Nickname: Clanless, Scum, Mongrels
Character and Society:
The Caitiff are the Clanless, those who do not belong to any extended clan or bloodline, and are usually scorned by those who do. They are the lowest of the low, hanging around the fringes of Camarilla society in the hope of joining up and gaining some prestige.
Some Caitiff were embraced by other Caitiff, but most were embraced by a member of another Clan and then abandoned or forced to fend for themselves. By far the majority were sired by the Brujah or the Gangrel, and some Caitiff resent these clans as a consequence.
Creating a Caitiff is a crime in Camarilla society: most are illegally created, and have never been officially presented to a Prince. As such, they have no official existence in Camarilla society. They are mistreated with impunity, used and then abandoned.
Some Caitiff are clever or powerful enough to survive, join a Clan, and become part of the Camarilla, but most die young at the hands of one danger or another - often their fellow Vampires, or a canny vampire hunter. Only the anarchs seem to accept the Caitiff among their ranks, but even there they are often second-class citizens.
Elder and Childe:
There are no elders of the Caitiff, and there is precious little organisation. It is rumoured that, whenever anyone tries to organise the Caitiff, they are ruthlessly suppressed by forces within the Camarilla who want the Caitiff weak and divided. It is rumoured that the Sabbat recognise the Caitiff as a clan to themselves, and many Caitiff have been lured into the Sabbat by that rumour of belonging, never to be seen again.
Even Caitiff accepted into other Clans are never really accepted. They will be sacrificed without a second thought if a sacrifice is needed, they will be scapegoats and the butts of jokes. In many ways, it is worse to be a member of a Clan as it focuses attention at the Caitiff he could otherwise avoid.
The Children of Lilith
Rumours and prophecy say that the Caitiff are the Children of Lilith, connecting them to the enigmatic sorceress-demon of Cainite and Mortal myth. It is said that they will band together in the last days and, because they are of no clan, be independent in the Great Jyhad of Gehenna. It is also said that their powers will overwhelm those of the thirteen clans on the last night. Rumour suggests that one of the incontrevertible signs of Gehenna drawing near is the rise of a Caitiff Prince, and the same rumours speak of a cabal of Kindred from all sects dedicated to the destruction of anyone who comes close to the position of Prince. The Caitiff are a paradox; reviled and hated, but feared just a little by those with wisdom.
History:
The Caitiff have been around for a long time. It is said that in the Dawn Times all Kindred were Caitiff, but as they formed their Bloodlines and Clans they lost the versatility of the Caitiff. In the Middle Ages, Caitiff were considered frightening things because they were outside the Clans, and their abilities could not be predicted. In the modern era, they are hated and despised for their "mongrel" status. Even the Brujah have difficulty taking them seriously.
Many have tried to join society: the Camarilla will accept them eventually, but as second-class citizens. The Anarchs embrace them in theory, but in practice they are still considered lesser. Only the Sabbat truly embraces Caitiff. So it is said.
Many Caitiff strive to create their own Bloodline, to gain the recognition of the Camarilla, and to leave the stigma of the Caitiff behind them. Few succeed, and those that do often face opposition from the established Clans and Bloodlines. It is said some Bloodlines of Caitiff are seeking the ultimate in acceptance; the Diablerie of an Antedilluvian and the ascendance to full Clan status. None has yet succeeded, unless the enigmatic Tremere can be considered ex-Caitiff . . .
Concepts:
Most Caitiff are young in vampire terms, and have only the vaguest ideas about Camarilla society. They generally lack the knowledge to Masquerade as a member of another clan, and anyway the consequences of being caught are usually not worth the rewards. They are varied in their abilities, backgrounds and disciplines, but they have no Lineage.
Clan Disciplines: Special. See Versatility below.
Clan Advantages: Versatility
Caitiff character may select any three Disciplines as their Clan Disciplines at the time of their creation. However, there are certain restrictions on which Disciplines may be selected:
These Disciplines may be picked freely: Animalism, Auspex, Celerity, Dominate, Fortitude, Obfuscate, Potence, Presence
These Disciplines may be picked only if the character has a suitable background, depending on the Discipline: Dementation, Melpominee
These Disciplines count as two Discipline picks and require a good character background: Protean, Obtenebration, Quietus, Serpentis, Spiritus, Vicissitude.These Disciplines are banned as Clan Disciplines for Caitiff: Mytheracia, Thaumaturgy, Necromancy, Daimoinon.
Clan Disadvantages: Outsiders
Caitiff are considered scum by the Clans, and even the Bloodlines. It is very hard for them to make any headway in the closed society of the vampires. All Caitiff begin the game with the status of Autarkis. This means they are outside the Traditions and may be destroyed with impunity, but (unfarily) they are still required to keep the Traditions themselves.
A Caitiff is always considered to be part of any Prestige system that operates among Kindred. However, they are always considered to have -1 Prestige in that area unless they are specifically awarded Prestige by being recognised as part of the Prestige system, in which case they have 0 Prestige. This means all forms of Prestige can be used against a Caitiff, but that Caitiff themselves generally cannot use Prestige against anyone else.
If a Caitiff manages to gain recognition in the Camarilla (Acknowledged by a Prince) he is still an outcast, and while he is protected by the Camarilla he cannot gain Status beyond Acknowledged. He certainly cannot hold a position of power.
If a Caitiff uses Status against a Camarilla vampire, he recieves only a +1 bonus to his challenge for each point of Status spent. He may use Prestige as normal, assuming he gains it.A Caitiff who is granted a point of Prestige by a Clan may be invited to join that clan. At this point, they can slowly begin to gain Status in Camarilla society, at a rate of 1 pont of Status for every 2 points of Prestige (or part thereof). Their Status can never be higher than half their Prestige, and points of Status may be lost if they lose Prestige. Note that this is just their "potential" Status: they do not automatically get these levels.
Even if a Caitiff gains recognition within the Camarilla, it is a very rare Caitiff who is ever permitted to hold a Position of Status, and must constantly defend his position against attacks.
A Caitiff exposed when pretending to be a member of another Clan has committed a terrible insult to that Clan, and is often destroyed out of hand. Camarilla Society supports this, as pretending to be of another clan can be a breach of the Tradition of Domain.
Character Creation: Most Caitiff have at least one "Street" ability (Scrounge, Streetwise) which is how they survive from night to night. When making a Caitiff, select your Clan Disciplines because they are interesting, not because they are powerful. It is often useful to select one of your Disciplines as one not connected with a Camarilla Clan. More than any other character, a Caitiff needs to justify everything in his background, and the Caitiff are not recommended for inexperienced players. Caitiff rarely have much influence: what they get is often taken away by older Kindred.Character Development:
A Caitiff who gains too much power will often be taken down. This is important to remember. One of the few ways to avoid this fate is to make yourself indispensible to a Clan. The Caitiff Skaiff managed this in Liverpool, making himself indispensible to the Toreador Clan and even aspiring to the status of Sherrif. When he died, he was not mourned and the Toreador soon got over the loss. Some would say that had he not made association with the Toreador then his enemy would never have taken him out. Young Caitiff take note.
Caitiff should always work with what they have: increase your chosen Disciplines first, and pick up "twiddles" later. The same applies to Abilities and Influences. A Caitiff with an impressive Discipline can often parlay that Discipline into training, protection or even acceptance.
If you are one of the lucky Caitiff who has a useful Discipline, under no circumstances teach it! Or, if you must, teach it only to limited levels. If the Discipline is one held as a secret by another Clan or Bloodline, at the very least you draw their attention to you. And remember, if you teach a Discipline to someone, they can teach it to someone else, and one of your few bargaining chips has been squandered. There is nothing worth losing control of your own Disciplines to another.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vampire: The Masquerade is © White Wolf Publishing Inc. Use of various trademarks is not intended to challenge their copyright.Tyne and Wear Vampire is run on a not for profit basis. Tyne and Wear Vampire was created by the insane genius of Andrew S. Rafferty Web page design © 1998 Mark Wilkin, Text © 1998 Andrew S.Rafferty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
