Appearance
GANGREL
While vampires give mortals a reason to be afraid
of the dark, there exist things that give even
vampires reason to fear — creatures like the
Gangrel, the predators among the predators, the
most savage of beasts. Perhaps the only Bloodline
whose mere mention almost always elicits a
chilled shudder or a reverent nod, the Gangrel are,
in many ways, the “noble savages” of the vampiric
race. Upon their Embrace (and sometimes before),
the Gangrel seek to sever their ties with everything
pertaining to their mortal lives. Many prefer the
counsel of animals and other beasts, and some
eschew contact with the mortal world entirely.
While many retain and even value their humanity,
they do so within the bounds and context of their
new found existence, and not as an attempt to hold
onto what’s been lost, for no other option is
practical to a Bloodline whose very soul is so
intimately intertwined with its Beast. While others
delude themselves about what the Embrace “truly
means,” the Gangrel know what they’ve become,
so they strive to make peace with it. On the whole,
they spend more time in communion with their
bestial side than other vampires do, and though
such activity more than accounts for their
nickname and reputation, few would disagree that
the Gangrel truly benefit from their introspection.
Their special bond with the Beast seems to give
many Gangrel a unique insight into the Kindred
condition, and some of the wisest vampires to be
found in all the world hail from this Bloodline.
Whereas other Kindred try to become scholars or
philosophers, collecting endless data and positing
on the theoretical, the Gangrel are its yogis and
medicine men, its bodhisattvas and whirling
dervishes. The unequivocal and irreplaceable
benefit of first-hand experience flows through
them, supplanting the theoretical with the practical,
and making the Gangrel widely respected among
those who recognize the primeval nature of the
Kindred soul. This insight makes the Bloodline
invaluable, but also makes it dangerous, and some
would just as soon silence the Gangrel as hear their
frank wisdom.
Nickname
Savages
Symbol
Wolf’s Head
The archetypal Savage is rarely concerned with his
appearance, though most recognize the need to
both blend in and put potential prey at ease. As a
rule, Gangrel prefer function over form, and are
rarely caught clad in anything that restricts
movement to any great degree. Due to their
Bloodline weakness, they must always be wary of
just how bestial they appear to others, and some
especially old (or angry) Gangrel typically learn
some amount of Obfuscate to avoid potentially
disastrous situations.
Havens
One of the Bloodline’s greatest strengths is its deft
maneuverability, a good portion of which stems
from its Discipline of Protean, which allows the
Gangrel to take rest in any natural soil. Sleeping in
the ground does, of course, have its drawbacks,
and even the most feral of Savages comes to
appreciate having an actual place to hang his hat
after a while. A number of the more urbane (or at
least urban) Gangrel therefore elect to take
traditional havens, though their restless spirits and
mistrust of other Kindred tends to keep them
moving.
Background
Potential Gangrel can come from nearly any
former life, but few Savages would choose a
mortal who did not possess a strong survival
instinct. Beyond this, most are quite particular
about those they sire. Gangrel loathe personal
weakness and those who are soft of body or mind
(especially given their weakness), particularly
those with a paper-thin or disconnected sense of
being. Bloodline members most admire those
whose greatest strengths are the strengths of the
self — self-awareness, self-confidence and self-
reliance. While it is not unheard of for a Gangrel to
Embrace someone who lacks these qualities
(usually as a cruel test to see whether the Embrace
will sufficiently toughen the person up), most
Gangrel hold to their standards, as not doing so is
often more effort than it’s worth.
Character Creation
Gangrel are very honest with themselves about
what is and is not their forte, and they seek to
improve those things to which they are especially
or innately suited. Many Gangrel come off
seeming hyper-specialized, their players having
devoted
significant dots to those Attributes and Skills in
which they are focused. This rule is a very general
one,however, and numerous exceptions apply. Due
to temperament, the aptly named Savages are
rarely very strong in the Social department (though
entire bloodlines of sociable Gangrel probably
exist somewhere), preferring instead to hone body
and reinforce the mind. An even mix of Physical
and Mental Skills is always good, erring toward
the Physical side.
Favored Attributes
Composure or Stamina
Bloodline Disciplines
Animalism, Fortitude .Protean
Bloodline Bane
Like many predators in the animal kingdom, the
Gangrel would rather stuff themselves as soon as
the opportunity to feed presents itself than hunt
carefully every night to maintain a baseline
satiation.As a result, a player suffers a -3 penalty
on rolls to resist the Wassail (hunger frenzy).
Organization: The Gangrel are perhaps the least
organized of the Bloodlines. They have no
hierarchy per se and are largely disinterested in
either Bloodline structure or intra-Bloodline
activity for its own sake. The only nod they give to
such matters comes in the form of an event called a
Gather. These meetings serve a twofold purpose.
First, as an opportunity for Gangrel to unite and
update one another on the events of the intervening
time.
Second, as a forum for official intra-Bloodline
dispute resolution. Before this practice began,
ferocious Savages visited their rage upon one
another at will and without process, and the
Bloodline as a whole suffered. Thus began the
practice of settling disputes at gatherings of the
Bloodline before a Priscus or Primogen, where any
conflict (or combat, if necessary) could be
moderated and monitored by the peers of both
Savages. As a result of this practice, the Bloodline
has grown more cooperative over time, leading to
markedly fewer intra-Bloodline kills. The majority
of such disputes now stop short of Final Death.
In the Covenants
The Carthian Movement
Change is a savage enterprise. The dead don’t like
new ideas, but the Gangrel are dynamic in a
vicious sort of way. They are the roar of the
revolution and the messengers of the movement,
traveling city to city. Some began as souls too wild
to domesticate. Others are former hounds of the
First Estate, tired of their masters’ abuse. Their
nature confounds the tactics of the establishment.
How do you threaten the havens of those who
sleep in the earth? How do you bring the heat
down on those who can skip town at a moment’s
notice?
The Circle of the Crone
Whole murders of Gangrel perch in the Mother’s
Army. The Bloodline’s oral tradition teems with
fierce mother figures like Ekhidna. Young Savages
are easy recruits. Primal blood sings in tune with
primordial magic. Hierophants lead Wild Hunts in
the form of howling wolves. Feral witches roar to
the stars and tap the wisdom of the dark earth.
Who better to explore what it is to be a monster,
than those so intimate with the Beast?
The Invictus
For all of their cagey instincts, road lust, and
hunger for freedom, some Gangrel respond well to
strong alphas. And who is more alpha than the
First Estate? These Gangrel find their niches as the
knights and growling hounds of lords and ladies.
But some rise higher. They learn to translate their
predatory natures to politics. They attain savage
nobility. For so too does the Invictus respond well
to alphas, and who is more elementally alpha than
the get of lion gods and demon wolves?
The Lancea Sanctum: Some Gangrel get
religious when they realize they can call all of
God’s beasts to his vengeful purpose. The Savages
make useful converts to the Chapel and the Spear.
Who better to travel the world’s hidden places in
the search of relics? Faith molds people, and
monsters are made of even more malleable clay.
Some Gangrel become bestial seraphs, the wings
of bats and owls ripping from out their backs.
Some angels have more cause than others to say,
“Be not afraid.”
The Ordo Dracul
The Gangrel fascinate the Dragons. More
often than not, it is the Order that approaches the
Gangrel. Their protean bodies merit study. Endless
variation that breaks the monotony of the eternally
dead flesh. The Savages have more