Vampire: The Masquerade

Vampire: The Masquerade is a tabletop role-playing game (RPG) created by Mark Rein-Hagen and released by White Wolf Publishing in 1991 as part of its World of Darkness series. The game allows players to create characters who are vampires, delving into the night and the complex society of the undead. It blends themes of gothic horror, political intrigue, and personal horror, focusing on the struggle of vampires to maintain their humanity while being creatures of the night.

Gameplay

In Vampire: The Mascape, players take on the roles of vampires, known as Kindred, who belong to different Clans each with their unique powers, weaknesses, and political affiliations. The game is played using a combination of a twenty-sided dice and a pool of ten-sided dice to resolve actions. The core mechanic involves rolling a number of ten-sided dice equal to the player's attribute plus skill, aiming to meet or exceed a difficulty level set by the Storyteller (the game's referee and narrator).

Setting

The game is set in a fictionalized version of the modern world where vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings live hidden from human society. The setting is heavily influenced by gothic-punk aesthetics, with vampires organized into a secret society known as the Camarilla, which enforces the Masquerade, a code that hides their existence from humans. Other factions include the anarchic Anarchs and the tyrannical Sabbat.

Clans

The Kindred are divided into several Clans, each with its own unique characteristics, abilities, and philosophies. Some of the major Clans include:

• Brujah, passionate and rebellious vampires who excel in physical combat.
• Toreador, who are deeply connected to the arts and beauty.
• Ventrue, aristocratic leaders and politicians.
• Nosferatu, disfigured and stealthy information gatherers.
• Malkavian, known for their insight and madness.

Themes

Vampire: The Masquerade explores themes of morality, power, and the nature of humanity. The struggle to maintain one's humanity while being a predator is central to the game, as is the political intrigue and conflict between the different vampire factions.

Editions

Since its initial release, Vampire: The Masquerade has gone through several editions, each refining and expanding upon the game's mechanics, setting, and lore. The most recent edition, as of this writing, is the Fifth Edition (V5), which was released in 2018.

Cultural Impact

Vampire: The Masquerade has had a significant impact on the role-playing game community and popular culture. It has inspired a wide range of media, including video games like Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, novels, and a television show. The game's emphasis on storytelling, character development, and moral complexity has influenced the design of other RPGs and contributed to the popularity of the urban fantasy genre.

See Also

• World of Darkness
• Gehenna
• Cainite Heresy
• Kindred of the East