So what, exactly, is Vampire: The Masquerade?

Vampire: The Masquerade is a storytelling game created by White Wolf, and it’s taken the vampire community by storm in a big way!

What’s it all about?

"In a lot of ways, storytelling resembles games such as How to Host a Murder. Players take the role of a character and engage in a form of improvisational theatre, saying what the vampire would say and describing what the vampire would do.

In a storytelling game, players take their characters through adventures, called (appropriately enough) stories. Stories are told through a combination of the wishes of the players and the directives of the Storyteller."*

What kind of characters can you be?

"Storytelling and roleplaying games may feature many kinds of protagonists. In TSR's Dungeons & Dragons, players assume the roles of heroes in a fantasy world. In Hero Games' Champions, players take on the roles of superheroes. In Vampire, appropriately enough, players assume the personas of vampires — the immortal bloodsuckers of the horror genre — and guide these characters through a world virtually identical to our own."*

There are many different sects your vampire character could belong to - with rich, melodious names like The Camarilla, The Sabbat, The Neutrals, and The Iconnu. Each sect has its own distinct goals, objectives, and charcteristics. Many of the sects are broken down even further into clans, with even more distictive traits per clan. It’s a richly detailed world, very hierarchical in nature, and can be very involving to play.

How do you choose a character?

If you’ve ever played a roleplaying game before, these facts should sound familiar. Basically, you choose a Sect and Clan that you want your character to belong to. Your character is given a status, usually a Neonate, or newly made vampire. Your status will go up as the game plays on. You choose your discipline - these are supernatural powers that help to give you an edge in the game. There are specific disciplines for each clan, so you must choose accordingly. You make some other quick notations regarding health and blood levels (these are given for you) and choose a name for your character. You make up some pertinent information about the character - what it looks like, that sort of thing, and then you’re ready to go!

So how do you play the game, exactly?

"Most people who play Vampire are players. They create vampire characters — imaginary protagonists similar to those found in novels, films and comics. In each group, however, one person must take the role of the Storyteller. The Storyteller acts as a combination director, moderator, narrator and referee. The Storyteller creates the drama through which the players direct their characters. The Storyteller also creates and takes the roles of supporting cast — both allies with whom the characters interact, and antagonists against whom the characters fight. The Storyteller invents the salient details of the story setting — the bars, nightclubs, businesses and other institutions the characters frequent. The players decide how their characters react to the situations in the game, but it is the Storyteller (with the help of the rules) who decides if the characters actually succeed in their endeavors and, if so, how well. Ultimately, the Storyteller is the final authority on the events that take place in the game."*

How do I find out more information?

Downloading the Introductory Kit, quoted in this article, is a good start. It goes into much greater detail about the hows and whys of the game. If you like the sound of it, Vampire: The Masquerade books are available at most major game and book stores. They contain everything you need to know to start playing.

You can download the Introductory Kit from White Wolf’s Web Site, http://www.white-wolf.com.