Of course, there are many other considerations that come into play when designing a character and many VtM players would look down on this kind of reasoning as 'munchkinism'. Nonetheless, the fact remains that from a game-system standpoint, it is to the advantage of a character to start with as much Generation as possible, because this powerful background costs so little during character creation, but is nearly impossible to gain during play.
For a lot of STs (including me), this is bothersome. I don't want every player character in my campaign to be of the eighth generation, but I don't want to make an arbitrary decision that limits my players' choices, either. I can reduce the attraction somewhat if I limit the points I allow in Generation to a range with minimal advances at each step (i.e. 13th to 10th), but the problem remains the same; it is to the players' advantage to take the maximum in Generation. Rather than eliminate the Generation background altogether, I prefer to change the rules to alleviate this problem.
One approach is to make a character's generation more flexible, by letting it change after character creation. Making a character's effective generation more powerful with age is one such option, which has already been addressed in the 'Anne Rice rules' for VtM (as well as my own 'Generation vs. Age' post, soon to be re-posted on a vampire-l list near you...).
However, another (and possibly complementary) approach is to increase the cost of Generation by including penalties along with the benefits. Hence this post.
After all, if a powerful Generation gives a character more benefits of the Blood, it seems logical that it should intensify the weaknesses inherent in that blood as well. This proposal is in keeping with the general atmosphere of VtM; it supports the idea that there is a terrible price to pay for extra power. It also supports the idea that low-generation elders are to be feared. Even those STs who (unlike me) have no problem with the Generation background may find it worthwhile to increase clan weaknesses based on Generation, for these very reasons.
The material that follows is intended to provide STs with a plausible and necessary gradations of Clan Weaknesses for the seven clans of the Camarilla, based on a character's effective generation (ranging from 13 to 7). As always, they are only suggestions; and if you choose to use them, you can adjust the specifics to suit yourself. These gradations take effect at character creation, and whenever a character changes his or her generation (through Diablerie, Thaumaturgy, or what have you).
Suggestions and comments (politely phrased, of course) are welcome; similar gradations for non-Camarilla clans and for generations 6 and below are left as an exercise for the reader.
Note: In most cases, my description of weaknesses is quantifiable in terms of tabletop game mechanics (penalties on die rolls, conditions for Virtue checks, etc.). In fact, many such descriptions are more specific than the weaknesses as originally described in the basic rulebook. Some people may object to this 'mechanifying' of clan weaknesses, in which case they are free to ignore them; however, from my point of view it's important for a weakness to mean something measurable in game terms.
So beware; there are cases where a weakness has been pinned down to specifics (as for the Ventrue) or radically altered (Tremere). It's up to you to use or discard these adjustments as you see fit. If you use a different system for mechanics, it is up to you to adapt the weaknesses into your own rules. I hope, though, that you will at least find these ideas thought-provoking, even if you decide not to use them.
In game terms, this proximity to the Beast is represented by a penalty to Humanity at character creation, and an increased xp cost for restoring lost Humanity, as follows:
| Generation | Starting Humanity | xp cost |
| 13 | Self-Control + Conscience | Humanity x 1 |
| 12 | Self-Control + Conscience - 1 | Humanity x 1 |
| 11 | Self-Control + Conscience - 1 | Humanity x 2 |
| 10 | Self-Control + Conscience - 2 | Humanity x 2 |
| 9 | Self-Control + Conscience - 2 | Humanity x 3 |
| 8 | Self-Control + Conscience - 3 | Humanity x 3 |
| 7 | Self-Control + Conscience - 3 | Humanity x 4 |
At character creation, this Starting Humanity may still be due to Age or with Freebie points. For characters using a path, substitute the appropriate Virtues in place of Self-Control and Conscience.
Even when the emotion is not intense enough to cause a loss of control, a Brujah is likely to react with an anger that is not really called for by the circumstances. Most Kindred learn to tread warily around them, since their reactions when faced with adversity are generally unpleasant, even when not violent.
Consequently, many Brujah become feared and hated bullies, surviving only because their shrewdness and strength cannot be matched by those around them. And because they avoid anyone who's tougher than they are. Alternatively, Brujah who survive for long tend to belong to the Idealist camp, and contribute greatly to the clan's reputation for philosophy through their constant search for inner peace.
| Generation | Check for Frenzy, at Penalty |
| 13 | Fire or Sunlight, Extreme Hunger ( when 1/4 of Blood Pool or less); +2 to difficulty |
| 12 | Fire/Sunlight, Extreme Hunger: +2; Moderate Hunger (1/2 of BP or less), when wounded: +0 |
| 11 | Fire/Sunlight, Extreme Hunger: +2; Moderate Hunger, Pain: +1 |
| 10 | Fire/Sunlight, Extreme Hunger: +3; Moderate Hunger, Pain: +1; treated rudely or attacked, failure at a task: +0 |
| 9 | Fire/Sunlight, Extreme Hunger: +3; Moderate Hunger, Pain: +2; treated rudely or attacked, failure: +1 |
| 8 | Fire/Sunlight, Extreme Hunger: +4; Moderate Hunger, Pain: +2: treated rudely or attacked, failure: +1 |
| 7 | Fire/Sunlight, Extreme Hunger: +4; Moderate Hunger, Pain: +3; treated rudely or attacked, failure: +2 |
A modifier of +0 indicates that the Brujah must check for Frenzy, but at no penalty (the difficulty is usually from 4 to 6, but is left to the ST to decide). An 'attack' consists of an unsuccessful offensive action that does not inflict damage, such as a hit where the Brujah is able to soak all damage, or a failed Dominate attempt.
A 'failure' means the character tried to accomplish a task that required effort or that was otherwise significant to him/her. This may be an activity that the player rolled for (at difficulty 5 or above), though it may certainly arise out of roleplaying too. Note, however, that it depends on the character's perception of whether or not he has failed.
For example, when Intimidating a target into revealing information, the Brujah may think the target is holding out on him when she (the target) isn't, or be satisfied with her response even though she has actually lied. If and when the Brujah discovers the lie, however, he will have to roll vs. Frenzy at that time. In some cases, such as rolls involving Subterfuge, it may not be clear whether the Brujah has succeeded or failed.
Note also that the table above only applies for actual Frenzy. A Brujah may still be sufficiently provoked to react on impulse, in a way that does not seem commensurate with the provocation. However, this is left as a matter for individual players (and STs) to portray through roleplaying.
At less powerful generations, the animal features are less evident; the character may acquire a habit of blinking like an owl, his or her voice may become a little harsher, or (s)he may sprout a little fur in odd places. Because these changes are relatively minor, the character must gain several before they have a permanent effect on interactions with others.
However, at more potent generations, these features become more obviously bestial, and thus harder to conceal or disregard. Feathers or fish scales, knees that bend the wrong way, cat's eyes and palates that can barely form human speech are common afflictions for Gangrel who are closer to Caine.
| Generation | Attribute/Virtues lost, at every X frenzies |
| 13 | Lose 1 Social every 5 features |
| 12 | 1 Social every 4 features |
| 11 | 1 Social and 1 Intelligence or Virtue every 4 features/4 frenzies |
| 10 | 1 Social every 3 features, 1 Int/Virtue every 4 Frenzies |
| 9 | 1 Social every 3, 1 Int/Virtue every 3 |
| 8 | 1 Social every 2, 1 Int/Virtue every 3 |
| 7 | 1 Social and 1 Int/Virtue every 2 |
At the ST's option, a character may continue to use experience to restore lost Attributes and Virtues even when the cost for doing so exceeds the normal maximum (for generations 13 to 8, this means it is above the normal cost to go from 4 to 5); however, in the case of Virtues the character must still earn the chance through suitable behaviour, as determined by the ST.
As always, madness is difficult to categorize and the interpretation of this Clan's weakness at any generation is largely up to the Storyteller. However, for the purpose of making it easier to decide just how insane a given Malkavian should be, derangements may be classified into three levels: Minor, Major, and Severe. The generation of a Malkavian thus determines how many derangements (s)he should have, and to what degree; or at least the different aspects which a single derangement encompasses. Minor derangements do not significantly affect the character's behaviour or only do so in certain circumstances. The 1 pt Psychological Flaws in the Player's Guide are good examples. In roleplaying terms, Minor derangements will not be overly disruptive; the character will still behave fairly rationally (within his or her personal value system, that is). (S)he may even recognize that the derangement is a problem, or view it as a character flaw. In game terms, (s)he may have to make a roll to determine behaviour in given situations. For the most part, however, it is up to the player to roleplay appropriately.
Major derangements are much harder to conceal, and play a central role in the character's actions (though this will not always be evident to an observer). These are more like the 3 pt Psychological Flaws, such as Hatred, Driving Goal, and Severe Phobia. In roleplaying terms, the derangement motivates many (if not all) of the character's actions. Observers may often be astonished at the character's behaviour, and not understand his or her motives even when they are fully explained. In game terms, the character may have to make rolls to avoid Frenzy, suffer frequent hallucinations, or be incapable of functioning under certain circumstances without using Willpower. Severe derangements render the character dangerous to himself and to those around him. He may go into Frenzy automatically under certain conditions, exist in a fantasy world, be unable to finish a sentence without switching personalities, or be completely sociopathic. The less evident the derangement is, the more it is to be feared. Below are examples of how these three degrees might apply to given derangement types: Delusion: The character believes that she (and all Kindred) are angels of God.
Minor: Constantly encourages mortals to be good, must roll Int to keep from confronting those who do wrong or from helping people in trouble. Cuts two holes in the back of all her dresses and blouses along the shoulderblades, so her wings will fit through.
Major: Seeks out very good people and gently drains them to death, so their souls will go directly to heaven.
Severe: Regularly seeks out 'sinners' and tortures them until they repent and happily slays 'infidels' not of a given faith. Receives directives from God about actions that are now or are no longer 'sinful', and proclaims them as such (skeptics are obviously 'sinners').
Schizophrenic: The character suffers from mental and emotional imbalances.
Minor: Manic-depressive. Upon failing an important task, must roll Courage at difficulty 6 to avoid becoming depressed (+1 to all difficulties), but on successful actions may roll again to recover from depression.
Major: Has two or more distinct personalities, switching between them in stressful situations unless a successful Self-Control roll (difficulty 8) is made.
Severe: Has no less than ten radically different personalities, many of whom suffer other Major derangements of their own, and may switch between personae several times a minute.
Hallucinatory: The character senses things that are not there.
Minor: The ST may add or alter one part of each description given to the character; if the player doubts it, he names the part that is suspect (color, shape, sound, etc.) and rolls Perception (diff 7) to determine whether he still perceives it. If the roll is failed, the character may still disbelieve the hallucination if he chooses to do so (roleplay accordingly).
Major: The character often has realistic hallucinations that cause her to attack a friend, keep her immobile (that street is a bottomless pit!), or make her draw drastically wrong conclusions about things. She may have difficulty recognizing a hallucination as such, no matter how outrageous it may seem or how much evidence is presented.
Severe: The character is incapable of functioning in reality, and others must make a tremendous effort (spend 1 Willpower for the chance to roll Int + Psychology at diff 8) over extended periods of time (ten successes) to understand him even remotely. It takes more effort (25 successes) to communicate in rudimentary fashion.
Obsession: The character loves jewels (may be paired with kleptomania).
Minor: Constantly talks about jewelry, spouts jewel anecdotes that grow thin after the fifth telling; must roll Self-Control (diff 6) to keep from offering to buy any jewels upon seeing them; must roll Conscience (diff 8) to keep from stealing jewels that are left unattended.
Major: Incessantly plans jewel thefts. In the presence of fine jewelry, must roll Self-Control (diff 8) to keep from seizing it on the spot or Dominating the wearer into handing it over; implacable enemy of anyone known to possess jewels finer than his own.
Severe: Becomes violent if anyone else wears jewelry in his presence, but is mortally insulting toward those who do not; constantly brags of his collection, becoming offended if others fail to express interest, but intensely suspicious of those who do. Whenever he spots something that glitters, becomes obsessed with discovering whether it is a jewel and cannot regain Willpower until this is determined. Must attempt theft of England's Crown Jewels or some other famous jewel ensemble at least once a decade. Wears clothing that is absolutely encrusted with precious stones on all occasions.
Obsession: The character is obsessed with maintaining the Masquerade.
Minor: Becomes upset whenever obviously supernatural powers (high-level Celerity, Protean, etc.) are used; badgers others into using euphemisms and nicknames rather than Clan names.
Major: Must make Willpower roll (diff 6) to feed directly from kine rather than draining their blood into a cup; rolls Self-Control (diff 8) to keep from entering Frenzy whenever the Masquerade is obviously violated; is Intolerant of Gangrel, and has a Hatred of Nosferatu, Samedi, and Gargoyles.
Severe: The only way to keep a secret, really, is to be the only one that knows it so the character is determined to destroy every single other supernatural creature on the face of the planet as quickly as possible (including Lupines, Magi, etc.). The character will be quite rational in pursuit of this goal, and may have long-term plans; however, she will never give it up, and will stop at nothing to accomplish it.
Agoraphobia: the character is terribly afraid of open spaces.
Minor: Will not walk through a large open park or mall; if this cannot be avoided, must roll Willpower (diff 6) to proceed, and will be at -2 dice on all Mental or Social rolls until the next sunset. If physically forced into an open space, will spend blood points to Physical traits in order to escape to shelter as soon as possible, afterward experiencing the dice penalties given above.
Major: Must roll Courage (diff 8) to go outside a building or car, and may not attempt to do so more than once a night. If forced into the open, will frenzy automatically, attacking any who try to stop her from fleeing; after escaping must roll Self-Control (diff 8) or gain a new Major derangement.
Severe: Exists completely inside and underground; will not go near an open door or window leading outside; must use 1 Willpower and roll Int (diff 8) each night to keep from burrowing closer to the centre of the Earth; if forced into the open, will become catatonic until sunrise, when daybreak will cause automatic Rotschreck and give the character two new Major derangements if she survives.
The derangements assigned for each Generation are as follows:
| Generation | Minimum derangements at character creation |
| 13 | One Minor |
| 12 | One Major |
| 11 | One Major, one Minor |
| 10 | Two Major |
| 9 | Two Major, 2 Minor |
| 8 | One Severe, 1 Major, 1 Minor |
| 7 | One Severe, 2 Major, 3 Minor |
These represent the minimum afflictions, and may never be cured for any reason short of Golconda or Divine intervention, though they may be temporarily suppressed through Willpower if the character recognizes that (s)he has a derangement.
Additional derangements gained during play may be entirely new, or may upgrade an existing derangement to the next level. Gained derangements may be cured by normal means (Willpower, high-level Obeah, or psychiatric help), but the original derangements may never be permanently cured. It is up to the player and Storyteller to decide how a character's derangements will fit together; they may be separate from each other, or complementary aspects of the same mental affliction.
Psychologically, the effect of this curse is devastating. Many Nosferatu fledglings attempt suicide after the Embrace; those who do not, or who are unsuccessful, are still profoundly troubled at their transformation. They will often gain related derangements, which stay with them until they have achieved some sort of inner peace. Even those who are not unbalanced by the experience remain painfully conscious of their monstrous appearance.
Although every Nosferatu is hideously warped by the Embrace, the severity of the deformity is affected significantly by the strength of the blood.
Nosferatu of the less-powerful generations may almost pass for human from a distance, or when suitably disguised or covered (in a ski mask and baggy clothing, for example). Though they are obviously unusual, the curse has not yet warped them beyond recognition. Only one or two noticeable oddities may give away their true natures.
At more powerful generations, Nosferatu approach and exceed the normal human limits for size and shape. Their bodies become wildly asymmetrical, and make it obvious to anyone who spots their silhouette, tracks them through underbrush, or uses similarly indirect methods of observing them. The deformities become so pronounced that they undermine the effects of the Mask of a Thousand Faces, making targets feel uneasy even though they do not understand why (penalties to Social rolls, even when using Mask). Severe deformities may cause physical difficulties, making certain actions difficult (+1 difficulty to one chosen physical ability, such as Dodge or Athletics) or impossible; or even requiring that the character possess Potence or Fortitude in order to overcome the physical impossibility of their shape.
'Giveaway' deformities may include intense body odour, unnatural skin and hair colour, or texture, disturbingly asymmetrical location of eyes, ears, or arms; extra folds or flaps of skin, vocal tones that violate human norms, extra (vestigial) limbs, gangrenous sections of flesh, open sores, pustules, or boils, skeleton-like emaciation, phenomenal obesity, gigantism or dwarfism, unnatural shapes of bodily features (nose, ears, feet, etc). Each such feature adds 1 to the difficulty when the Nosferatu attempts to disguise his or her nature by mundane means (i.e. without Obfuscate or Chimerstry), and subtracts one from the difficulty for others to pierce such a disguise. Note, however, that a truly grotesque Nosferatu may still conceal some deformities without trouble; in other words, (s)he may pretend to be a less deformed (and hence less powerful) Nosferatu.
| Generation | Deformities and their effects |
| 13 | Average human size and shape when appropriately concealed |
| 12 | Average size/shape; one 'giveaway' deformity |
| 11 | Above/below average size/shape; two 'giveaways'; +1 diff to Social rolls |
| 10 | Human limits of size/shape; 3 giveaways; +2 diff to Social |
| 9 | Beyond human; 5 giveaways; +2 Social; +1 diff for one Phys. Ability |
| 8 | Beyond human; 7 giveaways; +3 Social; +2 diff for one Phys. Ability |
| 7 | Beyond physics; 10 giveaways; +4 Social; +3 diff for Phys Ability, must have Potence or Fortitude |
Note that Social penalties apply to mundane interactions with humans and similar creatures (Kindred, Garou, Changelings) only, while using Mask of 1000 Faces. They do not affect animals, and may even become bonuses in dealing with certain non-human creatures. Moreover, they should not be applied when the character uses Disciplines that involve social intimidation or force of will, such as Dominate, Majesty, or Dread Gaze. The target does not actually penetrate the Mask but subconsciously (s)he knows that something is wrong.
Players and STs are encouraged to consider the deformities carefully. If Flaws and Merits particular to this clan (from Clanbook: Nosferatu) are used, a given flaw or merit may count as a giveaway deformity. Enterprising STs may also peruse Werewolf products (especially the Book of the Wyrm and Freak Legion) for ideas.
Many Toreador claim this phenomenon as a blessing rather than a curse, for they find joy in things that are uninteresting to most other Kindred; though it can be inconvenient to in the middle of a gunfight. Even more importantly, this characteristic means that Toreador tend to become lost in the rapture of the Kiss, often draining their victims to the point of death without intending to do so.
Those who attempt to resist the fascination may and characters also become accustomed to people or objects, so in time a given stimulus will no longer cause the same reaction that it did when first encountered. However, too much restraint or too little novelty will inevitably lead a Toreador to burn out emotionally. A Toreador who goes for too long without rapture becomes jaded; she may lose Humanity, and have difficulty in recovering Willpower. Only when she encounters something new and interesting will she enjoy unlife again.
Fledgling Toreador experience rapture only when viewing the most exceptional beauty, and find it less difficult to pull themselves away. Low-generation elders will be distracted more easily, and find it harder to restrain their feeding. They may also become obsessed with a person or object, frequently daydreaming of it when not otherwise occupied.
Entrancement may be sparked by any person, performance, or work of art that reaches a given level of excellence. It is up to the ST to decide what may trigger it; however, for a guideline he should use the Appearance of the person, or the number of successes obtained when performing/creating the work.
Since art and beauty are such subjective matters, the ST is well within his rights to rule that the artistic worth of a given object is greater than its appearance would indicate; similarly, he may decide that a beautifully-rendered work lacks 'soul' or inspiration, and thus does not enrapture even though it is well made.
In game terms, this distinction is represented by assigning a number to represent the Appearance or 'beauty rating' (i.e. successes rolled in creating the object) that may cause the character to be entranced (in general, artists may not obtain more 'artistic' successes than they have dots of Humanity at the time of the art's creation.). Each time the character sees a person, performance, or object that meets this rating, (s)he must roll Willpower to avoid becoming entranced. The base difficulty of this roll is usually 4, plus the rating of the stimulus, minus the minimum rating; a botch means that the character develops a mild obsession (Minor derangement) for the stimulus. However, once the character becomes accustomed to the stimulus, it loses its effect.
For lower generations, the 'beauty rating' is supplemented with a second number, representing the difficulty the character has in resisting pleasure. Whenever the character feeds, resists Presence, or is in danger of gaining an addiction, this modifier is added to the difficulty of the Self-Control or Willpower roll. At very low generations, the character may lose dice from his or her pool for such rolls.
The rating of a stimulus determines how many times a Toreador must be enraptured by it, or the number of weeks the character must see it on a regular basis, before it may be considered familiar. At the ST's option, similar stimuli may also be considered familiar without going through the process. When a Toreador goes for too long (1 week per point of rating) without being entranced, however, she must roll Willpower (once a week, adjusted by the difficulty number) to keep from burning out.
A burnt-out character may still be entranced by beauty; however, this will happen less frequently (use the difficulty as a negative modifier for entrancement difficulties, to make it easier to resist). She will still have difficulty in restraining herself during the Kiss, but get little joy from it outside the act itself.
As a consequence of these changes, the character's virtues will begin to deteriorate. The difficulty modifier is now applied to all degeneration rolls and Humanity checks. Moreover, the character must make a Willpower roll (with all the same penalties described above!) to regain temporary WP points each night. During burnout, the Toreador's priorities will change dramatically; only power, the Kiss, victories in the Jyhad, and similarly draconian pursuits will matter. A Toreador may recover from burnout, but only by becoming entranced once more by something completely new and the pursuit of such stimuli will not necessarily be high on the character's agenda...
All these rules may sound very complicated. However, they boil down to this: young and powerless neonates of the clan are among the most human and humane of all Kindred, but old and potent Toreador are among the most vicious.
| Generation | Rating | Difficulty | Checks vs. entrancement |
| 13 | 5 | +0 | - |
| 12 | 5 | +1 | - |
| 11 | 4 | +1 | - |
| 10 | 4 | +2 | - |
| 9 | 4 | +2 | -1 die |
| 8 | 3 | +3 | -1 die |
| 7 | 3 | +3 | -2 dice |
Unlike other Kindred, Tremere must make special efforts to use their powers. When a Tremere uses a Discipline, she must power it with Vis, the raw stuff of magick. Vis may be obtained from caerns, relics, and other sources; however, a Tremere's most common source of Vis is her own Blood.
The frequency with which a Tremere character must expend Vis to activate her powers depends on her generation. Lowly Apprentices spend Blood Points to activate Disciplines for a night at a time, but can use their Clan Disciplines freely; more powerful Magi must use Vis (and sometimes Willpower) for all powers, just as they do for Thaumaturgy. Smart Tremere stock up on alternative sources of Vis, and prepare rituals ahead of time so they may be used at no immediate cost.
Powers that normally require expenditure of vitae, such as Protean, Thaumaturgy, or Celerity, are exempt from any extra requirements; the Tremere versions of these Disciplines account for the extra Vis. However, the normal Blood Point cost must still be paid in full, and Vis must still be spent to activate other powers. When a Discipline is only activated by external attacks, as for Majesty or Fortitude, the power activates automatically when needed, and the Vis is subtracted instantaneously from the Tremere's blood pool.
Tremere may find other sources of Vis; however, their own blood is usually the most convenient, and it is assumed that Vis costs will usually come out of a character's own Blood Pool.
| Generation | Vis and Willpower (WP) cost per Discipline |
| 13 | 1 Vis for all non-Clan per night |
| 12 | 1 Vis per non-Clan, per night |
| 11 | 1 Vis per Discipline per night |
| 10 | 1 Vis per non-Clan per hour; 1 Vis per Clan per night |
| 9 | 1 Vis + 1 WP per non-Clan per hour; 1 Vis per Clan per night |
| 8 | 1 Vis + 1 WP per non-Clan per hour; 1 Vis per Clan per night |
| 7 | 1 Vis + 1 WP per non-Clan per use; 1 Vis per Clan per hour |
A Ventrue may never receive any nourishment from animal blood and will always be fully nourished by Kindred blood, regardless of whether the Kindred in question meets his requirements for mortals.
The nature of this curse is intensely mystical. Newly-created Ventrue must spend some time determining exactly what it is that makes some mortals appealing to them, and others not for they do not consciously know why they find prey attractive. Ventrue do, however, sense it whenever a mortal fits their criteria, even though they may not know why. They will want to figure it out, though, and keep it secret from others.
In general, the prey inclusion is determined by local demographics, though why this should be so is not evident. New fledglings will be able to feed from up to half the local population without problems, and gain some nourishment from mortals who do not meet their criteria. Elders, on the other hand, will find themselves limited to a small proportion of the canaille. Consequently, they will spend a great deal of time finding ways to give themselves access to their chosen prey. This is perhaps the most pressing reason why the Ventrue are so conservative in their politics; they cannot afford to be otherwise.
The actual proportion of available prey to general population is represented as a percentage. It is up to the ST and player to determine what this percentage represents in descriptive terms. Some suggestions include:
Persons with a 3 in at least one Attribute (50% or less) Persons of the male gender (50% or less) Persons with brown hair (40% or less) Persons with a 3 in a given Attribute (20 % or less) Persons with a 4 in at least one Attribute (10 % or less) Persons with a 3 in at least 2 attributes (30% or less) Persons in a given age group (depends on age group) Persons of a given ethnic heritage (depends on ethnicity and area) Persons of a given religion (depends on religion)
Again, it is up to the ST to rule on the demographic representation of each group or restriction. Note that these percentages may vary wildly depending on the character's location. For example, blonde-haired men are extremely rare in Communist China, but relatively common in Sweden. It is entirely up to the ST to decide what are suitable limits, and what are not. If a character is no longer able to meet a prey inclusion (he is kidnapped from Stockholm to Nanking), the nature of his inclusion will eventually change. However, in the meantime he will probably end up slaying a lot of innocents for the minimal nourishment their blood gives him...
In game terms, this affects the mechanics of how Ventrue hunt. When Hunting, a Ventrue must make a Hunting roll as would any other character. However, if this roll is successful, she must then roll (1d10 or percentile) to see whether the chosen prey matches her prey inclusion, based on the Demographics percentage. For example, a 10th generation Ventrue would find the prey suitable on a 1,2, or 3 rolled on 1d10; a 13th Generation would find the same prey suitable on a 1,2,3,4, or 5; and a 7th Generation would need to roll 01,02, or 03 on percentile dice.
If they prey is suitable, the Ventrue may feed as normal. If not, she may still feed. However, the blood points she obtains from such a Feeding are limited by an Inclusion factor determined her generation, as shown in the table. In the example above, the 10th Generation would only obtain one blood point for every five she drained from the hapless victim; the 13th Generation would gain one BP for every two she drained; and the 7th Generation would have to drain the poor mortal completely to obtain even a single blood point. Needless to say, fractions are automatically rounded down.
Finally, the Ventrue must pay extra Background points for the Herd Background, as indicated.
| Generation | Maximum Demographics Inclusion factor | Cost of Herd | |
| 13 | 50 percent | 1 BP per 2 | 1 for 2 Background |
| 12 | 50 percent | 1 BP per 3 | 1 for 3 |
| 11 | 30 percent | 1 BP per 3 | 1 for 4 |
| 10 | 30 percent | 1 BP per 5 | 1 for 5 |
| 9 | 10 percent | 1 BP per 5 | 1 for 7 |
| 8 | 10 percent | 1 BP per 10 | 1 for 10 |
| 7 | 3 percent | 1 BP per 10 | 1 for 15 |