Step Three: Choose a Clan
Contents
Step Three: Choose a Clan
See the SBM Implementation Rules page for the specific clans permitted in SBM
Once you have determined your character’s concept and Archetype, it is time to choose a clan. Consider what sort of clan might have been attracted to your concept and how that might tie into the circumstances of your character’s Embrace. An artistically inclined mortal, for instance, is likely to be Embraced as a Toreador, whereas a businessman might have attracted a Ventrue sire.
Your character’s clan determines her role in vampire society, the stereotype other characters will apply to her, and the expectations to which the character will be held. Clan also determines a character’s innate disciplines, as well as certain strengths and weaknesses. Going against a clan’s stereotype is perfectly acceptable, so long as it is done on purpose and reflects the character’s personal story.
If your concept doesn’t inspire a match with any specific clan or bloodline, a character can always be Caitiff — a clanless vampire. Caitiff are thin-blooded vampires, and are usually possessed of an unpredictable assortment of disciplines. Although they do not suffer from the limitations and weaknesses of the clans, Caitiff are treated as second class citizens by other vampires, who do not trust them or their motley blood.
A Brief Description of the Greater Clans
• Assamites – Based in the Middle East, these deadly assassins see themselves as judges, bringing death to the “lesser” vampire clans. They revere their founder, Haqim, and avoid all entanglements of alliance or sect.
• Brujah – The Brujah are a passionate clan, prone to aggression and anger. They are philosophers, warriors, rambunctious friends, and dangerous enemies. They often advocate causes, fighting against oppression and tyranny in the hope of a better world.
• Followers of Set – Decadent, seductive, and corrupt, the Setites worship their God in golden temples and seedy opium dens, seamlessly merging ancient Egypt and modern crime.
• Gangrel – The nomadic Gangrel are savage predators and feral loners, preferring wilderness and freedom to the confinement of an urban sprawl. They are masterful shape-changers and stalwart allies.
• Giovanni – The Giovanni are incestuous and insular masters of necromantic magic. With the ruthlessness of a mafia dynasty and the ambition of a modern corporation, these Venetian merchants seek power at any cost.
• Lasombra – Elegant and inhuman, the Lasombra relish their vampiric existence. With regal grace, they command the shadows and delight in both kinds of darkness — of the night, and of the soul.
• Malkavian – Although gifted with adept insight, all members of the Malkavian clan suffer from some form of macabre insanity. Alternately terrifying and serene, these vampires often seek to enlighten others...whether they like it or not.
• Nosferatu – Members of Clan Nosferatu are hideous to behold, their bodies horribly warped and twisted by the Embrace. Clandestine spies and wily secret-stealers, they control the flow of information in vampire society.
• Toreador – The Toreador are sensuous, gregarious hedonists, known for their beauty as well as their cunning. Of all the clans, they are the most refined, always found at the cutting edge of mortal art and culture.
• Tremere – Long ago, this sorcerous clan of vampires seized immortality and shaped their own fate. In modern nights, they are feared and mistrusted for their occult secrets, though none can deny the power they wield.
• Tzimisce – A clan of fallen nobles from Eastern Europe, the reclusive Tzimisce are jealous, possessive creatures. With the power to shape flesh and bone, the masters of metamorphosis seek to evolve beyond mortal understanding.
• Ventrue – Stoic and composed, the Ventrue are the pinnacle of vampiric aristocracy. They are monarchs and CEOs, wealthy benefactors and commanding military leaders, ruling the night with an iron fist.
• Caitiff – With blood too thin to claim a clan or lineage, Caitiff exhibit few common characteristics. These unfortunate vampires are usually abandoned and disregarded after their misbegotten Embrace, and must rely on themselves in order to survive.
Lesser Clans
In addition to the greater clans, a few reclusive, rare or small clans exist. These include: Baali, Cappadocians, Ravnos*, and Salubri.
Bloodlines
Most clans have one or more bloodline merits available. Once you have chosen a clan, you may wish to purchase one of these bloodline merits. Note that if your bloodline stems from a clan that is considered rare in your setting, you must purchase both the appropriate Rarity merit and the appropriate bloodline merit in order to create a character of that bloodline.
Bloodlines represent only a small portion of their original clan. They are a lineage within the clan whose blood has been altered – perhaps on purpose, or perhaps without their intent – and now differs from the rest. Usually, members of a bloodline consider themselves to be part of their parent clan. However, some bloodlines hold a grudge against the original clan, or may even have seceded wholly from their founder’s line. Two rare bloodlines, the Daughters of Cacophony and the Gargoyles, are not attached to a parent clan. Your Storyteller can explain more about the bloodlines represented in your chronicle’s setting.
Remember that bloodlines do not spontaneously appear or disappear. If you are a member of the Crusader bloodline, you were Embraced into the bloodline by your sire (who must also be a member). If you Embrace a childe, she will also be a member of the Crusader bloodline (unless her blood is so thin that she becomes a Caitiff).
For more information on bloodlines and bloodline merits, please see Chapter Five
