Vampires risk developing derangements when faced with overpowering conditions of extreme terror, guilt or anxiety. All derangements carry “triggers”, circumstances which cause the effects of the derangement to become active: once activated, derangements remain in effect for the rest of the scene (usually 10 to 30 minutes) unless able to sate the trigger effect earlier, and players MUST modify their Player Character’s (PC) traits, attitudes and behaviour in accordance with the derangement description.

Derangements are representations of mental illnesses. Real mental conditions are not funny. They are debilitating and difficult, and some are even frightening. They should be played with scary seriousness, not as amusing quirks or silly, cartoonish behaviour.

A character who possesses the skill Science: Psychology may spend 10 minutes talking to a person suffering from a derangement and make a static challenge using her Mental attribute + Science: Psychology skill with a difficulty of 10.

If she is successful, she may lower the target’s current Derangement traits by one. No character can be targeted with more than one successful application of Science: Psychology per game. Your character cannot use this skill on herself to remove her own Derangement traits. Malkavians may never be reduced below 1 Derangement trait.

Most derangements are 2 point flaws. The following system allows you to build a custom derangement that fits the exact psychosis of your character.

Acute Sanguinary Aversion
Agoraphobia
Angelism
Berserk
Bi-Polar Disorder
Blood Sweats
Bulimia
Catatonia
Narcissism
Desensitisation
Dissociative Blood Spending

Hallucinations
Fugue
Gambling
Gluttony
Habromania
Hebephrenia
Intellectualisation
Masochism
Megalomania
Memory Lapses
Moralistic

Multiple Personality Disorder
Nymphomania/Satyriasis
Obsession
Obsessive/Compulsive
Overcompensation
Paranoia
Perfectionism
PTSD
Promise
Power Madness
Power-Object Fixation

Regression
Regression 2
Reverie
Sadism
Sanguinary Animism
Sanguinary Cryptophagy
Schizophrenia
Sect Fanatic
Self-Annihilation Impulse
Synaesthesia
Undying Remorse
Whiner

While playing, when you encounter a situation that triggers your derangement, you have three options.

1. You can respond to that trigger with an obvious but mild derangement response, clearly roleplaying the day-to-day dysfunction caused by your derangement. If you roleplay in this way, you neither gain nor lose Derangement traits.
2. You can resist the compulsion to respond to the trigger and show no obvious sign of your derangement. If you do this, you must mark a Derangement trait on your character sheet.
3. Lastly, you can respond to the trigger with a severe response, roleplaying the frightening and unstable depths of your character’s derangement. A severe response lasts for five minutes. Responding in such a way will eliminate all current Derangement traits on your sheet, resetting the character to 0 Derangement traits.

If a character reaches 3 Derangement traits (usually by resisting her derangement for too long), she is on the edge of a psychotic break. When her derangement is next triggered, you must roleplay a severe response. This response eliminates all your character’s Derangement traits, and her level resets to 0 Derangement traits.

If you have more than one derangement, any triggering of a derangement gives you Derangement traits, which are counted in total. When you reach 3 Derangement traits, regardless of which Derangement is next triggered, that trigger provokes a severe response and subsequently erases all Derangement traits accrued.

Derangement: Incapacitated

When you encounter your derangement’s trigger, you enter a state that makes coherent action impossible. You might fall into a fugue state, regress into the mindset of a child, or be paralysed with unbelievable bliss.

Examples:

• When you see someone singing, you fall into a trance and listen to her with ecstatic joy.
• When you feed, you fall into a state of blind ecstasy, revelling in the nuances of the blood’s taste.
• When someone yells at you, you regress to the memory of your childhood abuses, shivering and huddling in terror.

While affected by the Incapacitated derangement, you cannot take actions and cannot move. The effects of the Incapacitated derangement end if the trigger disappears (or leaves), after five minutes pass, if you take damage, or if another character aggressively targets you with a supernatural power.

Derangement: Compulsion

When you encounter your derangement’s trigger, you must perform some predefined action associated with your derangement. You find it difficult to take any other action until your Compulsion has been fulfilled.

Examples:

• When someone asks you a difficult question, you ramble, compulsively answering with complex mathematical descriptions.
• When you see small, unattended valuables, you compulsively put them in your pockets.
• When you see a group of similarly shaped objects, such as seeds, socks, or bricks, you are compelled to stop and count them.

When your derangement is triggered, you suffer a -3 penalty to all attack test pools until you fulfil your Compulsion or until five minutes pass. This penalty persists even if the opportunity to fulfil your Compulsion passes. For example, when a compulsive liar tells the whole truth, she might spend the next five minutes distractedly imagining what she should have said. Defence test pools are not penalized by the Compulsion derangement.

Derangement: Phobia

When you encounter your derangement’s trigger, you become terrified and must leave the area. Although it is normal to be frightened of things that can hurt you, such as fire, sharks, etc., a Phobia is an irrational, overwhelming condition.

Examples:

• You fear fire the size of a torch or larger.
• You fear vampires over 300 years old.
• You fear open spaces and cannot bear to be outside a closed-in area.

When your derangement is triggered, you must leave the area and retreat to somewhere safe. To willingly stay within three steps of your derangement’s trigger, you must spend 1 Willpower per turn. If forced to stay within three steps of your derangement’s trigger, you will attack whoever or whatever is preventing you from leaving the area; you must try to escape by any means necessary.

Derangement: Destruction

When you encounter your derangement’s trigger, you feel the urge to cause destruction or harm.

Examples:

• You believe yourself to be superior to all other vampires. When someone challenges your authority, you respond with violence.
• You gain sexual pleasure from demeaning others or from being demeaned.
• When a ritual fails, you believe it means that there are traitors within the sect. You respond to a failed rite by harming those involved, in order to punish them for their lack of faith.

When the Destruction derangement is triggered, you must cause harm — either mental or physical. The target of your aggression doesn’t have to be the same as whatever triggered it, but that is the most satisfying course of action.

Derangement: Obsession

When you encounter your derangement’s trigger, you must possess or control it.

Examples:

• You are the ultimate art collector, and when you see a piece of exceptional art, it must be yours.
• That Neonate Toreador is interesting and clever. She should be working for you.
• Those people are keeping secrets, and you won’t rest until you find out what they’re hiding.

When your derangement is triggered, you must attempt to acquire that which you are obsessed with. Any time you find yourself within five steps of your derangement’s trigger, you feel the urge to acquire it by any means available. You immediately gain one Derangement trait, unless you take specific steps towards possessing or controlling it.

Derangement: Belief

You perceive the world differently than most people and respond poorly when your beliefs are challenged. Many individuals have strong beliefs, but characters with the Belief derangement take their beliefs to the point of delusion and do not trust people who challenge their thoughts.

Examples:

• You are the most qualified person to lead in any situation. Anyone who says differently is a mindless fool.
• The glassy eyes of stuffed animals are gateways to hell, and the only thing that keeps you safe from the devil’s gaze is the aluminium foil hidden under your hat.
• You are the reincarnated soul of Julius Caesar.

Anyone who challenges your belief, attempts to convince you that you are wrong, or who mocks your belief is considered either an enemy or dangerously stupid.

Any time you’re forced to work alongside such a person, you suffer a -2 penalty to all attack test pools throughout the duration of the partnership. (You spend a great deal of energy looking over your shoulder.)

This penalty applies whenever you cooperate with such a person. Your animosity toward triggering individuals need not be permanent — they can attempt to alter your character’s opinion by offering a physical and verbal apology, so long as it is genuine. This method only works once per night; if the offender repeats the transgression, the character will not believe a second apology, no matter how sincere it seems.

Acute Sanguinary Aversion

The vampire has a persistent fear that any source of vitae is dangerous.

Explanations vary - some vampires fear drugged or contaminated blood, the wrath of God or the presence of a blood-borne Antediluvian. Unless the vampire is in Frenzy, the player must succeed on a Mental + Willpower test (difficulty 10) each time she feeds. Willpower cannot be spent on a retest, and a loss indicates that the vampire is so revolted by the prospect of feeding that it vomits up half of her blood pool.

Acute sanguinary aversion usually leads to a starve-and-frenzy pattern, with the vampire avoiding feeding until he/she loses control. Instead, the vampire might develop highly ritualized feeding methods that involve obsession with repeated, largely arbitrary behaviours that must be observed before they feed on a particular source of vitae. He might read a passage from The Holy Bible before feeding or drink blood only from a particular individual, etc.

Specific Examples

Incapacitated: When you see a significant source of blood (a grisly murder, a Tremere's Thaumaturgical ability 'Theft of Vitae,' or a deep and bleeding wound), you enter a fugue-like trance state. Sufferers need feed with their eyes closed and their senses dampened significantly so as to avoid anxiety over this necessary but dirtying act (Malkavians will often use Passion Down on themselves). The character suffers a -2 on all tests during such feeds.

Phobia: When you come across blood that you weren't expecting to see, you become terrified and begin to desperately try to get away from the source.

Destruction: When under pressure or anxious, you begin purging your own blood pool to "cleanse" yourself and feel more comfortable.

Agoraphobia

Called "Mad Scientist's Disease" by younger Kindred, this Derangement manifests as an extreme aversion to places the Vampire feels they might panic.

Sometimes the Derangement is attached to a few locations, but generalized agoraphobics avoid situations in which escape is difficult (a light-proof but travelling carriage in daylight) or embarrassing (making a speech).

Agoraphobics don't volunteer for situations that they fear might cause anxiety.  Unless supernaturally compelled, agoraphobic vampires must succeed on a simple test of Mental + Willpower against a difficulty of 10 to leave their havens each evening and must spend a point of Willpower to enter a situation from which escape will be difficult or embarrassing. If the character fails any Willpower test during a scene that takes place in such a situation, the character must spend a point of Willpower or flee. Vampires can ignore these constraints while in Frenzy.

Specific Examples

Incapacitated: When forced into a foreign environment or situation that makes you uncomfortable, you shut down protectively, withdrawing into a coma-like or shivering state.

Phobia: When presented with the possibility of being asked something embarrassing, or to do a task that might cause anxiety, you flee without polite goodbye or explanation. Anyone in your way faces tremendous problem.

Obsession: You'd do anything to make the environment around you small and safe, going so far as to avoid public places, or, when pushed, constructing immediate and crude shelters out of any nearby materials to box yourself in.

Compulsion: The world isn't safe, for you or your allies. You need to ensure they are herded into the same room and visible at all times.

Angelism

You believe that you are a celestial being who has been sent to Earth by a higher power to protect and serve humanity.

When this Derangement is active, you must conduct your actions as if you were at a Humanity rating of 6. Anything that would cause you to make a Humanity test beyond this believed (read: Derangement's) Morality rating instead causes your derangement's specific effect to trigger.

Specific Examples

Incapacitated: When confronted by perceived (potentially Biblical) evil, you martyr your consciousness to preserve your own innocence - and stake yourself.

Compulsion: Vampires were once humans, too, and there may yet be shreds of humanity left to salvage. Any Kindred who performs an act (or speaks pre-emptively of performing one) that would sully their humanity must be anointed on the forehead with sacred oils.

Destruction: When forced to commit an act that may harm the livelihood of a human (through Dominate, obliged debt, Frenzy etc.) you harm yourself in self-flagellation to reduce your sins. Feeding can be a retroactively painful endeavour.

Berserk

As a result of your inability to control your anger and frustration you often lose control, lashing out at everyone around you, friend or foe.

You must win double the number of tests to avoid entering Frenzy.

Specific Examples

Incapacitated: You are so uncontrollably angry, that, when unable to lash out in violence at the source of your frustration, you slam your fists, and even your own head, repeatedly against a wall or nearby surface until you enter torpor.

Belief: It's the quiet ones that have something to hide. The patient, the calm of heart, the ostensibly shy, the withdrawn - all are dangerously scheming your demise, and stir up incredible self-protective instinct. You need to take them out the picture, and fast. For now, you force them into heated discourse, by insult if necessary. Get them to stop thinking!

Obsession: Fighting pits, Duels and bloodied Fisticuffs are the only way you know to relieve your stress. You don't understand apologies, not unless it involves the wrongdoer letting you pummel them into a pulp. Words are meaningless, and life is violent.

Bi-Polar Disorder

As a result of his devastating mood swings, if the vampire fails to achieve a personal goal they fall into a depressive state that lasts a number of scenes (as dictated by the Storyteller.)

While Depressed, his Willpower traits are considered to be halved (round down, minimum of 1,) and he may not spend blood to raise his Physical traits. Afterwards the vampire enters an upbeat or Manic phase where he pursues his goals with renewed obsession for a number of scenes equal to the time spent in depression. While in the Manic phase he has a -1 penalty to resist Frenzy.

Specific Examples

Obsession: Your goals need be expressed externally, or you fear they'll escape you, like grains of sand through your fingers. You post fliers, billboard announcements, host lectures and debate through passionate speeches anything relating to your personal goals. Naturally, when Kindred use this to their own ends and strip your autonomy (or worse: claim credit for your ideas), you viscously contest to reclaim it - or sink into a depressive and destructive spiral. A public pet project is always required to keep your emotions afloat.

Belief: You believe you are possessed by a depressive and selfish ghost that wants nothing but your see your ruin. You need help with this - and fast. Who might specialise in such occult territory? You worry for the times the spirit takes control, and rarely allow anyone to spend too much time alone with you. Alternatively, you are possessed by a too-eager and dangerously youthful creature that thrills in humiliating you with its manic antics.

Blood Sweats

Your nervous and agitated state of mind affects your body.

“Sweating” blood through your skin leaves your sleeping environs as well as your personal appearance disturbing to Mortals and Kindred alike. Start each game down 1 additional blood trait. Your bleeding is quite obvious and you are often nervous and edgy.

Specific Examples

Compulsion: Your own powerful vitae both fascinates and terrifies you, and you feel jittery when it's simply inside of you. You purge and store copious amounts of your own blood for later consumption, only to purge and store it again.

Phobia: You're terrified of loud noises, abrupt movements or anything shocking that flits into your periphery. When this happens you surge vitae to your muscles in an immediate fight-and-flight instinct, powering your body for what is all too often - humiliatingly - nothing.

Belief: You believe that you are cursed to bleed, and if you use anything more than the absolute minimum to survive, you will haemorrhage horrifically and die. You rarely try activating vampiric Disciplines or powers that require more than the simplest expenditure of blood. Tremere are terrifying for their rumoured abilities.

Incapacitated: When at your most stressed, you bleed directly from your eyes, and can barely see at all.

Bulimia

The vampire salves his guilt and insecurities by over-indulging in blood consumption, often gorging himself as often as possible when stressed.

He then purges himself, only to go out and consume more. Vampires must make a Mental + Willpower test when feeding (difficulty 10). Failure indicates that the subject feeds until full whether he needs the blood or not. If restricted or restrained from feeding, the vampire's specific derangement effect triggers.

Specific Examples

Compulsion: Your anxiety is such that it causes you to purge your own life's blood. Under stressful situations, you find it difficult to keep down ingested blood - and feeding is out of the question.

Belief: You believe you are a human possessed by a vampire. When in control of your body, this Undead monstrosity forces you to commit the most heinous of crimes: taking the lifeblood of your very own. Such a disgusting act causes you to vomit what you can of this blood when you "regain consciousness."

Incapacitated: During the post-effects of your purge you are rendered immobile through a lack of energy and life sustenance. You require the assistance of a well-trusted ghoul or retainer to acquire your new source of blood to gorge upon and regain mobility. Such a dark job must surely twist the mind of any human servitor.

Obsession: You love the taste of your own vitae. Purging and gorging upon it in a continuous, heady cycle is the only way to sate your obsession with it. You start sessions on half blood pool, and only under pressure of blood-hunger do you deign to feed on another.

Catatonia

During times of stress, you will withdraw from reality - completely.

You will sit staring and immobile, not reacting to any outside stimuli. You can be led around; fed, etc, but will do nothing autonomously. While suffering a catatonic episode the vampire is completely oblivious. If continually provoked and irritated for response, you will Frenzy.

Specific Examples

Belief: You believe that everyone wishes to know you; every Kindred, every mortal, everyone who is anyone is interested in what you have to say. When this belief is challenged, you slip into an immediate and confused coma, lost. Whether you believe that you are a Master Harpy, or some majestic social lord, you are, in fact, not, and do not like being reminded of this.

Obsession: You are addicted to being dependent on others. This may have arisen from an expectation to be pampered and looked after - a noble birthright that was your due in your human life - or simply positive reinforcement felt whenever another has control of your actions. Kindred care nothing for service, and so, you've developed a tactic for forcing such help from allies. Whenever you feel that you have been given too much control, are expected to express autonomy or leading action, or are simply left too long to your own devices independent of another's direction, you slip into a vegetable state and require assistance even to move.

Phobia: Brujah tempers terrify you. When any Kindred from this clan speaks in so much as a raised voice you regress into the mindset of a child and huddle into a corner.

Delusion of Grandeur (Narcissism)

The vampire believes himself to be one of great importance and station, having special knowledge or power or possessing a special relationship with someone important or famous.

The vampire is socially condescending and obnoxious. They crave admiration and the attention of others, while maintaining excessive self-interest and a bloated sense of self-worth. They are manipulative, easily-angered; especially when they don't receive the attention they consider their due, these self-centred creatures can make for terrifying foes.

Specific Examples

Compulsion: It's insulting when you're mid-conversation with someone and they're called away, or need to see to some (obviously less important!) errand. You panic and make up the first best story to captivate their attention: "Oh-! One more thing, I didn't mention before but it's terribly important. The Prince you know... he's tasked you and I with..."

Belief: You believe you are the reincarnation of a great historical figure. There are those that owe you their emotional allegiance (all Toreador for an artist; Brujah for a successful usurper or freedom fighter; Ventrue for a royal or great leader) and they need to know their station - beneath you. They naturally wish to help, adore and appreciate you. Anyone who does not follow the pattern correctly, or steps outside of your perceived belief for how their behaviour should be, is met with resistance.

Destruction: Only braggarts, the ignorant and the obnoxious thieve limelight. You need to put a stop to this at all costs - and regain your rightful attention. You'd launch a petty campaign to smear another's name through the mud if it means they're pushed off their undeserved pinnacle.

Desensitisation

Vampires with this derangement find it difficult to truly believe in their own ideals and can be fatally nihilistic.

They make all Humanity tests at -1 and also suffer a -1 trait penalty to any Social challenge that requires some show of emotion or warmth. They cannot purchase the Empathy or Performance Abilities at all. Creativity is null and void, what's the point? Perhaps due to some past tragedy or a systematic conditioning, you have lost your spark, your drive, your belief in the world.

Specific Examples

Destruction: You're equal parts bored to apathetic, and harming those full of emotion, of energy, of passion, is the only way you know to reduce this stress. Ideally you'd take them out the picture entirely, and in a quiet way that leaves no public room for the victim to go out well. A ditch, a pointless death; it must leave little doubt as to the lack of their heroism. They face the same grey end as everybody else, regardless of how much posing they did in life (or Unlife). Why not speed up the process?

Obsession: Creative folk are fascinating, and you wish to fill the void in your own passions with their heart's flame. You would do anything to own them, to cherish them, were you able, that may be create for you alone. Artists, singers, great beauty or songwriters. When you've become attached to the ideal of someone, you spend time getting to know them, to take trophies from them and store at a dedicated altar. Nothing and no one will come between you and your obsession - not even the object of this desire.

This Obsession is especially common among Toreador.

Dissociative Blood Spending ♥

Vampires with this derangement expend blood traits unconsciously thrice per session (ST discretion as to how), and the Storyteller can rule that the wakes up an extra blood point low.

The Storyteller is even within her rights to tell the player that his character is missing a blood point, without elaborating exactly when and where he spent the blood, or what for. After all, the vampire wouldn't know where it went. Players are also welcome to roleplay this derangement, of course (and it can be fun to start randomly spending blood in the middle of a tense scene, just to worry the other players), but the Storyteller has final control over making the derangement a drawback rather than a simple quirk.

Dissociative Perceptions Syndrome (Hallucinations) ♥

This malady causes the afflicted to see, hear, and sense things which do not exist.

This is completely ST-narrated, but feel free to roleplay being startled abruptly or hypnotised by something independent of those that the STs devise. The more exiting or stressful the situations that cause the trigger, the more vivid and encompassing the hallucinations are.  Threatening creatures, haunting voices, sudden mutations, manifestations of objects or new powers, companions long dead or gone, are some of the things that the vampire will perceive. In this state the vampire must spend a Willpower trait in order to discern “realities” and thus communicate with others.

Fugue ♥

Vampires adopt a method of “blacking out” or have a period of memory loss to deal with the harshness of Kindred existence.

The vampire must win a Mental + Willpower test when confronted with extreme stress (difficulty 10). Failure means the vampire enters a trance-like state or control of the PC is turned over to the Narrator for the rest of the scene. At the end of the Fugue the vampire regains consciousness and remembers nothing of her actions.

Gambling

To the vampire all of life’s choices are chance; nothing is simple or sure. Chance made them a vampire, so Fates be damned.

This derangement compels the Vampire into risking property, limb and unlife on any challenge or odds made against them, as they truly feel unworthy of all they possess. Even if others, so to speak, make the “Odds”, the Vampire will “Take that bet” just to show others that he’s correct in his beliefs and that his paradigm is paramount.

This, of course, generally leads to tragedy as the “House” always wins in the end. However, until then the vampire dares anything. Because of their cavalier attitudes vampires suffering from this derangement are -2 Social traits to resist Leadership or Subterfuge challenges.

Gluttony

You have great difficulty taking in sustenance in moderation.

This derangement is prevalent among vampires who have low Humanity ratings and/or have indulged in their vices for a long time. The vampire must spend a Willpower to stop feeding. The Vampire automatically frenzies at the sight, smell or taste of blood when hungry (less than 4 Blood traits).

Habromania

You find humour in the morbid happenings around you.

Although you are unlikely to make a joke at someone's death, you will usually giggle at the most inappropriate, perverse times.

Intellectualisation

The rigours of new vampiric life are simply too much to bear for some kindred. In defence, instead of feeling everything the vampire recoils and forces herself to feel nothing.

She throws up a defensive wall within her psyche, separating incompatible emotions from cold, clear logical thought. During times of extreme duress, if her emotions and/or passions are brought forward her specific derangement will trigger. Emotional detachment defines this vampire.

Masochism ♥

Vampires with this derangement begin to have difficulty operating when they become wounded.

Once a masochistic vampire drops below their Healthy wound tracks, she must make a Willpower test versus 8 traits; failure indicates that she takes no action the next turn, instead delighting in the sensation of pain. Furthermore, the masochist must spend a temporary Willpower in order to use blood points to heal himself, no matter how terrible his injuries. (This Willpower is regained when combat ends.)

Megalomania

Such vampires must be the most potent individuals in their environment: the source of power is irrelevant, so long as they are the most dominant person present.

All others are either lesser beings or individuals elevated beyond their worth. Rivals soon become “competition”.

Memory Lapses ♥

As opposed to Amnesia, you lose random pieces of your memory at inopportune times.

The memories fade in and out and sometimes do not come back for weeks or years. The vampire must succeed in a Simple test to recall any Ability for use in a challenge. Beyond that, the vampire affected by this derangement must also succeed in a Static Mental test versus 6 traits to recall any long term memories.

Moralistic

Vampires with this derangement prattle on about their temperance and virtue all the while condemning the lack of it in others.

They play the role of the vampire “morality squad” while revelling in their own base excesses. To conceal their overt hypocrisy, they offer others their council on how not to suffer from lapses in virtue or restraint. However, those vampires with the Moralistic derangement are only using those around them to assuage their own flawed conscience. If any other vampires points this out, the “Moralist” has their derangement triggered (whether Belief, Compulsion, Obsession etc.)

Multiple Personality Disorder

The vampire suffers from mental anguish so severe that her mind reacts by creating additional personas.

Each persona is relevant to the trauma that caused it, and each personality can be drastically different (i.e. different clans, different names) or they could quite similar (i.e. same name, different outlook.)  When a personality is triggered it assumes control until the conditions it was created to deal with have passed.

Nymphomania/Satyriasis

Although a vampire’s sex organs do not work as they used to, kindred suffering from this derangement are still on the prowl looking for sexual stimulation.

Although they cannot be satisfied, they keep trying, looking in the oddest of places as well as developing aberrant sexual practices: necrophilia, bestiality, sadism, chronophilia, etc. Because of their frustration and lack of fulfilment/release from their practices, the vampire may trigger their derangement's effects if not gratified by their sexual experiences.

Obsession

Whenever a new person in the vampire's unlife impresses them (for boon or bane), or a dramatic and emotionally intense situation occurs, the vampire may become obsessed with either the individual or an item associated with the situation(s).

The obsession leads to a perverted and twisted ambition to which the vampire directs all energies towards accomplishing.

Obsessive/Compulsive

The vampire is driven to control their environment: one aspect of their existence must be constant.

Compulsive kindred perform specific actions or sets of actions in ritualistic fashion. If they are forcibly prevented from adhering to their derangement then its acute effects will trigger.

Overcompensation

You recognized a weakness in yourself and you have to hide it. It's your Achilles' heel.

You will distract others from noticing it by drawing their attention to other characteristics of yours, such as bullying, cleverness, or stupidity. If someone or some series of events leave you open to others witnessing this “weakness,” your derangement's acute effects will trigger.

Paranoia

Paranoid vampires believe that their suffering stems from an outside source.

They come up with numerous intricate theories about who is against them and why. Those suspected of being “One of Them” are often subject to swift and brutal violence. The vampire trusts nobody, not even those blood bound to them. Social interaction with others is difficult at best. The vampire is typically low on Social traits and their derangement triggers when there is any sign of “suspicious activity”.

Perfectionism

When nothing seems to be going right for the vampire, they can become obsessed with perfection.

Everything must be perfect, and the vampire uses all energy and resources to prevent anything from going wrong or from having their conditions altered. When fault-ridden, hopelessly confused and/or soiled the vampire's derangement triggers.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD can develop as the result of any number of traumatic incidents.

These include battle fatigue/shell shock, kidnapping, serious accidents such as car or train wrecks, natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes, violent attacks such as a mugging, rape, or torture, or being held captive. Often, people with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to.  The event that triggers it may be something that threatened the person's life or the life of someone close to him or her. Or it could be something witnessed, such as mass destruction after a plane crash.

A person having a flashback (which can come in the form of images, sounds, smells, or feelings,) usually believes that the traumatic event is happening all over again. As a vampire you have suffered such a great trauma. Whenever circumstances arise that are similar to this trauma, no matter how minor they are, you relive the traumatic memories again. Sometimes you may begin speaking and performing actions related to the original trauma, such as shooting an enemy or calling the name of an ally. A flashback may make the kindred lose touch with reality and re-enact the event(s) for a period of seconds, a scene, or the rest of the night.

Promise

The vampire views honour and truth to be the only thing that holds the Sect/coterie/clan together.

Thus they make others promise to help them and to keep their word. It is the embodiment of the vampire's personal drive to ensure their social group is strong.  If someone has lied to the vampire or endangered the group with their actions, the subject's derangement is triggered.

Power Madness

The vampire becomes so obsessed with power and control that they seek total and absolute dominion over everything and everyone around them.

If the vampire's ambitions are thwarted they become enraged and may even attack those who directly opposed them. If plans or resources for personal power are attacked or restricted, the subject's derangement is triggered.

Power-Object Fixation

Victims of this fixation bid two less traits in all challenges if somehow separated from their object of focus.

It is hard to hide this fixation from careful observers; in times of stress, the vampire must make a Mental + Willpower test against a difficulty pool of 8 to avoid cradling the object to their torso, rubbing it obsessively or otherwise physically comforting themselves with its presence.

Regression

Vampires with this derangement avoid facing responsibilities or consequence for their actions by retreating to a younger state when less was required/demanded of them.

Their disposition will alternate between whimsies and temperamental, however they will always seek out a more powerful individual to put between them and whatever is plaguing them. Vampires adopt a childlike demeanour and are affected specifically (stat-wise) based on the form (Obsession, Belief, Phobia etc.) that this derangement takes.

Regression 2

Vampires with this derangement become terrifyingly supernaturally powerful, temperamental creatures with no real sense of right or wrong.

As regressed children, they have very little sense of discipline for the sake of discipline, and aren't sufficiently self-aware to master their own Beasts. (Think selfish five-year-old.) Vampires with this derangement display a dangerous lack of self-control and rarely hold onto their Humanity long.

Reverie

This is a type of vampiric senility effecting only old Ancillae and Elder vampires.

The derangement is activated either at Storyteller discretion or player-written specific instances. While affected by the Reverie, the vampire stops being aware of his immediate surroundings and is transported to a time and/or place in his mind when he was happier. This could be mortal days or his early Fledgling years; it will never be a remembrance of anything remotely current. The kindred stops interacting with surrounding characters, delving deep into a full-blown delusion, and speaks, moves and reacts as if he were in the time of their memory. From the outside, this will make Vampire vulnerable and seem quite mad. Any attacks on a vampire experiencing Reverie gain a free retest.

The duration of Reverie is at ST discretion, but can last between a moment and a scene. This derangement does not completely subvert the vampiric survival instinct and the victim may defend themselves, but the duration and frequency do increase as the vampire becomes more and more distant from present-night social interactions and tasks, losing touch completely over a vast amount of time.

Sadism

You enjoy inflicting pain on others.

In fact, you cannot feed unless your victim is in tremendous amounts of pain. Many times this behaviour results from an abusive relationship. Potentially, your sire beat you many times before and after Embracing you and this is your way of coping with it.

Sadistic vampires are impatient and callous, and if they cannot find an individual to bully or torture, or if they are somehow prevented from acting out their chosen Sadism, then their derangement is triggered.

Sanguinary Animism ♥

In response to the guilt from feeding on mortals, the Vampire believes that along with blood that she consumes a part of her victim’s soul.

This heavily ST-directed.

The Vampire begins to hear her victims voice within her mind and is besieged by “Memories” of her victim’s experiences - all created by the subconscious of the Vampire. When feeding: make a Mental + Willpower test (difficulty varies with context). Failure indicates the vampire is assaulted by a second reproachable personality intent or destroying her or fulfilling its own motives. Success only reduces the effect to a distraction. Fragments of memories later return to explain what the vampire was doing during their lack of control over their body, be it visiting a family member of the partly "eaten" soul; wandering through unknown or alien landscapes; even having strangely lucid conversations with people they don't recognise.

Sanguinary Cryptophagy

Subsistence upon blood to the exclusion of normal foods is one of the first practical adjustments that vampires must make.  A few vampires become enamoured of the flavours found in exotic blood types.

While it’s true that any vampire can develop a taste for certain pedigrees, so to speak, the uncommon sensitivity to unusual currents leads some vampires to hunt down the most extraordinary bouquets that they can. Naturally,  some vampires move to rather exclusive tastes and learn the savoury thrill of Kindred blood. A Cryptophage becomes obsessed with the pursuit of more and different flavours of blood. Such individuals sometimes have a penchant for diablerie, becoming fixated on the tastes of various other clans. Stranger vampires take to hunting the globe for “rare vintages” like Lupine or Fae blood. Unchecked, such an obsession throws the vampire into dangerous situations as she hunts other supernatural creatures.  Worse still, such afflicted minds often become bored with “lesser vintages”. Although still able to subsist upon human or animal blood (physically, if not psychologically,) Cryptophages develop a distaste for such common fare. A Cryptophage may even be incapable of swallowing such common blood without first spending a Willpower.

Again, note that Cryptophagy is a psychological condition and not a physical dependency; a Cryptophage still can (and will) drink any form of blood during Frenzy. In extreme cases this may be the only sustenance that the vampire gets; she becomes nervous and twitchy from hunger while she hunts supernatural creatures for their vitae. A Cryptophage may even go to the lengths of exerting herself to expend blood or draining her own veins in order to cause a greater appreciation for the rush and taste of unusual vitae.

Schizophrenia

Suffering from terrible and irresolvable inner conflicts the Vampire with this disorder epitomizes the stereotypes of Insanity.

Vampires with this derangement are dangerous and unpredictable to the extreme. The disorder is anything but arbitrary, and the player must work out the original trauma as well as the general set of behaviours relevant to the trauma.

Schizophrenia does not mean that you have a split personality or that you are likely to be violent. The symptoms themselves can be split into ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ symptoms, with positive symptoms including the experience things that are not real (hallucinations) and having unusual beliefs (delusions). Negative symptoms include lack of motivation and becoming withdrawn. These symptoms are generally more long-lasting. Positive does not mean "good."

Sect Fanatic

The kindred with this derangement possesses an unwavering loyalty to the Camarilla, believing that the august Sect has provided all the comforts, protections and dignity it affords to him in his present state of being.

If not for the Camarilla and its Traditions he would be either a slavering monster or cheated from his gift of immortality. The Sect's enemies and criminals must be brought to kindred justice and/or destroyed. Hence these kindred are the first to volunteer their skills and resources to aid the Sect in its defence. He is also the first to point out any obvious breaches in Tradition, as well as appoint himself as the final arbiter of what is best for the Sect. If the vampire is witness to gross corruption or incompetence in another ranking kindred he must make the typical Willpower spend or suffer the chosen affects of the derangement.

Self-Annihilation Impulse

Stemming for the Vampires inability to deal with the weight that immortality brings the mind and soul, the Vampire develops a strong, yet unconscious “death wish”.

When confronted with direct evidence of his immortality, the vampire begins to seek his own destruction, resisting attempts to persuade him otherwise.

Synaesthesia

Although the synaesthetic is presumably accustomed to the unusual sensory input, his real problem lies in communicating what he senses to others.

A character so afflicted has difficulty expressing concepts as simple as "cut the red wire" -- he's much more likely to say "cut the coal-flavoured wire, the one that smells of grass" or something similar -- and even has similar difficulties comprehending speech from others. Since the associations vary from individual to individual, there's not even any guarantee that another synaesthetic would be able to understand the vampire.

The Synaesthetic may spend a Willpower point to correlate her sensory input in a "normal" fashion for a turn -- or rather, at least to be able to communicate "normally" in terms of colours, textures, smells, tastes, temperature or sound. The character would still hear a ringing noise and think of it as a spicy smell, for instance -- he's just able to focus enough to associate that spicy smell he hears with what other people call "ringing."

Undying Remorse

When reminded of some evil or vile deed that the vampire once committed, they occasionally enter a state of all-consuming remorse and self-pity so deep that they become unable to take any action other than to defend themselves from physical attacks.

The emotional pain can become so great that the subject's derangement is triggered at the slightest recollection or external reminder of their sin.

Whiner

You seek to gain sympathy from others in order to bolster your feelings of self-worth despite your abject failure (whatever caused you to last succumb to the derangement).

You seek the approval of others until you have overcome your derangement. Unless you get approval, you cannot regain Willpower nor use Willpower.
 

Animalistic Hysteria

The person with this severe disorder is under the constant threat of Frenzy.

Striking at any time, including in the company of mortals, the ghoul finds interactions grow much more difficult as the “Beast” manages to overthrow reason and compassion. As a result, shame and guilt begins to overcome the ghoul. If exposed to environments or interactions where the ghoul feels inferior or is rejected by his domitor, and/or he is injured or forced into actions that violate his morals/ethics, the ghoul may Frenzy.

Blood Thirst

The ghoul has craved the blood of her Regnant since the very beginning of her existence as a vassal; she will do anything to keep receiving it.

The once-a-month feedings are not enough. She will go to any lengths to get vitae, doing anything from lying to her Regnant about use of the blood previously granted to actively hunting other vampires for their blood. Even though she knows the dangers of drinking too much, the ghoul cannot resist the intoxicating elixir and the rush it provides. When her Regnant feeds her, she is always tempted to drink all that he has. Whenever a ghoul with this derangement feeds directly from her Regnant, she must make a Mental + Willpower test to prevent herself from entering Frenzy and attempting to drain him completely.

Cannibalism

Aside from the necessity of feeding from your Regnant, you have developed an obsessive taste for human flesh.

You must feed from the flesh of humans; depending on your Humanity level, you must consume flesh at a rate of: Humanity 5 - once a month; Humanity 4 - once every two weeks; Humanity 3 - once a week; Humanity 2 - once every three days; Humanity 1 - daily. If the ghoul does no feed within the schedule, the chosen derangement is triggered.

Dependant Personality Disorder

For this derangement, the ghoul displays tremendous dependence on others, namely her domitor.

She is usually extremely indecisive and would prefer that her domitor controlled and dictated all aspects of her existence. The behaviour stems from the ghoul's fear of abandonment and thus she tolerates all manner of abuse. As to prevent looking stupid or helpless, she tolerates others' control over her and is subconsciously discouraged from taking any action that would ease her suffering.

Hypochondria

The ghoul gets sick every time he faces stress.

The symptoms are usually just a headache or upset stomach, however, sometimes they are much worse. If the ghoul becomes upset, stressed of threatened, he believes that he is coming down with something suitably viral or nasty. In probability the ghoul is quite healthy, but he needs an excuse to garner sympathy from those around him.When the ghoul gets “sick” he is effectively down one Physical trait for the evening or until the ”attack” passes.

Immortal Fear

This derangement reflects an absolute fear of becoming a vampire.

The ghoul will go to great lengths to safeguard herself from being Embraced. She would rather choose death than existence as a creature cursed and feared the world over. What’s more, the ghoul becomes enthralled with the sun and everything associated with it. Any attempt by the ghoul's Regnant to even broach the subject of the Embrace is met with a stony silence or panicked protestation. The ghoul may even turn and flee.

Self-Defeating Personality Disorder

Commonly know as “masochism”, the ghoul seems compulsively drawn into situations or relationships that he knows will cause him intense pain.

He makes needless sacrifices in the name of his domitor. The vassal often has trouble relating to other ghouls, mortals or vampires who show them kindness or respect. For the duration of the madness, the ghoul’s Nature changes to Masochist or Martyr. He is unable to use Willpower to refresh traits or to retest Mental or Social challenges.

Sycophancy

If it’s one thing a ghoul knows (and knows it very well), it is that he cannot survive without his domitor.

She made him and and she can unmake him. To keep her from leaving him to die, he does anything she says. In fact, he will go beyond the letter of her law, doing things that he thinks that she would want him to do. If she likes classical music, he will get her tickets to the symphony. Who cares if the tickets cost over four hundred dollars? Isn’t this new life worth it? While under the effects of this derangement, the ghoul spends all his Resources and Influences on frivolous things to make his domitor happy and thus finds himself caught short when crunch time comes.