Camarilla Clans

Brujah Clan

Gangrel Clan

Malkavian Clan

Nosferatu Clan

BRUJAH

Brujah often have criminal or punk concepts, but many of them are intellectuals as well. They normally have very aggressive Demeanors and very extreme Natures. Physical Attributes are primary, as are Skills. Brujah commonly have Contacts, Allies and Herd as their Background Traits. There clan disciplines are Celerity, Potence, and Presence. The members of this clan fall into frenzies far more readily than other vampires. However, the Brujah flatly deny this; indeed, they become exceedingly hostile (even to the point of frenzy) if the subject is raised. The difficulty for frenzy rolls is always two higher than the number listed. This clan is poorly organized and rarely meets formally. However, its membership supports the anarchs more than any other clan. Indeed, it lies at the movement’s core.

Brujah tend to dress in whatever style is the most outrageous of the period, though some dress in a way that conflicts with the rest of the clan so as to be the "most" rebellious. Leather coats, spiked hair, chains and black boots are common today, as are the various garbs of antiquity, especially those of the Renaissance. They may also dress and assume the attitudes of street hoods, neo-Nazis, or even Deadhead. Brujah live wherever they choose, frequently kicking whatever unlucky individuals lived there before them. By habit they move about quite a bit, never staying in one place for longer than a month. The Brujah naturally prefer rebels when they choose their progeny. Only rarely is a neonate guided through the process.

Typically, new Brujah are left to their own devices, summoned and aided only at the whim of the sire. Often the sire remains anonymous, so as to avoid the wrath of a strict prince. Often a sire will create more than one childe at a time, forming a brood. Brujah don’t always seek the permission of the prince when they create progeny, so the chances of the childer’s survival are greater if there is a group of them. It is a strategy of numbers—the more progeny created, the more likely some will survive.

GANGREL

The Gangrel do not really consider themselves a clan. They almost never have clan meetings and rarely attend Camarilla councils. However, they do tend to enjoy each other’s company more than that of other Kindred and can often be found together. The members of this clan often have animalistic features, especially if they have the Protean Discipline. They are usually quite rustic in dress and mannerisms. Gangrel are nomadic by nature and almost never create permanent dwellings. Though they may live within a single city, they will usually not create havens for themselves, but will instead sleep in a different place each day.

They are often found in parks, zoos or semi-wooded areas in the city. Most of them are able to meld with the earth and do so each dawn to escape the sun. Gangrel become increasingly animal-like each time they frenzy—the player of a Gangrel character must pick a new animal feature each and every time the character does so. As Gangrel age, they increasingly resemble that which they truly are—the Beast. Gangrel always pick their progeny very carefully, seeking those who are survivors. However, once they embrace these mortals, they abandon them, leaving the childer to make their own way in the world. Though sires may watch from a distance, they almost never interfere. When the time is right, they present themselves to their fledglings and teach them the ways of the clan.

Gangrel often have drifter or Working Joe concepts. Their Natures and Demeanors tend to be very similar. Physical attributes and Talent Abilities are primary. Normal Background traits are Allies (the Gypsies) and Mentor (their sires). Their Clan Disciplines are Animalism, Fortitude, and Protean. The Gangrel are closely affiliated with the Gypsies; in fact, if the stories are to be believed, the Gypsies are the mortal descendants of the Antediluvian who founded the Gangrel line. They are under his protection, and any Kindred who harms or Embraces one of them will answer to him. Regardless if this is true or not, Kindred are loath to harm Gypsies. Members of the Gangrel clan are expected, through long-standing tradition, to aid when necessary.

MALKAVIANS Many Malkavians probably do not understand that they are a clan, and the rest are busy denying that they are Malkavians. The members of this clan have different looks and live vastly different styles. Malkavians live anywhere they feel comfortable. Many of them seek out hospitals and asylums to reside in. Some are even assumed to be inmates by the staff. All members of this clan have some sort of Derangement. In fact, characters begin the game with one. The player may choose any Derangement, but the character will never be able to completely overcome it, no matter how much Willpower is spent. The touch of madness is always upon the members of this line.

Malkavians only choose people who resemble them as neonates. They believe that all mortals should have a chance to live out their natural lives. Malkavians have any sort of concept—the weirder the better. They may have a variety of different Demeanors, which are rarely indicative of their true Natures. Mental Attributes are primary, as are Talent Abilities. Malkavians can have nearly any Background Traits. Their Clan Disciplines are Auspex, Dominate, and Obfuscate. The Malkavians are truly insane, one and all. From madness, however, comes wisdom, and from wisdom comes power. The Malkavians are true creatures of chaos.

However, the Malkavians are also known to be clowns and pranksters. As with all things connected with them, not everything makes sense. The clan is famous for its destructive and nihilistic members. The Malkavians have a time-honored tradition of playing practical jokes upon Kindred and kine alike. The nature of these pranks can very wildly, ranging from harmlessly fun to the potentially lethal. The Malkavians, when they interact with one another at all, tend to award prestige within the clan on the basis of these pranks. Many Malkavians solemnly believe that the Jyhad is a joke created by the founder of their line.

NOSFERATU Nosferatu tend to look out for themselves and mingle with little others. They are united in spirit, with an established network, but almost never have formal clan meetings of any sort. The changes that the curse has wrought upon the members of this clan are the most dominant of any bloodline. They sport huge fangs, their skin is course and wrinkled, and they typically have no hair, except in all the wrong places. The Nosferatu most often live underground, either in dark cellars or within the city sewer system. When they do live above ground, they live in abandoned houses or graveyards. They tend to choose their fledglings from the castsoffs and failures of society: the homeless, the mentally ill, and the hopelessly antisocial. Most Nosferatu have lower-class concepts, and tend to have a strong contrast between their Natures and Demeanors. Physical Attributes are primary, as are Talents.

Their Clan Disciplines are Animalism, Obfuscate, and Potence. Nosferatu are so ugly that they have an appearance of zero. Simply cross out the entire Attribute off the character sheet. Nosferatu fail any action that involves their Appearance because they really are hideous. The Nosferatu are the least human-appearing of all the clans. They look something like feral animals. Their smell and appearance are revolting—one could even say monstrous. Long, bulbous ears, coarse-skinned skinned skulls covered with tufts of hair, and elongated faces splotched with disgusting warts and lumps are among their less nauseating features. After Nosferatu have been Embraced, they undergo and exceptionally painful period of transformation. Over a period of weeks, they slowly shift from their mortal countenances to their Nosferatu visages.

In the beginning, the childer may revel in their newfound powers, but soon the pain and the changes will begin. The psychological trauma of becoming such a loathsome monstrosity is often more painful than the physical symptoms. It is said that Nosferatu revel in being dirty and disgusting and do little to makes themselves look better (not that there is very much they could do). Indeed, they are cheerful amid their squalor, especially when others are forced to enter their realm. They are known when others are forced to enter their realm. They are known for being grumpy and lewd, and cannot be trusted to conform to the standards of civilized society.

TOREADOR The members of this clan meet frequently, though these gatherings are more social occasions than councils. In times of great urgency, they become united and ferociously active, but typically they are too apathetic to be much of a force. Toreador are usually good-looking. They always dress in the very latest fashions from the most expensive stores. Of all the Kindred, only the Toreador manage to keep up with the ever-changing panoply of human fashion. They often live in luxury condos or apartments near the center of the city, as close to the action as possible. They pride themselves on only selecting the most exemplary members of human society for initiation into their clan. Most members were artists or musicians, and many continue their artistic pursuits in undeath.

Toreador often have flamboyant Demeanors, but may have very unique Natures. Social Attributes are primary, as are Skills. Normal Background Traits include Fame, Resources, and Retainers. Their Clan Disciplines are Auspex, Celerity, and Presence. The member of this clan are as much prisoners of their artistic vision and sensitivity as they are its beneficiaries. They are often overcome by the beauty they see around them, and become immobilized with fascination. Such things as paintings, neon signs, or even sunrises can captivate them. It requires a successful Willpower roll to break the fascination quickly; otherwise, the Toreador will stand awed and helpless, for minutes or even hours.

TREMERE

The members of this clan are dedicated and extremely well-organized, others think that they are arcane and untrustworthy. They are highy intellectual, aggressive, and manipulative. The Tremere believe they must use the other clans in order to prosper. They claim to have once been wizards who voluntarily gave up their "art" for the powers and eternal life of the Vampire. They have never named a founder, and some claim they have none, having instead harnessed mystical powers to achieve their state. Their link to the sustance of blood runs deep, and they are rumored to be able to use blood in special ways to gain extraordinary powers.

The leaders of this clan are based in Vienna, though they have chantries on every continent of the world. A council of seven elders is said to control the entire clan from the Vienna chantry. They maintain a tight order so that no outsider may view their inner workings. Tremere have immense love and loyalty for their clan, and the younger the members of Clan Tremere are expected to obey their elders without question. Their nicknames are the "Warlocks." They usually wear black coats or cloaks with high, up-turned collars and arcane symbols sewn on the lining. They prefer black, impressive-looking clothing. Many Tremere carry props such as canes; some of these "ornaments" are rumored to be potent mystical talismans. They live in a variety of homes. The Tremere usually choose the most aggressive and ambitious people as their neonates, preferring males.

They train and nurture them for years, calling them "apprentices." Tremere usually have professional and highly educated concepts, and their Natures and Demeanors tend to be archetypes connected with power or science. Mental Attributes are primary, as are Knowledge Abilities. They often have the Mentor Background Trait. Their Clan Disciplines are Auspex, Dominate, and Thaumaturgy. All neonates must drink the blood of the seven elders of the clan when they are created. This means that all Tremere are one step closer towards being Blood Bound to the clan, and therefore must watch their step very carefully when around their leaders.

VENTRUE The Ventrue are the old-fashioned and tradition-bound Kindred of the Camarilla, hence their name, "Blue Bloods." They believe in good taste above all else, and work hard to make their lives comfortable. The Ventrue are, most often, the leaders of the Camarilla. The Ventrue consider themselves to be a clan of the modern world, and adamantly deny that they had lived in the past. This is partially true to the most powerful members, but many are unable to give up the habits and dress of the time when they were Embraced. The Ventrue's sophistication allows them to control many of the more powerful members of the city. They often have a monopoly on political control of the city.

Most of the time, whenever there is a problem, the Kindred come to the Ventrue for aid. There is a strong Ventrue tradtion that any member of the line may find safe refuge with any other member of the line and CANNOT be refused. Ventrue tend to make their homes in mansions, of their mortal dwellings. When Embracing, Ventrue typically select older and more experienced people as neonates. Most of the time, these humans are upper-class. Ventrue tend to have upper-class concepts. Mental Attributes and Knowledge Abilities are primary. Resources and Influence are common Background Traits. Their Clan Disciplines are Dominate, Fortitude, and Presence.

CAITIFF Some Kindred do not have a clan at all, but are of bastard blood. This is because they were abandoned by their sire, or were Embraced by an outcast vampire. A combination of a thinness of blood and a lack of social training has made them Clanless. This is a fairly recent phenomenon, and thus they are disdained by many of the other Kindred. Though many Caitiff are considered to be pariahs or anarchs, not all of them are outcasts. Some are accepted among the Damned, but none have yet reached an age where they have achieved any real power. Caitiff do not have any Clan Disciplines, and usually have Survivor or Anarch Natures and Demeanors.