Cults and Religions
Cults and religions among vampires have existed in some form or another throughout all of their recorded history. They survive and thrive, driven by the influence of their patrons, the culture in which they grow, and the prevailing attitudes of the time. Vampire religions often arise from a deep yearning to confront one's inner demons: the vampire's own Beast. These cults also fulfill a need of vampires to comprehend the world around them, providing answers to questions that defy scientific and human understanding. Some religions seek redemption, while others crave power, either inherited or seized from another. A dangerous few vampire religions seek only to obliterate the world and embrace the monster within. However, all cults and religions operate under the pretense that they are righteous, and those that oppose them are misguided.
Most vampire cults and religions can be categorized into one of four main groups: Ancient Worship, Golconda Cults, Eschatological Thought, and Ruinous Beliefs.
- Ancient Worship: Religions that worship ancient vampires promise pathways to power through veneration of these powerful figures. Some of these ancients are still secretly active, defying the Beckoning in some way. Others simply have centuries of mythology that keep their names powerful in the modern night.
- Golconda Cults: These cults seek to achieve a state of salvation and grace through the denial of the Beast's urges. Golconda is not the same for every cult that seeks it. For every cult that still exists and searches for this higher existence, dozens have been forgotten.
- Eschatological Thought: The apocalyptic event known as Gehenna has been frequently predicted, yet seemingly has been avoided or survived multiple times in Kindred history. Several Eschatological cults and religions, which relate to death and destiny, anticipated the coming of such an event. Some of these cults exist to hasten Gehenna's arrival.
- Ruinous Beliefs: The nihilist religions actively forsake any hope of salvation or stability with the vampiric condition and seek the destruction of the world as we know it. They turn their back on Humanity to embrace the monster that most vampires fear to become.
Not every vampire is cut out to be a member of a cult or religion. A majority are not. Vampires usually keep their membership in cults and religions very secretive. The major sects are known for their intolerance of cult ideologies, decrying them as undermining sect principles and considering their secrecy as evidence of a deeper conspiracy.
The following Loresheets, Merits, and Flaws are intended not just for player characters (Storyteller permitting), but also to provide unique benefits for non-player characters used as antagonists.
Loresheets
Each lore sheet below provides an introduction to a cult, such as Golconda, or a religion, including Methuselah Worship. Note: The Convictions listed under each cult description are only example Convictions and do not provide Stain protection unless they are chosen and tied to a Touchstone.
Ancient Worship
Golconda
Eschatological
Methuselah Worship
Ancient Worship
The Bahari, Children of Lilith
Convictions
- Never feel remorse for serving Lilith
- Never allow the destruction of your creations to go unpunished
- Never fear death
- Only kill in sacrifice to Lilith
●First Cursed
Lilith's worshipers maintain that she was the first living being cursed by God, before Adam, Eve, or Caine. The Bahari strive to emulate Lilith's lesser curse, and in so doing find their Cainite weakness lessened. You retain your clan Bane, but can now walk in the first hour of daylight and the final hour of dusk without harm.
●●Dark Mother's Song
Several rare Blood Sorcery rituals have been developed by powerful and ancient Lilan. Gain the first dot of Blood Sorcery and the ritual Coax the Garden for free. You may also purchase the Blood Sorcery ritual, Eden's Bounty, with experience points.
●●●Garden of Lilith
As a devoted Bahari, you oversee a personal garden, guiding and implementing the Dark Mother's desires. This garden is represented by a three-dot Haven that sits upon an acre plot of vegetated land. There are 10 to 20 mortal adherents of your garden that willingly let you feed on them as long as you teach them, represented by a three-dot Herd. You may then choose two dots of Herd or Haven advantages to customize your garden.
The Church of Caine
Convictions
- Never allow Caine's divinity to be insulted.
- Adhere to Caine's teachings.
- The unworthy are food.
●Hold the Door
All new members of the church spend their early years finding and safeguarding Gnositic sites. Gain five dots of the Larceny Skill. The most revered Acolytes in the church have learned to detect True Faith like a bloodhound smells prey. In addition, all Gnostics have an overwhelming feeling of dread when a mortal possessing True Faith is within 30 steps of them, or they are within 100 feet of holy ground.
●●Tax Exempt
You have a trusted ally that helps channel wealth in and out of the Church undetected. Gain a 3 dot Ally with the At Arm's Length and Diversity advantages. This Ally is part of the Church and Finance Spheres of Influence.
●●●Sacraments of Caine
You have been honored with the ability and the duty to perform the Sacraments of Caine. Perhaps you are a Priest, Lector, or a Deacon. Once per game session, you may choose one of the following Sacraments to perform, each providing a different benefit for yourself and anyone else who is a member of the Church of Caine.
Sacrament of Valediction
The vampire must name a fear and let cult members expose them to it. They make a terror frenzy test at Difficulty 3. If they withstand the fear, the difficulty of the next test terror frenzy is reduced by 1. At the conclusion of the sacrament, they recover one point of Willpower regardless of whether any single subject frenzied.
Sacrament of Exculpation
Once referred to as a "Sermon of Caine," this rite involves congregation members invoking their bloodline's flaws while quoting stories from the Book of Nod. Demonstrating a clan bane differs among vampires, but for example, a Nosferatu might participate in a sacrament rite without a disguise. For the remainder of the night, reduce the participant's Bane Severity by 1 (to a minimum of 1)
Sacrament of Firewalking
Perhaps the most crucial sacrament of the Church of Caine involves followers walking through different intensities of fire to show their strength over evil. New members typically walk through a corridor with lit candles and a path of burning coals. The fire intensity increases with the vampire's status, especially during essential acts seeking recognition. Participants make an appropriate Frenzy test. If they win or tie the challenge, they take 1 Aggravated damage and restore all lost Willpower. In addition, for the rest of the night, they gain a +1 to all tests to resist fire-based Frenzy tests. If they lose the challenge, they take 1 Aggravated damage and frenzy as normal.
Additional Note
Finally, members of the Church of Caine who have learned Blood Sorcery can purchase the Fire in the Blood and Creatio Ignis rituals with experience points.
Church of Set
Convictions
- Always strive to liberate others of their vices.
- Never refuse aid to another member of the Church.
- Always respect the commands of those in later Hours.
- Always do what is necessary to test another's resistance to liberation.
- Always seek the mysteries of Set, hidden throughout the world.
- Always do what is necessary to test the flaws in a social order.
●An Open Mind
The Church of Set teaches that their God's mysteries can be found all over the world. However, actually finding them requires knowing where to look and having the self-control to overcome the dangers in the way. You gain the first two dots of the Investigation and Occult Skills. In addition, once per game session, you can automatically succeed on a Terror Frenzy test while you are in the course of investigating an occult or religious mystery.
●●A Helping Hand
Whether you have a mentor in the Church of Set who is assisting you or the cult has taken a special interest in investing in your success, the organization has decided to make sure your worldly needs are met. You know it is a tactic for getting you deeper into the cult, but why not take it? After all, it is easier to pursue spiritual liberation when basic needs have been met. You can select five dots from the Resources, Herd and Mask Backgrounds or their associated Advantages, representing the Church's support.
●●●An Unchained Heart
When danger is at its worst, when oppressors seek to suppress their will, that is when a devotee of Set is at their strongest. You have been trained in secret techniques that allow you to fortify your mind when others attempt to chain it. Once per night, you may automatically win a test against a Dominate or Presence power used against you, including their Amalgams.
Initiate of the Hours - Loresheet
Ministry characters may purchase the Church of Set Loresheet from Laws of the Night as a Cult Loresheet if they wish, freeing up their main Loresheet slot for other options. They may choose to purchase Initiate of the Hours instead, or choose both by having the Church of Set Loresheet as their main Loresheet and Initiate of the Hours as their Cult Loresheet.
Cult of Mithras
Convictions
- Punish the weak, the chaotic, and the disobedient.
- Never abandon your allies or fail to protect the young.
- Always actively guide your domain.
●Personal Murder
You have cultivated a private and trusted Herd. They have not yet proven themselves to be Corax nor to know your true intentions. Gain 3 dots of Herd or its advantages, and a 1 dot Mask you use to interact with them.
●●Servant of Order
You have made significant inroads in your efforts to build influence among the mortal faithful. You have gained a follower among the mortals responsible for enforcing justice and order in their Domain. Gain a 3 dot Ally with the At Arm's Length and Diversity advantages. This Ally is part of the Police and Legal Spheres of Influence.
●●●Ancestral Devotion
You have tasted the blood of Mithras and partaken in the Blooding rituals. While you are not entirely bound to him, it provides you with certain protections from the Bond of others. Gain the Bond Resistance Merit for free. In addition, those you recruit and bring into the cult, especially your ghouls, are always connected to you. Gain the Sympathy Pains merit for free. Finally, Sympathy Pains trigger when your thralls take normal or Aggravated damage.
The Nephilim
Convictions
- Thou shalt obey the Children of the Angel in all things
- Thou shalt not sow discord among thyself
- Thou shalt tolerate not the ugly nor the wicked in the sight of the Nephilim
- Thou shalt seek to bring all into the light of the Angel
- Thou shalt not compromise the perfection of a Tabernacle or Temple
- Thy Angel is thy savior, revere above all the one who brought you into the light
- Thou shalt not expose the nature of Angels to the mortal world, lest thou be purged by the fires of day
Nephilim Convictions
Known usually in short form as the Lex Angelorum, the Law of the Angels is the only code that matters to the Nephilim. It is learned by rote by all members, and they can recite its seven tenets at a whim. They are as follows:
●Archangel's Grace
The Nephilim pride themselves in spreading beauty into the world through their designs, ideas and physiques. You have been trained in these arts through the cults, opening the way for you to contribute to the beautification of the world. You may gain the first three dots in two of the following Skills: Athletics, Performance, Crafts or Academics.
●●Temple of the Archangel
You have built and perfected your own Tabernacle or Temple. Gain five dots to spend on the Haven or Herd Backgrounds or their associated Advantages.
●●●Law of the Angels
Once every three months, you may select a room that your Storyteller approves within your city for a peaceful meeting that lasts one scene. For the meeting scene, the location gains two dots of the Luxury trait and one dot of the Location trait as if it were your Haven. You may invite any number of vampires to this location to meet. Within this meeting, allowing all vampires to pass their first Frenzy test of the scene caused by being insulted, embarrassed, or humiliated. As well, any vampire that chooses to physically attack another vampire in the scene must make a Fear Frenzy test at difficulty 8. A vampire is only subject to this Fear Frenzy trigger once per scene. All effects of this benefit expire when the meeting scene concludes.
The Withered Ones
Convictions
- Never hesitate to feed when hungry.
- Never leave evidence of your passage.
- Never strike against another Withered One.
●Consume the Unworthy
Emulating the ravenous hunger of the Nictuku is one of the Withered Ones' calling cards. Anyone who grows lax in security or is oblivious to their deserved paranoia deserves their fate. Whenever you would gain Stains during feeding, you gain one less, even when you kill your meal. The blood of the unworthy, the rest of your failure of a clan, brings with it an especially delicious flavor. In addition, whenever you slake Hunger from an unwilling Nosferatu, you may regain one Willpower.
●●Leave No Trace
The Withered take great pains not to leave a trace of their activities. The ability to act against their clan and disappear without a trace is yet another aspect of the mythos of the Withered Ones. As long as your path leads through a densely populated urban area, it is not possible to follow you without using supernatural powers specifically designed to track you. In addition, your Unseen Passage remains active even during daysleep or in torpor.
●●●Master of Fear
Fear is a tool, not a detriment. While others react to primal fear with irrational behavior, a Withered One can maintain a semblance of control. Once per night, when your character would suffer from a Fear Frenzy, you may alter it to a Rage or Hunger Frenzy, and you may choose the target. This effect triggers before any other Frenzy effects. In addition, gain the first three dots of the Intimidation skill for free.
Golconda
Ashfinders
Convictions
- Never turn down or withhold Ashe
- Never be silenced, but always listen to those with more experience.
- Never reveal the true nature of Ashe or vampires to the kine.
●Influencer
As a member of the Cinder Institute, the Ashfinders' mortal-facing front, you've developed some sway among mortals. This keeps your cult hidden in plain sight. Gain 4 dots of Allies or Contacts or their associated Advantages. These bonus dots must all be from the same sphere of Influence.
●●Cook
Gain the Concoct Ashe ritual for free and the ability to purchase the Chemically Induced Flashback and Discipline Channeling formula with experience points. As an important part of the Ashfinders' supply line, you've had plenty of opportunities to hone your craft. When creating Ashe, each win or tie yields two doses of the drug.
●●●Addiction Resistance
Ashe addiction drives a Duskborn into a vicious cycle of hunger and frenzy. You've developed a natural resistance to that cycle. When you use Ashe or formulae that require Ashe, you no longer make a Rouse Check. In addition, when using Discipline Channeling, you may lose a maximum of 1 Willpower, even if you fail both the Discipline Channeling test and the Ashe Addiction test.
Ashe Addiction
Every time a thin-blood takes Ashe, they must make a static challenge; if they lose this challenge, they lose 1 point of Willpower. A vampire who has lost 2 or more Willpower from Ashe is considered to be suffering from Ashe addiction. A vampire who gains the Impaired Condition (losing their last Willpower) from Ashe consumption will gain the Helpless Condition (and resolve the Impaired Condition) sometime in the next 30 minutes, as determined by the Storyteller. Furthermore, any time a thin-blood smells the blood of another vampire, or is successfully targeted by the powers of a vampire while they are under the effects of Ashe addiction, they must test for Hunger Frenzy with a difficulty of 1 + the number of Willpower they have lost from using Ashe since they last rested.
Butterflies
Convictions
- Always strive for internal change and evolution
- Never feed without consent
- Never let the Beast take control
- Always submit personal gain to the greater good of the household.
●Perfectly Ordinary
Unlike other Golconda cults, the Butterflies strive to be normal instead of morally superior. They study human society from behind the scenes. You gain a three-dot Mask that helps you observe humanity from up close, without drawing attention to yourself. You also gain the Zeroed merit for free. This Mask could represent someone who works on the set of a reality show or beauty contest, or as a stagehand for a community theater group. You have hidden behind this Mask since you joined the Butterflies, perhaps even before. In either case, your true vampiric identity has ceased to exist since you joined the Family. Joseph made sure of it.
●●The Family Will Provide
The Butterflies hold their ghouls in high regard, not just as useful servants, but as an important key to understanding the nature of humanity. Gain a three-dot Ally with the Retainer Advantage. You may add the Retainer advantage to two additional Allies for free. In addition, the reverence that the Butterflies have toward ghouls allows one of your Touchstones to be a ghoul. If you have purchased this advantage during character creation, you may immediately assign this Touchstone to a Conviction. If you joined the Butterflies during play, you may instead ghoul one of your existing Touchstones, adding them to the family.
●●●The Household
The Butterflies live in homes with their chosen families. These shared Havens are often of considerable size. You gain a three-dot Haven and five free dots of Haven advantages. In addition, up to three of your Haven Advantages can be raised to 4 dots. This is an exception to the rule limiting Backgrounds to 3 dots.
Eremites
Convictions
- Feed only when the alternative is giving in to the Beast (Hunger Frenzy)
- Never succumb to the allure of wealth
- Always deny the Beast's desires
●Natural Selection
Eremites deny themselves ready access to blood, the corruptive influence of fellow vampires, and strive only to use Disciplines to survive and not to self-aggrandize or profit. In doing so, they believe the entire puzzle of Golconda will snap together. Most vampires can ignore a failed Rouse Check once per night based on their Blood Potency level outside of combat. Eremites develop the ability also to do so when involved in a combat scene (once per night).
●●Starve the Beast
Eremites believe that worldly delights, material goods, and unnecessary desires awaken the Beast. The Beast becomes quiescent when starved of such pursuits. As long as the player does not have any dots of Resources, has no more than 300 dollars worth of petty cash and equipment in their possession, they may subtract two from the difficulty of all Frenzy tests.
●●●Seal the Beast's Maw
Through rigorous discipline and training, the Eremites have learned to exert their will to stave off the call of the Hunger for a short time. Once per night, an Eremite with this advantage may make a Rouse Check. If this Rouse Check does not result in a Hunger increase, they can ignore the effects of Hunger for the rest of the scene, but may only Rouse once per turn. After a scene in which they have ignored Hunger because of this advantage, the Eremite suffers the Weakened Condition for 30 minutes.
Eschatological
Whispers of the Dead
Convictions
- Loyalty to the cult comes first.
- Never speak, always whisper.
- Always aid the Hecata, even if they're Caitiff and thin-blood childer.
●Deathly Stipend
Many of the cult members are alone, poor, and without their support network. The Wearer of the Whisper Mask aids recruits with blood money and guidance in return for their loyalty. Gain 4 dots of the Haven, Herd, or Resources Backgrounds or their associated advantages.
●●Blood Whispers
The Whispers seek to recruit those that may have been cast off or abandoned, specifically from the core of the Hecata, or Caitiff, and thin-bloods with Hecata sires. If you do not already have access to the Blood Sorcery Discipline, you may learn the power "A Taste for Blood" (Laws of the Night, p. 214) at no cost. This is not the Blood Sorcery Discipline, but rather an extraordinary power of your own. This power functions as usual, except that when using the power, you must mix a small amount of ash with the tasted blood. Similarly, you gain the Blood Walk and Phantom Whispers rituals as well, again, these aren't actual Rituals unless you possess Blood Sorcery; they are more akin to Ceremonies, which require you to mix ash into the ingredient list. If you do possess Blood Sorcery, you gain all three aforementioned Rituals for free.
●●●Gift from the Capuchin
The Speaker has seen fit to gift you with one of the Capuchin's Wraith servants and its fetters. The Wraith stays loyal to you as long as you possess at least one fetter. Your loyal Wraith can be any of the four types of Wraiths described in Chapter 10 of Laws of the Night: Specter, Poltergeist, Spook or Phantasm. It possesses all the listed characteristics of a Wraith. Choose one attribute category (Physical, Mental, or Social). Your Wraith has a 7 for all pools involving that attribute, and a 4 for pools involving the other two. They have six health levels, four Willpower, and two level-one Discipline powers of your choosing. If your wraith perishes or you lose its fetter, you do not immediately regain a new servant. You must make amends to the Whispers of the Dead first, as dictated by your Storyteller. This should not be an easy task and should span multiple games.
Methuselah Worship
Praesidium
Convictions
- Never work against the hierarchy of the Pyramid.
- Always preserve order within your domain.
- Never reveal the secrets of the clan.
●Ave Ordinem
The Praesidium's practice of selling its services benefits its members with material support. As a member of the cult, you have even higher access to Praesidium assets, chief of which is military training. You gain the first two dots in two of the Athletics, Brawl, Marksmanship, or Melee skills. In addition, once a month, you may learn one dot of Potence, Celerity or Fortitude discipline from a Presidium NPC, without the need for payment or expenditure of downtime actions. You still consume the Blood of the NPC Praesidium character, and you must pay the experience costs of learning the power.
●●Ave Pyramidem
The creation of the Praesidium is a direct response to the destruction of the Prime Chantry and the Council of Seven. The Praesidium is a militant front whose primary purpose is to defend the legacy of Tremere and never let any such attacks happen again. Once per scene, when attacking a character who was targeted by another Tremere character, you may Blood Surge for free. In addition, once per scene, when using Assist Defender to protect another Tremere, you may Blood Surge for free.
●●●Blood Loyalty
The Praesidium's early experiments to rebuild the clan's Blood Bond have borne an unexpected discovery: the ability to craft blood contracts. These are a mere shadow of a true bond, but more useful in the House's current state. You and a willing participant must sign a contract after each contributing 1 Rouse check worth of Blood. Once signed, treat the contracted service as if the co-signer was Blood Bound to it with a Bond Strength of 6. To attempt to breach the contract, they must succeed in a contest of Resolve + Intelligence vs. a Bond Strength of 6 (Defiance check). If the Defiance check is successful, reduce the Bond Strength of the contract by 1, but no more than once per month. If Bond Strength is reduced to zero, the contract is voided without your knowledge. If the physical copy of the contract is destroyed or the agreed-upon terms have been fulfilled, the Blood Bond to the contract ends immediately with your understanding.
The Shattered Spear
Convictions
- Always seek to live, not to die.
- Never deny the word of the Voice, Elena Andreas.
- Never commit Amaranth.
- Never suffer the denizens of hell, nor those who consort with them.
●Witness to Orthia
Many of the rituals of the cult involve solemn retellings of Orthia's most significant victories. Once per night, you may publicly retell a story of Carthage. Any Ventrue hearing this story may immediately lower their Hunger by 1 and regain a point of Willpower. This does not allow a character to reduce their Hunger below their Blood Potency minimum.
●●Soldier's Code
The Cult of the Shattered Spear models their behavior after the ancient Spartans. While some write the cult off as careless berserkers, soldiers of Orthia rarely act with reckless abandon. Once per night, a cultist with this advantage may automatically win one challenge against any effect that would directly cause them to flee from a battle. This includes supernatural powers and Frenzy tests.
●●●Ritual of the Spear
One of the most secretive rituals of the Shattered Spear is the ability to imbue a mundane spear with the essence of Orthia herself. This ritual takes one Downtime Action to complete, and a cultist may only imbue one such spear at a time. Once complete, a member of the cult wielding an imbued spear requires one less staking challenge than usual to stake a vampire. This effect does not stack with the Oblivion ritual "Heart's Bane".
Shepherds of Ur-Shulgi
Convictions
- Never kill without profiting from it.
- Show no mercy to those who do not follow the teachings of Haqim.
- Always aid another Shepherd.
Haqim's Laws
Law of Leadership – Honor the Eldest among you, for he is to rule my House when I am absent. Law of Protection – Ward the mortals from Caine's descendants, and treat them with honor in all things. Law of Destruction – Slay not those of the Blood, for that judgment is for the Eldest alone. Law of the Word – Deceive not those of the Blood, for my House is founded on Truth. Law of Judgment – Judge those of Caine's blood and punish them should they be found wanting.
●Dur-An-Ki
The Shepherds believe Ur-Shulgi is the greatest blood sorcerer to walk the earth. His heralds have developed specialized blood magic rituals that few outside the cult are aware of. If you are a full vampire, you gain the first dot of Blood Sorcery for free along with the Shroud of Silence ritual, without spending experience. If you are a thin-blood vampire, you gain the Thin-Blood Alchemist Merit. This merit doesn't have to be balanced with a Thin-Blood Flaw. If you already have this merit, you may remove the Flaw you took to balance it.
●●Ritual of the Bitter Rose
Outsiders know the cult has a penchant for diablerie. However, if they knew of the Ritual of the Bitter Rose they would be even more terrified of the Shepherds. Whenever you are in the process of committing diablerie, you may share its benefits with up to two additional characters. These characters must be present and must join you in physically drinking the target's soul. These characters receive all the benefits and penalties of the diablerie.
●●●Fanatic Ally
The Shepherds find thin-blood alchemy fascinating. Many thin-bloods who wish to embrace their predatory nature truly will aid or join the Shepherds. A favored tactic of the Shepherds is to undermine, blackmail, or bribe an enemy's trusted retainer to give access to their master's assets. Once access is gained, a thin-blood Day Drinker can exploit this access. Once every three months, you may call for aid, and two loyal thin-bloods will answer. One NPC with the statistic block for a Day Drinker will aid you. The Storyteller controls this character but will attempt to follow your instructions to the best of their ability.
Ruinous Beliefs
Cult of Shalim
Convictions
- Never fear Oblivion or death.
- Never miss an opportunity to exploit someone's vulnerabilities if it will cause suffering.
- Never harm or exploit another Lasombra; they are part of your destiny.
●Crush the Dreams of Life
Shalim's teachings say the dreams and ambitions of the flesh must be cast off to achieve perfection. All are equal under its gaze, so all must witness the path to the glorious dark and emptiness through seeing their conceited ambitions thwarted. Three times per night, you may target a character and make an Investigation + Insight challenge vs. their Resolve + Composure. On a successful challenge, the Storyteller will ask the player to reveal their character's greatest ambition to you.
●●Priest of Shalim
If your character is a Lasombra or of a clan that has Oblivion as an in clan Discipline, gain the Traveler's Call Ceremony and another level 2 Ceremony of your choice for free. If your character is not of the Lasombra clan or a clan that doesn't have Oblivion as an in clan Discipline, gain the first dot of Oblivion for free, taught to them by a Lasombra member of the cult. In addition, you have learned a specialized written cipher that only other Shalimites know called Gematria. You understand the system, and you can encrypt or decrypt messages using it. Finally, you may purchase the Name of the Father ceremony with experience points.
●●●Shalim Is
You are a faithful servant of Shalim. Your zeal and faith in the coming end know no bounds, and you are sure that the Abyss has chosen you to enact its purpose. Your lofty position and prestige within the cult grant you 3 dots in the Herd Background or its associated Advantages. In addition, you gain 4 dots of Contacts or Allies or their associated Advantages within the Church Sphere of Influence. Both these advantages consist of mortals who actively share your beliefs and are mortal members of the Cult of Shalim.
The Penny Dining Club
Convictions
- The first rule of the Penny Dining Club is: you do not talk about the Penny Dining Club.
- Never refuse to share a unique concoction of blood.
- Never overindulge; appreciation comes through restraint.
●Appetizers
The official mission of the Dining Club is to advance vampiric culinary arts through the cultivation, study, and appreciation of unique blood. The Club has developed and teaches specialized Blood Sorcery rituals as part of that mission. Gain the Enrich the Blood Ritual for free, which you may use even if you do not possess the Blood Sorcery Discipline. In addition, gain the Bloodhound (●) Merit and a 2-dot Contact in the Health Sphere of Influence.
●●Family Style
Unique flavors of blood are meant to be shared; however, there is seldom enough time to cultivate such rare delicacies safely. Gain the Enhance Dyscrasia Ritual for free, which you may use even if you do not possess the Blood Sorcery Discipline. In addition, gain 3 dots in the Herd Background or its associated Advantages.
●●●Icing on the Cake
As a senior member of the Penny Dining Club, you have tasted countless rare flavors of blood. You've sampled powerful vampire blood and the blood of other supernaturals as well. You have gone through a specialized ritual performed by one of the Founders, gaining the Unbondable Merit for free. Any bonds you have when purchased are automatically broken. In addition, gain 2 more dots in the Herd Background or its associated Advantages.
The Ravenous
Convictions
- Never turn down the ability to acquire more.
- Never share with those who have never experienced having nothing.
- When someone steals from you, steal twice as much back.
●Leftovers
The Ravenous feed even when not suffering from Hunger. Their desire to consume blood and flesh is no longer just an act designed to subdue the Beast, but one of habit and gluttony. When a Ravenous has Slaked to their Blood Potency minimum Hunger, they may Slake up to three more Hunger worth of blood per game session. This blood reserve is stored in their bodies, making them visibly bloated, and can be accessed to reduce their Hunger if it rises later. Tapping into the blood reserve takes one minute per Hunger slaked. Slaking blood into the reserve must happen during the game, not before it. In addition, gain the Eat Food merit for free.
●●All You Can Eat
While the Ravenous will eat almost anything, flesh, blood, bone, and ash, they all insist on keeping a well-cultivated Herd. You gain a three-dot Herd and two free dots of Herd advantages.
●●●Sated Resilience
When properly gorged, the Ravenous grow more resilient. The blood within them forms a carapace-like protection under their skin. Once per night, a Ravenous may drain a mortal completely, killing them and gaining one Stain that may not be reduced. In exchange, the Ravenous gains 2 additional Health levels for the remainder of the night. These Health levels cannot be mended once they are damaged.
Soldiers of the Adversary
Convictions
- Do not fight your own kind. (Each soldier decides for themselves whether this means all Kindred or only members of the cult).
- Never kill when you can corrupt.
- Always offer your life in place of your companions.
●Sineater
The primary conviction for the Soldiers is to obey the Adversary's will, fulfilling his desires even if they oppose and rile the Beast. Similarly, they never kill when they can corrupt instead. The oldest and strongest Soldiers have learned to feed from such corruption. Whenever someone in your line of sight gains a Stain, you may lower your Hunger by 1 to the minimum level dictated by your Blood Potency.
●●Black Light
More than any other cult with ruinous beliefs, the will to defy the Oppressor is one of the strongest beliefs amongst this type of cult. Gain the Unholy Will (●●●●) merit for free. In addition, all Soldiers have an overwhelming feeling of dread when a mortal possessing True Faith is within 30 steps of them, or they are within 100 feet of holy ground.
●●●Bulwark of Hate
As a Soldier of the Adversary, you defy the Oppressor in all ways. Anyone who attempts to force your hand or manipulate your actions could be a servant of the Oppressor. Once a night, when you succeed in a contested mental or social challenge initiated by another character that would dictate or manipulate your actions or thoughts (such as most Presence or Dominate), you may immediately rouse the Blood and cause that character to take 1 Aggravated damage. In addition, should you immediately enter (or continue) combat against an opponent who triggered the activation of this advantage, you receive a +1 bonus to your initiative for the remaining duration of that combat scenario.