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cosmopolitan coteries 1 chapter one by Mike Nudd Vampire created by Mark Rein•Hagen 1. Introduction ways unique, but all use their powers to prey on the unsus- Welcome to the World of Darkness. It seems a modern world pecting, and all do their best to hide from mortal society. just like our own, but if you peel back the veneer, you find a second, hidden world of crime, dark passion and unfathom- Centuries ago, the Kindred participated in a society and able monsters. The World of Darkness is like a warped reflec- shadow-empire called the Camarilla. Tonight, that unity has tion in a broken mirror, where everything is stained and dirty, been lost. The vampiric world has fragmented into a number crumbling on the outside and rotting on the inside. Missing- of covenants that vary greatly in practices, beliefs and goals. persons cases are more numerous, and violent crime is more One social tradition remains commonplace throughout, how- widespread. Corruption of mortal institutions is rife, and su- ever — that the Kindred of a city should be ruled by the most pernatural beings pull strings from behind the scenes. powerful and most cunning among them, the Prince. Within a city, the Prince’s authority is absolute and his word is invio- At the top of the ecological, social and political food chain late. are the Kindred, a race of undead, a society of blood-sucking vampires that have existed alongside us for centuries, perhaps Few dare to challenge the Prince directly or openly, but millennia. Some of them claim they’re descended from a dark many covet his power for themselves. Beneath the Prince’s progenitor such as Mithras, Baba Yaga, Longinus or even the station are the Primogen, elder vampires assembled to coun- legendary Dracula. All vampires certainly share many traits, sel the Prince when he requests it, and who help carry out his strengths and weaknesses held in common. Hence the assump- orders. The Primogen spend much of their time plotting and tion that they have a collective origin, and hence the appel- scheming against one another in a constant game of one- lation “Kindred” for those who bear the gift (or curse) of vam- upmanship, back-biting and power-mongering that some call pirism. the Danse Macabre. The Kindred divide themselves into familial groups called Now your city’s Prince has been destroyed by mysterious clans, each of which claims a different cultural heritage and a means and a new leader is needed. Each of your city’s Primogen distinct blood magic of its own. Some vampires are supernatu- is the foremost of his or her clan, its elder and representative. rally strong and fast, while others wield powers over emotion The single Primogen who can prove him or herself superior and the mind. Yet others master the arcane arts of telepathy, to the others will win the mantle of leadership and be crowned invisibility or shadow manipulation. Each Kindred is in many the new Prince of the city. Copyright White Wolf Publishing, Inc. http://www.white-wolf.com Table of Contents 3. Game Contents and Components 1. Introduction 2 The following components are included in the game box: 2. Object of the Game 2 • one rulebook 3. Game Contents and Components 2 • one folding city board 3.1 City Board 3 • one deck of 100 playing cards 3.2 Playing Cards 3 • five character cards 3.3 Character Cards 3 • five unique character miniatures representing each of the 3.4 Character Miniatures 3 five Primogen vampires 3.5 Influence Tokens 3 • five 10-sided dice 3.6 Dice 3 • 3 sheets of punched counters and tokens (which should 3.7 Counters 3 be separated before play) 3.8 Masquerade Token 3 3.1 City Board 4. Setting up the Game 4 The game board represents the city over which players vie 5. Game Turn Sequence 4 for control. It is not so much a specific geographic map as an 5.1 Resource Phase 4 abstract representation of the areas of mortal influence that 5.2 Movement Phase 6 collectively run every aspect of the city. Each zone is clearly 5.3 Challenge Phase 6 demarcated on the board, and they’re all grouped into col- ored zone categories. 5.4 Influence Phase 8 5.5 Resolution Phase 11 ZONE CATEGORY COLOR 6. Torpor and Leaving the Game 11 Religious Orange Government Light Blue 7. Timing and Order of Game Effects 11 Business Purple 8. Advanced and Optional Rules 12 Arts and Entertainment Pink 8.1 “10-Again” Rule 12 Research Green Industry Red 8.2 Exact Player Order 12 Transportation Yellow 8.3 Two-player Game Option 12 Community Dark Blue 9. Glossary 12 The zone in the middle of the board stands alone and rep- resents Elysium, the one place in the city where vampires can meet in relative safety. Each zone (except Elysium) is marked with a number value, 2. Object of the Game which represents the prestige points won for controlling that Prince of the City is set in the aftermath of a great tragedy zone with influence (as explained later). Elysium cannot be (or opportunity, depending on your perspective). The former controlled. Prince of the city has met with Final Death by unknown, A numbered track runs around the perimeter of the board mysterious means. It’s assumed that one of the elder vampires and is used to track both the number of turns remaining in of the city, the Primogen, will take his place. the game and each player’s most recently tallied prestige to- Each player assumes the role of one of the five Primogen of tal. the city, and his or her goal is to outmaneuver opponents to become the new Prince. 3.2 Playing Cards The Primogen who accumulates and holds the most pres- The deck contains 100 playing cards that come in five dif- tige at the end of the game wins the struggle and is awarded ferent types. the title of Prince. The game ends after a predetermined num- • Activation cards represent special game effects that play- ber of turns is played (which allows you to set the length of ers may call upon if they control the zone described on a card. each game). • Event cards represent a number of different events that Prestige comes in two equally important forms: personal pres- would not only occur within a city full of vampires, but for tige and city prestige. Personal prestige is gained primarily by which the local Kindred would turn to the Primogen for a dealing with troublesome events that arise in the city and response and resolution. Any Primogen who expects to com- that affect vampire society. City prestige is gained primarily mand the respect due to a Prince had best be able to solve any by taking control of mortal institutions within the city as rep- crisis that arises. Event cards have a unique card back, but are resented by zones on the board. At the end of the game, play- shuffled into the same draw deck as all other types of cards. ers add their personal prestige and city prestige to determine their total prestige — and who has become the new Prince. 2 vampire: prince of the city Copyright White Wolf Publishing, Inc. http://www.white-wolf.com cosmopolitan coteries 3 chapter one • Retainer and Equipment cards represent people and items influence tokens on a zone than any other player, he or she that convey die bonuses or other game effects to a controlling controls that zone and the portion of mortal society it repre- player. sents. A Primogen’s city prestige is determined by the total • Strategy cards represent the different methods that a prestige values of the zones he or she controls. Primogen may employ to garner more prestige or resources. Drawing and playing cards is explained later in section 5. 3.3 Character Cards Five character cards represent each of the five vampiric clans and the Attributes of each Primogen. ANGREL MEKHET • Daeva: Sensuous, artistic and hedonistic. Daeva are the DAEVA G socialites and party-throwers of Kindred society. They possess supernatural physical power and grace, but it is their majestic social presence that other Kindred fear most — even while they cannot help but adore the Daeva for it. • Gangrel: Animalistic, instinctive and shamanic. Gangrel are the hunters and mystics of the Kindred world. Few Kin- NOSFERATU VENTRUE dred care to bring these vampires to violence. The clan’s physi- cal power and toughness is legendary, as are its abilities to 3.6 Dice transform undead flesh into the forms of beasts and to sum- A number of 10-sided dice are used to resolve challenges, mon creatures of the wild. influence contests and other game effects. • Mekhet: Ideological, intellectual and philosophical. The A player must abide by the most recent score rolled on any Mekhet are the spies and prophets of the Kindred. These of- die, and cannot opt to use a previous score if a game effect has ten aloof vampires are supreme strategists. They always seem caused a die to be re-rolled. A die may, however, be re-rolled to be one step ahead in the Danse Macabre, and when other any number of times should game effects call for it. Game vampires seek to oppose clan members, the Mekhet disap- effects that call for a die to be re-rolled may be used on a die pear. rolled by any player in any challenge or influence contest, • Nosferatu: Monsters, outcasts and freaks. Nosferatu are not just on a die rolled by the player using the re-roll effect.

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