DEDICATION To Tobias “Excel” Sjögren for charting the course through three years of night.
W H I T E W O L F E N T E R TA TA I N M E N T Martin “Elricsson” Ericsson – | | Karim “Redemption” Muammar – Dhaunae “Eternally Bonded” De Vir – | Toma Tomass “e Old Old One” One” Arf Arfert ert – Jason “By Night” Carl –
DESIGN by by Kenneth Hite and Freja Gyldenstrøm & – – Martin Ericsson – – Matthew Dawkins, Kenneth Hite, Mark Rein • Hagen, Juhana Pettersson, Martin Ericsson, and Freja Gyldenstrøm – Ari Marmell, Karim Muammar – – Freja Gyldenstrøm – Karim Muammar ( ) – ) – Petra Lindve
A R T – – Mary Lee, Martin Ericsson, and Tomas Arfert – – Christian Granath and Fria Ligan AB, with Tomas Arfert – Tomas Arfer Arfertt | – Mary “TwistedLamb” Lee, the CCP Atlanta art team directed by Reynir Harðarson, consisting of Erling Ingi Sævarsson, and many more; mo re; Mark Kelly and Mike Mignola. , , , , – Chris Elliott Elliott and Tomas Tomas Arfert Arfert | – – Mary “TwistedLamb” Lee – Viktor Herak, Derek Hutchisson, Sequoia Emanuelle, Julius Konttinen, John-Paul Bichard, and Anders Muammar
MODELS
B – Grace Rizzo, Jackie Penn, Jacqueline Roh, Roh, Lee Dawn, Marcus Natividad, Mario Ponce, Mila Dawn, Nate Kamm, Paul Olguin, Daphne Von Rey, Rey, Casey Driers | G – Zoe Jakes, Pixie Fordtears, Aram Giragos, Giragos, Allesandro Giuliano, Hal Linton | M – Ramsey, Ramsey, Custis Custis Donner | N – – Henrik Lillier, Hampus Ahlbom, Camilla Palermo, Palermo, Louise Björling Björling | T – Indhi Korth, Mariano Mavrin, Nisse "Septekh" Meseke | T – Mary Lee, Taara Taara Tati, Tati, Karis Wilde, Wilde, Cassandra | V – Eve Harper Close, Angelo Delacruz, Delacruz, Amir Khaligi, Buzz Cuccia, Cuccia, Lola Tatlyan, Tatlyan, Stacy LeLand, Aram Aram Giragos | A – – Viktor Herak, Vera Kochubey, Sanuye Shoteka, Gregory Homa, Ossian Reynolds, and Martin Ericsson
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Simon Bevis, Jenna Bevis, and Andre Martinez. Arhan Ağaoğlu, Mohamad Rabah and Khaldoun Khelil, Mikko Pervilä, Anne Rice, Father Sebastiaan, Nicole Sixx, Maven, Matthew Webb, Lorenzo Melchor and Logan South.
V T M C – Mark Rein•Hagen with Justin Achilli, Steven C. Brown, Tom Dowd, Andrew Greenberg, Chris McDonough, Lisa Stevens, Josh Timbrook, and Stewart Wieck.
© 2 0 1 8 W H I T E
WOLF ENTERTAINMENT, AB
All rights reserved. Reproduction Reproduction without the written consent of the publisher is expressly forbidden, forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire: Vampire: e Masquerade, and the World of Darkness are registered trademarks o White Wolf Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. vis it whi te wol f e nte rtain men t o nlin e at ww w.w hit ew olf .com and ww w.w orld ofd ark nes s.c om
DEDICATION To Tobias “Excel” Sjögren for charting the course through three years of night.
W H I T E W O L F E N T E R TA TA I N M E N T Martin “Elricsson” Ericsson – | | Karim “Redemption” Muammar – Dhaunae “Eternally Bonded” De Vir – | Toma Tomass “e Old Old One” One” Arf Arfert ert – Jason “By Night” Carl –
DESIGN by by Kenneth Hite and Freja Gyldenstrøm & – – Martin Ericsson – – Matthew Dawkins, Kenneth Hite, Mark Rein • Hagen, Juhana Pettersson, Martin Ericsson, and Freja Gyldenstrøm – Ari Marmell, Karim Muammar – – Freja Gyldenstrøm – Karim Muammar ( ) – ) – Petra Lindve
A R T – – Mary Lee, Martin Ericsson, and Tomas Arfert – – Christian Granath and Fria Ligan AB, with Tomas Arfert – Tomas Arfer Arfertt | – Mary “TwistedLamb” Lee, the CCP Atlanta art team directed by Reynir Harðarson, consisting of Erling Ingi Sævarsson, and many more; mo re; Mark Kelly and Mike Mignola. , , , , – Chris Elliott Elliott and Tomas Tomas Arfert Arfert | – – Mary “TwistedLamb” Lee – Viktor Herak, Derek Hutchisson, Sequoia Emanuelle, Julius Konttinen, John-Paul Bichard, and Anders Muammar
MODELS
B – Grace Rizzo, Jackie Penn, Jacqueline Roh, Roh, Lee Dawn, Marcus Natividad, Mario Ponce, Mila Dawn, Nate Kamm, Paul Olguin, Daphne Von Rey, Rey, Casey Driers | G – Zoe Jakes, Pixie Fordtears, Aram Giragos, Giragos, Allesandro Giuliano, Hal Linton | M – Ramsey, Ramsey, Custis Custis Donner | N – – Henrik Lillier, Hampus Ahlbom, Camilla Palermo, Palermo, Louise Björling Björling | T – Indhi Korth, Mariano Mavrin, Nisse "Septekh" Meseke | T – Mary Lee, Taara Taara Tati, Tati, Karis Wilde, Wilde, Cassandra | V – Eve Harper Close, Angelo Delacruz, Delacruz, Amir Khaligi, Buzz Cuccia, Cuccia, Lola Tatlyan, Tatlyan, Stacy LeLand, Aram Aram Giragos | A – – Viktor Herak, Vera Kochubey, Sanuye Shoteka, Gregory Homa, Ossian Reynolds, and Martin Ericsson
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Simon Bevis, Jenna Bevis, and Andre Martinez. Arhan Ağaoğlu, Mohamad Rabah and Khaldoun Khelil, Mikko Pervilä, Anne Rice, Father Sebastiaan, Nicole Sixx, Maven, Matthew Webb, Lorenzo Melchor and Logan South.
V T M C – Mark Rein•Hagen with Justin Achilli, Steven C. Brown, Tom Dowd, Andrew Greenberg, Chris McDonough, Lisa Stevens, Josh Timbrook, and Stewart Wieck.
© 2 0 1 8 W H I T E
WOLF ENTERTAINMENT, AB
All rights reserved. Reproduction Reproduction without the written consent of the publisher is expressly forbidden, forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire: Vampire: e Masquerade, and the World of Darkness are registered trademarks o White Wolf Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. vis it whi te wol f e nte rtain men t o nlin e at ww w.w hit ew olf .com and ww w.w orld ofd ark nes s.c om
COREBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
5
THE VIEW FROM
THE TOP
9
e Upper Echelons e Inner Circle Sectarian Diplomacy
13 13
OUR FAITH
THE MASUERADE
43
Kindred as Kine Paying the Bills Keeping up with Culture e Masuerade as a Weapon Weapon
44 46 48 50
THE GEHENNA 15
53
THE ABREK BLIGHT
19
A history of faith, or, how we killed God to survive 20 On Believing in Something Larger an Yourself 24 Introduction to the Religions of the Ivory Tower 25 Cults, Heresies, and Orders 28 THE PASSION OF
UGA DUGUD
WAR
31
e reformed congregation of the Veneration Veneration of the Methuselah 34
MISSION
STATEMENT
37
Leading Humankind Upholding the traditions We Must More More than Endure
37 40 42
63
LOYALTY AND
ORDER Coteries Strengthening Alliances Age and Generation Justice Conclaves e Institution of Blood Marriage e Feudal Order As Presented For e Fledgling Kindred
THE COURT THE SECOND
INUISITION
73
Project Twilight e Newburgh Group Eighth Direction BOES Society of St. Leopold Second- and ird-Party ird-Party Partners Hunter and Hunted How ey Hunt Us What is to be Done
74 77 78 78 80
2
81 81 82 83
85 89 90 92 93 94 95
99
99
e Prince 100 e Seneschal 101 e Primogen Council 103 Clan Whip 104 e Sheri 104 e Herald 106 Principal of Faith 107 e Shadow 108 e Keeper of Elysium 109 Celebrated Elysia From Around the World: 110
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This is a work of speculative horror ction, set in a dark reection of our own world. Thus it contains graphic depictions of sex, blood-drinking, drugs, violence, abuse, political oppression, coercion, occultism, heresy and many other potentially upsetting themes. Recommended for mature readers and players. For advice on considerate play and how to handle sensitive themes in tabletop roleplaying games, see the section "Considerate play" in the PDF version of the "Vampire: "Vampire: The Masquerade" rulebook.
THE CITY
113
IMPORTANT IMPORTANT CITI ES IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS
TONIGHT
115
Aleppo Berlin Brussels Chicago Constantinople Dubai London Paris Prague Rio de Janeiro Stockholm Tokyo Venice Vienna
115 115 116 117 117 117 118 119 119 120 120 121 122 123
KINDRED CLANS 125 VENTRUE
128
e Ventrue in Kindred Society 130 e Ventrue in Mortal Society 131 e Sins of the Ventrue Ventrue 131
TOREADOR
134
e Toreador in Kindred Society 135 e Toreador Toreador in Mortal Society 136 e Sins of the Toreador 136
Bane Clan Compulsion Rituals
167 167 168
THE ANARCH CLANS
169
e Tremere Tremere in Kindred society 141 e Tremere Tremere in Mortal Society 143 Sins of the Tremere Tremere 145
e History of the Anarch Movement 170 Why We Must Rid Ourselves Ourselves of the Anarch Menace 172 How to Talk Talk About Anarchs 172
MALKAVIANS
CLAN GANGREL
174
TREMERE
140
146
Malkavians in Kindred Society 147 Malkavians in Mortal Society 148 Sins of the Malkavians 149
CLAN BRUJAH
176
e Conclave of Prague
176
NOSFERATU
152
THE CAITIFF
178
e Nosferatu in Kindred Society e Nosferatu in Mortal Society Sins of the Nosferatu
154
THE THIN-BLOODED
179
155 156
THE SABBAT
180
BANU HAQIM
158 158
e Odense Pact Who are the Banu Haqim? e Banu Haqim in Kindred Society e Banu Haqim in Mortal Society e Sins of the Banu Haqim Banu Haqim Archetypes Disciplines
160 161
LORE SHEETS
3
162 163 164 165 167
184
INSTITUTIONAL
CONFLICT Institutional Scale Institutional Attributes Institutional Conict Pool Institutional Damage
192 192 192 192 193 193
4
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION My Dear Childe, Kindred. What a beautiful word.
W
hen you became one of us, you may have thought thought of other words. words. "Vampire" "Vampire" is a favorite of mortal mythmakers. mythmakers. "Lick" shows the vital vulgarity vulgarity of the Anarchs. Anarchs. Such words are no longer adequate. You are Kindred. Your first change was physical. You tasted the Blood of the Embrace and became a vam pire. What you must u nderstand is that tha t this is merely merel y the first step. The first Embrace. The second Embrace is when you truly become Kindred, when you are initiated into the Camarilla, the greatest society of immortals the world has ever known. It was not always like this. When I became one of us, a long time ago, the Camarilla still labored under the frankly ridiculous notion it could gather all those of the Blood under its loving care. This was never the reality and I'm glad the lie has finally been abolished. The protection of the Camarilla is now reserved for those deserving it, and thus a singular Embrace has been separated into two.
Turn or Die The first Embrace is physical, the second social, but they share one thing in common. Neither can be refused. Once invited to join the Camarilla, you accept or die for good. You made the wise choice, my childe. The only choice. As I knew you would.
5
CAMARILLA
I know you have many questions. Why did I bring you into the night? Why did I leave you to fend for yourself yourself for a decade before coming to get you? Why did I choose this this moment to induct you you into the Camarilla? This letter and the documents within are meant to help you make sense of it all. I will answer the simple questions first. I Embraced you and abandoned you to see if you could make it. The Camarilla is full of the wastrel childer of the powerful, the scions of Justicars, Princes, Inner Circle members, and other luminaries. I would never presume to question their judgement in choosing who they Embrace, but I decided to follow a different path. There is a reason we speak of the first and the second Embrace. I am sure you have cursed me during the many confused, lonely nights of the last decade, but you will thank me when you go to your first Elysium fortified fortified with at least some independent understanding understanding of what it means to subsist on blood and exist outside the human herd. Why did I come to you now, only to disappear? Well, I have a wedding to attend. You will understand in time. Consider this another test: If you survive your first week in the Camarilla with only these notes to help you, you will have proven yourself yet again. I suppose you also want to know why I chose you specifically. The truth is, I didn't. I got permission to bring a new childe to the Camarilla, so I instructed my servants to find good candidates. They found five. I Embraced all of them. them. I know the Prince Prince would probably probably not have accepted this, this, but she owes me too much to complain even if she finds out. One of the five ended himself after a week. Another joined a depressing little Anarch gang where she is still scraping by, as far as I know. Two were were destroyed in Second Inquisition raids. You were the one who succeeded in taking control of your new existence. I am sentimental in many things, but when I give my Blood to someone, I want them to be worth it.
Welcome I have opened the door for you, but you must enter on your own. I have made you a member of the Camarilla, but you must seize upon the opportunity and make it mean something. The Camarilla is power, connections, protection. This is one of the great lessons learned by the power ful among among kine kine and and Kindr Kindred ed alike: alike: Secrecy Secrecy must always always trump trump vanity. vanity. Human Human billionai billionaires res live in seclus seclusion, ion, their estates protected by armies of security guards. They travel by plane and helicopter, invisible to humanity at large, except for a few extravagant individuals who become targets of hate. Most of the very rich keep a low profile, preferring preferring to stay anonymous. In this and many other ways, there is not much difference difference between us and them. The Camarilla merely represents another layer of power at the very top. We too live in secrecy, hidden from the general population in our havens and Elysiums. Indeed, often often the land of wealth wealth is our land, the privileges privileges society grants to its richest members protecting us too. The Camarilla can be many things. Different cities organize in their own ways, their Kindred shaping their existence according to necessity and desire. Yet, so often wealth and influence are the two constants. We disappear into the human elite, so it is not only the world of the Camarilla you must adjust to. It is also the world of cocktail parties, gala openings, and fundraisers. Pretty much the only avenue blocked to us is going golfing during daytime. And anyway, golf bores me. The Camarilla protects you from many things, but do not be naive about the environment you are about to enter. Despite its profession of peace, the Elysium can be lethal, and frankly we like it like that. Playing the political political game is what what makes makes life life worth worth living, living, and and itit is only fitting fitting that that the price price of failur failuree is death. death. After After you you have have learn learned ed everyt everything hing in these these papers papers,, destr destroy oy them. them. It is a good habit habit to learn. learn. Every Every docudocument can betray you in the wrong hands. My servants have been instructed to provide you with access to my havens, including the ones in the city, the mansion, as well as my island cabin. There are also a few
6