Nature and Demeanor

“If you want to say something and have people listen then you have to wear a mask. If you want to be honest then you have to live a lie.”
—Banksy

Everyone plays a role, often several, every day. Every individual displays multiple layers of personality, varying from the contrived to the sincere. Each of these roles defines how we interact with the people and places around us, and we choose which parts of ourselves we wish to show.

It is the same with Kindred. The concept of Nature and Demeanor corresponds directly to the different masks we wear when we interact. A character’s Nature is her true self, her innermost being — the person she truly is. It is dangerous to show this, though, as it lets others know who we are and what is important to us. Thus, characters also have Demeanors, faces they show to the world. By choosing how we relate to the world, we are able to choose how it relates to us as well, as we guide the responses others give us.

Philosophy aside, personality also has an effect on mechanics. A character may regain her drive and sense of purpose by acting in accordance with her Nature and Demeanor. Every time a character fulfills the requirement of her Nature or Demeanor Archetype that character regains a point of spent Willpower. Fulfilling that requirement in a particularly daring, successful, clever, or otherwise exceptional way yields a full Willpower refresh.

Nature: This is a one-word archetype that represents your character’s true self. Is she a Barbarian at heart? A Caretaker? A Survivor? This is the “true” personality of your character — who she is deep down. The Archetype a player chooses reflects that character’s deep-rooted feelings about herself, others, and the world. Nature should not be the only aspect of a character’s true personality, merely the most dominant.

Demeanor: Another one-word archetype (chosen from the same list as Nature) that represents the face your character shows the world. It is the “mask” she wears to protect her inner self. More often than not, Nature and Demeanor are different, especially given the unknown paths of the human mind. Also, Demeanor refers to the attitude a character adopts most often — people change Demeanors as often as they change their minds. Demeanor has no effect on any rules. Thus, characters also have Demeanors, faces they show to the world. Demeanor is the mask she wears.

Archetypes allow players to build a sense of personality for their characters, and to define a bit of what makes the character tick. It is worth noting that Archetypes are not rigid; characters need not slavishly devote themselves to their Natures and Demeanors. Rather, the character should act as the player reasonably or emotionally believes she would act in a given situation. Players and Storytellers may wish to define their own Archetypes that more closely exemplify how the character in question responds to her surroundings. After all, every character is an individual, and customized Archetypes should be a logical outgrowth of a well-rounded character.

What follows are some example character Archetypes for a wide variety of characters. Some Archetypes are better suited for certain clans and covenants than others.

Archetypes

Archetype	Description
Architect	You build something of lasting value.
Autocrat	You need control.
Autist	You hide your secrets from others.
Bon Vivant	Life is for pleasure.
Bravo	Might makes right.
Capitalist	Why give it away for free when you can sell it?
Caregiver	Everyone needs nurturing.
Cavalier	You protect that which is good.
Celebrant	You take joy in your cause.
Chameleon	You manage to blend into any situation.
Child	You need others to take care of you.
Competitor	You must be the best.
Confidant	You understand people and they confide in you.
Conformist	You follow and assist.
Conniver	Others exist for your benefit.
Creep Show	You strive to shock and disgust.
Critic	You insist on your high expectations being met.
Curmudgeon	You are fatalistic and pessimistic, and sometimes right.
Dabbler	You are interested in everything, but focus on nothing.
Defender	You stand guard over that for which you care.
Deviant	You are a freak, ostracized from society.
Director	You seek to be in charge, to bring order.
Enigma	Your actions are bizarre, puzzling, and inexplicable.
Eye of the Storm	You are unphased and often surrounded in chaos.
Fanatic	You are consumed by a singular purpose.
Gallant	You seek attention and validation above all.
Guru	You counsel those who come to you for spiritual matters.
Honest Abe	You cannot tell a lie.
Idealist	You truly believe in a higher morality or ideal.
Judge	You seek to improve the system, in the name of justice.
Loner	You prefer your own company.
Martyr	You suffer greatly for your cause or belief.
Masochist	You suffer greatly for your own gain, and enjoy it.
Mediator	You arbitrate between parties.
Monster	You’re Damned, so act like it!
Optimist	You see the glass half full despite everything..
Pedagogue	You know everything, and people need to be informed.
Penitent	You commit to atoning for your evils.
Perfectionist	You must be flawless, as should others.
Plotter	You must plan for every contingency and action.
Praise-Seeker	You crave approval and praise from those around you.
Rebel	You are never satisfied with the status quo.
Rogue	You have only your best interests in mind.
Sadist	You exist to inflict pain and discomfort.
Scientist	You see life as a puzzle of logic to be solved.
Sociopath	You feel nothing at the deaths of the inferior masses.
Soldier	You follow orders, but apply your own techniques.
Survivor	You refuse to give in against all odds.
Sycophant	You require others to help you survive.
Thrill-Seeker	You thrive on the rush of near death.
Traditionalist	You stand stalwart with the old ways.
Trickster	You can find humor in even the darkest days.
Visionary	You strive for what society could be.

Architect

The Architect has a sense of purpose even greater than herself. She is truly happy only when creating something of lasting value for others. People will always need things, and the Architect strives to provide at least one necessity. Inventors, pioneers, town founders, entrepreneurs, and the like are all Architect Archetypes. A Kindred Architect might seek to create new laws that affect her fellow undead, or she might aim to establish a new Anarch domain.

Regain Willpower: Establish something of importance or lasting value.

Autocrat

The Autocrat wants to be in charge. He seeks prominence for its own sake, not because he has an operation’s best interests at heart or because he has the best ideas (though he may certainly think so). He may genuinely believe others are incompetent, but ultimately he craves power and control. Dictators, gang leaders, bullies, corporate raiders, and their ilk are Autocrat Archetypes. A Kindred Autocrat may crave a title, or he may wish to be recognized as the leader of a coterie.

Regain Willpower: Achieve control over a group or organization involving other individuals.

Autist

You hide your secrets from others. Even more importantly, you hide your true self. Anyone who understands you can hurt you, so no one must ever see the real you, or even come close. Give away as little of yourself as possible, adopt a false personality if you like, but just make sure no one discovers the truth about you. Knowledge is power, and those who know you can do anything they like to you.

Regain Willpower: Another character confesses he is unable to understand you, or whenever someone makes a false assumption about you that gives you an advantage.

Bon Vivant

The Bon Vivant knows that life – and unlife – is shallow and meaningless. As such, the Bon Vivant decides to enjoy her time on Earth. The Bon Vivant is not necessarily irresponsible. Rather, she is simply predisposed to having a good time along the way. Most Bon Vivants have low Resolve or Composure scores, as they are so given to excess. Hedonists, sybarites, and dilettantes are all examples of the Bon Vivant Archetype. A Kindred Bon Vivant may sire a brood of fawning childer, or he may spend his time gorging on the blood of drug abusers for the contact high.

Regain Willpower: Truly enjoy yourself and fully express your exultation.

Bravo

The Bravo is a tough guy and a bully, and often takes perverse pleasure in tormenting the weak. To the Bravo’s mind, might makes right. Power is what matters, and only those with power should be respected. Naturally, physical power is the best kind, but any kind will do. The Bravo sees overt threats as a perfectly reasonable means of gaining cooperation. The Bravo is not incapable of pity or kindness; he just prefers to do things his way. Robbers, bigots, and thugs are all Bravo Archetypes. A Kindred Bravo may abuse authority the system has granted him, or he may — violently or otherwise — force other Kindred out of his way to get what he wants. He’s almost certainly an asshole.

Regain Willpower: Achieve your agenda through brutishness or intimidation. This need not be physical, as many Bravos verbally or socially cow their victims.

Capitalist

You are the ultimate mercenary, realizing that there is always a market to be developed – anything can be a commodity. You have a keen understanding of how to manipulate both kine and Cainites into thinking that they need specifc goods or services. Appearance and inﬂuence are everything when it comes to the big sale, though you’ll use anything to your advantage. Sales-men, soldiers of fortune, and bootlickers all adhere to the Capitalist Archetype.

Regain Willpower: Make a successful “sale” of any commodity. Commodities need not be physical items; they may be bits of information, favors, or other intangibles.

Caregiver

Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on. A Caregiver takes her comfort in consoling others, and people often come to her with their problems. Vampires with Caregiver Archetypes often attempt, as best they can, to protect the mortals on whom they feed. Nurses, doctors, and psychiatrists are examples of potential Caregivers. Caregiver Kindred are often the type who – tragically – Embrace mortal loves they’ve left behind in hopes of softening their loss, or even those who create situations of grief in order to ease it and thus validate themselves.

Regain Willpower: Successfully protect or nurture someone else.

Cavalier

You are as bold, intrepid, valiant and fearless as you need to be to complete your duty. You are the hero who tries to live up to glorious ideals and codes of justice. By protecting that which is good, you seek to preserve the society that made you what you are. If your Nature is Cavalier, and your Humanity ever falls below four, you have to choose a new Nature. You probably hate Deviants, though you may not always recognize them.

Regain Willpower Accomplish a task that positively affects the group to which you belong.

Celebrant

The Celebrant takes joy in her cause. Whether the character’s passion is battle, religion, foiling her rivals, or reading fne literature, it gives the Celebrant the strength to withstand adversity. Given the chance, the Celebrant will indulge in her passion as deeply as possible. Unlike the Fanatic, the Celebrant pursues her cause not out of duty, but out of enthusiasm. Crusaders, hippies, political activists, and art enthusiasts are Celebrant Archetypes. Celebrant Kindred may cleave to mortal ideologies that are incongruous with their new Damned conditions, or they may be the advocates of new trends and causes that move through undead society.

Regain Willpower: Pursue your cause or convert another character to the same passion.

Chameleon

Independent and self-reliant, you carefully study the behavior and mannerisms of everyone you come in contact with so you can pass yourself off as someone else later. You spend so much time altering your mannerisms and appearance that your own sire may not even recognize you. Spies, con artists, drag queens, and impostors best represent the Chameleon.

Regain Willpower: Fool someone into thinking you’re someone else for your own (or your pack or coterie‘s) benefit.

Child

The Child is still immature in personality and temperament. He wants what he wants now, and often prefers someone to give it to him. Although he can typically care for himself, he would rather have someone cater to his capricious desires. Some Child Archetypes are actually innocent rather than immature, ignorant of the cold ways of the real world. Actual children, spoiled individuals, and some drug abusers are Child Archetypes. Kindred with the Child Archetype might have not yet fully reached an understanding of the world and have some characteristic such as cruelty, entitlement, sympathy, or hunger that is out of balance with their other personality aspects, as they haven’t yet reached the “rounded” state of adulthood. Note that a Child Archetype need not be a physical, literal child at the time of Embrace. Some people simply never grow up.

Regain Willpower: Convince someone to help you with no gain to herself, or to nurture you.

Competitor

The Competitor takes great excitement in the pursuit of victory. To the Competitor, every task is a new challenge to meet and a new contest to win. Indeed, the Competitor sees all interactions as some sort of opportunity for her to be the best – the best leader, the most productive, the most valuable, or whatever. Corporate raiders, professional athletes, and impassioned researchers are all examples of Competitor Archetypes. Kindred Competitors have any number of resources and accomplishments over which to assert themselves, from mortal herds and creature comforts to titles and prestige in Kindred society.

Regain Willpower: Succeed at a test or challenge. Note that a test or challenge is more than just a dice roll; it’s an entire dramatic situation.

Confidant

You understand people, and, more importantly, you like them. You are a facilitator who listens and advises. People confess to you and in return you give them advice, most of which is good (though sometimes your advice is more for your own benefit than for that of the recipient). You are very interested in other people, and who and what they are, and personalities fascinate you, as do the sickness and beauty of human nature.

Regain Willpower: Someone confides in you on a personal and intimate level.

Conformist

The Conformist is a follower, taking another’s lead and fnding security in the decisions of others. She prefers not to take charge, instead seeking to throw in with the rest of the group and lend her own unique aid. The Conformist is drawn to the most dynamic personality or the individual she perceives to be the “best.” Being a Conformist is not necessarily a bad thing – every group needs followers to lend stability to their causes. Groupies, party voters, and “the masses” are Conformist Archetypes. Conformist Kindred can take many forms, from the ardent Sabbat pack member, to the Kindred who follows a clan-frst agenda, to the trusted supporters of a titled vampire or rising star.

Regain Willpower: The group or your supported leader achieves a goal due to your support.

Conniver

Why work for something when you can trick somebody else into getting it for you? The Conniver always tries to fnd the easy way, the fast track to success and wealth. Some people call him a thief, a swindler, or less pleasant terms, but he knows that everybody in the world would do unto him if they could. He just does it frst, and better. Criminals, con artists, salespeople, urchins, and entrepreneurs might be Connivers. Some would argue that all Kindred are Connivers in some sense, but those that have the Conniver archetype may be abusive to their childer and ghouls, or they may be more persuasive in gaining support for their machinations.

Regain Willpower: Trick someone into doing something for you, or when you convince someone to help you against their own best interests.

Creep show

You strive to shock and disgust those around you with gratuitous acts and ostentatiously “evil” mannerisms. You realize, of course, that it’s all show and merely a way to intimidate and control others. Outsiders, on the other hand, think you are the Devil incarnate, and you revel in this image. Shock-rockers, rebellious teenagers, circus freaks, and the attention-starved exemplify the Creep Show Archetype.

Regain Willpower: Someone recoils from you in horror or otherwise reacts in fear.

Critic

Nothing in the world should be accepted without thorough scrutiny and examination. Nothing is ever perfect, and the blemishes must be pointed out in order for the good to be truly known. Your standards are high for everything, and you insist on their being met. You encourage the same ideals in others, because laxity and low standards reduce the quality of life for everyone. Others will thank you later, once they discover the purity of your perspective. You seek out and expose the imperfections in every person or thing you encounter. You are never satisfied with anything that is less than perfect, unless it is within yourself (after all, you’re not a perfectionist).

Regain Willpower: You are able to discover a significant imperfection that has escaped the attention of others.

Curmudgeon

A Curmudgeon is bitter and cynical, fnding ﬂaws in everything and seeing little humor in life or unlife. He is often fatalistic or pessimistic, and has very little esteem for others. To the Curmudgeon, the glass is never more than half-full, though it may be damn near empty when other people are involved. Many Internet junkies, pop-culture fans, and Generation Xers are Curmudgeons. Kindred Curmudgeons see elder oppression or spoiled neonates running amok behind every development in undead society, and may or may not rise beyond acerbic grumbling to change any problems they perceive.

Regain Willpower: Someone does something specific and negative, just like you said they would. You must predict and quantify this failure aloud, such as by warning, “The Prince is going to fuck us on this one,” or “Just watch, that Malkavian’s ghoul is going to do something really reckless.” You may simply whisper your prophecy of grief to the Storyteller if you wish, instead of announcing it to the whole troupe.

Dabbler

The Dabbler is interested in everything but focuses on nothing. He ﬂits from idea to idea, passion to passion, and project to project without actually fnishing anything. Others may get swept up in the Dabbler’s enthusiasm, and be left high and dry when he moves on to something else without warning. Most Dabblers have high Intelligence, Charisma, and Manipulation ratings, but not much in the way of Wits or Stamina. Toreador are often Dabblers, particularly those afﬂicted with the derisive sobriquet “Poseurs.”

Regain Willpower: Find a new enthusiasm and drop your old one completely.

Defender

Everything that matters in the world struggles to survive in the face of its enemies. This isn’t necessarily a commitment to tradition, though. The thing you defend may be some fragile innovation or the hope of future progress. You may see your role in martial terms, or otherwise; this is an Archetype for healers and priests as well as warriors. You find your fulfillment in defending the cause to which you’re given your allegiance.

Regain Willpower: You successfully defend your chosen object of loyalty from some outside threat.

Deviant

The Deviant is a freak, ostracized from society by unique tastes or beliefs that place her outside the mainstream. Deviants are not indolent rebels or shiftless “unrecognized geniuses”; rather, they are independent thinkers who don’t quite ft in the status quo. Deviant Archetypes often feel that the world stands against them, and as such reject traditional morality. Some have bizarre tastes, preferences, and ideologies. Extremists, eccentric celebrities, and straight-up weirdos are Deviant Archetypes. Kindred deviants may observe heretical or outlawed habits like diablerie or deference to elders, and they may well go Anarch or Autarkis instead of having to constantly defend their subversion of Traditions or sect customs.

Regain Willpower: You are able to flout social mores without retribution.

Director

To the Director, nothing is worse than chaos and disorder. The Director seeks to be in charge, adopting a “my way or the highway” attitude on matters of decision-making. The Director is more concerned with bringing order out of strife, however, and need not be truly “in control” of a group to guide it. Coaches, teachers, and many political figures exemplify the Director Archetype. Kindred Directors may be simple advocates of established codes, or they may prove instrumental in tearing down corrupt existing orders to make way for new leaders or factional movements.

Regain Willpower: You influence or aid a group or influential individual in the completion of a difficult task.

Enigma

Your actions are bizarre, puzzling, and inexplicable to everyone except yourself. Your strangeness may be a residual effect from your Embrace, or the most effective way for you to carry out your work. To the rest of the world, however, your erratic actions suggest that you’re eccentric if not completely crazy. Conspiracy theorists, deep-cover agents, and Jyhad fanatics all live up to the Enigma Archetype

Regain Willpower: Someone is completely perplexed or baffled by one of your actions that later turns out to be a fruitful endeavor.

Eye of the Storm

Despite your calm appearance, chaos and havoc seems to follow you. From burning cities to emotional upheaval, death and destruction circle you like albatrosses. For you, unlife is a never-ending trial with uncertainty around every corner. Gang leaders, political figures, and other inﬂuential individuals exemplify the Eye of the Storm Archetype.

Regain Willpower: A ruckus, riot, or less violent but equally chaotic phenomenon occurs around you.

Fanatic

The Fanatic has a purpose, and that purpose consumes his existence. The Fanatic pours himself into his cause, and he may even feel guilty for undertaking any objective that deviates from his higher goal. To the Fanatic, the end justifes the means – the cause is more important than those who serve it. Players who choose Fanatic Archetypes must select a cause for their character to further. Revolutionaries, zealots, and sincere frebrands are all examples of Fanatic Archetypes. Kindred Fanatics are often champions for or against a particular aspect of undead society, such as equality among all vampires, the extermination of Anarchs, or stamping infernalism out of the Sword of Caine.

Regain Willpower: Accomplish some task that directly relates to your cause.

Gallant

Gallants are flamboyant souls, always seeking attention and the chance to be the brightest star. Gallants seek the company of others, if only to earn their adoration. Attention drives the Gallant, and the chase is often as important as its end. Nothing excites a Gallant so much as a new audience to woo. Performers, only children, and those with low self-esteem often embody the Gallant Archetype. Kindred Gallants may be Harpies, or they may have enormous herds of doting thralls.

Regain Willpower: Successfully impress another person. Ultimately, the Storyteller is the arbiter of how much you dazzle someone, even in the case of other players’ characters.

Guru

Your enlightenment draws others to you. You may be a mentor of a particular Path of Enlightenment, a priest with the Church, or merely an idealist. Whatever the case, your presence motivates and moves others to engage in spiritual or ideological pursuits. Your peers view you as calm, centered, and “with it,” even when you are preaching violence as a means to an end. Cult leaders, Zen masters, and Pack Priests are examples of Gurus.

Regain Willpower: Someone seeks out your help in spiritual matters and your guidance moves that individual to an enlightened action that he normally would not have taken. Also, whenever you achieve an epiphany that relates to your personal philosophy.

Honest Abe

You have a moderate temperament, and refrain at all cost from telling lies and stealing from others. You were brought up to live honestly and openly, and to be good to others; you have lived your life (and unlife) by these simple truths ever since. You are not a dogmatist and do not insist that others live as you do, nor have you constructed a complicated set of rules for yourself. You are flexible in your behavior, but always carefully evaluate your actions against your beliefs.

Regain Willpower: Your honesty harms you or your friends in some way, but later turns out to help you. In other words, your honesty turns out to have been the proper way to do things, even from a pragmatic point of view.

Idealist

The Idealist believes – truly, madly, deeply – in some higher goal or morality. The object of his idealism may be something as pragmatic as the Camarilla’s eventual triumph or as amorphous as the ultimate good, but the belief is there. Idealists are frequently either very new to the Blood or very old, and many seek Golconda as the fnal expression of their idealism. In the meantime, an Idealist tries to reconcile his beliefs with the demands of vampiric existence, often acting contrary to his self-interest in doing so.

Regain Willpower: An action in pursuit of your ideals furthers your goals and brings your ideal closer to fruition.

Judge

The Judge perpetually seeks to improve the system. A Judge takes pleasure in her rational nature and ability to draw the right conclusion when presented with facts. The Judge respects justice, as it is the most effcient model for resolving issues. Judges, while they pursue the “streamlining” of problems, are rarely visionary, as they prefer proven models to insight. Engineers, lawyers, and doctors are often Judge Archetypes. Kindred Judges might gravitate toward enforcement roles in local society, or they might be a voice of reason in an otherwise radical coterie.

Regain Willpower: Correctly solve a problem by considering the evidence presented, or when one of your arguments unites dissenting parties.

Loner

Even in a crowd the Loner sticks out, because he so obviously does not belong. Others view Loners as pariahs, remote, and isolated, but in truth the Loner prefers his own company to that of others. For whatever reason, the Loner simply disdains others, and this feeling is often reciprocated. Criminals, radicals, and free thinkers are all Loner Archetypes. Kindred Loners often hail from one of the rugged individualist clans like the Gangrel or Ravnos, and they have a proclivity for ending up autarkis by dint of not giving a shit what some up-his-own-ass Prince or Archbishop says is a law.

Regain Willpower: You accomplish something by yourself, yet which still benefits the coterie in some way.

Martyr

The Martyr suffers for his cause, enduring his trials out of the belief that his discomfort will ultimately improve others’ lot. Some Martyrs simply want the attention or sympathy their ordeals engender, while others are sincere in their cause, greeting their opposition with unfaltering faith. Many revolutionaries, staunch idealists, and outcasts are Martyr Archetypes. Kindred Martyrs are often associated with reform movements among Kindred society, but rarely as figureheads – and they need not necessarily be on the pro-reform side of the issue.

Regain Willpower: You suffer some amount of damage or loss of a definable resource for your ideals or another’s immediate gain.

Masochist

The Masochist exists to test his limits, to see how much pain he can tolerate before he collapses. He gains satisfaction in humiliation, suffering, denial, and even physical pain. The Masochist defines who he is by his capacity to feel discomfort – he rises each night only to greet a new pain. Certain extreme athletes, urban tribalists, and the clinically depressed exemplify the Masochist Archetype. Kindred Masochists might be overtly self-mortifying horrors who play to their Beast’s self-destructive whims, or they may be ambitious taskmasters, as with a coterie leader who refuses to accept failure and pushes his own limits in his exacting schemes.

Regain Willpower: Your own suffering leads to some tangible gain for you, or you experience pain in a truly unique way.

Mediator

The world is full of people who want things; sometimes people want the exact same things. Some people have what other people want and would be willing to talk about working out a deal, but just don’t know how to start. These people often have immense trouble finding and communicating with each other. That is where you come in. You are dedicated to mediating between people, fulfilling needs; smoothing over disputes, and generally helping people talk to one another. You are the diplomat, the middle child, the perpetual person in the middle.

Regain Willpower: You are able to act as a go-between between two individuals or groups.

Monster

The Monster knows she is a creature of darkness and acts like it. Evil and suffering are the Monster’s tools, and she uses them wherever she goes. No villainy is below her, no hurt goes uninﬂicted, and no lie remains untold. The Monster does not commit evil for its own sake, but rather as a means to understand what she has become. Unstable individuals, those who have been greatly wronged or harmed, and those defned as sociopaths may come to display characteristics of the Monster Archetype. Kindred Monsters include many Sabbat, degenerate Kindred elders, and those who never adjust properly to what they have become after the Embrace.

Regain Willpower: Malignant deeds reinforce the Monster’s sense of purpose. Monster characters should pick a specific atrocity, regaining Willpower whenever they indulge that urge. For example, a tempter regains Willpower for luring someone into wickedness, while an apostate earns back Willpower for causing another to doubt her faith. Pick a destiny and fulfill it.

Storytellers, be careful with how you reward this Archetype. For example, a player who chooses violence as an atrocity shouldn’t recoup Willpower in every combat, but perhaps only in those that involve wanton destruction, or even cause degeneration checks due to their gruesomeness. Monster is a difficult Archetype for which to offer rewards, and those rewards should come as a result of the character challenging his own descent into the Beast, not rampaging ungovernably because he gains an ever-refreshing pool of dice rerolls.

Optimist

“Everything always turns out for the best.” That is the motto of your life, and you know if you can just stay cheerful and stop worrying, your problems will never be with you forever. Some call you a fool, but even they have to admit you’re happier than they are. Certainly you’ll encounter difficulties from time to time, but there’s no sense in worrying yourself to death in advance. Don’t worry, be happy, and have a nice day.

Regain Willpower: Things turn out for the best, just like you said they would. You must predict such an outcome, either out loud to the other characters or to yourself (tell the Storyteller).

Pedagogue

The Pedagogue knows it all, and desperately wants to inform others. Whether through a sense of purpose or a genuine desire to help others, the Pedagogue makes sure his message is heard – at length, if necessary. Pedagogue Archetypes may range from well-meaning mentors to verbose blowhards who love to hear themselves talk. Instructors, the overeducated, and “veterans of their feld” are all examples of Pedagogue Archetypes. Kindred Pedagogues include watchdogs of the Traditions, ideological Anarchs, and perhaps even that rare soul seeking Golconda who wants company on the journey.

Regain Willpower: You see or learn of someone who has benefited from the wisdom you shared with them.

Penitent

The Penitent exists to atone for the grave sin she commits simply by being who she is. Penitents have either low self-esteem or traumatic past experiences, and feel compelled to “make up” for inﬂicting themselves upon the world. Penitent Archetypes are not always religious in outlook; some truly want to scourge the world of the grief they bring to it. Repentant sinners, persons with low self-esteem, and remorseful criminals are examples of the Penitent Archetype. Penitent Kindred include those who scourge themselves of the Beast like medieval monks, vampires who stand up for the rights of mortals, and those who subsist entirely on the vitae of animals
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Regain Willpower: You feel that you have achieved absolution for a given grievance. This redemption should be of the same magnitude as the transgression – the greater the crime, the greater the penance. The Storyteller is the ultimate arbiter of what constitutes a reasonable act of reparation.

Perfectionist

Perfectionist Archetypes demand ﬂawless execution. A half-hearted job gives the Perfectionist no satisfaction, and she expects the same degree of commitment and attention to detail from others that she demands from herself. Although the Perfectionist may be exacting, the achievement of the end goal drives her, and often those for whom she is responsible. Prima donnas, artists, and architects exemplify the Perfectionist Archetype. A Perfectionist Kindred might be a zealous Sabbat member who expects more than his pack can consistently deliver, or she may be a moralist who sometimes applies her own high standards of Humanity to others in her coterie.

Regain Willpower: You accomplish your goal without any demonstrable flaw or impediment, or motivate another character to succeed as a result of your own shining example.

Plotter

Everything you do is planned. Very little springs from you spontaneously. Your plans are often long and involved, sometimes extending beyond the lives of the mortals involved in them. Details must be exact, for you believe any deviation could bring ruin. You try to plan everything in your life; each thing you do must accomplish something in the greater scheme. Deviation from routine, however, is bothersome, not traumatic. You are organized, not deranged. You tend to be neat and precise in everything you do.

Regain Willpower: One of your plots comes to fruition in the exact manner you planned, or you take specific steps to further your plots.

Praise-Seeker

Your self-worth is based entirely on the opinions of others. You crave approval and praise, and will go to extreme lengths to get such, even risking yourself and things you love. Unlike the Sycophant, you do not think of protection, and have no thought of using others’ good opinions to your own advantage, you simply crave praise and approval for their own sake, so you can feel good about yourself.

Regain Willpower: Another character offers unprompted praise, admiration, or appreciation.

Rebel

The Rebel is a malcontent, never satisfied with the status quo or the system as it is. He hates the very idea of authority and does everything in his power to challenge and undermine it. Perhaps the Rebel truly believes in his ideals, but it is just as likely that he bears authority figures some ill will over a “wrong” done to him in the past. A Rebel may hate institutions categorically, or she may be consumed with opposition toward a single particular authority. Teenagers, insurrectionists, and nonconformists all exemplify the Rebel Archetype. Rebel Kindred certainly include the Sabbat, Anarchs, and temperamental Brujah, but also have room for Tremere who chafe at the rigid clan hierarchy or neonates who deplore their sires.

Regain Willpower: Your actions adversely affect your chosen opposition. Rebels may oppose the government, the Church, a vampire Prince, or any other holder of authority. The player should choose whom or what his character rebels against when he adopts this Archetype. Storytellers should take rebellion against “all authority” with a grain of salt, and apply the Willpower reward for such a broad concept to only greater and greater actions of insurgency.

Rogue

Only one thing matters to the Rogue: herself. To each his own, and if others cannot protect their claims, they have no right to them. The Rogue is not necessarily a thug or bully, however. She simply refuses to succumb to the whims of others. Rogues almost universally possess a sense of self-sufficiency. They have their own best interests in mind at all times. Prostitutes, capitalists, and criminals all embody the Rogue Archetype. Kindred Rogues include diablerists, Autarkis, and a Primogen who puts his clan’s opportunities before the supremacy of the Kindred as a whole.

Regain Willpower: Your self-centered disposition leads you to profit, materially or otherwise.

Sadist

You exist to inflict pain and suffering upon others. Killing is too easy; torture is the best way to truly harm a person, and you seek the slowest, most painful means to push others to the ultimate limits. Pain – others’ pain – gives you immense pleasure. Drill sergeants, jilted ex-lovers, and some of the terminally deranged may all embody the Sadist Archetype at one time or another; sadism is rare enough to appear only in aberrant cases, rather than reliably in any type or class of person.

Regain Willpower: You inflict pain upon someone for no reason other than your own pleasure.

Scientist

To a Scientist, existence is a puzzle which she can help to reassemble. A Scientist logically and methodically examines her every situation and maneuver, looking for logical outcomes and patterns. This is not to say that the Scientist is always looking for a scientific or rational explanation, but rather she examines her surroundings rigorously and with a critical eye. The system a Scientist attempts to impose on the world may be completely ludicrous, but it is a system, and she sticks by it.

Regain Willpower: A logical, systematic approach to a problem helps you solve it, or information gathered logically is of use in another, similar situation.

Sociopath

All inferior beings both living and undead should be exterminated in order to bring about a harmonious existence. You likely feel no remorse when you kill (depending upon your Humanity or Path). On the contrary, you are doing a glorious deed for society. Some vampires are critical of your violent nature, but you sometimes manage to sway them with arguments like, “Darwin would agree that I’m only helping nature along!” and, “Only the strongest shall survive!”

Regain Willpower: You are the greatest contributor to a body count after everything has settled down. This count includes times when you are the only killer, and it needs not result from a massive combat – like killing every member of a movie audience or gunning down defenseless patrons in a bank robbery.

Solider

The Soldier is not a blindly loyal follower. While she exists for orders, she does not adhere to them unquestioningly. More independent than a Conformist but too tied into the idea of command to be a Loner, the Soldier applies her own techniques to others’ goals. While she may seek command herself someday, her ambitions lie within the established hierarchy and structure. The Soldier has no compunctions about using whatever means necessary to do what needs to be
done, so long as the orders to do so came from the right place.

Regain Willpower: Achieve your orders’ objectives. The more difficult the orders are to fulfill, the better it feels to accomplish them.

Survivor

No matter what happens, no matter the odds or opposition, the Survivor always manages to pull through. Whether alone or with a group, the Survivor’s utter refusal to accept defeat often makes the difference between success and failure. Survivors are frustrated by others’ acceptance of “what fate has in store” or willingness to withstand less than what they can achieve. Outcasts, street folk, and idealists may well be Survivor Archetypes. A Kindred Survivor might be a renegade under a Prince’s edict of Blood Hunt, an erstwhile Bishop forced from power, or a lowly Nosferatu who finds himself kicked from hunting ground to hunting ground with no acknowledged claim of domain.

Regain Willpower: Survive a threatening situation through tenacity, or when your counsel causes someone else to persist in spite of opposition.

Sycophant

In the grand scheme of things, you are small and weak and unfit for survival. Your best hope is to find someone who is more powerful than you are and persuade him to take care of you. In return you will serve, admire and follow him. You will do anything he says, unless it puts you in great risk. In any type of uncertain situation, you will attach yourself to the strongest-seeming person, siding with him, performing various barely necessary services and generally trying to ingratiate yourself. Thereby you hope to earn some kind of protection. There is no limit to the depths to which you will lower yourself in order to be accepted, and you have no pride.

Regain Willpower: A stronger character to whom you have attached yourself acts in your defense, be it siding with you in an argument or protecting you from physical harm.

Thrill-Seeker

The Thrill-Seeker lives for the rush of danger. Unlike those of arguably saner disposition, the ThrillSeeker actively pursues hazardous and possibly deadly situations. The Thrill-Seeker is not consciously suicidal or self-destructive – he simply seeks the stimulation of imminent disaster. Gangbangers, petty thieves, and exhibitionists are all examples of the Thrill-Seeker Archetype. Kindred Thrill-Seekers might habitually break the Masquerade just to see if they’ll get caught, they might maintain contacts in a rival clan or sect, or they might actively plot a Prince’s overthrow just to see if they can pull it off.

Regain Willpower: Succeed at a dangerous task that you have deliberately undertaken. Thrill-Seekers are not stupid, however, and the Storyteller may choose not to reward a player who heedlessly sends her character into danger for the sole intent of harvesting Willpower.

Traditionalist

The orthodox ways satisfy the Traditionalist, who prefers to accomplish her goals with time-tested methods. Why vary your course when what has worked in the past is good enough? The Traditionalist finds the status quo acceptable, even preferable, to a change that might yield unpredictable results. Conservatives, judges, and authority figures are all examples of Traditionalist Archetypes. Traditionalist Kindred unsurprisingly look to the Traditions as a behavior model, though a few Anarchs and elders may espouse a “traditionalism” that predates both Camarilla and Sabbat.

Regain Willpower: Any time the proven ways turn out to be the best. Also, any time you adhere to one of your previously espoused positions and it proves to be a wise course of action.

Trickster

The Trickster finds the absurd in everything. No matter how grim life (or unlife) may become, the Trickster always uncovers a kernel of humor within it. Tricksters cannot abide sorrow or pain, and so they strive to lighten the spirits of those around them. Some Tricksters have even higher ideals, challenging static dogma by exposing its failures in humorous ways. Comedians, satirists, and social critics are examples of Trickster Archetypes. Kindred Tricksters may call attention to the ﬂaws in a leader’s policy, they may be glib-tongued devil’s advocates who question the Traditions or ritae of their sect, or they may simply have an acute sense of the ironies of a world that makes vampiric predator and mortal prey almost indistinguishable physically.

Regain Willpower: Any time you manage to lift others’ spirits, especially if you are able to assuage your own pain in the process.

Visionary

The Visionary is strong enough to look beyond the mundane and perceive the truly wondrous. Visionaries test accepted societal limits, and seek what few others have the courage to imagine. The Visionary rarely fnds satisfaction in what society has to offer; she prefers to encourage society to offer what it could instead of what it does. Typically, society responds poorly to Visionaries, though it is they who are responsible for bringing about progress and change. Philosophers, inventors, and the most inspired artists often have Visionary Natures. Kindred Visionaries may want to plunge all mortals into vampiric thrall, they may adapt technologies that other, more static Kindred fear or overlook, or they may have a “better way” to coexist with other vampires than all of this Prince-and-Regent nonsense.

Regain Willpower: You are able to convince others to have faith in your dreams and follow the course of action dictated by your vision. Note that gaining support is the key to a Visionary regaining Willpower. Success need not come to a Visionary, at least not with every step in changing the structures in question. Her greatest successes may indeed come after her Final Death.

Campaign of the Month: October 2017

Blood & Bourbon