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

While every vampire belongs at least ancestrally to one of the fi ve great clans, some Kindred
diverge from those lineages into their own unique bloodlines. Also, Disciplines favored by
those fi ve clans don’t exhaust the possibilities of Kindred power.
Some bloodlines exist as purely social divisions. Certain Kindred prefer to identify themselves
as descendants of some esteemed vampire from centuries past, instead of being just an
ordinary Mekhet, Nosferatu, Gangrel or whatever. Other bloodlines come about because of
shame. A Kindred suffers some disgrace in the eyes of clanmates, and that disgrace passes to
his childer and their childer in turn. An elder who joins a covenant that isn’t usual for his
clan, and draws his childer in likewise, might also cause other Kindred to call his descendants a
bloodline. Although the social consequences of hailing from these lineages can be substantial,
such “bloodlines” have no consequence in terms of game mechanics.
When most Kindred talk about bloodlines, they mean a lineage whose nature or inclination
genuinely differs from that of its parent clan. True bloodlines stand out because their
members favor at least one different Discipline than their parent clans, they suffer an additional
different blood-borne weakness, or both. Most remarkably of all, some bloodlines
practice Disciplines known to few other Kindred. Some bloodlines actually introduce new
Disciplines that have never been seen before.
Using new bloodlines and Disciplines is a way to customize your World of Darkness. The
fi ve clans and their Disciplines portray vampires more or less as they appear in fi ction and
pop culture: the sinister aristocrat, the sensual predator, the deformed monster and so on.
Bloodlines can embody narrower or more exotic images of the vampire, whether inspired by
folklore, fi ction or your own imagination. Most importantly, new bloodlines and Disciplines
add mystery to your World of Darkness. Even players who read every supplement cannot
assume they know it all.
PLAYING A BLOODLINE MEMBER
Being part of a bloodline allows a character access to that lineage’s Discipline (which
thereafter counts as a fourth “clan Discipline”). It also adds that bloodline’s weakness,
which complements a character’s existing clan weakness. If a Discipline is specifi c and
unique to that bloodline, only its members and their ghouls may ever access it. If a
ghoul is embraced into a different clan or bloodline, he loses access to any bloodlinespecifi
c Discipline dots he may already have. Similarly, a ghoul may only access one
unique Discipline at any given time, the powers inherent to his Regnant’s blood.
For more information, see p. 372.
Story Functions of Bloodlines
and Disciplines
Bloodlines fulfi ll a number of story functions within a chronicle. Most simply, they expand
the range of options for players. Five clans might not be enough for some troupes. Perhaps a
character concept just doesn’t fi t specifi cally enough within one of the standard clans. Bloodlines
offer a chance to play “something different,” as well as a way in which players and Storytellers
can customize the setting to their own tastes. Each clan focuses on a particular aspect of vampire
364 mind’s appendix: eye theatre: bloodlines requiem