About VTES

Written by Jay Gannon

Considered by many to be the greatest collectible card game ever designed for multiplayer (games of 3 or more players) V:TES has been going strong for over 15 years!  Designed by the legendary Richard Garfield, creator of Magic: The Gathering, in V:TES players assume the role of a Methuselah – an ancient vampire locked in a never ending war with the other Methuselahs. This struggle, known as the Jyhad, is as old as recorded history.  Battles are waged in the nightly interactions of younger vampires who are completely unaware they are mere pawns for these ancient and powerful masters.

V:TES is set in the World of Darkness – a world similar in most respects to our own – but with powerful supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. Home to vampires, werewolves, mages, mummies, zombies, ghouls, and more – whose presence is unknown to all but a select few mortals.

The vampires refer to themselves as the Kindred – and most are wise enough to hide their existence from mortals through what's called the Masquerade, lest humanity burn their kind once again in a new Inquisition. A small group of humans, known as the Imbued, wield mystical powers in an effort to wipe vampires from the face of the earth, yet also occasionally find themselves as unwitting pawns for the Methuselahs.

Several groups, or sects, have emerged within vampiric society – representing completely different, competing philosophies. Each sect is home to several vampire clans, each with their own interests.

The Camarilla – Kindred who seek to uphold the Masquerade by any means necessary, and who believe that unity under the responsible leadership of the eldest is the best way to survive. The Camarilla clans:
Brujah – Rebels, revolutionaries, punks, and visionaries – the Brujah embody a spirit of defiance.
Malkavian – All are incurably insane, and wish to spread the madness to others.
Nosferatu – Cursed with hideous looks, the Nosferatu gather information, and make their homes in the sewers.
Toreador – The beautiful, the glamorous, the artistes, the poseurs, unmatched at social maneuvering.
Tremere – A secretive, rigidly structured cabal of blood mages, feared by all, trusted by none.
Ventrue – The self-proclaimed leaders of the Camarilla, who influence the world of politics and business.

The Sabbat –  Believing themselves to be the rightful rulers of the night, they view humanity as little more than cattle. The Sabbat is populated by the antitribu clans, twisted versions of their Camarilla counterparts – but two other clans wield control of the sect:
Lasombra – Predators who believe that the worthy rule and the rest are made to serve, they manipulate shadows.
Tzimisce – Twisted, alien, cold – the most inhuman of all the clans, and proud of it.

Independent  – Some clans reject membership in the Camarilla and Sabbat, and choose instead to forge their destiny on their own:
Assamite – Assassins based in the Middle East, these silent killers are the vampires that vampires fear.
Followers of Set – An ancient Egyptian darkness cult who use corruption and deceit to get what they want.
Giovanni – An undead Mafia, this large family of necromancers specialize in organized crime.
Gangrel – Formerly part of the Camarilla, they are the most animalistic and wild of all the clans.
Ravnos – Wanderers and nomads, each Ravnos is cursed with a compulsion to swindle and steal from outsiders.

A number of younger vampires from each of the other clans have chosen on an individual basis to join the ranks of the Independent as well. They are known as the Anarchs, rebels who reject the authority of the elder Kindred.

Each clan specializes in a different set of three Disciplines, supernatural powers that the Kindred possess. In a game of V:TES, these disciplines each have unique and powerful gameplay effects.

In addition, the main thirteen clans above are joined by the mysterious, rare Bloodlines, a series of minor clans with unusual powers whose role in the Jyhad is larger than their numbers would suggest., and by the Laibon, the oldest and most exotic of all the sects. Based in Africa, it is populated by 4 legacies, each descended from a larger parent clan: Akunanse (Gangrel) Guruhi (Nosferatu) Ishtarri (Toreador) Osebo (Brujah).

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