Mind's Eye Theatre - Vampire The Requiem.pdf - RoseRed

The Predator’s Taint
chapter ghouls one: • society the predator’s of the damned taint 237
Despite the predilection some Kindred have for describing each other as parasites, the truth
of the matter is that vampires are fi nely suited to the roles of predators. Their supernatural
abilities allow them to hunt with great effi cacy. Their mesmeric personalities draw people to
them. Even their hideous or off-putting weaknesses can reduce their prey to impotent crying
wretches from whom blood can be taken at will. The Kindred are consummate solitary predators,
keenly able to procure their own sustenance without the aid of others of their kind.
It is no surprise, then, that when such perfect predators meet each other, the Beast inside
each attempts to determine whether the other is a threat or an encroaching lesser. Indeed, when
Kindred meet for the fi rst time, the Beast rages within, wishing to fl ee in terror of a greater
predator or to conquer a less able creature in hopes of protecting one’s own territory.
SYSTEM
When a vampire sees another vampire for the fi rst time (and only for the fi rst time), compare
the characters’ Blood Potency. Both players should count to three, and then display either a
card or a number of fi ngers equal to their Blood Potency.
The player of the character with the lower Blood Potency must immediately check for
Rötschreck (see p. 256).
The player of the character with the higher Blood Potency must immediately check for
frenzy (see p. 254).
If the characters have the same Blood Potency, both players check for frenzy.
Characters risk frenzy and Rötschreck only when they are aware of the presence of the other
Kindred. It is entirely possible, say, for a vampire to see another, unknown vampire feeding
in an alley and thereby cause her own frenzy check as her Beast senses the rival Beast. While
the other vampire is preoccupied with feeding he remains oblivious; only when he becomes
aware of the other Kindred does his Beast respond to the presence of the fi rst.
One minor benefi t of the Predator’s Taint is that, due to the presence of the Beast, vampires
instinctively know other vampires upon seeing them. Even if a vampire has met another
Kindred before, the initial “surge” of the Beast takes place every time the two make contact,
though it is far more manageable than the initial contact of the unknown. This also, unfortunately,
explains the tense and mercurial nature of relations between vampires.
VAMPIRIC GATHERINGS
Stories abound of the undead holding grand balls in decrepit castles as the midnight hour
approaches, and even modern interpretations of the legend often depict vampires holding
large parties of their own kind. Whether in the form of formal soirees or underground
raves, it’s likely that players fi nd the idea of such events quite appealing, and it certainly
makes the Storyteller’s life easier if all the local Kindred have good cause to gather in one
spot for a regular meeting or a special event. Faced with Predator’s Taint, however, what can
a Storyteller do to keep the game from devolving into an endless series of frenzy checks as
new vampires enter?
Simple. With this optional rule, the harsher aspects of Predator’s Taint — namely the possibility
of frenzy responses — are completely muted whenever the Kindred choose to gather in
a particular location. While players are naturally encouraged to roleplay a bit of restlessness
on the part of their Beasts when an unknown vampire enters, as a game mechanic no Blood