Vampire: The MasqueradeVampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game (RPG) 2 Game system created by Mark Rein-Hagen and released in 1991 by White Wolf Publishing as the first of several Storytelling Vampire is based on the Storytelling System. In addiSystem games for its World of Darkness setting line.[1] tion to the general Storytelling rules, it uses a number It is an RPG set in a fictionalized “gothic-punk” version of specific mechanics aimed towards simulating the vamof the modern world, where players assume the roles of piric existence. A vampire has a blood pool signifying the vampires, who are referred to as “Kindred”, and deal with amount of human blood or vitae currently in their body; their night-to-night struggles against their own bestial na- this blood can be spent to power abilities and perform tures, vampire hunters and each other.[2] In 1992, Vam- supernatural tricks. These tricks simulate many of those pire: The Masquerade won the Origins Award for Best portrayed on film, such as turning into animals or mist, Roleplaying Rules of 1991.[3] The game line was discon- sleeping in the ground or having unnatural charisma and tinued in 2004 followed by a revision of the setting in powers of hypnotic suggestion. Vampire: The Requiem. Close to the central theme of the game is the Humanity mechanic. Each vampire has a Humanity score, measuring how closely in touch with his human nature the vampire is; as it decreases, the vampire becomes more susceptible to his Beast, the feral side of the vampiric soul that is driven entirely by rage and hunger. Brutal, immoral actions risk lowering a vampire’s Humanity score. If the individual’s Humanity drops to zero, the Beast takes over and the vampire is in a state of constant frenzy known as Several associated products were produced based on Wassail. Vampire: the Masquerade, including dice, collectible card games (Vampire: The Eternal Struggle), video games The actions taken during gameplay are expressed using (Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines and Vampire: ten-sided dice. The number of dice used correspond to The Masquerade – Redemption), and numerous novels. In the player’s current skill level, often based on two differ1996, a short-lived but successful television show loosely ent skills that together represent the player’s ability. For based on the game, Kindred: The Embraced, was pro- example, to land a punch, the character’s dexterity and duced by Aaron Spelling for the Fox Broadcasting Com- brawl skill are combined. The resulting number is the number of die rolled to perform the task. It is up to the pany. story teller to set how high a dice roll must be to be considered a success (usually 6 for standard actions). A 20th Anniversary Edition of Vampire: The Masquerade was printed in 2011 and the game was officially revived as part of White Wolf Publishing’s shift to a print on demand business model,[4] and multiple new Masquerade products have been announced.[5] All of White Wolf’s tabletop roleplaying games are now owned and published by Onyx Path Publishing, including Vampire.[6] 1 Concept 3 Vampires in World of Darkness The game uses the cursed and immortal vampiric condition as a backdrop to explore themes of morality, depravity, the human condition (or appreciation of the human condition in its absence), salvation, and personal horror. The gloomy and exaggerated version of the real world that the vampires inhabit, called the extquotedblWorld of Darkness,” forms an already bleak canvas against which the stories and struggles of characters are painted. The themes that the game seeks to address include retaining the character’s sense of self, humanity, and sanity, as well as simply keeping from being crushed by the grim opposition of mortal and supernatural antagonists and, more poignantly, surviving the politics, treachery, and often violent ambitions of their own kind. Main article: Masquerade society In the World of Darkness, most vampires in the game refer to themselves and their race as “Kindred” although some vampires, specifically members of the Sabbat faction, refer to themselves as “Cainites” as the curse that transforms them into vampires is said to have originated from the blood of Caine. The term extquotedblKine extquotedbl, an archaic term for cattle, refers to humans. Characters within the Vampire setting are members of one of the vampiric clans or minor bloodlines and usually belong to factions associated with these or that reflect a general ideological stance the characters happen to 1 on the other hand. • Toreador: A clan of sensualists and artists. A diagram of the genealogy of the Assamites share. They were originally a bloodline of the former Clan Cappadocian. • Tzimisce: A clan of scholars and flesh-shapers.2 4 THE 13 CLANS • Ravnos: A clan of gypsies and charlatans who hail from India. for they survived God's biblical flood. Their Discipline of Quietus allows them to move soundlessly and gives them power over the blood of other vampires. the Egyptian snake Bloodlines. Their Disciplines specialize in Necromancy. called Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom by Western Kindred. Their Discipline of Demen. Their Discipline of Thaumaturgy allow them to use the power of their blood to cast spells. • Lasombra: A clan with the power to control shadows. either cannot trace their lineage to an Antediluvian founder or are too little in god Set.ing clans. • Followers of Set: A clan of cultists who worship their Antediluvian progenitor. rebels. while sharing some superficial similarity to the western Kindred. Their Discipline of Obtenebration allows them to command darkness and shadows. A vampire who rejects all associations with any sect and clan is known as “Autarkis”. Sabbat or Anarchs sects but very few Tremere vampires would be found among the Sabbat and even more rarely among the Anarchs. leaving most of the interactions and story plague. solidifying the Tremere’s status as a clan. Their Disciplines of Animalism and Protean allow communion with animals and the power of shape-shifting respectively. • Giovanni: A clan of mostly Italian merchants and gangsters. Their Disciplines of Potence and Presence grants them superhuman strength and supernatural charisma respectively. Their Discipline of Celerity gives them superhuman speed. Each Clan can trace its origins to one of 13 elder vampires known as an Antediluvian. number to be considered a major player in the Jyhad. Most princes come from this clan. • Malkavian: A clan of lunatics whose madness grants Some Bloodlines are considered to be off-shoots of existthem strange insight. a vampire of the Brujah bloodline might identify as a member of the Camarilla. Through the back story of the game. Their Discipline of Obfuscate allow them to hide in the shadows. a mage named Tremere. 4 The 13 Clans Vampire: The Masquerade introduces the use of 13 clans (or major bloodlines) in the game: • Assamite: A clan of Middle Eastern assassins. Their Disciplines of Dominate and Fortitude allows them to control the minds of mortals and vampires alike and grants them supernatural resilience respectively. and use their clansmen to fight this war for them. For example. Antediluvians started a war among themselves. Their Discipline of Vicissitude allows them to reshape the flesh and bone of themselves and other creatures. • Ventrue: A clan of aristocrats and bureaucrats. • Tremere: A clan of blood sorcerers. Their Discipline of Chimerstry allows them to alter perceptions to create illusions. are actually an entirely different variety of supernatural being. diablerized the Antediluvian of the former Clan Salubri. Saulot. Laibon. . • Brujah: A clan of hot-headed malcontents. Each Antediluvian is a “grandchilde” of Caine. • Nosferatu: A clan of deformed vampires who often dwell in the shadows of the sewers. are not so much a sect as a cultural group bound together loosely by a powerful spiritual bond to the land and the people of Africa. called the Jyhad. Some clans and most of the minor bloodlines declare themselves independent from any sects. who Embrace within their own human family. who they have since usurped. lines centered around the Clans. All Bloodlines are treated as exceptionally rare tation allows them to spread their insanity like a in the game. rogues and anti-authoritarians who strive for freedom from societal restraints. The Kindred of the East. who killed Abel and was cursed by God into becoming the first vampire. • Gangrel: A clan of animalistic vampires highly intune with their Beasts. They were originally a bloodline of Clan Tzimisce until their founder. Bloodlines. Although it is an entirely new game.store DriveThruRPG.Redemption. was produced by On March 17. and Mage: The Ascension. but some of them made it into DriveThruRPG's Print on Demand service. who oppose the rule Kindred of the East. 2011. While many factions and sub-sects exist in the game. ing The Grand Masquerade were offered a limited time • A video game based upon the Vampire milieu is preorder option.In August 2004. Independents are those who take no sides with World of Darkness was replaced by Vampire: The Reany of the factions but have their own goals and agendas. developed revisions of rules and is a compendium of most inforby Nihilistic Software and published in 2000 by mation provided in supplemental material in the game’s earlier life. after the massive popularity the game setting received during the White Wolf Company’s release. which was published during the Grand • Kindred: The Embraced. sometimes called “the Sword of Caine”. Other minor sects include The Black Hand and the In. of the Elders and wish to manage their own lives. published its version. which still held their official rights of release on the system. released to the attendees. Changeling: The Dreaming. was produced by Aaron Spelling. Steve Jackson Games had the original copyright to the World of Darkness setting. mand format through the DriveThruRPG web site start- . The Steve Jackson company also produced GURPS conversions of Werewolf: The Apocalypse. the main focus is the conflict between the Camarilla. rather than a continuation of the old.[7] • Steve Jackson Games published an adaptation of Vampire: The Masquerade using their popular GURPS generic table-top roleplaying system. They followed this book up with a supplement called GURPS: Vampire Companion. Developed by Troika Games and published by Activision. and their own set of weaknesses. sometimes called extquotedblthe Ivory Tower extquotedbl. The third major sect is the Anarchs. niversary Edition. using their Mind’s Eye Theatre system. it uses Valve's Source engine. Activision. Hunter: The Reckoning. a collectible card game based on “Vampire”. Through their use of the Six Traditions. SJ Games.3 Each Clan and Bloodline has a unique set of powers called Disciplines. 7 20th Anniversary Edition • Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. quiem.com began offering the new and cubus Club. They originated in the first attempt for control over the entire vampire population. 2011. however. The second most populous sect is the Sabbat. was released by Dancing Ferret Discs classic World of Darkness source books in a print on deto serve as a soundtrack for the Vampire RPG. game in the same setting. The primary sect is the Camarilla (see camarilla). a television series based on Masquerade event in New Orleans on September 15–17. The Sabbat. is the archenemy Werewolf: The Apocalypse. 5 Factions Vampire: The Masquerade offers the players the opportunity to play in a politically structured world in which sects (large factions) rule over all of vampire society. also unique to that particular branch of vampire. 8 Print on Demand As of fall 2011 White Wolf and online role playing game • A compilation album. Both books were produced for use with the Third Edition of the GURPS rules and are no longer in print. • Moonstone Books published a series of comic book adaptations of Vampire: The Masquerade which are now hard to find. the Sabbat and the Anarchs. including certain clans and disciplines. the now-defunct game set in the original connu. Mage: The Ascension. Customers not attendVampire. SJ Games decided not to release their version. Initially. of the Camarilla. • Another game followed in 2004: Vampire: The Masquerade . The 20th Anniversary Edition contains Vampire: The Masquerade . Mummy: The Resurrection. which Wraith: The Oblivion. they see as their birthright. Camarilla Kindred survive the night. and Demon: The Fallen are other RPG titles set in the Old World of Darkness. hiding their existence from humans. White Wolf announced the 20th AnWizards of the Coast and later by White Wolf. their goal is rule over humanity. 6 Tie-ins and adaptations At the White Wolf Camarilla meeting in October 2009 it was decided to re-support this game system both in the • Under the title Mind’s Eye Theatre: The Masquerade official Camarilla fan club and outside to Table Top playWhite Wolf also provides a live action role-playing ers. called Music from the Suc. it uses many elements of the old game. 1998. White Wolf Game Studio. ISBN 1-56504-263-8 • Justin Achilli al. (White Wolf Game Studio. 1996. Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy. ISBN 1-56504-264-6 [1] Vasilakos. Hobby Games: The 100 Best. ISBN 1-56504-042-2 • http://www. Clanbook: Baali. White Wolf Game Studio. The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead (1st ed.. Vampire Storytellers Companion White Wolf Game Studio. • Dean Shomshak & Ari Marmell. ISBN 1-58846239-0 • Robert Hatch et al. 2003.. ISBN 1-58846-222-6 9 • Justin Achilli et al. White Wolf Game Studio. 2000. Justin. Moore et al. 348–351. White Wolf Game Studio. White Wolf Game Studio. offering outof-print and PDF-exclusive products as physical books through print-on-demand technology”. [7] DriveThruRPG’s List of Moonstone Comics with World of Darkness Theme 11 References • Achilli. White Wolf Publishing. White Wolf Game Studio. ISBN 1-56504-053-8 [4] “At GenCon we announced our partnership with DriveThruRPG in their Now in Print program. Clanbook: Cappadocian. 1995. ISBN 1-56504-280-8 • Justin Achilli. The Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat. 1998. Retrieved 2011-08-31. Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition. Clanbook: Tzimisce. 1995.com/vtm/. White Wolf Game Studio. White Wolf Game Studio. White Wolf Game Studio. DriveThruRPG and White Wolf have indicated that eventually all World of Darkness material will be available in this way. Guide to the Sabbat. White Wolf Game Studio. 1993. Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition. MI: Visible Ink Press. A Players Guide to the Sabbat. George (2007). James. 2001. • Sven Skoog & Lucien Soulban. Vampire Players Guide. [6] http://theonyxpath. Renton. ISBN 1-56504-246-8 • White Wolf Publishing Children of the Night. ISBN 0-8103-2295-1. Retrieved 2011-08-09. Vampire Storytellers Handbook.. • Justin Achilli et al. 1998. “Vampire: The Masquerade”. 1999. ISBN 1-56504-244-1 • Justin Achilli.com 12 External links • Vampire The Masquerade in The official World of Darkness wiki • Vampire the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition Official blog . Detroit. White Wolf Game Studio. Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom.). 1999. ISBN 1-56504-042-2 • Steven C. In Lowder... White Wolf Game Studio. Gordon (1994). • White Wolf Games Studio et al. Brown & Ken Meyer. 2002..white-wolf. [5] “White Wolf Release Schedule 2011-2012”. White Wolf Game Studio. ISBN 1-56504-249-2 • Steven C. 1998. Clanbook: Giovanni by White Wolf Game Studio) (1997) ISBN 1-56504-218-2 • White Wolf Publishing et al. 2000. ISBN 9781-932442-96-0. 1997. Guide to the Sabbat. ISBN 1-56504-263-8 See also • Vampire: The Eternal Struggle • Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines • Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption • Kindred: The Embraced 10 Notes • James A. Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. pp. Archived from the original on 2008-03-15. WA: Green Ronin Publishing. White Wolf Publishing. White Wolf Game Studio. p. • Andrew Greenberg.. 1999. ISBN 1-56504213-1 [2] Melton. ISBN 1-56504-259-X [3] “Origins Award Winners (1991) extquotedbl.4 12 EXTERNAL LINKS ing with a number of formerly out of print Vampire: The Masquerade books and gradually adding more as they were ready for print. Brown & Jeff Starling.. ISBN 156504-249-2. Blood Sacrifice: The Thaumatrugy Companion.. Retrieved 2008-01-12. 852. ISBN 1-58846-202-1 • Justin Achilli et al. ISBN 156504-207-7 • Lucien Soulban & James Stewart et al. White Wolf Game Studio. A World of Darkness (Second Edition). jpg Source: http://upload. Vulture19. Llama. Extrala. Ultraviolet scissor flame.3 Content license • Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3. Original artist: The people from the Tango! project. Fireplace. Msikma. DocWatson42. Killy mcgee.svg License: ? Contributors: Created from scratch in Adobe Illustrator. RJN. Gabriel Yuji. DanMS. Czar.wikimedia. Genesis. Vic226. Woohookitty. Poisongrin. Mr.wikimedia.svg Source: http://upload.jpg License: Fair use Contributors: Derived from a digital capture (photo/scan) of the book cover (creator of this digital version is irrelevant as the copyright in all equivalent images is still held by the same party). Jimbreed. Elipongo. Jmlk17. Ian Maxwell. Grayfell. Yobot. TUF-KAT. SilvonenBot. MythicFox. Jorge Stolfi. Goblin. Shaden. Cameronmurtagh. Thekeen. Thiridaz. Biker Biker. 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