DP Tool Club 17/CD_ASCQ_17_101194.iso/vrac/vampires.zip/PHY-DISC.VMP

Internet Message Format | 1993-09-08 | 19KB

Date: Wed, 7 Apr 93 11:55:38 +0100
From: Mithrandir <[e-mail]>
Subject: Disciplines and Clan Character (LONG)

   Right, listen up.

  What we've got here are Physical Disciplines, three thereof.

   Potence, Fortitude and Celerity

  and the suggested one "Agilitus" which I'm going to call Coordination
because the name Agilitus sounds stupid, IMHO.

   Coordination gives automatic sucesses in nearly every Dexterity rolls
like Potence gives autos in Strength.
  Now, I am of the opinion, as are some people that perhaps the Physical
Disciplines should be available as "natural" to ALL clans of Vampires
as opposed to being Clan Disciplines for certain Clans.
  Well, sometimes I am and sometimes I am not.
  And this is the crux of the problem for me.

  Physical Disciplines, to me, are not just an indication of certain
Powers available to the Clan, but they, along with the other
Disciplines, tell me something about the character of the Clan in
general.

   For example, all the Camarilla clans except the Tremere have a
Physical Discipline. (The Brujah have two) and they also have other
Disciplines that reflect their nature.

    So, here's my potshot on a lot of things to do with Disciplines
on a Clan-by-Clan basis, which my be useful to some, and not to
others.

   If you don't want to read about this, I advise hitting "q", "n" or
whatever to get out of this message.

   NOW.
---------------------------------------------------------------

  Animalism: Naturally, this Discipline would make people think of
            characters who have a close affinity with nature.
            Certainly this is present with the Gangrel, who are
            known for their nature-loving ways. But they are not the
            only Clan to have such a Discipline. So do the Nosferatu
            Tzimisces and the Ravnos. The Nosferatu are reknowned
            for their spy abilities, true, so why give them Animalism
            when perhaps they would benefit more from Auspex, being
            spies as they are. The answer is that it goes with their
            Clan nature. They are close to the Beast, as is plain
            upon their faces, and have a special understanding of things
            bestial, as it were. They hang around in sewers, where
            rats live. Nosferatu are often seen as being the Rats of
            Kindred society, and thus gain a close affinity with these
            city creatures.
                The Tzimisces also have Animalism which surprises me
            until I consider their origins. Tzimisces are from a place
            and time where Animals roamed the lands. Transylvania is
            very much their original turf, and there was much taboo
            about animals thereabouts (and even more so in World of
            Darkness) It was a wild place, and the vampires lived
            in dark castles in the wild. Thus they retain this aspect
            of their clan from the olden days, despite their moves to
            the cities of America. The Tzimisces still keep their old
            closeness to nature in this respect.
                The Ravnos having Animalism is for the fun aspect of
            things. They are akin to the Gangrel and spend much of their
            time out and about in the wild. They often use animals to
            aid them in their personal trickery missions as informers
            and so on. The Nosferatu use these methods also, no doubt.

  Auspex:
                The Discipline of Auspex is associated with Clans who
            value information for many reasons from the nefarious to
            the highly-minded. The Clans that posess Auspex are  the
            Malkavians, the Toreador, Tremere, Tzimisces, Ventrue
            Antitribu.
                In all cases the Clans in question are the type who
            value information about people and events. Which may make
            it surprising that the Nosferatu do not have this Discipline
            considering they are the best spies to be found. But not
            really, when you think about it. The Information that the
            Nosferatu use is the sort for diffrent events and places.
            Not the sort for assessing one's enemies or allies.
                Auspex represents these, and the Clans that have them
            are often perceived as being wise in some measure.
                The Malkavians are known for their uncanny wisdom on
            many subjects, despite the fact that they cannot even be
            understood sometimes.
                The Toreador's having Auspex is a recognition of their
            need to know about people's artistic qualities, as well
            their never-ending search in the world around for beauty.
            The need better artistic sense than others.
                The Tremere need Auspex because they need to be able to
            manipulate people, and thus they need to know a lot about
            them. Also, the Tremere see themselves as great students of
            the occult. Auspex often represents those Clans which pursue
            fields of study, and insight. The Tremere pursue such
            studies.
                The Tzimisces have Auspex for these same reasons. The
            Tzimisces are also great students of the Occult, though not
            as advanced as the Tremere. Yet they do resemble the Tremere
            in this respect.
                The Ventrue Antitribu are diffrent from the Ventrue in
            that they have Auspex as a Clan Discipline, instead of
            Presence. The Ventrue are seen as very well studied rebels
            and not the leaders (I mean Antitribu, sorry) that their
            Camarilla cousins are. They have developed Auspex over
            Presence for this reason. They have no need of Presence
            anymore.

  Celerity:
                Celerity represents not just speed in the very real
            sense, it also indicates Clans that are quick in action,
            and quick in other ways as well. Clans of quickly changing
            opinions, and small tempers (hence quick actions) are also
            represented by this Discipline. It also shows those who
            value quick and deadly results.
                Clans with Celerity are The Brujah, The Toreador, The
            Assamites and the City Gangrel Antitribu.
                To the Brujah, Celerity indicates this Clan's value
            of rebellious thought. Rebellion represents action against
            something in hopefully a quick and decisive manner. This
            is a natural habit of the Brujah. If they see oppression,
            they almost automatically act against in any manner possible
            and do so quickly. Well, the younger Brujah do at any rate.
            It is also an indicator of the Brujah's quick temper. They
            are quick to anger, quick to fight and often quick to
            forget.
                The Toreador are quick in a Social sense. They are
            always up on the latest fashions, the latest styles of art
            and so forth. This indicates the Toreador to be a very fluid
            type of Clan. They enjoy being in on the absolute latest
            scene, and their opinions change daily on certain subjects.
            This is a quickness in and of itself.
                The Assamites need Celerity as assassins. It is
            necessary in order for them to slay their targets. The
            Assamite Clan are an often fanatic Clan, but they remain
            fiercely independant of the Camarilla. Celerity also
            indicates this facet of the Clan. They don't lie down easily
            on anything to do with their Clan. It is akin to the Brujah
            sense of rebellion, but not nearly as strong.
                The City Gangrel Antitribu also have Celerity for
            similar reasons. They are masters of hunting in the city,
            not in the country. In the city, ability to survive hardship
            is not as important as being able to keep up, and keep one
            step ahead of the changing times. The Country wears you down
            but the city is quick and deadly. Thus, speed is of optimum
            value.

  Dominate:
                Dominate is the Discipline for Clans that love control.
            Dominate allows power over the minds of others, which gives
            power over others in a general sense. The Clans with the
            Dominate Discipline are the Malkavian, Tremere, Ventrue,
            Giovanni and Lasombra.
                In the case of Tremere, Ventrue, Giovanni and Lasombra,
            Dominate reflects that each of these Clans are the type
            which seek Power more than anything else, in their various
            sphere's of expertise. Some are leaders, some occultists,
            but the need to control others around them is a primary
            concern of each of these Clans.
                For the Malkavians, Dominate also holds true in the
            above contexts, but this also allows Malkvaians to pursue
            their own goals with greater "efficiency" and fun in general
            more than others. Without Dominate, the Malkavians would be
            more the Harmless lunatic variety. But with Dominate, they
            are often the perfect spanner in the works of Prince's Plans
            and more. The Dominate Discipline is well suited to them,
            because they can cause havoc with it's use.

  Fortitude:
                Fortitude represents Toughness, survivability, endurance
            and not just in the physical sense of the word. It
            exemplifies those Clans which are especially hardy and who
            survive in their roles no matter what has happened to them.
                This is a Clan Discipline of the Gangrel, Ventrue,
            Ravnos and Salubri.
                With the Gangrel it represents general hardiness that is
            associated with the Clan. They are reputed for their ability
            to be rugged survivors against all the odds. This Discipline
            suits them right down to the ground.
                The Ventrue are also perceived as being a tough Clan.
            But not in the Gangrel sense of the word. The Ventrue are
            leaders, and always have been. Being in control is their
            speciality, and they remain in control for a long time. And
            that is why they have Fortitude. They remian in control, and
            always have done. They may be become Reactionary, but they
            survive and endure in their own way. Their personal power is
            strong enough to withstand many challenges.
                The Ravnos also have Fortitude. They are often the
            enduring type, but not in the same vein as the other two
            above. The Ravnos are "Live to joke another day types" They
            persist in their life of fun, despite other's desperate
            attempts to rid the world of them once and for all. The
            Ravnos joke again and again and again without much stopping
            them. They are not tough hardy fighting types, but they are
            tough can't-catch-the-bastard types.
                The Salubri's Fortitude represents the fact that despite
            their previous history, and their generally getting beaten
            up on by just about everybody, the Salubri haven't been
            wiped out. They hang on, even if only by a knife-edge of
            existence, and continue on their journey to Golconda. They
            also have the hardiness of Soul to reach Golconda. This is
            reflected by their Fortitude.

   Obfuscate:
                Clans who specialise in keeping their heads down and
            avoiding trouble generally have Obfuscate as a Discipline.
            It represents those Clans who would rather not be found.
            Also, it represents those Clans who like to meddle without
            being seen. It also is the Discipline for Clans wishing
            to remain hidden until they strike.
                 Obfuscate is the Clan Discipline of the Malkavians,
            the Nosferatu, the Assamites, the Settites, the Salubri
            and the City Gangrel Antitribu.
                 The Malkavians and the Settites both have Obfuscate
            and it shows up the same type of Clan trait. Both are
            meddlers. They actively try to generally screw things up
            for people, both for diffrent reasons. But, they do not
            like to be found responsible for their actions. The
            Malkavians want to meddle some more, the Settites want
            their victims to suffer for their Corruption. Either
            way, they like to hide.
                 The Nosferatu , Assamites and City Gangrel Antitribu
            all use their Obfuscate to sneak up on people (Malkavians
            do this too) for various reasons. These Clans are quiet
            and stealthy by nature, keeping to the shadows is their
            style. Nosferatu spy, Assamites slay, City Gangrel
            Antitribu hunt. It reflects the same aspect of each of
            these three Clans.
                 The Salubri are a Clan on the run. They have been for
            hundreds of years thanks to the Tremere. They need to hide
            simply so that they won't be slaughtered wholesale. Thus,
            their Obfuscate reflects this aspect of their Clan.

  Potence:
                Naturally, this Discipline reflects those Clans
            concerned with Strength. This can be quite Strength,
            strength of power, strength of numbers, strength associated
            with the Beast. It can reflect an attitude of a Clan, or
            a perception of that clan.
                Potence is a Clan Discipline of the Brujah, the
            Nosferatu, the Giovanni and the Lasombra.
                For the Brujah, Potence is a symbol of their strength
            of rebellion. Rebellions, as well as being quick and
            decisive, also need to be strong enough to last against
            counter-revolution. Also, Strength in a fight is a common
            trait of the streets and the Brujah in general. It also
            is a symbol of the Brujah commitment to their opinions on
            any number of subjects. The Brujah are perceived to have
            strong opinions on everything that are unchanging.
                The Nosferatu Potence is once again due their
            association with being close to the Beast. Due to their
            appearances, Nosferatu are assumed often to be like animals
            especially of the ferocious variety. It is in the character
            of this perception to be a strong beast. And thus, the
            Nosferatu are strong. Also, the Nosferatu have great
            strengths of character, able to put up with being shunned
            by other Kindred without flipping out. This is reflected
            in their Discipline also.
                The Lasombra and the Giovanni have Potence for the same
            reason. They are clans concerned with being strong and
            wielding a lot of power. For the Giovanni, this means power
            in the corporate world. They actively pursue the acquisition
            of money, and also the acquisition of necromantic power. It
            is their goal to become stronger, mightier. The same can be
            said of the Lasombra. This Clan concerns itself with Power
            in the Sabbat. They are diffrent from the Ventrue in that
            the Ventrue just assume natural leadership roles as being
            their lot, while the Lasombra are more obsessed with gaining
            Power, particularly in the Sabbat itself.

Presence:
                Clans that make good use of Charisma, such as Clans in
            leadership roles or manipulative Clans are best suited to
            the Presence Discipline. If the Clan concerns itself with
            being popular or trusted, not just controllers, then
            Presence is for them.
                Presence is a Clan Discipline of the Brujah, the Ventrue
            the Toreador and the Settites.
                To the Brujah, Presence stems from their roles as the
            leaders of revolution and Anarchy. They are natural leaders
            in this respect, but they do promote free thinking among
            their followers. Thus Presence is a good Discipline for them
            beacuse it embraces the Brujah state of mind more than
            other mind controlling Powers. People under the influence of
            Presence retain their freedom of action.
                The Toreador and Ventrue are both leaders in their own
            fields as well. The Toreador lead in the field of the arts,
            where appearances and charisma are everything. They appear
            to be the greatest artists of all, and their Presence is
            therefore a natural selection for them. Ventrue are leaders
            of the Camarilla, and leaders need to be well liked. Thus,
            having Presence is of the utmost importance to a Clan such
            as these. Also, the Ventrue, being aristocratic, often
            require respect. Presence helps gain such respect.
                To the Settites, Presence is a pperfectly insidious
            Power. It allows the Settites to easily befriend those that
            they seek to corrupt, and affect their minds subtley, so
            that those they corrupt will believe that it was themselves
            who caused their fall from grace.


Other Disciplines:
                The only other Disciplines are exclusive Clan
            Disciplines, which are quite obviously a part of the Clan's
            own beliefs, ideals or interests. Thaumaturgy are what make
            the Tremere the feared wizards they are. Protean makes the
            Gangrel the reputed Nature Boys that they are. Serpentis
            is the Corruption Discipline of the Settites, and so on
            and so forth. Each Discipline, apart from being just a list
            of cool Powers, should say something about the Clan to which
            it belongs, as the ones above do.



     Well, I'll shut up now, having said my piece on the matter.

   Any comments (for those who actually managed to get through all this)
   Appreciated.




  Mithrandir [[e-mail]]

Bill has loads of guns, and bombs, and more guns, and is dead cool.
How is dat for Carictar Devleopment -- Alan O'Dea