Sabbat Clans

Blood Brothers
Conceived and created in crumbling Old World castles and chantries by the newly vanished Tremere antitribu and a few twisted Tzimisce sorcerers, the Blood Brothers are an artificially engineered bloodline of shock troops and servitors. The Blood Brothers are the dubiously successful result of extensive experiments in blood bonding, intended to create a cell of servants that thought and acted as one.

To some degree, the Blood Brothers are a hive mind, sharing the same conscious thoughts and experiencing their surroundings vicariously through other members of their individual "chapters," known as circles. This link allows them to work effectively apart from each other - the bloodline excels at coordinated combat missions and espionage, provided no one realizes what they are (which, due to their rarity and the difficulty of their creation, is unlikely). They practice an unusual, disturbing Discipline that allows them to "loan" their limbs to one another, heal their compatriots and even capitalize on their shared minds.

Blood Brothers commonly form exclusive packs, in which they undergo Tzimisce fleshcrafting to make themselves look exactly alike - the better to unsettle their foes. The bloodline is notorious for its lack of personal drive, which makes its members ideal servants; no master needs to fear the Blood Brothers' fangs at his throat. Unfortunately, the bloodline has very little creativity, and it usually lacks the ability to out-maneuver opponents or outthink them, which is a flaw common to any enforced conformity. This is not to say the Brothers are dull-witted or slow; rather, they do not possess much self-awareness.

Few outside the Sabbat have come in contact with the Blood Brothers, and fewer still have escaped to tell about it. Indeed, not many Sabbat have dealt with the Frankensteins, or even know about them. Blood Brothers have become increasingly uncommon in the modern nights, mostly due to the fact that the Tremere antitribu no longer exist to create new ones while the existing Blood Brothers have typical Sabbat rates of Final Death. Blood Brothers cannot Embrace (a fail-safe put in place by clever experimenters who had no desire to repeat the Gargoyle fiasco), yet they are vampires in every other respect, including the ability to create ghouls.

Background: The Blood Brother's background ceases to have relevance after his Embrace. Vampires of this bloodline become devoted entirely to their circle and sect, and all other concerns vanish. Tzimisce (and Tremere antitribu, in the past) usually select mortal families, gangs or other extant groups from which to create Blood Brothers, capitalizing on the conformity and camaraderie therein. Female members are exceeding rare, but at least one has been reputably reported.

Weaknesses: Blond Brothers may not Embrace - they must be created via Thaumaturgy or sorcerous rituals. Should a Blood Brother attempt to Embrace a mortal, that mortal simply dies, robbed of all her blood.

The Frankensteins also feel each other's pain. It tine takes damage, every Blood Brother of the circle suffers the same wound penalty for the next turn. Only the greatest wound penalty applies - if two are wounded, all members of the circle (including the less wounded one) suffer the largest penalty. This effect is not cumulative, though all members may feel wound penalties for multiple rounds (assuming one of their number suffers damage every turn).

Clan Disciplines: Fortitude, Potence, Sanguinus


Brujah Antitribu
Called ‘Brutes’, the Brujah Antitribu were once Anarchs, those who stood up against the oppression of the elders, which lead to the Anarch Revolt. The elders of the parent clan and their children turned their backs on these Brujah Anarchs, and the Brujah Anarchs refused to bow down and sign the Convention of Thorns, still holding grievenses against their elders. Subsequently, they turned to the Sabbat and became the Antitribu. These individuals are very enthusiastic members of the Sabbat, and actively seek out activity in the Sabbat Jihad; it is this enthusiasm that has made the Sabbat war effort so successful. As they can easily fall into violence and destruction, most see them as base and vile, but in truth they see themselves as standing the closest to the original ideologies that the Sabbat was formed for: Freedom.

Clan Flaw: Like their Camarilla counterparts, the Brujah Antitribu have the fire of passion burning deep within them. All difficulties to resist frenzy are increased by two, and unlike the Camarilla Brujah, their Sabbat counterparts are not adverse to taking gleeful pleasure in their boiling rage.

Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Presence.


Gangrel Antitribu
The ‘Hunters’, or Gangrel Antitribu, are the animalistic face of the Sabbat, having moved away from their mainstream heritage in favour of becoming closer to the beast. There hunting prowess is unmatched. They are neither sadists nor mindless thugs; the Gangrel Antitribu are creatures of pure instinct. In fact, the clan has two sub-clans to it: the City Gangrel and the Country Gangrel. The Country Gangrel are very similar to their Camarilla cousins, being lone hunters, preferring the wilderness and the company of animals over the rigmarole of city life. They serve the Sabbat as scouts and warriors. The City Gangrel are thought to have almost become a distinct bloodline from the time of the Industrial Revolution; they prefer the urban jungle as their playground, learning to hide and stalk the city streets, though they are no less animalistic than their country brothers.

Clan Flaw: The Gangrel Antitribu still remain very close to the beast, the same as their Camarilla cousins. Every time they succumb to it, the beast leaves its mark. Every time a Gangrel frenzies, they gain a permanent animal feature to be determined by the player and the Storyteller. Every five animal features gained in this way permanently reduce one of the character’s Social Attributes by one.

Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean (for Country Gangrel)
Celerity, Obfuscate, Protean (for City Gangrel)


Lasombra
The graceful predators of the Sabbat, the Lasombra don’t hide from what they are; they are vampires, pure and simple. Even though they have turned their back on the humans they once were, it doesn’t stop them form moulding humanity for their own desires. The Lasombra have been involved in the church for as long as its conception; they were instrumental in the spreading of the Christian faith. In recent nights, however, the clan has turned their backs on the church, now sharing contempt for the notion of salvation. In fact, many of the Sabbat rituals are mockeries of Christian doctrines, devised by the Lasombra so that those in the sect would never forget who and what they are. The Lasombra, or ‘Keepers’, are best known for the discipline of Obtenbration, where they call forth a living darkness which they manipulate to their needs. A popular clan doctrine states that the ‘Darkness’ is in fact the stuff of the vampire’s soul which has been strengthened and corrupted by the Embrace. Some believe that as they have been cast out of God’s graces, it is their duty to build a new world order. The more scientifically minded Lasombra label this as superstitious nonsense, but still maintain the belief that they represent an advanced breed. While most young embraced to the clan take greet glee in using this philosophy for the wanton destruction this philosophy provides, the elder Lasombra who still have ties within the church consider themselves tools of the Devil. The clan on the whole are natural leaders, masters of manipulation. There are leaders within the packs; however, pride goes hand-in-hand with this dark nobility, and very few Lasombra acknowledge other vampires as equals, let alone superiors.

Clan Flaw: All Lasombra cast no reflection; they can not be seen in reflections of windows, bodies of water, polished metals, or mirrors. They can also not be seen in video cameras, and can’t be captured in photographs. This curiously extents to anything on their person, clothes or belongings. Also, due to their penchant for darkness, they take an extra level of damage for sunlight.

Clan Discipline: Obtenebration, Dominate, Potence.


Malkavian Antitribu
Known as ‘Freaks’, the Malkavian Antitribu are the beast unrestrained, the spread of insanity like a disease throughout the world. They are the masters of madness; utilising psychological abuse, they can fray even the most stoic of minds in order to gain whatever hidden knowledges they wish. It is for this reason the Sabbat recognizes their usefulness, and so tolerates their presence. They are seen as fine warriors and in some cases officers within the war effort. They are not afraid to do what it takes to win; however, they are can be unpredictable in their interpretation of the rules, which can lead to the Sabbat’s misuse and harsh treatment of them. It is believed some of the most depraved and dangerous members of the Malkavian Antitribu are locked away, ready to be bought out and used as weapons It is rumoured that some carry rabies and create ghoul animals which are also carriers of the disease. In any case, the Malkavian Antitribu carry a keen and vicious edge over their insanity.

Clan Flaw: The Malkavian Antitribu still possesses blood which carries a special curse. With their blood comes insanity, although most of the time this brings violence and depravity. Upon their embrace, every Malkavian gains one derangement, to be chose during character creation. This derangement can temporarily be fought with the expenditure of willpower, but can never truly be gotten rid of.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Obfuscate, Dementation


Nosferatu Antitribu
Known to most as ‘Creeps’, the Nosferatu Antitribu, unlike most of the Sabbat, still maintain reasonable relations with their Camarilla counterparts. Why this is, no one can say for sure; some believe this is a private matter between them, while other suspect something a little more sinister. Either way, the clan as a whole remains tight-lipped. On the surface, the Nosferatu Antitribu share a commonality with the camarilla, in the sense that even though they are monstrous on the outside, they are still one of the most human of all Sabbat clans. This has lead to accusations of them being soft, but this is misleading; many of them still maintain a mean streak left over form their embrace. They never do anything without purpose, as information is their game and they are the very best at retrieving it. Not much goes unnoticed by these hidden eyes.

Clan Flaw: The Nosferatu Antitribu are truly monstrous. Their appearance trait is automatically zero, with no chance of increasing it with experience in the game. All Social interaction based on first impressions are automatically failed other than those involving Intimidation.

Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence


The Serpents of the Light
Independent and proudly heretical sect of the Followers of Set. Its pride lies within its adopted independence from the Setites; the Serpents have no affiliation with their parent clan. While many Setites trace their history to ancient Egypt, the Serpents claim they originated in the West Indies.

The Serpents of the Light came into being when the Sabbat moved into Haiti in the 1960s. Before then, the group that became the Serpents may have been a rogue cult of Setites, studying voodoun and how its mysticism could be used to its undead advantage. Until the 1970s, the Sabbat was too disorganized to pay much attention to the Caribbean, despite some degree of presence there - Sabbat activity simply lay dormant. In fact, the Sword of Caine had no idea that this "lost tribe" of Setites even existed in Haiti. Once the sect became aware of the cult, however, the Sabbat recognized the ruthless strength in the group and gave protection to it in its infancy. It is possible that the first Serpents were younger Setites, who agreed with the political philosophy of the Sabbat. When the news of the Sabbat's discovery reached the Setites' ears, their elders forbade their childer's interaction with the Sword of Caine. Citing the Sabbat's "intent to destroy the god-king," they sent emissaries to Haiti who insisted that the cult disassociate itself from the Sabbat.

Because the Serpents chose to ally with the Sabbat, they have earned the enmity of the Followers of Set, and vice versa. Hatred between these two now-separate bloodlines runs deep, and the Setites consider the Serpents traitors to their clan. Indeed, the Serpents of the Light consider Followers of Set to be abominations intent on destroying the world via the resurrection of their undead vampire god. The two groups spare no effort in antagonizing each other, playing out a deadly holy war across the distance of continents. Serpents of the Light also oppose the other Antediluvians for similar reasons, citing a Haitian Voodoo prophecy similar to the Gehenna foretold in the Book of Nod. As Sabbat, their ideology fits perfectly.

Manipulation by seduction is the tool of choice for the Serpents of Light, who play a dangerous game of attack and counterattack against their Setite rivals with mortal pawns. Members of the bloodline wield the weapons of addiction and decay. They are expert at discovering a target's weakness, and using that tool - be it drugs, sex, power or whatever - to gain control of the target. They relish the opportunity to bring down a prince's city from the inside out, like any dedicated Sabbat. A few Serpents set loose in a major metropolis can magnify the drug-trade substantially, entice many innocent victims into prostitution, and much more. They prefer to operate behind the scenes, extending their control through human and Cainite underlings, without becoming an obvious target themselves. Rooting out a Serpent of the Light from a city is much like peeling an onion - you must slice away many layers before you get to the core. They maintain an attitude of "fight fire with fire" when it comes to foiling the plans of the Setites and, to a lesser degree, the Camarilla.

Weaknesses: The Serpents of the Light share the same weakness as the Followers of Set. They both bail from primordial darkness, and thus they react identically severely to light. Serpents suffer two additional health levels of damage when wounded by sunlight. Serpents of the Light also subtract one die from all dice pools when subjected to particularly bright light, artificial or otherwise (sunlight, spotlights, chemical flares, etc.).

Clan Disciplines: Obfuscate, Presence, Serpentis.


Toreador Antitribu
the Toreador Antitribu are seen being instrumental the success of the Sabbat during its first night. If it wasn’t for them, they believe the Sabbat would have destroyed itself. They were responsible for many of the sect’s codes and ethics. Over time, the artists had grown beyond the simple aesthetics, to include the beauty of pain, cruelty, and depravity. Also known as ‘Perverts’, the Toreador’s reputation for torture is known to rival that of the Tzimisce. Tattoos, scarification and even body piercing are common within the clan, and they have even taken this further in developing a secret code to carry information. For example, a specific cluster of piercings could provide a certain message for those who know how to read it. This not only provides a useful tool, but also brings them great delight in the pain. Despite their darker nature, the Toreador Antitribu still maintain close relations to mortal society, bending it to their needs.

Clan Flaw: Unlike their Camarilla counterparts, the Toreador Antitribu have become twisted and warped, finding beauty and pleasure in the most sadistic and vile acts. They see beauty in pain and suffering. When presented with an opportunity to indulge in sadistic behaviours both mental and physical, they must make a self-control test difficulty 6 or spend a willpower point to resist. If the roll fails or the player refuses to spend a willpower point (which must be declared before the roll is made), the player must act out on the need to inflict emotional or physical pain on their victim.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex., Presence, Celerity.


Tzimisce
The Tzimisce, or ‘Fiends’, as they are known as are the soul of the Sabbat; their nickname has been passed on by kindred of old who have witnessed the horrors of the tortures and creations of this clan mastery, Vicissitude. Their reputation can be seen as being unwarranted, as the majority of the Tzimisce are rational reserved individuals, very intelligent and inquisitive, making impeccable guests. However, this quite human appearance is but a veneer for something quiet different. Some see the Tzimisce as unflinchingly evil; their understanding of the vampiric condition has simply allowed them to bend their minds and bodies to new levels of understanding, while youngsters of the clan can be seen to take perverse pleasure in inflicting this on others, it could be stated that elders of the clan simply fail to understand mercy and suffering, or it could be that hey no longer have any use for such irrelevant emotions. In ancient times the Tzimisce were powerful. Though many tried, it was the Tremere who succeeded in uprooting them, using the Tzimisce’s blood to give birth to the Tremere's undead condition. It is from this that the Tzimisce possess an unflinching hatred for the Warlocks. During the Anarch Revolt, the young of the clan discovered mystical means to break the blonds inflicted upon them by their elders, rising up and destroying what was left of their elder’s power base. Today, the Tzimisce serve the Sabbat as scholars, advisors and priests. Many of the sect’s customs originate from this clan. The Tzimisce are consummate explorers, always looking to discover the greater prepose of Kindred as a whole.

Clan Flaws: Tzimisce are fiercely territorial creatures, maintaining heavily guarded havens. Whenever a Tzimisce sleeps, they must surround themselves in at least two handfuls of dirt from a place important to them as a mortal. Failure to do so halves the Tzimisce dice pools for every 24 hours, until all actions only use one dice. This remains until they rest among their earth once more for a full day.

Clan Discipline: Animalism, Auspex, Vicissitude.


Ventrue Antitribu
In the beginning, before the Sabbat and the Camarilla, the Ventrue were once noble warriors, paladins and knights of pure virtue and chivalry. The Ventrue Antitribu describe how this changed during the Anarch revolt. Certain Ventrue saw it as an opportunity to strike out against the corruption of their elders, seeing them as greedy sell-outs who turned their backs on the true ways in order form power and wealth. The Ventrue Antitribu, also known as ‘Crusaders’, are the closet things to the Knights of old, chivalrous paladins sworn to fight against the Antediluvians and bring down the decadence of the Camarilla. Despite their noble intentions and the violence they are surrounded in with in the Sabbat, the Ventrue Antitribu support the Sword of Cain to the very end. They see mortals as cattle and there to be used in the service of their goals.

Clan Flaw: The Ventrues Antitribu still posses refined tastes, so the type of blood they accept becomes exclusive to a particular type. This is chosen at character creation, and can be anything. For example; children, virgins, bald men, clergy etc. They are unable to feed from anything other than their chosen type, no matter what. However, they can feed form vampires freely and with out constraint.

Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Fortitude, Presence.