Rules and Guidlines for Vampire Character Creation.

Vampire natural attributes (this may be expanded upon)

-Immortal - doesn’t age, only dies permanently under certain conditions.

-Weaknesses to fire and sunlight. Can’t go outside during the day.

-Immune to things like disease, suffocation (they don’t breath), cold (they can be frozen, but no hypothermia or anything)

-Require blood on a semi regular basis. There will be no detailed rules.

-Fast healing, from any wound. Serious wounds do take a bit longer. Burns even longer - sleeping would help these types of wounds heal faster, as well as excessive blood drinking. Healing does increase the hunger/need for blood a bit.

-Sleep is in general a necessity. It does speed healing, and is a safe/quick way to pass the day. With effort they can stay awake, but this is not easy.

-Good night vision, not unlike a nocturnal animal. As long as there is a small amount of light from somewhere (moon, stars, any small amount will do) they can see clearly. Absolute darkness (as in a mine shaft blocked off from the surface) would require further enhancements to see in.

Vampire Disciplines and Gifts


When generating a character, you may start with up to 3 Gifts. Each Gift is associated with a Discipline. The Disciplines basically act as categories, and are a way to further define your character in terms of syle, interests, etc., like an extension of their personality. It also can affect your interaction with other vampires. If vampires share Disciplines, they are more likely to accept one another, and some groups/clans may have Discipline ‘requirements’ before joining.

The Disciplines you pick when you create your character won’t really change. It is possible to learn a new discipline, but it must be taught by another vampire, and isn’t a quick process. More Gifts can be self taught over time, but only ones that fall under the Disciplines you already know.

3 Gifts can be chosen to begin with. This mean, up to 3 Disciplines can also be chosen. Ie 1 Gift per Discipline. Or you may choose to focus in one Discipline, and start with 3 Gifts in that.

Gifts in general are small, specific, abilities. Their effects and limitations should be described in a detailed, yet thrifty manner.

-Animalism: A connection with the natural world. Communicating, and working with animals, in a supernatural manner. As soon as you have one Gift in this Discipline you no longer spook, or scare off, animals. They treat you as if you were a living being.

-Auspex: Supernatural senses and perception. As soon as a Gift is taken in Auspex, your characters senses are all heightened, at least twice as good as a regular persons.

-Celerity: Supernatural speed and reactions. As soon as a Gift is taken in Celertiy, you are much faster than normal. Like an athlete, you can effortlessly sprint and your hand eye coordination is almost flawless. Any particular skill (like supernatural running speed, or lightning fast hand movements) will have to be taken as a Gift.

-Dominate: The ability to dominate another’s will. Eye contact is almost always necessary for these abilities. Upon selecting a Gift, your voice takes on a tone that catches the ear of others. It is not in itself controlling in anyway, but can be modulated (in tone or volume) more easily than normal.

-Fortitude: Supernatural toughness, resistance, toughness. Once a Gift has been chosen, you are supernaturally tougher. Most normal blows (like fists, blunt objects) don’t harm you. Any specific resistance (more powerful attacks, resistance to elements, like fire) need to be taken as a Gift.

-Obfuscate: Concealment and illusion, -all mentally based. When a Gift is taken, your character becomes naturally talented at deception and concealment. All the normal signs that appear when a lie is told (facial movements, fluctuations in the voice) are gone, making your lies all that much harder to discover.

-Potence: Supernatural strength. The legendary strength of a vampire comes from the acquisition of this Discipline. Automatically you are much stronger than a normal human. While not strong enough to throw cars, or destroy walls (unless a Gift dictates that) there is no man alive that can match you.

-Presence: Supernatural charm, attraction and emotional control. Upon choosing a Gift in this Discipline your appearance changes slightly. You become, by human standards, more attractive, or intimidating looking (at your discretion). The changes are slight, as if you visited a plastic surgeon.

-Thaumaturgy: Blood magic. The ability to work with blood, in a supernatural manner. Every Gift either involves blood, or is about blood; and is usually ritualistic in nature. As soon as a Thaumaturgy Gift is learned your sense of smell is increased - specifically in identifying blood. By smell alone you can tell the difference between human, animal, or vampire blood. This has a range of 50ft.

-Protean: The ability to physically adapt to differing needs. A classical, and powerful, example is shape changing into a wolf or bat. Taking a Gift in this discipline automatically bequeaths you eyes that can detect heat. This improves your night vision, helps you find hidden creatures, and would allow you to navigate even pitch black environments.

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Gift Examples. The general idea is that gifts should gradually increase in number, and strength. There are no hard and fast levels, or rules, but try and be conservative in the gifts you begin with. These are just suggestions, and can be altered a bit, or new ones made up.

Animalism

Feral Speech - speak telepathically with an animal you can see.
F.S.2 - give commands to the animals, that they will follow.
F.S.3 - speak to and sense all animals within a large area.
F.S.4 - command these animals.

Beckoning - Summon animals of a particular type to you.
B.2 - Summon all animals in surrounding large area to you.

Subsume the spirit - Possess the body of an animal, your own body falls asleep.
S.t.S.2 - Possess the body of an animal, without losing control of your own.

Animal Succulence - Animal blood is as satisfying to you as human blood.
A.S.2 - Drinking the blood of an animal bestows temporary bestial qualities upon you.



Auspex

Aura Perception - Can see someone’s aura, and learn things about them. State of health, emotional condition.
A.P.2 - Perceive spirits and ghosts. Converse a minimal amount.
A.P.3 - Astrally Project - your mind is free to travel in astral form.

Artist’s Intent - Learn details of an artist through their work of art.

Spirit’s Touch - Learn something of an objects past, and people associated with it, when touching it.

Telepathy - Briefly probe someone’s mind, or project a telepathic message to them.
T.2 - Mentally speak with someone that you know, even if they are far away.
T.3 - Mentally speak with multiple people simultaneously.
T.4 - Hear and see thoughts of everyone around you. You are able to absorb/learn their identities and personalities.

Eagle’s Sight - Gain a bird’s eye view of the area you are in.
E.S.2 - Clairvoyance. See what is happening at a distant location.

Pluck the Secret - this is not telepathy. You cannot hear all their current thoughts. After questioning a target verbally, even if they withold the info, and are not thinking about it, you can learn what they know.

Mirror Reflex - react quickly in combat to an opponent by reading their mind. This doesn’t allow you to read their regular thoughts, the rest of the time. You see every attack coming.

Social Grace - Outwit people in conversation by knowing what they will say ahead of time.

Mental Attack - Staring at a target will cause them to suffer a headache, then a migraine.
M.A.2 - Much stronger version. Target will suffer a brain spasm, nose bleed, then fall unconscious. This more effective on humans, than vampires. If target vampire has Fortitude, or some other defensive Gift, it will have even less effect.