Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition is a horror roleplaying game published by Onyx Path Publishing. Set in the larger World of Darkness setting, which encompasses games such as Mage: The Ascension and Wraith: The Oblivion, Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition uses a refined version of the Storyteller system, initially developed by White Wolf Publishing in 1991. The 20th Anniversary Edition line of games benefits from years of development, expansion, playtesting and refinement making for a smooth, streamlined experience. Character creation is simple and straightforward, allowing you to get to the fun of playing quickly.
When creating a character, you’ll first want to check with your Storyteller to see which vampiric factions or sects are at play in the game. This will often be detailed in the game listing on Startplaying, but a quick verification of what is and is not available for play can save time and ensure you create the right character for your game. In some cases the sect in play will limit or help dictate which vampire Clans you can choose from. In Vampire: The Masquerade, Clans are similar to families. They share common powers, weaknesses, and typical traits enforced by the curse of their blood. Certain Clans belong almost entirely to a single sect, while others can be found throughout the different sects. We’ll touch on Clans again shortly.
Vampire: The Masquerade features four playable sects, which are political groups to which vampires belong. The Camarilla is a sect focused on living quietly among humans by enforcing the Masquerade – the edict that prevents vampires from revealing their nature to mortals. The Camarilla manipulates human and vampire politics to keep their existence quiet while gathering power and influence. The Anarch Movement are vampires who reject sectarian politics in favor of alternative political structures and self-governance. Most Anarchs still respect the Masquerade, they simply chafe under the strict rules and established structures of the Camarilla. Opposing both those sects are the Sabbat. The Sabbat revel in their vampiric nature, considering themselves the Sword of Caine – the first vampire. They shun the Masquerade, especially when visiting territories controlled by the Camarilla or Anarchs. They are monstrous, but they are monsters with a cause. They stand against elder vampires with a holy fervor and dedication that is strengthened by various rituals they engage in. The final sect are the Independents. Independent vampires exist outside the established sects. Some, like those of Clan Giovanni, stand together with the other vampires of their Clan as a sect unto themselves. Others are individuals or small social groups who shun any sort of organization, relying only on themselves and their coterie – the vampires they consider their closest allies – to survive the night.
Once you’ve determined the sect you’ll be playing, you’ll need to choose a concept. Your concept is just a simple summary of who you want your vampire to be. A phrase or sentence that describes the character. This could be anything from “undead drifter” to “former debutante embraced as punishment for his arrogance in life.” The important thing with the concept is that it should provide you a good idea of what you want your character to do while cluing in the Storyteller and other players to the basic vibe you want your character to embody. After that concept is chosen, you’ll need to select your character’s Nature, Demeanor, and Clan. Nature and Demeanor represent aspects of your character’s personality. They are tools to help guide your roleplaying. A list of choices is provided including a description of what each archetype means and how that archetype regains Willpower if it is selected as your character’s Nature. The important thing to remember is your character’s Nature reflects who they are at their core, while their Demeanor reflects the face they show the outside world. After Nature and Demeanor are chosen you’ll want to select your Clan. Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition includes thirteen Clans and over forty bloodlines and variants, so there’s no shortage of options. This is another place where your Storyteller will be highly valuable in recommending options. The base thirteen Clans are often more than enough for a first time player to choose from. When you’ve chosen your Clan you’ll want to record the Clan’s Weakness and Clan Disciplines on your sheet.
Next, you’ll choose your character’s Attributes. Characters in Vampire: The Masquerade have nine Attributes, which represent the character’s raw potential. These are divided into Physical, Social, and Mental groups, with each group having three Attributes. All characters begin with a free dot in each Attribute. You must choose which is the most important category to your character and spend seven additional dots among the three Attributes in that category. Next, choose the second most important category and spend five dots among those three Attributes. The remaining category receives three dots to spend. Under no circumstances can any of your Attributes have more than five dots at this stage.
After Attributes you must purchase Abilities. While Attributes represent raw potential, Abilities represent innate talent, gained knowledge, and acquired skill. Like Attributes, Abilities are divided into three categories: Talents, Skills, and Knowledges. Also like Abilities, you get a pool of points to spend on these categories. Your primary choice gets thirteen dots to spend, your secondary choice receives nine dots, and your third choice gets five dots. Unlike Attributes, you do not get a free dot in any Abilities and must pay for any dots acquired out of your allotted pools. You may not take any Ability above three dots at this point of character creation. Each category has ten basic Abilities assigned to it which cover most situations you’ll come across in play. These are listed on your character sheet for easy reference.
Next you will purchase your Advantages. Advantages include your Backgrounds, Disciplines, and Virtues. Backgrounds are things your character has acquired, people they’ve connected with, or other advantageous story elements that help them get by on a night to night basis. A list of Backgrounds is provided in the core rulebook. You should check with your Storyteller to see if any Backgrounds are limited or unallowed before spending points. Disciplines are your vampire’s powers. Each Clan has a list of three Disciplines that are carried by their blood. These are cheaper to buy and raise with experience. These are also the Disciplines you may choose from when spending your initial three dots in Disciplines. Each Discipline has a rating, just like Attributes and Abilities. The more dots you have in a Discipline, the more powers you can use within that Discipline’s purview. Disciplines are detailed in the core rulebook, and you should take some time to look them over and choose powers that fit well with your character’s concept. Once you’re done with Disciplines you’ll need to purchase your Virtues. These help your vampire contend with the Beast within them and form the basis of your vampire’s Humanity and Willpower scores. Most vampires begin with the Virtues of Conscience, Self-Control, and Courage, with one free dot in each. After spending your seven dots in Virtues, ensuring no Virtue has a rating above five dots, you may calculate your character’s base Humanity and Willpower scores. Humanity equals the sum of your Conscience + Self Control while Willpower equals your Courage score.
At this point, you gain a collection of freebie points you can spend to improve and personalize your character. The core rulebook provides a chart detailing how these points are spent. Most characters get fifteen freebie points, but your Storyteller may offer an alternate amount depending on the needs of their game. Once all freebie points are spent, you may assign Specialties to any Attribute or Ability with four or five dots. If you have a Specialty in a trait, any die in a dice pool using that trait that comes up as a 10 counts as two successes.
Lastly you’ll calculate your character’s Blood Pool by rolling 1d10 and recording that number of blood points on your sheet. With all these steps completed, you’re ready to jump into your Vampire: The Masquerade game!
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Travis Legge is a writer, developer, and streamer working with Onyx Path Publishing, Aegis Studios, and more.
