Ravnos

WHO ARE THE RAVNOS?

The Haunted Clan | Ravens | Storytellers | Shapers | Charlatans

Masters of misdirection, the Rogues prefer not to fight or bleed for something they can obtain through subtler means. They can charm and vanish within the same mortal breath, and those once fooled quickly learn to question their very senses when in the company of Ravens. For that reason, Ravnos vampires seldom advertise their nature, and once their cover is blown they are quick to make their escape. Not that they have much choice in the matter, as inexorable doom lurks in their vitae, threatening to consume them if they ever come to rest. But as the flashover of the supposed destruction of their progenitor burns through the clan, new generations have managed to stay a step ahead of this blood-borne conflagration and are quietly re-establishing the lineage.

Driven by omens of their own destruction and possessing a supernatural capacity for illusion, the Ravnos have always attracted and been attracted to mortals who gamble with their lives and those of others. Confidence artists, confidantes, venture capitalists, performance artists, and plain wayfarers all contribute to the manifold cast that is the Ravnos clan in the modern nights. Which isn’t to say that they’re harmless or even sympathetic — much risk-taking requires a heart hardened to the plight of others, and more than a few Daredevils were "self-interested" even before they became blood-drinking night-haunts. Still, that makes for an easier transition, and many Ravnos fledglings do take to the undead state with more ease than those of other clans, having already cut their ties to friends, family, and society.

While the nomadic habits — even requirements — of the clan make any kind of proper organization difficult, something like a Ravnos revival is forming, taking root among the more communal members of the clan. A complex set of signs and signals, known and taught only to members of the clan, helps them find and identify each other, as well as set up occasional gatherings to swap rumors and trade information on the state of Kindred affairs across domains. Storytelling is popular, and a mythology of sorts is emerging among young Ravens in which they identify as descendants of various mythological trickster deities, going so far as to form coteries or Embrace broods devoted to one clever god or another. Lacking still-active ancestors, they make up their own, elevating their craft to divine mandate.

DISCIPLINES

Animalism: The Ravnos maintain an almost affable relationship with animals, especially ravens, foxes, coyotes, spiders, and monkeys. (At the Storyteller’s discretion, reduce the Difficulty for Animalism tests involving these animals by one and increase it for all other kinds of animals.) Employing these familiars as spies, distractions, and the occasional companion, a Ravnos is never truly alone on the road.

Obfuscate: While many Rogues are able to vanish from sight and remain hidden, the clan is also adept at extending the use of Obfuscate to craft elaborate and sustained hallucinations, effectively using their Presence to propel the properties of the Discipline to encompass more than their own visage.

Presence: The go-to method when natural charm and persuasion isn’t enough. Few Daredevils are without at least some measure of this Discipline. They make frequent use of Presence to procure victims in a pinch, and the Discipline also has a part to play in hallucinatory powers.

BANE

The Ravnos are doomed. The sun’s fire that incinerated their founder rages through the Blood of the clan, erupting from their very flesh if they ever settle down for long. If they slumber in the same place more than once in seven nights, roll a number of dice equal to their Bane Severity. They receive aggravated damage equal to the number of 10’s (critical results) rolled as they are scorched from within. This happens every time they spend the day in a location they’ve already slumbered less than a week before, and applies to Ravnos in torpor as well. What constitutes a location in this regard depends on the scope of the chronicle, but unless otherwise stated, two resting places need to be at least a mile apart to avoid triggering the Bane. Furthermore, a mobile haven, such as a movers’ truck, is safe so long as the place where the truck is parked is at least a mile from the last location. Ravnos characters cannot take the No Haven Flaw at character creation.

Clan Bane Variant

Unbirth Name: Ravnos vampires rely on a single inviolable truth to anchor them as they ply their trade on the edge of the real: their name. Whatever name they went by at the time of their Embrace, the Tricksters take great care in hiding it, for anyone who knows this “unbirth name” gains power over them.

Anyone who speaks a Ravnos’ unbirth name to their face receives a bonus equal to the Ravnos Bane Severity to resist their Discipline powers, and the Ravnos suffers an equal penalty to resist supernatural powers used by the name-wielding opponent.

_{Players Guide, pg. 58}

COMPULSION

Tempting Fate

The vampire is driven by their Blood to court danger. Haunted as they are by righteous fire burning its way up their lineage, why not? The next time the vampire is faced with a problem to solve, any attempt at a solution short of the most daring or dangerous incurs a two-dice penalty. (Suitably flashy and risky attempts can even merit bonus dice for this occasion.) The Daredevil is free to convince any fellows to do things their way, but is just as likely to go at it alone. The Compulsion persists until the problem is solved or further attempts become impossible.

ARCHETYPES

Midnight Motorcycle Courier

When the package absolutely needs to be delivered in one piece, on time and in the dead of night, the Midnight Motorcycle Courier is on the job. The Courier isn’t listed on any known website, but those of note, mortal and undead, have their number on speed dial. The Courier knows which routes to take when the sect war flares up, whose palms to grease when domains are to be crossed, and where to lay low when it all comes tumbling down. Above all, they have options. Playing the players of the city like a concrete Yojimbo, they nevertheless have a gassed-up unregistered cross-country dirt bike ready. Just in case.

Operative for Hire

The Operative is a rare breed among Rogues: discreet, professional and above all, trustworthy. They will perform their mission according to spec, whether it involves espionage, diplomacy or the occasional assassination. On payment, they disappear until called upon again. Everyone knows the Operative works for all sides, but they’re just too damned useful to move against. And besides, nobody wants them as an enemy. Most keep the Operative on a small retainer, to guard against that risk. The Operative likes it that way

Travel Agent

Seeing the world can be a daunting proposition for those who spontaneously combust in sunlight and have the scattered eyes of global intelligence looking for them. That’s where the Travel Agent comes in. Operating a discreet agency with contacts in the far corners of the globe, nowhere is unreachable. Their clients know what they sign up for, or they’re out of options anyway. Whether it means spending 13 days in a refrigerated truck trailer or playing the part as cargo raided by pirates from the Gulf of Guinea, the Travel Agent gets them to their destination. The client might not be quite the same when they get there, but that’s a risk they’ll have to take.

Antiquarian

With a keen sense of history, an eye for detail, and personal reasons to seek out forgotten artifacts, the Antiquarian seems forever on the verge of another significant discovery. Sometimes these translate into personal gains, such as by selling artifacts to museums or private collectors. In other cases, though, the Antiquarian specializes in unearthing items of distinct interest to Kindred, whether bibelots exalting individual lineages or relics of import to the Damned as a whole. If it’s worth finding, the antiquarian can find it and dig it up... or at least convince you that’s what you’re seeing.