Sunteți pe pagina 1din 5

Toreador

My faith teaches these cravings are wrong. I


vowed to abstain, yet I worship the village beauty
for a sennight, writing odes to her eyes. I bind her
with a thousand lies, then end her life in a grove
smelling of pine, my hands wound in her golden
braids.
Im tortured by what Ive become. Where is
redemption to be found?

Toreador live by their whims. Do they feel like


strolling in the gardens or tossing away a fortune on a
game of cards? Its the age of chivalry and Toreador are
coming into their own magnificence. The worship of
beauty in the Dark Ages, the fascination with mysticism,
all these influences draw a Toreador like a moth to a
flame. Sometimes Toreadors are the moths. Other times,
theyre the flames.
Toreador watch mortals play out their brief lives and
often intervene. Drama adds zest to their unlives, their
machinations tied into the tiniest detail. They are
directors and mortals are the actors.
Toreador are the original hedonists, but with a twist.
They can never feel what they seek. They seek warm,
mortal flesh to stave away the chill of undeath. They
drink fine wine, though it tastes of dust, chasing the
memory of bursting grapes on their tongue. They fill
their homes with art and music, though they struggle to
create it themselves.
For some Toreador, religion is their passion. They
take it to extremes frowned upon by the Church, selfinflicting stigmata or flagellating their sins from their body.
Yet they sin and sin again, living in the vacuum of Gods
displeasure. After all, if Christs great gift is forgiveness,
why waste that gift on a life of temperance? These vampires
particularly feel the loss of grace.
To hear a Toreador talk, their clan is responsible for the
entire history of art, from cave paintings to early Byzantine
mosaics. As with many things involving Cainites, this carries
a hint of truth, as Toreador have patroned and inspired many
great artists throughout history.
If a Toreador was artistic in life, she spends her unlife
pursuing the perfection humanity brings. However, because
all Toreador lack something ineffable that mortals possess,
they never achieve what they once did with a limited
lifespan. It is traumatizing, but they never stop seeking it.
Sobriquets: Aesthetes, Artisans, Vanitas
Appearance: Toreador pursue not only beauty, but
propagate themselves through beauty. Their beauty often
reflects the ideal from the era and homeland from which they

come, so they range from exotic beauty, to a collection of


whatever is in fashion locally. A collective of Toreador is a
breathtaking sight.

Haven: A Toreador wants to be surrounded by art and


lovely things, but he is equally likely to seek out artists in
their garrets, or a patron of his own to help him afford his
expensive taste. Toreador are true collectors, focusing their
obsession on finding rare and precious items to add to their
collections. They do the same with their retainers, curating
the people around them.
Backgrounds: Toreador are mercurial in their choice of
childer, choosing by passion and conviction. It is not unusual
for a Toreador to Embrace a favorite artist, lover, or muse to
stay as eternal as she is. Unfortunately, the changeable
nature of the Toreador leads to some cast-offs, as a sire tires
of the childe he chose. This fosters resentment and some
creative revenge plots.

Character Creation
The arts and graces of society are of the greatest
importance to the Toreador, so focus on high
Social Attributes and Abilities. Preferred backgrounds
include Herd, Retainers, and Resources. Toreador struggle
to sever themselves from mortal pleasures, so the Road of
Humanity is most common. However, some choose the Road
of Kings instead. They have the strongest connection to
mortals, and this allows them to hold their humanity tighter,
but they cant keep the Beast at bay forever.

Starting out of clan Disciplines


Age
Max number of Disciplines
allowed
Max dots in each Discipline
Max number of Physical
Disciplines allowed
Max dots in Celerity, Fortitude
or Potence

Neonate
2

Ancilla
3

3
2

4
2

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence


Weakness: The Toreador has the shortest attention span
of all Cainites. Once struck by beauty, its as if Cupids dart
pierced them. If they encounter beauty (Storyteller and
player work together to determine appropriate triggers), they
must roll Self-Control or Instinct (difficulty 5). If they fail,
the daydream of their senses continues until the scene
concludes or object departs.
The rush of pleasure they receive from objects of beauty
is highly addictive. An undisciplined Toreador can end up
reeling from one moment of aesthetic bliss to the next and
his enemies can exploit this.
Toreador may interact with their objects of obsession,
however. For deeply inhumane Toreador, this can mean
terrible things for a living obsession, as the Toreador seeks
to take in every aspect of natures art, understanding them
on a visceral, fundamental level.

Attributes
Abilities
Disciplines
Backgrounds
Lores
Virtues
Max Merits bought with Flaws
Starting Status (free)
Freebies

Neonate
7/5/3
13/9/5
4
5
4
7
7
1
75

Ancillae
7/5/3
13/9/5
4
5
4
7
7
2
175

Only one max dot per category in attributes and abilities


at creation.
Only one discipline or primary path of Blood Sorcery,
Thaumaturgy and Necromancy can have max dots at
creation.
Only one dot in one advance discipline is allowed at
creation.
Out of Clan Disciplines can be taken at character creation
with Freebie points and only with Storyteller permission.
Celerity, Fortitude and Potence does not need Storyteller
permission, nor does it count toward the max in the
other out of clan disciplines chart.

Before buying the domain background consult with the


storyteller.

Freebie Point cost


Trait Cost
Attributes
Ability
Discipline
Blood Sorcery Path
Blood Sorcery Ritual
Backgrounds
Lores
Virtue
Area of Expertise
Road
Willpower

(Per Dot)
5
2
7
4
Ritual Level
1
1
2
1
2
1

Organization: From time to time, Toreador gather in


loose collectives to refine their individual tastes and inspire
each other. These gatherings are not for the faint of heart or
feeble of wit. Passionate arguments over art, music, and
theater are common, as are performances and impromptu art
galleries. The art on display can originate from the Toreador
in attendance or showcase the special talents of their
protgs.
Dimly-lit corners are perfect for arranged rendezvous,
with the intellectual dalliances Toreador hold dear. Hottempered Toreador are known to duel to right a wrong or just
for amusement.

Stereotypes
Cappadocians: Long-faced cadaver dullards. They say
they have much to teach us (as do most of our other
brethren), yet who wants to sit around listening to them
drone?
Gangrel: The beasts are boorish, too brutish for us.
Chase them back to their forests and caves.

Lasombra: We feel a great kinship with this clan and


their exoticism intrigues us. Are they slipping from their
high perch? Alluring, yet dangerous to enrage.
Malkavians: The Children of Malkav hold special
fascination, perhaps because they dance along the line of real
and delusion like us. They then charge forward into
madness, but are diverting companions.
Nosferatu: Is it possible to imagine a clan less suited to
our feasts and gatherings? With few exceptions, they are off
the guest list unless you want rotten flesh dripping in your
wine.
Tremere: Dull with their blood magic and their tedious
experiments. Theres always one that turns up, latches onto
a conversation he has no business participating in, and
ignores all hints to go away. We use them when useful.
Ventrue: Almost our equals. Almost. They are on the
rise we will watch their struggles with interest.

Toreador-Specific Merits and


Flaws
Controllable Thirst (1 Point Merit)
Because Toreador spend so much time around mortals,
resisting Frenzy caused by the smell, sight or taste of blood
is easier for them. Whenever the Kindred makes a Frenzy
roll over blood, reduce the difficulty by three.
Eye for Beauty (1 Point Merit)
The Kindred is a natural critic. Reduce difficulties for Art
Appreciation by four.
Refined (2 Point Merit)
You a member of the elite. You are at home among the noble
classes and you never feel out of place around the "beautiful
people." The difficulty on all Etiquette rolls involving high
society is reduced by three. In addition, you are often invited
to Toreador socials reserved for those of higher Toreador
Prestige or Status than yourself.
Blas (3 Point Merit)
You are not easily impressed by others. You reduce the
difficulty to resist all Presence powers by three.
"Gifted" (3 Point Merit)
The difficulty on all Creativity rolls and Artistic Expression
rolls are reduced by three.
Greater Colors (3 Point Merit)
The vampire sees colors more distinctly and with greater
definition. The world is far more colorful. Unfortunately, the

vampire is more likely to become enraptured by colorful


objects. Despite the drawback, when used in conjunction
with Aura Perception, the vampire will discover far more
information about her target. The difficulty for reading a
target's aura is reduced to five. The player may ask the
Storyteller one question about the target for every success,
and the Storyteller must provide accurate information. This
may be used only once per story on a particular target.
Finally, all Artistic Expression difficulties involving color
are reduced by one.
Powerful Ghoul (5 Point Merit)
You have a very powerful ghoul Blood Bound to you. The
ghoul has six points to put into any Disciplines other than
Thaumaturgy, although at least one point must be put into
Potence. The ghoul is also very competent, possessing 15
points to distribute among Attributes, 27 points to distribute
among Abilities and 5 points to put into Backgrounds. The
ghoul has reasonably good Virtues and Willpower ratings
and will do anything you say, since it loves you so much.
However, the ghoul might also get jealous of any
relationships you have with others.
Vampire Spouse (5 Point Merit)
You hold regnant over another Kindred, though she holds
regnant over you as well. The two of you are in love, and
you automatically have the benefit of the Merit: True Love.
Your vampire spouse is your equal in terms of power and
status. However, as a couple, you are very formidable. You
allow nothing to get in the way of your love. You and your
spouse would die or kill for one another.
Poor Taste (1 Point Flaw)
You can never have the Art Appreciation skill. You are
forever a Poseur, and you have no ability to judge a
masterpiece from trash. In fact, if you had the choice, you
would choose the trash.
Rival (1 Point Flaw)
You have an intense rivalry with another Kindred. You are
always competing with this individual, either for fun or out
of spite. In besting this individual, you go to extremes, and
he behaves similarly towards you. Your rival occasionally
gets the best of you, but you do the same to him.
Tortured Artist (1 Point Flaw)
You must suffer for your work. Your work is never good
enough to suit you. You often suffer ennui for extended
periods of time, preventing you from working steadily. In
addition, you constantly find yourself in heartbreaking
positions; perhaps you subconsciously lead yourself into
those situations to acquire the experience you need for your
work.

Vulgar (1 Point Flaw)


You will never fit into high society. You are crude, rude and
socially unacceptable, forever a Philistine. You are treated
as having one less level of Status when invitations to
Toreador socials are prepared. You will never be fully
accepted as a Toreador. Many will question your Sire and
possibly ridicule him for choosing you.
Artistically Inept (3 Point Flaw)
You must work harder than most artists to accomplish great
work. You are still capable of creating a masterpiece, but it
is tougher for you than for someone else of equal training.
All difficulties on Creativity rolls and Artistic Expression
rolls are increased by two to a maximum of nine.

such a stinging retort (such as the user of Scalpel Tongue


botching her roll), it could have a negative impact on how
others in the Clan perceive her. Why would she need to
use powers if she didnt have an inferior wit? In such a
case, the user will have a +1 difficulty on Social rolls
against other Toreadors for the rest of the night, including
future uses of Scalpel Tongue.
System: Roll Wits + Empathy against a difficulty
of 7. If the user of this power does not know his target
well, difficulty is increased by one, due to not knowing
what buttons to push to achieve the greatest verbal impact.
The barbed comment stings the target into silence for one
turn per success, or double that if the target is not a
member of Clan Toreador. Spending one Willpower
negates this effect.

Social Outcast (3 Point Flaw)


You have severed your ties to the Artistes and Poseurs. You
no longer play their silly games. You will never rise in Clan
Prestige, and you are the equivalent of an Autarkis.
However, the Autarkis will not accept you due to some past
transgressions you have committed against them. You have
no place in the world of the Damned.

Combination
Disciplines
Scalpel Tongue
(Presence , celerity )
Catty repartee is both an art and a vice among the
Kindred of Clan Toreador. Those who cannot compete
effectively in the arena of cruel wit are unlikely to earn
the respect of their Clan members. Toreador higher up the
ladder, then, must have the ability to scathe others with
words if they are to maintain their positions. Scalpel
Tongue mixes the same quick thinking that guides the
body as it moves at accelerated speeds with the
Toreadors prodigious social aptitudes, allowing the
Kindred to immediately generate a barbed quip so
stinging (due to the emotion-enhancing effects of
Presence) that it shames the target into silence. Of course,
the Toreador themselves are so constantly surrounded by
the vicious wit of their own Clan that they inevitably
develop a thicker skin. They may play up the melodrama
of insult and offense, but even the sharpest barbs come to
wash over them like water off a ducks back.
This power has a subtle downside: if another
Toreador detects that she had to use a Discipline to come
up with

This power costs 6 experience points to learn.

Soul Painting
(AusPex , Presence )
Art has long been held to be a doorway into the
soul. Usually its the soul of the artist. In this case, the
painting can expose the nature of the person portrayed.
The message conveyed is powerful, subtle, and when
successful undeniable. Falsehood cannot be portrayed
through Soul Painting, for even the artist does not initially
know what the image will reveal.
To create this type of portrait, the artist needs to
study the subject for a full, uninterrupted hour. This can
be done in a sitting, of course, but (due to the sensitive
nature of the portrait) its more often done from recalled
observation. Looking not only at the minute details of
appearance and carriage, but also at the subjects aura, the
painter forms a conscious insight. This alone is not
sufficient, however: the painter must give himself over to
a kind of creative fugue, setting aside his preconceptions
completely, in order to make a soul portrait.
The portrait must be painted in a single setting,
and interrupting a soul painter while she works is as
difficult as rousing a Toreador from a more mundane fit
of artistic absorption. It generally takes 10-12 hours to
create the picture, though more complex efforts may take
longer Katherines portrait of the Archbishop
Monada reputedly took over one thousand hours but
if successfully completed, it reveals a great deal indeed.
System: The player rolls Manipulation +
Empathy (difficulty 6). If the roll yields even a single
success, the painting (or other work) captures the
subjects Nature in the work itself. For each additional
success, the player may opt to illustrate any one of the
following: a rough gauge of Road (or Path, which usually
wont create a traditionally flattering work), Willpower,

Self-Control, Conscience, Conviction, Instinct, or


Courage.
Anyone with the Soul Painting power can
immediately recognize every insight portrayed in a
portrait. Those who lack the power may (at the
Storytellers discretion) be required to make Perception +
Awareness, Empathy, or Crafts rolls to decode the
portrait. The difficulty for such attempts should be low,
however; the whole point of the power is the exposure of
these hidden, abstract concepts.
Note that Soul Painting does not necessarily
make the artist a skilled artist it is quite possible to
have a crudely executed portrait that nonetheless
communicates the subjects personality. Such a hamhanded painter is unlikely to have learned this power from
the mistress herself, though.
This power costs 18 experience points to learn.

Under the Skin

Successes Result
1-2

Target is rendered utterly speechless with


embarrassment and rage, and broods for
the remainder of the scene. (One die
penalty to all Social rolls)

3-4

Target storms out in a rage. (Two dice


penalty to all Social rolls)

Target becomes violent, either toward the


Toreador using this power (jumping over
the table to attack, for example) or toward
herself in a fit of self-loathing. (+1 difficulty
to rolls to resist frenzy)

6+

Target enters frenzy. (+3 difficulty to resist


frenzy)

The target may spend a Willpower point to lessen


the effect by one category (e.g., from 6+ to 5 or from 3-4
to 1-2).

(AusPex , Presence )
This power costs 18 experience to learn.
The Kindred of Clan Toreador are natural critics.
With insight and zeal they analyze and deconstruct art,
culture, and politics. Some studied Toreador possess the
ability to do the same with their peers, reading them like
texts and making obvious their failings of personality.
The Cainite using this power analyzes the personality of
another, finds its weaknesses, and then uses the force of
his presence to make light of those weaknesses and
hammer on them like a battering ram. The results can be
quite dramatic.
While this power is similar to Scalpel Tongue, its
much more devastating. That one stings; this one draws
blood (and possibly a lot of it).
System: The Toreador must interact socially with
his target for a number of consecutive turns (2-5 turns is
a good rule of thumb, at the Storytellers discretion)
before this power can be activated. After that warm-up,
roll Wits + Perception against a difficulty of 6 as the
character begins his systematic analysis of the targets
psyche and self-esteem. The results of this assault are
listed below.

S-ar putea să vă placă și