Toreador My faith teaches these cravings are wrong. I vowed to abstain, yet I worship the village beauty for a sennight, writing odes to her eyes. I bind her with a thousand lies, then end her life in a grove smelling of pine, my hands wound in her golden braids. I’m tortured by what I’ve become. Where is redemption to be found?
Toreador live by their whims. Do they feel like strolling in the gardens or tossing away a fortune on a game of cards? It’s the age of chivalry and Toreador are coming into their own magnificence. The worship of beauty in the Dark Ages, the the fascination fascination with mysticism, mysticism, all these influences draw a Toreador like a moth to a flame. Sometimes Toreadors are the moths. Other times, they’re the flames. Toreador watch mortals play out their brief lives and often intervene. Drama adds zest to their unlives, their machinations tied into the tiniest detail. They are directors and mortals are the actors. Toreador are the original hedonists, but with a twist. They can never feel what they seek. They seek warm, mortal flesh to stave away the chill of undeath. They drink fine wine, though it tastes of dust, chasing the memory of bursting grapes on their tongue. They fill their homes with art and music, though they struggle to create it themselves. For some Toreador, religion is their passion. They take it to extremes frowned upon by the Church, selfinflicting stigmata stigmata or flagellating flagellating their sins from their body. Yet they sin and sin again, living in the vacuum of God’s displeasure. After all, if Christ’s Christ’s great gift is forgiveness, why waste that gift on a life of temperance? These vampires particularly feel the loss of grace. To hear a Toreador talk, their clan is responsible for the entire history of art, from cave paintings to early Byzantine mosaics. As with many things involving Cainites, this carries a hint of truth, as Toreador have patroned and inspired many great artists throughout history. If a Toreador was artistic in life, she spends her unlife pursuing the perfection humanity brings. brings. However, because all Toreador lack something ineffable that mortals possess, they never achieve what they once did with a limited lifespan. It is traumatizing, but they never stop seeking it.
Sobriquets: Aesthetes, Artisans, Vanitas Appearance: Toreador pursue not only beauty, but propagate themselves through beauty. Their beauty often reflects the ideal from the era and homeland from which they
come, so they range from exotic beauty, to a collection of whatever is in fashion locally. A collective of Toreador is a breathtaking sight. sight.
Haven: A Toreador wants to be surrounded by art and lovely things, but he is equally likely to seek out artists in their garrets, or a patron of his own to help him afford his expensive taste. Toreador are true collectors, focusing their obsession on finding rare and precious items to add to their collections. They do the same with their retainers, curating the people around them. Backgrounds: Toreador are mercurial in their choice of childer, choosing by passion and conviction. It is not unusual for a Toreador to Embrace a favorite artist, lover, or muse to stay as eternal as she is. Unfortunately, the changeable nature of the Toreador leads to some cast-offs, as a sire tires of the childe he chose. This fosters resentment and some creative revenge plots.
Character Creation The arts and graces of society are of the greatest importance to the Toreador, so focus on high Social Attributes and Abilities. Preferred backgrounds include Herd, Retainers, and Resources. Toreador struggle to sever themselves from mortal pleasures, so the Road of Humanity is most common. However, some choose the Road of Kings instead. They have the strongest connection to mortals, and this allows them to hold their humanity tighter, but they can’t keep the Beast at bay forever.
Starting out of clan Disciplines Age Max number of Disciplines allowed Max dots in each Discipline Max number of Physical Disciplines allowed Max dots in Celerity, Fortitude or Potence
Neonate
Ancilla
2
3
3 2
4 2
3
5
Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence Weakness: The Toreador has the shortest attention span of all Cainites. Once struck by beauty, it’s as if Cupid’s dart pierced them. If they encounter beauty (Storyteller and player work together to determine appropriate triggers), they must roll Self-Control or Instinct (difficulty 5). If they fail, the daydream of their senses continues until the scene concludes or object departs. The rush of pleasure they receive from objects of beauty is highly addictive. An undisciplined Toreador can end up reeling from one moment of aesthetic bliss to the next and his enemies can exploit this. Toreador may interact with their objects of obsession, however. For deeply inhumane Toreador, this can mean terrible things for a living obsession, as the Toreador seeks to take in every aspect of nature’s art, understanding them on a visceral, fundamental level.
Attributes Abilities Disciplines Backgrounds Lores Virtues Max Merits bought with Flaws Starting Status (free) Freebies
Neonate 7/5/3 13/9/5 4 5 4 7 7 1 75
Ancillae 7/5/3 13/9/5 4 5 4 7 7 2 175
Only one max dot per category in attributes and abilities at creation. Only one discipline or primary path of Blood Sorcery, Thaumaturgy and Necromancy can have max dots at creation. Only one dot in one advance discipline is allowed at creation. Out of Clan Disciplines can be taken at character creation with Freebie points and only with Storyteller permission. Celerity, Fortitude and Potence does not need Storyteller permission, nor does it count toward the max in the other out of clan disciplines chart.
Before buying the domain background consult with the storyteller.
Freebie Point cost Trait Cost
(Per Dot)
Attributes Ability Discipline Blood Sorcery Path Blood Sorcery Ritual Backgrounds Lores Virtue Area of Expertise Road Willpower
5 2 7 4 Ritual Level 1 1 2 1 2 1
Organization: From time to time, Toreador gather in loose collectives to refine their individual tastes and inspire each other. These gatherings are not for the faint of heart or feeble of wit. Passionate arguments over art, music, and theater are common, as are performances and impromptu art galleries. The art on display can originate from the Toreador in attendance or showcase the special talents of their protégés. Dimly-lit corners are perfect for arranged rendezvous, with the intellectual dalliances Toreador hold dear. Hottempered Toreador are known to duel to right a wrong or just for amusement. Stereotypes
Cappadocians: Long-faced cadaver dullards. They say they have much to teach us (as do most of our other brethren), yet who wants to sit around listening to them drone? Gangrel: The beasts are boorish, too brutish for us. Chase them back to their forests and caves.
Lasombra: We feel a great kinship with this clan and their exoticism intrigues us. Are they slipping from their high perch? Alluring, yet dangerous to enrage. Malkavians: The Children of Malkav hold special fascination, perhaps because they dance along the line of real and delusion like us. They then charge forward into madness, but are diverting companions. Nosferatu: Is it possible to imagine a clan less suited to our feasts and gatherings? With few exceptions, they are off the guest list unless you want rotten flesh dripping in your wine. Tremere: Dull with their blood magic and their tedious experiments. There’s always one that turns up, latches onto a conversation he has no business participating in, and ignores all hints to go away. We use them when useful. Ventrue: Almost our equals. Almost. They are on the rise – we will watch their struggles with interest.
Toreador-Specific Merits and
vampire is more likely to become enraptured by colorful objects. Despite the drawback, when used in conjunction with Aura Perception, the vampire will discover far more information about her target. The difficulty for reading a target's aura is reduced to five. The player may ask the Storyteller one question about the target for every success, and the Storyteller must provide accurate information. This may be used only once per story on a particular target. Finally, all Artistic Expression difficulties involving color are reduced by one.
Powerful Ghoul (5 Point Merit) You have a very powerful ghoul Blood Bound to you. The ghoul has six points to put into any Disciplines other than Thaumaturgy, although at least one point must be put into Potence. The ghoul is also very competent, possessing 15 points to distribute among Attributes, 27 points to distribute among Abilities and 5 points to put into Backgrounds. The ghoul has reasonably good Virtues and Willpower ratings and will do anything you say, since it loves you so much. However, the ghoul might also get jealous of any relationships you have with others.
Flaws
Vampire Spouse (5 Point Merit)
Controllable Thirst (1 Point Merit)
You hold regnant over another Kindred, though she holds regnant over you as well. The two of you are in love, and you automatically have the benefit of the Merit: True Love. Your vampire spouse is your equal in terms of power and status. However, as a couple, you are very formidable. You allow nothing to get in the way of your love. You and your spouse would die or kill for one another.
Because Toreador spend so much time around mortals, resisting Frenzy caused by the smell, sight or taste of blood is easier for them. Whenever the Kindred makes a Frenzy roll over blood, reduce the difficulty by three.
Eye for Beauty (1 Point Merit) The Kindred is a natural critic. Reduce difficulties for Art Appreciation by four.
Refined (2 Point Merit) You a member of the elite. You are at home among the noble classes and you never feel out of place around the "beautiful people." The difficulty on all Etiquette rolls involving high society is reduced by three. In addition, you are often invited to Toreador socials reserved for those of higher Toreador Prestige or Status than yourself.
Blasé (3 Point Merit) You are not easily impressed by others. You reduce the difficulty to resist all Presence powers by three.
"Gifted" (3 Point Merit) The difficulty on all Creativity rolls and A rtistic Expression rolls are reduced by three.
Greater Colors (3 Point Merit) The vampire sees colors more distinctly and with greater definition. The world is far more colorful. Unfortunately, the
Poor Taste (1 Point Flaw) You can never have the Art Appreciation skill. You are forever a Poseur, and you have no ability to judge a masterpiece from trash. In fact, if you had the choice, you would choose the trash.
Rival (1 Point Flaw) You have an intense rivalry with another Kindred. You are always competing with this individual, either for fun or out of spite. In besting this individual, you go to extremes, and he behaves similarly towards you. Your rival occasionally gets the best of you, but you do the same to him.
Tortured Artist (1 Point Flaw) You must suffer for your work. Your work is never good enough to suit you. You often suffer ennui for extended periods of time, preventing you from working steadily. In addition, you constantly find yourself in heartbreaking positions; perhaps you subconsciously lead yourself into those situations to acquire the experience you need for your work.
Vulgar (1 Point Flaw) You will never fit into high society. You are crude, rude and socially unacceptable, forever a Philistine. You are treated as having one less level of Status when invitations to Toreador socials are prepared. You will never be fully accepted as a Toreador. Many will question your Sire and possibly ridicule him for choosing you.
Artistically Inept (3 Point Flaw) You must work harder than most artists to accomplish great work. You are still capable of creating a masterpiece, but it is tougher for you than for someone else of equal training. All difficulties on Creativity rolls and Artistic Expression rolls are increased by two to a maximum of nine.
such a stinging retort (such as the user of Scalpel Tongue botching her roll), it could have a negative impact on how others in the Clan perceive her. Why would she need to use powers if she didn’t have an inferior wit? In such a case, the user will have a +1 difficulty on Social rolls against other Toreadors for the rest of the night, including future uses of Scalpel Tongue. System: Roll Wits + Empathy against a difficulty of 7. If the user of this power does not know his target well, difficulty is increased by one, due to not knowing what buttons to push to achieve the greatest verbal impact. The barbed comment stings the target into silence for one turn per success, or double that if the target is not a member of Clan Toreador. Spending one Willpower negates this effect.
Social Outcast (3 Point Flaw) You have severed your ties to the A rtistes and Poseurs. You no longer play their silly games. You will never rise in Clan Prestige, and you are the equivalent of an Autarkis. However, the Autarkis will not accept you due to some past transgressions you have committed against them. You have no place in the world of the Damned.
Combination Disciplines Scalpel Tongue (Presence •, celerity •)
Catty repartee is both an art and a vice among the Kindred of Clan Toreador. Those who cannot compete effectively in the arena of cruel wit are unlikely to earn the respect of their Clan members. Toreador higher up the ladder, then, must have the ability to scathe others with words if they are to maintain their positions. Scalpel Tongue mixes the same quick thinking that guides the body as it moves at accelerated speeds with the Toreador’s prodigious social aptitudes, allowing the Kindred to immediately generate a barbed quip so stinging (due to the emotion-enhancing effects of Presence) that it shames the target into silence. Of course, the Toreador themselves are so constantly surrounded by the vicious wit of their own Clan that they inevitably develop a thicker skin. They may play up the melodrama of insult and offense, but even the sharpest barbs come to wash over them like water off a duck’s back. This power has a subtle downside: if another Toreador detects that she had to use a Discipline to come up with
This power costs 6 experience points to learn.
Soul Painting (AusPex ••••, Presence ••)
Art has long been held to be a doorway into the soul. Usually it’s the soul of the artist. In this case, the painting can expose the nature of the person portrayed. The message conveyed is powerful, subtle, and — when successful — undeniable. Falsehood cannot be portrayed through Soul Painting, for even the artist does not initially know what the image will reveal. To create this type of portrait, the artist needs to study the subject for a full, uninterrupted hour. This can be done in a sitting, of course, but (due to the sensitive nature of the portrait) it’s more often done from recalled observation. Looking not only at the minute details of appearance and carriage, but also at the subj ect’s aura, the painter forms a conscious insight. This alone is not sufficient, however: the painter must give himself over to a kind of creative fugue, setting aside his preconceptions completely, in order to make a soul portrait. The portrait must be painted in a single setting, and interrupting a soul painter while she works is as difficult as rousing a Toreador from a more mundane fit of artistic absorption. It generally takes 10-12 hours to create the picture, though more complex efforts may take longer — Katherine’s portrait of the Archbishop Monçada reputedly took over one thousand hours — but if successfully completed, it reveals a great deal indeed. System: The player rolls Manipulation + Empathy (difficulty 6). If the roll yields even a single success, the painting (or other work) captures the subject’s Nature in the work itself. For each additional success, the player may opt to illustrate any one of the following: a rough gauge of Road (or Path, which usually won’t create a traditionally flattering work), Willpower,
Self-Control, Conscience, Conviction, Instinct, or Courage. Anyone with the Soul Painting power can immediately recognize every insight portrayed in a portrait. Those who lack the power may (at the Storyteller’s discretion) be required to make Perception + Awareness, Empathy, or Crafts rolls to “decode” the portrait. The difficulty for such attempts should be low, however; the whole point of the power is the exposure of these hidden, abstract concepts. Note that Soul Painting does not necessarily make the artist a skilled artist — it is quite possible to have a crudely executed portrait that nonetheless communicates the subject’s personality. Such a hamhanded painter is unlikely to have learned this power fro m the mistress herself, though. This power costs 18 experience points to learn.
Under the Skin (AusPex •••, Presence •••)
The Kindred of Clan Toreador are natural critics. With insight and zeal they analyze and deconstruct art, culture, and politics. Some studied Toreador possess the ability to do the same with their peers, reading them like texts and making obvious their failings of personality. The Cainite using this power analyzes the personality of another, finds its weaknesses, and then uses the force of his presence to make light of those weaknesses and hammer on them like a battering ram. The results can be quite dramatic. While this power is similar to Scalpel Tongue, it’s much more devastating. That one stings; this one draws blood (and possibly a lot of it). System: The Toreador must interact socially with his target for a number of consecutive turns (2-5 turns is a good rule of thumb, at the Storyteller’s discretion) before this power can be activated. After that warm-up, roll Wits + Perception against a difficulty of 6 as the character begins his systematic analysis of the target’s psyche and self-esteem. The results of this assault are listed below.
Successes
Result
1-2
Target is rendered utterly speechless with embarrassment and rage, and broods for the remainder of the scene. (One die penalty to all Social rolls)
3-4
Target storms out in a rage. (Two dice penalty to all Social rolls)
5
Target becomes violent, either toward the Toreador using this power (jumping over the table to attack, for example) or toward herself in a fit of self-loathing. (+1 difficulty to rolls to resist frenzy)
6+
Target enters frenzy. (+3 difficulty to resist frenzy)
The target may spend a Willpower point to lessen the effect by one category (e.g., from 6+ to 5 or from 3-4 to 1-2). This power costs 18 experience to learn.
