Clan Compendium
Every Clan carries a identity, a curse, and a hunger. This chapter describes each Clan's culture, curse, Bane, and place in vampire society.
How to use this chapter
When you choose a Clan, you choose more than a set of Disciplines. You choose a lineage, a reputation, a Bane that marks you in public, and a compulsion that marks you in private. Read each Clan's entry and ask: whose story do I want to tell?
Brujah
Identity
The Brujah are revolutionaries, fighters, and idealists. They care about change, justice, and the destruction of corrupt power. They are philosophers with fists, poets with fangs. Once they were the scholars and warriors of the Camarilla; now they are its angry heart.
Disciplines
Celerity, Potence, Presence
Bane: Hysteria
The Brujah Bane manifests as uncontrollable rage. When a Brujah is frustrated, contradicted, or forced to endure injustice, their body shakes, their vision narrows, and their words become threats. In extreme cases, the Bane causes physical destruction — breaking furniture, punching walls, or attacking bystanders.
Compulsion: Rage
When the Brujah's rage is triggered, they must escalate toward confrontation unless they pay a meaningful cost. The compulsion ends when the Brujah lashes out, is restrained, or accepts a serious consequence.
Culture
The Brujah value action over tradition. They are common in Anarch domains and street-level politics. A Brujah who joins the Camarilla is usually an elder who has learned to channel rage into strategy.
Ventrue
Identity
The Ventrue are rulers, executives, and aristocrats. They believe in hierarchy, order, and the right of the worthy to lead. They are the self-appointed nobility of vampire society — sometimes deservedly so.
Disciplines
Dominate, Fortitude, Presence
Bane: Selectivity
The Ventrue Bane makes certain blood repulsive to them. A Ventrue cannot feed from an entire category of people — the unworthy, the common, the morally repugnant, or a specific group defined by the Storyteller. If a Ventrue attempts to feed from a repulsive source, they must succeed on a Resolve + Composure roll at difficulty 3 or vomit the blood.
Compulsion: Arrogance
When the Ventrue's arrogance is triggered, they must assert dominance, superiority, or control. The compulsion ends when the Ventrue is publicly obeyed or accepts a loss of face.
Culture
The Ventrue dominate the Camarilla's upper echelons. They are Princes, Primogen, and corporate leaders. A Ventrue who fails to maintain their status is pitied — or destroyed.
Toreador
Identity
The Toreador are artists, aesthetes, and hedonists. They are drawn to beauty in all its forms — art, music, flesh, emotion. They are the Camarilla's diplomats, socialites, and cultural curators. Their curse is that they feel too much.
Disciplines
Auspex, Celerity, Presence
Bane: Sensory Overload
The Toreador Bane makes them vulnerable to overwhelming stimuli. Loud noises, strong emotions, chaotic environments, and intense art can cause physical pain, disorientation, or an inability to act. In extreme cases, the Bane causes a fugue state where the Toreador is unresponsive.
Compulsion: Obsession
When the Toreador's obsession is triggered, they must pursue or possess the object of aesthetic fixation. The compulsion ends when the fixation is obtained, destroyed, or rejected as false.
Culture
The Toreador are the cultural heart of the Camarilla. They run galleries, theaters, and social clubs. A Toreador without beauty is a Toreador without purpose.
Nosferatu
Identity
The Nosferatu are spies, information brokers, and survivors. They are ugly — supernaturally, grotesquely ugly — and they hide in the shadows of vampire society. Their curse ensures they can never walk among the living unnoticed.
Disciplines
Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence
Bane: Ugliness
The Nosferatu Bane makes them hideous. No Nosferatu can pass for human. Their appearance varies — bald, misshapen, rotting, rat-like, or simply wrong — but it is always disturbing. A Nosferatu who reveals themselves to mortals risks a Masquerade violation.
Compulsion: Shyness
When the Nosferatu's shyness is triggered, they must withdraw from direct attention or find a hidden approach. The compulsion ends when the threat of exposure ends or the Nosferatu escapes notice.
Culture
The Nosferatu maintain their own information network called the Sewer Rats. They trade secrets, spy on other Clans, and survive through mutual aid. A Nosferatu without contacts is a Nosferatu without power.
Malkavian
Identity
The Malkavians are oracles, madmen, and visionaries. Their curse is insanity — but it is a supernatural insanity that sometimes perceives truths hidden from sane minds. They are the Camarilla's most unpredictable members.
Disciplines
Auspex, Dementation, Obfuscate
Bane: Lunacy
The Malkavian Bane causes episodes of supernatural madness. These episodes may manifest as hallucinations, delusions, catatonia, compulsive behavior, or an inability to distinguish reality from fantasy. The Bane is always present; it shapes how the Malkavian perceives the world.
Compulsion: Delusion
When the Malkavian's delusion is triggered, they must act on a perceived truth that may not be real. The compulsion ends when the delusion is exposed or the scene ends.
Culture
The Malkavians are tolerated but feared. Other Clans seek their insights but distrust their pronouncements. A Malkavian who channels their madness into prophecy is valued; one who cannot distinguish friend from enemy is destroyed.
Gangrel
Identity
The Gangrel are feral, independent, and wild. They are the vampires of the wilderness — nomads, shapeshifters, and predators who prefer animals to people. They are the least political of the Clans and the most comfortable with their Beast.
Disciplines
Animalism, Fortitude, Protean
Bane: Feral Aspects
The Gangrel Bane manifests as animal features that appear when the Gangrel is stressed, wounded, or uses their Disciplines. These features may be scales, fur, claws, wings, or other animal traits. The features are temporary but become harder to hide as the Gangrel's Humanity drops.
Compulsion: Feral Impulse
When the Gangrel's feral impulse is triggered, they must act like a predator instead of a person. The compulsion ends when the prey is caught, the threat ends, or the Gangrel accepts a cost to resist.
Culture
The Gangrel are loners. They rarely join the Camarilla and prefer to govern their own territories. A Gangrel who joins a court is usually seeking something they cannot find in the wild.
Tremere
Identity
The Tremere are scholars, ritualists, and manipulators. They are blood mages who built their Clan through theft, betrayal, and arcane power. They are the Camarilla's magical specialists — feared, respected, and distrusted.
Disciplines
Auspex, Dominate, Blood Sorcery
Bane: Rigor Mortis
The Tremere Bane causes their blood to thicken and their body to stiffen. When a Tremere is stressed, wounded, or uses Blood Sorcery, their blood may clot, their joints may lock, or their skin may become rigid. In extreme cases, the Bane causes temporary paralysis.
Compulsion: Curiosity
When the Tremere's curiosity is triggered, they must investigate, experiment, or seize occult advantage. The compulsion ends when the mystery is explored or the night ends.
Culture
The Tremere are organized into houses and hierarchies. They value knowledge, loyalty, and results. A Tremere who fails their house is cast out; one who betrays their house is destroyed.
Tzimisce
Identity
The Tzimisce are shapeshifters, scholars, and lords. They are the vampires of the East — ancient, territorial, and alien. They view mortals as property and other vampires as either subjects or threats.
Disciplines
Animalism, Auspex, Protean
Bane: Alien Psychology
The Tzimisce Bane causes them to think and act in ways that are alien to humans and other vampires. They may not understand human emotions, may treat people as objects, or may develop obsessive attachments to places and things. The Bane becomes more pronounced as Humanity drops.
Compulsion: Pride of Possession
When the Tzimisce's pride is triggered, they must protect, reclaim, or dominate a claimed person, place, or thing. The compulsion ends when the claim is enforced or abandoned.
Culture
The Tzimisce value territory, lineage, and power. They are rare in the West but feared wherever they appear. A Tzimisce without a domain is a Tzimisce without identity.
Lasombra
Identity
The Lasombra are leaders, schemers, and destroyers. They are the vampires of the Abyss — masters of shadow and void who believe in survival through domination. They are the Sabbat's former leaders, now scattered and rebuilding.
Disciplines
Dominate, Oblivion, Potence
Bane: Abyssal Reflection
The Lasombra Bane causes their reflection to disappear or become distorted in mirrors, water, and other reflective surfaces. In extreme cases, the Bane causes shadows to move on their own, darkness to deepen around them, or their image to vanish entirely.
Compulsion: Domineering
When the Lasombra's domineering nature is triggered, they must crush resistance, take control, or force a decision. The compulsion ends when the opposition is broken or the Lasombra accepts a loss of control.
Culture
The Lasombra are survivors. They have lost their sect, their hierarchy, and much of their identity. A Lasombra who joins the Camarilla is usually seeking power; one who rejects it is usually seeking revenge.
Hecata
Identity
The Hecata are necromancers, funeral directors, and family. They are the Clan of Death — a union of formerly separate bloodlines who control the relationship between the living and the dead. They are the Camarilla's specialists in death, ghosts, and the Shadow.
Disciplines
Animalism, Auspex, Oblivion
Bane: Deathly Pallor
The Hecata Bane makes them appear dead. Their skin is cold, their eyes are dull, and their presence causes discomfort in the living. A Hecata who feeds may cause the victim to feel a chill, hear whispers, or see ghosts.
Compulsion: Duty to the Dead
When the Hecata's duty is triggered, they must tend to the dead, honor a promise, or protect a family secret. The compulsion ends when the duty is fulfilled or the night ends.
Culture
The Hecata are organized into families. They value lineage, duty, and the dead. A Hecata without a family is a Hecata without power.
Banu Haqim
Identity
The Banu Haqim are judges, assassins, and warriors. They are the vampires of the desert — ancient, disciplined, and dangerous. They value honor, justice, and the sword. They are the Camarilla's newest recruits, joining from the Islamic world.
Disciplines
Auspec, Celerity, Blood Sorcery
Bane: The Thirst of the Sword
The Banu Haqim Bane causes their blood to demand violence. When a Banu Haqim is frustrated, contradicted, or forced to endure injustice, their body craves combat. In extreme cases, the Bane causes them to attack anyone nearby, regardless of the consequences.
Compulsion: Judgment
When the Banu Haqim's judgment is triggered, they must punish, test, or condemn the nearest failing person. The compulsion ends when the judgment is delivered or the Banu Haqim rejects the compulsion at a cost.
Culture
The Banu Haqim value honor, justice, and the sword. They are organized into clans and hierarchies. A Banu Haqim without a code is a Banu Haqim without identity.
Ministry (Setites)
Identity
The Ministry are tempters, liberators, and destroyers. They are the vampires of Egypt — ancient, seductive, and revolutionary. They believe in freedom through corruption and liberation through surrender. They are the Camarilla's most seductive recruiters.
Disciplines
Obfuscate, Presence, Protean
Bane: The coils of Set
The Ministry Bane causes their blood to demand freedom. When a Ministry vampire is restrained, confined, or forced to obey, their blood boils, their skin burns, and their mind rebels. In extreme cases, the Bane causes them to destroy the source of their confinement, regardless of the consequences.
Compulsion: Temptation
When the Ministry's temptation is triggered, they must offer a forbidden choice or undermine a rule. The compulsion ends when the target accepts the temptation or the scene ends.
Culture
The Ministry value freedom, temptation, and liberation. They are organized into cults and hierarchies. A Ministry vampire without a cult is a Ministry vampire without power.
Ravnos
Identity
The Ravnos are wanderers, tricksters, and survivors. They are the vampires of the road — nomads, shapeshifters, and liars who prefer freedom to power. They are the least political of the Clans and the most comfortable with deception.
Disciplines
Animalism, Auspex, Chimerstry
Bane: Curse oferosis
The Ravnos Bane causes their blood to demand movement. When a Ravnos is confined, restrained, or forced to stay in one place, their blood boils, their skin burns, and their mind rebels. In extreme cases, the Bane causes them to destroy the source of their confinement, regardless of the consequences.
Compulsion: Wanderlust
When the Ravnos's wanderlust is triggered, they must escape confinement, change direction, or abandon the current plan. The compulsion ends when the Ravnos escapes or the night ends.
Culture
The Ravnos value freedom, deception, and survival. They are organized into bands and hierarchies. A Ravnos without a band is a Ravnos without power.
Salubri
Identity
The Salubri are healers, warriors, and mystics. They are the vampires of the East — ancient, compassionate, and dangerous. They value healing, compassion, and the sword. They are the Camarilla's most compassionate members — and the most hunted.
Disciplines
Auspex, Fortitude, Presence
Bane: The Third Eye
The Salubri Bane causes a third eye to open on their forehead when they use their Disciplines or are stressed. The eye is supernatural — it sees into the spirit world, the future, and the heart of the matter. But it also marks the Salubri as different, and it cannot be hidden.
Compulsion: Compassion
When the Salubri's compassion is triggered, they must protect the nearest victim even at personal cost. The compulsion ends when the victim is safe or the Salubri accepts a serious loss.
Culture
The Salubri value healing, compassion, and the sword. They are organized into families and hierarchies. A Salubri without a cause is a Salubri without identity.
Thin-Bloods
Identity
Thin-Bloods are the边缘 of vampire society. They are the weakest, the youngest, and the most vulnerable. They are barely vampiric — their powers are weak, their Banes are unpredictable, and their identities are fragile. They are the Camarilla's outcasts and the Anarch's foot soldiers.
Disciplines
None (use alchemy or borrowed powers)
Bane: Unpredictable
Thin-Bloods have unpredictable Banes that may manifest at any time. A Thin-Blood may develop a Bane from any Clan, or their Bane may change from night to night. The Bane is always present; it shapes how the Thin-Blood perceives the world.
Compulsion: Instability
When the Thin-Blood's instability is triggered, they must act in a volatile, desperate, or emotionally unfiltered way. The compulsion ends when the scene ends or the Thin-Blood accepts a Masquerade risk.
Culture
Thin-Bloods are outcasts. They form their own communities, trade their own secrets, and survive through mutual aid. A Thin-Blood without allies is a Thin-Blood without power.