The Purpee Coterie's Clans, Predator Types, and Merits/Flaws explained:
Some people on my post looking at the PCs' character sheets and where they acquired their stats and perks from expressed interest in breaking down what all their Merits and Flaws actually mean. And I have VtM brain rot, so I am here to deliver.
Predator Type: Each vampire has their preferred method; be it stalking their prey in a dark alley or seducing a mortal to follow them into a dimly lit bathroom at a club. What they choose will affect starting specializations, Disciplines, Merits and Flaws, as their experience hunting blood shapes their skillset. When selecting a Predator type consider what led them to take this approach, what shaped them in their unlife or even mortal life, and into being comfortable with this style as their methodology of quenching their thirst.
Madeleine
Clan - Toreador: Seekers of emotion, romance, cruelty, beauty… anything that can remind them of lost humanity and sentiment. Artists, divas, social butterflies, appraisers and lovers of beauty.
Predator Type - Siren: Everyone knows that sex sells and the Siren uses this to their advantage. Almost exclusively feeding while feigning sex or sexual interest, they utilize Disciplines and seduction to lure away a possible meal. Moving through clubs and one-night stands are skills they've mastered and regardless of how sexy they feel, deep in their darkest moments, they realize at best they are problematic and at worst a serial sexual assaulter. In life, they might have been a scriptwriter, a small time actor who never reached the big screen, a well-known kinkster or even a virgin looking to make up for the lost time.
Merits & Flaws:
Beautiful •• Add one die to related Social pools
Mawla •• Another Kindred who has taken them under their wing to mentor them.
[This is likely her sire, Gideon, based on those desperate texts she sent, but we don't have confirmation.]
Ingénue • They appear innocent and blameless, add two dice to any rolls related to avoiding suspicion or deflecting blame at the Storytellers’ discretion.
Enduring Bond • The bonds* they create last longer, only weakening every other month
>[*Blood Bond:
>The Bond Strength is equal to the number of times the thrall has consumed the vitae [blood] of the regnant. The maximum level of Bond Strength is 6 and decreases by one each month the thrall does not consume the Blood. Should they wish to attempt something against their master's wishes the thrall must make a defiance test of Resolve + Intelligence vs. the current Bond Strength level. When the regnant is present in the scene, the test must be made once per turn. However, it is only made once per scene if the regnant is not present.
>In order to break the Blood Bond, the thrall must have their Bond Strength reduced to 0 over time. The regnant might perhaps choose to start refusing to give them blood. However, if the regnant is actively searching and wishing to maintain the bond, the thrall must make the defiance test once per session to avoid them, or more often, should the Storyteller decide that the thrall is recalling the regnant in their mind.]
Check the Trunk • Easy access to an armory or cache of tools, none of these items can exceed the value of something a Resources 2 character could access. Add two dice to Preperation Rolls.
Side Hustler •• Once per session they can get their hands on an item, information, or access to an event as if they had two dots in the related Resources, Contacts, or Influence.
Prestation Debts • They owe other Kindred boons, even if these boons are paid off the Kindred lords over them. The Boon-owning Kindred keeps a one-die bonus in Social combat against the one who owes it.
Stigmata • Bleed from wounds on the hands, feet, and forehead when at Hunger 4.
Spurned Lover • A spurned lover or jealous partner. This is the Enemy Flaw* inherited from Siren.
[*Enemy • The opposite to Allies(see Bat Child below for description), and are rated two dots less than their effectiveness.]
Zaeth
Clan - Brujah: Fighters against the system, rebels against injustice, petty criminals, raging rabble, activists, agents of change, warrior philosophers fallen from grace.
Predator Type - Cleaver: The sweetest blood might be from those closest to them, the Cleaver takes advantage of that idea while taking blood from either their own close family and friends or even those close to someone else. Covertly stealing the blood from their victims while still maintaining ties to them. Cleavers will go to extreme lengths to keep their condition a secret from their victims but some may instead take a less than pleasant route. The Camarilla forbids the practice of taking a human family in this fashion, as it's a breach waiting to happen.
Merits & Flaws:
Herd •• A group of vessels that the character may feed from without concern, though they are less loyal than retainers. They can slake Hunger worth the dot value of the Herd each week freely and no roll is required.
[Zaeth acquired this from Cleaver, meaning his Herd would be his human family.]
Beautiful •• Add one die to related Social pools
Resources • Cash flow, be it from stock trading or inheritance to working as a barista at night.
Zeroed • All of the character's past self has been purged from all systems as if they never existed. The character must have a 2-dot mask in order to take this.
[Zaeth doesn't have a Mask as far as we're aware, so they may be disregarding the requirement.]
Retainer • Loyal followers who will do the character's bidding, sometimes Ghouls and/or Blood Bonded.
Fame • Mortal fame is a dangerous game, the character might have once been a pop singer, actress, or other celebrity. The level of fame can subtract from tests against fans or hunting. There is a downside as people may remember the character as their face is plastered on a nearby billboard. Fame can be bought to apply in Vampire society as well.
Illiterate •• The Character cannot read nor write and their Science and Academics Skills may not go beyond 1 dot.
Dark Secret - Cleaver • What they've done is still a secret, except to one or two very motivated enemies
Darkness Man
Clan - Nosferatu: Permanently afflicted by supernatural hideousness, they hide in the dark as gatherers of secrets, information procurers, hackers, elusive enforcers, often with a connection to rats and outcasts.
Predator Type - Alleycat: Those who find violence to be the quickest way to get what they want might gravitate towards this hunting style. Alleycats are a vampire who feeds by brute force and outright attack and feeds from whomever they can when they can. Intimidation is a route easily taken to make their victims cower or even Dominating the victims to not report the attack or mask it as something else entirely.
Merits & Flaws:
Criminal Contacts ••• This is the Contacts* Merit inherited from Alleycat.
[*Contacts ••• These are mortals who can get the character information, items or other things of value.]
Tempered Will ••• They are always aware when someone is attempting to use Dominate or Presence against them. They may add two additional dice to resistance pools once per session, which can only be taken by those with no dots in Dominate or Presence.
Zealotry • For each dot in this Merit, once per session when succeeding with a normal roll that relates or aligns to the character's Conviction, turn it into a messy critical.
Side Hustler •• Once per session they can get their hands on an item, information, or access to an event as if they had two dots in the related Resources, Contacts, or Influence.
Check the Trunk • Easy access to an armory or cache of tools, none of these items can exceed the value of something a Resources 2 character could access. Add two dice to Preperation Rolls.
Shunned •• Despised by a Sect, a line was crossed that never should have been, and now members of this group actively work against them at any opportunity.
Repulsive•• Lose two dice from related Social pools
[Mitch inherited this from being Nosferatu. It can never be removed or lowered.]
Bat Child
Clan: (?)
Predator Type: (?)
Merits & Flaws:
Zealotry •• For each dot in this Merit, once per session when succeeding with a normal roll that relates or aligns to the character's Conviction, turn it into a messy critical.
Custodian of History - Zoology • Grants +1 to all relevant Skill tests pertaining to a chosen period or character in Kindred lore.
Machine Shop • Each dot of this Merit adds one dice to the pool for Craft rolls. It also adds this to other tests related to building, repairing, or disassembling machinery or equipment.
Ingénue • They appear innocent and blameless, add two dice to any rolls related to avoiding suspicion or deflecting blame at the Storytellers’ discretion.
Linguistics • Each dot of Linguistics allows the character to read, write and speak fluently in another language outside of the default two they already know, which is their native language and the language of the Domain.
Iron Gullet ••• Able to consume rancid, defractionated, or otherwise unedible blood to other vampires.
Enemy • The opposite to Allies*, and are rated two dots less than their effectiveness.
>[*Allies •• - •••••• A group of mortals who will support or aid the vampire. Family, friends, or an organization that has loyalty to the vampire. Build them between (• - ••••) Effectiveness and (•-•••) Reliability, the maximum amount of total points is 6. Effectiveness defines how proficient they are at a task. Reliability determines how dependable they are.]
[Vesper's Enemy is the reporter, Nancy Danderhoof.]
Knowledge Hungry - Zoology • At character creation pick a topic that your character desires to study. When they come across the methods to learn these things, they must make a Willpower roll at Difficulty 3 to resist.
Folkloric Block - Bells • Must spend Willpower or move away from a specific object vampires are known to fear in Vampire Mythos, example Holy Symbols.
HJ Wingstreet
Clan - Ventrue: Vampiric aristocracy, guardians of the Traditions and a pillar of the Camarilla, businessmen and politicians, sometimes archaic traditionalists, sometimes true entrepreneurs.
*possibly Tzimisce: The Dragons of Kindred, this clan embraces to own. They do not care if their charges live well, but aim simply to control. Those who are loyal to the Tzimisce are often so more out of fear than love.
Predator Type - Consensualist: Consent is a dangerous thing to gather when they're a blood-sucking monster, but Consensualists make do. They never feed against the victim's free will, instead pretending to be a representative of a charity blood drive, someone with a blood kink within the kink community, or blatantly admitting to their victims what they are and getting their permission to feed. To the Camarilla, the last method is considered a masquerade breach but perhaps to a philosophical Anarch, it might be an acceptable risk to take.
Merits & Flaws:
High Functioning Addict • Add one die to either Physical, Social, or Mental pool when the last feeding had the drug of their desire.
Resources ••• Cash flow, be it from stock trading or inheritance to working as a barista at night.
Mask •• A fake identity that allows the vampire to keep their true selves away from mortal's prying eyes, including getting bank accounts, a birth certificate and everything else a vampire might need to masquerade as a human.
Fame • Mortal fame is a dangerous game, the character might have once been a pop singer, actress, or other celebrity. The level of fame can subtract from tests against fans or hunting. There is a downside as people may remember the character as their face is plastered on a nearby billboard. Fame can be bought to apply in Vampire society as well.
Ugly • Lose one die from related Social pools
Prey Exclusion • Unable to feed from a certain group and take Stains as if breaking a Chronicle Tenet when they do.
[HJ's Prey Exlcusion is the Non-consenting, inherited from Consensualist. We've seen this in play when he gives people the "I'm a vampire, here's a contract" spiel before he bites them.]
Dark Secret - Masquerade Breacher • What they've done is still a secret, except to one or two very motivated enemies.
Stalkers • Something about the character tends to attract others who get a little bit too attached and just won't let go. Be it a former retainer or a past lover, should they get rid of them, another soon appears.
[These are probably the business students we've seen following HJ almost religiously.]
LaVonte Worthy
Clan - Ventrue: Vampiric aristocracy, guardians of the Traditions and a pillar of the Camarilla, businessmen and politicians, sometimes archaic traditionalists, sometimes true entrepreneurs.
Predator Type: (?)
Merits & Flaws:
Minor Boon ••
As far as I know, this is not a Merit but part of the Boon system.
"An elder owes you a favor because of something either you or your sire once did for him. The extent of the boon owed to you depends on how many points you spend. One point would indicate a relatively minor boon, while three points would indicate that the elder probably owes you his unlife." [x]
>Minor boon
There is an effort to this boon, going out of one’s way. They have some risks to them.
- Vote in favor of another but only if there is minimal social harm.
- Kill an unimportant human in the way.
- Providing refuge to someone in dire need such as sanctuary or sustenance.
- Providing access to ancient tomes.
Resources •••• Cash flow, be it from stock trading or inheritance to working as a barista at night.
Retainer • Loyal followers who will do the character's bidding, sometimes Ghouls and/or Blood Bonded.
[LaVonte's retainer is likely Tyler Morimoto, the business student he just hired. (Thank you @Brief-Mission884 for supplying his name when I could not remember!)]
Eat Food •• Can consume food but still with no nourishment. It must be expelled before resting for the day.
High Functioning Addict • Add one die to either Physical, Social, or Mental pool when the last feeding had the drug of their desire.
Dark Secret - Masquerade Breacher • What they've done is still a secret, except to one or two very motivated enemies.
Prestation Debts • They owe other Kindred boons, even if these boons are paid off the Kindred lords over them. The Boon-owning Kindred keeps a one-die bonus in Social combat against the one who owes it.
Risk-Taker • When confronted with a risky temptation that the character hasn't done before, they suffer a two-dice penalty for all actions till they participate or the scene ends.
Prey Exclusion • Unable to feed from a certain group and take Stains as if breaking a Chronicle Tenet when they do.
Stake Bait •• When staked they meet final death.
[In VtM, if a Kindred is staked, they won't die but instead be paralyzed and unable to act (ty to @robogheist for the correction!). This is a Mythic Flaw that means if LaVonte is staked, he will not enter torpor but instead die as vampires do in mortal legend.]