Clans & Disciplines

[Zyraen]

CLANS

Clans are a lot more than their Disciplines, far more than can be represented here. This is for quick reference. If you are new to Vampire, you can look at the next post for a brief idea on what each Discipline stands for.
Their Nicknames have also been included in Brackets.
The categorization is based on the idea of the story line. It is NOT random and it offers the ST's (storyteller's) thoughts.

Since the Setting will be Dark Ages, there are some changes to the Clan List.

CLAN LIST FOR DARK AGES

In some cases below, Role applies to who they Embrace and (often) their subsequent role.
* - fairly unique clan disciplines

Suggested
- Brujah (zealots): Celerity, Potence, Presence
Role: philosophers, idealists, visionaries
- Toreador (artisans): Auspex, Celerity, Presence
Role: artists, musicians, socialites
- Ventrue (warlords): Dominate, Fortitude, Presence
Role: generals, aristocrats, merchants

- Gangrel (Animals): Animalism, Fortitude, Protean*
Role: barbarians, hunters, foresters
- Malkavian (Madmen): Auspex, Dementation*, Obfuscate
Role: seers, physicians, oracles

Stuff Might Happen (along the way)
- Cappadocian (graverobbers): Auspex, Fortitude, Necromancy*
Role: monks, scholars, researchers
- Nosferatu (Lepers): Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence
Role: outcasts who gather and peddle information
- Tremere (Cultists): Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy*
Role: mostly their own mages, avid scholars

( FOLLOWING CLANS ARE NOT ALLOWED )

Stuff Might Happen, and You're Hunted (in modern)
- Assamite (Children of Haqim / Saracen): Celerity, Obfuscate, Quietus*
Role: from their own acolytes and lineages
- Lasombra (Magisters): Dominate, Obtenebration*, Potence
Role: aristocrats, priests, lords
NOTE: in dark ages, Lasombra are very comparable to Ventrue. In modern (if we ever get there), those not on the side of most Lasombra will likely be hunted with surpassing fervor...

Really, Don't...
(Difficult to work with in Dark Ages setting, and potential big issues in modern)
- Ravnos (Charlatans): Animalism, Chimerstry*, Fortitude
Role: travellers, wanderers, hedonists
- Setite (Serpents): Obfuscate, Presence, Serpentis*
Role: egyptian, arab or extremely strong willed worthy
- Tzimisce (Fiends): Animalism, Auspex, Vicissitude*
Role: lords of their own lands and worthy/interesting subjects

For other info on each clan, please see whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Clan_(VTM)

Original Modern Clan List in quotes...
Suggested
- Brujah (Rabble): Celerity, Potence, Presence
- Gangrel (Outlanders): Animalism, Fortitude, Protean*
- Malkavian (Lunatics): Auspex, Dementation*, Obfuscate
- Toreador (Degenerates): Auspex, Celerity, Presence
- Ventrue (Blue Bloods): Dominate, Fortitude, Presence

Stuff Might Happen
- Nosferatu (Sewer Rats): Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence
- Tremere (Warlocks): Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy*

Stuff Might Happen, and You're Hunted
- Assamite (Assassins): Celerity, Obfuscate, Quietus*
- Giovanni (Necromancers): Dominate, Necromancy*, Potence
- Lasombra (Keepers): Dominate, Obtenebration*, Potence

Really, Don't...
- Ravnos (Deceivers): Animalism, Chimerstry*, Fortitude
- Setite (Serpents): Obfuscate, Presence, Serpentis*
- Tzimisce (Fiends): Animalism, Auspex, Vicissitude*

NOTE ON THE TREMERE
Note that Thau is short form for Thaumaturgy.
Tremere start with Thau Blood Rituals or Thau Elements, and this is their Primary Path.
They can learn separate Thaumaturgy(ies) when they have at least 2 Dots in their Primary Path. The Thaumaturgy(ies) still have to be taught (typically by someone from their Clan) and cost 1/2/3/4 points more, and are treated as if they were learning a Common Power.
Further, the Dots in Moves, Attacks, Specials in the new Thaumaturgy(ies) can never exceed the number of Dots in their Pri Path.

CAITIFF (THIN BLOODS)
These vampires exhibit no unique disciplines or characteristics of their clan. They are regarded as outcasts and are generally shunned and persecuted by most of vampire society.
Mechanically, they have NO Clan Disciplines and are treated as Generation 14-15. They may learn all Common Disciplines (see below) but at additional XP cost of +1/2/3/4. Their Generation can never be altered.
These are not recommended for players.

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For those who have read the wiki and/or V20 pdf, the Dark Ages clans that are significantly different in their outlook from the modern ones in the V20 pdf are

- Tremere: a very new and secretive clan that is barely known in setting... for now
- Giovanni: there is no Giovanni clan, only their forerunners the Cappadocians. Among the Cappadocians is the founder of what will later be known as the Giovanni clan.
- Brujah: the Brujah are still closely tied to their ascendent period in Carthage, and are known as a clan of warrior-philosophers rather than the rabble they would be known as in modern Nights.

[Zyraen]

Vampires are not limited to learning only their Clan Disciplines, though they learn them with more ease and flair. Here are the classification of Disciplines and how they may be taught.

Your starting Clan Discipline and Blood Healing costs 3/6/9/12 for each of the 4 dots allowed.

COMMON DISCIPLINES

Generally, more than one clan has this Discipline.
Caitiff can freely learn any of these. You still need someone to Teach you.

You spend 3 XP just to learn the Discipline.
Thereafter, XP cost is increased by 1/2/3/4 for each of the 4 dots allowed, ie costing 4/8/12/16 XP.

- Animalism: call upon beasts and creatures
- Auspex: super senses, see the unseen
- Celerity: great speed
- Dominate: others obey you
- Fortitude: unnatural resilience
- Obfuscate: be unseen
- Potence: great strength
- Presence: others are awed/fearful/attracted to you
- Thau Blood Rituals*: use blood magic
- Thau Lightning* : conjure Lightning
- Thau Ice*: call upon Ice

* - these are not technically Common, but they are reasonably useful and not OP. You do not need to drink Blood to learn this. Being a known user may still attract unwanted attention (see below)
note that Thau Lightning and Ice are related under Thau Elemental Mastery

UNCOMMON / OTHER-CLAN DISCIPLINES

These Disciplines are not commonly known outside their clan. The list here only shows powers related to the 13 main clans. To learn them, you must have a Teacher and must drink blood of a Clan that can use it.
Clans do not take lightly to their secrets being known and there may be repercussions when they become aware. Effort will also likely be made to learn who divulged these secrets.

You spend 6 XP just to learn the Discipline.
Thereafter XP cost is increased by 2/4/6/8 for each of the 4 dots allowed, ie costing 5/10/15/20 XP.

- Chimerstry (Ravnos): create illusions of varying degrees
- Dementation (Malkavian): drive others mad
- Necromancy (Giovanni): death magic
- Obtenebration (Lasombra): control the shadows
- Quietus (Assamite): silence & turn blood into poison
- Protean (Gangrel): gain aspects of beasts
- Serpentis (Setite): become snake-like
- Thau Lure of Flames (Tremere): manipulate fire
- Vicissitude (Tzimisce): shape flesh and bone as you please

GENERATION SENSITIVE POWERS

There are powers that have reduced effects against vampires that are of a lower generation than you.
- Dominate has no effect whatsoever against vampires of lower generation as you, and less against a vampire of same generation if they resist it.
- Other influencing/mind altering powers like Dementation, Presence, among others, have less effect against equal/lower Gen vampires. All such powers are also subject to Willpower usage by the victim, similar to resisting frenzy.

[Zyraen]

USING DISCIPLINES

Unlike Vampire the Masquerade system used by White Wolf, each Discipline is akin to a "Class" in other systems.

Each of the 3 Clan Disciplines that you start with grants you a Common Attack power, that can be used as long as there are Actions to use them.

There are also Move or Attack powers that can only be used Once per Encounter. The first dot Move power will be written as M1, and the first dot Attack power will be written as A1. These powers have to be activated by spending 1 Blood Point (BP), unless otherwise stated.

Note that for Attack powers, you/your ally can make all the attacks first, see if it hits or misses, then spend the BP if you hit. If you choose not to spend BP when you miss, nothing happens, not even effects listed under the power. Note that the power is still expended.

For each and every Discipline, you must spend XP to learn Dots in either Move or Attack.
ie. For a Discipline, to have 2 dots in Special, you must have at least 2 Dots in Move and 2 Dots in Attack.

The XP cost for the Dots are as follows:
1st Dot: 3 XP
2nd Dot: 6 XP
3rd Dot: 9 XP
4th Dot: 12 XP

Note that the 4th Dot grants you an extra Power of a higher level, but to use it, you must expend ONE of your lower level Powers of the same type.

SPENDING BP AND POWERS IN COMBAT

Vampires can call upon a large array of powers in Combat. As long as you have sufficient BP, you can keep using all your Move and Attack powers until you have none left.

Based on your Generation (see other topic), there is a limit on how many BP you can spend in One Turn. Some Move or Attack powers are activated as an Interrupt or Reaction etc, and the BP used to activate them counts until the End of your Next Turn.

ROLEPLAYING DISCIPLINES

Apart from Combat value, most Disciplines have Roleplaying Application. Generally speaking, they can be used for RP purposes that might not be construed as an Act of Violence, and hence may not immediately result in combat.

The function of each Dot can be found in the Vampire PDF, but ignore any Combat or Damage causing applications, eg. for Potence.

For Clan Disciplines, you start with the 1 dot RP power. However, if you did not spend XP to learn either a Move or Attack in that Discipline, you take -5 to the relevant skill check when using that power. Even powers that automatically succeed call for a d20 roll, and on a 1-5, the power fails and cannot be reused that scene. This penalty is negated if you spent XP in that discipline.

Thereafter, you automatically gain an additional dot RP Power when you have a dot in both Move and Attack for that Discipline.

ie.
1. When you start, you have 1 dot RP power in all your Clan Disciplines. The drawback of -5 as above applies if you did not spend XP in that Discipline.

2. If you spent any XP in that Clan Discipline eg. Dominate, this drawback is removed, eg. you may use Command without penalties to the Intimidate check required.

3. If you have M1 and A1 in your Clan discipline eg. Dominate, you gain an extra dot of RP power, ie you have the 2 dot RP power eg. Mesmerize. If you have M2 and A2 in the Clan discipline, you gain an extra dot of RP power to gain the 3 dot RP power, eg. The Forgetful Mind.

NON-CLAN DISCIPLINES

Note that for non-Clan disciplines, you do not start with the first RP dot. In this case, if you must have M1 and A1 in that Discipline in order to have the 1 dot RP power for that Discipline.

Having a Non-Clan disciplines also does not grant you the Common Attack for that Discipline. You must have the 1 dot RP power for that discipline first, then pay a feat - Familiarity - to gain the use of that Common Power.

MASQUERADE BREACH

When it comes to breaking the Masquerade though, it is still dependent on what is seen, regardless if an RP power is used or not. Typically the Psychic Disciplines and Fortitude are not noticeable to onlookers... but those who survive fighting against such powers are probably going to think otherwise.

Eg. Using Celerity is a Masquerade violation, hence using the Celerity common power Twin Strikes is a Masquerade violation, even though the character may have Celerity 0.
However, using Twin Strikes when firing an automatic weapon (even in single shot mode) may not raise any eyebrows since onlookers might assume it to be a weapon function. Further investigations may reveal otherwise, of course.

[Zyraen]

LEARNING/TEACHING DISCIPLINES

- this assumes you are learning an Out Of Clan Discipline. Which is generally true, as otherwise you would not need a teacher.
- conversely, an effective teacher usually must be of that clan.

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN
- A vampire may only use Common Attacks from a new Discipline if he has at least M1 and A1 in it (ie RP dot 1) and pays a Feat to gain the Common Attack.
- A vampire must have M2 and A2 (ie RP dot 2) in a Discipline from a Teacher before being able to carry on gaining the rest of the Dots his own. This also means that having a Teacher prematurely killed off can prevent you from advancing in a new Discipline.

WHAT YOU CAN TEACH
- A vampire must have RP4 (ie M3 and A3 if in clan, otherwise M4 and A4) in a Discipline to teach up to RP1 (ie M1 and A1) to a pupil.
- A vampire must have mastered the Discipline to RP5, ie M4 and A4, to teach up to RP2 (ie M2 and A2). As above, beyond that the pupil can learn on his own.

- And yes, this does mean Players can potentially teach their Clan Discipline to each other later on.
- And yes, this does mean that no Player who fully learns an Out of Clan Discipline can teach other players beyond M1 and A1, because they cannot reach RP5 in an Out of Clan Discipline.

[Zyraen]

Edit : increased the cost of M4 and A4 by 3 XP and also applied to adjustments

[Zyraen]

When you gain a dot in Thaumaturgy or Necromancy, you can learn 2 rituals of that level, "on the house".
Thereafter, each extra ritual costs 1 XP per dot of the ritual.

You still need someone (or something) to teach you.

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When you learn Necromancy, if you do not choose Sepulchre Path, disregard the RP entry in the table. Choose a Path, and that is your Primary Path, your Necromancy dots always equal to your dots in your Pri Path.

Thereafter you can learn a new Path at 3/6/9/12 per dot. Your other Paths cannot equal your Pri Path.