Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a tabletop role-playing game, created by Mark Rein•Hagen and released in 1991 by White Wolf Publishing, as the first of several Storyteller System games for its World of Darkness setting. It is set in a fictionalized "gothic-punk" version of the modern world, where players assume the role of
vampires, referred to as Kindred or Cainites, who struggle against their own bestial natures, vampire hunters, and each other. Upon its release, Vampire: The Masquerade was a commercial and critical success, becoming one of the most influential tabletop RPGs of all time. It distinguished itself from many contemporary
RPGs through its emphasis on narrative, drama, character development, and "personal horror," encouraging players to explore the moral and psychological consequences of immortality. Its modern Gothic-Punk setting, emphasis on political intrigue and social interaction, and the Storyteller System shifted attention away
from tactical combat and heroic adventure found in many RPGs of the era, towards collaborative storytelling. The game's success led to the creation of the World of Darkness franchise, which expanded the setting with other similar games centered on supernatural creatures, such as Werewolf: The Apocalypse and Mage: The
Ascension. White Wolf also released a number of spinoff games, such as the Asia-themed Kindred of the East and the historical Vampire: The Dark Ages. In 2004, the game's publishing was discontinued in favor of the reboot Vampire: The Requiem, set in White Wolf's Chronicles of Darkness setting.
Game details
Tabletop RPG
- First published
- 1991
Mechanics
- Feeding mechanic
- Faction mechanic
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Editions (6)
- Vampire: The Masquerade (1st edition) · 1991 - White Wolf Publishing
- Vampire: The Masquerade (2nd edition) · 1992
- Vampire: The Masquerade (Revised edition) · 1998
- Vampire: The Masquerade (20th anniversary edition) · 2011
- Vampire: The Masquerade (5th edition) · 2018
- GURPS Vampire: The Masquerade
Expansions (1)
- Kindred of the East · 1998 · Supplement
Credits
Image: white wolf · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Description from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Credits and connections
- Designer: Mark Rein·Hagen
- Publisher: White Wolf Publishing
Open the interactive version on https://mythscribe.cloud/app/work/cmuxc2dia01m5qk78tf89n34f.