor. It is mostuseful to revive fallen PCs but can restorean NPC also.

Set Stance: This sets a character stancebetween Talk, Neutral and Enemy.

Talk: This stance sets the NPC as a talkonly character. The PCs will not be able toattack them.

Neutral: An NPC in Neutral stance willnot be available either to talk or to beattacked by the players. This effectivelysets them as background.

Enemy: An NPC set to Enemy stancecan be targeted by player attacks and willactively seek to harm the players in thegame. Any opponents should be set toEnemy mode.

Delete: This deletes the selected fromthe game. You cannot delete playercharacters.

Kill: This automatically kills theselected character.

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CHARACTER MODE

When you switch into character mode,the normal character screen replaces yourStoryteller tools. The only exception beingthat underneath your character portrait isa button that returns you to Storytellermode. You can go into character modeeither in your character body (toexperience the game as a player would) orin the form of any of the NPCs.

CREATING YOUR OWN MULTIPLAYERCHRONICLE

The simplest way to create your ownchronicle is to use one of the empty hubswe have included with the game (eachbased on the single player chronicle butempty of monsters, quests and items) andthen populate it using the Storyteller tools.With the ST tools, you can easily gothrough the level and place enemies atyour leisure. Once you have completedyour own version of the level, you can saveit by hitting the Escape key and thenclicking on Save.

For more advanced users, the overallengine/toolset, which is known as the“Nod Engine,” will be released to allowplayers to create more complex chronicles.

Within the Nod Engine, the player willhave access to the “Codex” tools, whichyou can use to create your own scriptedevents and alter the parameters of variousfacets of the game. The programminglanguage of the Codex tools is based onJava, with lots of special native functioncalls that allow you to interact with thegame engine.

The editing tool, which is known as the“Embrace,” is based on QERadiant, whichis used to edit Quake levels. It is basicallya brush-based system where you placewalls, floors, etc., and the editor compilesall the information to create a runnablelevel file for you. Please note that it is notBSP-based like Quake, so although thetool looks the same on the surface, theresulting level files are not compatible andnot at all similar.

Those of you that are interested increating your own chronicle should take alook at Activision’s V:TM Redemption site(http://www.activision.com/games/vampire/)and other online sources for information.

PLEASE NOTE: the use of the“Embrace” and “Codex” is up to the userdiscretion and risk. Help with the editor isnot supported by Activision CustomerSupport.

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PAUSE GAME

This pauses all action in the game,preventing characters from moving outsideof a restricted radius. This is useful forrunning conversational scenes, while otherplayers are elsewhere. You can resume thegame by clicking this button a second time.

STORYTELLER VIEWER

By hitting the Storyteller Viewerbutton, you create the Storyteller head:This is invisible to players and can be usedto manipulate the environment withoutyour character being present. There areseveral uses for the Storyteller Viewer,including the following:

The Storyteller interface was designedto be similar to the normal player interface(so it would be easy and familiar to theplayers), which means a third-personcamera centring on your currentlycontrolled character. As the Storyteller,you have the ability to select just aboutanything as your current character(players, NPCs, enemies, lamp-posts, etc).This basically “selects” the object andallows the Storyteller to take action uponit, one of which could be deleting it.When this happens, you need an “object”for your view to be centred around (since the previous object is now gone),and so the Storyteller Viewer is spawned at this position.

The main usage, however, is as a 3D“pointer.” You can spawn the StorytellerViewer at your current position (say yourcamera was currently following behind aplayer as he or she was walking aroundtown) and use it to specify the position atwhich you’ll be adding a creature orobject. You can walk the head around, justlike a normal character, and can alsoteleport it instantly to locations you see onthe screen by using CTRL and right click.

ADVANCEMENT

When you hit this button, theAdvancement screen opens for eachcharacter (including your character) inturn. The multiplayer Advancement screenis identical to the single player screen savethat, as the Storyteller, there is a plus-crossnext to the character’s earned experience.If you click on this, a dialog box willopen, allowing you to assign a specificexperience award to that character.

You can also spend experience for thatcharacter directly by clicking on any of thecrosses. When you are done, hit OK tomove onto the next character.

Finally, the buttons to the left of thescreen (replacing the character modeportrait) give you direct control over theitem you have selected.

POSSESS

This allows you to possess an actor of aplayer in the game, giving you full controlover his or her movements and abilities.Once you have possessed an actor, any textyou enter as chat will appear to come fromhim or her and not your character.

REVIVE

This instantly revives the selectedcharacter, bringing them back form deathor torpor.

STANCE

This sets the actors stance betweenTalk, Neutral and Enemy. Be carefulsetting a stance other than Enemy for aplayer character, as this can detrimentallyaffect game play.

DELETE

This allows you to delete the currentlyselected item from the game world. Youmay not delete player characters.

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The world of Vampire: TheMasquerade is not our own, though it isclose enough for fearsome discomfort.Rather, the world inhabited by vampires islike ours, but through a looking glass,darkly. Evil is palpable and ubiquitous inthis world; the Final Nights are upon us,and the whole planet teeters on a razor’sedge of tension. It is a world of darkness.

Superficially, the World of Darkness islike the “real” world we all inhabit. Morepresent than in our world, though, is theundercurrent of horror — our world’s illsare all the more pronounced in the World ofDarkness. Its fears are more real. Itsgovernments are more degenerate. Itsecosystem dies a bit more night. Andvampires exist.

Many of the differences between ourworld and the World of Darkness stem fromthese vampires, or Kindred as they refer tothemselves. Ancient and inscrutable, theKindred toy with humanity as a cat doeswith a trapped mouse. The immortalKindred manipulate society to stave off theennui and malaise that threaten themnightly or to guard against the machinationsof centuries-old rivals. Immortality is a curseto vampires, for they are locked in stagnantexistences and dead bodies.

THE GENERATIONSAND CAINE

One way the Damned distinguishthemselves is through a combination of ageand generation, or how far removed aKindred is from the progenitor vampire,Caine. Young vampires must provethemselves to their elders to be afforded anybit of status, and Kindred society is often asstagnant and stultifying as the immortalDamned themselves. There is a small degreeof mobility, however, as elder Kindred arealways looking for assets and allies who mayaid them against their rivals in the Jyhad.

The greatest status is accorded to theAntediluvians, vampires of the ThirdGeneration. Most vampires consider theseKindred to be legendary — certainly, nonehas been verifiably seen in the modernnights. The lowest rung of status is held byrank neonates and the clanless Caitiff, thoseclaimed by no clan or with blood too weakto trace a proper lineage.

• Antediluvians: These ancientvampires, if they exist at all, are likely themost powerful creatures in the world.Members of the Third Generation, theAntediluvians are only two steps removedfrom the First Vampire, Caine.

CHAPTER SIX:THE WORLD OF

DARKNESS

CHAPTER SIX:THE WORLD OF

DARKNESS

Antediluvians, when they choose to rise fromtheir long sleep, affect all with whom theycome in contact; according to the fewfractured accounts of their doings, theypossess virtually godlike power. In Kindredlegend, there were 13 original Antediluvians,though some have allegedly been destroyed.Their eternal struggle, the Jyhad, touches allKindred, and innumerable layers ofmanipulation and deception make the plotsof these Ancients almost imperceptible.

• Methuselahs: If the Antediluvians arethe Kindred’s gods, the terrible Methuselahsare demigods and avatars. At a pointbetween a vampire’s thousandth and two-thousandth year, a grave change overtakesthe Kindred. Sometimes the change isphysical, while at other times, it is mental oremotional. Whatever the nature of thechange, the end result is that the vampire nolonger bears any semblance of humanity.Having truly moved from the earthly intothe realm of the supernatural, theMethuselahs often retire into the earth,where they may slumber, away from thethirsty fangs of younger vampires. Theirpowers are so great, however, that theycontinue to direct their inscrutable plansmentally, communicating magically ortelepathically (and almost always invisibly)with their minions.

Kindred greatly fear the Methuselahs,who are accorded any number of horrifyingcharacteristics. Rumours speak ofMethuselahs whose skin has become stone,of everything from hideous disfigurements tounearthly beauty that cannot be lookedupon. Some are believed to drink onlyvampire blood, while others control the fatesof entire nations from their cold tombs.

• Elders: Elders are Kindred who haveexisted for hundreds of years and typicallyrange from sixth to eighth generation. Withcenturies of accumulated cunning and aterrible thirst for power, elder Kindred arethe most physically active participants in

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their clan, not a sect. The sect known as theCamarilla is arguably the largest and mostprevalent in the modern nights, though itsrival the Sabbat has recently madeconsiderable inroads against it and stillopposes the Camarilla at every turn.

The Camarilla came about in an attemptto hold vampire society together against thepower of the Inquisition in the 15th century.Under its iron guidance, the Tradition of theMasquerade grew from a cautious suggestionto the guiding principle of Kindred life.Even tonight, the Camarilla concerns itselfwith the enforcement of the Masquerade,hiding among humans lest it be destroyed.

The Camarilla’s archenemy is themonstrous sect known as the Sabbat. Whilethe “Kindred” of the Camarilla espouseconcealing themselves among mortals andmaintaining the tattered vestiges of theirHumanity, the Sabbat favours a differentphilosophy. Not content to cower like beatendogs from humans nor to act as pawns in theschemes of their elders, Sabbat vampiresinstead prefer to revel in their undead nature.

THE BEAST ANDHUMANITY

Many of a Kindred’s first nights arespent learning what it means to beundead. The childe inevitably meets herBeast — the wild, uncontrollable monsterinside her that thrives on terror andbloodlust — and either falls to frenzy orlearns early on how to subjugate its wildcall. The sire may offer aid and guidancein thwarting the Beast, or he may watch asit overtakes his childe, then admonish herfor weakness afterward. It is now that thechilde learns that undeath is indeed a curse— despite the power brought by theEmbrace, she is no longer entirely herselfand must forever be wary of the Hungerthat burns inside her.

Also at this time, a Kindred learns —too late! — to appreciate the emotionalcapacity possessed by mortals. As avampire, the childe’s heart has died,leaving her a cold corpse incapable of trulyfeeling anything. Most vampirescompensate by making themselves feel,conjuring up memories of emotions longdead. These last vestiges of humanity are

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the Jyhad — they do not suffer the long fitsof torpor that hamper the Methuselahs andAntediluvians, but they are not so powerlessor easily manipulated as the youngerKindred. The term “elder” itself is a bitsubjective; a Kindred who qualifies as anelder in the New World might be justanother ancilla in Europe or older cornersof the Earth. Elders keep a stranglehold onthe Kindred power structure, preventingyounger vampires from attaining positionsof influence by exercising control they havemaintained for decades, if not centuries.

• Ancillae: Ancillae are relatively youngvampires (between one- and two-hundredyears of unlife) who have proved themselvesas valuable members of Kindred society.Ancillae are the lackeys to greater Kindredand — if they’re clever or lucky —tomorrow’s elders. Ancilla is the rankbetween neonate and elder, signifying thatthe Kindred has cut her teeth (so to speak)but lacks the age and experience to becomea true master of the Jyhad. Because theworld’s population has grown so in the lasttwo centuries, the vast majority of vampiresare ancillae or neonates (see below).

• Neonates: Neonates vary from newlyreleased fledglings to indolent Kindred of ahundred years or more. Marked by thestigma of not yet having proved themselvesto the elders, neonates are inexperiencedvampires who might one night makesomething of themselves — but, morelikely, will fall as pawns in the schemes ofthe other undead.

• Fledglings: Also known more looselyas “childer” (although every vampire exceptCaine is someone’s childe), fledglings arenewly reborn vampires still under thetutelage and protection of their sires, thevampires who created them. Fledglings arenot considered full members of Kindredsociety and are often treated disrespectfullyor as the sire’s property. When her siredecides her childe is ready, the fledglingmay become a neonate, subject to theprince’s approval.

THE CLANS AND SECTSIf the myth of the Antediluvians is to be

believed, Caine sired a numberof progeny, who then sired

childer themselves. Thesechilder, accordingly of the

Third Generation, were theprogenitors of the modernclans, and all vampiresdescended from them

shared common Traits andcharacteristics. Certainly thisis true to some degree, as

each clan has a set of vampiricpowers its members learnmore readily than others,

and each clan also has a distinguishingweakness or character flaw by which itsmembers may be identified.

Lineage is important to the Kindred.Though they are loners and typically shuneach other’s company by nature, theDamned place great value on their heritage.The honour a vampire is due stems fromclan as much as generation, and even themost dull-witted Kindred is afforded somemodicum of respect if his legacy demands it.

There are 13 known clans, eachsupposedly spawned by one of theAntediluvians, but whispers circulatethrough the Kindred world about “lesser”clans or “bloodlines” that branched off fromtheir parent genealogies somewhere in thenights of history. Few vampires have evermet Kindred claiming to hail from thesemysterious bloodlines, and few of these haveturned out to be anything more than Caitiffwith delusions of self-importance. For moreinformation on the clans themselves, pleaserefer to the section on clans which is locatedlater in this manual.

Sects are groups of vampires thatsupposedly share a common ideology. Theyare a modern contrivance but an importantone. Most vampires belong to one sect oranother; others claim independence, nopreference or that they are affiliated with

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for his descendants. Others, however, thinkthat the Antediluvians created them tomaintain control over their childer or thatthey were simply a set of common-senseideas that were upheld over the millenniabecause they worked. The Tradition of theMasquerade, for example, is thought tohave existed in some form since the nightsof the First City, but it changed in responseto the Inquisition.

A number of young vampires, children ofthe modern world, see the Traditions asbeing merely a tool of the elders to maintaintheir stranglehold on Kindred society, and anantique tool at that. The times thatproduced the need for the Masquerade areover and done, ancient history. Caine,Gehenna, the Antediluvians — all mythswith about as much substance as the Floodor the Tower of Babel — and all for the sake

of controlling the younger generations. It’stime to drop the Traditions and live in themodern age. The vampires of the Sabbatrabidly adhere to this reasoning, and theirscorn for the Traditions is one of the primarymotivations behind their constant attacks onthe ancient power structures.

Most elders see the young astemperamental adolescents who think theyknow everything but who lack the wisdomand experience of age. As many of the rebelsare anarchs and neonates, mostly powerlessand without voice in Kindred society, itshould come as no great surprise that theyare so wild. However, not every elder takessuch an indulgent viewpoint. Many feel thatthe reckless whelps who demand theTraditions be dropped may get their wishwhen they bring mortal society down ontheir heads. Natural selection takes care of a

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all that separate them from ravening rage,from falling to the Beast completely.Desperation is all that remains in the heartsof many vampires, as they realise what theyhave lost as their mortal selves died.

The unlife of a vampire is a litany ofbleak revelations. Many Kindred cannotcope with the terrible new world of nightinto which they have been reborn andchoose to meet the obliterating rays of thesun rather than continue their existences.

THE TRADITIONSThe Six Traditions that form the laws of

vampire society are believed to have beenpassed down since the wars that slew theSecond Generation. They are rarely writtendown, but they have never been forgotten,and they are known by all Kindred in someform. Even vampires who scorn theTraditions know them; though their specificwordings may vary, the intent behind themnever falters.

It is a popular Camarilla conceit that asire recite the Traditions to his childe beforethat childe is recognised as a neonate. Someprinces stage grand spectacles to honour newchilder’s transition from fledgling to neonate,while others need not even witness therelease, trusting the sire with the properexecution. Almost all childer learn theTraditions well before this recitation, but theact is accorded great symbolism and gravityin Camarilla affairs. Staunch supporters ofthe Camarilla and the Traditions maintainthat a newly Embraced Kindred has nottruly become a vampire until her sire speaksthe Traditions to her. Obviously, theTraditions are quite a serious matter, and thesire is held accountable for the childe until,by speaking them to her, he makes herresponsible for upholding the code herself.

Some vampires believe that Caine himselfcreated the Traditions when he sired hischilder and that what modern vampiresfollow are their progenitor’s original wishes

THE TRADITIONS

THE FIRST TRADITION: THE MASQUERADE

Thou shalt not reveal thy true nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so shallrenounce thy claims of Blood.

THE SECOND TRADITION: THE DOMAIN

Thy domain is thy concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None maychallenge thy word in thy domain.

THE THIRD TRADITION: THE PROGENY

Thou shalt sire another only with permission of thine elder. If thou createstanother without thine elder’s leave, both thou and thy progeny shalt be slain.

THE FOURTH TRADITION: THE ACCOUNTING

Those thou create are thine own childer. Until thy progeny shall be released, thoushalt command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure.

THE FIFTH TRADITION: HOSPITALITY

Honour one another’s domain. When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shaltpresent thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing.

THE SIXTH TRADITION: DESTRUCTION

Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destructionbelongeth only to thine elder. Only the eldest among thee shall call the blood hunt.

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THE LONG NIGHT ANDTHE FINAL NIGHTS

THE DARK AGES

In the centuriesbefore the modernnights, the Kindredskulk throughout theDark Medieval world,where the shadowy sidesof fantasy and realitymeet. Things are a littlemore sinister, and thewind blows a littlecolder on a moonlesswinter’s night. But it is

an exciting time to be alive, nonetheless…and an even more exciting time to beamong the walking dead.

On the surface, little differs from the realmedieval age; castles serve as both homesand fortresses to the nobility, while mostpeasants count themselves lucky to live withtheir families in drafty one-room buildings.Wars are fought in the name of God andman, and to speak out against one’s liege isboth blasphemy and treason. But in thedarkest hours of the night, undead spirits inthe shape of men walk in the shadows.…

The so-called Dark Ages of our worldwere the period between the fall of theRoman Empire and the beginning of theRenaissance. The glory that was Romecrumbled, and the roads and bureaucracythe empire had brought to the continentquickly fell apart. Trade decreased, and mostpeople were too busy simply trying tosurvive to spend time learning to read andwrite. Knowledge of science and technologycommon during Roman occupation wasforgotten, and a cloud of superstitiondescended on theWestern world.

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few of these, but such selection hasoccasionally been “assisted” by a princeexasperated beyond patience with aparticularly recalcitrant young vampire.

What follows is the most commonwording of the Traditions. Bear in mindthat this is the phrasing used by eldersand on formal occasions. The wordingmay change according to the clan, the ageof the vampire speaking or simplecircumstance. During a childe’spresentation to the prince, she may berequired to recite the Traditions as proofthat her sire has taught them to her.

LEXICONThe Kindred have their own dialect of

specialised words and phrases. Vampireshave a tremendous capacity for double-talk; what they say often means somethingother than its literal interpretation orsomething in addition to its simplemeaning.

Beast, The: The inchoate drives andurges that threaten to turn a vampire intoa mindless, ravening monster.

Camarilla, The: A sect of vampiresdevoted primarily to maintaining theTraditions, particularly that of theMasquerade.

Childe: A vampire created through theEmbrace — the childe is the progeny ofher sire. This term is often usedderogatorily, indicating inexperience.Plural childer.

Clan: A group of vampires who sharecommon characteristics passed on by theBlood. There are 13 known clans, all ofwhich were reputedly founded bymembers of the Third Generation.

Coterie: A group of Kindred who worktogether under a common purpose,whether this be clan, gang, wartime oreven diplomatically related.

Embrace, The: The act oftransforming a mortal into a vampire. TheEmbrace requires the vampire to drain hervictim and then replace that victim’s bloodwith a bit of her own.

Generation: The number of “steps”between a vampire and the mythicalCaine; how far descended from the FirstVampire a given vampire is.

Ghoul: A minion created by giving abit of vampiric vitae to a mortal withoutdraining her of blood first (which wouldcreate a vampire instead).

Jyhad, The: The secret, self-destructivewar waged between the generations. Eldervampires manipulate their lessers, usingthem as pawns in a terrible game whoserules defy comprehension.

Kindred: The race of vampires as awhole or a single vampire.

Masquerade, The: The habit of hidingthe existence of vampires from humanity.Designed to protect the Kindred fromdestruction at the hands of mankind, theMasquerade was adopted after theInquisition claimed many Kindred unlives.

Sabbat, The: A sect of vampires thatrejects humanity, embracing theirmonstrous natures. The Sabbat is bestialand violent, preferring to lord over mortalsrather than hide from them.

Sect: A group of Kindred arguablyunited under a common philosophy. Thetwo most widely known sects currentlypopulating the night are the Camarilla andthe Sabbat.

Sire: A vampire’s “parent”; the Kindredwho created her.

Torpor: The death like sleep common tothe undead, particularly among ancientvampires. Torpor may be entered voluntarily(certain undead, weary of the current age,enter torpor in hopes of reawakening in amore hospitable time) or involuntarily(though wounds or loss of blood).

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CAINITES AND SOCIETYDark Medieval society is feudal, with

power and rank dependent upon landsheld and military might. In the medievalworld there is no such thing as “equality ofopportunity.” If your family is powerful,then you will have an immediate andtangible advantage over others. If yourfamily members are peasants, you will livein poverty and die young. A man’s rank isdetermined by his birth. A woman’s rank isdetermined by her husband’s.

Medieval men divide themselves intothose who fight, those who work andthose who pray.

NOBILITY

The nobility are the military,landholding class. The great nobles ownthe land; petty nobles retain tracts of landin exchange for military service andmoney. Many nobles are trained from their

youth to fight and are equipped with finearmour and weaponry. On a day-to-daylevel, however, they are administrators andcivil servants — running their lands,enforcing royal law, commanding garrisons,working as officers of the law courts or assenior servants in ryal households.

Cainites who dwellamong the mortalnobility have a dualexistence. They mustfunction within thesociety of other noblesand lord over the landsand people of their fiefs.Just as mortal nobleshave responsibilitiesto their overlordsand underlings, so do vampire lords. YetCainite nobles also have responsibilities totheir undead kind, whether in positions ofauthority or subservience.

Times were difficult for the commonman during this period. Marauding armiessacked towns and pillaged villages. Cities layin ruins. Most of the art produced duringthis time was portable and often practical,such as jewellery and pottery. Even somerulers were illiterate, and only in scatteredChristian monasteries did reading, writingand academic learning continue. Mostpeople were farmers, never blessed with theluxuries of art or learning, living hard shortlives, more at risk from disease andstarvation than from invasions.

But the “dark” part of Dark Medievalmeans something more and is not restrictedto a single decade or century. The shadowthat has fallen across much of Europe is amoral darkness, a rejection of the spiritual.Respect for one’s fellow man has beeneclipsed by the day-to-day struggle tosurvive. Many commoners obey the laws ofGod and man more out of fear of theconsequences than from any real belief inwhat is “good” or “right.” The vampires whohold much of the power rule unchecked andrarely face the consequences of their actions.But the mortal world will not live in fearforever, and the day may come when theliving will rise up against the predators intheir midst.

In the centuries that follow the DarkAges, vampires learn the importance ofhiding themselves away from mortal eyes.Inquisitions of Church and state decimatethe Cainite population, and only those whoare able to blend into mortal society survive.

But those nights seem distant in theDark Ages. In the minds of most mortals,vampires are creatures of the Devil, to befeared — and either fought by the Churchor avoided entirely. With the power of theirvampiric Disciplines and a cunning bornfrom centuries of experience, some vampiresset themselves up as lords of outlying areas,taking their tithes of blood from anyunfortunates who pass by. Others influencethe mortal rulers of the land, throughpotent blood oaths and the work of theirhalf-mortal ghouls.

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The difficulties of observing theresponsibilities of mortal gentility arisefrom being undead. Vampire lords cannotappear before their underlings and serfsduring the day and must arrange all affairsto occur at night. Such nocturnalbehaviour cannot go unnoticed for long,and that is when superstitious rumoursspread among the mortals.

The best way for a Cainite lord tomanage her mortal affairs might bethrough kine proxies or ghouls. A sheriffcan be an effective tool at enforcing thelaws and seeing justice done, while aseneschal can arrange the affairs of themanor house. Of course, should there be adaytime emergency….

The fact is, a feudal noble holds stablepower when his authority can be directlyattributed to a name and a face. Whenmany subjects fail to see the face of theirmaster, it is easier to blame problems onhim. Still, there’s much to be said for theominous silhouette of a lord standing atophis battlements, the moon casting his cold shadow across the cringing mortalsouls below.

Other difficulties of feudal authority liein reconciling mortal and immortal power.How does a duke explain his meeknessbefore a mere baron who comes callingafter sunset? If a noble’s Cainite authorityspreads much further than his mortalauthority, how does he explain thepresence of some of his ghouls in the landsof another mortal lord? And what of agroup of rebellious vampires who won’tanswer to a mortal overlord, but willanswer to a lesser lord, who also happensto be the local Cainite prince?

PEASANTS

The medieval masses are thepeasants — the farmers who tillthe nobles’ fields. The more

fortunate are “freemen,” whorent land from the nobles,

working their plots in returnfor heavy rents, tithes andtaxes. The less fortunate are“serfs,” peasants who are the

slaves of their noble masters, whoown nothing — not even theirown bodies. A serf pays heaviertaxes and may not marry or

move away without his lord’s permission; ifa serf is assaulted, the attacker must pay afine or compensation to the serf ’s lord fordamaging his “property.”

Although mortal social classes have littlebearing on Cainite society, it is difficult forneonates and others sired since the time ofCharlemagne to recognise the prominenceof some vampires over others. Vampireswith such limited vision have particulardifficulty with Cainites who were drawnfrom or exist among the mortal peasantry. Itis difficult for a newly sired vampire, who isa noble or clergyman in mortal society, totake orders from a vampire who is ostensiblya mortal freeman. That is the paradoxicalnature of Cainite society, though, and thenewcomer who cannot adapt quickly isshort-lived.

Vampires who exist among kine peasantsdo bear a terrible burden, though. To tryto remain true to her former lifestyle, apeasant Cainite must somehow accountfor her absence during the daytime, wheneveryone else in the manor or town isworking. She is also expected to go toMass with everyone else and would bemissed at the frequent festivals that manorlords often allow their serfs.

A clever Cainite who still lives as a serfcould make ghouls of the right people andjustify her strange behaviour as part of herservices “at the manor house.” The localgossips could also be controlled to ensurethat no ill word is spread or that rumoursare actually squelched. Ultimately, though,most vampires who are chosen from thepeasantry break their mortal social bondsand seek higher lifestyles. Why be apredator of humans while living a lie astheir prey?

CLERGY

The Church is the single greatestinstitution in the medieval world.Arguably it is the only importantinstitution. The Church runs theuniversities and cathedral schools ofmedieval Europe, educating the sons of thewealthy and powerful. It appoints priests

to local parishes, and from every pulpit,those priests tell the people to obey Godand their mortal masters. Few peopleoutside the Church can read, nor do theyown books. The monasteries andcathedrals of Europe own vast amounts ofland and are the most important patronsof the arts. The power of the Church in

the Dark Medievalworld can not beunderstated. The lords

of the Church are verywealthy and veryinfluential. They tellpeople what to believeand bribe and cajolethem with the promiseof eternal life. Anangered bishop may

“excommunicate” anunfortunate soul, cutting

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GEOGRAPHYIn the Dark Medieval world, Europe is

dominated by a small number of powerfulkingdoms. The Holy Roman Empire is thelargest state in Europe and coversGermany, northern Italy and part ofwestern France. It is currently in the midstof a long civil war fought between two rivalEmperors, Otto of Brunswick and Philip ofSwabia. The empire actually comprisesdozens of small duchies; the dukes oweallegiance to the emperor but often ruletheir lands as independent monarchs, andit is the feuds between these rulers that sooften divide the empire.

The English kings (currently KingRichard the Lionheart) rule lands inEngland, Wales, northern France and(theoretically) Ireland. In 1199, Richard iskilled in battle and is succeeded by hisvicious brother John. The Kingdom ofFrance under Philip II, perhaps thestrongest single kingdom in Europe andcertainly the best administered, is expandingby seizing lands in northern France fromEngland. Constantinople, under theEmperor Alexius III, controls an empireincluding modern-day Turkey (disputedwith the Moors), Serbia and Greece.

Other kingdoms rule the fringes ofEurope, including the kingdoms ofHungary, Poland, Jerusalem (actually basedon Cyprus, as Jerusalem itself is in Moslemhands) and Scotland; the Principalities ofRussia; and the “Empire” of Bulgaria.Numerous smaller kingdoms andprincipalities also exist, such as the pettykingdoms of Iberia, the four principalities ofIreland, the tiny states of Switzerland andthe kingdom of Denmark. Europe alsocontains one last bulwark againstChristianity, the pagan kingdom ofLithuania and the lands surrounding italong the Baltic coast.

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off a person from the Church and fromGod’s mercy, and only a priest may absolvea person of her sins.

Cainites who exist among the mortalclergy have the greatest protection fromvampire and mortal opponents, but thatprotection comes at a price. By posing asGod’s devout — though usually onlythrough lip service — vampires in theclergy have the power of the Churchbehind them, the most influentialinstitution in the medieval world. If anopponent ever grows too strong, Cainitesin the Church can bring the mortalauthority of God down upon them. All thevampires need do is trump up the rightcharges and provide the right “evidence.”

Ironically, the Church also providesdefences for its cursed brethren throughthe power of faith. Mortal clergymen are

often unfaithful, but there are some whoare not, and their conviction can beenough to stave off an attacker who wouldhunt a Cainite in his very abbey ormonastery. All the Cainite brother needknow is who of faith should be avoidedamong the disciples.

The dangers of hiding among the clergyare immense, though. At some point itmust mean contact with True Faith.Cainite power must also be wielded subtlyfor fear of raising suspicion and avoidingcharges of diabolism. And the duties of theclergy must be fulfiled to a point that isconvincing to other brethren; an obviouslack of conviction would be as dangerousto a vampire as exposure to too much.

Vampires’ failure to hide their existenceproperly within the Church mayultimately lead to witch hunts.

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hereafter. Likewise, cults flourish in theunderground, promising power andredemption. The institutions that controlsociety are even more staid andconservative than they are in our world,for many in power prefer the evil of theworld they know to the chaos engenderedby change. It is a divisive world of haveand have-not, rich and poor, excess andsqualor.

The Punk aspect is the lifestyle thatmany denizens of the World of Darknesshave adopted. In order to give their livesmeaning, they rebel, crashing themselvesagainst the crags of power. Gangs prowlthe streets and organised crime breeds inthe underworld, reactions to thepointlessness of living “by the book.”Music is louder, faster, more violent orhypnotically monotonous and supportedby masses who find salvation in its escape.Speech is coarser, fashion is bolder, art ismore shocking, and technology brings itall to everyone at the click of a button.

The world is more corrupt, the peopleare spiritually bankrupt, and escapismoften replaces hope.

As if this weren’t fearful enough, thelast few years have seen a quiet butpervasive dread grip the Kindredcommunity. Many Kindred whisper of theJyhad, the eternal war or game said toconsume the most ancient vampires. Thisstruggle has been waged since the dawn oftime, but many vampires fear that, as onemillennium passes to the next and thecurse of undeath grows weaker, anapocalyptic endgame is at hand. Signs andportents, many recorded in the propheticBook of Nod, trouble vampires of all clansand lineages, even those who profess notto believe. Whispers in Sabbat covens andCamarilla salons alike speak of turmoil inthe East, of armies of clanless rabble, ofvampires whose blood is so thin that theycannot Embrace, of meetings withmysterious elders whose vast power betraysno discernible lineage, of black crescent

Perhaps the most powerful person inEurope is the Pope. The Pope controls hisown private principality in central Italy,including the city of Rome itself, but moreimportantly, he is the head of the Churchthroughout Western Europe. For while theearthly kingdoms are divided amongwarring monarchs, all acknowledge thePope as a higher spiritual authoritybeneath whose jurisdiction all mortalkingdoms fall. Some also argue that asChrist’s representative on Earth, the Popeshould have supreme authority on allmatters, and claim that all secular rulersshould bow down in obedience to him.The year 1198 sees the death of themoderate Pope, Celestine III, and hisreplacement by the shrewd anddomineering Innocent III.

THE MODERN NIGHTS“Gothic-Punk” is perhaps the

best way to describe thephysical nature of the modernWorld of Darkness. The

environment is aclashing mixture of

styles and influences,and the tension caused

by the juxtaposition ofethnicities, social classes andsubcultures makes the world

a vibrant, albeit dangerous, place.The Gothic aspect describes the

ambience of the World of Darkness.Buttressed buildings loom overhead,bedecked with classical columns andgrimacing gargoyles. Residents are dwarfedby the sheer scale of architecture, lost amidthe spires that seem to grope towardHeaven in an effort to escape the physicalworld. The ranks of the Church swell, asmortals flock to any banner that offersthem a hope of something better in the

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Though the Camarilla is the largest sect,just over half of the 13 known vampireclans actively participate in its affairs. Thesect holds meetings attended by activeclans’ representatives; these gatherings areknown as convocations. It also callsperiodic conclaves, which are open to anyand all members of the sect, to discussmatters of imminent sect importance. Onlyjusticars, officers elected by the Inner Circleto attend to matters of the Traditions, maycall conclaves. Justicars are always of greatage and rightly feared; as such, theirinterpretations of the Traditions are heededout of self-preservation. Coteries ofvampires known as archons attend thejusticars; meeting an archon is usually aportentous event.

Officially, the Camarilla does notrecognise the existence of the Antediluviansor Caine. It reasons that these vampires, ifthey ever existed at all, have long sincesuffered the Final Death, and those whoallude to them are publicly derided.

THE SABBAT

Rumoured to have itsorigins in a medieval deathcult, the Sabbat is greatlyfeared by Kindred who do notbelong to it. The sect ismonstrous and violent and nolonger clings to any trappingsof human philosophy or

morality. Members instead revel in theirvampiric unlives. Sometimes referred to asthe Black Hand, the Sabbat actively seeksthe overthrow of the Traditions, thedestruction of the Camarilla and thesubjugation of humankind.

The Sabbat recruits wherever it takeshold, spreading like a poisonous weed andtearing down the established institutionsaround it. Unlike the Camarilla, the Sabbatrecognises the existence of theAntediluvians, though it rabidly opposesthem. According to Sabbat propaganda, theAntediluvians pull the strings of the entireworld, and it is this malignant control they

moons and full moons red as blood. All,say the believers, are omens that the FinalNights are approaching and that the endof all thing is nigh.

Some Kindred believe that a Reckoningis at hand, that the powers of Heaven arepreparing at last to judge the vampires andwhat they have made of the world. Othersspeak of the Winnowing, or Gehenna, thenight when the most ancient vampires willrise to consume their progeny, taking theirlessers’ cursed blood to sate their ownhunger. Few admit to such superstitions,but most feel a palpable tension in thesenights. Elder vampires play their hands inone fell swoop, negating centuries-longschemes in a single mad flurry of action.The war packs of the dread Sabbat hurlthemselves at the fortresses of theirenemies, for they fear they might not getanother opportunity. Cells of Assamitecannibals, formerly held in check by agreat curse, hunt other vampires andravenously drink their blood. Vampires ofuncertain lineage are hunted down anddestroyed by paranoid elders, who fearthem as harbingers of Gehenna. Thoughpatience is a special virtue among theimmortals, it is practiced less and less, andthe whole Kindred world teeters on theverge of a great collective frenzy.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE SECTS

Sects are groups of vampires and clansthat supposedly share a common ideology.They are a modern contrivance but animportant one. Sects as they are known inthese nights first surfaced after the GreatAnarch Revolt, a continent-wide upheavalwhich took place in Europe during the15th century. Many elders accept sectmembership grudgingly, deriding sects as“foolishness — the Blood is all thatmatters.” In the nights before the GreatAnarch Revolt and the Inquisition, theseelders claim, there were no sects at all.Other vampires argue that this is still true

— a vampire in a sizable city may go adecade or more without ever seeinganother Kindred, so of what use is a sect?

Regardless, most vampires belong toone sect or another; others claimindependence, no preference or that theyare affiliated with their clan, not a sect.The sect known as the Camarilla isarguably the largest and most prevalent,though its rival the Sabbat has recentlymade considerable inroads against it andstill opposes the Camarilla at every turn.The secretive Inconnu, when it may bereached for comment, maintains that it isnot a sect, although it seems to beorganised and manages to steer clear of theother sects. On the opposite side of thecoin, the anarchs make much show ofpretending to be a sect, though they arethe first to enlist Camarilla aid when theSabbat appears at a city’s borders. Thus,the Camarilla considers the anarchs to beunder its purview.

THE CAMARILLA

The largest sect of vampires inexistence, the Camarilla concernsitself with the Masquerade,thereby hoping to maintain aplace for Kindred in the modernnights. The Camarilla is an opensociety; it claims all vampires asmembers (whether they want to

belong or not), and any vampire may claimmembership, regardless of lineage.

According to the often-contradictoryhistory of the Kindred, the Camarilla cameto be at the end of the Anarch Revolt,sometime in the 15th century. The Kindredof Clan Ventrue loudly claim to have beeninstrumental in the sect’s formation, towhich many Kindred owe their unlives.With the enforcement of the Masquerade,Kindred had a means of foiling theInquisition, a Church office sworn to thedestruction of super-natural creatures.

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oppose. They see the Camarilla as pawns ofthe Ancients, and oppose its memberspolitically as well as physically. MostSabbat express bilious contempt for thevampires of the Camarilla, whom they seeas cowardly wretches unable to accept theirpredatory natures.

Outsiders know little about the Sabbat’sinner workings. Some Camarilla Kindredeven doubt its existence, believing it to bea rumour created by elders to keeptroublesome childer in line — an undeadboogeyman. Lurid tales about the sectspread like wildfire, including claims thatits members indulge in ceaseless diablerie,worship demons, hunt and kill othervampires and possess the ability to breakblood bonds. The only consistent rumourattributed to the Sabbat is its members’apparent love of fire — the sect has afearsome reputation for leaving burningwakes behind it.

THE INCONNU

The Inconnu are not a sect so much asthey are a disparate group of like-mindedvampires. No longer wishing to be thepuppets of those older than they and tiredof the incessant manoeuvring of thoseyounger than they, the Inconnu seem tohave dropped out of the Jyhad altogether.This is what distinguishes an Inconnuvampire from those of other sects — theInconnu distance themselves from othervampires and their contemptiblemachinations.

The Inconnu are rumoured (as no oneever really goes looking for them) to be ofgreat age and potency. Many reportedlyspend much time in torpor or otherwisesleeping, the better to avoid the Jyhad.Some Kindred liken the Inconnu to theAntediluvians, claiming that they havegrown away from the world and into atimeless, inhuman mindset. OtherKindred believe that the Inconnu all

pursue or have attained Golconda, a fabledstate of vampiric transcendence.

Kindred who deal with the Inconnutypically leave the encounter with a senseof profound mystery and awe. Althoughthe Inconnu seem to be informal andloosely organised, they communicate verywell among themselves. Inconnu knowwhen to avoid Kindred, when to hide fromthem and when to unleash their significantpower to turn vampires away. Theiragenda, if they even have one, is unknown.

ANARCHS

Anarchs are vampires who reject theTraditions of Caine and the dictates of theelders who enforce them. Ironically, eldersgrudgingly afford anarchs some degree ofstatus, due to the anarchs’ ability to obtainpower in spite of the elders’ opposition.Anarchs are also respected for their passionand drive, which few elder Kindred, miredas they are in their age and dissatisfaction,can muster. Ultimately, however, mostKindred see anarchs as jackals, scavengingtheir unlives from what slips through theelders’ fingers. Although arguablymembers of the Camarilla, the anarchs arevocal in their desire to see Kindred affairschange from the status quo.

GEHENNA — THE END IS NEAR

Central to Kindred myth is the idea ofGehenna. The Kindred believe that thisapproaching apocalypse bears down evermore each night upon the world. WhenGehenna arrives, the Antediluvians shallarise and make a wasteland of the world,consuming Kindred and mortal alike inthe culmination of their horrendous Jyhad.

Although few Camarilla Kindred wouldadmit it, many vampires see the world ona downward plummet and believe thatGehenna will occur soon — perhaps evenwithin the next few years. Franticallypiecing together the signs from whatever

Cainite histories and mythologicalfragments they can compile, the Kindredseek to learn the true nature of Gehennaand possibly avert it. Elder vampires know,however, of the implacable wills of theAntediluvians. Should they so will it,Gehenna shall come and overwhelm theworld, destroying every mortal andvampire in a tide of blood and fire.

Even so, the Kindred attempt to foil oraid the Jyhad as they see their rolescoming to critical culmination. Themillennial tension that plagues the planetis certainly a precursor to the comingapocalypse, and the Final Nights are uponus. Unless….

As the fear of Gehenna grips theKindred community, more and moreGehenna cults form. These groups, whichresemble secret societies or cliques, aremost common among the Camarilla,though some Gehenna cults pervade theSabbat and even the independent clans.Due to the stigma of belonging to aGehenna cult, cult business is alwaysconducted in secret, and the cults areofficially derided as foolish rumour. Inrecent nights, though, they haveproliferated, and certain vampires of greatpower and influence secretly belong toGehenna cults.

THE STATE OF THE WORLD

Much has come to pass recently in theWorld of Darkness, and many Kindred areconvinced that the Final Nights havearrived. Numerous events portend themovement of the Antediluvians; the worldhas undergone significant changes, as havethe Kindred themselves.

Varying accounts of Antediluvians,most unreliably accredited, have becomecommon, and it would seem that as theworld spirals toward its presumeddestruction, some subtlety has been lost inthe Jyhad. Whether these sighting are

actual or not, they reveal an unsettlingparanoia and a sense of urgency previouslyunknown. Stories of encounters with abeing who claims to be Caine are alsocirculating like never before. Whereas itwas once fashionable to mock suchpreposterous conversation, many Kindredwonder if there may be some legitimacy tothe matter.

The Sabbat has recently increased itsactivity, actively vying for power inChicago, Atlanta, Washington, DC, andother elder-controlled cities. Animalisticand monstrous, the sect has swarmed likelocusts over the East Coast and southernborders of the United States. Its influencein Canada has also increased, and itappears as if the Sabbat is realising a grandenfilade, surrounding the United Statesand cutting off all access except that whichit grants. Many Kindred en route toEurope from the United States or viceversa have been destroyed or disappearedaltogether as the Sabbat exerts its influencewhere it can: at the borders.

It would seem that the West Coast isrelatively free of Sabbat presence, but thisis true only because an influx of exoticvampires from Asia has taken root. Theanarch holdings of California have becomebattlegrounds, and the proud anarchs haveeven begged the Camarilla’s Inner Circlefor aid in turning back the Asian peril.The Kindred of the East have madesignificant advances into the United Statesfrom the West Coast, and their presencemay soon shift the balance of poweramong the Children of Caine.

The Camarilla as a whole seems lessand less dominant, its influence eroding bythe night. Years ago, it seemed as if thesect virtually owned North America. Asmillennial hysteria rises, more and moreslips through the ever-tightening grip ofthe sect, leaving its members consistentlylosing ground. Indeed, one of its greatest

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The Crusaders brought back many tales fromthe Holy Land, some of which concerned

a band of fanatical killers. Theword the Europeans coined forthese silent murderers was

assassin. The Cainites, however,already knew of a similar but

far more dangerous threat fromAraby — the diablerists of Clan

Assamite. The vampires of theWest had encountered theAssamites long before the

Crusaders. Some say that theconquerors who set out for the

East — Alexander, forexample — were pawns

of the Cainites whofeared the Assamites. Rumours aside, the Assamitesare dreaded for good reason — they seek to betterthemselves through the practice of diablerie.

The Assamites are feared assassins from lands far tothe east. No other clan has earned such a deservedreputation for diablerie, though they also sell theirmurderous services to other Kindred, acting ascontract killers. Some Kindred believe that theAssamites act at the behest of older powers,perhaps preparing to play their part in theJyhad’s final moves.

members, the mighty justicar known asPetrodon, was struck down and destroyedin Chicago by parties unknown.

The Sabbat has suffered its own losses,however, and may hardly be said to havethe upper hand. Recently, all the Tremereof the Sabbat were destroyed in a greatconflagration in Mexico City. Add to thisthe fact that the Sabbat Malkavians havecommunicated their terrible madness totheir Camarilla and anarch brethren, andthe Sabbat no longer has the edge it oncedid. Both sides suffer from incursions ofindependent Kindred, particularly theAssamites, who pursue their murderousways anew. Even the formerly carefreeRavnos have begun to act with greaterpurpose and malevolence, and some elderswonder if, in dismissing the Deceivers,they have ignored fangs long poised attheir throats.

Thus, the World of Darkness decaysand crumbles more each night. With lessand less to be sure of and many moreominous portents becoming plainly visible,many Kindred wonder what theimmediate future holds, and it seems thatimmortality may not mean much if theend of the world is nigh.

THE CLANSThe following pages introduce the

characteristics of each of the 13 great clansof Kindred. At the top of each page is theiroutlook during the Long Night, or DarkAges; the bottom of each page presentsthem as they appear in the modern nights.Some of the Kindred have remained verystaid and static since almost a millenniaago, while others have changed radically.…

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CAPPADOCIANS

Known among Cainites for millennia as the “Clanof Death,” the Cappadocians are shunned even bytheir brethren for their macabre interests. Still,the secretive nature of the clan has caused asmany people to fear them as respect them. Invampiric society, Cappadocians often fill therole of advisor to princes. They are respected

for their insight and wisdom and largely trusteddue to their lack of interest in earthly power.

The clan has recently Embraced a small cabal ofnecromancers in order to further their studies.

Reviled perhaps more than any othersingle clan of Kindred, the Giovanni clan is a

family of financiers and necromancers.Trafficking in the commodity of souls has giventhis clan a disproportionate amount of power,while trafficking in world finance has made the

clan rich. Soon afterbecoming a vampire, theGiovanni clan leaderdestroyed his sire,reinventing the clan in hisown image.

The Brujah are the ultimate scholar-warriors, alwaysstriving toward perfection of mind and body. Theelders of the clan can recall the Golden Ageand speak wistfully of lost Carthage.Unfortunately, no wound stings worsethan a dream denied. The death ofCarthage seems to have only increasedtheir rancor, and the other clans’refusal to move beyond thestatus quo leaves a bitter tastein their mouths. So they fight.They fight the Ventrue fordestroying Carthage, they fight

the Lasombra for encouraging thestatus quo, they fight the Tremerefor slaying Saulot — the listseems eternal. The Brujah arenothing if not lovers of a cause.

In the modern nights, the Brujah are perceived aslittle more than spoiled childer who have no sense of

pride or history. One of the mainstays of the GreatAnarch Revolt, the Brujah were barely broughtto heel by the founders of the Camarilla, andthe clan as a whole still resents the elders.Although technically members of the

Camarilla, the Brujah are the sect’s firebrandsand agitators, testing the Traditions and

rebelling in the name ofwhatever causes they

hold dear. Many Brujahare outright anarchs,

defying authority andserving no prince.

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Through the forest nights wander the lonely, nomadicGangrel. Unlike their brethren, Gangrel spurn the

trappings of civilisation, preferring to roamthe deep wilds in solitude. The Gangrel

is a clan only in the loosestsense; its members tend to berugged individualists,indifferent to the protocolsof either mortal orvampire. Indeed, Gangreltend to be more

comfortable with the creatures of thewilds than with the mortals they were orthe vampires they have become.

The night-prowling Gangrel are feralvampires and possess disturbing

animalistic tendencies andfeatures. Rarely staying inone place, Gangrel are

nomadic wanderers, satisfied only whenrunning alone under the night sky. Distant, aloof

and savage, Gangrel are often tragic individuals;although many hate the cities’ crowds andconstrictions, the presence of hostile

werewolves prevents mostGangrel from existingoutside theirconfines.

Few vampires would willinglygrant hospitality to a Follower ofSet, and for good reason. TheSetites, as they call themselves,are servants of darkness andcorruption incarnate. The clan’sultimate goal is to corrode theethics away from humanity andCainites alike, creating a surfeitof slaves for themselves and their

dark master. Legends name Set as the clan’sfounder. Some say Osiris banished Set, whileothers claim Horus defeated him. In any

event, Set swore to re-establishhis rule but this time from the

darkness. And in hisfootprints walked his childer.

Originally hailing from Egypt, the serpentineSetites are said to worship the undead vampire-deity Set, serving him in all their efforts. TheSetites seem intent on “corrupting” others,enslaving victims in snares of their ownweakness, but for what inscrutable purpose,none can guess. Other Kindred despise theFollowers of Set, and the clan claims noallies. Inevitably, sin and debasement follow

in the Setites’ wake, andmany Kindred refuse toallow them in their cities.

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Clan Malkavian seems to be the most incoherentbloodline of vampires. The gently deluded andslavering psychotics are found in equal

numbers, and they are but a taste of thediversity characterising this clan. If not forthe common trait of insanity, they wouldscarcely seem a clan at all. But the other

clans have no choice but to acknowledgethem. Malkavian oracles have been part ofvampiric courts for generations, and even theLasombra and haughty Ventrue, if they seekinformation, will sup with the Malkavians —

with a long spoon. Every member of ClanMalkavian is afflicted with madness, and all areslaves to their debilitating lunacy. The Malkavian

clan founder isrumoured to

have been one ofthe most important

vampires of old, but in committingsome grievous crime, Caine cursed him

and his descendants with insanity.Throughout Cainite history,Malkavians have been alternatelyfeared for their bizarre behaviourand sought out for their evenmore bizarre insight.

Elegant yet predatory, the Lasombra honestly think ofthemselves as the apex of Cainiteexistence. Firm believers in DivineRight and the rule of the superior,they have little patience, though

often much pity, for those Cainites whoare, through no fault of their own,

inferior. The Lasombra character is acurious mix of noblesse oblige andhealthy contempt. They actively seek

power wherever it may be found, fromthe halls of the cloisters to the corridors ofpalaces, yet they do not seek the titles and

glory that comes along withrule: Most Lasombra preferthe role of kingmaker to thetitle of king.

The Lasombra aremasters of darkness and

shadow. Many Kindred seethe Ventrue andLasombra as twistedreflections of each other. The Lasombrahave all but turned their backs on theirformer nobility; the chaos of Kindredhistory and the formation of the Sabbathave caused most of them to shun theirorigins. Now, the Lasombra give

themselves wholly over to thedamnation of beingvampires.

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Tramps and thieves, the Ravnos are scattered likechaff on the wind throughout Europe. Every country

hosts a few, but where they can befound varies from night to nightand whim to whim. Many travel

with bands of roving tinkers orother undesirables. It is rare for more

than one or two to be found in the sameplace at the same time, for they are solitaryCainites and prefer audiences and marks tocompany.

Descendents of the Gypsy Roma and theirforebears in India, the Ravnos vampires lead nomadicunlives. The Ravnos are

also known for theirability to create amazingillusions, the better with

which to trick theirmarks. Many vampires

persecute the Ravnosbecause of the

chaos thatfollows these

Kindred. The Ravnos return thescorn of their peers manyfold,holding other vampires incontempt. Note: The Ravnos Clandoes not appear in Vampire:The MasqueradeRedemption.

The Nosferatu bear an ancient and terrible curse,for they are no longer made in God’s image; the

vampiric transformation warps their forms,rendering them abominations inthe eyes of men and angels.Outcast from mortal and

vampire society alike, thesemisshapen horrors haunt thecatacombs, wastes and otherhidden places of the DarkMedieval world. Recently, ascities have grown, some

Nosferatu have ended theirexile, but this is relativelyuncommon; most other vampires stillrevile and condemn them.

The members of Clan Nosferatusuffer the most visible curse of all.The Embrace hideously deformsthem, twisting them into literal

monsters. Nosferatu havereputations as information brokers and

harvesters of secrets, as their horridappearances have forced them to perfect

their mystical ability to hide, sometimes inplain sight.

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Once a cabal of mortalsorcerers, the Tremere becameobsessed with the search forimmortality to permit themtime enough to perfect theircraft for eternity. Their efforts

proved fruitful; although ittook the deaths of an elder Cainite

and many of their apprentices, the cabalachieved eternal life — or so they

thought. All they had trulyclaimed was vampirism.

No clan is soshrouded in deliberate

mystery as theTremere. Theinventors andpractitioners ofterrible bloodmagics, thesecretive Tremere have

a tightly knit political structurebased on the acquisition of power. Some

Kindred claim that theTremere are not trulyvampires at all, but rathermortal wizards who cursedthemselves for eternity while

studying the secret ofimmortality.

From their beginning, theToreador have always been

devotees of beauty in all itsforms. Beauty means so muchmore to them, for they devote

the entirety of their vampiricsenses to it, immersingthemselves in the aesthetic.They consider themselves thepreservers and guardians of the exquisite,the bearers of the flame of inspiration. Ofall the clans, the Toreador are the oneswho appreciate most theaccomplishments of the humanrace.

Prodigals of the Kindred,Clan Toreadorindulges in excessand degeneracy, allwhile claiming to

maintain patronage of the arts. To a greatdegree, this patronage is true, as the clanclaims many talented artists, musicians,writers, poets and other gifted creators. Onthe other hand, the clan possessesjust as many “poseurs,” thosewho fancy themselves greataesthetes but lack the ability tocreate at all.

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Striding from battlefield to battlefield and throne room to throneroom, the Ventrue are the knights and kings ofthe Cainite chessboard. Theirs are theconquests, the wars and the Crusades;

they rule from the manorhouses and thethrone rooms.Many wereconquerors in lifeand have yet toshake the habit indeath, while others

achieved success asmerchants ormoneylenders. All

triumphed,however, and as areward, were taken

into Clan Ventrue.There are no failures among the Ventrue, only successesand the fondly remembered dead.

The nominal leaders of the Camarilla, the Ventrueclaim to have created and supported the organisation of the sectsince its inception. Ventrue Kindred actively involve themselves inthe Jyhad, in which they exercise their formidable influence overthe doings of the kine. As reluctant aristocracy of theKindred, the Ventrue atone for their damnation byenforcing the Traditions and the Masquerade.

From time immemorial, the Tzimiscehave haunted Europe beyond theElbe. Along the Oder and Danube,

through the Pripet Marshes, amidthe Carpathian crags stalk theFiends, each claiming its lairand wrecking a terriblevengeance on intruders.Millennia of defending theirholdings from all sides have madeTzimisce extremely vicious, and Tzimiscecruelty is infamous even amongvampires.

By the modern nights, theTzimisce have been uprootedfrom their Old Countrymanses and relocated into theclutches of the Sabbat.Clan Tzimisce leads theSabbat in its rejection of

all things human. They practice a“fleshcrafting” Discipline that they use todisfigure their foes and sculpt themselves intobeings of terrible beauty.

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QA TestersJeff Barthel

Matthew BealIlya BerelsonSteve BoisvertAlex ColemanDan Carreker

Nick CastanedaMark CookeJohn Cung

Mark DouglasSion Rodriguez y Gibson

Marat GleyzerLuke Grannis

Hector GuerreroDavid HakimKeith Harris

Adam HartsfieldThann Harvey

Joseph HemrickJason Kim

Victor KingAnthony Korotko

Mike KusupholnandDanny Lee

Linda LozanoErin MartelJeff Moxley

Doug RothmanMarco Scataglini

Jeff SpiererJef Sedivy

Dave StolfaClaude Conkrite

David HakimRon WeibelJon Virtes

Glen ViStanteYon Vo

Eric Zimmerman

Network Lab LeadChris Keim

Compatibility Lab Neil Barizo

QA Special ThanksEric Zala

Matt PowersSam NourianiTim VanlawJason Wong

John SherwoodAaron King

Todd KomesuBob McPherson

Gary BolducMarietta Pashayan

Chris KeimIndra GunawanJoule MiddletonJeff Poffenbarger

Joe FavazzaBen DeGuzman

Jenny CassellVisioneers

Dizzy and JackCode Release Group

Juan ValdesManual Authors

Chris HewishSion Rodriguez y Gibson

Glenn IgeWhite Wolf Staff

Short Story byDaniel Greenberg

Short Story Illustrations byRichard Servande

Voice Recording/Editing Engineers

Brian BrightBill Black, Big Fat Kitty

ProductionsKenny Ramirez

InstallerPaul BakerJohn Fritts

WON.NET

WON.net ProducersRoss Perez

Scott Warren

WON.net EngineeringErik De BonteMike Nicolino

WON.net Quality AssuranceEric HarmonDavid Cain

WON.net Beta Testers

LOCALISATION

Localisation CoordinatorStephanie O’Malley

Localisation Supervisor UKPeter Lykke Nielsen

Localisation AssitantMark Nutt

ArtworkerAlex Wylde

GERMAN LOCALISATION

Localisation CoordinatorsBettina BucherKlaus Müller

Special thanks to: Feder & Schwert for their

consultancy work!

Voice ActorsJohannes Steck

Christina PuccitaDieter KringErik Borner

Eva GosciejeviczHans-Jörg Karrenbrock

Helge HeynoldHelmut Winkelmann

Joachim PützKarl-Heinz Staudenmeier

Klaus BauerMarianne EislerMarkus Haase

Matthias KellerPeter BauerPit Krüger

Regine VergeenRenier Baaken

Songard BöhlkeWolf von Lindenau

German recording sessions done

by M&S MusicGerman engineering done by

Effective Media

CREDITS

NIHILISTIC SOFTWARE

Project Leader, DesignerRay Gresko

Lead ProgrammerRobert Huebner

Lead Level DesignerSteve Tietze

Lead ArtistMaarten Kraaijvanger

DesignerJacob Stephens

ProgrammersYves Borckmans

Ingar Shu

Level DesignersSteve Thoms

Brent McLeod

ArtistsYujin Kiem

Anthony ChiangRichard Servande

EXTERNAL

DEVELOPMENT

Interactive Screenplay, Story Co-Writer, Additional Voice Direction

Daniel Greenberg

Video CutscenesOholoko Productions, Inc.

Sound Design and MixingNick Peck,

Perceptive Sound Design

Dark Ages Music, Cutscene ScoringKevin Manthei,

KMM Productions

Modern Day MusicChris Collins and GregForsberg, Youth Engine

Additional Modern MusicRob Ross,

Sound Endeavours, Inc.

Additional Conceptual ArtworkPeter Chan

Patrick LambertSeung Hong

Kyushik ShimManuel Planck,

Famous Frames, Inc.Ronald Kee,

Oholko Productions, Inc.QERadiant sourcecode licensed

from id Software, Inc.Some tools based in part uponthe work of the FreeType Team

(www.freetype.org)

Voice ActorsNicholas Guest

Michael BenyearMaggie Baird

Curtis ArmstrongTara Charendoff

Joe AlaskeyKevin KillebrewChristine Burke

Mary Elizabeth McGlynnJohn VickeryTom WynerDan Woren

John Rafter LeeJason Spivak

Melodee SpevakRobert Neches

Greg EllisMary Weiss

Onsite Testing StaffDavid Silverstein

Mark CookeJoe Shackelford

WHITE WOLF

PUBLISHING, INC.

PresidentSteve Wieck

Computer Projects Director(V:TMR Manual Design)

Chris McDonough

VP of Licensing/MarketingMike Tinney

V:tM DeveloperJustin Achilli

Manual EditorJohn Chambers

White Wolf ArtVince Locke, Greg Louden,

William O’ Connor, Guy Davis,Rebecca Guay, Alex Sheikman,

Richard Thomas, Joshua Gabriel Timbrook

ACTIVISION, INC.

ProducerChris Hewish

Global Brand ManagerJohn Heinecke

Press RelationsMichelle Nino

Executive ProducerMark Lamia

Associate Brand ManagerJamey Gottlieb

VP of CS/QAJim Summers

Staff Planning LeadTanya Langston

External Test CoordinatorStacey Drellishak

QA Senior Project LeadNadine Theuzillot

QA Project LeadEric Lee

Production TestersSion Rodriguez y Gibson

Aaron GrayJim HudsonGlenn Ige

Steve RosenthalDavid Silverstein

Mike StefanChris ToftJon Virtes

UK_Vampire 3/26/02 5:26 PM Page 98

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Customer Support  

For the support for all your games bought through GOG.com, please visit our Support page at http://www.gog.com/support.   If you're logged in, go directly to "Support" page, where you can see a list of all your Good Old Games, otherwise you can find the game you're looking for through the smart search.  Choose the game that you have problem with and see whether the solution isn't already posted.  If not, go to the "Contact us" page, select "Technical issues with games" and hit "Continue" to send us a message describing your problem. Fill all the required fields with proper data ‐  please enter as much details as you can, this will help us solve your problem faster.  All your messages and our replies will appear on your "My Account" page.   

Software License Agreement  IMPORTANT ‐ READ CAREFULLY: USE OF THIS PROGRAM IS SUBJECT TO THE SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS SET FORTH BELOW. "PROGRAM" INCLUDES ALL SOFTWARE INCLUDED WITH THIS AGREEMENT, THE ASSOCIATED MEDIA, ANY PRINTED MATERIALS, AND ANY ONLINE OR ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTATION, AND ANY AND ALL COPIES OF SUCH SOFTWARE AND MATERIALS. BY OPENING THIS PACKAGE, INSTALLING, AND/OR USING THE PROGRAM AND ANY SOFTWARE PROGRAMS INCLUDED WITHIN OR, IF YOU ARE DOWNLOADING THIS PROGRAM FROM AN AUTHORIZED ACTIVISION ONLINE RESELLER, BY DOWNLOADING, INSTALLING AND/OR USING THIS PROGRAM, YOU ACCEPT THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE WITH ACTIVISION PUBLISHING, INC. AND ITS AFFILIATES ("ACTIVISION").   LIMITED USE LICENSE. Subject to the conditions described below, Activision grants you the non‐exclusive, non‐transferable, limited right and license to install and use one copy of this Program solely and exclusively for your personal use. All rights not specifically granted under this Agreement are reserved by Activision and, as applicable, Activision’s licensors. This Program is licensed, not sold, for your use. Your license confers no title or ownership in this Program and should not be construed as a sale of any rights in this Program.  This Software License Agreement shall also apply to any patches or updates you may obtain for the Program.  LICENSE CONDITIONS.  You shall not: ‐  Exploit this Program or any of its parts commercially, including but not limited to use at a cyber cafe, computer gaming center or any other location‐based site. Activision may offer a separate Site License Agreement to permit you to make this Program available for commercial use; see the contact information below. 

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‐  New Game Materials may be created only if such New Game Materials can be used exclusively in combination with the retail version of the Program. New Game Materials may not be designed to be used as a stand‐alone product. 

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‐  All New Game Materials must contain prominent identification at least in any on‐line description and with reasonable duration on the opening screen: (a) the name and E‐mail address of the New Game Materials’ creator(s) and (b) the words "THIS MATERIAL IS NOT MADE OR SUPPORTED BY ACTIVISION." 

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are running the product 4.  If you are returning the product after the 90‐day warranty period, but within one year after the 

date of purchase, please include a check or money order for $10.00 U.S. per CD replacement or $15.00 U.S. per DVD replacement. 

Note: Certified mail is recommended.  

Page 53: Vampire Manual

In the U.S. send to: Warranty Replacements Activision Publishing, Inc. P.O. Box 67713 Los Angeles, California 90067  In Europe: When returning merchandise for replacement please send the original product disks only in protective packaging and include: 1.  A photocopy of your dated sales receipt 2.  Your name and return address, typed or clearly printed 3.  A brief note describing the defect, the problem(s) you encountered and the system on which you 

are running the product 4.  If you are returning the product after the 90‐day warranty period, but within one year after the 

date of purchase, please include a cheque or money order for £6.00 sterling per CD replacement or £9.00 sterling per DVD replacement. 

Note: Certified mail is recommended.  In Europe send to: WARRANTY REPLACEMENTS ACTIVISION (UK) Ltd., 3 Roundwood Avenue, Stockley Park, Uxbridge UB11 1AH, United Kingdom. Disc Replacement: +44 (0) 870 241 2148  In Australia: For all Warranty replacements, please return to the store of purchase along with your receipt or proof of purchase.  If you are returning the software product after the 90‐day warranty period, but within one year after the date of purchase, please contact Activision on 02 9869 0955.  Note: No returns will be issued unless you have contacted Activision first.  If an Activision representative advises you that your game is valid for a return, please return the original software product disc to:   In Australia send to: Activision Asia Pacific, Level 5, 51 Rawson St Epping, NSW 2121, Australia and include:  1. A Photocopy of your dated sales receipt 2. Your name and return address, typed or clearly printed 3. A brief note describing the defect, the problem(s) you encountered and the system on which you are running the software product. 4. Please include a cheque or money order for AUD $20 per CD or AUD $25 per DVD replacement (subject to availability).  

Page 54: Vampire Manual

LIMITATION ON DAMAGES: IN NO EVENT WILL ACTIVISION BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM POSSESSION, USE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING DAMAGES TO PROPERTY, LOSS OF GOODWILL, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION AND, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DAMAGES FOR PERSONAL INJURIES, EVEN IF ACTIVISION HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. ACTIVISION’S LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE ACTUAL PRICE PAID FOR THE LICENSE TO USE THIS PROGRAM. SOME STATES/COUNTRIES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS AND/OR THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS AND/OR EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM JURISDICTION TO JURISDICTION.  TERMINATION: Without prejudice to any other rights of Activision, this Agreement will terminate automatically if you fail to comply with its terms and conditions. In such event, you must destroy all copies of this Program and all of its component parts.  U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS: The Program and documentation have been developed entirely at private expense and are provided as "Commercial Computer Software" or "restricted computer software." Use, duplication or disclosure by the U.S. Government or a U.S. Government subcontractor is subject to the restrictions set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clauses in DFARS 252.227‐7013 or as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software Restricted Rights clauses at FAR 52.227‐19, as applicable. The Contractor/Manufacturer is Activision Publishing, Inc., 3100 Ocean Park Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90405.  INJUNCTION: Because Activision would be irreparably damaged if the terms of this Agreement were not specifically enforced, you agree that Activision shall be entitled, without bond, other security or proof of damages, to appropriate equitable remedies with respect to breaches of this Agreement, in addition to such other remedies as Activision may otherwise have under applicable laws.  INDEMNITY: You agree to indemnify, defend and hold Activision, its partners, affiliates, licensors, contractors, officers, directors, employees and agents harmless from all damages, losses and expenses arising directly or indirectly from your acts and omissions to act in using the Product pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.  

MISCELLANEOUS: This Agreement represents the complete agreement concerning this license between the parties and supersedes all prior agreements and representations between them. It may be amended only by a writing executed by both parties. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be unenforceable for any reason, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable and the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected. This Agreement shall be construed under California law as such law is applied to agreements between California residents entered into and to be performed within California, except as governed by federal law and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in Los Angeles, California. 

 

VII. Legal  © 2000 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.