Clans and Bloodlines in Vampire: The Masquerade

Clans And Bloodlines In Vampire: The Masquerade

In White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing game Vampire: the Masquerade, a clan (often spelled Clan, with capitalization) is a group of vampires "related" by blood; i.e. the vampiric equivalent of an extended family or lineage. A clan is usually a large group, acknowledged widely in the vampiric society, and not a small offshoot (which is called a Bloodline).

In game mechanics terms, the clans in Vampire: the Masquerade act not only as character classes, but form the basic structure of the world's back story. Each clan has its strengths and weaknesses (as set by each clan's founder in storyline) and often the clans do not always get along with certain clans such as the Brujah and the Ventrue actually hating one another. This leads to developing plot between players and creates the political intrigue many games of Vampire: the Masquerade are known for. Social ranks, such as the primogen, create further political tension as players vie for status and antitribu who have turned their back on their own clans bring in the possibility of players being hunted or having a turncoat in their midst.

The lore of the game states that Book of Nod names certain clans as the original thirteen descended from Caine, the first vampire; the Kingship Clan (Ventrue), the Clan of the Beast (Gangrel), the Moon Clan (Malkavian), the Clan of the Hidden (Nosferatu), the Wanderer Clan (Ravnos), the Clan of the Rose (Toreador), the Night Clan (Lasombra), the Clan of Shapers (Tzimisce), the Snake Clan (Followers of Set), the Clan of Death (Cappadocian), the Healer's Clan (Salubri), the Clan of the Hunt (Assamite) and the Learned Clan (Brujah). There also are assorted bloodlines as well as an extinct clan or two. Another clan is the Clan of Usurpers (Tremere).

Each clan within a given area has a representative, called a Primogen, who is usually the eldest and most powerful member of the clan, who attends the leader or prince's advisory council. This status also grants the character social advantages and greater power than being a normal member of their clan. Generally each sect in an area has its own clans and its own Primogen and different clans tend to be associated with different sects more often than not with the antitribu being the exceptions to the rule.