City of Shadows Mux City of Shadows Mux

SHEPHERDS

Parent Clan: Gangrel Sobriquet: Watchers; Shepherds (duh) Source: Ancient Bloodlines, p. 36 Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Protean, Resilience Revised by: Ganymede

Background

The Shepherds are the Savages who understand that no food means no survival. Since time in memoriam, the Shepherds have watched over humanity and intervened when Kindred or other supernatural creatures threaten their existence. For the most part, the Shepherds have been successful; however, the Shepherds could not save humanity from itself.

Tending to one’s flock is what the Shepherds consider “the Fourth Tradition.” Although having a ready food supply is important, the Shepherds believe that tending to humanity is important for the progression of vampires as well. After all, modern advances are largely born from the human instinct and desire for innovation and improvement, things that vampires eschew out of tradition and ennui. That said, there is a rift among the Shepherds: there are those who think humans should be allowed to explore and change, and another group that believes humans should be kept docile and ignorant to the point that they know nothing more than what they have, ever.

Before the Fall, the differences were merely philosophical; after the Fall, things have changed dramatically. The more progressive Shepherds see the modern times as in desperate need for humanity’s spirit of industriousness and innovation to survive; the more conservative Shepherds see the Fall as an indication that humanity had become full of hubris, and destroyed itself because they were not kept from dangerous knowledge. The ideological differences between the factions are often a source of conflict between flocks, and have kept the bloodline, as a whole, divided.

Unlike many other bloodlines, the Shepherds do not hide who or what they are. To the contrary, they are the most visible of the bloodlines, to the point where some Kindred are convinced they are some sort of new Covenant or Conspiracy. They are not, of course, but Shepherds often find allies among their own kind, and others resent them for their affluence among the Kine, which seems to come naturally.

Bloodline Gift

The Shepherds are students and scholars of humanity, and are attuned to them more than any other vampires. As a latent power, the Brood may add their Animalism score to any social rolls with the Kine, save for those in connection with that or any other Discipline. Additionally, when another Kindred attempts to lash their Beast, a Shepherd may add his Obfuscate score to resist the attack.

Bloodline Bane

A Shepherd’s Beast is dulled and slowed, and his Vitae is similarly weaker. A Shepherd must spend double the XP to raise his Blood Potency and achieve double the successes necessary to diablerize another Kindred. A Shepherd also cannot lash out at another’s Beast. If a Shepherd successfully defends himself against another’s attempt to lash at his Beast, he may not inflict a condition on the attacker.

Bloodline Devotions

Circle the Wagons (Animalism ***, Resilience ***)

The Shepherds know the value of protecting those close to them, and this manifests itself in a localized effect that confers a Shepherd’s resistance to his flock.

Cost: 1 Vitae per round Action: Reflexive

By spending a point of Vitae, everyone within a radius equal to the Shepherd’s Animalism enjoys Armor equal to the Shepherd’s Resilience, not including the Shepherd himself, for the rest of the round. This Armor is effective against all damage, except for aggravated damage or damage that would normally be a bane for the Shepherd (e.g., fire, sunlight).

This Devotion costs 3 Experiences.

The Herd’s Measure (Animalism **)

A simple effect born from the Shepherd’s self-appointed duties, this devotion allows a Shepherd to get a general feeling for the mood of the humans around him.

Cost: 1 Vitae Dice Roll: Wits + Empathy + Animalism Action: Instant

If successful, the Shepherd learns of the general mood of the humans within a radius of Blood Potency x 100 yards. It does not allow the Shepherd to know the mood of a particular individual, even if that mood may deviate substantially from others.

This Devotion costs 1 Experience.

The Sacrificial Lamb (Animalism **, Protean **, Resilience **)

Sometimes, in order to protect the flock, one of them must be sacrificed. This devotion allows wise Shepherds to protect his people by offering one of them as a gift for the price of passage through hostile lands.

Cost: 2 Vitae Dice Pool: Stamina + Occult + Animalism – subject’s Resolve Action: Instant

This power is only usable on a human, ghouled or otherwise. If successful, the target’s blood becomes as succulent as if it were Kindred Vitae, although it does not create a Vinculum and cannot be used to create other ghouls of Kindred. It is simply more nourishing, without the risk of addiction (unless you’re a Daeva). This effect lasts for a number of nights equal to the Shepherd’s Resilience.

This Devotion costs 3 Experience.

Sheep’s Clothing (Obfuscate **, Protean **)

The Shepherd is so adept at hiding among the Kine that her Beast seems to disappear, and she takes on the general characteristics of those around her, making it easier to masquerade as someone else.

Cost: 1 Vitae per scene Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Obfuscate Action: Instant Duration: One scene

One roll is made for the vampire performing the feat, and successes are recorded. All attempts to discover that the Shepherd is not human are penalized by the successes gained. His Beast is also hidden, and cannot be detected unless the perceiver manages to pierce the disguise. In addition, the Shepherd appears to take on the general characteristics of the humans he happens to be around; if the Shepherd is African but the people around him are Caucasian, his skin tone and facial features will change such that he would seem to “blend in.” This “blending in” is actually physical, rather than illusory.

This Devotion costs 2 Experiences.