Game Groups > Vampire: The Masquerade licensees

This group includes games based on the setting and rules of the pen-and-paper role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade by Mark Rein-Hagen, which is a part of White Wolf Studio's World of Darkness universe. The main theme of the setting is the continuous existence of vampires within the human society, concealed by their "masquerade", i.e. efforts to pass as humans, both visually and spiritually.

Most vampires in this universe try to keep in touch with their human side; in the role-playing rules, this translates into a special "humanity meter". Committing particularly immoral and violent actions will lower this meter; once it reaches the minimum, a vampire connects fully to its beastly side, entering an uncontrolled frenzy.

The setting portrays in detail various sects and clans of the vampires. The sects are ideological groups that may comprise vampires of different clans. The most prominent sects are the Camarilla, the dominant vampire organization that is particularly strict with the masquerade rules. Opposed to them are the Anarchs, which consider the Camarilla society corrupt and oppressive. The vampire that belong to the Sabbat are excessively proud of their nature, believing themselves superior to humans and thus not needing to resemble them.

The clans determine the main character traits, statistics, abilities, and weaknesses of a vampire. For example, vampires of the Ventrue clan are distinguished by their leadership skills, often assuming high positions in the hierarchy of the Camarilla, but are bound to feeding restrictions, naturally rejecting the blood of many species; the Malkavians possess unique mind-controlling abilities such as Dementation, but are insane and unable to communicate normally with others; the Nosferatu can transform into animals and are physically strong, but their hideous appearance forces them to live in the sewers in order to keep their masquerade, and so on.