A SOURCEBOOK FOR VAMPIRE: THE MASQUER ADE

PLAYERS
224mm

GUIDE

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 CHILDREN OF CAINE

The children of the night – what games they play! And what games can we

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play with them?
Vampires have lurked among us since the first cities rose nameless by the
Euphrates. They command mighty powers and strange magics, they hunt in

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singular ways, they even flock together when times demand it.
This book collects new character-building options, powers, guides for
playing together and alone and virtually, and new ways to use the old rules.
The perfect companion to Vampire: The Masquerade.

The Vampire Players Guide includes:

^ Profiles of seven clans of Kindred: Banu Haqim, Hecata, Lasombra,

^
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The Ministry, Ravnos, Salubri, and Tzimisce

Expanded rules for playing castoffs: Caitiff, Thin-Bloods, ghouls, and mortals
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^ New and Consolidated Discipline powers, Blood Sorcery rituals, and Thin-
Blood Alchemy formulae, plus the Oblivion Discipline and its ceremonies

^ Systems and Advantages for coteries, including a coterie record sheet

^ Guidelines and advice for non-traditional chronicles, including: all

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thin-blood, troupe-style, virtual play, and one-on-one play

^ Updated rules for Touchstones, Memoriam, and Projects

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renegadegames.com
/PlayRGS @PlayRenegade @Renegade_Game_Studios /RenegadeGameStudios
Lot Code: 031023-01 $50.00
Manufacturer: Renegade Games, LLC. 306N West El Norte Parkway #325, ISBN 978-1-957311-33-3
Escondido, California 92026. Importers: Renegade France 52 Avenue Pierre 55000>
Semard 94200 Ivry sur Seine France. P:+33 (0)1 77 37 60 47. Renegade Games,
LLC. Solar House 915 High Road London, London, England N12 8QJ. Mature Advisory: contains graphic and
© 2023 Renegade Game Studios. All Rights Reserved. written content of a mature nature, including
Paradox Interactive®, Vampire: The Masquerade®, World of Darkness®,
Copyright 2023 Paradox Interactive AB (publ). All Rights Reserved. violence, sexual themes, and strong
Made in China language. Reader discretion is advised. 9 781957 311333
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PLAYERS
GUIDE
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Introduction: Blood Spatters

PLAYERS GUIDE

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Written by Justin Achilli, James Mendez Hodes, Khaldoun Khelil, Saskia Liddick,
Karim Muammar, Crystal Mazur, Martyna “Outstar” Zych, and Kenneth Hite
Editing and Development by Kenneth Hite with Elisa Teague
Cultural Consulting: James Mendez Hodes with Omar Ramadan Santiago
Copy Editing: Nathan Gerber

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Producer: Kevin Schluter
Art Director: Sarah Robinson
Art Aquisition Manager: Trivia Fox
Cover Art: Mark Kelly
Interior Art and Illustration: Tomas Arfert, Nevzat Aydin, Peter Bergting, John-
Paul Bichard, Krzysztof Bieniawski, Raquel Cornejo, Kaitlin Cuthbertson, Martin
Ericsson, Felipe Headley, Victor Herak, Mark Kelly, Anders Muammar, Maichol
Quinto, and Martyna Zych
Graphic Design and Layout: Sarah Robinson

Incorporates material from:

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Vampire: The Masquerade Companion, Camarilla, Anarch, Chicago By Night, and
Cults of the Blood Gods written by Justin Achilli, Jacqueline Bryk, Alison Cybe,
Matthew Dawkins, Erykah Fassett, Karim Muammar, Malcolm Sheppard, et al.

WORLD OF DARKNESS BRAND TEAM

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Vice President: Sean Greaney
Editor: Karim Muammar
Art Director: Tomas Arfert
Community Developer: Martyna “Outstar” Zych
Marketing Manager: Jason Carl
Partnerships Manager: Dhaunae De Vir
Licensing Manager: Nikola Filipov
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Campaign Manager: Viktor Bovallius

RENEGADE GAME STUDIOS

President & Publisher: Scott Gaeta
Vice President Sales & Marketing: Sara Erickson
Controller: Robyn Gaeta
Director of Operations: Leisha Cummins
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Lead Developer, World of Darkness: Juhana Pettersson
Product Developer, RPGs: Jason Keeley
Senior Game Designer: Matt Hyra
Game Designers: Dan Blanchett & Christopher Chung

Associate Project Manager: Katie Gjesdahl
E-Commerce: Nick Medinger
Sales & Marketing Program Manager: Matt Holland
Marketing Manager: Jordan Gaeta
Marketing Assistant: Anais Morgan
Senior Producer of Board & Card Games: Dan Bojanowski
Associate Producer, Board & Card Games: Kane Klenko
Producer, RPGs: Kevin Schluter
Director of Visual Design: Anita Osburn
Creative Director, Games: Jeanne Torres
Creative Director, RPGs: Sarah Robinson
Creative Production: Noelle Lopez & Gordon Tucker
Customer Service Manager: Jenni Janikowski
Customer Service: Bethany Bauthues
Finance & Sales Coordinator: Madeline Minervini

© 2023 Renegade Game Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Paradox Interactive®, Vampire: The Masquerade®, World of Darkness®, Copyright 2023 Paradox Interactive AB (publ). All rights reserved.
Visit the World of Darkness online at www.worldofdarkness.com

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 SEEKING
INFORMATION

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Hector Carson – Victim Suspect 1 – “Jeri” Suspect 2 – “Ava” Suspect 3 – “Dalton” Suspect 4 – “Barry”

DETAILS
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On February 13, 2022, Hector Carson, age 44, was serving as security for the Tangier Casino in North
Las Vegas, Nevada. When he did not check in, his supervisor discovered his body behind the casino
with his neck broken and other injuries consistent with a murderous assault.
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Investigators have distributed casino surveillance photos (shown above) of four individuals known
to have confronted Carson earlier that night. They have since not been seen in any Nevada casino.
Based on witness testimony, investigators have pieced together the following profiles of the suspects.

Suspect 1 is a Hispanic or Asian-American female, 20s, around 5’6”, wearing a large leather jacket.
She may go by the name “Jeri” or “Gerri” or the nickname “Smoke,” possibly from her smoking habit.

Suspect 2 is a White female, 30s, around 5’10”, 100–105 lbs., snake tattoo on left arm. She may go
by the name “Ava” or “Eva” or the nickname “Snake.”
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Suspect 3 is a Hispanic or Black male, 40s, around 6’0”, 120–125 lbs., wearing a black suit and tie.
He may go by the name “Dalton,” first or last unknown.

Suspect 4 is a White or Hispanic male, 20s, around 5,10”, 150–165 lbs. He may go by the name
“Barry” or “Prez.” His photo matches the description of a person of interest in the slaying of casino
executive Heron Stavridis on December 7, 2021.

Based on surveillance footage and details gathered by investigators, the unknown suspects are likely
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traveling together.

Anyone with information is requested to call the Tip Line at 304-622-9069 or submit tips online at
cjisd-bb-tips@sad.fbi.gov. All information will be taken and followed up on by investigators. Callers
can remain anonymous.

You may also contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.

Field Office: Las Vegas, NV

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 Table of Contents
Opening 3 Bane
Compulsion: Affective Empathy
47
48
Obfuscate
Potence
76
79
Salubri Archetypes 48 Presence 80
Blood Spatters 7 Tzimisce
Protean 81
Oblivion 84
Words to Unlive By 8 Who Are the Tzimisce? 52 Oblivion Ceremonies 91

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Disciplines 53 Blood Sorcery 98
Clans 11 Bane 54 Blood Sorcery Rituals 99
Compulsion: Covetousness 54 Thin-Blood Alchemy 103
Banu Haqim Tzimisce Archetypes 54

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Predator Types 106

Clan Bane Variants56

Who Are the Banu Haqim? 17 Extortionist 107
Disciplines 17 Graverobber 108
Bane 18 Grim Reaper 108
Compulsion: Judgment 18 Banu Haqim: Noxious Blood 56 Montero 108
Banu Haqim Archetypes 18 Brujah: Violence 56 Pursuer 108
Gangrel: Survival Instincts 57 Trapdoor 109
Hecata Hecata: Decay 57
Who Are the Hecata? 22 Lasombra: Callousness 57 Backgrounds 109
Disciplines
Bane
Compulsion: Morbidity
Hecata Archetypes
23
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24
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e Malkavian: Unnatural Manifestations 57
Ministry: Cold-Blooded
Nosferatu: Infestation
Ravnos: Unbirth Name
Salubri: Asceticism
58
58
58
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Allies
Contacts
Fame
Haven
Herd
109
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111
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Lasombra Toreador: Agonizing Empathy 59 Influence 113
Who Are the Lasombra? 29 Tremere: Stolen Blood 59 Loresheets 114
Disciplines 29 Tzimisce: Cursed Courtesy 59 Mask 114
Bane 29 Ventrue: Hierarchy 59 Mawla 115
Compulsion: Ruthlessness 30 Resources 116
Lasombra Archetypes 30 Characters 61 Retainers 116
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Status 117
Ministry Vampire Traits and Types
Who Are the Ministry? 35 Summary Sheet 62 New Merits and Flaws 118
Disciplines 35 Attributes 62 Merits 118
Bane 36 Skills 62 Flaws 120
Compulsion: Transgression 36 Disciplines 63
Ministry Archetypes 36 Backgrounds 63
Castoffs 123
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Ravnos Instant Vampires 66

Play Style 66 Castoff Summary Sheet 124
Who Are the Ravnos? 41
Motivation 66 Caitiff 125
Disciplines 41
Embrace 67 Caitiff Merits 126
Bane 42
Compulsion: Tempting Fate 42 Discipline Powers 69 Caitiff Flaws 127
Ravnos Archetypes 42 Animalism 69 Thin-Bloods 128
Auspex 70
Salubri The Thin-Blood Chronicle 128
Celerity 72 Organization 130
Who Are the Salubri? 46 Dominate 73 Thin-Bloods and the Sects 131
Disciplines 47 Fortitude 74 Blood Destiny 132
 Table of Contents
Thin-Blood Archetypes 133 169 Memoriam 212
New Thin-Blood Merits and Flaws 135 169 Shaping Memoriam 212
In the Half-Light 136 171 Playing Memoriam 213
173 One-Roll Memoriam 213
Ghouls 137 Optional Rule:
Fatal Addiction 137 179 Badly Failed Memoriams 214

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The Role of Ghouls 137 179
Ghoul Archetypes 138 180 Projects 214
Creating a Ghoul Character 139 180 Streamlined Project System 214
Special Situations 142 181 Ideas For Projects 215

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182 Collaborative Projects 216
Mortals 144 182
Why Play a Mortal? 144 183 Considerate Play
Imbalance 145 184 Guidelines 216
Dangerous Attraction 145 185 Culture and Religion 216
Mortal Archetypes 146 186 Romance, Seduction,
The Role of Mortals 146 187 and Sex 217
Creating a Mortal Character 148 188 Playing With Malkavians 219
Storyteller Options 151 188 Power Differentials 220

Loresheets and
Coteries
A Greater Purpose
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195
189
190
190 Appendices 222
Bankers of Dunsirn 223
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The Players’ Characters 154
Coterie as Cloud 155 Children of Tenochtitlan 224
196 Flesh-Eaters 225
Coterie Types 156 196 Harbingers of Ashur 226
197 La Famiglia Giovanni 227
Blood Cult 158
198 The Gorgons 228
Cerberus 158
200 Nasyon San An 229
Champions 159
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Vampire Traits and Types

Commando 159
200 Summary Sheet 230
Corporate 160
Advantages Master List 232
Day Watch 160 200
Coterie Sheet 239
Envoys 161 202
Family 161 203 Consolidated Antagonists 241
Fang Gang 162 204 Tzimisce Servitor Ghouls 241
Fugitive 162 204
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Revenants 243
Gatekeeper 163
Hunting Party 163 205 index 244
Maréchal 164 207 BLOOD POTENCY TABLE, REVISED 248
Nomad 165
207
Plumaire 165
Questari 166
209
Regency 166
Saboteur 167
Sbirri 167
211
Vehme 168
212
Watchmen 168
Introduction: Blood Spatters

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 VA M P I R E : T H E M A S Q U E R A D E P L AY E R S G U I D E

Introduction:

BLOOD

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SPATTERS
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The outlaw, the revolutionary, the cabbalist or member
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of a secret society, indeed heretics of all kinds are of
a highly associative if not sociable disposition, and a
certain element of play is prominent in all their doings.
— JOHAN HUIZINGA, Homo Ludens
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Introduction: Blood Spatters
W
elcome to the Vampire Players
Guide. Note there’s no apostrophe
in the title. This isn’t just a book
for one player (a “Player’s Guide”)
or even for the players alone (a “Players’ Guide”)
but a guide to play itself, including every kind
of play we’ve seen in these newest nights. It’s for
players and Storytellers, watchers of games online
and simmers on Discord, and everyone who simply
engages with Vampire: The Masquerade play to
explore personal and political horror.
That’s a lot of new players and new kinds of
players. This book is for all those new players and for
all players curious about some of these new ways to
tell vampire stories.
It’s for players of vampires. And it’s always
and forever about players of Vampire, who now
have all the remaining clans gathered in one place,
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which sounds very dangerous when written out
like this. If that’s too many vampires, we also
provide guides for playing mortals and ghouls and
thin-bloods, as well as mixed chronicles with all of
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the above.
That said, we’ve tried to keep the focus of this
book on the vampiric rather than the mortal — new
Discipline powers, Rituals, Alchemical Formulae,
and the like, instead of lists of guns or computers.
You all have Wikipedia now, anyway.
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When using those new powers, or guns or
Wikipedia for that matter, think first and foremost
about what they should feel like in the story. We
put drama first, and we suggest you do the same.
Our shared goal should be to deepen and improve
every player’s experience, and also to deepen and
improve players’ common experiences, not to
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expand player power-gaming.
That’s why we include more in-depth guidelines
for considerate play, including some new guardrails
around some serious topics.
That’s also why we focus a lot of page count on
coteries, something of the red-headed stepchildren
of Vampire in the past. (Fun fact: in many parts of
the Balkans, red-headed stepchildren were thought
to become vampires after death.) The roots of
coterie play go deep into the past of Vampire and
building a story in common remains a powerful,
economical way to get both buy-in and pay-off from
players.
Story in common: what we’re all still doing
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when we play. And ideally, this book helps all of us
players do it.
Words to Unlive By
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The Kindred use many words that either have
additional meaning to them or acquire a distinctly
different meaning among their ilk. This isn’t another
lexicon of Camarilla argot or Anarch slang, but a
way to frame the words you already know through
their eyes. Keep them in mind when using dialogue
in character and perhaps while thinking about the
chronicle between sessions.
Life, lived, etc.: Vampires are undead. They
lead unlives. They exist. They make their havens in
certain places. They don’t live anywhere, and they
don’t see what life has to offer.
Daytime: Your vampire escapes to fight another
night, not day. She awakens three nights from now.
Daytime applies only to literal daytime, like when
the ghouls do their thing and the banks are open.
Human: The Kindred believe themselves to be
human: a purer predator, perhaps, or a more corrupt
animal, but they cling to their humanity as long as
they can believe in any shred of it. They use the word
“mortal” to refer to non-vampire humans.
Kindred, Cainite, the V word: The Camarilla
says Kindred, as do most vampires older than
a few decades. With the return of the Cainite
Heresy and the Sabbat’s atrocities driving
the Lasombra back into Kindred society, the
term Cainite has made a resurgence. “Shilling
shockers” made the term “vampire” too vulgar
for the Camarilla’s self-image after about 1800,
used almost entirely by Caitiff ironically or as a
goad to their so-called betters. In modern nights,