Ventrue

WHO ARE THE VENTRUE?

Clan of Kings | Blue Bloods | Patricians | Tyrants | Borgias

In their own eyes, only the Clan of Kings has the restraint, the wisdom, the control, and the pedigree to lead their kind through the night. Throughout their time as god-kings of ancient Babylon and lords and ladies of the Dark Ages to their contemporary roles as guardians of royal blood, majority shareholders, and campaign fund backers, they have been obsessed with the impulse to rule. They collect their tithes in the form of precious blood, ensuring the growth of their legacy.

The Ventrue believe in the strength of tradition and lineage. The Embrace is one of the their most important rituals, and the choice of childe affects the way other members of the clan treat the sire. Ventrue therefore aim to Embrace overachievers, politically or financially powerful kine, or those with a talent that sets them apart from the masses.

These nights, the Ventrue are cautious. The talentless fall by the wayside, while the best blend in with humanity as bankers, shadow directors, reclusive moguls, and chiefs of staff. No longer can a Ventrue openly lead a board or take a prominent position in a mortal community. They resent having to influence their surroundings from the shadows, but know that the risk of a fatal Masquerade breach is too high to risk anything else.

The Ventrue are the establishment. They set and maintain the rules, punishing those who break them, and occasionally rewarding those who follow. Their critics consider them tyrants or the jailers of other Kindred. The uncomfortable truth is that without them, the Masquerade, and the Camarilla with it, would have fallen long ago. The Ventrue are more loyal to their cause these nights than ever before, adversity only making them more determined to succeed and more certain that they have the right to do whatever it takes.

DISCIPLINES

Dominate: The Ventrue consider themselves the masters of this Discipline, using it primarily to exert their will on vassals and kine. When feeding, a Ventrue may command a mortal to bare their neck, or use Dominate to erase all memory of a feeding. Ventrue also expertly use this Discipline to protect the Masquerade.

Fortitude: Fortitude enables the Ventrue to keep their thrones even when armies array against them, and to weather every blade, bullet, and bomb. They use the Discipline to feed in adverse situations, physical or otherwise. Where other Kindred might run short on vitae, the Ventrue resist the environment and take their fill.

Presence: The Ventrue seek to tame the court and build the love and devotion of others toward their rule, and Presence is a helpful tool. The Discipline is also used by the Ventrue who wants others to see how easy they acquire vessels. The clan values conservation of time and resources, and Presence allows a hungry blue blood to be efficient when luring their prey.

BANE

The Ventrue are in possession of rarefied palates. When a Ventrue drinks blood from any mortal outside their preference, a profound exertion of will is required or the blood taken surges back up as scarlet vomit. Preferences range greatly, from Ventrue who can only feed from genuine brunettes, individuals of Swiss descent, or homosexuals, to others who can only feed from soldiers, mortals who suffer from PTSD, or methamphetamine users. With a Resolve + Awareness test (Difficulty 4 or more) your character can sense if a mortal possesses the blood they require.

If you want your character to feed from anything but their preferred victim, you must spend Willpower points equal to the character’s Bane Severity.

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Clan Bane Variant

Hierarchy: While many Ventrue seek to lead, they are also swift to obey their superiors. In many cases chosen for a pragmatic mindset, Ventrue childer learn to heed their sire, and their Blood-borne instincts often make them yield in a similar way to any vampire of older Blood.

A Ventrue vampire suffers a penalty to their Discipline dice pools equal to their Bane Severity when attempting to use their powers on a vampire of lower generation. They must also spend Willpower equal to their Bane Severity if they wish to directly attack a vampire of lower generation.

_{Players Guide, pg. 59}

COMPULSION

Arrogance

The need to rule rears its head in the vampire. They stop at nothing to assume command of a situation.

Someone must obey an order from the vampire. Any action not directly associated with leadership receives a two-dice penalty. This Compulsion lasts until an order has been obeyed, though the order must not be supernaturally enforced, such as through Dominate.

ARCHETYPES

Cold-Blooded Corporate Director

This Ventrue controls a successful corporation, perhaps as the eccentric and reclusive CEO or maybe as an influential silent partner involved in guiding the firm. This Ventrue is always several steps removed from dirtying their hands but will rarely hesitate over ethics if it means getting ahead of the competition.

Member of the Order

The Clan of Kings are well suited visitors in secret societies such as the Freemasons and Rosicrucians. This Ventrue knows how to spin their words. They act as the reclusive leader or an important member of their society, whether it be an informal gentlemen’s club, a ladies’ guild, an alumni society for magnates and millionaires, or a gathering of concerned citizens clandestinely seeking to control their neighborhood.

Conservative Politician

The kings have always favored conservatism and maintenance of the status quo. The politically inclined blue blood acts as the untouchable spin doctor, lurks in the wings of the party, or advises pundits and newsmen on how to dictate the story. Manipulating the media, they suppress Masquerade breaches with ease.

Godfather

The so-called godfather wields their power through organized crime, manipulating gangs and the path of cash that runs from the streets to the bankers and politicians. Other Ventrue may turn their noses up at such a shady character, but the godfather knows that to get things done, blood sometimes needs to be spilled.

High Priest

The Ventrue have ever venerated their ancestors, both mythical Kindred such as Mithras, Tinia, and Tiamat and historical personages nearly as eminent. This ancestor worship ranges from a historian’s thorough study to leading a cult in the ancestor’s name. Seeing the touch of their forebears in all that they do, the high priest seeks to repeat history, fulfill the goals of their ancestors, and spread the knowledge of their glory.