I am beyond excited that Dimension 20 is playing a season in Vampire: The Masquerade (VTM). While I haven’t gotten to play in years, VTM was what got me hooked on role-playing games in college. I was lucky enough to join a game that had already been running for 5 years and play with them for another 4.

However, I know that for those who haven’t played before, it can be intimidating to not only learn a new system, but also take in a few decades' worth of Goth Lore.

So I’m going to break down the basics, define some terms/names that you’ll hear a lot in the upcoming Dimension 20 season: City Council of Darkness, and touch on the differences in gameplay styles. If you haven’t seen it already, here’s the trailer:

Now let’s sink our teeth in!

The Basics of Vampire: the Masquerade Lore

VTM uses vampire lore from all over the world and all throughout history. There's a bit of Stoker, Whedon, and Rice all rolling around in these books. So here’s the basics of what you should know:

Vampires Are Cursed

To be a vampire is to suffer. This curse is passed along by biting a human and then making them consume some of your blood. Each vampire draws their strength from how many generations are between them and the original curse that started their bloodline. The lower the generation, the more powerful and usually the older. Depending on the bloodline, they may be able to trace their curse back to an ancestral human (like Caine), a god (like Lillith or Set), or human mages.

Vampires Are Always Fighting Something

The names of the factions change throughout the editions and timelines, but there’s always a war going on between the vampire sects. Struggles for control are a big theme in the VTM world, and they play out in large and small scales throughout campaigns. There’s also a personal struggle between their own humanity and The Beast within.

Vampires Are Family

Vampires call themselves Kindred. They also sometimes use other, more familial terms like cousin. Along similar lines, the vampire that created you is called your Sire. Like D&D, “found family” is almost always a theme of VTM campaigns.

Vampires Have a Strict Hierarchy

A vampire is expected to follow the orders of their Sire and any of the leaders of their clan. The ruler of a particular area (usually a city, but sometimes a larger region) is called a Prince, and their laws must be unquestioningly obeyed. A vampire’s place in this societal hierarchy (and their power level) is based on their generation and who their Sire is.

Vampires Must Keep the Masquerade

At least in Camarilla society, (more on who they are later) vampires are expected to keep to “The Masquerade”. This is a strict set of rules that basically means you have to let humans keep imagining that vampires don’t exist. It’s a very Buffy/Angel set up where a select few humans know what’s going on, but most don’t. If a vampire reveals themselves to human society or risks breaking The Masquerade in any way, there’s usually dire consequences.

A Glossary of VTM Clans and Sects for D20 Viewers

There are dozens of books and an extensive wiki on the lore of VTM, but we know we can count on Brennan for transformative worldbuilding. So I’m only going to hit the high points to get you started here.

The two main points that matter to a vampire’s place in their society (and shape their character sheet) are their clan and their sect.

Clan | This is the family from which their vampiric curse stems. Most clans are made up of multiple, related bloodlines. Mechanically, it’s most similar to a character’s class in D&D or their playbook in PBTA.
Sect | These are ideological communities within vampiric society. Your character’s clan, morals, or location can influence which sect they belong to. Mechanically, this is more similar to a character’s alignment in D&D or factions that are used in many TTRPGs.

The Clans of Vampire: The Masquerade

The team at Dimension 20 have stated that they’re going to be using a “modified” version of VTM during CCoD. So it’s possible that Brennan will be making changes to the established lore or reverting to some of the older edition’s lore.

In the latest edition of Vampire, there are 16 clans or bloodlines that you can belong to. These families are able to trace their lineage back to the one who started their particular flavor of vampiric curse. This manifestation of the curse can affect the individual vampire’s outlook, goals, and abilities. Here’s a quick breakdown:

The Clans of Vampire: the Masquerade

Symbol	Clan	Description
	Banu Haqim Judge and Assassin	Formerly the Assamites, this clan is big on rules and moral codes. Where they get their code from can vary, but they always follow it strictly.
	Brujah Rebels with a Cause	The Brujah are going to be the brawn, not the brains of the group. Usually down to make trouble and punch their way out of it.
	Caitiff Outcast Orphans	This group isn't a full clan, just a name for those without one. Unlike most vampires who have additional curses for their bloodline, Caitiff don't.
	Gangrel Lone Wolves	The Gangrel consider themselves the apex predators and value bestial traits and abilities. They're often bodyguards and fierce protectors.
	Hecata Liches in Training	This newer clan is composed of many bloodlines that used to be separate, death-related clans. Together, they wield control over the dead and undead.
	Lasombra Vampire Priests	This ruthless clan is mostly made of former (and current) denizens of the Christian church. They're big on a perversion of the sacred and abusing their power.
	Malkavian Mad Oracles	This is the most varied clan personality-wise, but there are a lot of tragic backstories and being driven to madness in this clan. In the past, their portrayals have not been kind to those with mental illnesses.
	The Ministry Cult Baddies	Formerly the Followers of Set, this clan is also a cult. They have a strict allegiance to their cult ideals, but they're also seen as highly deceitful.
	Nosferatu Monstrous Sad Boiz	This clan's curse causes their body to have monstrous, sometimes animalistic mutations. They're often very self-conscious of this and are known for their compassion.
	Ravnos Wandering Rogues	This smaller clan is less organized and must keep moving due to their curse. In the past, representations of this clan have embraced harmful stereotypes of the Romani people.
	Salubri Cursed Saviors	This small clan is usually ostracized from vampiric society due to past bad blood. They believe their Sire found salvation from his curse, and they can do the same.
	Thin Blood Barely a Vampire	This group includes those with such a high generation that they barely have any curse or powers at all. Neither human, nor Kindred. They are often hunted or branded as servants by vampires.
	Toreador Lovers of Beauty	This gorgeous clan is made up of artists of all walks of life. They know they're pretty, and they're not afraid to use it.
	Tremere Masters of Magic	The Tremere are outliers because this clan doesn't have an original curse that was given to them. They were incredibly powerful mages who chose to become vampires.
	Tzimisce Flesh Crafters	This clan calls themselves The Dragons, hoarding land and thralls. They possess powers that allow them to alter their bodies and the bodies of others.
	Ventrue Vampire Aristocracy	The Clan of Kings is full of old money and older royalty. They are monarchs, politicians, and CEOs of both vampire and human societies.

The Sects of Vampire: the Masquerade

While you can make generalizations about which clan can be in which sect, when it comes to the PCs, it really doesn’t matter. It depends more on the value set of the individual vampire.

Thankfully, there aren’t as many of them:

Camarilla | They’re the largest and most organized sect historically and are responsible for creating and maintaining the laws of the Masquerade. They have an overall goal of preserving their humanity, but rule with an iron fist and are not above violence.
Anarch | Leaders of the aptly named Anarch Revolt, this sect is made up of those who want to fight back against Camarilla rule and the weight of tradition.
Autarkis | This is less of a sect and more a loose group of outcasts. Some of them wanted to leave Camarilla society, and others were thrown out.
Sabbat | In previous editions of VTM, the Sabbat were the opposing sect to the Camarilla. They were vampires that reveled in destruction and cruelty, with no concern for preserving their humanity or human civilization. In the current VTM timeline, they’ve been destroyed as an organization, but we may see them play a role in CCoD, who knows.

In the trailer, we learn that the party belongs to the Camarilla. When Brennan says, “Towns above a certain population require a Camarilla presence.”, this gives us a rough outline for the framing of the campaign. The leaders of the Camarilla are sending this party into Purpee to establish their rule of law and ensure adherence to the Masquerade.

It also implies there are factionless Kindred in the area, or maybe other factors trying to establish territory.

How Is the Gameplay in VTM Different from D&D?

The gameplay in VTM is much more focused on political intrigue and social situations rather than combat. In general, if a fight is about to happen, things have broken bad. Characters in VTM are powerful, but so are the antagonists. The healing process is also slower, and most games have the risk of permanent damage in combat as well.

You only need a few D10s to play, and the character sheets are simpler, too. Most of the time, you only need one sheet to keep track of everything.

As a player, you’re in a constant dance with the character’s hunger. All of your powers will be affected by how recently you’ve fed. This establishes how much blood you’ve got to spend to use your different abilities. Run too low on blood, and you risk triggering a feeding frenzy or other uniquely unpleasant manifestations of your character’s vampiric curse.

But gorge yourself on blood (or betray your personal convictions in other ways), and you’ll gradually start to lose your humanity. This can also bring The Beast to the surface.

Ultimately, in D&D, you’re telling a hero’s journey, but with VTM, you’re telling a story of redemption or damnation.

Why Would D20 Play Vampire: the Masquerade?

As mentioned, one of the key mechanics of VTM is a character’s humanity. It affects how well they’re able to control themselves when The Beast starts to rise, and it’s something that usually changes throughout a character’s development.

We already know that this is also an arena that Brenna loves to play in. I think we can expect more tear-jerking moments along the lines of Sundry Sidney’s quest for personhood and Ersulon embracing his place in the mortal world.

From my standpoint, choosing VTM for an Intrepid Hero’s season makes all the sense in the world. This setting lays the grounds for wacky hijinks, but it also implies a great deal of darkness and suffering. This is a group that knows each other well enough to hit the highs, lows, and freaky sideways places that this setting can provide.

Want to Talk with Other Fans About the City Council of Darkness?

Me too! I’ll be continuing to rant about it with other fans over on the CTGA discord. You should come join us! In addition to chatting about VTM and the latest Dimension 20 episode, someone’s sure to be running a game soon and looking for players.

At the CTGA, it’s our goal to make Chicago the TTRPG capital of the multiverse, so keep an eye out for our latest event, too! Use the button below to keep the conversation going on Discord.

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A Guide to Vampire: The Masquerade for Dimension 20 Fans