TEXT: 1
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  Table of Contents
  Introduction — What is Vampire: The Masquerade?
   
  2
  Setting — Vampire History and Hierarchy
   
  4
  Character Creation — Making Your Own Vampire  
  7
  Clans — The Children of Caine
   
  8
  Traits and Disciplines — Vampiric Powers
   
  16
  Blood and Health —  The Vampire’s Strength
   
  19
  Rules — Playing the Game
   
  20
  Combat — Physical Confrontation
   
  22
  Story Ideas — Suggested Starting Points
   
  24
  Sample Adventure                                                 25
  VAMPIRE:
  VAMPIRE:
  VAMPIRE:
  VAMPIRE:
  VAMPIRE:
  THE MASQUERADE
  THE MASQUERADE
  THE MASQUERADE
  THE MASQUERADE
  THE MASQUERADE
   INTRODUCTORY
   INTRODUCTORY
   INTRODUCTORY
   INTRODUCTORY
   INTRODUCTORY
  KIT
  KIT
  KIT
  KIT
  KIT
  Based on the Vampire: The Masquerade game created by Steve Brown, Andrew Greenberg,
  Chris McDonough, Mark Rein•Hagen, Lisa Stevens, Joshua Gabriel Timbrook
   and Stewart Wieck
  Because of the mature themes involved, reader discretion is advised.
  © 1997 White Wolf, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden,
  except for the purposes of reviews. White Wolf and Vampire the Masquerade are registered trademarks of White Wolf, Inc. All
  rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf, Inc. The mention of or reference to
  any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.
  Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com,
  alt.games.whitewolf and rec.games.frp.storyteller.
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  2
  STORYTELLING
  The rules pamphlet you hold provides an introductory
  look at Vampire: The Masquerade, a storytelling game from
  White Wolf Publishing. With the rules in this kit, you and
  your friends are able to take the roles of night-stalking vam-
  pires and tell stories about the characters’ triumphs, failures,
  dark deeds and glimmerings of goodness.
  In a lot of ways, storytelling resembles games such as How
  to Host a Murder. Players take the role of a character — in this
  case, a vampire — and engage in a form of improvisational
  theatre, saying what the vampire would say and describing
  what the vampire would do.
  In a storytelling game, players take their characters through
  adventures, called (appropriately enough) stories. Stories are
  told through a combination of the wishes of the players and
  the directives of the Storyteller (see below).
  PLAYERS AND STORYTELLERS
  Most people who play Vampire are players. They create
  vampire characters — imaginary protagonists similar to those
  found in novels, films and comics. In each group, however,
  one person must take the role of the Storyteller. The Story-
  teller acts as a combination director, moderator, narrator and
  referee. The Storyteller creates the drama through which the
  players direct their characters. The Storyteller also creates and
  takes the roles of supporting cast — both allies with whom the
  characters interact, and antagonists against whom the charac-
  ters fight. The Storyteller invents the salient details of the
  story setting — the bars, nightclubs, businesses and other
  institutions the characters frequent. The players decide how
  their characters react to the situations in the game, but it is the
  Storyteller (with the help of the rules) who decides if the
  characters actually succeed in their endeavors and, if so, how
  well. Ultimately, the Storyteller is the final authority on the
  events that take place in the game.
  Example: Rob, Brian, Cynthia and Alison have gathered
  to play Vampire. Rob, Brian and Cynthia are players: Rob is
  playing Baron d’Havilland, a Ventrue aristocrat; Brian is
  playing Palpa, a Nosferatu sewer-dweller; and Cynthia is
  playing Maxine, a Brujah street punk. Alison is the Story-
  teller, and has decreed that the characters have been brought
  before the vampire prince of the city to face judgment. The
  players may now decide what to do: Rob, speaking as Baron
  d’Havilland, may try to smooth-talk his way out of the prince’s
  ire; Cynthia, as Maxine, may angrily denounce the prince as
  a “fascist”; and Brian, as Palpa, may simply decide to use
  magical invisibility to flee the situation. Ultimately, though,
  it is Alison, the Storyteller, who determines the prince’s
  reaction to the characters’ words or acts; it is Alison, speaking
  as the prince, who roleplays the prince’s reaction; and it is
  Alison who determines whether the characters’ actions, if
  any, succeed or fail.
  WHAT IS A VAMPIRE?
  Storytelling and roleplaying games may feature many
  kinds of protagonists. In TSR’s Dungeons & Dragons, players
  assume the roles of heroes in a fantasy world. In Hero Games’
  Champions, players take on the roles of superheroes. In Vam-
  pire, appropriately enough, players assume the personas of
  vampires — the immortal bloodsuckers of the horror genre —
  and guide these characters through a world virtually identical
  to our own.
  The vampires who walk the Earth in modern nights are
  both similar to and different from what we might expect. It is
  perhaps best to begin our discussion of the undead as if they
  were a separate species of being — sentient, with superficial
  similarities to the humans they once were, but displaying a
  myriad of physiological and psychological differences.
  In many ways, vampires resemble the familiar monsters of
  myth and cinema. (There is enough truth in the old tales that
  perhaps they were created by deluded or confused mortals.)
  However — as many an intrepid vampire hunter has learned
  to his sorrow — not all of the old wives’ tales about vampires
  are true.
  • Vampires are living dead, and must sustain them-
  selves with the blood of the living. True. A vampire is
  clinically dead —␣its heart does not beat, it does not breathe,
  its skin is cold, it does not age — and yet it thinks, and walks,
  and plans, and speaks…and hunts and kills. For, to sustain its
  artificial immortality, the vampire must periodically consume
  blood, preferably human blood. Some penitent vampires eke
  Welcome to Vampire: The Masquerade
  Vampire: The Masquerade is a roleplaying game. It is a beautifully illustrated, hardcover book
  that details the passions and powers of mythic vampires. It gives you rules for creating your own
  vampire character, and describes the dark and compelling world in which your vampire exists.
  What happens next is up to you.
  This booklet is a simplified version of Vampire: The Masquerade. It gives you the highlights of
  the Vampire setting and rules, the information you need to play a game.
  Try it out. If you like it, the rulebook is available in most book, hobby and comic stores. When
  you’re ready, we’ll be there —
   waiting for you to invite us in.
  
  3
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  out an existence from animal blood, and some ancient vam-
  pires must hunt and kill others of their kind to nourish
  themselves, but most vampires indeed sustain themselves
  from the blood of their former species.
  • Anyone who dies from a vampire’s bite rises to
  become a vampire. False. If this were true, the world would be
  overrun by vampires. Vampires feed on human blood, true,
  and sometimes kill their prey — but most humans who die
  from a vampire’s attack simply perish. To return as undead, the
  victim must be drained of blood and subsequently be fed a bit
  of the attacking vampire’s blood. This process, called the
  Embrace, causes the mystical transformation from human to
  undead.
  • Vampires are monsters —␣demonic spirits embodied
  in corpses. False…and true. Vampires are not demons per se,
  but a combination of tragic factors draws them inexorably
  toward wicked deeds. In the beginning, the newly created
  vampire thinks and acts much as she did while living. She does
  not immediately turn into an evil, sadistic monster. However,
  the vampire soon discovers her overpowering hunger for
  blood, and realizes that her existence depends on feeding on
  her species. In many ways, the vampire’s mindset changes —
  she adopts a set of attitudes less suited to a communal omni-
  vore and more befitting a solitary predator.
  At first reluctant to feed, the vampire is finally forced to
  do so by circumstance or need — and feeding becomes easier
  and easier as the years pass. Realizing that she herself is
  untrustworthy, she ceases to trust others. Realizing that she is
  different, she walls herself away from the mortal world. Real-
  izing that her existence depends on secrecy and control, she
  becomes a manipulative user of the first order. And things
  only degenerate as the years turn to decades and then centu-
  ries, and the vampire kills over and over, and sees the people
  she loved age and die. Human life, so short and cheap in
  comparison to hers, becomes of less and less value, until the
  mortal “herd” around her means no more to her than a swarm
  of annoying insects. Vampire elders are among the most jaded,
  unfeeling, paranoid — in short, monstrous — beings the world
  has ever known. Maybe they are not demons exactly —␣but at
  that point, who can tell the difference?
  • Vampires are burned by sunlight. True. Vampires
  must avoid the sun or die, though a few can bear sunlight’s
  touch for a very short period of time. Vampires are nocturnal
  creatures, and most find it extremely difficult to remain awake
  during the day, even within sheltered areas.
  •␣Vampires are repulsed by garlic and running water.
  False. These are myths and nothing more.
  • Vampires are repulsed by crosses and other holy
  symbols. This is generally false. However, if the wielder of the
  symbol has great faith in the power it represents, a vampire
  may suffer ill effects from the brandishing of the symbol.
  • Vampires die from a stake through the heart. False.
  However, a wooden stake — or arrow, crossbow bolt, etc. —
  through the heart will paralyze the monster until it is removed.
  •␣Vampires have the strength of 10 humans; they can
  command wolves and bats; they can hypnotize the living and
  heal even the most grievous wounds. True and false. The
  power of a vampire increases with age. Young, newly created
  vampires are often little more powerful than humans. But as
  a vampire grows in age and understanding, she learns to use
  her blood to evoke secret magical powers, which vampires call
  Disciplines. Powerful elders are often the rivals of a fictional
  Lestat or Dracula — and the true ancients, the Methuselahs
  and Antediluvians who have stalked the nights for thousands
  of years, often possess literally godlike powers.
  THE HUNT
  When all is said and done, the most fundamental differ-
  ence between humans and vampires lies in their methods of
  sustenance. Vampires may not subsist on mortal food; instead,
  they must sustain their eternal lives through the consumption
  of blood — fresh human blood.
  Vampires acquire their sustenance in many fashions.
  Some cultivate “herds” of willing mortals, who cherish the
  ecstasy of the vampire’s kiss. Some creep into houses by night,
  feeding from sleeping humans. Some stalk the mortals’ play-
  grounds — the nightclubs, bars and theatres — enticing
  mortals into illicit liaisons and disguising their predation as
  acts of passion. And yet others take their nourishment in the
  most ancient fashion — stalking, attacking and incapacitat-
  ing (or even killing) mortals who wander too far down lonely
  nocturnal alleys and empty lots.
  THE NOCTURNAL WORLD OF THE VAMPIRE
  Vampires also value power, for its own sake and the
  security it brings — and vampires find it ridiculously easy to
  acquire mundane goods, riches and influence. A mesmerizing
  glance and a few words provide a cunning vampire with access
  to all the wealth, power and servants he could desire. Some
  powerful vampires are capable of implanting posthypnotic
  suggestions or commands in mortals’ minds, then causing the
  mortals to forget the vampire’s presence. In this way, vampires
  can easily acquire legions of unwitting slaves. More than a few
  “public servants” and corporate barons secretly answer to
  vampire masters.
  Though there are exceptions, vampires tend to remain
  close to the cities. The city provides countless opportunities
  for predation, liaisons and politicking — and the wilderness
  often proves dangerous for vampires. The wilds are the home
  of the Lupines, the werewolves, who are vampires’ ancestral
  enemies and desire nothing more than to destroy vampires
  outright.
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  4
  THE EMBRACE
  Vampires are created through a process called the Em-
  brace. The Embrace is similar to normal vampiric feeding —
  the vampire drains her chosen prey of blood. However, upon
  complete exsanguination, the vampire returns a bit of her own
  immortal blood to the drained mortal. Only a tiny bit — a drop
  or two — is necessary to turn the mortal into an undead. This
  process can even be performed on a dead human, provided the
  body is still warm.
  Once the blood is returned, the mortal “awakens” and
  begins drinking of his own accord. But, though animate, the
  mortal is still dead; his heart does not beat, nor does he
  breathe. Over the next week or two, the mortal’s body under-
  goes a series of subtle transformations; he learns to use the
  Blood in his body, and he is taught the special powers of his
  clan. He is now a vampire.
  Some vampire clans Embrace more casually than others,
  but the Embrace is almost never given lightly. After all, any
  new vampire is a potential competitor for food and power. A
  potential childe is often stalked for weeks or even years by a
  watchful sire, who greedily evaluates whether the mortal
  would indeed make a good addition to the clan and the line.
  HISTORY
  Vampires — or Kindred, as they call themselves —␣exist
  for centuries and often seem unchanging to mortal eyes. Even
  Kindred society, however, has undergone evolution, upheaval
  and strife. Let us look at history as the Kindred view it, that we
  might better understand their actions tonight.
  CAINE AND THE FIRST NIGHTS
  According to Kindred myth, the first of their kind was
  Caine, the first murderer. For his crime, Caine was cursed by
  God and thereby transformed into a vampire. Exiled from his
  people, Caine was forced to stalk the fringes of civilization,
  fearful of the sun and ravenous for blood.
  In his loneliness, Caine came upon a mighty witch named
  Lilith, who had been Adam’s first wife. Lilith taught Caine
  how to use his blood for mighty magic (indeed, a few heretics
  claim that Lilith, not Caine, was the First Vampire). Lilith
  taught Caine many things, including how to use his blood to
  evoke mystic powers — and how to create others of his kind.
  THE SECOND GENERATION AND THE FIRST CITY
  At first Caine refused to beget, believing it wrong to curse
  the world with others of his kind. But eventually he grew
  lonely and brought three others into the vampiric fold. These
  three in turn begat 13 more, and these voracious monsters
  went among the early peoples of the world, carelessly feeding
  and using mortals as puppets in their sibling feuds. Caine,
  outraged by this behavior, forbade the creation of any more
  progeny. Gathering his childer and grandchilder to him,
  Caine built a great city — the First City in the world —␣and
  here vampires and mortals coexisted in peace.
  THE ANTEDILUVIANS AND THE CLANS
  It could not last. Caine’s childer squabbled for their sire’s
  affections, and once again the mortals were used as pawns in
  the feud. Finally the city was thrown down —␣some say a
  natural disaster was the cause; others, that a spurned childe’s
  vengeful sorcery precipitated the cataclysm. Caine vanished
  into the wastes, never to be heard from again. The three
  vampires of the Second Generation likewise disappeared into
  the mists of legend. But Caine’s 13 grandchilder, free from
  restraint, began breeding new vampires with abandon. The 13
  vampires became known as Antediluvians, and their childer,
  created in their images, inherited the Antediluvians’ magical
  gifts and curses. Thus were the clans formed.␣
  THE DARK AGES
  The clans spread across the world, sowing discord and
  misery. Though each successive generation of vampires proved
  weaker than the last, they made up for it with greater numbers.
  In the ziggurats of Babylon, in the palaces of Crete, in the
  tribunals of Rome, vampires ruled as shadowy tyrants, forever
  using mortals as food and unwitting soldiers. Vampire warred
  with vampire, clan with clan, and thus — from the ancient
  rivalries of the First City — was born the great Jyhad, which
  is still fought today.
  The Kindred reached their worst excesses during the
  early Middle Ages. During this period, many vampires ruled
  openly, smothering peasant and lord alike beneath their
  nocturnal grip. The vampiric population reached unhealthy
  numbers, and it seemed that the Earth would belong to the
  Kindred forever.
  THE ANARCH REVOLT
  Again, it could not last. The Children of Caine, in their
  hubris, began to flaunt their power flagrantly. Terrified peas-
  ants whispered of the monsters in their midst — and the
  Church began to listen. The reports of a few horrified priests
  spawned a frenzied Inquisition, and vengeful mortals rose up
  in a tide of fire and blood. Though individually much more
  powerful than mortals, even the mightiest vampires could not
  stand against the humans’ sheer numbers; vampire after vam-
  pire was dragged from its lair and hurled into fire or sunlight.
  In the throes of the Inquisition, a current of revolt gripped
  the Children of Caine. Younger vampires, who were being
  deployed as sacrificial lambs by terrified elders, began to rise up
  against their sires and masters. In Eastern Europe, a group of
  vampires learned how to sever the mystic bonds through
  which sires controlled their childer. Soon all of Europe seethed
  beneath a nocturnal revolt, as rebellious childer threw off the
  yoke of their masters. Between the Inquisition and the revolt
  of the vampire “anarchs,” it seemed as though the Kindred
  would not survive.
  And so, in the 15th century, a council was called. Seven
  of the 13 clans united in an organization called the Camarilla.
  With its advantage of numbers, the Camarilla suppressed the
  anarchs and agreed to exist behind a great Masquerade. Never
  
  5
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  more shall vampires rule openly, the lords of the Camarilla
  decreed. We shall hide among the mortals, and conceal our
  natures from our prey, and in a few decades the mortals will
  know vampires only as myths.
  Thus, the Masquerade was born, and the Inquisition
  gradually forgot its original target. Those anarchs who would
  not join the Camarilla were driven into the wastes, from
  which they would later emerge as the dread Sabbat cult. With
  the discovery of the New World and the dawn of science,
  humanity gradually forgot about the Kindred, relegating them
  to the status of childhood legends.
  THE SIX TRADITIONS
  THE SIX TRADITIONS
  THE SIX TRADITIONS
  THE SIX TRADITIONS
  THE SIX TRADITIONS
  Camarilla vampires swear to uphold the legend-
  ary Six Traditions of Caine, the laws which Caine
  supposedly passed to his progeny. Like any other laws,
  the Traditions are commonly ignored, bent or
  violated outright.
  TTTTTHE
  HE
  HE
  HE
  HE F F F F FIRST
  IRST
  IRST
  IRST
  IRST T T T T TRADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION:::::
  TTTTTHE
  HE
  HE
  HE
  HE M
   M
   M
   M
   MASQUERADE
  ASQUERADE
  ASQUERADE
  ASQUERADE
  ASQUERADE
  Thou shall not reveal thy nature to those not of the Blood.
  Doing so shall renounce thy claims of Blood.
  TTTTTHE
  HE
  HE
  HE
  HE S S S S SECOND
  ECOND
  ECOND
  ECOND
  ECOND T T T T TRADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION:::::
  TTTTTHE
  HE
  HE
  HE
  HE D
   D
   D
   D
   DOMAIN
  OMAIN
  OMAIN
  OMAIN
  OMAIN
  Thy domain is thine own concern. All others owe thee
  respect while in it. None may challenge thy word while in
  thy domain.
  TTTTTHE
  HE
  HE
  HE
  HE T T T T THIRD
  HIRD
  HIRD
  HIRD
  HIRD T T T T TRADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION:::::
  TTTTTHE
  HE
  HE
  HE
  HE P
   P P
   P PROGENY
  ROGENY
  ROGENY
  ROGENY
  ROGENY
  Thou shall sire another only with the permission of thine
  elder. If thou createst another without thine elder’s leave,
  both thee and thy progeny shall be slain.
  TTTTTHE
  HE
  HE
  HE
  HE F F F F FOURTH
  OURTH
  OURTH
  OURTH
  OURTH T T T T TRADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION:::::
  TTTTTHE
  HE
  HE
  HE
  HE A
   A
   A
   A
   ACCOUNTING
  CCOUNTING
  CCOUNTING
  CCOUNTING
  CCOUNTING
  Those thou create are thine own childer. Until thy
  progeny shall be released, thou shall command them in all
  things. Their sins are thine to endure.
  TTTTTHE
  HE
  HE
  HE
  HE F F F F FIFTH
  IFTH
  IFTH
  IFTH
  IFTH T T T T TRADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION:::::
  H
  HH
  HHOSPITALITY
  OSPITALITY
  OSPITALITY
  OSPITALITY
  OSPITALITY
  Honor one another’s domain. When thou comest to a
  foreign city, thou shall present thyself to the one who
  ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou art
  nothing.
  TTTTTHE
  HE
  HE
  HE
  HE S S S S SIXTH
  IXTH
  IXTH
  IXTH
  IXTH T T T T TRADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION
  RADITION:::::
   D
   D
   D
   D
   DESTRUCTION
  ESTRUCTION
  ESTRUCTION
  ESTRUCTION
  ESTRUCTION
  Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The
  right of destruction belongeth only to thine elder. Only the
  eldest among thee shall call the blood hunt.
                                                                      renders it
  prone to discord. Ruled as it is by a fractious sort of
  parliamentarianism, the Camarilla is slow to act and often
  indecisive in the face of threats; when it brings its combined
  might to bear, however, the Camarilla is virtually unstop-
  pable.
  Beginning characters are assumed to be Camarilla vam-
  pires, and to belong to one of the seven clans. The clans are:
  • Brujah: A clan of violent, antiauthoritarian vampires
  espousing freedom from societal restrictions.
  But, though hidden, vampires were still quite real. The
  wars of the Jyhad raged on, though the nights of open battle
  were replaced by sudden ambushes and maneuvering of hu-
  man pawns. Weaving their webs throughout the
  ever-expanding cities, the Kindred eschewed their previous
  games for more methodical but no less deadly ones.
  THE MODERN NIGHTS AND GEHENNA
  And the wars continued down the centuries, and con-
  tinue still. The Jyhad rages as it always has — though skyscrapers
  take the place of castles, machine-guns and missiles replace
  swords and torches, and stock portfolios substitute for vaults of
  gold, the game remains the same. Kindred battles Kindred,
  clan battles clan, Camarilla battles Sabbat, as they have for
  eons. Vampiric feuds begun during the nights of Charlemagne
  play themselves out on the streets of New York City; an insult
  whispered in the court of the Sun King may find itself
  answered by a corporate takeover in Sao Paolo. The ever-
  swelling cities provide countless opportunities for feeding,
  powermongering — and war.
  Increasingly, vampires speak of Gehenna — the long-
  prophesied night of apocalypse when the most ancient
  vampires, the mythical Antediluvians, will rise from their
  hidden lairs to devour all the younger vampires. This Gehenna,
  so the Kindred say, will presage the end of the world, as
  vampires and mortals alike are consumed in an inexorable tide
  of blood. Some vampires strive to prevent Gehenna, some
  fatalistically await it, and still others consider it a myth. Those
  who believe in Gehenna, however, say that the end time
  comes very soon — perhaps in a matter of years.
  THE CAMARILLA
  The Camarilla is a great sect of vampires that formed in
  the late medieval period. A vampire “United Nations” of
  sorts, it was formed to protect vampires from the purges of the
  Inquisition, to uphold the Traditions of Caine, and to enforce
  the great Masquerade. Many Camarilla vampires, remember-
  ing the nights of fire when vampires were uprooted and
  destroyed, uphold the Masquerade fanatically. Camarilla vam-
  pires reject the idea of vampires as monstrous predators,
  instead preferring to live clandestinely among mortals and
  feed cautiously.
  The Camarilla is the most populous sect, and (in theory)
  the most powerful. But it comprises seven clans of vampires,
  each  with its  own culture  and  agenda, and this
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  6
  • Gangrel: A clan of solitary, nomadic shapeshifters who
  prefer the wilderness to the confines of the cities.
  • Malkavian: A bizarre clan of lunatics whose members
  are infamous for their insanity — and insight.
  • Nosferatu: A loathsome clan of deformed monsters
  who skulk in subterranean tunnels and sewers.
  • Toreador: A clan of elegant, passionate vampires who
  patronize artists, musicians, actors and the like.
  • Tremere: A secretive, treacherous clan of vampire
  warlocks who practice blood magic.
  • Ventrue: A clan of aristocrats and nobles who consider
  it their duty to lead the Camarilla.
  THE SABBAT
  The Camarilla’s bitter rival is the dread sect called the
  Sabbat. Originally the remnants of the shattered anarch
  packs, the Sabbat has evolved — or devolved — into some-
  thing much deadlier. The Sabbat would “liberate” all vampires
  from the chains of the Camarilla and their sires. The ultimate
  Social Darwinists, the Sabbat espouses the tenet of vampiric
  supremacy — the doctrine that, because vampires are highest
  on the food chain, they should not hide from mortals, but
  instead dominate them outright. This attitude toward humans
  often manifests itself in actions that appear horrific and cruel
  by mortal standards; accordingly, the Sabbat is often branded
  a sect of violent evildoers by outraged Camarilla vampires.
  Two clans lead the Sabbat. The Lasombra clan is the most
  prestigious clan and is dreaded for its members’ control over
  the stuff of shadow. Its ally and occasional rival is the Tzimisce,
  a clan of twisted scholars and sorcerers infamous for cruelty.
  Tzimisce are said to have the power to warp and mold their
  own and others’ flesh and bone.
  THE ANARCHS
  Some younger vampires strive to remain free of both
  Camarilla and Sabbat control. These vampires style them-
  selves “anarchs” in homage to the warriors who led the great
  revolt of the 15th century. For the most part these modern
  anarchs are ragtag bands of Brujah and Caitiff predators,
  though all clans are represented in their ranks. The Camarilla
  treats them as it would termites — individually insignificant,
  but potentially crippling if allowed to breed and fester.
  THE NEUTRALS
  Four clans choose to remain neutral in the great Jyhad,
  bartering their services to (and jockeying for power with)
  Camarilla and Sabbat indifferently. These are: the Assamites,
  a deadly clan of vampire assassins based in the Middle East; the
  Followers of Set, a dark cult of vampires devoted to the
  worship of the snake-god Set; the Giovanni, an insular family
  of incestuous necromancers and financiers; and the Ravnos, a
  nomadic line of Gypsy charlatans and thieves.
  THE INCONNU
  Finally, certain ancient vampires withdraw from the
  sects’ games altogether, seeking solitude amid the wastes.
  These old ones, called Inconnu, reject the power-games of the
  clans and sects, instead seeking self-mastery and enlighten-
  ment. Some whisper of a darker purpose behind the Inconnu’s
  withdrawal from the Jyhad, but most vampires think of Inconnu
  as nothing more than deluded recluses.
  THE   JYHAD
  THE   JYHAD
  THE   JYHAD
  THE   JYHAD
  THE   JYHAD
  Since the nights of antiquity, the Children of
  Caine have struggled for supremacy. Leaders, cultures,
  nations and armies have all been pawns in the secret
  war, and vampiric conspiracies have influenced much
  (though by no means all) of human history. Few things
  are as they seem in the vampires’ nocturnal world; a
  political coup, economic crash or social trend may be
  merely the surface manifestation veiling a centuries-
  old struggle. Vampire elders command from the
  shadows, manipulating mortals and other vampires
  alike — and the elders are often manipulated in turn.
  Indeed, most combatants may not even realize for
  whom they fight, or why.
  STATUS
  Vampires are very hierarchical creatures. The vampires
  of the Camarilla, in particular, have created an elaborate
  structure to ensure order among the undead.
  Vampiric territory (generally consisting of cities and
  outlying suburbs) is divided into fiefdoms. Each fiefdom is
  ruled by a prince, a mighty vampire elder. This figure may
  grant lesser vampires hunting territories within his (or her;
  “prince” is used unisexually) fiefdom; these territories are
  referred to as domains.
  THE PRINCE
  The ruling vampire of a Camarilla-held territory is called
  the prince. This powerful vampire is usually of Clan Ventrue
  or Toreador; however, Brujah, Nosferatu or even Malkavian
  princes are not unknown. The prince has absolute power to
  establish, grant or strip domains, and to declare certain areas
  off limits for hunting. The prince may declare certain areas as
  Elysium (neutral ground where violence is prohibited), and
  may call blood hunts on rebels and malcontents who violate
  the Six Traditions.
  Princes tend to control city-sized regions; thus, there is a
  Prince of Paris, a Prince of Chicago, a Prince of Atlanta, etc.
  Because a city’s prince has often lived in the area for centuries,
  she has had ample time to build a power structure, and usually
  
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  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  knows far more about the workings of “her” city than rebel-
  lious anarchs give her credit for.
  THE PRIMOGEN
  The prince is often served by a council of advisors chosen
  from powerful elders of the various clans. These elders are
  collectively called primogen. Though, in theory, a prince’s
  rule is absolute, a prince who fails to heed her primogen often
  finds herself deposed or killed in short order. The primogen are
  formidable forces in their own right, and ceaselessly intrigue
  against each other and the prince.
  THE ELDERS
  Elders are vampires who have existed for 300 or more
  years. They have mastered many magical powers during this
  time; most elders are deadly and formidable creatures. Elders
  tend to be scheming, ruthless and paranoid beings; they will do
  anything to hold onto their power structures, oppress or
  manipulate the younger “upstart” vampires, and destroy their
  rivals.
  THE ANCILLAE
  Below the elders are the ancillae. Ancillae are most often
  vampires who have lived from 100 to 300 years of unlife,
  though certain ambitious younglings may achieve the rank
  prematurely. As their name suggests, ancillae often serve as
  aides and agents for elders or the court; they usually play their
  own power-games as well, though these are of lesser conse-
  quence than the manipulations of the elders.
  THE NEONATES
  Lowest in rank are the neonates, those vampires created
  less than a century ago. Though occasionally cherished,
  neonates are often deployed as pawns by scheming elders. This
  callous treatment, combined with the value recent genera-
  tions place on individuality, often causes neonates to resent
  their elders. After all, when one came of age during the
  Summer of Love, it is hard to empathize with a reactionary old
  tyrant who grew up amid feudal oaths and Divine Rights.
  Most beginning characters are presumed to be neo-
  nates. Vampire elders are usually far more powerful than the
  characters created through the rules in this kit.
  CHARACTER
  CREATION
  Now that you know a little bit about the world of the
  undead, it is time to create a character. Character creation
  consists of three basic choices: choice of clan, ranking of
  Traits, and choice of Disciplines. Additionally, every vampire
  starts with 10 Blood Levels and seven Health Levels; Blood
  and Health Levels can increase or decrease as the character
  injures or heals herself, feeds or grows hungry.
  Creating a character is easy, involving just a few simple
  choices. It is a good idea to have a general concept of what you
  want your vampire to be like (Was he a gangbanger abducted
  off the street? A rich boy chosen at a society ball? A computer
  specialist picked for expedience by an ancient vampire who
  knows nothing about “those infernal contraptions”?). Even
  this is not necessary, however; a concept can be created as you
  go.
  The first thing to do is pick the character’s clan; this
  provides a lot of details about the character’s strengths, weak-
  nesses and general outlook on existence. Do you want to be an
  angry Brujah punk? A loathsome, sewer-creeping Nosferatu?
  A gorgeous, immaculate Toreador? Once a clan is chosen,
  write down the listed Aptitude, Advantage and Weakness.
  Make a note of the Disciplines as well, so you’ll have them
  handy during the Discipline-choosing phase.
  Next, you get to decide your character’s Trait levels.
  Characters have four Traits: Physical, Mental, Social and
  Psychic. Rank these from 1 to 4; 4 is the best, 1 is the worst.
  (Each number may only be assigned to one Trait; you can’t
  give your character a 4 in everything!) So, if you decide your
  character is really bright, in good shape, fairly self-disciplined,
  but abrasive and introverted, you might decide the character
  has Mental 4, Physical 3, Psychic 2, Social 1.
  Now, pick your character’s Discipline Levels. Each clan
  teaches three Disciplines — magical powers — to its mem-
  THE   METHUSELAHS
  THE   METHUSELAHS
  THE   METHUSELAHS
  THE   METHUSELAHS
  THE   METHUSELAHS
  Ask a mortal to name the most  dangerous
  predator on Earth, and he might mention a
  Bengal tiger, a Nile crocodile or a great white
  shark. Ask the same question of a vampire, and
  often one will hear the word “Methuselah”
  leaving those cold lips.
  Simply put, Methuselahs are ancient vam-
  pires — beings that have survived for over a
  millennium. Having been undead for so long,
  Methuselahs often undergo profound physiologi-
  cal and psychological changes. From a vampire’s
  point of view, the most horrible of these is a
  predilection for vampire blood —
   just as vampires stalk mortals, so they are
  occasionally  stalked in turn.
  Most vampires prefer to ignore the existence
  of the Methuselahs, considering them near-
  extinct aberrations akin to dinosaurs. It is ironic,
  then, how many of the plots of the Jyhad can
  ultimately be traced to these ancient, shadowy
  progenitors.
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  8
  bers, but some vampires are more adept with some Disciplines
  than others. Disciplines come in two levels: Basic and Ad-
  vanced. A beginning character may choose one of three
  “Discipline schemes”:
  • All three clan Disciplines at the Basic level.
  • Two clan Disciplines: one Basic Discipline and one
  Advanced Discipline.
  • Two clan Disciplines at the Basic level, plus an addi-
  tional two points to spend on Traits. (If this option is chosen,
  the vampire may raise one Trait to 5 — superhuman capacity.)
  That’s about it. Write down your character’s Blood Levels
  (10), Health Levels (7), and make up some further details
  about your vampire. What is her name? What does she look
  like? Does she still have mortal friends? Does she hate vam-
  pires of another clan? What outstanding personality traits
  does she have?
  Once this is done, your character is ready to enter the
  world of the eternal night.
  Details about clans, Traits and Disciplines can be found
  on the following pages.
  THE CLANS
  According to the ancient myths, Caine’s grandchilder,
  the Antediluvians, numbered 13. Each of these Antediluvians,
  the stories continue, founded a great clan of vampiric descen-
  dants, all of whom bore the gifts — and the stigmata — of their
  progenitors.
  Eons and lies have shrouded the truth of this story, but
  there can be no denying that 13 clans of Kindred walk the
  Earth. These clans bestow distinguishing benefices and taints
  upon vampires Embraced into them; thus the Nosferatu are
  infamous for their hideousness, for example, while the Brujah
  are notorious for their violent tempers.
  Clans act as combination families, social cliques and
  schools. For example, the violent Brujah disciplines its childer
  to become inhumanly strong, fast and fearsome, while the
  sorcerous Tremere instructs its disciples in the ways of ESP,
  mind control and magic. Some clans are insular and tightly
  knit, with definite social structures and worldwide agendas;
  others are loose and anarchic, united by little save their
  common blood.
  When creating a vampire, the player must choose one of
  these seven clans. (There are six other clans — four neutral
  and two Sabbat clans — but this kit does not concern itself
  with them.) Each clan provides an Aptitude (a certain mun-
  dane feat at which clan members excel), an Advantage (an
  area of supernatural specialty or societal influence), and a
  Weakness (a mystic curse laid upon the clan in ancient, or not
  so ancient, times). Each clan also provides certain Disciplines
  — mystic powers which the clan teaches to its members.
  CHARACTER-CREATION
  CHARACTER-CREATION
  CHARACTER-CREATION
  CHARACTER-CREATION
  CHARACTER-CREATION
   QUICK CHART
   QUICK CHART
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  • Choose clan: Write down the clan
  Aptitude, Advantage and Weakness.
  The choice of clan also determines which
  Disciplines you may select for your char-
  acter.
  • Choose Traits: Rank the
  character’s Physical, Mental, Social and
  Psychic Traits from 1 to 4; 4 is the best,
  1 is the worst.
  • Choose Disciplines: Each clan
  has three Disciplines listed with it. These
  are the clan Disciplines, powers in which
  a particular clan specializes. The player
  may choose one of three Discipline
  schemes:
  • All three listed Disciplines at the
  Basic level.
  • One Basic Discipline and one Ad-
  vanced Discipline (player’s choice)
  • Two Basic Disciplines, plus an ex-
  tra two points to place in Traits. (If this
  option is chosen, one Trait may be raised
  to 5 — a superhuman level of profi-
  ciency.)
  • Write down Health and Blood
  Levels: Beginning characters start with
  10 Blood Levels (they are assumed to
  have recently fed).
  • Give your character a name, and
  make up some details about her ap-
  pearance, personality, mannerisms and
  other features salient to roleplaying.
  
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  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  BBBBBRUJAH
  RUJAH
  RUJAH
  RUJAH
  RUJAH
  The Brujah are inheritors of a majestic and ancient
  legacy, which is unfortunate. Tonight’s Brujah seem less like
  a clan and more like a mob. Punks, terrorists, revolutionaries,
  criminals, gangbangers and the like make up the Brujah; the
  clan seems to be united in nothing save its contempt for the
  institutions of vampire and mortal society. Well, this is not
  entirely true; Clan Brujah are among the most savage vam-
  pires, and the most trivial slight or annoyance may trigger a
  howling Brujah frenzy.
  The Brujah’s disunity keeps the clan tenuously in the
  Camarilla, but Brujah thugs routinely defect to the anarchs,
  the better to strike against their hated elders. Even the “tamer”
  Brujah annoy the elders and princes routinely through acts of
  defiance and rebellion. Despite their recalcitrance, however,
  Brujah are valued as warriors; they are perhaps the most
  dangerous vampires in a straightforward battle. To anger a
  Brujah is nigh suicidal — and Brujah are notorious for their
  tempers.
  Aptitude: +1 with combat. Brujah are natural fighters;
  when in combat, a Brujah may add one die to any one action
  taken per turn.
  Advantage: Blood Rage. A Brujah may spend a Blood
  Level to enter a semicontrolled form of frenzy. While under
  the Blood Rage, the vampire may ignore the effects of pain,
  but must attack foes directly, without missiles or non-Physical
  Disciplines (no firearms when one has the opportunity to tear
  one’s foe apart with bare hands!).
  Weakness: Blood Madness. Brujah anger much more
  quickly than other vampires do. All difficulties to resist frenzy
  increase by one (maximum 6).
  Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Presence
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  10
  GANGREL
  GANGREL
  GANGREL
  GANGREL
  GANGREL
  Of all vampires, the Gangrel are perhaps closest to their
  inner nature. These nomadic loners spurn the constraints of
  society, preferring the comfort of the wilderness. How they
  avoid the wrath of the werewolves is unknown; perhaps it has
  something to do with the fact that the Gangrel are themselves
  shapeshifters. When a mortal speaks of a vampire changing
  into a wolf or a bat, she is probably speaking of a Gangrel.
  Like the Brujah, Gangrel are fierce warriors; unlike the
  Brujah, Gangrel ferocity does not stem from anarchic rage, but
  from animalistic instinct. Gangrel have a keen understanding
  of the Beast in their souls, and prefer to spend their nights in
  communion with the animals whom they so emulate.
  Aptitude: +1 in the outdoors. When in natural surround-
  ings (a park counts; a city street doesn’t), a Gangrel may add
  one die to any one action taken per turn.
  Advantage: Hunter’s Instinct. Gangrel are natural preda-
  tors; by spending a Blood Level, the Gangrel may automatically
  gain the initiative next turn, even against foes with Celerity.
  Alternatively, the Gangrel may apply his instinct to hunting;
  by spending a Blood Level, he will automatically succeed in a
  hunt, unless there is absolutely no prey to be found in the
  vicinity.
  Weakness: Bloodlust. Gangrel are tainted by the Beast
  Within. Over time, many Gangrel develop animal features,
  such as catlike eyes, fur, or batlike snouts and ears. In any
  event, Gangrel often find it difficult to spare wounded or
  beaten foes; to do so, the Gangrel must make a Psychic roll
  (difficulty 4).
  Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean
  
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  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  MALKAVIAN
  MALKAVIAN
  MALKAVIAN
  MALKAVIAN
  MALKAVIAN
  At first glance, the members of Clan Malkavian do not
  appear to be a clan at all; they are chosen from all races, creeds
  and social strata. But Malkavians, regardless of mortal stand-
  ing, bear one disturbing commonality: They are all quite mad.
  Whether from the clan’s choice of victims, the circumstances
  of the Embrace, or some property in Malkavian blood itself, all
  Malkavians go insane shortly after the transformation (if they
  were not insane to begin with).
  Accordingly, many Malkavians find themselves pariahs,
  ostracized by a vampiric society fearful of their random urges
  and capricious whims. Wiser Kindred, however, prefer to keep
  the madmen close at hand: Behind the Malkavians’ lunatic
  cackling and feverish rantings lie smatterings of insight, even
  wisdom.
  Aptitude: +1 with trickery. When attempting to deceive
  (or avoid being deceived), a Malkavian may add one die to
  appropriate rolls.
  Advantage: Lunatic’s Insight. Once per story, the
  Malkavian may make aMental roll (difficulty 4); if she suc-
  ceeds, she may ask the Storyteller one yes-or-no question
  about the current situation, which must be answered truth-
  fully.
  Weakness: Mad Fits. At the beginning of the game
  session, the Storyteller rolls a six-sided die. The number rolled
  is the number of times he may ask the Malkavian’s player to
  make a Psychic roll (difficulty 4). The Storyteller may call for
  this roll at any time. If the player fails, the Malkavian falls into
  a frothing, gibbering fit for one turn. While in the fit, the
  Malkavian may do nothing except writhe, babble and twitch;
  she may not even defend herself if attacked.
  Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Obfuscate
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  12
  NOSFERATU
  NOSFERATU
  NOSFERATU
  NOSFERATU
  NOSFERATU
  Caine’s childer are called “The Damned,” and no vam-
  pires embody this more than do the wretches of Clan Nosferatu.
  While other vampires still look human and may travel in
  mortal society, Nosferatu are twisted and deformed by the
  curse of vampirism. To put it bluntly, the Embrace transforms
  them into hideous monsters. Unable to walk among humans,
  Nosferatu must dwell in subterranean sewers and catacombs.
  Other vampires revile Nosferatu, considering them disgusting
  and interacting with them only when they must.
  Because of this stigma, however, Nosferatu are survivors
  par excellence. Few creatures, mortal or vampire, know the
  city’s back alleys and dark corners like the Nosferatu do.
  Additionally, Nosferatu have refined the crafts of sneaking
  and eavesdropping to fine arts; if anyone or anything has the
  latest dirt on mortal or vampiric society, it is the Nosferatu.
  Finally, millennia of shared deformity and abuse have fostered
  strong bonds among the monsters. Nosferatu forego the squab-
  bling and feuds ubiquitous to the other clans, preferring to
  work in unison. You mess with one, you mess with ‘em all —
  and that can get messy indeed.…
  Aptitude: +1 with stealth. Nosferatu are natural sneaks
  and may add one die to all situations involving hiding, moving
  silently, or other stealth-related feats.
  Advantage: Horrid Visage. Nosferatu are hideous crea-
  tures, but this can actually serve them in good stead. When
  first confronting potential opponents or prey (appearing from
  invisibility, stepping out in front of them, etc.), the Nosferatu
  may roll six dice (difficulty of the target’s Psychic +2). If this
  roll succeeds, the opponent is so stunned with terror and
  disgust that he may take no action for one turn.
  Weakness: Loathsome. As has been mentioned, Nosferatu
  are horrifically foul to look at, and not overly pleasant to boot.
  A Nosferatu’s Social Trait is considered to be zero — though
  when intimidating others, he may substitute his Physical Trait
  for a Social Trait.
  Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence
  
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  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  TOREADOR
  TOREADOR
  TOREADOR
  TOREADOR
  TOREADOR
  The Toreador are called many things — “degenerates,”
  “artistes,” “poseurs,” and “hedonists” being but a few. But any
  such mass categorization does the clan a disservice. Depend-
  ing on the individual and her mood, Toreador are alternately
  elegant and flamboyant, brilliant and ludicrous, visionary and
  dissipated. Perhaps the only truism that can be applied to the
  clan is its members’ aesthetic zeal. Whatever a Toreador does,
  she does with passion. Whatever a Toreador is, she is with
  passion.
  To the Toreador, eternal life is to be savored. Many
  Toreador were artists, musicians or poets in life; many more
  have spent frustrating centuries producing laughable attempts
  at art, music or poetry. Toreador share the Ventrue’s love of
  high society, though not for them the tedium of actually
  running things — that’s what functionaries are for, darling.
  Toreador know that their place is to captivate and inspire —
  through their witty speech, graceful deeds, and simple, scintil-
  lating existence.
  Aptitude: +1 to perception. Toreador are natural critics;
  while irritating, this trait occasionally serves them in good
  stead. Toreador add one die to any task involving observation
  or alertness (for example, detecting an ambush or spotting a
  hidden wall safe).
  Advantage: Herd. Toreador glide elegantly through
  nightlife and are invariably at the center of whatever social
  scene they choose to grace. Accordingly, Toreador attract a
  following of friends, acquaintances, lovers, ex-lovers, syco-
  phants and other hangers-on. Most of these mortals are
  unaware their “charming friend” is a vampire. The majority
  are relatively worthless, but some might know useful informa-
  tion or have useful skills. In any event, they are useful sources
  of blood; once per story, a Toreador with access to his herd may
  completely replenish his Blood Levels.
  Weakness: Rapture. Toreador are lovers of the aesthetic
  and beautiful. When a Toreador views, hears or even smells
  something that is (in the Storyteller’s opinion) truly beautiful,
  he must make a Mental roll (difficulty 4) or become entranced
  by the sensation. The Toreador will stand in rapt fascination
  for a scene or until the beautiful thing withdraws. Enraptured
  Toreador may not even defend themselves if attacked, though
  being wounded allows them to make another Mental roll to
  “break the spell.”
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  14
  TREMERE
  TREMERE
  TREMERE
  TREMERE
  TREMERE
  Even among vampires, the insular Clan Tremere bears a
  reputation for treachery. This reputation is well earned; the
  Tremere were formerly a cabal of human wizards who, hunger-
  ing for immortal life, wrested the secrets of vampirism from
  unwilling Kindred. Such vile deeds earned the clan a sinister
  reputation; even today, certain vampire clans would love
  nothing better than to destroy the entire Tremere line.
  Nonetheless, Clan Tremere holds a place in the Camarilla,
  for its members were instrumental in suppressing the Inquisi-
  tion and supporting the Masquerade. Then, too, the Tremere
  have proved themselves dangerous enemies — and powerful
  allies. Tremere still practice a version of the arcane arts they
  studied in life, and so these “warlocks” use their sorcerous
  powers in service to the Camarilla…almost as much as they
  use the Camarilla in service to themselves.
  Aptitude: +1 with scholasticism. Tremere are studious
  creatures; they add one die to all Mental tasks involving
  scholarly knowledge (research, occult lore, science, decipher-
  ing languages, etc.).
  Advantage: Wizard’s Familiar. All Tremere are taught a
  ritual to create a familiar. A familiar is a small creature
  alchemically created from the vampire’s blood. Some famil-
  iars look like black cats, others look like bats, and still others
  resemble grotesque little horned gargoyles. A familiar is usu-
  ally about the size of a cat; it has ratings of 1 in all Traits, but
  when dodging or sneaking, its Physical is considered to be 4.
  It has four Health Levels and takes one die of pain penalties
  per Health Level lost. A familiar can telepathically communi-
  cate with its master when within 50 feet of her. Familiars are
  most commonly used as spies. If slain, a familiar can be re-
  created via a five-night ritual and the expenditure of five
  Blood Levels (one per night).
  Weakness: Hierarchy. All Tremere are expected to be
  loyal to the Seven Elders who rule the clan — but just in case,
  all Tremere are required to drink the blood of the Seven
  Elders. This ingestion creates a mystic link among all members
  of the Tremere, but particularly between elder and younger
  Tremere. A Tremere character must make a Psychic roll to
  resist a direct command from a Tremere elder (difficulty
  varies, depending on the absurdity of the command — for
  example, refusing a request to deliver a message would be
  difficulty 5 or 6, but refusing a command to kill oneself would
  be difficulty 2). Additionally, Tremere elders need spend one
  fewer Blood Level than usual when using Dominate powers
  against recalcitrant younglings.
  Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy
  
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  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  VENTRUE
  VENTRUE
  VENTRUE
  VENTRUE
  VENTRUE
  Elegant, aristocratic and regal, the Ventrue are the lords
  of the Camarilla. It was Clan Ventrue that provided the
  cornerstone of the Camarilla, and it is Clan Ventrue that
  directs and coaxes the Camarilla in its darkest hours. Even in
  the modern age, the majority of princes descend from Clan
  Ventrue. The Ventrue would, of course, have things no other
  way. In the tradition of noblesse oblige, the Ventrue must lead
  the other clans for their own good.
  In ancient nights, Ventrue were chosen from nobles,
  merchant princes or other wielders of power. In modern times
  the clan recruits from wealthy “old-money” families, ruthless
  corporate climbers, and politicians. Although Ventrue move
  in the same social circles as the Toreador, they do not fritter
  away their existences in frivolity and idle chatter. The Ventrue
  proudly wear the privileges of leadership, and stoically bear its
  burdens. Thus has it always been; thus shall it always be.
  Aptitude: +1 with commands. Ventrue are nothing if
  not charismatic; they add one die to all Social rolls to lead or
  command others. This includes many uses of the Dominate
  Discipline.
  Advantage: Wealth. Most Ventrue are filthy rich; even
  those who aren’t may call on the financial aid of their
  clanmates. Once per story, the character may access a large
  source of funds (perhaps a Swiss bank account, perhaps
  laundered money, perhaps a trust fund or a stipend from her
  sire).
  Weakness: Rarefied Tastes. Ventrue are elegant and
  discriminating, even when it comes to blood. Not just any
  blood will do for a Ventrue; the player must pick a certain type
  of blood on which her character feeds (only from musicians,
  only from virgins, only from royalty, only Shriners, etc.). This
  blood, and only this blood, will satisfy the Ventrue’s palate;
  she will drink nothing else, even if starving.
  Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Fortitude, Presence
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  16
  TRAITS
  The power and skill of a vampire are measured by her
  Traits: abilities possessed by all humans to some extent. These
  four Traits are:
  Physical: This Trait measures a vampire’s physical prow-
  ess — her raw strength, agility and stamina. This Trait is used
  to resolve all tasks involving fighting, lifting things, running, etc.
  Mental: This trait measures a vampire’s brains, reasoning
  ability, wits and cunning. This Trait is used to resolve all tasks
  concerned with trying to notice something, puzzle out a clue or think
  quickly.
  Social: This Trait measures a vampire’s charm, attrac-
  tiveness and presence. Social is used to resolve all tasks concerned
  with trying to coerce, seduce, convince or con someone into doing
  something.
  Psychic: This Trait measures a vampire’s inner strength:
  her willpower, inner discipline and self-mastery. In many ways
  it is a measure of a vampire’s soul. Psychic is used to resolve all
  tasks concerned with resisting intimidation, mind control or frenzy.
  Traits are rated from 1 to 4; a rating of 1 indicates a
  mediocre level of ability, while a rating of 4 indicates a Trait
  at peak human ability (an Olympic athlete, a genius, a great
  statesman, or a near-Buddha). It is possible to have a zero in
  a Trait, reflecting a crippled or decrepit character (most
  characters do not start out with any zeros, though Nosferatu
  characters do have zeros in their Social Traits, reflecting their
  hideous appearance). It is also possible for vampires to attain
  superhuman scores — 5 or even higher (again, most charac-
  ters do not start with such might, but vampire elders and those
  close in blood to Caine often have such Traits).
  Most humans possess ratings of 1 or 2 in their Traits;
  beginning vampire characters, however, are considered the
  cream of the crop.
  TRAIT RATINGS
  0
  Abysmal
  1
  Mediocre
  2
  Pretty good
  3
  Really good
  4
  Human perfection
  5+ Superhuman (vampires only)
  Players creating new characters rank these Traits from 1
  to 4. So, a player creating a stereotypical high-society Torea-
  dor might place a 4 in Social (she’s absolutely fabulous,
  dahling), a 3 in Mental (of course she knows the difference
  between Post-Modernism and Abstract Expressionism), a 2 in
  Physical (those ballet lessons weren’t a complete waste), and
  a 1 in Psychic (how dare you criticize her taste in vessels? What
  kind of Philistine are you? Ohhhh, the pain…).
  DISCIPLINES
  Vampires are miraculous — or horrific — by dint of their
  very existence. One might think that the spectacle of a corpse
  rising from death to live again is wondrous in itself. But
  Caine’s curse bestowed other dark gifts on its victims. Though
  the Blood itself makes vampires formidable creatures, the
  Disciplines are what truly give the undead their power.
  Disciplines come in two levels: Basic and Advanced.
  Each level gives a vampire access to a number of supernatural
  powers. A Blood Level must be spent for each power activated
  (two Blood Levels to use an Advanced Discipline power).
  Obviously, a vampire with an Advanced Discipline has mas-
  tered the Basic Level as well. Mastering a Discipline level
  gives access to all the powers listed under that Discipline.
  ANIMALISM
  Vampires with the Discipline of Animalism find them-
  selves with greater control over both the animal world and the
  Beast Within.
  BASIC
  • Beast Speech: The vampire may communicate tele-
  pathically with any animal larger than an insect. The power
  lasts for a scene.
  • Beast Summons: The vampire may summon any ani-
  mals of a given species within one mile. The animals must
  actually exist in the area (i.e., summoning tigers in Brooklyn
  is unlikely to work), and they answer the summons as fast as
  their own mobility allows. The animals obey the caster’s
  commands if they are not too dangerous. If two opposing
  vampires both employ Beast Summons on the same animal,
  the one with the higher Social Trait wins.
  ADVANCED
  • Song of Serenity: The vampire may sing a soothing
  song, pacifying all creatures in the vicinity. Beings who hear
  the song become lethargic and incapable of acting aggres-
  sively toward anyone. Mortals are automatically affected by
  the power; to target another vampire, the singer must make a
  Mental roll (difficulty of the victim’s Psychic +2).
  •␣Drawing out the Beast: The vampire may “cast” her
  Beast on another. To use this power, the vampire must be in
  a situation where she risks frenzy (see the frenzy rules, below).
  She may then transfer her inner Beast into another being’s
  soul by making a Psychic roll (difficulty of the opponent’s
  Psychic +2). If the transfer succeeds, the target immediately
  enters frenzy. Once the target’s frenzy ends, the Beast returns
  to its “owner.”
  AUSPEX
  The Discipline of Auspex bestows telepathic and extra-
  sensory perception powers on its practitioners.
  
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  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  BASIC
  • Heightened Senses: The vampire’s senses become
  superhuman. Sight and hearing are doubled, and the vampire
  may hear ultrasonic sounds (a dog whistle, whalesong, etc.).
  Smell becomes as acute as a wild animal’s, and the vampire
  may read the print on a page by touch. The vampire gains an
  extra die to all perception-oriented tasks.
  •␣Aura Perception: The vampire may sense the invisible
  “aura” surrounding all living creatures. For each success on a
  Mental roll (difficulty 4), the vampire may ask the Storyteller
  one yes-or-no question about another character’s emotional
  or physical state. (Permissible questions include: “Is she an-
  gry?” “Is he lying?” “Is she a vampire?” “Is he sane?” and the
  like.)
  ADVANCED
  • Telepathy: The vampire may attempt to read a victim’s
  mind. The vampire must be able to see the person to be
  scrutinized. The vampire makes a Mental roll (difficulty of the
  opponent’s Psychic + 2). Success allows the vampire to read
  the victim’s surface thoughts, while three or more successes
  allow the vampire to read the victim’s subconscious thoughts,
  dark secrets, etc.
  • Astral Projection: The vampire may project her spirit
  from her body. The spirit is invisible and intangible. The spirit
  may travel up to 500 m.p.h., and may penetrate walls, doors,
  etc. The spirit may use any senses the vampire possesses.
  While the spirit roams, the vampire lies dormant and helpless.
  Use of this power costs three Blood Points.
  CELERITY
  Vampires with Celerity are dangerous foes, for this Disci-
  pline enables them to move and attack at superhuman speeds.
  A character with activated Basic Celerity always gains initia-
  tive (the first move) over a character without such
  enhancement. Likewise, a character with activated Advanced
  Celerity always gains initiative over a character without
  Advanced Celerity. (The only exception is a character using
  the Gangrel Advantage Hunter’s Prowess; such a character
  gains initiative over everyone else.) If two characters have the
  same level of Celerity, defer to the normal initiative process
  (see “Initiative,” below).
  BASIC
  • The vampire’s movement rate doubles. Additionally,
  she gains an extra action per turn.
  ADVANCED
  • The vampire’s movement rate triples, and she gains two
  additional actions per turn.
  DOMINATE
  Vampires with Dominate may mesmerize others, or even
  control their minds outright. Use of this power requires eye
  contact.
  BASIC
  • Command: The vampire may issue a one-word com-
  mand (“Go!” “Stay!” “Halt!” and the like are acceptable;
  “Die!” is not) to another being. Unless the victim beats the
  vampire in a Psychic roll (difficulty 4 for both), the command
  must be obeyed. The victim must understand the vampire’s
  language. If the vampire gains no successes on her Psychic roll,
  the command does not take effect.
  • Mesmerize: The vampire may make hypnotic sugges-
  tions to her victim. After making a suggestion, the vampire
  makes a Social roll (difficulty varies, depending on the
  Storyteller’s interpretation of the order: 3 to make the victim
  do something she was inclined to do anyway, 4 to make the
  victim do something that isn’t terribly inconvenient, 5 to
  make the victim do something embarrassing or against his
  principles, 6 to make the victim do something life-threaten-
  ing). If the vampire succeeds, the victim obeys the suggestion.
  ADVANCED
  • Forgetfulness: The vampire may “block out” pieces of
  the victim’s memory (even the fact that the victim ever saw
  the vampire). To do so, the vampire must beat the victim in
  a Psychic roll (difficulty 4 for both). One success (over and
  above the victim’s successes) enables the vampire to “wipe”
  the victim’s memory for a scene; three successes enables the
  vampire to “wipe” the victim’s memory permanently.
  • Possession: The vampire may transfer his consciousness
  into the victim’s brain. This power works only on mortals. To
  use it, the vampire must make a Psychic roll (difficulty 4) and
  gain more successes than his victim, who makes the same roll.
  If he succeeds, the victim is his puppet; the vampire’s body
  goes dormant, but the vampire may make the victim do
  anything, even commit suicide. This power costs three Blood
  Levels to use.
  FORTITUDE
  Vampires with Fortitude prove unnaturally resistant to
  damage. They must often be literally hacked apart, like the
  walking corpses they are. Fortitude is always on (no Blood
  Levels need be spent to use it).
  BASIC
  • The vampire has +1 die for soak rolls, +1 Health Level
  (an extra “Light” level) and may soak fire, sunlight and other
  aggravated-damage attacks.
  ADVANCED
  •␣The vampire has +2 dice for soak rolls, +2 Health
  Levels (both “Light”) and may soak damage from fire, sunlight
  and other aggravated attacks. Additionally, potential damage
  from long-term exposure to fire and sunlight is halved (i.e., the
  vampire only tallies damage from direct sunlight every other
  turn, from indirect sunlight every four turns, etc.).
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  18
  OBFUSCATE
  Obfuscate is the ability to mystically cloak oneself in
  illusions or shadows, thereby disguising or concealing oneself.
  BASIC
  • Cloak of Shadows: The vampire may step behind some
  sort of cover and thereby shroud herself from sight. Any sort
  of cover will do — for example, a 7’, 400-pound vampire could
  step behind a two-inch-wide post, and the power would still
  work. So long as the vampire remains perfectly still, no one may
  see her. Foes with the Auspex Discipline who are actively
  searching for the vampire may make a Mental roll (difficulty
  of the hidden vampire’s Psychic + 2) to see the concealed
  vampire.
  • Unseen Presence: The vampire may hypnotically cause
  others not to see him. So long as he confines himself to
  walking about and otherwise acting unobtrusively, others will
  simply ignore him. Should he speak or act in a violent fashion,
  he must make a Mental roll (difficulty 6) not to break the spell.
  To activate this power, the vampire must be hidden from view;
  he must then spend three turns in concentration and make a
  successful Mental roll (difficulty 4). Foes with Auspex may
  roll to detect the vampire per Cloak of Shadows, above.
  ADVANCED
  •␣Mask of 1000 Faces: The vampire may evoke illusions
  and thereby disguise himself as another person. To disguise
  oneself as “Everyman/woman” (just a random, undistinguished
  person) requires no roll; to disguise oneself as a specific person
  requires a Mental roll (difficulty equals the Social +2 of the
  person one wishes to impersonate).
  •␣Vanish from Mind’s Eye: The vampire may disappear
  from plain sight. This requires a Mental roll (difficulty 4). If
  the vampire scores three successes, others in the vicinity will
  forget that they ever saw him at all. Again, foes with Auspex
  may roll to detect him per Cloak of Shadows, above.
  POTENCE
  Vampires with Potence are terrifying opponents, for they
  possess the strength of several humans. Potence is always on
  (no Blood Levels need be spent). When resolving any feat of
  strength (arm-wrestling, tug-of-war, etc.), a character with
  Basic Potence always beats a character without Potence.
  Likewise, a character with Advanced Potence always beats
  any character without a similar level of Potence. Two vam-
  pires with the same level of Potence resolve such Physical rolls
  normally.
  BASIC
  • The vampire inflicts +2 damage in hand-to-hand
  combat, and he may lift approximately 1000 pounds.
  ADVANCED
  • The vampire inflicts +3 damage in hand-to-hand
  combat, and he may lift approximately one ton.
  PRESENCE
  All vampires are impressive, scary creatures, but those
  with the Discipline of Presence are particularly captivating.
  Vampires with Presence can manipulate others’ emotions,
  becoming their victims’ dream lovers — or most terrifying
  nightmares.
  BASIC
  • Awe: The vampire gains a charismatic aura, becoming
  a natural leader, seducer and orator. The vampire’s Social
  score is effectively doubled.
  • Fear: The vampire, by hissing and baring fangs, instills
  an unnatural terror in foes. Unless they score a number of
  successes on a Psychic roll equal to the vampire’s Physical or
  Social Trait (whichever is higher), they must turn and flee for
  a scene.
  ADVANCED
  • Entrancement: The vampire becomes superhumanly
  fascinating. If the vampire makes a successful Social roll
  (difficulty of the victim’s Psychic Trait + 2), the victim
  becomes convinced that the vampire is his friend, lover, or
  whatever — a figure to be protected and adored. This lasts for
  one day per point of the vampire’s Social Trait.
  • Majesty: Vampires with Majesty are quite literally
  awesome. Majesty bestows an almost godlike aura upon the
  vampire; mortals fall to their knees in worship or terror, and
  even vampires must make a successful Psychic roll (difficulty
  4) to attack, insult, or be anything other than respectful and
  deferential to the vampire. Majesty costs three Blood Levels to
  invoke.
  PROTEAN
  Protean is the purview of the shapeshifting Gangrel,
  though they have taught their secrets to a few other vampires.
  Vampires with Protean may shapeshift into a variety of forms.
  BASIC
  • Eyes of the Beast: The vampire may see in pitch
  darkness.
  • Talons of the Beast: The vampire may sprout claws
  inflicting +1 damage. This damage is aggravated; only vam-
  pires with Fortitude may roll to soak it.
  • Lair of the Beast: The vampire may mystically sink into
  the earth (earth only — not stone, concrete, etc.). She may
  not move or act while in this state, though she may will herself
  back to the surface at any time. This power can be used to
  escape sunlight and fire.
  ADVANCED
  • Form of the Beast: The vampire may transform into a
  wolf or bat. In wolf form, running speed is doubled and the
  vampire may bite for +1 damage. In bat form, Physical be-
  comes 1 to attack, but +1 to dodge, and the vampire may fly
  at 25 m.p.h.
  
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  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  • Form of Mist: The vampire may transform into mist.
  The vampire may not attack while in mist form, but can be
  damaged only by sunlight, fire or mental Disciplines.
  THAUMATURGY
  The study of Thaumaturgy is largely restricted to the
  Tremere, although certain vampires among the Sabbat are
  rumored to employ the Discipline. Thaumaturgy is vampiric
  sorcery: ritual spellcasting and blood magic. Unlike other
  Disciplines, Thaumaturgy requires both blood expenditure
  and a Psychic roll (difficulty 4) to use successfully. If the roll
  fails, the Blood Level is lost.
  BASIC
  • Blood Magic: The vampire may manipulate his own
  blood. The first success he rolls allows him to “charge” two
  Blood Levels in his body, making them of double potency if
  spent (i.e., a Blood Level “charged” in this manner heals two
  Health Levels or adds +2 Physical). Each additional success
  enables him to “charge” an additional Blood Level.
  • Defense of the Haven: The vampire casts this ritual on
  his haven before going to sleep for the day. This ritual darkens
  the haven, preventing any stray sunlight from reaching the
  vampire. Additionally, any stake thrust at the sleeping
  vampire’s heart automatically crumbles to dust.
  • Telekinesis: The vampire may levitate and move ob-
  jects via psychic force. The amount of weight he can lift (in
  pounds) equals 50 times his Psychic Trait. Living beings may
  resist Telekinesis by scoring more successes on a Mental roll
  (difficulty 5) than the vampire scored on his Psychic roll.
  ADVANCED
  • Fireballs: The vampire may hurl mystical fireballs.
  These inflict three levels of aggravated damage. Each fireball
  costs one Blood Level (not the normal two) to create.
  • Weather Control: The vampire may change or amplify
  existing weather patterns. Additionally, if under the open sky,
  the vampire may call down bolts of lightning on his foes
  (difficulty 5 to target accurately). Lightning inflicts three
  levels of normal damage.
  • Cauldron of Blood: The vampire may mystically boil
  the blood in an opponent’s body. Mortals affected by this
  power die instantly; vampires lose a number of Health and
  Blood Levels equal to the vampire’s successes.
  BLOOD AND HEALTH
  Besides the four Traits already mentioned, vampires are
  measured via two other criteria: Blood Levels and Health
  Levels.
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  20
  BLOOD
  Vampires can use ingested blood to perform various
  supernatural feats.
  Characters have 10 Blood Levels, representing the differ-
  ent stages of satiation. Vampires spend Blood Levels to power
  Disciplines, boost Physical Traits, and heal wounds. They
  regain Blood Levels by feeding on mortals.
   Each night, when a vampire awakens, she expends a
  Blood Level. She may expend additional Blood Levels to
  perform supernatural feats.
  • A vampire may spend blood to heal wounds. Each
  Health Level healed costs one Blood Level. Healing takes one
  full turn of concentration to perform.
  • Each use of a Basic Discipline costs one Blood Level.
  • Each use of an Advanced Discipline costs two Blood
  Levels, unless stipulated otherwise.
  • A vampire may spend blood to imbue herself with
  superhuman strength and vitality. To add a single point to the
  Physical Trait costs one Blood Level. Extra points may be
  added, but each additional point costs one one cumulative
  Blood Level (the second Physical dot costs two Blood Levels,
  the third dot three, etc.). Thus, a vampire seeking to increase
  her Physical Trait by +3 would have to spend six Blood Levels
  (1 + 2 + 3).
  A vampire with no more Blood Levels in her body enters
  torpor (see below).
  Vampires regain blood by feeding on humans. Each turn,
  a vampire may suck one Blood Level from a human. Humans
  have 10 Blood Levels in their bodies. When a human is
  reduced to five or fewer Blood Levels, he is in need of
  hospitalization. If all blood is drained from him, he dies. More
  merciful vampires try to restrict themselves to one or two
  Blood Levels from a given victim.
  Hunger: When a vampire has five or fewer Blood Levels,
  she is hungry. If she sees or smells blood, she must make a frenzy
  check to avoid immediately seeking to feed. A vampire at two
  or fewer Blood Levels is ravenous; merely being in the proxim-
  ity of a blood source (i.e., a human) is cause for a frenzy check,
  and actually seeing or smelling blood increases the difficulty
  of the check by one.
  Other Creatures: Vampires may feed from animals, but
  this is unsatisfying. Animal blood is not nearly so nourishing
  as human blood. Assume that a cow (or similar-sized creature)
  has five Blood Levels, a dog two, and a cat one.
  Vampires may drink from other vampires, and even drain
  them outright. This is called diablerie, and it is the greatest
  crime a vampire can commit — at least among Camarilla
  vampires. It is rumored that if a vampire drinks the blood of an
  elder vampire, she gains all his power. And, of course, the
  Methuselahs are known for being able to feed only on other
  vampires.
  HEALTH
  Vampires have seven Health Levels, representing various
  stages of wounding. These are: Light, Light, Medium, Me-
  dium, Serious, Serious, and Critical. As wounds are
  accumulated, check off the wound boxes on the character
  sheet. Blood Levels may be spent to heal wounds. When all
  Health Levels are gone, the character goes into torpor (see
  below).
  PAIN
  Though undead, vampires do feel pain. When a vampire
  reaches the Medium Health Level, she suffers -1 die to all
  actions. When she falls to the Serious Health Level, she suffers
  -2 dice to all actions. A minimum of one die is always rolled,
  no matter how wounded a vampire is. Vampires in frenzy (or
  Brujah in the throes of Blood Rage) may ignore pain penalties.
  TORPOR AND FINAL DEATH
  When a vampire has lost all her Health and/or Blood
  Levels, she enters a state called torpor. She is still “alive,” but
  is effectively catatonic, incapable of movement or action. To
  recover from torpor, a vampire must be fed at least one Blood
  Level.
  If a vampire falls into torpor and takes one more injury
  from an aggravated wound (fire, sunlight, claws, etc.), she dies
  again — this time permanently. This is called the Final Death,
  and no vampire may come back from it. A vampire may also
  be sent to Final Death if, after entering torpor, the vampire is
  dismembered (decapitated, limbs chopped off, body hacked
  into pieces, etc.). Dismemberment takes five turns to accom-
  plish.
  A character who has been sent to Final Death is out of the
  game forever; the player must create a new character.
  RULES
  Most of the action in Vampire is determined by the
  players and Storyteller, but we provide a few rules to help
  arbitrate complex situations.
  This system uses six-sided dice, which you can find in
  most hobby stores, Monopoly sets, Wal-Marts, etc. When a
  player decides to have his character undertake an action for
  which the outcome is in doubt (shooting a gun at a distant foe,
  trying to fast-talk the prince, etc.), the Storyteller looks at the
  character’s Traits and decides which Trait (Physical, Mental,
  Social, Psychic) is most relevant. He gathers a number of dice
  equal to his character’s Trait, and the Storyteller assigns a
  difficulty number (a number between 2 and 6) to the feat. The
  player then rolls the dice. If at least one (or sometimes more)
  of the numbers on the dice equals or exceeds the difficulty
  number, the action succeeds. If not, the action fails.
  
  21
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  AUTOMATIC TASKS VERSUS
  DICE ROLLS
  Most tasks are automatic. If Cynthia says, “My character
  Maxine walks into the deserted alley,” Cynthia does not need
  to make a roll to do this. It happens automatically. Likewise,
  for the purposes of drama, routine tasks such as driving to a
  nightclub or climbing a ladder can be assumed to succeed,
  even though in real life there is always a chance of having a
  wreck or falling off the ladder. Rolls need be made only for
  those events that are particularly dramatic and that have a
  good chance of failing.
  Sometimes a routine event can become a dramatic,
  tension-filled scene if performed in haste or under duress. For
  example, if the character driving to the nightclub is barreling
  down the road at 100 m.p.h., against the flow of traffic, while
  being chased by the Sabbat and the city police, Physical dice
  rolls to avoid wrecking the car might well be called for!
  DIFFICULTIES
  Difficulties range between 2 and 6. A difficulty of 2
  represents the easiest feats; a difficulty of 6, the most challeng-
  ing. When in doubt, the default difficulty is 4. Difficulties
  can never be higher than 6 — if a difficulty is calculated to
  be greater than 6, reduce it to 6.
  2
  Easy (walking atop a two-foot-wide wall)
  3
  Routine (seducing someone already “in     the mood”)
  4
  Normal (stalking a reasonably alert victim)
  5
  Challenging (shooting a target at long range)
  6
  Really tough (escaping from handcuffs)
  NUMBER OF SUCCESSES
  Each die whose number equals or exceeds the difficulty
  number is called a “success.” Most of the time, a single success
  allows the vampire to succeed in her attempted task — barely.
  Getting more successes indicates a higher level of perfor-
  mance. For example, let’s say a Toreador (Social 4) gives a
  performance in a nightclub. Four dice are rolled; while a single
  success indicates an acceptable performance (she doesn’t get
  booed off the stage), three or four successes are needed to give
  a brilliant or virtuoso performance.
  Successes
  Quality
  1
  It’ll do
  2
  Good
  3
  Great
  4+
  Masterful
  EXAMPLE OF PLAY
  Cynthia’s character, Maxine the Brujah, has been sought
  out by Devil Jack, the prince’s Gangrel enforcer. (Devil Jack
  is played by the Storyteller.) Devil Jack begins questioning
  Maxine concerning her whereabouts on last Wednesday night
  (the night an anarch gang set fire to the prince’s refinery).
  Cynthia, speaking as Maxine, indignantly denies any knowl-
  edge of the deed (“I was at a dance club on the other side of
  town!”), and the Storyteller tells Cynthia to make a Social roll
  to convince Devil Jack. Maxine has a Social score of 2, and the
  Storyteller tells Cynthia that the difficulty is 4 (Devil Jack is
  loyal to the prince and knows that Maxine occasionally hangs
  out with anarchs, but he likes Maxine and is inclined to trust
  her). Cynthia rolls two dice and scores 1 and 5: one success.
  Devil Jack reluctantly accepts Maxine’s alibi (perhaps he is
  unwilling to question the story too deeply), but sternly warns
  Maxine that the prince’s eyes are everywhere, and that she’d
  better toe the line for awhile.
  If, in the Storyteller’s opinion, Devil Jack had particularly
  damning evidence against Maxine, or disliked her, the Story-
  teller might have raised the difficulty of Maxine’s roll to 5 or
  even 6, or might have decreed that Maxine needed two
  successes to convince Devil Jack of her innocence.
  CONTESTS
  Sometimes, a character will be in conflict with another
  person or vampire, not simply a situation. Such events are
  known as contests. To resolve a contest, the player rolls
  against a difficulty number as normal, but the opponent also
  gets to roll his own Trait against the same difficulty number.
  The contestant who scores the most successes wins. Ties
  reroll.
  Almost all contests are considered difficulty 4. First, the
  attacker rolls. Then the defender rolls in an attempt to take
  away the attacker’s successes.
  Example #1: Baron d’Havilland (Social 4) and Lady
  Ravenwood (also Social 4) are striving to seduce the same
  beautiful model. Because the model likes d’Havilland and
  Lady Ravenwood about equally, both vampires must roll
  versus difficulty 4. D’Havilland rolls four dice and scores 1, 3,
  4, and 6 — two successes. Ravenwood also rolls four dice and
  scores 2, 5, 6, and 6 — three successes. The model slinks away
  with the smirking Lady Ravenwood, and d’Havilland must
  seek blood and companionship elsewhere this night.
  Example #2: Baron d’Havilland (Social 4) is attempting
  to order a recalcitrant mortal (Psychic 2) out of his way.
  D’Havilland rolls four dice and scores 1, 3, 5, and 5 — two
  successes. The mortal rolls two dice and scores 3 and 6 — one
  success. D’Havilland wins — the mortal grudgingly lets the
  vampire pass.
  Example #3: Maxine the Brujah (Physical 4) is arm-
  wrestling a Nosferatu (also Physical 4). Both vampires have
  Basic Potence, so they are considered of approximately equal
  strength. The Storyteller decides that the first vampire to
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  22
  score three cumulative consecutive successes wins. On Turn
  #1, Maxine rolls two successes, and her opponent rolls one.
  Maxine has one success in the contest; she levers the Nosferatu’s
  arm down ever so slightly. On Turn #2, the Nosferatu scores
  two successes, and Maxine scores none. The Nosferatu not
  only canceled out Maxine’s “stored” success, but got one of his
  own; he powers his arm back to the neutral position, then
  bends Maxine’s arm over a little. This battle will seesaw back
  and forth until one or the other wins.
  DRAMA
  The nocturnal world of a vampire is a cauldron of danger,
  mystery and terror. The following section presents some
  common quandaries faced by vampires, as well as rules to
  resolve them.
  TIME
  Time, in Vampire, is fluid. It is measured in terms of
  turns, scenes and stories.
  Turn: A turn usually lasts about three seconds. It is used
  when adjudicating dramatic situations involving split-second
  decisions and actions, such as combat. In one turn, each
  character can take one action, unless he has the Discipline of
  Celerity.
  Scene: A scene is a sequence of events in roughly the
  same time and place. So, a brutal back-alley brawl and a soiree
  at the prince’s mansion both constitute a scene, even though
  the party lasts longer than the fight.
  Story: A story is an entire sequence of events in which
  the characters take part. It has a plot, a climax and a resolu-
  tion.
  Example: In the movie Star Wars, each swing of Obi-
  wan’s/Darth Vader’s lightsabers took a turn; the scene in the
  Death Star garbage disposal took, appropriately enough, a
  scene; and the entire movie was a story.
  INITIATIVE
  Sometimes it’s important to know who acts first. A
  vampire who gets the jump on her opponent is said to have the
  initiative.
  To determine initiative, compare Traits in this order:
  Hunter’s Instinct (activated)
  Advanced Celerity (activated)
  Basic Celerity (activated)
  Highest Physical
  Highest Mental
  Ties: Roll one die; the highest roll wins. Keep rolling until
  the tie is resolved.
  Example: Devil Jack the Gangrel attacks a monstrous
  Gangrel vampire of the Sabbat. Both have activated Hunter’s
  Instinct. Neither has Celerity, so the Storyteller compares
  Devil Jack’s and the Sabbat vampire’s Physical Traits. Both
  have Physical Traits of 4. Comparing Mental Traits, the
  Storyteller sees that Devil Jack has a Mental Trait of 3, while
  the Sabbat vampire has a Mental Trait of 1. Devil Jack attacks
  first. If the Sabbat vampire had had a Mental Trait of 3, the
  Storyteller and Devil Jack’s player would have simply rolled a
  die, with the highest roll acting first.
  All extra actions gained via Celerity come after everyone
  has taken their first actions. Initiative of extra actions is
  determined normally.
  COMBAT
  Vampires are masters of manipulation and subtlety, pre-
  ferring to win battles through indirect means. Every now and
  then, though, a vampire is forced into combat — to take down
  resistant prey, to defend herself from a blood-hungry anarch,
  or simply to eliminate a centuries-old rival once and for all.
  Combat is conducted in three-second turns. It uses the
  task system already established; initiative is determined nor-
  mally, and most combat actions are considered Physical tasks.
  There are two basic types of combat: hand-to-hand and
  ranged.
  HAND-TO-HAND
  Hand-to-hand combat is conducted with fists, natural
  weaponry (claws or fangs), or weapons. Initiative is deter-
  mined normally. Attacks are resolved in order of initiative.
  Each turn, a combatant may choose to strike, grab or dodge.
  • Strike: The attacker rolls Physical (difficulty 4). The
  combatant being attacked automatically defends (also Physi-
  cal, difficulty 4). If the attacker scores a number of successes
  equal to or exceeding the defender’s roll, he has successfully
  struck the defender.
  •␣Grab: The attacker rolls Physical (difficulty 4). The
  combatant being attacked automatically defends (also Physi-
  cal, difficulty 4). If the attacker’s Physical Trait equals or
  exceeds the defender’s Physical Trait, or the attacker has a
  higher level of Potence Discipline than the defender, the
  defender is grabbed. Each turn thereafter, the attacker may
  automatically inflict damage, and the defender is trapped until
  he successfully strikes and inflicts damage on the attacker, in
  this or a subsequent turn. Furthermore, if the grabbing at-
  tacker is a vampire, he may choose to forego his automatic
  damage and instead bite his prey. A bite inflicts only one
  Health Level of damage, but thereafter the vampire may begin
  draining Blood Levels from the victim’s body at the rate of one
  per turn.
  • Dodge: Actively dodging takes an action — the dodg-
  ing party may not do anything else, even attack, this turn.
  However, the dodging combatant gains +2 to her Physical roll
  
  23
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  to avoid all attackers’ blows. If the dodging defender beats the
  attacker’s successes, she gains the initiative next turn!
  Damage: If the attacker hits, he inflicts a number of
  Health Levels of damage equal to his Physical Trait, or (if
  using Protean claws or a weapon) equal to his Physical Trait
  +1.
  Soak: Because vampires are clinically dead, they may
  attempt to absorb some of the damage with their corpselike
  bodies. An injured vampire may make a Physical roll (diffi-
  culty 5); if she succeeds, she only takes half normal damage,
  rounded up (minimum of one Health Level). Fire, sunlight,
  vampire fangs, and the claws grown through the Protean
  Discipline are considered aggravated damage; the vampire
  may not soak these types of damage unless she has the
  Fortitude Discipline.
  RANGED COMBAT
  To conduct ranged combat, the vampire must have a
  thrown object or a gun. Each turn, the vampire may throw an
  object or fire one accurate shot, provided she has objects to
  throw or bullets to fire. Celerity allows increased rates of fire.
  • Strikes: Strikes take place at long, medium or point-
  blank range. Strikes made at long range are difficulty 5; at
  medium range, difficulty 4; and at point-blank range, diffi-
  culty 3. (However, at point-blank range, the defender has the
  option to enter hand-to-hand combat with the attacker!)
  • Dodge: A defender may dodge normally, as above,
  though this does not automatically give the defender the
  initiative in the next turn if successful. A defender may also
  execute a running dodge. A running dodge takes an entire
  action, and the defender does not gain any bonuses to her
  Physical Trait; however, she automatically closes the gap
  between herself and the attacker by one range level (i.e., if she
  was at long range, she is now at medium range).
  • Straight Run: A defender may decide to simply charge
  at the attacker. This takes an entire action, and the defender
  may not defend against the attacker’s shot; however, at the
  end of the turn, the defender is automatically in hand-to-hand
  range and may attack next turn.
  Damage: Damage from thrown objects and gunshots is
  conducted a little differently from hand-to-hand damage. A
  thrown object inflicts a number of Health Levels equal to the
  attacker’s successes on the strike roll +1. A bullet inflicts a
  number of Health Levels equal to the attacker’s successes on
  the strike roll +3.
  Soak: Bullets and thrown objects can be soaked nor-
  mally.
  FIRE AND SUNLIGHT
  Sunlight and fire are the vampire’s worst foes. Direct
  sunlight automatically inflicts one Health Level of wounds
  every turn. Indirect sunlight (the vampire is heavily cloaked
  or shaded) inflicts one Health Level of damage every two
  turns. This damage may not be soaked unless the vampire has
  Fortitude.
  Small/weak fires inflict damage as indirect sunlight, or
  one automatic Health Level for a sudden burn (a torch, etc.).
  Large and/or intensely hot fires (a burning building, a propane
  torch) inflict damage as direct sunlight, or two automatic
  Health Levels for a sudden burn. Again, this damage is
  soakable only with Fortitude.
  FRENZY
  At heart, all vampires bear an inner Beast. This Beast
  manifests in the terrifying state known as frenzy.
  Whenever a vampire sees or smells blood while hungry,
  is confronted with sunlight or fire, or is enraged or humiliated,
  she must check to see if she frenzies. To do this, the player rolls
  the vampire’s Psychic Trait (difficulty 4). If the player fails,
  the vampire flies into a frenzy; she must immediately attack
  the food source or emotional provocation (if sent into frenzy
  by sunlight or fire, the vampire must flee the feared substance).
  Vampires in frenzy may ignore the effects of pain (they are too
  fearful or enraged to register pain). The frenzy lasts for a scene,
  or until the source of the frenzy is eradicated (the vampire
  feeds, the opponent is killed, etc.).
  HUNTING
  Each night a vampire must expend a Blood Level merely
  to rise from sleep. Vampires thus become hungry quickly, and
  much of a vampire’s existence revolves around the search for
  sweet-blooded human prey.
  System: A vampire’s hunt depends on the general area.
  She must make a Mental roll; the difficulty varies, depending
  on the area.
  The Rack (bars, nightclubs, theatres, etc.)
  2
  Downtown Quarter (business district,
       bohemian/“alternative” areas)
  3
  Uptown (upscale and wealthy areas)
  4
  Slum Area
                                            4
  Suburbs
                                            4
  Rural
                                                                  5
  Wilderness
                                            6
  Success on the Hunt roll merely means the vampire has
  found a likely target (a solitary stroller, pair of young lovers,
  unwatched child, etc.). The vampire must still subdue the
  prey.
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  24
  PURSUIT AND CHASES
  Sometimes, characters will want to chase other charac-
  ters. Chases are resolved as is initiative, based on the following
  chart:
  Advanced Celerity (activated)
  Basic Celerity (activated)
  Advanced Potence
  Basic Potence
  Physical
  Mental
  Tie: Die roll, per initiative
  Example: Maxine the Brujah is chasing a Sabbat vampire.
  She has Basic Celerity — but so does her quarry. She has Basic
  Potence — but so does the Sabbat. Moving down the chart,
  the Storyteller sees that Maxine’s Physical Trait is 4. The
  Sabbat vampire’s is 3. Maxine catches the Sabbat vampire.
  SOCIAL INTERACTION
  Vampires are creatures of passion and power; it is inevi-
  table that they will become embroiled in social intrigues.
  Vampires may resolve social challenges in several ways; a few
  are listed below.
  • Intimidation: The vampire may try to intimidate her
  target through physical threats (use the Physical Trait), social
  condescension (use the Social Trait) or verbal bullying (use
  the Mental Trait). The victim may resist with her Psychic
  Trait. The highest roll wins.
  •␣Leadership: The vampire may issue commands, but
  must make a Social roll to convince a hesitant target. If the
  target is inclined to disobey, he may make a Mental roll to
  resist. The highest roll wins.
  • Seduction: The vampire rolls Social; the party being
  seduced uses Psychic to resist. The highest roll wins.
  STEALTH
  The vampire stalking prey rolls Physical (difficulty 4);
  the prey, guard, etc., rolls Mental (difficulty 4). If the vampire
  wins, he successfully remains undetected; if the prey wins, she
  detects the vampire; if the vampire and prey tie, the prey
  “thinks she hears something” or “sees something out of the
  corner of her eye” (future rolls to detect the vampire are
  difficulty 3).
  STORY IDEAS
  • The Embrace: The characters are newly created vam-
  pires, and may even begin the game as mortals. In this story,
  the characters and Storyteller play out the (sometimes ec-
  static, often horrific) Embrace, and establish the relationship
  between the characters and their sires (the vampires who
  transform them into undead). Were the characters trans-
  formed knowingly or against their wills? Do they get along
  with their sires or hate them for what they have done? How do
  the characters react to their newfound state (the need to drink
  blood, the pain and fear inspired by sunlight, etc.)? How do
  they deal with the fact that they are forever severed from their
  mortal lives?
  • Power Struggle: The characters are new in town and
  must wrest their nightly livelihood from established undead.
  In this story, the characters and Storyteller play out the gritty
  realities of establishing one’s niche in a hostile town. Must the
  characters fight for hunting grounds? Make deals with estab-
  lished vampires who are also seeking to raise their status? Use
  mortals to undermine their rivals power bases from within?
  • Love Story: A character falls in love with a mortal or
  another vampire. If the object of affection is mortal, is the love
  requited — and if so, does the character inform his love that
  he is a vampire? (Doing so, remember, is a violation of the
  Masquerade and punishable by both parties’ deaths.) If the
  beloved is another vampire, does she return the love — or
  merely use the character as a convenient pawn? And what if
  a hideous Nosferatu falls in love with a beautiful Toreador or
  Ventrue?
  • Fight for Survival: Something wicked this way comes.
  Perhaps the Sabbat stages a raid on the city; perhaps a rogue,
  bloodthirsty Methuselah appears and being wreaking havoc
  like the pagan god he effectively is. In any event, the charac-
  ters must outwit or outfight this threat to their domains.
  
  25
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  SSSSSAFE
  AFE
  AFE
  AFE
  AFE     AS
  AS
  AS
  AS
  AS H
   H
   H
   H
   HOUSES
  OUSES
  OUSES
  OUSES
  OUSES
  “Safe as Houses” is an introductory story for Vampire:
  The Masquerade. It is designed to give new players and
  Storytellers a taste of the Kindred’s dark world and illustrate
  a few of the game systems in action.
  Some material is presented in boxes below — this text
  can be read directly to the players, as it describes what their
  characters sense in a given situation. In some sections of the
  story, the Storyteller must improvise her own setting detail or
  character dialog. Don’t be afraid — wing it! This kind of
  improvisational drama is what Vampire is all about.
  “Safe as Houses” is a brief story, one that takes place in
  one or two nights of game time. It can be played through in two
  hours or less, depending on how much detail and character
  interaction the Storyteller introduces. In the story, the prince
  finds that a mortal she wishes to Embrace has gone missing.
  She turns to the characters for their assistance, promising
  rewards and favorable consideration among the elder Kindred
  of the city. Once it becomes evident exactly who the kidnap-
  per is, the characters must track down that individual and
  rescue the prince’s prospective childe. This story is a bit more
  linear and closely constructed than most Vampire stories
  Storytellers and their players usually tell, but that’s okay —
  this is only the first step. Soon you will be creating your own
  stories with as much or as little structure as you wish.
  A note to Storytellers: Arbitrating a story may seem like
  a daunting task, especially for the first time. It is! But the
  rewards of telling a good story outweigh that risk, so don’t
  worry about it — just sit back and enjoy. If a detail becomes
  important that isn’t mentioned here, make it up. If a character
  needs to say something that isn’t presented in the dialog box,
  improvise. A storyteller should think of herself as a movie
  director or producer, coordinating all the elements of the story
  around her players’ characters, who are the main characters in
  the “film” being played out.
  PART ONE: CALL TO DUTY
  The agents and servants of the Kindred prince have
  contacted you all. It would seem that she has a favor to
  ask of you. This is a grand opportunity; most Kindred see
  the prince only from afar, if at all, and many of the
  vampires in the city have said that the prince rewards
  loyalty greatly. Indeed, you are surprised that you have
  even been considered, given that there are likely at least
  a few Kindred more suited to help the prince than you are
  — after all, you are simple neonates, new to the unlife of
  vampires.
  In any event, the prince has sent an impressive black
  limousine to gather you, for she does nothing without
  style. As the last of you enters the car, the driver informs
  you that your coterie should be in the prince’s presence
  within ten minutes.
  Before you, behind an enormous desk of aged ma-
  hogany, sits a dark-haired woman with a piercing gaze.
  She is strikingly beautiful, but her beauty has an edge,
  like the deadly beauty of a shark or coiled viper. She
  wears a smart designer business suit, and she rises as you
  enter the room.
  “Greetings, my dear friends,” she purrs, lulling you
  into a sense of trust and complacency. “Please have a
  seat. We have much to discuss. Standish, some refresh-
  ments for our guests?”
  At this point, the characters should enter the mansion,
  where they are greeted by the prince’s manservant, Standish.
  No Traits are provided for Standish; if the players are foolish
  enough to act hostile toward him, he will communicate this to
  the prince, who will deal with them accordingly. The Story-
  teller is encouraged to portray Standish in a manner that
  provides the best interaction with the players’ characters.
  Perhaps Standish is haughty and condescending, or maybe he
  is furtive and sniveling — whatever makes for the most
  interesting interaction. Play out the exchange between
  Standish and the characters, and have him call upon the
  prince briefly thereafter.
  While Standish is gone, describe the lavish appointments
  of the prince’s mansion. Detail the sensory information the
  players pursue. Is there a priceless painting on the wall? How
  do the velvet cushions of the couches feel? Does classical
  music waft into the room ever so softly? Is there a cloying hint
  of death and decay in the air?
  Before too long, Standish returns, ushering the charac-
  ters into the prince’s sanctum.
  [Note: Storytellers may wish to take the opportunity
  to have the players introduce their characters to each
  other at this point. Players may also wish to converse “in
  character” about the events that await them. This should
  be encouraged — let the players run with it!]
  The limousine pulls up before a mansion best de-
  scribed as palatial: Wrought iron gates open into a lavish,
  rolling estate, at the center of which stands the prince’s
  opulent home and haven. One would think that the
  home of such an important person would be better guarded,
  but you each get a sense that there are unseen security
  measures at work here.
  The chauffeur pulls the car into the driveway and
  opens the door, motioning you toward the daunting
  double doors of the prince’s home. As the last of you exits
  the vehicle, he pulls away, taillights vanishing into the
  night.
  
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  26
  Of course, the prince is using her powers of Presence to
  sway the characters to her cause. Play out the conversation,
  which should take the form of the prince informing the
  players’ Kindred that her prospective childe has been kid-
  napped, and she would like them to track down the fiend who
  has absconded with him. The prince’s childe-to-be is named
  Martin, and she promises rewards of prestige, honor and
  possibly even interests in her own business pursuits to tempt
  the characters. She will never stoop so low as to offer cash —
  she sees that as tantamount to hiring mercenary thugs. In-
  stead, she would rather reach “arrangements” with her “friends.”
  While the discussion occurs, Standish returns to the
  room, bearing a silver tray with a bottle and numerous fluted
  glasses on it, one for each member of the coterie. He hands a
  note to the prince, stating, “Madam, this just arrived,” and
  pours a glass of rich, red something for every character. This is,
  of course, blood, and the Storytellers should describe the rich
  vintage for everyone who partakes. Unfortunately, it is not
  warm, and much of what would enhance the flavor is absent,
  as it may only be sipped from a glass and not taken from a living
  vessel. Should any character not drink the offered refresh-
  ment, the prince eyes the character warily, curious as to their
  refusal of her hospitality.
  “Well, my allies, it would seem that you have not
  arrived a moment too soon,” states the prince. “I have
  just received a communiqué from one of my spies among
  the anarchs.”
  You almost gasp in shock as the prince reveals this
  — she has spies among the anarchs? Then it could be
  that she has placed a spy among your ranks as well.º
  “The Kindred responsible for Martin’s disappear-
  ance is one known as Spider, from a clan unknown to
  me. My agent has said that Spider plans to attend the
  Black Room tonight, which is a disheveled little bar on
  the outskirts of the Rack, the area where mortals go to
  drink and carouse and where we Kindred feed with
  relative ease. Please go to the Black Room and inform
  Mr. Spider that I would like my property returned to me.
  And, of course, mind the Traditions as you do so.”
  “Ah, you are finally here!” exclaims the odd man,
  who wears rough clothing reminiscent of biker gangs.
  “The Spider will see you now.”
  The bar itself is a dark, scurrilous place, reeking of
  mortal blood, sweat and alcohol. The music pounds
  incessantly, and the bodies of the dancers on the floor
  gyrate wildly. Dangerous-looking individuals lurk in
  shadows and seem to watch your every movement.
  “Come. The Spider is waiting.”
  be handled civilly, and will not give the coterie guns, large
  sums of cash, cadres of vampire minions, etc.
  Unless the players or Storyteller have something else in
  mind (which should not be discouraged — the more the
  players explore, the richer the story is), the characters likely
  head to the Black Room. When they get there, a strange man,
  who claims that he has been waiting for them, approaches
  them. If any of the players’ Kindred has the Auspex power
  Aura Perception, they can see that this man is a vampire.
  PART TWO: MISSING PERSONS
  At this point, the players should probably take their
  characters to the Black Room, though clever groups may wish
  to dig up more dirt on this Spider individual. If the Storyteller
  wishes, she may flesh out the story with minor plot twists and
  secondary characters, as the players contact their own allies,
  mentors, etc. looking for more information about the anarch
  Spider.
  The prince may also provide assistance to the characters,
  in the form of transportation, arrangements to enter the club
  without paying cover, and the like. She prefers the matter to
  This is the turning point of “Safe as Houses,” and the
  Storyteller must make a decision. If the players’ coterie seems
  inclined toward combat (high Physical scores, numerous
  combat Disciplines), she may wish to let the characters fight
  the Spider for Martin’s whereabouts. If the players seem to be
  socially oriented (high Social scores, etc), she may wish to play
  out the negotiation of Martin’s status. If the characters have
  a mental bent (high Mental scores, etc), the Storyteller may
  wish to have Spider challenge the group to a contest of wits or
  a test of obscure Kindred riddles. Whatever the coterie seems
  most likely to enjoy, give them.
  In the end, however, it turns out that the Spider has made
  a mistake — he had no idea that the prince had her eye on
  Martin. If the encounter has resulted in violence, it is probable
  that the characters and the Spider both feel quite foolish —
  they have risked their unlives over a simple misunderstanding.
  Spider reluctantly relinquishes Martin to the characters, grum-
  bling about the “damn prince and her high-and-mighty act.”
  Martin gladly accompanies the characters back to the
  prince’s mansion, where she berates him and sends him to his
  chambers. (Some Storytellers may wish to play out a conver-
  sation between Martin and the characters on the way back to
  the prince’s home.) The prince makes good on her reward
  offers to the characters and they may return to their havens for
  the night.
  But even after this closure, they should have questions.
  Have they done the right thing? Was the prince “right” and
  the Spider “wrong”? What did the anarch mean about the
  prince’s “high-and-mighty act”? As you can see, there are
  many mysteries left unsolved — but those are best left to
  another night.
  
  27
  VAMPIRE INTRODUCTORY KIT
  PLAYER NAME:
  CHARACTER NAME:
  CLAN:
  APTITUDE:
  ADVANTAGE:
  WEAKNESS:
  PHYSICAL
  SOCIAL
  MENTAL
  TRAITS
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  HEALTH
  LIGHT
  LIGHT
  MEDIUM
  MEDIUM
  SERIOUS
  SERIOUS
  CRITICAL
  TORPOR
  DISCIPLINES:
  BLOOD POOL
  POSSESSIONS
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Storyteller [multi]/World of Darkness (WoD) [multi]/Vampire/Vampire (oWoD)/Misc/Vampire Revised Quickstart.pdf