Social Flaws

Apostate (2pt. Flaw) You have publicly recanted one of the vampiric roads in order to step onto your current one. Changing roads is not uncommon in the early years unlife, but you have done so in an especially spectacular way - perhaps accusing your former faith of being false or ridiculously former teachers. You carry the stigma of a traitor among your former fellow travelers, while your new co-religionists still wonder if you are truly committed to their faith. You must work twice as hard to receive half the recognition of others.

Blasphemous Tongue (3pt. Flaw) - Inquisitor Only Although your faith is strong and your hatred of heresy as great as anyone's, you cannot help but talk about God and his servants in an irreverent way. It's not that you are rude or insulting to Him, just that you don't treat your faith with the gravity that the Church demands. You suffer a +2 difficulty on all Social rolls with other members of the Church, and can expect your tongue to earn you censure from the Inquisition sooner rather than later.

Blood Hunted (2 or 4pt. Flaw) You have been made the target of a blood hunt. Should you return to your home city, you risk immediate destruction. For two points, this Flaw only applies to your home city. For four, the hunt extends anywhere your prince has allies. Hunts of such magnitude are only called against the most heinous criminals among the Damned.

Botched Presentation (2pt. Flaw) When you were presented to the prince of the city, you breached protocol or embarassed yourself in some spectacular fashion. Your error may have been forgiven - or not, depending on other Flaws - but you are convinced that Her Majesty hates you. You must roll Willpower (difficulty 7) to stand in front of the prince or her designated representative without running, sniveing or otherwise acting like a fool.

Dark Secret (1pt. Flaw) You have some sort of secret that, if uncovered be of immense embarassment to you and would make you a pariah in the local Cainite community. This could be anything from having murdered an elder to being a secret member of the Cainite Heresy.

Disgrace to the Blood (2pt. Flaw) You were Embraced into the nobility of a High Clan. You were given power and prestige befitting your birthright — and you failed. You are now considered among the rabble of the Low Clans, when you are considered at all. You may eventually return to grace, but redemption won’t be easy. You must work twice as hard to atone for your prior failure. Obviously, you may not begin play with any Status.

Enemy (1 to 5pt. Flaw) You have an enemy, or perhaps a group of enemies, who seek to harm you. The power of the enemy depends upon how many points the player wishes to spend. (Five points indicate the wrath of a Methusulah, arch-magus or other potent supernatural foe.)

Former Cat's-Paw (2pt. Flaw) You have done dirty work for an important Cainite in the past - maybe an elder or even a prince. However, insead of granting you favor, your patron now sees you as a liability to her interests. For the moment, your former employer is content to keep you quiet with veiled threats. If you continue to make a nuisance of yoruself, however, she will use more drastic measures to silence you.

Hunted (4pt. Flaw) You are pursued by a fanatical witch-hunter who believes (perhaps correctly) that you are a danger to humanity. All those with whom you associate, be they mortal or Cainite, may be hunted as well. The hunter may or may not be a part of the Shadow Inquisition.

Infamous Sire (1pt. Flaw) Your sire was, and perhaps still is, distrusted and disliked by many of the local Cainites. As a result, you are distrusted and disliked as well. The stigma follows you even if you repudiate your sire. One cannot escape one's blood.

Mistaken Identity (1pt. Flaw) You look similar to descriptions of another vampire, which causes cases of mistaken identity. This can prompt numerous awkward or even dangerous situations, especially if your "twin" has a terrible reputation or is wanted for some crime.

Oathbreaker (4pt. Flaw) You are a known defector. You turned traitor to your former liege and you still have much to prove before you are accepted by the Cainites you have defected to. Elders, ancillae, and even neonates treat you with distrust and even hostility, and your reputation might even sully those whom you regularly associate with.

Outspoken Pagan Heretic (4pt. Flaw) You are either not a Christian at all, or you are a follower of one of the heresies declared anathema by the Church, such as the Cathars or Bogomils. Although Jews, Muslims and pagans are no strangers to Europe, they are subject to various forms of oppression and social stigma in a culture that is unabashedly Christian. Many non-Christians carry on (and even thrive) by doingt heir very best nto to antagonisze the Christian community in any way. They practice their rites in private, find economic and social niches where they are tolerated or appreciated, and they watch for signs of bubbling hate or resentment. Not so, you. Either because of past "offenses" or current behavior, you are permanently branded a heathen - somewhere between unsavoury and evil in the eyes of the Christian majority. You regularly face discrimination, accusations and even outright persecution. Even among the undying, you carry a black mark, especially among Christian followers of the Road of Heaven.

Prestigious Rival (1 to 5pt. Flaw) Your success has earned you the enmity of another noble Cainite. Your rival may outright hate you for some real or imagined grievance or simply enjoy the challenge of bringing you low. Treat this adversary as an Enemy (Dark Ages: Vampire p. 306), save that she has equal status among the Damned and never moves against you openly. As such, you cannot strike her directly without risking the wrath of your prince. This Flaw is worth a number of points equal to the Status rating of the character purchasing it. Characters without Status may not purchase this Flaw.

Reformed Heretic (3pt. Flaw) - Inquisitor Only Many monastic and clerical orders have experimented with variations on Christianity, which are tolerated until such a time as a Papal Bull declares them to be heresy. You followed such a path some years ago, prior to joining the Inquisition. You were granted the chance to repent and confess your sins when your chosen faith was declared heresy, and you accepted. While you are redeemed in the eyes of the Church, many individuals, if they learn of your history, will regard you with suspicion and possibly even hatred. Should your history be revealed to other inquisitors, members of the Church or even the laity, it is up to the Storyteller to determine how they react to you, but the response should be difficult to deal with.

Scapegoat (4pt. Flaw) Whenever anything goes wrong, you are the first suspect. Actual guilt is irrelevant; you are the local Cainite whipping boy and everyone knows it. You cannot ever gain the Status background unless you somehow change your reputation - and that will be a Herculean feat. Even if you move to another city, your tainted reputation follows you.

Sire's Resentment (1pt. Flaw) Your sire dislikes you and wishes you ill. Given the smallest opportunity, she actively seeks to do you harm. Your sire's allies also work against you, and many elders may resent you.

Uncouth (1pt. Flaw) Even for a peasant or foreigner, you have extremely poor manners and an equally tarnished reputation. Depending on your Charisma, other lower-class individuals may spit as you pass or laugh at your bawdy humor, but aristocrats and Cainites of the High Clans are not amused. When interacting with your betters, you cannot have more dice in a Social pool than twice your Status Background. The Storyteller may waive this limit if crudeness serves your intent (such as Intimidation attempts). This Flaw should be roleplayed constantly.

Village Idiot (3pt. Flaw) You were regarded as a fool in life or have acquired that unfortunate reputation in unlife. Either way, no one takes you seriously. At the very least, you suffer a +2 difficulty on most Expression and Leadership rolls, and this penalty may apply to other Social rolls as decided by the Storyteller. It is possible to lose this Flaw in play, but it isn't easy. Even if you come up with a brilliant plan, most people dismiss it - and you - on general principle, or assume that you stole the idea from someone else.