Every Kindred is an individual, but clans represent
both prevailing archetypes as well as social functions by which vampires seek progeny of like mind.
The following sections describe a generalized outlook for how members of each clan might interact
with coteries they join.
Merits of Membership
To this end, each also includes a specific Coterie
Merit that a Kindred of that clan can purchase at
character creation. The benefits of these Merits can
be generally activated or enjoyed by anyone in the
coterie, a sort of group resource that can either be
called upon collectively or that benefits the entire
coterie. After all, coteries exist to offer safety in
numbers, despite what insular elders or suspicious
ancillae may think — and that safety in numbers
sometimes comes in the form of advantage that can put those vampires a step ahead of a rival. Note that
in some cases, only one member of the coterie can
use a given Merit in a session, on a who-needs-itmost basis.
Banu Haqim
The external perception of the Banu Haqim often
identifies them as driven, sombre, and severe. In
general, the children of Haqim have little interest in
countering this perception. Clan culture rewards
those who are goal-oriented, which emphasizes
actions and deeds. Esteem among the Banu Haqim
follows what they do, rather than exalting lineage or
honoring tradition for its own sake. Clan members,
therefore, take a pragmatic approach, making allies
where they must in order to pursue their goals and
accomplish their agendas.
Among the Banu Haqim, coteries are heavily
focused. Every group has a goal, whether that is as
judges, enforcers, or exerting influence over a sector
of mortal infrastructure.
In more cosmopolitan coteries, Banu Haqim
may find themselves the recognized motivational
force in a coterie. They gravitate toward roles in
which they determine the direction of the group,
or interpreting commonly agreed objectives. Banu
Haqim Kindred regard this as leadership — other
vampires, however, can chafe at what they perceive
as being ordered around, especially young Kindred
who aren’t necessarily seeking a regimented or taskoriented dynamic in their coteries. Interactions with
the coterie also vary greatly by the faction to which
a given Child of Haqim belongs. Quite simply, the
methods and fellows of the clan’s conflicting orthodoxies are different, and whether one shares the
perspective of a number of influential Banu Haqim
high in the clan’s ranks also bears weight.
As always, individual motivations vary, but
this same focus on specific objectives often means
that Banu Haqim membership in a coterie may
be a temporary thing. Almost akin to serial entrepreneurship, a Child of Haqim may find common
cause with a different coterie that better suits her.
Kindred with whom they have shared a coterie with
in the past often remain valuable associates. Many
see value in renewing lapsed relations with reliable
Kindred to rejoin a coterie or form a new one after
departing it.
For the Clan of the Hunt, new prey is ever on
the horizon.
●● CALL TO PURPOSE (Clan Coterie Merit)
Once per session, the Banu Haqim motivates a
coterie-mate they can see with a rousing statement
reminding her of her Convictions or even an intense
stare that calls her to action. The coterie-mate
gains the effects of a Willpower point that must be
used immediately, such as to reroll three dice or to
briefly master a frenzy. This “Willpower point” isn’t
taken from the Banu Haqim, and must be given to
a coterie-mate (the Banu Haqim cannot use it on
themselves.) See Vampire: The Masquerade,
p. 158, for more information on using Willpower.
Brujah
Brujah sires often Embrace on a whim, in the throes
of emotion, or seemingly without the discretion of
other clans. Apocryphally, some domains are so rife
with Rabble, it’s almost impossible to find a coterie
without at least one Brujah!
Perhaps that’s to be expected given their history.
The Brujah are descendants of ancient warriorphilosophers, rebels against oppressive causes, or
crusaders against perceived injustices. In such times,
Brujah relied on coterie-mates to watch their backs
and conspire to bring down those who would wield
power against them. Tonight, this premise hasn’t
changed, whether it now manifests as revolutionary
cells dedicated to overthrowing a corrupt social system, or as outlaw biker gangs that kneel to no law.
This might make them come across as hard cases
and solitary iconoclasts, but that’s rarely true. The
emotional call that brought them into the night
sustains them. Brujah look to Kindred coteries as
comrades in arms or even siblings. A coterie is as
close to family as vampires can afford.
Brujah don’t necessarily care if you’re a Nosferatu or a Malkavian. So long as you’re trustworthy
and reliable, they’re ride-or-die for you. What often
matters to a Brujah is that the coterie is pulling in the same direction (though this might be a lofty
goal, given the contrarian tendencies of the Brujah…). That’s not to say that some preferential attitudes or power struggles don’t exist, whatever form
the safe house takes. But the Anarch movement has
grown and the Brujah fortunes have risen in the
modern nights, and so long as their coterie-mates’
attitudes don’t cause static with a Brujah colleague,
they’re willing to kick against the pricks with anyone by their side.
Those who join coteries with Brujah often find
the closeness of those bonds to be one of the most
memorable and integral factors. The unique familial surrogacy that Brujah may instill (or project...)
upon a group is unlike that of any other clan. Yet
a coterie for a Brujah is not a transactional “team,”
it’s something more. Earning the trust of a Brujah,
especially one who particularly values loyalty, is
often enough to inspire these vampires to powerful
displays of unity.
● BOOT AND RALLY (Clan Coterie Merit)
Sometimes the best way out of a bad situation is to
try again, harder, and have a frenzy-prone coteriemate impress upon you the error of your ways. Once
per session, the Brujah inspires a flagging coteriemate, who may then reroll all regular dice on a failed
Physical Skill test.
Gangrel
Kindred have become so disconnected from their
roots, from their primal nature, that they can no
longer survive without edifices of brick and glass.
Kindred have grown so spoiled and dependent upon
the luxuries these modern nights have brought them
that they have forgotten how to survive without.
The Gangrel have not forgotten these things. The
Beasts acknowledge their true nature, claiming
territory for themselves where they can in the global
landscape, whether in perilous urban spaces or the
differently dangerous unknown domains between
them.
For the Gangrel, a coterie is just a pack by
another name, and a pack is a group of individuals
working toward a common cause, ensuring that
everyone is kept safe. While not all Gangrel codeswitch “packs” for coteries, they can’t deny that it
suits their purposes and needs. As the adage goes,
the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. Any coterie with a Gangrel among its number has little to
fear should a physical threat arise, for few clans are
as strong or tenacious as the Gangrel in combat.
In addition to bearing puissant tooth and claw,
Gangrel sometimes pull double-duty as pathfinders to those seeking safe passage through known
hazardous areas of domains. In the rare instances
a coterie deigns to travel outside the gilded cages
of cities, its members become acutely aware of the
benefits that a Gangrel member gives them.
●●● PACK TACTICS (Clan Coterie Merit)
A lone wolf against an enemy risks much, but a pack
of wolves working together can take down even the
largest and most dangerous prey. When in combat,
so long as you have another member of your coterie
alongside you, you more effectively harry your
common foe: Anyone attacking the same enemy as
you adds a single die to their dice pools for Brawl
or Melee attacks. This Merit is non-cumulative; no
matter how many Gangrel with it gang up on some
poor fool, it offers only a single additional die to
each of them.
Hecata
The Hecata have managed to carve out a place for
themselves in innumerable domains, yet frequently
find themselves considered an unwelcome presence.
Although the Kindred as a whole might view the
Hecata as distasteful, one can always count on them
to give an unvarnished opinion, if not an honest
one.
It is perhaps their narrow focus that makes the
pragmatic Hecata realize how greatly they rely on
other Kindred, as a greater society and as individual
members of coteries. Their affinity for the dead
and ability to speak to spirits means that they have
access to information that others may have thought
long gone, and that information makes the Hecata
valuable to others in return. And since information is such a valuable currency in the world of the Damned, many coteries are willing to endure
the social cost of such unwholesome fellows. The
Hecata gain greater facility with the temporal world
and the coterie gains access to a shuddersome vein
of secrets.
This may seem transactional, and to an extent
it is, for which the Hecata bear the responsibility
of those assumptions. In both their necromantic
acumen and the dealings of the Giovanni family,
the Hecata have come to perceive many of their
nightly interactions as exchanges — this placation
of a spirit, that favor for the Toreador harpy. Such
a calculating outlook colors others’ perception of
them, but that makes coteries in which they are
truly accepted and understood as individuals rather
than tools all the more meaningful. And those who
surround themselves in the remains of the dead take
comfort in willing contact with others where they
may.
●● ARS MORIENDI (Clan Coterie Merit)
Almost all members of the Hecata clan are
at least cursorily familiar with death and the
dead. Once per session, the Lazarene is able
to mask the corpse of someone killed by a
member of the coterie. They can disguise foul
play in the case of a mortal corpse, or protect
the Masquerade by making the remains of a
destroyed vampire (usually a brittle skeleton
unless the vampire was very young) draw less
attention, usually by efficiently disposing of it.
These are quick-and-dirty fixes, though, and
will not divert someone already on their tail,
but they can provide some proverbial breathing
space to the coterie.
Lasombra
Few clans are as ruthlessly efficient as the
Lasombra when it comes to achieving goals.
Whether crushing rivals or consolidating
influence, the Lasombra take no half-measures.
This drive for success leads them to being the
allies everyone wants, but no one wants to admit they need. From a classical economics perspective, the Lasombra see coteries as a tool, a means to an end to drive their success. Success
brings reward, of course, and even failure brings
growth through tribulation. Steel is forged in
the fires of adversity.
That doesn’t mean the Lasombra see the
individuals in their coteries as tools, however.
With their clan history of exalted rank and
ecclesiastical power, elder Lasombra are familiar
with intricate webs of obligation, favor, and elective
cooperation upon which legacies are built, and these
lessons pervade the self-mythology of the Magisters,
even unto the ranks of neonates. Although few
Kindred tonight receive their peers and lessers in
baroque churches floored in black-veined marble,
the same proprieties among fellow Damned may
be made in a hotel ballroom or even on a nightclub
floor. The quality of the relationship is celebrated in
the ceremony that acknowledges it.
While other Kindred may maintain certain
wariness in welcoming a Lasombra into their coterie, it is undeniable that Night Clan vampires bring
with them a multitude of benefits. Their affinity for
shadows and the use of Oblivion make them valuable to coteries whose preferred methods involve
secrecy, espionage, and hidden movement. Stories of
Lasombra willing to sacrifice coterie-mates for their
own immediate benefits are probably overblown…
but dealing with “the sins of the fathers” is ironically a burden many Lasombra bear when it comes
to reputation.
●● AT ANY COST (Clan Coterie Merit)
The Magister sets a ruthlessly effective example for
their coterie-mates. Once per session, a member
of the Lasombra’s coterie can choose to add two
successes to a test made. The test is then considered
a messy critical, including appropriate negative
consequences.
Malkavian
Each Malkavian’s view of the world is so individually misaligned with those around them, even within
their own clan, that it can pose a significant challenge for such a vampire to find someone willing
to see the world from the Malkavian’s own unique perspective. Those of Clan Malkavian often have
an optimistic outlook toward coteries, seeing them
as a chance for social interaction they may otherwise struggle to indulge. As a result, the potential
to form social bonds with others in a coterie can
be both exciting and terrifying. Malkavians want
to relate to their Kindred, but their bane makes it
difficult to do so.
Occasionally, a Malkavian’s senses may propel
them into the limelight, yielding the chance to enjoy
the adulation of other vampires, while at other
times they feel an overwhelming urge to withdraw
and shut themselves off from those around them.
Social interaction can be particularly demanding for
the Malkavians, and trying for the other members
of their coterie.
Not all vampires, of course, are interested in taking the time to form an emotional support structure
for Malkavian Kindred. For some vampires, their
view of the Malkavians’ curse is colored by the
prejudices that they carried in mortal life — Kindred society is replete with fear of the Malkavians’
difficulties relating.
Some Kindred, especially those raised in a less
enlightened age, may view a Malkavian’s bane as
judgement for their sins, a trade-off for their “gifts”
of insight, or simply a tool to be exploited. One
apocryphal elder sequesters a Malkavian in an ironlined coffin, staked and sealed in perpetual night.
This wretched Malkavian emerges only at the whim
of this cruel coterie-mate, thereafter to be sealed
away again for God only knows how long. Few Malkavians would choose to be part of such an arrangement, making for quite the cautionary tale.
●●● EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED (Clan
Coterie Merit): The Malkavian is able to extract
secrets from the most unlikely sources, such as discerning the location of an elder’s vault from someone’s casual exchange about the weather or unearthing an adversary’s deepest fears from the way they
take a right at an intersection. Once per session, the
Malkavian has the ability to let another member of
their coterie substitute one Skill pool for another of
their choice (that they possess) in a test involving the
gathering of information. The Oracle is then able to
interpret the results, gaining the same information
as the original pool would have yielded, depending
on the margin of success as usual.
The Ministry
To hear a member of the Ministry tell it, they can
bring everything to a coterie. Everything. The Setites
want to be everybody’s confidante, and want to stay
close to those in their coteries, making sure that
the group’s needs are met, no matter what those
needs might be. Viewing the world as a marketplace,
Ministry Kindred strive to ensure that they can
offer everything their fellows can, but better. If you
need guns, they’ll give you a silver Lexus with a
trunk full of AR15s. If you need vitae, they’ll bring
you blood from vessels high on top-shelf heroin. If
you need to get out of the country, they know a guy
with a private jet. If you need a herd, they’ll give you
a key to their downtown apartment where a number
of unidentified refugees are “couch surfing until
they find a permanent place to stay.”
Often, this means that the presence of a Setite
within a coterie introduces an element of quid pro
quo. The Ministry can provide for their fellows, but
may expect favors and social benefits in return. Such
recompense could be a widening of the Tempter’s
network of connections or even recruitments for
their spiritual flock. For the Ministry, this in no way
precludes social bonds or represents an exception
to forming alliances. The Ministry would rather
deal with their local community, starting with their
coteries. What better customers than people who
know the people one knows, after all?
Those who share a coterie with a member of the
Ministry are generally quite aware of this. Canny
vampires are quick to take advantage of the benefits
of maintaining ties with the Setites, even if they’re
cautious of the Ministry’s ulterior motives. Some
vampires may balk at the idea of working with the
Ministry, fearful of what scheme the Tempter might
be working right under the coterie’s nose. In truth,
the Ministry Kindred is often entirely upfront and
even honest about their intentions. Nobody wants
to deal with an oily used-car salesman, after all.
If the Tempter were to double-cross, betray, and
scheme their way through their unlife, they would
find their reputation catching up with them! It
can hardly be their fault if their customer wants
something to be true other than what the Setite is
offering. Let the buyer beware.
● DISCERNING (Clan Coterie Merit)
Once per session, the Ministry Kindred may discover some thing superficial a Storyteller character wants, so
long as any member of the coterie has spoken to that
character during the session, even if the Setite wasn’t
present. This may relate to the individual’s Desire
or Ambition or it could relate to a specific course
of action they were undertaking (but should not
expose any deep schemes or mysteries, especially if
the coterie is unaware of them). The character who
interacted with the Storyteller character in question
describes the encounter.
Nosferatu
So far as many Nosferatu are concerned, a coterie
is a makeshift family unit, and the clan is already a
member of one of the largest family units that exist.
A Nosferatu’s bond with other Sewer Rats is poten tially already strong, in no small part due to their
nature as outcasts among Kindred society. Whether
dwelling in underground warrens or remote hideouts, many Nosferatu come to view the world as
a binary: the host of “presentable” Kindred, and
themselves.
This pragmatic outlook creates an interesting
consequence, in that Nosferatu tend to be fairly
open-minded in terms of which coteries they join.
A single Nosferatu may even be a member of several
coteries at any given time, each without the knowledge of each other. There’s probably no attempted
duplicity in this; rather, a Nosferatu may simply
compartmentalise their social circles, regarding one
coterie as valuable for one purpose and another coterie for other goals. One of these might even be an
all-Nosferatu coterie that transcends sect allegiance.
Enterprising Nosferatu across the history of the
Kindred have acted as information brokers, and
many of the clan continue to play this part even
tonight. How they use information, though, can
be intensely personal. Nosferatu may freely share
information with coterie-mates, simply for the
chance to interact with the “beautiful” part of the
world. This in itself is a huge benefit for a Nosferatu
who belongs to a cosmopolitan coterie: The chance
to simply hang out at a nightclub or walk the city
streets under starlight may do wonders to abate the
Orlok’s sense of alienation.
Of course, not all coteries are quite so accepting
of the Nosferatu, and some Sewer Rats simply can’t
bring themselves to trust other vampires. Their
unique clan curse presents a social barrier that many
Kindred must strive to overcome. Whilst every one
of the Damned harbors a Beast within, the Nosferatu’s cursed blood exposes theirs for the world to see.
(Players interested in exploring these themes should
work with their fellow players and Storyteller to
ensure that they keep considerate play in mind and
respect all involved.)
●● CONTEXTUAL CONTACT (Clan Coterie Merit)
Nosferatu Kindred often know
more about their contacts than the contacts themselves, being able to leverage niche skills and hidden
talents of their associates and others’. Once per
session, a member of a coterie that has a Nosferatu
with this Merit can add the highest single Contact
rating of another member of the coterie to any
one test to recover information (such as recovering
deleted data, using social engineering to acquire a
login password, or rifling a physical file cabinet).
The contact needs to be involved in some way, but
the test is allowed to fall outside their usual area of
expertise for this test only. A Contact can only be
used once per story for this purpose.
Ravnos
The Gangrel’s nomadic nature gets the benefit
of the doubt, their Blood being wilder than most.
The Ravnos rarely enjoy such benefits, and though
the Ravnos can be found almost everywhere,
thriving in any environment, the more conservative Kindred social structures often regard them as
weeds that need to be plucked from their carefully
curated gardens.
A lone Ravnos finds themselves a ready target
for clans that look down on their peripatetic tendencies. Although the clan cares little for the opinions
of so-called “high clans” who simply don’t understand the realities of Ravnos unlife, many Ravens
concede that they may have a point: Some roots are
better than no roots. If a Ravnos wants to survive,
there need to be some concessions made. What better way to develop those roots than among members
of a coterie? Coteries represent safety in numbers,
after all.
When it comes to coteries, the Ravnos’ itinerant nature has the potential to make them boon
members. They know the best places to lie low in a
domain, having discovered them while evading their
doom, and are skilled at discerning secrets, whether
through subservient animals or inveigled mortals.
These secrets can then be used to the advantage of
the coterie. Rogues keep their ears to the ground,
often hearing of threats long before they garner the
notice of more prominent and therefore powerful.
Whatever other clans may think of the Ravnos, they
often have the ability to come through in the clutch
just as it’s needed.
Almost like they planned it that way.
●●● CRYPTOLECT (Clan Coterie Merit)
Being forever on the move means having to find
new ways to communicate with allies. Using coded
language, onomatopoeia, and gestures, this Merit
provides the Ravnos and their coterie with their
own pidgin for the express purposes of communicating with each other — practically no one outside
the coterie understands it, short of expert surveillance. The coterie’s cryptolect is not eloquent or robust, but can be used to convey high-level concepts
quickly and securely, and isn’t identifiable as any
other language. It also requires face-to-face presence to function, as its gestures and signs diminish
when observed over phone or video calls. Leaving
the coterie or losing its Ravnos member means the
Kindred are no longer up-to-date on the cryptolect
and can’t use it to communicate subsequently.
Toreador
If it’s exclusive access to the inner circles of power
or the dangerous proximity to fame you seek, look
no further than the Toreador. The Divas have the
knack for homing in on the desires of others and
turning them to their own gain. While the Ventrue
like to brag about their successes and pedigree, the
Toreador watch from afar with an air of smug satisfaction. Sometimes, it is better to show and not tell.
Few understand the social needs of Kindred
more than the self-styled doyennes of Kindred
culture. The clan boasts of invite-only salons whose
guest list may as well read as a who’s who. Connected at every level of society, from the perennially
popular to the brightest rising stars among the neonates, they can put you into contact with whomever
you desire. Their reach also extends outside of
Kindred society, and into the mortal world. Ever
want to meet your idol or get a taste of their blood?
A Diva can arrange that. All you have to do is model
for a sculpture or indulge in a night of passion. Such
a small price to pay for doors to be opened.
For the Toreador, les petit salons, as some are
fond of calling coteries, are a regular part of their
existence. They are tiny but extremely valuable communities in which the Clan of the Rose may gain
new artistic insight or reignite a waning inspiration,
but also to continue to further their own personal
network. Everyone wishes they were a Toreador, but
in lieu of having the Blood, having a Toreador in
your coterie often does the trick. The more important the Diva is to a domain, the better. It’s easier
to get things done when one can bend the ear of
those with high status and offer the coterie’s luster
to them in return. If one can handle the slings and
arrows of Kindred social fortune and indulge the
Divas’ fits of pique, one will find a strong ally with
all the connections they could ever need.
● ALL ACCESS (Clan Coterie Merit)
Whether it’s the premiere of a film by a budding auteur, a
fundraising gala for an aspiring politico, or the dive
bar that suddenly has a dress code because it doesn’t
like the looks of you, you know how to get yourself
in — even without an actual invitation. Once per
game session, when a coterie is faced with a barrier
to enter a mortal event or facility, they can get past
the bouncers or security guards by being on the
guest list or having a connection to whatever passes
for owner or patron. This applies only to situations
with some kind of door staff or guest list; it doesn’t
circumvent security systems, mystical wards, or the
like, and the Storyteller is of course free to block
entry if this would somehow short-circuit a story
(but should then provide the players with a juicy
clue instead).
Tremere
It is difficult to say whether a coterie is fortunate or
cursed to have a Tremere in its ranks. Many Kindred look upon the Usurpers as being more arrogant than they have any right to be, and the Tremere
in return see their cunning and ruthlessness in their
pursuit of knowledge as an advantage that the other
clans tend to dismiss. The Tremere know what
they bring to Kindred society: knowledge and true
mastery of certain mystic secrets.
Blood Sorcery is perhaps the most potent of advantages to which the Tremere have access that lend
well to their inclusion in coteries. Second is their
ability to quickly adapt to changing situations, using their keen minds to implement solutions to the
obstacles they may encounter. There is one thing
that is certain: When you have a Tremere in your
coterie, you probably have meticulous accounting,
planning, and resource management on your side.
The Tremere see the value in having connections
to these loose associations of “like-minded” Kindred. One doesn’t think of the Usurpers as especially adept in social matters, but their occult networks
offer another way to attain knowledge, whether
through mutual exchange or carefully conducted
experiments that their peers are unaware of — but
that may nonetheless yield a timely edge.
●● MULTI-LEVEL LOREKEEPING (Clan Coterie Merit)
Despite the Tremere reputation
for jealously hoarding occult knowledge, many
vestiges of the notorious Pyramid actually facilitate
the sharing of such among scholars of the forbidden. Once per game session, a single Kindred in a
coterie with a Tremere who has this Merit can use a
Loresheet Advantage that someone else in the coterie possess, including clan-specific Loresheets, at the
Storyteller’s discretion. This additional Loresheet
Advantage is usable only for the game session, and
any knowledge supposed by the Loresheet Advantage is not retained thereafter by the borrower.
Tzimisce
The Tzimisce are an intimidating force for any
social group, in no small part due to their demeanor. Most Dragons would regard the coterie as theirs
much as they would consider an estate or household
as their own. Whether when claiming six blocks as
inviolate domain or executing takeover of a mortal
zaibatsu, relating to a world outpacing them can
pose a significant hindrance. A Tzimisce may, for
instance, see little wrong with controlling the minds
of a score of mortals and may even believe that this
is an act of “subtlety” on account of having left no
bodies in their wake. Of course, the social dynamics
of most coteries operate on a far less vertical model,
but even so, many Kindred may see a value in feeding the Tzimisce’s ego.
Individual vampires of Tzimisce frequently consider themselves the most important of all Kindred,
and though they may observe delicate and fraught
hospitalities as a courtesy to their fellows, this is often a somewhat obvious facade. Dragons can nurse
grudges against other Tzimisce with enough vitriol
to put a Toreador vendetta to shame.
More often, Tzimisce join coteries with members of other clans. Even though the Voivodes may
presume a certain superiority over their colleagues,
this does not preclude affection, as peculiar a form
as it may take. The Tzimisce perspective is broad,
and they may view coterie-mates as fellows, rivals,
compatriots, attendants, or even vassals under their
care. For some Dragons, coteries are a source of
status: something to be hoarded, cultivated, and
ultimately used as a badge of honour. This anachronistic perspective affords value to the recognition
and prestige of having an entourage and ultimately
being responsible for them, as an Old World lord
might.
The coteries themselves have every reason to
count a Tzimisce among them. After all, being
part of a Tzimisce’s cadre means that you are under
their protection, as the custom of hospitality (or the
notion of ownership…) demands. For coteries of an
especially strong stomach, the powers that a Tzimisce can wield are often enough to support claims
of territory. With their affinity for manipulating
corporeal forms, a Tzimisce is often equally capable
in the Horrid Form as an aesthetic virtuoso, reshaping coterie-mates into paragons of physical beauty.
●● OLD-WORLD HOSPITALITY (Clan Coterie Merit)
Enter freely and of your own will.
At the beginning of a session, any members of the
coterie who stayed at the Tzimisce’s haven when the
previous session concluded restore an additional
Superficial Willpower damage.
Ventrue
Those who hold the keys to the kingdom seek ever
to extend their control, and if the Kindred of the
Clan of Kings desire one thing in common, it is
the ability to derive more power from their existing
power capital. Financial, political, governmental —
they cultivate a facility in every source of worldly
power imaginable, making them the ally everyone
wants, but the price of doing business with them is
too costly for the Blood of many. It may be difficult
for Kindred of other clans to find common ground
with the Ventrue without feeling that they’re competitors or, worse, obstacles.
Coteries that have at least one Blue Blood among
them quickly learn what the phrase “proximity
to power” means. The connections an ambitious
Venture cultivates are often their own reward for
a Ventrue’s coterie-mates, whether in the form of
talented and ambitious retainers, well-connected
allies, or the luxuries of extensive resources. Need
to lock down an intersection to occlude a Masquerade breach? Foreclose on a rival’s haven? Launder
money from a dockside deal? A savvy Ventrue can
do that, and so much more — all you need to do is
ask.
Which isn’t to say that the Ventrue is a magic
wand for the coterie’s temporal problem-solving.
One does not cultivate a Clan of Kings, carefully
building networks spanning centuries with ghouls,
willing mortals, and neonates acting as their eyes
and ears at every level of world government and aristocracy, by running errands for those less capable
than oneself. God created ghouls and mortals to do
the scutwork, after all. The premise of a Ventrue’s
participation in a coterie is to occupy a position of
value, and if that Blue Blood ends up developing the
coterie into a willing subsidiary of Ventrue, Inc.,
well, the coterie should have piped up earlier if it
had a problem with the value proposition.
●● KINDRED LEGACIES (Clan Coterie Merit)
The Ventrue understand that a vampire’s
legacy carries with it an accounting of the deeds
of their progenitors. For some Blue Bloods, this
emerges via written histories while others may have
certain sires or scholars among their acquaintances.
However it manifests, once per session, a member
of the coterie with a Ventrue who has this Merit
may ask the Storyteller to reveal a piece of relevant
information about the history of a single vampire
with whom they’ve come in contact. This could
be something specific, such as “the Ministry club
owner smuggled fugitive Anarchs out of town after
an uprising in LA,” or more mysterious such as
“the allegations levied against that Kindred’s greatgrandsire having committed diablerie were untrue,
but his childe still carries the shame to this night.”
