The Power Base l hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be. — Thomas Jefferson, Letter, 1815.
Elders break power down into seven discreet components: Resources, Status, Disciplines, Influence, Contacts, Allies and Military Force. Of these seven, all but Disciplines are Backgrounds. Military Force is described in Chapter Four.
Any of these can be traded to attain another, and each increases itself if judiciously managed and used sparingly. However, if they are simply amassed and not exercised, they can all stagnate and rot.
Each of the seven Camarilla clans excels at utilizing one of these components of power. The Ventrue are masters of Resources, the Toreador are leaders in Status, the Tremere excel in Disciplines, the Malkavians are champions in lnfluence, the Brujah exert the most Military Force, the Nosferatu acquire the most and best Contacts, and Gangrel are top dog in finding Allies.
Resources Capital is dead labor, that, vampire-like, lives only by sucking living labor, and lives the more, the more labor that it sucks. — Karl Marx,
Das Kapital Resources are described first, since the uses and pitfalls of wealth are the most familiar to the Storyteller and players. Most of us are more familiar with the power, potential, problems and perils of money management than the other six tools of power.
Money has great value to the kine and can be spent to acquire any tangible item or service that originates in the mortal world. It is less useful for obtaining supernatural services, though ancient texts can be purchased and some mages are for sale. Stagnant money loses power because it is not making more; choking off the flow of wealth to slow its loss usually reduces the supply as well. Most elders make use of Resources in one form or another, even if just as a tool of their pawns.
Clan Attitudes to Resources ● Brujah: The Brujah talk a good show about rejecting ties to money, but they collect as much of it as they can. They prefer cold, hard cash to conservative investments, but many elders have portfolios that they do not discuss with the younger and more idealistic Brujah.
When word of Brujah wealth spreads, or lavish spending causes the more anarchic Brujah ancillae to complain, their elders explain that financing a revolution is expensive. Most elder Brujah keep their positions of high Prestige among the younger clan members by strength and great charisma, so such questions seldom come up.
Besides, many of the Brujah rank and file see the power of wealth as the fuel that keeps their enemies strong. As long as the clan's leaders avoid conspicuous consumption, the rest are more than glad to overlook stockpiled money and aggressive portfolio management.
● Gangrel: The Gangrel elders are not consumed with money as are the Ventrue, but they do like to build estates. They often invest sizable sums in large tracts of rural land which often fall within a prince's official domain but outside his practical zone of control. This gives the Gangrel a degree of autonomy unknown to the other clans, who would never pay the price in isolation to attain that freedom.
Gangrel roam widely, and do not like to be tied down. However, many Gangrel elders have tempered this wander-lust with fiscally sensible policy, buying holdings in the places they visit. This gives them a home base wherever they go, and keeps them safer than their younger kin.
● Malkavian: Surprisingly enough, many Malkavian elders maintain investment portfolios. Even those who do not make traditional investments can often put their hands on vast amounts of money, seemingly out of nowhere. It is not uncommon for a Malkavian elder to buy failing businesses or sucker swampland developments right before they beat the odds and become massive money-makers.
This irrational good fortune prompts some Kindred to give credence to rumors of a deep insight that comes with madness, and others to doubt the Malkavians’ insanity entirely. The former suspect that the lunatic elders can pluck future trading secrets from the ether through the Malkavian Madness Network or Melange, while the latter simply think the Malkavians are crazy like a fox, feigning madness so their enemies will underestimate them. Regardless of the truth, Malkavian elders usually come up with a lot of cash when they need it.
● Nosferatu: The Nosferatu are the only elders who actually shun money, preferring information as a commodity. There are some very wealthy Nosferatu, but they are notable exceptions. Most prefer bartering information and boons for goods and services in one-on-one transactions. They see money as false and ultimately unreliable, since the dimensions of power they covet, like lore and wisdom, seldom derive from wealth.
Other Kindred say that the Nosferatu disdain for money is utterly disingenuous, and that they only put on a show to keep from being manipulated by the Ventrue. Others say that the Nosferatu would never jump through Ventrue hoops in the first place, and maintain that the Nosferatu rejection of material success reflects their rejection of the body and all worldly things. Privation and squalor is endemic to them, and they hold themselves as fundamentally unworthy of the finer things in life.
The Nosferatu's great success in controlling powerful humans belies this argument, at least in part. If they wanted to raid the coffers of mortals they could. Ultimately, the Nosferatu and their ghouls are removed from society, and controlling money is a very social pastime, so it makes sense that they have as little to do with it as possible.
● Toreador: The Toreador prefer to keep their money in art and collectibles. Since their elders exert great pressure to move the art market and manipulate prices, they have a virtual license to print (and sculpt and lithograph and photocopy and photograph and batik and paint) money. This has made some of them fabulously wealthy, even by Ventrue standards, and has bought the Toreador clout in the larger game of economic control.
The Ventrue disdain these
nouveaux-riches Toreador for their untraditional behavior and reprehensible disdain for money. They often try to swindle rich yet fiscally naïve Toreador whenever possible. It is a source of tension between two clans that often vote in common.
lronically, attaining wealth has cost some elders considerable Status. The quest for money is seen as a anti-aesthetic pursuit by many of the younger Toreador, who are often enamored with the myth of the starving artist. There is a fine line between being respected as a generous and patron of the arts, and being disdained as a vulgar, money-grubbing poseur.
lf having money is a sign of selling out, poverty (or the image of poverty) is viewed as proof of artistic integrity. Toreador, however, also must be able to give lavish parties and possess great works of art. The practical upshot of this is that the Toreador must have money, and cultivate more, but can't be seen to want to. It is a fine line that many never successfully walk.
● Tremere: Of all the clans that concentrate on amassing wealth, the Tremere are the most dispassionate, regarding it as a means to an end, no more valuable than any other source of power. Since their Thaumaturgy gives them a much more immediate control over their Herd, rivals and enemies, money has less of a luster. The question among elder Tremere gossips is never "How much money does he have?" but "What did she do with it?"
Within the tightly controlled clan hierarchy, individual money hoarding accrues little Prestige, so elders do not acquire wealth for its own sake. In this regard they are somewhat like the Nosferatu, who shun the money chase for "higher" pursuits. Of all the clans, the Tremere are the most conscious of the negative consequences of stagnant money, and are openly disdainful of cash that is not put into play.
● Ventrue: The Ventrue are masters at financial matters and have huge holdings, which they manage with a zeal that they seldom display in their otherwise dispassionate existences. The Ventrue have the most direct and obvious relationship with money, and love it as an end in itself. They are used to managing wealth and understand not only the extensive control it brings but its limitations as well.
Money is their birthright, and they instill their obsession and tight-money policies in their progeny. Many Ventrue do not like to spend lavishly on entertaining and feel they should be recognized for amassing riches, not for spending. Still, they understand the Status that comes with putting on salons and Elysium events and budget accordingly, though they are just as likely to Dominate the caterer and skimp on tips.
Status lf the egotist is weak, his egotism is worthless. lf the egotist is strong, acute, full of distinctive character, his egotism is precious, and remains a possession of the race. — Alexander Smith, "On the Writing of Essays"
For eternal creatures with all the time in the world on their hands, Kindred are not apathetic about Status or slow to adjust it. It is arguably the most important part of undead existence, as important as unlife itself. Vampires will violate any promise, betray any friend, pay any price in lesser commodities if it will guarantee them higher Status.
Status is expended much like money. The vampire puts his political "capital" on the line every time he tries to exert clout. An elder can achieve great goals by sheer force of acquired standing in Camarilla society, since lesser-Status vampires wish to curry favor with their superiors and will respond favorably. Status rises and falls rapidly in the halls of Elysium, and will change countless times in the existence of an elder. Overall it is a volatile commodity, while Resources and Influence often endure.
Status cannot be squandered thoughtlessly. An elder who cries wolf often in rallying the Kindred to carry out task she wants accomplished risks spending all his Status capital and will face a difficult time gaining it back. If a vampire does nothing with his Status, however, it will begin to fade somewhat. Refusal to use clout will first inspire awe, but that awe can turn to dissatisfaction and a lessening of respect as time passes and opportunities are missed.
Clan Attitudes Toward Status ● Brujah: The Brujah like to see themselves as above the petty power games of court, but in the end they play as much as anyone. They usually rely on a swaggering charisma and brash, bold action to gain Status. Unfortunately, this behavior has limited effectiveness in a group dedicated to sophistication. Nonetheless, it can make an refreshing anti-dote to the stuffy, rarefied air of court, and can increase Status by stark contrast. Successfully challenging a Tradition causes even their foes to admire and respect them.
● Gangrel: The Gangrel spend the least time in the courts of the Camarilla and are openly contemptuous of the Status process (as are most vampires), but on the rare occasions when they need to unify the rest of the clans behind them, they are eager to use their standing. They also like to play the tie-breaker, courted by both sides and plied with favors to support one or the other in a crucial vote.
Gangrel can afford to play the spoiler game because they genuinely care little for politics, yet still have full "voting" privileges. The more they get drawn into Camarilla politics, though, the more they lose this “outsider" position, and the more they become compromised. Gangrel Methuselahs constantly implore Gangrel elders to inject themselves into politics sparingly, as continuing interest greatly dilutes their individual clout. By remaining focused on specific issues, like protection of virgin wilderness from non-Gangrel vampiric expansion, they remain powerful.
● Malkavian: The Malkavians are uninterested Status, and thus have very little of it - except when they paradoxically have a lot. It is almost as if their genuine lack of concern for Status brings them more, whereas the pose of disdaining Status only brings less. They are such curiosities in court that they sometimes gain Status just by being talked about. The pranks which earn them the wrath of important elders also bring them a measure of grudging respect. Malkavian elders will sometimes cash in their clout to make the clans take some important action, but often lose interest partway through execution.
● Nosferatu: The Nosferatu try to act as if they care nothing for Status, and they clearly are above trying to gain it through outward manifestations of beauty or charm. But what they lack in grace, they make up for in zeal. They prefer to see Status based on lore accumulation, subtlety and devious cleverness. Since they know that that will never happen, they instead occupy themselves with manipulating those who have the most Status. After all, if you can't have power, why not gain the fear and respect of those who do?
ln terms of schoolyard politics, this is the equivalent of the ugly, unpopular kid zooming to the top of the pecking order by outsmarting the attractive, popular kids, or making himself useful to them. Ironically, Nosferatu garner Status by appearing aloof from the daily parry and thrust of the Status-seeking court. When a Nosferatu tries to accumulate Status like the members of other clans, he often suffers a drop in Status and enters a milieu where his looks count against him, even if no one will admit it.
● Toreador: Of all the clans, the Toreador are the most concerned with acquiring, maintaining and zealously accounting for Status, and they are unquestioned masters at it. They are consumed with the daily ups and downs in the standing of the prince, the elders and each clan, as well as the anarch movement, prominent mortals, associated members of the "supernatural community" and any other group or creature that comes within their sight.
Image is everything to the Toreador. Money, information and all the other sources of power add into the equation, but in the end the final appraisal rests in large part on indefinable impressions and interpretations of accomplishments. The Toreador are the acutest judges of such indefinable qualities, and that makes them uniquely qualified to judge Status.
Though the Harpies of each clan decide status, the elder Toreador Harpies wield the most clout. A brief, acid-tongued epigram or a couplet of admiration from a creative Toreador goes much farther in influencing the thinking of the court than all the long-winded sermons of the other clans combined. The power of their clever constructions can bringdown princes and elevate the obscure but accomplished neonate to great heights.
Were their clan not rent with bitter hatreds and murderous rivalries, the Toreador could easily parlay this incredible influence into rulership over the Camarilla. Some members of other clans are acutely aware of the clan's potential and guard against Toreador unification.
● Tremere: The Tremere are very Status-conscious and try to keep the younger members of their own clan from surpassing the elders. They exert a lot of control on intra-clan Status, but outside the clan they have much less clout. They gain a large measure of their Status because of their extensive research into Thaumaturgy and the power it brings.
● Ventrue: The Ventrue are acutely concerned with Status and cannot bear to be without it. They are no good at advancing the Toreador argument - that it is so fashionable to be out of favor that a fall from Status is actually very hip - possibly because they could never believe it themselves and cannot state it at all convincingly. So they remain slaves to Status, but have some difficulty attaining it.
Ventrue believe that money and holdings should be the main source of Status, as they are in the mortal world, in whose affairs they meddle so often. They are bitter because this is seldom the case, and feel it is unfair that vampires refuse to play by the same rules. They also dislike their minimal clout in assigning Status. They are not as clever as the Toreador in making a case for their own greatness, and so they fall behind.
Disciplines Power tires only those who do not have it. — Giulio Andreotti, Italian prime minister, 1992
When a vampire reaches elder age, he has had a lot of time to meditate on his Disciplines and the awe-inspiring power that flows directly from Caine. All vampires cultivate this power, for survival if nothing else. But some clans, like the Tremere, live and breathe it, and even became vampires to get more of it.
Clan Attitudes Toward Disciplines ● Brujah: The Brujah neonates and ancillae concentrate on their Celerity and Potence, focusing on skill in battle and the destructive havoc they can wreak on the world. But elders have discovered that Presence, while weak at low levels, is indescribably powerful at high levels. They use Presence to keep their own childer in line, convincing the fractious young that their elders are the coolest, most admirable of rebel leaders. In fact, they are often complacent enforcers of the status quo who have sold out to the other elders for temporal wealth. Those Brujah elders who have not compromised their principles are under considerable pressure from the others to do so.
● Gangrel: Gangrel Disciplines help them immeasurably in the wild but do little for them in the courts of the Camnarilla, where fighting is forbidden. This is another reason they shun Elysium.
● Malkavian: The Malkavians have vast potential to manipulate the Camarilla and have the greatest combination of courtly intrigue powers. Their Auspex gives them great insight into what is truly going on, their Dominate allows them to exert direct pressure on those they need to control and their Obfuscate gives them the power to get away with it.
Despite their awesome Advantages, Malkavians rarely take a sustained interest in Kindred politics. As the other clans note, if they weren't mad they'd be dangerous. Some elders, though, say that if the Malkavians really controlled everything and wanted to be thought mad so they would not be suspected, they could easily get away with it.
● Nosferatu: The Nosferatu are stronger in their combat and physical Disciplines than in courtly ones. Still, these powers give them great ability to gather data, and their skills in Obfuscate help them gain vital intelligence on the other clans. Unlike the Malkavians, they are sane enough to put crucial secrets to effective use against the other elders.
● Toreador: The Toreador Disciplines are built for courtly intrigue and leadership. Their Auspex helps them gain crucial information and their Presence lets them reach many of their peers. Most importantly, their Celerity gives them a real edge over the opposition when their scheming comes back to haunt them.
● Tremere: The Tremere are the clan most consumed by Disciplines as a road to power, and they are masters at their use in manipulation. Their superior Auspex and Dominate make them formidable in a one-on-one confrontation, but is Thaumaturgy gives them an edge no other clan has. It tips the balance of power toward the Tremere by allowing them to counter many kinds of Disciplines. They constantly try to shift the playing field to the arena of supernatural combat, because that is where they excel.
● Ventrue: The Ventrue's tag-team combination of Dominate and Presence is formidable in building temporal power and is useful in court. Their Fortitude helps them survive when the political climate turns against them.
lnfluence The politics of the world is too serious a business to be left anymore to foreigners. —
The Spectator, 1970
When a vampire becomes an elder, he no longer simply has Influence in his own nation. His reach can extend around the world. As a very secretive and historically persecuted minority, vampires have just cause to be fearful of humanity. Of course, humanity has even greater reason to fear Kindred.
The elders are fearful of any people they cannot manipulate, exploit or control. All clans try to insinuate themselves into different groups in order to spy on and manipulate them, but they often only maintain enduring control of like-minded groups. When Kindred outlooks are very different from humans, they often can't keep up with the dynamic, fluid and very mortal landscape around them.
Clan Attitudes Toward lnfluence ● Brujah: The Brujah use their Influence in society with a passion. They reach out to intellectuals, street rabble, criminals, disgruntled citizens, students - anyone who will listen. They see their agents as more than just pawns, which often wins them the respect of these mortals. Their lack of organization, however, keeps them from using their Influence to make the kind of change they want.
While Iconoclast Brujah have great Influence with street rabble, Idealists have clout in universities and thinktanks: being the most organized of Brujah, they wield the most Influence. Individualists have pull in many diverse fields, from scientists to religious communities to Hollywood. They have the most clout whenever the power base is decentralized so that groups like the Ventrue have less Influence.
● Gangrel: Gangrel shy away from large concentrations of human temporal power. They are more comfortable with rustic folk and travelers. They do tend to wield a lot of Influence in the countryside where they make their havens. Their connections cut across human political alliances, with Influence among groups ranging from ranchers to hunters, and from environmentalists and naturalists to miners and timber interests. Intrepid Kindred seeking the Gangrel in their lairs often find themselves stalked by xenophobic locals out to destroy any intruders. But in the city, the Gangrel is a fish out of water.
● Malkavian: Surprisingly, the masters of exerting Influence in the mortal world are the Malkavian elders. Their clout is indirect, and therefore very powerful. Often people they have never met will, out of the blue, take an utterly capricious action that is completely in line with the success of a Malkavian scheme.
Some Kindred say this is little more than Domination and Obfuscate in action, hidden by a false front of insanity. But others suspect there is more at work than that - that the Malkavian Madness Network has more far-reaching implica-tions than they ever suspected. Malkavians have Influence in the unlikeliest of places, including among children and the few faeries known to exist. They don't have complete control of all these areas, but there seems to be no group they cannot reach.
● Nosferatu: The Nosferatu wield a very indirect control over mortals. Rather than try to manage human affairs on a daily basis, they prefer to lurk, observe and apply over-whelming pressure only when necessary. They use their Influence as a means of gaining information rather making mortals do their bidding. They have unparalleled access to the lower end of human society, with connections to the criminals, homeless people, the poor and other outcasts.
● Toreador: Of all the clan elders, the Toreador are the most involved with the affairs of mortals. They attend a whirlwind of social functions and become personally involved with many humans. This gives them great direct Influence, but also makes them rather vulnerable. Their connections to the worlds of art, design, theatre, architecture and marketing are unmatched by any other clan.
● Tremere: ln their quest for greater and greater knowledge, the Tremere have forged links to many other members of the "supernatural community." They consort with mages, Lupines, and even vampire hunters who are unaware of their true nature. They seek to influence the development of magic, and all control of the world is merely a means to that end.
● Ventrue: The Ventrue have Earth's commercial markets sewn up. No other clan with them can compete for overall lnfluence in the business world. This gives the Ventrue considerable clout with every group that money can buy, and especially with those who revere anyone with large accumulations of wealth. The Ventrue often gain valuable connections without spending a cent, merely by showing off their vast holdings.
Contacts Knowledge in the form of an informational commodity indispensable to productive power is already, and will continue to be, a major - perhaps the major - stake in the worldwide competition for power. It is conceivable that the nation-states willone day fighr for control of information, just as they battled in the past for control over territory, and afterwards for control over access to and exploitation of raw materials and cheap labor. — Jean Francois Lyotard,
The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge Contacts are vital to the elders, and keeping a steady stream of reliable information from within and without the Camarilla is essential to survival. The powerful deceit practiced by most vampires and many mortals makes it difficult to know what is actually going on. A network of insiders can mean the difference between triumph and failure, unlife and final destruction.
Clan Attitudes Toward Contacts ● Brujah: The Brujah pride themselves on uncovering state secrets and spreading vicious rumors, but they are not the most capable information gatherers. Most Brujah have "useful" Contacts, like gun runners and gang leaders, instead of informative ones like reporters and politicians. The ldealists hold a large repository of information, though, and claim to have some ancient secrets from the days before the Masquerade.
● Gangrel: The Gangrel disdain the information brokering that consumes the Camarilla, but are not above buying anything that directly relates to their clan's safety. They sometimes sell crucial secrets, but only when they stand to gain from someone else's knowing them. Most of their Contacts have only limited influence in restricted areas.
● Malkavian: Malkavians love to barter for information, but their tips often prove unreliable, and they have no reputation to be destroyed by word of their unhelpfulness. Anyone who bargains with a Malkavian deserves what he gets. Nonetheless, the Malkavians have great access to secrets due to their Disciplines and their desire to venture into odd places. For some reason, a large number of their Contacts come from the medical profession.
● Nosferatu: The Nosferatu have elevated information acquisition and dissemination to a high art. They have Contacts in the oddest places, for their Obfuscate allows them to meet with anyone and as anyone. They only sell secrets that are true (unless it is their intention to utterly destroy the purchaser). No one speaks ill of the quality of their product. They usually only sell information when they are sure that they have a way to benefit from someone's acting on it. Some vampires have, on occasion, refused to pay the exorbitant sums demanded but have still gotten the information, just because the Nosferatu wanted them to have it. However, that seldom works more than once.
● Toreador: The Toreador are incredible gossips and will often spill vital information entirely by accident when they get on a roll. They are so concerned with being pleasing to their audience that they can be tricked into this in discretion. They love rumors, and will often embellish a story before passing it along. Their Contacts are generally the social elite, artists and art brokers of various kinds.
● Tremere: The Tremere are mainly concerned with magical lore, though they have more than a passing interest in information from the human world. They will go to extremes to track down even the most ephemeral magical information, and use their supernatural contacts to that end.
● Ventrue: The Ventrue prize up-to-the-minute information from the world of business and commerce. All items, no matter how seemingly insignificant, are relevant. For example, weather affects crop growth, which influences farm prices, which direct the futures markets, which impact the stock market. Still, only a rare Ventrue will have Contacts in the “lower" parts of kine society, and their information from these sources is extremely limited.
Allies Union may be strength, but it is mere blind brute strength unless wisely directed. — Samuel Butler,
Note-books Allies are those groups that elders work with toward common ends. They range from staunch supporters to opposing groups who agree to work with the elders against greater enemies.
Clan Attitudes Toward Allies ● Brujah: The Brujah tend to be reclusive in their anarchy, though they do create links to criminal and rebel organizations. These links tend to be rough and chaotic, with their sometime Allies as likely to challenge the Brujah in fractious internal strife as to work with them. Idealist Brujah have Allies in some universities, while Individualist Brujah have been known to find friends even among Lupines and mages.
● Gangrel: Surprisingly, the reclusive Gangrel turn out to be the masters of gaining and keeping Allies. This comes as a shock to many of the Camarilla, who see them as the least social of all vampires. But, though the Gangrel lack sophisticated means of acquiring new connections, they tend to make enduring ones. They become close to human families in the hinterlands around the world, and the descendants of those mortals remain loyal Allies for generations, passing along a sense of faithfulness that other clans seldom inspire.
Their relationships with the Gypsies is only part of this. They win the same trust among Lupines, faeries and other spirits. The few elders who are aware of this speculate that itis related to the Gangrel-Gypsy connection, and that the Gangrel are creating modern-era Gypsies in the desolate rural areas of the world.
● Malkavian: Malkavians have few, if any, very close Allies, and those they do seem to be chosen randomly. A significant minority of those Allies have at least a mild Derangement, but most do not.
● Nosferatu: The Nosferatu are often reclusive and prefer to keep their distance. However, when they do find a close Ally, they prize her above all reckoning and bring horrendous retribution upon any who cause her grief.
● Toreador: Toreador like Allies in the same way they like an audience. They usually want to be respected, admired and adored. Since they are uniquely susceptible to flattery, they sometimes get rid of valuable Allies who are not sufficiently extravagant in their admiration, and keep inferior ones who are rather unctuous. The breadth of Toreador access to humanity give them a wide set of Allies from which to choose.
● Tremere: The Tremere usually regard Allies as disposable resources. If an Ally's upkeep exceeds her usefulness, the they do not concern themselves with protecting her and will let her passing go unmourned. Tremere may also dispassionately get rid of Allies that they deem to be no longer valuable. They see other attitudes as hopelessly sentimental.
● Ventrue: Ventrue like to form associations. They enjoy building strategic alliances and forming large operating entities. But they are also rather unsentimental, and rate Allies on performance rather than loyalty or personal factors.
Military Force War is much too serious a thing to be left to the military men. — attributed to Talleyrand
Few elders seek direct control of a large mass of human soldiers, preferring to work through a government or a leader to exert military clout. But sometimes they do assemble their own fighting force, which is not always human. For more on this Background, see Chapter Four.
Clan Attitudes Toward Military Force ● Brujah: The Brujah elders have mastered the methods of acquiring and keeping power through violence. They have gangs and rabble they cap rouse when necessary to gain cover or distraction. During the '60s and '70s, the Brujah were very successful in tapping into the burgeoning youth movement to create armies of iconoclastic young people willing to take to the streets when stirred up. However, the Ventrue eventually defused most of this military power by appealing to naked greed.
The Brujah have often turned to cells of hardened warriors whom they can build larger forces around: terrorists, mob hitmen and union muscle. Their power is far-reaching, and they are the only clan likely to have command of die-hard warriors in gangs and police departments. They thrive on physical conflicts, and have followers among those mortals who do as well.
● Gangrel: The Gangrel have large standing armies of wolves, rats and other animals at their disposal. Few Kindred will challenge the Gangrel in the wilderness, or even in the rural or suburban areas. In addition, the Gangrel keep a loose network of county cops and park rangers under their control in order to keep away troublemaking mages or vampire hunters.
● Malkavian: Malkavians are poor fighters and have very little in the way of military power. They mostly avoid open confrontation and almost never lead armies. Nevertheless, rumors abound that when the Malkavians as a clan are threatened, a vast mob of frightening lunatics rise up from asylums and from within society to attack.
● Nosferatu: The Nosferatu did not make their reputations as fighters, but they are strong, determined and savage in battle. They too can command armies of animals to do their bidding. Apart from a few cases of street rabble making trouble, however, there are precious few examples of Nosferatu using Military Force for much of anything.
● Toreador: The Toreador compete directly with the Tremere and Ventrue for control of conventional military and police. However, they approach building Military Force as they do most things, and will lose interest if something more fascinating comes along.
● Tremere: The Tremere are obsesscd with security and keep close ties to the police and military groups. They are very effective at keeping a cohesive force in times of trouble, but they are too insular to nurture a large standing army. They do not think like fighters, and rarely inspire the kind of unit loyalty the Brujah do.
● Ventrue: The Ventrue compete with the other clans for military strength through traditional organizations, but they prefer to use soldiers of fortune. They trust only those troops they hire, confident that no one else can win the loyalty of those they pay so handsomely.