31 Days of Character Creation #27 – Vampire: The Masquerade 5e

I can remember having a vague awareness of Vampire as a LARP from picking up magazines like Wizard or Inquest as a kid. It seemed like something “weird goth kids.” I don’t think I was completely wrong in that evaluation, but in the following decades I’ve learned a bit more and seems like a fine game. There is a solo ruleset for Vampire, so maybe one day I’ll give it a spin.

Here is how Vampire: The Masquerade is described on its official website.

You are a vampire, struggling for survival, supremacy, and your own fading humanity—afraid of what you are capable of, and fearful of the inhuman conspiracies that surround you. As a vampire, you suffer the pangs of the Hunger, the relentless and terrible thirst for human blood. If you refuse to deal with it, it will overcome your mind and drive you to terrible acts to slake it. You walk this razor’s edge every night. This is the original and ultimate roleplaying game of personal and political horror.

Fifth Edition is a return to Vampire’s original vision, moving boldly into the 21st century. While the rules have been redesigned, this new edition honors the deep story of the original, advancing the metaplot from where it left off and detailing exactly what has happened in the world of the Kindred up until tonight.

I was inspired by my recent viewing of four Nosferatu movies in my character creation. Meet Baron Morgrave, the Socialite.

Baron Morgrave was born István Horváth in 1852 in a modest village deep in the Carpathian Mountains. A restless soul, he sought wealth and power beyond the reach of his mortal life. His ambition brought him into the company of an occult circle that whispered of eldritch forces. One fateful night in 1897, István struck a bargain with the demon Belial, offering his mortal soul for the immortality and strength of a vampire. He emerged from the ritual, no longer human, bound by blood and shadow to the vampiric curse.

For decades, Morgrave haunted the Carpathians, preying upon isolated villagers. His grotesque appearance— an unnatural pallor, sharp angles, and cruelly glinting eyes—made him the subject of fearful tales. But his cunning kept him well-supplied with victims as he skillfully manipulated those who dared approach his dilapidated manor.

When World War II tore through Europe, Morgrave recognized an opportunity to leave the old world behind. With a fortune accrued through his infernal pact, he crossed the Atlantic and settled in Washington, D.C., a city teeming with ambition, intrigue, and secrecy. By masquerading as a reclusive real estate tycoon, he used his demonic insight to amass a shadow empire of property holdings. He continued to feed in his preferred manner—slipping into homes at night, savoring the intimacy of a sleeping victim’s vulnerability.

Morgrave abstains from alcohol, finding it a vulgar indulgence, but he harbors a dark weakness for opium, a habit that clouds his judgment. Despite his wealth and influence, his monstrous features unsettle those around him, but few dare to voice their discomfort for fear of his wrath.

Dr. Theodore “Theo” Graves is an unlicensed physician who supplies Morgrave with opium. A ghoul bound to Morgrave by blood, Theo is a meek, nervous man who relies on the Baron for his immortality. He harbors a dangerous fascination with the occult and often experiments with rituals of his own, a fact Morgrave tolerates—until it becomes inconvenient.

Marianne Belmont is a savvy real estate lawyer and Morgrave’s most trusted mortal agent. She is fully aware of his vampiric nature and has leveraged it to gain wealth and power for herself. Despite her allegiance, she has begun secretly plotting an escape plan should she fall out of favor. Her knowledge of Morgrave’s empire and its secrets makes her a dangerous potential enemy.

Recently, Morgrave encountered a woman named Evelyn Dawes, the living image of Helen Scutter, the wife of a German lawyer he once courted in his human life. Helen was the only mortal he ever loved, and she perished violently when Morgrave’s vampiric nature was revealed. Evelyn’s existence has thrown him into turmoil, stirring emotions he believed long dead.

Evelyn Dawes’s arrival in Washington, D.C., has shaken Morgrave. He becomes obsessed with learning everything about her—who she is, how she came to resemble Helen, and whether she is a pawn of some unseen force.

Check out the entire character sheet here.