The Traditions
According to numerous Kindred legends, three laws have governed the Damned since their first nights: that they should hide from mortals, that they should not sire any childer, and that they should not slay each other to consume the souls of the fallen. The Kindred break all three laws, but they find that the metaphysical limitations governing them are not easily flouted. Meanwhile, players learn that each Tradition has a tangible effect within the game.
The Kindred appear as blurry images in mirrors, photographs, video monitors and other media that capture or transmit visual images. This mystic distortion protects the identity of individual Kindred. As security cameras become more common, the odds increase that a camera will capture the image of a vampire feeding, committing some other crime, surviving a gunshot that would slay a mortal, or using a Discipline to perform some impossible feat. Anyone who looks at a photograph or camera image might tell that something strange, criminal or impossible has taken place, but they cannot identify the Kindred in question. Without a person to attach to the deed, the distorted image becomes just one more insoluble mystery in a mysterious world.
In some ways, this blurring endangers the Masquerade. Kindred need to stay away from large mirrors, lest mortals notice the one distorted reflection. Canny witchhunters have identified vampires by glancing back and forth from the people around them to a small mirror hidden in hand. A security guard watching a monitor might be puzzled by why one person looks like a blur when everyone else shows up crisp and clear.
A Kindred can turn off this blurring effect for a scene by expending a Willpower point. With regard to lasting media, such as video tapes, photographs and digital film footage, spending a Willpower point allows a vampire’s image to remain intact on that media for a number of days equal to 11 minus the Kindred’s Blood Potency. A player may choose to spend a Willpower dot on behalf of the character when she is photographed (or filmed) to make that particular image permanent. As such, with an effort of will, a Kindred can have a photographic identification or “prove” to a vampire-hunter that of course she’s not a vampire — she shows up in photographs just like anyone else!
The strange occlusion that occurs to vampire images does not apply to voice recordings. Kindred voices are recorded normally, without the expenditure of Willpower.
The act of creating a new Kindred exacts a steep price from those who break this law, requiring a supreme effort of will. Kindred who sire childer seem to pass part of their souls to their offspring. Their force of will weakens slightly, a debility that can remain for years. A Kindred who sires several childer in a short time could render himself so weak-willed that his enemies would surely ruin him — if his conniving get didn’t get to him first.
In rules terms, a character must sacrifice a dot of Willpower in order to sire a childe. Nothing can restore the lost Willpower dot except increasing the trait with experience points.
Kindred rarely feel sorry when they kill each other. Or if they do, their regret seldom lasts long. Any Kindred, from the most ethical to the most jaded, finds herself a little more callous and ruthless after killing a fellow vampire and consuming his heartsblood. No contrition or atonement can avert this erosion of the Man and strengthening of the Beast. Vampires become less able to pass for human with mortals, they find that temptations to vice increase, and deeds that once repelled them no longer prick their conscience.
In rules terms, the Humanity dots of a character who commits Diablerie decrease by one. The loss happens automatically, with no need for a degeneration roll (though the Humanity roll that follows to check for a derangement occurs normally; see p. 182). The circumstances don’t matter, either. No matter how much another vampire deserves to die, none may be judged except by God, and the Tradition of Amaranth allows for no exceptions. A Kindred who diablerizes another Kindred can recover her lost Humanity in time… but once again, doing so requires accumulating and spending experience points.
The Tradition of Masquerade
The Tradition of Masquerade, sometimes known as the Tradition of Secrecy, commands the Kindred to not reveal their presence to mortals. Clearly, Kindred walk among mortals every night, but the Masquerade defends itself in a subtle way. Indeed, the Kindred discovered the full implications of this Tradition in recent nights. What they once took to be a selfdefeating curse upon them now stands revealed as a blessing granted millennia in advance. Of course, any blessing on the Damned carries its own price.The Kindred appear as blurry images in mirrors, photographs, video monitors and other media that capture or transmit visual images. This mystic distortion protects the identity of individual Kindred. As security cameras become more common, the odds increase that a camera will capture the image of a vampire feeding, committing some other crime, surviving a gunshot that would slay a mortal, or using a Discipline to perform some impossible feat. Anyone who looks at a photograph or camera image might tell that something strange, criminal or impossible has taken place, but they cannot identify the Kindred in question. Without a person to attach to the deed, the distorted image becomes just one more insoluble mystery in a mysterious world.
In some ways, this blurring endangers the Masquerade. Kindred need to stay away from large mirrors, lest mortals notice the one distorted reflection. Canny witchhunters have identified vampires by glancing back and forth from the people around them to a small mirror hidden in hand. A security guard watching a monitor might be puzzled by why one person looks like a blur when everyone else shows up crisp and clear.
A Kindred can turn off this blurring effect for a scene by expending a Willpower point. With regard to lasting media, such as video tapes, photographs and digital film footage, spending a Willpower point allows a vampire’s image to remain intact on that media for a number of days equal to 11 minus the Kindred’s Blood Potency. A player may choose to spend a Willpower dot on behalf of the character when she is photographed (or filmed) to make that particular image permanent. As such, with an effort of will, a Kindred can have a photographic identification or “prove” to a vampire-hunter that of course she’s not a vampire — she shows up in photographs just like anyone else!
The strange occlusion that occurs to vampire images does not apply to voice recordings. Kindred voices are recorded normally, without the expenditure of Willpower.
The Tradition of Progeny
The Tradition of Progeny commands the Kindred not to curse any other mortals with undeath. Here, surely, the Kindred have most egregiously disobeyed whatever unholy force has spawned them.The act of creating a new Kindred exacts a steep price from those who break this law, requiring a supreme effort of will. Kindred who sire childer seem to pass part of their souls to their offspring. Their force of will weakens slightly, a debility that can remain for years. A Kindred who sires several childer in a short time could render himself so weak-willed that his enemies would surely ruin him — if his conniving get didn’t get to him first.
In rules terms, a character must sacrifice a dot of Willpower in order to sire a childe. Nothing can restore the lost Willpower dot except increasing the trait with experience points.
The Tradition of Amaranth
As a sort of final commandment, the Damned find it difficult to commit Diablerie upon each other. Any time the Kindred disobey their undead natures, they learn that their defiance carries a price.Kindred rarely feel sorry when they kill each other. Or if they do, their regret seldom lasts long. Any Kindred, from the most ethical to the most jaded, finds herself a little more callous and ruthless after killing a fellow vampire and consuming his heartsblood. No contrition or atonement can avert this erosion of the Man and strengthening of the Beast. Vampires become less able to pass for human with mortals, they find that temptations to vice increase, and deeds that once repelled them no longer prick their conscience.
In rules terms, the Humanity dots of a character who commits Diablerie decrease by one. The loss happens automatically, with no need for a degeneration roll (though the Humanity roll that follows to check for a derangement occurs normally; see p. 182). The circumstances don’t matter, either. No matter how much another vampire deserves to die, none may be judged except by God, and the Tradition of Amaranth allows for no exceptions. A Kindred who diablerizes another Kindred can recover her lost Humanity in time… but once again, doing so requires accumulating and spending experience points.
Type
Text, Legislative